FM10: Official Melbourne Victory Thread - Victory The Brave

Club Information:

Founded: 2004

Fierce Rivals: Sydney FC, Adelaide United

Feeder Club: Tianjin

Legends: Kevin Muscat, Archie Thompson

Icons: Carlos Hernandez

Favoured Personnel: Danny Allsopp, Rodrigo Vagas, Adrian Leijer

League: Hyundai A-League

Captain: Kevin Muscat

Finances:

Balance: 53333 pounds

Transfer Budget: 66666 pounds

Wage Budget: 0 pounds (Salary cap in place)

Stadium & Training:

Ground: Etihad Stadium

Capacity: 54,020 all-seater

Training Facilities: Average Training Facilities

Youth Facilities: Good Youth Facilities

Staff:

Chairman: Geoff Lord

Director of Football: Gary Cole

Assistant Manager: Adrian Healey

Player/Assistant Manager: Kevin Muscat

Goalkeeping Coach: Steve Mautone

Fitness Coach: Adam Basil

Youth Coach: Mehmet Durakovic

Physio: Lauren Cramer

Physio: Daniel Jones

Physio: Jane Nailon

Coaching Staff

Basically, none are good enough. Adrian Healey and Kevin Muscat can do a job for a season at most but that's it. There isn't a general all round coach or a scout so there is the first vital signing for the team. Use your filters and pretty much sign someone who is willing to come. Aim for 3.5 stars I usually go for the following:

Coach: John Murtough

Coach: John Owens

Assistant: Nigel Gibbs (Second Season)

Adam Basil and Steve Mautone will be able to hold down positions until replacements are available.

Physios:

Sack Jane Nailon straight up. The other two can hang around until the end of their contracts then replace them.

Scouts:

There are none! Sign Gilmar Rinaldi, Eric Martin, Don Mackay, Eric Whitbread, Vernon Lee and John Sivebaek

Squad:

Goalkeepers

Glen Moss

Mitchell Langerak

Defenders

Matthew Kemp

Matthew Foschini

Adrian Leijer

Kevin Muscat

Steven Pace

Surat Sukha

Rodigo Vagas

Midfielders

Evan Burger

Carlos Hernandez

Leigh Broxham

Billy Celeski

Grant Brebner

Tom Pondeljak

Matthew Theodore

Nick Ward

Strikers

Robbie Kruse

Archie Thompson

Nathan Elasi

Mate Dugandzic

Ney Fabiano

A general overview of the squad would suggest that too many players are on the wrong side of 30. Unfortunately it can be a struggle to get rid of some of the players not required as well. Always watch for Australians coming off contract as these players are going to be the bread and butter of your side.

Tip: Offer minimum wage and maximum add ons (particular goal bonuses and clean sheet bonuses) as this helps sign players and keep the wage under the salary cap.

Goalkeepers

Both are capable but neither are long term prospects. I would transfer list Moss and hope a buyer comes in. Look towards signing Mark Birighitti from Adelaide United at seasons end and keep an eye on Adam Federici and Dean Bouzanis as well. Squad limits would suggest having no more than 3 keepers on the books.

Youngster to Watch:.....

Recommended Signing: Federici, Bouzanis

Recommended Sale: Moss, Langerak

Right Backs

There are two players that will play here in your first season. Surat Sukha and Kevin Muscat. Muscat is the captain but old, slow and lacking skill. Sukha can cover right midfield as well so will be a must for your first XV. Foschini is a player to keep an eye on. As long as he develops well he will be the player to step up. He became my first choice in season two.

Youngster to Watch: Matthew Foschini

Recommended Signing: Rhys Williams (end of season)

Recommended Sale: Muscat

Left Backs

Really a lack of players here. Matthew Kemp is really your only option here. I managed to sign Michael Ball in the first season for a free. Try and use you remaining international spot on this position as it is a weakness in the team. It is possible that Luke Pilkington (winner of Foxtel's Football Superstar) will step up to this position but it really comes down to his stat spread on game generation. He may become a better left winger. Evan Burger isn't an option here.

Youngster to Watch: Luke Pilkington

Recommended Signing: Michael Ball, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (end of season) Shane Lowry (end of season)

Recommended Sale: Robert Wynne and any other youngster not mentioned

Centre Backs

Adrian Leijer is the first named here. Other than that it becomes thin quickly. Michael Ball was retrained into this position for me. Rody Vagas can do a job, Muscat cannot head, Pace isn't good enough and all the youngsters are duds. Aim to suppliment at season's end again. Make Wellington's Jonathan McKain your first chice target for the CB position

Youngster to Watch: None

Recommended Signing: Jon Mckain (end of season)

Recommended Sale: Everyone except Leijer

Right Midfielders

Another area lacking. Tom Pondeljak is really your only option but is old. Hopefully in an upcing patch Marvin Angulo (yes, the FM09 star) is at Melbourne on loan as per real life but if he isn't try and buy him. No youth is coming through here but Robbie Kruse can also play here, as can Sukha if you choose to play Muscat or Kemp as a right back. Cameron Watson is also a good option.

Youngster to Watch: Mate Dugandzic

Recommended Signing: Marvin Angulo, Cameron Watson

Recommended Sale:

Left Midfielders

Evan Burger. One and only option in my opinion. Always plays a great game for me in this position. Keep an eye on Luke Pilkington though. I managed to sign David Carney for free at the end of the season.

Youngster to Watch: Evan Burger, Luke Pilkington

Recommended Signing: David Carney (end of season)

Recommended Sale: Aziz Behich

Central Midfielders

Leigh Broxham should be your first choice DMC. With Carlos Hernandez and Nick Ward you have some pretty handy AMC's and retraining Celeski into a DMC will cover both these postions. Grant Brebner should also be retrained into a DMC but should be transfer listed as well. Unfortunately, all the youth are duds. Keep an eye on players coming out of contract. Ward should be played as an atticking midfielder and Hernandez as a support advanced playmaker. Try other roles as well though.

Youngster to Watch: None

Recommended Signing: Kasey Wehrman, Jonathan Blondel (free in second season)

Recommended Sale: All youth

Strikers

Archie Thompson will be your starting striker but give plenty of game time to Robbie Kruse. Kruse will become your first choice very soon. Again the youth are duds and Ney is a waste of space. Free transfers are once again your friend. If you can get Mark Viduka then get him but he will only be good for a season at most. he is just too slow.

Youngster to Watch: None

Recommended Signing: Viduka, Matt Simon (free second season)

Recommended Sale: Ney Fabiano, Nathan Elasi and all youth

Melbourne can play in a variety of formations. My preferred is a 4-5-1 with a DMC and 2 AMC's. you can also play a 4-5-1/4-3-3. With the latter Kruse and Dugandzic will become starters. My formation looks like this:

Langerak

Sukha, Leijer, *New Signing*, Kemp

Broxham

Pondeljak, Berger

Hernandez, Ward

Thompson/Kruse

The key to being successful is to keep the wages low and sign good youth. As Melbourne, you have the biggest support and biggest stadium in Australia so cash isn't a problem. As you have probably gathered, the starting youth is pretty poor so it isn't hard judging these players. During the first season have an eye for season two as this is when you will really become a force.

During the first season I would recomend scouting Central America and all of Africa. With Melbourne you can hire 6 scouts so set 5 to the regions of Africa (1 each) and the 6th to Central America. Don't set these as roaming. Then set another scouting mission to 'World - roaming' as in the second season your scouting funds drop significantly but as these trips are already in the scout's assignments they are able to be restarted.

After your first season have a player filter set to all players in Australia under 16, then get one of your scouts to provide you with a player report on the 200-300 players that come up. This will keep you on top of all the players that could become stars for your club. Most won't come straight away so sign them as soon as they turn 17.

The other thing to keep an eye on is players coming out of contract. Make sure you have a filter set to Australian's coming out of contract and one to world players coming out of contract.

Finally, generally you can only scout a few regions so set your scouts to roam these areas. It should keep you on top of any potential signings that would like to sign with you.

Ummm a bit more detail?

Ummm a bit more detail?

Ummm, how's that?

Nah, sorry, I hit post instead of preview at the start so I sort of stuffed it up but I hope the wait was worth it in the end.

Nick, how is the A-League in FM10? Will probably determine whether I get the game or not...

From the recommended signings, it's good to see that you can lure some decent Australian players from overseas. Didn't know Pilkington was a DL/ML, from the show it seemed like he was a DM.

Nick, how is the A-League in FM10? Will probably determine whether I get the game or not...

From the recommended signings, it's good to see that you can lure some decent Australian players from overseas. Didn't know Pilkington was a DL/ML, from the show it seemed like he was a DM.

The A-League in FM10 is much better than FM09 but still not perfect. A-League clubs now produce youth newgens which is more to help the AI compete in the NYL. It is still an easy league to play though. Easy to make money, easy to win, easy to lure players capable of playing at the A-League level. The other teams fail to provide competition as they don't scout the overseas talent or offer contracts in the same way as I suggested.

I must say, I did enjoy playing the A-League in FM10 much, much more than FM09.

As for Pilkington, in game he is a DL/WBL/ML and from what shows in the game has decent potential.

Glauber is a good CB to sign up as well. Have a look

If I want to play the A-league, which are the clubs/countries I should load up?

Definately have Asia loaded as in the ACL you are allowed one Asian player above the internationals limit. Africa and South America are obvious choices. UK and Ireland and Eastern Europe would be my other suggestions

How are the Fury in this

Glauber agrees to join Victory....wow!

signed dukes for fury! they still have bozza playing and his at olympic LOL

How many times have you won the aleague? how did you go in the acl?

How are the Fury in this

09/10 - 9th

10/11 - 6th

11/12 - 8th with 4 games to go.

Glauber agrees to join Victory....wow!

Yeah. Africa is a good place to scout too. I have also signed David Nugent when he was released on a free

signed dukes for fury! they still have bozza playing and his at olympic LOL

Good work on Dukes. He could dominate if played correctly

How many times have you won the aleague? how did you go in the acl?

Haven't won either yet in this save but 23 games into my 3rd season and I am dominating. CCM won the first two seasons

Well, Just finished the league and about to enter finals in 2012. Next season will be a bit tougher with the loss of Donny Neyra (6m), Marvin Angulo (3.5m) and Mark Milligan (2.4m). Hopefully I can keep a few of my youth players but with Luke Pilkington at Wolfsburg on loan with a 3m buy clause I expect to lose him as well.

I have already signed Ante Rozic to help defense for next season though and hopefully I win the GF and more players want to come to Melbourne

Absolutely loving the A-League, went the Fury purely for Fowler, had him and Dukes up top in which was surely the slowest forward pairing in world football. Resulted in an A-League Grand Final win in the first season, hard work starts here, Fowlers gone (too slow) and so has Steffanucto (correct spelling?). Great tips on the Aussie players Nick, cheers

Absolutely loving the A-League, went the Fury purely for Fowler, had him and Dukes up top in which was surely the slowest forward pairing in world football. Resulted in an A-League Grand Final win in the first season, hard work starts here, Fowlers gone (too slow) and so has Steffanucto (correct spelling?). Great tips on the Aussie players Nick, cheers

No probs Gowers. Glad the A-League is up to standard. Try adding the two new teams in the database and set them to come into the A-League after the first season for a bit more of a challenge

hey nice write-up on the victory. agree about some of the aus clubs being a bit slack in terms of aggressively going after players off contract. The other thing i find frustrating as it doesn't match real life is state league clubs and academies holding you to ransom for young players when in real life they are generally allowed to go to a-league clubs for nothing. i find it amusing when a 'spokesperson for the AIS supporters group' expresses outrage at me signing one of their top young players

anyway back to the victory - the ai has made some strange decisions in my game (I am the mariners) eg playing ney fabiano as a lone striker and leaving archie and kruse on the bench. but otherwise i agree with op that the a-league is quite fun to play this year.

I started a new game with Melbourne and am currently in the second season. I bombed out of the ACL in the group stage and finished the league in 8th. I always play the A-League thinking of season two and continuing on from there. My current squad is as follows:

GK:

Matthew Langerak

Dean Bouzanis

Diego Barcena

DEF:

Matthew Foschini

Shane Lowry

Shane Candsell-Sherriff

Adam D'Apuzzo

Joshua Rose

Dino Djulbic

Mark Milligan

Vuyo Mere

Adrian Leijer

Marvin Angulo

Dylan McGowan (loan)

MIDS:

Evan Berger

Luke Pilkington

Leigh Broxham

Kasey Wehrman

Jonathan Blondel

Santino Quaranta

Robbie Kruse

Eric Paartalu

ST:

Matt Simon

Mate Dugandzic

The players I got rid of were all released, sold for free or mutally terminated as they were surplus to requirments and I couldn't sell them. Five games in and I have scored 5, conceded 0 and haven't been beaten yet. I will look to upgrade Simon at the end of the season but besides that I think the side should win the league. Handy thing is that since I am not in the ACL I don't need to think too much about foreign players. When I make it back into the ACL thats when I will look to sell one of my foreigns and sign an Asian player for the ACL.

Just a couple of tips i thought i could add:

You can offer Muscat a new contract at the start of the game, he will ask for about 300pouund a week less than he is currently on and will only ask for a one month extension so it makes sense to do this. Also, if you dont rate Muscat as coach, he will accept a playing-only contract, rather than a player-coach deal.

Also, if you load the Italian leagues, down to serie b (although i havent tried with serie a) you will get italian clubs that will make offers for Pace and LaVerde if you offer them out, making it easier to dispose of them rather than waiting until their contracts expire. I think this would work the same with marinovic and lujic if you had the croatian and serbian leagues loaded but havent tried it.

Buying/Loaning Josh Rose for the first season is a handy signing. Greg Owens is available on a free at the start and is worth getting