FMS FM Thread - Traditional Play

[Terk]

Will there be a guest?

There will (as long as my Skype recording software works properly - and I'll be testing it over the weekend). Viper will be on the upcoming show (because he bugged me about it the most ).

[Terk]

I don't consider 53 to be any age at all you impudent young pup. By the way, I celebrated my birthday last week during a skiing holiday in Austria - beer, sun and snow, what a fine combination.

Of course it's not, Gramps

And that does sound like a nice way to celebrate a birthday. Less of the skiing for you though, the brittle bones won't like it

[Celtic_1967]

Jeez Terk my team are all over the news this week and I'm not even considered as the guest.

Well screw you!

[Terk]

Jeez Terk my team are all over the news this week and I'm not even considered as the guest.

Well screw you!

Not even I care about the SPL though

[Elrithral]

Oh well .

[Celtic_1967]

Not even I care about the SPL though

or the EPL given that your teams chances of winning it are lower than my teams chances of winning the SPL!!!!

[Spav]

Elrithral, I still use 10.1 as I never upgraded to 10.2 when I read of the one-on-one bug (and a few others that I now forget). As a result 10.3 doesn't seem necessary for me as I get an enjoyable game from 10.1 still.

[BenArsenal]

I've played FM10 all of twice since I bought it. So that tells you what I think. I've been removed as an FM Tester too.

What's a Horlicks?

[viperk1]

There will (as long as my Skype recording software works properly - and I'll be testing it over the weekend). Viper will be on the upcoming show (because he bugged me about it the most ).

What can I say? The news of the week seemed like perfect material to discuss.

[Terk]

I've played FM10 all of twice since I bought it. So that tells you what I think. I've been removed as an FM Tester too.

What's a Horlicks?

Horlicks

[BobBev]

I believe that Horlicks is also used as a slang expression - "He made a right Horlicks of that"

[Elrithral]

FM07 ME + FM08 Tactics Module + FM09 look and feel + FM10 database, editor and speed = The best game ever.

[gavrenwick]

So after taking Brechin back to the Scottish Division Two, the board requested that we finish just outside the playoffs or even in them if possible. It wasn't to be as we struggled all year and my job lost integrity and the fans lost faith. We sunk lower and lower as the season went on and the board offered me the chance to resign or be sacked, so I clearly resigned. The season ended like this;

I went in search of a new job. Took just a month before I ended up at Catanzaro in the Serie C1/B. They were already relegated and the season was already over, so they offered me a one year rolling deal to take them back up in the coming season from Serie C2/C.

Managers Stats So Far;

Games Played - 62

Games Won - 21

/Drawn - 17

/Lost - 24

[gavrenwick]

I actually managed to re-ignite my old LONG term game, one I was thinking had stopped working. Thankfully I managed to make it work and went on to secure my 1000th win in management but by god was it a close run match. I have to thank my 39 year old goalkeeper Niall McKnight for saving that penalty! :D

[Callumth]

First season as Man Utd manager. We all know what's at stake - number 19, three finals in a row, four championships in a row, etc etc.

I'll start the story with the Champions League first knockout round. Inter. Mourinho. First up, the San Siro. 17th February, 2010.

In the league, i'm level on points with Chelsea and miles ahead on goal difference - it looks like we'll break 100 goals this season. 9 minutes in, Diego Milito outpaces Vidic horribly and comfortably slots past Van Der Sar. Bad start.

After that, Inter are just clogging play up and I can't seem to do much. My shape seems to be right, I can't possibly introduce any more midfielders. At 50 minutes, Milito goes off injured, but it doesn't change the game.

I put on Gareth Bale for Ryan Giggs on 80 minutes to try and inject some pace into the game. As i'm planning for a difficult home encounter, Wayne Rooney breaks the offside trap and sends a lethal cross to the far post. Bale is rushing to meet it for an easy tap-in, but Julio Cesar is racing across his line, and just as he gets to the near post... Bale hits an incredible volley with his right foot instead, swerving it into the far post, miles out of Cesar's reach. 1-1! Not a bad result, got the vital away goal. And as I go into the tactics menu, the roles are reversed - Bale swings another ball into the box, and Wayne Rooney heads an injury-time winner past Cesar. 2-1 at the San Siro. Brilliant.

Next up are Wigan and Hull, and I edge them out 1-0 and 2-1, gaining no points on Chelsea. Still tied at the top.

But now it's the league cup final, against arch nemeses Liverpool. It's had a big build up, but I outplay them and saunter to a comfortable 2-0 win, Rooney and Berbatov bagging a goal each. Immediately, I started dreaming of a treble.

Little did I know how horrible a run-in I was to encounter.

6th March, 2010. Chelsea, FA Cup Quarter-Final. Old Trafford. My main rivals in the league, the chance to strike a psychological blow and deny them more silverware. I had previously put them out of the league cup. Rooney bags a half-time brace, and Chelsea come roaring out of the blocks in the second half. Ballack bundles one over the line in a goalmouth scramble, but it's of little consequence. The match ends 2-1 and Chelsea are out.

Four days later, 10th March, it's the second leg of the Inter tie. In a scrappy, dull game, Vidic and Cordoba see red early before Rodriguez slots home an 82nd-minute consolation. The second goal doesn't materialise, and we go through on away goals after a bland home defeat.

After that, it's Portsmouth, West Ham, Villa. 2-0, 2-1, 3-0. Easy.

And then, the run of death.

Four days after the Villa match, the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. At Old Trafford -

Barcelona.

I keep it tight and pack the midfield, using the wings as my outlet. Messi is injured, Barcelona are playing poorly, and Rooney scores early. Berbatov doubles the lead on 31 minutes. After that, I revert to picking them off on the counter-attack. Barcelona never look like scoring, but I can't snatch another on the break. 2-0, great result.

But just 3 days later - I have to go to Eastlands to take on local rivals Man City in a crucial league match. Tevez scores on 40 minutes, Rooney pulls one back before half time, Adebayor scores on 60, and I switch to 4-5-1. We start to take control of the game, but it's too late, and we can't score. It's a loss, and we're now three points behind Chelsea.

Four days on. Camp Nou. The second leg, against Barcelona. Messi returns, but only just.

We kick off and Rooney muscles Marquez off a through ball and smashes the ball past a stranded Valdes. It's 3-0, we have an away goal, and the tie looks to be over already. Barcelona are lagging behind in their league, they're out of form, and there's no way they can rescue this.

But Ibrahimovic hits a peach of strike from outside the area, pulling one back immediately. On 26 minutes, Iniesta makes it 2-1 to Barca and 3-2 on aggregate to me, still with the away goal advantage. Suddenly Barca are all over me, until Patrice Evra picks up on a risky defensive pass and slots one past Valdes. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Surely it's over now?

Gareth Bale, deployed in addition to Evra to keep an extra eye on Messi, is injured. Park Ji-Sung seems the obvious replacement, and I bring him on - but I put him in the middle, and move Giggs into the right. Messi is so exhausted that he's constantly forced to drift into the middle, and i'm becoming outnumbered.

The tie turns, and Barca's dominance of the midfield ends. That doesn't stop Ibra though, he scores again on 53 minutes, from a corner. But then, nothing. Until... 89 minutes. Ibrahimovic. Another wonder strike.

it's 4-2 on the night, 4-4 on aggregate, and Barcelona need one goal to win it.

Added time goes up. 5 minutes.

5 minutes?!

It's alright, nothing happens. But Ibrahimovic picks up the ball in midfield, and lashes another wonder-strike at goal. Van Der Sar pulls off a brilliant save though, and gets his hand to it.

It's the 95th minute and Barca have a corner.

Valdes charges up from his goal, Puyol the only man back, as Iniesta hopefully hits the ball into the area. But it hits.. Park Ji-Sung. Who calmly chests it down, and hoofs it in the direction of Rooney. He outmuscles and outpaces Puyol, and fires it into the open goal from the centre circle. 5-4 aggregate, 4-3 on the night, we're through to the semi final. We made it.

But there's no time to rest. 3 days later, it's the FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley. Manchester City. Again. Need to avenge that defeat at Eastlands. The other semi-final is Nottingham Forest versus Swansea - this might as well be the final. I can't let city get silverware. Not now, not ever.

There's not much to write, to be honest. It's a brutal match, somehow both teams end with 11 men, a thriller of a match, open as all hell, but this is all that needs to be said: Rooney 15. 1-0 United. Vargas 26. 1-1. Barry 35. 2-1 City. Gibson 54. 2-2. Rooney 67. 3-2 United. Adbeayor 81. 3-3. Rooney 88. 4-3 United, hat-trick for Rooney.

Extra-time was avoided again. Just as well, because in 4 days we've got to be at the Emirates. We're still 3 points behind Chelsea, and still to play them, still miles ahead on goal difference. Other than us, Chelsea don't really have any other teams who are going to cause them problems. We have to win at the Emirates and then beat Chelsea at Old Trafford. It's the only way.

Champions League semi-final draw...

Chelsea.

And now for Arsenal.

I clog the midfield, adopt Chelsea's diamond, and try to force Arsenal out wide, where I know they can't do any harm because they have nobody who can head the ball. It works well, and Berbatov registers on the 23rd minute. Now we just need to keep it tight.

Fletcher, Gibson, Hargreaves, Carrick is a tough and combative midfield, and Arsenal aren't getting anywhere. That is, until an inocuous-looking free kick is absolutely rocketed in by Robin Van Persie in the 74th minute.

1-1 Isn't good enough. Has to be a win.

Scholes off, Owen on. Berbatov at the peak of the diamond.

82nd minute.

Giggs on for Berbatov.

85th minute.

Rafael on for Wes Brown.

86th minute.

Overload.

87 88 89

There will be 2 minutes of added time.

It's not enough. Nasri goes down injured.. it's 93 minutes already when the ball comes back to Van Der Sar. Rooney gets hold of his clearance, chased into the corner by four Arsenal shirts. Everybody's on him, ushering him away from goal, and it's 94 minutes. 95. And then, one flick away from Diaby, and a rocket of a cross at goal, and Michael Owen to bundle it in at the far post. 95th minute, 2 minutes added on. Fabregas goes bananas at the referee and the linesman, claiming it was offside as well. It wasn't. And we've got the win we need. That sets us up nicely for Chelsea.

Which, coincidentally, is in just 3 days! Players are getting tired now. I rest Evra and bring in Bale again.

But the showdown is a dull affair. I learn from Ferguson in real life, and match Chelsea's diamond and deploy Valencia as a sole winger to stop Ashley Cole. But the action comes down the left. It's a dull match, but Bale is willing to burst into the box on a regular basis. In doing so, he wins 2 penalties, which are dispatched by Rooney and for some reason (I could not watch) Rio Ferdinand. A dull 2-0 victory. An anti-climax, but a crucial, crucial win. We're top of the table. 3 games to hold on.

But in four days, Chelsea have the chance for revenge. First leg of that Champions League tie, at Old Trafford. I was able to rest players and i'm feeling confident that we're fresh enough to take them on. Ambitiously, I opt for a favoured 4-4-2. If I can beat Barcelona 2-0 here, I reckon I can put 3 or 4 past Chelsea. Still keep it tight.

But it's an off day. Michael Ballack scores the only goal of the game just before half-time, we can't keep the ball, and it ends 1-0 to Chelsea. An away goal for them and a disastrous result for us. And a tricky game before the second leg- Everton at home.

Do I risk settling for the league, win the game against Everton, and thus surely win the league, with only Blackburn and Bolton to play after that, but then exhaust my players for the second leg? Or do I go for all or nothing?

I leave out Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher, Antonio Valencia. Not even on the bench. If they are, i'll only use them.

After half time, the Owen-Macheda strikeforce proves it's worth and Owen puts us ahead. I look at the other results - Chelsea are still being held at Turf Moor. This could be a good day...

Emmanuelson 63. 1-1. Chelsea still being held.

We don't look like scoring and i'm watching the live results rather than the game. 0-0, 0-0, 0-0.... Tyrone Mears sent off in the 82nd minute. 8 minutes for Chelsea to score against ten men, 8 minutes for me to find the winner against Everton.

I don't. But they don't either. And neither do Chelsea. The status quo remains. We got away with it. Another gamble pays off.

Now, in four days, the second leg. A deficit to overcome, at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea haven't lost there all season and gave me a 4-1 thrashing there earlier in the season. We've been written off.

4-5-1. Can't afford to counter though, so it's going to have to be damn-near all-out-attack. I'm rested, they're not - i've got a bigger squad than them - they have injuries, I don't. Close them down, outrun them.

It goes better than I could hope for. Completely outplaying them at Stamford Bridge. We've had 5 good chances, they haven't had a sniff. Not getting on the ball. But nothing to show for it at half-time.

No change at half time, until Paul Scholes hits a half-volley into the bottom corner. Now it's level. 63rd minute, Cole tackle on Valencia... PENALTY! RIO FERDINAND STEPS UP AGAIN. WHAT! WHY DIDN'T I CHANGE THAT!

He puts it away. Rejoice.

Anelka pulls one back on 82 minutes out of the blue and things get nervous, but Chelsea are exhausted and we are comfortable. We run the clock down, and get to the Final.

We have also now knocked Chelsea out of every cup competition.

The rest is an anti-climax of sorts. Bolton and Blackburn are dispatched with relative ease, the league is ours, and we get to the 100 goals mark. 101 to be precise.

The final against Forest is surprisingly close, 1-1, extra time, before Ji-Sung Park goes on a mazy run and curls a 25-yarder around Camp and into the far post. Michael Owen wraps up the scoring in injury time with a little backheel.

The Champions League final is against the worst possible opponent. Real Madrid. Why are they the worst? Because they're at home, of course.

But counter-attacking pays off. We defend well, their wingers being the main threat and the United squad not being short of defensive wingers and good full-backs. Jonny Evans heads one in from a corner on 12 minutes and it's a dream start. But then Berbatov, on a yellow, is judged to have handled a routine goal kick and is sent off in the 29th minute.

I really like Berbatov, and I get flashes of the real-life criticism. It isn't fair. But we'll be back to another European final, I vow, and Berbatov will return too.

Raul scores a real poachers goal on 41 minutes. But it's the only sniff Real get. They can't cope with our pacy counter-attacking, Wayne Rooney scores in the 48th, and nothing much happens. They can't score, our counter-attacks look dangerous but come to nothing. The final whistle goes and the ten men of Manchester United have defeated Real Madrid, at the Bernabeu, to complete a quadruple.

Definitely the most mental end to a season i've ever had. And here's that run-in in full:

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7172/runin.jpg

From Villa to Blackburn. Just look at that.

And the final table:

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1092/tabley.jpg

For the record, Gareth Bale was my only signing. I used the editor to adjust certain things, IE Making Nani slightly better and much better on the right than the left, making Rooney able to head the ball, and such. Mostly, the CA/PAs were unedited, so it wasn't a team of supermen or anything.

[tenthreeleader]

Well done, but two things:

First, I don't know that it's a story, though you went to a great deal of detail. Well played and well done.

Second, I'm moving it to the FM thread because pictures are not allowed in the story forum proper due to our house rules at the top of the main thread. You linked to images downthread, which is allowed and encouraged for those who wish to include images connected with their work.

[-Xenon-]

Inspired by Spav's United story, I've decided to have a little tinker with the editor, which seems to be a favourite hobby of mine!

I've outlawed the use of non-British players across all the English leagues and cups. Couldn't specify it to just English players, but I'll settle for British.

Just zipping through a test season and some rather interesting transfers and results coming thick and fast!

[Callumth]

Haha, my plan is actually to take the 'United>England' mentality to the extreme and build an 'All-British and Irish, No English' squad. I think i'll have to keep Rooney around though.

[Elrithral]

Must be the first time i've ever picked a squad without a keeper on the bench, the inevitable happens and my keeper is injured on 28

[Elrithral]

Does anyone know if there is a way to activate a league using the editor without recreating the league? E.g. say I wanted to activate the Azerbaijan league, can I just tick something or do I have to recreate it?

[-Xenon-]

Depends whether it is in the database. If it isn't then you have to create it, which isn't too bad to do.

Either way you still have to create the rules, but it saves a bit of time if it's already in the database. As it's European, I think Azerbaijan would be in there.

[Elrithral]

Cheers Xen, got it sorted.

Not to give too much away, but I thought this was funny.

[-Xenon-]

Inspired by Spav's United story, I've decided to have a little tinker with the editor, which seems to be a favourite hobby of mine!

I've outlawed the use of non-British players across all the English leagues and cups. Couldn't specify it to just English players, but I'll settle for British.

Just zipping through a test season and some rather interesting transfers and results coming thick and fast!

Terk may infract me for this but it is the God's honest truth:

Holidayed through the first season of this British player only Premier League; United champions and Liverpool relegated \o/

[Brian W]

I can't speak for Terk....but I imagine he'll be as totally unshocked by that as I am.

I'm going to guess Villa and Sunderland did quite well too, while Blackburn also struggled

[-Xenon-]

I've deleted the save as it was just a test. But from memory the top four was; United, Chelsea, Villa and Bolton.

It was strange as Liverpool sold most of their foreign players (except Torres who scored 40 goals in the reserves!) but didn't bring any new players in. So it was Gerrard and Carragher plus the reserves.

Even teams like Arsenal did OK, the likes of Fabregas and Van Persie had British nationality.

Was an interesting save.

[Brian W]

I wonder if Liverpool's reinvestment of transfer fees is comparatively low. I also suspect Benitez has some setting to not buy Englishmen

Its got me intrigued now....I wonder what would happen in a world where no foreign players were allowed in any league. Not sure it would work too well though, as I dont think we can change the number of foreign players allowed in the champions league, which would kind of defeat the object of the exercise.

[BenArsenal]

I wonder if Liverpool's reinvestment of transfer fees is comparatively low. I also suspect Benitez has some setting to not buy Englishmen

Its got me intrigued now....I wonder what would happen in a world where no foreign players were allowed in any league. Not sure it would work too well though, as I dont think we can change the number of foreign players allowed in the champions league, which would kind of defeat the object of the exercise.

Malaysia recently banned foreign players from its league. The result was that teams ended up playing youth players more, which enhanced their development. This aided the Malaysian youth national teams (not substantially though, yet), which posted fairly positive results. But the long term benefits are yet to be seen though.

I reckon if this was applied worldwide, the short term effects would see an increase in quality of international football. But I fear the long term effect would be anarchy. After all, we are in a globalised world now, with people moving all across the world to work.

[stoehrst]

Malaysia recently banned foreign players from its league. The result was that teams ended up playing youth players more, which enhanced their development. This aided the Malaysian youth national teams (not substantially though, yet), which posted fairly positive results. But the long term benefits are yet to be seen though.

I reckon if this was applied worldwide, the short term effects would see an increase in quality of international football. But I fear the long term effect would be anarchy. After all, we are in a globalised world now, with people moving all across the world to work.

Moreover in Europe it would probably violate several EU statutes on the free spread of European trade and labor.

[Brian W]

Ah, I should clarify....I meant purely as a FM experiment, rather than real life...

I would imagine Portuguese and Dutch clubs would benefit most though

[Terk]

Just come across my favourite club name in FM ever,

FC The Strongest

[Elrithral]

I quite like Arab Contactors in Egypt, I instantly think of terrorists.

I recommend that everyone tries a save in the late 20's. I reloaded my il Mago save this eveing and it's in 2028, the newgens etc make it feel like a brand new game, every little bit of the game is interesting. Vitesse just won their fourth Eredivisie in a row I enjoyed looking through their rise to prominence and all the players that came with it, if only real life football was as interesting.

[Terk]

Yeah, wish I hadn't deleted my save for dafuge's challenge. I was up to about 2025 and it does feel completely fresh when you have a footballing world made up almost entirely of newgens. What freaked me out slightly though was that Jamie Carragher had seemingly become the best manager in the world.

[Terk]

I quite like Arab Contactors in Egypt, I instantly think of terrorists.

That's brilliant

[Elrithral]

In mine Wes Brown had just guided England to consecutive European Championship titles. Spain and England were still dominated by the likes of Chelsea and Barca, but best of all Michael Misfud was managing 4th place Zaragoza

[Dalbeider]

In my longest term save so far, Carles Puyol has just been sacked by Almeria. Conflicting feelings of glee and sadness arise.

In other news, I've just been robbed for the second time straight in a Cup semifinal. Won't give many details since it will be featured in a story (eventually), but it involves Aaron Lennon and a linesman with sudden problems gathering enough strength to raise his flag.

[Terk]

I'm planning for my Five Crowns game to get at least that far. I'm reckoning that if I'm to come even close to completing it then I'm looking at a minimum of 2030.

[Celtic_1967]

I'm planning for my Five Crowns game to get at least that far. I'm reckoning that if I'm to come even close to completing it then I'm looking at a minimum of 2030.

In game or real time

[Terk]

In game or real time

Fair point

[WLKRAS]

I had Christ the King Church FC the other day in my save with lots of African leagues loaded.

[Icy]

I MUST write this as it's one of my best ever moments in my FM life, and i have been playing it since CM Italy in the early 90's.

Background: I'm coaching Murcia, in Spanish second division. We have a young good technical team, that lacks strong physical guys and veterans. At the start of the season, we are seen as a mid table team and it's my goal.

Midseason i signed a few players, mainly to cover the holes we have, and one of them was an strong classic target man from Spain but that was playing in England, named Franciso Sandaza.

During the season he didn't play a lot, just some minutes in the second half when i needed a physical presence, as the young and more technical and quick strikers we had, were playing nicely in our 4-2-3-1 tactic.

After a good run, stabilizing a new unbeaten record for the club, we were comfortably placed 3rd in the league for most of the season, against most odds.

Then at the end, we had some injuries and the 4th team (Hercules) was quickly approaching us, to the point that with two games to the end of the season, Hercules was at 3 points from us. To make things worse, in that two remaining games, we had to face the #1 placed team away and then #2 at home in the season ender.

The game vs the #1 team (Betis) was a disaster, they totally outplayed us and we lost 3-0. At same time, Hercules beat their rival and tied us on points for the #3 and last promotion spot, with us keeping the tie breaker lead because we beat them in our past matches.

So there it came, the last game of the season, against the #2 placed team, that is way better than us. That team is R.Sociedad, that is a top historical team in Spain, who has won the league a few times in the past, but that was demoted past season to second division. Of course it was just a matter of one season to get them back in first division as they have a lot of money and tradition.

I chose my standard 4-2-3-1 tactic, with my 3 quick and technical but young strikers on the top and wings. Loaded the other games widget to get the real time results, with the hope of seeing Hercules losing their game.

Game started with both teams exchanging some good chances in the first half, with us dominating more the ball, but with R.Sociedad giving us some scary moments with their quick and dangerous counter attacks. After the first half, Hercules was also tying his game at home 0-0, so we were still keeping the #3 league table spot (last spot for promotion to Spanish 1st division).

Then the second half started with bad news, Hercules scored against their rival, so we needed to win our game, a tie wouldn't be enough. I gave my men the instruction to attack more, and we created some good chances, but to make things even worse, R.Sociedad caught us in a counter attack and scored. Our dream was almost gone. We needed now to score twice vs the best team in the league.

So in a desperate move, i changed from the 4-2-3-1 to an all out attack 4-2-2-2, replacing my central attacking midfielder with the physical forward i talked about before, Francisco Sandaza. I set him as target man with a support duty, with the hope of he gaining some headers for my quick striker to score.

Minutes were passing, i set my tactic to overload and take high risks (most attacking one possible), but each chance we had, was followed by a quick counter by R.Sociedad. At same time, Hercules scored his second goal in their game, so the win was sure for them, forcing us to win too.

Then in the 88th minute, my best technical midfielder passed the ball to Sandaza at the front of the penalty area, with a defenseman between him and the keeper, he stopped the ball, used his body as shield, turned around and kicked a really hard shoot to the top corner of the goal, scoring the game tying one!!

I jumped out of my chair but still it was still one goal and we needed two, with 2 minutes to the end of the game... impossible task...

I sent everybody all out attack again and 4 minutes later, 2 into injury overtime, in a messy play with a lot of bodies around the ball close to the opponents area, Sandanza used his strength again to gain a good position, take the ball from between all legs and shoot another rocket to the opposite corner!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! i started to shout out loud and dance around, we finished #3 in the league, tied with Hercules but with the tie break in our favor, and earning the third and last spot to promote to Spanish La Liga 1st division!!!

If i could kiss Francisco Sandaza i would do it. He has been the perfect team player, not complaining besides his lack of playing time during the season and scoring twice just when we needing him and becoming our hero. He was not in my plans for next season, specially now that we need to rebuild a competitive team for La Liga, but now i can't just sell or cut him, he has a place in my heart forever and i'll try to make him retire in my team once his career is over.

Now i need to get back to my team front office as the team owner and the press want to kiss my ass for the huge accomplishment

[BenArsenal]

Nice, but not a story.

[-Xenon-]

Better off in the Anecdotes Thread.

[tenthreeleader]

Friends, what we have here is an FMS FM moment, so that's where it's going. But a fine accomplishment indeed

[stoehrst]

Friends, what we have here is an FMS FM moment, so that's where it's going. But a fine accomplishment indeed

Fluff that up, add some detail, break it into 2-5 posts and you might have a candidate for Short Story of the Year

[Celtic_1967]

Fluff that up, add some detail, break it into 2-5 posts and you might have a candidate for Short Story of the Year

Or a 12 page epic if 10-3 was writing it!

[Spav]

If i could kiss Francisco Sandaza i would do it.

I would too. I picked up Francisoco Sandaza in January 2012 for my FC Nantes team that I had just taken over when they were 19th in France Ligue 2. 9 goals in 17 games steadied the team as we finished 8th for the 2012/13 season. Next year in 2013/14 Sandaza scored 28 goals in 37 games to fire us to the Ligue 2 title and promotion to the top flight.

I'm just about to start the 2014/15 season, so we'll see if Sandaza can do the business in Ligue 1. I'll let you know how he goes later on.

Francisoco Sandaza

[proman]

hi im a first time poster on these forums but a long time admirer of the game so i thoguht i'd share my experience so far. i bought FM10 to fill some time after my ps3 had broke and i could no longer play FIFA10! Ive played the CM and FM games before but always found them to have little longevity but playing FM10 has proved me very wrong.

Im currently on my 12th season, managing juventus. Im unbeaten for 22 games and won 19 on the bounce only to draw the 20th to long time rivals roma! I started the game at southampton, -10 points at the bottom of league 1. I bought in a few wizz kid loans from the premiership such as Emanuell-Thomas(arsenal), Jose Baxter(everton) and Havet Nordtviet(arsenal) to bulster the squad and pushed up the table. That season i finnished 2nd in the league, won the johnston paint trophy on penaltys against leeds and made the 4th round of the FA cup which i lost to Man U!!

At this point things were going well but the following season i struggled to win any games and was close to getting the sack with 15 games to spare. This normally would have me turning the game off or maybe starting a new save(as Arsenal,Chelsea or some other big club) but instead the game conpelled me to do better. After changing the tactics to a 4312 and calling on ricky lambert and new january signing Hugo Rodallega to perform i Eventually turned things around and Southampton survived in 18th in the championship table.

I was offerd the West Brom Job for the next season but didnt take it and after only buying squad players in the transfer market due to lack of funds i managed to get sothampton up to 1st with a winning run of 11 games coming up to the january market the following season, picking up 3 manager of the month awards.

I thought i was doing well but i was shocked that just before the window opened i was offered the Man City job. i accepted. When i joined they were 8th in the table, in the last 32 of the uefa cup and bulging with funds. So i got to work in the transfer market, bringing in players like Jovetic(Fiorentina) and Sahko(PSG). I ended up in 4th at the end of the season and also won the uefa cup and the FA cup, Southampton were promoted to the premiership as champions. I was very glad i hadnt taken the West Brom job.

I spent 5 more seasons at Man City winning the League cup twice, the FA cup 3 times, the community shield once and the super cup once against Roma in a 4-3 game that was 2-2 in the 85th minute!? I was contending for the title every year but came second to chelsea 3 times and totenham once before in my final season Man City were crowned champions for the fist time in there history.You would have thought that would get me installed into their hall of fame but apperently not ha. In those five years i couldnt get close to winning the champions league, a semi final and one quater the closest i came so after winning the league i decided to step down.

In the same virtual week Ciro Ferarra took the City job and i was offered the Juventus Job. A straight swap i think they call it-

That season Ferarra had the arogance to win the league and champions league double with City while i tried to employ my favoured 4312 formation on Juventus but found it didnt work. Juve were in possesion of the hottest new talent called Devid Lorenzini, a striker who was scoring 20 goals a season since he was 17 and was worth 35 million. i'd never heard of him which proves how big the game actualy is...or how blind my sounts had been when scouring europe!? Finnishing in 3rd that season and not winning anything I decided to use Lorenzini on his own up front and bring in wingers to feed him. Namely Jonathan Silva and Metsut Ozil. the following season Juventus won the serie A and the italian cup.

Im currently 2 and 3 quater seasons down the line and looking for consecutive titles after winning the serie A in the previous. Ive just been named the new England boss for the upcoming Euros and juventus are on a 22 game unbeaten run in the league and have an aggregate lead against barca in the champions league quaters which im still yet to win!

overall i think the game is the best ever, ive never enjoyed a manager game as much and although there are things that bother me, most are small but some like, the same questions bieng asked over and over in pre and post match confrences and young players refusing to go out on loan(only found the latter in italy) Ive found the game to be very addictive. i think ive still got a long way to go. Maybe a spanish title and a most deffenitly a champions league crown. Not forgetting the euro and world cup for england!!!!

For all of this and the stuff i havent mentioned like the incredible youth systems and stat systems that go right back to day one i have to thank the creators and architects of Football Manager 2010!!

You'll be hearing from me again soon

adios,

[Burgess Basso]

Not really a proper in depth story mate, terk or 10-3 will be on this :L

[Terk]

Moved proman's post into the FM Thread as it wasn't a story.

[docklanders]

Ugh, a player in my FM save who i trained up to be a competent striker has now had this position stripped and its a red area. Why has this happened over just a couple of weeks?