Alain Pardeaux
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- Oct 28, 2016
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- 3
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I downloaded FM17 a few days ago and got stuck straight into a challenge that I fancied having a go at last year. I will take over a side from the home of Jesus Christ himself and build them into a dominant world force (well, I will attempt to).
This is the first FM save that I have ever attempted to post online and so I anticipate a few teething problems on the technical side of things. Screenshots will almost certainly be one as I have found that to be a challenge on forums elsewhere. Do bear with me! On a positive note I tend to rattle through seasons, especially during the school holidays, as there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down in front of the football or the cricket and manage away on my laptop! I hope to get quite a way into the future on this save. My journey way well veer off course on the way, however.
View attachment 123468
In a somewhat controversial and risky move, Israeli National League side Ahi Nazareth appointed an unknown Englishman to take charge of the side's 2016/17 campaign. The media expected that Nazareth would finish in 4th position. The top 2 gain promotion so I felt that I would have a good side but not be desperately chasing promotion in my first season which is always helpful. The board however had different ideas and demanded that promotion be secured to the Israeli top flight via winning the league. I felt on the back foot immediately, I tend to like it when expectations are somewhat tempered. It would turn out to be appropriate to feel this way as I was sacked a mere 27 games into my reign at Ahi Nazareth. We fell short of the required semi final appearance in the Israeli National League Toto Cup, losing in the quarter finals. We fell short also in the Israeli State Cup, where we only managed to make the 7th round instead of the required 8th round. This however sounds a greater achievement than it was as we only entered in the 7th round and were knocked out by non-league opposition as I rotated my squad.
The league however was a different story. Having started somewhat inauspiciously, form picked up and a good run of 1 defeat in 12 games saw Ahi Nazareth competing for top spot. Defeat to 3rd division Kiryat-Gat in the cup however sparked a downturn in form as we went on a run which saw us pick up only 3 points from a possible 15. The board called me in for a meeting. Crisis talks were held and we agreed (I was told) that if we did not pick up 10 points from the next 5 games then I would be given my P45. A 0-0 draw to 2nd bottom Nesher was followed by a 1-0 home defeat to Hapoel Rishon LeZion. I was as good as gone. However the players showed that they would still fight for their manager and defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 4-0 in a vibrant attacking display before turning over Hapoel Katamon 1-0 with a late winner. A win in the crucial 5th game over bottom of the take Maccabi Netanya would see me fulfil the target the board had set me and save my job. It would also have seen Ahi Nazareth go top. The stage was set. Kevin Nolan was even making his long awaited debut with the transfer window having opened that week. But try as we might we could not get the elusive goal. We knocked on the door but could not batter it down. Nolan nearly salvaged a goal in the dying embers but it was not be. 8 points from a possible 15. 2nd in the table and 2 points off top. Sacked.
View attachment 123467
My aim was to take over a side from Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus Christ, and make them into a world force. My eye was therefore on the job across the road, at Ahi Nazareth's neighbours, Hapoel Nazareth-Illit. After a few months of waiting and interview practice (I was turned down for 3 other Israeli second tier jobs after this phase) I was offered the opportunity to interview for the Hapoel Nazareth job. I knelt to their every demand and was able to ride triumphantly back into Nazareth, this time wearing the red of Hapoel. Ahi Nazareth had slumped to 8th place without me and I duly hit back at them in my grand unveiling. My greatest achievement in my first season was to turn one half of Nazareth against me. In fact more than one half as it turns out that Ahi Nazareth are a decidedly larger club than Hapoel Nazareth.
View attachment 123466
And so after a bit of a false start my journey has begun. I hope to be able to post with some regularity and that the steady stream of success will continue...
This is the first FM save that I have ever attempted to post online and so I anticipate a few teething problems on the technical side of things. Screenshots will almost certainly be one as I have found that to be a challenge on forums elsewhere. Do bear with me! On a positive note I tend to rattle through seasons, especially during the school holidays, as there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down in front of the football or the cricket and manage away on my laptop! I hope to get quite a way into the future on this save. My journey way well veer off course on the way, however.
View attachment 123468
In a somewhat controversial and risky move, Israeli National League side Ahi Nazareth appointed an unknown Englishman to take charge of the side's 2016/17 campaign. The media expected that Nazareth would finish in 4th position. The top 2 gain promotion so I felt that I would have a good side but not be desperately chasing promotion in my first season which is always helpful. The board however had different ideas and demanded that promotion be secured to the Israeli top flight via winning the league. I felt on the back foot immediately, I tend to like it when expectations are somewhat tempered. It would turn out to be appropriate to feel this way as I was sacked a mere 27 games into my reign at Ahi Nazareth. We fell short of the required semi final appearance in the Israeli National League Toto Cup, losing in the quarter finals. We fell short also in the Israeli State Cup, where we only managed to make the 7th round instead of the required 8th round. This however sounds a greater achievement than it was as we only entered in the 7th round and were knocked out by non-league opposition as I rotated my squad.
The league however was a different story. Having started somewhat inauspiciously, form picked up and a good run of 1 defeat in 12 games saw Ahi Nazareth competing for top spot. Defeat to 3rd division Kiryat-Gat in the cup however sparked a downturn in form as we went on a run which saw us pick up only 3 points from a possible 15. The board called me in for a meeting. Crisis talks were held and we agreed (I was told) that if we did not pick up 10 points from the next 5 games then I would be given my P45. A 0-0 draw to 2nd bottom Nesher was followed by a 1-0 home defeat to Hapoel Rishon LeZion. I was as good as gone. However the players showed that they would still fight for their manager and defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 4-0 in a vibrant attacking display before turning over Hapoel Katamon 1-0 with a late winner. A win in the crucial 5th game over bottom of the take Maccabi Netanya would see me fulfil the target the board had set me and save my job. It would also have seen Ahi Nazareth go top. The stage was set. Kevin Nolan was even making his long awaited debut with the transfer window having opened that week. But try as we might we could not get the elusive goal. We knocked on the door but could not batter it down. Nolan nearly salvaged a goal in the dying embers but it was not be. 8 points from a possible 15. 2nd in the table and 2 points off top. Sacked.
View attachment 123467
My aim was to take over a side from Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus Christ, and make them into a world force. My eye was therefore on the job across the road, at Ahi Nazareth's neighbours, Hapoel Nazareth-Illit. After a few months of waiting and interview practice (I was turned down for 3 other Israeli second tier jobs after this phase) I was offered the opportunity to interview for the Hapoel Nazareth job. I knelt to their every demand and was able to ride triumphantly back into Nazareth, this time wearing the red of Hapoel. Ahi Nazareth had slumped to 8th place without me and I duly hit back at them in my grand unveiling. My greatest achievement in my first season was to turn one half of Nazareth against me. In fact more than one half as it turns out that Ahi Nazareth are a decidedly larger club than Hapoel Nazareth.
View attachment 123466
And so after a bit of a false start my journey has begun. I hope to be able to post with some regularity and that the steady stream of success will continue...