Football Manager 2011

[Hobo]

I've edged AFC Wimbledon way up to 3rd in League 2 with 28 games played! At the moment winning the league is not out of the realms of possibility. Asked for a new contract but the board said no (my contract ends at the end of the season, along with a host of players and staff). I'd laugh if I got them promoted and the board didn't offer me a new contract.

This also happens to be my longest ever first game on a new version of FM!

[ONO]

You've really put me in the mood for a lower league game like Wimbledon. I went with Millwall last year and really enjoyed it. It was surprising considering lower league games never really interested me. Alas, my laptop with FM on it is being repaired and this old computer is pathetic.

[Hobo]

I had a fine Milwall game back on Championship Manager 03/04. Including making non-league player Courtney Pitt into an England player and just missing out on the Champions League because 'boro beat us too it! I'm still bitter about that

[stokeriño]

I hate making the transition from a promotion season to a 'fighting relegation' season in the league above. Specifically, having to look at my squad and try to work out who was perfectly adequate but is now shit.

Well okay, I'd probably find it easier if I were making the transition between 1st Division and Premier League, but I still have very little comprehension of what really are "good stats" for lower levels like the 3rd Division or Conference.

Also, lol promotion money. "You have received £1,000,000 in television rights for the upcoming Third Division season". "The board has announced it will improve the stadium." Improvement cost = £940,000.

Still, now I have a wonderful 6,000 capacity stadium...of which 1,000 are seated...oh.

I presume this means they spent the money on ring-fencing a slightly larger area around the pitch for standing in.

[Twist]

For the lower leagues, a player with good physical stats is always a good bet. And aggression. Go kick some people.

[Hobo]

I have decided to sign Lee Trundle until the end of the season. I got good results out of Trundle on FM10. Clearly this will help us!

[Gazz]

Sokol, Russian for shit.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

FIVE relegation places? Harsh.

The Russian lower leagues. Stern. Stern but fair.

[Gazz]

I believe it's because the Russian third tier is split into five regional divisions with one promotion place each.

[stokeriño]

What if several of the relegated teams are from the same region?

"Yes, I know you're based near Kaliningrad, but there's another relegated team from there as well, so it's off to Siberia for you."

[Gazz]

This is Russia were talking about, so that's quite likely.

[Hobo]

Reminds me of a game I had once where Kidderminster got into the Premier League. They didn't win a single game and conceded well over 100 goals.

[Gazz]

Also, in Russia it seems you can sign a contract in November that expires in December

So from the sunny climes of Vladivostock I now find myself in the slightly sunnier climes of Chesterfield.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I need a maximum of two points from eight games to win the Bundesliga, so I find it highly amusing that opposition managers still keep questioning my teams ability to win the title. I'm fairly condident my youth team could earn two points from a possible 24. Not that I want to put that to the test, of course.

And despite having the title sewn up with two months to go, despite booking a place in the German Cup final, the board only condier my job 'stable,' because I got knocked out of the Champions League to Inter Milan in the first-knockout stage. Fuck you all.

[Hobo]

I need 31 to secure promotion. We're 2nd, and Mark Quigley is starting to come good. He's become our top scorer within the space of a month of being registered for the league. Which wasn't hard none of our strikers were particularly high scoring. Danny Kedwell only had 6.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Finshed the first year of my Bayern Munich game as League (by 20pts) and domestic cup champions. Now the work begins in trying to sign the right players to make us a Champions League contender, especially since next years final will be played at the Allinz-Arena.

In 'world' news from my game, Chelsea have sacked Ancelotti for finishing SECOND behind Man Utd. Chelsea have hired Roberto Mancini as his replacement, while City have plumped for a random Mexican to replace him. Alan Shearer replaced Big Sam as manager of Blackburn mid-season and turned them around, taking them from the relegation places to a very respectable 10th place finish.

Barcelona once again dominated Europe, beating Arsenal 2-0 in the Champions League final. It could have been a North-London derby of a final, but Barca did enough to see off Tottenham 2-1 on aggregate in the semi's.

I've long since had some deals in place for the summer (the bosman's since Jan, the others since Feb). In July, I'll be signing:

Thiago from Barca on a free! (WELL chuffed with that)

Harvard Nordveit on a free from Arsenal

Dodo from Corinthians for £1.8M

A Norweigan re-gen striker for £350,000

I'll wait and see what the board give me for transfer funds before I decide on other signings, but we are 3-4 quality players short of being Champions League contenders, though I have high-hopes for Thiago.

In one final note, I may not have any goalkeepers soon (okay, no goalkeepers I'd ever contemplate playing in the first team.) In January I signed an Algerian for £200,000 to be back-up to Butt (who I knew was getting on and was already scouting a replacement.) This enabled me to allow Kraft (who was a bit dodgy) to sign a pre-contract with someone or other.

Now, Butt won't sign a new contract, being the stickler for wages that he is, and his deal runs out in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the Algerian has asked to be put on the transfer list because I wasn't playing him...

That's because you're my back-up goalkeeper, don't go getting ideas above your station there, lad.

I've accepted his request, then slapped an asking price of three times what I paid for him. If anyone bites they can have him, but it's dettered a lot of people.

[marksbros6]

Finshed the first year of my Bayern Munich game as League (by 20pts) and domestic cup champions. Now the work begins in trying to sign the right players to make us a Champions League contender, especially since next years final will be played at the Allinz-Arena.

In 'world' news from my game, Chelsea have sacked Ancelotti for finishing SECOND behind Man Utd. Chelsea have hired Roberto Mancini as his replacement, while City have plumped for a random Mexican to replace him. Alan Shearer replaced Big Sam as manager of Blackburn mid-season and turned them around, taking them from the relegation places to a very respectable 10th place finish.

Barcelona once again dominated Europe, beating Arsenal 2-0 in the Champions League final. It could have been a North-London derby of a final, but Barca did enough to see off Tottenham 2-1 on aggregate in the semi's.

I've long since had some deals in place for the summer (the bosman's since Jan, the others since Feb). In July, I'll be signing:

Thiago from Barca on a free! (WELL chuffed with that)

Harvard Nordveit on a free from Arsenal

Dodo from Corinthians for £1.8M

A Norweigan re-gen striker for £350,000

I'll wait and see what the board give me for transfer funds before I decide on other signings, but we are 3-4 quality players short of being Champions League contenders, though I have high-hopes for Thiago.

In one final note, I may not have any goalkeepers soon (okay, no goalkeepers I'd ever contemplate playing in the first team.) In January I signed an Algerian for £200,000 to be back-up to Butt (who I knew was getting on and was already scouting a replacement.) This enabled me to allow Kraft (who was a bit dodgy) to sign a pre-contract with someone or other.

Now, Butt won't sign a new contract, being the stickler for wages that he is, and his deal runs out in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the Algerian has asked to be put on the transfer list because I wasn't playing him...

That's because you're my back-up goalkeeper, don't go getting ideas above your station there, lad.

I've accepted his request, then slapped an asking price of three times what I paid for him. If anyone bites they can have him, but it's dettered a lot of people.

To be honest you sohouldn't have a problem keeping him, you'd be surprised at how many clubs have turned their noses up at Robbie Keane and David Bentley for me, and this is with me pricing them at £0!

[Gazz]

In one final note, I may not have any goalkeepers soon (okay, no goalkeepers I'd ever contemplate playing in the first team.) In January I signed an Algerian for £200,000 to be back-up to Butt (who I knew was getting on and was already scouting a replacement.) This enabled me to allow Kraft (who was a bit dodgy) to sign a pre-contract with someone or other.

Now, Butt won't sign a new contract, being the stickler for wages that he is, and his deal runs out in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the Algerian has asked to be put on the transfer list because I wasn't playing him...

That's because you're my back-up goalkeeper, don't go getting ideas above your station there, lad.

I've accepted his request, then slapped an asking price of three times what I paid for him. If anyone bites they can have him, but it's dettered a lot of people.

Two words: Vincent Enyeama

[The Future]

Finished my first season with United and won the Carling Cup and Champions League but was RAPED in the league by teams like Stoke(3-0 at Old Trafford) so I finished 4th.

Next season I bought in Simon Mignolet from Sunderland and swapped Obertan cause he whines a lot for Scott Dann since Brum were relegated and Vidic has been flirting with Barcelona. Won the Club World Championship and absolutely chinning the league at the moment, 4 points ahead of Chelsea with several games in hand.

Got David Beckham on a free, first time managing him on FM...I can't wait ^_^

[Animal]

Started a game with Juventus, first season won the league and lost the cup final. A good season as I was only expected to secure European football trough the league.

The team consisted of quite alot of players on loan which returned so I had to get some new players.

Brought in:

Ibrahim Affelay from PSV on a free

Andrea Barzagli from Wolfsburg on a free

Aleksandar Dragović from Austria Wien on a free

Ruben Rochina from Barcelona B on a free

Luc Castaignos from Feyenoord on a free

Efrain Juarez from Celtic for 7,5 million

Edu Ramos from Malaga for 1,8 million

Fabian Quagliarella from Napoli for 17,5 million. Had him on loan last season and he finished first in the top goal scorers ranking

Sebastian Giovinco return from loan from Parma. Not a real new player but last season he played for Parma and snatched up both Italian Player and Best Young Player of the Season so thrilled to have him back.

Started the season well by defeating Sampdoria for the Super Cup (1-0) and AC Milan in the first league game (4-3) and Parma in the second (3-0)

Champions League draw put me in a group with Werder Bremen, Atletico Madrid and FC Sochaux so I got a pretty good chance of advancing.