Playing lower divisions in FM 2005

GadgetFiend

Does anybody else think its much more fun playing lower divisions in FM 2005, if only for the sheer randomness of it all?

Take my MK Dons team- horrifficly in debt when I took over (-£500,000, which is a LOT for a League One team like MK Dons!)

- First season lost in playoff final AET
- Second season got relegated! Despite getting 53 points- mad!
- Third season won League Two and LDV Vans Trophy
- Fourth season, currently fourth in League One again

IMHO its much more fun struggling along with a ****e team than winning everyhting with Chelseas and Man Utds.

And some of the players you end up signing on free transfers when your broke- Regi Blinker, remember him. MK Dons player of the season two years running, despite being 38!

eirebhoy

Well not exactly league 2 but I'm currently managing Stoke in the Championship. I'm second in the league with only 3 months played, 3 points behind Leicester with the following team:

GK: Ed de Goey
DL: Hall
DR: Halls
DC: Thomas
DC: Luzhni (sp? free I think)
DMC: Emanuel Petit (free)
DMC: Clive Clarke
AMC: Miguel Angel Benitez (50k and has won the only 3 player of the month awards)
AMC: Cerci (gets released by Roma) / Mutiu (free)
AMC: Eustace / Russell
FC: Akinbiyi

Can't believe I remembered my team.

Anyway, Benitez is absolutely fantastic, he's 34 but I'll be playing him as long as he can walk. Cerci is only about 17 and is good enough for the first team. I also signed a youngster called Scorza for free who goes on to become great. Adu, Harbuzi, Roncatto etc. were taken by other lads who I'm playing with. I had to sell a load of players to reduce the wage bill. I haven't had a chance to play Eustace yet as he's injured but looks very good.

DRakE

Decided to start another game today.. took over MK Dons to really challenge me

Will let you know how i get on

Töpher

Scorza is very good, also look out for Hugo Carolo and Bruno Alves. All youngesters on dirt cheap pay, tearing up the EL for me (and Carolo's better than Scorza! I play them both).

eirebhoy

Einst&#252 wrote: »

Scorza is very good, also look out for Hugo Carolo and Bruno Alves.

Neither players are in my Network game, its on medium database.

Töpher

eirebhoy wrote:

Neither players are in my Network game, its on medium database.

Pity
Mine's on huge, so dont even know if they're in large. Quality players with lots of potential.

Zaph

I usually play in the Italian or Spanish leagues (smaller divisions and less cup competitions than England so the seasons don't drag on as much) and I always make sure I start with some team in the lowest division. It's more fun seeing what you can do on limited resources and if you're good enough the opportunities to manage bigger teams will come along.

DRakE

They're both in my game, on large database.

And now to try and temp them to Milton Keynes for **** all money

Töpher

Scorzas happy on 75 p/w, Carolo on 350, and Alves on about 400. All under 5k!

DRakE

I have no money at all..

So pathetic to not be able to afford 3,000 for a signing

Töpher

Yes, yes it is!

DRakE

My god MK Dons are D I R E

I haven't seen so many ratings of '2' in a single match ever.

What a load of ****e.

GadgetFiend

patience drake

sell wade small- i got 900k for him. bye bye overdraft...

following my league 2 triumph, I bounced straight up to the championship, finishing second in league one the following season. seems like they just need an incentive

and to top it all, brian kerr was sacked and i got the ireland job after the european chanpionships 2008

so..every cloud and all that

DRakE

wade small is an amazing player though! never less than a 2! he even shot as high as a 4 for me once...

thing is, I don't have any left/right winger so it's forcing me to play a 4-3-2-1.. and even then its poor at the best of times

GadgetFiend

well i got regi blinker on a free transfer from deltasport- he's old but very good

and played 4-5-1

small on the right
blinker on the left
and smart up front

all out attack!

see if that works

and yes those "2's" are bloody annoying

eirebhoy

The lowest rating one of my Stoke players got was a 5, never seen a 2 before.

eirebhoy

eirebhoy wrote:

AMC: Cerci (gets released by Roma)

He actually played against Ireland U-19's today IRL and almost scored.

Boro

Actually, (slightly off topic), anyone ever been offered a decent job when you start a new game as unemployed? Tried it once and only got offers from the conference. Bad luck?

eirebhoy

Lads, Benitez is running amoc in my Stoke team. Best value for money player in the game without a doubt (for the first season at least).

Crania

I love playing in the lower leagues in FM2005.

I started out at the very bottom of English football with St. Albans in the Conference South, after one season Notts County in League Two offered me their vacant job as manager and I accepted, I changed their fortunes and made them a team capable of promotion but before I got them promoted I took over at A.F.C. Bournemouth in League One and after two seasons I turned them from a team battling relegation to an automatic promotion team and I took them to the Championship. I then took over at Crystal Palace who had just been relegated from the Premiership and led them to a 2nd place finish in the Championship and brought them straight back into the Preimiership.

So in five seasons I went from the bottom of English football in the Conference South to the top of English football in the Premiership!!