FM11: The Official Manchester United Thread – Big club seeks rich, caring owner

A Brief Club History...

Manchester United are one of the most famous names in world football and have been the most successful in England since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. After a barren spell of 26 years without a league championship United finally topped the table in 1992-93 and have since won another 10 titles under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson to equal Liverpool's record of 18 titles.

However, the fame, glamour and success of the modern day heroes is a far cry from the club's humble origins as Newton Heath. Founded by railway workers in 1878, Newton Heath eventually joined the Football League in 1892 and their name was changed to Manchester United a decade later. Under this new guise the club celebrated its first league championship in 1908.

Despite some early successes, the club spent many seasons in the old 2nd Division and it is not until after the Second World War that United's modern day reputation began to find solid foundations. Matt Busby arrived at a time when United were playing home matches at Maine Road due to bomb damage to Old Trafford but soon developed a young team capable of challenging the best in the country. After winning three league titles in the 50s, the 'Busby Babes' were tragically decimated by the Munich air crash of February 1958 where 23 people lost their lives, among them some of the most talented footballers of their generation such as Duncan Edwards, Liam Whelan and Tommy Taylor.

The Busby Babes in 1957

Busby recovered from serious injuries to build another great team, featuring the dynamic triumvirate of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and the mercurial genius from Belfast, George Best. A decade on from Munich, United won their first European Cup by beating Benfica 4-1 at an emotionally charged Wembley Stadium. This was the pinnacle though and decline set in rapidly for an aging United, culminating in relegation from Division 1 in 1974. FA Cup successes aside, United were a sleeping giant in the 1970s and 80s, watching painfully on as arch rivals Liverpool swept all before them at home and in Europe.

The seeds for a new era of success were sown in 1986 when Alex Ferguson succeeded Ron Atkinson as manager. Ferguson initially struggled to exert his disciplinary style on Big Ron's team and flirted with the sack before FA Cup success in 1990 and Cup Winners Cup glory in 1991 set the wheels in motion for a remarkable era of dominance. Inspired by the flair of Eric Cantona, the never-say-die attitude of Roy Keane, the remarkable goalkeeping of Peter Schmeichel and a crop of young stars such as Giggs, Scholes and Beckham, United dominated the English game in the 90s in a manner similar to Liverpool in the 80s. The crowning glory was victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final in 1999, United incredibly clawing victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring twice in injury time to win 2-1.

United's treble winners of 1999

United have continued their successes into the new millenium and a further Champions League crown was secured in Moscow in 2008. Old Trafford has been treated to the talents of many modern superstars such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand while Alex Ferguson, now Sir Alex, continues going strong almost a quarter century into his tenure. Recent years have seen turmoil off the pitch however following the sale of the club to the Glazer family. This has seen the club being plunged into debt and the long term future of Manchester United is far from certain.

Sir Alex's current starting XI

GK – Edwin van der Sar - joined United from Fulham at the beginning of the 2005/06 season. The experienced Dutchman started his career at Ajax, winning a Champions League winners medal in 1995. He has proven to be a top class goalkeeper for United who had been desperately searching for an able replacement for Peter Schmeichel following his departure in 1999.

DR – Rafael da Silva - Rafael and his twin brother Fábio first came to the attention of United scouts in 2005 and both eventually signed for the club in January 2008. An attacking full-back, Rafael impressed greatly in his 1st season, immediately staking a claim for a regular first team spot. Despite a sticky 2nd season, Rafael remains an excellent long term prospect for United and received his first call up to the senior Brazil squad in July 2010.

DL - Patrice Evra – the jet-propelled French left back has been a firm favourite with the Old Trafford faithful since his arrival from Monaco in 2006. After recovering from a troublesome start, Evra has since made the left back berth his own and has proven to be a bargain at £5.5m. Although nominally a defender, Evra plays an important part in United's attacking play with his tireless bursts on the left flank.

DC – Nemanja Vidic – signed in the same transfer window as Evra, Vidic is a no nonsense defender in the mould of former United captain Steve Bruce. Signed from Spartak Moscow, Vidic has established himself as one of the leading centre backs in the European game and has been named as United captain for the 2010/11 campaign.

DC – Rio Ferdinand – despite costing in the region of £30m from Leeds United, Rio has proved his worth to United time and again and has been pivotal in the club's success over the past 8 years. A classy and composed defender, Rio is the perfect partner to Vidic's more abrasive style. Increasingly troubled by injury, Rio's fitness remains crucial to United's hopes for further silverware.

MR - Nani – following the unfortunate injury to Antonio Valencia, Nani now has the perfect opportunity to showcase his exceptional talent in his favourite position on a regular basis. Signed from Sporting Lisbon in 2007, Nani spent his early days in the shadow of compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo. His performances in 2010 have shown that he is ready to become a key member in United's attack for years to come.

ML – Ryan Giggs – the most decorated player in English football history, Giggs is a credit to Manchester United and the game of football itself. Almost 20 years on from his United debut, Giggs has since surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's club appearance record and is still an important member of the 1st team squad. No longer the flying winger of yester-year, Giggs has adapted his game to cope with his loss of pace and can still unlock a tight defence with an astute pace, cross or flick.

MC – Paul Scholes – another unassuming United legend, Scholes is surely the greatest midfielder United have produced since Charlton. A fixture in the United team since 1995, Scholes continues to be United's chief source of inspiration in the centre of the park with his exceptional range of passing and has started the 2010/11 season in vintage style.

MC – Darren Fletcher – another product of United's academy, Fletcher has become the heartbeat of the United midfield. Fletcher has been a part of the United 1st team squad since 2003/04 and has blossomed in recent years to become a key player for the club. Now Scotland captain, his combative nature and non-stop workrate on the pitch, combined with a level headed maturity off it, mark him out as a future United skipper also.

ST – Wayne Rooney – a phenomenal talent from the age of 16 in Everton's 1st team, Rooney signed for United following his remarkable performance at Euro 2004 when still only 18. Still only in his mid-20s, Rooney has potentially another decade at the top of his profession and has already notched over 150 goals for United. Injury and off the field troubles have caused a dip in his fine 2009/10 performance, but a return to form is surely only a matter of time for such a gifted footballer.

ST – Dimitar Berbatov – signed for a club record fee from Tottenham in 2008 the Bulgarian star is one of Europe's most gifted strikers on his day and is starting to show his best form for United at the begininning of the 2010/11 season. Criticised for his lackadaisical demeanour by some, his natural talent and flair is unquestionable.

Football Manager Information

Kits

Nation - England

Year Founded - 1878

Status - Professional

Reputation - Worldwide

Chairman Status - Loves the club

Legends – Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona, Duncan Edwards, Denis Law, Sir Matt Busby, George Best

Icons – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes,Steve Bruce, Gary Neville, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Peter Schmeichel, David Beckham

Favoured Personnel – Brian Kidd, Wayne Rooney, Brian McClair, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mark Hughes

Derbies – Manchester Derby (vs Man City), Roses Derby (vs Leeds), North-West Derby (vs Liverpool)

Fierce Rivals – Liverpool, Man City, Leeds

Other Rivals – Arsenal, Bolton, Chelsea

Finances - Rich

Average Ticket Price – £39.00

Average Season Ticket Price - £730

Estimated Value - £344M (Loan Debt: £664M)

Continental Competition -European Champions Cup

Stadium – Old Trafford, 75797 all seater

Training Facilities - Top Training Facilities

Youth Facilities – Good youth Facilities + Youth Academy

Youth Recruitment – Well established youth recruitment

Captain = Nemanja Vidic - Vice-captain = Gary Neville

Expections – Minimum expectation is a title challenge

Transfer Budget – Winner - £21.5m/£1.8m per week in wages or Title Challenge - £17.5m in transfers/£1.6m in wages

First Team Squad 2010/11

Here are the players in contention for First Team spots in your opening season:

Edwin van der Sar - GK – Age 39

Tomasz Kuszczak - GK – Age 28

Ben Amos - GK – Age 20

John O'Shea – D RLC – Age 29

Wes Brown – D RC – Age 30

Rio Ferdinand – D C – Age 31

Jonny Evans – D C – Age 22

Nemanja Vidic – D C – Age 28

Gary Neville – D R – Age 35

Rafael – D R, WB R – Age 19

Fábio – D LR, WB LR – Age 19

Patrice Evra – D L, WB L – Age 29

Chris Smalling – D C – Age 20

Michael Carrick – M C, DMC – Age 28

Darren Fletcher – M C – Age 26

Owen Hargreaves – D MC, M C – Age 29

Anderson – M C – Age 22

Paul Scholes – M C – Age 35

Darron Gibson – M C – Age 22

Nani – AM RL – Age 23

Park Ji-Sung – AM RLC – Age 29

Gabriel Obertan – AM RL – Age 21

Antonio Valencia – AM R – Age 24

Bebé – AM RL – Age 19

Ryan Giggs – AM LC – Age 36

Dimitar Berbatov – ST – Age 29

Wayne Rooney – ST – Age 24

Javier Hernández – ST – Age 22

Michael Owen – ST – Age 30

Federico Macheda – ST – Age 18

Should you be concerned about the new Premier League rules that limit squad size to 25 players though? In a word, no. The new rules specify that you require 8 of your chosen 25 to be homegrown players – of the 30 players listed above, 14 qualify as homegrown. Also, in the first season players born on or after 1st January 1989 are exempt from registration. So, for example, the Da Silva twins, Macheda, Bebé, etc., can be picked for Premier League matches without having been registered. It is something you should keep an eye on if you are planning a long term game though.

Squad Analysis

So Sir Alex has finally stepped down after 24 years and the reins have been handed over to you. Daunting? Well, it shouldn't be really. The reason being is that you inherit a very good squad that is capable of challenging for all the main prizes in the first season of the game. Certainly some key members of the squad are the wrong side of thirty and the Glazers' control of finances means that transfer funds will not be as readily available as years gone by (or at Manchester City obviously) but this is not real life and the AI is always beatable in the long term.

The great thing about Football Manager and what makes the game enjoyable is that you can do what you like with the personnel of the squad or the tactical shape of the team. You are under no obligation to buy the likes of Dzeko, Neymar, Sakho, Otamendi, etc everytime you play a United save. So if you see Joey Barton as Paul Scholes' long term successor in midfield or you reckon John O'Shea could make a useful targetman up front then go for it – this OP is not designed to tell you how Man Utd should play in the game, nor are the formations below the best or only ones possible to be successful. There are literally hundreds of players you can buy and styles of play you can adopt which will still allow United to remain competitive in FM11. I'll highlight the areas of the team that are in the greatest need of strengthening but will shy away from giving names for potential replacements – you have a terrific, world-wide scouting network at United that will provide you with a multitude of world class potential signings in no time if you wish to use it.

One quick tip if you hope to develop your youth squads – don't simply leave your young hopefuls in the reserves until they're 20 hoping your top class coaches will always bring them to the peak of their PA. Give them occasional 1st team appearances, utilise the tutoring option and make good use of the loan system. A good rule of thumb is to allow youth players to drop down a division or two on loan when they're 18 or 19, however always make sure the club you're sending them to are promising 1st team action. You'll be stunting a young players development if he gets three substitute appearances in 6 months in the Championship for instance. It is also useful to have the league you're sending the player to as a playable league on full detail e.g. if you haven't selected Belgium as a playable, active league in your game world then sending players on loan to Antwerp will be a waste of time in my opinion.

Now onto the 1st team squad:

Goalkeeper

Straight away we come to the area of the team that is most in need of new blood. Van der Sar will be 40 by the time your first season ends and, while he is still a good goalkeeper, you will almost certainly see plenty of the dreaded red arrows showing a decline in his attributes within a few months. Kuszczak is average but is perfectly fine to have around as a back up. I'd be looking to buy a top class goalkeeper in the first window if you possibly can.

Left-back

No concerns here. Evra remains one of the finest left backs in the game and is still the right side of his 30th birthday. In reserve you have more defensive option in John O'Shea and the potential of Fábio. The one concern is that only Evra of these three is naturally left footed, so if you prefer your full backs to overlap and get plenty of crosses in you may want sell O'Shea and bring in a naturally left sided player. Fábio is an option to send on loan in the first season in my opinion which could help his development.

Youth Prospect: Fábio

Right-back

Not an area of the field where United have had genuine standout performer since age and injury have seen Gary Neville slip out of the side. I'd only use Neville in an emergency now but would keep him around as he'd have no value in the transfer market. He can also be used as a tutor for the young players and is potentially a very useful coach. The other main contenders for RB are Wes Brown, Rafael and John O'Shea. Any of the three could quite easily fill in without letting the side down but my personal preference would be Rafael due to his pace and greater attacking ability. Also, first team exposure can only see him improve. Brown is a possible candidate to sell if you wish to bring in some funds. The joker in the pack here is Owen Hargreaves. If you can get him fit and somewhere near his best (sadly a big if) I think he'd be the best right back at the club. Its an option anyhow.

Youth Prospect: Rafael

Centre-back

Another area of the team that should remain strong for 2-3 years at least with the current personnel. Rio, while getting towards the veteran stage, is still a world class CB as is Nemanja Vidic. You also have experienced options such as Wes and JOS to call upon while Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling are able young deputies that you should try to develop as best you can. Others may disagree but I see no urgency to bring in further centre backs in the first transfer window.

Youth Prospect: Smalling, Luke McCullough

Centre Midfield

Let's see who we have here – Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Anderson, Darren Fletcher, Owen Hargreaves & Darron Gibson (plus Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung can also fill in). Despite the numbers, centre midfield is an area I'd be looking to spend big to bring in a truly world class creative player. As good as Scholes is his fitness is a worry in FM as he'll struggle to complete a full game, nevermind 2 or 3 games in a week. Anderson's inability to shoot prevents him being a top attacking midfielder although he has obvious strengths, just make sure you set his Long Shots to 'rarely'. Michael Carrick is more of a deep-lying playmaker, and I'd keep him as he remains a very good player in FM11. Fletcher is the most reliable MC you have and can play the box-to-box or ball-winning roles superbly. Again, if you can manage to get Hargreaves fit he can challenge Fletcher for the engine-room role. Gibson is an average player and is an obvious candidate for transfer. So, in conclusion, find the new Paul Scholes and get Uncle Malcolm to sign a big, fat cheque.

Youth Prospect: Matt James, Paul Pogba, Davide Petrucci

Wings

Who you play on the right and left wings depends if you prefer your wingers to be traditional, touchline-hugging players who will look to cross regularly to a centre forward or inside forwards who play on the 'wrong' side while looking to cut inside and get efforts in on goal. Personally I'd prefer to play Nani on the left for that reason, as he's deadly at getting shots in from range after cutting onto his stronger right foot. What makes Nani so useful is that he's pretty good with his left foot too, so you can play him as a traditional winger or inside forward on either side. Antonio Valencia is the out and out winger on the right + you dont have to worry about his injury at the start of FM11. Park is a useful player in that he's versatile although somewhat limited as an attacking player. That being said I've found that he performed well in previous FM's and is often quite an underrated option. Giggs, like Scholes, remains a quality player but will struggle to complete games due to his age. Also, if you intend playing him as a left winger as opposed to more centrally, I'd be looking to adjust his default settings as his pace isn't going to allow him to beat many Premier League full-backs in FM. Perhaps upping his through balls and dropping his 'runs with ball' options would allow him to operate more to his strengths. Gabriel Obertan and Bebé have potential but will need developing to get them near to regular first team action, both are prime candidates for being sent on loan (not both at the same time though as you'll want one as cover). Might also be useful to give youth prospect Ravel Morrison some match time as a sub in games that you are comfortable in. In summary, I'd have Nani on the team on either side for every important game and wouldn't be against the idea of cashing in on Valencia at the end of season one and buying another AM RL of similar quality to Nani as a replacement.

Youth Prospect: Bebé, Tom Cleverley (on loan at Wigan until May 2011), Ravel Morrison

Forwards

This is the area where many FM players will love to spend big bucks to aquire the sevices of a marquee name player. The thing with United is that I don't think you need to, certainly not for a season or two. Despite a loss of form in real life, Wayne Rooney remains one of the best strikers in the world in FM and is rounded enough to play virtually any of the striking roles the game allows. Personally I'd be inclined to play him as an advanced striker with Berbatov alongside either as a trequartista or deep lying forward – obviously the roles you assign your strikers and whether you even play two up front depend solely on your tactical preference, or the difficulty of the particular match at hand. An exciting addition to the United squad for FM11 is Javier Hernández who is certainly good enough to step in if Rooney and Berbatov need a rest. Federico Macheda has great potential and should also be given opportunities to aid his development (just as Fergie has been doing this season). That leaves Michael Owen who would be 5th choice for me and would be a player I'd be happy to sell before his value drops too far. Don't forget that Danny Welbeck returns from his loan to Sunderland for the start of 2011/12 and he offers another option up front.

Youth Prospect: Macheda, Will Keane

Formation & Tactics

I'll keep this final section quite brief (of course there will be pages upon pages written about the tactical side of the game on this website, so if you are new to the game I'd certainly recommend checking some of the ideas that much better FM players than me subscribe to). The one thing you will notice playing as Man Utd is that you will be expected to win most games, particularly at Old Trafford. The reason being is that you have one of the best teams in Europe obviously! That being the case you can be reasonably adventurous with your tactics. I've posted three formations below (assuming the starting squad is injury free) that are fairly standard, however don't assume that a 4-4-2 is necessarily more attacking that a 4-5-1. The attacking mentality of your side will depend on your defensive line, your tempo, width and if you instruct midfielders and particularly full-backs to make forward runs.

The first screen is a fairly traditional 4-4-2 that would have both full-backs bombing forward to support the attack. I'd be happy to begin most home games this way, with a high defensive line and a fairly fast tempo. The one thing you'll need to do is adapt your style and formation to suit the ebb and flow of a game. For instance, if you are 1-0 up against Chelsea in the 75th minute it would make sense to drop deeper, play narrower, slow down the tempo and time waste. If you see the AI starting to take risks by pushing their d-line close to the half way line in search of a late equaliser, take advantage by trying to catch them on the counter. This is where the occasional direct ball over a defence to a pacey striker, say Hernández, could kill off the opposition in one fell swoop.

This formation perhaps looks more defensively solid with a DMC employed but I'd have Carrick as a deep-lying playmaker trying to instigate attacks as opposed to a purely defensive anchor man. Nani becomes even more important in this postion as you will be hoping he can contribute a fair amount of goals cutting in from the left. One thing about using Valencia in this formation is that I wouldn't have him as an orthodox winger, solely because he'll be racing to the by-line and swinging crosses to Anderson, Rooney and Nani who will struggle to beat a big strapping CB to get a header on goal. By all means try and get him behind his marker but adjust his settings so that he is trying to pick passes or run directly at goal as opposed to crossing all the time. Again as before, always adapt your style to suit the situation of the game. If you are struggling to hold onto a lead late in a game, maybe bring your wingers back to ML & MR positions or use a DMC in a more defensive role shielding the back four, this is where Hargreaves will come in handy.

A formation using an AMC doesn't really suit United as only two senior players are listed as 'accomplished' in the role – Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung (could be a challenge attempting to develop Magnus Eikrem, Bebé or Davide Petrucci up to a Premier League standard here). The only real difference between this formation on purely default settings and the previous one is that one of your MC's will have to take on a greater defensive responsibility, Fletcher in this instance.

Conclusion

Realistically you should be aiming to win all the major trophies even in your 1st season with United. Sure Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal are strong but why not aim for a clean sweep of honours? Certainly it won't be easy, but its only a game and its possible to win trophies with much smaller clubs than United.

Many thanks to some brilliant FM10 team threads for the inspiration for this, particularly the Arsenal, Sampdoria and Lyon threads – done my 4 pics already but there really should be a thumbs up here...

Patch 11.3 Update

Below are the changes in 11.3 United from the 11.2 patch. Please note that the the spoiler tags indicate changes to player Current Abilities (CA) & Potential Abilities (PA) so if you don't like to know those don't look!

Club Information

Estimated Value – was £453m (loan debt: £740m) now £466m (loan debt: £508m)

Transfer Budget – was £17.5m now £14m

Loans Outstanding – there were two bank loans of £509m (£8.06m per month until 29-1 2017) & £231m (£2.97m per month until 16-8-2017). The two loans are now £250m (£3.99m per month until 1-2-2017) and £258m (£4.06m per month until 1-2-2017).

Staff departures – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Coach), Richard Hartis (GK Coach),

Staff additions – Gary Neville (Youth Coach), Alan Fettis (GK Coach)

First Team Squad

Edwin van der Sar - Retiring on 30-06-2011

Anders Lindegaard - now in the 1st team squad

Wes Brown – Work Rate 17 down to 15, Acceleration 14 down to 12, Stamina 16 down to 14

Rio Ferdinand – Influence 16 up to 17 Agility 14 down to 13

Jonny Evans – Decisions 14 down to 12, Composure 13 down to 12

Personality changed from 'light-hearted' to 'resolute'.

Nemanja Vidic – Influence 12 up to 16, Positioning 17 up to 18

Rafael – Crossing 14 up to 15, Dribbling 13 up to 14, Heading 9 up to 12, Tackling 13 up to 14, Aggression 14 up to 15, Bravery 14 up to 15, Concentration 12 up to 13, Decision 10 up to 11, Positioning 10 up to 12, Teamwork 13 up to 14, Work Rate 15 up to 16, Agility 15 up to 17

Wage changed from £10,000 to £15,000 per week

Description changed from 'Full-back' to 'Wonderkid'

Reputation changed from 'National' to 'Continental'

Fabio – Passing 11 up to 12, Positioning 8 up to 9 Influence 10 down to 8

Positions – Midfield (Centre) was Unconvincing now Competent, Midfield (Right), Attacking Midfield (Right), Attacking Midfield (Centre) were Awkward now Unconvincing

Patrice Evra – Concentration 17 down to 16

Michael Carrick – Positions - Defender (Centre) Awkward added.

Owen Hargreaves -

Darren Fletcher – Marking 14 down to 13, Balance 15 down to 14

Paul Scholes – Composure 19 up to 20, Concentration 14 up to 16, Pace 9 up to 10, Stamina 8 up to 10

Nani – Corners 17 down to 12 Concentration 12 up to 13, Decisions 10 up to 12, Determination 13 up to 14, Work Rate 13 up to 14, Agility 13 up to 16, Stamina 13 up to 14, Strength 11 up to 12

Personality changed from 'Spirited' to 'Fairly Ambitious'

Preferred foot changed from Right to Either

PPM 'shoots with power' added

Park Ji Sung – Influence 7 up to 10

Antonio Valencia – Corners 13 up to 14

Ryan Giggs – Contract extended from 30-06-2011 to 30-06 2012

Anderson – Free Kicks 13 up to 14. Teamwork 15 up to 16, Positioning 9 up to 10, Decisions 10 up to 11, Strength 16 up to 17 Stamina 17 down to 12

Contract extended from 30-06-2012 to 30-06 2015

Wage changed from £20,000 to £30,000 per week

Positions - Attacking Midfield (Centre) was Competent now Accomplished

Personality changed from 'Jovial' to 'Spirited'

Dimitar Berbatov – Agility 14 up to 15

Favoured Clubs – CSKA Sofia added

Michael Owen – Crossing 10 up to 12 First Touch 14 down to 13, Passing 12 down to 11, Off the Ball 19 down to 18, Stamina 14 down to 13

Positions - Attacking Midfield (Centre) was Competent now Awkward, Attacking Midfield (Right) was Unconvincing now Awkward

Wayne Rooney – First Touch 16 down to 15, Balance 18 down to 17, Pace 16 down to 15

PPM – 'shoots from distance' removed

Favoured Clubs – Celtic added

Javier Hernandez – Influence 10 down to 8 Off the Ball 14 up to 16, Jumping 10 up to 13, Pace 16 up to 17

PPM – 'tries to beat offside trap' added

Gary Neville has retired from the playing staff

Reserve Team Squad

Please note that there are many players here and in the U18 squad with random attributes they will have some different stats each time you start a game. As such I haven't listed attribute changes for some players here.

Ben Amos – now on a season long loan at Oldham

Anticipation 10 up to 11, Bravery 10 up to 11, Acceleration 7 up to 12

Ritchie De Laet – now on a season long loan at Portsmouth

Reece Brown – Crossing 8 up to 9, Off the Ball 4 up to 8, Balance 6 up to 8, Jumping 14 up to 15, Stamina 8 up to 11, Strength 10 up to 12

Positions – Wing Back (Right) was Unconvincing now Awkward

Joe Dudgeon – now on a season long loan at Carlisle

Influence 5 up to 9, Off the Ball 4 up to 8, Balance 6 up to 8, Jumping 14 up to 15, Stamina 8 up to 11, Strength 10 up to 12

Positions – Defender (Centre) was Unconvincing now Awkward

Oliver Gill – Positioning 10 up to 11

Foot Strength – Left was Strong now Fairly Strong

Scott Wootton – Dribbling 3 up to 7, Finishing 2 up to 8, Free Kick Taking 1 up to 2, Marking 8 up to 9, Creativity 5 up to 7, Composure 6 up to 8, Bravery 8 up to 10, Balance 7 up to 8, Pace 10 up to 11

Chris Smalling – First Touch 9 up to 11, Technique 11 up to 12, Composure 9 up to 10, Concentration 10 up to 12, Positioning 12 up to 13, Accelaration 7 up to 12, Agility 8 up to 10, Balance 9 up to 10, Pace 10 up to 14 Influence 13 down to 12

Marnick Vermijl – Finishing 4 up to 7, Positioning 6 up to 8, Off the Ball 6 up to 8, Agility 8 up to 10, Balance 9 up to 10, Pace 10 up to 14 Jumping 10 down to 8, pace 15 down to 14

Positions – Midfielder (Right) had no rating now accomplished, Midfielder (Left) had no rating now competent

Corry Evans – now on a season long loan to Hull

Composure 9 up to 10, Decisions 11 up to 13, Agility 10 up to 12, Balance 9 up to 10, Pace 10 up to 14 Jumping 10 down to 8, pace 15 down to 14

Positions – Defender (Centre) was accomplished now competent

Matt James – no longer on loan at Preston

Oliver Norwood – Creativity 11 up to 12 Pace 12 down to 11

Ryan Tunnicliffe – Bravery 13 up to 16, Concentration 9 up to 10, Off the Ball 7 up to 8, Teamwork 12 up to 13, Work rate 14 up to 15, Balance 8 up to 10, Stamina 13 up to 14, Strength 10 up to 11

Gabriel Obertan – Finishing 7 up to 10, Long Shots 11 up to 13, Off the Ball 12 up to 13

Tom Cleverley -

Bebe – Corners 9 up to 10, Dribbling 11 up to 13, Marking 4 up to 5, Passing 9 up to 12, Penalty 9 up to 10, Technique 11 up to 12, Anticipation 8 up to 10, Concentration 6 up to 8, Teamwork 6 up to 9, Work Rate 9 up to 12, Acceleration 13 up to 17, Jumping 10 up to 13, Pace 14 up to 16, Strength 14 up to 15 Finishing 14 down to 12, Long Shots 14 down to 12, Bravery 12 down to 8, Composure 9 down to 8, Creativity 9 down to 6, Influence 8 down to 5, Balance 14 down to 13, Stamina 13 down to 12

Positions – Attacking Midfield (Left) was Natural now Accomplished, Attacking Midfield (Centre) was Accomplished now Awkward, Striker was Unconvincing now Competent

Foot Strength – Left was Fairly Strong now Reasonable

Place of Birth – Lisbon (Portugal) changed to Cacem (Potugal)

2nd Nationality of Cape Verdean added

Davide Petrucci – Estimated time of recovery from hip injury reduced from 7/8 months to 5/6 months

Danny Drinkwater – now on loan at Watford and not Cardiff

Tacking 10 up to 11, Decisions 10 up to 11, Stamina 13 up to 15, Strength 8 up to 9 Finishing 11 down to 10, Free Kick Taking 14 down to 13, Passing 15 down to 14, Anticipation 13 down to 12, Composure 11 down to 10, Flair 13 down to 12, Natural Fitness 14 down to 12, Pace 13 down to 12

Nick Ajose – now on a season long loan at Bury

Crossing 7 up to 8, Dribbling 9 up to 10, Finishing 10 up to 11, First Touch 8 up to 9, Free Kick Taking 4 up to 5, Heading 3 up to 4, Long Shots 3 up to 4, Marking 1 up to 2, Passing 5 up to 6, penalty 3 up to 4, Technique 9 up to 10, Anticipation 5 up to 6, Composure 6 up to 9, Creativity 4 up to 5, Decisions 6 up to 7, Influence 2 up to 3, Off the Ball 8 up to 9, Positioning 1 up to 2, Teamwork 10 up to 11, Acceleration 14 up to 15, Agility 7 up to 8, Balance 7 up to 8, Jumping 5 up to 6, Pace 14 up to 15, Stamina 7 up to 8, Strength 6 up to 7

Contract – extended two years, wage up to £1,000 from £450

Positions – Striker now Natural from Accomplished, Attcking Midfield (Left) Accomplished from Natural

Federico Macheda – now on season long loan at Sampdoria

Free Kick Taking 5 up to 8, Heading 12 up to 13, Long Shots 9 up to 10, Anticipation 12 up to 13, Bravery 8 up to 10, Off the Ball 13 up to 14 Pace 14 down to 13

Danny Welbeck – Corners 5 up to 6, Crossing 7 up to 9, Dribbling 11 up to 14, Free Kick Taking 3 up to 4, Heading 9 up to 14, Long Shots 7 up to 8, Long Throws 2 up to 3, Marking 2 up to 3, Passing 8 up to 9, Penalty 9 up to 10, Tackling 2 up to 3, Technique 12 up to 13, Aggression 7 up to 8, Anticipation 7 up to 8, Composure 10 up to 11, Concentration 10 up to 11, Creativity 7 up to 8, Decisions 8 up to 9, Off the Ball 12 up to 14, Positioning 3 up to 4, Teamwork 9 up to 10, Acceleration 16 up to 17, Agility 15 up to 17, Jumping 12 up to 13, Pace 16 up to 18, Stamina 9 up to 10, Strength 10 up to 11

Mame Biram Diouf – Dribbling 9 up to 10, Creativity 7 up to 9, Work Rate 16 up to 17, Balance 12 up to 13, Stamina 12 up to 13, Strength 12 up to 13

Joshua King – no longer on loan at Preston

Finishing 11 down to 9 (editor says 12 > 10 though)

James Chester, Cameron Stewart & Magnus Eikrem have left the club

Under 18 Squad

Sam Johnstone – Kicking 9 up to 10, Throwing 11 up to 12 Command Of Area 10 down to 9

Joe Coll –

Alberto Massacci – Aggression 8 up to 11

Michael Keane – Positions – Defender (Left) was Awkward now Unconvincing, Wing Back (Right) was Unconvincing now Awkward

Luke Giverin – Positions – Wing Back (Left) was Unconvincing now Awkward

Tyler Blackett – Preferred foot changed from Right to Left

Foot Strength – Left changed from Reasonable to Very Strong, Right changed from Very Strong to Reasonable

Positions – Defender (Left) was Accomplished now Natural, Defender (Centre) was Natural now Accomplished, Wing Back (Left) & Midfield (Left) both had no rating now Awkward

Nationality – now declared for England

Charni Ekangamene - Nationality – now declared for Belgium

Other Nationalies – France added

Favoured Personnel – Gyliano van Velzen added

Positions – Defender (Left) was Competent now Natural, Wing Back (Left) had no rating now Unconvincing, Midfield (Centre) was Awkward now Accomplished, Midfield (Right) was Unconvincing now Competent, Attacking Midfield (Left) was Accomplished now Competent, Striker was Natural now Unconvincing

Tom Thorpe – Marking 8 up to 10, Passing 7 up to 8, Anticipation 11 up to 13, Composure 10 up to 11, Concentration 9 up to 10, Decisions 8 up to 9

Luke McCullough -

Michele Fornasier – Jumping 11 up to 12, Strength 10 to 11

Larnell Cole – Flair 8 up to 12

Positions – Attacking Midfield (Right) was Awkward now Competent

Paul Pogba – Finishing 8 up to 9, Long Shots 7 up to 10, Technique 12 up to 13, Creativity 8 up to 9, Decisions 8 up to 9, Off the Ball 6 up to 8, Work Rate 10 up to 11 Teamwork 9 up to 10, Agility 9 up to 10 Influence 12 down to 8

Ravel Morrison – Corners 8 up to 9, Crossing 4 up to 7, Dribbling 12 up to 13, Finishing 9 up to 10, First Touch 12 up to 13, Free Kick Taking 4 up to 5, Heading 3 up to 4, Long Shots 5 up to 6, Long Throws 3 up to 4, Marking 2 up to 3, Passing 9 up to 10, Penalty 11 up to 12, Tackling 1 up to 2, Technique 13 up to 14, Anticipation 6 up to 7, Composure 8 up to 9, Concentration 7 up to 8, Creativity 10 up to 11, Decisions 8 up to 9, Off the Ball 9 up to 10, Positioning 2 up to 3, Teamwork 6 up to 7, Work Rate 8 up to 9, Acceleration 14 up to 15, Agility 9 up to 10, Balance 11 up to 12, Jumping 6 up to 7, Pace 14 up to 15, Stamina 6 up to 7, Strength 5 up to 7

Gyliano van Velzen - Favoured Personnel – Charni Ekangamene added

Jesse Lingard – Corners 5 up to 10

John Cofie – Corners 1 up to 2, Crossing 3 up to 4, Dribbling 4 up to 5, Finishing 9 up to 10, First Touch 8 up to 9, Free Kick Taking 3 up to 4, Heading 7 up to 8, Long Shots 4 up to 5, Marking 1 up to 2, Passing 5 up to 6, Penalty 7 up to 8, Tackling 2 up to 3, Technique 8 up to 9, Anticipation 5 up to 6, Composure 5 up to 6, Concentration 4 up to 5, Creativity 2 up to 3, Decisions 5 up to 6, Off the Ball 6 up to 7, Positioning 2 up to 3, Teamwork 7 up to 8, Work Rate 7 up to 8, Acceleration 13 up to 14, Agility 7 up to 8, Balance 9 up to 10, Jumping 11 up to 12, Pace 14 up to 15, Stamina 7 up to 8, Strength 13 up to 14

Will Keane – Finishing 13 up to 14

Estasz Hussain has now left the club.

Mats Møller Dæhli's future transfer to the club has been removed from the game.

FM11 Man Utd Records

I've been asked to resurrect this idea for this years thread so take a look at the categories below, get cracking with the game and post your screenshots of your records and you may well get your name up in lights here. Feel free to offer suggestions for any other categories you may have a record for.

Team

Biggest Premier League win - United 12-0 Bristol City = SiR Equinox & United 12-0 Bolton W. = Latimerinho & United 12-0 Nottm Forest = Tactic Master & United 12-0 Norwich = Kugle

Biggest win in a domestic Cup game - United 12-0 Mansfield = Tactic Master

Biggest win in European Competition - United 13-0 Olympiakos = ILuvManUforeva, & United 13-0 Sporting = Kugle

Biggest Derby Win (against City or Liverpool) - United 10-0 Liverpool = Kugle

Highest scoring game - 13 goals = United 13-0 Olympiakos = ILuvManUforeva

Highest % possession in one game - 80% vs. Burnley = matty2323

Most goals scored in one league season - 179 goals = Kugle

Least goals conceded in one league season - 1 goal = xx11

Largest goal difference at end of season - + 155 = Kugle

Most points in one season - 114 points + 114 again xx11 & 114 points = Kugle

Most games won in a row - 89 games = Kugle

Most games without defeat - 193 games = Sampa

Most games without conceding a goal - 22 games = Tactic Master

Fastest goal scored - 9 seconds - Eden Hazard vs. West Ham = Tony Hawker & 9 seconds - Wayne Rooney vs. Fulham = ozzay

Most 1st team goalscorers in one season = 28 goalscorers (screenshot 1) (screenshot 2) = CPS

Most Premier League Titles in a row - 14 titles = Dale0718

Most Champions League Titles in a row - 8 titles = Kugle

Players

Most goals scored in one game - Edin Dzeko with 8 Goals vs. Leeds Utd = Fabio MVP & Demba Fagaga with 8 goals vs. Dinamo = Sampa

Most goals scored in one season - Gorka San Sebastian with 90 = Woodzy

Most assists in one season - Juan Manuel Vargas with 59 = Fabio MVP

Most MotM awards in one season - Wayne Rooney with 26 MotM's = Kugle

Fastest Hat-trick - Ronaldinho (not that one...) 30th to 33rd minute = mikeaji & Berbatov 5th to 8th minute = Ishu

Youngest goalscorer - Alex Peters 15 years and 204 days = 3D_Alex

Highest av. rating over 1 season (30 games+) - Eden Hazard - 8.57 from 35 appearances = Kugle

Most goals scored in a season by either Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes - Giggs - 13 goals = Bluehell & Giggs - 13 goals = Barnetboyz

Transfers

Most spent on one player - Özil for £110m = 3D_Alex

Most received for one player - Agbonlahor for £66m = Tactic Master

Here's another additional little challenge for those looking to play a long term game. Below are the 20 highest goalscorers in United's history (as of the end of the 2010/11 season) – see how many newgens from your academy you can manage to break into the hall of fame:

1. Bobby Charlton (1954-73) 249 goals, 199 league goals

2. Denis Law (1962-73) 237 goals, 171 league goals

3. Jack Rowley (1937-54) 211 goals, 182 league goals

4= Dennis Viollet (1950-62) 179 goals, 159 league goals

4= George Best (1963-74) 179 goals, 137 league goals

6. Joe Spence (1919-33) 168 goals, 158 league goals

7. Mark Hughes (1980-86 & 1988-95) 163 goals, 120 league goals

8. Ryan Giggs (1990- ?) 160 goals, 110 league goals

9= Ruud van Nistelrooy (2001-05) 150 goals, 95 league goals

9= Paul Scholes (1994-2011) 150 goals, 102 league goals

11. Stan Pearson (1936-54) 148 goals, 127 league goals

12. Wayne Rooney (2004- ?) 147 goals, 102 league goals

13. David Herd (1961-68) 145 goals, 114 league goals

14. Tommy Taylor (1953-58) 131 goals, 112 league goals

15. Brian McClair (1987-98) 127 goals, 88 league goals

16. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (1996-07) 126 goals, 91 league goals

17. Andy Cole (1995-01) 121 goals, 93 league goals

18. Cristiano Ronaldo (2003-09) 118 goals, 84 league goals

19. Sandy Turnbull (1906-15) 101 goals, 90 league goals

20. George Wall (1906-19) 100 goals, 89 league goals

Roll on, roll on! Nice OP there. Soon my download will finish. I will use the DEMO to try if it the things will work to way I want the play in this FM. Of course, when the full game comes out I intend to begin proper save, unless there is patch at most couple of days after the release, then I'd wait for the patch to begin playing.

Good start to the OP, CPS, and (edit) good squad analysis too.

Just beat Bury 7-0 in my first friendly, with four goals from Rooney. Not looking forward to him leaving in an upcoming patch...

Roll on, roll on! Nice OP there. Soon my download will finish. I will use the DEMO to try if it the things will work to way I want the play in this FM. Of course, when the full game comes out I intend to begin proper save, unless there is patch at most couple of days after the release, then I'd wait for the patch to begin playing.

Btw Fabio, the title would've been 'Fergie's the Main Man' but seeing that this is a game where Fergie's been given the boot from United when you take over it didn't really fit!

Btw Fabio, the title would've been 'Fergie's the Main Man' but seeing that this is a game where Fergie's been given the boot from United when you take over it didn't really fit!

Ahh that's okay mate. Just want to add the OP looks even better now with all the analyses. KUTGW.

Well done with the opener.

anyone tried to buy bale? he would fit perfectly into our team

CPS, one correction, Cleverly is on loan until 31.5.2011.

Cheers.

Excellent thread, will be on here alot once again.

great OP you made there CPS

Good thread CPS

A fitting title would have been 'Whose the new main man?' I feel like very soon the majority of the discussion in this thread will be about replacing Rooney.

Meh, as much as I dislike Rooney now, he's still a great player in the game so I will be keeping him. However, if someone was to come in for him with a great offer, I may be more inclined to cash in more than I used to.

Great OP here, think I'll be trying to sign a GK and maybe a new CM if funds allow. Think I'll try Sergio Asenjo again, he was awesome last year.

Hi CPS, Loving the thread by the way and its very well put together and a lot of very good information and squad analysis.

Just been haivng a breeze through a few of the player threads also and a possible GK could be Sebastian Frey who i believe costs around £8m which i think is a good price for a very reliabel keeper.

the inevitable will be replacing rooney and i am torn whether to sell him off straight away or keep him. wither way Lukaku will be my replacement and will hopefully replace him as an old trafford legend.

Good OP CPS This'll be my second stop on the demo

Great OP. Will be using Man United for the demo to get used to the game, and maybe a short-term game when the game is released. Looking forward to seeing who will be selling Rooney at first opportunity

on the demo i loaned out brown,park as no one would bid for them. I signed Alexis Sanchez for £12,5million and as it was the demo i paid £9,25mi, for rodwell up front and then £10mil after 50 appearances. Just flying through the friendlies and Macheda and Bebe look good.

Any chance someone can post player links for the squad. Just to see how everyone is rated this year?

great opening post (:

The players' ratings are similar to last year's, Chicharito looks promising! Who needs Rooney? the first thing i did was to place Rooney on the transfer list. No player is bigger than United

if anyone manages to get rid of rooney could you kindly let me know who to and how much you get for him. got a big decision to make with rooney of course. if i can get £30m+ for him i think he may have to go and use the funds to replace the legends in scholes and giggs.

Good to see some familiar faces in like last year in Man Utd thread.

Chicharito gonna be leading the line for me

****ing brilliant OP. Can't wait to get my hands on the demo.

Any chance someone can post player links for the squad. Just to see how everyone is rated this year?

I think Becksmania is right in that most of the players are very similar to last year. Some of Nani's mental stats looked a little better though which is good to see + nice to have a player with flair 19:

If anyone wants to see a specific screenshot of any player let me know.

Just been haivng a breeze through a few of the player threads also and a possible GK could be Sebastian Frey who i believe costs around £8m which i think is a good price for a very reliabel keeper.

Not a bad shout at all with Frey at that price + he's still only 30.

Great opening post.

What to do with a problem like Wayne Rooney???... hmmm... Aguero doesn't seem to look as good stats wise as last season... he's also lost his driven personality.

I think I'll probably bring in de Gea as VDSs replacement. Was good last season, looks better now.

Most of the United players look pretty accurate, though I was hoping Nani would be slightly better, I hope he still has somewhere to improve to. That said I rated him last season and he looks better this season. Nice to see him natural on the right now which places him and Valencia competing for the same spot. That said I agree with the OP on the fact he's more than adequate for playing on the left. Personally I'd switch wingers quite often but with Giggs and Valencia most likely to play on the other side from him it kind of limits your options.

I was interested to see what would be done about Bebe but I think he's about right. He's not a striker but is natural on both wings and the staff seem to think he has some potential.

Hernandez looks good but I though his pace might be slightly better... he was only the fastest player at the World Cup.

Centre midfield looks to be an interesting area. Scholes looks better, almost as good as in his prime though I think his passing and technique should be 20. Hargreaves looks better than I thought he'd be. Stats look very good.

The youth teams also look to have some interesting players in them.

can someone compare jordan henderson with our young players etc. cleverly, gibson... maybe even ando..

ws just having a little play around with the demo during my lunch break at work. had an offer accepted for £12.5m for akinfeev (£5m up front and £7.5m over 48 months). Lukaku also had an offer accepted for £8.5m. Liking the looks of both of these deals so definitely going to get these 2 in.

Getting Lukaku will probably mean i sell Rooney. Ill try and bring in Neymar also and hopefully get both of these in for less than i can sell ronney for which will be good business long term.

was a bit suprised to see a balance of £113M

Moussa Sissoko my first signing :***)

can someone compare jordan henderson with our young players etc. cleverly, gibson... maybe even ando..

The 3 kids at United >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Henderson.

Henderson looks a good prospect IRL though, he reminds me of a young scotty parker.

Buying Rodwell (English! \o/) & Little Chilean Alexis Sanchez.

No clubs are interested in Rooney though ): how to get rid of that ****?!

Perhaps the only way to sell Rooney is stick him on the transfer list, and offer him to people for around £5-8m less than he's worth. Then negotiate a deal that way. Not tried it myself, but I will when I get back from work.

Agents saying 'You must be after my own heart wanting to get these negotiations over and done with' is, how can I put this.... somewhat odd. I'm liking the goal replays btw

Great thread CPS, I wouldn't of expected much less from you!

The only thing I could say, possibly using a more crisp and clearer United badge at the top?

Oh, just found one here; CLICK.

just scored such a fifa goal

Sissoko running past everyone then passing it across for Rooney to stick it home \o/

also gonna be my first uploaded video (another feature i love)

just sold rooney for 60 million pounds. just had to **** his wife!!!

Great thread CPS, I wouldn't of expected much less from you!

The only thing I could say, possibly using a more crisp and clearer United badge at the top?

Oh, just found one here; CLICK.

Thanks Ty and cheers for the logo, that is much better

Thanks Ty and cheers for the logo, that is much better

No problem what so ever!

I will be having a United save at one point during the demo and full game. I always end up having one!

Good OP CPS well in

argh ffs demo crashes after having not saved since opening day

annoyed but am happy with the demo

how did you get rid of him for £60m.

just sold rooney for 60 million pounds. just had to **** his wife!!!

how did you do that?! i offered him to clubs for 10 million pounds and still no interest apart from a pathetic chelsea loan ):

So far I have purchased Eden Hazard, he looks even better this time round (4 star scout rating) and also Gregory Van Der Wiel just because I like him IRL, not sure how good he will turn out on this though

how much did you get hazard for. i bought fabio coentrao for cover for the left side. paid £4m for him but he can play left back and left midfield. obviously hazard is a better option though depending on the price.

I paid £16 million but given how highly rated he is I think it was a reasonable price, he can also play central midfield aswell. Just had a scout report on Phillipe Mexes, Roma only want £4 million for him... madness.

Only a couple of days into the demo but really excited about getting the full version in a couple of weeks. It feels a lot more in depth already, and the global financial situation makes transfer dealings a lot more interesting. Come release day I may have to readjust my "sign everything that moves" policy for players under 20.

anyone got a screenshot of Bebe and Cleverley?

And Hernandez if possible?

My laptop is fecked and won't be fixed for a while. No FM .

excellent OP!

could some kind soul please post screenies of hernandez, bebe and of course the one and only fletcher. ty