Key Takeaways: Your Next FM24 Save Idea Sorted
- Proper Challenges: Try youth-only, DoF runs, or ‘Build a Nation’ for a real test in Football Manager 2024.
- Lower League Grit: Take a non-league side up the pyramid. Hard work, big rewards. Use the FM24 Lower League Mod for extra teams.
- Revive a Giant: Manage a big club that’s fallen low (like Schalke). Deal with pressure and expectations.
- Youth Academy Focus: Build through FM24 Wonderkids. Patience needed.
- Journeyman Career: Start jobless, see where FM24 takes you globally. Adapt or fail.
- Tactical Dedication: Master a specific style like Gegenpressing or Tiki-Taka.
- Create Your Own: Invent unique rules or use custom databases for endless FM24 save ideas.
- Avoid Burnout: Set new goals, change visuals, and take breaks to keep long saves fresh.
Bored of Glory Hunting? Try These Proper Tough FM24 Save Ideas
So, you’ve done the Man City quadruple on FM24 again? Starting to feel a bit empty, innit? Like, where’s the actual management part gone? If you’re nodding your head, then maybe it’s time for a proper, difficult Football Manager challenge.
What makes a save hard, tho? Is it just picking the team bottom of the pile? Nah, it’s more involved than that, requires a bit more thought like. You gotta impose rules on yourself, make life difficult.
How about the classic ‘Youth Only’ challenge? Simple rule: you cannot sign any players. None. Zero. Zilch. You rely completely on the lads coming through your own youth system, your precious FM24 newgens. Sounds alright? Wait til your only decent striker turns 30 and the best kid coming through is a two-star goalie. It forces you to pour everything into youth facilities, coaching, and your Head of Youth Development. Patience? You’ll need buckets of it. Good training schedules become absolutely vital.
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Or maybe the ‘Director of Football’ challenge grabs you? You do the tactics, training, match day stuff. But transfers? All down to the DoF. You get no say. Can you build a title-winning squad when some random AI bloke is buying players you dont need and selling your best midfielder? Tests your tactical flexibility, that’s for sure. You gotta trust your staff, or learn to work with some truly baffling decisions. Finding a good DoF from a staff shortlist might help, might not.
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Then you got the big community challenges. San Marino is famous for managing the club (San Marino) and the national team. Aim for glory. Considering their starting rep… well, it’s a long haul save, decades maybe. Building a Nation is another beast: pick a country with a crap league, manage a club there, improve the league, develop local talent via your club, and try win something with the national side eventually.
These kinda FM24 save ideas need serious commitment. They’re not for a quick blast. But the payoff? Immense. Stick some extra rules on top – only sign players under 21, or only free agents. Makes it even spicier. Give one a try if you reckon you’re hard enough. Don’t come crying when San Marino lose 8-0 to Luxembourg, though.
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Mud, Sweat, and Tears: Unforgettable FM24 Save Ideas in the Lower Leagues
Forget your fancy Champions League nights for a bit. Where’s the real heart and soul of FM24 management found? Down in the Vanarama Leagues, mate.
The proper lower leagues. Why would anyone choose that grind? Managing part-timers on a dodgy pitch with no money? It’s the story, the struggle, the climb. Taking a team from obscurity, maybe using the FM24 Lower League Mod to start even deeper, all the way up to the Premier League… that feeling? Unbeatable. Nothing compares, trust me.
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But it ain’t easy, not by a long shot. Your starting budget might cover a new set of bibs, if you’re lucky. Players? They got day jobs, training twice a week maybe. Facilities are basic at best.
Your scouting might be Dave the physio watching a local pub game. You live off trialists, free transfers, and loan signings from clubs leagues above you. Forget detailed reports on potential ability; you’re often signing blokes cos they look fast or can head a ball well.
Finances are a nightmare. You’re always teetering on the edge. A good FA Cup run isn’t just exciting, it pays the bills, might let you upgrade the training ground from ‘bog standard’ to ‘slightly less bog standard’.
Every quid counts. Signing that slightly better midfielder means maybe you can’t afford decent coaches. Tough choices constantly. Tactics gotta be simple, gotta work. Forget slick passing triangles; think direct football, set piece threat, pure hard work. A solid 4-4-2 or maybe hoofing it to a big man in a 4-3-3 often does the job early doors.
It’s about getting results, grinding out wins. You build a proper bond with the club, with the players you drag up through the leagues. It’s slow, it’s often frustrating, but it’s probably the most rewarding FM24 save idea going if you got the stomach for it. You need patience, resilience, and a nose for a bargain. Proper management, this is.
FM 24 Lower League Save Ideas – Club Suggestions:
Waking the Dead: FM24 Save Ideas Reviving Fallen Giants
Right, maybe the non-league struggle ain’t for you. Too much like actual hard work. What about the opposite end, kinda? Taking over a massive club, proper history, big stadium, loads of fans… but they’re currently rubbish? The Fallen Giant. It’s a classic FM24 save idea.
Think clubs like Schalke 04 in Germany, maybe Saint-Étienne in France, or closer to the heart, Reading or even Sheffield Wednesday, depending how harsh you wanna be.
These clubs have been places, won things, maybe played in Europe. Now? Stuck in lower divisions, maybe financial trouble, squad full of overpaid has-beens. The challenge here is different. It’s not building from zero; it’s clearing out the deadwood, managing huge expectations, and fixing whatever broke.
First job? Assess the damage. Why are they down here? Usually a cocktail of bad ownership, poor recruitment, financial mismanagement. You inherit the mess. The stadium costs a fortune to run, the fans demand promotion yesterday, and the wage bill is crippling (Wage management tips). It’s a pressure cooker from day one. Lose three on the bounce and the virtual knives are out.
You gotta be smart. Transfer budget? Probably tight despite the club’s size. You need to wheel and deal. Shift the high earners if you can (maybe using intermediaries?). Find value, maybe experienced heads on lower wages, or young talent you can polish. Good scouting for bargains and maybe some astute free agent signings are your best friends. Contract negotiations need to be sharp.
Tactically, what’s the plan? Do you try to force a complex system on players who cant handle it yet? Or go pragmatic, find something solid like maybe a 3-4-1-2 that gets results now, builds momentum, gets the fans slightly off your back? It’s a balance.
Focus on the big picture: waking this giant up. It’s satisfying differently to a lower league save. Less about creation, more restoration. But taking a club like Hamburg back to the Bundesliga, then eventually Europe? Feels bloody brilliant. Just gotta survive the initial storm.
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FM 24 Fallen Giant Save Ideas – Club Suggestions:
The Academy Dream: Youth Development FM24 Save Ideas
Forget chucking £100m at the latest superstar. For some FM24 players, the real joy, the proper satisfaction, comes from the youth academy.
Building a dynasty purely through players you’ve nurtured yourself. The FM24 save idea focused entirely on Wonderkids. Why’s it so good?
Picture this: you sign some spotty 15-year-old newgen from god-knows-where for peanuts. You watch his attributes climb year after year through careful training and mentoring. Then, five years later, he bangs in the winner in a cup final. That feeling? Priceless.
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It takes a specific approach though. You gotta convince the board early doors: invest in youth facilities, youth recruitment, top youth coaches. Your Head of Youth Development becomes maybe the most important hire you make – personality, preferred style, all matter for the kids he brings in. Get it wrong, you get years of duds.
Scouting changes focus completely. You’re not looking for ready-made first-teamers; you’re hunting potential. Setting up specific recruitment focuses for young players with high determination, good personalities (player personalities explained), and those magic hidden potential stars.
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Using a well-compiled FM24 Wonderkids shortlist saves a lot of legwork, lets you target known high-potential youngsters early. Then comes the development phase. Custom individual training focus, setting up effective mentoring groups, giving them game time at the right moments. It’s an art. Play ’em too much too soon, they crumble.
Leave ’em in the U18s too long, they stagnate. Tricky balance. Tactically, you might lean towards systems that favour technical skill and energy. Maybe a high-pressing Gegenpress like Klopp’s or even the demanding fitness of a Bielsa approach could suit a young, hungry squad if you train them right.
The biggest hurdle? Patience. Loads of it. You’ll have seasons where your young guns make costly mistakes, where experienced teams bully you. But stick with it. The reward is building something truly sustainable, a club that churns out talent year after year. And the finances? Selling one homegrown hero can fund the next generation. Beautiful cycle.
FM 24 Youth Development Save Ideas – Club Suggestions:
Have Dugout, Will Travel: Globetrotting Journeyman FM24 Save Ideas
Getting tired of the same league, same teams season after season on FM24? Fancy a bit of virtual travel without leaving your chair? Then the Journeyman FM24 save idea might be just the ticket for you.
What is it exactly? Simple really. You start the game unemployed. No club affiliation. Maybe give yourself rubbish coaching badges and playing experience to make it harder. Then, you hit the job market. Apply for anything going on, anywhere in the world that the game lets you load.
Maybe your first gig is managing some obscure team in Finland. You do okay, get them mid-table. Suddenly, a struggling team in the Belgian second division offers you an interview. You take it, get them promoted. Then, out of the blue, a Championship side needs a manager. Off you go again. It’s unpredictable, this save.
You follow the jobs, and adapt to the situation you land in. One year you could be managing household names in Italy, the next fighting relegation in Colombia. You just don’t know. It keeps things fresh, stops the game getting stale. Because you’re always learning, always adapting.
This save tests your adaptability, doesn’t it? The tactics that smashed the Scottish Premiership might get you crucified in the MLS. You gotta learn quick about different league rules, player types, fan expectations.
Your manager attributes like Adaptability become pretty useful. Language barriers can be a thing in-game too, affecting team cohesion initially. Building a loyal backroom staff who follow you can be helpful, but sometimes you just inherit whoever’s there.
Often you land at a club with no money, a squad you didn’t pick, and massive problems. Gotta roll your sleeves up, make do. Maybe your team talks or clever press conference answers become your main tools early on.
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Some people like to use the FM24 Editor beforehand to load up loads of obscure leagues, giving themselves more options. But even with the standard database, there are plenty of places to end up. I had one FM save, years back, started in Iceland, went to Romania, then somehow got the job at Wolves after a spell in charge of the South African national team. Mental. The goal isn’t always world domination; it’s about the journey, the experiences.
How many countries can you manage? How many weird and wonderful trophies can you pick up? It’s a great way to see everything Football Manager 2024 offers. Pack your virtual suitcase.
Become a Tactical Master: FM24 Save Ideas for the Purist
Do you spend hours fine-tuning set pieces? Agonising over player roles and instructions? Does the tactics screen feel more like home than the transfer market? If yes, then this FM24 save idea is tailor-made for you: become a tactical specialist.
Dedicate your save to mastering one particular footballing philosophy. Pick your inspiration – maybe the intricate passing patterns of Pep Guardiola, the disciplined counter-punching of Jose Mourinho, the relentless energy of Jurgen Klopp’s Gegenpress, the historical solidity of Catenaccio, or maybe something less mainstream like the ideas of Rinus Michels or a unique Control Possession 4-3-2-1.
The choice is yours. Then, the challenge begins: implement that style, refine it, perfect it, no matter the club (though picking a suitable one helps, obviously). You live and die by your system.
This approach forces you deep into the nuts and bolts of FM24’s tactical engine (FM Tactics section). You need to understand exactly what ‘Work Ball Into Box’ does, how an Inverted Winger interacts with an Overlapping Full-Back, and the nuances of different player roles. Recruitment changes – you’re not just signing ‘good’ players, you need players who fit the very specific demands of your system.
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Need a Ball Playing Defender comfortable bringing the ball out? Or a Pressing Forward with incredible work rate? Your scouting focus needs to target precise attributes and player traits. The FM24 Data Hub becomes indispensable.
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Where are you losing possession? Are your shots low quality? Is the opposition exploiting space behind your wing-backs? Analysing the data helps you tweak instructions, maybe adjust opposition instructions, optimise your tactical mentality. The biggest test? Sticking with it. When results dip, when the fans are moaning, when your star player complains the tactic doesnt suit him… the urge to just download a proven 4-3-3 tactic or switch to something basic is huge. But no! This save is about tactical purity. Trust the process, believe in the philosophy. Success here isn’t just about trophies (though they’re nice), it’s about seeing your footballing vision come alive on the pitch. Proper satisfaction for the thinking manager. You can even try rating your own tactics.
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FM 24 Tactical Master Save Ideas – Club Suggestions:
Make Your Own Fun: Unique & Custom FM24 Save Ideas
So, you’ve done the lower league climb, revived a giant, built a youth empire, maybe even mastered Gegenpress in FM24. What now? Do the same thing again? Nah, where’s the fun in that?
When the standard FM24 save ideas start feeling a bit predictable, it’s time to get properly creative. Make your own rules, forge your own narrative. Football Manager is a massive sandbox; dont just build the same sandcastle every time.
Think weirder. Think harder. Ever tried the Pentagon Challenge? Win the top continental trophy in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. Starts unemployed, takes forever, requires mad adaptability. Proper hardcore. Or what about a ‘One Club, One Nation’ challenge? Pick a club outside of Spain (so not Athletic Bilbao) and only sign players from that club’s nation. Try winning the Champions League with Liverpool using only English players, or Dortmund using only Germans.
You could invent weirder rules. The Alphabet Challenge: Sign players whose surnames start with consecutive letters of the alphabet each season (good luck with Q, X, Z!). Or maybe you can only sign players over 30? Or only players under 5’9″? Become a ‘selling club’ specialist – build great teams but force yourself to sell your best player every season.
Use custom FM Databases – there are loads online. Play in historical eras, manage fictional clubs, merge leagues. The FM24 Editor lets you tweak almost anything before you start. Create your local Sunday league team, stick ’em in the National League North, see what happens.
These things really help immersion in a long save. The main thing is: set your own goals.
Don’t Burn Out: Keeping Your Long-Term FM24 Save Alive
Right, lets be real. Football Manager addiction is a thing. But so is FM burnout. You’re 12 seasons deep into your FM24 save idea. You’ve conquered all before you, your trophy cabinet’s gleaming, your bank balance is huge. And yet… clicking ‘Continue’ feels like a chore.
That ‘just one more game’ magic? Gone. How do you stop your epic save from fizzling out like a damp firework? How keep the fires burning when you’ve won everything?
First thing: you gotta find new targets, new motivations. Winning the league for the tenth time running? Bit dull innit? Aim for something different. Go a whole league season unbeaten – the ‘Invincibles’ challenge.
Sometimes you just need a change within the save. Been playing the same 4-2-3-1 tactic for a decade? Rip it up. Try something completely different, like a weird 3-2-4-1 or go ultra-defensive.
It might take time to work, results might suffer, but it forces you to think differently again. Or change your transfer policy – only sign players from South America for a while, or only players with a specific personality.
Keep an eye on FM news too – maybe anticipation for FM26 (even if it FM25 be delayed?) gives you a final push.
Most important though? Take breaks! If you feel the burnout creeping in, just stop. Go outside, maybe? Come back to FM24 when you want to, not cos you feel obliged to finish the season. Maybe start a quick, silly side save for a bit of fun. Remember the game’s evolution, remember why you enjoy it. It’s meant to be fun, mostly. Keep it that way.
FM24 Save Idea Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the best FM24 save ideas for someone new to the game?
A: Starting with a big, rich club is easiest. Teams like Man City, Real Madrid, PSG give you great players and lots of money to learn the ropes. Check the best FM24 clubs to manage guide for more ideas. A beginner’s guide might help too.
Q: What’s the hardest FM24 save idea you can think of?
A: Probably the San Marino challenge (club and country) combined with strict rules like ‘Youth Only’ or only signing Sammarinese players. Or maybe taking a team from the absolute lowest playable tier (using a mod) with awful finances and facilities all the way to Champions League glory without any financial takeovers. Proper tough asks. Requires avoiding common FM mistakes.
Q: Should I use the official FM 24/25 Season Transfer Update or a custom data update?
The official FM24/25 Season Transfer Update (or the later FM 24/25 Season Winter Transfer Update patch) is good for reflecting real-life transfers up to that point. Custom updates often go further, adding more transfers, potential changes, or even league changes. Depends how up-to-date or customised you want your starting point.