FM15: Valencia CF - The future was dim, now it's brighter with Lim!

Valencia & History

Valencia Club de Fútbol, also known as Valencia CF, Valencia or Los Che) are a Spanish football club based in Valencia. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish football and European football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups (which was the predecessor to the UEFA Cup), one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and two UEFA Super Cups. They also reached two UEFA Champions League finals in a row, losing to La Liga rivals Real Madrid in 2000 and then to German club Bayern Munich on penalties after a 1–1 draw in 2001. Valencia were also members of the G-14 group of leading European football clubs. In total, Valencia have reached seven major European finals, winning four of them.

In the all-time La Liga table, Valencia is in third position behind Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. In terms of continental titles, Valencia is again the third-most successful behind the two.

Valencia were founded in 1919 and have played their home games at the 55,000-seater Mestalla since 1923. They were due to move into the new 75,000-seater Nou Mestalla in the north-west of the city in 2013, but the final move date has been postponed while the stadium is still being built. Valencia have a long-standing rivalry with Levante UD, also located in the City of Valencia, and with two others club in the Valencian Community region, Hércules CF and CD Castellón.

Valencia are the third most supported football club in Spain, behind heavyweights Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. It is also one of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of number of associates (registered paying supporters), with more than 50,000 season ticket holders and another 20,000+ season ticket holders on the waiting list, who can be accommodated in the new 75,000-seater stadium.

I have tried to keep this nice and short, we don't want to be scrolling through pages of history. If you are interested in reading more about Valencia, a club with a great history to learn about... you can find it here on their official site.

Honours

Facilities

Mestalla Stadium

Valencia played its first years at the Algirós stadium but moved to the Mestalla in 1923. In the 1950s, Mestalla was restructured, which resulted in a capacity increase to 45,000 spectators. Today it holds 55,000 seats, making it the fifth largest stadium in Spain. It is also renowned for its steep terracing and for being one of the most intimidating atmospheres in all of Europe to play.

Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna

The Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna is the state-of-art training ground of the Primera Division club Valencia CF. Located in Paterna, it was opened in 1992. The Ciudad Deportiva extends across an area of 180.000 sq.m. It is not only a school for future footballers and residence, but also a modern Rehabilitation Centre provided with different rooms for the recovery of footballers that are injured or in rehabilitation period.

Valencia Club de Fútbol B, also named Mestalla, is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, in the namesake community. Founded in 1944, it is the reserve team of Valencia CF and currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home games at Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna, with a 4,000-seat capacity.

The Crest & Kits

Valencia and the Balearic Islands were conquered by King James I of Aragon during the first half of the 13th century. After the conquest the king gave them the status of independent kingdoms of whom he was also the king (but they were independent of Aragonese laws and institutions). The arms of Valencia show those of James I.

The unique crowned letters L besides the shield were granted by King James. The reason for the letters was that the city had been loyal twice to the King, hence twice a letter L and a crown for the king.

There are several possible explanations for the bat; one is that bats are simply quite common in the area. The second theory is that on 9 October 1238, when James I was about to enter the city, re-conquering it from the Moors, a bat landed on the top of his flag, and he interpreted it as a good sign. As he conquered the city, the bat was added to the arms.

Originally the kit was composed of white shirts, black shorts and socks of the same colour. Through the years, however, these colours have alternated between white and black. The away kit has been shades of orange in recent years while third alternate kits have featured colors from the club crest; yellow, blood orange and blue.

2014/15 Home & Away Kit

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Goalkeepers

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Diego Alves is the definition of a cat in goal. He is incredibly agile and reflexes which wouldn't look out of place on the Matrix, he most definitely could dodge a bullet (do not try this at home!). In FM, he is a key player and isn't even in the top five for wages in the squad which makes him handy to have, especially when the contract runs until 2019. Personally, I'd keep him around until a top Spanish keeper becomes available to you, whether that be a regen or one of the big names in football such as De Gea.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Yoel is a reasonable back-up to Alves if you require him to step up, but he isn't going to set the world alight any time soon. He is 26, and on very low wages and HG which makes him handy to have around for a while but don't expect him to compete for the number one spot, especially in a league with Messi and Ronaldo in it. Until you produce your own GK through the acadamy or find a young regen through scouting, I wouldn't sell Yoel in a hurry. You aren't going to find a better #2 goalkeeper who is HG for £3.2k a week.

Overall: The GK department is solid, with no rush for improvements needed. Victor Valdes is available for free once he recovers from his injury, but do you really want a GK being your highest earner? Especially when you have a very similar mould of GK in Diego Alves?

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - You can't ask for much more in a young CB. He is technically already one of the better CB's in the league with everything else well rounded, making him a valuable asset to the club. At 22, you can get many great years out of Mustafi, and I wouldn't consider selling him for anything less than £25m if anyone comes knocking in the future. Alongside Otamendi, it could a partnership which will cause a lot of problems for sides to break down.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - We all know Otamendi, he is a bit of an FM favourite over the past years. He is a strong tackling CB which will work tirelessly all game, along with his ability to read a game will make him a nightmare for attackers. He should be the first name on your teamsheet alongside Mustafi.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - The bright Portuguese prospect has the potential to be a valuable player in the future and will be handy to keep around so I wouldn't go selling him any time soon. I'd look to work on his jumping/heading as soon as possibly though, although La Liga isn't known for its aerial physical battles, you don't want teams targetting him. He is of similar mould to Mustafi/Otamendi in the department of pace and would be easily good enough to start in games against the bottom half of the table without worries, so give him the game time and he will improve greatly.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Orban isn't the best LB in the league, nor will he ever be, but what he does bring is another option to Gaya (who will no doubt be your first choice). He is defensively sound, and a lot better defensively than he is attacking, so will probably be a wise option to play him when using Pereira to add some balance to your defense. Orban can also play CB if an injury crisis was to happen. I would look to move on Orban in the future (no need straight away, wait for the right player) and bring in someone who is more like Gaya, a more attacking fullback so rotation can be made all the easier without adjusting tactics.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Pereira may have hit the 30 mark, but that isn't stopping him and his attacking nature. With consistency, high determination and work rate, he is going to cause the opposition all sorts of problems down the right hand side. The only problem is how long is he going to last in the future? With the natural fitness of 12 and past 30, how long are his physicals going to last for him to continue playing at a top level. You need to bare this in mind, but you'll no doubt get 2/3 quality seasons from him before needing to move him on.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - The gem of the team, the future, the star. Gayá has the potential to be one of the best, if not, the best in the world in his position if he is trained right and if you get lucky with his potential. An ambitious club wont want to let go of their future stars, so try and keep him at the club and build your team around him and Alcacer if you can. Both of them will bring in the trophies in future, something which is exciting Valencia fans in real life too.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Barragán is one of the weaker players in the squad, and will provide nothing but a half tidy rotational option for Pereira. Thankfully in the first season, that is all you need him for and he will do it well. He is consistent, a team player and enjoys big games... he is definitely someone you want around in the changing room. Unless you have a regen come through or something similar, I wouldn't be looking to get rid of him in the first season.

Overall: You have some of the best, young and quality defenders in the league. The only real worry is the lack of depth at centre-back, which with an injury to Mustafi or Otamendi, could cause some serious problems in the core of your team. Vezo is a good, young rotational option but I personally feel you need one more top quality CB in the squad. Valencia's squad has a bias towards fast, powerful centre-backs, so perhaps bring in another of a similar mould... Bartra and Martínez come to mind, if you have the funds.

The full back position is pretty set, with a couple options for each side. As mentioned, you have potentially one of the best LB's in the league and world in Gayá and another quality attacking full back on the other side in Pereira, who may be getting on a bit. With Barrágan and Orban also in the squad, I feel for the first season or two, isn't an area which would need improving, perhaps always keep a look out for a replacement for Pereira.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Feghouli is one of the best players in the squad and should be your starting right winger without doubt. Due to him having a fantastic season last year, that means there is a bit of interest from Monaco for his services. Now, you can get around £20m from Monaco for Sofiane, but you may struggle to acquire someone just as good for that price that is interested in a move to sunny Valencia. Adama Traore with his cheap release clause and Deulofeu of Barcelona could be long term targets but you should really consider all options before wanting to get rid of Sofiane and cash in.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - As his little bio says, he has turned into a fantastic player in the past few seasons. The superstar number 10 of the squad who can spot a pass like no other. He really should be the centre of your team, the guy who keeps the whole team ticking over and running the games. Deploy him as the advanced playmaker on attack in centre midfield next to a more defensive partner and watch him do wonders. He can easily play the roaming playmaker or deep-lying playmaker roles with ease too, have fun with Parejo and find his best role for you.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - The Zuculini brothers are well known to the FM community, the brothers have been around years now and always seem like a great option for the destroyer type infront of the back four. Bruno looks a lot more rounded, and could easily fill a role further up the pitch if required, he looks like he could be a fantastic roaming playmaker if trained correctly as he has plenty of room to grow. The only unfortunate part of the loan deal is there is no option to buy him, but maybe with Man City's habit of buying more players than they need on FM, he could become available sooner rather than later.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Fuego is great at what he does, which is tirelessly work infront of the back four protecting them and intercepting any attacking threats. He has only a couple of problems on FM, one is that he has a high work rate, meaning he will work his socks off and burn out (this isn't the bad part)... but with his natural fitness of 8, recovering between games and decreasing physicals could be a problem. The other problem is, his marking of 8. Not really the best for someone you want infront of your back four. Personally, I'd try my best to keep Zuculini around and mould him to the player you need, and either sell Fuego this season or next, and replace him with a fan favourite of Lucas Romero or Kranevitter.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Piatti has the perfect attributes to be an affective winger, limited by his one footedness, being a winger suits him. Using his pace, balance, agility and dribbling to get past his man and deliver a cross to the Beast, Negredo. He is on very high wages, for his ability so maybe you could look to sell him and replace him with your out on loan star, Fede Cartabia. So you could potentially keep him around the first season and cash in, in anticipation of Fede returning at the end of the season. Again, don't rush into anything... look around the market, as you may not find a better player than Piatti for the money.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - André Gomes is a class act as a box to box midfielder, he may look like he may struggle with his physicals but he really excells here. He is young, with room to improve, and an excellent rotation option. He may not be your Vidal or Pogba, but he can put in a shift. Again, wages seem to be a problem... he is on a huge amount a week for his ability, the fourth best CM in the squad doesn't justify £34k a week. That is £8k more a week than your star men Alves and Parejo!

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Gil is a fantastic rotation option to have in the squad, he has a burst of acceleration, dribbling and good technique, and can cover across the all attacking midfield slots. Useful player to have in the squad, very similar to that of De Paul. I can't see him holding down a starting 11 spot in the future due to potential limitation, but we all know potential isn't the be all and end all.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - This Brazilian can play multiple different roles in the centre of midfield, I see him as a playmaker but would want to take advantage of his great physicals. If you get on well with him in your first season, I can't see him coming cheap with his agent owning 80% of his rights.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - De Paul has great potential and the ability to become a very good attacking midfielder in La Liga. He is very much an advanced playmaker with an eye for goal, whether than be close range or far. He has a good bit of pace about him and solid crossing, so perhaps if you don't play with an AMC, you could retrain him to RW to be backup to Feghouli.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - The Beast. Negredo is an animal front of a goal, and if you're playing him up top on his own or in a two, he will excell in any role. Whether your tactic is launch crosses in to him, play nice football which requires a lethal finisher, or route one, Negredo can do it all. He is joining Valencia is a pre-arranged deal for £20m, so even though he misses 3 months at the start, you will get plenty of game time out of him in the future. If you can get a partnership with Alcácer going, then except the big boys, you're going to be firing a few past most teams.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - The young star striker, who is being watched by a few big clubs in Europe. He starts on FM with good enough attributes to be starting most and as many games as possible for you, he has goals in him. He, like Negredo could be used as a lone striker or partnered up with Nedrego or Rodrigo. There will be a lot of interest in him, so you're gonna have to fend off some big names and get him to sign a contract as soon as possible. Selling Paco is a sin.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Rodrigo joins after a great season with Benfica, and has plenty to offer. He can play as a striker or LW, which if you sold Piatti could be the answer to your LW problems. Personally, I will trying to use him as a LW, as an IF(a) and be backup to Negredo/Paco up top. He is at the club on loan, but with a mere £8.5m, you could make it permanent at anytime during his loan spell. He is a great player with lots of room for growth and could end up being a star player for your team, if you can raise the funds, buy him!

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Doménech has a very similar potential to Yoel, but has a couple years less on his side. He also looks a lot more balanced mentally than Yoel, but not quite as good technically. It all comes down to matter of preference who you want in the first team, but either Yoel or Jaume can provide a decent back up if required.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Rober has tried to break into the first team in real life this season, with several appearances off the bench. He is a rare natural right midfielder, rather than winger, which means unless you are playing with a RM, you'll have to retrain him to the RW spot. He can be another player who can provide decent back up, but will never really shine as a La Liga player himself due to potential limitations.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Just note, all of his attributes are random, so your Lato will look different to everyone elses. If you get lucky with his attributes, he has the potential to be a very good La Liga player, so if given the time over Orban for Gayá's understudy, he could prove to be a little gem.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Same as Lato, Tendillo has random attributes all over the board, and also the same as Lato... he has the potential to be a solid La Liga player. It's all about the luck of the draw.

FM15 Profile & Analysis

Player Profile - Unlike the above two youth players, Salva has set attributes (aside from NF) and the potential to also be a very good La Liga player. This guy given the right training and playing time, could really give some competition to Gayá and keep him on his toes. Better get the right coaches to help make it happen!

In Game;

Ian Cathro - Assistant Manager

Best Training Category

Tactics/Shooting ★★★

Rui Pedro - Coach

Best Training Category

Tactics/Ball Control/Attacking/Shooting ★★★

António Dias - Fitness Coach

Best Training Category

Strength/Aerobic ★★★

José Manuel Otxotorena - Goalkeeping Coach

Best Training Category

Handling ★★★★★

Unai Alba - Goalkeeping Coach

Best Training Category

Shot Stopping/Handling ★★

Overall: Simply put, this isn't enough coaches. Except Otxotorena, the rest of the coaches aren't good enough either. So if you have any interest in training your players to a top level and producing your own talent... you're going to need to sign some staff.

You're going to want to release Alba, Dias and Pedro. Cathro, the young Scotsman, is okay but not really top quality. So if you want a better assistant manager, you're going to have to release him for £1.5m to bring in someone better.

There are plenty of coaches at your disposal who will greatly increase the quality of your training and bring out the best of your players. I have a minimum of 4.5 star in each category, with the majority 5 star. I have myself down as a 5* attacking coach, but I brought in the following;

Michael Lindeman Netherlands - Assistant Manager - Tactics ★★★★

Carlos Pracidelli Brazil - Goalkeeper Coach - Shot Stopping ★★★★

Jaap Stam Netherlands - Coach/Assistant Manager - Defending ★★★★★

Flávio Trevisan Brazil - Fitness Coach - Aerobic/Strength ★★★★★

Marcel Lucassen Netherlands - Coach - Ball Control ★★★★

Élio Carravetta Brazil - Fitness Coach - Aerobic/Strength ★★★★★

René Meulensteen Netherlands - Coach - Shooting ★★★★

Transfer Targets

[These are players that are needed at the start]

Central Defender

As I said in my squad analysis, I feel another top CB would be needed, or even a top youngster in case of an injury. Although Orban can play CB, if one of your starting CB's of Otamendi or Mustafi get injured, you've only got Vezo to rely on. Iñigo Martínez would be a perfect player to bring in, experienced now in the BBVA, very capable and Spanish. He may be a bit costy in the first season though as Sociedad wont want to let him go so easily.

Nkoulou would be the perfect player to bring in, he is young yet has bags of experience with another bag full of potential. With his contract running out soon, Marseille are going to want to sell him now before losing him on a free so should be able to pick him up for around £6m. Balanta needs no introduction, he has been around a couple FM's now and everyone knows him. He has attributes at the start which make him good enough to slot into most teams starting elevens. He is young, good enough to start with high potential... will be tough choosing between him and Nkoulou.

The last player is Jesús Vallejo who is an absolute must for every team on the game. Potential be a world class CB, with a release clause of £675k, and good enough to start in games without having to worry too much, literally what more could you want?

Iñigo Martínez Spain - Real Sociedad

[Powerful, intelligent ball playing CB who packs a shot. May be out of the price budget at first, but keep an eye on him]

Nicolas Nkoulou Cameroon - Marseille

[The very athletic Cameroonian CB's contract runs out, snap him up before someone else does]

Éder Álvarez Balanta Columbia - River Plate

[An FM favourite for a couple versions now, with his relatively cheap price and huge potential, he could be the answer]

Jesús Vallejo Spain - Zaragoza

[The young composed 17 year old CB, who has the potential to be world class and only a £675k release clause? Be silly not to buy him!]

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Defensive Midfield

With Fuego not looking to make a few games in a row, and Zuculini only on loan, it's best that you start looking at CDM's before it is too late. Depending on what you're after for your tactic, whether it is the DLP type or destroyer, hopefully this will give you some ideas.

Kranevitter and Romero are that of a similar mould, they can both play that CDM role but with the ability to play in CM to with a more defensive role. Both are excellent young options who are good enough to start, and reasonably cheap. Yacob is an experienced CDM/CM who will come in and know exactly what he is doing, set him up in most roles and he will shine, especially for his cutdown price due to his contract running out.

Sergi Samper is one of Barcelona's brightest prospects and has a release clause of £10.25m. He may take a bit of convincing to join, but if not he will re-sign with Barcelona without the low release clause so be wise with your negotiations, weight it towards a lot of incentive based bonuses.

Sergi Samper Spain - Barcelona

[The highly intelligent CDM from Barcelona could be a perfect DLP or retrained to CM, and for only £10.25m release clause]

Ignacio Camacho Spain - Malaga

[Another FM favourite from years back, he is an established holding midfielder and hard tackler in La Liga these days and very much buyable]

Claudio Yacob Argentina - West Brom

[Going into his last year at the Hawthorns, and can be snapped up for around £6m.]

Lucas Romero Argentina - Vélez

[Yet another FM fan favourite, but this guy fits the bill, young, well rounded and can do everything. Must sign in my opinion!]

Matías Kranevitter Argentina - River Plate

[it feels like an Argentinian raid, but Kranevitter is of a similar mould to Romero and could be picked up cheap...]

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Transfer Targets (Continued)

[These are players that are needed at the start]

Central Midfielders

With only Parejo, Gomes and Augusto your only natural CM's in the squad, you may want to look at bringing in a one or two CM's. Even if it is on loan.

Lucas Romero, Kranevitter and Yacob who were previously mentioned in the DM section can also do a great job in CM too for a more defensive role. The CM mould I have looked at in this section is an AP(a) or B2B, more of a rotation player for Parejo or to play alongside him.

Sergi Roberto can be signed on loan, and normally becomes transfer listed if he stays at Barca too long so he could be snapped up in future, although getting him on loan at first would be a good start. Manu Trigueros starts the game wanted by a couple clubs, has gone from an AMC to MC on this version so can easily play the Parejo role, keep an eye on him, if a cheap bid is made/accepted then look to match it. Pedro Obiang could make a great playmaker in all 3 of the roles, whether it be advanced, roaming or deep. Personally I'd play him as a CM(d) next to an advanced playmaker.

Sergi Roberto Spain - Barcelona

[Not your usual midfielder to come from Barcelona but Roberto has a bit of everything and could add something to the club]

Manu Trigueros Spain - Villarreal

[Your typical, not so great physically but creatively awesome Spanish CM. If the price is right, then he could be an option]

Pedro Obiang Spain - Sampdoria

[Hard working, team player. Eye for a pass and a heart for a tackle, someone every manager loves in their team]

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Wingers

There is a possibility you're going to want to cash in on Feghouli, even if not, there isn't another natural RW in the team. Rodrigo/Piatti on the left with just lonesome Feghouli on the right. If a £20m+ offer comes in for Feghouli, I personally would sell. That money could be used to buy another RW and improve other areas of the squad, also freeing up wages.

André Hahn, the German physical monster, has a mistaken release clause on this database of £2.1m, if you can get him away from Gladbach in January you could see yourself net bargain of the year. Joel Campbell is available on loan, so if you sell Feghouli and want to wait for Hahn, you can sign Campbell on a short term basis just to see you through or even a season long loan, at least you'll have cover that way. If all else fails, Arizmendi is available on a free transfer, granted he is 30 now and lacking pace but he could provide an option for a year and will only want around £10k a week.

If you're also going to cash in on Piatti, then here are a couple options available to you. With both of their contracts running out, Ayew and Yarmolenko can be had for a knockdown price, probably less than you'll sell Piatti for although their wages could be a little higher. Both are better players and are worth the extra wages though in my eyes.

André Hahn Germany - Gladbach

[A lot of pace, and will not stop running for 90 minutes. He is a dream winger, now can you poach him away?]

Joel Campbell Costa Rica - Arsenal

[Had a good World Cup but struggling to break into the Arsenal team, can you give him first team football?]

Andriy Yarmolenko Ukraine - Dynamo Kyiv

[is the tricky, hard working goal scoring winger about to leave Ukraine? Snap him up with his cheap price]

André Ayew Cameroon - Marseille

[Another hard working winger at cut value. Ayew could be available for very little]

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► A club with a great history, who hasn't won the Liga BBVA since 2004, 10 years without a league trophy.

► Compete with the best in the world, with fierce ties against Barcelona/Real Madrid. Can you stop Messi and Ronaldo?

► A strong squad, full of youth and quality. Build upon the great foundations you have infront of you.

► A strict budget, but room to bring in those players you desire if handle your finances correctly.

► Are you able to bring back the type of players which have made Valencia a joy to watch over the years? David Villa, David Silva, Juan Mata.

Good Luck!

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Hopefully there is some Valencia players out there (I know there was a makeshift thread kicking about) will get the tactics bit sorted when I get fully into my save and can shed a bit of light on the situation.

Hopefully the thread will create interest in a couple others to start with Valencia.

Awesome guide. I was thinking about Valencia as my spanish team this year, and this guide has very much made me want to start with them. How much money do they start with? I can't seem to find that info in your OP.

Also, if you need a cheap back-up keeper, Sirigu can be bought for as little as £4 million. I've also seen Van Der Wiel of PSG go for around £2,5 mil.

Good guide. As a Singaporean, I think i'm going to give Valencia a go. If successful, maybe I could submit my fm resume to Peter Lim. Lol...

Awesome guide. I was thinking about Valencia as my spanish team this year, and this guide has very much made me want to start with them. How much money do they start with? I can't seem to find that info in your OP.

Also, if you need a cheap back-up keeper, Sirigu can be bought for as little as £4 million. I've also seen Van Der Wiel of PSG go for around £2,5 mil.

Between £10-12m, I was suppose to put that info in the 'transfer target' section :o

I don't think you need a keeper straight away, unless Sirigu is better than Alves? Could be a good signing. I also don't think VDW is any better than your current options at RB Save your money and spend it in other areas which are needed more.

Good guide. As a Singaporean, I think i'm going to give Valencia a go. If successful, maybe I could submit my fm resume to Peter Lim. Lol...

Good to see you on board! keep us updated on how you get on.

Superb thread, well done Ty! I'm not at the stage to consider managing them yet, but having a great place to post certainly makes me think they may be 'that team' ahead of my previous thoughts (Atletico & Celta Vigo).

Great thread man, excellent work as always.

My Valencia save hasn't gone past preseason yet, other saves distracted me but I just finished a season with Ajax and think I'll take a wee break from the Eredivsie and crack on in the glorious sunshine of Valencia.

Hadn't done much, have my scouts out looking at a few people. The obvious one being Lucas Romero but that's as much a business decision as it is a footballing one, his resale value after season 1 could be up at the £40m-£50m mark and that's a couple of seasons worth of budget for me. Aside from Lucas I've put a bid in for the ridiculously cheap yet surprisingly effectual Pavel Savitskiy who I've had great succes with this version of FM.

I plan to have the majority of my signings be either Spanish or follow the La Liga mantra of recruiting from South America, so much untapped talent down there this year I need to control myself from trying to sign them all! Valencia is gonna be one of my main saves this year, they're a good challenge because of the quality and domanence of the Athletico, Barcelona and Real.. Hopefully I'll get preseason done tonight and I can post a wee update.

Hopefully this thread stays active.

Superb thread, well done Ty! I'm not at the stage to consider managing them yet, but having a great place to post certainly makes me think they may be 'that team' ahead of my previous thoughts (Atletico & Celta Vigo).

Thank you very much! I've been off work really ill for the past couple days, so it has give me time to finally push on and finish the thread.

You should definitely choose Valencia really fun team, I think it is made better than Peter Lim hasn't been made a 'sugardaddy' in this database (possibly in the winter update), so your finances are a lot stricter making it more fun. Rather than 'SIGN ALL THE PLAYERS!'.

Great thread man, excellent work as always.

My Valencia save hasn't gone past preseason yet, other saves distracted me but I just finished a season with Ajax and think I'll take a wee break from the Eredivsie and crack on in the glorious sunshine of Valencia.

Hadn't done much, have my scouts out looking at a few people. The obvious one being Lucas Romero but that's as much a business decision as it is a footballing one, his resale value after season 1 could be up at the £40m-£50m mark and that's a couple of seasons worth of budget for me. Aside from Lucas I've put a bid in for the ridiculously cheap yet surprisingly effectual Pavel Savitskiy who I've had great succes with this version of FM.

I plan to have the majority of my signings be either Spanish or follow the La Liga mantra of recruiting from South America, so much untapped talent down there this year I need to control myself from trying to sign them all! Valencia is gonna be one of my main saves this year, they're a good challenge because of the quality and domanence of the Athletico, Barcelona and Real.. Hopefully I'll get preseason done tonight and I can post a wee update.

Hopefully this thread stays active.

Thanks

Yeah Lucas Romero for re-sale was one of my initial thoughts, same with Nkoulou and Ayew who are available at knockdown prices. I really want to use as much Spanish as possible though, then I am torn between great foreign players

I hoping to really get into the save today, I am still pre-season but wanted to get the thread up and running first so I have somewhere to post and get other people interested

My only problem with Ayew and N'Koulou is the wages, I hate paying astinomical wages(probably why I never manage the "big" sides). What kind of wages are they usually demanding? Both great players I know I just can't bring myself to break my own "mantra" if you will.

A few names I'm scouting to show you my thinking is Hirving Lozano, Ezequiel Mammana, Ceser Meli and Marco Asensio.

I haven't tried yet, I am literally still on the first couple days. Adding players to shortlist, staff, etc. I am very thorough.

I am yet to try Hirving Lozano and Mammana yet, both look brilliant. Especially Mammana who is another talent from River, I swear they are just on the game to raid their gems!

I've started my save with Valencia, loving their squad this year!

A few editor changes I've made before I've started, to make the save a bit more realistic, was to make Lim a background sugar daddy, as that seems to suit him most. I've also made Andre Gomes a -8 in potential as I feel he was fairly underrated, and I've also made Rodrigo a permanent player as he was confirmed in real life

Hoarau: Mammana is great and lives up to his real life billing as a hot prospect. He's so far averaging over 7.0 in my mediocre Grasshopper side and has been a guaranteed starter from day one.

Great guide, really considering a Valencia save now

What can i say. Finnaly a Valencia thread. Fantastic, no words to describe it how good this thread is

Great guide, really considering a Valencia save now

Look's like my plan is working would be good to have you on board.

What can i say. Finnaly a Valencia thread. Fantastic' date=' no words to describe it how good this thread is [/quote']

Thanks for your kind words are you in a Valencia save at the moment? How is it going?

Fantastic write up Ty

Thanks for your kind words are you in a Valencia save at the moment? How is it going?

I tried with them but failed and always lost motivation due to poor performances. But ill get back to Valencia soon Mainly because of this amazing thread

Excellent presentation and very good guide

I tried with them but failed and always lost motivation due to poor performances. But ill get back to Valencia soon Mainly because of this amazing thread

My pre-season friendlies haven't gone exactly to plan so far' date=' so I am hoping this picks up before the start of the season :o

Excellent presentation and very good guide

Thank you very much

Here's a tip - If you start with Valencia, before you even attend the opening meetings go into board requests and ask for the wage budget to be increased..

I got an extra £195,000k per week to play with.

I wish I knew that before Damn you withholding valueable information!

I wish I knew that before Damn you withholding valueable information!

Here's an even better one, if you do as I said and then go into the meetings and say you dont agree with the budgets he'll let you change them. Done this and said id qualify for the Champions League, have £260,000k wages spare now £12.5m budget.

Had to restart my save cause I left attribute masking on, so glad I did. This is gonna be interesting..

I am incredibly jealous... I could of probably picked up another signing if I had known

Although, that being said, I am very pleased with my signings. Vallejo £675k, Adama Traore for £2.5m, Sativsky for £125k (I have never signed him before, he looks like guaranteed profit!), Lucas Romero for £3.7m and a release clause of £50m (he wanted one with £21m, no chance) and Ruben Neves on loan.

Would have loved to have picked up Sergi Samper or Llorente of R. Madrid, for a Regista type role which I have never used on FM before so when I can get one of those, I'll adjust my tactic.

Great tips Hoarau, I have a feeling Ty may start again if pre-season didn't go well either

Great tips Hoarau, I have a feeling Ty may start again if pre-season didn't go well either

I am literally on the verge of restarting, I want this to be a long term save and really enjoy it, I want it all to be right from the start the tactic has just not gone to plan, I may need to re-think my approach to Spain.

I'll decide within the next hour if I am going to don't judge me too much.

No judgement here, I've done it myself..no harm.

Quick opinion, Ruben Neves of FC Porto, have agreed a loan deal with an agreed fee of £17m at the end, is he that good? I'm being really tight with my money and haven't signed anyone yet... lots of negotiating and scouting going on though.

Ruben Neves is incredible, have you seen my thread on him? He became my club captain at Arsenal and deservedly so. £17m is his release fee, and Porto will never accept lower than that, I have tried multiple times.

EDIT: Here is the thread: Ruben Neves

Oooft. Convinced, loan agreed.

First two signings have been made, seeing as im giving Ian Cathro his chance as assistant manager, being a fellow Scot and all... My first signing is also a Scotsman. 16 year old Craig Wighton joins from Dundee for £250k.

Second signing is the obvious Lucas Romero, I'm looking to get a good season out of him and then use him to rebuild us next summer.

Oooft. Convinced, loan agreed.

First two signings have been made, seeing as im giving Ian Cathro his chance as assistant manager, being a fellow Scot and all... My first signing is also a Scotsman. 16 year old Craig Wighton joins from Dundee for £250k.

Second signing is the obvious Lucas Romero, I'm looking to get a good season out of him and then use him to rebuild us next summer.

Even if you can't afford the £17m to bring him in, he will provide valuable cover in the middle of the park for a season.

Turning Valencia into a Scottish club I can't bring myself to sign English players when managing abroad, it makes me feel dirty.

I intend on doing the same with Lucas Romero, hoping for one of the big boys next season to meet his release clause and give me the building blocks to sign the Spanish players I want. I've got a long list I can't afford!

Right, I honestly think I am going to stick this out. Looking back at my fixtures, I really have no reason to be complaining I just don't think it went as well as it could have done.

I have changed up my tactics a bit after the Sevilla game. Changing a couple roles and it seems to be a bit more positive!

We've only let in one goal, why was I getting so upset?

That's a good preseason man, you should see some of mine. If your enjoying it then keep going but don't slog it out because you think it's a sin to restart, aslong as the save is interesting then that's all that matters for me.

No, no.. No Scottish revamp, Wighton is just a good prospect, rated 3&1/2 stars at Valencia so for the money and his age it's a good investment. Ill do a proper write up one the window closes about my pre season, I have however completed my plan for my Dynasty.. My midfield of the future has been signed and looks like this.. : Marco Asensio - Lucas Romero - Ruben Neves. Really enjoying this save, gonna make this one of my long term saves throughout the year till next the FM, can't wait to crack on tomorrow night again.

I am really enjoying it now, since tweaking the tactic to add a more dynamic flow to the team. It was way too rigid before, looked like something from the Conference so I wont be restarting. Thankfully I didn't have to change formation (which would of made me want to restart) and re-learn a new one, just changed some roles and instructions

I jinxed it by saying we hadn't conceded last time, going 2-0 down in my very next much, scoring 3 second half goals to salvage a 3-2 win. Since then, we have looked very solid. Atletico being the first real test and we come out on tops in that, with two Paco goals.

I forgot how fast you fly through a save when you don't have European football we're unbeaten and still not top of the table. Barcelona steam rolling every opponent they come across.

I'll do a proper little update mid-season, January time. Good to see you're definitely on board, will be nice to have a regular poster in here and hopefully a couple more may join in.

Just had a quick peep at Barcelona's schedule...

... and I thought we were doing well they haven't conceded a goal all season, winning every game. Fair play, thankfully it's just over 7 weeks until we play them!

Wow, epic start there Ty

I'm tempted to start one with Valencia

One last post of the night... end on a really high note.