The Game HATES Me.......................

The Game HATES Me...............

FM12 what can i say. Definately not my favourite version of this series. I enjoyed FM11 and found the match engine to my likeing and still have a great online game going on there. But as with every new release of FM when it hits the shops I have to have it. Once i have it I can't go back to playing a previous version solo again.

I'm sure everything im going to say here has already been covered and dismissed as "It's your tactics" or "Doesn't/Never seen it happen to me" well I disagree. I swear this game is against me!!!!

I build a great team yet conceed goals like the french conceed wars. First off its from corners. A tactic tweak and that cuts them out. Now im conceeding at every bloody freekick. Another tactic tweak sorted, Now Im giving away a pen a game. More tactic tweaks and I have a team playing great football scoring goals and not conceeding. Only 8 goals let in in 22 league games but the game still hates me cause it should be less than that. Why cause every goal against me now is a stunner. Im playing in the Iceland League where the guys scoring are hitting goals like Messi yet look like your average sunday league pub footballer.

Ok I'm whineing here now 8 goals in 22 leagues of course im ok with that. But Im not in this game to win the Iceland League its to win the Champions League. After 12 seasons I'm now regularly making through the 3 qualifying rounds and into the group stages where i get hammered everytime. Not because I have a poor team. Its not world class but it could hold its own in the english Championship i think. Trouble is I dont have a big squad due to wage demands and injuries are crippling me.

For this current season I manage to register 19 players, the new CL registration rule play havoc to my team but Im happy that should give me enough cover and I think after 12 years we can finally get our first 3 points in the group stages. But i have the small matter of securing CL football via the league for the next season as Iceland's league season runs into August. But being a talented manager I have enough sense to keep those 19 key players wrapped in cotton wool and still field a team to win the league. Every click to continue leads to a new message that raises the blood pressure further. By the time the first CL game comes around I have lost my best striker for 8 weeks, 2 of my CM's for 3 months, My best Defender for a month. Im screwed. The GAME HATES ME.

Now not to make matters worse I kick off at home to Spurs within 20 mins im 2-0 down. Not unexpected but what happens next? Yes my CB gets sent off. MY 2nd best striker gets injured and so does my RB. Somehow I hang on and lose 2-0.

Im now down to my last 2 strikers and centrebacks. Along comes Valencia away. I have no chance. Hang on I come out flying and go 1-0 up. but then the enevitable by HT im 2-1 down. A quick speach and the boys come out flying 2-2 with 15 mins to go. Then a long punt by the Valencia keeper a good header by my CB and downs goes the striker for Valencia and my boy is walking off early. 3 goals in 15 mins and I get the defeat I expected but more of the Game taking the you know what out of me. THE GAME HATES ME.

Toulouse Away then home. my key games the only team i feel i have a chance of taking points off. Im down to 1 CB and playing a DMC a CB. the game away is even but my players are suffering fatigue. on 75mins i make my last sub. on 78 mins their striker goes through my one fit CB. Im down to 10 men and no recognised CB on the pitch. Final seconds of the game and their CM plays a ball that parts what i have left of a defence and its 1-0 game over. THE GAME HATES ME. The home game I have a DMC and DR in centre of defence and some of the other players just returning. A pretty uneventful game as pray they keep shooting from way outside the box. Then it happens, A corner but not just any corner. No 85 mins gone and its the undefendable near post cheat corner 1-0 Toulouse game over. THE GAME HATES ME

An uneventful 3-0 loss to Spurs. No injuries I guess the game now feels its done its job and really nailed me.

Valencia at home top of the group. 5 wins out of 5. no chance. not with a DR and DMC at centreback. My one poor CB is back in full training 40% fitness. This is a CB i play in Iceland cup games (Also known as games i dont care about winning). I start him. midway through the 1st half my AMC suddenly finds he's wearing messi's boots, Smiles and skins 2 defenders before planting a screamer past the keeper who didnt even move. 1-0 Vikingur. Nope we cant hold on Valencia equalise with my defence nowhere to be seen. Now im under pressure as its wave after wave of Valencia pressure and im waiting to see how the game will dump on me this time. A long punt a quick 1-2 and he's clear!!!!!!!!!! 2-1 final score we have won!!!!!!! We got our first 3 points.

All that for 3 points. Why? I can't help it. The game may hate me and FM12 may have many faults but I love this game. Plus there is always FM13 waiting around the corner. I wonder how that version will hate me.

I'm also playing in Iceland as part of Gundo's challenge. It has got to a point where I'm playing all domestic matches on commentary only, but I do have an aim of getting 100 goals in a league campaign (always good to set a target). European competition is always going to be tougher and I don't really expect to win it as I'm not really that good at the game. However one season I somehow managed to get 4 points off Inter, and due to PSG winning every match I finished 2nd in the group. In the first knockout round I managed to keep Real Madrid to only beating us 4-3 on aggregate so there's something to build on there.

In conclusion, it's tough but there's always a chance of stringing together some good results.