Author Topic: Football Manager 2017 (Read 28281 times)

please, I have my reasons for it but... · « **Reply #160 on:** December 28, 2016, 10:30:16 pm »

Quote from: The 'd'Esk on December 23, 2016, 11:30:09 am

I see this game has been getting really bad reviews. Glad I skipped buying this one by the sounds of it.

What the guys at SI need is a bit of proper competition I think.

Quite the opposite, I haven't seen one bad review for this game yet.

JLStretton · « **Reply #161 on:** December 29, 2016, 04:16:25 am »

lost to mancs in my next season [after winning champions league the previous year] in the semis and in last game of season I was 1 point behind them but we both won. Closest i have been to winning the league. won the super cup and world club cup as a minor plus and won manager of the year somehow. Just want to win league now then i'll stop playing my single game and get back on ps4 I think.

Welshred · « **Reply #162 on:** January 2, 2017, 02:08:17 pm »

Won the league cup in my first season and qualified for the Champions League with Liverpool, then went all out to sign Dybala. Second season he scored 52 goals as I got the the final of the league cup, quarters of the CL and won the league. He's an absolute monster. Now looking to add Verratti into my team, Trent Alexander-Arnold is my first choice right back after I gave him a fair bit of playing time and Woodburn is on loan in the PL and rated to become one of the best players at the club. Things are looking good for complete and utter domination.

JLStretton · « **Reply #163 on:** January 4, 2017, 11:53:07 pm »

finally won the league.

El_Pistolero · « **Reply #164 on:** January 7, 2017, 06:00:26 pm »

Won the league (and FA Cup) in the first season. And what a finish to the season it was...

Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs head into the last game on 78-points. United close behind after an awful start to the season on 77. Arsenal play Palace, Spurs have West Ham.... while Liverpool play Manchester United at Anfield.

Liverpool win 3-1 and we take home #19 on GD (both Spurs and Arsenal won their games). Anfield ends with a record of 18-1-0 with 61 FOR and 7 AGN. Absolute fortress. Divock ends the season with 35-or-something goals.

Beautiful.

lorenzo · « **Reply #165 on:** January 7, 2017, 06:27:50 pm »

Tactics?

El_Pistolero · « **Reply #166 on:** January 8, 2017, 05:17:59 pm »

Sure. Divock Origi...

Serious. My tactics were astonishingly bland and changed all season as I tried to get something to stick. The only thing I kept the same really was Exploit Right Flank TI and Mané as a supporting winger with the Cross from Byline PI. Ping, straight to Divock in/around the box and boom. Goal. Or two.

Here's the current team which I just beat City 4-1 at home with. Team Instructions here.

Sh0rty · « **Reply #167 on:** January 15, 2017, 09:04:47 pm »

0-0 first game at there place 10-0 in the replay.....

Solomon Grundy · « **Reply #168 on:** January 20, 2017, 06:43:53 pm »

What's going on with the regens on this game? Got some really freaky looking buggers coming through on my one. Damn they're ugly!

WillG.LFC · « **Reply #169 on:** January 20, 2017, 08:10:50 pm »

Yeah they all look similar and have bald, receding hairlines

previous years have had hairpacks at least but they seem to have struggled making them this year. Rather turn them off if you could

CheshireDave · « **Reply #170 on:** January 23, 2017, 04:03:58 pm »

Thinking of picking up FM17. But I still play FM16 so not sure if it is worth it. Doesn't look a much different.

My current save on FM16 is with Leeds.

1st season – won the Championship

2nd season – come 8th in Prem and won the carling cup on pens against Chelsea after getting absolutely smashed in the final.

3rd season – in Europa this season and got through to the 1st KO and been drawn against Beşiktaş (not played that yet). Struggling a bit in the league this time. I am 13th or 14th but have a game in hand. Board only want top half finish so I will get that.

Had a board take over and some freaky looking Brazilian guy and his team took over. Very affable chat and not shy about upping the transfer pot.

Lewis Cook is an absolute quality player and is worth about £25m and is only 20 or 21 and has played and scored for England a few times. Got him with a 40mill release clause I expect someone will trigger in the next couple of seasons. I have Begovic in goal but he sort of wants away after Juventus put in a pathetic bid in. I am after no less than £10m. They keep bidding like 3mill when he is clearly worth more. I signed an out of favour Vardy and he is scoring every other game. Got Danny Ings, doing OK, thinks he should start evert game. Bought Benteke for a bargain price of about £6.5m and is worth about £14m now but is absolute shite. But I don’t play with target men and not sure why I bought him. Will look to move him on ASAP. Bought Youri Tielemans too. Let the board deal with that deal after saying he NEED him. Think he cost £14m He looks unreal. Playing him in a midfield 2 with Cook. I have Fernando from City on load. When I want to shut up shop I go one up top and stick him as a DM. Great player. But always getting booked. I signed Carl Jenkinson from Arsenal. Very nice right back. I have been forced to play him at CB once or twice and is nowhere near as good in RCB. Got in Aleix Vidal from Barca. He was out of favour and managed to get him in and play him right wing or right back. Decent price but high wages. Signed a fair few other players too. My squad is very young and getting younger as I have a couple of scouts set permanent on looking for hot prospects and sign as many as I can as long as they don’t take the piss. I am after a young keeper to train up and there was some French kid. 17 with great stats and high potential. He is valued at something like 50k. So I bid 100k just to see what they did. They wanted like £16mill haha. Can’t wait until summer transfer window as could do with clearing about 4 or 5 players out and bringing in a few top quality squad players who are happy to sign rotation or back up contracts so they are not constantly moaning about not playing.

XabiArt · « **Reply #171 on:** January 23, 2017, 04:36:37 pm »

I've got Cook at Dortmund on my FM17 save, he's really good.

Anyone else find it really easy to build a stupidly good squad on this game?

Dortmund seem to have a lot of money, not complaining like but it seems too easy to get a good squad, couple that with getting stupid money for players.

Over the past 3 summers I've sold Auba for 78 to PSG, Dembele for 90 (didnt want to sell but he wanted to go to Madrid) Pulisic for nearly 50 to Arsenal, Schurrle about 30m to Bayern, also got good money for Bartra and Mikel Merino.

My current squad is

Donnarumma and a back up keeper

Passlack and Piszczek RB

Guerreiro and Grimaldo LB

Gimenez, Rugani, Ginter, Will Keane and Di Masi CB

Weigl, Kovacic, Cook, Gorezka, Alli Midfield

Lemar, Gotze, Reus, Origi, Lewandowski and a regen striker in attack

Playing

Donnarumma

Passlack Gimenez Rugani Guerreiro

Weigl

Alli Goretzka

Lemar Reus

Lewa/Origi

Found a good tactic for signing players is searching for happiness on the filter, lots of miserable players on this game are easy to sign.

Lewa wanted out of Bayern cos they finished 8th (fans were not happy when he signed haha), Alli similar at Spurs, Grimaldo was at Madrid and never played, Origi went to Barca, never got a game and was listed cheap.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #172 on:** January 24, 2017, 11:26:00 am »

Progressed a little in my Leeds save last night.

We ended up getting knocked out of the quarter final of the Europa by Villarreal. Well beaten over two legs. Board’s expectations were to not even get out of the group. So they’re happy with that. After a bit of a wobble in the league I managed to sneak into the Europa again with 1 match of the season to spare. Just as well cos I got tanked by Man Utd on the last day at OT. Went out of FA Cup in 3rd round to bloody Man Utd and think I ended up making the 4th round of the Carling up. So domestically not amazing.

In terms of transfers 31yo Begovic is gone. Ended up getting £10m for him (all up front too). So a tidy profit and a couple of full seasons out of him. Replaced him with a £5m Neto from Juventus. He is 26 I think or 27 and Brazilian. Nice stats. Got him for £5m and instantly worth £11.5m. Hopefully he will be sound. He better had be cos my back up is Karl Darlow a welsh guy who is not great. Also got rid of Danny Ings. He ended up going to another prem club for about £5.5m. I paid about that for him a season ago. After selling 4 other squad players and with the £10m I got in from Begovic going I managed to raise about £22m and with the £40m the board have given me I had a fair chunk of cash to play with. Signed 2 more 17 year olds. Full potential. 1 Greek and 1 Brazilian. Both sent straight out on loan. The Brazilian to a side in Ligue 1 and can’t remember where the Greek chap has gone. They didn’t cost huge amounts.

As most of the squad players I got rid of were largely defenders I was left a little short at the back. So I went out and spent £32m on Lukaku and just over £10m Firminho.

Roberto did want £140k a week though and managed to get him down to about £115k with a few add-ons. He is now the highest paid player at the club.
I have brought Fabian Delph in on a season long loan and will be looking to bring in another couple of foreign loans.

There is a bit of time left in the transfer window and I am in the process of trying to get good money for Benteke as not I have Lukaku I don’t need Benteke. Any money I have left in the pot and with the money I get for Benteke definitely needs to go on defenders.

Board have purchased the stadium. I did ask about an expansion by they were not interested.

I think I will give this another 2 seasons and if I am not in the top 4 I am going to be looking at moving to another club abroad. I like the idea of taking a sleeping giant from the Italian second div to the Serie A and beyond. So I will probably look at if any big sides have been relegated from the top European leagues in the last season or so.

JerseyKloppite · « **Reply #173 on:** January 24, 2017, 11:29:06 am »

Quote from: XabiArt on January 23, 2017, 04:36:37 pm

Anyone else find it really easy to build a stupidly good squad on this game?

Dortmund seem to have a lot of money, not complaining like but it seems too easy to get a good squad, couple that with getting stupid money for players.

Think in part that reflects how good Dortmund's squad / set-up is in real life. Not sure how easy it would be to build such a strong squad if you were managing Barnsley

Still trying to get a Liverpool save started. Never have the heart to sack Klopp off so have the editor set up that if I manage Liverpool he's the DOF

The range of players available to Liverpool at the start is pretty good and with a hefty budget. On my third proper attempt at a save now - the first I bought Rodriguez at LB and a decent CM, second I bought Nacho, Cresswell, Felipe Anderson and a decent CM. This time round I've got Kolasinac, Parejo, an Italian winger with a long and complex name and Bacca from Milan. In fact striker is the only position where Liverpool's options at the start are a bit rubbish. If you only look at realistic transfers the list is cr*p, though that's always a dangerous way to search for players. Could have signed El Sharaawy if I'd have agreed to a series of crazy promises and had to allow Bacca to be vice captain

Hoping this time it works out!

El_Pistolero · « **Reply #174 on:** January 24, 2017, 03:02:48 pm »

Anybody else's Joe Gomez a magnet for cruciate injuries? Poor bastard's lost about 22-months to injury between 2017 and Jan 2020.

Upinsmoke · « **Reply #175 on:** January 24, 2017, 07:19:53 pm »

Trying to get into it but i can't.

First went tranmere and it was shit, then went Chemnitz in the german third division and drew all my opening 6 games. four 0-0 and two 1-1.

I hate going the big teams on fm, always have unless i build up my reputation first but it's just so shite with the smaller teams, you get no money and hardly no wiggle room with wage budgets. Gone are the days you could have fun with a minnow.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #176 on:** January 25, 2017, 09:18:07 am »

Quote from: Upinsmoke on January 24, 2017, 07:19:53 pm

Trying to get into it but i can't.

First went tranmere and it was shit, then went Chemnitz in the german third division and drew all my opening 6 games. four 0-0 and two 1-1.

I hate going the big teams on fm, always have unless i build up my reputation first but it's just so shite with the smaller teams, you get no money and hardly no wiggle room with wage budgets. Gone are the days you could have fun with a minnow.

It can be really difficult taking charge of a side with no money and no means of raising much. This is why I tend to do with a sleeping giant. At least they have a reputation and a good ground.

Like you I wouldn’t just pick Barca, Real or Bayern or anyone who is odds on to win the title. That said I wouldn’t mind having a go with Benfica at some point as they seem to have some unreal players. Renato Sanchez just moved to for 97million on my 3rd season on FM16.

I think I will have another couple of seasons with Leeds and then start up with someone else. Probably someone in the Italian 2nd Div. After watching a few videos on YouTube it’s made me want to start a bit of a journeyman save. Start off with low manager stats and take over someone in the non-league with the view to applying for bigger jobs wherever possible.

JerseyKloppite · « **Reply #177 on:** January 25, 2017, 09:28:24 am »

I made the mistake of playing when a bit drunk last night. Pissed odd a few players, lost a few games and basically ballsed up my save

Ah well, start again...

red_lfc_costello · « **Reply #178 on:** January 25, 2017, 09:44:19 am »

Inspired by your Leeds save CD I started one myself last night.

First shock was that I forgot Cook went to Bournemouth, second was that I had 100k to spend and third was that there is actually a few decent looking players there already!

Signed a few freebies, keeping an eye on the loan list.

Pre season has been going well, unbeaten in 4/5 at the moment

CheshireDave · « **Reply #179 on:** January 25, 2017, 10:08:56 am »

Quote from: red_lfc_costello on January 25, 2017, 09:44:19 am

Inspired by your Leeds save CD I started one myself last night.

First shock was that I forgot Cook went to Bournemouth, second was that I had 100k to spend and third was that there is actually a few decent looking players there already!

Signed a few freebies, keeping an eye on the loan list.

Pre season has been going well, unbeaten in 4/5 at the moment

That on FM17?

Shit that Cook has gone.

One of first things I did was sack Chris Wood off. Just couldn't get goals out of him and brought in Bertrand Traore in on loan. He banged a fair few goals in in when I got out of the Championship.

Cooper, Dallas, Silvestri, Mowatt are decent for the Championship.

I find the lower leagues it is key to get in the best loanees you can. I study the U21 squads of prem sides looking for gems to take on loan for the season. Bit of a risk if you do go up as you're obviously going to lose them but you can always sign a couple more when you have gone up.

PattoLFC · « **Reply #180 on:** January 26, 2017, 12:34:20 pm »

Decided to start a save with Luton Town on FM17. Took me a bit of time to get into the save but now I'm fully invested. 3 seasons in and I have just lost in the Play-off final 1-0 which I am actually gutted about (I know its only a game but still!).

The board has just announced they are building a new stadium as I was filling the 10000 seater stadium week in week out so now I am going to have that to contend with an added financial hit. Determined to get this Luton Team promoted now.

Had Toni Gomes and Ovie Ejaria on loan too and they were fantastic. Gomes took some time to get going but Ejaria was an assist machine. Really recommend him if you are playing a League 1 or 2 save.

The checkatrade trophy is a proper ball-ache on this game though. Can't stand it.

JoeCole · « **Reply #181 on:** January 27, 2017, 05:04:51 pm »

Started unemployed and took over Middlesbrough towards the end of January who were 19th and just about saved them from relegation, went into the 2nd season with hopes of a mid-table finish but ended up finishing 16th again. Third season, managed to bring in Asensio, Tielemans, and finally convinced Chambers to join us permanently, went unbeaten for the first 15 or so league games and ended up finishing 6th and qualifying for the Europa (I was in the top 4 most of the season but had Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Spurs in my last 8 games). Asensio is incredible, I signed him for £9m and he got 15 league goals and 11 assists playing as an advanced playmaker behind the striker (Calum Wilson, who himself scored 20), his value is now up to £24.5m. Chambers cost me £8m and I just sold him to Liverpool for £25m.

Beefed up the squad this season to try and have a proper go at the Europa League, hopefully can still manage to finish in the top half in the league too.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #182 on:** January 29, 2017, 10:16:31 pm »

Thinking of having a go at the Hexagon Challenge.

Start unemployed and Sunday league experience (though I may restart with a touch more reputation if I start and am getting no jobs) and them attempted to win the Copa Libertadores de América, UEFA Champions League, CONCACAF Champions League, Oceania Champions League, Asian Champions League and the African Champions League.

This explains it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kTPsG7FRU8 - I have not watched more than about 10 minutes of that guys series.

Seems insanely hard and I have no doubt I won't be able to do it. But may as well have a go.

EDIT: I am doing it on FM16 meaning the Asian and Oceania is just the Asian Champions League. Just got easier already. So it is the pentagon challenge now. Also the only league I can pick in Africa is the South African one. So yeah I will need to win it with a South African team which I imagine will be very hard against North African league teams.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #183 on:** January 30, 2017, 08:17:11 pm »

Started the above this evening.

I started the game so it was early pre-season in European leagues. Meaning the South America and Chinese leagues were underway. So there was a few Chinese National league jobs available and also Cambridge. I applied for both. Got an interview for both and didn't get either.

So I let the game run whilst on holiday for a month or so and had a few more interviews. Couple of Chinese Super League jobs I would have took. But eventually Leyton Orient. We are 20th out of 24 in League 2. They got relegated last year so should be looking at getting up the league. We have 12 points from 13 games. Basically no transfer budget to speak off and about 15k wage budget left over. They have a couple of decent loan players in. Will be looking to pick up a bit of experience for free and maybe move a couple of players on.

First game is Luton (8th) away.

Upinsmoke · « **Reply #184 on:** January 30, 2017, 08:36:27 pm »

Least you have a decent wage budget, usually can get away with just bringing in free transfers as long as you have a few grand to spare in wages.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #185 on:** January 30, 2017, 09:51:08 pm »

Yes, it is decent and I hope to use some of it once I move a bit of squad on. I have a couple of players who seem surplus to requirements. Worth about £100k each. Seem to have a fairly big squad which isn't normally my style. I prefer to rest players, give them the odd day off and keep a familiar side, if possible.

Brought in - Sean Goss CM but can play DM, Christian Walton Keeper from Brighton, Karlan Ahearne-Grant young striker from Charlton, Ryan Hedges from Swansea who plays on the wing, got in Nico Yennaris from Brentford too. Solid RB/WB and can play DM if needed and Conor Townsend who was already here. They're all on 3 month loans but I may try and extend some and they are all on 0% wage contribution.

I play a 4-3-2-1 Wide formation. With 3 centre midfielders on different roles. Normally one ball winner, an attacking minded one and a defensively minded one. The 2 wide men are generally set to winger or inside forward and the forward is an advanced forward but occasionally a target man and look to get crosses in early and often. I play this because I tend to be more attacking but gives the option to switch it to a 4-5-1 containing/counter formation or even a 4-1-4-1 with a DM in. Depends how the game is going or more often who I am up against.

First 2 games. Lost 1-0 to Luton away. Had a fair few chances and should have really got a point. Second game was away again to Morecambe and managed to turn them over 2-0 and dominated really. The luton game was before most of the loan players came in.

Played Altrincham. Went 1-0 up inside first 10 minutes. Then right after one of their midfielders got a straight red. Game ended 1-1. Very annoying. Notts County away in the FA Cup first round. Much harder game than I could have got.

JaimeREDnapz · « **Reply #186 on:** January 31, 2017, 03:58:59 pm »

The mobile / ipad game is a waste of time.

Started as Liverpool won the league, then won everything in the next few seasons. Literally play the same tactics, just buy 2 big players a year.

garbage.

Upinsmoke · « **Reply #187 on:** January 31, 2017, 04:58:36 pm »

Quote from: CheshireDave on January 30, 2017, 09:51:08 pm

Yes, it is decent and I hope to use some of it once I move a bit of squad on. I have a couple of players who seem surplus to requirements. Worth about £100k each. Seem to have a fairly big squad which isn't normally my style. I prefer to rest players, give them the odd day off and keep a familiar side, if possible.

Brought in - Sean Goss CM but can play DM, Christian Walton Keeper from Brighton, Karlan Ahearne-Grant young striker from Charlton, Ryan Hedges from Swansea who plays on the wing, got in Nico Yennaris from Brentford too. Solid RB/WB and can play DM if needed and Conor Townsend who was already here. They're all on 3 month loans but I may try and extend some and they are all on 0% wage contribution.

I play a 4-3-2-1 Wide formation. With 3 centre midfielders on different roles. Normally one ball winner, an attacking minded one and a defensively minded one. The 2 wide men are generally set to winger or inside forward and the forward is an advanced forward but occasionally a target man and look to get crosses in early and often. I play this because I tend to be more attacking but gives the option to switch it to a 4-5-1 containing/counter formation or even a 4-1-4-1 with a DM in. Depends how the game is going or more often who I am up against.

First 2 games. Lost 1-0 to Luton away. Had a fair few chances and should have really got a point. Second game was away again to Morecambe and managed to turn them over 2-0 and dominated really. The luton game was before most of the loan players came in.

Played Altrincham. Went 1-0 up inside first 10 minutes. Then right after one of their midfielders got a straight red. Game ended 1-1. Very annoying. Notts County away in the FA Cup first round. Much harder game than I could have got.

What instructions are you using? Defensive line and tempo etc?

I feel like I've ran through every combination these past few years on FM and never really settled on a winning formula. Usually I see what kind of players I've got and try and fit a system around them but it doesn't always work that well. I've tried going for this slower tempo shorter passing option and higher tempo more direct but neither is really working of late.

Like I say I try and adapt for the players I have so I try and play to there strengths and see what there favoured positions are and come up with a system that suits them but to little avail. I always end up back at the 4231 rafa as I call it.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #188 on:** February 1, 2017, 09:46:41 am »

Quote from: Upinsmoke on January 31, 2017, 04:58:36 pm

What instructions are you using? Defensive line and tempo etc?

I feel like I've ran through every combination these past few years on FM and never really settled on a winning formula. Usually I see what kind of players I've got and try and fit a system around them but it doesn't always work that well. I've tried going for this slower tempo shorter passing option and higher tempo more direct but neither is really working of late.

Like I say I try and adapt for the players I have so I try and play to there strengths and see what there favoured positions are and come up with a system that suits them but to little avail. I always end up back at the 4231 rafa as I call it.

I start at a higher than normal tempo, but not the highest. If I am playing against a team I should be beating and am favourite for I tend to play a higher line also. But more often than not I leave the defensive line as default. But to be honest I normally let the first 20 minutes or so run in the game and check on possession % and just how the game is going in general. If I am getting overrun or not having good possession I tend to add retain possession and drop the tempo. Also if I manage to go 2-0 up I drop the tempo, retain possession, time waste is possible and often look to lose an attacking player in place of a DM around the HT mark or soon after. The only time I really leave it as an attacking set up after taking a good lead is when I know the other team has no chance of getting back into the game and I just try and blow them away or if they’ve had a sending off and gone into a more damage limitation mode.

I have tried all of the instructions and my advice would be don’t feel obliged to use too many of them. Though the preferred positions are important they are not the be all and end all. Try and find the balance of making the players fit to the system rather than the system fitting to your players. I see the little green cog as a guide and don’t always have full green cogs.

I have been a bit busy so not been able to play much of my save with Leyton Orient. I find I am drawing a lot of games. Though I have had a couple of great results beating top of the league Portsmouth away and 3rd in the place Carlisle also away. I am currently 9th in the league 4 points below the play offs (3rd-6th). Board are pretty happy how things are going, especially the signings (albeit all loans) I have brought in. My captain and CB wanted away and a couple of decent size French teams came in for him (he is French) and he ended up going to Racing Lens for £230k. I was going to replace him but the board basically gave me none of the transfer money, so the replacement didn’t happen. Instead I brought in another loan at CB until the end of the season. I brought in Hanson (sp) and he’s been a bit of a revelation. He has 17 free kick taking and has already pinged in a couple. Jay Simpson was pissed off I sold the captain even though I told him I would find a replacement. Which I did on loan. Anyway he now has an abysmal moral rating and doesn’t look interested. So he is in the reserves now. Leyton Orient’s problem is they have 3 or 4 big earners who are shite and old. Fortunately the majority of them are in the last year of their deals. A very nice player they have is Simon Cox. Worth a million now and plays L or R AM. I tend to play him on the left though. We don’t have the best of squads and are heavy reliant on loans (often playing the full 5 allowed!), we are skint, we don’t get great crowds but we should be good enough to get out of League 2. As soon as this season comes to a close I will be looking at the job market.

JerseyKloppite · « **Reply #189 on:** February 1, 2017, 11:22:09 am »

Eurgh, I just can't get a Liverpool save going. Always too tempted to overhaul the squad at the start and bring in a better GK, LB, CB, CM and attacking player but not found a mix that works yet. Some really good players can be talked into joining and you can bolster the team, particularly with sales, to make the squad strong. Forster / Rui Patricio in goal, Kurzawa/Coentrao at LB, Howedes/De Vrij at CB, Kondogbia/Kimmich/Parejo at CM, Yarmolenko as an AM and Bacca/Lacazette up top. All improve the team which seems very flimsy at the outset.

Neither keeper is any good, Matip is underrated, Moreno has potential but is well off top 4 starter material, only two decent all-around CMs in Hendo/Can and the former is another underrated player in the game. Wijnaldum, Lallana and Mane all have shite stats, as does Sturridge. Coutinho feels really underrated.

Not quite sure how to approach it. You can generate a huge warchest by selling Sturridge, Ilori and Stewart at the start, as well as Migs. But bringing in the above players doesn't seem to have assisted despite various tactical approaches.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #190 on:** February 1, 2017, 11:20:32 pm »

Following on from my last update from my current save I managed to get into the play offs. I had a bit of a wobble towards the end of the season picking up just 4 points my last 3 games and ended up 7th in the league. Drew Luton in the semi final of the play offs. First leg was at home and I really should have won this game. We had close to 60% possession and 3 clear cut chances but the game finished 0-0. The return leg I managed to win comfortably. Which came as a surprise. Played Plymouth in the final who had beaten me twice in the league campaign (though one time was when I was not the manager). The bookies made us an even money favourite. Was an incredible dull final which I won 1-0 after scoring just a couple of minutes into ET. Cox with the goal. So we went up. Oxford and Pompey also went up. Oxford as champions.

In terms of moving on to another club. I have tried. Applied for a few jobs in the league below the Bundesliga but never got an interview. Nothing really intresting has come up in the UK. I also applied for a few jobs in Mexico. Again nothing. The Orient board were not happy with me applying for jobs but no major unrest, yet.

The LO board have gave me a nice wage budget and I adjusted that to be allowed 900k to spend.

I will try and get some screenshots up of my transfer history. But essentially I have brought in 4 long term loans, 2 free transfers and 3 players for a feee equating to about 250k. I have released a couple of players and sold Jay Simpson to Millwall for £425k. So I will be looking to bring in another couple of players. I need a good right back and probably another winger.

I just got through pre-season. Beat Brentford 2-0, lost to Chelsea 3-1 after leading 1-0 at HT! and thrashed a couple of minnows. I don't tend to have hectic pre-seasons and prefer to just get the fitness up farming my first teamers out to the U21 and U18 teams.

Like I said I will try and get a few screenshots up of my team also.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #191 on:** February 5, 2017, 10:52:35 am »

Leyton Orient are going places.

Here is a few pictures. Sorry for the awful quality. My PC doesn't like screen shots from FM for some unknown reason.

Sh0rty · « **Reply #192 on:** February 5, 2017, 08:14:21 pm »

Quote from: CheshireDave on February 5, 2017, 10:52:35 am

Leyton Orient are going places.

Here is a few pictures. Sorry for the awful quality. My PC doesn't like screen shots from FM for some unknown reason.

cant you print screen?

Upinsmoke · « **Reply #193 on:** February 5, 2017, 08:25:02 pm »

Good run of results dave.

I started a new season with Stockport, was in eighteenth when the board called me in and I decided to resign before I was sacked, was only there a few months.

Fortunately Accrington came knocking to my surprise and I took the job, they were 24th when I came in and only had a spare 200 quid in wage. Anyway I'm 21st now and six points clear of the drop in early February. Manged to get a good Dutch keeper in called Jordy Deckers that's kept me in matches numerous times, considering I have no scouting knowledge of holland I was quite happy with that! On the flip side I signed another lad who I thought was good and made him my highest earner but he's only two and a half stars at best!

CheshireDave · « **Reply #194 on:** February 5, 2017, 10:16:58 pm »

Quote from: Sh0rty on February 5, 2017, 08:14:21 pm

cant you print screen?

Haha when I press print screen it just takes a photo of my desktop. God knows why. Maybe if I try it in windowed mode it might.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #195 on:** February 5, 2017, 10:37:45 pm »

Apparently I can print screen in windowed haha

Here is my transfer history.

The first season I had basically no budget to speak of. Hence I was very reliant on loans.

Second season I am very happy with the deals. That South African guy Rantie never played a game for me. He never got a work permit. Bought him for 80 and sold him for half a mill. There is loads of teams interested in him. Fans were not happy with Simpson leaving but he was being a cock so I took a lowish bid. He is now worth 900k. Got rid of a couple of other players too who were just taking up wage budget.

Most happy with Robson-Kanu. He was a free agent for some reason. He is only on 4.4k a week and is worth £950k now. Grant Hill and Diag-etc were brought in as back up. But areboth now valued about £300k. Ambrose and Mason Bennett have been excellent. Scoring freely. I am still loaning a lot of players and having Chelsea as a senior affiliate helps!

Here is what's happened since my last pictures

JerseyKloppite · « **Reply #196 on:** February 6, 2017, 12:40:13 pm »

Quote from: CheshireDave on February 5, 2017, 10:37:45 pm

Frustrating number of draws in there!

Started a new save last week, unemployed Sunday League footballer experience.

Got my first job at Forest Green, and managed to get them promoted through the Play-Offs to league 2. Consolidated it the following year but the club were being ridiculous with money (they wouldn't let me bring in an assistant manager or do any coaching badges) and I foresaw years of frustrating and stagnation. Resigned in third season and later that season went to Rochdale who I managed to steer to 2nd in League Two and promotion. Fantastic start to life in League One, on course for a play-off place until the final third of the season when the wheels came off spectacularly and I finished 19th.

Poor start to the following season and I started looking elsewhere again. To my surprise I got two good job offers, one with Huddersfield and the other with Swansea. Decided to try saves with both. Took Huddersfield to the playoffs where I lost, unbelievably, to Swansea

Squad was quite thin and there wasn't really any budget to improve it so I paused there and gave the Swansea save a whirl. Won the Championship on the last day over Sunderland with Fabio Borini one of the stars, so think I'll persist with this save!

I'm quite surprised how quickly you can progress from an unheard of manager in non-league football to the Premier League. My first season in the top flight will be my 7th in the game overall.

CheshireDave · « **Reply #197 on:** February 6, 2017, 03:30:54 pm »

Quote from: JerseyKloppite on February 6, 2017, 12:40:13 pm

Frustrating number of draws in there!

Tell me about it! Never seemed to be a draw as in both teams score in the first half. Was always me throwing away a lead or nicking one.

I don't expect to get promoted this season. Got some horrible away games coming up against Derby and Birmingham (both in league 1) who have much better sides than I do. I have major fixture build up because I have successfully got 2 games called off because of international duty players. I also beat Bolton in that FA Cup game! 1-0 at their place. Seems a bit of a giant killing but they were about 22nd in the Championship so in realistically only about 6 or 7 places between us. Had a nice run in the cup. Notts County which I won on a reply, Kidderminster, York and Bolton in the 4th round. Kidderminster and York were dispatched with ease with largely a second string.

I am yet to see any signs of this quick progress, Jersey! Though I hoping I am on one or two clubs radar, in England or abroad.

JerseyKloppite · « **Reply #198 on:** February 6, 2017, 05:09:37 pm »

Quote from: CheshireDave on February 6, 2017, 03:30:54 pm

Tell me about it! Never seemed to be a draw as in both teams score in the first half. Was always me throwing away a lead or nicking one.

I don't expect to get promoted this season. Got some horrible away games coming up against Derby and Birmingham (both in league 1) who have much better sides than I do. I have major fixture build up because I have successfully got 2 games called off because of international duty players. I also beat Bolton in that FA Cup game! 1-0 at their place. Seems a bit of a giant killing but they were about 22nd in the Championship so in realistically only about 6 or 7 places between us. Had a nice run in the cup. Notts County which I won on a reply, Kidderminster, York and Bolton in the 4th round. Kidderminster and York were dispatched with ease with largely a second string.

I am yet to see any signs of this quick progress, Jersey! Though I hoping I am on one or two clubs radar, in England or abroad.

You'd be surprised what a promotion can do for you, I think.

I arrived at FG and Rochdale in the second halves of seasons when both were already in the top half and got promoted with both. Despite that means my only achievements are the conference playoffs and 2nd in League 2, that was good enough for a job at a Swansea team who had were pushing for a return to the PL.

If in doubt just keep an eye out for jobs at teams pushing for promotion in the latter 3rd of the season. I remember in a previous version getting offered a job at a club who only needed a point on the last day against the bottom club to seal promotion and the title. Fairly sure it would have taken a mathematically improbably defeat to prevent at least promotion. Took the job, won the game, showered with compliments for the achievement even though I did bugger all

it's perhaps not the most rewarding way to kick on but if you're doing the hexagon challenge it may be a way to springboard yourself to the top flight without taking years...

CheshireDave · « **Reply #199 on:** February 6, 2017, 06:44:55 pm »

Yeah I will leave Leyton Orient regardless whether I go up or remain in the league. The board only wanted to consolidate in League 1 I think so a play off should give me some rep. Hoping to pick up lower prem or even relegated prem side or a half decent Championship side. Though I will go anywhere in the world. I have not managed in MLS before on FM, or Argentina league (which looks mental about 40 teams!) or few others. But I think once I get a bit of cred in Europe though jobs shouldn't be too tricky to pick up. Anyway, I will play a bit and update at a later date.

Blackburn at home in FA Cup in 5th round by the way. Winnable!