While we are still enjoying FM24, there is excitement about FM25, which will likely be released in late October or early November.
Some clubs could prove to be a big or interesting challenge, whether rebuilding or attempting to revive fallen giants. Here are some ideas for your first save in FM25:
Ipswich Town
The Tractor Boys could be a highly challenging save as Town embarks on their first top-flight season since 2002. Ipswich head coach Kieran McKenna has done an extraordinary job, as the Suffolk team has earned back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.
As they have enjoyed such a quick climb up the English football pyramid, the club still has players who may not be familiar with the Premier League, having played most of their careers in the lower leagues.
Players like Leif Davis, Conor Chaplin, and Sam Morsy were outstanding for Town last season. However, as is often the case with newly promoted teams, the players’ attributes may not be great.
That could mean you need extra managerial acumen to achieve what is the first objective with newly promoted clubs, which is to survive the first season in the Premier League.
Ajax
The Dutch giants endured a nightmare campaign in season 2023/24, eventually finishing fifth place in the Eredivisie after a shocking beginning to their league campaign.
This is a save I have done on FM24 successfully, winning the Eredivisie title with relative ease in the first season. There is no doubt that the Ajax squad underachieved last season in real life.
With talented young players like Brian Brobbey, Jorrel Hato and Kenneth Taylor in the squad, it is not as if they havenāt got good players within their ranks if, of course, they manage to keep hold of them before FM25 comes out.
@risingballers Ajax have produced some great talentsš„¶ Brian Brobbeyšš¾ #baller #rbleipzig #risingballer #ajax
Their only notable summer signing so far has been winger Bertrand Traore, who arrived on a free transfer. With a bit of wheeling and dealing, you can increase your transfer available transfer budget.
It should be a fun save, taking the Amsterdam giants back to their former glory and even attempting to make them successful in Europe once again, which they have been unable to achieve in close to three decades.
Hamburg
HSV is another team we have done tactic testing with on FM24. Last season, they once again failed to earn promotion to the Bundesliga, finishing fourth in the German second tier, even missing out on the promotion/relegation play-off spot.
Despite not being in the Bundesliga since 2018, Hamburg is still considered a massive club in Germany. However, they just canāt seem to get over the line when it comes to a return to the German top-flight.
HSV tends to have a comparatively strong squad for the second tier. From my experiences of past saves, they donāt usually have much of a transfer budget. Whether that changes in FM25 remains to be seen.
They have already been busy strengthening their squad this summer. The signing of seasoned Bundesliga forward Davie Selke could be a key one, as the 29-year-old should be prolific in the 2. Bundesliga. In the past, he has been a good player on FM, so he could be a key player on FM25 for HSV.
The loan signing of Czech attacking midfielder Adam Karabec could be an interesting one, too.
Bayern Munich
Managing Bayern Munich on FM in previous decades wouldnāt have been much of a challenge. Before the 2023/2024 season, they had been the dominant force in the German game for so long that it was just too easy to gain success on FM.
However, Bayern finished third in the Bundesliga table last season after Bayer Leverkusen usurped their position at the top.
Regaining the Bundesliga title with a group of quality players shouldnāt be difficult, but it will be highly entertaining. Breaking the āHarry Kane curseā would also be fun.
Bayern have already added French winger Michael Olise from Crystal Palace, while Eric Dier has completed a permanent move from Tottenham and Joao Palhinha from Fulham.
However, the German giants also offer a generous transfer kitty to improve the already talented squad.
Liverpool
So, can you be the next Jurgen Klopp and become a hero on the red side of Merseyside? It may now be Arne Slotās chance to shine with the Reds this season, but can you make the necessary changes to turn Liverpool into English champions?
Their squad may contain older players such as Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, but also a talented group of younger players who can be highly effective on FM25.
You will get a decent starting transfer budget, but you will also have players that can be sold to increase it.
The challenge isnāt that you donāt have good players or a top team. It is that you have to beat big bad Manchester City to the Premier League title.
I have found that in recent FMs, the Citizens are not the all-dominant Premier League force that they are in real life, so winning the English top-flight title in the first season is not necessarily out of the question. It could still be entertaining.
Which team will you be managing first in FM25?
