What do you do...

... when you star a new game?

Do you make an instant bee-line for the obvious signings, being;

and other names which are posted on this forum that I cant be bothered to not spell?

OR

Do you try your hardest to avoid these the players trying to unearth gems which you've never heard before to make the game more challenging/rewarding?

Just after peoples approach to new games, thanks

Depends on the team i am managing, but i do try and avoid signing exactly the same players on every single save, that said i wouldn't avoid signing Dzeko if my team could a) afford him and b) need him.

i usually go for youngsters ive bought in prev versions

I try to sign players that I think will best fit into my team whether thats a well known player or a nobody. If I don't think they are going to benefit my team, I don't care how good they are supposed to be, I'm not going to sign them.

I have seemed to have gotten a habit of holidaying a few seasons in and playing on from there. Helps me incredibly in sustaining a long-term save, and keeps it interesting for me because there’s always new players to sign instead of the usual suspects. I usually holiday 10-15 seasons in and take over West Ham, I’d suggest trying this if you like. Or even what I have recently done, I put in a team in Blue Square South (West Perth United) and made them have a foreground sugar daddy, Alan Curbishley as manager, and left them to progress to Championship to where I took over, I’m having a lot of fun on that one right now.

Sorry if none of that made sense or if I rambled on a tad bit

as i start the majority of new games as un-employed i prey for a job let alone the funds to buy a player cant remember the last time i started a new game as a Man Utd or Chelsea 2bh...

I sign players depending on the teams weaknesses.

Not a bad idea Gandy.... what are you still doing up??

Normally I would go and manage Havant and Waterlooville but since I'm 13 seasons in with them, I'm waiting for the new patch to come out as to fix the regen problems. I've started a new save with Man United and gone on a little of a spending spree. Tried to get Santon from Inter but I refused to pay they +45M fee found some Spanish rightback instead for 22M, Jovetic (I think thats his name) for 14M and re-signed Van Nistelrooy (Legend) for 1.5M and a handful of good prospects for about 20M overall.

I'll tend to go for the same players if possible, but often, as I start a lot of different saves with a lot of different teams, such options aren't always available. So I have to look elsewhere.

Why is there player naming in this thread? Shouldn't this be moved to good players forum

West Perth United, I take it they did make it to the Championship in the end

I start sending my scouts immediately to wherever i can send them, and pick my targets from their reports. I never sign, or try to sign, any players that haven't been scouted.

There is of course an exemption to that. And that's when i'm in desperate need for a player. But i need him to come on a trial first though.

From the scouts reports i only sign players i think will fit into my team.

I normally start with lower league clubs, in which case there are several familiar faces who can be snapped up on loan to quickly improve a squad. There is also a regular group of players in Prem youth squads who won't be offered new contracts in the first season that can provide a foundation for the future for free at the end of season 1. Signing the same squad for a different team gets pretty repetitive though so I usually try to avoid just grabbing the same people every game.

OP - why assume everyone starts will gazillions in the kitty? I start in Tier 10 and have to make do with what I've got.

Why is there player naming in this thread? Shouldn't this be moved to good players forum

I've removed them now.

For future reference, in this forum please hide player names of gems that may not be household names. Discussion about specific players needs to be kept to the GPTG forum.

As for how I play the game, I always start in a lower league, so by the time I get in a position to sign good young players they are usually all regens.

Why is there player naming in this thread? Shouldn't this be moved to good players forum

If you pull your eyes out of your arse and look closely, I've spelt the players names WRONG so its not player naming is it?

OP - why assume everyone starts will gazillions in the kitty? I start in Tier 10 and have to make do with what I've got.

I didn't assume, thats why I'm asking!

1. Use the search to get an idea about how good staff and players I have a chance of getting at this club, using assistant to filter out.
   
2. Sack any staff that's worse than what I could possibly get a hold of (coaches, scouts, physios). Also sack the assistant if his motivation and tactical knowledge is less than someone else I think I can get.
   
3. Hire the best staff I can possibly get. Set them up to do their job. Send scouts anywhere I can. Setup the best possible star-rating on training. Load training schedules.
   
4. Go through the squads (reserves, u20/18 if they have it). Free transfer anyone that's really crap and transfer list (and or offer) anyone that's worth a bit but not worthy of a future at the club.
   
5. Depending on how big the club is, search for players in different ways. Check who's transfer listed, who's available for loan, any free-transfers that's decent, etc. I always go for players with high determination above all else. They seem to be more likely to improve over time. If possible I also get some "model professionals" for tutoring.
   
6. Cancel all friendlies and setup 5-6 against the crappiest opposition I can find to get morale up before the season starts.
   
7. Load whatever tactic I'm gonna be using. I don't spend much time on tactics, I spend almost all my time on the other aspects of the game instead.
   
8. Check if the board is willing to let me have feeder (or parent clubs).
   
9. Press 'continue'
   

I think it usually takes me 2-3 hours before I press continue the first time, depending on the team. If it's a big one like Juventus or Barcelona it's faster.

If you pull your eyes out of your arse and look closely, I've spelt the players names WRONG so its not player naming is it?

Probably best to just stick them in spoiler tags.

Always start in League Two or below - so million pound signings are slightly out of the question

I think it usually takes me 2-3 hours before I press continue the first time, depending on the team.

Exactly the same as me, I take forever to press continue the first time

I spend a lot detail in the first day!

Yeah I third that. pretty much to a tee what I do. I also try the backroom advice and Assistant team report in case they're recommended any splendid players.

This is exactly why I can't ever get into a new save. I know who the good ones are and it's silly not to sign them.

This is exactly why I can't ever get into a new save. I know who the good ones are and it's silly not to sign them.

Not a 'problem' if you start lower league. You should try it.

Nb. Who is "Nipple" anyway? Is it John Terry - he's turning out to be a right t........?

It depends pretty much on who i start with. But if i go a club for a second time i will try to avoid the players i have signed on a previous save.

I don't use player search function asi I feel it's unrealistic for a Sunday Footballer to know the precise Crossing, Aggression, Determination, and Personality of every League 2 bench warmers without ever seeing them play.

I only sign players if they are recommended by my scouts, assman, or coaches.. So i end up with different players everytime.

... when you star a new game?

Do you make an instant bee-line for the obvious signings, being;

Sharko, Gorkgruff, Dzekel, Nipple(Areola)

and other names which are posted on this forum that I cant be bothered to not spell?

OR

Do you try your hardest to avoid these the players trying to unearth gems which you've never heard before to make the game more challenging/rewarding?

Just after peoples approach to new games, thanks

Who are these people you speak of?

I always make a beeline for nipples, but I think we may be on a different wavelength there.

I always let the game run by itself for 20+ years just to remove all the known players.

After all these years normally a few "big" clubs like sheff w, westham, tottenham, leeds or others have dropped several divisions down in the leauge system. Then I will come in and bring the glory days back. Just love it

I think after your 2nd or 3rd save you will tend to go for what you know. Also depends on the database size too i s'pose.

I know in FM09 i would always sign Balotelli if i could afford him - mainly becoz i knew he would get goals. I would then hopefully get a couple of seasons out of him before selling him for a healthy profit.

Why not just untick the 'use real players' option when setting up a new game, rather than holiday'ing for years? Not saying that either is right or wrong, just wondering...

I've never actually used that option, so I may even be completely wrong with what it does, I just presumed that it would make up all the players, but could be wrong?

Not a bad idea Gandy.... what are you still doing up??

FM2010, need I say more Brad

West Perth United, I take it they did make it to the Championship in the end

Haha yeh, they’re in the Premier League now, predicted 12th (unlikely haha). The game is in 2021 now, so it took them just over 11 seasons to get through 10 tiers. Go Curbishley!