Championship Manager Thread

[Maczebus]

Yeah, that's QPR's problem.

Congratulations on winning it all... The best I could manage was back-to-back promotion to the Premiership (play-offs winners both year :D). But then, it all went south :( and I left as most the squad hated me for warning some players about bad performances.

I don't warn players for bad performances - I find it counter productive. So did you by the sounds of it.
Yes, I was qite pleased with my achievements with the team (Premiership Champs, FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield, Champions League, Euro Super-Cup, Inter-Continental Cup) but then it was a labour of love at times. I made some shining purchases who seemed to gel perfectly. And the beauty of staying somewhere for a bit plus having a bit of success thrown in was the fact that my transfer budget and my wage budget both increased wonderfully year by year. My loyalty paid off as the board gave me so much money I didn't know what to do with it.
But alas no ground expansion.
Then my computer crashed before I'd saved all the data to disc (as I do every so often) and I lost my beautiful season. I didn't have the heart to try and restart it.

Started again though managing Stoke City. Got automatic promotion in the first season in charge and am currently hitting a hard spell in the Premiership. Easier than QPR though - no money worries with Stoke. Though the transfer budget was a feeble £3000 at first - however after promotion to the Premiership I've got £5m to spend. Which is more than enough if you know what you're doing - not even using pre-found decent players.

[TeddyBear]

Ronaldo was putting in performances of 6,6,6,5,6 and i critisized him and he said that he was going to try really hard to bring his game up. I'll have to wait and see if he does or not.

[Cannon]

I comment on poor performance if it goes beyond 3-4 matches or if it falls very low (4) for more than a couple of games. However, don't just go on the game rating as it doesn't always reflect their true performace. For example, a deep SW or D-C might get a 6 if your midfield controls possession. However, they could be performing very well, as you'll find out when facing tougher teams that are able to attack and challenge your midfield. Another common mistake is too complain about poor performance based on ratings of late game subs. Make sure you check the game stats. Did they even touch the ball?

You have to be very careful and make sure that you've taken:
-player's personality(determined? professional?),
-past behavior(did they stir up controversy earlier? do they slack in training?),
-normal game performance(even the best players seem to tank for no reason but then come back to their normal form),
-value to your club(can you stand losing them, especially at a reduced price?),
-availability of replacements(really bad to anger your only good GK),
-contract status (can they Bosman you?)
when deciding whether to yell at them.

I disagree with those who never use the stick and just try to use praise. I find that careful use of criticism can keep your key players at a very high level nearly all of the time.

[prk166]

Timmy!

[DutchFootballRulez]

I yell at players whom are expected big things and play like crap(i.e. Owen in my game..missing virtually every chance he takes) I'll bench him for a while and then play some other forwards.

I haven't played CM03/04 in almost a month or more..

[mactheknife]

Still playing 01/02, I'm waiting until college to invest in the new one.

Just had a great run of 11 straight wins with cardiff, pulled me from 14th to 1st in d2. Granted, I'm using a tactic, but bizarrely enough I've always found it tougher to fight out of d2 than it is to get promoted out of d1. Last time I played I ditched the tactic after I got promoted into d1 and made it to the playoff final...

[DutchFootballRulez]

Trust me..College is not the time to invest in CM especially if you want to stay IN COLLEGE. Its a time absorber. If you plan on putting in 20 hour days, when you're not studying I'd say go for it. Because sleep is overrated.

[Maczebus]

Oh well - it's all gone wrong.
After getting promoted to the premiership (playing stoke city) in my first season - we had a decent start to the new season, reaching 8th before the plummet.
We went through a period of 1 point from a possible 30. I bought new players and coaches in but they don't seem to be working as I'd planned. Plus the players that had worked well for me last time I played - aren't cutting it and don't like living in Stoke (I don't blame them really). My midfield is oddly inadequate and my wingers just aren't doing the job I need - whipping in crosses.
I'm currently at 17th with half the season gone.
It gets worse. Upon reading the posts here about criticising players - I decided to give it a go. My centre forward wasn't doing much, a couple of 5s a few 6s, and 1 goal in 16 games - I had a go at him. That p!ssed him off - plus half the squad! Half the first team don't like me and want to leave.
Things aren't going to plan at all.
I don't mind upping and leaving but last time I tried that, I couldn't find anyone who'd have me. I do have a first division promotion thing under my belt, so would it be easy to find somewhere else to manage?

[RichardL]

this does feel more like a alcoholics anonymous style support group than a thread but.....

...I once (well absolutely loads of times being pedantic) played a CM3 game that went on for 40 seasons. It did take several years it has to be said. Originally managing Reading, steering them from Div 2 to European champions level, but I found after about 15 seasons Reading just got crapper and crapper, regardless of how much I spent (although I was still limited to bargains as established stars didn't want to come to Reading). After being sacked I took over at Whitby town, newly promoted to the conference and without a single player on their books, and absolutely no money. Four consecutive promotions later Whitby were in the Premiership. Within two or three years Whitby were premiership champions. But I found after a few good years I had the same problems as at Reading with them getting worse and worse (or mediocre anyway). I quit after an 8-2 home defeat - by Reading of all teams.
I then took over slough town, also recently promoted to the conference. I took them up to the premiership in straight seasons too, but then Reading sacked the manager and I took the chance to reclaim my rightful vocation. I made them better and I even won a the european cup, but West Ham were the best team in the world by then (the premiership membership was very strange - wigan were a top club as were tranmere, despite being so far in debt their ground only held 2,500. Liverpool, Arsenal and spurs were in Div 2, and Man Utd were perennial Div 1 strugglers) and impossible to unseat.

Since then I've moved to CM4 with less success. I haven't got Reading out of Div 1 in three seasons, although I'm confident of the play-offs this season. In parallel I'm also playing a game as manager of Bohemians Prague, who I got promoted in the first season and have slowly improved since.

[TeddyBear]

I'm in 2008 with the 03/04 game. Team is Real Madrid and I'm bored of success so I'm going to resign and apply for a job at a div 1 English team. Any good suggestions?

My team with Real right now is...

Gk. Casillas
Rb. Nesta
Lb. Roberto Carlos
Cb. Helguera
Cb. Lucio
Dm. Pirlo
Rm. Beckham
Lm. D'allessandro
Am. Ronaldinho
Fc. Ronaldo
Fc. Raul

Subs.

Morientes
Quaresma
Diego
Mexés
Zidane
Kasper Schmeichel
Solari
Jaoquin
Aimar
Navarro

Many other subs, i don't think it's possible to improve my team and I'm beginning to get bored so any suggestions on a club that's not expecting much in the lower english leagues would be appreciated, thanks.

[Peakite]

I'm in 2008 with the 03/04 game. Team is Real Madrid and I'm bored of success so I'm going to resign and apply for a job at a div 1 English team. Any good suggestions?

Of course in 2008 I doubt many of us know who s in the first division. :)

[silentbob]

In the past, I've played with Cardiff, Wigan, and Plymouth Argyle. Each presents a decent challenge, and you can realistically win promotion and challenge for the EPL title within 5 years.

I am starting to get bored myself. It's September 2010 and I've won La Liga three years in a row with Alaves, who are also holders of the UCL crown. My team is currently 5-0-1 in the league (100 percent record marred by a 0-0 draw against second-placed Betis) with a 18-2 goal differential.

Current squad consists of:

GK - Alexander Stephan
DL - John Arne Riise
DC - James McEveley
DC - Nicolas Burdisso
DR - Philipp Lahm
AML - Cristiano Ronaldo
MC - Esteban Cambiasso
MC - Mikel Arteta
AMR - Toledo
FC - Mattia Graffiedi
SC - Anatoli Todorov

Bench:

Dudu Awate
Igor Biscan
Philip Picken
Lawrence Awule Quaye
Jussi-Pekka Savolainen
Isaah Eliakwu
Ivan Alonso

Todorov has 16 goals in 12 matches, and his value is up to $77 million.

[DutchFootballRulez]

I wish I could get back in w/ CM03/04. I'm doing the demo of NHL:EHM currently.

The wait for FM2005 is almost unbearable.

[Montréal United]

How's the demo for NHL:EHM? I'm sure this will be a great game... in 3 years.

CM didn't build itself in one version. So, I expect the same.

[Tony Cheval]

Bah, if you want a real challenge, go for a J-League team now. :D

[DutchFootballRulez]

The Demo is ok. Obviously, the NHL license helps alot. But it is graphically not as simple as CM. However, it is VERY similar. There is no 2D match engine. Just Incident recaps. The negative side to the demo is that it expires Feb 28, game time.. only 6 months. This game is great for learning the rules to transfer markets in other nations. (As the same w/ CM/FM)

[mactheknife]

after going 21 games unbeaten, i still only finished 5th in my first season in D2 with cardiff (01-02). thanks to the last 9 of those 21 games being draws, my run on the top faltered a tad.

missed out on promotion in a heartbreaking 2-1 extra time final loss to brighton, with goals from zamora for them and earnshaw for us.

i've been playing the transfer market like a stradovarious over the summer. first thing i did was get rid of graham kavanagh because he's a whiny bitch. then i let go 11 others, mostly on bosmans.

players in:
shaun derry, james collins, daniel pode, frederik wall, jermaine jenas, olivier bernard, maurizio battistelli, matteo corradini.

i also picked up an amazing scout in trevor moylan from cork city. i've got two scouts now with 20s where they count, and they're helping me stock my reserves with young talent. so far in season 2 i'm 4-1-0. booyakasha.

[TrooperBari]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone actually had a player score off a bicycle kick?

The one surefire way I know an attack is going to fail is "(X Player) gets up to attempt an bicycle kick!" I've never had anyone at any level even put the damn thing on net.

[TeddyBear]

Of course in 2008 I doubt many of us know who s in the first division. :)

Lol. Sorry never even realised that. I ended up starting again and in my first season with Man City i was forced to sell Anelka for 16m as Manyoo offered his release clause. So i bought Diego for 15m and with the formation i play the Atm gets the majority of my goals so he was a Great investment. He was second in player of the year and had 22 goals in all with an average rating of 8.14. I finished 3rd in the league and won the Fa Cup, yet The board only gave me 1.7m to spend after i brought in in excess of 15m the previous year. How am i meant to progress any further than i already am with such a low transfer budget??

[TrooperBari]

I finished 3rd in the league and won the Fa Cup, yet The board only gave me 1.7m to spend after i brought in in excess of 15m the previous year. How am i meant to progress any further than i already am with such a low transfer budget??

Ask the board for more transfer funds. If they refuse, you still have the option of issuing an ultimatum to force their hand. You only want to do that, though, if your reputation is high - and I do mean WAY up there - and you're not adverse to being out of a job if they call your bluff.

Alternatively, you could update your resumé and take your managerial brilliance elsewhere, preferably to a club with more ambition/deeper pockets.