Adventures in CM4

[GrantDawg]

Giving a CM4 career a go. Trying a bit of an experiment. Instead of just picking a lower level club, I started the game and immediately quit (from Crystal Palace). I’m now going to apply for any open team until I get a new job. I have the English third league and above, Italian Series C2 and above, the Spanish second division B and above, and the top league only of Germany, Greece, Holland, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, and Turkey. The most my system is recommended to run is 26, and the computer recommended selection was 15, so this (20) is sort of mid-way, and gives me lower levels in three of the top leagues. I’m concentrating on Europe since there are so many problems with the American game, and South American leagues really don’t interest me. I’ll update when I have some success on the job market.

I tried just going on holiday and telling the computer to send resumes to open clubs, but that option doesn't seem to work. So I have to do this manually.

[GrantDawg]

By the way, anybody know how to do screenshots on programs that don't have screenshots built in? I know there is a way, but not how.

[Katon]

Your computer's recommended to run 26 leagues? Good grief.

[3ric]

The "Print Screen" button on your keyboard saves a BMP image into the "clipboard", meaning that you can use "Paste" into any image editing program to save the screenshot.

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by 3ric
The "Print Screen" button on your keyboard saves a BMP image into the "clipboard", meaning that you can use "Paste" into any image editing program to save the screenshot.

Thank you. This is going slowly so far. Only one job has come open (English first division and I didn't get it), but we are almost midway through the first season, so things will open up soon.

[GrantDawg]

Ok, this plan was bad. I have applied about 35 times with no luck. I guess your rating takes such a bad hit after you quit that soon that no one will take a chance on you. Oh well. I'll figure out another way to get a random team and start this puppy up.

[GrantDawg]

The Shrimpers proudly announce the hiring of their new manager, L Brian Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins comes to Roots Hall from “across the pond” after working many years in the lower American leagues. Only 33 years old, the young gaffer takes on a real challenge in the money leaking Blues. Currently 4 million in debt, the club is over 3500 pounds p/w over their salary budget.

The board believes in their hire, and even with the knowledge that the team’s salaries must be slashed, they expect a respectable league position. The fans agree with the boards assessment and are “cautiously optimistic” of Mr. Jenkins future with the club.

[korme]

Did CM4 write that or did the creative mind of GD write that?

And how'd you get a team?

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
Did CM4 write that or did the creative mind of GD write that?

And how'd you get a team?

I wrote it from info in CM4, and I just went ahead and started over.

[GrantDawg]

I walk into the office and meet with my new coaching staff. Nice enough fellows even if they are in over their heads. The first major problem I find is that I have two Assistant Managers, and neither are qualified for the job! One is a player, Steve Tilson, who has decent playing ability (for a 35 year old), but his ability to coach is non-existent. I immediately sit down and have contract talks with him. He actually requests a players contract (with a 300 pound raise). I offer him a 50 pound raise instead. (how do you get the pound symbol?)

My other assistant has half-decent coaching skills except where he needs them most. He doesn’t work well with the young players and does not have a good eye for talent. Again, I talk to him about his future to the team. He request a coaching contract at the same pay level. I make the offer.

The other coach on staff is a pretty decent guy, but he doesn’t really have a good rapport with the young players either. I tell him there is still a place for him with the club, and send him to the pitch to ready the players for training. I then talk with my scouts. They both don’t know who Michael Owens is, so I immediately sack them. They are only making 20 per week, but because some idiot had signed them to long term deals, they are getting 5000 pound apiece settlement money. Like I needed that.

I then pick up the phone to talk to my staffing head-hunter. I tell him I need a Assistant and another coach both with good skill with young people. Plus, a couple of good scouts. The first guy he pitches to me is a 30 year old halfback named Marc Vaughan. As a player, he is not much (it takes him 5 minutes to run from the locker-room to the pitch, and he got winded on the way!), but he has a sharp eye for talent. I offer him a scouting position. He also shows me a couple of player/coaches who not only have coaching ability, but can play very well. I offer them positions immediately, along with a couple of other random staff.

Hanging up, I head out to the pitch to assess the playing staff.

[GrantDawg]

I decide to start with a position by position evaluation, mainly looking for weaknesses and where I might cut salary.

Goalkeeper- Darryl Flahavan is a solid starter. At 24, he has really come into his own. His ability one on one could not be any better and he also has the ability to kick the deep ball. Unless someone come in and offers me big bucks (which shouldn’t happen. He is great for this level and no more), I’m keeping him around. The hard part is that he is in the last year of his contract, and he wants to double his salary. Ugh. I’ll wait to see how he does in real game situation before offering a new deal.

His back-up really has nothing that gives me any indication he needs to stay with the club. He is a 19-year-old with little skill. All of the coaches say he should be a transfer candidate, but since he is the only other goalkeeper I have, I’m not doing that yet. I do make a note that he is a transfer candidate, and recognize a need for a new keeper.

Centre-backs I fine at least one guy who is stealing money from me. A 38 year-old, Rob Newman, who has good mental stats but physically wouldn’t get the job done. The guy is making 1,200 a week, money I need to clear. The problem is, he has been with the team for a while, no one is going to want him, and I’m liable to make the team angry getting rid of him. I don’t know what to do with this guy. I wish there was an option to talk someone into retiring.

Other than him, I have several young players who can play semi-well, starring Leon Cort a pacey defender who is tall and good with his head. Another starter, Phil Whelan, is a decent player but is making way too much money (1,300) to have good players behind him. I put him on the transfer market.

fullbacks - I have a star on the left-side named Neil Jenkins (great last name too!). He is fast, sets a good cross and has the stamina to last the game. He has a solid tackling back-up, and a sixteen year-old youth project that all will get some playing time.

The right side has a good if not great player holding the fort in Daryl Sutch. He works well in the team and has the workrate and stamina to get up and down the field the full 90. His best back-up is injured for the next three months, but he has a couple of centre-backs that moonlight as fullbacks to give support.


So far what I see gives me reason to think a 5-3-2 or a 5-4-1 might work well with this team. I normally like an aggressive 4-4-2, but we’ll have to see what the wingback situation is like. At the least, a 4-4-2 diamond (with the defensive midfielder allowing the full-backs to play more aggressive) might work a treat. We’ll have to see as we go to the midfield.

[GrantDawg]

Defensive midfielders - None! Well, not exacty since Jenkins and Sutch both can play forward the defense line, but only on the side.


Centre-midfield - The first thing I notice here is we are paying a loaner from Wimbledon 1,500 a month. Since I know I can do something about that pay without hurting myself, I send him back. He is a solid player, and I’ll try to loan him back without salary if I can.

One of the best players I have here is Assistant Manager Steve Tilson. He is slow as a post, but has good skill crossing and taking the long shot. Unfortunately, he is going to be out for two months with a damaged knee.

Kevin Maher is a key player, with an amazing passing skill. We also have David Bryan who has good physical ability at the tender age of 16. Staurt Thurgood has amazing technical skills, but his mental and physicall skills are suspect.

Attacking Midfield - Three players with better forward stats than midfield stats. We have one true winger who can play both sides.

This is beginning to look like a 5-3-2 side. Probably a 5-3-2 attacking, but we have to see what kind of strikers are on the roster.

[GrantDawg]

Tilson signs a new deal, and is no longer on the coaching staff and Crown steps down into a coaching role. Dean Gripton, David Jarrett, and Rob Campkin agree to come in as a scout. Former Dutch Premier league player Dave de Jong has agreed to become the new Assistant Manager. He’ll be playing in the midfield once he comes back from knee rehab (3-6 months). Miles Jackobson and Alan Blakeley also comes in as a coaches. With my staff complete (except Vaughn who will not agree to terms), I’m out the door for the day.

[GrantDawg]

The first preseason game at Aldershot comes and I sit down with my team for instructions. Overall, we are going to play with our minds toward the attack with direct passing concentrated down both flanks as I want my fullbacks to control the game. I also tell them to take it easy on the tackling considering this is a friendly, and to close them down once the ball gets on our half.

Individually, I put my outside centre-backs on man marking. The full-backs are to push forward when there is an opening and so is the AMC. The rest of the team has no instructions. As the boys head out on to the pitch, I hand the captain’s band to Graeme Jones.

Aldershot dominates the game. We made them look like Man U, allowing them most of the possession, 10 shots on target and two that touched the back of the net. We did scrape a goal in the second half when 18 year-old forward Brett Darby buried a Luke Moore cross into the goal. Most of the game, the team looked horrid.

This is making me re-think think the 5-3-2. I know at least I’m going to be less aggressive for now.

[GrantDawg]

A couple of good updates were lost, so I'll quickly recap. Had a couple of really bad friendly matches which prompted me to scour the loan market for some defense. I found two in the French league, Phillip Mexes and Gregory Proment (from Auxerre and Matz respectively. Notice that I have no idea how to do accent marks). The last two were lower scoring affairs but I won both, so I'm hoping things are looking up.