This is post one of a wider series. A series for FM21.
“Was this really a good idea?”
What is this all about?
This new series, which I’m calling Everywhere Else, is going to be a bit different for me. Since finishing the more serious (as serious as it can be when it is about a computer game) writing of my recent La Sombra Rayo Vallecano series, I wanted to take a more light-hearted approach to another batch of FM21 writing. Casually put together, I’ll stick to shorter posts tracking progress, tactics, players and results.
I’ll be thinking out loud, so I’ll pivot from scouting to player comparisons to performance statistics, and whatever else comes to mind as I work my way through the series.
This new save is a journeyman, starting unemployed (obviously), but with no set end goal(s) or conditions, other than that none of the so-called ‘big’ leagues are loaded up this time, as I wanted a break from the ordinary.
Therefore, the initially available leagues are as follows:
The manager
Meet Robert Vonsen. He’s a 39-year-old German with a decent grasp of English. Loves Augsburg, a classic 442 and likes his players to be aggressive and brave. Typical.
Unemployed, barely a coach, but on the lookout for a manager’s job. There is a handful of jobs available at the start. Interviews are coming thick and fast, but where will we take our first steps? PFK Montana of Bulgaria? FK Blansko of Czech Republic? Rapid București of Romania?
I am afraid to tell you that they all said “no.”
The team
Someone did say yes though! Robert Vonsen successfully interviews for the U Craiova 1948 job in the Romanian second division. I told myself I’d accept whichever team accepted us first, to get playing as soon as possible; ideally with the chance of managing a decent pre-season spell before the first campaign kicks off in anger.
Founded in 2017 and valued at £23.4k, don’t confuse U Craiova 1948 with their bitter rivals CS Craiova, four-time winners of Romania’s top division, Casa Liga 1.
It’s a complicated story between the two teams as to why both exist in parallel. Sort of Wimbledon / MK Dons-esque but more confusing and controversial.
I landed in Romania mostly by chance, after applying for all the available jobs and seeing who said yes first; but for a more focused Romanian save (he begins there), have a look at fellow angry Scottish blogger FM Pressure and his website.
The beginning
First things first. No disrespect to Romania’s second tier, but the quality of players isn’t of the same level as the ones in the heady heights of 2026’s LaLiga that I’ve been used to seeing recently, so I choose to adjust the attribute colour thresholds accordingly, so I can better judge talent relative to our level.
Next, I review the squad’s strengths and weaknesses, build a system, then sort out team and individual training for every player and age group, because I’m a masochist who can’t bear the thought of it being automated. The 442 is going to fit in well here and with this group, I reckon. There are a few players who look capable of playing actual football, but a few glaring issues to address too. As I always like to do, I keep attribute masking on and close the first transfer window.
This way I can identify the team’s problems, but realistically can’t address them until the next transfer window. Even then, my manager has such a low experience level, I won’t be able to see 95% of any player’s attribute profiles outside of my own for the first few years anyway, until I improve. Every signing will therefore be a risk/educated guess. I imagine I won’t have much (or any) funds to build a decent scouting system.
Was this really a good idea? I guess it will be challenging if nothing else.
The board expect us to get to the fifth round of the Romanian cup. We enter at the third round, so fingers crossed that is ticked off.
We also need to be promoted to the top tier. There is an unusual system where everyone in the division plays each other once (20 matches) then the top six go into a playoff group where everyone plays each other twice (a further 10 matches) then the top two sides gain promotion.
There are also some non-EU and homegrown player requirements, which I am sure I will get used to in time.
The players and system
As I mentioned earlier, there are a few players who seem fairly decent. One in particular I like the look of is central midfielder Anghelina (Jolie, presumably).
On the other hand, some of the team’s challenges are obvious. Our goalkeeper needs replaced, our best striker is hardly clinical, and there is no strength in depth whatsoever.
442 is the system. Anghelina will be expected to run the midfield, while Munteanu on the right will be our main creative outlet. The full-backs will be asked mainly to defend, and while Raducano can’t finish or run, he is reasonably strong, decent in the air and can pass a bit. If he can occupy defenders, perhaps Bălan can get in behind and grab a goal or ten.
Baeten isn’t the most creative player to set as our playmaker, but he is a decent all-round midfielder and our new captain. I need Anghelina to be everywhere at once in the midfield, hence asking him to move into channels as a central midfielder on support duty, but these two partners may switch roles if it doesn’t work on the pitch as I intend it to.
The priorities
We know why we are here. It’s the first step in a journeyman. My aims are to get promotion to get that all important reputation boost that comes with silverware. Hopefully, we can complete a couple of coaching badges along the way and then a bigger team comes calling.
Before that happens however, we need reinforcements when it becomes technically (because the first window is shut) and financially (because we are poor) possible. Otherwise, I can see my laptop being fired out of a window when we inevitably ship a hell of a lot of silly goals to teams we should really be beating.
Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading.
FM Stag