Football Manager 2008

[ONO]

Man, heartbreaking defeats are shit

Try losing two Champions League finals in a row.

[Pesci]

On my 2007 Liverpool game I lost 2 FA Cup Finals, a League Cup Final and a Champions League Final within a few seasons without any other cup success. I won the treble eventually but still, frustrating. Not to mention the League Cup Final was against Man United featuring Super Rooney, who scored four 20 yard screamers if I'm remembering right.

[Zaz]

Why is it that strikers do well for every team but yours?

I sold Bent and Defoe off cause they were doing ordinary, Defoe is doing super at Portsmouth (coincidence that, really) and Bent got the second best Euro player of the year at Athletico Madrid.

[Whisper]

On my 2007 Liverpool game I lost 2 FA Cup Finals, a League Cup Final and a Champions League Final within a few seasons without any other cup success. I won the treble eventually but still, frustrating. Not to mention the League Cup Final was against Man United featuring Super Rooney, who scored four 20 yard screamers if I'm remembering right.

I wish he'd do it for me

I hate this game sometimes... I was level on points with Arsenal and Chelsea... but 3 draws in our last 4 have seen us slip 3 points behind again. Goalscoring is becoming a problem. Best defensive record in the league... poor goalscoring rate, which is the complete opposite of most of my FM games.

I may have to try a new formation at home.

[RazorsEdge]

EDIT:

Players out:

Wes Brown to Newcastle for 8.5M

Gerard Pique to Juventus for 9.5M (David Gill said it was too good an offer so he accepted for me. >_>)

Darren Fletcher to Tottenham for 5.75M

Louis Saha for 3.5M to Portsmouth.

& various on loans.

Players in:

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Ajax for 20M (may seem like a lot but I will explain soon.)

Claudio Pizzaro from Chelsea for 1.8M (as a short term 4th string striker)

Per Kroldrup from Fiorentina for 2.4M (as a short term defensive back up)

Now I currently play a 3-3-1-3 formation:

GK Van Der Sar

CB John O'Shea

CB Rio Ferdinand

CB Nemanja Vidic

ML Nani

MR Cristiano Ronaldo

MC Paul Scholes/Anderson

AM Ryan Giggs/Anderson

ST Wayne Rooney

ST Carlos Tevez

ST Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

I should note that Gary Neville starts the game injured. >_>

Currently 2nd in the league after 7 games, won 5 drawn 2, Spurs have won 6 and drawn 1. I'm hoping to finish in the top 3 this year before again hitting the transfer market next year and strengthening the squad more... And as much as it pains me to say, I may have to start looking to move on some of the older guys like Neville, Giggs and Scholes.

Edited April 3, 2008 by RazorsEdge

[ONO]

Defender - Barzagli, can't go wrong with him. Cheap and world class.

Striker - Aguero if you can afford to pay about 20m straight away.

I have a trick though, well someone told me it. >_> Offer the club nothing at the start but a huge lump sum over say 24 months. It works out easier to pay etc.

[RazorsEdge]

Defender - Barzagli, can't go wrong with him. Cheap and world class.

Striker - Aguero if you can afford to pay about 20m straight away.

I have a trick though, well someone told me it. >_> Offer the club nothing at the start but a huge lump sum over say 24 months. It works out easier to pay etc.

Already edited my post up there with my buys, however I checked out both of these and they look solid. I might do some buying and selling in January to see if I can't get Barzagli at least.

EDIT: Spurs aren't top anymore.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e148/raz...7/spurslose.jpg

Edited April 3, 2008 by RazorsEdge

[Pesci]

EDIT:

Players out:

Wes Brown to Newcastle for 8.5M

£8.5m? Or Australian dollars or something? Because if it's the former, I salute you

[RazorsEdge]

EDIT:

Players out:

Wes Brown to Newcastle for 8.5M

£8.5m? Or Australian dollars or something? Because if it's the former, I salute you

Pounds. I was surprised at how much I got for him. I mean, I'm a United fan, and I've always thought he was pretty average. >_>.

Anyway...Update!

During the January transfer window the only player I brought in was Mauricio from Fluminense. He's a 18 year old striker, as soon as I brought him in I immediately shipped him off to Antwerp on loan. I unloaded Patrice Evra who was unhappy about no first team football since I was playing with 3 at the back to AC Milan for 6.75M. I then unloaded Ben Foster who said he'd never get any opportunities at the club for 3.7M to Portsmouth.

After 30 games I am pretty disappointed at my position, sitting in 5th behind Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool, but its pretty close. I've had a bad run as of late, though. When the season is over I plan to try and sell Giggs, Neville and Scholes...maybe some others that aren't getting any time (Park Ji-Sung, and surprisingly, Hargreaves.) in order to shore up some cash. Since my defense is lacking I'm considering going back to a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3... We shall see. Its been ages since I've played a FM game so I'm pretty hooked again.

EDIT: Oh, and is just me, or do other people do pretty well against the better teams but seem to struggle a bit more against lower teams? >_>.

Edited April 3, 2008 by RazorsEdge

[Gazz]

EDIT:

Players out:

Wes Brown to Newcastle for 8.5M

£8.5m? Or Australian dollars or something? Because if it's the former, I salute you

You seem surprised?!?

We paid £8m for Boumsong.

[Pesci]

I can't be without FM at the moment so I started a new game as Liverpool, playing the narrow diamond formation that Milan use, which does happen to make a lot of my players obselete, but if I user it alongside short and slow passing, I keep possession and complete passes like a bitch, which is what I like to see. At the moment I'm lining up like this:

GK: Reina

DR: Finnan/Arbeloa/Barragan (bought for 475k, buy back clauses FTW)

DL: Riise/Aurelio/Insua

DC: Carragher

DC: Agger/Hyypia

DM: Mascherano/Sissoko

MC: Lucas/Benayoun

MC: Alonso

AM: Gerrard/Kewell/Babel

FC: Torres/Voronin

FC: Kuyt/Crouch/Babel

So yeah, players like Babel and Benayoun are basically bit-players whereas last time they both got quite a bit of time on the pitch. Pennant won't get a look in at all, he's currently rotting in my reserves. As for Kewell, I've decided to let him deputise for Gerrard after he scored a hattrick in a friendly.

I've bought three fifteen/fourteen year olds in superstar John Fleck, some Dutch kid and some kid that Spurs bought for 2m in 2006 that I stole off them for 200k ... I also want Breno because he's only 17 and will still be young by the time Carragher retires, but Sao Paolo are playing hardball over him, the bastards.

[Zaz]

I've bought three fifteen/fourteen year olds in superstar John Fleck, some Dutch kid and some kid that Spurs bought for 2m in 2006 that I stole off them for 200k ... I also want Breno because he's only 17 and will still be young by the time Carragher retires, but Sao Paolo are playing hardball over him, the bastards.

Danny Rose? If so, he (at least in mine) turns out good in stats like tackling, passing, crossing, dribbling and finishing (all 16+), but apart from a couple of mental attributes has otherwise averages stats across the board.

[ONO]

So yeah, players like Babel and Benayoun are basically bit-players whereas last time they both got quite a bit of time on the pitch. Pennant won't get a look in at all, he's currently rotting in my reserves. As for Kewell, I've decided to let him deputise for Gerrard after he scored a hattrick in a friendly.

Benayoun may be a bit player but certainly not Babel. The role I have him in is fantastic. Comes on every match, mostly as a sub and paces the game up and largely does well.

Pennant is alright, but if you want to bring Liverpool forward he has to go. And Kewell is shite. >_>

Breno is the king at CB roughly around 2013-2014ish. Easily the best CB barring regens.

Edited April 4, 2008 by Ringys LAAAAAAAAAAAAD

[King Ellis]

I just started a game as Loserpool and Benayoun, Pennant, Kewell and Voronin look shit and i've tried to move them on. Only Pennant has gone, for a cut price 3.5m to boot (to Reading where he demanded to be the center of attention which made the fans upset) and no one wants any of the others.

Gotta agree with LS though, Babel looks good but I think he'll only be a bit part for me too. I'm going with Torres/Crouch since Crouch did well for me preseason. Babel will rotate in in place of Torres on occasion since they're similar with their pace and dribbiling. He'd get more games on the wing if his crossing was better. Training calls methinks.

Edited April 4, 2008 by Ellis Misses Benji

[RazorsEdge]

Starting with 20M in transfer money, selling Tevez and Hargreaves and then getting my transfer budget raised even more to about 80M is awesome.

Ins:

Scott Arfield for 1.9M from Falkirk (my feeder team that got relegated), sent him off to Antwerp on loan.

Fabio Lima for 26K from Fluminense and sent him to Antwerp where he will stay until he has EU citizenship.

Rafael Forster for 1.3M from Internacional and sent him to Antwerp as well.

Anthony Vanden Borre came in for 8M each to Genoa and Fiorentina.

Igor Akinfeev for 20.5 from CSKA Moscow.

And Michael Johnson in from Man City for 21M up front, rising to (I think) 36M.

Played 3 Prem games so far, beat Sheff Utd and Chelsea and drew with Liverpool.

I'm now playing a 4-1-3-2 formation:

GK Akinfeev/Van Der Sar (Will move VDS off in January)

LB Silvestre/O'Shea

RB Vanden Borre/O'Shea/Simpson

CB Ferdinand

CB Vidic/Kroldrup

DM Johnson/Carrick

LM Nani/Giggs/Mauricio

RM Ronaldo/Ji-Sung

CM Anderson/Ji-Sung

ST Rooney/Mauricio

ST Huntelaar/Pizarro

Pretty happy with my team at the moment... Hopefully it goes well.

[Guest Kou]

You actually got Man City to sell Johnson? Any time I try they won't accept any amount of money.

[RazorsEdge]

You actually got Man City to sell Johnson? Any time I try they won't accept any amount of money.

I'm using the 8.0.2 patch, so if you have an older one they still might not. But yeah, they did, I was shocked. They negotiated to 38M all up front, but I renegotiated them to 21M up front and 15M over 24 months.

[Summers]

My success as Norn Iron manager gave me some credibity, and a job I fancied came up. One Alan Padrew was sucking at Charlton, I stated my interest, he was soon fired and I was his replacement. I refused to walk out on Norn Iron, though. I will finish the job I started, I shall guide them through the Euros.

But with Sweden, Germany and Italy in the group I'm not expecting much. And when ever we finish in that competition I intend to resign and concentrate solely on making Charlton and Premiership side again. I've been in charge of Charlton for 7 games, 4 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. This form has pushed me up to 4th.

I could perhaps reach 2nd, problem being I don't want promotion. The squad is not ready.

[Guest Kou]

You actually got Man City to sell Johnson? Any time I try they won't accept any amount of money.

I'm using the 8.0.2 patch, so if you have an older one they still might not. But yeah, they did, I was shocked. They negotiated to 38M all up front, but I renegotiated them to 21M up front and 15M over 24 months.

I offered 50m as Utd in the first season (25m poundies) and they rejected that shit. They be cold blooded.

[Pesci]

So yeah, players like Babel and Benayoun are basically bit-players whereas last time they both got quite a bit of time on the pitch. Pennant won't get a look in at all, he's currently rotting in my reserves. As for Kewell, I've decided to let him deputise for Gerrard after he scored a hattrick in a friendly.

Benayoun may be a bit player but certainly not Babel. The role I have him in is fantastic. Comes on every match, mostly as a sub and paces the game up and largely does well.

Pennant is alright, but if you want to bring Liverpool forward he has to go. And Kewell is shite. >_>

Yeah, I played about half a season before and Babel was immense when I used him as a kind of advanced winger, but he won't fit into my current system all that well. And until Kewell starts playing badly he's staying :@