Another manager attempts the infamous Pentagon Challenge

[FMRayner]

Hello, and welcome to my thread.

I would like to start by thanking you for even bothering to click on this thread, after you've already read in the title that this is another person attempting the Pentagon Challenge, and, well that is what it is.
I know that a lot of people have attempted to conquer this challenge, some have succeeded, most have failed. I hope to fall into the former category, and I thought I would share my journey on here for your entertainment as much as mine.

Now, on with the important stuff. For those of you who haven't heard of the Pentagon Challenge, firstly I would like to start by asking; where have you been for the past few years?!
Oh, really? I'll let you off then.

The rules of this challenge are pretty simple really. In a nut shell, you are to start a new save from scratch, as an unemployed manager with your experience set to Sunday League. Your job from there is to first find employment, and then win the Champions League (or equivalent) on all 5 of the Continents - Africa, Asia, Europe, North America & South America.
Now you may be sat there thinking to yourself 'this doesn't sound very hard', well, it is. If you were to stick to the rules to a tee, then you are expected to live only within your financial means at every club you are employed by, and you cannot resign. You can only leave a club if you've either been dismissed for your inability to meet the Board's sometimes ridiculously overly-ambitious expectations, or you have won the Champions League with said team, meaning that you must then move to the next continent, until all 5 continents are obliterated (in footballing terms, obviously. Please don't report me.)
Anyway, with all that said, I think the only thing left to do now is to update you on my efforts so far.
I only picked up my copy of FM14 on Friday of last week, but after having a full weekend off work and my football season having finished already, I managed to crack on and get my first season of this challenge finished, so I will be adding an update of said season onto this thread in due course, but until then, I thank you, and I also question your sanity and boredom if you've actually read all of this so far, but if you actually have then good on you, you're a Scholar.


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[AndySams10]

Good Luck.

 

[FMRayner]

A quick update, fellow managers:

I have now finished my first season, but I won't tell you who with. I will tell you that it isn't Real Madrid, surprisingly enough.
I have also taken all the required screenshots and got myself prepared to write my first season review. Then my internet provider, Virgin Media (other providers are available - thankfully), decided in it's infinite wisdom that it didn't fancy working today, hence this quick update through my iPhone. Hopefully, Mr. Branson and his boys will have settled their argument and put their differences aside by the time I finish work tonight, meaning I will be able to finally document my first season in full.

Until then, thanks for reading and wish me luck!!

FMRayner.

 

[FMRayner]

Season 1 review, finally:

Okay, so after the best part of 30 hours since the initial post, my internet has finally been fixed again, meaning I can now post the review of my first season.

Okay, so I only decided to start this thread after my first season as I wanted somewhere to document my progress, but that unfortunately means that I therefore didn't take any screen shots until after the season was finished, meaning that I didn't screenshot my emails offering me the interviews, and subsequently the job that I accepted, but I'm sure you can trust me, you all look like understanding folk, apart from you. I'm not sure about you.


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Okay, so as you can see from my rather natty header, I was employed by the poor and unsuspecting Witbank Spurs. From what I can gather from a lot of other Pentagons, this team have been the starting team for probably around 75% of fellow challengers.
I was initially offered an interview with Witbank, African Warriors and Santos FC, all out of the South African National First Divison. Witbank were the only team to offer me a contract.

Witbank Spurs:​

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As you can see from the above, Witbank are a pretty new team with serious financial constraints. This can be difficult but with the help of budget adjustment, you can stay within your means. You will have to sell, however.
Anyway, so when I was hired I was told by the board that I was to avoid relegation whilst playing the attacking and possession based football that we agreed on in the initial interview.
I soon realised that this wouldn't be the easiest of tasks with the average at best team that I had, and therefore decided to make the most of the wonderful world of free transfers.

The Transfers:
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Okay, so I will just briefly talk you through some of the key players that were transferred both in and out during my first season.
Alcardo Van Graan: For the first 2/3s of the season this guy a true revelation, he was scoring for fun. I picked him up on a free, but his wages were just a little higher than the average, probably because he was a lot better than the rest of my squad. Unfortunately for me, he was my equivalent to Fernando Torres. This guy saw his Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea career all in one season; he went from scoring about 9 goals in 3 games, to scoring ridiculous goal from absolutely anywhere, to signing for Chelsea. As a Chelsea fan, it was painful.

Kikas: Again, I picked this guy up on a free as he was so much better than the rest of my team. I made a huge mistake in signing this guy though, as he was the only Angolan in my side, something that I would soon find out wasn't a good think. He played my first few games and was a rock in the heart of my defence, nothing got past Kikas. What i didn't expect though, was my huge Angolan rock to come crying into my office telling me that he missed "All the lads back home". I was heartbroken, I couldn't believe that i got Tevez'd on FM. He clearly wanted to go on a golfing holiday for 6 weeks.

Sici Shelembe: Now this guy was different gravy, he cut the mustard, he did thinks to a pixelated football that pixelated footballers shouldn't be able to do, it wasn't natural. No, but seriously though, he was good. So good in fact, that after his first 3 months of tearing up the sidelines, assisting Van Torres of scoring a worldie of his own, I was forced to sell. When the season first started, he was valued at around ?20k, so I wasn't too disappointed when i managed to squeeze ?120k + add ons.



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So the image above shows the tactics that I employed throughout my first season. I very rarely used the second tactic as it was more a kitchen sink style, but this was a relatively successful tactic nonetheless.
My aim when using this tactic, as I often do, is to retain possession whilst looking to exploit the flanks and hit early crosses. I always ask my defence to drop deep at this level as they aren't talented enough to hold a high line.



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The images above show both how my sets of fixtures played out, and how the league finished in the end, with it's best performers.
As you can see, the first half of the season was a brilliant success, thanks in no small part to Shelembe and Van Graan. Then second part did drop away a bit with one player leaving and the other doing his Chelsea bit, but we were just about strong enough to see it through.
I was lucky to win the league by just a point but the team I beat had just been relegated and at some stages I found myself 9/10/11 points ahead.
Personally, I didn't expect to finish anywhere near the top of the league, I did have a little bit of hope that I could finish in the playoff places, but this was just a ridiculously good feat by my squad. I can't imagine nearly as much success next season, but I will be fighting for a mid-table finish with the Spurs before pushing for those all important Champions League spaces in a couple of seasons time.

I would now like to both thank you and apologise to you all in the same breath for actually reading all of this. I hope you find it interesting and can stick with it, because I fully intend to complete this challenge, or leave it to one of my poor grandchildren. (chilling thought.)

If I have missed anything off or you have any questions then by all means ask away, I'll be more than happy to help in any way, unless you tell me to leave, then I'm telling your Mum on you.

Thanks again,

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[banger93]

Great first season and a great read keep it up mate looking forward to next season

 

[FMRayner]

Great first season and a great read keep it up mate looking forward to next season

Thanks mate, fingers crossed I can find a few transfer gems.

 

[FMRayner]

Another apology

I would just like to offer a quick apology for my lack of gameplay or update to my tread. I am still fully committed to the challenge and excited about the prospect of challenging in the top flight with Witbank, just as I hope you're all still looking forward to being updated. If it wasn't for the late shifts then I'd probably be well into my third season now, but such is life.
I fully intend to crack on with starting the second season tonight and hopefully start making some movement in the transfer market, as it is much needed now.

Thanks,

FMRayner.