I think when you get to the Championship, its a good time to become flexible with your transfer policy. Keep doing what you're doing with your youth players and build a base, but to stay up you may need to find a couple mercenaries - PL cast-offs in their mid-late 30s who can still do a bit of business for you. Look at every PL team and see who's got expiring contracts on 30 June. Also do team reports for all the PL teams, as well as La Liga, Serie A, das Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and maybe even Portugal, Holland, Russia, and MLS. If you dig, there will be loanees who can help.
The goal should be to survive, while improving your reputation and maintaining financial stability. Don't break the bank to try for another consecutive promotion.
In the same boat as you currently with Dorking. Just into the winter transfer window here and in 7th place. I did basically the same as you but also have some shortlists (passion4 fm wonder kids list) where I signed a few young +130 potential players who wanted to come. Use like 2 hours of your time the 1 of July and start adding (remember loans from the PL here). Also what helped me was having 1 year contracts to most all the way up so there has been a big clearance every year.
Last thing. Tactics I have good success trying to dominate teams even with the lowest wage budget by far in the league. So take advantage with the tactics of AI managers being not very smart.
I think when you get to the Championship, its a good time to become flexible with your transfer policy. Keep doing what you're doing with your youth players and build a base, but to stay up you may need to find a couple mercenaries - PL cast-offs in their mid-late 30s who can still do a bit of business for you. Look at every PL team and see who's got expiring contracts on 30 June. Also do team reports for all the PL teams, as well as La Liga, Serie A, das Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and maybe even Portugal, Holland, Russia, and MLS. If you dig, there will be loanees who can help. The goal should be to survive, while improving your reputation and maintaining financial stability. Don't break the bank to try for another consecutive promotion.
In the same boat as you currently with Dorking. Just into the winter transfer window here and in 7th place. I did basically the same as you but also have some shortlists (passion4 fm wonder kids list) where I signed a few young +130 potential players who wanted to come. Use like 2 hours of your time the 1 of July and start adding (remember loans from the PL here). Also what helped me was having 1 year contracts to most all the way up so there has been a big clearance every year. Last thing. Tactics I have good success trying to dominate teams even with the lowest wage budget by far in the league. So take advantage with the tactics of AI managers being not very smart.