Football Manager 2006

[ErikBN3012]

I started a new game after not being able to play for a few months due to school kicking me in the nuts. I decided to go with Norwich... and they are quality. They come with two Championship quality forwards and some solid defenders. The only thing that needed shoring up was the midfield, which I did pretty well.

We won the Championship and got promoted, and it looked like we were going to have a comfortable mid table finish after not losing in the first four games, but then we went on like a 5 game losing streak that saw us in 17th place. Then my two left midfielders go out... so I have no one to start there. I switch to an attacking 4-3-3 and it's killing so far... 5-0 against Sunderland and 3-0 against Birmingham. So we'll see if we can avoid the drop this season.

[gunnar hendershow]

it's common knowledge that anybody who doesn't like football is either a girl, or gay.

Or American....

We like football!!!

...Just the wrong kind. *Cries*

[TheArsenal]

it's common knowledge that anybody who doesn't like football is either a girl, or gay.

Or American....

[The LBTN Express]

Another thing I hate! You go on a winning-streak, then when you're beat you end up on a losing streak, and can't seem to win at all.

Edited May 15, 2006 by The LBTN

[ONO]

Another thing I hate! You go on a winning-streak, then when you're beat you end up on a losing streak, and can't seem to win at all.

Do you change your tactics every so often? I've found that, that helps if you're on a winning streak because it's plausible that the other teams just get used to the way you're playing and plan accordingly.

I've got a game going at the moment with Newcastle and I change something every 4 or 5 games. Whether it's as little as changing what someone does on a corner to pushing a midfielder up to an attacking midfielder if I see a weakness I can exploit. Doing that, in three seasons my longest losing streak has been 2 games and that was when I came up against Chelsea and Arsenal back to back, losing both by the odd goal.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Lost Soul

[The LBTN Express]

Take a look at Tim Krul. He's started a few games for me in my current season and he's very solid (he'd be starting if Sebastian Viera wasn't playing out of his skin). In the reserves for the previous year he kept over 20 clean sheets and IIRC pretty much about the same the year before.

Depending on how far you are in, he should be pretty cheap and he's touted by my assistant manager Sammy Lee as being a star for the future. He's 17 at the start of the 05/06 season I think.

He'll either be in the Newcastle Reserves or U-18 team.

As for the age thing. If they're still mobile enough and have good agility and reflexes there's no reason not to play them. I had Cudicini in a game I was playing a while back playing when he was 42 and he was still solid and ended up in the team of the season (albeit with the subs) before retiring.

[ONO]

Yeah, I suppose it is different for everyone. I dropped Vinklev last year because he played shit. I previously had dropped David Unsworth for him. I gave the role back to Unsworth, and he played a blinder. He's 35 now, and he's on the bench a lot. I have Jensen do the DL role now, and he's doing well.

I'll take a look at Krul. Dudek has been terribly inconsistant and Sorensen has just been Sorensen. Sometimes he plays brilliantly, next he's playing crap. He's got my backing for the season though, as to be fair, he's been doing well lately.

Krul is at Rangers. I'm going to have to wait to the summer. If we stay in the Premiership we get about £13m for television coverage, and depending on our final position we could get a few million more. If we finish about 13th - 15th how much would we earn? for those positions, roughly. I'll bring in 2 players on a free and:

Krul - £2.5m

Crouch - £2m - £2.5m

Sinama-Pongolle - £4m (He fits my team well, and has been playing good, plus he's only 23, so why not?)

Edited May 16, 2006 by Lost Soul

[therockbox]

So riddle me this.

How does my second-string, League 2 Grimbsy side beat a League 1 Oldham side 5-1 in the Carling Cup, just 4 days after my 'best' squad (statistically and according to the assistant manager) lost 1-0 at home to bottom of the league Stockport? Same tactics (slightly tweaked to alter players' stats, basically telling them not to run with it, attempt long passes, long shots etc.)

Oh well, at least I've found out that some of my youth players might not be so bad afterall, and that my new striker Mikolanda can actually score.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Codename V

[Dan]

Stockport are fucking hard as shit to manage.

Under mega-debts I managed to guide them to fourth in my first season, missing out on automatic promotion on goal difference.

This season I'm struggling early on, but I've got 7 first teamers out and my squad is tiny anyway.

[therockbox]

Grimbsby are a pain, no transfer budget, and a wage budget of £11k. When I joined it was up at £16k, I've cut it down to £12k but can't see how to trim it anymore, without leaving myself with no cover whatsoever (at the moment I've got youth players that can come in).

We're just really hit and miss, we'll demolish a team a league above us then get hammered by fucking Crawley.

And there's a bug going round, 7 players have had a virus already this season even though I just send anyone whose got one home.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Codename V

[Dan]

Sound like my team.

At one point last season my wages budget was £0...

[therockbox]

Oh fucking hell, Mikolanda (on loan from West Ham) starts scoring, then gets the cruciate ligament injury. Unbelievable, it happened with Kyle Wilson in a friendly (after getting him for another season) as well.

[Summers]

You injured my Wilson!?

[therockbox]

Blame one of Coventry's defenders! He did it just before I was about to bring him off as well.

[Summers]

Oh.. OH. Coventry are dead!

[therockbox]

Any tips on not conceding in the last minute? Bollocking Barnet, we outclass them for the entire match, create millions of chances then concede to their only shot in the last minute.

[Dan]

Turn your time wasting up to full?

[therockbox]

It was about three quarters of the way up, but I didn't want it all the way because I thought I could still nick the win (we were the only ones doing anything, they'd had no chances up until that point).

[ONO]

And move the mentality down to "ultra defensive", that's worked a lot for me and I've held quite a lot 1-0 wins. Also, put your play down to slow, and time wasting up.

EDIT: Argh, I understood that as if you were saying you were winning, then conceded in the last minute.

EDIT: In that case, if you want to try and nick it, I'd turn the speed down to around medium, and use the "long ball" function.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Lost Soul

[Dan]

It was about three quarters of the way up, but I didn't want it all the way because I thought I could still nick the win (we were the only ones doing anything, they'd had no chances up until that point).

When you're risking it they're is always a chance they'll score.