Welcome!

Intro

After finally getting my hands on a copy of FM14 I've decided to dive straight into my first game and thought it would be fun to have a go at writing a story as I go along, so here it is! I'm going to be playing as the team I support, Manchester City, but as I have already seen a number of stories with them already on this site I've decided to spice it up a bit and play as someone that you might not expect (hint in the title!). All will be revealed very soon but in the meantime feel free to have a guess at who it might be!




Note: I am going to be writing the story as I go along and will have to balance it with my schoolwork and other commitments meaning some weeks I may post 3-4 updates while other weeks I may only post once or twice. However I will do my best to post as regularly as I can. I hope you enjoy the story and feel free to leave any feedback (positive or negative) you may have, thanks!

Quick Links:

City’s Search for a New Manager Continues

Following a trophyless season and the resulting sacking of Roberto Mancini back in May, Manchester City are still in the hunt for a new manager after negotiations to bring former Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini came to a standstill for reasons which are yet to be disclosed. With the club’s other preferred candidate for the role, Jose Mourinho having already agreed a return to Stamford Bridge, City look to be fast running out of options as the season approaches. However, the club’s managing director Ferran Soriano says he remains “calm and patient” with the situation and expects to make an appointment “within the next two weeks.” When questioned further he revealed the board had a particular candidate in their sights but despite further questioning declined to reveal who this was.

Despite still being without a manager, City have made strong moves in the transfer window with the board completing five transfers worth a combined fee of around £90 million. The club’s board have agreed deals for Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo and Martin Demichelis to join the club this summer, no doubt sending out a signal of intent to the rest of the league, who definitely see City as contenders for the title following a disappointing season last time out. Whoever the club does decide to appoint as it’s manager will have their job made slightly easier by the wealth of talent that will be at their disposal. Who that will be, however, remains to be seen.


New Recruits: Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic and Jesus Navas

Fans Left Stunned as City Boss is Finally Revealed

Shock Appointment: Pop Icon, Noel Gallagher

Manchester City have left the football world in shock after naming pop icon and lifelong City fan, Noel Gallagher as the club’s new manager. After weeks of rumours and speculation surrounding the managerial vacancy at the Etihad Stadium, City announced the appointment of the former Oasis guitarist and songwriter via their official website mcfc.com this morning. Within minutes, the announcement was trending on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter as fans expressed their shock and outrage that the Premier League giants would dare to appoint the pop star, who has no previous managerial experience as the clubs manager.

The club’s chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak released a short statement to clarify the conditions of the appointment and to justify the clubs decision to hire the 46-year-old. “On behalf of the rest of the board here at Manchester City Football Club I would like to express my delight that Mr. Noel Gallagher has accepted our offer and will take full responsibility of the club’s first team for the 2013/14 season. He has signed a one-year-deal with the club, however, it is possible that this will be extended based on if our objectives for the season are met. We can assure each and every one of you that this decision was not made lightly, and we would not have hired Mr. Gallagher if we were not 100% confident in his ability to continue the clubs success in recent years."

Gallagher will assume his new role tomorrow when he will take charge of his first training session, giving him the chance to meet his new players for the first time before the squad jets off to the Czech Republic to face Czech side Dukla Prague in their opening pre-season game. A press conference has been scheduled for the afternoon to give the media an insight into how the appointment came about and let Gallagher give his take on running the club.


Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis

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Gallagher Meets the Media

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Noel Gallagher faces a packed out press room at the Etihad Stadium.

Getting into the Swing of Things:
Squad Rundown and Tactics

Squad Report:

Position Depth:

Tactics:

Main Tactic: 4-4-2 Control



This is my main tactic and will be used in most games against weaker or evenly matched teams at home. I kept the instructions simple, with the main aim just to keep hold of the ball and try to work our way through opposition defences rather than just mindlessly attacking. The team will look to feed the poacher and use him as a main outlet for goals, with the TM adding physical presence to the side. The full backs are instructed to get forward often to provide extra width on the attack.

Backup Tactic: 4-5-1 Counter



This is my backup tactic that will be used mostly in the later stages of a match, when we need to shut up shop and see out the game, however I may also use it when playing very tough opposition away from home. It relies on bolstering the midfield with an anchor man and keeping bodies behind the ball when we don't have the ball in order to keep the opposition at bay. The front three's primary role is to chase down defenders and look to pounce on the counter attack.

Quick Note:

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I am carrying on with this story, I started it ages ago but never had chance to properly get it going due to school and exams etc. etc. However, now that all of my exams are out of the way I am going to try and pick up where I left off so please stick around and enjoy the story.

Cheers, Browny