Our Greatest FMM Squad: By Sam and Ashez
samhardy 31 replies 8,750 Views
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Our Greatest FMM Squad
14 years ago the first game in the Football Manager Handheld (now Mobile) series was released. A series that both myself and @Ashez, along with every one of you reading this has experienced countless hours of fun with over the years. From 2006 through to the present day thousands of footballers have made the in-game database, but only a few can be considered legends of the series. Unfortunately the game now is a shadow of its former self but recently we have been reminiscing through the glory years and have come up with our ultimate FMH/FMM squad. Now one thing to keep in mind is that these players are not necessarily the best, although some do stake a claim for that honour, simply pure cult heroes of the series both in terms of the game itself and of course vibe.
Here are our picks. My writing is in normal font, with Ash’s in bold. Enjoy!
Formation: 4-2-2-2
Goalkeeper: Igor Akinfeev (C)
We kick this off with who I, and I’m sure those who have played this series for long enough will agree with me, the goalkeeper of the FMH/FMM series. From pretty much the start of the series up until around 2015 the CSKA shot stopper was the go to man between the sticks, offering incredible value for money and you could just buy him in the first transfer window and “set and forget” for at least 10 seasons. Akinfeev deservedly became a vibe favourite, and let’s be honest if you played any of the earlier games in the series you bought him at some point. His age now means he isn’t anywhere near the option he once was but as a cult hero of a goalkeeper here he will never be beaten.
Right Back: Darijo Srna
Another legend of the series right here and sadly a bit of a forgotten man. The complete wing back who could do absolutely everything for such a bargain of a price. It’s a shame that once the 1K challenge became such a popular challenge here that the Croatian was starting to get on a bit as he would have been a perfect right back to have in that situation. My main memories of Srna were on the PSP versions of the game, where no matter what size club you were playing as, it could’ve been relegation fighters or title chasers he always came up at the top of your searches and became the first name on the team sheet. The outstanding RB of the series and there’s no doubt in my mind a top bloke as well.
Centre Back: Niklas Sule
Back in the early days of the mobile version of FMH we were experiencing a more dynamic and detailed version of the match engine, granted the original mobile "OME" might not match the current EME but it was an upgrade from the PSP. Anyway my point being this new engine brought new styles to the game and as this was in the peak Guardiola Bayern and Barcelona period everyone wanted top quality ball playing defenders and none came better than the German Niklas Sule. Sule was available for next to nothing and soon developed into a complete beast with fantastic physical, defensive and ball playing stats and he soon became a staple of most FMM teams. His move to Bayern Munich in 2017 raised his stock but it proved the FMM scouts had correctly predicted his potential. The crazy thing is Sule is still only 24 so I expect he'll be a FMM regular for the next decade or so.
Centre Back: Kurt Zouma
Now turning out for Chelsea, in FMH2012 and 2013 Zouma was the ultimate wonderkid centre back. Then playing for St Etienne in France, the 16 year old could he prized away from France for less than £5M and under the old intensive training regime be turned into the best defender in the game in less than a year. He had all the attributes you would need in a centre half at such a young age, andbecame a mainstay in defences in vibe careers for 15-20 seasons. Just look at these attributes!
Left Back: Alex Sandro
Before the days of Andrew Robertson defining the left back spot it was the Brazilians Roberto Carlos and Marcelo getting crowds off their feet, however in FMM we had our own wingback wizard in the former FC Porto star Alex Sandro. The current Juventus player was one of the main attacking left backs on the game for a long time and it's clear to see why as he ticked all the boxes virtual managers wanted. He was available young, usually fairly affordable and his stat spread speaks for itself as he had the attacking stats of a winger, and the defensive stats that made him reliable be it in a smaller league like Portugal or in the bigger leagues available on the game. I think the biggest compliment I can pay Alex Sandro is even now when he's a big money acquisition he's still a player FMM fans will target.
Central Midfield: Victor Wanyama
Believe it or not but there was a time when FMM actually valued a defensive midfielder and be it on the PSP or on the early days of the mobile game there were none better than Wanyama. During his time at Celtic especially the African was the perfect cheap anchor for any midfield as he possessed fantastic physicals and the defensive knowhow the role needed. His move to Southampton only saw his stock and ability rise and even the increased buying price didn't put many off as everyone knew that Wanyama was Mr Consistent and worth the price tag. Unfortunately in more recent years the game has undervalued the role and Wanyama struggled somewhat at Tottenham but we'll always have the memories.....Oooh Victor Wanyammmmmaaaa!
Central Midfield: Keisuke Honda
FMH on the PSP may as well have been sponsored by Keisuke Honda as he was one of the main men leading the charge year in year out (okay mainly between 2010-13). The Japanese international was the perfect central attacking midfielder and one that was typically available for a steal thanks him still playing in Russia at the time. Seriously half the CSKA Moscow side could have made this list as no other side had more undervalued bargains then them. Honda could score or assist with ease and I think he found a place in most of our hearts, when I think of FMH on the PSP I think of Honda, it's that simple. Unfortunately his usage died down with the mobile versions stat creep and his move to AC Milan but he's still playing his trade in Brazil and I'd say he's worth one last run out! I've never wanted LFC to sign one of my FMH stars in real life as much as I wanted us to sign Honda. I just love him.
Right Wing - Bojan
To be honest with you a number of Barcelona players could have made the cut considering they've been one of the best sides in real life in recent memory, however we've decided to go with the one that FMH hyped up too much. It's not often you get the new Messi newspaper talk about a player that actual looks the business but in the early days of FMH Bojan was on another level. It was as if SI cloned Messi, made him Spanish and just unleashed him on the in game world. Obviously Bojan was one who failed to live up to the hype after an amazing start to life at Barcelona but he did prove he can do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. I often wonder if it was the pressure of games like FIFA and FMH/M over hyping him which led to his downfall. Either way there is no denying that back in the day Bojan was the best of the best and everyone was in his shadow. Why waste your time with Messi when Bojan was younger and arguably better? Like I said the Spanish forward failed to reach the heights SI predicted but he can still be found on the game playing in the US of A....Maybe it could be you to reignite the hype around this one capped international?
Left Wing: Freddy Adu
We didn’t really want to include this man as it’s a bit of an obvious choice but there quite simply cannot be an FMH XI without Freddy Adu in it. You all know the story about him so it’s pointless going into it really but he appeared in the inaugural game in the series at just 15 years of age and was by a country mile the best player in the game. Buying him was essentially a cheat code as he rapidly blossomed into the world’s best, in terms of wonderkids there hasn’t been a player like him since and I doubt there ever will be.
Striker: Neymar
Neymar was a bit of a game changer in terms of how FMM is played these days for me. At a time when goal scoring challenges were just starting to come to prominence back in around 2011, he was playing for Santos in Brazil and was by far the most popular choice for those looking to complete their first 1K challenge. This generation absolutely took off when a member from a long long time ago called Sunny took Neymar and absolutely tore Brazil apart in the first ever real 1KC attempt. The Sao Paolo State Championship in Brazil was one of the funnest competitions FMM has had to offer, being in a division with a load of tinpot lower division Brazilian outfits you were disappointed if Neymar wasn’t banging in 5 goals a game. He was especially explosive on the newer more goal heavy iOS engine. But he was outstanding and very difficult to keep in Brazil for long. That didn’t matter too much though, as wherever Neymar went back then he banged in the goals. Probably the best goalscorer the series has seen, back when he was a teenager with the world at his feet.
Striker: Carlos Fierro
Where do you begin with a player like Carlos Fierro? He's basically unheard of in real life as it appears the FM scouts over estimated his potential ability but in Vibe terms he'd likely be in our Mount Rushmore. Fierro was an absolutely fantastic bargain wonderkid with an eye for goal and was like the João Felix of back in the early days of the mobile version. This Mexican gem featured in many a goal challenge on Vibe including a Community 1KC and my successful Goal A Minute save as he was a player everyone just wanted to use. I've just discovered he left Mexico last year and joined the MLS with San Jose Earthquakes, at the age of 26 I doubt he'll hit the heights FMM predicted but I'm glad he's now playing on a bigger stage.
On The Bench
Here are the players that didn’t quite make it into the starting XI.
Sergio Asenjo (GK), Scott McKenna (CB), Emiliano Izaguirre (LB), Yaya Banana (CB), Leon Goretska (CM), Juan Quintero (AMC/W), Gabriel Barbosa (ST), Tom de Sutter (ST)
- Back in FMH2011 Atletico Madrid had two quality young goalkeepers in their squad. One was David de Gea, who developed into a world class goalkeeper but was fairly expensive. Asenjo turned into a player of similar stature but wouldn’t break the bank anywhere near as much.
- Scott McKenna needs no introduction to anyone here. Rumour has it @Ian keeps him locked up in his basement.
- Izaguirre was a number of Celtic players from around 2013-15 who were both cheap, and perfect to have in squads attempting the 1K challenge. Adam Matthews falls into a similar category, but Izaguirre was better.
- Banana is Ash’s “wildcard” option, and is in for the name alone. He was actually pretty good though... Click Here.
- Like McKenna, Goretska is another more modern day pick who everyone knows about. Quality player. Not long ago he was available on a bosman at the end of the first season
-Quintero was an absolute assisting machine. Take the Porto man anywhere and he would supply your striker with chance after chance. He also played a key role in Ash’s epic Inception career, found here.
- Gabriel Barbosa was basically Neymar but a few years later and slightly, but only just, inferior.
- And finally De Sutter. My wildcard choice. The perfect target man able to be bought from Belgium for peanuts. He was at his best on FMH12 for me but also shone a year earlier, and no matter where you brought him you were guaranteed goals.
That brings this to an end and we hope you have enjoyed this trip down memory lane. It was fun to look back at some of the heroes of the series and was something we had a great time putting together.
Let us know how long you’ve been playing the series for, your favourite players and how many members of our squad you remember using.
Thanks for reading!
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