Football Manager 2011

[TCO]

The Celtic League sounds like an awesome idea! Is it hard to make in the editor?

I've gone back to 2008 as it's my favourite version of recent years and I never picked up 2011.

Went Newcastle naturally and it was a pleasant suprise when I got 39.5mil to spend for a top half finish, I forgot how optimisitc Mike Ashley's reign was at the start. Anyway I spent it all and more because Ashley went over my head and sold Martins to Spurs when they bid 10mil. Decent business I suppose but left me a bit short up front.

Had an horrendous start to the season losing 4 of my first 5 games and drawing 1. I tinkered with my formation and a few came back from injury, just off two huge wins away at Sunderland and home to Middlesborugh. Enjoying it because it runs so fast and Newcastle are filthy rich, hope I can keep my job.

Current Starting 11

Given

Beye - Garay - Taylor - Enrique

Srna - Barton - Van Der Vaart - N'Zogbia

Owen © - Arshavin

Duff and Milner are out injured and could very well both make their way into the team given Enrique's shitness and Srna's versatility. Arshavin wasn't bought as a striker but can play thee and will have to make do after losing Martins. Almost signed Pizarro from Chelsea too, but the cunt wanted 40k a week so he got told to piss off sharpish.

[Mj3]

Its not that hard, although, its very timeconsuming, i did all the leagues and prize money individually before ranking clubs on broad criteria on reputation, ground, average attendance and academy.

Took me a train journey from Leeds to Liverpool to put all the teams in the right division.

This year I've just merged 4 Scottish leagues into 2, much easier

[Hobo]

Last season I signed Younes Tran, a 16 year old from Clairefontaine for 220K. Our chairman just sold him to Everton for 1.4million to Everton, which is 600K away from being Vikings highest fee received. Which is 2million which is what the club recieved for Martin Fillio several seasons before I joined and Renato Gaucho, who I signed for around 200k and sold 2million to Feynoord.

It's nice to make such epic profits on players. Especially considering one is just 16 years old and had only played 2 games for the first time, both in cup games, and he scored in one, as opposed to Gaucho who played regularly and was 18 when he left.

[stokeriño]

I suck horribly at selling players. I basically keep renewing their contracts forever until I decide I no longer want them, at which point they've only got X months left and I just let their contracts expire. The only exception is if they get unhappy and want to leave, at which point nobody really wants them anyway in which case I'll get a couple of mill at most.

This is one reason why I'm a whore for free transfers rather than spending real money.

[Hobo]

I've gotten lucky with those two, and a couple of others, Karim Coulibaly is another I got for nothing and made 500k from. Usually I can't sell players if I want to get rid of them. I've signed a few duds as well to be honest. I thought Bjarte Haugstral would be a great signing for an AMC/ST role but he's barely managed to score anything. And an Afghan striker I signed for the clubs record fee has been surpassed by Juanmi, a Spanish striker who cost me nothing and despite Rosenborgs best efforts I have managed to keep.

I was fighting to keep Tran for ages. Newcastle, Arsenal and Bordeaux all wanted him. I've bagged a bunch of other youths from Norway and have them out on loan.

That said, since I'm going to Catania after the season ends, I'll probably raid Viking.

[Jimmy]

I suck horribly at selling players. I basically keep renewing their contracts forever until I decide I no longer want them, at which point they've only got X months left and I just let their contracts expire. The only exception is if they get unhappy and want to leave, at which point nobody really wants them anyway in which case I'll get a couple of mill at most.

This is one reason why I'm a whore for free transfers rather than spending real money.

This.

I get such pathetic offers for my players because, for some reason, their prices are low despite being quality. I fully well know that I couldn't replace them with the money offered to me, and as my Ipswich team are financially secure, I see no need to sell on players who I think could be valuable to the team.

[Mj3]

Footballs not the same now you can't sign a player from Norway for £300,000 and turning out to be a leading central midfielder.

[stokeriño]

Eight games to go...

Nice to see that West Ham have dropped away to their more natural position. Arsenal running away with the title again, sigh. Wenger and SAF are still there but weirdly Mancini now manages Chelsea and City are managed by Rafa.

Theoretically I could make a dash for the Champions League, but the run-in's not great:

Everton (away)

Chelsea (home)

Arsenal (home)

Burnley (away)

West Ham (home)

Wigan (home)

Manchester City (away)

Aston Villa (home)

Plus Hargreaves is out with a torn groin muscle, and my central midfield just isn't the same without him. Charlie Adam and Chris Cohen are not going to get anything from Wilshere and Fabregas.

Oh well. Hopefully I could make the FA Cup Final if I win my 6th round replay (at home) against Newcastle and then beat Wigan in the Semi.

[Gazz]

Newcastle, the football pools players worst nightmare.

[Mj3]

How does everyone build their team? do you start by building a solid defense or build to ensure you score goals by the bucketful?

[Mj3]

How does everyone build their team? do you start by building a solid defense or build to ensure you score goals by the bucketful?

[stokeriño]

How does everyone build their team? do you start by building a solid defense or build to ensure you score goals by the bucketful?

I build a spine and work my way outwards. So when I got promoted I wanted a new centre-back, central midfielder and striker. I guess I am thinking slightly more defensively in the sense that I'd want an MC who's a rock in the middle of the park before I started thinking about a flouncy playmaker or such.

If my resources were more limited I don't think I'd necessarily prioritise one area...I'd just be opportunistic and see what came along. Although, if your goalkeeper is a bit shifty, that definitely IS priority number one.

[Gazz]

Defence first, conceding goals pisses me off far more than scoring goals pleases me.

[Liam]

I always seem to end up with way too many MC/AM players in my teams, although I do tend to play 4-2-3-1, so kinda allows that freedom.

But yeah, have been more likely to build from the back recently. Players like Enyeama, Rafael Toloi, Phil Jones, Ryan Shawcross and Mapou Yanga Mbiwa tend to get looked at depending on my financial situation and needs.

[stokeriño]

I'm not usually one for pulling off comebacks, but being 2-0 down against Everton after 35 minutes and winning the match 2-5 is pretty awesome.

[Jimmy]

I seem to be quite concerned with building a resonable midfield and attack more than anything else. I've been gifted in my game by singing in 18 year wonderkid goal keeper, who's been quality for me; so I never had to worry about goalkeepers or anything. Because nothing pisses me off more than a keeper letting in a sitter. But, I've spent up to £17.5 million on midfielders, and until this season, I'd only spent £6 mil on defenders. I think it all depends on the formation, but having a solid centre midfielder, two good centre backs and an out and out striker are where I start when building a team.

[Ben E.]

I'm 8th at the minute with 13 games gone, 6/4/3. My losses have come against Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea though, so it's going alright. In somewhat of a tradition with me in Football Manager, after getting promoted I've bought horribly. In this case I got sick of players asking for wages well out of my budget and went into panic- buy mode. The pick of the bunch has been Roman Bednar.

A bit of advice; never sign Roman Bednar. Ever. Under no circumstances should you sign Roman Bednar.

It hasn't been all bad though, Wolfli is doing alright in goal although I've definitely overpaid for him and I managed to get Sandro on loan from Tottenham, who's turned out to be fantastic.

The only real shocking thing in my game is Arsenal being in 11th. I thought it was an achievement when I beat them 2-0, but it seems like everyone else is beating them too.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Ben E.

[stokeriño]

He came here from the Ivory Coast, Kalou, Kalou!

He scores more as a red than as a blue, a blue!

He cut inside onto his left

And slipped it in past Petr Cech

THAT'S WHY WE LOVE SALOMON KALOU!

[Hobo]

With nine games to go, we are top! I'm hoping for the perfect end to my final season at Viking.

[Meacon Keaton]

Defence first, conceding goals pisses me off far more than scoring goals pleases me.

I'm of the same mindset. I spend a good chunk, if not all, of my transfer budget on bringing in the best defensive players I can find. Then, if I feel like it, I'll look to bring in some mids or strikers on loan or freebies.