Football Manager 2007

[ClaRK! Kent]

Premiership = meh. Even the mighty Tottenham weren't enough to keep my interest up, having romped to victory in the opening 12 games of the season with little investment in the squad. Apparently, decent coaches and variable tactics are the only thing necessary for top flight success... if only it was so easy, huh?

Anyway, I'm off to America to manage some inland, crappy team (Colorado looks tempting) and see if I can squeeze a challenge outta the game.

[Hobo]

Hah, won the Gold Cup with USA! Defeating Mexico in the semi and Brazil U23s in the final. The semi with Mexico was a war. Each side had a player off with injury and Mexico finished with 8 men. Which was kinda nice because they were ripping the competion apart all beating Canada 8-0 in the 3rd place playoff. Before that they'd beaten Honduras 7-0 and Anguila 7-1.

We beat the Brazilians 3-2 while having our squad of 22 cut down to 14 thanks to injuries and suspensions from yellow cards (picked up mostly against Mexico).

Now I can concentrate on my new job at Milan. I've lined up a few players thus far, (Marques from Barca, a goalie Ismael from Sevilla and I'm in on-going talks with Bojan at Roma). As well as trying to offload some of the oldies around AC Milan and lure as many guys as I can get with the whopping 330 million I have to spend.

[Zaz]

Since when is Jussi Jaaskelainen good enough to STOP 4 penalties out of 5? Complete and utter arse.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I wasn't going to get this, as I didn't feel the need to get an improved version of 2006 when it was first released, and with 2008 close I wasn't going to bother earlier this year.

But all the summer transfers has got me wanting to play FM, and in CEX the 360 version is £20. I had a £20 CEX voucher. I caved, so the 360 version of 2007 will tide me over until the PC version of FM2008 is out. Here's to me spending the rest of the night editing it, before attempting to take a mid-table Premier League team to the top.

[Farmer Reil]

Since when is Jussi Jaaskelainen good enough to STOP 4 penalties out of 5? Complete and utter arse.

[TAFKA Castroneves]

I just started a game as Valencia, and i'm not doing too badly as we enter mid-January. But let's start from the beginning.

Main opening news is that I sold David Villa to Chelsea for £34 million pounds. I reasoned this that my transfer budget was actually before that at 600k - and the squad wasn't good enough all over in my estimations. With the money I made from that sale I bought:

Claudio Pizarro - £11.5 million from Bayern, he had an amazing start to the season, 10 goals in 7, but since then has only added another 7 to his total.

Nani - £9.5 million from Sporting, he's not been that good. I brought him in to solidify my midfield but playing him in the middle hasn't been working. He's backup currently.

Rodrigo Palacio - £10.5 million from Boca. He started off slower than Pizarro but now has 20 goals so far over the course of the season. Still a bit hit and miss however alike Pizarro. Pity because they both started to well.

With also selling Gavilian and a couple of others I also picked up:

Gael Givet - £6.5 million from Monaco. He's a good left back but has sorta fallen into backup since Del Horno has got back to fitness.

Managed an away point at Real Madrid as I topped the table one point ahead of Barca at Christmas, this with only one loss - where the referee fucked me over against Deportivo. I was 2-1 up and lost 3-2 in the last two minutes.

Champion's League has gone alright, although has had my heart in my mouth on many occasions. I drew Chelsea, Werder Bremen and Zurich, which on paper was possibly the toughest group. I beat Zurich away first game 2-0, then beat Werder away (luckily I didn't deserve it) 2-1. That was followed up by the Chelsea double-header with me drawing 1-1 at home and loosing 2-0 away. Chelsea topped the group as I played Zurich at home...and lost 1-0. That left me equal on points with Werder as our game was the last one. I was 2-0 down inside ten minutes, but made a strategical change to a diamond attacking 4-4-2 and ended up winning 6-3. Thank God.

I have now drawn Porto in the first knockout round, so I should hopefully get through that one.

January came around and I sold Miguel to Chelsea for £8 million as he wasn't performing as well as Caniera at right back. With that money I signed a few young players, Tamuz from Jerusulem and Moreno from Sevilla (who is 16 and got 18 finishing). Then I splashed out £10 million for Rafinhia from Gelsenkurchen. That ate up most of my budget although for next season i'm looking into picking up Ben Haim, Riquelme and possibly Essien to add to my squad.

Saying that i'm also looking at getting a new backup keeper for next season, Mora isn't that great and Canizares isn't aging too well now. I'll probably get one more decent enough season out of him before I release him on a free. Amelia (from Livornio) and Hildebrand (from Germany somewhere) are coming up on frees so im looking into them as possible long-term replacements. Oh, and Metzelder from Dortmund also could be coming up on a free, and he's pretty good.

So, finally, it's coming up the end of Janaury and i'm third, had a dodgy month. I'm five points behind Barca and two behind Real in second. I still hope to snatch the league from under their noses but it's proving tricky as my form has started to dip. Here is my current team:

1. Canizares - GK

2. Rafinhia - RB

3. Del Horno - LB

5. Marchena - CB

6. Raul Abidal - CB

7. Whatever his name is, good right winger for Valencia >_>

19. Vicente - LM

8. Baraja - CM

21. Silva - CM

10. Palacio - CF

14. Pizarro - CF

Bench:

13. Mora - GK

20. Caniera - RB

11. Givet - LB

15. Navarro - CB

12. Albedia - CM

23. Moreno - CF

9. Morientes - CF

I swear I didn't spell half my players' names right >_>

[Timmoru Suzuki]

360 version has no editor

Anyway, started as Tottenham, it's going OK. 4 wins, a draw and 3 defeats (though two were to Man Utd and Chelsea). Beaten Plymouth in the League Cup, beat some random Eastern European side to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Cup, where I've held Leverkusen to a 0-0.

I signed Nicky Shorey, who sucks, Nugent who is nowhere near as good as he should be so he's in the reserves, Nakamura who is alright, and Park Ji-Sung who is a legend. Robinson, King and Dawson are great too.

With Lee Young-Pyo, Nakamura and Park, I should be the most popular team in Asia. Fuck Man Utd. In other randomness, Charlton were second after beating Arsenal, CHELSEA and some lower-table teams, until I beat them 3-0 away , they then lost 2-0 to Man Utd, but are still third. Yes, Charlton.

Edited July 31, 2007 by Mushiking timmayy

[ONO]

After winning the Champions League last week I started the game up again today. With a load of money to spend I have my eyes on a CB from Palermo, HIGHLY rated, regarded as a definite purchase. They are holding out for £29m, and I'm gonna do business.

Messi has a £44m release clause but doesn't want to leave. I'll stick with Silva and Guardado as my attacking wingers.

Sergio Ramos is on his way for £16.5m. Met his release clause, well happy. I'll play Ramos in CB with Richards. Zaccardo will continue to be out on the right, and Baines on the left.

[Hobo]

My attempt to out do my old club Roma with Milan has started out well as far as the league goes. Despite not having: Robben, Kaka and Gillardino for the start of the season and then losing the only regular goalscorer we've had in our first 3 games Klaus Jan Huntelaar we've made an undefeated start to the Serie A season despite losing the Italian Super Cup to Roma 1 - 0 (thought out playing them). I'm on the look out for a striker who'll be a goal machine because I think this is what we'll need as whilst Huntelaar has averaged a goal a game outside of him we have nothing but kids and Gillardino (who scored 28 goals for Milan the previous season) but I've got a sticky feeling that he'll be less prolific for me (which always seems to be the way). I do need to offload a a CM as I have Maschareno, Pirlo, Denlison and Fabrigas all fighting for one place in the team (Masch will probably go as everyone at Milan seems to love Pirlo and I signed Denilson and Fabrigas). Whilst I am yet to play Kaka and Im wondering just what difference he will make to my team which needs to score more goals per game for my liking (we're getting a lot of 1-0 wins but we seem to be unable to just kill the game off).

I lost out on Bojan (he went to West Ham whose striker Falcao I lost out on to Real, I also failed in getting Ashton who had kicked ass in Serie A for a season and was Europes top scorer with Fiorentina before getting bought back by the Hammers), Roma will not sell Thiago Riberio, Huntelaar was my 4th or 5th choice since I sold Bojinov

[Farmer Reil]

Get rid of Denilson (not that he's bad, but you're choosing between God, Fabregas and Spud otherwise, and Denilson is always going to lose that battle).

Edited August 1, 2007 by Farmer Reil

[ONO]

Honestly, Jean Makoun plays the DM, CM role fantastically, especially if he has Sissoko filling in the other role. Midfield domination.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

The Tottenham game is going well, but weird. It's the second of January, season one, and I'm second.... behind Man City! Chelsea are good but draw most games, and Liverpool are three places off the relegation zone! Everyone is beating everyone else, so only about five points seperates the top 8 sides. I've got a double header with Chelsea to look forward too (FA Cup at home and League away). Shorey has improved a lot, and is now my first choice left-back, with Lee Young-Pyo cover for either full-back position.

I'm looking to add depth to the squad, cover for Chimbonda would be nice, and I might put in a bid for Boa Morte (this a good idea?), but I'd really like cover for Defoe and Berbatov, as Keane is useless and Mido is injured. I've enquired after Santa-Cruz, but suggestions are welcome, for a good back-up striker, for a few million.

I'm signing about five or six random under-18 year old players, because it's what I go in FM games.

Other thing is, I've been scouting Asia for months, yet I never get reports on any players, and most Asian Nations still only have 4/5 names in their international squad list, and 'blank' names for their league teams, is there anything I can do to uncover players in that area?

Final thing, just about everyday, Chelsea ask me how much I want for King. Everyday I tell them to go fuck. They still comeback the next day. WHEN WILL THEY GET THE HINT!?

Edited August 2, 2007 by Mushiking timmayy

[Captain Kirk]

Is that not a bug in the game when that happens? Also the more knowledge in areas the more chance of having youth players from those nations I think.

[The Third Dukes]

Final thing, just about everyday, Chelsea ask me how much I want for King. Everyday I tell them to go fuck. They still comeback the next day. WHEN WILL THEY GET THE HINT!?

[ONO]

Well Roman really has no influence when it comes to asking for prices in this game.

I get it with Liverpool. I won't budge on my price but they seem to break negotiations and come back again.

Edited August 3, 2007 by Lost Soul

[fineintent]

Well Roman really has no influence when it comes to asking for prices in this game.

[ONO]

Aye, I know that there, I was talking about when you make an enquiry into a players vlaue.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I knew this would happen. January transfer window comes and goes, then as soon as February starts, my squad all decide to injure themselves. I get hammered 3-0 by Charlton, but beat Heerenveen twice in the UEFA Cup. My previously great defence has started to leak goals all over the place.

I'm looking at my summer transfer targets already though. What are my chances of landing Huntelaar?

In some other good news, Man City have FINALLY been knocked off the top spot by Arsenal. I'm not a big Arsenal fan, but at least they're credible champions!

The enquiry system is annoying me for a different reason now. Sheff Utd ask me how much for my youth keeper David Button. I tell them. They say no. The next day they come back again, and so on and so on and so on. I wouldn't mind AS much if it wasn't for the fact my asking price is 18k (and that is half of his value). Tight bastards.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I could yet win the league, but it's more to how crap the other teams are, then how good my Spurs side are. Its down to us, Arsenal and Man City (!). Benitez, Ferguson and Mourinho have all been sacked and replaced by Lippi, Capello and Van Gaal. I almost don't want to win the league, because I don't deserve it (lost 8 games so far), but Man City winning would just be a joke.

I am in the UEFA Cup final too, against Porto, and I'd feel happier about winning that because we've actually been GOOD in that competition.

However, due to doing so well in that, and some dodgy scheduling, we have to play Liverpool away, Fulham away, Newcastle away and the UEFA cup final in just over a week, which is gay.

In other bits, I realised I was an idiot when I started the game, and only turned England on from The Championship upwards. Bugger.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Finished second, as I lost to Liverpool, drew with Fulham and beat Newcastle. Arsenal Champions. Lost 3-1 in Extra-time to Porto.

Pre-season is frustrating as hell, I have £22.5 million to spend, and can't land anyone. In the market for a striker and defensive cover. Also looking at Aiden McGeady and Kevin Price-Boateng to bolster the midfield. Also, Gardener, Nugent, Stalteri and Keane can go, but on one wants them, so I'm stuck with them. Very frustrating.