Scandi Domination — Intro FM24
Here we go, we’re typing, we’re writing, blogging is BACK!
It’s been over a year since I documented any FM save I was doing in written form, well unless you could tweets, videos and live streams.
I am very much enjoying my time over on Twitch. The save is a bit chaotic, as the live chat decides when we change clubs and who we are joining. However, as I work shifts (four on, four off) there can be huge gaps in the streams, so I always need an offline save to keep me ticking over.
Lots of creators I know, don’t play the game outside of content, but I don’t think I could ever do that. Personally, I never feel like doing rebuilds, tactic tests or experiments is the same as just playing the game the way it was intended.
I love the storylines, going on a journey and just experiencing the ups and down of what Football Manager brings through a 20/30 year long save.
Also, as I work night shifts and weekends, sat in an office. I need something to help pass the downtime — outside of working really really hard (if work see this…)
Ever since my return to the game in FM20, I’ve completed a few one club saves (FC Twente, Bastia Borgo, Vasas, Cumbernauld United), including last years efforts with Chadderton FC, which actually saw me adopt them as my English club. #UpTheChad
After my journey with SS Turris on Twitch last game, I didn’t want to throw my eggs into another club. Which ultimately ends up with me going there on holiday to watch them, so a multiple club save was needed for FM24.
I love the idea of Pentagon or Glory Hunter saves. Going club to club, building something up, and then moving on, doing it all again. For me, until they add another African league to the vanilla database, there’s no reason to do it again.
GH saves are great, but there is much more to life than the big five leagues.
Then the idea came to do a GH/Penti style save, but only within Scandinavia.
THE SAVE
Start at the bottom, no badges or experience, and then win the league in Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Cups? I remain undecided. And the end goal being to win a European trophy.
Picking up a Champions League would be ridiculous, but I’d take a Europa or Conference League.
I could see this going on for 20 to 30 years, so I am not in a rush to jump from club to club — which can be the downside of a Pentagon — but I don’t want to spend too long down in the lower reaches of Finland (no offence).
In my head, I think I’d like to spend at least five years at a club once we are into the big three, especially at the right club. If there’s a chance of building a good squad, or a promising wonderkid, we’re not leaving just to go and start again. Maybe we put a 10-year limit of a team.
I also don’t want to commit to all the domestic cups. My thinking is, say we win the league in Finland, but the cup eludes us. I am not sticking around for another two/three seasons just to churn through for a cup.
That’s not fun for anyone involved. Especially at 3am on a Wednesday and you’ve been knocked out the cup by a 2nd division side on penalties.
On stream it would be hilarious. With four hours of a shift left, struggling to stay awake, not so much.
I’d hope, spending years and years in a country, the expectation would be to win everything. But sticking around for a few years, just to win a low level trophy, is not the one.
And the challenge was set. Win all the Scandinavian leagues, starting from the bottom. Try bring a European trophy back along the way.
FINLAND 🇫🇮
ICELAND 🇮🇸
NORWAY 🇳🇴
SWEDEN 🇸🇪
DENMARK 🇩🇰
MY RULES
As football progresses and the landscape changes, there just seems to be more and more involved within FM which I don’t think a manager would be involved in.
How much do managers really scout players? Not the deciding who to buy, but the inital plans. Watching, shortlisting, analysing? I don’t think it’s anywhere near as hands on as people would think.
Training will be hands on. Creating schedules to suit our style.
Contracts for players and staff. Not a manager. Finding staff for data analysis, medical team and scouting, probably not a manager either.
I will help find a Technical Director and Director of Football, if not already in place. Then it will be up to them to do all the staff and contractual stuff.
I will suggest which players get dumped, and maybe step in if contracts can’t be agreed — mostly cause FM forces you — but that’s it.
Scouts will be pointed in the right areas, but there will be no player searches done. I am also not going to trawl through all the squads of U21 teams searching for young gems. I don’t think this is realistic either.
Recruitment Focus will be huge. Asking scouts to look for gems, but then it is up to them.
Usually these smaller leagues have rules in place to make sure you are playing players from the nation, so we will make sure the National teams are always monitored for youngsters coming through.
Tactically, as much as it would probably make it easier, I am not a fan of using the same system at each club, even it if is successful. I always like to try and build something based on the best players at the club.
Obviously, you can then recruit and bring in better players. But using a 4–3–3 when you have a wee playmaker, or no wingers, doesn’t make sense. If we have a system in our pocket which fits the team, then we’ll roll it out. However, I’d like to make something bespoke with each team we land at.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
I had no idea what sort of job we’d land at — and oh yes, we kicked this off in the #FM24EarlyAccess — Perhaps lower level Denmark or Norway, as they have the most divisions. We’ve been to 2nd tier Iceland before with Vestri, so know that’s a possibility.
Two fourth division Danish teams deemed us unworthy, so they are on the hitlist. Then came an unexpected job interview with IFK Mariehamn in Finland. Only in the bloody top tier.
I have no idea. Must be desperate.
The Finnish calendar sees the league kick off around April, with the League Cup placed as a preseason tournament as sorts. After 22 league games, the table splits in two, then there’s five more fixtures against your half.
I do love a 27-game season. Despite the long-ish gap between, the lovely new processing times of FM24 will make short work of that.
Now, the hard work begins and we have our first mission.
