Out of ideas on which team to manage on FM22? Here’s a list of 11 save ideas to consider starting on Football Manager 2022 this festive season.
Out of ideas on which team to manage on FM22? Here’s a list of 11 save
ideas you should consider.
Every man and his dog knows about some of the most popular save ideas available on the game, like “rebuilding Barcelona” or leading moneybags Newcastle to glory. But those of you looking for a more intriguing challenge that’ll see you walk the FM path less trodden over the holiday season, read on…
Youth Development Challenges
If you fancy yourself as the next Sir Alex Ferguson, developing a world-beating team around a core of youth team graduates, then these clubs may be right up your street.
Envigado FC S.A., Colombia
Colombia is widely regarded as one of the leading sources of wonderkid development on Football Manager. One of the most exciting opportunities to tap into this wealth of talent is Envigado. This club was only established in 1989 but, crucially, possesses perfect 20 ratings for youth recruitment and importance. Further aiding your youth development ability are excellent academy coaching and youth facilities, which means the club is one of the leading academies across South America.
Fluminense, Brazil
Let’s face it, when you think about wonderkids and youth development, your brain automatically goes to Brazil. The country that produced Jairzinho, Neymar, Pele, real Ronaldo, Socrates, and so many more glittering talents does not disappoint on FM 22. The only challenge is knowing where to begin! Honestly, you could pick any of Atlético Mineiro, Corinthians, Flamengo, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo and Santos, who all have very similar youth ratings, and begin building a new legion of Brazilian wonderkids. But a personal pick would be Fluminense, as you get to work with Calegari and develop the exciting Arthur, as well as two legends in Fred and Ganso.
FC Liefering, Austria
Who? I hear you ask. Yep, me too. But apparently, this side in the Austrian second tier has the best youth ratings of any club on FM22. So armed with 19 out of 20 ratings for youth coaching, facilities and importance and a perfect 20 for youth recruitment and importance, can you develop a team capable of becoming the best in Austria then conquer Europe and the world? Probably not…but if you do, I want to see it.
Pachuca, México
Moving over to North America, Pachuca probably isn’t a club that jumps off your tongue when you think about Mexican football. However, it has exceptional youth facilities and recruitment that, in theory, offer the best all-around youth development attributes in the entire country. And, based on my ongoing adventure across the Americas, Mexico is a rich source of wonderkids in this year’s version.
Rebuilding Challenges
Let’s face it, rebuilding a post-Lionel Messi Barcelona isn’t a fun or overly difficult task. So if you want a real challenge to restore a club that’s tasted the highest of highs but is now very much down in the doldrums, then give one of these a go…
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise (Auxerre), France
Paris Saint-Germain’s iron grip on the French title appears so insurmountable that it doesn’t really seem worthwhile - for context, on my long-term FM21 save, PSG won 30 consecutive titles! However, if you really fancy a challenge this festive season, then AJ Auxerre could be for you. The club became French champions for the first and only time in its history in 1996. However, they were relegated in 2012 and remain in the second tier. Crucially, they have good youth facilities and a heavy focus on youth importance and, while the finances may be tricky (compared to the might of PSG at least), this offers an interesting challenge.
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (CEC), Brazil
Cruzeiro’s fall from grace is probably one of the most exceptional out there. The four-time national champions and two-time continental champions won the Brazilian title as recently as 2014. However, they were relegated to Serie B for the first time ever in 2019 – and it’s safe to say the fans were not happy! Your task is to get the fans back on board and rebuild the club to its former glory. However, that’s easier said than done as they began with a negative bank balance and the mere £123.7 million of debt that won’t be paid off until at least 2036. Ouchy.
Deportivo de La Coruna, Spain
Speaking of fallen giants brings us nicely to Deportivo la Coruna. The club was champions of Spain in 2000, won the Spanish Cup in 2002 and made it to the Champions League semi-finals in 2004. However, a severe fall in grace culminated in relegation in 2018 then being demoted to the third tier of Spanish football in 2020. They failed to get promoted last season, which means they remain in tier three. However, the club has great facilities and a massive stadium, which means they’re perfectly positioned for you to take control and bring the good times back to La Coruna. Although the debts could be a concern.
Other fun challenges
If your objective this holiday season is simply to have a little fun managing a team that’s just a bit different, then maybe one of these options will tickle your fancy.
FC Dallas, United States of America
Major League Soccer remains a mystery to many Football Manager fanatics. So the festive season could be the perfect time to work out how on earth USA soccer works and go and win the damn thing. And if you want a challenge on top of working out how the system and multiple drafts work, then look no further than FC Dallas. The club is one of only two founding franchises that still haven’t become MLS champions. Could you be the Football Manager to finally deliver that glory?
Chertanovo Moscow, Russia
Chertanovo is widely regarded as the most difficult challenge available on Football Manager. A new manager walking through the gates of Chertanovo is expected to focus on youth development. Sounds good so far? Well, the club has a strict policy of restricting the purchase of any players. So FM’s widely heralded Deadline Day feature is of absolutely no use to you. Making matters worse, the club has bang-average facilities with which to produce new players and a starting transfer budget of… wait for it… £1. So you’re stuck with regular intakes of absolute dross, and there’s nothing you can do about it. The one positive is you’ll have no problem abiding by the maximum of eight non-Russian players. Suddenly, rebuilding Barcelona seems a lot more appealing.
Grasshopper-Club Zürich, Switzerland
The most successful Swiss team in history, Grasshopper, has 27 national titles to its name. However, the most recent came back in 2003, and it was relegated to the second tier in 2019 before gaining an immediate promotion. The challenge now is to regain control of Switzerland from the likes of Basel and Young Boys, using the club’s solid youth facilities and recruitment capabilities. That said, the -£7 million finances aren’t particularly pretty, and an annual stadium rental fee of £1.98 million sounds like a club-breaker.
Whoever comes last, USA
Possibly the most intriguing element of the aforementioned MLS draft system is that whoever comes last in the league should, in theory, get the first pick of the next generation of new talents the following season. For example, in my ongoing Americas series, New England Revolution got first dibs on the best prospect from the “Generation Adidas” crop, and he led them to win the Supporters’ Shield two years later. The best way to approach this challenge may be to sim ahead to the end of the first season and take control of whoever finished bottom of the pile.
Who will you be looking to manage on FM22 this festive season?
