FM10: Official Cardiff City Thread: The Bluebirds!

Hello and Welcome to The Cardiff City Thread for Football Manager 2010, Good Luck!

I have to give a special mention to GavinLP1987 for helping with the tactics thread and other bits and bobs, same goes to Hopey for answering a lot of my questions, and to arsenal_2111 for a fantastic template, this is his amazing Arsenal thread: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=153790

History

Cardiff City Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd in welsh) is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff are currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City play their home games at the Cardiff City Stadium. Until May 2009, Cardiff played at Ninian Park.

Cardiff City were founded in 1899 and are the only non-English side to have won any of the three major English competitions. They won the FA Cup in 1927, during a decade when they were one of the strongest sides in the English league, finishing runners-up in 1923–24 and also losing 1–0 to Sheffield United in the FA Cup Final of 1925. They have also been regular winners of the Welsh Cup, and as the winner of the Cup in 1966–67 gained entry to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, reaching the semi-finals in 1967–68.[1] They played in old Football League First Division periods of 1921–29, 1952–57 and 1960–62.

Their history in recent years has been less successful but they have made some improvement in the last few seasons. In 1986, they were relegated to the Fourth Division, and over the next 14 years slipped into the league's basement division three times. In 1996 they were the league's third lowest placed team. However, a Football League Second Division playoff triumph in 2003 lifted them into the Football League First Division; In the 2007/08 season they made it into the FA Cup final for the first time in 81 years, and the third time in their history. They lost to Portsmouth 1-0 at Wembley. In the 2008–09 season they failed to make the play-offs for the Premier League on goals scored to Preston on the final day of the season. At The start of the 2009/10 season Cardiff moved into their new stadium, called Cardiff City Stadium, which holds aound 27,000 spectators and is located next door to the old Ninian Park.

Cardiff City was formed in 1899 by Bartley Wilson as a way of keeping players from the Riverside Cricket Club together and in shape during the winter months. Their first season saw them playing friendlies against local sides at their Sophia Gardens ground, but in 1900 they joined the Cardiff & District League for their first competitive season. In 1905 Cardiff was granted city status by King Edward VII, and as a result the club put in a request to change their name to Cardiff City, but the request was turned down as they were deemed to be not playing at a high enough level. To combat this they arranged to join the South Wales Amateur League in 1907 and the following year they were granted permission to change the name of the club to Cardiff City.

Interest in the club began to rise during this time, but they were forced to turn down the opportunity to join the newly formed Southern League Second Division due to the lack of facilities at their Sophia Gardens ground. Over the next two years Cardiff welcomed many of Britain's top sides to Cardiff, including Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Crystal Palace, with the matches being played at various grounds in Cardiff and nearby towns. The club would eventually move into their new ground, Ninian Park, in 1910. The club made its first signing the following year with the acquisition of Jack Evans from fellow Welsh club Cwmparc FC.

With the new ground in place, Cardiff joined the Southern League Second Division, and Bartley Wilson was quick to hire the club's first manager in Davy McDougall, who became player-manager. Their first match was a 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa, in which new signedd Evans scored the only Cardiff goal. They went on to finish in an impressive fourth place in their first year in the league. They stayed in the division for the next decade, apart from when the league was suspended due to the outbreak of World War I.

Before the 2009–10 season, Ridsdale travelled to the Far East to try and get a business deal which he promised would see Cardiff's debt problem dealt with, and creation of an academy in the Far East. No investment was forth coming, but Malaysian businessman Dato' Chan Tien Ghee was an addition to the club's board. Having staved off a winding up order from HMRC under a payment agreement, in November 2009, Ridsdale offered a "Golden Ticket" scheme to fans, in that if they bought their 2010/11 season ticket before January 6, 2010, then they would not see a rise on prices for two years, and all monies raised would be spent on players in the January 2010 transfer window.[9] However, on 27 January 2010, Ridsdale admitted he was eating humble pie, and that in addition to the "Golden Ticket" money not being spent on players, club assets would be sold to fulfil a £2.7M tax bill, and avert another winding up order.[10]

Cardiff City drew the most successful graphic at Championship in 2009-10 season and qualified for the Play-Offs after beating Queens Park Rangers 1-0. In the play-off semi-final, they met Leicester City. Cardiff advanced to the play-off final after winning 4-3 on penalties following a 3-3 aggregate score over two legs. However, in the play-off final against Blackpool, they lost 3-2 after leading twice in the game.

1927 Cup Final

On St George's Day, 23 April 1927, Wembley Stadium, London; the FA Cup was taken out of England for the first and only time when Cardiff City won the 1927 Final, defeating Arsenal, thanks to a goal by Cardiff City cult hero, Hughie Ferguson.

In the 74th minute, collecting a throw from the right, Ferguson hurried a tame shot toward the Arsenal goal. Dan Lewis, the Arsenal goalkeeper, appeared to collect the ball but, under pressure from the advancing Len Davies, clumsily allowed the ball to roll through his grasp. In a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball Lewis only succeeded in knocking the ball with his elbow into his own net.

It was the first ever to be broadcasted on radio.

Real Life Squad

GK - David Marshall is a solid championship goalkeeper, he's a good shot stopper and so far has proved to be a solid a reliable signing from Norwich. Personally I think he's better tham what has been put into the FM database, but there we are. Second choice Tom Heaton is a new signing for The Bluebirds, Tom had a spell on loan with us a couple of years ago, he is a ex Manchester United player. So far this season he looks solid, and while Marshall has been injurd he's stepped in and been very capable. His spell is now a permanent one, he joined on a free transfer . In recent years Cardiff haven't had a solid, a reliable goalkeeper, but many feel Marshall could and has changed that. Neil Alexander was the last top goalkeeper to be at the club, he now plays for Rangers and Scotland.

DR - Kevin McNaughton has been the best full back Cardiff has seen for years, so so solid a reliable, and is very consistent. He is now a fan favourite and proved to be a bargain since his transfer from Aberdeen. He gives his all for the team. Youngster Adam Mathews is a exciting prospect from the academy and recently scored a 50 yard free kick against Watford! He's showing a lot of promise and it looks as if he has a bright future at the club. Another alternative is Paul Quinn, a recent signing from Motherwell who dosen't get a lot of playing time. He looks a good player but it looks as if he needs more time.

DL - As Kennedy and Capaldi have left, this position is new for this season. Lee Naylor is a new signing for the Bluebirds, having been by released by Celtic in the summer, Dave Jones snapped him up. He has been starting most games this season, looking a mixture, sometimes good, sometimes dodgy. He scored a fantastic goal recently against Ipswich but I'm pretty sure it was fluke. Squad player I'd say. He is the only natural player here at the moment but we have alternatives should problems arrive for instance moving McNaughton or Matthews here,

DC - Cardiff haven't got many quick centre backs, this season we have started mostly Gabor Gyepes who can be useful depending on the game, inconsistent. Mark Hudson last year's captain starts most games, a natural leader and strong centre back, but both can do the occasional mistake. Chris Riggot is a new signing after being released by Middlesbrough. He lacks match fitness and hasn't played so far this season, he does look useful though. Darcy Blake is also a contender for this spot, a center back who can play a bit of football, Darcy finally found what probably is his best position, and last season partnered Anthony Gerrard here for quite a while.

RM - In this position we are quite strong, with Chris Burke playing here most of the time, and has proved to be a great signing from Rangers(free transfers), his dribbling especially is good and can play balls through really well. He also has an eye for goal. Another option here is Peter Whittingham who has bags of talent, and on his day can be brilliant. But at time hes can be a bit lazy. The other option here is fan favourite Jason Koumas who's come back after his hugely succesful loan spell a few years ago, he lacks determination but technically he is certainly one of the best in the team for that department.

LM - Most recently Peter Whittingham has been playing here, and has put some good performances in, scoring quite a few goals. He's been with us for quite a long time and scored some important goals on our 2008 FA Cup Run since he signed from Aston Villa. Last season was probably the best in his career and from the left of midfield he ended up being the Championship top scorer with 25 goals, he is a brilliant free-kick taker and very recently scored 2 free-kicks in the Severnside derby victory over Bristol City. Jason Koumas could also be considered here or anywhere in the midfield, read above for his description.

CM - Stephen McPhail plays here quite a bit, and has a eye for passing on him, technically he's gifted,but can't compete against a physical team. He got dropped for a period of time after getting sent off twice, the two against Cardiff's rivals, Swansea. Gavin Rae has proved to be a good signing from Rangers, a box to box midfielder who can tackle, he dosen't shine in matches but rarely makes mistakes. He's got quite a engine in him as well, one particular weakness is his shooting, which he normally skies over the bar. Solomon Taiwo is a summer signing from Dagenham a Redbridge. A reason he was signed was that we played his former team Dagenham in the League Cup this year, we won that game but he shined for The Daggers and in the end got signed. He's quite a tal man but is technically quite good. He started a match against QPR this season, he had some good patches but made a mistake which cost us a goal. So he really needs more time. In my opinion he simply isn't good enough, and is nowhere near the starting 11 at present. Seyi Olofinjana is a loanee from Hull and exactly what the club has been missing the last few seasons, a big beast of a midfielder who can tackle, win the ball and spray it, he looks a very good player who will keep us the ball, he is quickly becoming a fan favourite. Talking of fan favourites another serious contender for a central midfielder role is Jason Koumas who is a top quality player when he wants to be, hasn't been very fit of recent but we all know what he can do. Peter Whittingham can also play here. Danny Drinkwater yet another loanee this time from Manchester United annoyingly has been injured for quite a while, but of what we have seen of him he looks a very good player, we hope for him to be back soon. A youngster who's played a few games recently is Aaron Wildig who looks like he has potential.

ST - We are very strong in this area, having a lot of goalscorers in our past teams, including Robert Earnshaw, Cameron Jerome, Michael Chopra, Ross McCormack and it looks like Chopra will repeat this process for his second time. Michael Chopra is here for his second spell at the club, and has been scoring like mad recently, top scorer of The Championship by quite a bit, scoring 2 hat-tricks already this season. Jay Bothroyd is a very useful striker, who has lbags and bags of talent. His career has mostly been the case of having a lot of potential but wasting it by being lazy, but it looks like Dave Jones's man management has payed off. A top player who can have a massive effect on the team, best player. Craig Bellamy is a local boy coming home, now anyone will tell you Craig is the BEST player in the Championship ability wise by a long shot, and hopefully he will guide us to the promised land finally. He is a massive part of our team, and has a huge effect on the team when fitness lets him play. Another loanee who has experience in this league is Andy Keogh . He got off to a good start with the fans after scoring the winner against Millwall recently with a cracking header. He looks useful with a good micture of aerial ability and using the ball on the floor

Stadium

The NEW Cardiff City Stadium!

Cardiff City Stadium is a 26,828 all-seated ground in the Leckwith area of the city, which is the home of Cardiff City Football Club who previously played at Ninian Park. Owned and operated by Cardiff City F.C., the stadium also hosts the home matches of the Cardiff Blues rugby union team until 2029. After the Millennium Stadium, it is the second largest stadium in Cardiff and in Wales. The stadium is part of the Leckwith development. A branded sponsor name will be assigned as and when the naming rights sell. The stadium was officially opened on 22 July 2009, with Cardiff City playing a friendly match against Celtic.

The stadium was built on the site of the former Cardiff Athletics Stadium and forms part of the larger Leckwith Development. The 60-acre (240,000 m2) development will cost £100m and include construction of the following:

A new 26,828 seater stadium

A new Cardiff International Sports Stadium

470,000 sq ft retail development between 13 major retailers

A housing development on the site of Ninian Park

Brand new 70 room hotel with bar & restaurant

A new road system

On 19 September 2007 it was announced that Cardiff Blues and Cardiff City F.C. had signed a Heads of Terms agreement for Cardiff Blues to become tenants of Cardiff City. On 24 May 2008, the two clubs signed a contract officially finalising the deal. The license agreement was set at 20 years, meaning Cardiff Blues will play their home games at the stadium until 2029.

Inevitably, the commercial needs for funding will probably mean that the stadium gains a sponsor's name. An early option was the sale to lifelong Bluebirds supporter Mike Young, the creator of the children's animation series SuperTed.

The stadium was completed several weeks ahead of schedule and was officially opened with a pre-season friendly against Celtic on 22 July 2009. There were two games played in the stadium prior to this: a Cardiff City Legends game on 4 July, and a friendly against Chasetown on 10 July. The first league game was played on 8 August 2009, a 4–0 win for Cardiff against Scunthorpe United.

Personally I like the new stadium a lot, it was certainly much neededas Ninian Park wasn't the nicest of places. So good so far, considering we also have rugby games there, the grass is good. We have 150,000 changing rooms, which is one of the best in The Championship and The Premiership. It's a big step for the club, nation, footballing nation and Wales as a country. . And the club shop is much bigger.

Football Manager information

Nation - England

Year Founded - 1899

Status - Proffessional

Reputation - National

Chairman Status - Enjoying life at the club.

Legends - Fred Keenor, Phil Dwyer.

Icons - Hughie Ferguson, Don Murray, Jason Perry, Robert Earnshaw, Andy Legg, Graham Kavanagh, Carl Dale, John Buchanan, Daniel Gabbidon, Scott Young

Favoured Personnel - Joe Ledley, Jason Koumas, Michael Chopra, Peter Thorne.

Fierce Rivals - Swansea

Other Rivals - Bristol City, Leeds United.

Finances - Okay

Average Ticket Price - £22.00

Average Season Ticket Price - £ 380

Season Ticket Holders - 15,000

Estimated Value - £19.5m (Loan Debt: £5.75m)

Media Prediction - 6th

Captain - Mark Hudson

Vice-Captain - Joe Ledley

Stadium - Cardiff City Stadium - (Cardiff,27,000 all seater stadium)

Training Facilities - Good Training Facilities

Youth Facilities - - Average Youth Facilities a Youth Academy

Expectations - Minimum Expectation - Play Offs.

Transfer Budget - £0

Wage Budget - Maximum 125k(Varies, currently spending £121,474 on wages)

Squad

Bold indicates a player is natural in a position.

Italic indicates a player is accomplished in a position.

Blue indicates a youth player is natural in a position

GK - David Marshall, Peter Enckleman

DR - Kevin McNaughton, Paul Quinn, Miguel Comminges Anthony Gerrard Adam Matthews , Aaron Morriss

DL - Tony Capaldi, Mark Kennedy Kevin McNaughton, Miguel Comminges

DC - Anthony Gerrard, Mark Hudson, Gabor Gyepes Darren Dennehy(on loan at Hereford)

MR - Peter Whittingham, Chris Burke, Ross McCormack, Kelvin Etuhu Adam Matthews

ML - Peter Whittingham Joe Ledley, Ross McCormack, Mark Kennedy

MC - Stephen McPhail, Gavin Rae, Joe Ledley, Solomon Taiwo, Riccardo Scimeca, Darcy Blake(Out on loan at Plymouth) Peter Whittingham, Mark Kennedy Zak Evans, Aaron Wildig

ST - Michael Chopra, Ross McCormack, Jay Bothroyd, Kelvin Etuhu(loan), Warren Feeney Josh Maggenis, Leigh Smith

Squad Analysis

Goalkeeper

David Marshall is a solid championship goalkeeper, he lacks in some places, not the quickest and isn't a leader, but is a top shot stopper, with good Reflexes a One on Ones attributes. He also isn't the best in the air. There's no point trying to sell him as he's new, so he'll do for now. Peter Enckleman is injured for a slight bit at the start, but should be back soon enough, he's a very good backup and I'd rate him as a average Championship goalkeeper. He is aging so you'll probably need a new goalkeeper sooner than later. To be honest the goalkeeping area of the squad is fine as it is but if you really need one, look at Portsmouth's Asmir Begovic , he's a expensive man to get, but he's worth it, he's also got potential. If you want a cheaper option Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is transfer listed and available from the start for 275k, but he probably won't start for you. More options are Ben Alnwick from Tottenham Hotspurs(275-350k) , Ron-Robert Zieler from Manchester United(275-325k) and Filip Mentel from Manchester City(55k)

Best Goalkeeper: David Marshall

Target: Asmir Begovic[

Other Targets: Ben Alnwick(275-300k), Carl Ikeme(275k), Ron-Robert Zieler(275-325k) a Filip Mentel(55k)

Defender(Right)

Kevin McNaughton looks a good championship player on demo, which is what he should be if not better. You probably won't need to improve much here. McNaughton you should keep but if you do decide to sell he should bring in a million or more. Paul Quinn is a new player and you shouldn't sell, as he looks good and he's a new signing, so he won't leave and there's no point unsettling him. He's got Tackling Marking a Heading, and very good pace for The Championship. He's not really a attacking full back, so should you decide to play with attacking full backs, he shouldn't be your choice. The other choices are Miguel Comminges, who really isn't good enough and you should be looking to sell, despite him also looking to play left back. Adam Matthews is the other choice, who has potential to make it into the first team, he's only got a tackling of 6, which might put you off. He could then play for you at RM, which might be better for him, I'm not too sure, you make that decision for yourself. To be honest this is quite a strong position when you have Quinn and McNaughton. If you do want some players in you should look at selling Comminges and possibillities could be Iban Zubiaurre, who you can approach to sign, he's 26 a only wants 130 pounds a week, a abseloute bargain! No compensation, the only small problem is that he joins on the 5th of October, which still isn't too far away. Other options could be Stephen Wright from Coventry for 275k, David Wright from Ipswich for 240k, Danny Butterfield for 110k from Crystal Palace. On loan you could try to get Gregory Van Der Wiel from Ajax, Dan Gosling from Everton, Rhys Williams from Middlesbrough a Ritchie De Laet from Manchester United. Elliott Omozusi on a free transfer looks great as well. Another free transfer is Lauren, the former Arsenal a Portsmouth player. Maybe Bakary Soro.

Star Player: Kevin McNaughton

Youth Prospect: Adam Matthews

Target: Iban Zubiaurre(free - offer contract), Elliott Omozusi(free transfer)

Other Targets: Rhys Williams(loan), Ritchie De Laet(loan), Bakary Soro(free transfer), Lauren(free transfer), Dan Gosling(loan), Gregory Van Der Wiel(loan), Danny Butterfield(110k), Stephen Wright(Coventry), David Wright(240k)

Defender(Left)

You might want to keep Mark Kennedy, as he's useful but aging, and you won't get much out of him anyway. I'd advise selling Tony Capaldi, who has a tackling of 10, and Miguel Comminges, who's just not good enough. Another idea is to play Kevin McNaughton at left back, with Paul Quinn playing right back. It's quite a weak area of the aquad, I'd reccomend bringing in Matt Hill on loan from Wolves, you'll only need to pay 50 percent of his wages, which isn't too much. Another target is Michael Ball, available on a free transfer, and is only 29, and should do a good job. That's about it really on this section, you won't need any backups, just a solid starter, which either Matt Hill and Ball should be in The Championship, but you'll need better in The Premiership if you make it there. Basically keep Kennedy for backup, and McNaughton can be desperate backup, and either one of those players could be backup. Joe Mattock on loan could be a fantastic signing though.

Star Player: Mark Kennedy or Kevin McNaughton

Target: Joe Mattock(loan) Matt Hill(50 percent loan) or Michael Ball(free transfer, unattached)

Defender(centre)

You're quite strong in this area, no need for much improvement here, but you might want 1 spare player as there's only 3 central defenders in the team. Gerrard a Hudson(the captain) you can't sell as their new, you might want to try and sell Gabor Gyepes for a bit of money, and he's not too good. Gerrard is alright and I would rate him as a average chamoionship player, Hudson is similar but has good leadership skills. All the defenders aren't too quick so you might want to look into getting more speed at the back. They're all quite good in the air. None of them actually shine at the back, like Roger Johnson did. With no transfer budget it's hard to find star players. If you can, it will be very tough but try and sign Sol Campbell on a free, who's got experiecne, a leadership skills and is still quite a good defender, but try to play him with a fast centre back, the fastest you've got, as playing him with a slow one would mean getting beaten by quick strikers. Ivan Campo(free) a Elliott Omozusi(free) are other options as well as Glauber(free), who looks a solid championship defender, so does Dejan Stefanovic(free). Izzy Iriekpen and Jorge Andrade look solid as well, but Andrade might be hard to sign. Pele the former West Brom player would be suitable for some.

Star Player: Anthony Gerrard a Mark Hudson

Target: Glauber, Elliott Omozusi, Sol Campbell, Jorge Andrade

Other Targets: Izzy Iriekpen, Ivan Campo, Pele, Dejan Stefanovic

Midfielder(right)

You're fairly strong in this position, but there's room to improve. Chris Burke is a great dribbler can set up goals quite well. Same with Whittingham, Whittingham technically is a Premiership player, but unfortunately he's not that strong and can be lazy. Some games he just dosen't turn up, but some games he can be a star player. Due to Adam Mathews is low tackling of 6, you might want to play him Right mid. He should turn into a first team player, but give him appearences in friendly's and Carling Cup games. 2 more options are Kelvin Etuhu(on loan) and Ross McCormack, McCormack you'll probably rather play striker, same with Etuhu, but there's nothing wrong in playing Chopra a Bothroyd up front, with one of them as a winger. For some Andy Van Der Meyde is a bit too attacking for their liking but people forget he's still 29, so he;s got quite a few years to go, one or two at least for you, but depending on what standard you're playing at, he could last longer. he's also a free transfer. Another free transfer is Terry Cooke, a Englishman who recently has been playing in MLS. He's got a crossing of 16 and looks a good player to get. Another top signing the fans will be happy with is Rudolph Douala, a international player (Cameroon) who's still not too old(30). So he's full of experience and not the oldest. He might be too attacking for some. He should last a few seasons depending on what standard you're playing at. Alvaro Novo also looks a decent player. Former Toronto, Wolves a Tottenham player Rohan Ricketts can also play Right Midfield, and another positive is he can play all across the midfield. He's still only 26 as well, so he'd be ideal for some. If you have some cash to spend William Kvist looks a good buy, but will be expensive at 1.1m. Kvist's teammate Thomas Kristensen is also transfer listed and can be bought for 875k. Cardiff's rivals Swansea have Mark Gower transfer listed, he looks like he's got some top attacking stats but has poor defensive attributes, including a tackling of 4. He's available for 140k. Some possible loans are Junior Stanislas, Nacer Barazite(reccomended), Dan Gosling and James Mcarthy.

Star Player: Peter Whittingham

Targets: Nacer Barzite, Rodney Sneijder(both loans), Rudolph Douala(free), Andy Van Der Meyde(free)

Other Tragets: William Kvist(1.1m), Thomas Kristensen(875k), Mark Gower(140k), Dan Gosling(loan), James Mcarthy, Junior Stanislas(loan), Rohan Ricketts(free), Terry Cooke(free)

Midfielder(Left)

You're also not bad in this position, some would say there's room to improve but you could certainly keep it as it is if you wanted to. In this position you have 4 players capable of playing left midfield, but you may want to consider playing these at a different position. For instance Mark Kennedy you might want to play left back, Joe Ledley you might want to play center midfield, Whittingham center or right of midfield, and Ross McCormack up front or on the right. So I suggets signing someone who is capable of playing left of midfield naturally, that would mean the other 4 could all come here if needed. I don't suggest playing Ross McCormack here, as he's better suited playing striker and he's pathetic defensive wise, but he's still useful here. It also depends where you want to play ledley, he's great either center mid or left mid. Kennedy would be good here as he's a good attacking player as well as being's decent defensively. You might not consider Kennedy a good enough starter. Whittingham's good either wing and he, along Ledley is probably the best player to play here of the original team. I reccomend getting Rudi Skacel here, he's free and a decent player. You might also want to get Andy Van Der Meyde in, he's also free, and a useful backup, as well as being able to play all across the midfield. I highly suggest getting Nacer Barazite on loan from Arsenal here, he can play all across the midfield, he's got potential, and you can get him for a season without paying a penny for the loan itself or the wages. You don't have any youth players coming through at left midfield. Other targets could be Mark Gower(140k), Rohan Ricketts(free) a Rodney Sneijder(loan).

Star Player: Peter Whittingham, Joe Ledley

Targets: Rudi Skacel(free), Nacer Barazite(loan)

Other Targets: Mark Gower(140k), Rodney Sneijder(loan), Andy Van Der Meyde(free), Rohan Ricketts(free).

Youth Players: None

Defensive Midfield

In this position you basically have no-one, playing with a defensive midfielder can work with Cardiff, but with the original team you have no-one good enough to start for The Championship. Only 2 players can play here, Riccy Scimeca, who's 34, not up to standard and gets injured a lot, he can be sold so you might as well get a bit of the wage bill off. The other player is recently signed Solomon Taiwo, who looks rubbish, you'll have to wait until Janary to sell him. You'll probably need two players here to be safe, and both can be obtained on loan. Rhys Williams, from Middlesbrough is available for loan and dosen't need any wages paid. He's versatile as he can play CM a CB as well, so he's a good player to get here. Another option is transfer listed QPR player Mikele Leigertwood, you won't need a fee, but will need to pay 50 percent of his wages to bring him in. He can also play the center of midfield and does well as a anchorman. If you need another target Seyfo Soley is always a decent anchorman to bring in on a free transfer.

Star player: None

Targets: Mikele Leigertwood(loan 50 percent wages), Rhys Williams(loan)

Other Targets: Seyfo Soley(free)

Youth players: none

Central Midfield

You're quite strong here, but there is room for improvement if you want, it's up to you. Joe Ledley can play here, and is solid. Something you have to do is offer Ledley a new contract as it runs out in the summer, so if you want to get him to sign a new contract then sell him for a few million, is something some will want to do. Gavin Rae is a good box to box midfielder but you might think you can get better, his contract runs out in the summer, you should try and keep him as a rotation/backup player until the end of the season, then let him go on a free. Stephen McPhail is technically a great player, and has a passing of 16. He can play pin-point through balls and can take control of games. You should keep him in my opinion, if you can play him with a big physical partner in midfield, and someone who can tackle. Mark Kennedy has never played here for Cardiff in real life, but he has the stats to play here, but his age might put you off. Peter Whittigham can play here, but due to the many players who can play here already and the fact that he's better as a winger it's best not to play him here. Other players who can play here are Riccy Scimeca and Solomon Taiwo, but they're no good, you can't sell Taiwo immediately but can sell Scimeca. If you do need some players here, Rohan Ricketts is a good player, so's Johann Vogel on the demo. Nacer Barazite is a good player to get on loan, but is probably too attacking for central midfield and some will prefer hom playing winger. Aaron Wildig can turn out to be a useful player, but I doubt he'll be good enough for the first team. Zak Evans simply won't get near the first team.

Star Player: Joe Ledley, Stephen McPhail

Targets: Rohan Ricketts(free)

Other Targets: Johann Vogel(free[on demo]), Nacer Barazite(loan), Mikele Leigertwood(loan, 50 percent wages)

Youth players: Aaron Wildig

Attacking Midfield

Cardiff are a great team on the attack, so playing a attacking mifielder can be vital for some. You actually don't have anyone to play here centrally originally, so you'll need to make some signings. James Mcarthy from Wigan on loan is a prospect who recently signed for them from Hamilton. Andy Van Der Meyde is also a possibillity here but you can get better. Nacer Barazite again here is a great prospect and is creative. If you've got the wages Jack Wilshere is a great loan signing. Rohan Ricketts is also another target available on a free and can also play out wide. Vladimir Weiss on loan from Manchester City looks a good signing, so does Jordan Henderson who you can get from Sunderland on loan. You can try to get Daniel Parejo on loan from Getafe, and if you succeed on getting Giovanni Dos Santos on loan from Tottenham you'll have one of, if not the best player in the league. You can get Seol Ki-Hyeon on loan from Fulham for 50 percent of his wages, if you have the cash he's transfer listed.

Star Player: None

Target: Giovanni Dos Santos(loan), Jack Wilshere(loan), Nacer Barazite(loan), Seol Ki-Hyeon(loan - 50 percent wages), Daniel Parejo(loan)

Other Targets: Vladimir Weiss(loan), Rohan Ricketts(free), Jordan Henderson(loan), James Mcarthy(loan), Andy Van Der Meyde(free).

Youth Players: none

Strikers

Cardiff have a good strike force. With fan-favourite Michael Chopra returning to the club for a hefty fee, he's got the stats to be a premiership striker. Jay Bothroyd is a bit under-rated in the game and isn't that good, so some might want to sell him. Last season's top scorer for us, Ross McCormack is still here despite being linked away in the summer. You also have Kelvin Etuhu on loan from Manchester City, who I haven't had much experience with personally, but looks a good player. If you do want one more addition, despite the high wages, try to get Ebi Smolarek in on a free, who looks a Premiership striker. If you do have cash try to get Amr Zaki for 1.5m, who apparently is great in this division. Other targets could be Luke Moore(loan - 50 percent wages), Marcus Bent(loan - 50 percent), Marlon King(loan - 50 percent wages), Caleb Folan(loan - 50 percent wages), Gary McSheffrey(loan - 50 percent wages), Ricardo Vaz-Te(loan - 50 percent wages), David N'Gog(loan) a Andy Carroll(loan). You have one slightly promising player coming through the youth ranks, Josh Magennis, who I reccomend loaning out. You have one more player who is somehow still at the club, which is Warren Feeney, yes he's good at international level but he's horrific for us so you should sell him if possible. I've heard Mark Viduka is a solid player to bring in at Championship level.

Star Player: Michael Chopra, Ross McCormack

Target: Amr Zaki(1.5m), Ebi Smolarek(free), Mark Viduka(free)

Other Targets: Marcus Bent(loan), Luke Moore(loan), Gary McSheffrey(loan), David N'Gog(loan), Caleb Folan(loan), Andy Carroll(loan), Marlon King(loan), Ricardo Vaz-Te(loan)

Youth Players: Josh Magennis

Star Player

Name Rocky Michael Chopra

Age 25

Position Striker

Height 1.75m(5ft9)

Place of Birth Newcastle Upon Tyne

Birthdate 23 December 1983

Squad Number 8

Previous Clubs Newcaste United, Watford(loan), Nottingham Forest(loan), Barnsley(loan), Cardiff City, Sunderland, Cardiff City(loan), Cardiff City(loan), Cardiff City

Real Life info

Michael Chopra is at Cardiff City for in a way if you add all the loans together, his fourth spell at the club. After loans at other clubs Dave Jones brought Michael to Ninian Park for 500k, which was quite expensive for us back then. Jones later made a 4.5m profit by selling him to Sunderland for 5m. He never did find his feet in The Premiership with Sunderland and we then loaned him twice in a season. I personally was delighted to hear rumours, which then became true that he was to sign for us permanently at the end of the 2008-09 season. This fee was a reported 4m fee, a huge sum for the club. We will now be paying Sunderland something around 500k each season until the full fee is reached.

In 2006, Chopra made news for scoring the fastest goal by a substitute in Premier League history, as he had only been on the pitch for ten seconds after coming on as a substitute. With an Indian father, he was also the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the Premier League.

He made his UEFA Champions League debut in December 2002, as a substitute against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, and also played against Bayer Leverkusen before he moved on a month-long loan to Watford at the end of March 2003. He scored five goals in just six matches for Watford, appeared in a FA Cup semifinal against Southampton,[5] and scored four goals in a 7-4 win over Burnley.

In August 2004 he went on another loan, this time to Barnsley. Playing in 39 matches in the League One, he scored 17 goals, including hat-tricks against Peterborough United and Huddersfield Town. He also represented Barnsley in the FA Cup and the League Cup, finishing as the club's top scorer and their Player of the Season.

Michael appeared in OK! magazine in the UK in October 2007 announced he had become engaged to Heather Swan, and that they were expecting their first baby. On 15 February 2008, they welcomed a 6 lbs 10oz baby boy, Sebastian Rocco Thomas Chopra. In July, it was reported that the couple had split only weeks after their £250,000 wedding, but they were later reported as together again.

On Thursday 28 August 2008, it was announced that he had checked into a rehab including some time at the Sporting Chance clinic, in an attempt to overcome his personal problems.

Football Manager Info

I personally haven't tested Michael for too much but he has been improved since last season in my opinion. He should be one of the first names on the squad sheet for your team. He should start most games, but maybe give him a rest in Carling Cup, or playing against weaker teams. His Finishing is superb and is 15, and when I've seen him he can finish nicely. For me he is current top scorer and near the top of the Championship leaderboard in terms of goals. His composure isn't a issue, it's also 15 so he's good under pressure. And yet another factor is his acceleration and pace are great, he has a acceleration of 15 and has good pace at 14. Ok so he' s not the tallest at 5ft9 and his heading's not really great. So I'd advise playing him with a tall striker who can flick the ball on, maybe Bothroyd or a new player. At his first spell at the club he played a lot of games with former City, now of Burnley striker Steven Thompson, who flicked the ball on nicely. In my game he plays with Smolarek most games, and height isn't a issue, so playing with a tall striker isn't neccesary. The both of them work great with each other, especially with Ledley, McPhail a Barazite. Technically my side up front is lethal, the best in The Championship. He can also pass the ball and has a few assists for me so far.

If you've made it into the Prem, congratulations is first. I'm not too sure how he'd cope in The Prem, hes better than some strikers in The Prem already, and could probably score goals with the right service. I'd play him as a rotation/backup player probably, depending on my budjet and who is available to sign. Striker is really his natural position so you shouldn't put him anywhere else, only in emergency's. If you want to try him in a different position go ahead and post here, but I doubt you're experiment would be succesful. Michael is one if not the best championship strikers, in real life and fm, and is guaranteed to score goals, there's no point trying to sell him first season unless you get some fantastic strikers in, which I very much highly doubt.

Kits

Home Kit

Cardiff City's home kit is traditionally a blue one, maybe a bit of white or yellow over the past few years. This season it features the logo, a sponsor Puma's logo, and the kit sponsors, SBOBET. Recently and for one game(Newcastle Home) the kit was sponsored by Asian Company 777 Ball, but due to them not having a license to sponsor in Europe, the deal was cancelled. This season the kit sponsorship was left a bit late, before the Newcastle game we had a plain blue shirt featuring our logo and Puma's logo.

Away Kit

The away shirt has been a variety of different colours, more recently it has tended to include yellow, like it is this year. Last season it was red, the sponsors last year was VansDirect.

Youth

I'm just going to describe a few youths and how good they become in the game.

Adam Matthews is a former Swansea youth player and is 17 years old at the start of the game. He can play as a right back or a right midfielder in the game, which is good as he an play 2 positions. He's got the most potential out of all the youth players at the start of the game in my opinion. He has a low tackling(7), so it's best if you play him as a right midfielder I would have thought. In real life he plays right-back, it's totally up to you. Don't give him too much games at the start of the season, put him off the bench maybe and start him in the first few Carling-Cup games. Due to him being so young, and having a stamina of 8, his energy levels won't be so good. He's a top set-piece taker, and can cross a dribble with the ball well, he's also fairly quick. Try not to sell him at the start, as he's very young, and I'm sure you could make a lot of profit from him. The reports say he has the potential to play at a close level to Paul Quinn. I believe in real life he will do better. I remember a few years ago playing as Cardiff and Aaron Ramsey was rubbish, but look where he is now. In my game by November his tacjling's gone up one, so has a few other stats, so that's a good sign. Adam is also a top team-player. So I'd certainly keep him if I was you, tutor him with McNaughton or Quinn from the start, and make it one of your first jobs to move him immediately to the first-team. If you can maybe try loan him out, depending how much you plan on playing him, it might be better for him.

Josh Magennis is a 19 year old striker from Northern Ireland. He's a bit older than Matthews at 19, and dosen't have much potential. The scouts say he could be a useful member so it's up to you. Personally I'd keep him for a few seasons, and see how he is, if you deceide to sell him, later on you should get more money for him. His finishing and composure stats are decent at 11. His real talent is his speed, with acceleration 16 and pace 17, without it he'd be useless. He's quite tall and has 11 Heading, he's also a good team player, like Matthews. He's a fairly strong player and he could hold the ball up well I would have imagined so. Exept that he's a bit rubbish to be honest. He could be a average League One striker at best in my opinion, but It would be interestig to see how he fayres in the future.

Aaron Wildig is a centre midfielder from Hereford. He's 17 years old and also has some potential. One of the coaches said he could turn out to be a fairly good, and a decent Championship player which is interesting. He has a passing of 11, and is a fantastic team-player. He has some average stats which with development could become quite good. His forst touch isn't bad, neither is his tackling. I'd keep him and see how he does, he might be a useful squad player in a few years. He's a enthusiastic player who's not too lazy. I don't think he'll be anything too special, but he might just be a good player for you in years to come. Not quite as good as Aaron Ramsey maybe, but he's a decent player for sure.

Aaron Morris is a 19 year old local boy from Cardiff. He's fairly inconsistent but could turn out to be a decent player for you. He's not the brightest on the pitch. He can play centre back or right-back, judging by his stats I would have thought his best position would be centre-back. But his natural position is actually right back, which is quite odd. He certainly is a defensive full-back, so if you are going to play him make sure your full backs aren't attacking a lot. He's quite quick for a defender with 13 pace, he has heading 11 and both his tackling and marking are 10, which isn't too bad. He's not too special either. Try loan him out for some experience or get him tutored by Mark Hudson, or if you sign him, definately Sol Campbell.

Darcy Blake is only 20 but it feels that he's been at the club for quite a long time. He's been a bit overshadowed by the likes of Ramsey Gunter, maybe even Ledley a Jerome, he was rotating a bit while playing for us last season, it's good that he went on loan in my opinion. He's quite a good player and is close to his potential. His attributes make him a decent championship player, so when he comes back you can either keep him or sell him. If you are in the Prem you should let him go. He's quite short at 5 foot 5. He's a natural centre-midfielder but can shift in at right back. He's a very average player.

Darren Dennehy is a 20 year old from Ireland. He used to be captain of the Everton youth team but rejected their contract offer and joined Cardiff. He hasn't had much of a chance to show his abillity for Cardiff, and has been on loan at a few clubs now. Hereford rate him as a quality player, so he should be a decent player for League One. The Cardiff staff think he just isn't good enough for the Cardiff squad, so should be a average League One/good League 2 defender. He is 6ft 2 and a strong centre back. It's a good idea to sell him after his loan finished, maybe a bit longer if you want cash out of him. If you can get Sol Campbell, and haven't got him tutoring Morris, you should tutor him if you can. He shouldn't be much use for you.

Overall Youth

Cardiff has quite a good academy, in recent years producing players such as Robert Earnshaw, Daniel Gabbidon, James Collins, Robert Earnshaw, Cameron Jerome, Joe Ledley, Chris Gunter and Aaron Ramsey. This trend might continue with the Adam Matthews. Cardiff have also produced players such as Byron Anthony, Joe Jacobson and Stuart Fleetwood, not much to boast about but still. I'm not sure how much good regens you will produce. We have recently got a new training complex and youth complex, so the facillities will be better than the last few season's, which is great news. So the youth system is better than a lot of our fellow Championship teams, which is good news.

Page 2

Tactics (Original squad)

* Thanks a lot to GavinLP1987 for doing the tactic section, Im sure his contribution will help a lot

As it's hard to factor in new signings, etc. I will write a simple tactical plan to get you started based on what the ideal starting 11 in real life would be, and as if you are using the tactics creator.

Formation/Philosophy

Cardiff play a flat 442 framework and given that the team score lots of goals, the real life philosophy is fairly fluid. With the more creative players (Bothroyd, Chopra, McCormack Ledley, Whittingham, Burke) all contributing to the attacking phase, and the more defensive players (Rae, Hudson, Gerrard, McNaughton, Quinn, Kennedy, etc) focusing on defensive duties.

Playing Style

The passing style tends to be quite short as the creative attacking players are technically proficient. More defensive players can be individually set to a more mixed or direct approach should you wish.

I would keep the team's creative freedom to a default middle ground as too much creative freedom seems to do more damage than good, damaging team shape. This may work against much weaker opposition though.

As with creative freedom, I would also keep closing down to a middle ground as an overly pressing approach could destroy team shape and risk being caught on the counter by disciplined sides.

Cardiff are neither an aggressive nor overly cautious team irl, so leaving marking and tackling to their default values seems to be the best idea.

Crosses tend to be floated into the box and very rarely driven. I think this approach tends to cause more problems for the opposition defence with the strength of Bothroyd, the ability for Chopra to find space and players like Ledley attacking from deep.

I keep roaming settings to a default value as I like the team to keep their shape. Another reason is that there isn't really a player that benefits from a more free role on the pitch.

Player roles.

Defensively, things stay quite simple here. Goalkeeper, full backs and central defenders are all set to the corresponding roles. One exception could be setting the center backs to "limited defenders" as they don't possess much technical quality. From here, things get more interesting.

The wide roles are specifically set to Peter Whittingham and Chris Burke. With Whittingham's real life role as a wide midfielder easily replicated here. His job is to use his superior passing ability and awareness to provide through balls and crosses for the strikers from a deeper role. This plays to his strengths while doing a good job in hiding his weakness in dribbling and lack of speed.

Dribbling and pace is something our other wide player has in spades. Chris Burke. He is an old fashioned, out and out winger and therefore his role pretty much writes itself.

The center midfield slots are broken into defensive and attacking roles. Joe Ledley is a decent all round player with decent stats in finishing, passing, tackling and good work rate. I believe he is suited to being a box to box player.

The other slot can be filled by either Steve McPhail or Gavin Rae. Depending on your approach and the opposition you are facing these two give different options. Steve McPhail is a more refined, creative attacking player. Given enough space he can place quality through balls for the strikers and wide players. Because of this, I think of him as deep lying playmaker. Gavin Rae is pretty much the opposite. Someone who will get stuck in and not afraid to put a foot where it hurts. His job is to win the ball back and play it safely to the more technical players. He is the best candidate for a defensive, ball winning role.

Three strikers stand out. Jay, Chops and Rossco. So I will focus on these players.

Quite often, Jay Bothroyd is the link between midfield and attack. Dropping deep and using his quality and good footballing brain to find space, hold up the ball and play passes to more advanced player. This makes him the perfect deep lying forward. This role needs a strong, creative player. A player that likes the ball played into feet and a player that can score goals himself when needed. Jay ticks all these boxes.

The other striker needs to be more advanced. A player that make space for himself to run onto through balls from the second forward. A quick player, comfortable with the ball at his feet and and an excellent finisher. Step up Michael Chopra.

Ross McCormack can be used in either of the roles talked about above. He is quick enough and a brilliant finisher, but he also has the creativity and quality to drop deep and run at defenders. He can also play on either wing, which makes him a great option to replace Whittingham and the left and cut in as an inside forward.

Staff

Terry Burton

Assistant Manager

Terry's a top assistant manager for the Cardiff team. Unfortunately for me he's taken the Doncaster job, and I am finding it hard to find a replacement. So unless you know who you're going to sign don't get rid of him. If he does leave you, well it's going to be tough to find a replacement. You could probably get better in the prem, but that's up to you. He's got great man management, he can spot potential, and can work with youngsters very well. Ok so he lacks tactical knowledge(9), but he has a lot of other good stats. In my opinion, you should keep him , as it's going to be a struggle to find better, if even any. After Terry left for the Doncaster manager post, I got Ray Matthias. It's very annoying that as you have no transfer budjet, you have to get un-attached staff members unless you have a budjet. So he was who I hired, he dosen't look too bad, best I could find.

Paul Wilkinson

First Team Coach

I'm not the best at judging staff, but on first looks he dosen't look much good. He's got some great scouting attributes, but that's not much of use as a first team coach. He's got a alright mental stat, and is fantastic with youngsters. His level of discipline is 15 which is good I suppose. But as a coach, he hasn't got much decent stats. Before sacking him, make sure you have found someone who will be willing to join, as if you immediately sack him you may not find a replacement.

Martyn Margetson

Goalkeeper's Coach

Martyn is a former Cardiff player and I remember him playing for us. He's got a good goalkeeping attribute, and is also good with youngsters. He dosen't need much other stats. Having a good determination is a bonus, and he's also fairly disciplined. I'd sugest keeping Martyn but if you can find better then why not, up to you.

Alex Armstrong

Fitness Coach

For the Championship Armstrong will do the job with 15 fitness, and probably the prem. He hasn't got much other stats, he can motivate players so that's not too bad. You don't really need a change here.

Gary Wilmot

Youth Coach

Well, to start off with he's got some poor other stats, but the thing is, he's a youth coach, and his working with youngsters is 3, seriously, something wrong there I think. Sack him, you should easily find better.

Mark Neville

Youth Coach

Ok, so he's a lot better at his job than Wilmot, but he's quite average, so if you can better, go ahead, as he's not the best.

Geraint Twose

Youth Coach

He's better than the other two, and is actually alright, nothing too special. So you really should keep him, as he is good enough for the Championship in my opinion.

Jason Fowler

Youth Coach

He's very average, if a bit below average, you might want to sack him you might want, up to you, you could probably get better. So you should probably sack him, you decide.

Neal Ardley

Youth Coach

Neal is another former Bluebird, I also remember watching him. He's probably the best youth coach here, with a working with youngsters of 15 and defending 15, so he's quite good. I'd highly suggest keeping him, as compared to others, he's definately one of the best. Considering the fact you can't pay compensation to other clubs with no budjet, you'' find it a struggle to find un-attached replacements.

Phillip Llewellyn

Youth Coach

He, like a lot of our youth coaches, is average, nothing stands out, but he'll probably do the job. It's going to be hard to find a replacement, but why not, as you have a lot of youth coaches, maybe one or two too much.

Neil Lewis

Physio

He's quite a good Physio, he's not bad is the sentance I'm trying to say. He can also work with youngsters, so he's alright. Up to you if you want to keep him or not.

Sean Connelly

Physio

He is a great physio, fantastic for the Championship and Premiership. He's got a physiotherapy of 17, and his fitness is 15. It might be a struggle to keep him. He's got high determination, which can only be a good thing. You have to keep him!

Rod Groves

Scout

His working with youngsters is good, but his scouting abillities aren't, at 10 and 11, and his adaptabillity is also not very good. I have got a suggestion in this area, Ted Davies who is un-attached who has a JPA is 16 and JPP is 17 (Judging player abillity/potential).

Howard Ross

Scout

Similar to Groves,not very good really, you I would expect can get better, as I mentioned in Groves's description, get Ted Davies in, top scout.

Adam Atteo

Scout

He's nothing special, but better than the first two. So if you do get a top scout, he's a decent second scout to have, so he's alright.

Roger Smith

Scout

If I have my facts right he was a former Arsenal scout. He's a bit better than Atteo, so maybe sack Atteo and keep him, or keep both and try to get Davies/another good scout.

Staff Overview

You've got quite average staff. One great physio(Connelly) and one good youth coach(Ardley). Burton's also a good assistant manager so you should keep those 3 definately. You have a lot of youth coached so I'd suggest sacking one or two of them(ESPECIALLY WILMOT!). You might want to replace your first-team coaches, and if you haven't noticed you have no normal coaches, which is a bit odd, so try and hire one or two of them.

You have good enough physio, well a fantastic one, so that area's ok. You might want a total revamp, I wouldn't be too suprised. Hire Ted Davies as a scout, some top stats, and he's free.

Unless you've sold some players and got some transfer budjet, it's going to be very tough to find staff as you won't be able to hire staff from other clubs as you can't afford the compensation with no budjet. If you're in the Premiership you should only keep 3 people, if not even less(keep Connelly , up to you if you want to keep Ardley a Burton).

Conclusion

Cardiff City are hopefully, and they should be a team on the up, new stadium, new training facillities, and a lot more. A new stadium was needed, and finances have improved with the introduction of the stadium. It's a big and much-needed step forward for the club and nation in many different ways.

We were last season on the verge of the play-offs, missing out on a single goal, we have been in The Championship for a bit now, and we are near the Premiership, bringing us needed finances and what we've been chasing for the last few years. You've started with quite a good base, not too much change needed I would have thought. Try and keep the chore of the team if possible as it's a good one. In the first season really try and reach the play-offs. You could reach The Premiership in one season, it shouldn't be impossible. The question is can you take them that one step further?

Good luck with the city and remember to post here.

no its cool mate... the opening post is better now

no its cool mate... the opening post is better now

Yeh, thanks I'd love to have your advice, would you think that's a bit too much history?

possibly mate.. especially since you'll need to add a hell of a lot more fm10 info.... take the arsenal thread as a template.. its outstanding tbh and is pretty much the standard people should be aiming for

Yeh, so I see, ok thanks for that, I'll delete a bit now. I've got a badge up as you see, I would do the kits in small but it's been a bit of a kerfuffle this year with our kit(late sponsors, sponsors not allowed to sponsor our shirt for some reason), so no photos up just yet.

Thanks.

EDIT: i'd like to know, how to make fonts bigger and in different colours, as that would be good. Also how to put your badge in the centre of the thread, rather than the left.

possibly mate.. especially since you'll need to add a hell of a lot more fm10 info.... take the arsenal thread as a template.. its outstanding tbh and is pretty much the standard people should be aiming for

I wouldn't say that. I've spent A LOT of time on that, and I wouldn't expect most people to be as sad as me and to write that much.

I know, can't wait to get started, hey mate I'm sorry but could you delete your message, and re do it in a few minutes, reason being I might need another post to cover it, also due to the fact you're only allowed 4 screenshots a post.

Thanks a lot for your comment, I hope you underdstand.

Done mate

Although am a bit dissapointed about Adam Matthews hoping he would be a little but better

Done mate

Although am a bit dissapointed about Adam Matthews hoping he would be a little but better

Same, expected him to be better, also Chopra dosen't reflect his real life abillity. How you doing so far, give us a review on signings and how you're doing so far if you want.

Same, expected him to be better, also Chopra dosen't reflect his real life abillity. How you doing so far, give us a review on signings and how you're doing so far if you want.

I thought he wasn't to bad tbh,

I post some of my transfers up maybe a bit later on

Cool, bit annoyed that we haven't got a transfer budjet, although I guess it's reallistic.

Any suggestions for me, how am i doing so far?

Very cool thread mate, I have started with Cardiff and this is how my team looks:

GK: David Marshall (trying to get Lonergan)

DL: Michael Ball

DC: Glauber, Ivan Campo

DR: Lauren

ML: Peter Whittingham

MC: Johan Vogel, Joe Ledley

MR: Andy van der Meyde

ST: Michael Chopra, Ebi Smolarek

Would say i like your team, but changed way too much,

Very cool thread mate, I have started with Cardiff and this is how my team looks:

GK: David Marshall (trying to get Lonergan)

DL: Michael Ball

DC: Glauber, Ivan Campo

DR: Lauren

ML: Peter Whittingham

MC: Johan Vogel, Joe Ledley

MR: Andy van der Meyde

ST: Michael Chopra, Ebi Smolarek

Hmm, you've changed quite a lot so it will take time to gel, still you've got a strong side, Smolarek you've done amazing to sign, so ncie one, Van Der Meyde is a good signing. Get Elliott Omozusi and Iban Zubiaurre, on frees.

EDIT: And get Ted Davies in as a scout.

Too bad that they are already bought...

I have sold only Capaldi and Botroyd, so if someone of the new players isn't playing well, I have more than enough backups.

Btw I reccomend Barry Whitbread, Malcolm Shotton, Per Andersen, Scott McLachlan, Don Mackay and Pat Holland - very good scouts.

stareted with cardiff loaned in Richie da leat, nacar bazarite danny rose and also brought in viduka rohan ricketts on free transfers. sold commingues, kennedy bothroyd rae and mcphail to cut the wage bill and bring in some transfer cash, played arsenal and villa in freindly for more money.

stareted with cardiff loaned in Richie da leat, nacar bazarite danny rose and also brought in viduka rohan ricketts on free transfers. sold commingues, kennedy bothroyd rae and mcphail to cut the wage bill and bring in some transfer cash, played arsenal and villa in freindly for more money.

Nice one, good idea to arrange big friendly's to make some cash.

thank you i always do it when im LL team bring in some much needed finance

Started my game with Cardiff, bit of a bugger that there's no transfer money but considering that they spent ~£6m in reality, not surprising.

In my one game I've not sold anyone as of yet (Tried offloading Ledley which got me about £4m in another game, but there were no takers this time), Celtic never made a firm offer on their interest in McPhail, which is a bugger. So at the moment all I've brought in are loan signings.

Kieran Gibbs - LB/AML - Arsenal

Vladimir Weiss - AMR - Man City

Damien Plessis - DM - Liverpool

Add Etuhu to that as well and I've got no more room for long term domestic loans.

I'm playing a 4132 formation, with Plessis as the DM. Two games in and I've beaten Scunthorpe 3 - 0 in the Championship and beaten Dag & Red 4 - 0 in the League Cup.

I'm pretty pleased with the squad, could maybe do with another CB/DM, negotiating with Campo at the moment, but if I don't get him I should be fine.

I've just started as Cardiff.

Thinking about selling Comminges, Kennedy, Scimeca, McPhail and possibly Capaldi, Rae and Bothroyd if I can utilise the free market well.

What are good prices to sell these players for?

i sold em for what there worth to get them off wage bill. Viduka and Ricketts for free are essential and will come also loan Richie Da Laet as Mcnaughton injured and i also loaned Nacar Bazaratie

Hows every one getting on so far ?

Ive signed Fabio on loan and sold Gavin Rae and Comminges so far

I seem to be getting battered in posession every game. Any idea how to reverse this?>

If you are playing with a defensive midfielder, sell Scimeca as you will get a tiny amount for him which is better than nothing, then get Mikele Leigterwood(spelling probably wrong, from Queen's Park Rangers), for 50 percent of his wages, also get Rhys Williams on loan from Middlesbrough, who can play DM, CB a CM.

Sorry about the late thread, been away.

If you can raise some cash, have a look at Gergely Rudolph at Debrecen. I snapped him up for £170k after shipping out Bothroyd to 'Boro for 900K. He's bagged 13 goals in 11 games.

If you can raise some cash, have a look at Gergely Rudolph at Debrecen. I snapped him up for £170k after shipping out Bothroyd to 'Boro for 900K. He's bagged 13 goals in 11 games.

I will, well done on selling Bothroyd for that much, how tall is he as if you sell Bothroyd you'll probably need a big man?

I have made a load of free signings and sold much of the squad to generate funds.

Players out: Ledley (4.5 Sunderland), Whittingham (1.5 Ipswich), McPhail (1.5 Ipswich), Bothroyd (1.2 Coventry), Burke (875k Plymouth), Capaldi (425k Colchester), Kennedy (200k Leeds), Comminges (160k Brighton).

Players in (frees): Sol Campbell, Glauber, Mario Silva, Lauren, Zenden, Kabous, Ze Maria, Smolarek, Henri Camera, Viduka, Spinesi

Loans (all season long): Fabio, Barazite, John Fleck.

Just played my first game, my team was:

GK Marshall

LB Silva

CB Glauber

CB Campbell

RB Lauren

LM Zenden

CM Fleck

CM Rae

RM Ze Maria

ST Smolarek

ST Chopra

Smolarek scored and I controlled the whole match, then Grant McCann scored a 30 yard screamer in injury time with their first shot! Hopefully things will improve when the team gels together, I have made a lot of changes.

got cardiff to the prem heres how....

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=158826

Anyone got a decent tactic for Cardiff - struggling at the moment!!!

standard 442 for me

Wat up jst finished my first season with cardiff in my 1st seson i signed sott mc donald from celtic and kenny miller from rangers and also signed alan smith from newcastle and got promoted IN the after 1st season jst going in to my second season now iv jst signed paul roBinson micheal dawson micah richards aidean mcgeady michelan owen and jermine defoe played 1st game drew 1 each wif arsenal

how the hell you get micah richards i just about got joe hart lol when i went up

Wat up jst finished my first season with cardiff in my 1st seson i signed sott mc donald from celtic and kenny miller from rangers and also signed alan smith from newcastle and got promoted IN the after 1st season jst going in to my second season now iv jst signed paul roBinson micheal dawson micah richards aidean mcgeady michelan owen and jermine defoe played 1st game drew 1 each wif arsenal

Do not use text speak. And use some punctuation!

Slightly better Op now hopefully.

This is very quiet now, anyone playing as theall-mighty Bluebirds?

Had a fantastic first season. Got promoted on the last day thanks to Bothroyds last minute winner against Derby.

I generally play a flat 4-4-2 with Marshall in goal who brilliantly replicates his real life reflex saves in game.

The two full backs of Quinn and McNaughton were set to automatic full back duties.

The Center Back pairing consisted of Hudson (Captain and set to "limited") and Gerrard (Set to "Center Back").

The regular Right Winger was Chris Burke. (Set to "winger" on a support role).

The regular Left side slot was filled by Peter Whittingham. (Set to "Side Midfielder" with a support role).

The Center Midfield was split into a Ball Winning player (Rae) and a box to box player (Ledley). Both had support roles.

Jay Bothroyd (Deep Lying Striker) was partnered by Micheal Chopra (Advanced Forward). Both were set to attack.

Team instructions were normally set to play a fluid attacking game. Although sometimes I played a balanced counter attacking game away from home against stronger teams.

Signings

Table

To prepare for the promised land I was given a pretty hefty £29M just to achieve a mid table finish. I may have overpaid for a few players but I think I can keep this group together for 4/5 years without spending much more.

Signings

Current Squad

Results/Fixtures

Will update on how my Premiership season is going after the Man City game.

YAS! \0/

Quinn, McNaughton, Gerrard, Burke, Whittingham, McPhail, Bothroyd, Chopra and McCormack all played a part. That's fantastic considering they were Championship players last season. Really stepped up to the plate.

Nice result Gav.

I'm still near the top of the championship at the moment, really want to reach prem.

Despite losing to Man Utd and Spurs away (both 2-0) I don't really feel like I've been played off the park by anyone. Got a good 1-1 draw against Sunderland at home. Was one nil up and should have closed it out but I'm still learning the game.

I think I'm close to finishing the Op, I'd like a few more screenshots in my second post, any suggestion on how to make it any better, all suggestions welcome

I think I'm close to finishing the Op, I'd like a few more screenshots in my second post, any suggestion on how to make it any better, all suggestions welcome

Tbh it's a pretty awesome OP

Update

I actually haven't had a lot of time to actually play as the mighty Bluebirds yet so I've reached late Friday the 20th of November, which is in 2 days. I'm about to play Barnsley away.

Pre-Season

N Cardiff 2-0 Cardiff Reserves - Burke, Chopra

A Cardiff 2-0 Rotherham - Chopra, Whittingham

A Cardiff 3-2 Brechin - Ledley, Skacel, Smolarek

H Cardiff 3-4 Bayern Munich - Whittingham, Chopra, McPhail - They scored a free-kick(Ribery) in literally the last 2 seconds

N Cardiff 2-1 Manchester City - Chopra(2)

A Cardiff 5-1 Chasetown - Smolarek(2), Whittingham, Chopra(2)

A Cardiff 2-0 Lincoln - Smolarek, Chopra

Overview

So as you can see I had a good pre-season, Franck Ribery scored in the last 2 seconds with a flukey free-kick, a dissapointment, but it's only a friendly. I played Manchester City at a Neutral venue and suprisingly won, brilliant. I won every other game, as expected, so all was good.

Transfers

I got some great deals in the market, I was quite pleased, and I didn't spend a single penny.

In

Rudi Skacel - Free Transfer, Lb/Ml/AML

Sol Campbell - Free Transfer - CB

Ebi Smolarek - Free Transfer - ST

Mikele Leigterwood - Loan - QPR - DMC/CM

Nacer Barazite - Loan - Arsenal - AMRLC

Ritchie De Laet - Loan - Man U - DRLC

Rhys Williams - Loan - Middlesbrough - DC/DMC

Out

Riccy Scimeca - 16k - Notts County - DM/CM

Gabor Gyepes - 150k - Notts County - DC

Miguel Comminges - 85k - West Brom - DRL/WBR

Tony Capaldi - 300k - Sheffield United - DL

Overview

I was very happy with my dealings, I didn't mind those who left, shifted the transfer money to the wage budjet to get Cambell a Smolarek. I paid 50 percent of Leigtwerwood's wages and that's it. Delighted with Smolarek and Campbell, the reason I got Skacel was his variety down the left, which would be useful. Williams has more pace than most of my defence, Leigterwood is a solid DM, De Laet can play all across the back, and Barazite has variety as well as being a quality player.

Comminges is pretty useless, and I had cover for Capaldi, I desperately needed the wages(his wages and more wage budjet from transfer fee). Gyepes I just didn't need including the loans, and Scimeca was too old and wasn't good enough.

I'll probably sell a few players, definately Taiwo in January. I might get another player on loan over 25.

I'LL POST MORE TOMMOROW!

Tbh it's a pretty awesome OP

Thanks, It's much appreciated mate

Gav's Premiership adventure pt1:

Some awesome results like the draws with Arsenal and Man City, and beating Villa and Liverpool. Then some terrible ones like losing to Bolton, Everton and West Ham.

Lying in 13th atm. Which is respectable considering the team. Will push for 10th but will be more than happy with 15th/16th.

bluebirds4life if you want a hand with tactics I'll help. PM what your thinking of adding to the OP.

Chelsea Result disappoints fans

Supporter spokesperson Shane Fraser believes the fans are disappointed with Cardiff's 1-2 English Premier Division defeat against Chelsea.

Really? Top of the league vs newly promoted team and only lose by a goal? Frank Lampard playing against Gavin Rae?

Aye alright....

Really? Top of the league vs newly promoted team and only lose by a goal? Frank Lampard playing against Gavin Rae?

Aye alright....

Bit odd that to be honest. Great result against Villa though.

And you've got a pm

Whitts scored the winner against Villa. Classic "Returning player haunting his former team" story.

Sorted.

Won't let me add anything else, says I got too much pictures, when I clearly don't, I would have done the Stadium a Conclusion by now, maybe a bit more to the main title, oh well.

I'll make the update simpler for myself:

Transfers

League Table

Fixtures

Top player

This players has been great for me, versatile in the attack and can be lethal, definately advise getting him, been great for me, can rip defences apart and scores his fair share of goals.

Player of the Month

As you see, a great month for the players as members of our team won all three places in The Player of the month award, the result was as follows.

1) Ebi Smolarek

2) Kevin McNaughton

3) Ritchie De Laet

Great news

Young Player of the Month

Even better news as we won 2 places in the Young Player of the Month. The places were as follows:

1) Nacer Barazite

2) Kyle Walker(Sheffield United)

3. Ritchie De Laet

Great months for awards then.

Goal of The Month

We got yet another reward as we came third in the goal of the month award. The standings were as follows.

1) Joey Barton(Newcastle)

2) Will Hoskins(Watford)

3) Rudi Skacel

So yet another award.

Manager of The Month

Yet another award, I was very happy to win manager of the month. Here are the top 3.

1) Me!

2) Paul Sturrock(Plymouth)

3) Gary Johnson(Bristol City)

Fa Cup Third Round draw

News came that we were to play our rivals Bristol City, the game will be held at Cardiff City Stadium. A Severnside derby to kick off the first FA Cup game played at the new Stadium.

Fantastic month for us! December here we come.