By I know I should have expected something pretty special given the fact we had ten players in the Media Dream XI, but this is unprecedented in all my years of playing Football Manager.
Seven wins out of seven. Goal difference of 17. It’s fair to say we’ve started really, really well.
New players
Team cohesion still needs a lot of work, and this is showing on the pitch – we aren’t firing on all cylinders just yet. However, a couple of the new faces I’ve brought in have made an immediate difference.
The pick of the bunch is Jacob Ballinger. A wing back by trade, I’ve brought him in to take up the left winger role. His determination is incredible and his fantastic pace causes such a threat when he bursts in behind the opposition back line. The only thing letting him down is Finishing of 1, which explains why he is yet to score his first goal for us.
Another player I have high hopes for is Lewis Benson. He’s only just joined our amateur bunch so hasn’t made his debut yet, but I have no doubt he will boss games for us in the centre of midfield with his passing and vision. (Yes, even in Tier 11, I want to play good looking football.)
I also want to highlight Levi Paul. He’s my new first-choice left back, far higher quality than my original LB, Scott Walker.
Paul’s signing highlights just how quickly this squad has improved. Scott Walker was the first player I signed, and he joined as an Important Player – without doubt one of the best at the club. Just a couple of months later, Paul has two stars’ greater ability than Walker, and is only classed as a regular starter. It will be fascinating seeing whether Walker’s higher mental attributes keep him in the team ahead of Paul, but I expect Paul’s potential will shine through.
Putting the person ahead of the player
It hasn’t all been plain sailing though. We’ve had to rotate a fair bit due to injuries, and the most serious of these presented me with my first culture-based dilemma of the story.
Ben Musselwhite started a couple of games at the beginning of the season but fractured his leg during a training session between matches. I was given the opportunity to send him to a specialist to aid his recovery, and didn’t hesitate.
At an amateur level, £500 is a significant amount of money to spend on anything, let alone private medical treatment for one members of the squad. Remember, no one is getting paid a penny for their time yet.
However, the golden rule rang very true in this situation:
Do not make the best choice for your Football Manager game. Make the best choice for the team of people you are managing.
Mister Culture, March 2022
We had a responsibility to give Musselwhite the best care we could, and given we also had a positive bank balance at the time it felt like a no brainer to send him to the specialist.
This obviously sets a precedent for future injuries, so the rest of the team can look forward to top quality medical support in future.
Game Day 8
So, how did we perform in our 8th competitive match? Take a watch and find out…
Look away now if you want to avoid spoilers!
Levelled up
The scoreline wasn’t spectacular but the rest of the match stats showed just how well the team were starting to click. And a closer look at my coaching reports showed exactly why we were starting to dominate the division.
Luke Callander, our best performer up to this point of the season, was recorded as a good player for a team three tiers above us – equivalent to having a League One player in the ranks of a National League South team. And he was one of the poorer quality players at the club according to current ability.
Our five star player, club captain James Hoyle, was rated a good player for five tiers above us. Five tiers! Imagine a regular Premier League starter playing for your local National League North or South team and you’re not far off how much quality Hoyle has compared to his opponents this season.
I’m convinced we’re only in this ridiculous situation because money is not an issue, and the second we have to start paying these guys, or they receive a fee-paying offer, they’ll be gone. So let’s make the most of it while we can!
Benson-gate
Unfortunately, my overconfidence came back to bite me on the road to our next match. When I signed Lewis Benson, I promised him that would further strengthen our midfield, and then I promptly forgot to do so. Needless to say, he was not impressed.
I endeavoured to turn the situation around but he felt let down and lied to. A slightly excessive response, perhaps, but understandable given the faith he had placed in his new manager.
In a normal game of FM I would have dug my heels in, but this was another occasion where the golden rule came into effect. Despite my best efforts, Benson felt he couldn’t trust me anymore and I needed to accept the consequences of my own actions as the team’s manager.
I let him leave the club.
Once again, I put the person ahead of the player. We lost a great midfielder but Benson is free to go on to great things elsewhere rather than holding on to resentment in our dressing room. It’s the best thing for him, and the best thing for the rest of our squad.
A tough decision, but the right thing to do. Now I just need to find another deep lying playmaker…
Top of the table clash
Next up, first versus second – GTS Culture vs Southwater.
Again, spoilers incoming…
That’s an incredible nine wins in a row, and I’m starting to think we could go the whole season unbeaten. We’re that much better than everyone around us, so it’s possible, right?
We’re clearly capable of great things this season but I can’t allow overconfidence to affect the squad. Over the next few matches I have to make sure our standards don’t drop.
Looking ahead
Will this incredible form continue? Our next update will look in on the club at the end of January so check back soon to find out. Or you can take a look at our YouTube channel if you want to watch on ahead – we’re already into Season 2 over there.
Thank you so much for reading. And of course a huge thanks to the awesome DanFMDatabases for this incredible lower league database. I literally couldn’t be playing this save without your great work!
If you have any thoughts on how I can be putting culture first in this save, let me know in the comments below. We’ll be back again soon with the next part of the GTS Culture story.
Games Tell Stories 