Football Manager 2015

[The Lusophone]

Him and Ashley Young both.

[METALMAN]

Also, I can't be the only one who affectionately names the players, right? My favourite remains Anthony Knockaert as "Knockers" though

This isn't Pokemon. :/

[Benji]

Psh, tell that to Thierry Ambrose, dude's got a low kick on him that takes out the biggest giants in football.

[Benji]

Bloody fans moaning about the sale of Fabio Daprela. He was 29, the worst player in the first team, and we have an excess of potential left wing backs. Quit moaning :@

[stokeriño]

Honestly, Mabunda gets benched for ONE CUP GAME because it's mid-week and he (like a bunch of others who played at the weekend) is at ~80% fitness...and he's right in my office whining about not getting enough starts

Meanwhile, Chabalala has just recovered from a longish injury and said cup game was the first one he's eligible to play in. His fitness is still low (76%) so I figure leave him out for now and he'll be fit enough next week. HE TOO marches into my office about not getting played, and his response to my explanation about him coming back from injury is "I think I know when I'm ready to play, thankyouverymuch".

I hate South African football so much.

[brenchill]

Thierry Ambrose? I'm guessing his dad is a big Arsenal fan.

[Benji]

He is basically Thierry Henry reincarnated in this game. French striker with goals and assists galore.

[brenchill]

He is basically Thierry Henry reincarnated in this game. French striker with goals and assists galore.

I had one like him on FM13 (I think?), Nicholas Audren. Best player I've ever seen on an FM game. I think I posted a screenshot here in one of the old threads, I'll try and find him.

[Benji]

Looking to 2016, what teams are people thinking they'll try next year?

There's two challenges I really want to take on. The first is Parma (if they're included) due to their sudden drop down the leagues, and the second is the challenge of making newly promoted Conference North FC United of Manchester the biggest team in Manchester.

[brenchill]

Hopefully Villa will have been bought out by the time the new game comes out, so yeah, them.

[Whisper]

Probably won't buy it this year. I'm enjoying 15 and hopefully I can get another long running game to keep me occupied alongside my Forest game.

Speaking of which, I got back into again last night, after some indifferent form caused me to lose interest.

Just into 2022 and we are 5th, 9 points off leaders City, having already drawn and lost as many games as we did in the whole of last season (where we won the league). I'm actually enjoying the struggle now, it's much more fun than romping away with the title every year.

Saying that - I do feel like I should be running away with it. AI squad building is notoriously poor as games go on, but they seem to be keeping up with me at the moment. Makes me think I'm not doing that well, or that my tactica aren't up to scratch etc.

[The Lusophone]

Into my second season with PSV after doing a domestic double in my first. Point clear after winning all 9 of my first games... and have a whopping three games in hand over twente in second. 100% record in all games, winning the Super Cup 4-0 against Ajax, before my 6-0 win in the league against them two games later.

Scored 3 or more in 10 games, including in two of my Champions League group stage games so far (4-1 away to Porto and 4-0 at home vs CSKA Moscow). Came from 1-0 down to beat Hamburg 3-1 in Germany as well.

Don't think I've ever had a game go this well. Brought in Jese, Angel Correa, Jose Gaya, Wallace and Kerim Rekik. Will try to keep the first two (unlikely) and Rekik (more likely).

[JasonM]

Time to continue the story time about a geriatric Cristiano Ronaldo still being a better player than every other player in the game... Kinda.

He's 40 now, at the halfway mark of probably his final season as a football player. Messi has retired already just short of scoring 400 for Barcelona in his career (397).

Ronaldo on the other hand, surely he must be some sort of augmented freak of nature by now, because despite him being 40 he's playing like he's 25 instead.

As you can see, his skills have declined in the past 11 seasons that this game has been going on, he's not as quick or agile as he used to be, and dribbling isn't his best thing either... His mental stats have exploded due to his crazy experience though...

Then we look at his career scoring, and as you can see he is having a better scoring season (percentage) than he has had in the past two seasons. He's decided to go out in a huge way by showing that he's retiring because he feels like it, not because he's no longer able to dominate.

Also, it's the start of February, and there are still 16 games to go in the La Liga... So at that pace he'll probably eclipse 30+ goals once more, as a 40 year old... As a 40 year old he's dominating one of the biggest leagues in the world as if it's mere childs-play.

The day Ronaldo stops playing, i'm sure the league will truly stop existing, because it's just there for him to show off as his personal playground rather than a legit league worthy of reverence. Barcelona has dominated the league since 2019 too, so it's not like he's in it for the silverwork anymore either... He's just doing what he does, scoring goals and making an entire league filled with young stars look like a bunch of amateurs.

I never have liked real life Ronaldo, but the Ronaldo in my save deserves a long round of applause and perhaps the removal of a few manly tears of respect. Ronaldo, you truly won the game, you didn't just win, you probably broke it too...

[The Lusophone]

That wage though.

[TCO]

£290k per week isn't that bad for Ronaldo, regardless of his age! Both he and Messi start the game on contracts that are just ridiculous. £500k+ a week plus their deals are riddled with bonuses.

I have a Real Madrid game and I was curious worked out how much it cost to Ronaldo in a month including bonuses. He played 6 games and he scored 10 goals so in total it cost the club £2.82mil (£2mil wages + £820,000 bonuses) just for Ronaldo for the month. I'm such a cheapskate in my serious games that this really pissed me off, despite him being ridiculously good.

[Whisper]

I'm in 2022 with Forest and I've got Ronaldo on £230k a week I think. Pretty much only signed him for the novelty and it's worn off pretty fast. His goal return pales in comparison to big Britt Assombalonga.

I've just signed the league's top scorer, a regen from West Ham, in the January window, so don't think Ronaldo's contract will be getting renewed.

[Benji]

No matter how good someone is, my upper limit is £70k per week base wage, everything else has to be earned. The only exception to that rule is my captain and vice captain who I'm willing to give £80k to. Nobody is irreplaceable if they want more than that, even if it means a few games developing a worse player into a good player.

[The Lusophone]

Jumped ship to Dortmund from PSV, who still somehow have all their best players (outside of Piszcek who transferred first season to PSG for £20 million). Keeping my PSV game as a separate save though. Stil top by 7 points (despite a run of three draws ruining my perfect opening of 14 games won in a row) and have Olympiakos in the Champions League first knockout round after a 100% record in my group.

[stokeriño]

Three points to win the title.

1-0 up.

1-1 at half-time.

1-3 down.

4-3 up.

4-4.

89th minute - we have a penalty!

He steps up...

LAPTOP OVERHEATS

[Whisper]

Totally didn't realise you could switch off league restrictions in FM Classic. My only reason for not playing the mode is that I like to have 10+ nations active at any one time.

FM Classic here I come! Might start a Real Madrid game for a laugh.