FM 20 Unknown to Untouchable - UD Melilla

[OutsideTheBox FM]

Hello! Introducing myself Luke from OutsideTheBox FM.

After years of playing and loving Football Manager, I am pleased to bring you my first ever FM Youtube Series - Unknown to Untouchable - UD Melilla!

As the title states, I have started a 'Project Spain' type save with UD Melilla - A small city on the North African coast, plying their trade in the 'Segunda Division B - Grupo 1' (Or the Spanish 3rd division - Group 1)

My goal for this save is to get UD Melilla promoted into La Liga and into Europe and to build and establish a solid youth academy. I eventually want Melilla's academy to be a breeding ground for Spanish talent and a pathway for North African talent into the European leagues.

So, hopefully you enjoy it. I am certainly loving making the series and playing this save! Feel free to drop a like or comment on the video, and let me know what you think!

EDIT: I have recapped the first two episodes on the below video. I wasnt completely happy with the quality I produced to keep viewers watching. So, I am hoping that this re-introduction video keeps viewers around more than my actual first two eps!

But of course, please watch the first two as well if you dont mind poor quality audio!

WELCOME TO UD MELILLA

Firstly, where is Melilla......?

Here

So as you can see we have quite a bit of travelling to get through this season. Especially for a Semi Professional Club.

CLUB INFO

How good are the kits?


SQUAD

Below are the players I inherited, plus one or two additions after I filmed the first episode. I sent some of the trash I ran through on my first episode packing, so this is the not completely trimmed squad that I have to work with at the moment. I will be running through more transfers in episode 2!

HODEI OLEAGA

Hodei (Or Hodor) the 6"6 giant of a keeper on loan from Bilbao will almost definitely be my number 1 this season. Really solid player for this division.

LEO

Nothing spectacular, but is a relatively cheap backup option. If I can bring in a cheaper backup keeper option I may try cash in to help with the dire wage situation.

MOHAMED MAHANAN

Mohamed is here at the moment, but will be shipped off. He has been at the club for 17 years in total, so I would suggest the fans wont be too happy, but there is no room for sentiment with me in this situation. He deserves a mention here, but this is goodbye Mohamed.

PRIMI

Ahh Primi. My first signing for Melilla, a really solid CB option for my threadbare defence. Paying him absolute peanuts compared to some other players in the squad.

BENJAMIN GARAY

What a shame. Found in the B squad. On loan from Real Madrid, I thought we had a little gem on our hands here... Then I looked at his stats. Benjamin, you are only in the first team squad due to our lack of CB's... and the fact I can't terminate your loan.

RICHI

Richi will most likely be my captain this season. Good CB option. I was quite excited on video when I first saw him. I am slowly thinking he may not be as good as first thought, but will most definitely do a job alongside Primi.

PEPE ROMERO

Pepe is one of the 4 QUALITY wing backs at the club. They are all quality, but all on high wages. I am trying to cash in on one of them, and it may be Pepe. It will be a shame, but finances are not good!

DIEGO PARRAS

Diego is again a great option at RB. With the WB tactic I will hope to implement, he is solid in all areas. Keeping him over Pepe simply because of his age, and slightly better attacking stats.

VICTOR MENA

They just keep on coming! Victor is the 3rd instalment of quality WB's for this level. Can play all up the left side, so will come in handy this season. Hopefully he plays a big part.

JUANMI CARRION

As you can see here, and as I hinted in episode 1... I am trying to train him as a Ball Playing CB... Don't ask me why, I just can't handle a WB with 6 crossing! ?

JORDI ORTEGA

Jordi Jordi. I got quite excited about him on video, and the more I look the more I like for some reason! Loving his high marking, pace and tekkers. If his passing and strength were higher I would be in Spanish 3rd Division dreamland! However, we are happy but left wanting a little with some low midflield attributes.

DECO

I got really excited on episode 1 about having Deco.. Former Champions League Winner Deco... Not quite and the more I look at him, the more I don't like him. He is ok. But nothing to write about..... as.. I... am... writing about him?

JON CEBERIO

Jonny is an average CM. If I can't cash in, he will do a job as a squad player this year. Great tekkers, so I won't mind keeping him around.

JOSE HIGON

Our wide areas are stacked to say the least! Jose is one of the solid wide attacking options we have at the club. This suits me down to the ground, I love using wingers and getting them involved matches.

ROMAIN HABRAN

Comparing Romain with Jose now, I go back on what I said on episode 1. I actually like Jose a little better, but both are great options for this division. I like Romain's versatility. May do a job on the left or up front if need be this season considering the lack of finances to bring in strikers..

DANI ESPINAR

Dani 'Espanol' is the 2nd of my additions to the squad so far. Brought him in as a set piece utility in the centre of the park. Non Contract. No Brainer.

JUANAN

Juanan is the 3rd fantastic wing option. What a player he is!........... And then you notice he is on loan at Orihuela. Atleast we're not paying his wages! Juanan is Juanout.

DANI VEGA

Dani Vega is in the same mould as Romain and Jose. Great option out wide, kept out of the starting 11 at the moment by a country singer.........

CARRIE UNDERWOOD
(CARRI)

Bless her, taken a big pay cut since being on American Idol. But she is here and starting on the left. Welcome Carrie.

MAWI

I am thinking I may need to cash in on one of these wingers. All of them have the ability to start and are on high wages. Mawi may be the one to go. We'll see.

ADRIA DE MESA

If I can get in another striker, Adria will be on that ferry out of Melilla. High wage, 28yrs old. Won't get in over my star boy below.

CARLOS FERNANDEZ
(TOP BANANA)

Carlos is my main man. Class personified for this division! As mentioned in episode 1, I can't believe he's never played at a higher level. Hopefully he drives us to promotion this season with his goals.

FINANCES

After letting go some fraud coaching staff, we are left with a pretty dire financial state...


THANKS FOR WATCHING / READING GUYS. ANY SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. STAY TUNED FOR MORE!
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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Special mention to HASSAN HAMED MOHAMED. This money grabbing part timer is ROBBING this club by being UD MELILLA B's Head Physio on 1.5K per week!!!!

He is the 2nd highest paid person at the club.. Behind Carlos Fernandez.

Since 2010 as well. He must know some things about the chairman...

I'm here to get this football club on the world map. And staff like this is what is holding Melilla back.

Hassan - get ready to earn EVERY PENNY of that £78,000 salary!​

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

TRANSFER WINDOW ROUND-UP

The transfer window has come and gone... It's not easy to find players being a secluded Spanish city on a different continent to your opposition let me tell you! However, we managed to let go of some players on big contracts, and sign a few free agents all whilst keeping within the wage budget.. just.

OUTS

Hector, Martinez & Garrido had left the club before I joined. Unfortunately Martinez looks quite a player. We may well have used him this season!

Juanan
Already loaned out to Orihuela. They are paying his chunky wages in full, so we aren't too disappointed about this deal since we are well stocked in the wide areas.

Michele Diana
An unfortunate casualty of the wage bill really. Could have used him as back up, but he leaves to help bring in some quality replacements.

Mohamed Mahanan
The (almost) one club man. He leaves as he is no where near good enough to challenge the new additions to the squad. Would have been nice to keep him around for sentimental reasons, but again due to finances, he's out the door.

Leo
Mr Leo was a deadline day departure which came out of the blue a little bit. We signed a new back up keeper on deadline day on a non contract, and Leo and his pay packet were waiting for the next ferry to mainland Spain an hour later. He joins Gimnastica on a season long loan with wages paid in full.

INS

Again, from Mawi to Carri were already at the club. The free transfers from there are the boys brought in by me.

Primi

Primi, already mentioned in the first post above, was brought in nice and early in the window and should be a really solid CB for us this year.

Dani Espinar

Dani, another boy previously mentioned and brought in early. Already proving dangerous with his set piece ability.

Didier Ovono

Going by his stats you think to yourself, well... We've got a solid keeper on our hands here. However, with a 6.20 in the season opener, and being away on International Duty for the 2nd match of the season.. He hasn't exactly had a warm reception since coming in. But, for the money he is on, he is worth persisting with.

Amine Ichalalen

After scouring the Moroccan leagues, I stumbled upon Amine on deadline day. A really solid backup keeper with room to grow being only 20. After getting snapped up by Melilla, he subsequently got called up for the Moroccan U20's for the first time. Therefore, being the 2nd of my 2 GK's to miss the first AND second match of the season... Thats right.... I discover this on episode 2 if you want to see live reaction.

Antonio Amaya

Last but not least, we welcome Antonio Amaya to Melilla. Again another 36yr old, but, I couldn't look passed those defensive and aerial stats. For a season, I think he will be a monster for us against younger and less experienced strikers. Lets hope so anyway... Already gone down 1 pace since arriving a week ago...

So that wraps it up.... Or does it....? Yes, there are a couple players missing from the above list of outs.

Hodei Oleaga

Returns to Atletico to free up some wages.. This explains why I let go of Leo, and explains why I brought in 2 new keepers. This couild turn out to be a blunder on my part considering Hodei probably would have been one of the best keepers in the league. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Romain Habran

Anndd lastly, Romain Habran leaves us after having his loan terminated. We were paying all his wages and considering our relative strength in the wide areas, it was vital we shipped him off to allow us to bring in cover in other areas. Would have done a job for me, but a small sacrifice had to be made.


SO that wraps up the transfers. How did we get on actually playing football?

MATCHES PLAYED

The friendly fixtures went surprisingly quite well with good results against Barcelona and Oviedo. Alot of anticipation for the upcoming competitive matches!

But we come to the competitive fixtures and something isn't quite clicking. We are playing well and dominating games, but getting unlucky it seems.

VS Sanse

Very unlucky in my opinion here. We conceded via set piece in the first half and thought we'd snatched a more than deserved draw at the death for Sanse to go and ruin the party with two late goals. I wasn't too disheartened as this is the way I want the match stats to look in every match, but hopefully the stats will reflect more positively on the scoresheet in future matches.

VS Langreo

Our second match of the season and first away journey... If you haven't already, check out episode 2. Incredibly both of the new keepers I acquired are on international duty. Which I discovered while filming! So we introduced young Jacob Zuniga into the limelight and in all honesty.. Had nothing to do the whole match. I was quite relieved considering he is a greyed out player that FM generated for me.. I am disappointed with a 0-0 after, again, such dominance, but in retrospect, maybe I should be content with playing well and keeping a clean sheet with a very very young, poor, scared GK.

Next up we have Real Madrid B (Castilla) & Marino which will be shown live on Episode 3 today!

TACTIC

The tactic below is what we've been going with for the friendlies and for the first few games of the season. It seems to be doing ok, but time will tell whether we're able to pick up competitive results.

Also this is roughly the 11 we've been going with, and I will be persisting with these boys. I feel no need to make sweeping changes just yet.

As mentioned guys, any support on the channel or in the forums would be fantastic. I am absolutely loving the save and hope you are enjoying the Melilla experience too.

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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Episode 3 & 4 were eventful to say the least.

Some very tough times early on in Luke Box's managerial career with Melilla not exactly being a friendly place for a fresh faced manager.


FINANCES UPDATE

We are still throwing money into the Mediterranean it seems. I am curious as to why our Gate Receipts are so low.. I am guessing its because basically everyone who turns up is a season ticket holder. But, we are really really struggling and our projection is not good. Our only chance of getting some cash I think is from a bit of a cup run..


DYNAMICS

Without spoiling any results... I will just leave this here...

So, next episode will be out tomorrow afternoon where we continue our journey. Join me in seeing how far I can take Melilla.

A run down of the results and match reports for episodes 3-6, will be posted here on the weekend!

VAMOS, LOS PIRATAS NORTEAFRICANOS!​

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

Its El Sackico Part 2 today...

Can we keep our job?

Can we avoid becoming the worst Football Manager Youtube Series in history?

Watch to find out!

(Hot tip: If you don't have loads of time to watch, and want to avoid my drawn out sentences while I think of words. Pop the video on 1.25X Speed. It doesn't affect the content and means you can watch more in less time!)

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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Well, we survive another day after crucial results in episode 5!

We continue on with huge matches against Coruxo & Atletico Madrid B.

Check it out above and feel free to like, subscribe & comment!

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[OutsideTheBox FM]

WEEKLY ROUND-UP

Well, after my first full week playing through this save, filiming and editing, all I can say is that I am absolutely loving it! As something I've never done before, its such a different and interesting way to play the game. But enough of the romance. Lets get into the grind of Luke Box's managerial career at UD Melilla.

Of course, to catch up on all the action, and my basically live thoughts as I play through the game. Check out the OutsideTheBox FM YouTube channel and go for it! Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment. It really helps grow the channel!

RESULTS

Well, our results have been mixed to put it kindly. A really unfortunate start after some positive results in friendlies. Bad form meant we were already on the verge of a sacking! The board weren't keen to be patient, but luckily I have seemingly turned a corner just in time.

SEPTEMBER

After opening the season with a loss and a draw against Sanse & Langreo, we continued being a scrambled egg team, with good performances but overall poor results.

My player for September: DANI ESPINAR

Dani i thought would be a bit part this season, but after formidable start to the season, he has well and truly cemented his spot in the starting 11. Dani averaged 7.5 throughout September, despite only picking up 2 Assists and 1 Goal. His key passes and set pieces are vital to how we play.

OCTOBER

October was a good month overall. Unbeaten and two really good results in the Copa RFEF. An unlikely 5-2 thrashing of Atletico B was the cherry on top of a fantastic month. After a very rocky start, we finally look like a team that's started to gel.

My player for October: PRIMI

It was a toss up between Primi and Carlos Fernandez. But I've chosen consistency over, a one match masterclass. The big CB's form throughout October has been solid to say the least. No rating under 6.9 is a testament to his overall good defensive work. Also his pass completion is high for a defender meaning we can play out from the back almost always successfully.

TACTIC

So, not much has changed with the tactic, I've done a few tweaks, but if anything i've tweaked it to be a little simpler with less instructions. It seems to be working, but I do want to get more instructions in there eventually when the boys start to trust me a little more.

The squad and their average ratings. As you can see we've picked up injuries to Ceberio and Mawi. Any more, and we are in big trouble.

DYNAMICS

Dynamics is looking a little better. Still have a few that oppose me. But big thanks to Guerra who supports me. Who's Guerra you ask? Take a look below.

SIGNINGS

LUIS GUERRA

If you haven't seen episode 2 where I discover live, that my 2 first choice keepers head off on international duty. Go and check it out. Absolute shambles of a start to the season. So we had to play young Jacob Zuniga in goal. A greyed out 16 yr old child.. This is the reason, I decided to go out and just quickly grab a 3rd choice on a non contract. Luis has had to play 2 quite important matches already. (Thank you Gabon & Morocco). He was the best I could get on a free, and for no money. Welcome Luis.

LEAGUE TABLE

So after 15 played we are on 16 points. We are definitely better than where we are currently. Hopefully we can kick on now and push toward those playoff places. Castilla are flying on top. I'm looking forward to facing them again considering we gave them a run for their money early on.

FINANCES AND MANAGER PERFORMANCE

Just a quick little run down here from the club's home screen. We are still pumping money down the toilet.. Although we are guaranteed 10K in from our next cup game if we lose... Our manager performance is looking fantastic considering 2 matches ago we had an E!

To sum up. Things are looking better!

Follow the journey on the tubes, and don't forget to like, comment, subscribe if you can. I really appreciate it!!

Episode 8, the Copa RFEF semi final out tomorrow!

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[TaymuirFC]

Terrible start in September, although it's picked up since then. Looking hard to put a promotion push but plenty football left to go. Might be a case of building the foundation this season to kick on next but yeah im not sure how finances work in Spain whether theres a lot to be made but going further into debt isnt great but something i know well. Hopefully you'll earn a nice little money earner somewhere even if its a random spanish cup game.

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

Terrible start in September, although it's picked up since then. Looking hard to put a promotion push but plenty football left to go. Might be a case of building the foundation this season to kick on next but yeah im not sure how finances work in Spain whether theres a lot to be made but going further into debt isnt great but something i know well. Hopefully you'll earn a nice little money earner somewhere even if its a random spanish cup game.

Thanks for reading / watching. Really appreciate it! Yes, terrible terrible start.. I'm putting it down to low managerial support. But things are definitely looking up! Yes, finances are a big issue. We are spending 20K a week on wages, with next to no income.. Really not sustainable whatsoever! Copa Del Rey is where the money will come from hopefully if we draw a Real Madrid away, (like they did a few years back in real life!)

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

Episode 8 & Bonus Episode 8.5

Get amongst it and any likes / subscribes are much much appreciated

VAMOS!

Uppa Piratas.​

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

Bit of a sombre one today.

I go into a bit about my thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement in making a stand against racism.

Thanks for watching guys. Ep 10 out tomorrow.

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

Hot off the press. Episode 10!

A little transfer rundown and the first match of January.

VAMOS! Uppa Piratas!
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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Episode 11!

A little January Transfer Window Round-Up & we kick off the back end of the season against Vestuta.

Vamos! Uppa Piratas!
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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Episode 12 is here. We're coming to the end of the season. Can we make a late playoff push?

 

[OutsideTheBox FM]

WEEKLY ROUND-UP

Well, our 2nd weekly round-up is here and we are fast approaching the end of the season! What a wild first season its been..

We'll start off with the results if you haven't been watching the videos.

RESULTS

NOVEMBER

Some fantastic results in November saw us rise up the table, and progress in the COPA RFEF cup (basically the 3rd + 4th division cup of Spain). We started hitting our stride and combining well as a team after our horror start.

Player of the Month: Carrie Underwood

I almost gave it to Primi again after some incredible performances for the 2nd month in a row. However, after an iffy start,, Carrie Underwood picked up some really important goals, so deserves it for our November run of form.

DECEMBER

Ahh December, a mix of ecstasy and disappointment. The festive season was kind to us as we won the COPA RFEF!

After beating Badajoz in the final 2-0 we claimed Melilla's first bit of silverware since the 1998/99 season. And only the 2nd honour in the history of the football club! A shame the board didn't really care.. But a great personal honour for my first season in charge of Los Piratas NorteAfricanos.

However, a poor poor showing against Ebro in the Copa Del Rey, meant we were knocked out in the first round.. A really disappointing result considering it was really the only chance of us making any sort of money this season.

However, we continued our steady form in the league with 3 wins and a draw giving us a sniff of the playoff places come January.

Player of the month: Deco

Played every match in December and put in some real shifts in the centre of the park. Him and Espinar combining very very well for our run of great form and getting on the scoresheet as well.

JANUARY

A short month of matches during the silly season as some of our new signings settled into Melilla. 2 wins and a loss keeps us in the hunt for playoffs.

Player of the month: Jordi Ortega

2 goals in both wins this month, with big 8+ performances. Deserves the recognition and is playing as I thought he could at the start of the season.

FEBRUARY

February was a month we really hit our stride, with favourable matches against much weaker teams, we played them at the right time. Our new signings coming into their own and scoring freely. Dreaming of playoffs was a real possibility.

Player of the month: Antonio Amaya

Anyone could have grabbed it this month. But Antonio was exceptional. Scoring fantastic goals from set pieces, and defending with all his years of experience. A great month for him.


So after the end of February we were left in 5th position. A very very good shot of playoffs, being top 4.

All in all a lot of green in these 4 months. Happy days.


TRANSFERS

OUTS

Only 1 major out as we waved good riddance to Pepe Romero.. A team leader that never supported me, and seemed to never play to his ability. He went out on loan to Real Murcia with all wages paid in full by them. With his contract up not until next season, lets hope we can cash in on him in the summer.

INS

Now, we definitely had to do some business in January here, we needed depth in alot of areas and I had to move a few players around to make room for some new and improved footballers.

Jhon Miranda - Versatile and head and shoulders better than our last back up striker Adria De Mesa. Unfortunately for Adria, he has been chucked into the reserves to make room in the 22 man squad for Jhon. Miranda has been in OK form since joining, but with age on his side and adapting to a new country, he should show his skill in the coming months.

Roman Chihuaua - (Not his real name) The Georgian came in along with Jhon Miranda in November when we needed some depth due to injuries. Roman was my replacement for Pepe Romero. 20 Aggression for a small dog, but has some room to grow. Is a decent backup on a non contract.

Stefano Tarolli - Goalkeepers have been a nightmare position for me this season.. With Didier and Ichalalen going on International Duty every other week, I decided to drop Ichalalen to the reserves and bring in Tarolli to be number 1 along with Didier.. Stefano is a good solid keeper for this level, but needs to start performing better. In the games I have started him, he has let in some poor goals.

Kyllan Rame - Stolen from non league France, Kyllan has been outstanding in the centre of the park with Espinar. Deco, the unlucky victim of Kyllan's fantastic form so far this season. Brought in for depth and also, to take the set pieces in case of an Espinar injury.

Muntasir Farragh - After scouring the African national teams I came across this kid from Sudan. Only 19 and with technical skills for days, he comes in on a youth contract to bide his time. Next season, I will promote him to the first team to improve his game and grow into a great footballer for this level, and hopefully the level above.

Djamaldine Atoiyi - Also poached from looking for players in Africa, the Comoros International comes in for depth out on the wings. I wasn't happy with Mawi's overall performances, and after a long term injury. Atoiyi comes in and has done OK in his time at Melilla. Needs to improve and become more consistent, but definitely has the ability to do so.

1/2

Continues on below...
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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Fabien Boyer - The Madagascan International comes in merely for B team cover. He has been put straight into the B team, but for no money its worth having him here for depth.

Liberty Chakaroma - Liberty comes in from Chicken Inn in Zimbabwe. At 26, I would have liked him to be a little younger, but, he gives me some great depth at CB and also has the ability to play further forward, or as a BPD or Libero (Which I may well change to) Really excited about him, I like him alot and I hope he is worth the money paid for him.

Juan Manuel Mazzocchi - Another one scouted and identified as good depth. He comes in for the B team with the option of promoting him next season. A handy striker with good stats and age on his side.

FINANCES AND MANAGER PERFORMANCE

We are doing better than we were at the start of the season, and I may have just given you a hint as to what results have happened since Feb.... But our finances are a big worry. We don't seem to make anything.. And our wage bill is too high for our means. The board did inject some money but we really don't hold any hope of doing anything with finances until we get promoted..

Continue watching to see what happens!

Massive matches tomorrow as we round up the 1st season this week.

If you haven't already, go and watch the RECAP episode I posted on the first page this week. Its a better run down of the first few matches and the club than my first two actual episodes..

If you can, give us a like, comment and subscribe to show your support!

VAMOS! UPPA PIRATAS!
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[OutsideTheBox FM]

A double upload day today as we near the end of the season and push for promotion!

Really fun episodes to make today! Hope you join me for the end of season tomorrow and for the start of season 2 this week!

VAMOS! UPPA PIRATAS!
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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Well! Episode 15 & 16 on your tube!

Its the start of Season 2! Get watching and see how we get on!!

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[OutsideTheBox FM]

Well, its been a while since I posted on here!

Apologies!

Things have been hectic and along with making the videos, I haven't quite had time to reflect. But hopefully I can make up for that today.

It's been a very eventful few episodes. 7 have been made since I last posted. You'll see them below, and also a big run down of the season so far.

Feel free to show your support! Likes, comments and Subs all welcome
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[OutsideTheBox FM]