FM13: West Ham United- Route One Football the Allardyce Way.

Brief History.

West Ham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, London, currently playing in the Premier League, England's top tier of football. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current Boleyn Ground stadium. They initially competed in the Southern League and Western League before eventually joining the full Football League in 1919 and subsequently enjoyed promotion to the top flight for the 1923 season. 1923 also saw the club feature in the first FA Cup Final to be held at Wembley against Bolton Wanderers.

Three West Ham players were considered an important factor behind England's triumph in the 1966 World Cup. England's captain at the time was West Ham's Bobby Moore, and both goalscorers in the final were then current players Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.

West Ham Origins.

The earliest generally accepted incarnation of West Ham United was founded in 1895 as the Thames Ironworks team by foreman and local league referee Dave Taylor and owner Arnold Hills and was announced in the Thames Ironworks Gazette of June 1895. The team played on a strictly amateur basis for 1895 at least, with a team featuring a number of works employees including Thomas Freeman (ships fireman), Walter Parks (clerk), Tom Mundy, Walter Tranter and James Lindsay (all boilermakers), William Chapman, George Sage, and William Chamberlain and apprentice riveter Charlie Dove.

The club, Thames Ironworks were the first ever winners of the West Ham Charity Cup in 1895 contested by clubs in the locality, then won the London League in 1897. They turned professional in 1898 upon entering the Southern League Second Division, and were promoted to the First Division at the first attempt. The following year they came second from bottom, but had established themselves as a fully-fledged competitive team. They comfortably fended off the challenge of local rivals Fulham in a relegation play-off, 5–1 in late April 1900 and retained their First Division status. The team initially played in full dark blue kits, as inspired by Mr. Hills, who had been an Oxford University "Blue", but changed the following season by adopting the sky blue shirts and white shorts combination worn through 1897 to 1899. In 1899 they acquired their now traditional home kit combination of claret shirts and sky blue sleeves in a wager involving Aston Villa players, who were League Champions at the time. Following growing disputes over the running and financing of the club, in June 1900 Thames Ironworks F.C. was disbanded, then almost immediately relaunched on 5 July 1900 as West Ham United F.C. with Syd King as their manager and future manager Charlie Paynter as his assistant. Because of the original "works team" roots and links (still represented upon the club badge), they are still known to this day as 'the Irons' or 'the Hammers' amongst fans and the media.

The Birth of West Ham.

The reborn club continued to play their games at the Memorial Ground in Plaistow (funded by Arnold Hills) but moved to a pitch in the Upton Park area when the team officially severed ties with the company (losing their works provisioned offices in the process). After being made groundless in 1901 the team became transient, playing their home games on a number of local teams' grounds until moving to its current home, Upton Park (in the guise of the Boleyn Ground stadium), in 1904. West Ham's first game in their new home was against fierce rivals Millwall (themselves an Ironworks team, albeit for a rival company) drawing a crowd of 10,000 and with West Ham running out 3–0 winners.

West Ham’s Glory Years.

During the 1966 World Cup, key members of the tournament winners England were West Ham players, including the captain, Bobby Moore; Martin Peters (who scored in the final); and Geoff Hurst, who scored the first, and only, hat-trick in a World Cup final. There is a "Champions" statue in Barking Road, opposite The Boleyn Arms, commemorating West Ham's three sons who helped win the 1966 World Cup: Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. Also included on the statue is Everton's Ray Wilson.

After a difficult start to the 1974–75 season, Greenwood moved himself "upstairs" to become General Manager and without informing the board, appointed his assistant John Lyall as team manager. The result was instant success – the team scored 20 goals in the their first four games combined and won the FA Cup, becoming the last team to win the FA Cup with an all English side when they beat Fulham 2–0 in the 1975 final. Lyall then guided West Ham to another European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1976, though the team lost the match 4–2 to Anderlecht. Greenwood's tenure as General Manager lasted less than three years, as he was appointed to manage England in the wake of Don Revie's resignation in 1977.

Ups and Downs.

In 1978, West Ham were again relegated to Division Two, but Lyall was retained as manager and led the team to an FA Cup Final win against Arsenal in 1980. This is notable because no team outside the top division has won the trophy since that time. West Ham were promoted to Division One in 1981, and finished in the top ten of the first division for the next three seasons before achieving their highest-ever league finish of third in 1985/86. However, they suffered relegation again in 1989 and this resulted in the sacking of John Lyall. After Lyall, Lou Macari briefly led the team, though he resigned after less than a single season in order to clear his name of allegations of illegal betting whilst manager of Swindon Town. He was replaced by former player Billy Bonds. In Bonds' first full season (1990–91), West Ham again secured promotion to Division One. The following season they were again relegated to Division 2, which had been renamed Division One as part of the league realignments surrounding the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. West Ham spent the 1992–93 season in Division One. finishing second and returning to the Premier League in May 1993.

After the 1993–94 season, Bonds quit and was replaced by Harry Redknapp in August 1994. He led West Ham to fifth place in the 1998–99 season, but missed automatic qualification for the UEFA Cup, and instead qualified as winners of the Intertoto Cup. Despite consolidating the league placing for a handful of seasons, a disagreement with the board of directors during the close of the 2000–01 season led to Redknapp being replaced by Glenn Roeder, promoted from youth team coach. In Roeder's first season the team finished seventh, but West Ham lost by wide margins in several matches (7–1 to Blackburn, 5–0 to Everton and 5–1 to Chelsea). The subsequent season started badly and eventually resulted in relegation. West Ham's tally of 42 points is the highest by any team relegated from the Premier League in a 38 game season. Roeder, who had missed some of the season after being diagnosed with a brain tumour (which was subsequently treated), was sacked on 24 August 2003, three games into the Championship campaign.

Trevor Brooking (who served as manager during Glenn's ill health the previous season) stepped in as interim manager before being replaced by Alan Pardew in October 2003, headhunted from fellow promotion contenders Reading. Pardew led the team to a playoff final, they lost to Crystal Palace. The subsequent year they again reached the playoff final, but this time won, beating Preston North End 1–0, gaining re-entry to the Premier League.

Recent Seasons.

On their return to the top division, West Ham finished in 9th place, the highlight of the 2005–06 season, however, was reaching the FA Cup final, and taking favourites Liverpool to a penalty shootout, after a three-all draw. West Ham lost the shootout but still gained entry to the UEFA Cup as Liverpool had already qualified for the Champions League. In August 2006, West Ham completed a major coup on the last day of the transfer window, after completing the signings of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano. The club was eventually bought by an Icelandic consortium, led by Eggert Magnússon in November 2006. Manager Alan Pardew was sacked after poor form during the season and was replaced by former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley.

The signings of Mascherano and Tévez were investigated by the Premier League, who were concerned that details of the transfers had been omitted from official records. The club was found guilty and fined £5,500,000 in April 2007. However, West Ham avoided a points deduction which ultimately became critical in their avoidance of relegation at the end of the 2006–07 season. Following on from this event, Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan, supported by other sides facing possible relegation, including Fulham and Sheffield United, threatened legal action. West Ham escaped relegation by winning seven of their last nine games, including a 1–0 win over Arsenal, and on the last day of the season defeated newly crowned League Champions Manchester United 1–0 with a goal by Tévez to finish 15th.

In the 2007–08 season, West Ham had a reasonably consistent place in the top half of the league table despite a slew of injuries; new signings Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer missed most of the campaign. The last game of the season, at the Boleyn Ground, saw West Ham draw 2–2 against Aston Villa; ensuring 10th place, finishing three points ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur. It was a five-place improvement on the previous season, and most importantly West Ham were never under any realistic threat of relegation. After a row with the board over the sale of defenders Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland, manager Alan Curbishley resigned on 3 September 2008. His successor was former Chelsea striker Gianfranco Zola. Zola took over on 11 September 2008 and in so doing became the club's first non-British manager. In the 2008–09 season West Ham finished 9th, a single place improvement.

In the 2009–10 season, West Ham started strongly with a 2–0 win over newly promoted Wolves with goals from Mark Noble and newly appointed captain Matthew Upson. A League Cup match against old rivals Millwall brought about violent riots outside the ground as well as pitch invasions and crowd trouble inside Upton Park. In August 2009 the financial concerns of Icelandic owners parent companies left the current owners unable to provide any funds until a new owner was found. The club's shirt sponsor SBOBET provided the club with help purchase a much needed striker, Alessandro Diamanti. West Ham had a poor season which involved a prolonged battle against relegation. They finally secured their survival with two games remaining by defeating Wigan Athletic 3–2. The club managed to take 35 points from 38 games, seven fewer than the total they had when relegated 7 years prior.

On 11 May 2010, two days after the end of the 2009–10 season, West Ham announced the termination of Zola's contract with immediate effect. On 3 June 2010, Avram Grant signed a four year deal to become the next manager of West Ham subject to a work permit. West Ham's form continued to be poor with the team seldom outside the relegation zone, placing Grant's future as manager under serious doubt. A 4–0 Football League Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United was an otherwise bright point in a disappointing season. West Ham's form in the Premier League did not affect their form in the two domestic cups. The Hammers reached the semi-final of the League Cup before being eliminated by eventual winners Birmingham City as well as the quarter final of the FA cup before a 2–1 defeat at Stoke City. On 15 May 2011, West Ham's relegation to the Championship was confirmed after a comeback from Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. With West Ham leading 2–0 at half-time by two Demba Ba goals, Wigan battled back to win 3–2 thanks to an added-time strike from Charles N'Zogbia. Following the loss, West Ham announced the sacking of manager Avram Grant just one season into his tenure. On 1 June 2011, Sam Allardyce was appointed as manager as Grant's replacement.

The club finished third in the 2011–12 Football League Championship with 86 points and took part in the play offs. They beat Cardiff City F.C. in the play-off semi-final 5–0 on aggregate to reach the final against Blackpool at Wembley on 19 May 2012. Carlton Cole opened the scoring, and although Blackpool equalised early in the second half, Ricardo Vaz Tê scored the winner for West Ham in the 87th minute.

Boleyn Ground.

West Ham are currently based at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park, in Newham, east London. The capacity of the Boleyn Ground is 35,016. This has been West Ham's ground since 1904. Prior to this, in their previous incarnation of Thames Ironworks, they played at Hermit Road in Canning Town and briefly at Browning Road in East Ham, before moving to the Memorial Grounds in Plaistow in 1897. They retained the stadium during their transition to becoming West Ham United and were there for a further four seasons before moving to the Boleyn Ground in 1904. Former chairman Eggert Magnússon made clear his ambition for West Ham United to move to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Olympics, a desire reiterated by current chairmen Gold and Sullivan when they assumed control of the club stating that they felt it was a logical move for the Government as it was in the borough of Newham.

Upton Park has been an all-seater stadium since the early 1990s, after professional clubs had to meet new FA regulations for stadium safety after the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989. Upton Park has four main stands, which are named The Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, The Bobby Moore Stand, The East Stand and The Alpari Stand.

Club Colours & Kit

The original colours of the team were dark blue, due to Thames Ironworks chairman Arnold Hills being a former student of Oxford University. However the team used a variety of kits including the claret and sky blue house colours of Thames Ironworks, as well as sky blue or white kit. The Irons permanently adopted claret and blue for home colours in the summer of 1899. Thames Ironworks right-half Charlie Dove received the Aston Villa kit from his father William Dove, who was a professional sprinter of national repute, as well as being involved with the coaching at Thames Ironworks. Bill Dove had been at a fair in Birmingham, close to Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa and was challenged to a race against four Villa players, who wagered money that one of them would win.

Bill Dove defeated them and, when they were unable to pay the bet, one of the Villa players who was responsible for washing the team's kit offered a complete team's 'football kits' to Dove in payment. The Aston Villa player subsequently reported to his club that the kit was 'missing'. This however, is often disputed. The predecessors of Thames Ironworks, Old Castle Swifts FC, played in pale blue shirts, white shorts and claret socks as early as 1892, around the same time Aston Villa played in said same colours.

Thames Ironworks, and later West Ham United, retained the claret yoke/blue sleeves design, but also continued to use their previously favoured colours for their away kits.

Crest

The original club crest was a crossed pair of rivet hammers; tools commonly used in the iron and shipbuilding industry. A castle was later (circa 1903/04) added to the crest and represents a prominent local building, Green Street House, which was known as "Boleyn Castle" through an association with Anne Boleyn. The manor was reportedly one of the sites at which Henry VIII courted his second queen, though in truth there is no factual evidence other than the tradition of rumour. The castle may have also been added as a result of the contribution made to the club by players of Old Castle Swifts, or even the adoption (in 1904) of Boleyn Castle FC as their reserve side when they took over their grounds on the site.

The crest was redesigned and updated by London design agency Springett Associates in the late 1990s, featuring a wider yellow castle with fewer cruciform "windows" along with the peaked roofs being removed; the tops of the towers had previously made the castle appear more akin to Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty's Castle than a functioning fortress. The designer also altered other details to give a more substantial feel to the iconography. When the club redesigned the facade of the stadium (construction finished 2001/02) the 'castle' from the later badge was incorporated into the structure at the main entrance to the ground. A pair of towers are now prominent features of the ground's appearance, both bearing the club's modern insignia (which is also located in the foyer and other strategic locations).

FM Club Information

Overview

Nation: England.

Year Founded: 1895.

Operating Status: Professional.

Legends: Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, John Lyall, Ron Greenwood, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking.

Icons: Paolo Di Canio, Julian Dicks, Tony Carr, Tony Cottee, Frank McAvennie, Steve Potts, Rio Ferdinand, Scott Parker, Joe Cole, Alvin Martin, Alan Devonshire, Ray Stewart, Carlos Tevez.

Favoured Personnel: None.

Derbies: East Lond Derby (vs. Millwall).

Fierce Rivals: Tottenham (Local), Millwall (Local), Chelsea (Local).

Other Rivals: Sheffield United (Competitive), Manchester United (Historic), Arsenal (Historic).

Continental Competition: None.

Media Prediction: 12th.

Squad Personality: Determined.

Captain: Kevin Nolan.

Vice-Captiain: Mark Noble.

Finances

Finances: Okay.

Estimated Value: £120m (Loan Debt: £143m).

Balance: (£4.2m).

Average Ticket Price: £50.

Average Season Ticket Price: £670.

Season Ticket Holders: 24,000.

Debt: £143m (Repaying £748k per month.

Transfer Budget: £0.

Wage Budget: £682k/pw (Current: £682k/pw).

Facilities

City: London.

Stadium: Boleyn Ground (Upton Park).

Capacity: 35,016 (All Seated).

Year Built: 1912.

Owned By: West Ham United.

Stadium Condition: Very good.

Under Soil Heating:Yes.

Roof: No.

Surface: Grass.

Pitch Dimensions: L: 104 meters, W: 67 meters.

Max. Pitch Dimensions: L: 104 meters, W: 67 meters.

Pitch Condition: Very Good.

Reserve Stadium: Woodside Park, Bishop’s Stortford.

Corporate Facilities: Top corporate facilities.

Training Facilities: Good training facilities.

Youth Facilities: Top youth facilities.

Youth Setup Category: 1

Youth Stadium: Little Heath Sports Ground, Romford.

Training Ground: Chadwell Heath, London.

Goalkeepers

GK - Jussi Jääskeläinen - #22 – Jääskeläinen joined us on a free during the summer after he rejected a contract extension at his former club. He was once again reunited with Sam Allardyce, with whom he played under in his Bolton days. Jääskeläinen made his debut for West Ham on 18 August 2012 in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa.

Stephen Henderson - #13 – Henderson was signed initially as an emergency loan from Portsmouth whilst West Ham were still in the Championship. In May 2012, Henderson joined West Ham permanently on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. As short loans are not included in game, West Ham start with Henderson instead of him being on loan at Ipswich Town.

Analysis – West Ham are fairly well set in the goalkeeper department for the first season back in the top flight. With Jääskeläinen between the sticks, you have a reliable keeper for the first season. His stats do start to deteriorate slowly towards the end of the season, so it would be wise to look for a longer-term replacement as the season starts to wind to an end. Henderson and Speigel are both capable backups to Jussi, and will perform to Premier League standard when called upon.

- Target: Asmir Begovic (Stoke, Transfer), Nikolay Mihaylov (FC Twente, Transfer), Jack Butland (Birmingham, Future Prospect).

- Youth Prospect: Raphael Spiegel.

Fullbacks

RB - Joey O'Brien - #17 - In July 2011 Joey was handed a trial by West Ham United. He featured in pre-season friendlies against BSC Young Boys and F.C. Basel before being signed on 30 July on a free transfer, after penning a two-year contract. He made his competitive debut on 7 August 2011 in 1-0 home defeat to Cardiff City and scored his first goal for West Ham in a 4-0 away win against Watford on 16 August 2011; his first goal since January 2005.

RB - Guy Demel - #20 – Demel signed a two-year deal, with the option of a third, with West Ham on 31 August 2011. Due to injuries, it was not until 29 November 2011, in a 2-0 away win against Middlesbrough, that Demel made his West Ham United debut.

RB - Jordan Spence - #27 – Spence joined West Ham in 2004. In April 2006 he signed a contract as a full time youth team academy player for season 2006–07 and made his reserve team debut that same month. On 9 May 2010, Spence made his first team debut for West Ham, coming on the 86th minute for Alessandro Diamanti, in a 1–1 home draw against Manchester City, with Spence making his first start for West Ham on 15 May 2011 in a 3–2 away defeat to Wigan Athletic, a game which saw West Ham relegated.

LB - George McCartney - #3 - On 10 August 2011 McCartney returned for another spell at West Ham United for a season-long loan. On 4 March 2012, he scored his first goal for West Ham since his return to the club on loan in a 2-0 away victory over Cardiff City. At the end of season awards for the 2011–12 season, he was awarded the Players' Player of the Year award. His performances also helped West Ham clinch promotion back to the Premier League after winning the play-off finals. On 1 July 2012 McCartney re-joined newly promoted West Ham signing a two-year contract after agreeing to make the loan move permanent.

Analysis – West Ham have a number of fullbacks to choose from, with Jordan Spence being the most versatile. You don't really need to strengthen this position, unless you want to bring in back-up for George McCartney. Danny Potts has very good potential, he is easily able to play Premier League quality football within three or four years so he is well worth holding onto. If you need to make room on your wage budget for new players, you can shift either Demel or O'Brien and allow Jordan Spence to have more first-team action.

- Target: Luke Wilshere (Dinamo Moscow, Loan), Michel Salgado (Unattached, Free), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart, Transfer).

- Youth Prospect: Danny Potts, Jordan Spence.

Centrebacks

CB - James Tomkins - #5 - Aged seven, Tomkins was spotted while playing for his local Sunday League side and signed into West Ham United's youth academy. Initially a striker, he eventually switched to his current position in central defence. He signed scholarship forms in 2005. Prior to making his first team debut, his career had been marred by several injuries. He won Young Hammer of the Year for 2007-08 and has been a first-team regular ever since.

CB - Winston Reid - #2 – Reid signed for West Ham United on 5 August 2010, on a three year contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his Premier League debut, on 14 August, in a 3–0 loss to Aston Villa and scored his first goal for West Ham in the 5–1 win against Burnley in the FA Cup on 21 February 2011. Reid remained with the club following its relegation to the Championship, and chose club over country when he opted to train with West Ham pre-season rather than represent New Zealand at the Olympics.

CB - James Collins - #19 - In August 2012, Collins signed for West Ham United for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract. He was allocated the number 19 shirt, which he wore in his first spell with the club. On 18 August 2012, Collins started alongside Winston Reid in a 1–0 home win against his former club, Aston Villa on the opening day of the 2012-13 Premier League season. He was also awarded 'Man of the Match' for his performance on his second 'debut'.

Analysis - West Ham are short on cover for centre backs but they have a solid first-team pairing in Tomkins and Reid, with Collins rotating. You will need to get another player as an insurance policy in case injuries strike the first-team. Leo Chambers can be used sparingly throughout the season, but you can't expect miracles from the young lad.

- Target: Ayila Yussuf (Dynamo-2 Kyiv, Loan), Michael Mancienne (HSV, Loan).

- Youth Prospect: Leo Chambers.

Wingers

LW - Matt Jarvis - #11 - In August 2012, Jarvis signed a five-year contract, with the option for an additional year, for a transfer fee which was a club record but was officially undisclosed. Jarvis made his debut for West Ham on 25 August in a 3–0 away defeat to Swansea City. He scored his first goal for the club on 1 October, opening the scoring in a 2-1 win away to Queens Park Rangers.

LW - Ricardo Vaz Tê - #12 – Vaz Tê signed for West Ham United in January 2012, for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half year deal with an option for a third year. Vaz Tê made his debut for the club, coming on as a 89th minute substitute in the South-East London derby against Millwall on 4 February. On 21 February 2012, Vaz Tê scored his first goal for the Hammers, in a 4–1 victory at Blackpool. In the Final at Wembley on 19 May 2012, Vaz Tê scored the winning goal in the 87th minute, to make the final score 2-1 to West Ham, thus gaining promotion to the Premier League.

Analysis - There are no natural right wingers in the first-team squad, however you can play either Yossi Benayoun there or recall Ravel Morrison and have him play on the right. Getting a natural right winger isn't high on the list of required transfers, though you could bring in a player on loan that can play on both sides comfortably. Both Blair Turgott and Gary O'Neil can provide cover off of the bench if the injury bug strikes the wings.

- Target: Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo-2 Kyiv, Loan), Hogan Ephraim (QPR, Loan), Daniel Braaten (Toulouse, Loan).

- Youth Prospect: Blair Turgott.

Central Midfielders

CM - Mark Noble - #16 – Noble joined the West Ham United youth academy as a schoolboy after a short spell as a child at Arsenal and became the youngest player ever to appear in the reserve team, aged 15. He became a trainee in July 2003 and made his debut in the senior team at the age of just 17 in the League Cup in August 2004 in a 2–0 win against Southend. He made his league debut in the Championship in January 2005, in a 4–2 defeat away at Wolves. Former Manager Alan Pardew had described Noble as possibly the best prospect at the club. In September 2012 Noble signed a new, three year contract with an option for a further two years.

CM - Jack Collison - #10 – Collison started out at the local club Shefford Saints as a schoolboy. He was chosen as Young Hammer of the Year by Tony Carr in the 2008-09 season. After fourteen months out through injury, Collison made his first-team return on 7 May 2011 against Blackburn Rovers in a 1–1 draw at Upton Park. Jack is yet to feature this season, due to still recovering from a damaged knee cap. He is a versatile, all-rounded midfielder and is able to play in centre midfield or out wide. Once fit, he usually stays that way.

CM - Kevin Nolan - #4 – West Ham confirmed the signing of Nolan in June 2011 for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract, taking over the vacant number 4 shirt. Due to the departure of the previous West Ham captain, Matthew Upson, who moved to Stoke City, Nolan was immediately made captain. His league debut came on 7 August 2011 in a 1–0 home defeat to Cardiff City. On 19 May 2012 he captained West Ham in the 2012 Championship play-off Final against Blackpool.

CM - Gary O'Neil - #32 - In January 2011, O'Neil completed a move to West Ham United on a two-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee. On 6 February 2011, O'Neil made his Premier League debut for the Hammers against Birmingham City. His 2010–11 season was ended prematurely on 16 April 2011 following a tackle by Aston Villa's Nigel Reo-Coker. O’Neil was carried off on a stretcher after the challenge. Upon returning from injury, he proved to be a key player in the team's end of season form which saw them reach the Premier League after beating Blackpool 2-1 at Wembley in the Championship play-off final.

Analysis – Noble and Nolan are definitely two of the most gifted players in the West Ham squad, and should be the first names on the team sheet. With Collison and O'Neil coming off the bench, this is the one position that doesn't need strengthening this season. Nolan is good for 5-10, with the same amount of assists coming from Noble. Having young George Moncur coming through the ranks and pushing for a first-team position, this is the strongest in-depth position at the Hammers. Depending on what formation you play, you can also rotate Diamé and Diarra through the middle, allowing you offload two or three centre-mids.

- Target: None.

- Youth Prospect: George Moncur, Sebastian Lletget.

Defensive Midfielders

DM - Mohamed Diamé - #21 - In June 2012 he was signed by West Ham United on a three-year contract. Diamé made his debut for West Ham on 18 August 2012 in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa. He scored his first goal for West Ham United in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on 6 October 2012.

DM - Alou Diarra - #23 - On 10 August 2012, Diarra moved back to England to join West Ham United on a three-year contract, for an undisclosed fee. Diarra made his debut for West Ham on 25 August in a 3–0 away defeat to Swansea City coming on as a 69th minute substitute for Mohamed Diamé.

Analysis - Keeping these two players on your payroll depends on what formation you play. I'd definitely look at getting rid of Diarra as those wages are a real drain on the finances, and I can't seem to justify his position in the team with Diamé usually being the preferred choice. Having an anchor man against the bigger clubs really does help nullify their attacks, so if you decide to get rid of Diarra and play with an defensive midfielder, you might want to look at getting cover for Diamé.

- Target: Ayila Tussuf (Dynamo-2 Kyiv), David Fox (Norwich, Loan).

- Youth Prospect: None.

Attacking Midfielders

CAM - Ravel Morrison - #? - In January 2012, Morrison signed for West Ham United on a three-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee. On 17 March, he made his debut for the Hammers, replacing Jack Collison in the 81st minute of the 1–1 draw at Leeds United.

CAM - Jossi Benayoun - #15 - In August 2012 Benayoun returned to West Ham United on loan for the 2012–13 season becoming their eleventh signing of the transfer window. Chelsea retain the option to recall him in the January 2013 transfer window.

Analysis - Keeping Yossi at West Ham and recalling Ravel from Birmingham all depends on what formation you will be playing this season. If you use an attacking midfielder, you should recall Ravel and bring in some cover as both these players can be used effectively on the right wing. If you decide to terminate Yossi's contract to help free up some wages, then it'd be wise to not use an attacking midfielder, bring back Ravel and get a natural right winger. There are a lot of variables that have to be decided on, and it's not a position you want to be thin on with players. Having Dominic Vose fighting for a first-team place will also help your situation.

- Target: Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo-2 Kyiv, Loan), Mehmed Alispahic (Dinamo, Loan).

- Youth Prospect: Dominic Vose.

Strikers

ST -Andy Carroll - #8 - The £35,000,000 man joined West Ham in August 2012 on a season-long loan with the club having the option to make the deal permanent for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2013. Carroll made his debut on 1 September setting-up two goals in a 3–0 home win against Fulham. Although he has yet to score a Premier League goal, he remains a vital part to West Ham because of his understanding with Kevin Nolan.

ST - Carlton Cole - #9 – Cole joined West Ham United in July 2006 for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year contract. He scored seconds into his competitive debut for West Ham United after coming on as a substitute against Charlton. After failed bids from both Turkish club Galatasaray and Premier League team Stoke City, Cole confirmed he would be staying to help the Hammers fight for promotion back to the top flight. He later confirmed that he, in loyalty to the club, cut his wages by 50% at the beginning of the season following the relegation, in order to be able to stay at West Ham.

ST - Modibo Maïga - #11 - In July 2012, Maïga underwent a medical at West Ham United. He signed the following day on a four-year contract with an option for a further two years for an undisclosed fee. Maïga made his debut for West Ham on 18 August 2012 coming on as an 81st minute substitute against Aston Villa. On 28 August 2012 Maïga scored on his full home debut against Crewe Alexandra. He scored his first league goal on 20 October against Southampton.

Analysis - If you decide to keep Andy Carroll, then you are more than equipped with strikers for the Premier League this season. Personally I would cancel his loan and bring in a new striker on the cheap. Maïga is more than capable of playing the lone striker role, feeding Jarvis and whoever plays on the right wing. Vaz Tê can be rotated as a striker, and you also have Robert Hall who has come through the West Ham ranks. Terminating Carroll's loan allows more room to move in the transfer market, but it will seriously weaken your depth in strikers.

- Target: Yoo Byung-Soo (Al-Hilal (KSA)), Xisco (Newcastle, Loan), Jamie Mackie (QPR, Loan).

- Youth Prospect: Robert Hall, Dylan Tombides, Elliot Lee.

Finally a thread for my beloved

Looking good so far, well done!

Finally a thread for my beloved

Looking good so far, well done!

I'm going to bed now, it's 2am this way. I'll finish it off before the end of the week. Hopefully we can get a decent thread going (or at least a better one than Ty's Portsmouth).

Nice post from Canberra.

Nice start, will be kicking off a Hammers game as soon as I polish off my 12 save with them, will be following along here for sure

Will defo be starting a game too! just dont know when as i Cant bring myself to give up my Dortmund save atm.. Bad times

Started a game with the Hammers. Have to say I'm disappointed with myself. Unable to reach the same dizzying heights as West Ham in real life. That being said, the team seems bereft of quality in game. and would appreciate if anyone suggested any signings.

Signed:

Zambrotta - free

William Barbio - 1.8m

Yttergard Jensen - 1.9m

sold:

Joey o'brien - 2.5m

Gary O'Niell - 2.5m

Carlton Cole - 2.5m

Danny Potts and other youths - 250k total.

piq - released on free.

Started a game with the Hammers. Have to say I'm disappointed with myself. Unable to reach the same dizzying heights as West Ham in real life. That being said, the team seems bereft of quality in game. and would appreciate if anyone suggested any signings.

Signed:

Zambrotta - free

William Barbio - 1.8m

Yttergard Jensen - 1.9m

sold:

Joey o'brien - 2.5m

Gary O'Niell - 2.5m

Carlton Cole - 2.5m

Danny Potts and other youths - 250k total.

piq - released on free.

How on earth did you sell O'Neill and Cole?(haven't tried selling O'Brien) i couldn't give them away?

Because Mcartney is slow and Demel always injured, i'd look to bring in two cheap full backs. Adilson(lb) is 35 but is great for one season and FREE, not sure about the rb slot?.

The rest of the squad is pretty solid imo.

I'd play either a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-1-1 set up as below.

4-5-1

GK Jaaska

DR Demel

DL Mcartney

DC Tomkins

DC Reid

DMC Diame

MC Nolan

MC Noble

AMR Benayoun

AML Jarvis

ST Maiga

4-4-1-1

GK Jaaska

DR Demel

DL Mcartney

DC Tomkins

DC Reid

MR Vaz Te

ML Jarvis

MC Nolan

MC Noble

AMC Benayoun

ST Maiga

Sadly, Carroll can't be used in a 1 striker set up(at least this is what i've found so far) because of his lack of pace and because FM still puts so much impetus on pace.

Sadly, Carroll can't be used in a 1 striker set up(at least this is what i've found so far) because of his lack of pace and because FM still puts so much impetus on pace.

I have found this as well. Was 0-0 away at Swansea with a 4-2-3-1 and brought Carroll on and nearly lost the game. Even tried him as a target man holding up the ball to no avail. In true FM style though Piquionne bizarrely is my best performer so far!

Only just started and haven't bought any player or staff bar scouts due to the poor budget you get. So training is a max of 3 stars at the mo.

Decent start though. I still play Classic tactics and use global mentaility 4-4-2, 4-3-2-1 (with 3 deep lying DM's) and a 4-4-1-1. Lost narrowly away at Arsenal 3-2 after two bad errors from Jussi, Lost at home to West Brom 0-1, Beat Newcastle away 3-0 and drew at home 0-0 to Southampton with a 4-0 home Capital Cup win v Oldham in there.

Nice start, will be kicking off a Hammers game as soon as I polish off my 12 save with them, will be following along here for sure

Should start soon, they are actually quite a good challenge in FM2013. Look forward to hear from you when you make the transition

Will defo be starting a game too! just dont know when as i Cant bring myself to give up my Dortmund save atm.. Bad times

I had a save like that with Crewe on FM2012.

Started a game with the Hammers. Have to say I'm disappointed with myself. Unable to reach the same dizzying heights as West Ham in real life. That being said, the team seems bereft of quality in game. and would appreciate if anyone suggested any signings.

Signed:

Zambrotta - free

William Barbio - 1.8m

Yttergard Jensen - 1.9m

sold:

Joey o'brien - 2.5m

Gary O'Niell - 2.5m

Carlton Cole - 2.5m

Danny Potts and other youths - 250k total.

piq - released on free.

I would have kept Danny Potts. He is turning out awesome in my save, and will probably be a first-team regular next season. I'm amazed that you got those prices for O'Neil, Cole and O'Brien. I couldn't give them away with a free pack of peanuts, yet alone get a transfer fee for them. Getting rid of Piquionne goes without saying, still convinced Avram tried riddling us with poor players (perhaps he was on the Millwall payroll).

How on earth did you sell O'Neill and Cole?(haven't tried selling O'Brien) i couldn't give them away?

Because Mcartney is slow and Demel always injured, i'd look to bring in two cheap full backs. Adilson(lb) is 35 but is great for one season and FREE, not sure about the rb slot?.

The rest of the squad is pretty solid imo.

I'd play either a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-1-1 set up as below.

4-5-1

GK Jaaska

DR Demel

DL Mcartney

DC Tomkins

DC Reid

DMC Diame

MC Nolan

MC Noble

AMR Benayoun

AML Jarvis

ST Maiga

4-4-1-1

GK Jaaska

DR Demel

DL Mcartney

DC Tomkins

DC Reid

MR Vaz Te

ML Jarvis

MC Nolan

MC Noble

AMC Benayoun

ST Maiga

Sadly, Carroll can't be used in a 1 striker set up(at least this is what i've found so far) because of his lack of pace and because FM still puts so much impetus on pace.

I couldn't agree more concerning Andy Carroll. I like him in real life, but in FM, I just can't play with tall lone strikers. I love poachers, or players that can hold up the ball and flick it on. Carroll can do neither of these, so I terminated his loan and brought in Fierro. However, I disagree with having to bring in another left back to replace McCartney. He is slow, but he is solid and rarely makes a mistake for me. I guess I didn't really play Demel enough to notice he is injury prone, Spence kind of made that spot his own early into my first season.

I have found this as well. Was 0-0 away at Swansea with a 4-2-3-1 and brought Carroll on and nearly lost the game. Even tried him as a target man holding up the ball to no avail. In true FM style though Piquionne bizarrely is my best performer so far!

Only just started and haven't bought any player or staff bar scouts due to the poor budget you get. So training is a max of 3 stars at the mo.

Decent start though. I still play Classic tactics and use global mentaility 4-4-2, 4-3-2-1 (with 3 deep lying DM's) and a 4-4-1-1. Lost narrowly away at Arsenal 3-2 after two bad errors from Jussi, Lost at home to West Brom 0-1, Beat Newcastle away 3-0 and drew at home 0-0 to Southampton with a 4-0 home Capital Cup win v Oldham in there.

You can sign staff if you allow David Gold to sign staff for you (he got me Damien Comolli as a DoF when there was no way I could afford him). Offloading either Benayoun or Carroll (and even both) frees up a lot of your wage budget, and allows you greater breathing space in the transfer market. That's what I did, and I didn't really regret it (apart from having to play Gary O'Neil as a right winger until I got money in January).

I have updated the Squad Analysis section, though it's not finished. If you want to make any suggestions, I'm more than happy to put them in.

Into December in my game now, Playing a 4-2-3-1

GK Jussi

DR Spence

DL Mcartney/Zambrotta

DC Tomkins

DC Reid

MC Diame

MC Yttergard Jensen

AMR Benayoun

AML Jarvis

AMC Morrison

ST Maiga

For those wondering, I sold O'neill to wolves (offered several times before they made an offer), Cole to Everton (lowered my price from 6m right to 2.5 before they made an offer) and O'Brien to Nott Forest (not too hard to sell). The rest of the players i sold i just put on the unwanted list and my assistant did the work.

Like you guys noted, Andy Carroll is no good in the game and will be looking to free up my wages in January. Hopefully able to sign a young guy as back up, if not Vaz te and Hall will do. Diarra would have to go as well, experimented initially with a 4-5-1 with a DM and the team did not pose any attacking threat at all. Diame is great in midfield but Diarra would have to leave. So do one of Nolan, Noble and Collison. Due to the number of players who can play in the AML position, I would recommend selling Taylor as well. Only played 2 games so far for me. Defence is immensely weak so will be looking to wheel and deal around abit to strengthen that area.

Carroll really is a donkey on FM

On the plus side Hall does a good as a poacher or advanced forward and collision as ball winning defend.. Personally I would get rid of Nolan instead. Too high wages and never really seems to perform for me.

Starting to get a bit bored of my Dortmund save so can see myself starting an Irons save this weekend!

Carroll really is a donkey on FM

Yeah. Agreed. But I would advise against terminating his loan. Maiga goes for ANC in January as i just found out.

Carroll really is a donkey on FM

On the plus side Hall does a good as a poacher or advanced forward and collision as ball winning defend.. Personally I would get rid of Nolan instead. Too high wages and never really seems to perform for me.

Starting to get a bit bored of my Dortmund save so can see myself starting an Irons save this weekend!

Caroll is absolutely terrible in-game. Unless you have a tactic that just pumps the ball into the box, he really offers you nothing else on the pitch.

I'll post my game updates when I have finished this thread. If I knew it was going to take me this long to do, I would have thought harder about doing it. Haven't played FM all week

Yeah. Agreed. But I would advise against terminating his loan. Maiga goes for ANC in January as i just found out.

I terminated the loan, then brought in Fierro and Bakkali as back-ups to Maiga. It was the cheaper option, and it gives me great striking options in the next couple of years.

I'm about to start a career save with West Ham

Going to be using a 4-4-2 i found on the Forums. I've been using my own tactics up to this point, but i'm sick of being "done over" so i'm going to give this tactic a try.

Will sell O'Neill(Forest £2.4M) bring in the ageing but brilliant Adilson on a freebie for left back. Found a couple of good cheap right backs but cannot get work permits for them.

Going to look for a striker on loan.

Will update as i progress.

I'm about to start a career save with West Ham

Going to be using a 4-4-2 i found on the Forums. I've been using my own tactics up to this point, but i'm sick of being "done over" so i'm going to give this tactic a try.

Will sell O'Neill(Forest £2.4M) bring in the ageing but brilliant Adilson on a freebie for left back. Found a couple of good cheap right backs but cannot get work permits for them.

Going to look for a striker on loan.

Will update as i progress.

Try and score Bakkali as soon as you can. He's a young Belgian striker at PSV, he'll be leading the lines for you in years to come.

Try and score Bakkali as soon as you can. He's a young Belgian striker at PSV, he'll be leading the lines for you in years to come.

I'll have a look, cheers!

Gutted Can't sell O'Brien this time around, teams are interested but no bids at all???

Gutted Can't sell O'Brien this time around, teams are interested but no bids at all???

Lower your asking price then. Any money is better than no money.

Personally just finished my January transfer window. Didn't sign anyone, but did agree for 4 players to join next June

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado

Juan Manuel Vargas

David Ospina

Emiliano Viviano

That's half my transfer window done for next june, and zero dollars spent!

Now the hard part of surviving till then. 1st March 33 pts, 28 games played, 15th place.

Lower your asking price then. Any money is better than no money.

Personally just finished my January transfer window. Didn't sign anyone, but did agree for 4 players to join next June

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado

Juan Manuel Vargas

David Ospina

Emiliano Viviano

That's half my transfer window done for next june, and zero dollars spent!

Now the hard part of surviving till then. 1st March 33 pts, 28 games played, 15th place.

Should have thought of this earlier, but just offered him over 48 months, looks like Palace are going to make a bid.

Hope you stay up, i'm going for a Euro Spot

Hi guys.

Ordered FM13 disc which should be here in a day or two but in the meantime, I've been messing with the demo.

Just wanted to sugguest that you give Danny Potts a bash at starting LB.

I used him for the first half of the season in the demo and he did well, he averaged just under 7 and that was in a team that were struggling at the foot of the table.

His stats seemed to improve fairly quick and he may be a short term option and long term cover.

Hi guys.

Ordered FM13 disc which should be here in a day or two but in the meantime, I've been messing with the demo.

Just wanted to sugguest that you give Danny Potts a bash at starting LB.

I used him for the first half of the season in the demo and he did well, he averaged just under 7 and that was in a team that were struggling at the foot of the table.

His stats seemed to improve fairly quick and he may be a short term option and long term cover.

I'm trying to keep him in the first team squad, but he's already made a couple of big mistakes.

Update

Hanging around 7th place at the moment in my save.

would be interested to hear what people have done with piquionne. you literally can't give the lad away. i considered releasing him on a free costing circa 1.7m and he'll agree to a mutual termination costing about 1.3m. In the end i managed to flog him to tranmere on a free but still had to pay him 31k a week until june 2013 (not worked out the maths but this prob ends up costing more than the release costs)

Diarra is another pain. cant sell him and most anyone will contribue to his wages on a loan is 30%, anyone had any more luck?

also agree with sentiments above. was so looking forward to using carroll but he's dump. jarvis isn't up to scratch either - i've been playing taylor instead.

COYI

Lower your asking price then. Any money is better than no money.

Personally just finished my January transfer window. Didn't sign anyone, but did agree for 4 players to join next June

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado

Juan Manuel Vargas

David Ospina

Emiliano Viviano

That's half my transfer window done for next june, and zero dollars spent!

Now the hard part of surviving till then. 1st March 33 pts, 28 games played, 15th place.

Vargas looks like a good signing. I was looking at Viviano before ter Stegen became avaliable (long story with that transfer too, probably worked out for the best though).

With the original team, you should be looking at 5th-10th spot. Let's hope you pick up some late season form

Hi guys.

Ordered FM13 disc which should be here in a day or two but in the meantime, I've been messing with the demo.

Just wanted to sugguest that you give Danny Potts a bash at starting LB.

I used him for the first half of the season in the demo and he did well, he averaged just under 7 and that was in a team that were struggling at the foot of the table.

His stats seemed to improve fairly quick and he may be a short term option and long term cover.

I've kept Potts hanging around the first team, he does alright, but is definitely back-up quality for me now. I have Muniesa as my first-choice left back.

.. am still searching for a quality right-back to force Spence out of the side. He gets skinned way too often, and is the one weak point of a solid defense.

would be interested to hear what people have done with piquionne. you literally can't give the lad away. i considered releasing him on a free costing circa 1.7m and he'll agree to a mutual termination costing about 1.3m. In the end i managed to flog him to tranmere on a free but still had to pay him 31k a week until june 2013 (not worked out the maths but this prob ends up costing more than the release costs)

Diarra is another pain. cant sell him and most anyone will contribue to his wages on a loan is 30%, anyone had any more luck?

also agree with sentiments above. was so looking forward to using carroll but he's dump. jarvis isn't up to scratch either - i've been playing taylor instead.

COYI

Both Diarra and Piquionne were realeased on free transfer by mutual agreement. I have a DoF (which actually drives me nuts), and set them both to 'sell or release.' I don't think I paid excessive amounts to get rid of them either.

Thanks very much for creating this thread. I spend most of my FM time as West Ham, so its great to read how other get on with them.

My experience so far is similar to you guys - money is tight, players are hard to move on and Carroll is far less effective than you want him to be. My key performers have been Diarra and Cole in a 4-4-1-1. I'm trying to alter the squad into a narrow 4-3-3 for next season.

Thanks again for a great start to the thread!

would be interested to hear what people have done with piquionne. you literally can't give the lad away. i considered releasing him on a free costing circa 1.7m and he'll agree to a mutual termination costing about 1.3m. In the end i managed to flog him to tranmere on a free but still had to pay him 31k a week until june 2013 (not worked out the maths but this prob ends up costing more than the release costs)

Diarra is another pain. cant sell him and most anyone will contribue to his wages on a loan is 30%, anyone had any more luck?

also agree with sentiments above. was so looking forward to using carroll but he's dump. jarvis isn't up to scratch either - i've been playing taylor instead.

COYI

I offered Piquionne out for free at the start of the season, got rid but had to pay £27k of his £40k wage till the end of the season.

I'd take another look at Diarra if i were you, i retrained him to centre back and he's been brilliant.

Thanks very much for creating this thread. I spend most of my FM time as West Ham, so its great to read how other get on with them.

My experience so far is similar to you guys - money is tight, players are hard to move on and Carroll is far less effective than you want him to be. My key performers have been Diarra and Cole in a 4-4-1-1. I'm trying to alter the squad into a narrow 4-3-3 for next season.

Thanks again for a great start to the thread!

You're welcome, it's my first time making a team thread, so I hope it won't go too badly. I've had a lot of help from Tyoldinho.

I played a 4-1-2-2-1 (I think that's what it is, with two wingers). I want to take full advantage of having Matty Jarvis, and I haven't regretted it yet. Finished my first season 5th.

I offered Piquionne out for free at the start of the season, got rid but had to pay £27k of his £40k wage till the end of the season.

I'd take another look at Diarra if i were you, i retrained him to centre back and he's been brilliant.

Yer, I mutually terminated his contract (or my DoF did), and that was it. I'd love to remember what that cost me.

On a completely different note, I just had a bid for Bacary Sagna (30) accepted for £7,000,000 for £60,000 wages. Seriosuly tempted as I don't have a solid right-back yet. Was looking at Corchia previously, but he is a little bit out of our price range at the moment. Any suggestions?

You're welcome, it's my first time making a team thread, so I hope it won't go too badly. I've had a lot of help from Tyoldinho.

I played a 4-1-2-2-1 (I think that's what it is, with two wingers). I want to take full advantage of having Matty Jarvis, and I haven't regretted it yet. Finished my first season 5th.

Yer, I mutually terminated his contract (or my DoF did), and that was it. I'd love to remember what that cost me.

On a completely different note, I just had a bid for Bacary Sagna (30) accepted for £7,000,000 for £60,000 wages. Seriosuly tempted as I don't have a solid right-back yet. Was looking at Corchia previously, but he is a little bit out of our price range at the moment. Any suggestions?

What season are you in? and how much money did you get to spend?

Not sure about the RB, near the end of my first season so will be looking for one soon, although i might stick Tomkins there as it suits my tactics.

What season are you in? and how much money did you get to spend?

Not sure about the RB, near the end of my first season so will be looking for one soon, although i might stick Tomkins there as it suits my tactics.

I'm January, second season. I got two thirds of nothing in transfer fees, around about £9,000,000. I just got rid of high earners, knocked the wage bar down and got some good players in on low wages. My highest earner at the moment is Douglas Costa on £40,000 a week, and then Mattia Destro and James Tomkins on £35,000. I really am struggling to fins a quality right-back, just signed Zabaleta on loan from Man City, see how he performs.

A lot of my transfer activity have been outcasts from bigger clubs (Jonathon dos Santos, Mattia Destro, Steven Defour), or players I know I can get (that have bigger clubs interested). I just match their fee and hope my wages/squad position trumps. I just tried for Nathaniel Clyne because Manchester United want him, yet they'd only accept a bid of £9,000,000 for me, and £7,000,000 for Manchester United.

I'm January, second season. I got two thirds of nothing in transfer fees, around about £9,000,000. I just got rid of high earners, knocked the wage bar down and got some good players in on low wages. My highest earner at the moment is Douglas Costa on £40,000 a week, and then Mattia Destro and James Tomkins on £35,000. I really am struggling to fins a quality right-back, just signed Zabaleta on loan from Man City, see how he performs.

A lot of my transfer activity have been outcasts from bigger clubs (Jonathon dos Santos, Mattia Destro, Steven Defour), or players I know I can get (that have bigger clubs interested). I just match their fee and hope my wages/squad position trumps. I just tried for Nathaniel Clyne because Manchester United want him, yet they'd only accept a bid of £9,000,000 for me, and £7,000,000 for Manchester United.

I bought Destro on an earlier save and he was fantastic(though apparently injury prone) will take a look at the other names you mentioned, good luck with your rb situation.

I've got 6 games left and sat in 6th, could still finish between 5th and 12th, but have some decent home games coming up so hoping to stay in the top 8.

I bought Destro on an earlier save and he was fantastic(though apparently injury prone) will take a look at the other names you mentioned, good luck with your rb situation.

I've got 6 games left and sat in 6th, could still finish between 5th and 12th, but have some decent home games coming up so hoping to stay in the top 8.

I got him on a free transfer after Genoa (stupidly I might add) failed to negotiate terms.

I got him on a free transfer after Genoa (stupidly I might add) failed to negotiate terms.

Just checked him out, he's available again but i can't afford his wages YET, hopefully he'll still be available June 1st(fingers crossed).

Just checked him out, he's available again but i can't afford his wages YET, hopefully he'll still be available June 1st(fingers crossed).

He let his contract expire when I got him, so hopefully he does the same for you. Be sure to offer him a decent wage though, I am fairly sure Inter and Liverpool held strong interest.

He let his contract expire when I got him, so hopefully he does the same for you. Be sure to offer him a decent wage though, I am fairly sure Inter and Liverpool held strong interest.

I will, if he can stay injury free he'll be a MASSIVE signing.

If i can win my last home game i'll finish 6th

I ended up finishing 8th, which is probably a good thing, because we don't get much in the way of transfer funds so qualifying for Europe would have made things very tough.

Had i won my last game at home to Fulham we would have finished 6th.

I managed to sign Destro, he's on a massive wage but he's gotta be worth it on a free transfer.

Also brought in...

Le Fondre as a back-up striker

Lee Wallace 1st choice LB

Kolo Toure on loan

Chantome on loan

D'allesandro 1st choice MR on loan to buy

Carson as 1st choice GK

Buttner ML from Utd

I got less than £5M to spend so struggled to get the right players in.

Will update my season 2 progress.

Try Corchia at RB if you can get him, he's class

I've been trying to sign Carl Jenkinson, but he won't give me the time of day. Hopefully I get a world-class right-back through the academy, so I can just a cheap filler until he's ready for first-team action. Corchia is just a little out of my price range at the mement, unless a miracle happens.

Hi, So I am into november in my 2nd season now

Ins:

Emiliano Viviano free

Juan Manuel Vargas free

David Ospina free

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado free

Wayne Bridge free

Marcelo Estigarribia free

Wilfried Zaha 5m

Alberto Botia 1.5m

Chamakh 3.3m

Rivaldo free

Kevin Gamiero loan

Federico Peluso 1.8m

Host of other youths -3m

Out:

Many including jussi, demel, nolan, vaz te, collison to mention the more important ones.

Finding it really hard in the 2nd season, changed to a 442 which may be the source of my trouble, my defence seems to be leaking goals everywhere. Have a weak spot in RB as spence is my first and basically only choice, but the amount of goals that come down his flank is suprisingly little. CBs seems to just fall asleep every time opponnt attacks and leave large gaps in the defence. Currently floating above the relegation zone on goal difference. Have tried almost everything but the defence just does not seem to work. Terrible.

2nd season, changed to a 442 which may be the source of my trouble,

That and the fact you sighned a lot of players which can unsettle a squad. Also, selling club captain, Nolan and the very useful Collison may have had an affect.

It seems to me that in FM 13, these things have more of an affect on the game. I dummo if SI coded somthing in to do that but it does seem realistic.

Might be better to spend more on fewer players and build slower.

Im only just getting into the game, the disc only arrived saturday morning but Im experiencing a few problems early on in my first season with my West Ham save. I didn't get FM12 so I spose the changes are more noticeable for me (I played FM11 with an Edited FM12 database).

EDIT.... You guys are right btw, Carrol is a donkey in FM13. He really cant play the lone target man upfront which I feel he should be capable of.

I guess you are right. Just hoping to survive this season and do a little more squad remodelling. change it back to a 4-2-3-1.

How's everyone going in their save? I've just progressed to the Second Round of the Europa League against PSV after being Kaiserslautern 5-1, with Mattia Destro scoring 4 of them.

.. then I lost 3-0 at home against Swansea.

I've personally found Andy Carroll to be pretty immense. I've been playing him alongside Maiga in a 4-1-2-1-2. He's pretty much performing how he does in real life. Not getting too many goals for me but I think his average rating so far is 7.59 (I'm in December). 7th at the moment.

Playing him as a target man with it aimed at his head. Maiga as a poacher.

Got the Brazilian CAM "Alex" playing him behind them. Got him on a free - he's 36 but his technicals are insane... currently trying to get Ronaldinho in to replace him

Let me know how you get on signing Ronaldinho, I tried but he refused to even negotiate. He ended up going to PSG and rotting in the reserves.

Just about to restart... with a few twists. First of all I'm going for a "bottom at Christmas challenge". Holidayed a new save and West Ham are 20th with just 10 points after 18 games, 8 points off safety.

Also going for a "You dont win anything with kids" save - not sure which age limit I'll put on it, but I'm thinking no signings older than 21.

And thirdly I'm finally giving in on classic tactics and trying for the first time ever to use the tactic creator.

So, a huge challenge ahead as I try to turn my favourite team around and save them from relegation.

Come on you Irons!