Increasing income.

I've signed players from those markets that are good to mine, east Asia, central/north America (although i am yet to sign a really good first team American however as i now have almost a whole squad of homegrown people + a huge warchest so i can buy whoever i want). The only main one to break into the first team proper and win a string of medals was Shinji Kagawa however. As he's Japanese and the Japanese national team isn't licensed in the game i don't know if this'll have spoilt it. I've also won a ridiculous amount of things, i'll spare you and my sore right hand the list. Stadium is up to 80,000 almost always packed to the brim and i can't increase the size atm, I've got between 85-100% on my wages/financial control so there's no more trimming i can do.

Any markets you think i could mine i might not have? Any other ways of mining the world for finance?

I've been making a lot of money from selling players @ 28 years roughly, apart from the heroes, generally for a lot of money. Also selling youngsters that don't make it but generally also for a big profit and as my team is so good they're generally sold to Man Utd, Barca etc meaning a good fee. So i am doing all i can in that way too. I've also got top quality academy resources, training and so on so i produce as many players as i can myself. Fortunately more and more so for the first team, or to simply build up and sell on for a profit. On the odd occasion a significantly large one. So self sufficiency wise and money control wise i can't do much more.

I've been trying to do the tours that are recommended at the beginning of the seasons etc due to my "popularity" is said place for the past 3/4 years. Hasn't made any difference yet. Also sadly my sponsorship deals are generally being rounded down a little. Not a huge amount and i'm not sure why. Probably because the buzz is over about Chelsea taking over the world so my team isn't the up and coming exciting thing to sponsor now. However it's generally only a million or so a year max.

Apologies for the rant but i find to give good advice sufficient context is necessary. Any random, even fleeting ideas will be welcome. Thanks.

I honestly don't even know if the whole concept of buying Asian/American players to increase shirt sales and popularity etc. is even touched upon in the game. I say this because I've managed to gain a few feeder clubs under the agreement that they'll increase popularity in another market but I haven't actually seen any increase in merchandise sales and in fact they tend to lose me money since I have to pay them annually. Does anyone know if this kind of thing is even looked at?

I've definitely had reports from the leadership in general, i think in was in the comments break down section or more likely as a news report/managerial comment of the influx from a certain market due to a certain signing from said area without any doubt. Thing is i can't remember if it was this year's version or last year. I've been playing since the game first came out when CM was good then switched to FM after the Eidos break up when CM turned to dirt. So they all merge into one great globule of football management apart from the present year of course and certain standout moments/years.

Ah yes, indeed. I've seen that news report when signing a foreign player. I'd love to know if it actually DID make a difference though, or is that report is just added fluff.

I'm sure someone did a test a few FMs back, maybe FM10, and it had no impact what so ever. Those feeder clubs don't increase your merchandise income, touring doesn't increase popularity/rep therefore income and signing players from those nations doesn't either. Signing high rep players does I think, the ones where you get the news item about.

I hope it's changed for FM12, but I have my doubts. Probably one of those cosmetic features that can be changed down the track.

Would be a great addition if it worked correctly as the fight for the next top Asian player could mean your club rep and merchandise would get a boost.

I really do hope it is a feature they decide to really look into. Having sorted out the playing side of things more graphics wise, a nice new shiny and more importantly more functional and actually USEFUL format, menus/shortcuts etc (Microsoft could take note here), got the regens just about right (in comparison to old), got agents etc into it all, a nice new training/tutoring system set up. They really need to expand the whole fiscal interaction and control you can have. Also the implications of, for example, signing a top star name from a previously unmined region, or a marquee signing.

They could actually have you in on sponsorship negotiations, if you chose to be so, or at least at certain clubs who have an ethos that allows managerial interaction at all levels no matter how big or small. That would be a fun thing to explore. That and a better breakdown of where your money comes from, the actual season ticket roster would be interesting too. There's so many other fiscal things they could now explore on what is a very good FM version/platform. Adding a whole different dimension to the game, or at least expanding a side show into the main game to make it better. As has been done with stats.

It needs a bit of refining (the newer format etc) so idk if they're gonna be changing it in any major ways soon though. It tends to go:

*refurb + new format*

-next year-

*refining last years major changes that weren't done by any patches* (e.g. the year after we when went 3D, or after a major format over hall)

-next year-

*Final slight refining with a few new touches to experiment in the next year to come to see if people ask for more of it. Also by this point of the year after, unless the newly finished format is so popular changing it risks more than you could possibly gain, there's generally another format/system change on some scale*

-REPEAT-

Not saying it always goes this way, or that i have encompassed everything, because it doesn't and i have not. However having played this game for decades there's some things you pick up on.

Anyone got anything else? Anyone tried anything else?

I believe my merchandising income goes up when I win championships, my club reputation increases, and when I have additional players on my team with a World Wide reputation. I have not made any sort of rigorous study of this however.