Official Football Manager 2005 Topic

[IAceI]

I hate Network games because it never works It says unable to connect to server.

Any ideas as to why?

[Farmer Reil]

Yeah, is there a certain screen in FM you have to wait at for other players, or can they join at any time?

[Guest Tomski]

Bastian Schweinsteiger is a must for all those seeking a flamboyant attacking right winger, he dribbles more than the Big Show and never has a poor game.

Finally ze Germans come good

Edited November 19, 2004 by Tomski

[MDK]

Can anyone tell me if Nicola Dikoumeh (or as I like to call him, Nicola United. He is a one man team) is still in the game as a free signing at the start of it?

[stokeriño]

Here's a little story of transfer woe for you all...well, not woe exactly. More like a desire to beat Mr. Abramovich over the head with a stick.

It's the middle of July, in the Summer of 2005. The pre-season friendlies are getting underway, and I, the manager of Chelsea, am out to spend some money.

The previous season went better than expected when I *JUST* managed to scrape the Premiership Title on the last day of the season via a +2 Goal Difference advantage over 2nd placed Man Utd, and Arsenal only 1pt behind in 3rd. I have already received my message from the Board of Directors, informing me that they expect me to win the title again, and have given me a transfer budget of £35.5m with which to do this. Not quite as much as last season, but then I did buy Clarence Seedorf for an inordinate amount of money so fair's fair.

I look at my squad and discern two specific areas that I would like to address.

Firstly, the DL position, as I feel that my left back choices of Wayne Bridge, Celestine Babayaro, and Wilfred Bouma could be improved upon - probably with Babayaro leaving in the process. Naturally there are some cheap Russian and Scandinavian players that I have my eye on, so all's good on that front.

More importantly, the MR position. I had trouble with this position last season as well, as Geremi was the only Chelsea player suited to it, which led to me buying Seedorf. Geremi has had to cover the position various times over the past season, and frankly has not been up to scratch - regularly earning a 5 or sometimes even a 4 rating. With that in mind I set out to find a winger to replace Geremi in my pairing - but I don't just want a backup to Seedorf, I want a Worldclass player who's as good if not better. Numerous optimistic bids for stars of the world were sent out, with all returning rejected by the club in question - but one player caught my attention, a player who was said to be deeply upset at not being allowed to move clubs. I had found my target. That target...was Steven Gerrard.

Valued at £25m, I found myself in the outlandish position of having to consider whether Chelsea had enough money to offer for him. When my maximum bid of £35.5m - plus various gimmicky extras - failed to impress the boys at Anfield, I thought that my dreams of such a coup had been foiled. They suggested a price totalling at approximately £46m but, in bitter irony, Chelsea could not afford it. A quiet word to the Board about perhaps allowing me an extra £15m or so for transfers was flatly rebuffed, claiming that "£35m is more than adequate"...pfft, what do they know?

In the following days I received some interest for my players - most notably, Damien Duff. Now Duff may have been 2nd to the 'World's Footballer of the Year' Arjen Robben on the left wing, but he was still a superb player, and I didn't want to let him go. Now both Manchester United and Liverpool were gunning for my Irish magician...wait, Liverpool? A plot for a part-exchange formed in my mind...technically I would still have Joe Cole and Seedorf (an AM LRC) to cover Robben in ML, but I was still reluctant to let go of Duff, especially to one of my Premiership rivals.

Then came the news - Liverpool had accepted an offer for Gerrard from Barcelona, and contract talks were now underway. Determined not to be beaten by Barcelona, of all people, I threw caution to the wind and offered them a part exchange deal with Duff. The offer was accepted, and a contract was put on the table.

Finally, the deal was accepted! A sad farewell to Duff as he left for Anfield, but a jubilant welcome for Steven Gerrard at Stamford Bridge, which had fans buzzing and replica shirt sales soaring because of it.

And that was all fine.

Precisely 2 days after the deal had officially gone through, I received yet another message from the Board of Directors. It stated that since I had kept the club's finances in such good order last season, they were increasing my transfer budget to £99m...

Whoa-whoa-whoa, wait a minute - NINETY NINE MILLION?! I'm given an extra £90m-odd (I had about £8m remaining after the Gerrard fee) JUST TWO DAYS after I was forced to sell Damien Duff because I didn't have enough transfer funds?!? After I had already received my official transfer budget for the new season? After my query about extra transfer funds had been rejected just a couple of weeks prior?! I GAVE AWAY DAMIEN DUFF FOR NOTHING?!?!?

...And that, my friends, is why I feel like beating Mr. Abramovich over the head with a stick.

[Cactus Drags]

muddatrucker, try http://www.sortitoutsi.net They have loads of graphic updates, kits, competition and club logos, player faces, even balls and replay icons.

[Whisper]

Woooooo! Milan 0 - 3 Man Utd! Champions League Final!

Yup, my team just slaughtered the holders and clinched the double of Premiership and Champs League. It should've been treble but we I lost on penalties to Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Speaking of transfer woes though, having won the Premiership twice and the CL once in my two seasons I am DEMANDING that the board give me the money to buy D'Alessandro and Niko Kranjcar, they've both been unhappy for like, ever, yet all my bids are rejected... i think they're gonna set me back around 12-15m each, yet my board will only allow me 10 million because of the high wage budget... it's hardly my fault no one will bid for Miller, Kleberson, Keane or Giggs. While they're at it they can get that budget changed 'n all.

[IAceI]

Again, what are the possible problems for a network game not starting.

I know you've done them before Whisper, any ideas? Hit me up on MSN if you want.

[edcq]

my last couple of competitive games as Real Madrid. Including an 8-0 whipping of Barcelona on National TV. w00t w00t!

Edited November 19, 2004 by 17

[Farmer Reil]

You didn't realise that that was a bug?

[edcq]

it is?

Just as i posted that, my unbeaten run came to an end against Sevilla.

Edited November 19, 2004 by 17

[fineintent]

My QPR game is coming along - I'm second after 6 games, with Paul Furlong and Branco on fire. I've loaned in Tomi Petrescu and Rohan Ricketts and signed MacLaughan (200,000) and some dutch U21 on a free. My assistant says the team has to be strengthed to avoid relegation, so I'm considering sacking him to get a more upbeat one. Who, preferably, would tell me I can win the Champions League.

[IAceI]

I suck at this game. I keep losing, i blame Sunderland.

I am the best manager ever, blame the team, it is never my fault. Yargh.

...help

[Herr Matzat]

my last couple of competitive games as Real Madrid. Including an 8-0 whipping of Barcelona on National TV. w00t w00t!

←

[FLiam]

LMAO stokeriño, that is classic!

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

That site Drags mentioned is quality, the official kits pack is fantastic and so is the Aerox Nike ball.

[King Ellis]

I was the one who told him about it

[Cactus Drags]

Yeah, thanks Ellis.

I've downloaded the blue Premiership Aerow ball, and the proepr yellow hi-vis one too.

you can even get striped nets, it's amazing. I might try and draw some of my own.

[Guest Dakendo]

I'm so getting properly into this now.

Started again as Leeds, as I'm out of the 'completely pissing around with all the features' phase. I've got a good training regime, nice tactics and a good overall squad, and I'm sitting a'top the Coca Cola Championship after 7 games, and I've just found out that my 1-0 victory over Reading has made our start the best ever start to a season for Leeds. Jamie McMaster is on fire down the right win, Pugh is smashing home a few, and defenders like Radebe and Carlisle are scoring. Plus, Brian Deane is doing the goods up front, which helps.

[TMM]

I can't get into it at the moment knowing that a patch is coming out. It's quite annoying because I wanna be Crystal Palace and Arsenal...