There have always been many ways to experience Football Manager. From taking a team from the bottom tiers of English football to bullying the world with nearly unlimited resources, FM players have never been short on options. This year, things are a little bit different. Those familiar options remain but come with a twist if you so choose. That’s why today, we’re going to take a look at which career path you should choose in Football Manager 24.
Choosing a Career Path in Football Manager 24
After selecting the club, you want to play as, you’ll be instructed to choose a Game Mode before getting stuck in. There are three options: Original, Real World, and Your World, offering players vastly different experiences. So, which one are you going to take a crack at?
Well first, let’s become a little more familiar with them.
Original
Are you a fan of the standard experience? No fuss, no frill, and no surprises? Well then, the FM Original pathway is quite likely the choice for you. Squads will be updated to reflect the entirety of the most recent transfer window, and budgets will be at their standard starting point.
You are not quite free to shape your squad the way you’d like initially, but you’ll know what you’re starting with.
Real World
This is where we begin to differentiate from the FMs of old. For players wanting a Real World experience, you may want to stock up on patience. Budgets will be adjusted to account for transfers that are set for future dates, meaning that as you catch up with the present, players will be making their previously agreed moves throughout the window.
That means you’ll want to take into account a handful of things.
- How many players are arriving, and at which positions?
- Which players are leaving, and at which positions?
- How’s your transfer budget shaping up?
Anecdotally, I started a Real World Burnley save, and before the window had ended, it was clear to me that they had put way too much recruitment into the winger position, didn’t really shore up their midfield, and were still relying on a 34-year-old Jay Rodriguez at striker. Yes, a healthy handful of their wingers could also play up top, but none of them were out-and-out strikers. As for the only one that was Wout Weghorst, he was in the process of being sold.
So, think of this as a more challenging Original pathway. Players don’t start with their squads sorted. Instead, they have to adjust as the calendar moves. Are you up for the challenge?
Your World
Personally, Your World rules. If real-world transfers have happened, they’ve done so before the beginning of your save date. Otherwise, think of this as a clean slate. Budgets are accurate enough (though they fluctuate), and squads are where they were earlier in the summer.
Harry Kane remains with Tottenham Hotspur. Lionel Messi is a free agent. Chelsea have a starting transfer budget of roughly £125M instead of £6M in the Original pathway. It’s an alternate reality where just about everything (and everyone) is up for grabs.
So, if you want a little alternate reality, nothing is stopping you in Football Manager 24. You can try to sign Messi! Or, you can accumulate hundreds upon hundreds of millions of pounds by selling as many players as you can with Chelsea. Why not take a struggling club like Schalke, now playing and having a rough time in Bundesliga 2., and sell what few players have actual value?
In other words, the world is your oyster.
Which Career Path Should You Choose in FM 24?
As is always the case, these types of questions come down to personal preference. The standard mode remains solid, but it’s a lot more fun to adjust on the fly or tear it all down while witnessing a different reality of transfers play out. If it were me, I’d have fun with the two new modes FM has introduced. But you are not me, and I am not you, so the choice is yours!
That’s all we’ve got for you when it comes to which career path you should choose in Football Manager 24. And after you’ve started on your journey, be sure to scout the best young players and wonderkids the game has to offer while checking back here for our continued coverage.
