Football Manager 2014

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Liverpool just signed Naughton for £6 mil! Excellent.

Also our new stadium will be ready by the summer after 2015/ 2016 season! Whoo. I'll have to stay with Spurs until at least then and play at least one season in the big new ground.

[Summers]

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

Euroa League, two Copa del Rays, CL Semi and 2nd - 5th finishes.. this is possibly the best the team has ever been. Barbosa and Correra are older and settled and the rest of the team has talent across the positions.

Quite simply I want the title this season.

[Liam]

What formation do you play with Spurs, Hammy?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I play standard back four (the full backs told to push further forward but positioned normally)

Then in the middle directly in front of the back four I have my holding midfielder (Sandro).

Then on the next row forward, one slot diagonally to the left I have my central midfielder playing box-to-box (Paulinho) and level with him on the right wing I have the right winger (Lennon).

Then on the next row forward, on the left as an attacking left midfielder (Lamela) and just to the right of centre I have the attacking mid / Trequarista (Eriksen).

Then central up front alone I have my striker (Soldado).

Does that make sense? I'll take a screen shot if not.

It's basically how I think Tottenham SHOULD line up in an ideal world. AVB was kind of getting there but was probably too static with his two holding mids.

It's not as aggressive as playing that three up front style that Chelsea sometimes play.

I took the idea from hearing about how Liverpool have been moving away from three banks of players and instead making it five layers of players - defence/defensive mid/mid/attacking mid/attack. Fluid means that the players fill in the spaces pretty well like Ajax and the Dutch used to back in the day.

The opposite alignment (with attacking right mid and standard left mid) had a specific formation but when I switched it over, the game called it 4-5-1. I also play fluid and attacking.

[Liam]

x

x x

x x

x

x x x x

x

Something like that?

I'm playing as Spurs, but struggling to get the balance right, tis all.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Move Eriksen one slot to the right and yes.

There are also natural replacements for a lot of the positions that way too. You have two players for most spots.

For example, you've got Capoue and Sandro for the same position. Paulinho and Dembele. Eriksen and Sigurdsson (Siggy is great in that position). Chadli and Townsend can cover Lennon and Lamela's positions too.

[Liam]

So Eriksen isn't playing AMC, but more like a AMCR (like....centre right)?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah that sounds right.

The gap between Lamela and Eriksen is the same as the gap between Paulinho and Lennon.

[Gorka]

Has anyone ever beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford?

I never can, and I'm always drawn against them in the League Cup when it matters like the quarters or semis.

[Liam]

In my game as Spurs, I think I'm somewhat wholesale selling off a tonne of players that I probably should keep.

Soldado, Dembele, Sandro (by his request more than anything) and Sigurdsson have all gone.

I have bought Barbosa, Will Hughes and Caulker (Cardiff having gone down) with some of the money, amongst other players.

[The Lusophone]

Laudrup as the successor to Ferguson sounds interesting think he'd be better than Moyes but a hard job none the less. Never thought he'd be the longest reigning current manager there.

Lambert and Pardew like to get around by the looks of it.

More interesting is David Moyes, Liverpool manager... and for 6 years too.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

In my game as Spurs, I think I'm somewhat wholesale selling off a tonne of players that I probably should keep.

Soldado, Dembele, Sandro (by his request more than anything) and Sigurdsson have all gone.

I have bought Barbosa, Will Hughes and Caulker (Cardiff having gone down) with some of the money, amongst other players.

Sandro wanted higher wages (or his agent did at least). I don't get on with his agent so that didn't help. Then Juve tried to buy him and I ended up having to put him on £105,000 a week. He's probably worth it in current money but bah, he was bargainous at £35k.

I'm surprised Dembele hasn't asked to leave yet. He plays a fair amount but he's clearly not first choice for me. Sigurdsson too, but he does get games. He got upset for a while but seems to have cheered up.

I just flogged Zeki Fryers off cheaply so that's Fryers, Naughton and Rose gone from the defence o' doom. Livermore and Townsend gone from the midfield. Adebayor to go soon too hopefully.

[Gazz]

Has anyone ever beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford?

I never can, and I'm always drawn against them in the League Cup when it matters like the quarters or semis.

Once in five attempts so far.

You've got to park the bus. Four at the back, anchor man and two in midfield. Drop deep and counter attack.

I'm currently trundling along nicely, winning the league still seems a long since Chelsea don't drop points, 17-2-1 going into New Year 2018.

GK - Szczesny / Pallesen (regen)

DR - Corchia / Debuchy

DC - Caulker / Eric Dier

DC - Yanga-Mbiwa / Mytilinaios (regen)

DL - Neil Taylor / Haidara

DM - Tiote / Anita

MC - Sissoko / Bigirimana

MC - Cabaye / Danny

MC - Oguzan Ozkayup / Pablo Sarabia

ST - Campbell / Corentin Jean

ST - Carroll / Cisse

Campbell has developed immensely in the last few seasons and currently has 23 goals in 22 appearences playing as a complete forward.

[The Lusophone]

Currently having a little bit of a 'let's bring in former players as staff' run in my United game. Joining Giggs, Butt, Scholes and Phil Neville is Gary Neville, Beckham, Andrew Cole, Dwight Yorke and Ray Wilkins.

Gary Lineker, David Platt, Eric Canton, Rene Meulensteen, Ruud van Nistelrooij and Michael Owen are all in too.

[stokeriño]

Has anyone ever beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford?

I never can, and I'm always drawn against them in the League Cup when it matters like the quarters or semis.

Just had a look back through both of my big diary games and my record isn't too good... I only ever managed it with Chelsea (on FM13), and overall am P6 W2 D2 L2

Manchester United 1 - 2 Chelsea (Hernandez; Torres, Ramires)

28/04/2012 Premier League

Manchester United 0 - 1 Chelsea (Drogba)

27/10/2012 Premier League

Manchester United 0 - 0 Aston Villa

08/02/2015 Premier League

Manchester United 1 - 0 Aston Villa (Nilmar)

21/02/2015 FA Cup

Manchester United 0 - 0 Aston Villa

22/08/2015 Premier League

Manchester United 2 - 1 Newcastle United (Dragovic, Rooney; Drogba)

13/05/2015 Premier League

There was also a 4-2 loss in the FA Cup semi final...which was at Wembley and therefore doesn't count.

[Gorka]

I did beat United at Old Trafford in 09, playing as Wigan. But this year, playing at Old Trafford just results in a two or three goal difference with every player having a 7 rating or higher. It's strange, because against Man City, I can just counter with a 4-3-2-1 and always get a good result, usually a win.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I thrashed City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal but lost at home and away to Man Utd.

[MDK]

I beat United at OT with Orient in a League Cup game. Best moment of that save, that was.

1-0, completely parked the bus, slashed the tires and threw away the keys.

[King Ellis]

Loaded up my FM13 game where I ended up at Fulham in the year 2020, across 16 games between league/cups, my record is 0/2/14. Outside of my time as manager, Fulham only managed one win against them and two draws, leading to a total record of 1/4/26. Not great. Plus I had 2 losses to them whilst managing Rangers in Europe before making the switch to Fulham. I blame their brilliant regen striker who has like 300 goals in 375 career games.

Of course, I take this all in stride thanks to that one time I beat them on 12 in the Champions League final with Rangers.

[brenchill]

Anybody got any tips for getting out of the Championship?

I started a game with Forest and holy shit, we were awful. I don't think I've ever had such a bad team. I played 4-2-3-1. Obviously, that doesn't work. Do any of you guys have any tips on formations, etc?