Managing when out of your depth...

[CBP]

Hi!

I'd just like to post a disclaimer before I go on that none of this is a moan - I'm very proud of how I've done so far, and I'd just like to explain the situation.

I wonder if anyone could give me a tip with how to progress my team. I'm Oxford United and in my first season I won League 2, second season won League 1 and I'm now halfway through my fourth season in the Championship. After finishing 13th, 10th and then 6th (getting destroyed in the playoffs!), I'm currently top by 3 points.

My problem is that I feel like it's about to slip at any point, and if I do go up I'll be decimated in the prem.

The club are still relatively small, I don't get much to spend each year and my last two best players (Galindo and Jordi Gomez) were both sold for 1 million over my head by the chairman.

I still seem to be only able to sign average players or former decent players at age 33 and upwards - every transfer window the clubs around me spend at least 2 or 3 million themselves.

I have lower than average team wages - average a week in the champ. is £7,250 a week whereas mine is £2,600 a week, and my highest earner is only on £8,500.

I spend ages finding good regens and youth players that eventually leave on a free, and the board can't upgrade any of the club's facilities or stadium because they can't afford to.

Without just holding on for a takeover or anything like that, can anyone suggest a way to consolidate and build for the prem? It seems like if I build a good team their age and lack of pace will be exploited, whereas a young team will be pinched from under my nose.

Any advice would be great, and maybe I'm just suffering like every other manager in charge of a smaller team against the big boys

Thanks!

 

[Danster007]

Try puting your younger regens n longer contracts, like 5years? tie them down

 

[RossRankin]

Well tbh even if you don't manage to avoid relegation if you were to get to the prem you would make a lot of money just from that 1 season and would you not get parachute money for going back down to the championship anyway? Just try get to the prem, finish last and lose every game it's still going to give you money for tv rights and bigger teams means stadium constantly selling out aswell as better players having interest in your club and sometimes at lower prices.

If you get to prem things should start to look up.

 

[sphughes1]

If you feel you can get into the Prem with your current team then do it because like RossRankin is saying ... even if you failed within the Prem really badly, the money you will get is massive when then, hopefully you will get to spend the following season on players and facilities will be updated etc ...

In the real world, some of the most secure clubs with the best facilities are them that are up and down out of the Prem because it is worth so much ... look at Blackpool, and Burnley, although they are not doing to well in the table at the moment, both are upgrading there facilities and have the money to buy players, and its exactly the same in the game.

 

[pipodeclown]

This should say all

Higher division = Higher Reputation, better players want to come, Bigger clubs so more stadium sellouts, more prize money, don't care about losing as long as you set your goal to "avoid relegation" or attempt to "avoid relegation" and you will probably stay in your seat.

Good luck

 

[Aannddyy]

I don't even understand what the problem here is? You don't have a big enough reputation? You don't have any money?

Get promoted. Simple. By the time you come back down with 37 losses from 38 you will be rich, so who cares?

 

[Scullybug]

Once you get promoted you will be surprised with the calibre of players you will be able to sign and even if you get relegated straight back down, if you can hold on to some of those players then after maybe a couple of seasons being promoted then relegated you will be able to stay up.