Football Manager 2014

[Summers]

I think my Valencia team this season is the best it's been for years. Maybe ever.

Vicente Guaita

Jamie Vaz - Shkodran Mustafi - Victor Ruiz - Juan Bernat

Henrique - Schneinderlin

Angel Correa - Adnan Januzaj - Gerard Deulofeu

Gabriel Barbosa

Other notable players; Paco Alcacer, Ibai Gomez, Mario Suarez, Oliver, Alex Galvez, Jose Luis Gaya, and some youth regens.

Bold are Valencia originals, italics are regens, the rest are just signings.

We've had some good and great players come and go.. Herrera, Honda, Tello, Canales, Parejo, Cahill, Papadopolous, Sterling, Danny da Costa, van Ginkel, Morata, Banega, Feghouli.

But this team is really talented. Especially going forward.

• Guaita has been far too good to replace. Makes some amazing saves.
• Jamie Vaz is a 25 year old Uruguayan fullback who can play eitherside. Cost us 12m from Barca. Fended off bids from elite clubs, for about 20m, in the summer.
• Mustafi, 27m German, the latest player to try and hold down the other CB spot next to captain Ruiz. Cost us 13m from Napoli. Doing very good, in his second season now.
• Victor Ruiz, 30 years old now, never really held down any time in the National side but he's my Captain and has been dependable for the last six seasons with me - and now in his 7th season. Really solid and always performs well.
• Juan Bernat is having an extended run in the side at left back. Last season Vaz was left back, with da Costa on the right. We sold da Costa and Bernat is getting a chance. 26 and very quick, and very attacking. He's a winger playing further back, and it shows. Always helping with our attacking moves. We have two young fullbacks in the club, one right and one who can play eitherside - who will longterm be aiming to replace Bernat.
• Henrique is a 23 year old Brazilian diminutive playmaker, signed on a free from Benfica in the summer. We tried to sign him when Benfica did, but the 9m they used, we couldn't quite match at the time. Two years later, he's with us anyway. Very talented, and slotted into the midfield perfectly.
• Morgan Schneiderlin, almost 30, but incredibly classy. Man United spent 13m on him in 2014.. the next year they spent more on Wanyama, and Morgan found himself on the way out. 7.2m later, he joined Valencia. His fourth season with us now, and he's a fantastic midfielder. Plays the defensive role brilliantly, and uses the ball smartly.
• Angel Correa was signed for 3.4m 7 seasons ago, after a loan spell at Porto in 2014, he hasn't looked back since and has become one of the best midfielders in the world. Somehow keeping hold of him currently. So talented.
• Januzaj went to Barca for 26m last season.. and then in the summer came to us for 11m. He only made 9 appearances for them. Only 24m, hoping he helps push on to challenge the big boys.
• Deulofeu was another big Man Utd signing, 21m last summer, 5 appearances. Wasted. 7m brought him to Valencia. One season away from Spain and he's back already. He replaced the outgoing Tello, who went to Inter for 10m.
• Gabriel Barbosa. 23, from Brasil, worth millions and millions. The kid is goals. When I signed him for 5.5m I had no idea what I'd got. He scored 19 goals in 24 Mestalla games before we called him up. His first full season brought 10 goals in 31 games, then 28 goals, then 23 goals, then 20 goals in an injury plagued last season.

[Baddar]

Really good team, but how well have you done with them?

[Chael P. Sonnen]

Barbosa is worth the money then, eh?

[Benji]

[Ant]

Wheres Wenger when you need him?

[Lineker]

What are you talking about? 21 is way too old.

[Benji]

Either way, he's going up the Arsenal.

[Ant]

Wonder if he will see it

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

My annoyance of the Champions League losers dropping down to the Europa League has followed me to Football Manager now.

Getting to the business end of my first season at Spurs. In the league we're two points off top with a game in hand...behind......Manchester United.

Sheesh, Man Utd always seem super-powered in FM in pretty much every game I've ever had.

Anyway, I'm just through to the quarter finals of the Europa League after seeing off Braga in the last 16.

The last eight teams are....

Tottenham

Napoli

Real Madrid

Basel

Schalke

Paris St Germain

Stuttgart

Valencia

Go away big boys and leave us European second tierers to our own little competition.

Also, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen are brilliant, especially Lamela who is now looking at becoming one of the best in the world...Which is lovely.

Roberto Soldado - 32(4) apps, 24 goals.

Aaron Lennon - 27(3) apps - 12 goals.

Christian Eriksen - 33(1) apps, 12 goals.

Erik Lamela - 35(2) apps, 11 goals.

Gylfi Sigurdsson - 12(13) apps, 10 goals.

Jan Vertonghen - 37(1) apps, 10 goals.

Assists:

25 - Eriksen

12 - Lamela

11 - Paulinho

9 - Soldado, Sigurdsson

7 - Lennon

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

....Ahhhh Real Madrid and Paris St Germain play each other in one quarter.

Spurs get Basel.....Who theoretically are a good draw, but I have memories of our real life disaster against them.

....and if we win then we get Napoli or Stuttgart in the semi. Hooray! Perfect draw a-go-go! Madrid/PSG will play Schalke/Valencia.

[Gorka]

I hate Delph. The stupid bastard gets booked twice in a minute to get a red and then when I fine him for being a prat, he claims that the fine is unfair. Now, he's leaving on a free transfer because of a single bad conversation.

Anyway, Villa is a fun game. Managed to get a top ten position and get to the FA Cup Final which I lost to Chelsea. Second season and in the Europa League with victories in the group against Malmo, Roma away and Brugge. Even managed to get Kozak and Albrighton to both get hat-tricks during the season.

[Chael P. Sonnen]

My second season with Arsenal is just about to begin, Giroud scored about 40+ goals the last season.. signed Sven Bender, Gauld, Jantschke, Sinan Kurt and Connor Mahoney in the first season and finished 5th. Had to sell Ramsay this season as he was demanding to leave but signed Jason Steele and Blaszcykowski.. so we'll see how it goes.

[Whisper]

Started a Cardiff game last night. No transfer funds, already over the wage budget. Nice.

Managed to bring in Simon Pepe on loan from Juventus, along with Apostolos Velios from Everton (who is now never gonna get a game, so may just send him back). I had originally intended to play 3-5-2 but pre season went terribly with it. Changed to a 4-4-1-1 now, playing on the counter. Beat Celta 2-0 and Valencia 4-1 in my last friendly games before starting the Prem season with a 3-1 loss at home to Spurs.

I can already see that my first transfer budget will go on a striker. Fraizer Campbell misses more one on ones than anyone ever (including 2 against Spurs). Bellamy is probably my best bet for this season but won't be able to play every game. Kenwynne Jones is useless. That leaves be Jo Berget and Joe Mason, who are ones for the future really.

On the plus side. Magnus Eikrem and Peter Whittingham are awesome.

[Cymbols]

Joe Mason gets really good on most FM games. Absolute beast on 13.

[brenchill]

I'm a bit late to the party... but where is the cheapest place I can pick this game up? It's £35 on Steam, that's a bit steep.

[Gazz]

Add me on steam - gazzpriest.

I've got a 75% off voucher valid till May 13th.

[stokeriño]

I have two -75% vouchers. I have no idea why.

[brenchill]

Add me on steam - gazzpriest.

I've got a 75% off voucher valid till May 13th.

Awesome, I've added you.

[brenchill]

Gazz is a great man.

[Noah]

Where did all you bastards nice people get these vouchers?