Du Malone writes: Yes, you read that right: saves, plural. I have enjoyed long saves, but I’ve never stuck with a single save throughout an entire edition of FM. Sometimes a save fails to engage me; sometimes I get sacked; and sometimes I just feel like exploring a new context. I find I learn more that way.
The concept on which this blog is based, namely football around the Black Sea, gives me plenty of options. Presumably FM20 will come with the Bulgarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Turkish leagues already loaded.
Options
These leagues afford plenty of options, which I categorise as follows:
- clubs named after cherno more (that is, the Black Sea): for example, Cherno More (Bulgaria) and Chornomorets Odesa (Ukraine)
- top tier clubs: for example, Viitorul Constanta (Romania), Mariupol (Ukraine), PFC Sochi (Russia), and Trabonspor and and Caykur Rizespor (Turkey)
- lower league clubs: for example, FC Farul (Romania) and Giresunspor, Hekimoglu Trabzon, and Zonguldak Komurspor (Turkey)
Towards a decision
I’ll select my first save once the beta version is out and I’ve had a chance to look at the detail of each club.
The Bulgarian second tier looks the most promising hunting ground, which would mean Spartak, Pomorie, or Neftochimic (Bulgaria).
Coda
There is, of course, the option of managing a national team. Georgia, for example. But unless FM20 offers a radically improved experience, I won’t be much devoting much time to that option.
Postscript
On FM19 I have downloaded Claasen’s database for the top three tiers in Georgia. Here the clubs from Poti and Batumi are possibilities: Kolkheti 1913 and Dinamo Batumi plus, from the lower leagues, Kolkheti Khobi. Initial exploration, with Kolkheti 1913, suggests this league could be fun. I hope Claasen releases a similar database for FM20.
