Football Manager 2011

[jack95]

This was unwrapped this morning and is now sitting happily on my laptop. I tinkered with a game this morning at Lincoln, and already have had a weird 3-3 draw with Bury. We were 3-0 up inside 15 minutes, every goal coming from outside the area, only to gradually capitulate as I became more and more defensive in one of the most maddening second halves I've ever played.

I can see this game consuming my year.

Edited June 26, 2011 by jack95

[Hobo]

Shinnik reached 7th. After a great run in against mainly relegated teams, a draw on the last day stopped us from finishing 6th. Promising for my second season, we could push for promotion.

[SilentBob2004]

Got this for Xmas. Started off with Arsenal, and brought in Ochoa, Rodwell, Mexes, Lukaku and Alou Diarra (didn't really need him but felt like splashing my cash). Going well so far, undefeated in the league after 7 games (only 1 draw), and top of my Champs League group. It's pretty realistic, Van Persie can't play more than 2 games without getting injured, so it's a good job Chamakh is an absolute beast! 10 goals already, including all 4 in a 4-0 win against BATE.

January will probably see me ditch some players. Almunia, Denilson, Rosicky are the main candidates.

[YI]

Won a treble with Man City. Premier League, Euro Cup and FA Cup.

Was going to leave and go to another club (Newcastle who got relegated again...fucking Curbishley), but decided to do another season and just leave when my contract runs out.

Spurs started the season as utter beasts, I edged ahead around Christmas, but then totally fucked up, lost 3/4 games back to back, worst of all at home to Stoke. Bounced back with a 5-1 mauling of Porto in the Euro's and then 3-0 to Man Utd in the FA Cup, and then went on a 26 game undefeated run (across all competitions), before losing to Bolton (who finished 7th).

Won the FA Cup 1-0, Fellaini getting the only goal against former side Everton. Had an unbelievable match with Athletico Madrrid in the Euro Cup Final. Went 3-0 up within 20-minutes (2 from Tevez, 1 from Milner) and they literally didn't have a shot for half an hour. Forlan scores a freekick just before half-time. 2nd half, they come all guns blazing, pull it back to 3-3, and it looks more likely they are going to win. Lucky freekick, Kolarov scores, and then Milner puts home a sloppy one, 5-3 win, amazing. League went down to the last day. 1 point ahead of Liverpool. I destroy West Brom 5-0 at home (Tevez hat-trick), turns out Liverpool lost, so I win by 4-points, from Man Utd who sneak Liverpool on goal difference.

Tevez broke the Euro Cup goal-scoring record and managed 43 in 48 appearances (45 starts). Kolo Toure somehow managed 10-goals for the season, Gary Cahill was a monster signing (£6M).

[ONO]

Need a new game. Decisions..

[Benji]

Go with Leicester, help me find tactics

[hugobomb]

bought this today and have decided to lead Boreham Town into their relegation dogfight.

With no tranfer budget and only £300 p/w left in my wage budget, it looks like loans are the order of the day.

[hugobomb]

Managed to get a few freebies, pushing the wage budget £250p/w over what it shoud be but I plan on flogging or releasing some playing in the early months.

Took 5 points from the first three game so making a good start to my relegation battle

[Gazz]

Go with Leicester, help me find tactics

I find not changing tactics works for me, constantly changing and tinkering means the team never gets used to playing a certain way and always underperforms.

I'm playing with this formation at the minute

ST ST

AML AMR

MCR

DMLC

DL DC DC DR

It looks stupid on the tactics screen but works better on the actual pitch, especially if you push the backline up and it pushes the team closer together.

[Benji]

I've gone with 4-1-2-1-2 and only ever change at around the sixtieth to seventieth minute to a 4-3-3 if I'm not winning.

[cmb211087]

I started a new game as Spurs,using a tactic with a flat back 4,a dm, a cm and rm, a aml and two strikers. Bought Phil Jones and Leighton Baines. Won the league with 98 points, got to quarters of champs league beating Barca on the way, and lost in final of FA Cup to chelsea.

[ONO]

How are you doing with Leicester, Benji? I might give it a shot.

[DavidMarrio]

I've got like 2 games running at the minute. Got my Lyon game where 1st season i won the League by 9 points, then for the 2nd season won the French Treble pretty easily due to signing Lavezzi and Montolivio (Probably spelt wrong) and got the Champions League semis where I lost on away goals in extra time to AC Milan However Lisandro Lopez and Lavezzi's partnership on my game with the tactic i'm using is just amazing, Lopez finished on like 40+ goals in the League.

Then my 2nd game I've went Wrexham to try and get them to the Prem but I'm only in November.

[JStarr]

This was unwrapped this morning and is now sitting happily on my laptop. I tinkered with a game this morning at Lincoln, and already have had a weird 3-3 draw with Bury. We were 3-0 up inside 15 minutes, every goal coming from outside the area, only to gradually capitulate as I became more and more defensive in one of the most maddening second halves I've ever played.

I can see this game consuming my year.

Very similar game for me (using Hibs), except my side was down 3-0 with about 25 to go...then stomped Hearts for three, scoring the equalizer on a PK in injury time.

Started unemployed, hired by Hibs, now in late January, sitting 2nd in the SPL, trying to keep Celtic from pulling away. Was down six points, then took down Celtic 1-0 at home. The fans are revering their new Yank god...or something like that. Their other new Yank god, Jay DeMerit, has been a force on the back line, and will probably end up on the Team of the Year.

And co-sign on what Benji said...4-1-2-1-2 is carrying the mail bigtime for me so far. Use two CM's normally, and occasionally pull them out to left and right wings if the opponent's vulnerable to the cross.

I really have to enjoy this game while I can, and struggle to fight the temptation to play it instead of do class work (or prepare for my show) once the spring semester starts. I may need a support group.

[Benji]

Oooh, managing in Scotland. I'd forgotten how much fun that is. To the highlands!

[Noah]

Yesterday I read a review that labeled FM 11 as a great game but there was nothing particularly new about it and if you had 10 you could probably afford to miss it unless you were a fanatic.

How much truth in that?

[9 to 5]

That's about true of any new version of FM.

[Liam]

I much prefer this one to FM 2010, which I struggled to get into. So take that for what it is.

As for formations, my Fulham team play a 4-2-3-1, primarily because I seem to have more AM and AM/ST players than out and out ST's. It seems to work though.

If anyone gets the chance, sign Gylfi Sigurdsson from Hoffenheim. Guys a beast.

[Benji]

Waiting for a job on a Journey Man game and nobody seems to want me three months in Usually I've at least had offers I can reject by now.

EDIT: It was worth the wait. I just got a job with St Pat's Athletic, they've finished their season having qualified for a European competition and presumably the manager only left because his contract ran out since he achieved the media prediction as well as having won a cup and was runner up manager of the year. Should be an interesting first season straight into international competition. Plus, bonus of starting in an English speaking league.

EDIT: Oh fuck, I just noticed that along with the manager, almost the entirety of the team has gone too >_>

EDIT: Maybe that was a good thing. My fans are practically creaming themselves at every signing I make.

EDIT: And now, even better, I convinced the board to set up a feeder team in Leeds, who are constantly in the top three of the Championship. Brilliant

[Crybaby Bunting]

Very tempted to see how high I could take Workington (Conference North)

Problem is there isn't any space in the town to build a new stadium... so even if I hit League 1 I'll still be in a piss poor stadium that houses about 2k at a stretch