Full Circle: The Journey from China to Scotland in Football Manager 2023

To summarise the remaining 7 seasons of this save I have hired a ghostwriter, in the shape of ChatGPT. The images are all mine (Print-Screened).

**Full Circle is Closed for FM23**

**Season 4: LN SY Urban**

In the fourth season of my Football Manager 2023 saga, managing LN SY Urban, we faced the challenges of the China League One. Despite a hard-fought campaign, we managed to secure a respectable 4th place. The season was a learning experience, setting the stage for what was to come.

**Season 5: LN SY Urban**

The following season proved to be a turning point as we clinched victory in the China League One. The team’s hard work and dedication paid off, and we emerged as champions, earning a well-deserved promotion. The taste of success fueled our ambitions for the future.

**Season 6: North Korea International Manager**

In an unexpected twist, Season 6 saw me take on the role of the North Korea National Team Manager. Leading a nation on the international stage was a unique challenge, and it provided valuable insights into a different aspect of football management.

**Season 6: LN SY Urban**

Despite my shock dabble with International game, I remained at LN SY Urban. However, the season took an unexpected turn, and I made the difficult decision to resign after a record 8-0 loss. It was a low point in my managerial career, prompting a period of reflection.

**Season 7: Unemployed**

Season 7 marked a hiatus from active management as I found myself in the ranks of the unemployed. It was a period of uncertainty and introspection, with the burning desire to prove myself once again.

**Season 8: Falkirk**

Joining Falkirk in Season 8 presented a fresh start. The team performed admirably, finishing 2nd in the Championship. However, heartbreak struck in the playoff final against Partick Thistle as we narrowly lost, missing out on promotion.

**Season 9: Falkirk**

Undeterred by the setback, Season 9 saw Falkirk rise again. Another 2nd place finish in the Championship set the stage for redemption. This time, the team secured promotion after a thrilling playoff victory against St Mirren. The journey had come full circle, from the challenges in China to the triumphs in Scotland.

The Football Manager 2023 adventure had been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, victories and defeats. Each season brought its own set of challenges, shaping me as a manager and testing my resilience. As I look back on the journey from LN SY Urban to Falkirk, I am reminded that football management is a dynamic and unpredictable ride, and the true test lies in the ability to navigate the twists and turns with determination and a strategic mindset. What lies ahead in the next chapter of my managerial career remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – the journey is far from over.

Football Manager 24

Hi its back to me again.

I have chosen to carry on this save into FM24 as a trial period so the save lingers on. As a game, I really fell away from it when the save was in China to the point that I added in Scotland to the playable leagues in the hope to return. It turned out to be the tonic I needed and managing Falkirk for two seasons was great fun. I am now looking forward to playing the new version.

Thanks to everyone who read along and my apologies for the screen dump summaries – if you have any specific questions for me – please join me on the FM Slack. Cheers, Stuart

Football Manager 2024 – FC Eindhoven

Jasper van Houten, a native of Eindhoven, emerged from a family deeply rooted in the football tradition of the Netherlands. From the early days of kicking a ball around in the streets of Eindhoven, Jasper displayed a natural talent that set him apart from his peers.

The Man

Initiating his football journey at the renowned youth academy of PSV Eindhoven, Jasper’s versatility as a midfielder quickly earned him recognition. His strategic understanding of the game, coupled with technical finesse, propelled him through the ranks, leading to a coveted spot in PSV’s first team.

However, Jasper faced his fair share of challenges as injuries momentarily disrupted his promising career and he was unceremoniously dumped by PSV. Undaunted, he exhibited resilience and determination during the recovery process, garnering admiration not only for his on-field prowess but also for his indomitable spirit.

As the curtain descended on his playing career, Jasper transitioned his love for the game into coaching. Armed with a sports management degree and coaching credentials, he set out on a new path with a clear aspiration – to make a mark as a football manager.

Jasper’s inaugural managerial opportunity has materialized with FC Eindhoven, a second-tier Dutch football club eager for a fresh perspective. Now, at the helm of his first professional coaching position, he endeavors to infuse his football philosophy, draw upon the lessons learned in Eindhoven, and with a deep desire to get revenge on PSV, guide his team to triumph in the dynamic realm of Dutch football.

The Club

Ah, FC Eindhoven, the club that’s like the underrated side dish at a fancy dinner – everyone knows it’s there, but they’re too busy fawning over the main course. Born out of the vibrant football culture in the city, FC Eindhoven has a history that’s as thrilling as a game of bingo at grandma’s.

Picture this: FC Eindhoven kicking off in 1909, back when the world was black and white, and footballs probably weighed as much as a small car. Fast forward through the years, and they’ve been bouncing around various leagues like a pinball in an arcade – from the Eredivisie to the Eerste Divisie, with occasional detours to the “Who Cares” league.

They’ve had their moments of glory, of course. A bit like finding a tenner in your old jeans – rare, but oh-so-satisfying. There was that one time they won the KNVB Cup in ’79, and the city probably partied harder than it did during Carnival. But let’s be honest, the rest of the time, they’re more like that mate who always finishes fourth in Monopoly – not bad, but no one really remembers them.

The club’s home, the Jan Louwers Stadion, has witnessed more ups and downs than a rollercoaster. It’s like a time capsule – you go there, and it feels like you’ve stepped back into the ’80s. Maybe they’re just embracing retro vibes, or maybe they’re waiting for someone to invent a time machine to transport them back to the glory days.

So, FC Eindhoven, the club that’s a bit like the quiet kid in class – doing its thing, sometimes surprising everyone, but mostly just enjoying the game while the big shots hog the spotlight. Cheers to FC Eindhoven, the unsung hero of Dutch football!

Career Goals

This save has one ultimate goal – be the biggest boy on the street.

That means taking over from PSV to be recognised by Dutch football as the best team in the city of Eindhoven. We’re already older than our more successful neighbours and they’ll never take that away from us. We’re also recognised as the people’s club against the elites of the Philips corporation.

All we need to do now is:

1. Get promoted (first time since the 70s)
2. Win the KNVB Cup x 12
3. Win the Eredivisie x 25
4. Win the UEFA Cup x 2
5. Win the European Cup x 2

I don’t know if we’ll ever get to compete and win the Russian Railways Cup (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Railways_Cup) so I’m not adding this to Jasper’s objective list.

I’ll be posting more on my channel in the FM Slack – bug Samo on Twitter for the link. Join me there to follow along in real time otherwise, these will be sporadic posts – usually season updates.

Cheers for reading, Stuart

Full Circle End of Season 3

Season 3 was almost gone as I spent more time at the Job Centre than I anticipated a 2-trophy winner would. As such I was dropped into a relegation battle at the bottom of China League One with Codion with 15 games to save the club from oblivion. 

League 

We only had the league to play for and to cut a long story short we couldn’t bridge the gap. My time ended with one game to go as relegation was confirmed and I was sacked (because the league below is unplayable FM automatically sacks you). We got very close but the final month in charge we lost our only goalscorer to a minor injury but his time out coincided with a 4 game blank-fest that screwed the upwards mobility and saw us drift away.

I really thought we’d be able to pull back the points needed to survive but the league is quite weird in that there’s a load of teams capable of beating each other so everytime we picked up wins or draws the teams immediately above us always seemed to remain just out of reach. 

In the fourteen games in charge, we only lost four games but two of them came in that fateful October. We had 5 wins and 5 draws – compared to the 12 points the team had before I started – I feel we turned it around but ran out of games. 

Player Focus

None. They are all dead to me now.

Tactic 4-1-4-1

We brought in our stimmying 4-1-4-1 tactic to shore up the defence and try to grind out results. It was effective giving us 5 victories to a team that had only mustered 2 previously. 

Transfer Strategy

The strategy was very, very short term focus. The loan market was used to improve first team starters and free transfers brought in for variety and depth. We had to accept a bid for young star Cao Tao but took him back as a loanee.

Personal Progress

After 636 days, my earnings now total $62,000. I am 1.51% on my way to my dream Tokyo abode, a snip at $4,111,489.

Next Season

Insert Shrug Emoji 

Be sure to like and subscribe to find out where a manager with zero qualifications and now a relegation on his CV can get a job.

Thanks for reading along, Stuart.

More Self Promotion Time

Did you know that I have a new series of tactical theory articles that will come out via CoffeeHouse FMs newsletter. I am trying to give a beginners guide to football tactics by using example formations, pick out where the formation is strong or weak, how to set that tactic up and how I might go about playing against it. The e-newsletter is free and easy to subscribe to via the website and if you do, you will be the first to read my Space and Overloads series. I have done the 4-4-2 https://coffeehousefm.com/lqblog/2023/1/15/space-and-overloads-442-football-manager-tactics  and the next piece is a look at the 4-3-3 formation.  Read it here now https://coffeehousefm.com/lqblog/2023/2/28/space-and-overloads-433-football-manager-tactics 

Full Circle Season 3 – Introduction to football in the PR of China

I’ll be honest and say I had major regrets leaving Resource Capital at the end of season 2. I thought my cup successes would be enough to convince a team abroad to take me. After all, FIFA had Hong Kong ranked 68th not too far from Chile and Peru’s premier leagues – ranked 61st and 62nd respectively. I was aware that 68 was the cut off point for this ranking and it appears Football Manager 2023 prefers to deal in black and white on these matters rather than Fifa’s shades of grey. I was also aware of competition rankings in the game but I couldn’t find it before. However being unemployed for over a year gives you time to scope these things out!

Full Circle End of Season 2: 2024

Into my second season and I feel better prepared for the Hong Kong football experience. We’ve lost most of the big stars of last year but our wage bill was cut massively so these big money fancy-dans would’ve had to go anyway.

I have decided on a definitive formation for this team (more on this later) and my recruitment strategy is in alignment too. Yes folks season two at Resources Capital is going to be holistic football.

Full Circle End of Season 1: 2023

My first season as a professional football manager has ended. My Pacific journey started in Hong Kong with Resources Capital and I am pleased to say the season ended with me still in charge! The benefits of an 18-game league I suppose. Here’s a summary of how Season One has gone and where I am on my journey to that glorious Tokyo Penthouse. P.S. I signed a new contract and will remain in Hong Kong for Season Two.

Full Circle S1 – Introduction to Hong Kong Football

Starting out on the road to becoming a Football Manager can be hard especially when you have little experience or qualifications. How far can “want” get you? Really, you need someone to take the chance on you. After sending out my CV to a few teams in places like Chile and Peru , I finally found a chairman who liked what he saw in my interview. Call me sentimental. An old romantic even. But I will be forever grateful to get my first chance in football with such a storied club like <checks notes> Resources Capital of Hong Kong. 

Football Manager 2023

A save reveal before I have even pre-ordered the game.

This year I am taking inspiration from Michael Palin’s 1997 BBC travel series Full Circle. I have decided to leave behind the European comfort zone and those big UCL £££s. My exotic new Football Manager 2023 save will be a journeyman adventure, limiting my career to leagues found around the Pacific Rim geographical region.

The Botman Rises

FM22 Le Havre Set Pieces

Like a lot of these blog posts, I write mainly to remind myself of the Football Manager saves I enjoy over the years. This particular post is simply a dump of screenshots that will serve as a template for FM23 whenever it comes around. They might not work as well in the new game but hopefully the logic behind each is decent enough and not too #hackz.

Halfway point in Season 7 and we’re joint top with corner goals.

Les Artistes Du Foot: Fin de la Saison 6

Excerpt from European Art Chronicle (June 2027) – Europe’s most popular magazine dedicated to the continent’s premier arts.  

Ooh La La! C’est magnifique!

Fresh from making themselves the premier arts movement in France, the tentative splashes left on the European Art shores last year turned into a huge wave that has swept everything else before it only 12 few months later.

It is no exaggeration that comparisons of M. Davidson’s well crafted exhibitions, which have now become a worldwide renowned movement, with that other scene that can trace back to Le Havre, the Impressionists. 

Tajan and Lukic gave glimpses last tour of what promise they showed but the work on offer in this european journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. With the Mancunian Trio of McAtee, Doyle and Kabore maintaining their high level contributions again, it only took the mercurial talents of Brenner and Caqueret to seal the judges decision. The Le Havre Collective were awarded Top Prize in this year’s European Artists and Salons Award.

Champions of Europe for the first time ever!

Not content with that, the Northern Boys saw off a stiff challenge from their Parisian counterparts, desperate though they were to take the title of best in France. The Le Havre scene came out on top though – cementing their reputation as number one in French art.

Two major awards from the one exhibition – it has been truly a magnificent year and the culmination of 6 beautiful and inspiring seasons from M. Davidson and the Le Havre Collective.

Kathrin Brandt
Editor-in-Chief