My Spanish Adventure Begins

I have officially started the challenge today. I decided to download the 8.02 patch as the last time i played the 2008 version i was disgusted at the amount of goals that were disallowed for being offside in the matches. Hopefully this time it will be better. The Board Expectations are for to be stable in the 1st division in 4 years however the seasons expectations make it clear that anything other than winning the league this season will be unacceptable so the pressure is on!

My favourite player from the 2007 version was Darko Kovacevcic. Maybe if i get promotion i can lure him back but he isn't getting any younger so a striker who can bag 20+ goals is gonna be my first priority. Morten Skoubo is good but he isn't consistent enough.

In my next post i will update on how my pre-season went and the signings i managed to make and will reveal my hopes and fears for the upcoming season. Meanwhile if anyone has any signings they can recommend please let me know and i will run the rule over them (a good young striker would be good). Adios for now.

The Real Sociedad Challenge

I have played the Football Manager since the very first version in the nineties and have spent many happy hours over the years putting one over Fergie and co. The 2 teams that are closest to my heart are Dundee United and Real Sociedad. Going Dundee United has never been and never will be an option. I know for a fact the first time i played Rangers or Celtic and got a heavy beating, my p.c. would be in serious trouble. I simply don't have the patience to sit for hours watching them lose more often than not and watch Rangers and Celtic battle out the league on their own. Thats too much like real life! I would love to hear from anyone who has went a team from outside the old firm and broke their dominance. Especially on the 2008 version.

Real Sociedad are different. I have fallen in love with the idea of turning them into world beaters and lifting the European Cup. Football Manager 2007 brought no trophies. My finest season seen a 3rd place finish and Champions League qualification follow with a defeat to Fenerbache in the qualifying round for the group stage the following season. The UEFA cup campaign which followed was ended when i finished second from bottom in the group stage.

Then came Football Manager 2008. I thought about leaving it and persisting with the 2007 version as early reviews revealed many bugs plus the thought of Real Sociedad being in the 2nd division didn't appeal. Especially since it was hard enough when they were in La Liga.

Then it hit me - what an amazing feeling it would be if i could get them back into the big league and win something!!! Chris Coleman tried and failed but i wouldn't! I wouldn't let the fact they had no money whatsoever bother me - i would simply use all my knowledge i've built up over the years to pull them out of the mire.

The result = 4thplace finish - no promotion and sacked at the end of my first season!

After staring at the screen blankly for ten minutes i realised i had 4 choices -

1) Retire gracefully, uninstall the game and fire up FM2007 again and be back in the 1st division!

2) Accept the kind job offer from Tenerife (a team with even less money than Real Sociedad - didn't think that was possible!)

3) Start again and give it another go.

4) Abandon my policy of going RS and pick a good team where i have a chance of some glory.

After some weighing up the pro's and con's i decided to choose option 3 which leads me to the point of this blog.
For anyone who makes a habit of going one of the big guns and fancy's a new challenge i urge you to GO Real Sociedad! For anyone who never strays away from the English League GO Real Sociedad! For anyone who wants who wants to show me you are a better manager than me GO Real Sociedad and win something! I shall be logging my progress on this blog as often as i can. I fear a losing streak in the new game may lead me to give up so if i make myself accountable to someone i may persist rather than be a quitter!

If you do take up the challenge please leave comments and let me know how your doing. My personal opinion right now is its impossible but i'd love to prove myself wrong (unlikely) or have someone else prove me wrong (more likely).

I will keep updates of my progress on a regular basis.

Take care and good luck!

p.s. Anyone who claims to win anything will need screenshots before i believe you!