How do you spend your budget?

Scenario: Your team is a middle-lower table side, that could do with improvements in all areas. How would you improve it with transfers, assuming your budget is around £5-10 million?

One expensive quality player? A few promising youngsters? Squad players similar to your team's level?

A few good players that are either up to the ability of my current squad or slightly better, to fill out the defence and attacking options. They'd probably be good looking 19/20 year olds.

If I had to spend all of it on a single player, I would bring in a quality keeper.

I never really spend much always seem to aquire decent Free Transfers and Loans only usually spend it if I need a Goalscorer.

I think on a tight budget I think it would depend on your tactics. If defence is tight but not many chances come your way prioritises a striker to make the most of them.

A class goalie is a must for any side and can save you many points during the season.

A few good players that are either up to the ability of my current squad or slightly better, to fill out the defence and attacking options. They'd probably be good looking 19/20 year olds.

If I had to spend all of it on a single player, I would bring in a quality keeper.

Does this really have to come down to looks :confused:

Anyway, I try and bring in transfer listed squad players over 24 months. (Prefer 24 rather that 48 with mid-table clubs)

Usually the same sort of quality of the team I have, with normally an amazing striker I spend half the budget on.

I tend to bring one player that can be the superstar of my team. I find that works better than lots of little signings.

Does this really have to come down to looks :confused:

Anyway, I try and bring in transfer listed squad players over 24 months. (Prefer 24 rather that 48 with mid-table clubs)

Usually the same sort of quality of the team I have, with normally an amazing striker I spend half the budget on.

Course it does, mate. If I haven't got good looking players who's my girlfriend going to look at over my shoulder.

I was actually commanded to buy Joe Mattock on 09 because "he looks mega fit". Don't know whether to be offended that she's finding someone other than me good looking, or grateful, as he helped me win the league.

i dont spend money especially not running at a loss, i find it unnacceptable!

If I had the money, I'd buy a good central midfielder. A striker with no service is silly, and centerbacks seem a bit more fungible than other positions. A solid MC (a workhorse guy, not a flair player) can really help you out when it comes to dictating possession.

GK - always on a free (or relatively low fee)

Defenders - I would spend my money here on CBs. Defense win championships.

Midfielders - I'll spend on a star CMs or I would buy several solid midfielders for depth.

Strikers - I'll buy on low fees or on a free. I definitely wouldn't blow my budget on a ST.

Strippers, beer and then i waste the rest on players.

^almost Georgie B

Personally i'd think long term and go for youth.

Two seasons ago, as a relatively big team struggling at the foot of the championship, I blew my budget on one player. An £8.5M striker who has just scored 15 premier league goals in the last season. Brought him in to my championship side, and he scored precisely 50 goals in two seasons to fire us into the premier league

Bargain!

I spread it out depending how many players I think I'm going to get. I average out but assume some signings will be worth under that average so set my maximum value for each signing to a bit above that. Only if I don't have a need new players will I spend a larger proportion on individuals if I find anyone good enough.

If you needed general improvement it might be a good idea to spend money on a really good CM and then try and find bargain buys for the rest of the squad. Look for players good enough for your team who might not be getting much game time at bigger clubs or even look for free agents and even loans if you need them.

Just cheap better players. Centre back/Centre Mid/Striker. Whichever is in most need. Rest of squad I look for loan signings/free transfers.

for me, as a mid table manager squad players are all free transfers or as good as, youth players are a luxury that i'll sign at reasonable prices and the main bulk of my budget is going on improving the worst areas of my team with as quality a signing as possible

Punt as many players as I can get away with to boost the coffers. Then I'd get in as many free's and loans as possible and then see who's interested and available. I would only spend money on players better than I've got.

You only need to get by till the season ends and you can start getting in good players on bosman's.

I'd do it the only way I know how, the way I have done it in every version of FM and CM long before that, I would fritter it all away on 16yr old prospects, then bring in the odd free older player to hold the team together, then being as we are a mid table side there is not too much pressure on us to perform so we bob around mid table for a couple of seasons until the 16yr olds flourish into 18/19yr olds who can play a bit then as we start to rise in the league they all want to bugger off to better clubs, so I sell them and get another batch of youngsters in and so it goes on.

In doing this I manage to keep a few of the more loyal ones for a few more years, raise loads more cash, expand the stadium, get into Europe raise more money, sell the next batch of youngsters turned good, keep a few more, get into the Champs league suddenly the glory hunters from the past two generations wish they had stayed with me as I storm into the Quarters of the Champs League, getting knocked out but finishing 2nd in the league, which in turn raises the expectations of the board to an unreasonable level.

I then finish 5th in my next season miss out on champs league, finances go down the way, the previously loyal players want out, we plummet down the league, I get sacked and end up playing long ball stuff as manager of Stockport County (not sure why but when my managerial career goes bad I always end up there), who go also get relegated and I'm left on the footballing scrap heap, when only 4 years previous I was in the Quarters of the CL. Upon Burton Albion getting promoted with no staff, few players and masses of debt, I suffer the indignity of being beaten to the job by Carlton Palmer. Where I then retire my player and sit in the corner of my room and weep.

A good centre forward always first priority. Been saved a few times on FM10 in simlar circumstances by Milevskyi or Soldado, goals = points. good keeper the next priority, then a good winger or AMC.