FM 2009: Official Newcastle United F.C. Thread

Club Information

Background

Name: Newcastle United F.C.

Nickname(s): The Magpies, The Toon Army, The Toon

Founded: 1892

Home Kit: Black & White striped shirt, Black shorts, Black socks with White hoops

Away Kit: Purple shirt, Purple shorts, Purple socks with White rings

Fierce Rivals: Sunderland

Other Rivals: Middlesbrough

Legends: Alan Shearer, Kevin Keegan, Bobby Robson, Peter Beardsley

Club Icons: Rob Lee, Gary Speed, Lee Clark, Steve Watson, Pavel Srnicek, Warren Barton, Paul Gascoigne, Les Ferdinand, Liam O'Brien, Bobby Moncur

Favoured Personnel: John Beresford, Malcolm MacDonald, Jonathan Woodgate

League: English Premiership

Media Prediction: 12th

Team Captain: Michael Owen

Vice Captain: Nicky Butt

Staff

Manager: Joe Kinnear

Assistant Manager: Chris Hughton

Coach: Mark Wheeler

GK Coach: Paul Barron

Fitness Coach: Craig Russell

Fitness Coach: Mark Hulse

Fitness Coach: Robbie Elliott

Youth Coach: Kenny Wharton

Youth Coach: Alan Thompson

Youth Coach: Richard Money

Youth Coach: Joe Joyce

Physio: Derek Wright

Physio: Ian McGuinness

Physio: Davie Henderson

Physio: Kevin Bell

Scout: Dennis Wise

Scout: Jeff Vetere

Scout: Chris McMenemy

Scout: Pablo Longoria

Scout: Vic Halcom

Scout: Lil Fuccillo

Finances

Estimated Value: £98m

Loan Debt: £110m

Balance: £23.1m

Transfer Budget: £6.75m (Winner), £6m (Title Challenge), £5.5m (Continental Qualification), £4.3m (Top Half Finish)

Wage Budget: £1.1m (Winner), £1.1m (Title Challenge), £1m (Continental Qualification), £925k (Top Half Finish)

Current Wage: £870k

Stadium & Facilities

Ground: St. James’ Park

Capacity: 52,387

Expansion Capacity: 60,000

No. of Season Ticket Holders: 35,000

Average Season Ticket Price: £570

Average Ticket Price: £34

Reserve Stadium: Kingston Park

Training Facilities: Top Training Facilities

Youth Setup: Good Youth Facilities + Youth Academy

Squad Analysis

First Team Squad

Goalkeepers

1. Shay Given

13. Steven Harper

40. Tim Krul

Defenders

2. Fabricio Coloccini

3. Jose Enrique

6. Claudio Cacapa

12. Sebastien Bassong

21. Habib Beye

27. Steven Taylor

28. Tamas Kadar

30. David Edgar

Midfielders

7. Joey Barton

8. Danny Guthrie

11. Damien Duff

14. Charles N’Zogbia

15. Ignacio Gonzalez (on loan from Valencia)

18. Jonas Gutierrez

20. Geremi

22. Nicky Butt (Vice Captain)

38. Kazenga LuaLua

Forwards

9. Obafemi Martins

10. Michael Owen (Captain)

17. Alan Smith

19. Xisco

23. Shola Ameobi

29. Fabio Zamblera

36. Mark Viduka

39. Andrew Carroll

Recommended Formation

Using the current first team squad without making any changes, I would recommend playing a simple 4-4-2, with fast mixed or direct passing, decent width, little creative freedom (just use it for individual players), with a slightly attacking mentality, focusing passing down the wings.

GK: Given

DR: Beye

DL: Enrique

DC: Taylor

DC: Colloccini

MR: Gutierrez

ML: N’Zogbia

MC: Guthrie

MC: Barton

ST: Owen

ST: Martins

Recommended Improvements

In my opinion the squad could do with 5 or 6 more quality players to be considered as a top 6 contending team. The positions that need strengthening are left back, centre back, centre midfield, both wings and up front.

I feel a left back is needed as although Enrique is strong and solid, he just isn’t up to scratch technique-wise, therefore the new player should be good enough to be first choice.

Possible Targets: Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Taye Taiwo (Marseille), Razvan Rat (Shakhtar)

The new centre back would provide cover and rotation for the current partnership of Coloccini and Taylor, which I believe will be a pretty good duo at the back.

Possible Targets: Christopher Samba (Blackburn), Guy Demel (HSV), Mirel Radoi (Steaua)

Centre midfield needs a creative spark, as all but one (Ignacio Gonzalez) of the current crop are more defensive minded. Therefore a creative attacking player is required here to partner one of the defensive players.

Possible Targets: Alex (Internacional), Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca), Diego Buonanotte (River), Douglas Costa (Gremio)

Cover is needed for both wings as there is no natural right winger other than Jonas, and I feel Duff isn’t good enough to cover for N’Zogbia. I would suggest bringing in a more experienced player on the left, and a younger player for the right.

Possible Targets: Alessandro Rosina (Torino), Cani (Villarreal), Juan Arango (Mallorca), Francois Clerc (Lyon), Marko Babic (Betis)

Finally I feel we need another good striker to rotate with Owen and Martins, as Viduka, in my opinion, is past it and should only be used sparingly and I don’t feel Xisco will ever become anything special. The new man should be tall, strong and good in the air, ala Adebayor at Arsenal.

Possible Targets: Stephen Ayodele Makinwa (Lazio), Kevin Doyle (Reading), Soren Larsen (Toulouse), Maroune Chamakh (Bordeaux), Marco Borriello (A.C Milan)

On the selling front, I would look to sell Cacapa, Alan Smith, Mark Viduka, and depending on your singings, also sell Damien Duff.

So there's a brief description of the club and a basic analysis of the squad. With a few quality signings you could be competing for the UEFA Cup 1st season. I'd make it a four year plan to break into the top four and maybe grab the title. So all I have left to say is good luck with the Toon, and I hope you can bring the glory days back to Tyneside!

also a possible target for an Attacking Midfielder Luis Jimenez, Van der Vaart and for Target Striker Maroune Chamakh

Abit of copy and paste going on in the opening post Not that I mind

here mate also we get a 6.75m transfer budget

Great thread, on the MC reccommendations you put Luis Kiminez - ideal you need to change that.

Otherwise, fab thread:)

and also a 1.1m wage budget

and also a 1.1m wage budget

Thanks mate, sorry for the errors it's just I've been writing this for a week now and wanted to get it up, plus it doesn't help that my crappy internet is takin ages to download the demo so can't check it yet, it will all be definitely finished tonight.

Brilliant opening post

great post altho with 5.5m i got i dont think i can buy much

What do people think of Per Ciljan Skjelbred's stats for a backup CM?

he is good JOEYT he wants to play for us in real life too

Brilliant opening post

Agreed, nice OP

Excellent opening post.

Can anybody tell me if there are any hidden transfer clauses as was the case with Martins in FM 08 ?

Thanks for starting this thread!

I've only got 5.5 mil. Not sure Newcastle can get VDV though???

Has anyone sold Owen yet?

AC Milan came in with a good offer of 8mil and I really need the money

I've accepted a bid from Spurs of 11.5 mil for Owen.:o

How does Jonas look? And Colo?

I'll post a screenshot in a minute Hopey.

Imageshack isn't working for me so, Coloccini looks very good with lots of top stats but Jonas looks very poor especially since he has been great this year. Lots of single figures

Imageshack isn't working for me so, Coloccini looks very good with lots of top stats but Jonas looks very poor especially since he has been great this year. Lots of single figures

S'okay, I have just downloaded/installed strawberry demo so just checked, agree with you Colo looks pretty ace! Jonas looks abit shabby considering how good he is IRL

Odd...

Er..... Ok, this is scary; new owners are apparently coming in and are rumoured to have another managed lined up.

It hasn't happened yet, but I'll not be a happy chappy if this happens on every start, it will make Newcastle essentially unmanageable!

Anyone else experienced this?

I desperately need a new striker

Please help

11mil

I desperately need a new striker

Please help

11mil

Erm, Cardozo? Also have a look at Pavel Pogrebnyak he doesn't look too bad!

I've put a bid in for the former and if that doesn't work out, I'll try for the latter:thup:

Cheers

I've put a bid in for the former and if that doesn't work out, I'll try for the latter:thup:

Cheers

Have a look at Lisandro Lopez too, hard to say in a way because I'm not sure what type of player Newcastle can attract and the fact that everyone is new to the demo etc

Cardozo didn't want to come and it looks like Pav is on his way and Chris Hughton rates him better than Cardozo anyway

Cardozo didn't want to come and it looks like Pav is on his way and Chris Hughton rates him better than Cardozo anyway

Yeah but that's Chris Hughton! Don't know how good he is stat-wise as a coach/ass.man. Can't see either..

Lol

Michael Owen failed a medical at Spurs so I didn't get the 11mil and no Pav

Owen out for 3 months too. Typical

Michael Owen failed a medical at Spurs so I didn't get the 11mil and no Pav

Owen out for 3 months too. Typical

LOL, typical indeed. Sorry mate

Martins is lethal on this though. So quick

Not got the demo so can't see; but how good is Xisco and Guthrie? I heard earlier that Colo looks good but Jonas is disappointing.

Great Starter of the thread well done

Not got the demo so can't see; but how good is Xisco and Guthrie? I heard earlier that Colo looks good but Jonas is disappointing.

Both average although Guthrie has scored some screamers for me.

Gonzalez is surprisingly good

great opening post, but i was just wondering why you thought you needed another striker because you don't think xisco is good enough, he looks fine to me

his finishing is great an all his other stats look fine

I just don't feel Xisco will get any better tbh, and stats aren't everything. His stats were more or less the same on 08 but he wasn't very good.

Lads, where do you think Toon need to strengthen up? Can you recommend any signings with the little money that we have to spend. Anyone got to a take over point? Would be interesting to know how much the new owner gives us!!

Xisco works very well on this if you use him as a target man.

I'm playing 4-3-3 formation and using Xisco as a target man. He flicks in on for Makinwa and Martins to run onto and chips in with a few goals aswell

darrensen - Read the opening post, I said where I feel the squad needs strengthening. Haven't actually played the game much, just been scouting and looking at players from 08 to see how good they are, and been looking for new youth. Just getting ready for the full game really lol.

Anon - Hmmm might have to try that, maybe I'll change my opinion of the lad

I like the new feature where you get your assistant to look for loan players

Cheers Sean, i did see your post but just wondered what others thought.

I can see it being very tough for Toon in FM 09! At least for the 1st few seasons!

I am trying to get O'Toole from watford what do you reckon?

O'Toole looks a decent Championship player and he would never stop trying but I'm not sure that is what Newcastle need with Butt,Barton and Guthrie already.

How much were you going to pay for him?

I started a new game with that injury editor to remove 'unnecessary' injuries.

I play 5-4-1 with:

Shay Given

Miguel Torres (loan to buy - £4m)

Ste Taylor

Fabrico Coloccini

Fabrico Fuentes (£450k)

Habib Beye

Nicky Butt

Joey Barton

Zog

Jonás

Micky Owen

Not doing too bad, but only played poor teams in all fairness.

PS. 1-0 the night! 'Mon the Toon!

My injury list:

Jonas-2 months

Owen- 3 months

Per Ciljan Skjelbred- a month

Right I actually started playing it now and just coming up to my first league game. So far I've managed to sell absolutely nobody . I set expectations to winner seeing as though the game only lasts 6 months, so got £6.75m to play with. I brought in Manuel Pasqual for £2m and Stephen Makinwa for £1.9m. The board also gave me an extra £1m so I have £3.9m left. I also brought in Santiago Acasiete and Xavier Margairaz on loan, both came recommended by Hughton. I'm trying to sell Jonas as I'm going to try a 4-3-3 with no wingers so won't need him, plus it's only the demo so I'm not too bothered, but no-one wants him . Not sure who to get with remaining money, but the team I'm going to start the season with will look something like this:

GK: Given

DR: Beye

DL: Pasqual

DC: Taylor

DC: Coloccini

MCa: Margairaz

MCd: Butt or Guthrie

MCa: N'Zogbia

FW: Martins

ST: Xisco

FW: Makinwa

Wish me luck!

i sold owen for 5mil to ac milan. the atts for jonas are poor compared to 08 its a shame

Oh if any wants a really cheap buy go for RIVALDO i know i know he is old but he is a good player to have for one season and great atts and gets alot of goals!!

Good post, but personally I don't like managing in Britain... My question is quite simple: I've heard LuaLua has quite good stats in FM09, any one tried to give him a run of games? What is he like?

Anyone mind posting a screenshot perhaps?

Cheers

Agree with so much of the above:

433 seems to work well, with Xisco as your main target man and set 'to head'

O' Toole fits in well - I bought him in my demo.

Rivaldo has been good for me too.

I would advise to get rid of Enrique and buy Rat - he was transfer listed on mine and plays really well

Ok i have seen people ask a few questions bout players etc so ill put up some pics, first of all is the team its self.

[/img]

AS YOU CAN SEE THE ONLY REAL PLAYER THERE WHICH IS WORTH A LOOK FROM ANY OTHER CLUB IS BEYE

[/img]

THIS SUPRISED ME TO BE HONEST BECAUSE XISCOS ATTS ARE NOT THAT BAD AND HE DOES SCORE ALOT.

I ALSO HAVE OWEN THERE TOO LOOK AT AND SOMEONE ASKED ABOUT LUA LUA.

[/img]

[/img]

I DID MENTION IN AN EARLIER POST THAT RIVALDO IS WELL WORTH A BUY IF ONLY FOR A SEASON, AS YOU CAN SEE HIS STATS ARE GREAT AND HE SCORES ALOT (NO BS) I GOT HIM FOR 500K AND IN FOUR GAMES SCORED 5.