Football Manager 2011

[Rocky]

Managing Bolton and have just got to October 2010 and am currently sitting 9th with 3 wins, 1 draw & 2 losses.

Just lost 1-0 away to Man Utd. Very happy with the result, but the fans are not due to the rivalry. Jaaskelainen got a 9.2 rating

The other loss was at home to Everton in the 2nd rounds which was also had a 1-0 scoreline.

Man Utd & Chelsea are still undefeated & Wigan/Blackpool are still winless.

I think Jaaskelainen has really stepped up having conceded only 3 goals this season (incl. League Cup)

Now I need Sturridge to come off injury and Elmander to pull his finger out as we've only scored 4 in the league (4 more in LC)

Zat Knight has been really good at the back with Cahill, so far averaging 7.86.

Only brought in 1 player in the window. Masoud. Picked him up from Osasuna for £650k He is still more of a back-up to Petrov & Holden

but he can practically play anywhere in midfield so he's very handy to have just in case.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Pimpin' Feller

[ADG]

Completed my second season with Everton and I love this game! First season I finished third, 12 points behind Man Utd and Chelsea but was very happy with the team as I kept most of the same team I inherited, operating a 4-5-1 formation with Fellaini as an anchor man and a lone striker (either Yakubu or a loan signing from Malaga called Edinho) and even though I had a big problem scoring goals I didn't really concede that many. Third place also brought automatic Champion's League qualification for the next year. Got a fairly substantial transfer budget and dropped £23m of it on Khouma Babacar to be my first choice striker. Brought Leigh Griffiths in as a backup striker for £1m and Ruud van Nistelrooy on a free transfer and they've both been excellent, Griffiths especially has been outstanding for the relatively low outlay for him. His hat trick against Man Utd doubled his value practically which was rather nice.

Second season was even better. Won the Premiership by three points from Liverpool, as well as beating Liverpool in the League Cup final on penalties. Went out in the quarter finals of the Champion's League to eventual winners Atletico Madrid and in the sixth round of the FA Cup to eventual winners Chelsea. So now I've got Chelsea in the Community Shield and they're my bogey team, I've played them seven times and haven't won any of them. Hoping to buck that trend this season.

Mainly investing in the youth players my scouts recommend but also did spend £14m on Luis Suarez to bolster the attack as RVN and Yakubu both left in the summer. Operate a rotational strategy with a lot of changing of starting elevens depending on the team. My current squad looks like this:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Wojciech Szczesny, Grzegorz Sandomierski

DEFENDERS: John Heitinga, Tony Hibbert, Khalid Boulahrouz, Eric Abidal, Phil Jagielka, Joseph Yobo, Madjid Bougherra, Dodo, Michael Schouten, Jack Rodwell, Leighton Baines

MIDFIELDERS: Martin Simak, Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta, Axel Witsel, David Alaba, Charlie Adam, Steven Pienaar, Jack Wilshere, Eldin Hadzic, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Magaye Gueye, Jack Cork

STRIKERS: Luis Suarez, Osman Ackigoz, Khouma Babacar, Leigh Griffiths

HOT PROSPECTS: Shane Duffy, Maxime Poundje, Ross Barkley, Eduardo Cisternas, Paul-Jose M'Poku, James Wallace, Jose Baxter, Thomas Byrne, Daniel Sabo, Kerry Miller, Adrian Voicu, Kevin Smith and Alessandro Carboni.

Could probably do with another striker and another defender but I'm confident about my chances this year.

[Mj3]

First championship win completed today >_< >_< >_<

[Plubby]

Just won my first LIGA BBVA...

Then followed it up with a 2-0 win over OL in the Champions League final...Gon' and won the double... :w00t:

[Whisper]

So having grown a little bored of my Man Utd game, I started a new game unemployed with a ton of leagues enabled (so much so that game speed is at a half a star)... intent on taking the first job that was offered to me. LAst time it took until like December to get offered one so I holiday'd straight away to then, only to be offered a job on like the second day of the game.... by Solihull Motors

GOnna be a long hard season methinks

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Completed my second season with Everton and I love this game! First season I finished third, 12 points behind Man Utd and Chelsea but was very happy with the team as I kept most of the same team I inherited, operating a 4-5-1 formation with Fellaini as an anchor man and a lone striker (either Yakubu or a loan signing from Malaga called Edinho) and even though I had a big problem scoring goals I didn't really concede that many. Third place also brought automatic Champion's League qualification for the next year. Got a fairly substantial transfer budget and dropped £23m of it on Khouma Babacar to be my first choice striker. Brought Leigh Griffiths in as a backup striker for £1m and Ruud van Nistelrooy on a free transfer and they've both been excellent, Griffiths especially has been outstanding for the relatively low outlay for him. His hat trick against Man Utd doubled his value practically which was rather nice.

Second season was even better. Won the Premiership by three points from Liverpool, as well as beating Liverpool in the League Cup final on penalties. Went out in the quarter finals of the Champion's League to eventual winners Atletico Madrid and in the sixth round of the FA Cup to eventual winners Chelsea. So now I've got Chelsea in the Community Shield and they're my bogey team, I've played them seven times and haven't won any of them. Hoping to buck that trend this season.

Mainly investing in the youth players my scouts recommend but also did spend £14m on Luis Suarez to bolster the attack as RVN and Yakubu both left in the summer. Operate a rotational strategy with a lot of changing of starting elevens depending on the team. My current squad looks like this:

GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard, Wojciech Szczesny, Grzegorz Sandomierski

DEFENDERS: John Heitinga, Tony Hibbert, Khalid Boulahrouz, Eric Abidal, Phil Jagielka, Joseph Yobo, Madjid Bougherra, Dodo, Michael Schouten, Jack Rodwell, Leighton Baines

MIDFIELDERS: Martin Simak, Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta, Axel Witsel, David Alaba, Charlie Adam, Steven Pienaar, Jack Wilshere, Eldin Hadzic, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Magaye Gueye, Jack Cork

STRIKERS: Luis Suarez, Osman Ackigoz, Khouma Babacar, Leigh Griffiths

HOT PROSPECTS: Shane Duffy, Maxime Poundje, Ross Barkley, Eduardo Cisternas, Paul-Jose M'Poku, James Wallace, Jose Baxter, Thomas Byrne, Daniel Sabo, Kerry Miller, Adrian Voicu, Kevin Smith and Alessandro Carboni.

Could probably do with another striker and another defender but I'm confident about my chances this year.

How much did you pay for Alaba? I've been interested in signing him for Liverpool after he was amazing for me in a Bayern game I had going. And that's an awesome squad.

Pre-Season for me at Liverpool. My only major signing so far actually counts as a signing from last season as I had the deal agreed in January and the transfer went through on June 1st so I still have all of my summer transer budget. That signing was £5.75M for Douglas, a Brazilian centre-half with great stats and a glowing scouting report. Also, I have Emiliano Insua and Alberto Aquiliani back from loans, which is like having two new signings.

Though now I have a problem with having too many players over 25. Fabio Aurelio may have to be moved on due to rules rather than me not wanting him. After selling someone, I realised I only had 7 home-grown players and you need 8. Luckily, Insua counts as homegrown, so I'll keep him, and I'll need Konchesky to count towards the same number of HG players, leaving Aurelio as the odd left-back out.

I'm trying to get Suarez, being as I'm Liverpool and all, though I only tend to play with one striker and that's Torres. At home against weaker teams I'll drop a midfielder and play an extra striker. I have Torres, Chendu Obasi and Jefferson Montero (a winger who can play up front) as strikers so far, and Danny Pacheco just started to score goals at the back end of the last campaign.

I also landed a free transfer, a young striker caller Borja, who had a £27M release clause in his contract at Valencia and signing him caused Pepe Reina to need a change of under-wear.

I've also signed Affelay on a free, and a young Paraguay striker for £350,000. No work-permit, so off to Belgium with him for three years. Great looking stats.

Beyond that, not sure who to sign. My first 11 is pretty tight with a good quality of back-up. It'd have to be a REALLY worthwhile signing.

[ADG]

Alaba and Witsel are only in on loan, I keep renewing them every 12 months but pretty sure I'm going to have to stump up £10m+ to get Alaba permanently.

[Jimmy]

6 first player team injuries is stupid. I've never had this kind of problem at any other club, but at PSV, my injuries are really mounting up. I've played 5 games - 10 points. 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss (against Ajax). Michael Owen's done suprisingly well for me, but he's out for three weeks 'cos, he's Michael Owen.

[Guest Neon Noodle]

Saw the best thing ever the other day in my Lincoln game.

Phil Neville took over as Northwich manager after they were relegated from the Blue Square North in 2015 (their first season there in the game), and somehow guided them to the fourth round of the FA Cup - beating teams like Macclesfield and Stockport in the process - and even managing an away draw at Scunthorpe in that round before losing the replay 2-1.

[METALMAN]

It's not the best thing ever, is it? :/

[Cymbols]

It's not the best thing ever, is it? :/

LOL

[Guest Neon Noodle]

It's not the best thing ever, is it? :/

Considering how little attention I pay to the world around me in FM games, yes, it is.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Just realised that I'm running Monaco into the ground. The game started saying that "although he's not the highest paid player at the club, with the recent money problems he may have to leave anyway".

So checked finances and the club is £17mil in the red. >_<

It seems to be down to having too MUCH in the way of squad rotation level talent. Managed to ship out a few players on loan and sold a couple but I need a firesale I think and bring it back to pretty much 17/18 main players and some up and coming younger guys. Thing is, Monaco is pretty much ALL up and coming younger guys. 24 is pretty ancient for them.

Bit gutted actually cos in real life Monaco have just been relegated.

[stokeriño]

Fuck you, African Cup of Nations. Fuck you for taking away my goalkeeper right before we're away at Man United.

Liverpool at home is the game after that as well. Lovely.

[Jimmy]

Didn't realise how long The Dutch League's are valued in Football Manager. I thought going to PSV would be a slight step up from West Ham if I could guide them back to European Football, but now I'm questioning if that's true.

[Berober]

I'm undecided. I've been playing 2010 for ages these past two weeks, but 2011 is now at an affordable price for me, with 2012 obviously a few months away, is it worth it in your opinion?

[stokeriño]

I never got into FM10 for whatever reason, but I don't know if that means FM11 is much better or it's just my own personal whimsy.

Inevitably FM12 will have some massive bug that people will spend the first two months of its release complaining about before it's patched. :shifty

Also, another touchline ban for me. This time for daring to suggest that a penalty decision went against me at Old Trafford. lol

[stokeriño]

And now Kalou, my other player at the African Cup of Nations, has suffered a broken foot in the Ivory Coast's match against Mali that will rule him out until the end of the season.

Fuuuuuuuuuuucccccck yoooooooooouuuuuuu

[Gazz]

I've had Ismail Aissati go down with major injuries three times whilst on international duty with Morocco.

It's got to the point where for the first time ever in my FM history, I withdraw him from all friendlies.

[Berober]

So I decided to go for it, I couldn't resist

Any advice for a good game on here?