UGHHHHHHH!!! Lost the Champions League Final for the second season in a row. First to Bayern, now to Marseilles. ******* Remy.
Anyway, since most teams are imitating my 4-2-3-1, and I've realized that Jonjo Shelvey's superior pace and off the ball make him wasted as an Attacking Playmaker Support, I have decided to go with a classic 4-3-3, kind of like Barcelona run, although I don't use a false 9 (I would love to of course, they're just impossible to find). Also my DMC isn't an Anchor Man because he is just so incredibly good, although I suppose Busquets will join the attack against poor teams. Speaking of him, I've been trying to tap up Busquets since the beginning of the game and only gave it up in the last year since my two regens have shown immense promise, but he is unrealistically loyal to a club who keep slashing his salary and benching him. I swear they could have installed a recliner with his ass grooves carved in for comfort because the dude just never plays. Still won't come to Liverpool though.
Lucas is 28 or 29 and had interest from Man City, so I decided to take this last opportunity to cash in. Here's the team
GK: Reina, Areola
DR: Ramos, Regen (very young, but Ramos is under contract for 2 more years)
DL: Kolarov (last year), Regen. There's a Norwegian regen I missed out on because I included a player in the deal and he didn't agree terms, so the guy is at Villarreal now and has been for 3 or 4 years. I see him as the Kolarov replacement, but he could be expensive and unwilling to split time with the current regen who might start playing ahead of Kolarov this year.
CD: Kjaer, Cafezinho (screenshot earlier in this thread), Wilson
CD: Ranocchia, Skrtel, Matip
DMC: 2 regens; Mthobeni's screenshot is posted earlier next to Cafezinho, also a 19 year old Portuguese International
MC: Shelvey, Brazilian Regen (PA 200, but won't reach it because of his attitude)
MC: Pastore, Czech Regen
AML: Hazard, Kadlec, Ruiz
AMR: Hulk, Di Maria (on loan, but I basically see him as a mirror of Hazard like Kadlec is a mirror of Hulk)
STC: Babacar (superstar), Mexican Regen (PA 200, probably will reach it), Paloschi
There's also Brian Ruiz and Sotris Ninis floating around, but they aren't registered. Probably should transfer list them. Also Steven Gerrard renewed at somewhere in the 20k/week range, down from 150k last season, so he was kept on as I couldn't bear to let him go. I also have an uber talent in central defense an 18 year old I got from Madrid's U-18s last year. After spending a year training and being tutored and having his attributes go insanely high, he will be spending this season as a valuable team member of Villarreal. Skrtel's contract is up and it won't be renewed and I have a feeling he could seize a starting spot at 19 and team with Cafezinho who is staking a real claim to the other one while Kjaer is out with an injury.
I'm having a serious problem with registration and home grown players though, so that's a serious problem for the future.
Started up with Leverkusen recently. Currently in my first season. First half of the season: 13W, 3D, 1L. Second half so far: 3W, 7D, 4L. Shoot me. Hanging onto a Champions League spot by 4 points with three games to go, but I just can't win. The team looks completely pathetic. Even some of those draws and wins we've been getting the goals on corner kicks. Kiessling had 9 goals and 7 assists in the first half of the season and I think he might have 10 and 7 right now. Sooo disheartening.
So we backed into 2nd place on 64 points thanks to some incredible league parody and epic choke jobs from every decent team. Rode into 11/12 knowing that our 4-2-3-1 was probably not the way forward. Oddly, the inspiration for next season was purely by luck; Kiessling and Derdiyok were both injured for the last two games, so I had to play Ruiz as the lone striker. He was BRILLIANT and we won both games after a very average season on the wing. Started making me seriously consider switching to a 2 striker formation. Moves for 11/12...
IN: Andre Schurrle, Benedict Howedes, Lewis Holtby, Yuri Zhirkov
So I feel a little dirty, but we're having some very good success playing a pretty direct, but standard 4-4-2.
2 STs: 1 target man, 1 deep lying creative player. Generally Kiessling and Bryan Ruiz.
2 Advanced Wingers: Generally Schurrle and Renato Augusto.
2 DMs: 1 Defensive, one more attacking, they switch roles periodically to simulate a kind of double pivot. Generally Arturo Vidal and Rolfes.
And then a standard defense, but with more attacking fullbacks.
So yeah, we play direct, fast, and on the counter, and it's everything I try to avoid normally, but this is just the best style for the players I have. I think I'm really just one true trequartista away from a team that can win the Bundesliga; Ruiz is good, but not quite good enough. I would consider selling Vidal and Kiessling (waaaaay too inconsistent and misses so many 1 on 1s) to raise money for someone truly elite. Like maybe a Giuseppe Rossi or someone of that quality. I think Derdiyok has a shot to be special as well, so getting Kiessling out of the squad could make room for him.
Finished 2nd again (quite a distance from Bayern in 1st) and got knocked out in the Euro League Quarter Finals by mother******* Barcelona. Bull****, I could have won that Cup if it wasn't for them and ******* Messi. Started the 2012/2013 season. Not many changes:
OUT:
Arturo Vidal 19.75M
Burak Kaplan 9.5M
IN
Marouane Felliani 11.25M (Vidal replacement)
Hulk 12.5M (IT HAD TO HAPPEN!! Actually I don't know if I would have bought him if Ruiz and Derdiyok didn't get injuries keeping them out until after the January break)
Found this guy who will arrive next season when he turns 18:
Wow, excellent player. Exceptionally high decision making skills (here it is again) for such a young kid aswell. I've found out that decision making isn't something that can be trained in the ''individual training focus'', by the way. I guess it's something that only develops with gaining experience, or to tutor them like you pointed out. Obviously the exceptionally talented already have it in their nature.
I signed this player when he was 16, and he made his international debut for Spain before turning 18. He was even a starter for Spain at World Cup 2022. He still has developing to do (passing, technique), but by making the right decisions he gets out of a lot of trouble, even at a high world-class World Cup level. Incredibly effective player.
I think decisions are trained with "tactics", but you're right, there's no individual training focus.
But yes, Riquelme is the trequartista that I wanted and he only cost 2.2M, or about 15 times less than Neymar would have run me. Hope he develops fast. His flair, decisions, determination, and bravery are all right where they should be, just wish his teamwork and composure were higher.
Here it is. I have never had a defensive record this ridiculous. Doubt I can keep it in single digits for the season, but WOW. And 16 points up on Bayern, the only team I'm actually worried about... selling Kroos doesn't look like a good move.
EDIT: Rene Adler's record in the Bundesliga to this point...
19 games, 15 clean sheets, 4 goals against. Avg rating: 6.96. WHAT THE ****!?!?
Well yeah I figured that out myself, but I watch the games and it sure looks to me like Adler is playing well. Assuming 10 shots per game for the opposition, Adler has conceded on something like 2-3% of shots this season. That's pretty good. I play a direct game, not a possession game, so it's not like the other team lacks shots or opportunities.
I decided what the hell while i was for FM 11 ill manage Schalke in Germany. Very challenging fun team to manage but a pain in the butt to decide what formation I should use. I've been using the barcelona 4-3-3 here's a screen shot of my roster. As of now....I lead the league with fewest goals allowed so far (13) Any suggestions on what formation? thanks.
What a rollercoaster first season half way thru the season the board got fed up that there were rumors I was going to get fired because the media won't seem to shut the f*ck up for once. Because some of the players think i was inexperienced to manage the club. But hey how do you like them apples now? Klaas is a monster and Raul honestly gave it his all in his first season that he ran out of fuel in season 2 that he's in the bench just for motivation. He wants to be my assistant manager after this season.....ill show staff stats for Raul and let me know if I should keep him or ship him back to spain.
cheers
What formation should I try with the set of players I have?
__________________
A big thanks to Nady. I miss you blu
I would suggest you play Holtby (he's becoming an absolute monster for my Leverkusen side) and what did you do with Howedes, he's one of the best defenders in the game!
Oh, and I'm pissed that you drew an awful Bayern, in my first two seasons they dropped 73 and 74 points and were an absolute bitch to play.
I would suggest you play Holtby (he's becoming an absolute monster for my Leverkusen side) and what did you do with Howedes, he's one of the best defenders in the game!
Oh, and I'm pissed that you drew an awful Bayern, in my first two seasons they dropped 73 and 74 points and were an absolute bitch to play.
Lyon bought him for 15 million euros and 35 %percent next sale profit for my team. He wanted a new challenge I hate when they come to a point where the player feels like I dont want to help him succeed because I want him to stay loyal to the club....is he better as a winger or amc-mc? Holtby that is...
__________________
A big thanks to Nady. I miss you blu
ill manage Schalke in Germany. Very challenging fun team to manage but a pain in the butt to decide what formation I should use. I've been using the barcelona 4-3-3 here's a screen shot of my roster. As of now....I lead the league with fewest goals allowed so far (13) Any suggestions on what formation? thanks.
Linear Mode
