Flanagan's Onions (FM 15)

[Tom Ashley]

Perhaps the third time will be the charm.

I've tried two different Football Manager dynasty stories here, and neither one of them really "stuck." Sometimes I think I enjoy setting up leagues more than I enjoy playing them.

This time, I'm trying something very different. I've dusted off FM 15, and I've downloaded a database that allows me to manage in Bermuda. This universe doesn't mirror the real Bermudian football system; the leagues are almost twice as large, for one thing. The clubs seem to be authentic, though. I think it will be lots of fun.

I'm going to use "fake names," which allows me to see players' faces in the game. I wouldn't recognize a single real Bermudian footballer, so I think seeing a fictional player's face will make him seem much more real.

There are some terrific club names in Bermuda. I've chosen to take over Flanagan's Onions, an amateur club who play in the First Division (the second tier of Bermudian football).

Perhaps one day the Onions will rise to the pinnacle of football on this beautiful island. I'd also like a chance to manage the Bermudian national team. I hope you'll enjoy reading about something a bit different.

Please feel free to comment, too. And, happy 2018 to everyone.

[Izulde]

This will be fun. How many levels are there in total?

[Tom Ashley]

Originally Posted by Izulde

This will be fun. How many levels are there in total?

There are only two levels in the database. Apparently the Bermudian leagues are smaller in real life than they are in the database. The Premier League really has only ten teams, and there are 20 in the database I’m playing. I think the First Divisions are similarly arranged, with the “real” one half as large as the one in my database.

I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, too. Thanks for stopping by!

[Tom Ashley]

July 2014

I'm not sure what word I'd use to describe the football that's played in the Bermudian First Division. "Unrefined," perhaps.

It's very easy to create a "superteam" in an amateur league like this one. There are always loads of players who are ready, willing, and able to be poached from other amateur clubs, or from the free agent list. I'm going to avoid the player search function, and limit myself to signing only those players my scout has located, or who become known to me through media reports. etc.

I have a feeling I need to keep things very simple with this club. I'm going to line them up in a white-bread 4-4-2.


Goalkeepers
I began the summer with two 'keepers: a tall one (Nigel Wilson, 6'4") and a short one (Gary Smith, 5'9"). Neither of them impressed me much in our first preseason games, as they flapped aimlessly at high balls and stood, transfixed, on their line as opponents ripped shots into their net.

Hopefully I've solved my problems in goal with the signing of Kevin Lambe. He's a determined lad with the reflexes of a cat, and he commands his area well.


Defenders
The tactic I'd like to use features two center backs who can handle playing the ball out of the back, flanked by fullbacks who push forward a bit more. However, I'm not sure the players at this level can carry out those tasks.

One of my center halves should be able to do a job at this level. He's Brendon Hollis, who earned six U20 caps for Bermuda. Brendon is fairly athletic, plenty tough, and reads the game well.

I'm not sure who Brendon's partner will be. Michael Wells is probably the best choice, but he's currently nursing a pulled hamstring back to health. Gary Astwood and Devarr Bennett are the other center backs on the roster, but neither of them could mark your Aunt Agnes for ninety minutes. I might use Darius Bean, who is a natural defensive midfielder instead. Bean is probably one of my eleven best footballers, so I'd like to get him in the team.

Right back John Stovell is very good at some things (Natural Fitness and Determination) and ridiculously bad at others (Concentration, Anticipation, and Positioning). I'd like to have him on the pitch, since he's the captain, but the holes in his skill set might be too big to overlook. Niko Furbert, who can play all along the right side, offers lots of pace and the technique I'd like in an attacking full back, but his defensive awareness is worse than Stovell's. I might use both of them, depending on what kind of player I need back there.

Tamauri Smith, who played well during our preseason friendlies, is a serviceable left back. Jesse Raynor will back him up, and also see action as a wide midfielder.


Midfielders
Swan Beach sounds like a place our players might hang out on a day off from training. Actually, he's one of the best players in our team. Swan was my first signing of the summer. He can play in the central midfield or on the left; I plan to let him run the team from the middle of the pitch. He is also very good on set pieces. His partner will be Vance Smith, who has a non-stop motor but lacks finesse. Kingsley Parsons will wait in reserve.

If Raynor doesn't play left wing, Dashe Eve will. Dashe's name was well chosen, because pace is his thing. Raynor plays with a bit more flair, and Eve is a more technical player.

I thought Shakir Wolfe would be a great fit on the right side of my midfield foursome, but all he did during the preseason was moan about the level of training he was receiving. Furbert might get more playing time than Wolfe for now, and I'm already looking for an upgrade. When I find one, Shakir's history.


Forwards
The "big man" in my strike partnership is Kwame Walker. He's 6'2", almost 200 pounds, and quite strong. He'll be paired with my star signing of the preseason, Gickes Bean. Gickes has a soft first touch and is a deadly finisher. He appeared in two friendlies after I signed him, and he scored in each one. His two goals tied him with Walker for the team lead. In reserve, I have a promising teenager called Chris Smith and Miles Harrison, who is probably the slowest 19-year-old striker on the planet.


The board have made it clear to me that I'm expected to lead the Onions back to the Premier Division. The top four teams in our league go up, and the pundits have us listed as one of three co-favorites to win it, along with Ireland Rangers and Bermuda Athletic Association Wanderers.

I discovered Bermuda didn't have a national team manager as the season began, so I applied for the job. While I was at it, I put in for the Under 20 team gig as well. I wasn't surprised to learn I'd been passed over for both jobs, virtual unknown that I am.