My rambling FM'15 save (ongoing)
I only have one save in FM'15. I clicked the button to not use "real" players, but many seem thinly veiled copies. Started as Montrose in Scotland's League Two, got them promoted to the Prem, spent one year there, finished second and qualified for the Europa League (can't recall if it was via league position or doing well in a cup, we didn't win any cups). At some point with Montrose, I get the offer for the Australia National team manager job - not an interview: they just flat offer me the job (never managed nationally before, never had such an offer before, either, always had to interview).
I have no idea if I really want to do this, so I ask my wife, should I take this? Might be interesting, might just slow me down more (did I mention I only had one save this year? Ya, I'm slow). And she says, well, how much are they going to pay? Turns out, I was making £800 and they were offering £4000. I actually still don't know if they pay me that just during international breaks, or all year. It was well before the 2018 World Cup, as there was a whole 10 game asian qualification group which we were not involved in, so I'm going to guess it was in 2016 or very early 2017.
We almost won the 2019 Asian Cup, but defeated in the final to a very solid South Korea team. We've qualified for the 2022 world cup. First round (proper) qualification is insane. 40 teams, eight groups of 5, but no seeding, which means we can get grouped with two of the other top 8 teams in asia. We did. Both Japan and Iraq were in our group, and only one team is guaranteed a place in the next (overwhelmingly easier) qualification (along with half the best second place squads). I looked it up, and that is why the Australia job was open: similar thing happened last time. After that, Asia is reduced to 12 teams, two groups of six, for the second qualification round. We've gone undefeated in this (10 wins out of 10) and laughably are ranked 7th in the world now. I think we were 80th or 90th when I took over. Honestly, I figure about 30th-40th in the world is about right.
Meanwhile, I've decided to play "realistically", so when a much larger team offers me an interview, I take it. From Montrose, I moved to Brighton, in the Championship for the 2018-2019 season. Not a bad team, for the level, and with a few signings, we won the Championship with a record number of points. In the Prem, we finish a respectable mid-table position (around 11th) but, by some miracle, we won the League Cup, qualifying for the Europa League. Chelsea were dominating the league, and both Manchester teams were in turmoil, firing their managers. Both offered me an interview. With Man City, I refused the board request to sign high profile players, stating it was not the best use of funds. Other then that, the two interviews are not memorable. Man City give me the job, starting with the 2020-2021 season.
I've never joined a large reputation team in earlier FM's. I always built up a smaller team to the top. Also, if you look at my coaching attributes, they are laughable. I think I have 15 fitness (there are no fitness coaches in Scotland League Two, so it was really useful at the time) and 11 Man Management and Motivation. Most everything is 3-6. I have a couple of 1's. Also, our squad is old and injury prone in many areas, and seemed to compensate for that by signing a large number of players to fill these roles, so that we have trouble with registration. We have no one for the four trained at club slots in Champion's League registration. So I'm a bit nervous.
We won our first ten league games, despite not having mastered the two tactics we've been using since the start of pre-season. (I leave the 3rd slot totally blank in hopes of learning the two faster - on a side note, I use only one with Australia and it does seem to help).
A couple of key signings and some fights about who gets to play in what competition due to the large squad, and we won everything: the league (with six games to spare), the UEFA Champion's League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup. Having checked over the years, I'm now the highest rating active manager in my save (not the Hall of Fame, the active managers).
In the offseason, I managed to offload one ancient midfielder and four similarly elderly to very old winger/strikers, and bring in some very high quality players with their best years ahead of them. Also, we're developing some decent youth who will qualify as "trained at club" for the Champion's League. This year, we have no complaints about players left unregistered, although two had to be left out of the Champion's League squad, at least for the group stages.
I'm happy to give Man City a second season, as I'm building the squad, but what are we trying to win? The Club World Cup? Just to repeat? I'm having trouble with motivation. It's consistent with my Motivating coaching attribute ha ha.
Also, I think I've got to drop Australia after the World Cup. We have no hope of winning. I doubt we'll escape the group stage.