It’s already been six months since the release of FM22 and already the attention is beginning to turn towards the new FM23. With an early November release expected, there’s still a few months to get your teeth stuck into another save. We’ve come up with a hat-trick of Premier League save ideas that will push your FM skills to the absolute limit.
Forget the lure of Newcastle United’s mega riches and demonstrate your eye for a bargain and your ability to nurture a winning culture at these three Premier League outfits:
Brentford: Turn the Bees into London’s dominant force
Brentford were promoted into the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history after winning the 2020/21 EFL Championship play-off final. FM22 is Brentford’s inaugural sojourn into the English top-flight. The West London club have long been in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbours in the capital, but this save is all about making new history. Have you got what it takes to cement the Bees in the Premier League and evolve them into top-four contenders?
Brentford have come a long way in a short space of time. Their new Brentford Community Stadium is a 17,250-seater ground that’s sure to improve the club’s commercial revenue and enhance your transfer budget. Brentford’s recruitment has been their main area of expertise, with a glut of successful data-driven signings. It’s your mission to maintain this track record. You’ll get £12m to work with in transfer funds, which is greater than the likes of Leeds, Leicester, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Norwich, which should give you a leg up in beating the drop and establishing Brentford as a Premier League force.
Leicester City: Emulate ‘King Claudio’ and win a second Premier League
Leicester City have struggled to replicate the heights achieved in 2015/16 when the Foxes stunned the football world to win the English Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. That feat was even more impressive when you consider they were 5,000/1 outsiders to win the title at the start of the 2015/16 campaign. It was truly one of the finest underdog success stories in football history. Whether you have the FM skillset to return the club to the top table of the Premier League once again, only you will know.
From the outset, you won’t be blessed with bucketloads of cash to work with. In fact, City have just £10m in the transfer kitty, with only £50,000-a-week left in the wage budget. This means you’ll likely have to wheel and deal to bring in your own players. Enhancing the Foxes’ right-sided forward options and adding strength in depth at centre half will be your primary goals – along with scouting a long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy.
Norwich City: Convert the Canaries into Premier League stalwarts
For more than a decade, Norwich City have been yo-yo’ing between the Championship and the Premier League. Promotions in 2018/19 and 2020/21 saw the Canaries fly swiftly back down to the second tier in real life. The 2021/22 Premier League campaign has been another torrid year for the Norfolk club, finishing rock bottom of the top-flight once again. Do you have what it takes to transform City from being a perennial Premier League laughing stock into a stable top-flight outfit?
First and foremost, let’s delve into the finances. In real life, the Canaries spent the best part of £60m rebuilding their squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. In FM22, you don’t quite have that luxury, but £13m should help you cherry-pick potential wonderkids from South America and the lesser-known European leagues. With £58,000-a-week available in wages, there should be enough in the kitty to bring in four or five solid prospects to add to the existing squad. Build your side around the forward-thinking full back Max Aarons and give Todd Cantwell game time in his preferred advanced playmaker role and you’ll have a chance of avoiding the drop.
Hopefully this trio of tasty top-flight saves will keep your attention through the summer months, while we wait for Miles and co. to do their thing and prepare us for more new experiences in FM23.
