Football Manager 2020

[RazorsEdge]

1 hour ago, Jericode said:

Yeah. Spain and Italy do it head-to-head first, whilst England, France, and Germany do it on goal difference first.

Yeah I don't think I've ever had it come up in all my years of playing FM.

Also remind me not to manage in Italy ever again. The sheer amount of players on each club's list is ridiculous.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Up to February now, Italy won the Nov/Dec World Cup in Qatar after Federico Chiesa banged a hat trick having done nothing all tournament up to that point. England came third, beating Belgium in the play off, in a bit of reverse deja vu.

We haven't lost since September, which sounds nice, but there was basically a month and a half off stole a draw at the Bernabau with a 90+3rd minute winner. January was dull, one midfielder went to China, I signed a half decent replacement prospect and a back up left back, and not a lot else happened on our front. Massive money spent elsewhere of course.

We're firmly in a four way race for 2nd in the league with Real Madrid, Valencia, and Atletico, with 2 points separating 2nd and 5th. Barcelona still haven't dropped a point, and I play them next. Made it to the quarter-finals of the Spanish Cup, with a massive shout out to third choice striker Carlos Fernandez, who's been useless in the league but has 9 in 5 in it. Sadly, Diego Carlos decided to get himself sent off so we lost to Sociedad. All hopes for the season now reside in the Europa League, and I'm awaiting the draw for the second knockout round.

Realistically, if I can win the Europa League and finish qualifying for the Champions League, I'll call it a successful season. Hopefully with a bigger budget to get some star players in I can make a punt at the cup next year if nothing else.

There's also the ringer option of Jorge Jesus possibly leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season. Picking up their scraps and pushing for the league could be worth considering.

[The Lusophone]

So this went well - West Brom are pish.

Spoiler

 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Knocked out of the Europa League by CHELSEA OF ALL TEAMS YOU FUCKERS I MADE YOU.

Not bitter at all, honest.

[Malenko]

5 hours ago, MadJack said:

So this went well - West Brom are pish.

  Hide contents

 

60 shots? Wth? Considering ball-in-play time is less than 60 minutes a game (average) your team attempted to score every single minute of the game (again, average)!

[The Lusophone]

5 hours ago, Malenko said:

60 shots? Wth? Considering ball-in-play time is less than 60 minutes a game (average) your team attempted to score every single minute of the game (again, average)!

Didn't even have shoot on sight on either (until the 88th minute when I saw I could get 60 shots). Just a very attacking formation and West Brom being really bad.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

May: Barcelona won the league with four games to spare, we confirmed our place in at least the Europa League with three to go. I thought we had to qualify for the Champions League but apparently that's next year's goal, so I'm more or less where I need to be. Can still get fourth, which would get me into the Champions League. Current long term goal from the board is to be the "best of the rest" behind the top three, so I'm pretty much where they want me to be. Just need to bump up the squad depth over the summer to make a push in the Spanish Cup and whatever European Cup I end up in.

So, with the cups bottled and the squad moaning at me that I sold the back up striker to China (he was rubbish and wanted more game time whilst Munir has been the league's top scorer by a country mile, so wasn't happening), I've set about sorting transfer business early.

- Gonzalo Higuain (free transfer from Ajax): I needed a big experienced striker as a back up for Fernandez and I didn't know if I was going to get the striker I wanted in, so it seemed a no brainer given his ability, even if he is now 35. Knows the league too, so that's a bonus.

- Luis Carbonell (£16m from Real Zaragoza, rising to £32m): Paid way more than I wanted but he's comfortably the best striker in Liga 2, 16 goals in 31 games, 8 MOTM awards, likely heading for Liga 2 player of the year. 16s in Finishing, Dribbling, Off The Ball, Acceleration, Agility, and Natural Fitness; he's only 20 years old, I think he's going to be a megastar in a year or two. and I'm hoping he'll be the key man for me this year.

- Patxi Exposito (£5m from Osasuna): Regen left back who's gonna replace the one I overpaid for in January, because he's been wank. He doesn't look amazing, but he's got high potential and lots of stats around the 14 mark in the areas he needs them, which for an 18 year old is very nice.

- Alberto Gil (10m from Getafe, rising to 30m): This lad looks amazing for 19; 17 Passing and First Touch, 16 for Vision, plenty of other favourable stats across the board, absolutely what we need in centre mid, especially with Conor Gallagher finishing his loan and joining Bologna on a free rather than staying. Diego Carlos basically said "why haven't you sold me to China, give me a better contract and also sign midfielders or I'm not gonna be happy" so this lad is my answer to that.

Hopefully that keeps the squad happy, and when we get more money in a month or so I'll have some more budget to sort some more business. Harry Wilson disappearing would be helpful, along with Zobnin who probably thinks I hate him given I sold him to Sevilla when I was Bayern Munich manager 

 

UPDATE: Team in fifth lost so I'm guaranteed fourth place because I can't catch any of the top three. Champions League here we come!

UPDATE 2!: Gareth Bale has arrived on a free as I continue my 'Former Galactico Support Group', along with some midfield reinforcement in the form of Marcos Antonio from Shaktar for just under £20m. Bale's retiring after this season so if he's shit it really doesn't matter. Harry Wilson has disappeared to Everton for double what Sevilla paid to get him from Everton, so I'm sure he'll be popular on Merseyside.

Man United offered me an interview unexpectedly (didn't apply), which I turned down because I don't fancy a return to England just yet. Real Madrid offered me an interview after I applied to them, but they went with someone else who conveniently resigned from his other job at the end of the season. Bastard. Looks like another year at Sevilla, which I'm excited for to be honest, I think the squad has good potential.

[Hajjhowe]

Probably an obvious answer I am missing but is there a pre-game editor for FM somewhere that I'm just missing?

[Bobfoc]

2 minutes ago, Hajjhowe said:

Probably an obvious answer I am missing but is there a pre-game editor for FM somewhere that I'm just missing?

In your Steam library, under the "GAMES" arrow, you can tick and untick the "Tools" box. Ticking it will let you download the editor.

[Lineker]

 

And SI don't plan on fixing it in FM20.

[Baddar]

I can finally get more than 5m for Lingard. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Up to November, lots of positives, couple of things that could have gone better.

Carbonell has proven his worth so far with 6 goals in 11, albeit 3 of those were a hat trick, so it could be a bit more frequent. Asensio had 11 league goals all last year, and he's currently got 10 in 10. Munir's influence has dropped since moving him to the wing, but I'm not overly worried about that with Carbonell and Asensio still scoring.

We're third after 11 games, with Barcelona currently tussling with Valencia for top spot. Barcelona have a game in hand at the top but are the only unbeaten team, hard to look past them winning again but if they slip up, I'll hopefully be there or thereabouts to pressure them. Real Madrid have already lost as many games as they did all of last season, including us turning them over 4-2. Bet they regret not hiring me now!

Things that could improve: either side of that win over Real Madrid we lost to Levante of all teams and title contenders Valencia. Valencia's goals were scored by Gabriel Barbosa, on loan from Man United, and Andrea Belotti, on loan from Chelsea who only signed him for £72m in January. There's a running theme of despising Chelsea now that I'm not with them going on here.

Champions League-wise, very much a mixed bag halfway through the group, draw at Man City, loss to Roma after Zobnin got sent off, but a win over Lokomotiv Moscow . Board want me to get through the group, which I'm hopeful I can still do if I get a result against City, but I'm half hoping I drop to the Europa League again so I can have another crack at it early on in the challenge.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Made it through the Champions League group!

Get Chelsea in the first knockout round...

I think "Written in the script" might be literal at this point, game code is broken.

[RazorsEdge]

1 hour ago, Jericode said:

Made it through the Champions League group!

Get Chelsea in the first knockout round...

I think "Written in the script" might be literal at this point, game code is broken.

Written in the script is right. Over 5 seasons I played either Manchester City or Liverpool in the final of the FA Cup, League Cup or Champions League (as United). As soon as I play as an overseas team teams like Wolves are winning the FA Cup and English football is done in the Champions League by the semi's.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Lost to Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup, and after beating Chelsea 1-0 in the first leg, they turned me over 4-2 at the Bridge, so I'm out of everything. 12 points behind 4th so I'm basically playing for fifth, which was pointless. I've subsequently resigned. There's a lot of talk of multiple managers retiring at top jobs so hoping something interesting crops up at the end of the season.

Carbonell got injured in January and it led to a huge downturn in form which, no matter what I changed, I couldn't up turn because the goals just dried up, seemingly all stolen by Alvaro Morata who had over 30 in the league by the time I left.

Italy is tempting me because there's a lot of close teams at the top and I don't think it would be impossible to break through with any of them. Thomas Tuchel keeps getting linked with Prem jobs too so I'm half hoping the PSG job will magically make itself available 

[RazorsEdge]

I'm doing a glory hunter save just to say I've won all the major leagues in one save for once.  I think I've stumbled onto an unbeatable tactic as I won the Bundesliga + Champions League with Bayern first season then Seria A + Championship League with Juventus in season 2. Now at Real Madrid who've finished 3rd 3 times in a row, kinda hoping it is more of a challenge. My boy De Ligt came across with me too that's a big plus.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Man United won the FA Cup, turning them down seems the wrong decision in hindsight.

Bayern offered me an interview to come back, I told KHR to shove it.

Had an interview at Spurs, felt dirty about it, Pep Guardiola got it instead. 

Applied to Atletico figuring an upward move in Spain would be a good move, got laughed out of the office.

Cried all the way to Italy, hello Juventus! The former giants have firmly been knocked off their perch by Inter Milan, and finished last season a lowly fifth, which means I get the added bonus of a Europa League challenge as well. Five times the wage budget I had at Sevilla and they've given me £80m to spend. Lovely stuff.

[Gorka]

2 hours ago, RazorsEdge said:

I'm doing a glory hunter save just to say I've won all the major leagues in one save for once.  I think I've stumbled onto an unbeatable tactic as I won the Bundesliga + Champions League with Bayern first season then Seria A + Championship League with Juventus in season 2. Now at Real Madrid who've finished 3rd 3 times in a row, kinda hoping it is more of a challenge. My boy De Ligt came across with me too that's a big plus.

...is it 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress? 

[RazorsEdge]

2 minutes ago, Gorka said:

...is it 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress? 

Think it started as a vertical titk-taka 4-3-2-1

GK
WB(S)
BPD(D)
BPD(D)
WB (S)

DLP (D)

BBM (S)
BBM (S)

Inverted Winger (A)
Inverted Winger (A)

Poacher(A)/Advanced Forward (A)

Extra crosses for wing backs.

[gunnar hendershow]

6 minutes ago, Gorka said:

...is it 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress? 

My assistant told me to use this tactic at HSV but I didn't have a really great forward at the time. It didn't matter.