Football Manager 2006

[The LBTN Express]

I managed to sell Owen to Chelsea last night for £70 million (potentially £78 depending on goals and appearences). Chelsea, Milan and Arsenal were chasing him and Chelsea and Arsenal both tabled bids of £40 and then £50 million which I turned down. Then Chelsea came back with the above £70 million offer, which I gladly accepted.

I also sold Luque to Liverpool for £7 million and Emre to Tottenham for £4.5 million. Both had had the 'Lost confidence in manager's ability' for the last two years so I decided to get rid of them even though they were a vital part of my first team.

I managed to fill the holes signing Ben Arfa for £13.75 million and Adu for £12 million who have both been lethal. Adu has 11 goals in 13 starts and Ben Arfa is tearing it up playing just off Adu and Nelson Valdez.

With the money I got from Owen I also signed Sergio Ramos Garcia from Madrid (he had a £13.75 release clause) after he'd been tearing it up for Madrid for the last two years, giving probably the best set of centre backs in the Premiership at the moment (Jacques Faty, Steven Taylor, Ramos & Boumsong) with Rafinha/Gillis on the right and Grosso on the left.

We're currently third at the moment (but on a 12 match winning streak) and hopefully next season we can make a proper push for the title thanks to the money Owen brought in.

[gunnar hendershow]

I've been debating getting rid of Owen and Luque lately actually. N'Zogbia and this 18-year old Ismael Aissati and be some stellar Left Wingers or I could put them both in the middle. There are quite a few good Strikers for 10mil I could bring in to work with Peter Crouch (I got tired of Chopra sucking). Dirk Kuyt, Adu, and Leroy Lita all come to mind as guys I could bring in. Then I could work on adding a Right back or move Collen over there and get a new Centre back. Javier Garrido is great on the left, Steven Taylor is awesome, and as mentioned Pieter Collen is one of the best defensemen in the Premiership.

[TheArsenal]

Well I've finished my first season as Swansea City. I was expected to rebuild the team over the coming year, but instead won the League One Title (by 5 points), won the LVD Vans Trophy, and got to the Semi-Final of the FA Cup, losing 3-2 to Portsmouth after being 2-0 up.

In World Cup news, England went out in the second round, while the final went to extra time where France managed to score twice to win 2-0........against Australia.

I couldn't persuade Kasper Schmiecal to stay, after his performances attracted the attention of a host of Premiership sides. Here's a list of my signings during the summer, with which I can hopefully finish in the top half of the Championship this year.

Joe Keenan (from Chelsea) - Free

Doriva (from Middlesbrough) - Free

Shaka Hislop (from West Ham) - Free

Arjan de Zeeuw (from Wigan) - Free

Lorenzo Amoruso (from Blackburn) - Free

Teddy Sheringham (from West Ham) - Free

Theo Walcott (from Southampton) - £825,000

Nourredine Naybet (from Tottenham) - Free

Emerson Thome (from Wigan) - Free

Ivica Mornar (from Portsmouth) - Free

Francis Jeffers (from Charlton) - Free

Danny Pugh (from Leeds) - £250,000

Kerrea Gilbert (from Arsenal) - Free

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (from Man Utd) - Free

Andy Johnson (from West Brom) - Free

Mark Pembridge (from Fulham) - Free

Robbie Fowler (from Man City) - Free

Bring on the Championship!!!

[The Kraig]

A lot to be happy about, plus I'm leading England into the World Cup. We have Scotland, Kuwait and Uruguay, in our group.

Edited June 1, 2006 by The Kraig

[Buford Ripley]

New Zealand produce the greatest teams in the world. >_>

From my recent game in the World Club Championships.

Missing goal is Hleb '64.

EDIT: Question:

If I remove all the useless young players from the national pool will it affect the Under 21s/19s?

Edited June 1, 2006 by kulex

[The LBTN Express]

Isn't the National Pool just a sort of guide to help you pick the players without searching for them?

Your U21/U19 manager will/should pick players who aren't in the National Pool.

I could be wrong though, haven't played an international game in ages.

[Buford Ripley]

I just realised that despite my goal glut at the WCC they didn't count towards my players' goal tallies because it's classed as non-competitive.

Is this fair?

[ONO]

So, England want me to get to the second round of the World Cup. We qualify with a 100% record in our group. Scotland, actually don't have a bad side. Anyway, we are put out by Portugal in the second round, they scored in the last minute of extra time. I was raging. The FA fired me. Cunts. Anyway, I decided to stick two fingers up at the FA, and I took the Croatia job. C'mon Croatia.

[Buford Ripley]

Now all you have to do is hope you get drawn aaginst England and beat them.

[TheArsenal]

Sam Alladyce just got the England job in my game. Even though he got relegated with Bolton.

[Buford Ripley]

Bwahahaha. I lulled Chelsea into a false sense of security and they scored then I switched tactics and took the game 5-1. Carling Cup Final here I come. >_>

[ONO]

I'm getting bored with Liverpool. =/

I've won the league, and two champions league cups. I have a fine squad, but I believe its time to leave.

Rangers haven't won the league in what? 6 years. I believe they are calling. Time for a stint in Scotland.

Will I regret leaving a champions league winning side for Scotland? Maybe, but its all part of the fun.

[Buford Ripley]

I love how quickly the game runs once you've past January, can't wait till it's over.

Sol Campbell, at the tender age of 36, has demanded I pay him £42k for the rest of the season if he is to move to Birmingham. Screw that, in the reserves you go.

Edited June 2, 2006 by kulex

[ONO]

I decided not to go to Scotland at all. I took one look at my squad, and to be honest, I can't leave. I've spent seven years building this team up. If anything, its my duty to try and defend my Champions League crown. Four games into the new season, we've drew three and won only one. Poor start.

[Dan]

Didn't you cheat though?

[Buford Ripley]

I've been scouring the Premiership for my England squad and I think I've got the best job in the world. The wealth and quality of talent I have at my disposal is immense and I think I'm going to be winning Euro 2012. I'm going to be digging through the Championship but I doubt I'll be looking abroad since that would be too much fo a hassle.

On another note I've surprisingly still kept Beckham in my squad. He's got decent physical stats but his technical and mental stats outshine all the other English right-wingers except for maybe one or two.

[ONO]

Didn't you cheat though?

Edited June 2, 2006 by Lost Soul

[TheArsenal]

As long as you don't cheat this time...

[EZE]

Yeah... I like uhm... Rock. Atleast the press think so.

In my game, I finally got Wolves promoted at the third attempt (4th season of the game, 1st was relegation with boro). Finished 3rd and won the Playoff with Bolton to get into the premiership. I also had an incredible run to the finals of the FA Cup, losing out to Arsenal (and earning a new best buddy in Arsene) and picking up a UEFA Cup place for Wolves first year back in the top flight.

Total restructuring of my midfield in the summer brought in the likes of Mark Bresciano (australian), Luigi Di Biagio (replacing Gaizka Mendieta as the 'experienced head' in my team. Mendi went on a free to Norwich despite me offering him a new 1yr deal) and various others. Started good with a 5-1 romping against Birmingham. But then I had like 7 draws in a row, and lost 2 after that. In europe, I snuck into the group stages of the uEFA Cup, won my first game against STeau and then lost to Celtic. At this time, THE USA offered me the managers job of their national side, I took it and briefly had a Continental Reputation. This is important...

because as I felt, being in my last year of contract with Wolves and about to fight a relegation battle I thought it was time to end my stay. So I was looking around and noticed Guus Hiddink under some considerable strain at PSV. I declared interet, and the press seemed to think I would be THE man to replace Guus should he be fired. Better than them laughing at me. Guus was fired 3 days later, the chairman rejecting accusations by the press that he was already talking to a replacement saying instead he'd take his time. That same day I agreed an $18,750 a week, 2 and a half year deal.

I'm going to PSV! Ive only briefly looked over the squad but it is BRIMMING with talent. The youth team is incredible, no reserves to speak of, and a first team thats only got 4 non-Dutch nationals. Its my dream project with PSV now to kick out the foreign mercs and lead an all dutch squad to Dutch League and European Glory. Once I achieve that, I'll try and build a LOCAL team and send it to victory. Oh yeah, they are still in UEFA Cup and top of their group so Ive made a huge step forward in my career rather than a step back (which was what I did when i went from Boro to Wolves).

Oh and coincidentally.. my first international friendly with the USA? Who the opponent is?

Holland.

It was a sign.

transfer kitty of £7.25m. IF I sell the four foreigners in the first week of the january transfer window I can probably raise that to about £10.5m which I can then invest in snatching up cheap talented dutch players. Gonna be fun~~

Edited June 2, 2006 by EZE

[The Kraig]

Aston Villa just stole the Premiership title from Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool on the last day, in the 90th minute of their match against Arsenal. Despite still having a pretty average team. The hell? (0_o)