SAVE CORRUPTED

[BallyC7]

SAVE CORRUPTED

Sorry guys but I went to load up my game this morning and it said my save was corrupted and couldn't load it.

Luckily I was only 2 league games into my first season.

I only ever used 1 running save on FM and this has never happened to me before, but I imagine I'd be a lot more ****** off if I was a few seasons down the line and this happened. I will therefore be starting a new journeyman save, with a new story, and using the 3 rolling autosave option to avoid this happening again.

I hope you will all continue to follow me and my new story here....It's All A Load of Balls - The World Journeyman! (FM18 Edition)

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[BallyC7]

Loaded Leagues

Loaded Leagues

So as I start my FM18 journey into football management, the first task in the game is to choose the countries and leagues I wish to load at the start of my journey..... I decide to stick to Europe at the start as this is where I know best.

The leagues I'll be kicking off with are....

Austria - Sky Go Erste Liga & above
Croatia - Druga hrvatska nogometna liga & above
Czech Republic - Fotbalova narodni liga & above
Denmark - 2.division & above
Finland - Ykkonen & above
Hungary - Nemzeti Bajnoksag & above
Republic of Ireland - Airtricity First Division & above
Northern Ireland - Belfast Telegraph Championship 2 & above
Norway - 2.divisjon & above
Romania - Liga II & above
Scotland - Scottish League Two & above
Sweden - Division 2 & above


As I start to search the open job market, I wonder where I'll end up to start my career in football management.
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[BallyC7]

Scotland?

Scotland Looks An Early Possibility

I'm hungry, I'm fresh and I'm ready to get started in the world of football management. So it's not long before I'm searching the available jobs in the world of Soccer, as the American's call it!

Immediately, I notice there's a few jobs going at the moment. Clubs from Romania, Austria and Norway all without managers but it's two jobs in Scotland that initially catch my eye. Both Cowdenbeath and Clyde from Scottish League Two are both manager-less and I wonder whether either would consider me as a serious candidate as I file my application for both roles.


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[Tobey Mason]

This looks intriguing mate. I will be following.

 

[BallyC7]

Moving Fast

Scottish Clubs Move Quickly For Ball


Wow, I wasn't expecting that.....I put in two tentative job applications for the roles at Clyde and Cowdenbeath, with no real expectations for either role.

However, to my surprise, both clubs return a prompt response inviting me to interview for the vacant manager roles.

Both interviews had a very similar vibe, with both clubs questioning me in a similar manner about my lack of experience and how I feel I'd be able to cope with limited funds and a minimal budget. It seems both these clubs are more interested in a manager who can keep them afloat as opposed to aspiring to become a leading club in Scottish football one day.....but you know what, that's OK! These were both small clubs with even smaller fanbases, but I needed a chance, I needed someone to take a punt on me and both these clubs had taken that first step to even invite me for a chat, and for that I was grateful!





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[BallyC7]

2 Offers For Ball

Inexperienced Ball Lands TWO Job Offers

So I expected the nervous wait by the phone, constantly checking emails for days on end, hopefully awaiting my first job offer in football management, my first chance to get on that ladder that I fully intend to climb all the way to the top!

But the wait didn't come. It didn't have time to come. Before I could say 'Scotland' I was presented with not one but two job offers. Both Cowdenbeath and Clyde from the Scottish Second Division had come in with contract offers. I was feeling pretty good about myself right now - no, f*ck it, I was feeling like I was the dog's b*llocks. Here I am with no experience whatsoever, I've been to two job interviews and both clubs have offered me a position!!

Now we're not talking the heights of world football, but I didn't care. I was chuffed to bits that by the end of the day, I'd have a job in football management. Somewhere to start building a reputation for myself and kick off what I was certainly hoping would be a long and illustrious career in footie management.

So now I had the difficult task of choosing which club I'd join. There was no difference in the contract as both clubs had offered a 1 year deal with a salary of only £200 per week, so that wouldn't be a defining factor in my decision.

So I looked at Clyde first - They'd spent the past 7 seasons in the division, their highest finish being 3rd 2 years ago. Their finances were classed as OK and there would be a £3500 wage budget on offer. The media had predicted them for a 7th placed finish during the forthcoming campaign and the board were expecting a top half finish. They have an 8000+ all seater stadium, with adequate training facilities and below average youth facilities.

Next offer was from Cowdenbeath - A club that had seen a sharp fall down the leagues dropping from the Championship to League One and then down to League Two in 2015 and 2016. Last season they'd only managed a poor 10th placed finish in League Two as well. The club offered a slightly higher wage budget at £4000. The media predicted them for a 9th place finish and the club wanted their new manager to avoid a relegation battle. The club have a 4,300 capacity stadium of which only 1600 is seated and have basic training and youth facilities.

I decided not to take the squads into any real account. I figured all the players at this level would be pretty sh*te to be fair and it would take my managerial skills to get the best out of any group. And with a quick glance, I could see both clubs had decent sized squads with players covering most positions on the pitch.

I deliberated for a while.....a long while. This was not an easy decision to make and I had to make sure it was the right one for my all important first managerial role!

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[BallyC7]

First Job!

A Proud Day For Ball

It's a proud day for me as I enter the world of football management for the first time. The club I'll be taking charge of is Scottish Second Division side Clyde. No matter what happens throughout my football career, this club will always hold a special place for me now as they have kick started my career from absolutely nowhere!



Year Founded: 1877
Country: Scotland
City: Cumbernauld

Professional Status: Professional
Training Facilities: Adequate
Youth Facilities: Below Average
Corporate Facilities: Fairly Basic
Reputation: Below Average

Stadium: Broadwood Stadium
Owned By: Council
Year Built: 1994
Capacity: 8,086 (all seated)

Fierce Rivals: None
Other Rivals: Partick Thistle (historic), Hamilton (competitive)
Derbies: None

Previous Honours:

Scottish Premiership; Third Placed (1909, 1912, 1967)

William Hill Scottish Cup; Winner (1939, 1955, 1958)
William Hill Scottish Cup; Runner Up (1910, 1912, 1949)

Scottish Championship; Winner (1905, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1973)
Scottish Championship; Runner Up (1904, 1906, 1926, 1964, 2003, 2004)
Scottish Championship; Third Placed (1894, 1925, 2005)

Scottish League One; Winner (1978, 1982, 1993, 2000)
Scottish League One; Third Placed (1999)

Scottish League Two; Third Placed (2016)


So I'm welcomed by the chairman and he gives me a background on the club including their honour's list. Clyde are a team with some history in Scotland having been around for 140 years. However, they've not lifted a trophy since 2000 when they won the Scottish League One. They've won the Scottish Cup on 3 occasions, but not since 1958!

As I take over my new role, the board have given me my targets for the upcoming season...

Scottish League Two; Top half finish
William Hill Scottish Cup; Reach third round
Petrofac Training Cup; Reach second round


View attachment 78408

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[BallyC7]

Clyde Team Evaluation

Team Evaluation

The squad is of a decent size with decent cover across virtually all areas of the pitch.

David Goodwillie clearly stands out as the most valuable player in the team, worth over £40k.

The team is all Scottish, except for Smart Osadolar who is from Nigeria.

Decent height at the back with most players over 6ft. However, not much height going forward so crosses into the box will probably be rather ineffective.

There is a leadership void in the team, with nobody standing out as an excellent choice for captain.

First touch and decision making are both weaknesses in this team.

This is a really hard working team.

Although I have a number of centre backs, none of them are standing out as fantastic.

Blair Currie is a good goalkeeper at this level.

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Dynamics

The lack of cohesion is worrying right now but I feel this can be overcome quite quickly with training and pre season matches.

The dressing room atmosphere is extremely good and I've got no unhappy players to deal with.

Obviously, I'm unknown so don't have the players full backing yet, but in time I hope I can win them over.

I don't have many influential players within the team.

Virtually the whole team are bonding together in the same social group.

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I would say my best players in the squad at the moment are...

View attachment 78399

Name: David Goodwillie
Nationality: Scottish
Position: ST/AMLC
Age: 28

David is an outstanding player at this level and a real coup for Clyde. Hopefully he can have a big season for us and I feel he will need to if we're going to have a good campaign.

View attachment 78394

Name: Jordan Stewart
Nationality: Scottish
Position: DL/WBL/ML
Age: 21

Young player who can play anywhere down the left side. Good determination and work rate with decent tackling ability too. Also has the ability to swing a half decent cross in.

View attachment 78392

Name: Kieran Duffie
Nationality: Scottish
Position: DR/WBR
Age: 25

Duffie is a good attacking full back with good passing ability for supporting the midfield play. With decent pace, acceleration and determination, he's sure to work well down the right side of the pitch.


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[BallyC7]

Scottish League Cup Draw

Scottish Communities League Cup Groups Drawn

The group stage for the Scottish Communities League Cup has taken place. We find ourselves drawn in Group A alongside...

Kilmarnock - Scottish Premiership
Brechin City - Scottish Championship
Falkirk - Scottish Championship
Montrose - Scottish League Two
Clyde - Scottish League Two

The board have set an expectation for the competition as 'to be competitive'

The top team from each group will qualify for the second round. The 4 best teams in 2nd place from the 8 groups will also advance.

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[JT3197]

Will follow this mate - hope you can make a success in Scotland

Goodwillie should help! He was a bit of thorn in my side in FM10 in my Hibs save - always scored against me

 

[BallyC7]

Will follow this mate - hope you can make a success in Scotland

Goodwillie should help! He was a bit of thorn in my side in FM10 in my Hibs save - always scored against me

Cheers mate....I've never managed in Scotland before on any previous game so it's a whole new challenge for me. Goodwillie is a smashing player for a team like Clyde and I'm hoping he can make a big contribution this season.

 

[BallyC7]

Pre Season Friendlies

Pre Season Friendlies

I've been in charge for 3 non competitive games now and things haven't gone too badly. Yes we've played lower league teams that we were probably expected to beat, but with a new manager and a lot of changes around the club, it can cause a **** of a lot of unrest amongst the team. But they've done well putting in some decent performances early on.

View attachment 78338 View attachment 78336 View attachment 78335

After taking a look at the squad I had at my disposal, I created a tactic that I think best suited the players in my team to start with. It gives us a foundation to start with and we'll see how we go. I'm sure individual roles will get tweaked along the way but this is what I'm starting with.

4 at the back, with the left back more attacking focused than the right back. My right winger sits deeper so no need to push the right back on too much or they'll end up covering the same space. The left back pushes forward more as I am playing the left winger further up the pitch so I want the full back covering the empty space. Two central midfielders will both play relatively deep, one as a ball winner to chase down the opposition and one as a deep lying playmaker for him to lay it off to and hopefully that man will be the catalyst to kick start attacks by farming the ball out wide or forward to the shadow striker/defensive forward.

View attachment 78340
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[BallyC7]

New Arrivals

Ball Makes Riordan First Signing

My first signing for Clyde is veteran striker Derek Riordan. The 34 year old Scottish front man joins us on a free transfer, having spent last season with Scottish League Two rivals Edinburgh City. He only made 7 appearances for them, but was able to contribute with 3 goals in those games. Riordan is a player who can offer competition for the likes of Goodwillie and Gormley up front, and is a clinical finisher with good composure in front of goal. Riordan has a decent goalscoring record throughout his career, scoring 107 goals in 298 appearances. Majority of his time was spent at Scottish Premiership level playing for Hibernian for more than 10 years.

View attachment 78334


Ball Bolsters Backroom Staff

One of the things that was very clear when I took over the role here is that the backroom staff team was very thin on the ground. I've taken the time to add a new assistant manager, head of youth development, fitness coach, sports scientist and scouting team.

View attachment 78333 View attachment 78332 View attachment 78331 View attachment 78330 View attachment 78329 View attachment 78328


Petrofac Training Cup First Round Draw

The first round draw for the Petrofac Training Cup has been completed and we have been handed an away draw against Kilmarnock Under 20s. The game will be played on 1st August.


In the Petrofac Training Cup, lower league teams are allowed to play full strength sides if they wish. However, the larger clubs who have entered U20s teams into the competition are not allowed to play any players over the age of 21. There will be no replays with extra time and penalties played to settle the tie if it ends in a draw.



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[BallyC7]

Scottish League Cup Group Stage Review

Scottish League Cup Group Stage Review

Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Clyde 2 - 1 Montrose

View attachment 78313 View attachment 78312

So my first competitive game in charge would be in the group stage of the league cup. We were at home to fellow Scottish League Two side Montrose, so this could be a good test of where we are at before the season starts.

I started the game with the lineup I'd been playing in the pre season friendlies, with an aim to increase familiarity amongst the side as well as increase match fitness of what I saw as my initial starting 11. Montrose would start with a flat 4-4-2.

The game started with both sides looking pretty cautious, neither wanting to take too many risks. It looked like the deadlock might be broken on 20 minutes when David Gormley tackled the Montrose centre back who was dallying on the ball, but with only the keeper to beat, he shot wide of the post. But the breakthrough did come only 3 minutes later when right winger Burbridge, got forward to slot into the bottom corner from close range. The lead was doubled from an excellent Goodwillie free kick before 30 minutes and we were looking good to kick off my managerial career with a win. We took that 2-0 lead into half time and I encouraged the boys to keep their minds on the game and not get complacent. The second half was tight with both sides creating half chances but not really threatening to score, Derek Riordan coming closest from a free kick after coming off the bench for the final 15 minutes. Montrose did get a late consolation in the 92nd minute but it was too little too late from their perspective. A decent 2-1 win in my first game in charge and I walk away a happy man.

Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Clyde

View attachment 78310 View attachment 78309

Our next game in the league cup would probably be our toughest, an away trip to Premiership side Kilmarnock.

Being up against such a big side, I tried a more defensive formation, bringing in a defensive midfield role, along with a counter attacking mentality. Kilmarnock were set up to attack with a 4-2-3-1 formation and I felt our best chance was to catch them on the counter with their lack of defensive numbers.

We made a competitive start and I was pleased to see we wasn't being overrun in the early stages. And on 16 minutes we probably should have took the lead when Goodwillie played Osadolar through on goal, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper....the rebound came straight back to him but unfortunately he couldn't find the back of the net with his 2nd attempt either. We managed to get to half time at 0-0, matching Kilmarnock with 5 chances created each. They'd had more posession but that was to be expected with our tactical setup. Kilmarnock made a fast start to the 2nd half and within 3 minutes, they'd rattled a shot against the post....a signal of intent from our superior opponents. They continued to pile on the pressure and on 65 minutes, Kilmarnock were thwarted by the woodwork again as striker Cameron headed an effort against the crossbar. Just as it looked like we might sneak a surprise draw from this match, Lee Erwin got on the end of a Thomas cross from the left to fire home and give Kilmarnock the lead on 80 minutes. I offered my lads some encouragement from the sidelines and they very nearly got themselves back in the game when Goodwillie fire in a shot which was tipped onto the bar by the Kilmarnock goalie in the 88th minute. We went down to a 1-0 defeat but we can walk away with our heads held high today - we gave a very good account of ourselves in a game we were probably expected to lose by a hefty margin.

Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Clyde 1 - 3 Falkirk

View attachment 78308 View attachment 78307

We were back at home for our 3rd game of the league cup group stage, this time welcoming Scottish Championship side Falkirk to the Broadwood Stadium.

We'd put in a decent performance against Kilmarnock in the last game, that I decided to stick with the same tactical setup for this one, feeling that our best chance of getting anything out of this would be to again deploy the counter attacking method with a holding midfieler. Burbidge was feeling the effects of two games in a week and was replaced by Lamont on the right wing. Kyle Bradley was also looking tired, so Kevin Nicoll replaced him at centre back.

It wasn't until the 23rd minute that there was any real action - Cieran Dunne found himself in acres of space in our box, cracked off a decent shot only for Currie to make a fantastic save. Unfortunately the rebound fell straight to Alex Harris who hammered home into an open net to give Falkirk a 1-0 lead. We wasn't behind for too long though as on 31 minutes, Lamont shot past his man down the right wing, pinged in a good cross for Goodwillie to beat his man to at the near post and volley home for 1-1. At half time, I reminded the lads that they have nothing to lose and to get out there and give it their best shot, hoping to calm a few nerves and release the pressure on the team. On 54 minutes, Falkirk were back in front, Alex Harris bagging his 2nd of the game. Only 4 minutes later and Harris had completed the hat trick and the game looked like it had slipped out of our reach now, so I decided to rest some players and brought off Goodwillie, Osadolar and Munro with half an hour left. That was pretty much the end of the action as that final 30 mins was pretty dull and the game finished at 3-1. We'd been dominated but I couldn't lay into the lads, I mean Falkirk are still two leagues above us so this result was fully expected.

Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Brechin City 2 - 1 Clyde

View attachment 78306 View attachment 78305

Our final game of the league cup group stage would be against Brechin City, from the Scottish Championship. Brechin came into this one having lost all 3 of their other games in the group.

I reverted to our original formation for this one to give the lads another game to get familiar with it prior to the league campaign kicking off. As we had no chance of qualifying for the second round of the competition, I also took the opportunity to rotate a number of players in the squad to increase match fitness. Morrison, Breslin, Home, Miller and Gormley all came into the starting lineup for this one.

It was Brechin who started on the front foot and it didn't take long for them to get their heads in front, as they took the lead on 12 minutes through centre back Sean Crighton, with a headed effort from a corner. Towards the end of the first half, it was one of our own centre backs Martin McNiff who scored the equalizer to send us into the break at 1-1. A mistake from Callum Home early in the second half gifted an opportunity to Ally Love who scored to put Brechin back in front. The score remained 2-1 and although we'd suffered our 3rd loss in a row to higher opposition, I wasn't too disheartened as I felt we'd given another decent performance here that would have earned us points against teams at our own level.


Final Group Table

View attachment 78304


Burbidge Handed Captain's Armband

Mark Burbidge has been handed the Clyde captaincy for the coming season. I felt he was the best option at the club, which does seriously lack players with good leadership skills. Burbidge's leadership stats are 12/20 and he shows a good level of determination too, so was the natural choice for me.

Vice captain will be central midfielder Barry Cuddihy. At a young age of 20, I'm interested to see how Barry copes with the responsibility I've placed upon him this season. I'm confident the lad can step up to the plate!

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[BallyC7]

Scottish League Two Season Preview

Scottish League Two Preview

The media have previewed the upcoming Scottish League Two season and expect Peterhead to be the team to lift the title at the end of the season, pricing them at 2-1 favourites to win the competition. Stirling Albion and Montrose are two other sides expected to be competing for top spot.

Clyde have been priced up at a massive 50-1 to win the league this season and the media are predicting us to be closer to the bottom of the table, possibly even involved in a relegation battle. Interesting that Cowdenbeath, who I turned down, are predicted stone last at odds of 1000-1!!

David Goodwillie has been named in the media's dream eleven going into the season, and is rated as the most valuable player in the league. Clearly, it is believed that he will be pivotal to any success we may have this year. Clyde goalkeeper, Blair Currie, also made the list of key players going into the new season.

View attachment 78303

David Goodwillie has been named by the bookmakers as the favourite to take the Scottish League Two Top Player award this season. He is coming in at odds of 4-1, closely followed by Jesus Garcia Tena of Edinburgh City and Rory McAllister of Peterhead.

View attachment 78302




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[BallyC7]

SAVE CORRUPTED

Sorry guys but I went to load up my game this morning and it said my save was corrupted and couldn't load it.

Luckily I was only 2 league games into my first season.

I only ever used 1 running save on FM and this has never happened to me before, but I imagine I'd be a lot more ****** off if I was a few seasons down the line and this happened. I will therefore be starting a new journeyman save, with a new story, and using the 3 rolling autosave option to avoid this happening again.

I hope you will all continue to follow me and my new story here....http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...orld-journeyman-fm18-edition.html#post3125249
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