Football Manager

[Fappin Raptor]

Figured out what I was doing wrong with the facepacks and all that jazz.

[Bigpapa42]

Re-posting from another site as I am lazy... Since going back to FM (I love you, new computer!), I have tried Ajax and Leverkusen (both more than once) and Bayern, and even looked hard a game with Arsenal. Nothing quite "clicks" and I end up moving on to anothe rnew game before I get very far. I have started up with HSV and though I am not quite yet into the season, it seems as though its "clicking" in that way I hoped for. I used to really enjoy running Hamburg back when they had van der Vaart, Kompany, and de Jong. All gone, obviously, and the complete lack of funds at the start was a concern.

Unlike with Bayern, I had no issue with dumping a number of HSV players right at the start. Pretty necessary. Didn't hesitate to sell of Romeo Castelan, but I was a bit less sure on Piotr Trochowski and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Trochowski was quite good for me with HSV back in on 07 or 08. His technical skills are really strong, but he's really really lacking in the mental department. I offered him out at 6m, had several offers come back, and then when the deal was all but done, it fell through since Marseille lacked the money. I debated going through it again, but his performance in some friendlies made the decision pretty easy. My side would put together a really nice, long series of passes, buliding up and moving forward... then Trochowski would get the ball and unleash at goal. From any range and never come close to scoring. Even with Long Shots set to low, his decision-making was just continually poor. He ruined the great build time and again. I dropped him out of the friendlies after a couple of matches.

With RVN, I wasn't a fan back in his United days, but he's still very skilled. He just didn't seem like a good fit for my single-striker formation and first few friendly matches confirmed that. He's a pure poacher and I needed someone more active. Hoping Guerrero will fit in well.

So with a bit of money to play, I managed to snag most of the players I was eying up. Putting everything over 48 months with nothing up front really stretches the funds out effectively. Got Enyeama for an immediate upgrade in goal. Grabbed Shaqiri and sevearl other young midfielders to provide the side with much better depth and potential. I was a bit unsure which direction to go for a striker, so I ended up going for youth by grabbing a 16 year old Bosnian striker from a Dutch club (name and club elude me at the moment, sorry).

I'm still looking at adding another defender. Since I prefer to play Kacar in midfield, there isn't much beyond Westermann and Mathijsen. I signed a veteran Georgian defender (again, name escapes me) but would like add a prospect as well. I do have a regen center back who looks to have top potential, but he's all of 15 right now. I was going to try to sign Leonel Galeano, who is good enough to play now and seems to have some potential to get better. The Argentine club looks to want 8m plus, so that's not happening. Matias Jorgensen doesn't have as much potential but he should be less - my concern is that my scout doesn't think he would be interested in HSV right now. The next option, which might be the better option anyway, is Omer Toprak for about 6m.

I'm not expecting to win the Bundesliga in the first season, but I do think I should be capable of being near the top. European qualification at least. I'm really looking forward to getting things rolling on this one.

[Bigpapa42]

Marko Maletic?

I bought him when I was using HSV as well, get him a good tutor, (I think I had Petric tutor him), and he'll develop quite well. Really got his determination up. When I was HSV I didn't get any funds even after the start of the 2nd and the 3rd season, despite being in the Champions League and finishing 2nd in the Bundesliga in back to back years. Did you download the file that goes all the way down to the Oberliga so your reserve team is active in the lower levels as in real life?

I built a competitive side with HSV, I was really proud of having the Bender brothers running my midfield. I had to stop playing though, it was started on 11.2 and it was really bothering me that Dzeko was still of Wolfsburg. I'm sure here soon I'll fire up another German game, possibly HSV again or maybe even Bremen, Dortmund, Schalke, or Gladbach even.

Yup, Maletic. I currently don't have anyone turtoring him, simply because I have limited options. His Determination is pretty high, so any of the other strikers I have that could do it are lower. I think Maletic is random is in his skills, because he was brilliant physically in an Ajax game I recently, but not near as much in this one.

I didn't add the file. And am now most disappointed. I recall reading about something like that and meant to check into it, but never bothered. Now I'll have to...

Managed a 1-1 draw with Bayern plus a few more league wins last night. I'm really considering selling on Son Heung-Min in the summer. He's my best prospect and quite versatile, but he pretty much never makes it through a match without getting hurt. Which is messed up, since his Injury Proneness isn't that low (I checked).

I'm still trying to find a good training package to use. I tried one that was recommended and barely see any green arrows after several months. Then switched to another one and it seems worse.

[calgaryballer]

Cole banged in two, Tomkins with one, and we have a foot in the door of Wembley for the Carling Finale.

Just have to protect Upton Park and Birmingham will be out of the way.

In January, Cole has 14 goals in 25 appearences. England?

[calgaryballer]

This West Ham game is the most fun I've had with FM in a while. Still in January of year one, but I like all the players I started with (Parker, Upson, Cole, Ba, Piquoinne, Stanislas) and have built a bond with the ones I have brought in (Fernando, Josue, Acosta, Aron Gunnarson) and don't really care about league results. We've scored some nice draws (vs Liverpool and 1st place City), had some big wins (4-0 vs Newcastle in the FA Cup, 3-0 vs Brum in the Carling) and some big whoopings (3-0 to Chelsea).

Everyone seems to be gelling exactly as I want, the owners have backed me to the point we have a negative bank balance, and I think there is some room to grow

[calgaryballer]

Arrgh! Matty Upson just got a straight red before the second leg against Birmingham. And then I gave up an equalizer to Aston Villa! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[calgaryballer]

SO?

Lost 2-1 in the second leg, but went through to the final 4-2 on agg.

Winston Reid finally returned from U-23 Olympic qualifying with New Zealand, so I should be able to survive without Upson for two more games. Tomkins has really come in to his own as well

And if the bucket is really bare, I can play Danny Gabidon (yuck)

[calgaryballer]

Feeling good about my chances of bringing in Ivan Fatic on a free from Genoa in the summer at a reasonable price

[calgaryballer]

Noooooooooooooooooooooo! Tom Cairney out for 7-8 weeks with a strained knee.

He has 2 goals and 10 assists in 24 league appearances (7.08 rating) and has been a beast in the cup with two goals and 4 assists in 8 cup matches (7.48 rating)

Mark Noble is going to have to step up his game

[mgoblue2290]

Yeah actually not going to be Leeds. Might be Forrest seeing as they have Robbie Findley.

[mgoblue2290]

Can't really get into my Forrest save. Think I'm going to start one with PSV Eindhoven. I shouldn't have much of a problem finishing at the top of the league but I want to try to win a European Cup with them.

[Bigpapa42]

Ugh, why do I do this? I get so distracted. I just fired up a Dinamo Zagreb game.

I feel ya. I'm completely the same way. Although I am enjoying my HSV save immensely, the combination of not using that lower-leagues file before I started and some other clubs having my interest is making me consider whether to continue with it or start something else...

[mgoblue2290]

PSV is going alright. Beat Young Boys to qualify for Europa group stage. Also signed Christian Romaric. My offense has been doing well as we've won all 4 of our league games so far but the defense is a bit shaky. I don't really have the money to address it but I'll definitely have to if I wanted to complete in the Champions League or even make it.

[calgaryballer]

Took home the Carling Cup with a 0-0 (3-2 Pen) win over Bolton. Winston Reid was sent off for a last man foul in the 49th, but we still threatened going forward.

Cole, Upson and Stanislas are all exhausted and will get a rest now

[BigHouseUSA]

My American defender had an international game on the same day as my league game against West Brom, had tons of players too tired to play from a midweek game against Bayer. Still won, but what an annoying scheduling conflict.