Journey of a Deadman: #7 (Cambrian & Clydach) – C&C Music Factory

Shama Deadman’s second season at Cambrian & Clydach is now in full swing. After producing some decent results in their first dozen matches (which you can read about in Part 6), the Cam Army now have their sights on sustaining a promotion push.

Today’s post will take you through four months of action – from November 2021 all the way to February 2022. It’s time to take to the dancefloor, because this Cambrian party is getting started… Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #7 (Cambrian & Clydach) – C&C Music Factory”

Journey of a Deadman: #6 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Captain Morgan

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Shama Deadman’s journey into management continues now, as his second season at Cambrian & Clydach kicks off in earnest. In the previous chapter, he signed several new players over the summer – and convinced his star man to stay for another crack at promotion to the Cymru Premier.

Today’s installment will take you through the first 12 matches of the new Cymru South campaign. Cambrian’s captain is about to steal the headlines… but not for the right reasons. Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #6 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Captain Morgan”

Journey of a Deadman: #5 (Cambrian & Clydach) – The Second Season

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Season 2 of my Football Manager 2021 journeyman series starts now!

Shama Deadman has completed his first year in management, guiding part-timers Cambrian & Clydach to a 6th-place finish in the Cymru South. If you want to catch up on the story so far, you can find Part 4 on the link provided.

Now, though, the focus is on Shama’s preparations for the 2021/2022 season. This chapter will include all Cambrian’s pre-season results and summer transfers as the manager plans for life without his star player… Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #5 (Cambrian & Clydach) – The Second Season”

Journey of a Deadman: #4 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Giving Youth A Chance

badgesWe’re coming to the end of the first season of my Football Manager 2021 journeyman series… and what a first season it has been!

Shama Deadman hasn’t enjoyed the easiest start in south Wales. In Part 3, we saw him battle to keep Cambrian & Clydach clear of relegation from the Cymru South. Meanwhile, he’s been in dispute with the club chairman for not letting him study for a coaching badge!

Today’s chapter will see Cambrian play through their final eight league matches, before Shama looks back on his first season. Has he done enough to finally convince the board to fund a coaching course? Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #4 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Giving Youth A Chance”

Journey of a Deadman: #3 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Fire And Fury

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I hope you’ve been enjoying the opening chapters of this new Football Manager 2021 series. I’ve certainly enjoyed taking a more light-hearted approach to my blogging.

To recap the story so far, Shama Deadman has begun his managerial career at Cambrian & Clydach in Wales’ second division. We met his new team for the first time in Part 1, while Part 2 saw him struggle to get to grips with the Cymru South – and a stubborn chairman.

In today’s chapter, Shama’s first season reaches its halfway point as we get through the long, cold Welsh winter. Meanwhile, the temperature in the Cambrian dressing room is starting to heat up… Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #3 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Fire And Fury”

Journey of a Deadman: #2 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Baptism of Fire

My Football Manager 2021 journeyman series is now well and truly underway, as Shama Deadman begins his managerial career in the Welsh second division.

In Part 1, Shama met his Cambrian & Clydach squad for the first time. Today’s chapter will see him take the Cam Army through the first three months of their league campaign, as they bid for promotion to the Cymru Premier.

But might there already be signs of a dispute between manager and chairman? And should you always believe what the papers say? Let’s hear Shama’s side of the story… Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #2 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Baptism of Fire”

Journey of a Deadman: #1 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Enter The Valley

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Bore da! Welcome to the official first chapter of my new Football Manager 2021 journeyman series!

For my latest blog story, I will track the progress of Shama Deadman as he travels across Europe looking to make his name as a football manager. His first job has taken him to Cambrian & Clydach – a small semi-professional club from deep in the Welsh valleys.

I would suggest reading the Prologue if you haven’t already, as that will explain some of the rules that I/Shama must stick to throughout this career. When you’re ready, Shama will introduce you to his new club, as well as some of the players he’ll be managing during these first few months. Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: #1 (Cambrian & Clydach) – Enter The Valley”

Journey of a Deadman: Prologue

It’s been some time coming, but at last, welcome to a brand new Football Manager 2021 blog story on Fuller FM!

In my previous FM series, I’ve taken over a fallen European giant or a mediocre third-division team, with the aim of leading them to new glories. These stories have typically ended in spectacular failure, whether it’s throwing a league title away at Fiorentina, getting relegated through the play-offs at Lyn 1896, or losing a cup final in stoppage time with Sporting CP.

This save will be different, in that I am not tying myself to one club. Instead, I will embark on a journeyman career, where I start off as an unemployed manager looking to build their reputation. This journey will last several seasons and take me across Europe. Who knows where I’ll end up?

In this prologue, I will lay out the rules I’ve imposed on myself. I’ll then introduce the manager I’ll be playing as before finding out which club they will be starting their career at. Continue reading “Journey of a Deadman: Prologue”

FM Mythbusting: Common Misconceptions

If you’ve been playing Football Manager for a while, you might have a good idea of what works and why. But there are always a few gaps in our knowledge – a few areas where we can still learn. Hey, I’ve been playing since Championship Manager 3 in 1999, but I couldn’t tell you what a carrilero does!

If you are rather newer to the series, though, there are some things about FM you might believe are true when they actually aren’t. A player with 6 Finishing isn’t necessarily a bad striker. Three minutes of injury time doesn’t always mean three minutes. And of course, having more shots doesn’t mean you should score more goals.

In today’s post, I’ll be discussing nine common Football Manager misconceptions and misunderstandings. Most of these are specifically about FM, but there are also a few rules and regulations from real-life football that some FMers may not fully understand.

Just to be clear, I’ve not written about anything related to tactics. One of the tactical gurus on the Sports Interactive forums has already written about 20 common misconceptions when building tactics in FM, so please give that a read as well. Continue reading “FM Mythbusting: Common Misconceptions”

FM Mythbusting: The Mid-Season Slump

Imagine this Football Manager scenario. You are halfway through the season, and your team is flying near the top of the league after an incredible run of form that’s confounded all expectations.

And then… bam. As soon as you enter the second half of the campaign, your team suddenly stops playing, and you hit a shocking run of losses that send you tumbling down the table.

Some people in the FM community might say that the game is programmed to generate more drama to stop your team running away with a league title. Some might even claim that it’s ‘scripted’ to trip your team up if things are going too well.

What if I told you that these mid-season slumps are fixable – and even avoidable? In today’s edition of FM Mythbusting, I will explain how and why teams can go off the boil after making a strong start. I’ll then give some advice on what you can do to stop this happening to yours. Continue reading “FM Mythbusting: The Mid-Season Slump”