So I bought FM 2014 for the first time and after a test save, got impressed with it and aside from the occasional(hilarious!) keeper bug - not actually as hard as I thought.

So I decided to start an unemployed save with Tony Pulis as my persona, which means I start with 'Professional Footballer' qualification to keep it realistic

Tony Pulis:

---

After being made redundant at Stoke, I've been unemployed once more and it would be quite a challenge to obtain a job since not many top-level clubs like my style combined with my unspectacular reputation.
I have applied for jobs here and there, it seems that neither AZ nor Valenciennes accepted me. Maybe I'll have to settle with a lower-league side for now....

Good luck! Try to use pictures, it looks way better

http://www.torquayfans.com/logo.jpg

TONY PULIS TO TORQUAY: CONFIRMED!

After 4 months, of dipping in and out of relegation zone, Torquay's board and fans have called it quits and fired former manager Alan Knill mainly due to his lackluster results, but also his dubious player selection; Kieffer Moore in particular turns in a lackluster rating of 6.35 yet has started 21 games out of 22 before the sack of Alan, while only scoring a grand total of 3 goals. His strike partner, either Jake Foster or Karl Hawley, have disappointed as well, scoring no goals in between the two. Their top scorer is in fact Elliot Benyon, having scored 4 goals yet has been benched for seemingly lesser quality players. No wonder they are in 22nd place right now, having just escaped drop zone with a 2-1 win over Southend in the hands of caretaker manager Chris Brass.




Here's our interview of our latest manager!
R: Reporter
T: Tony
R: It's a big step down to go all the way down from the Premiership all the way to League Two. How are your feelings?
T: Other than a massive pay cut, a job is a job, it occupies me from boredom of not having one.
R: What do you think about the opposition?
T: Well, don't underestimate the lower leagues! Play might not be fancy but that doesn't mean the players are bad, some players should be playing in the upper leagues, it's only time they get spotted. Top table teams are certainly able to give struggling Championship teams a run for their money.
T: I am going for a more direct 4-4-1-1, with Karl Hawley dropped into an attacking midfield position where he really shines, and Elliot Benyon upfront, hoping for him to continue his fine form. Both like to roam and move into channels, so they work together like magic.
R: How will that pan out?
T: We don't have much technical quality at the back with Pearce injured, so the playstyle is simple, play direct, play into channels and whip in crosses. Counter attacking and overlapping is also an option I should say.
R: Everyone knows that you like set-pieces, particularly long throws. What is your take on this?
T: Torquay lacks a decent long thrower, so I'll rule that out. Attacking set pieces; definitely a yes, our squad might not be the tallest but a well carried out set piece is just as good.
R: So that sums it up for today! Good luck to Torquay fans and Tony Pulis! And a massive thank you to Tony for attending our small interview!

All I can say is that I'm satisfied with my team and their motivation levels are high. After some talks with the team, it seemed that it wasn't the players; it was indeed the former manager, most likely his bad tactics. His decision to play 19 year old Yeovil loanee Kieffer Moore as a regular starter despite the 6.23 rating is simply mind boggling to be honest. The other loans are a bit questionable, too. The decision to loan in Jake Fowler from M'boro is also a mind boggling one, clearly he has no place in my squad, Chris Brass and other staff think the same too, my scouts even gave him no stars in their report!


Well, my first game with Torquay ended up just as a draw. We feel we could have taken the lead much earlier when Kieffer Moore ended up smashing a sitter from the 6 yard box straight into the hands of the keeper. Only a few minutes later, Karl Hawley pulled off the same thing once again. Instead, their luck turned for the good as a cheekily done 85th minute free kick from Jack Blake went under the wall and found the feet of Brian Woodall, who smashed it into an empty net. We could have lost but thankfully I subbed in Elliot Benyon in the 82nd minute, which turned crucial as he got the equaliser from an excellent Nathan Craig corner kick. We also had a Kieffer Moore goal disallowed for a clear offside; we should have won this game fair and square.

This was a match I was pleased at seeing. We knocked the door on them numerous times until Karl Hawley scored a goal from a short corner. Elliot Benyon sealed the result with a goal off an excellent counter attack. We also managed to restrict the struggling Bristol into shooting only hopeful long range shots.

A match marred by a Karl Hawley missed penalty; saved by a well executed team move finished by supersub Billy Bodin's header. Once again we pushed them way back and restricted them to just 7 shots on goal, all from long range.

2013-11-24 13:04#145771 AAN : Good luck! Try to use pictures, it looks way better

Oh yes!, of course!

Great start! Keep it going

Replies

2013-11-26 14:11#146125 DeanByrne1995 : Great start! Keep it going

Thanks for the comments! I've kept the run going to say the least!

Tactics

So, it's Tactics time! Previously I have leaked out that my main tactic is a 4-4-1-1, I also have a slightly modified 4-5-1 with the right winger positioned further forward as an inside forward, all those long balls need someone to head down to or at least someone who is in a position to fight for the ball and link midfield with attack.

This is how it basically works out:


In the middle of defense we have the typical flat CB. On the wings, we have Cameron and Cruise playing on the left, while on the right we have Chapell and Tonge. Cameron, a pacy player, likes to try outpacing his opposite number then sending in the cross almost immediately, rarely looking for an overlap. On the right, the dynamics are different; Chapell isn't very fast and dwells on the ball to look for the overlap, typically from RB Dale Tonge.

In midfield we have Nathan Craig(benefited the most from Ben Harding's injury) playing as DLP(D) and Lee Mansell as our shuttler, tirelessly moving the ball from the back to link up with the front two. One problem though, Nathan Craig has a noticeable lack of stamina and often needs to be substituted around the 70th minute mark, and Lathrope does the job pretty well.

Upfront, this is where the magic happens. Two players look to create havoc by drifting wide and roaming everywhere, Benyon's pace being a major benefactor. Hawley tends to go right while Benyon prefers to do the opposite, while there aren't instructed to do anything specific, they just do it for some reason. 196cm Yeovil loanee Kieffer Moore could also be played whenever the opposition defense chooses to drop too deep for Benyon to be effective, providing a target for long passes

Dynamics