FM13: Newcastle United - Alan Pardew and The Eight Year Plan.

[jlawlor91]

Tiote gets booked so much on this new patch its becoming a joke. Every game I tend to take him off when he gets booked because hes not dependable enough. I've got £17m in the bank so I don't need to sell him for funds but I need a more reliable BWM.

[tommonufc]

Bounce-back-ability... Champions League's not what it used to be

[tommonufc]

Tiote gets booked so much on this new patch its becoming a joke. Every game I tend to take him off when he gets booked because hes not dependable enough. I've got £17m in the bank so I don't need to sell him for funds but I need a more reliable BWM.

No he doesn't - no more than any other player. I've had him playing on more or less full closing down and default tackling as a defensive midfielder, or ball winning midfielder and he's only been sent of once in two and a bit seasons. It will be more down to your team-talks, tactical set-up etc than any individual player.

Any good ball winning midfielder will have characteristics that will lend themselves to getting booked - good luck finding yourself a good passive-aggressive BMW - by their very nature they are putting themselves in situations to getting booked. So your notion at finding a 'more reliable BMW' is contradictory. You have to take the rough with the smooth. He should be, if set-up in the right team, be contributing defensively more than enough for you to have that trade-off of him playing on a yellow card for say 40mins or so.

Take a look at his actual match analyses, usually the ME will rate a defensive player much lower than their actual contribution to the side would represent. My guessing would be he'd still be making the most tackles in your side, high interceptions as a BMW(D). He can be a fantastic man-marker, against players playing in the AMC.

[Spedding]

just finished 3rd season finished 1st in prem.

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got to the semi finals of the champions cup and only got knocked out by juventus on away goals.

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got to the final of fa cup and got beat by arsenal on penaltys it didn't help that we had a injury crisis for the last month.

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squad

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[Spedding]

my youngsters

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[jlawlor91]

No he doesn't - no more than any other player. I've had him playing on more or less full closing down and default tackling as a defensive midfielder, or ball winning midfielder and he's only been sent of once in two and a bit seasons. It will be more down to your team-talks, tactical set-up etc than any individual player.

Any good ball winning midfielder will have characteristics that will lend themselves to getting booked - good luck finding yourself a good passive-aggressive BMW - by their very nature they are putting themselves in situations to getting booked. So your notion at finding a 'more reliable BMW' is contradictory. You have to take the rough with the smooth. He should be, if set-up in the right team, be contributing defensively more than enough for you to have that trade-off of him playing on a yellow card for say 40mins or so.

Take a look at his actual match analyses, usually the ME will rate a defensive player much lower than their actual contribution to the side would represent. My guessing would be he'd still be making the most tackles in your side, high interceptions as a BMW(D). He can be a fantastic man-marker, against players playing in the AMC.

Don't know how you could argue that, you haven't played my save! I saw Wanyama go on the Transfer List for £8m so I've decided to cash-in on Tiote for £10m. Wanyama's younger and Tiote's not been brilliant for me so it makes sense.

I need a LW second season. Gaitan was transfer listed and can't get a work permit, Bernard and Lamela bids get rejected under £15m and I don't want to spend any more on a LW. Anyone got any suggestions?

[DandyDon]

Stuck at work at the moment so can't check my save for some of the options but a few possibilites for you:- Viktor Fischer, Lenny Nangis, Antoine Griezmann, Dries Mertens, Dusan Tadic and I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple obvious ones

[JD nawrat]

Fischer's an absolute BEAST, so I advise him for sure. Been my regular on AML since I signed him in the first season. Only 5* potential player in the side (except for one of my 16 year old regens).

Antoine Griezmann is meh. I've moved him to AMR to try and get him more playtime (cannot improve on Fischer). Adam Lallana is a good choice for AML too, tearing it up on my save at the minute.

edit: Must've forgotten to save last night before I stopped playing. Last save was right before the Fulham game (5-0). Means I also lost out on my 2-0 victory at Goodison. Replaying Fulham just now and winning 1-3. Annoyed to not have kept a clean sheet but as long as I get the win and no incredibly serious injuries it's cool.

1-3 at Fulham, 0-1 at Everton. That's cool, I guess. Back to where I was last night now.

[tommonufc]

I'd go with Fischer, or Lallana too. Two-footed players are the way forward

[JD nawrat]

Stevan Jovetic is doing things to me right now. 13 games in, City and I both have 11 wins and two draws. We meet at St. James' Park. Big match...

Half-time, the scoreline currently reads Newcastle 4-0 Man City, Stevan Jovetic hattrick and Hernandez scoring the other.

He was 89% fitness going in the game but I felt i had to play him because it was such a big game and Quagliarella is so hot/cold it's ridiculous. City have targeted him and at half time his fitness is 64%... Still, hattrick hero

Eeesh, finished 4-2 to me. Marouane Fellaini dragged Man City back into it and bossed our third, scoring twice. Still, won 4-2. Huge three points.

Ouch. Moussa Sissoko out for 5-6 weeks in the same game. Crushing. Strained knee ligaments. Another big injury in 2014 for him. Thankfully Garmash is playing better than him this time round whereas at the end of last season he couldn't give a decent performance to save himself.

E: Just suffered my first defeat in 22 games - at Sporting CP in the Champions League. Already qualified and as long as I don't lose by more than 3-0 then I have top spot guaranteed so I play a very weak side and they beat us 1-0. Ah well. Still top of the group and no harm from losing.

[DBurns]

Been reading this thread as past few days and have to say I'm loving the updates from JDownie and tommonufc as well as DandyDon's usual superb updates. So much so, I've started my own save with the Toon.

I've sold a few players and brought in a couple of youngsters as well as Toby Alderweirield as I plan on using a formation with 3 at the back just to try out an interesting formation I thought of, something like this:

This also means I can give Streete games right from the off.

Will most likely follow JDownie and tommonufc in providing monthly updates.

[JD nawrat]

With Moussa out for 5-6 weeks, I decided I might as well promote one of my youth players and give them the opportunity to play a few first team games here and there. I've brought up my brightest young talent (only 16) and put him in a pretty tough position but we'll see how it goes. It means Anita will play box-to-box (more than good enough for it) and Mariga and Juan (the youth) will rotate the DM spot, mostly with Mariga playing of course. My other option was to play Jordy Clasie at Box-to-Box and bring up Juan Carlos (my only other 5*PA youth alongside Juan. Fischer is also 5* but first team already).

Anyhow, here's Juan (Defensive Midfielder):

And here's Juan Carlos (Central Attacking Midfielder; retrained to Centre Midfield):

In hindsight I'd have been better off promoting Juan Carlos because he looks better suited to the first team at the minute. However I don't put a playmaker on my bench (ever), if I need to I switch Moussa/Anita to the playmaker role and sub off Chantome. Clasie is never on the bench/Chantome is never on the bench if Clasie starts. So I feel that I've probably made the correct choice here. I'll give Juan Carlos his debut if Clasie/Chantome ever get injured. He's only another one or two seasons away from being ready anyway.

Easy to confuse their names, though

Either way, with these two together in my midfield trio, I have a bright future

[DBurns]

Juan Carlos looks like he'll turn out to be a quality playmaker

[JD nawrat]

I think so too. Him creating with Juan playing the Anchor behind him Got another Spanish youth (his name is difficult, he's Basque, so it has lots of Gs and Xs) who'll be one for the future too, he's 4.5*PA

Best thing about Juan Carlos is that he's a future captain, too. Looking forward to him developing into something special.

Getting lots of playing tutoured now before it's too late. Yanga-Mbiwa tutoring Streete (already had Coloccini do it and it raised his determination a bit, if I can get it up a bit more he might become more than just a back-up (not good enough to be starting for me at the minute but makes a good option from the bench in easy games)). Got Debuchy tutoring Haidara...might not seem like much point in this one but Haidara is going to be my future LB for years so I want him to be ideal to tutor others a few years down the line.

Got plenty of youths tutored now. Abel Hernandez is tutoring Guillame Charles, a young French striker i have. I have Jordy Clasie tutoring Juan Carlos - if I can get JC's Determination from 15 to closer to 18 I'll be chuffed. Could make for the perfect captain. Anita, my only professional player, is tutoring Juan to aid his development. Not got any other suitable tutors, really. I'll rotate the current tutors to tutor young players in the future though, all of these players will be about for a while, Debuchy being the only one who is old (and even at that, he's only 29 iirc).

_____

Interesting line-up that you're using, DBurns. Quite defensive but I guess the attacking wingbacks won't have a great deal of involvement in defending compared to the other players. It'll be interesting to read your monthly updates

[DandyDon]

Juan, juan, we've only juan juan......

[JD nawrat]

Juan Juan + Juan Juan = Two Juan

e: Just beat Man City at the Etihad 0-1 after 120 minutes, Antoine Griezmann scoring on the 120+1st minute I wanna win this trophy this season. It's probably my best bet at the minute. FA Cup of course too, but I'm far in this already. Should do well in Europe and the Premier League but City, Chelsea and Spurs are all within 4 points of me. Think I can win the C1 Cup this year after two dismal showings last year and the year before.

[tommonufc]

Adam Campbell's first NUFC hat-trick. Destro out for four weeks, by time he gets back to match fitness he may struggle to get back in the side.

[col_nufc1]

Campbell is developing nicely for you tommo, on my last NUFC save he became the best striker in the world and was amazing as a poacher.

I am going to try something different with Campbell this time though as I don't play with a poacher in my formation now, I use a lone forward up front as a complete forward so I am going to see if I can develop Campbell in that role. I am also giving him more game time in the first season than I did last time, it probably won't work but theres no harm in trying right.

[tommonufc]

My Adam Campbell love in is beginning to start once again in this save. Although, to be fair it has stuck ever since my first save. Got very excited when he came on against Stoke the other week, and even more when he came on against Anzhi - was praying that he'd get the winner!

Not sure how your get on developing him into any other than a poacher. He's pretty short - so not going to have the jumping and aerial presence, and devoting the efforts into building up the other side to his game would probably be best used training his pace, and goalscoring qualities. Hard to explain, but I'd say you could have a 10/10 poacher sort of play, but a 6/7 out of 10 TQ or compete forward.

Would be interesting to see a fully developed Campbell, where by his development has been taken down a different direction.

I orginally wanted a more rounded forward to play as my striker, buying in Giroud and Destro, and developing Destro to boost his strength, jumping - but I've quickly realised it shouldn't really matter, as when Campbell will get to the level he will do by the time he's 20/21, he'll score tons of goals for the side.

In my last save he'd have played a lot more, and scored more by the age he is at the moment - but I'm playing a much, much more attacking style, so I think he should get a lot more chances to score even more goals. Last save I was playing mainly with 3-5-2 and wing backs, this time I've many more creators for him. He's just scored two in the first half in my game vs. Swansea - beating defenders in the box to score after the full backs get to the by line.

[james_wilko]

Theoretically, you could train Campbell to be a similar type of player to someone like Aguero, or maybe Tevez.

If he's at the top end of his potential he could be brilliant in a few roles, just not a target man...

[col_nufc1]

I was praying he'd nick a goal in the Anzi or Stoke game as well but I don't know if it was just me but our players seemed to try there best not to pass to young Campbell . He looked tiny against the Stoke defenders mind, he looked about 5 foot not the 5 foot 9" that it says he is in FM.

Are you still playing a 4-1-4-1 formation tommo ? when Campbell plays do you use him as a poacher ? I can't relly get a poacher to work that well upfront on his own unless he has a creative AMC in behind him feeding him through balls for him to run onto.

I play with a 4-5-1 formation so a poacher wouldn't really work in that formation unless he is very very good. I have been playing Haris Vuckic in that role as well as Cisse has been injured and is currently in the AFCON and young Haris is doing a cracking job, his PPM of drops deep to get the ball really comes into effect and he plays the two inside forwards in for goal or plays lovely one two with them to score himself.

[col_nufc1]

Theoretically, you could train Campbell to be a similar type of player to someone like Aguero, or maybe Tevez.

If he's at the top end of his potential he could be brilliant in a few roles, just not a target man...

Thats what I am hoping for but time will tell in the end I suppose.

[tommonufc]

I was praying he'd nick a goal in the Anzi or Stoke game as well but I don't know if it was just me but our players seemed to try there best not to pass to young Campbell . He looked tiny against the Stoke defenders mind, he looked about 5 foot not the 5 foot 9" that it says he is in FM.

Are you still playing a 4-1-4-1 formation tommo ? when Campbell plays do you use him as a poacher ? I can't relly get a poacher to work that well upfront on his own unless he has a creative AMC in behind him feeding him through balls for him to run onto.

I play with a 4-5-1 formation so a poacher wouldn't really work in that formation unless he is very very good. I have been playing Haris Vuckic in that role as well as Cisse has been injured and is currently in the AFCON and young Haris is doing a cracking job, his PPM of drops deep to get the ball really comes into effect and he plays the two inside forwards in for goal or plays lovely one two with them to score himself.

Wiki says 5'7" - but yeah, he looks tiny in real life. As much as I'd love it, I doubt he'll ever reach the real life equivalent of his PA given to him in FM; but I guess it's hard to say - just haven't seen enough of him in real life. I get the feeling that he'll play most of his time out wide, of in behind a forward, as he just doesn't have that presence to spearhead an attack that sides like to have.

Yeah, I'm still playing 4-1-4-1 - works fantastically. Playing a poacher is all about the quality of attacks you can create to get that player to get the goals. People often say that the poacher role doesn't work in FM - but it's all down to delivering the ball into the box and getting the play on the ball in and around the box, especially when they aren't a well-rounded player that can create and assist for other players.

Have read, not too much I might add, that through balls just don't work that well in this ME; which when I read it, I did think, "yeah, the don't do they!" - but I doubt that's going to definitely stop an AMC and poacher combining to good effect.

The 4-1-4-1, yes still playing that Best system I've made in a while, especially attacking wise. Previously I've loved possession based styles, and fussing over how many passes I'm making.

Basically it defends as a 4-1-4-1/4-5-1 - but attacks as what you'd expect a 4-1-2-2-1 set up with two inside forwards. The two wingers, HBA and El Shaarawy cut inside and get close to the lone forward. This ME seems to favor this sort of player cutting inside I've read - but read that about half hour ago, so invented this idea without the intent to play off ME weaknesses.

A 4-1-4-1 can seem pretty rigid due to the forward not being surrounded with anyone in the strata behind - but it's set up very attacking, I'll have Sissoko as a AM from the cm spot, and have taken to playing a AP(S) in the other CM spot in recent months. Both wing-backs are now on Attacking setting, so they get forward, towards the byline, and have been a terrific source of goals.

[tommonufc]

Here is a screenshot from the 6-1 win against Rosenborg.

Should be able to see the 4-1-4-1 moves into something like a 4-3-3 pretty fluently. Wingers come to make forwards, and full backs up to become wingers. By time Debuchy has the ball outwise, Sissoko will get into the box to make a four man attack there.

[DandyDon]

2015/16 Update - Mid Season

We got through the busy congested fixture list largely unscathed, managing to keep pace with Man Utd at the top of the table. The new arrivals are continuining to impress so far, Douglas Costa has the odd mare of a game but he has also bagged 12 goals and 12 assists so far by the beginning or March. Jack Wilshere is becoming increasingly influential, wherever he plays and Willian has turned in some pretty eyecatching performances lately as well.

I'd decided to give Campbell more regular starts this season, and he's definitely repaid my faith big time so far. He now has 22 goals for the season and has a good few games to get over 30, he has 16 in the league and is only 2 behind Dzeko so still has a good chance of finishing as top scorer too.

We'd finally improved on our League Cup form this season, after 2 very disappointing exits previously, but couldn't quite get past Man City over the 2 legs of the semi final. We'd battered them in the first leg, but conceded two really soft goals to let them away with the draw. In the second leg we started the 2nd half badly and gave away another 2 quick, soft goals. We improved quickly after Campbell pulled one back, but just couldn't find the second to take us in to extra time.

At least we got revenge in the league though with our two young forwards keeping their fine form going to give us the lead after we initially went behind to yet another Dzeko goal. The result should have been even more convincing but for Debuchy missing a penalty and also missing the rebound.

Unfortunately, regardless of our fine form, Man Utd have kept on winning and are still on top by one point. The way they're playing it looks very much like we're going to have to try and get past them on points as if it goes to goal difference they have a definite advantage at the moment.

I've not really made any extra additions during the January transfer window, Sylvain Marveaux and Emiliano Viviano were sold to Wigan and AC Milan respectively while I let Nangis go on loan to Spurs for £275,000 a month. My head of youth development brought in a few promising youngsters with a couple of young Brazilian attackers and 2 talented 15 year old German midfielders arriving just before the window shut. The only really notable arrival was a young English regen striker that I'd been tracking for the last few months.

I'm thinking that with this lad and Campbell in my squad that England should be alright for goalscoring in the years ahead. We did have to pay a fair whack to persuade Watford to let him go, but I think he should be worth it in the end.

[tommonufc]

Just flipped Jordy Clasie for a nice profit. Just sealed the deal, £11.25M to Juventus. Played twice I think come November at the moment, and now sold! May have to do this more often..

[col_nufc1]

I might steal that setup against smaller sides, a Advanced Player with support duty alongside a central midfielder with attack duty. Normally I use Cheick Tiote as a Defensive Midfielder, Yohan 'The Dreamboat' Cabaye as a Deep Lying Playmaker with support duty and Moussa 'He's Magic' Sissoko as a Advanced Playmaker with attack duty.

I usually play possesion football but when smaller sides try to frustate us by playing 11 men behind the ball I'll change to a attacking, direct, fast paced game to try to open them up. I try not to use the sliders anymore and just use the tactic creator roles as I don't like exploiting the ME to get so called easy wins.

[DBurns]

Really really stuggling to break teams down. So far I've played 5 games and failed to score in 3 of them and scored 3 goals in the other two.

Cisse is also yet to score. I may well have to change my tactics as there is too many times he is isolated up front. Thinking I might alternate between a 4-1-4-1 similar to tommo and a 4-4-1-1 similar to JDownie but with the wide midfielders pulled back a strata maybe.

[tommonufc]

If you look at Sissoko's original ppms. it suits him to be playing as an attacking midfielder.

Playing those three in a 4-1-4-1 I'd have, and have played to best effect;

Tiote; DM(D)

Cabaye; DLP(S)

Sissoko; AM(A)

To have best effect from the 4-1-4-1 I'd advise playing from Attacking mentality, direct passing, then whatever your personel defaults are for the other stuff..

Get those full backs forward as well! Santon and Debuchy are great going forward.

[DandyDon]

Urrrrgh...just dropped 2 vital points in a home game against Burnley. Pretty much kicked off the park as well, Willian, Brabec, Santon and Costa all off injured. Willian and Brabec will pretty much miss rest of the season as they're both out for 2-3 months.

Gives Utd the chance to make the gap three points again.

[tommonufc]

Really really stuggling to break teams down. So far I've played 5 games and failed to score in 3 of them and scored 3 goals in the other two.

Cisse is also yet to score. I may well have to change my tactics as there is too many times he is isolated up front. Thinking I might alternate between a 4-1-4-1 similar to tommo and a 4-4-1-1 similar to JDownie but with the wide midfielders pulled back a strata maybe.

I started of playing a 4-4-1-1, but found that defensivly, the '1' playing in the AMC does very little. He won't press the center backs, and is just behind the lone forward, effectivly doing the same job - so moved him back to the cm, with an attacking duty. That works much better, as you have a solid bank of five to defend with!

Have a look in your next game with the 4-4-1-1, you should notice the AM stands on top of the ST, and doesn't drop back into the midfield that well when defending.

[col_nufc1]

I tried sissoko as a central midfielder with attacking duty in pre season and he was awful, although to be fair to him that was in a possesion based tactic, so I changed him to a advanced playmaker with attack duty and he was much better.

I always play with attacking wingbacks I just love watching them create havoc on the wings with my inside forwards cutting inside supporting the lone striker.

I ve got the Capital One cup final against Manchester City up next so I am going to play my 4-5-1 but attacking and direct and with Sissoko as a central midfielder with attacking duty as I don't think City will play there strongest side.

[col_nufc1]

I forgot to post my transfers up now that the January transfer window has closed.

I signed two young players from the Championship in Will Hughes and Matt Phillips, I also wanted Tom Ince as well and had a £12.5m bid accepted but for some reason he doesn't want to even talk to us :confused:.

Out went Williamson, Jonas and Michael Richardson and Ferguson and Tavernier went out on loan.

[DBurns]

I started of playing a 4-4-1-1, but found that defensivly, the '1' playing in the AMC does very little. He won't press the center backs, and is just behind the lone forward, effectivly doing the same job - so moved him back to the cm, with an attacking duty. That works much better, as you have a solid bank of five to defend with!

Have a look in your next game with the 4-4-1-1, you should notice the AM stands on top of the ST, and doesn't drop back into the midfield that well when defending.

Yea I know what you mean about the AM, what if he was used as an AM/S role to link up with the '2' in midfield whilst the two wide midfielders cut in to link up with the striker as he could be the supoort between the midfield '2' and the forward '3'. Might well be worth a try.

[tommonufc]

Won my first World Club Cup. Inching past some Tunisian's in the first game, and beating Fluminese in the Finals. Thier right-back, Danilo, I brought back in the summer too, he had a good game, and seems to be coming along nicely!

[JD nawrat]

Chantome got a 9 day injury (not much but Clasie had 93% conditioning going into the next game so I didn't want to knacker him) so I handed Juan Carlos his debut.

Decided to peer into the future and started Juan behind Juan Carlos. Both of them bossed it and they were so convincing in handing us a 2-0 lead. I subbed off Juan and everything sort of...fell apart. We ended up drawing 2-2. Juan Carlos played Anita through with a beautiful ball in the last minute but Anita couldn't convert...

Both Juans won 5 tackles each and had exceptional pass completions - Carlos had 36/42 (85%) with 5 Key passes and a 7.2 rating. Juan completed 24/27 (88%) and scored a 7.0 rating. Feels good bleeding in players so young. To see them both look so comfortable, too.

_____

So the Champions League 1st Round Knockout was drawn just then. Atletico Madrid v Newcastle. Reasonably happy with this. It means for our third ever Knockout match we will once again, for the third time, be traveling to Spain yet again. Three times out of three. At least this time we're traveling to face Atletico and not Real (KO) or Barca (QF). I hope to make it into the semi-finals at least this year. It'll be tough to take on Atletico but I'm feeling quietly confident. We should do better this year than last. Unless I get a horrible draw in the next round (nailed on, really).

[Spedding]

finished 4th season

ended up second just losing out to chelsea on goal difference needed qpr to take points off them last game but even though chelsea had a man sent off they still won 2 - 0.

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won fa cup bit off revenge from last season when they beat us in the final.

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champions cup just can't beat juventus they beat us in the semis last year this year the quarters.

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got to the final of the capital one cup but liverpool beat us in the final got my revenge in the fa cup mind.

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squad krul wanted out in january and couldn't convince him to stay.

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[Spedding]

some of my players

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[james_wilko]

Thats what I am hoping for but time will tell in the end I suppose.

You'd probably be best off having him training as a poacher for a whole season to up his main striker stats (finishing, composure, first touch & pace) which should see a nice boost to them. Then try changing it to trequarista, which should make him a more rounded player as that will improve his passing, technique, flair and creativity while still working on his finishing/composure. That's what I've done and in the first season with the poacher training and tutoring from Cisse his finishing and composure are both now 13 and his pace 15, so now hopefully the trequarista training will turn him into the Ginger Aguero.

[YellowLittle]

Right decided to start over on my Newcastle save, want to build a good tactic from the start and not sell Ben Arfa.

Going to do what you recommended Tommo from the start and watch the full games to build my tactic and hopefully once it's done I can speed through a bit quicker and watch the matches on extended. If I have any problems I will post on here for any advice as you've been helpful before.

Will also do monthly updates and probably include my tactics and where I could improve. Going to sell Jonas I think and bring in Fischer and probably Abel Hernandez again.

[JD nawrat]

Just lost my first League game. At White Hart Lane, 2-1. 18th game of the season. Not bad. I'm sitting two behind City and two ahead of Spurs (I'm 13/4/1, City are 14/3/1). Gonna be tough to retain the title but I'm quietly confident.

Worst thing about losing at WHL was Cabaye finally put in a good performance against me and bossed the midfield. Usually he gets overrun by Chantome but he wasn't fit enough to play and we missed him big time. He's my go-to guy in the big games. Always dominates. Whereas Jordy Clasie made a stupid mistake and let Spurs score in the last 10 minutes to win.

______

January, my favourite time of the year. The time where I sign as many pointless players as I can, just because they're all free

Looking at three players just now who'll bag me a decent amount of money should I sell them or who they're replacing. Neal Maupay is one of them, although he'll be replacing Fabio Quagliarella whose contract expires in Summer and won't be renewed. I'll also look to bring in one of Zenit's regens - a young lad called Petrov. I played against him in the Champions League last season and was impressed by him despite losing both times. Tried to sign him but Zenit fended off all of my bids. He's currently 2*CA, 5*PA according to my scouts. Looks great and if he's only 2* atm, he'll turn into something great. I'll post a screenshot if/when I confirm his signing. That'll signal the end for Clasie/Chantome (more likely Clasie) in the Summer. Third player is the young Roma player, Tachtsidis. He'll come in and Mariga will probably be sold. Mariga's form of last season hasn't been reached this season so he'll move on, most likely. I can fetch at least £5M for him I'm sure.

I was going to sign Kwadwo Asamoah on a free but he wants £91k so nope.

[Tellos]

Started a new career with the Toon on 13.3, No Transfers 1st window and using the Ireland start date of January 2013.

I find the club in 17th place, with 24 points from 24 games, Out of the Europa League in the group stages and out of the Capital One cup in the 3rd Round to Bolton. My first fixture in charge is an FA Cup 3rd round replay against Reading.

Current Squad information

I arrive to find Debuchy is out for 2 more months with a torn calf muscle, Tiote and Cisse away for CoN and MYM, Haidara, Sissoko and Gouffran not elligable for cup competitions.

Expectations

Being only 17th, the Board expects me to Avoid Relegation, and still have the expectation of reaching the 6th round of the FA Cup.

[tommonufc]

2014/15 - January 1st

Half way through the season, played the first 19 games of the season and have been in imperious form. Single defeat was away to Manchester United at the start of the season, third game in; with the two draws away to Arsenal and Southampton.

Club has been taken over, Mike Ashley selling up, no tycoon takeover, but the new man has given me an extra £10M to spend in January transfer window, and said he's to clear the club debts.

Look nailed on for the League again, aiming for 100+ points. Champions League, into the knockout rounds, where I'm playing Real Madrid

[col_nufc1]

Looking good for the title Tommo , 10 points ahead of Manchester United with a game inhand. It gives you a chance to play some of your younger players in some more Premier League games.

I'll probably be finished my first season either late on tonight or tomorrow. We have had a great season so far and so of the younger players are developing very nicely indeed after giving them loads of game time and of course being tutored. I'll post some screenshots of them in my season review if anyone is interested.

[col_nufc1]

You'd probably be best off having him training as a poacher for a whole season to up his main striker stats (finishing, composure, first touch & pace) which should see a nice boost to them. Then try changing it to trequarista, which should make him a more rounded player as that will improve his passing, technique, flair and creativity while still working on his finishing/composure. That's what I've done and in the first season with the poacher training and tutoring from Cisse his finishing and composure are both now 13 and his pace 15, so now hopefully the trequarista training will turn him into the Ginger Aguero.

I have given up on that idea to be honest, it's best not to play FM after one or two bottles of Moretti , I have him training and playing as a poacher again. I am coming towards the end of the first season and he's still got the potential to become a 5 star player so messing around with his training hasn't stopped his development.

[tommonufc]

Oooh, not too sure about that! Want to smash Mourinho's 04/05 season with Chelsea - 95 points, 1 defeat, 15 conceded. Haven't Premier League title on 100+ points in a few years on FM, so that's what I'm aiming at.

Just beaten Manchester United at home 1-0. That takes me to 59 points from 22 games, 13 points ahead of Man United with a game in hand.

Lost my first game since August, losing Carling Cup Semi-Final 2nd leg, Arsenal beating me 3-1. Fortunately I won the first leg 6-0!

January transfer window, arranged two more transfers for Brazilian talent; Luizao's got a lovely beard for a 16 year old!

[col_nufc1]

Some nice finds there mate. It's going to be hard to tutor Luizao though without him losing some of his determination unless you already have someone who has determination that high.

[tommonufc]

Ahh, thought of that Scouts have given me 10s of 4.5PA/5PA players from South America, but have only gone for the ones with be best personalities. Seeing as they won't be joining me until they're 18, I made sure they had high professionalism, so they'd develop on their own at a decent rate under the AI, and at their Brazilian clubs.

[col_nufc1]

You've just got to hope that the AI doesn't do what it normally does and neglect youngsters.

[col_nufc1]

I have agreed a deal to bring in Goldenballs himself at the end of the season on a free transfer , he'll be a tremendous tutor for some of my youngsters for a season or two. I also poached quite a few youngsters from various clubs that will also arrive at the start of next season.