Quite a while back, right before I left the site for a couple of months, I started a story that had very little graphics. I indulged the plot writing side of FM stories rather than the regular quick updates. That old Porto save is long gone in the recycling bin of my laptop, so I have decided to make a new, similar story.

This time, however, I have decided to mix it up a bit. I have chosen a real person as my manager, and I will not pick the team when I load the game up, instead, I will start unemployed and I will do a 'journeyman' save. However, it will not be a normal journeyman save that will begin in the lower league, in fact it will likely start in one of the top divisions.

I like the idea of jumping from big club to big club. Of course, I will start somewhere medium sized like Chievo Verona or Evian or Osasuna, or even a Championship club, but, I'll move on to be a sort of Mourinho, who travels the top leagues and tries to win trophies with the teams I play with.

At first, I will go by the philosophy of: get to the best team possible and use my current team as a stepping stone. After I get to a really good team, my philosophy will change to: win the champions league, and then move on to another club. This could take many seasons with some clubs, but that's what I'm going to try and do.
My manager will be Aitor Karanka, an ex-Spanish international, and for the last few years, the Real Madrid assistant manager. In real life, when Mourinho left for Chelsea, Aitor left too, but, he's not at Chelsea, either. He's unemployed. So, in this story, Aitor wants a new challenge: club management.
I am going to be using a downloaded pack transferring players and managers, so Neymar will be at Barca, Mourinho will be at Chelsea- HOWEVER, everything that happened after 2012, other than transfers, is normal, i.e. Wolves are in Championship & Bayern haven't got the 2013 Champions League trophy- Chelsea are still the reigning champions.

Good luck, sounds interesting!

Looking forward to this

"So, the contract is done?" Aitor asked, walking out in to the warm sunlight in a Real Madrid training top. He peered at José Mourinho, his colleague, but not for much longer. "You're definitely going?"

"Yes," Mourinho nodded. "It will become public on June the first. The headlines will all say- Mourinho leaves Real Madrid for Chelsea. I am sure it will be big in England."

"So, I guess this is it?" Aitor smiled. "I want to say thank you for the chance to prove myself. Thank you for your guidance."

"What do you mean?" José grinned. "Aren't you coming to London with me?"

"No," Aitor shook his head. "I think it is time I try something different."

"Like what?" José asked, catching a ball that one of the players had launched out of the pitch and throwing it back on to the field.

Aitor shrugged. "I don't know... like, full management."

"Oh really?" José nodded, before shouting out various instructions to his players. "You think you are ready?"

"Don't you?"

"Yes," José patted Xabi Alonso, who had just ran over, on the shoulder and instructed him to play a certain way before turning his attention back to Aitor. "But it's not what I think that matters, is it? Where do you plan to go?"

"Wherever will have me," Aitor admitted. "Be it Spain, Italy... perhaps I will see you in England."

"That would be interesting," José nodded. "Good luck."

"Same to you," Aitor grinned and shook the Portuguese man's hand.

When Aitor arrived home that night, he made a few calls and successfully left his position of assistant manager of Real Madrid. He had done it. He was ready to move on to a new challenge now, but at the moment he had no clue what that challenge would be.

Was he good enough for a top division club? Had he proved himself a worthy manager in the short amount of time he'd been assisting the management of one of the best clubs in Europe? Perhaps not. It was quite possible he was unknown and destined to manage in the Spanish fourth division. He hoped that wasn't the case.

He believed he had what it took to be a world-class manager, and, as José had said, that is what counted. It did not matter what others said about him, it mattered what he was actually capable of, and right now, only he knew his boundaries.

As he lay down in his bed, he tried to relax, but it was no use. He stared at the ceiling and for hours he thought of the possibilities. As his consciousness began to fade, he found himself uttering six unexpected words. "I will win the Champions League." As he fell off in to a deep sleep, he realized those six words were not a joke, but a promise to himself.

Great update as always

Hooked already great update

Aitor was starting to get quite worried that he was not going to get a good job. It had already been a few months since he and Mourinho had departed Madrid, and still, not a single good club had offered him a contract.

At the start of the new season, when he first left, there were a surplus of jobs, and Aitor was sure at least one of them would accept. Everton. No. Hamburg. No. Manchester City. No. Even bloody Blackburn! Aitor felt incredibly dismayed.

He sat down on his coach and switched on the television and turned on the English football results. First up was the Chelsea game. "Score draw of 2-2 for Chelsea and Man United here today with Ba, Cahill, Evans and Kagawa supplying the goals. Probably the best result Mourinho could have asked for, considering his team's position."

Aitor felt sorry for Mourinho. His first twelve league games had not been the best, and Chelsea were setting in the bottom half.

The next game to come on was Aston Villa- a few days ago, they had sacked their manager and the game was being played by the caretaker. Aitor had applied for the Villa job, but, he didn't think that he'd get it.

"Today was an incredibly important game for Aston Villa," the commentator on the television said. "Gabby Agbonlahor struck twice against West Brom to confirm the Lions' second win of the season- a much needed three points as they still lie second off-bottom of the Premier League. What Villa need now is a savior... a manager who can pull them out of the drop zone."

Aitor smiled. He knew he could be that savior, and that he could solve all of Villa's relegation problems. The main difficulty was, the Aston Villa chairman probably didn't know that Aitor could do that. He sighed and flicked the television off.

Probably another day of job hunting. He opened his laptop and skimmed through the email that his agent had sent him of all the available jobs that he had a chance of getting. The best jobs were Padova and Oxford. Now, that was depressing. He had a quick look at Padova, but it didn't impress him, he just wished that he could get a good job, and the only good club that hadn't replied to him were Villa.

Just as he clicked on the Oxford link, his mobile began to rang. He glanced at the screen- it was his agent. He picked it up and answered. "Hey. Another rejection huh?"

"Hi, Aitor," his agent said over the line. "I'm going to need you over at the airport pronto."

Aitor smirked. "Where are we going? Barbados? Had enough of the job hunting? Me too."

"Not exactly," his agent replied in a serious tone. "You better pack your back, friend. We're going to Birmingham."

G'waaarn Aitor! Good luck if you get the job!

Nice one! Loving the use of storyline in this story! Kinda similar to my Roma one in that aspect!

Love these types of stories. Keep the posts coming. Already a dedicated follower here.

Aitor tightened his tie and checked that his suit was all in order. He wanted to make a good face to face impression with the directors of Aston Villa. For the last couple of days his agent had been talking with them, and they had made it clear that today was the deadline.

Aitor didn't much care for wages right now. He'd take the job, even if it only offered him a basic wage. All he cared about was getting on the pitch and doing the second best thing to being out there with the ball at your feet- management.

Sitting in the back of his taxi, he glanced out the windows and peered at the various shops. He could read the signs, and speak basic English, as, at the end of his player career, he had a stint in the MLS in America.

The car pulled out in to the countryside and head north-east. "Where are we going?" Aitor asked, confused as to why they had left the hustle of the city.

"Didn't you want to go to the Villa facilities?" the taxi driver asked.

"Yes." Aitor furrowed his brow. As they progressed further in to the countryside it began to rain. It was a downpour. Aitor didn't say anything, though, as, judging the taxi driver's face, it was a common occurrence.

"Here we are, mate. Bodymoor Heath. The Villa training facility," the cabby nodded, gesturing him out. "Take this brolly,"

The man handed an umbrella over to Aitor who smiled. "Thank you," Aitor replied, handing the man some extra change for the umbrella.

"Before you go, why is it you are here?"

"For the managerial vacancy," Aitor replied, nodding to the man who looked taken aback. Aitor stepped out of the car and opened the umbrella, walking towards the building where he had been told the directors were.

After about five minutes in the lobby, Aitor was called in to some sort of conference room where several men were seated in suits much like his own. All of a sudden, a middle-aged chap stood up and put his hand out to Aitor, who shook it. "Hello there, mister Karanka. I'm Randy Lerner," the man said in an American accent. "Please,take a seat."

Aitor smiled and sat down on the chair. For the next thirty minutes, they discussed what sort of contract he wanted. Right off the bat, they offered him £18.5k a week until the summer of 2014. Aitor just nodded casually and said that it would be fine.

At the end, Randy placed a sheet down in front of him. His contract. They had already prepared it and they wanted him to start today. He smiled and took out a Biro, dashing his signature over the claret & blue dotted line.

"Aitor Karanka," Randy smiled. "Welcome to Aston Villa."

Can't wait for Villa v Chelsea

I'm so hooked!!!

Aitor Karanka has signed a two-year contract as manager of Aston Villa following the sacking of Paul Lambert, who led Villa to second-bottom in a string of disappointing results.

Karanka, at 39, is relatively young for a manager and has thus far only had experience as the Spain U-16 coach and assistant manager of Real Madrid, under Mourinho, who is now at the helm of Chelsea.

The Spaniard is yet to have an official interview though he had already made an impact, as most of Villa's backroom staff have departed the team to be replaced by a host of foreign, yet talented, new staff. You can find the list of staff at the bottom of this article.

Karanka's first game as Villa coach will be against league giants Manchester United, who are currently struggling at 9th place, yet it will still prove a huge challenge for Karanka.

It's a great story you've got here! Will be following.