By Royal Appointment.....after the data loss

This was my first FM story online.

I have been playing champman, then footy manager for 17 years.

I am a massive Manchester United and Reading fan. 2 teams I know. Same league,I KNOW! LOL. but I love them both, will never drop one, and follow the clubs passionatly, both of them.
Once upon a time Reading were the small local team I supported,living near by the old elm park stadium.
As I grew up, around 12 years of age, my friends from school, and my dad started going to games, as it was easier to get to than Manchester.
But from the age of 5 I had always followed United, before moving to Reading.

The beginning of this story was lost, in the data failure the site suffered.

Alot of hard work had gone in to it, so I am really gutted. Really gutted.

But I have been working on a story update, so I will not waste this, and the memory of this great game I have gone with Reading FC.

I started a game with Reading FC.
full game mode, fm classic skin, cos its pretty sweet.
Big database and multiple leagues loaded.
Various In's and Outsnd good results, some highs, some lows.

1st season I kept Reading up, finished 15th, well clear of the relegation zone.

2nd season, much the same, a few player tweaks, but finished 15th again, well clear of relegation, which is al;ways the aim with Reading.

The club is small in size really, has a growing fanbase that does not justify a stadium expansion.
Money is tight so I have to wheel and deal, grab bosmans when I can and scour the world for cheap talent and gems with my scouts.
so here I am 2014-2015 now

AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES........AGAIN

2014-2015

READING FC

The Club

Diary.

The Reading board seem fairly happy with me. I have managed to keep them up twice in a row now, finishing 15 place each time. We have also been well clear or the relegation zone each season, and have never really looked like being in big trouble. I am also happy with how things are going. I hope to kick on this season. I have not spent much money, so maybe I can free up some cash to get better quality players in, and also sell a few who are considered squad players. The club is also financially secure, because of the way I run things.
URZZZZZZZZZZ

BIG DEALS LITTLE CLUB

Diary
As noted before, with Reading, and the size of the club, finances can be tight, so you really have to scour the transfer market, wheel and deal the best you can, and look at bosmans/loans.
AND BOY DID THIS SUMMER PAY OFF!

SUMMER INS
STEVEN DEFOUR-Belgian international, pulled in for free on a bosman. Delighted to grab him for free. Was a class player at standard and Porto. Hope he can add some real quality to the midfield.

ERIK FALKENBURG-Dutch player, who is very versatile and may yet make the Dutch team at some point. Signed on a free from AZ. High hopes he can kick on a become a good player.

ALLAN MCGREGOR-Scotland number 1 goalkeeper. On a free. Delighted to sign him. He will automatically become the Reading number 1 keeper. McCarthy will still push him for the spot no doubt.

JONATHAN BIABIANY-frech player who was building a great reputation when he played for Inter for a short spell, and Sampdoria. Signed him on a free from Parma, I hope he can claim a wingers spot and add pace, skill and goals to the wing.

JACK ROBINSON-LOAN-brought in on loan from Liverpool. Highly rated young English left back. He can add depth to the left back position where only Gunter challenges at the moment.

VICTOR MOSES-LOAN-quality loan signing from Chelsea. Fast, direct, pacey and young, I have high hopes he can become our number 1 winger.

FRANK LAMPARD-WHAT A SIGNING- signing Frank has really put us on the map and upped our reputation. Ok he is 36, but he is still a quality player. Will look to him to add quality and goals to the midfield, and also tutor youngsters. He is also made captain.

KEVIN GROSKREUTZ-LOAN-quality loan signing from Dortmund. Dependable ands solid winger who should set up many goals and chip in with a few himself.

IGNACIO CAMACHO-LOAN-highly rated young Spanish player. Currently rated just behind ISCO at Malaga (IRL) I hope he can add technical play to the midfield when needed.

MIKAEL LUSTIG-ON LOAN-I felt we needed more back up in the right back department, so I brought Lustig in. Swedish international, he has had a good last few seasons with Celtic. Hope he will provide solid depth and competition with Cummings.

THE MAN-THE ICON-THE LEGEND-ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
WHAT MORE CAN I SAY, THIS IS THE BIGGEST DEAL EVER DONE IN READING’S HISTORY. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC AT READING! Ok, so he is in on loan, but I kept trying and trying to get him in on loan, he rejected me, 3 times, but finally, on the last day of the window, he accepted a move to the might royals. I will only pay 10% of his wages as well, and a small monthly fee. Well worth it. I could never afford to buy him or pay his wages, but WE HAVE THE ZLAT


I also brought in some highly rated youngsters from various Scottish clubs, all on free, and a few freebie young guns from clubs aboard, just on short term contracts, to see if I can develop them.
A few players left, some on loan, some permanently.

SQUAD DEPTH

This is now a well balance squad, with a lot of depth, and a squad I now believe should push up to a safe mid-table, to European position.

GK. MCGREGOR-MCCARTHY

RB. CUMMINGS-LUSTIG

CB. GORKSS-PEARCE-MORRISON-BROWN

LB. GUNTER-ROBINSON
CM. LEIGERTWOOD-DEFOUR-CAMACHO-LAMPARD-KARACAN-NINIS

WINGERS. MOSES-MCANUFF-BIABIANY-CHADIL-GROSKREUTZ-FALKENBURG

S. IBRAHIMOVIC-LE FONDRE-LONG-POGREBNYAK-WATT

2014-2015 Pre-Season

Pre-Season went very well. Delighted with the team and the depth of squad. First really good pre-season since I joined.

August

After a great pre-season, August couldn’t have really been any worse.
Reading 1-1 Q.P.R-bad start, should be winning this game at home
Everton 4-0 Reading-terrible performance
Reading 3-2 Crawley-scrapped through in what should have been an easy win
Reading 1-2 Sunderland-another loss, at home, bad start to the season

September-October

BOOM

September
Started with a bang, we beat Villa 7-1 at home. I tweaked the team and formation, and they delivered!

Reading 7-1 Villa-great result, delighted, we are back on form and on fire!


Bolton 3-1 Reading-back down to earth wing a bang. Bad away defeat.
Wolves 3-2 Reading-out of the league cup, in the 3rd round, to wolves, disappointed.
Norwich 0-3 Reading-a great away day win, played fantastic, but we are very inconsistent at the moment

October
Reading 0-0 Man United-really good home draw
Reading 2-1 Wolves- good home win, revenge for the cup defeat
Arsenal 3-1 Reading-an expected loss, i can never beat Arsenal no matter what I try

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

Still keeping within my budgets, mainly by focusing on academy youngsters, cheap signings, bosmans and loans, Anton has given me extra funds to spend in January if I want, this may come in handy, as our form is a bit up and down.



November
Chelsea 4-2 Reading-expected away loss, got 2 consolation goals right at the death
Reading 1-1 Blackburn-bore draw, wanted the win
Fulham 3-0 Reading-hammered away to a Fulham side I should be competing with, not happy
Reading 3-2 Liverpool-a famous win on home turf, the side went right to the death, very happy
Stoke 4-2 Reading-again, after a great home win, a crap away defeat; the inconsistency is driving me nuts


December

Man City 4-0 Reading-thrashed, could have been more, morale is very low
Reading 2-4 Swansea-a very bad home defeat, sliding down the league, although it is very tight
West Brom 2-2 Reading-nicked a point away, vital at the moment given the poor run, still no win though
Reading 1-2 Everton-wow, this run is getting bad, I am tweaking my already proven to be successful tactics, and rotating players, no one is stepping up.
Reading 0-1 Tottenham-another defeat, the bad run is extended, we are in the bottom 3, on goal difference, now coming to January, a serious think is needed and changes possible. I expected to be safely in mid table at this point, possibly just outside the euro places

IF YOU ARE BIG ENOUGH AND UGLY ENOUGH.........

Well, after a seriously bad run of form, sliding down the table, inconsistent results and low morale, I had decided to go back to basics, rip things up a little.

THIS IS MAKE OR BREAK TIME!
This attitude and desire was brought on by 1 game, a game I gave the squad a final time to prove themselves, this game

READING 0-1 CHESTERFIELD-FA Cup 3rd Round


YES, this game. A home game against easy opposition. A game we should walk through. A chose attacking tactics and Fielded a strong team, and we lost, I was raging, morale is low, and I have had enough of the pre Madonna’s in the dressing room.
TIME TO RIP UP THE SCRIPT-DO OR DIE TIME

JANUARY TRANSFER & CHANGES!

Things need to change, and I have done my bit.
I feel I tried to change to much to quickly, brought in to many foreigners, and to many loanees, which unsettled the squad.

SO!
OUT GOES
Ibrahimovic’s loan is cancelled
Lustigs loan is cancelled
Camacho’s loan is cancelled
Groskreutz loan is cancelled
Falkenburg has been sold to Villa
Robinsons’s loan is cancelled
Biabiany is shipped out on loan with a future fee included.
All good players I think, but all were so up and down with form, Falkenburg and Biabiany were just rubbish in all the games I gave them. It just didn’t work out for them.
Lustig & Ibrahimovic probably showed me some of their best form, but they both went downhill along with our form.

IN COMES

CARL JENKINSON-LOAN-yes, another loan, but this time a young English star from Arsenal, who is at a good age, and will be the number one right back for a spell. Being English he should adapt quickly.

WINSTON REID-brought for a bargain 1.8 mil. Tried to sign him in the summer for 4mil, but once I had those loan signings in I decided against signing him. Solid as a rock for a West Ham team that has been relegated back to the championship. Knows the English game, speaks our language, should be a solid, dependable signing.

RAZVAN RAT-free signing. He spent the previous two years at Liverpool until he was released, he knows this league and language. He is 33, so is experienced and will add some strong back up to Gunter



As you can see, I have identified a leaky defence here, and I have also identified that the lads who did well for me over the last 2 years, karacan, leigertwood, le fondre etc, who may have become squad players, will now get their chance again to play constant first team football.



I have changed my tactics, and introduced a new 4-5-1 tactic. This is a bit negative for the way I would like to play, but given our form, and our position in the league, I want to go back to basics, and be solid at the back first and foremost, then look to progress.

LET’S SEE HOW THIS GOES!
COME ON
URZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ (in the style of a war cry )

JANUARY
TURNING POINT

So, would my new streamlined squad, based on a solid defensive platform work?
Would the new players gel?
Would the core players step up?

OH HELL YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH

A big ass turnaround. Something that was very risky, but needed, worked! (and if I ever do find myself in this situation, it normally doesn’t work, so I’m chuffed)

JAN.

Q.P.R 1-4 Reading-delighted, delighted, DELIGHTED



As you see above, I went away to Q.P.R, and not only won, but dominated the game, with my 4-5-1 formation, and scored 4 goals.
Shane Long and Vic Moses were both excellent, but the whole team did me proud.
GK. MCCARTHY-in place of inconsistent McGregor
RB. JENKINSON-in place of Cummings
CB. REID-in place of Morrison, what a debut
CB. GORKSS-in place of Pearce, solid as a rock
DCM. LEIGERTWOOD-the Man Mountain, get past him, if you can!
RM.MOSES-his best game for us, I gambled in not sending him back to Chelsea, and it worked, 2 GOALS
CM.KARACAN-given a slot instead of Defour or Ninis, dependable and consistent as always
CM. LAMPARD-great captains performance from old franky boy
LM. CHADIL-back on form, as he was last season
S. LONG-back in amongst the goals, worked hard, took his goals very well


Jan cont.

Sunderland 1-4 Reading-another great win, picked the same line up as QPR game
Reading 3-1 Bolton-a win, at home, to please the fans, give them something back, and 3 wins in a row now, morale picking up.
Reading 1-1 Aston Villa-solid away point, 4 games now without defeat, a roll, given the poor form before.
Manchester United 1-0 Reading-a tight away loss, we played outstanding, no worries about this defeat, morale still high and we played well, unlucky to lose

Nice story! I would never of had the guts in my life to get rid of so many players, did the right stuff though, good luck staying up

Thanks Atreidas, being a Swindon Town fan, it must be hard for you to appreaciate a Reading story haha

joking m8
thanks for reading.

The aim is to stay up now, the squad looks settled again.
(I actually finished the season off last night, well this morning, bloody addictive game haha, news to come on how it went)

What I did have is a few loans, so they were easily cancelled, no matter how big the star name.

And I also had a squad behind most of the lads who were sold, that had kept me up for the previous 2 years.

I had tried to move them up a level, add a bit more quality, but it back fired, which I recognised, so I reverted back to the tried and trusted method.

The next season I will try to build again, pushing the club up another level.

My two board promises are: attacking football & use RFC youth players.
I am using alot of the younger lads, sop the board is happy there, but my success to date has been based on counter attacking football, breaking away quickly. It has worked and kept us up.

With all those big signings, I tried to be more attacking as well, to please the board, I have now reverted back to the counter attack.

In my new contract negotiations, I think I will remove the attacking element of the deal.

2012-11-28 09:47#69542 sho3doggydawg : Thanks Atreidas, being a Swindon Town fan, it must be hard for you to appreaciate a Reading story haha

joking m8
thanks for reading.

I see what you did there

haha, I was hoping you would spot that