Football Manager, Part I

[gaijin]

Winner! Ok, I got Barca to win the Spanish cup. Leo Franco justified his big money transfer fee by getting a clean sheet and a 9 rating. So at least the season wasn't totally lost.
.

Do you think Valdes has very poor ratings?

Generally speaking all my keepers do. Cech's stats are really poor, but he's worth like 11m. Agility 12?!?

Aside from Casillas, Buffon, Kahn etc,

[Bonji]

Do you think Valdes has very poor ratings?

Generally speaking all my keepers do. Cech's stats are really poor, but he's worth like 11m. Agility 12?!?

Aside from Casillas, Buffon, Kahn etc,
Valdes is young, 23. I like a GK to have some age related experience behind him. I'm going to keep Valdes because he'll stay a top keeper but I got Franco to get someone with some experience.

Valdes had a 7.00 over 27 appearances last season. He conceded 28 goals so had a little over 1 GAA.

In 28 matches Franco had a rating of 7.45 and conceded 22 goals for a .79 GAA. Much better.

[Bonji]

I've been looking far and wide for some depth here at Barca this off-season. Saviola came back from his loan so I'm hoping he'll add some goals. I don't know how he'll so in my single striker setup. I sold Juan Roman Riquelme for $17 Million and and bought Tomas Rosicky for $13 million + $3 million in bonus cash and a $5 million salary. The attacking midfielders got a little worried with that one thinking there was too much competition for the starting job.

I'm thinking these changes might give me enough depth to win some serious matches.

I just drew Ziliana or GAK in the Champions Cup Third Qualifying round.

[Bonji]

Improving financial condition at the club has raised my transfer budget to $60 million. :)

[Bonji]

First pre-season match...Rosicky get's a 10 and MoM honors. Looks like he'll be a good investment if he can keep this form up.

[DutchFootballRulez]

Bonji:

I would consider moving Ronnie to a wing when he comes back from Injury.
If I know your roster Bonji, I assume you now have Giuly, Ronnie, Deco, Pirlo, Xavi, Gio, Puyol, Valdes, Franco, Sylvinho, Olequer, Marquez, Eto'o, Larsson, Saviola, Edmilson, Motta, Gerard, Belleti, Gabri, and Tomas Rosicky.

That's not fair and you know it. My word you could play Deco-Xavi-Pirlo-Rosicky in one midfield w/ Ronnie next to Eto'o. Or Saviola next to Eto'o. I have no idea how you will keep them all happy and Play Giuly. Did you go in for Kompany?

[gaijin]

Okay I've brought in Dede and Van Bommel in on Bosmans.....they have done amazing. Van Bommel scoring on his debut in the Community Shield final.

Also bought Aimar for £25m......(Thats like $30, right?)

Played 17, Won 14, drawn 2, lost 1

BUT - I'm ********ing 2nd!

Man U - top - Won 16, drawn 1, lost 0

Don't you hate it, when you play amazing a team just out plays you even better. It always happens. I think this is a script in the game, to make the league more exciting.

I'm also very bitter about my carling Cup 4th Round exit at home to Soton. Got beat 1-0, but had 2 clear goals ruled offisde. Plus had Tiago sent off for a nothing foul. I smell some foul play, it was like the ref was on another planet and conned to make them win. :mad:

Even if I win all my games, I have a feeling United will win all of theirs too. It just stinks. :mad:

[Bonji]

Bonji:

I would consider moving Ronnie to a wing when he comes back from Injury.
If I know your roster Bonji, I assume you now have Giuly, Ronnie, Deco, Pirlo, Xavi, Gio, Puyol, Valdes, Franco, Sylvinho, Olequer, Marquez, Eto'o, Larsson, Saviola, Edmilson, Motta, Gerard, Belleti, Gabri, and Tomas Rosicky.

That's not fair and you know it. My word you could play Deco-Xavi-Pirlo-Rosicky in one midfield w/ Ronnie next to Eto'o. Or Saviola next to Eto'o. I have no idea how you will keep them all happy and Play Giuly. Did you go in for Kompany?
It isn't fair, is it? :) I brought in Rosicky and I still have a $60 million transfer budget.

I'm playing a 4-2-3-1. I have Franco in goal, he's playing very well.
I have them lining up like this:
---------------------Franco-----------------------
----Belletti----Marquez----Puyol-------Sylvinho----
-----------Pirlo----------------Motta-------------
---Giuly--------Rosicky---------Deco-------------
-------------------Saviola------------------------

This season has started out well. I beat Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. They took me 4-1 in Madrid but at home I beat them 4-0 to take it. That felt good. Saviola has 7 goals in 4 games. He's on fire. Ronaldinho is almost fit from his broken leg. I'm thinking of putting him in there for Giuly. We'll see.

[johno]

I've started preseason matches for my new season and I put 8 on Madrid... that's right 8!!! 7 goals in the first half... then I took out all my starters and fielded a ludicrously good second team that only scored one goal... for some reason Madrid were playing a 3-5-2 with Zidane and M.Zidan in midfield... I was laughing my a$$ off because they played Beckam at CB not the LCB or RCB... CB!!! I could not believe my luck... my team...


Strikers...

Ruud, Crespo, Rooney, Smith (to be sold), Bergkamp (playing in midfield), Pazzini

Mids/Wingers... Giggs, Ronaldo, Kleberson, Downing, Baptista, Keane, Scholes,
Fortune (listed), Scott Marshall, Mascherano

Defenders... Everyone who ManU normally has plus Danielle Bonera should be getting his WP soon.

Due to the Rooney sale we've not had big money to spend, but I put what little we had to good use... and also have a lot of money to pay off over the next 24 months... the good thing is that I will get 8 million for Smith and probably 5 for Fortune and hopefully I can sell off Crespo (came on a bosman) for a handy profit in december.

[DutchFootballRulez]

Bonji I'm upset you haven't been playing Xavi. But I guess he can play for Deco or Pirlo.

[ERIMUS]

Entering my 5th season in fm...

My 2nd season in the Championship.

[Bonji]

Bonji I'm upset you haven't been playing Xavi. But I guess he can play for Deco or Pirlo.
Xavi gets some playing time. He comes in for Deco most often. My midfield is crowded, I can't play them all.
Right now things are going very well in the league. I am 7-0-0 and I've beat all my main rivals; Madrid, Betis and Valencia. I've scored 20 goals and given up 2. Life in the Champion League is not as rosy. I've lost my first two group stage matches. If I lose the next I don't think I'll be going on. The first two games were at Inter and home to Bayern, so I've got to beat Dynamo Kiev to have any hope.

That match is coming up next.

[JohnR]

I'm also very bitter about my carling Cup 4th Round exit at home to Soton. Got beat 1-0, but had 2 clear goals ruled offisde. Plus had Tiago sent off for a nothing foul. I smell some foul play, it was like the ref was on another planet and conned to make them win. :mad:

I used to think the game was rigged for certain teams, but I don't any longer. I've won a few of those games, too.

Playing CM 01/02, I came as close as I ever came to the quadruple. Won FA, League Cups. Lost by a single point in EPL, lost 1-0 in Champion's League Final. I had easily the best team but my goalkeeper was outplayed 80% of games -- in part because he's ordinary, in part because opposing goalkeepers are uniformly extraordinary.

Time to pay whatever it takes to buy the best goalkeeper who exists in 2014! He'll still be inferior to whoever lines up against me :rolleyes:, but at least the gap will be narrower.

[Bonji]

Before work I beat Dimano Kiev in the Champs League and tied Deportivo for my first non-win in 8 league games. Still undefeated.

[DutchFootballRulez]

Bonji I'd focus on COPA and La Liga. CL would be great but fitness will bite you in the ass after Christmas

[Bonji]

Bonji I'd focus on COPA and La Liga. CL would be great but fitness will bite you in the ass after Christmas
Yeah, If I bomb out of CL I won't feel too bad. The millions in ticket sales and tv revenue would be helpful, but I've already made a $70 million profit this year. If I win the league I'm sure merchandise sales will kick in. Signing Rosicky helped in that department already and my season ticket sales are $30 million higher than last year. It's good to be part of such a rich club. :)

[JohnR]

good to be part of such a rich club. :)

Especially if the reputation is good, too, so that you get the best players.

In my game, I won't resign a player who wants more than 30,000 pounds per week. I can afford to keep a couple of those guys, but the problem is, then the others want raises. Best to bite the bullet and send them along their way.

Meaning that a 30 year old Jose Antonio Reyes is now operating with an unprotected contract. With luck, nobody will snap him up -- I need the player more than I need the money.

[Bonji]

Especially if the reputation is good, too, so that you get the best players.

In my game, I won't resign a player who wants more than 30,000 pounds per week. I can afford to keep a couple of those guys, but the problem is, then the others want raises. Best to bite the bullet and send them along their way.

Meaning that a 30 year old Jose Antonio Reyes is now operating with an unprotected contract. With luck, nobody will snap him up -- I need the player more than I need the money.
Do you still get good results out of these guys when they are pissed about their contracts and wages?

[JohnR]

Do you still get good results out of these guys when they are pissed about their contracts and wages?

No, I don't. But that doesn't happen to me anymore.

It's like this. Nobody gets more than 30,000 pounds, and only my top handful get 20,000 +. Meaning that I only sign young players, or stars from second-tier leagues. Not established stars in top leagues. When a player's contract is about to become unprotected, I offer him a new contract. If he will work for what I offer him, he's happy. If not, then I let his contract stay unprotected and hope that he doesn't get snapped up too quickly.

It's 2014 in this particular game, and I've not had a single player unhappy about wages. In the past, on the other hand, I'd give my top player a huge raise, then half a dozen others would whine and perform poorly. I hate that. No more.

[Cannon]

No, I don't. But that doesn't happen to me anymore.

It's like this. Nobody gets more than 30,000 pounds, and only my top handful get 20,000 +. Meaning that I only sign young players, or stars from second-tier leagues. Not established stars in top leagues. When a player's contract is about to become unprotected, I offer him a new contract. If he will work for what I offer him, he's happy. If not, then I let his contract stay unprotected and hope that he doesn't get snapped up too quickly.

It's 2014 in this particular game, and I've not had a single player unhappy about wages. In the past, on the other hand, I'd give my top player a huge raise, then half a dozen others would whine and perform poorly. I hate that. No more.

You're still playing CM right? That strategy doesn't work as well in FM and will be even more difficult with the next patch.