FM24: Eachtra Gaelach – Part 1

The Brits, at it again! When are they not? But have no fear, this is not another hostile takeover. Tis but I, your humble HoFer Simon Toye taking on a Football Manager adventure on the Emerald Isle.

Truth is, I started a save with multiple active countries and leagues available and, as I often have in the past, started unemployed to see where the game takes me. By luck (of the Irish, perhaps) I landed a job as head coach of the Ireland under 21s. After just 2 internationals, the tricolour waved in my direction once more with Finn Harps. After 11 games in the Irish Premier Division, they sit 9^th out of 10, just above the automatic relegation spot.

My mission, should I choose to accept it: to avoid that last spot at all costs. And by all costs, I mean at very little cost. The budget must be adhered to of course and with a humble €59k in the bank and a wage budget of €27k the hard work starts now. Yes, I converted the game to Euros. I’m nothing if not authentic…even if I’m not. The Irish DNA in my family fizzled out a few generations back. But it is there, like the last remnants of green dye in that river in Chicago on St Patrick’s Day. So, gather round and let’s embark on this journey together.

 And so it begins…

 As mentioned, I first received gainful employment in March 2024 by the FAI as the new head coach for the under 21 Irish national side. The qualifying campaign for Euro 2025, hosted by Slovakia, is underway and after six matches played, Ireland sit 2^nd in the group on 15 points. Croatia lead the way with an unbeaten 18 point, no prizes for guessing who Ireland’s only defeat was to – a narrow 3-2 loss away in Zagreb.

 The full state of the group table is as follows:  

We played two friendlies in March. Up first was a home tie against Italy who are currently running away with their own qualifying group for Euro 2025. The match finished a respectable 2-2. I won’t go into every single minutiae of every match played, I’d bore myself let alone anyone gracious enough to read this blog. But I will mention the Irish goal scorers here and there to give a feel of who is doing well for me: Armstrong Oko-Flex (brilliant name that a professional wrestler would be proud of!) who currently plays for FC Zurich of the Swiss Super League, and Aidomo Emakhu, a Shamrock Rovers graduate who moved to Millwall in 2022 but is yet to make a first team appearance.

Our second friendly took us to Lisbon for a 3-1 defeat to Portugal – another unbeaten side in their respective Euro 2025 qualifying group. Our goal was from former Manchester City academy starlet CJ Egan-Riley, now at Burnley.

With a break until the next friendly away to Lithuania in June, a domestic job interview came through from Finns Harps in the north-west of Ireland, County Donegal. As I said in the opening, the objective is to survive relegation. Currently sitting 9^th out of ten teams, the season preview media prediction has us at an 8^th place finish. Having just been promoted into the division, that will certainly suffice!

Cobh Ramblers also came up with us and they are predicted to be rock bottom. University College Dublin are expected to be in the relegation playoff spot. Unsurprisingly, the predicted winners are reigning champions and currently undefeated Shamrock Rovers ahead of Sligo Rovers who are sitting 4^th at the start of my tenure.

 Full Premier Division table after 11 games played is:

1. Shamrock Rovers 25pts
2. Dundalk 22pts
3. Shelbourne 19pts
4. Sligo Rovers 16pts
5. UCD 14pts
6. Bohemians 13pts
7. St Pat’s Athletic 13pts
8. Cork City 11 pts
9. Finn Harps 7pts
10. Cobh Ramblers 6pts

 

Now you are all up to speed, let’s go…