The Football Managing Mercenary

[dave8721]

congrats mate. football league here we come!

 

[Mercurial66]

Brilliant end to the season! Well done on turning it around - onwards and upwards from here.

 

[TheBattman]

certainly started off better than last time! think you'll breeze to the top...

 

[Death Ball]

Wow! Awesome finish to the season. Congrats on a good well done. Here's hoping next season will see this turned upside down completely (save for the last match. No dropping from promotion the last day!)

 

[josh_brady]

Congrats!

 

[T1LL13]

Brilliant story mate. 2016 was epic so hope this one is even better.

One question, do you apply for any job that is available or do you wait till you are offered an interview??

 

[DerbyJack]

Cheers Godfish, I would love to say we earned it but truth be told I don't even know how we got here!

Thanks as always Patrick! Sochaux due to make their FM17 Career debut soon? Please!

I'm glad you had faith Neavie! More then me that's for sure.

Thanks Dan, one day I might even have a trophy to match your impressive horde!

It was certainly squeaky *** time Iwabik! How's it going so far?

Cheers Dave! I can only dream!

I sure hope its the start of something Mercurial. I need all the help I can get.

Most definitely true Battman, although that's not exactly saying much! I hope you are right!

I hope you're as right as ever DeathBall! A table flipping is month definitely in order though.

Cheers Josh!

Thanks T1ll1e, I thought I might be able to do it by just waiting for offers but due to my inability to actually achieve anything I had to throw my hat in for any job going last time. Hopefully I won't be quite as desperate this time around.​

---

My shot at becoming the richest man in football management has got off to a dramatic start...

...but that was nothing compared to life at the top of the beautiful game.

​

[TABLE="class: cms_table_cms_table_cms_table, width: 800, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]

[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]

[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Carlo Ancelotti[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Jose Mourinhio[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Diego Simeone[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Bayern Munich[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Manchester United[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Atletico Madrid[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]£250,000 per week[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]£230,000 per week[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]£180,000 per week[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Pep is gone.

The richest manager in footballing history lasts just one season at the helm of Manchester City, as a lowly sixth place finish and a tortuous European campaign has the Spaniard quickly sent packing.

Taking his place comes Argentinian manager Diego Simeone. The Highly respected Atletico coach will surely be in for a longer run at the top then our former leader.

For the new found highest earner, Carlo and the ever-present Jose its a return to the top, as the duo manage to take their clubs to the top of the Bundesliga and Premier League respectively ensuring their long term future in the process.

For myself a dramatic and nerve shredding season has me begin my long and arduous journey to join them and we're already making some headway...

[TABLE="class: cms_table_cms_table_cms_table, width: 265, align: center"]
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[TD="align: center"]

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Derby Jack[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Guiseley[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]£650 per week[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Another year added to my contract and a hundred and seventy five pound pay rise to go with it.

Big Time.

With my yearly wage amounting to almost a tenth of what Ancelotti and company are currently earning, its hardly the time to start busting out the Champagne and caviar but non the less we are off to a respectable start.

With Pep proving just how brutal the top of the game can be, it seems my best route to the top might just be to wait for the wage level to drop down to me.



​

 

[jackstringer19]

Good to see Solihull do their bit for you, still a shame they were relegated though.

 

[bayymatt]

Love this story.

Long time lurker this has inspired me to actually join up!

Good luck for the future!

 

[naterr]

so who took over Man City since Pep left? I guess they weren't offered a huge wage like he was on.

 

[Iwabik]

Promotion now?

 

[jmckenzie]

Does my heart some good to see this thread back. Hopefully, you won't turn into a time lord in this instance of the game.

 

[dani3w]

Well Pep is on his way down and DJ is on his way up! Swapping clubs with each other soon I'm sure!

 

[1magine]

Well done on surviving relegation there Jack! Great achievement. Would have been a blow to the rep to have a relegation on the CV so early on.

 

[FMSaddler96]

Doing well so far, followed the last one throughout, so will definitely be following this

 

[DerbyJack]

It it helps, I couldn't have done it without them jack?

Thanks bayymatt. Glad to see you sign up. Any plans for a career?

It was rather controversially Louis Van Gall, Naterr. Probably worth more of a mention specially as he signed for only ninety grand a week.

I'll settle for mid-table Iwabik!

Thanks jmckenzie! I'm very much hopeful myself. Only had one minor crash so far but think that was more my end then the game, no need to warm-up the time machine just yet.

One day Dan!

Thanks alot 1magine, yeah this is actually getting off to a good start. I'm not used to it!

Thanks Saddler, glad to have you on board again!​

---

Having scraped our way through into another season in the Vanarama National League, the transfer window presents with a much need opportunity to strengthen the club and our hold in this division.

That didn't quite go to plan.

With eight departures from the club things where going smoothly with a host of fringe and unused players being shown the door and the clubs shockingly fragile wage budget able to finally find some much needed breathing room.

Unfortunately not all the departures were planned.

Key striker and arguably the only reason we actually survived last season, Jake Cassidy has left the club.

Playing on a non-contract basis we could do little to tie the lethal finisher down, with interest from the football league soon ending any hopes of negotiating a new contract.

With our lead finisher gone, my reaction wasn't exactly well planned...

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

Yeah. I splurged. First of a host of new arrivals is teenage left-back Adu-Peprah. The former Manchester City and Newcastle trainee has found himself thrown out of the comfort of the Premier League and onto the scrap heap. A quick signing to Guiseley will be make or break for the promising defender.

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

Another signing, another defender and another teenager. Brace yourselves for the prevailing theme of this Summers window, as Joe Coveney joins his former Manchester City compatriot at the club. The solid centre-back will be in for a tough time in the brutal world of non-league football but already looks up to the task.

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

Yeah you get the idea. Teenager, former Premier League star ready to be bloodied in the rough and tumble in the depths of English football. Alex Bradley will add some much needed Scandinavian depth to our midfield, following the departure of our two former loanee playmakers.

From: Walsall
Cost: Out of Contract​

Rory Oliver has been on the cards to join the Lions since I set foot through the door. The promising wide-man has been long wasted on the side-lines with Walsall but the want-away teenager will fit perfectly into a team in desperate need of strengthening down the flanks.

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

By this point I was essentially signing anyone capable of kicking the ball in a relatively straight line but former Liverpool prospect Mich'el Parker is actually a decent signing for this division and beyond. With some of the strongest defensive abilities in the team and the physical attributes of bruising veteran he will be crucial to this season's hopes.

From: Bolton Wanderers
Cost: Loan​

Replacing the departing loanee Pears in between the sticks comes the son of legendary Finnish keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Will has been on the books at Wanderers alongside his dad for a couple of season but with the old man finally hanging up his gloves, the Finnish prodigy will be looking to emerge from his shadow with a strong season at the Lions.

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

With Cassidy sensibly packing his bags for the bright lights of the football league, I was in dire need of a proven finisher. With my only options seemingly being a Forty Two year old, Lee Trundle or a Northern Irish star in the making, I opted with the safer option. No pressure Robbie but you've got some big goal scoring boots to fill.

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

Once again I'm trying my utmost to form my attack minded Christmas Tree at Guiseley with the arrival of Canadian attacking midfielder Josh Doughty taking me one step closer to fulfilling my tactical plans. Hopefully nippy playmaker will prove to make the difference behind McDaid before I even get to implement my plans.

From: Out of Contract
Cost: Free​

With no Keepers left in the club before the arrival of a young Finnish star, Irish stopper Tadhg Ryan arrives to add some backup should the worst come to the worst. Despite being set to spend the majority of the season on the bench, the one-time Huddersfield prospect could well develop into our number one in the very near future.




Yup. I pretty much signed every single teenager without a contract in a fifty mile radius.

It might not exactly be the best or even remotely sensible plan but with a squad brimming with potential and teenage mood-swings hopes are high that we can turn the passion into points...

...or at least that's how I'm going to justify it.

​

 

[Brane_Orsou]

An interesting window for sure, but some potential diamonds there waiting to be polished.

 

[Iwabik]

Uhh, I hate second seasons. Hope you do fine, tho.

 

[bayymatt]

Well I have a few ideas at the moment.

A) Move a Premier league club down to vanarama north/south and remove all players over 18 years old and have a 5/6 year transfer ban on top is appealing to me at the moment,

B) Taking over at Sassuolo and having a crack at Serie A

 

[DerbyJack]

​

Thanks Neavie, I sure hope we can get them brushed up quick.

Me too Iwabik. This should be challenging.

Good to see you get started Baymatt. Good luck with the Red Devils in the deep!

---

Preseason
2017/18

8th July 2017
Friendly

First game of the preseason has us up against our parent club Leeds. With half of last seasons team returning to the Lily Whites at the end of the season it was a chance to show them just what they missed out on, with a gutsy performance from our newly formed squad at least giving the Championship side a ****** nose on our way to an expected defeat.


15th July 2017
Friendly

We welcome Scottish side Kilmarnock to Yorkshire for another tough fixture before the season gets underway and we once again are down but most certainly not out. The boys ran the Scottish stalwarts right to the wire, with an unfortunate lapse in concentration seeing us concede an undeserved goal.


22nd July 2017
Friendly

We take a step down a division for the next game as we are held to a disappointing draw by lowly Nuneaton. The game saw a lackluster performance from my new signings with the only goal of the game coming from trialist Charlie Vernam. Despite his goal the former Ram was deemed unworthy of a contract for the coming season. Harsh.


29th July 2017
Friendly

Final game of the season has us once again up the pace against our bigger neighbors as we go toe to toe with one of the Premier Leagues new arrivals, Huddersfield. The Terriers are gearing up for a challenging season in England's top flight and a strong second half at least showed David Wagner's men are up for the fight.



With the pre-season done and dusted, my new charges evaluated and the club able to at least hold its head slightly higher thanks to some encouraging performances, this seems like the perfect place to make good on my promise and show you the formation for the forth coming season...

My 4-3-2-1 formation is still someway from completion but with the squad breaking away from the 4-4-2 that dominates the lower rungs of the English game, I can at least take some pride in breaking new ground.

With new boy Robbie McDaid taking up the reigns as the clubs sole striker, the pressure is going to be immense on the young striker and the midfield that are aiming to feed the Northern Irish target-man with a route to goal.

In McDaid we trust...

​