So near, yet so far...

I am currently overseeing my reign as West Ham boss, its 1 game into the season and I am looking to bolster my strike force rather extravagantly. I looked for the best players who got filtered out via the 'unrealistic' option. There he was shining like a beacon in the night (no doubt due to his hair colour) Vagner Love. Ahhhh my Vagner. I placed a bid straight away, he was rated at 5.2m and was unhappy at CSKA so I did the usual and declared my interest in signing him which he replied by saying he owed it to himself to consider a move should a bid be accepted. The Rusky's were being tough on negotiations but I finally managed to get them to agree to a structured deal of around 16m. But, before my bid was accepted the following happened...big ole' Madrid came bumbling down the street, winked at him, clicked their fingers and got a bid accepted instantly. When it comes to offer him a contract he no longer wants to join us Hammers and jets off to Spain where jubilant fans welcomed his arrival, just think how he'd have been recieved down at Upton Park, I'd have had a key to the city! This happened about 5 hours ago today and the pain is still there. I have since resigned myself to signing Landon Donovan....doesn't quite hold water in comparison does it.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my misfortune and do hope you'll share some similiar sad stories yourself. Maybe it will cheer me up, think of it as Vagner Love Anonymous.

I am currently overseeing my reign as West Ham boss, its 1 game into the season and I am looking to bolster my strike force rather extravagantly. I looked for the best players who got filtered out via the 'unrealistic' option. There he was shining like a beacon in the night (no doubt due to his hair colour) Vagner Love. Ahhhh my Vagner. I placed a bid straight away, he was rated at 5.2m and was unhappy at CSKA so I did the usual and declared my interest in signing him which he replied by saying he owed it to himself to consider a move should a bid be accepted. The Rusky's were being tough on negotiations but I finally managed to get them to agree to a structured deal of around 16m. But, before my bid was accepted the following happened...big ole' Madrid came bumbling down the street, winked at him, clicked their fingers and got a bid accepted instantly. When it comes to offer him a contract he no longer wants to join us Hammers and jets off to Spain where jubilant fans welcomed his arrival, just think how he'd have been recieved down at Upton Park, I'd have had a key to the city! This happened about 5 hours ago today and the pain is still there. I have since resigned myself to signing Landon Donovan....doesn't quite hold water in comparison does it.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my misfortune and do hope you'll share some similiar sad stories yourself. Maybe it will cheer me up, think of it as Vagner Love Anonymous.

That is a big shame, I get the same at lower league and some git in my team always tells the world who I am about to sign. As soon as that happens I immediately bid on another player.

Moral of the story? The big clubs are big for a reason.

Dont feel too bad. I bought him at Pompey for £10.5 mill, wasn't too great. Bought 30 odd goals in two seasons. Sold him to Villa for £12 mil - he obviously then became a goal machine

Tough Love, eh?

Huh. As a side note, the guy apparently didn't get his nickname for nothing:

Brazilian porn actress Pamela Butt says she feels 'defiled' after a video of her and CSKA Moscow striker Vagner Love was leaked online. 'It's appalling,' Butt told the Folha de São Paulo. 'I'm very well paid to have sex on camera, but I earned nothing for this. I am two people: Pamela the actress and Pamela the private lady, and today the private lady is defiled.' 'Hey, I'm known for being amorous,' says Love. 'Let's be honest: this reputation isn't one that unsettles me.'

Also, why does Mr. Love somehow remind me of this guy?

Anyway... carry on.

Tough Love, eh?

Huh. As a side note, the guy apparently didn't get his nickname for nothing:

Also, why does Mr. Love somehow remind me of this guy?

Anyway... carry on.

Hey man...Chef is/was King. I'm still getting over his death

i lost an african cup winners cup final the other day. after winning the first leg 1-0 away i was pleased to take a 2-0 lead in the 48th minute of the home leg only for the opponents to score three times between 60mins and 75mins to win the trophy. second time i'd lost the final.

You needed to spend less time negotiating and submit an offer and contract to him earlier in the game. madrid doesnt offer for him until august usually. So just go back to your last save and sign him before they do. It's not like it's cheating because if Madrid really wanted him/if the game didn't suck madrid would match your bid even at the beginning of the game whenever you made it. but madrid will let you buy him at the beginning of the game without making an offer, therefore either madrid dont really want him or dont decide they want him until later (which is ridiculous, if they want him they want him and they'd match your bid), or the game is ridiculous and unrealistic even when it comes to the most important aspects of it.

Everytime I bid for a player that nobody is interested in, suddenly everyone becomes interested. Gets quite annoying, but ah well, such is life.

You needed to spend less time negotiating and submit an offer and contract to him earlier in the game. madrid doesnt offer for him until august usually. So just go back to your last save and sign him before they do. It's not like it's cheating because if Madrid really wanted him/if the game didn't suck madrid would match your bid even at the beginning of the game whenever you made it. but madrid will let you buy him at the beginning of the game without making an offer, therefore either madrid dont really want him or dont decide they want him until later (which is ridiculous, if they want him they want him and they'd match your bid), or the game is ridiculous and unrealistic even when it comes to the most important aspects of it.

yea it was in august unfortunately, id played my first prem game by then. i was half expecting man city to come in for him, how much do they have!!! they sign someone for 20mil every other day! to make things worse i havent got a back up save on this one. unless theres some random auto save somewhere.

I know and share your anger. Even if in Championship League now I experienced the same few times in the past. Maybe even worse is to spot hot youngsters, get them roughly for free , see their value raise to few milions within few years and then your board sell them without my opinion....

So I loose talents....but with the money income I restart the process from scratch not easy anyway, not an easy task indeed.