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Most Football Manager fans 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.
15 Hamburger 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 a solid budget and a few wonderkids in their squad, though, Hamburger is a great team to take over in Football Manager 2021.
14 Derby 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 as Krystian Bielik, Louie Sibley, or Patrick Roberts will 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.
13 Pisa
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 in FM2021 face the challenge of bringing much-needed stability to the club and slowly easing them into Serie A to challenge for the top honors.
12 Paris 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 on their tactical acumen and scouting prowess to bring them back to Ligue 1 after a 40-year-long hiatus.
11 Girona FC
With a transfer budget of a little over 600,000 euros and a fairly underwhelming streak of performances over the last few seasons, FM fans 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, namely Cristhian Stuani, Borga Garcia, and Samu Saiz. Their combined worth equals 28 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.
10 Watford
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 the richest teams in the Championship.
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This makes Watford FC one of the most accessible second-division teams to take over by new FM2021 players. With a roster full of reliable players such as Troy Deeney and wonderkids the likes of Ismaila Sarr, players might be able to bring them back to the English Premier League without spending too much money in the transfer window.
9 AC 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-back Davide Betella being a feasible defensive option for the next decade, experienced Football Manager players can transform Monza into a club participating in international tournaments without spending too much money.
8 Bolton 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 department will prove paramount to achieving success with Bolton Wanderers.
7 Deportivo 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.
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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 talent in order to bring them back to La Liga.
6 Sheffield 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 to patch things up at the back and achieve stability before thinking about a Premier League return.
5 Wigan Athletic
Wigan is currently staring down the face of relegation in League 1, after landing there following an abysmal 2019-20 season in the Championship. This is not a new situation for fans of this Greater Manchester area club.
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Ever since their sensational 2013 FA Cup win, but a terrible Premier League campaign that saw them relegated to the Championship, Wigan have been bouncing around the second and third divisions of English football ever since. This tumultuous history makes choosing Wigan Athletic in Football Manager 2021 the perfect “rescue mission” challenge.
4 Real Zaragoza
With the players they have, Real Zaragoza should have really done more in terms of trying to get back into the Spanish top flight than they have so far. Shinji Kagawa, a former Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund player, is definitely Zaragoza’s strongest asset. The Japanese superstar should have no problem bossing around the midfield, provided that he plays under a competent manager.
With a very young (just 21 years old) Luis Suarez brimming with goal-scoring potential and a 1-million-euro transfer budget for some minor improvements, Real Zaragoza is the perfect challenge for FM players who are just honing their skills as lower-division managers. The club already has a solid foundation for future success.
3 Almeria
Currently plying their trade in Segunda Division, Almeria is a great second-division club to take over for newcomers to the Football Manager franchise. They have recently been bought by Turki Al-Sheikh, a prominent Saudi Minister, which resulted in a serious influx of cash to spend by new managers.
With a La Liga promotion all but secured, players can get around to building a team that can challenge for the spots that will qualify them for European competitions almost right away. Buying creative midfielders should be a priority, in order to be able to swiftly break down the rock-solid La Liga defenses, the likes of Athletico Madrid.
2 FC Lorient
Football Manager veterans are well aware of the fact that when taking over most lower-division teams, the first order of business is to bring in cheap but talented youngsters with high potential, to secure the club’s future without breaking the bank. It is quite a difficult task, given the game’s huge player database and a lot of room for making costly mistakes.
Choosing FC Lorient as one of their first FM2021 lower league teams to manage, beginners will have a much easier time focusing on the tactics, as this club is already filled with promising players in the 19-22 age bracket. Yoane Wissa, Enzo Le Fee, and Umut Bozok are an attacking trio for many seasons to come, and focusing on their development will surely pay off in the form of a Ligue 1 promotion within a couple of seasons. A transfer budget just short of 2 million euros couldn’t hurt, either.
1 Salford City
This is one of the most interesting projects that FM2021 fans could get involved with in the game. A couple of years ago, Salford was a struggling non-league club. It all changed when they were taken over by Project 92 Limited, a group consisting of Manchester United’s famous “Class of 92” – David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes, just to name a few. After the takeover, Salford quickly managed to achieve promotion to League 2 and enter the world of professional football.
With these legends as owners, players who choose to be Salford City managers can count on some serious financial backing. With a sound transfer strategy and some creative tactics, guiding this club to the elite of British Football should be achievable within less than ten seasons.
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