FM11: Granada CF Thread - Campeón, campeón, El Granada es por bravura y corazón

[...Eternal Sin...]

Monthly Update - May 2011

END OF SEASON

Results

Liga Adelante

Granada 5-2 Tenerife

18' Nino

19' Ighalo

31' Nino

46' Ighalo

50' Ighalo

61' Abel

84' Geijo

Tarragona 1-4 Granada

5' Ighalo

20' Dani Benitez

46' Milano

77' Ighalo

83' Orellana

Granada 4-2 Huesca

5' Ighalo

8' Ighalo

41' Geijo

45' Gilvan

52' Garcia

59' Calvo

Alcorocon 2-4 Granada

5' Abel

7' Ighalo

11' Quini

26' Itaperuna

38' Ighalo

41' Ighalo

Granada 2-0 Villarreal "B"

9' Carmelo

88' Geijo

Granada 3-2 Elche

24' Bodipo

30' Ighalo

43' Geijo

55' Santos

56' Collantes

88' Etxeita

Huelva 1-0 Granada

70' Rafita

Table Liga Adelante

Stats

Goals

Assist

Best Player: Granada

1. Fabian Orellana ava. 7.70

2. Odion Ighalo ava. 7.61

3. Alex Geijo ava. 7.52

Valencia offered me contract and i think what to do ACCEPT or NOT?

[dburns647]

Fantastic season Eternal

Save the game before deciding then have one game with Valencia and the other where you stay with Granada?

[...Eternal Sin...]

I create 2 saves. In first i accepted Valencia offer. On the second i reject and stay in Granada. So far i play this second save to see what i be able to do with this squad and ho i brought to the club.

[heathxxx]

You flew through that ...Eternal Sin...

Great performance with the promotion. Seeing how many goals you managed to get out of Odion Ighalo, made me ponder using two strikers as well, as I use a 4-4-2 as more of a backup formation to the 4-2-3-1. Out of interest, are you using "classic" slider tactical settings, or something you put together through the Tactics Creator? You've over-achieved a great deal there, so it would be interesting to see what you've done there in the tactics forum.

Oh... and I still haven't played my first competitive match yet... I guess I don't play the game as quickly as some of you guys.

I've already hit a snag with Dani Benitez though. I want to keep him, as he's a very good player. With interest from a couple of bigger clubs already in pre-season, including a paltry offer rejected, I got a message from his agent about re-negotiating his contract. So, I went to do that and the agent won't even open negotiations! I've slapped a 3 million asking price on him and shout someone meet that asking price, I'll sell him and buy a replacement. Probably Daniel Aquino from Murcia, though I do currently have Santiago Solari on trial.

[...Eternal Sin...]

Moste of the season i use BetterHalf tactic named Wide Diamond. I'm bad in creating alone tactic so i decide to try some form the forum. Second tactic i use was knap 4222. In primera division i try to create my own tactic so far i decided to play 441 formation because Ighalo an Geijo return to udinese and i cant brought it back. So long i loaned Adailton young brazilian striker from Inter before hi play on Vitoria. I try to buy some older players and some youngers. This is my plan to build Granada team. And i waiting for you heathxxx i want to see how you play Granada. Looking on my screens its looks easy to lead Granada but it is not.

[...Eternal Sin...]

heathxxx i think that Aquino is better chioce then Solari. Hi is young can also play in attack

[AlanPartridge]

Brilliant thread, heathxxx.

... and Eternal Sin, what a season!

[...Eternal Sin...]

Monthly Update - July, August, September 2011

START LA LIGA

Transfers

IN:

Tomas Horava - Sigma Olomuniec - £275

Adailton - Inter - loan £400 + future transfer: £3.6M

Ivica Dragutinovic - free

Rizvan Utsiev - Terek Grozny - £400

Xabier Castillo - Athletic Bilbao - £1.3M

Francois Clerc - OGC Nice - £3.3M

Fernando Cavenaghi - Bordeaux - £1.5M

Federico Fazio - Sevilla - £575

Granddi Ngoyi - PSG - £1M

Sergio Sanchez - Sevilla - £750

Daniel Aquino - Murcia - £1.1M

Oscar Trejo - Mallorca "B" - £500

OUT:

Juan Jose Collantes - free

Tariq - free

Cesar Prates - free

Ruben Parraga - free

Migue Alba - free

Granada - free

Matias Alonso - free

Pedro Jose Barrancos - free

Tetteh - free

Miguel Angel Cordero - Valladolid - £1M

Mikel Rico - FC Nantes - £1.4M

Results

Friendlys

Freiburg 0-1 Granada

42' Oscar Perez

Granada 2-1 Udinese Calcio II

9' Horava

39' Fortounis

86' Etock

Lanzarote 1-4 Granada

56'(pen.) Vladimir

58' Cavenaghi

76' Calvo

78' Cavenaghi

84' Calvo

La Liga

Espanyol Barcelona 0-0 Granada

Granada 0-0 Real Sociedad

61' Llorente

Deportivo La Coruna 1-2 Granada

9' Cavenaghi

35' Adailton

36'Adrian

Granada 3-2 Almeria

17' Vargas

22' Boudebouz

68' Trejo

71' Etock

84' Fazio

Valladolid 2-3 Granada

28'(ogg.) Ngoyi

48' Carmelo

59' Gnanou

72' Cavenaghi

77' Cordero

89' Almeback

Granada 1-0 Mallorca

90+3' Carmelo

[...Eternal Sin...]

heathxxx so how season goes?

[...Eternal Sin...]

Monthly Update - October, November 2011

Results

La Liga

Granada 0-1 Valencia

34' Mata

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Granada

34' Abel

70' Ramon

Sporting Gijon 0-4 Granada

10' Cavenaghi

19' Gnanou

60' Gamarra

68' Gnanou

90+2' Trejo

Copa del Rey 4. Rnd. 1 match

Rayo Vallecano 3-3 Granada

11'(ogg.) Gnanou

24' Cavenaghi

42' Dani Benitez

64' Delibasic

80' Trejo

88' Piti

La Liga

Granada 1-0 Sevilla

39' Castillo

Barcelona 2-0 Granada

19' Pique

23'(ogg.) Marshall

Copa del Rey 4. Rnd. 2 march

Granada 1-1 Rayo Vallecano

37' Cristiano

87' Cavenaghi

Next round draw: Real Madrid

La Liga

Granada 5-3 Athletic Bilbao

10' Cavenaghi

22' Javi Martinez

28' Cavenaghi

50' Cavenaghi

59' Cavenaghi

79' Susaeta

85' De Marcos

90+2' Cavenaghi

Real Saragossa 1-2 Granada

38' Abel

48' Dani Benitez

67' Vasilakakis

[james1946]

Just started a game after reading this fantastic thread,

followed the database instructions but it appears that the charman Mr Pina seems to have a contract? Not sure that's right.

Started of with 3 pre-season wins with a great win away to livorno, only signing so far is Pedro Morales for 800k, signed from dinamo. Cracking playmaker with high attributes in all of the required departments!

[heathxxx]

Just started a game after reading this fantastic thread,

followed the database instructions but it appears that the charman Mr Pina seems to have a contract? Not sure that's right.

Started of with 3 pre-season wins with a great win away to livorno, only signing so far is Pedro Morales for 800k, signed from dinamo. Cracking playmaker with high attributes in all of the required departments!

Have you an image of him with a contract? Neither he or any of the directors have contracts showing on my save.

Just thought I'd mention, for those who are ever tempted to sell Dani Benitez, or are trying to resist offers for him... he has a 100% sell on clause to Udinese, which is a factual clause I implemented when submitting the original data for FM11. So if you sell him, you won't see any of the money from the sale, but the president of Udinese might send you a crate of beer and his thanks!

I don't know if there's a way around that clause in FM though, should you try to offer him a new contract, because the clause is between Udinese and Granada, not directly with the player. I have wondered though, if I were to loan him out, if Granada would get the money or Udinese, as it's not strictly a transfer...

Anyway, I've not been around much, because I've been really busy with work the last week or so, so have barely had chance to spend any time on the forums, let alone play FM. I'm going to be busy for a few more weeks, but just wanted to pop in and see how everyone was getting on

[SMPL]

Brilliant thread this heathxxx, got a Malaga save on the go at the moment so not planning an immediate start on this (want to spend a bit of cash for a bit to get me back in to the game a bit) but once a lower league DB is available for 11.3 (unless i've missed one) i'll be having a go at this so I can run the club from top to bottom and play it as they are trying to do in real life:)

Eternal Sin, great start so far, well done

[heathxxx]

Well, after a busy time with work and whatnot, I finally managed to get a proper save started myself. I've started with a lot less active leagues and a smaller database than I normally might use, but hopefully I can play through the save quicker.

I've assembled the squad that I'll be working with through the first season. I have signed a hell of a lot of youth players, though these are mainly as "investments" that I can develop a little and sell on for a profit, or use as regular income from loan fees for a couple of years. I've completely cleared the B team and have released any existing youth players who the assistant manager rates lower than two stars.

I've edited post #6 regarding who I signed and sold, to reflect starting the save with less active leagues and the smaller database.

[...Eternal Sin...]

Welcome Back

[heathxxx]

Welcome Back

Good to be back, but it's likely I'll be "missing" again a few times. Things are still busy with work.

Pleased with my start to the season though.

2-0 vs. Real Betis (A)

4-0 vs. Guadalajara (H) Cup

3-1 vs. Valladolid (H)

3-2 vs. Albacete (A)

3-0 vs. Ponferradina (H) - with 10 men at 0-0

Have to say, I'm loving how Odion Ighalo is doing. Wish he was performing as well IRL. Was the club's top scorer in the Segunda B4 last season, but he's mostly playing from the bench and hasn't really done so well during this loan.

[...Eternal Sin...]

heathxxx i waiting for next update and tactic

[heathxxx]

Tactic is fairly basic and I'm playing through the save a lot faster than normal, so not paying as much attention to detail. Therefore I've already lost a match that we really should have won, had I been concentrating a bit better.

All I'm using at the moment, is the 4-2-3-1 shape shown in the OP's here, along with a 4-4-2 variant, also mentioned in the OP's, with all positions and roles the same, apart from the AMC changing to a second striker, usually in the poacher role, alongside Giejo as the target man.

As for a results update...

1-2 vs. Las Palmas (A)

3-1 vs. Girona (H)

3-1 vs. Xerez (A) Cup

1-0 vs. Salamanca (A)

4-1 vs Rayo Vallecano (H)

6-0 vs. Celta Vigo (A)

Wasn't impressed with the Las Palmas result, but should have won if I'd paid more attention tactically. Since that match, I have looked at things and slightly tweaked some of my tactical instructions, in an attempt to get the best out of my players. The last two results, against Rayo and Celta were exceptionally good results against two of the strongest teams in the division. Everything I instructed tactically worked to perfection in the Celta match, so that's now my benchmark starting system for each match.

Incidentally, I've been getting superb performances from Iliasu Shilla since I've changed him from Central Defender "Stopper" to Limited Defender "Stopper". He appears to do the basic job excellently, but clearly hasn't got sufficient technical attributes to play in a more complex role.

I also have admittedly been a bit ambitious with Alex Giejo, using him as Complete Forward "Attack". Although one of the best forwards at this level, I decided to simplify his role too, in order to put maximum focus on his key attribute strengths, changing him to Target Man "Attack". This role not only serves him and his key skills better, but also those around him, especially Odion Ighalo as his strike partner, who's feeding well as a poacher from the space and positional play of Giejo.

[heathxxx]

Some more updates...

2-1 vs. Real Racing (Santander) (H) Cup 1st Leg

3-2 vs. Xerez (H)

2-1 vs. Cartagena (A)

5-1 vs. Real Racing (Santander) (A) Cup 2nd Leg

5-1 vs. Barcelona B (H)

1-0 vs. Numancia (A)

1-0 vs. Córdoba (H)

Particularly happy with the cup result against Real Racing over two legs, especially the second leg away. That said though, just before the first leg, Real Racing had just beaten Real Madrid in their previous league match. The 5-1 win over Barcelona B was an enjoyable result, but all the other matches have been very tough, with only a single goal winning margin.

After the loss against Las Palmas, we're on a twelve match winning streak in all competitions. A little complacency seems to be creeping in though and some of the players aren't performing quite as well as they might, so I suspect we're due a drubbing by someone at some point. Have drawn Valencia in the Spanish Cup 5th Round. Not really expecting to win the tie over two legs, but hope that the team isn't embarrassed, leading to a knock to morale that might affect league performances.

As for the players themselves so far, here's the top ten average performance rating players:

7.81 - Jonathan Mensah

7.52 - Alex Giejo

7.42 - Alexandre N'Gadi

7.41 - Ibrahima Faye

7.36 - Abel

7.45 - Daniel Aquino

7.31 - Iliasu Shilla

7.30 - Odion Ighalo

7.30 - Daniel Benítez

7.24 - Allan Nyom

Leading goalscorers so far:

11 - Alex Giejo

10 - Odion Ighalo

4 - Jonathan Mensah (all headed from corners)

4 - Abel (all from direct free-kicks)

[heathxxx]

Update...

Some more results:

2-1 vs. Tenerife (A)

1-1 vs. Gimnàstic (H)

4-3 vs. Huesca (A)

3-1 vs. Valencia (H) Cup 1st Leg

4-1 vs. Alcorcón (H)

1-2 vs. Valencia (A) Cup 2nd Leg

Apart from the Alcorcón game, the league matches have all been tough encounters, grinding out results. Was absolutely delighted with the home leg of the Spanish Cup 5th Round against Valencia though. It was by far the best team performance of the season, even overshadowing the second leg result against Real Racing in the previous round. The second leg at the Mestalla was always going to be a tough match, though we actually took the lead to go 4-1 up on aggregate. It was a backs to the wall job from then on, as Valencia threw everything forward. The only two defensive lapses in the game resulted in two goals conceded, whilst at the other end, missing both leading scorers Giejo and Ighalo, there was a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of young débutantes Emmanuel and Hiago. Both did well, but fluffed chances that the more experienced strikers would likely have taken.

Only spotted when I looked at the cup results, but we were the only side outside the top division, to feature in the 5th round of the cup, so already a good achievement there and now into the Quarter Finals. I'm of the "one game at a time" mentality as far as the cup is concerned, but I do find it easier sometimes to to dissect the bigger teams and look at how to beat them. Don't really care who I get in the Quarter Finals, though I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can avoid Barcelona and Real Madrid. The optimist in me hopes I can make the final, facing anyone who's in a Champions League qualification spot in La Liga, as regardless of the outcome, it'll mean qualification for the Euro cup. That would be an excellent prize in itself, having European football in what would only be my second season with the club.

I can dream...

In the January transfer window, there's nobody I can find who's interested, or will make any great impact on my side. The only worthwhile squad signing I did make was one I'd arranged earlier in the season, that couldn't go through until the player was 18 and the transfer window open. Other than that

Sani Emmanuel - 18 year old Nigerian - Striker / AM ® - £18,000 from My People (Nigeria)

I also signed the following player as an "investment". One who won't play for my team (as he's classed as "foreign"), but that I can profit from with loan fees and then transfer at a big profit at the end of the season. He's a decent player and is probably good enough for the squad, but as I have my full allocation of registered foreign players, this move was purely motivated by potential profit. I tend to keep an eye out for players I can generate income from like this, especially when I'm managing a smaller club and need to explore avenues to improve finances.

Rekish Dzmitry - 22 year old Belarusian - Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder (Left) / M/AM © - Free Transfer

Only one sale:

Carlos Calvo - 25 year old Spanish - Attacking Midfielder (Right, Left) / M (RL) - £375,000 to Pescara

That's the third player Italian Serie B side Pescara have bought from me this season! They currently sit 21st in their league, so although they must like buying players from me, they're not helping much!

[MartinGregory84]

Just started my own game with Granada looks a good set up brought in Ian Butterworth as my assistant manager, Hoping to add an English feel and make it the new Lanzarote.

Mr Hazard was not intrested in talking terms :S maybe because I have a sunday league rep.

Will update.

[heathxxx]

Just started my own game with Granada looks a good set up brought in Ian Butterworth as my assistant manager, Hoping to add an English feel and make it the new Lanzarote.

Mr Hazard was not intrested in talking terms :S maybe because I have a sunday league rep.

Will update.

Interesting reputation to start with. I went with "Professional" I think.

Also quite an interesting approach in the "English Feel". Though as clubs go, currently you'd find that the biggest concentration of English or British players is at Jerez Industrial C.F. in the Spanish 3ª Group 10 - with pretty much their whole squad coming from The Glenn Hoddle Academy. All but two or three players in their squad, are from the UK and Ireland. Perhaps you could think of your save as the MartinGregory84 Academy

I would prefer to have mostly Spanish players where possible, but at the moment out of a first team squad of 25 players, I have 12x Spaniards. On average, my first eleven consists of between 5 and 8 Spaniards.

Believe it or not, this isn't actually too bad a level of "home" players for me, as my squads usually end up looking like some sort of United Nations gathering, what with all the different flags on display! With this save, obviously I'll be looking at quality irrespective of nationality first and foremost, but I do hope that I can have as many good Spanish players as possible.

As for updates, I'm just about to pick up from after the 2nd leg of the cup match against Valencia. Interestingly, I drew Villareal in the Cup Quarter Final. Interesting because my next match is against Villareal B in the league, followed by the main Villareal team in the 1st leg three days later. After that, a trip to Elche, followed by the Cup second leg against Villareal.

So, a little bit of a Villareal-a-thon in the next few matches!

[MartinGregory84]

[heathxxx]

Off to a decent start there MartinGregory84... but ouch!! Dani Benítez out with a broken leg. That's rotten luck

Mainz and Lucena seem to be performing well at the back for you though. That's certainly a bonus. I usually use Mainz as backup and Lucena as more of a defensive midfielder or ball winning midfielder. Jonathan Mensah tends to play well as central defender "cover", if you're not getting good performances from him otherwise.

Abel looks to be doing well for you. He's a decent player and very good at free kicks. If you want to keep him, or at least not let him go on a free at the end of the season, it's worth trying to negotiate a new contract pretty early. Although I should be able to get a better replacement for him, especially if I clinch promotion, I couldn't get him to agree a new deal. He wanted almost double what he's on now and I couldn't justify that or haggle him down. Subsequently, as soon as January rolled by, he agreed a pre-contract deal with Levante for the end of the season on a free transfer.

I'm now keeping an eye on Levante's performances in La Liga. In my save they're hovering perilously close to relegation, so I will laugh heartily if they get relegated from La Liga, whilst we go up.

[MartinGregory84]

Off to a decent start there MartinGregory84... but ouch!! Dani Benítez out with a broken leg. That's rotten luck

Trust me heath I was nearly in tears on that one 6months minimun he really is an amazing player.

This is first time Ive managed abroad so just getting my head round the players and methods is proving tricky will get there though.

[heathxxx]

Trust me heath I was nearly in tears on that one 6months minimun he really is an amazing player.

This is first time Ive managed abroad so just getting my head round the players and methods is proving tricky will get there though.

You do have some flexibility in the squad with Granada CF though, with players who can play well in different positions. For example, I'm getting better performances from Fabián Orellana as an AMC Advanced Playmaker "Support", than I am using him as a left or right winger, where he's "natural" positionally. Probably because he makes some excellent darting runs from deep to score goals, where as Abel is more of a provider.

The good thing with this side though, is you can be flexible with both player selections, positioning and tactics, giving you plenty of scope to mould the team to any number of formations and tactical settings. I'm perhaps a little more adventurous tactically than what you're using in the images, but that's perhaps because I'm more used to what I'll encounter from opponents in Spanish football and what to change if things aren't perhaps going to plan.

I tend to be starting games with a "Control" strategy and "Balanced" philosophy. I try to keep possession and pass the ball around, which has often seen other managers make the "...tries to pass the ball into the net" comment after matches. That said though, I mainly look to preserve player condition through the games as best possible, by using a slower build-up style, but then use a more direct approach via shouts, in bursts of five or ten minutes throughout matches. If I'm struggling to find a goal, then I play even more direct in the last fifteen to twenty minutes and quite often get a couple of goals in that time. Indeed, it's just served me well in the Spanish cup, but I'll mention more about that with my next update...

[heathxxx]

Update...

2-0 vs. Villareal B (A)

2-1 vs. Villareal (A) Cup QF 1st Leg

2-2 vs. Elche (A)

2-1 vs. Villareal (H) Cup QF 2nd Leg

So, the Villareal marathon of league and cup games commenced. Fielded a weakened side against Villareal B in the league encounter, as the cup match was only a couple of days later and had players still to regain full fitness from injury, plus some key players with low condition. Pleasing result, but their B side is performing poorly in the league and expected three points.

The draw with Elche was disappointing but not unexpected, after I'd again fielded a weakened side. Both legs of the cup QF against Villareal, currently 3rd in La Liga, had me on the edge of my seat. In the first leg away, my side was getting hammered but managed somehow to keep the deficit to one goal. We suffered a lot of knocks in the game and with fifteen minutes to go, I decided to throw caution to the wind, change from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 and brought on young forwards Aquino and Hiago. Two decisive counter attacks and each bagged a goal, giving us a miraculous 2-1 win.

Second leg against Villareal was also a tight match with both sides having plenty of chances. Ultimately we won 2-1 again, 4-2 on aggregate to record another excellent result. It did come at a cost though, as my best central defender Jonathan Mensah and promising winger/striker Aquino, were both injured in the match and are out for for four and three weeks respectively. This means that they'll miss both legs of the semi's, as well as some important league matches.

In the Semi-Finals, we now face Real Madrid, whilst Barcelona take on Hércules in the other match. Having drawn against Real Madrid in pre-season, with my team actually being the better side, I'm hopeful over two legs we might nick a result. On the other hand, we might be on the wrong end of a complete pasting! Either way, I'm pleased to have got this far, especially having beaten three good La Liga sides along the way.

Mind you, I've always had a good record on FM when it comes to playing against Real Madrid. During my FM10 Granada CF save, I never once lost to them and occasionally beat them comfortably. Fingers crossed I can repeat my fortune in FM11.

[heathxxx]

Here's a little tip...

You may have noticed that Dani Benítez, one of Granada's key players, has a 100% of fee sell-on clause to Udinese. You can pretty much guarantee that other clubs will soon become interested in signing him, but obviously there's no financial gain for Granada CF to make selling him worthwhile.

You do have an alternative though, if you decide to move him on.

If you're looking to buy another player, try offering him in part exchange. If the other team agrees, you spend less on your transfer, using the value of Dani Benítez, meaning your actually getting something for him. You'll also not be paying anything to Udinese.

Alternatively, if another club makes a bid for him, then look at players they have you might be interested in signing and ask to include those players in part exchange for Dani Benítez, rather than a fee. This means you'll get players in return for him, instead of a fee, so you'll again be getting something, as opposed to the money from any fee going straight to Udinese.

Now although I've not sold him and haven't considered doing so at the moment, there are clubs interested in signing him in my save. When the time comes that I decide to move him on, I'll probably look at what players I can get bidders to offer in exchange.

In other news, whilst I'm still in the January transfer window and am trying to raise some additional funds for facility improvements, I've made one more sale:

Álex Cruz - 20 year old Spanish - Attacking Midfielder (Right) / M ® - £1,500,000 to Hércules

[heathxxx]

Update...

2-2 vs. Recreativo (H)

2-3 vs. Real Madrid (A) Cup SF 1st Leg

2-1 vs. Real Betis (H)

Suffice it to say, I was pleased to come away from the Real Madrid match with two goals, both scored late in the game when I thought "to hell with it" and went for the overload.

You'll understand why next, because...

[heathxxx]

EPIC YES!!

Spanish Cup Semi-Final Second Leg

Granada CF 2 - 0 Real Madrid

Aggregate Score = 4 - 3 to Granada CF

Having absolutely nothing to lose when 3-0 down at the Santiago Bernabéu, thus deciding to overload offensively, I nicked two late goals. This set up a mouth-watering return leg at Nuevo Los Cármenes.

The pitch conditions were poor and with the added bonus of heavy rain, I had a game plan in which the conditions might just play to my advantage. Basically, I would defend deep and keep plenty of men behind the ball. I'd instruct my lads to get stuck into their players with some crunching tackles. I didn't want my boys to pussy-foot around with the ball, especially at the back and at the first opportunity, hoof it unceremoniously upfield. In short...

ANTI-FOOTBALL!

...and you know what?

IT WORKED!

Anyway, click the link below for a PKM of the match. Grimace at the awful way my players hoof the ball around like they're hitting it with a sledge-hammer. Cringe as my players barge and crunch their way into the gifted flair players. Gasp as Los Rojiblancos use every trick in the book to wind-up opposing defenders, earning two penalties, drawing fouls, earning a Madrid defender a red card and causing another to punt the ball into his own net!

Enough of this... just watch the PKM!

http://www.gamefront.com/files/20253816/Granada+v+R.+Madrid.pkm

In other news... Hércules managed to beat Barcelona in the other Semi-Final on penalties. Whilst I was hoping to play La Liga champions elect Barcelona, thus guaranteeing EURO Cup qualification irrespective of the Final result, I actually fancy our chances against Hércules. After all, not worth getting all the way to the final, if you're not going to bust a gut to win it...

[heathxxx]

Update...

0-0 vs. Valladolid (A)

4-1 vs. Albacete (H)

5-1 vs. Ponferradina (A)

3-2 vs. Las Palmas (H)

3-1 vs. Girona (A)

1-1 vs. Salamanca (H)

Keeping clean sheets seems quite difficult, especially against some of the weaker teams. Especially amusing after having beaten Real Madrid at home in the cup, where they didn't have a shot on target and then the same thing in the 0-0 draw away to Valladolid.

Crushing wins over Albacete and Ponferradina, who are both struggling, whilst the pick of the wins for me was the 3-2 over 2nd place Las Palmas. A nice little bit of revenge against the only team to beat us in the league this season.

Currently we're 11 points clear of Las Palmas in second, with third placed Salamanca 18 points behind.

[heathxxx]

And so at long last, comes the dip in form I've been waiting for, aided by a crippled defence because of injuries and suspensions, which included my goalie Roberto.

2-4 vs. Rayo Vallecano (A)

2-3 vs. Celta Vigo (H)

Incredibly, we were winning both games 2-0 on both occasions, before collapsing completely. Backup players failed to prove their worth and second choice keeper Rafa, performed as if he'd had his arms amputated. Utterly inept goalkeeping.

Still, there's a funny side to all this... Roberto is back from injury and goes straight back into the side for the next game. Meanwhile, I've immediately transfer listed Rafa and offered him to clubs. Premier League clubs Bolton and West Ham came in immediately with bids at the asking price of 75k.

Clearly they didn't send scouts to look at him...

[heathxxx]

Update...

3-2 vs. Xerez (A)

4-1 vs. Cartagena (H)

2-1 vs. Barcelona B

3-2 vs. Numancia

Still not getting any better defensively, but after the dip of losing two consecutive games, it's nice to get back to winning ways, now that players are back from injury and suspension. This meant that everyone but left-back Ibrahima Faye was available for the next match...

Spanish Cup Final

Won the game a lot more comfortably that I'd have expected, given Hércules had knocked out A.Madrid in the Quarters and Barcelona in the Semis. So, delighted not only with the cup run and final victory itself, but that we've also qualified for the Euro Cup next season. We also have no intentions of running the cup over with a bus, or anything silly like that...

[jaycar]

Heath ...first of all...nice facial hair

Nice thread yet again, I'm going to give Granada a crack if and when Woking becomes a chore.

Congrats on the cup win!

One quick question, do you still go with 2 x DLP in the CM positions?

[heathxxx]

Meh... facial hair is still there, but the rest of the hair is much longer too now...

At the moment I'm using a DLP "Support" (Abel) and Ball Winning Midfielder "Defend" (Pérez or Lucena).

Mainly because I've not got anyone quality enough to be a DLP "Defend", but also because I like the added "bite" that Pérez and Lucena offer ahead of my defence, which it has to be said, is a little shaky at times.

Generally, if I'm playing a team that favours a more direct approach, with their keeper hoofing balls upfield, I'll use Lucena, who's better in the air to win those balls. Otherwise, I'll use Pérez, who's a much better all-round midfielder. If you remember my last Granada CF thread, you might remember that Óscar Pérez was one of my favourite players, who I kept right up until he retired. Mainly it's his teamwork and work rate, but the rest of his attributes are well suited to a midfielder who's main focus is winning the ball, then getting it away to a more technically gifted team-mate

Sometimes I get the silly urge to give him the nickname "Ronseal". "Does exactly what it says in his attributes". Simply put, he's one of those no-nonsense players that does all the basic things, really well.

If you progress with Granada CF, although you'll probably find better players, he's always a solid and reliable squad player at the very least.

[jaycar]

Don't mind me, I went bald at 25 so tend to be envious of hair fullstop

Yeah, I read the whole of your last granada save thread, was an awesome read

Thanks for the information, I love the 4231 but my Woking players are donkeys, so I can't use it :/

[heathxxx]

The only variation between the 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 I've used with Granada CF this first season jaycar, is that I switch the AMC in the 4-2-3-1 for a poacher striker alongside the target man in the 4-4-2. Everything else stays the same. Positions, roles, all the team settings. It's literally just to give me a choice between deploying and attacking midfielder "in the hole", or having two up front.

Of course, whatever system you use, depends on the players you have available to you. You really can use any shape or formation you want. It just depends on the roles you use with the positions and if you've got the players to suit them.

[heathxxx]

Final update of the first season...

6-3 vs. Córdoba (A)

4-0 vs. Tenerife (H)

2-2 vs. Gimnàstic (A)

2-0 vs. Huesca (H)

3-0 vs. Alcorcón (A)

2-0 vs. Villareal B (H)

2-0 vs. Elche (H)

3-0 vs. Recreativo (A)

The title and promotion was actually clinched in a poor performance against struggling Gimnàstic. After that the team, clearly playing without any pressure, played some of the best football of the season and coasted the last five games, without conceding a single goal. So, after all the fun and games I've had with the defence this season, it's in the last five meaningless games they perform their best defensively. Typical eh!

[heathxxx]

All the fixtures, the squad statistics and the staff I had in this first season.

[heathxxx]

I'm now grinding my way through pre-season, trying to build a decent squad for my first season in La Liga, plus hopefully, a good run in the EURO Cup. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any of the Udinese players back on loan for another season and the parent affiliate deal is actually looking pretty pointless now. To loan either player, they wanted a large loan fee and 100% wages paid, unlike their previous loan deals, which were free. I looked at buying Giejo and Ighalo, but Udinese wanted more that I was prepared to offer, plus some bigger clubs were also interested. Jonathan Mensha ended up moving from Udinese to Palermo for 5 million. Udinese won't loan me anyone else worth having for free, as you would normally expect of a "parent club" and as the affiliate deal is long term, I can't cancel it.

Am teetering around the bandwidth cap for my satellite internet connection, so will do an update with my new signings over the next few days at some point, but just to check if Purefun is reading through the thread, in his honour, I had to make my customary signing of a Belgian...

Steven Defour.

(Cost me 11.75 million quid though!!!)

[jaycar]

Nice work

[heathxxx]

Nice work

Yeah, but having spent 11.75 million of the 20 million transfer kitty I've been given on one player, it leaves me a little exposed when it comes to improving other areas of my side. Defour looks like a player I can build my side around though, so I was prepared to push the boat out a little for him. Otherwise, I've been picking up some good bargain and free-transfer veteran players for experience, whilst I've also been scouring the planet for young talent to develop. I'll do a full review of my transfer activity later.

One thing's for sure, it's going to be a tough season. The pre-season odds set me at 2000-1 for the title and one of the favourites for relegation. I chose "mid-table finish" for my board expectations, but I'm hoping I can maybe push for a European spot, if I'm fully on my game tactically

[Purefun]

Ooh I read this thread, every teamthread for that matter.

Maybe keep your money and go for loanees? Bound to be plenty great ones out there.

[heathxxx]

Too late now Purefun, I already splashed the cash!

Loans from Udinese were my first port of call, but even though they're the "parent" club, I can't now get anyone from them without having to pay a sizeable fee and 100% of their wages. When I've then tried other clubs for loan players, they too want sizeable fees. I just think that's dead money and I'd rather buy players than "rent" them. The bigger fees I have spent though, involved a small down payment and the rest over 48 months, so at least we're spreading the cost over four years. In that time I should be able to build up the club finances substantially.

Doing my usual "clean slate" approach to squad building! Some interesting players have cropped up, such as Owen Hargreaves on a free transfer. Pointed at my screen and laughed heartily when his agent demanded over 80k per week wages for him. Needless to say, I terminated his trial contract.

I'm just compiling a list of all the in's and out's during the summer, of which there's quite a lot. One thing I will add though, is that my "Human Traffic" policy is working rather well.

Last season I signed lots of young players that had some potential. One or two are good enough to keep, but the rest I'm in the process of selling off. One such player, was 22 year-old Belarus winger Dzmitry Rekish. I signed him on a free transfer, then loaned him out for the season with 100% of his wages covered. Now I've just sold him to German side Duisberg for 1.1 million. Very tidy profit from a deal that cost about 50k total for his signing on fee and agent fee.

Other notable "profiteering" deals include:

Afonso, 18 year Brazilian old striker. Signed from ASA in Brazil for 18k and sold to Feyenoord for 575k.

Andriy Vlasko, 18 year old Ukrainian midfielder. Signed as a free agent and sold to Siena for 375k.

Florentin Matei, 17 year old Romanian winger. Signed as a free agent and sold to Bolton for 650k.

Ueverton, 18 year old Brazilian striker. Signed as a free agent and sold to Valladolid for 375k.

Aldair, 18 year old Brazilian striker. Signed from Joinville in Brazil for 45k and sold to Almería for 725k.

Anyway, I'm about one signing away from the squad I'll be using for this season, so once it's completed, I'll post a screen-shot of my transfers.

[heathxxx]

Okies... rather than type everything out, I'll be lazy and post images for my pre-season transfer dealings, the main squad and coaching staff.

Pre-season hasn't gone particularly well when it comes to the results. The friendlies against much weaker teams based in the province of Granada, Loja and Huétor Tájar were the expected resounding victories. Matches against Stuttgart, Roma and Udinese resulted in losses and not very encouraging performances, followed by a drab goalless draw against Napoli.

On the up-side, we managed to earn a goalless home draw in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup against a full strength and fully fit Real Madrid side. They were clearly the better side, but I used the same "backs-to-the-wall" approach that got us past them in the Spanish Cup semi-finals last season. Perhaps the most disappointing aspects of the match however, was that record signing Steven Defour, was sent off within moments of coming on as a substitute, whilst we were also denied a "clear cut penalty", which was the focus of attention in the post-match press conference.

Not sure if we'll get a result at Santiago Bernabéu, but stranger things have happened. Before that match takes place though, we have the EURO Cup 4th Qualifying round, first leg away to Turkish side Ankaragücü to contend with.

Overall, fairly happy with the side I've managed to put together over pre-season, although the club is now 7.75 million Pounds in the red.

There's a good mixture of youth and experience and I'll be hoping that will be of some benefit when it comes to tutoring. All the decent young players are signings I've brought in, as this season's youth intake wasn't very good. The club is in the process of upgrading youth and training facilities, which will be completed in September.

Perhaps the most difficult thing to wade through during pre-season was contract negotiations with agents. Obviously now being a La Liga club, any high reputation players have equally high wage demands. It was what I considered excessively high demands that resulted in me deciding not to sign Owen Hargreaves, who in spite of his poor injury record, would have been an excellent capture on a free transfer. When his agent was demanding in excess of 80k per week, although we could afford it by shuffling the transfer and wage budget around a little, I just thought it was too much for a club of our stature.

With that in mind, although I have made some important key signings, I think my aim will be to build for the future with young player signings that will cost much less and that will hopefully develop well at the club. Have to say though, that whilst looking for a couple of really good midfield "enforcers", I couldn't have asked for better bargains than Mark van Bommel and Mahamadou Diarra. Both have played at the very highest level of the game and should provide excellent hard working support for the creativity of Steven Defour.

[jaycar]

Wow, you have been busy in the transfer market...some very nice signings.

[heathxxx]

I had to really jaycar. Udinese wanted loan fees and to cover 100% of wages to have Giejo and Ighalo back and anyone else available for loan, didn't fit with what I needed tactically or quality wise. So, I had to go out and make permanent signings and really start building the team.

The "best" signings were of course the free transfer acquisitions. Mark van Bommel and Mahamadou Diarra I was delighted to get, as I really did need a couple of midfield "enforcers". More creatively, Luis Jiménez and Thiago were excellent free transfer signings too. I always cringe a little when having to spend big though.

Steven Defour at 11.75m was a blockbuster signing and I'm thinking I possibly paid a little over the odds for him. He's a tricky player to manage tactically, but has excellent overall attributes. I'm trying to re-mould his PPM's to suit being more of a playmaker or more offensive minded midfielder, as he's a bit too lightweight to be a deep-lying playmaker. Óscar De Marcos has good potential, can use both feet and play anywhere in attacking midfield. He's best out wide and another player who's PPM's I'm trying to mould to suit what I think are his best roles. The best performer of the big money signings so far, has been central defender Alberto Botía. He's a very good young central defender with bags of potential, who with a little work, I reckon might turn out to be one of the best in the game as central defender "cover" position and role.

I'll do some updates for how the season has started out, but at the moment, I'm watching the United vs. Chelski match

[heathxxx]

Here's an update of the second season so far...

So, after six league games, we find ourselves top of the league. Wonder if we can hold onto that position, only 32 more games to go!

Every match has been a scrap and I've had to keep a close eye on things during games, tinkering tactically when I think the timing is right to do so. The many new players are working well together though and all suit the roles they're playing very well. I'm alternating between three formations, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 wide and 4-2-3-1 narrow. Little difference between the roles for all three shapes, but when I do switch roles around, the players I have are capable of adapting.

Pre-season was a bit hit and miss, as you'll see from the results. Defeats in those games are more useful than wins sometimes though, helping me to identify things I need to change, before the competitive games begin. In the midst of a hard fought Super Cup win against Real Madrid, in the first leg of the EURO Cup 4th Qualifying Round, Turkish side Ankaragücü basically did to us, what we had done to Real Madrid. They were stubborn defensively, frustrated us, then nicked a sucker-punch goal on the counter. In the second leg we were much the better side, though even when 2-0 up, they still posed a great risk on the counter. We managed to see the game out and progress to the group stages. Our reward was a group that contained Celtic, Leverkusen and Levski Sofia.

Things couldn't have started worse against Levski, the team I considered weakest in the group, as we were 1-0 down at home, inside only thirty seconds. Rest of the 1st half was poor, but after some harsh words at half time, we destroyed them in the second half, to run out 3-1 winners. It'll be interesting to see how we get on against Celtic and Leverkusen.

Three excellent results on the spin Sevilla, Deportivo and Villareal see us perched at the top of the pile. Whilst it will be amusing to see if we can hold our own at the summit of the table, there's a very long way to go yet.

[lucatonix]

It's been a facinating read Heath. Good luck.

I hope you are utilising Thiago (assuming he is the one from Barca) because he is amazing if he is given playing time. In my Villarreal save he bossed the midfield from deep as a deep lying playmaker in his first season with me. In his second he played even better when he played at AMC as advanced playmaker attack. His brilliant creativity and flair means he is unpredictable, but his personality can let him down at times. Thus you must tutor him to improve this aspect.

Fontas also improves well, so give them games when possible. He is already in the Spanish international squad and on the verge of the first team, so he has potential.

I would like to say good luck once more!

[heathxxx]

I was very pleased to sign both Thiago (yes, he is the one from Barcelona) and Fontas (also formerly with Barça). Thiago I managed to get on a free transfer, having been released by Barcelona. Needless to say, I moved very quickly and was quite lucky to get him, as there was a lot of interest. Fontas cost 350k, which if he develops well enough, will be an absolute bargain.

I'm trying to sign good young Spanish players where I can. I'm hoping that in a few seasons, my Granada CF side will provide a good several players for the national team, just as Barcelona do now.

Although Fontas hasn't featured much in the starting line-up, he's starting to get games from the bench and is being tutored by experienced veteran Spanish defender Juanito, who I signed mainly as cover for others and to tutor my younger defenders.

At the moment, I'm using Thiago in a number of roles and positions, mainly as an attacking midfielder. Interestingly though, in recent games although "unconvincing" positionally at AMR, I've been playing him there in an Advanced Playmaker "attack" role. In three games in that position, he's rated 7.9 average, scored two goals, provided four assists and been man of the match twice. Not bad for someone who's playing in a position he's neither "natural" or "accomplished". This flexibility is very useful, because I'm quite flexible tactically. I primarily switch between 4-2-3-1 wide and 4-2-3-1 narrow during matches, whilst I also use an attacking 4-4-2/4-2-4 when I want to play more direct and with two strikers.

The player I've been most surprised and impressed with so far though, is 18 year old Paraguayan Miguel Medina, who I signed from Paraguayan club Sport Colombia for only 325k. In his last five games, he's rated 7.98 and scored six goals coming on from the bench. Really impressive, because at the moment he's very much a rough diamond, but will potentially be a great player once he's a little more polished with training, tutoring and having learned some useful PPM's.

Biggest let down so far though, even though he's young and has still to develop, is goalkeeper Luís Guilherme. He has great potential at only 19 years of age, but in his last game he rated the lowest I've seen yet playing FM11. He made two major errors in a EURO Cup game away to Celtic. We were 3-1 up, he more than lived up to his "touted as the next Gomes" billing, by gifting them goals, earning a 3.6 match rating rating. Afterwards, I fined him a weeks wages, told him his performance was unacceptable in a private chat and dropped him in favour of my other young keeper, Zacharie Boucher. Guilherme has actually responded quite well and I had an inbox message from one of my coaches, suggesting that he'd doubled his efforts and was performing superbly in training. I'll let him stew for another match on the sidelines, before giving him another chance.