So I just bought Football Manager 2010...

...and it's downloading as I type, currently 8% done. I'm really excited about starting a new game, somewhere in middle tiers of the English league. But I'm very much out of the loop with FM10, so I would be grateful if someone could give me a crash course on what I should be expecting.

* What's this year's equivalent of the corner bug?

* How is the transfer market for a mid-level English team? (Are loans from better clubs more realistic than in previous versions?)

* What's a fun club to start with?

* What should I be doing before I start my new game? (Is there an "arse" command, any fake player files I need to modify, anything else that the experienced FM10 player does before he starts playing?)

* Is it worth me downloading some user-created leagues before I start? (I generally avoid "custom" content in any computer game as I worry it will be of shoddy quality and/or undermine the way the game works; has this been the case with FM10 or are the custom leagues integrated seamlessly?) If so, is there a "recommended" set of leagues on offer or is it basically trial and error with picking a random person's league files?

Thanks for the answers to these questions and any further tips you can give an experienced FM series player who has not been following the discussions about FM10.

P.S. Also if I am downloading from Steam right now, having purchased the game this evening, will I already have the latest patch or do I need to patch straight after downloading?

I think the patch will download itself after the game has finished downloading.

1. There are a couple of tricks, it's not really a bug.

2. Loans seem better generally.

3. Southampton, but I'm biased.

4. Find the fake and nleague files and delete them. You'll need to find them through the Steam folders.

5. Haven't downloaded any myself, but it depends how in depth you want to go.

Hope that helps.

Bugs is what you should be expecting - haha

- Find the thread that explains the corner bug and try to avoid as this will prevent spoiling the game.

- Transfer market is great for freebies when you are getting into year 2013+. I can create a whole team on just £1m which is generated by sales from existing players and lots of freebies. It will then be at least 40% better each season I go on.

- Blackpool is a good challenge or Bury.

- There are a couple of lists for wonderkids and PAs - have a look in the player guide section.

- Aint got a clue what yer talking about here mate lol

- Patch 10.3 is the latest and last for FM10. Enjoy the bugs and also the great gaming experience.

I'd suggest you to start with Southampton.. Rich owners, League 1 and 10 point deduction + a good squad for that level.. If you want a team higher up the league Newcastle would be a good choice .

The corner bug still works, but not as much as last year from my experience.

You could download the 10-tier English leagues DB in the editing forums, if you want to manage that low.

And Steam will download the latest patch for you after the installation is complete .

* What's this year's equivalent of the corner bug?

10.3 has a potential exploit regarding players lurking at the near post (and sometimes outside the box) being unmarked.

* How is the transfer market for a mid-level English team? (Are loans from better clubs more realistic than in previous versions?)

The market is very reasonable if you know where to look. Regarding loans - for sure. Players like Ramsey, Macheda etc are often loaned out first season by top clubs to gain experience.

* What's a fun club to start with?

Portsmouth.

* What should I be doing before I start my new game? (Is there an "arse" command, any fake player files I need to modify, anything else that the experienced FM10 player does before he starts playing?)

Make sure you're patched up, and maybe download the recommended data updates 'fix'. Also download any additional leagues that interest you.

* Is it worth me downloading some user-created leagues before I start? (I generally avoid "custom" content in any computer game as I worry it will be of shoddy quality and/or undermine the way the game works; has this been the case with FM10 or are the custom leagues integrated seamlessly?) If so, is there a "recommended" set of leagues on offer or is it basically trial and error with picking a random person's league files?

There are some brilliant leagues created. I'd recommend Super Bladesman's level 10/11 update, as well as any from other nations that interest you. I'd recommend Cyprus, although that's because I made it (), but there are literally dozens of user-created leagues around (for a huge number of nations), as well as numerous fantasy ones.

Make sure you're patched up

Thanks for all your help. How do I do this, though? I right-click on the game in my Steam list and even Properties doesn't tell me what version of the game is sitting there.

you have purchased a game that will keep you glued to the pc, lol

In Steam, right click FM10, and go to 'Updates' > 'View Update History'. If it says "March 1, 2010 - Football Manager 2010 Update Released" then you're patched up, I think.

If not, try deselecting and reselecting auto-update and see if it does so.

I think the patch will download itself after the game has finished downloading.

1. There are a couple of tricks, it's not really a bug.

2. Loans seem better generally.

3. Southampton, but I'm biased.

4. Find the fake and nleague files and delete them. You'll need to find them through the Steam folders.

5. Haven't downloaded any myself, but it depends how in depth you want to go.

Hope that helps.

when I delete the "fake" and "nleague" files, it doesn't change anything for me. German national team is still blocked, as well as Japan's.

In Steam, right click FM10, and go to 'Updates' > 'View Update History'. If it says "March 1, 2010 - Football Manager 2010 Update Released" then you're patched up, I think.

It does say this, so I've gone ahead and opened the game. Still can't find where to verify in-game what version I've got!!

In preferences it'll say so at the top.

3. Southampton, but I'm biased.

4. Find the fake and nleague files and delete them. You'll need to find them through the Steam folders.

4. Done, thanks.

3. I may well go for Southampton, I managed them in a previous version of the game so I have a soft spot for them

In preferences it'll say so at the top.

So it does. Sorry, I'm stupid.

10.3 is what I want it to say, right?

Yep.

Four matches in, I've scored seven goals of which *every single one* has been scored by my Poacher up front, Scott McDonald.

Is this normal?! It seems bizarre.

Did you start with Middlesbrough or Celtic?

Middlesbrough.