Football Manager 2015

[Benji]

I find control just doesn't have nearly enough shots. I don't mind if they're missing so long as they're having a go.

I had to say this yesterday didn't I. Played 5 games last night, in all 5 we had around 30 shots on target each, and scored a grand total of four goals

[Gazz]

Overload annoyed me on FM14. Don't know if it's just me, but I lost count of the amount of times I switched to it with 10-15 to go, only for the game to play out without another highlight being shown. :/

Probably because your opponent is reacting by going to contain. If Overload = you have all the shots, everyone would play it all the time.

[Baddar]

I agree, but my point is that with 15 to go, if I'm going all out attack, surely there'd be SOMETHING worthy of a highlight on extended, considering the endless 'free kick sails over the bar' and 'corner is easily cleared' ones you get game in, game out. Show me my side pushing for a goal and failing with shit crosses/attempts. Anything.

[Benji]

You can't just change to overload, you have to change the other tactics to match it (IE: Pushing forward, take more risks etc). It's like telling someone "win this match", but giving them no instructions on how.

[The Lusophone]

Phil Jones might've just cost me the title. Chasing Chelsea down, chance to go top by beating Liverpool. Go 3-1 up. Liverpool score from a corner, then 87th minute... he gives the ball away to Balotelli, who equalises. Chelsea win the next day and they're now 5 clear with 6 games left.

[Gorka]

I think it's best to make him train with the U18s so he never does it again.

[The Lusophone]

If it comes down to three points or less in it, then I'm selling him in the summer.

[Baddar]

Still got Chelsea to play?

[The Lusophone]

Nah. Smashed them. But they're dropping points all over the place (just drew 1-1 with Everton), I win in my fixture today and its 2 points. My run in is lots of mid-table teams and they have Arsenal and the bottom 3 all to play.

[JTB]

Had a good start to my second season with Monchengladbach, and I'd say I also did the best business in the Bundesliga during the summer transfer window.

Despite his great season for me, I could see Branimir Hrgota wasn't going to improve much and when played in any role other than a poacher in my usual tactic, he did not imapct games in the slightest. With a year left on his contract, wages of just £1.7k a week and a value of £5.5m, I offered him to clubs and Monaco paid £18m upfront for him. He's yet to score in his two games for them so far. Having unsettled Carlos Fierro at Chivas, I got him after activating his £9.5m release clause with the Hrgota money, and he's got 6 in 4 for me so far in the league, with two assists and the highest average rating in the Bundesliga so far with 8.57.

Next to be sold was Max Kruse. He was upset I declined a Bayern offer of like £15m for him (his value at the time was £22.5m) so I promised to sell him if a club matched our valuation of him. He came good in the second half of the season and played a massive part in us winning the Europa League, scoring 9 goals in 13 games with an average rating of 7.57. Real Madrid came in for him not long after Bayern, but they didn't match my valuation of him (wanted about £25m for him) so I told them to get stuffed as well, and he moaned some more. I promise to sell him to anyone this time and offered him to clubs for £40m. Many clubs came back with offers: Bayern, Madrid, Dortmund and somebody else (may have been an English club) though none of them came close to the minimum £20m I wanted up front in a deal worth £25m. Zenit had different ideas though, and offered the full £40m up front for him. Daylight robbery. I accepted and took the money.

So, two first team players out the door for a combined £58m with about £0m of that going towards my transfer budget that was already at £13m. I bought Fierro who has been good for me so far, and because we leaked goals so often last season I brought in Balanta for £6.5m up front to replace Jantschke in the team (short and poor heading which caused a lot of goalscoring opportunities for the opposition - a decent player but I can't have him starting every week so he'll be a back-up option now). I also went out and got Gaya on loan because I never replaced Wendt when he left and needed cover for Johnson at LB. With only one piece of the puzzle left - somebody to fill that AMC spot with the 'advanced playmaker - support' role, because Odegaard is good but not actually eligible to play in every competition I''m in due to his age - I went back into the market for a Kruse replacement. Enter Kevin De Bruyne. Unhappy at Wolfsburg after their poor season, I swooped in and £23m he was mine. 2 assists in 4 games in the league suggests he will be decent for me considering he hasn't really got going yet.

I spent a grand total of £39.5m in the transfer market (I've also signed a regen striker with the model professional personality from Inter Milan - as far as I know, he's their youngest ever player too having played one game for them last season. He's only 15 so he joins in January) but made £59m back from selling players. That's great business by my reckoning considering my team is definitely stronger now.

Won the DFL-Supercup with a 1-0 win over Bayern, but lost the UEFA Super Cup in a 2-1 loss against Barca. Beat Volklingen 8-0 in the DFB Pokal, Hoffenheim 4-2 in the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen 4-1 in the Bundesliga, Stuttgart 2-0 in the Bundesliga and Kaiserslauten 1-0 in the Bundesliga too. Next game is after the international break against Bayern who I am determined to beat in the league this season.

[Benji]

Knocked out of Champions League in group stage on goal difference. Tad disappointed, but we're top of the Prem around Christmas, which is great. Playing Barcelona made me realise the jump I need to make now though to truly become World Class. I think it may be time to get rid of the dead weight I've been holding on to out of loyalty

[stokeriño]

But presumably if you went out by goal difference, you finished 3rd...and now have the opportunity to defend the Europa League, right?!

[Benji]

Yuss, we are defending champs.

[JTB]

I've had a decent run in the Champions League, and I'm now only one point off qualifying through to the knockout stages with my only game remaining being Benfica at home. I've done the double over Red Bull Salzburg, I drew 2-2 away at Benfica after leading twice, lost 3-2 quite convincingly away at Juventus but managed to deservedly beat them 2-1 at home. I'm optimistic.

My league form has suffered a little bit though. I'm still unbeaten in the league but I drew 4 league games on the bounce, including pissing away a 3 goal lead away at Paderborn for them to come back an equalise late on with one of the most bullshit goals I've seen on the game in a while. One of my players played a stupid back pass to Dominguez despite being in the opponent's final third with options open, Dominguez just watches it roll past him to Tony Sanabria (he's on loan at Paderborn) who belts it off the bar from distance. Sommer dives but is well beaten and the ball pings back to an on-rushing Sanabria on the edge of the box and he smashes it in. As frustrating as they are, I understand that backpass goals happen where there a nothing pass evades your centre half or keeper and the striker wins the ball to round the keeper and score, but this one was scored in such a bizarre, irritating fashion that I wanted to bang my head off a wall.

Edited June 18, 2015 by JTB

[stokeriño]

These people, I swear to God...

WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AT THE LEAGUE TABLE WHERE WE'RE SEVEN POINTS CLEAR, YOU FUCKING PLUM?

How this isn't a response option, I don't know.

[Hobo]

I started a game on FM15 as Vancouver. I left training to the assistant as I normally do... and I have lost several players to calf and hamstring injuries.

I'm not feeling it though. Probably won't stick with this game tbh.

[Meacon Keaton]

I played for like fourteen hours straight yesterday.

Finished my first season at Braintree. And we won the Conference. I dunno who the hell Sean Marks is, but he had 39 league goals for me. If you're playing in a league or two above Conference, check him out. He single-handedly won me the title.

[Benji]

These people, I swear to God...

WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AT THE LEAGUE TABLE WHERE WE'RE SEVEN POINTS CLEAR, YOU FUCKING PLUM?

How this isn't a response option, I don't know.

Right? My players keep asking about possible moves to Arsenal and Man U, who are 7th and 9th respectively, meanwhile I'm running even keel with Spurs for top of the league >_>

Also, there's something wrong with my strikers. In a game last night they had 43 shots, about half on target, and only scored twice. Think that'll be the first place I look to improve on my attempt to become World Class come season end.

[DavidMarrio]

I played for like fourteen hours straight yesterday.

Finished my first season at Braintree. And we won the Conference. I dunno who the hell Sean Marks is, but he had 39 league goals for me. If you're playing in a league or two above Conference, check him out. He single-handedly won me the title.

Pffttt, 39 goals is nothing, Adam Campbell got 42 league goals

[Benji]

Didn't know about this mouse-over feature where it tells you where in a lineup they prefer when playing in a three man.