Category: FM20

The Sporting Life: Season 1, Part 3

Published on by Chris Fuller

sparta

My new Football Manager 2020 series with Sporting CP is now into its second week. Even at this late stage in FM20’s life cycle, this story seems to have drawn plenty of interest, which is always pretty nice to see as a blogger.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the first two chapters of “The Sporting Life”. If you’re new to this story, you can catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 on the links provided to see how we fared in the opening months.

Today, I’ll be taking you through our results in October and November. This includes a huge Primeira Liga match at Braga as well as our first game in the Taça de Portugal, but much of our focus here will be on the Europa League. First up, a daunting trip to the Czech Republic… Continue reading “The Sporting Life: Season 1, Part 3” →

The Sporting Life: Season 1, Part 2

Published on by Chris Fuller

SantaClara

“Olá” again, readers. My Football Manager 2020 series with Sporting CP is about to kick off with earnest, with our opening matches in the Primeira Liga, the Europa League, and – of course – the Taça da Liga.

In case you missed it last time, you can read the first chapter of this new story right here. In that, I looked at the various players at my disposal and played through the curtain-raising Supertaça (the Portuguese Community Shield, basically).

But now it’s time for the serious business to begin. By the way, if you’re wondering why there’s a silly image of Jenna Coleman wearing a Father Christmas hat while standing outside the Estádio de São Miguel in Ponta Delgada, all will become clear soon. Continue reading “The Sporting Life: Season 1, Part 2” →

The Sporting Life: Season 1, Part 1

Published on by Chris Fuller

Embed from Getty Images

Hello there, readers, and welcome to the official start of my new Football Manager 2020 blog story! I have taken over the reins of Sporting CP, with the aim of returning them to the top of Portuguese football – and hopefully making them competitive in Europe again.

In case you missed my introduction to this story, in which I went through Sporting’s history and explained my goals for this story, you can read it right here.

Today’s opening chapter will begin with a squad report, where I’ll go through each first-team player and then look at my tactics. I’ll also summarise our pre-season results before finishing off with our first competitive match – the season-opening Supertaça against league champions Benfica.

Are you ready for this new adventure? If so, let’s begin… Continue reading “The Sporting Life: Season 1, Part 1” →

The Sporting Life: Introduction

Published on by Chris Fuller

Embed from Getty Images

Well… I probably wasn’t expecting to write this in September, but welcome to a brand new Football Manager 2020 blog story on Fuller FM!

After spending much of the past year staying clear of FM20, I finally buckled and bought the game cheap on Amazon for £13. I now have a few months spare to spend on a new mid-term challenge that will tide me over until Football Manager 2021 finally sees daylight.

For this save, I’ve decided to take over a European sleeping giant that hasn’t won its national league for close to two decades. I’m heading to Portugal to try and wake Sporting CP from their slumber, while also making use of one of the continent’s most successful youth systems.

In today’s preview post, I will recount the storied history of this great club before explaining my objectives for my first season at the Estádio José Alvalade. Continue reading “The Sporting Life: Introduction” →

Blog Update #4

Published on by Chris Fuller
Christian Nørgaard (who is a Fuller FM legend) is denied a goal by David Stockdale (who never was).

Thanks for stopping by to read my latest blog update. It’s been a strange but eventful year on Fuller FM, and I thought I’d take some time out to keep you abreast of recent developments.

In this post, I will quickly summarise the various Football Manager and Championship Manager series I’ve written since last autumn. I’ll also discuss some troubles I’ve had away from the blog before looking ahead to the future. Continue reading “Blog Update #4” →

Saving Burnley: Part 4

Published on by Chris Fuller

Welcome back to my short-term ‘bottom at Christmas’ challenge on Football Manager 2020. As you probably know by now, this story has been all about my attempts to pull Burnley out of the Premier League’s bottom three and save them from the drop.

If you missed any or all of the previous chapters, you can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 in the links attached. Once you’re up to date, we’ll pick things up in April, when the end-of-season run-in gets underway.

Before Burnley can begin that final push, though, there’s a major announcement we’ll all have to pay attention to…

Continue reading “Saving Burnley: Part 4” →

FM Mythbusting: Youth Intakes

Published on by Chris Fuller1 Comment

youth-intake-previewOne of the most exciting days in the Football Manager calendar is the day when your club’s youth intake arrives. This latest batch of newgens will lead to boundless optimism or incredible disappointment – or something in between.

If your latest batch of youngsters hasn’t excited you, don’t lose hope. That ‘average’ right-back you’ve written off as someone who should quit football and become a bus driver might still become a useful asset. But even if he doesn’t, there are still some things you can try to boost your team’s chances of producing a more exciting intake next time.

In today’s guide, I will give you some tips on how to properly assess your youth candidates and improve your academy. I’ll also look to bust a few myths along the way, using some real-life scenarios. Continue reading “FM Mythbusting: Youth Intakes” →

Saving Burnley: Part 3

Published on by Chris Fuller

I know you’re probably getting fed up of having to stay inside with no live football on, but don’t worry: I’m here with another installment of my short-term Football Manager 2020 challenge.

In Part 1, I took over a Burnley side who were floundering at the bottom of the Premier League. Part 2 saw me go through the January transfer window and add some new faces to a struggling squad.

It’s now February, and it’s more important than ever that we hit a run of form to keep our survival hopes alive. Unfortunately, the PL’s fixture generator hasn’t been kind to us. Time to begin Part 3…

Continue reading “Saving Burnley: Part 3” →

Saving Burnley: Part 2

Published on by Chris Fuller

Welcome back. I hope you have been enjoying Football Manager 2020‘s free fortnight. Just remember – FM is for life, not just for (inter)national lockdowns.

Anyway, let’s get back to this story, where I’ve given my task of dragging Burnley off the bottom of the Premier League at Christmas and keeping them in the top flight. If you’ve not read the first chapter yet, I’d suggest you go back to that before carrying on.

Suffice to say, I’ve not had the best of starts at Turf Moor, but a new year has just begun – and so has a new transfer window. It’s the perfect time for me to inject some fresh blood into this struggling outfit and strengthen our push for survival.

Continue reading “Saving Burnley: Part 2” →

Saving Burnley: Part 1

Published on by Chris Fuller

Hold on. What’s this? A new Football Manager 2020 story? But Christopher, I thought you had decided to skip FM20?

Well… there’s this huge pandemic going on right now (you might have heard or read about it), and pretty much all sport has been halted. With football on hold, those lovely folks at Sports Interactive have made FM20 free to download and play until 3:00pm BST on Wednesday 1 April.

While FM20 is free-to-play, I’ve been playing a short-term challenge save, which I’m documenting right here on Fuller FM. I’ve simulated through half a season and have taken over the team that’s bottom of the Premier League, with the aim of saving them from relegation. And that team is…

…Leicester City! Nah, just kidding. It’s Burnley. The title kinda gives it away, doesn’t it?

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy reading this little FM20 adventure. Let’s get started… Continue reading “Saving Burnley: Part 1” →