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Fez of Mahrez

Football Manager 2008 challenge

By Fez of Mahrez, in Computers and Gaming

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Fez of Mahrez

Fez of Mahrez

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Been alternating between games with Leicester and Northampton for a while now and was getting a bit bored of them. Watching Athletic Bilbao on Sky at my mates house last night and we were talking about what an English side would be like if they adopted the same local-players-only policy. Started to think about the best way to try this out using FM08.

Decided that this was probably only possible using London as the area so we narrowed down the options to either Championship sides (Charlton, Crystal Palace and QPR) or League One sides (Leyton Orient and Millwall). Tried a game out with Orient and managed to assemble a halfway decent side in the first couple of weeks of pre-season using only players born in London. The place-of-birth search option is an absolute godsend otherwise this sort of thing would be a nightmare.

Anyway, came home and decided to try Charlton out - was going to be Palace but the colours hurt my eyes a bit when they score and I couldn't be bothered to change them using the editor. Will probably go down that route next because they have Bostock and Moses but I wanted a bit more of a challenge and Charlton want you to get promoted in the first season.

Have decided to also use players from the immediate surrounding area i.e. Darren Ambrose from Harlow.

Set about building my side and have ended up with something along these lines;

John Ruddy - on loan from Everton

Philip Ifil - on loan from Tottenham

Darren Kenton - signed from Leicester

Paul Robinson - signed from Millwall

Sam Sodje - already on loan from Reading

Darren Pratley - signed from Swansea

Jerome Thomas - already at club

Jamie O'Hara - on loan from Tottenham

Darren Ambrose - already at club

Jennison Myrie-Williams - on loan from Bristol City

Danny Haynes - signed from Ipswich

Have transfer listed anyone not from London and stuck them in the stiffs but have struggled to get rid of players like Varney, Holland, Zheng Zhi, Iwelumo and Todorov. Got a good reserve squad! Sold Andy Reid to Stoke for £2.3million which financed the Haynes, Pratley and Robinson signings. Got Jonathan Fortune on the bench. Have also brought in Johnnie Jackson from Colchester, Anthony Grant from Chelsea and a couple of youth team prospects but have been knocked back by Victor Moses. Hoping he will have his head turned when he's 17 and we're in the Premiership!

Promotion will be tricky, both achieving it and what to do afterwards. My scope for signings would have to be limited to the likes of Sidwell, Zamora, Parker, Harewood etc. Still not sure how that will work out but hopefully it will be a welcome headache.

Thank the lord that Danny Haynes is from London. Has bagged five in five at the start of the season and we have only dropped two points from our first four games. Still not 100% sure that I can get into the top six with this side but it's a promising start.

Will keep you updated how I get on.

What can you achieve in an Athletic Bilbao challenge??

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Fez of Mahrez

Fez of Mahrez

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It's tough.

My on-loan keeper just isn't up to it at all and I am relying on three players who are far better than everyone else in the team (Thomas, Ambrose and Haynes). If they don't fire, I have no-one else as a good alternative option. Very tricky indeed. On the plus side, I have £1.3million coming in for Cory Gibbs in January so if I can stay in contention til then, I'll be able to pick up a keeper like Pidgeley who will hopefully improve things. My other problem is that I have quite a few defenders but I'm not sure what the best combination is (Fortune, Doyley, Saah, Robinson, Sodje, Kenton, Ifil, Powell) and we are leaking goals which I reckon are down to my keeper (avr 6.17 :cry:) but I should be able to cut them out with the best defence out of that lot.

Never mind, will keep plugging away and see what happens.

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Bryn

Bryn

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Sounds very challenging, it's hard enough trying to do it all English, let alone all London.

I'd keep a keen eye on the Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham etc. reserves and under 18s, looking for their high quality local youth players. Especially when the regens come through, I had a game as Hull City and Chelsea had this lad called Tom Baines in their under 18s. I scouted him and waited til he was available and his stats at the age of about 21 are sick. Generally, the lads they have in their youth squads are Londoners.

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MPH

MPH

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It's tough.

My on-loan keeper just isn't up to it at all and I am relying on three players who are far better than everyone else in the team (Thomas, Ambrose and Haynes). If they don't fire, I have no-one else as a good alternative option. Very tricky indeed. On the plus side, I have £1.3million coming in for Cory Gibbs in January so if I can stay in contention til then, I'll be able to pick up a keeper like Pidgeley who will hopefully improve things. My other problem is that I have quite a few defenders but I'm not sure what the best combination is (Fortune, Doyley, Saah, Robinson, Sodje, Kenton, Ifil, Powell) and we are leaking goals which I reckon are down to my keeper (avr 6.17 :cry:) but I should be able to cut them out with the best defence out of that lot.

Never mind, will keep plugging away and see what happens.

keep us informed to inherit hero status!

:thumbup:

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TheBlinding

TheBlinding

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Going for a similar challenge atm. I'm Plymouth and i'm only signing players who's second name begins with P, managed to flog most of the team for about 3 mill combined. Held on to Peter Halmosi, Paul Wotton and Paul Connelly because I was struggling for players. They'll be replaced soon though.

Team: P.Platins, Perch, Portanova, P.Wotton, Patterson, P.Parry, P.Perchtold, P.Piatti, P.Halmosi,Pita,Priskin

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General Smuts

General Smuts

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Going for a similar challenge atm. I'm Plymouth and i'm only signing players who's second name begins with P, managed to flog most of the team for about 3 mill combined. Held on to Peter Halmosi, Paul Wotton and Paul Connelly because I was struggling for players. They'll be replaced soon though.

Team: P.Platins, Perch, Portanova, P.Wotton, Patterson, P.Parry, P.Perchtold, P.Piatti, P.Halmosi,Pita,Priskin

Try Lee Philpott and Spencer Prior :D

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General Smuts

General Smuts

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Started my jaunt as Leicester using only East Midlands players. Gave myself plenty of money so that i could buy players. Tis difficult enough as is!

Team so far,

Scott Carson, Scott Loach

Richard Stearman, Bobby Hassell, James Perch, Joe Mattock

Peter Whittingham, Jermaine Pennant, Lee Frecklington, Lee Williamson, Lewis Neal, Paul Anderson, David Bell, Levi Porter

Emile Heskey, Will Hoskins, Matty Fryatt, David McGoldrick, Ashley Chambers

Offers for - Luke Chambers, Marc Joseph, Nathan Doyle, Lewin Nyatanga, Jullian Bennet, Nicky Law

Did have to put, Pennant, Carson and Heskey in via the editor and cancelled a few players loan - Anderson and McGoldrick in particular.

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General Smuts

General Smuts

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Started my jaunt as Leicester using only East Midlands players. Gave myself plenty of money so that i could buy players. Tis difficult enough as is!

Team so far,

Scott Carson, Scott Loach

Richard Stearman, Bobby Hassell, James Perch, Joe Mattock

Peter Whittingham, Jermaine Pennant, Lee Frecklington, Lee Williamson, Lewis Neal, Paul Anderson, David Bell, Levi Porter

Emile Heskey, Will Hoskins, Matty Fryatt, David McGoldrick, Ashley Chambers

Offers for - Luke Chambers, Marc Joseph, Nathan Doyle, Lewin Nyatanga, Jullian Bennet, Nicky Law

Did have to put, Pennant, Carson and Heskey in via the editor and cancelled a few players loan - Anderson and McGoldrick in particular.

Also got Luke McCormack (sp) from Plymouth as back up keeper as im not a fan of Loach. Not doin so well tbh. Drawing more than im winning and only picking up a few wins against the weeker teams. Rattling around in mid table currently.

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Fez of Mahrez

Fez of Mahrez

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Improving big-time, have drafted in Victor Moses, Terry Dixon, Jamie Davis and Graham Stack during the transfer window although none of these have made the first team yet.

Up to 6th now with 18-year-old Josh Wright playing a key role. My forward five are quality;

Haynes



Wright

Thomas - O'Hara - Ambrose

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Fez of Mahrez

Fez of Mahrez

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Won promotion with 20 minutes of the last match to go, beating Watford to leapfrog them into second with a 72nd-minute winner from who else but Danny Haynes.

Have signed Ruddy on loan again who has improved no end, Ryan Bertrand on loan, Jimmy Bullard for £2.6m, Chris Eagles for £700,000 and Sam Sodje permanently for £1.5m. Also signed Simon Church from Reading for £1.3m who I have high hopes for. Brought in a few more youngsters as well.

Team looks a bit like this now;

Haynes



Ambrose

Thomas Wright Eagles

Bullard

Bertrand Sodje Fortune Sankofa

Ruddy

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Maybes

Maybes

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Haynes



Ambrose

Thomas Wright Eagles

Bullard

Bertrand Sodje Fortune Sankofa

Ruddy

Seems like a good side you have put together their. How did you manage to get bullard to come to leyton orient lol??!!

How did you get all this money did you edited it in so you started with loads or raised it through player sales?

EDIT: Or are you charlton?? I might start one with QPR when I get home and just feed myself money!

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Fez of Mahrez

Fez of Mahrez

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Seems like a good side you have put together their. How did you manage to get bullard to come to leyton orient lol??!!

How did you get all this money did you edited it in so you started with loads or raised it through player sales?

EDIT: Or are you charlton?? I might start one with QPR when I get home and just feed myself money!

I'm Charlton mate, done it all legit. It's not a proper challenge otherwise. Going to get humped every week in the Prem though!

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Fez of Mahrez

Fez of Mahrez

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Have had a surprisingly good start to the season.

Beat Tottenham 2-1 at home, then won 2-1 at Wigan, lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle and 5-1 at Man United but have since won 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough and drew 2-2 away against someone or other. Might have also won another league game, I forget. Was also 2-0 down at home to Leeds in the League Cup with my reserves but brought on the big guns to secure a 4-2 victory.

Managed to pick up Bostock from Palace too.

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Simi

Simi

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Have had a surprisingly good start to the season.

Beat Tottenham 2-1 at home, then won 2-1 at Wigan, lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle and 5-1 at Man United but have since won 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough and drew 2-2 away against someone or other. Might have also won another league game, I forget. Was also 2-0 down at home to Leeds in the League Cup with my reserves but brought on the big guns to secure a 4-2 victory.

Managed to pick up Bostock from Palace too.

Sounds like your assistant manager is doing a great job.

:whistle:

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Koke

Koke

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Started my jaunt as Leicester using only East Midlands players. Gave myself plenty of money so that i could buy players. Tis difficult enough as is!

Team so far,

Scott Carson, Scott Loach

Richard Stearman, Bobby Hassell, James Perch, Joe Mattock

Peter Whittingham, Jermaine Pennant, Lee Frecklington, Lee Williamson, Lewis Neal, Paul Anderson, David Bell, Levi Porter

Emile Heskey, Will Hoskins, Matty Fryatt, David McGoldrick, Ashley Chambers

Offers for - Luke Chambers, Marc Joseph, Nathan Doyle, Lewin Nyatanga, Jullian Bennet, Nicky Law

Did have to put, Pennant, Carson and Heskey in via the editor and cancelled a few players loan - Anderson and McGoldrick in particular.

Scott Carson isn't a Midlander is he?

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