Following my most recent dismissal as Newcastle manager despite fulfilling their long term expectations and then some I decided I'd try Dafuges Challenge in the mean time while waiting for the patch. I believed it would be an exciting new challenge.......

Over half way in to the season as Hitchin and, despite a terrible run of losses with the promoted side at the beginning of the season, my team are now swiftly soaring up the table thanks to a rebuilt side of loan signings. Almost each and every one signed from clubs happy to continue paying the players wages in full while they speed me to success. It's got to the stage where a fair number of my players are actually worth more on their own than the teams they're currently forming up against.

Surely this couldn't happen in real life? I'm currently fielding full sides of loanees, not one of them costing the club a penny and together they're more than up to the task of beating sides a division above. I actually found top flight managing more challenging

enjoy because in the conference i dont think you will be able to get that many loanees in and most of them probably wont want to come back for another season anyway. looks like thats when the challenge will begin for you. or maybe league two.

I had considered that, alas. Dark days lie ahead I guess.

But the fact that I'm able to bring in so many players of such a superior standard to those the face for free sets me up in the following season, wherever I may be, in a fantastic financial position ahead of promotion in to the stricter leagues (should I not be promoted this season).

Simply constrain yourself if you don't enjoy that aspect. Don't attempt to gain Manchester U as a parent club and don't go after players that would never go on loan for a BSS/N club. Or do it if you like, either way.

I beleive in the coference you can only have 4 long term loans and 3 short term loans per season.

in the bsp you can only have four at a time, so i suggest recruiting massivly in the summer or towards the end and play them in easier games and subs so they gel with the team, or you will be demolished

Try and get the better players back on loan and, i know it has been mentioned, but you need to look for players all through the summer that are good enough for the league above.

i loaned 3-4 players until I got to L1. It's incredible that players who won't ever sign for a L2 team go happy on loan to a BSS/BSN team. And amazing that a player who has been in loan in a BSS team and that team became its favourite does not want to go on loan to that club next year after promotion, but instead he chooses to go to another similar team few months later.

players team's preferences are not perfectly implemented, it's ok that a EPL player does not want to play in championship, but surely some L2 players rooting in the bench prefer playing in a good BSP team, even in some BSS/BSN.

I got 4 in from West Ham's reserve team (my parent club) for St Albans in the BSS. They came back 3 years in a row (two of them now have City as their favoured club), all worth over 500k each.

Now, if it were me, even though I'd be guaranteed a first team slot for St Albans, I'd rather play in the reserves for West Ham simply because there's a better chance of playing with and against better players. You get paid the same anyway.

But that's how it works in the world that is FM08. So best to make the most of it until they plug that particular gap.

I actually usually find my second Conference seasons easier. You get a load of new players added to your youth team and they're often better than the duffers making up my main squad.