FM17 - Newcastle United - We are a big club!

This is my FM 2017 Beta save with the club that I support, Newcastle United! I will run this save right up until the full release of the game on November 4[SUP]th[/SUP], so hopefully we can get through a couple of seasons.

There are no restrictions or goals on this playthrough, it’s a case of getting used to the game and its quirks before the main save and main challenge begins!

This first episode looks at pre-season and we play our first few matches, although the form is frustratingly inconsistent! Hopefully we can fix the tactics and get the team firing for the next few games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9ERZFq7wNA

If you enjoy the video and want to see the rest of the series, please subscribe to help me out and let me know you’re enjoying it!

The hardest FM yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Q_-93GJak

Episode two is here and it is just as frustrating as the first! I feel like we are starting to get the hang of the tactic we want to play, but it could cost us our job before we fully figure it out!

I would describe our current form as poor, but not desperate. The board are still on side for now, but some disappointing late goals have cost us and we need to turn some of these draws into wins to get us up the table.

Episode 3: Have I just been sacked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Cav5f18pU

Good Lord. Being called into the boardroom to discuss your future is the most stressful thing in this game. I have only ever been sacked on Football Manager once in 10 years and I am one match from being sacked here.

Some absolutely terrible form has really hit us hard and I can't seem to figure out what is going wrong. I think it's a confidence problem but if we don't start winning soon, this FM17 save will not last long!

Episode 4: Finally Finding Form!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxeaN4ZND8w

Quick apology for starters, one of my videos got corrupted so we're missing the 2-0 win over Cardiff. I'm not sure what's gone wrong but hopefully it doesn't happen again!

A much better episode today though as we manage to stop the rot! We finally string together some very important wins and manage to go an entire episode unbeaten. Hopefully this is the start of some real consistent form and we can begin to challenge for those promotion places.

Episode 5: climbing the table!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=le-o0P07igE

We are continuing our excellent recent form following that awful start to the season. We still have some work to do and our position remains precarious, but we are at least moving in the right direction.

I feel like our tactics are starting to take their hold on the team and with some good additions we can be in a strong position to challenge for the automatic promotion spots if we can avoid another really poor patch of form.

Episode 6: Did we leave it too late?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdQb1Zx7OfU

In this part we continue our very strong return to form but begin to draw a few too many games than I'd like. We remain unbeaten for a long run of games in the league, but it's looking precarious with us still sitting outside of the play-offs.

My concern is if we hit another poor run of form, so we need to close the gap on the leaders as soon as possible in order to secure our return to the Premier League.

Episode 7: We're in the play-off places!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzkbOcNh3r8


Sorry for the delay in uploads, I've been away for work and wasn't able to access the internet very much. We manage to extend our unbeaten run even further here, but there's still too many draws.

The main thing is that we end the episode in the play-off positions! We needed a result against Bristol and we managed to get it. Next episode we need to step up and win a few matches in a row.

Episode 8: SACKED?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1-BTfK2lP0

Things we looking so rosy with two wins in a row for the first time in ages. Then Reading beat us 3 - 0 and suddenly the board are calling me in for a 'chat' about confidence.

You'll have to watch the video to see if I keep my job. Just in case I am sacked though, any ideas for who you want me to manager in FM17 next?

Episode 9: Can We Win the Title?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uhY-zkwZ64

After just about hanging on to our job in the last episode, the focus switches to charging into the automatic promotion places this time. It is crucial we avoid the play-off positions as failing to get promoted will almost certainly cost me my job.

Luckily we do string together some very strong performances in this episode and score some key victories against teams around us. We finish the episode in second place with two games to go...

Don't forget to like and subscribe if you enjoy the video, it really helps me out!

Episode 10: We're in the Premier League!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2-e9I05q6M

Only the two matches today, but they're the two matches that send us into the Premier League! Perhaps the better news for me is that the board did decide to extend my contract with just a couple of months left to run.

A couple of good victories mean we end the season in style, but it isn't quite enough to catch Norwich at the top. We do however have £50m to spend on transfers for our return to the top tier and I'm going to spend it as wisely as possible to strengthen the team.

Episode 11: Crushing the Transfer Window!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLEZRMwXXu0

After saying that I might only sign one striker in the transfer window, I maybe went a little overboard... A lot of new, but incredible signings have come in. I am very excited to get started with this team and I think the squad if excellently balanced.

We also managed to raise quite a few funds and have some money left, but annoyingly the wage budget has been capped and won't budge. We also play our first Premier League match against Liverpool, so have a watch to see how we do.

Episode 12: Starting Strong!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryashD0RnaA

It looks like the strong transfer signings have helped us get off to a pretty great start after that disappointing defeat to Liverpool in our opening game!

Some very good wins in the League mean we're already in and around mid-table and the threat of relegation is not top of our minds. I think we should be able to push on and hit that 40 point mark well before the end of the season.

Episode 13: Newcastle 3 - 0 Arsenal!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZkLnm5SDDI

Another good run of games, although there were a few defeats in this episode. It looks like we're beginning to struggle against teams away from home and we might need to think up a new tactic to stop the rot.

Our current tactic is doing wonders at home though and we manage to demolish Arsenal 3-0 in our best performance of the series so far!

Episode 14: Is it all falling apart?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D-sk0LnwQU

Our poor patch of form extends into this episode with a couple more defeats until we do eventually secure two victories in a row. We also manage to beat top of the table Southampton as our stunning home form continues.

We are continuing to struggle badly away from home and it is starting to become an issue. If you have ideas for a new tactic or things that I can do in the January transfer window then let me know. I don't think we're likely to be sacked this season, but if our home form dips then you never know!

Episode 15: Beating Manchester United!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFDMWi_zcZE

Yet another frustrating episode as we see the highs of beating Manchester United get followed up with three defeats. We are playing some big teams at the moment and still managing to get results so I'm not too dispirited, but we need to step up our game as losing to Norwich is unacceptable.

It's the January transfer window in the next episode and I am looking to get some serious business done if I can. The squad needs re-balancing and we need to get a top quality striker in.