Football Manager 2018

[Arjen Robben]

How embarrassing is it when a player for another team does the "issues 'come and get me' plea" thing and you're just like... you're gonna be gutted mate, cause I've literally had no interest in signing you at any point.

Dunno why little things amuse me so much on this game. Passionately declining to comment for instance.

"NO COMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNT!"

[The Lusophone]

Never in doubt. >_>

[FLiam]

33 minutes ago, MadJack said:

Never in doubt. >_>

"German First Division".

Therefore, this achievement does not count. 

[The Lusophone]

1 hour ago, Liam Mk2 said:

"German First Division".

Therefore, this achievement does not count. 

No idea what you're talking about. 

[Arjen Robben]

German First Division  That would well wind me up.

Such is the level of uneventfulness for me this, I've been blitzing through this season and I'm currently in March and I'm still unbeaten in all competitions this season, which is weird, and six points clear at the top. Have a 2-1 lead over Arsenal with the home leg to come of the first knockout round. Expectations were only first knockout round so quarter finals would be good. 

I also broke Timo Werner's ankle when we played Leipzig  Dunno how to feel about that. Let's hope his ankle is fine by July.

PSG have also spent £490m this season which is absurd.

[OctoberRaven]

5 hours ago, Arjen Robben said:

How embarrassing is it when a player for another team does the "issues 'come and get me' plea" thing and you're just like... you're gonna be gutted mate, cause I've literally had no interest in signing you at any point.

Dunno why little things amuse me so much on this game. Passionately declining to comment for instance.

"NO COMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNT!"

It's things like that that make me want to do a run as Gordon Ramsay... or more accurately, a parody of the persona he puts on for American audiences; IE a perfectionist with high standards and a hair trigger temper.

Only satisfied when his club wins by 2 or more. Expecting more when winning by 1, and utterfly furious at any other result.

[Meacon Keaton]

“Our defending looked like a dog’s dinner!”

[Arjen Robben]

This was really annoying.

Actually more annoyed about conceding five than I am happy that we scored six and won the tie. I swear every single one of their goals was from a cross as well, like every goal I concede, I don't know how to stop it from happening at all. It's winding me up. Full backs just won't do their job and prevent the cross.

[Arjen Robben]

Clinched the Bundesliga title with three games to spare, with an away win at Bayern  A nice way to break their stranglehold over the title. Think it's literally Leverkusen's first ever title. Managed to finish the season unbeaten in the league, and retain what I think is the German FA Cup equivalent. Got knocked out of the Champions League by Man City though, still got further than expected though so, every cloud. I keep fiddling with tactics to try and find a way to STOP FUCKING CONCEDING CROSSES ALL THE CUNTING TIME. It's seriously pissing me off. Can't keep a clean sheet to save our lives.

Think I'm gonna move on Douglas Santos and Pohjanpalo. The latter never plays anyway and I have Werner coming in so I'm gonna need to adjust something else up front too probably, didn't expect Alario to not be shit after being exactly that last season. Volland started well and then was useless for the rest of the season like last season. Got Marvin Plattenhardt coming in at the end of the season too. Might go for a new centre midfielder too, not sure, Sven Bender is getting on now and has somehow lost the ability to be natural in any role at MC when he was before, which I never understand.

Now I am going to sleep and wonder why I've got so little planned this week that I've played a whole season in a day. Grim.

[TMM]

So about 3/4 of the way through my second season with Leyton Orient. Promoted with ease out of the National League and on course to win League Two and above anything else, Dan Holman is the man. My coaches reckoned he was my third, maybe even fourth best striker in the National League but that didn't stop him scoring 51 goals and getting 17 assists in 53 starts (and 1 sub). But he was only on loan and I figured there's no way he'll be good enough in League Two, but he's contract was up at Cheltenham so I figured if he's happy with a low-ish wage and a backup role I'll take him as the fans love him.

He was so, so I signed him. By this point I had Ishmael Miller (signed in National League) and Macauley Bonne ahead of him and I was thinking of switching from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 which meant he'd have no chance. How do you think that's gone? 32 goals and 8 assists in 37 starts. Man

[MDK]

1 minute ago, TMM said:

So about 3/4 of the way through my second season with Leyton Orient. Promoted with ease out of the National League and on course to win League Two and above anything else, Dan Holman is the man. My coaches reckoned he was my third, maybe even fourth best striker in the National League but that didn't stop him scoring 51 goals and getting 17 assists in 53 starts (and 1 sub). But he was only on loan and I figured there's no way he'll be good enough in League Two, but he's contract was up at Cheltenham so I figured if he's happy with a low-ish wage and a backup role I'll take him as the fans love him. 

He was so, so I signed him. By this point I had Ishmael Miller (signed in National League) and Macauley Bonne ahead of him and I was thinking of switching from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 which meant he'd have no chance. How do you think that's gone? 32 goals and 8 assists in 37 starts. Man

I'm in 2023 and the only remnants of my original squad are Sendles-White who is 4th choice CB and Bonne who is on loan at Gillingham.

[Arjen Robben]

Who's a good central midfielder to go for? Someone to run the show in midfield rather than than be a big work rate guy. I feel like that's one position I need locked in, cause I kind of rotate with Fred, Aranguiz and Bender at the moment but none are really that. Ideally I'd like them to be German but I can't find such a player beyond Toni Kroos who is 29, and more importantly, completely beyond my capabilities to even dream of signing.

IS there a non-Toni Kroos Toni Kroos I can sign?

[TMM]

I'm sure Kai Havertz turns into an incredible player. 

[Arjen Robben]

Hope so, but I use him as an AMC anyway, he doesn't seem to be natural in any role as a CM, best one for him in central midfield is 'advanced playmaker' but he's better at that in the attacking midfield role anyway. 

This Atakan Akkaynak kid I have who's been on loan at Werder Bremen for two seasons (annoyingly has only played 21 games?) seems like he might have potential, but then he's one of those young players who could have no real potential and his current level is pretty much his ceiling, masquerading as being promising.

Might have him around the first team squad next season regardless, see how he goes in cup games and against relegation fodder.

[The Lusophone]

Can Ben Heinrichs not develop into that kind of player? If not then youre better off looking in France or Italy for the kind of player you want. Lorenzo Pellegrini was a really good buy for me from Roma.

[Arjen Robben]

I ambitiously enquired to Bayern about Thiago, since he's not a guaranteed starter there. £108m. Nah, you're alright, lads.

Might try Oliver from Porto. 18 passing and vision. Seems a reasonable enough fee according to my scouts. That said, I've just noticed he's a natural AMC and not MC. 

Wait. Luka Modric is valued at £10.5m and I've bid literally that expecting Madrid to negotiate it to about £300m but they've accepted it. Probably cause he's 33 tbf, but £10.5m for a season or two of Modric running my midfield wouldn't be bad.

No pace obviously but still, I'd be alright with him just sauntering about nonchalantly playing killer passes every two minutes*

(*hopefully)

Been a few takeovers of clubs by tycoons on this save I've noticed. I wondered why CSKA Moscow kept being interested in players ordinarily they would have no chance at, now I've just noticed it with Porto too, just tried to sign Kovacic only for him to reject them and sign a new deal with Madrid. Take over Leverkusen please Mr. Tycoon. Don't even need it, just would be fun, sort of. Throw money around like PSG who spent £490 (FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY) million last season.

Oh, Newcastle have been taken over by a tycoon too. That's annoying.

[Arjen Robben]

EWB's patron saint's first two matches since signing him.

 

❤️❤️❤️

[The Lusophone]

Transfers! Anything below Pellegrini is promising regens. My seasons take so long because I'm using the world pack and have a number of African and Asian countries loaded. No money left, but it's not really an issue. Dolberg was signed to replace Poulsen but the clubs that want him are fucking cheapskates and won't pay anywhere near what I want. So I might end up going 3-4-3 in games where I want to attack a lot this season.

[Arjen Robben]

Dolberg can play behind the striker or on the left too can’t he? Decent options with him.

How long does it take for a player to learn a new position? I swear I’ve been retraining Julian Brandt as an AMC for like two years and he still seems no better at that role even when that’s where I play him most. Bailey and Pavon kind of have the wide positions locked up but I need this cunt to just bloody adapt to this new role already. He was already competent in it, or accomplished, I forget which, just bloody become natural at it ffs. 

[Rich]

1 hour ago, Arjen Robben said:

Dolberg can play behind the striker or on the left too can’t he? Decent options with him.

How long does it take for a player to learn a new position? I swear I’ve been retraining Julian Brandt as an AMC for like two years and he still seems no better at that role even when that’s where I play him most. Bailey and Pavon kind of have the wide positions locked up but I need this cunt to just bloody adapt to this new role already. He was already competent in it, or accomplished, I forget which, just bloody become natural at it ffs. 

What's his adaptability stats like?