[FM09] An Argentine Adventure

After reading through other threads here I thought it was about time I recounted my own career.

Started off by creating my own Argentine alter-ego: Juan Pablo Coceres. I set my experience to automatic.

(I've got through a few seasons, so I will just describe the previous seasons briefly for now.)

I holidayed the first season with the aim of taking over as manager at one of the newly promoted second division sides. On 1st August 2009, I was offered the job as Nueva Chicago manager.

2009/2010

The squad was very average and was devoid of staff. I got a reasonable transfer budget, but couldn't spend it due to the transfer window closing hours before I joined. I set about first signing staff and decided to keep the squad as it was for now and see how they did in the upcoming weeks. I only had two quality players in the team; Leonel Martens (club favoured personnel) and Uruguayan Fabian Cesaro. Both were DM's and were 34 and 35 at the time of me joining.

I started off with a victory, but my side struggled to get goals due to the poor standard of strikers at the club. This led to the club hovering around mid-table after the first few games. In September, I set about bringing in 11 free agents in various positions throughout the team. None were brilliant, but they all helped the club climb up the league towards Christmas.

During this time, I agreed terms with 3 players that would join in the Christmas transfer window. Attacking midfielder Martin Cortes from Defensores for £50k, striker Fabian Bordagary for £14k from San Lorenzo and another striker, Venezuelan Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo from Caracas for £8k. (The latter two would prove to be my best signings in football manager history!)

The trio came in and made an instant impact, catapulting the team up the table and finishing a fantastic 6th, 13 places above from where we were predicted to. (Annoyingly, we weren't even awarded the title of Overachievers of the Season. =/)

6th (Second Division)

Top Scorer: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo (9)

Top Assistman: Leonel Martens (4)

Highest Average Rating: Diego Trotta (CB) 7.05 (22 apps)

Fans Player of the Year: Diego Trotta

More to come.

2010/2011

Brilliant season saw the team lead the table from the beginning, securing the title with 84 points.

Bordagaray and Galuppo were sensational. Bordagaray finished top scorer with 32 goals, whilst Galuppo scored 19 and led the assists chart, with 18. Several big name clubs appeared interested in the pair, but no approach was made for either.

1st (Second Division)

Top Scorer: Fabian Bordagaray (32)

Top Assistman: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo (18)

Highest Average Rating: Fabian Bordagaray (7.53)

Fans Player of the Year: Fabian Bordagaray

2011/2012

The team's first season back in the top flight saw us tipped to finish bottom of the pile. Several signings were made, many of them young players. A great run of form around the Christmas period saw us finish 6th in the Opening Stage of the league (the league is split into Opening/Closing stages, so there are two champions each year.)

Our overachieving didn't last long however, despite strengthing the squad further in the transfer window, the club failed to carry their rich vein of form into the closing stage, finishing in 13th position, and 9th overall for both stages.

Galuppo stole the limelight this season, scoring an absolutely brilliant 26 goals, finishing as league top scorer and with the highest average rating. Bordagaray just about reached double figures (10), but couldn't carry on last season's form into this one.

6th Opening Stage - 11th Closing Stage (Premier Division)

Top Scorer: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo (26)

Top Assistman: Franco Miranda (12)

Highest Average Rating: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo (7.49)

Fans Player of the Year: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo

2012/2013

Second season syndrome seemed to affect the squad this year, finishing a dissapointing 13th overall, (13th in Opening Stage / 12th in Closing) with 8 less points than last season. However, Galuppo stole the show once more, this time scoring 25 goals, finishing as league top scorer once again. Bordagaray improved his goal tally this term, scoring 19 this time round, leaving him joint 3rd in the goal scoring rankings.

Another positive to take away this season was that my young right winger, Juan Bautista Menseguez (regen) won the Argentine Young Player of the Year award. He will be a key player for me in the future if he stays with the club.

13th Opening Stage - 12th Closing Stage (Premier Division)

Top Scorer: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo (25)

Top Assistman: Franco Miranda (13)

Highest Average Rating: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo (7.47)

Fans Player of the Year: Pierre Alexandre Pluchino Galuppo

2013/2014 (Mid-season Update)

The young squad gelled and improved rapidly since the end of last season. This led to the club rampaging up the league to a 2nd place finish in the Opening Stage, behind the unstoppable River Plate. It was goals galore, as the team managed to score 53 goals in their opening 19 games, the most in the division by far. Fabian Bordagaray was the pick of the players in the Opening Stage, scoring 15 goals by the half way point of the season, (unfortunately, he tore a muscle in his ankle during the 6-1 victory over Racing Club that secured us 2nd place, leaving him out for 3 months.)

Our only two defeats came against River (2-0) and Boca (4-2). Both were away from home, but the results emphasise the huge gap present between ourselves and those two giants.

Juan Bautista Menseguez once again won the Argentine Young Player of the Year award, with another one of our players, Bolivian Carlos Aguilar (regen) finishing 3rd. I came 2nd in the Manager of the Year award, whilst four of my players, (Miranda (LB), Menseguez (RM), Galuppo (ST) and Bordagaray (ST)) were included in the Premier Division Team of the Year.

Despite this brilliant finish, it is a tad frustrating. The club's rep is national, whilst there are many other teams, performing worse than me in the league, with continental rep. Several of these clubs have expressed interest in my top players, and despite them performing much worse in the league, many of my players want to now move to these so called 'bigger clubs.' Over the course of the last year, several of my key young players have asked to be placed on the transfer list, or were unhappy at me for not accepting offers for them.

Continental qualification and relegation is decided by an 'average points' system. The club currently sit in 7th position in the Average points table, meaning we should qualify for next year's Copa Sudamericana (UEFA Cup equivalent). By qualifying, hopefully my promising young players will want to stay at the club.

Thought it might be cool to list some achievements and records.

Biggest Fee Spent - £2,400,000 Guillermo Romagnoli (LM) from River Plate.

Biggest Fee Received - £2,500,000 Allan Secaida (RB) to Racing Club.

Youngest Player - 16 years 18 days Lucio Martinez

Oldest Player - 37 years 188 days Fabian Cesaro

Highest Attendance - 26,929 (vs Chacarita)

Lowest Attendance - 7496 (vs Instituto)

With many promising young players at the club, I have created a 'future' starting 11 that I hope will play together in the next few years. With Galuppo attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, Juventus and Bayern Munich, I'm not sure as to how long I will be able to hold onto him. I may well decide to cash in on Bordagaray soon at some point.

GK - Adrian Bigi (Youth Academy - 17)

DR - Theophilus Ogbodo (Nigerian - Free Agent - 19)

DL - Eduardo Alvarez - (Uruguayan - Bella Vista - £2,000,000 - 19)

DC - Diego Bernay - (Youth Academy - Argentina U20's Captain - 19)

DC - Pablo Mele - (San Martin SJ - £400k - 21)

MR - Juan Bautista Menseguez - (Belgrano - £600k - 21)

ML - Guillermo Romagnoli - (River - £2,400,000 - 20)

MC - Carlos Aguilar - (Bolivian - The Strongest - Free - 20)

MC - Alberto Arroyo - (Youth Academy - 17)

AMC - David Marinelli - (Platense - £200k - 20)

ST - Ricardo Gonzalez - (Youth Academy - 18)

Also at the club are: Sebastian Traverso - (Free Agent - DC - 20)

Lautaro Lillo - (£180k - DM - 20)

All are touted as having the potential to be leading players in the division for their respective positions.

You're doing well, and have inspired me to start in the lower leagues of Argentina.

Btw, would I be able to have a screenshot of Galuppo please?

You're doing well, and have inspired me to start in the lower leagues of Argentina.

Btw, would I be able to have a screenshot of Galuppo please?

Thanks Teezy - let me know how you're doing.

And here is the man himself:

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/2735/galuppo.png

Bare in mind I started this game on a previous patch, think it was 9.2.0, so his stats/potential may well have changed in the latest patch. Nevertheless, I would recommend him to anybody.

Jesus, he looks great.

I'm doing what you've done; take over a newly promoted team.

Nice read Galuppo looks great good luck