Football Manager 2021isn’t the easiest of sports games. Fans of the more action-focused titles mockingly call it a “spreadsheet simulator.” In fact, it can be a fun, addictive experience, provided that you don’t get discouraged on your first (likely failed) playthrough.
RELATED:Football Manager 21: Simple But Effective Tactics For New Players
MostFootball Managerfans will agree that the best way to enjoy this title is by taking over a struggling team from one of the lower divisions of their national league and transforming them into a formidable side that’s ready to challenge for the top honors, such as the UEFA Champions League and their respective national championships.
Updated August 11th, 2021 by Maciej Grzymkowski:With the new season fast approaching, and with it, the release date of the next Football Manager game, now is the perfect moment to revisit Football Manager 2021 for one last time, if only to get a feel of what the most promising lower division teams would look like in the new, updated version of the game. Of course, Football Manager 2022 will have to reflect the real-life developments, but as the previous games clearly indicate, the potential and progress of various young players and teams throughout FM campaigns are also taken into account when developing new titles. In other words, playing through a few seasons with chosen teams in FM2021 can help players estimate the potential of these sides in the upcoming game.
15Hamburger SV
This Hamburg-based football club used to be a solid Bundesliga team, with the likes of Rafael Van Der Vaart and Son Heung-Min having graced their roster in the past.
Nowadays, things aren’t looking so rosy for Hamburger SV. Having been relegated to the 2. Bundesliga three seasons ago, they can’t seem to find their way back to the elite of German football. With asolid budgetand afew wonderkidsin their squad, though, Hamburger is a great team to take over inFootball Manager 2021.
14Derby County
As one of the oldest clubs in England with a tumultuous and rich history, Derby County’s performances in recent years have not reflected their status as one of the earliest teams in English football. However, despite worse-than-average performances in the past three seasons, there are plenty of signs suggesting that things at Derby County will finally head in the right direction.
Young, high-potential attacking and midfield players such asKrystian Bielik, Louie Sibley, orPatrick Robertswill ensure that the squad has enough quality to increase their competitiveness right off the bat, and aim for Premier League promotion within two or three seasons. Despite a non-existent transfer budget, Derby is full of players worth over 1 million pounds that players won’t really need to succeed, meaning that only a few smart sales stand between the manager and revitalizing the once-formidable club.
13Pisa
AC Pisa 1909 is a club with a tumultuous history. After being taken apart and reestablished in the ’90s, they have spent most of their time in Series C since then. However, their recent promotion to Series B means that there is still hope for the club from a city known most for its leaning tower.
Italian football legends such as Leonardo Bonucci and Christian Vieri have played for Pisa in the early stages of their careers, which is a testament to their excellent approach to youth development. Players taking that club over inFM2021face the challenge of bringing much-needed stability to the club and slowly easing them into Serie A to challenge for the top honors.
12Paris FC
Currently, there is only one Parisian club in the French Ligue 1 – Paris Saint-Germain. The incredibly rich club needs no introduction. However, their long-forgotten rival, Paris FC, have been steadily plying their trade in Ligue 2 since 1979, when they were relegated from the top division.
Taking over Paris FC is quite the challenge. Without the financial backing of their closest rivals, players need to rely ontheir tactical acumenand scouting prowess to bring them back to Ligue 1 after a 40-year-long hiatus.
11Girona FC
With a transfer budget of a little over 600,000 euros and a fairly underwhelming streak of performances over the last few seasons,FMfans may wonder why on Earth they should go ahead and take over Girona FC.
The main reason is the fact that the club is sitting on some seriously valuable (but aging) assets, namelyCristhian Stuani, Borga Garcia, andSamu Saiz. Their combined worth equals28 million euros, and despite forming the bulk of Girona’s midfield, selling these players off will allow players to fill Girona’s roster with at least five or six talented youngsters that will not only serve the club for the years to come but will also outshine the footballers they’ve come to replace.
10Watford
Known amongst fans as “The Hornets,” Watford was relegated from the Premier League in the 2019/20 season. As a team that has spent the better part of the last decade in the Premier League, they are one of therichest teams in the Championship.
RELATED:Differences Between Football Manager 2021 On PC & Xbox
This makes Watford FC one of the most accessible second-division teams to take over by newFM2021players. With a roster full of reliable players such asTroy Deeneyand wonderkids the likes ofIsmaila Sarr, players might be able to bring them back to the English Premier League without spending too much money in the transfer window.
9AC Monza
Despite being relatively unknown to the majority of football fans who are not too deep into Italian football, this Serie B side is home to some serious attacking talent, and a manager with the right level of tactical expertise can get them promoted to Seria A in a single season. It is rare for a second division club to have international stars in their roster, and yet AC Monza has managed to secure the services of two players of such status:Mario Balotelli and Kevin Prince-Boateng.
They may be past their prime, but with a team built around them, they should not have a difficult time tearing apart most of Serie B’s defenses. With the 20-year-old center-backDavide Betellabeing a feasible defensive option for the next decade, experiencedFootball Managerplayers can transform Monza into a club participating in international tournaments without spending too much money.
8Bolton Wanderers
The downfall of Bolton Wanderers is truly saddening. They were once considered to be one of the most promising teams in the English top division, with a sixth-place finish and a Euro Cup qualification in 2005.
Having hung on to the Premier League for a few more seasons until 2012, things went downhill from there. Fast-forward to 2021, and the Wanderers are poised for a mid-table finish in League 2, the fourth-division of English football. Players who dare to take them over face a long, difficult challenge.Loanees from Premier League clubs like West Ham and Burnely will surely help, but a sound recruitment strategy,especially in the defensive departmentwill prove paramount to achieving success with Bolton Wanderers.
7Deportivo De La Coruna
At the start of the 21st century, Deportivo was a formidable force, both in Spain and across Europe. They won La Liga in the 1999-00 season, and regularly competed in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the semi-finals of the prestigious competition twice.
RELATED:Things Football Manager 2021 Changes From The Previous Game
However, following their relegation to the Segunda Division in 2018, they were relegated once more in the next season. Nowadays, they struggle to reach the promotion spots in Segunda Division B, the third tier of Spanish football. Players who want to make Deportivo De La Coruna matter in Spain and Europe once again will have to rely on loans and purchases of quality,affordable attacking talentin order to bring them back to La Liga.
6Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday can pride themselves on a very long and beautiful history. They are one of the oldest football clubs in the whole world. Formed in 1867, they were a force to be reckoned with all the way until the 1990s.
The 21st century was a series of ups and downs for the third-oldest club in England. With a series of relegations to League 1 and scrappy promotions back to the Championship, they are currently trying to stay afloat in the second English division. New managers of Sheffield Wednesday should try their best topatch things up at the backand achieve stability before thinking about a Premier League return.
