How to Return Your Club to a Higher Division
Returning a club to a higher division in Football Manager is both a thrilling challenge and a deeply rewarding experience. But once you’ve chosen your club, what’s the next step?
After diving into my “let’s play” save, I spent time carefully analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, and overall potential of the team I chose to manage – OFK Beograd.
This preparation was crucial to setting the stage for success.
When I took charge, the media and fans had sky-high expectations—promotion and the title weren’t just goals; they were demands.
With a young squad (average age: 21), I knew this season would be more about laying the groundwork for future success than chasing quick, short-term results.
Key Takeaway: Manage expectations carefully! A young team might not deliver immediate results, but they’re a solid investment for the future.
There are many things on the list “to do” so that you can’t miss the direction of movement.
I don’t intend to lead a team after the promotion, which will count more defeats than winnings.
It isn’t good for CV.
Analyzing Finances: Cash Flow and Budget
The situation is alarming! It is really necessary to keep track of cash flow carefully.
There’s a nice figure of 1 010 334 EUR on the account, which can be easily melted because of debt of 4.7M €.
Every month 60 000 EUR goes to credits and settling of long-term liabilities so that a very little money remains for salary of the players/staff pay and reinforcements.
If we look at the picture A10 we will see that the key player at the team can have a maximum of 275 € per week.
If I decide for the new player, it will be € 300 000 available. This option should be immediately forgotten because it pour oil on the fire:
Credit rate + Transfer = (60K x 12 months) + 300K = 1 020 000 €
As it can be concluded, the finances are not great, but they are not the main problem.
Less money in the pocket and a maximum of 1 000 fans in the stands opens the way to the players to go abroad.
It is very difficult to explain to the player why the Board rejects an offer of the favorite club or an invitation for the “friendship“ with a club from the stronger league.
Believe me, there will be such offers.
These are small pitfalls in Football Manager where superficial explanation causes great dissatisfaction.
Locally becomes globally! An ordinary transfer can lead to the anger of the team and the manager if he doesn’t calm the situation in the dressing room is fired.
The result of all is division of the team into those who support the manager and the minority/majority on the player’s side.
Dissatisfaction is reflected on the pitch so that a draw or a win become a dream.
This doesn’t mean that every transfer that arrives should be accepted. Not!
Building the Squad: Player Selection and Transfers
Which of players will the place deserve in the first 11? If you don’t have a criteria to start to evaluate players based on existing indicators, then there remains a healthy logic.
What does it mean?
For the first 11, you choose players with high marks (attributes) and pay attention to the position. Nothing more for the beginning.
Whether it may be better for the defender to pass in the middle or vice versa, we will leave for another time. It is an extensive topic and I will write a special article.
My team is mostly young and extremely talented. A couple of players have an international experience that is more than necessary.
I don’t see the danger of the teams from stronger league that will take them this season.
Although everything is possible if the right offer arrives to the address of the club.
Now, I’d like to show you how to adjust the selection info option, the scope of the First Team Squad.
It’s not complicated. You just need to go to customise current view in order to insert two indicators: height and personality.
The harmony of the team depends on the individual characteristics, temperament, way of considerations given, etc.
Height is closely related to the position of players on the pitch.
It’stupid to put a player with the height of 169 cm to the position of central defender (CD) when greater success can be achieved in the middle or attack.
Step 3 is shown on the picture A13 provides the possibility of inserting those indicators that you like (left to right).
You have the freedom of choice so you can create a “copy of selection info” to your liking.
The whole process is valid for other options in Football Manager. My advice is that you don’t experiment if you aren’t sure.
I forgot to say that all players don’t have to have a personality balanced in order to be members of OFK Beograd. Not!
It’s more a matter of taste (resolute, determined, ambitious, etc), and tastes aren’t worth discussing.
Of course, there are many more things on the list “to do“ (squad status, tactics, transfer/loan list, etc) but slowly we are preparing a field for …
Building a Strong Backroom Team!
Who will take care of health of the players, and who will train the youth and the first team? You decide!
After taking over managerial duty, it’s good that you go to the option board and look at the bottom of the left corner of your monitor.
Right here you can see which staff members have the “green light” and to what numbers are allowed to go.
OFK Beograd has the excess of physiotherapists and Under 19s coaching staff.
Before I start to share be fired like a New Year’s bundles, I will insert “personality” as in the option selection info (picture A16). I want to have complete harmony – team and backroom.
Most of the staff of OFK Beograd doesn’t fulfill my criterion!
A few of them have the opportunity to continue our cooperation. The others go very quickly to the option – mutual termination.
I will bring new experts and a detailed selection process will be explained in the following article.
How Do I Plan to Return OFK Beograd to the SuperLiga?
From the enclosed, it can be easily concluded that this team has the potentials.
Otherwise, the quota would not be 14-1 by the media. Maybe it won’ be like in a fairy tale of the first season, but the next one will be ours.
The following is a plan for realization of the short-term and long-term goals:
- a complete change of staff members with the possibility of making an exception;
- the maximum number of players at the club 58;
- give young players a chance to become a part of the first team;
- on the basis of individual qualities are currently the best tactics: 3-4-1-2 (narrow), 4-2-3-1 (wide) and 4-5-1 (balanced);
- find a (home) parent club because of borrowing of the young players;
- at least one friendly match against a large foreign club at home – preseason;
- the winter preparation period of the continuation of the season should do in the vicinity – Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia;
- bring free players over 30 years with international experience;
- do not touch the transfer budget until an income in the amount of EUR 4.7 million is realized;
- the most of money should invest in infrastructure – training and youth facilities;
- improving junior coaching.
Removing Unnecessary Notifications
At the end of this article, I will show you how to turn off notifications that interfere with the news option.
Why should I follow the Premier League and play the 3.Fuβball-League of Germany probably be able to loan a player but make a quality purchase is difficult.
Therefore, it is easiest to choose “unsubscribe from competition” and the problem is solved.
However, for more complicated operations, my proposition is news » subscriptions.
Final Thoughts
Managing OFK Belgrade has been a rewarding challenge. By focusing on finances, squad building, and long-term planning, I’m confident we’ll achieve promotion soon.
Football Manager is about patience and strategy – don’t rush the process.
What’s your experience with managing lower-league clubs? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Author: Alen Stefanovic Translate: Angelina Milenkovic Game: Football Manager 2016
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