FM16: Hull City A.F.C, "The Tigers"

[stevemc]

Decided that my first proper save of FM16 will be Hull City, going to start it tonight. Not sure whether it will end up being a one club save, trying to lead them back to the Premier League and into europe, or a multi-club save. Suppose it depends on the offers I receive during the save.

Has anyone experienced Hull City being bought out, as at the start the chairman is willing to listen to offers?

[HCFC_Clark]

I have mate, cub got taken over during January first season.

[Ukchris]

2015-2016 Update

....

It's a shame you missed out on Rossbach but I guess it doesn't hurt to mix it up with different players in different saves San Emeterio looks like he'll do a good job - as you say, no urgent need to replace Odubajo but having two decent players for that position really helps when you depend on fullbacks for width. Cummings should do well for you too, he's not too creative but stick him up top with a focus on scoring goals and score he will with good supply. Konradsen also develops quite nicely, no world beater but enough vision/technique and position versatility to be a useful midfielder in the squad. Coote looks quite weak on my save and I'd be worried about Souttar's low mentals (as they're generally tougher to improve) but good luck developing them!

Sounds like you're off to a good start so keep it up and fingers crossed for promotion. If you keep Hernandez, Aluko, Diomande and Cummings fit you won't have any problem scoring goals, especially when Snodgrass returns to action and builds up match sharpness

[benhig]

Started a save with City, hoping to reach the playoffs but having hit top spot around Christmas I managed to just about hang on at the end of the season to be crowned champions. At work at the minute but will post a season update later.

I'm surprised so many sell Elmo (Unless he doesn't fit your tactic) as he has been outstanding for me and won the fans player of the year vote with a staggering 77% of the vote.

[HCFC_Clark]

2015/16 UPDATE

OVERVIEW

Well what a season I had. Started off very average and was close to the sack around January time. Allam sold up and I was positive I was going to lose the job as we was doing very poor at the time. I couldn't seem to find a tactic that worked well for us but it all changed against when played Sunderland away in the FA Cup and drew even tho we dominated the game. It was the 9th January and at this point we was 15th in the league, with a record of 8 W, 6D and 10L. I then changed to a 5-3-2 formation and the turn around was incredible going on a run of 14W, 4D 3L. We knocked Sunderland out of the FA Cup 2-0, followed by Brentford 2-1, Leicester 1-0, Man Utd 3-1, Bournemouth 5-2 and beating QPR 2-1 in the FA Cup Final (despite loosing 1-0 and being down to 10 men at the 70th minute!).

Not only that, but we continued to rise up the league table from 15th to the playoff stages and after a dramatic final day, we finished 2nd on goal difference, a position we had never reached at any other point during the season! It was something that pre-season I thought we would have achieved but mid-way through it looked very unlikely. I was absolutely over the moon to get us back to the PL and be crowned FA Cup winners too!

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TRANSFERS

Transfer wise I didn't make that many additions or outgoings. I thought the squad was strong in most areas and didn't want to make massive changes. Here's who I bought and sold:

My main signing as you can see was Gayle. I thought he'd add a bit of competition up front with Hernandez but got off to a slow start when I was playing a different formation. However after January he was on fire! I played him in the false 9 position with Hernandez as the AF and he finished the season overall with 33 goals in 48 appearances, scoring 30 in 44 in the league coming second in the scoring charts behind Le Fondre who scored 35. He cost me pretty much all the budget but he was without a doubt worth every penny. I'd recommend him to others who are looking for a striker to do well in the Championship.

I also signed a back up keeper in Johnstone who was good for me in FM15. He didn't play that much and I wont be singing him this year. Marveaux was another good edition who finished with 6 goals and 6 assists in 34 appearances. He was used more when I needed a goal after half time and wanted someone with a bit more creativity in the midfield. I won't be signing him but he did a job for me and pop up with the winner a few times which proved to be vital.

Outgoings, nothing special to note. Townsend and Lenihan did well in the Scottish leagues winning player of the year and young player of the year respectively. Will use them both as back ups this season.

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SQUAD OVERALL

My starting XI looked like this:

GK: McGregor

DC: Dawson

DC: Davies

DC: Maguire

WBR: Elmo/Odubajo

WBL: Robertson*

DLP: Huddlestone

BWM: Livermore

CM(A): Diame/Marveaux

F9: Gayle

AF: Hernandez*

Notable mentions also go out to Robertson and Hernandez. Robertson destroyed the left flank for me and will stay with me for a long time. Regularly popped up with assists from crosses and scored the winner in the FA Cup final in the 85th minute so will always be a legend. Hernandez took a while to get going but finished the season with 13 goals in 33 appearances. That said he's going to be sold due to his inconsistency and I feel I could get someone else better for the money I sell him for. Overall had a really fun first season and finished on a massive high at 4am in the morning. Will give another update soon about the signings I made for the PL, but the new owner who came in at January has given me a budget of £25m so they will be a few!

[macca72]

That is some effort, well done.

I'm intrigued by the 5-3-2, I think it's pretty strong. Did you switch up mentality or stick with a particular strategy and go for it?

[Bigpapa42]

It's a shame you missed out on Rossbach but I guess it doesn't hurt to mix it up with different players in different saves San Emeterio looks like he'll do a good job - as you say, no urgent need to replace Odubajo but having two decent players for that position really helps when you depend on fullbacks for width. Cummings should do well for you too, he's not too creative but stick him up top with a focus on scoring goals and score he will with good supply. Konradsen also develops quite nicely, no world beater but enough vision/technique and position versatility to be a useful midfielder in the squad. Coote looks quite weak on my save and I'd be worried about Souttar's low mentals (as they're generally tougher to improve) but good luck developing them!

Sounds like you're off to a good start so keep it up and fingers crossed for promotion. If you keep Hernandez, Aluko, Diomande and Cummings fit you won't have any problem scoring goals, especially when Snodgrass returns to action and builds up match sharpness

With a couple days off of work, I managed to get through more than I expected. Into the start of March. But the wheels are coming off a bit. I'm still in line for promotion but I don't know if I'll continue with the save.

The results are still solid. I'm getting a lot of draws but haven't really fallen off the pace too much. The tactic I'm using isn't as sound defensively as I would like for a defensive-minded tactic. Really only have myself to blame for that one. I got knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Manchester City. And drew Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup. That one annoyed me, as I had promised the board I would make it further. Managed a 1-1 draw at Anfield and a 1-0 win at the KC. I went super-defensive and Liverpool didn't field their strongest squad, but happy with that.

It was the winter window that pretty much made the wheels come off. Mostly my own fault and somewhat due to the success in the early part of the season. I ended up essentially giving away Clucas - he wasn't getting matches as he didn't fit the tactic. He was trying to start a revolt against me because of it. I know player interactions are supposed to be better than the nightmare they were last season, but his complaints still went totally sideways and every reaction was the opposite of what I expected. So midway thru the winter window, Aluko comes to me and asks to leave if the minor interest from West Brom results in a bid. Wary from Clucas, I said yes. And then one of the lower-table Prem clubs (Sunderland or perhaps Watford) came in with a 3.2m bid. Non-negotiable. I regret it, but I accepted as I didn't want him to lose his mind. Last year, it really didn't matter to the player how much the bid was - simply that a bid was made and you did not accept. I got a couple other bids of the same and off he went for far far too little money. Second leading scorer with something like 15 goals. But with Hernandez (about a goal a game), Diomande, Cummings, Buska, and the under-used Akpom, I figured I'd be okay.

Right about the same time, Manchester United made a bid for Robertson, even after I warned them away. They bid his value and I countered with 30m plus add-ons. They came back offering 25m straight up. I accepted. Off he went. Moreso than Aluko, I regret it. I had just given him a big new contract too. One of my favorite Hull City players so definitely should have tried to fight it off. I overspent to land Charlie Taylor as a replacement and he has done nearly as well, so the quality of the side hasn't suffered.

And I did have a consortium come in to take over the club, which resulted in a transfer bad for a week during the winter window. Didn't materialize. So it happens but its not a sure thing.

Started toying around with a save in the Netherlands after I got the youth intake in and there was naught in there. Don't know that I'll continue with this Hull City save but I expect I'll try again. Try to do more with the starting squad and not focus as much with bringing talent in.

[Ukchris]

I'm still in line for promotion but I don't know if I'll continue with the save...

... after I got the youth intake in and there was naught in there.

That's the fun part for me. We start with a poor youth system (level 2 to start but mine downgraded to 3 after the first annual review!) so it's not like some clubs where you instantly have U18s ready to break through. We can use the starting first team squad plus a few additions to get promoted and established as a mid-table Premier League team, then focus on heavy investment in the youth system to bring players through for the future. At other clubs it's already in place but here we have to build it ourselves.

One thing I do with players I want to keep long-term is renew them to 5 year contracts as soon as they hit 2 years remaining, so I don't get caught with big teams tempting them in the final 12 months. If they keep demanding release fees I try to negotiate them to be unrealistically high (above £100m), and offer low relegation release fees as I'd be sacked if I get relegated anyway! Man Utd and Chelsea constantly tried to force a Robertson signing in FM15 and I expect it to be even worse this year, but if you can get through transfer windows players often settle down mid-season and stop demanding transfers, especially if you keep winning.

Anyhow, Robertson is a loss but there are other left backs and Aluko isn't irreplacable You could always restart with lessons learnt, but good luck whichever we you go.

[Ukchris]

2015/16 UPDATE ...

Congrats with the FA Cup win! Great achievement for the first season. Congrats with promotion too! Gayle seems like a great signing, players with high pace and agility can tear up the Championship.

Will you be sticking with the 532 or signing new players to fit another system?

[Bigpapa42]

Winning the FA Cup in the first season is pretty awesome. Back into Europe!

That's the fun part for me. We start with a poor youth system (level 2 to start but mine downgraded to 3 after the first annual review!) so it's not like some clubs where you instantly have U18s ready to break through. We can use the starting first team squad plus a few additions to get promoted and established as a mid-table Premier League team, then focus on heavy investment in the youth system to bring players through for the future. At other clubs it's already in place but here we have to build it ourselves.

One thing I do with players I want to keep long-term is renew them to 5 year contracts as soon as they hit 2 years remaining, so I don't get caught with big teams tempting them in the final 12 months. If they keep demanding release fees I try to negotiate them to be unrealistically high (above £100m), and offer low relegation release fees as I'd be sacked if I get relegated anyway! Man Utd and Chelsea constantly tried to force a Robertson signing in FM15 and I expect it to be even worse this year, but if you can get through transfer windows players often settle down mid-season and stop demanding transfers, especially if you keep winning.

Anyhow, Robertson is a loss but there are other left backs and Aluko isn't irreplacable You could always restart with lessons learnt, but good luck whichever we you go.

Oh, I really didn't expect there to be much of quality coming through the youth yet. Its definitely something you have to build up over time. Was just thinking that if I did manage to get a pretty impressive young player, its extra motivation to stick with the save.

Its no one single thing that's tempting me to start over. I feel like I signed a few too many young players, and trying to give them matches took away some game-time from other players. Losing Robertson and Aluko is annoying but the reality is that bigger clubs are going to come in for the star players - its part of the reality of the sport. The Clucas situation could have been avoided entirely. I might even keep Alhomendy on the next try, although that 5m is awful tempting. Its pretty typical for me - I need a save of a reasonable length to get a full grasp of a club before I do a "proper" one. So I kinda expected this. I'm just thinking I might try a club where I'm less limited (as in, no Work Permit concerns) for a bit of fun before trying over with Hull City.

[stevemc]

Hull City 2015/16

Took my time with pre-season, Hull have a fair few players with 1 year remaining on their contracts, so rather than renew them all, I decided to cash in on Meyler, McGregor, Elmohamady & Huddlestone. Diame went to Liverpool after a £13m bid was too good to turn down. In total I re-couped £31.5m.

I decided to buy young, for cheap, in the hope I can turn a profit on a few of them in years to come, Carlos was my big signing, a massive coup for Championship level, for £7m.

Sam Johnstone is my new number one, which over time, he will be a very solid keeper, Kristoffer Olsson (£1.2m) has been brilliant so far this season too, and he’s HG.

I’ve left about £4m in the bank for January, if needed.

Struggled getting decent coaches, fortunately got Phil Cannon in as my HoYD, which should help the youth set up going forward as its really poor at the start. Paul Scholes as under 18’s assistant manager was a top signing too.

Here’s my in’s & out’s:

And here is the table as it stands:

Really happy with the teams attacking play, just need to tighten up the defence.

Shrewsbury knocked me out of the league cup after I rested the full team.

[Ukchris]

Hull City 2015/16

Took my time with pre-season, Hull have a fair few players with 1 year remaining on their contracts, so rather than renew them all, I decided to cash in on Meyler, McGregor, Elmohamady & Huddlestone. Diame went to Liverpool after a £13m bid was too good to turn down. In total I re-couped £31.5m...

That looks like one hell of a pre-season. Carlos should be brilliant in the Championship, quite a buy! You seem to be the first to get a high fee for Diame too, that's really helped. Your squad looks set to dominate with those additions.

[stevemc]

Yeah I tried for £15m, but £13m was the max Liverpool would do, still £13m is a great amount.

Managed to reduce the wage bill during that mini clear-out too.

Very nearly got Cheikhou Kouyaté on loan from West Ham, with a £4m future fee, then at the very last minute AC Milan bought him.

[Ukchris]

I've been having a long pre-season ahead of my third campaign, spending ages scouting players and changing the background staff and facilities. When the actual transfer window opened I was given extra money, with budgets going up to £85m for transfers and £940k p/w for wages, but despite all that available money I struggled to get the players I wanted. Bids were always accepted (and I bid up to £45m in some cases) but players either:

A) Refused to enter contract talks outright.

or

B) Had reasonable negotiations but chose to join bigger clubs that sniped my bids.

Eventually I managed to sign a few quality first team players, and sold a few I no longer needed, which got done just in time for season 3 starting. I missed out on a lot of targets but that's reasonable considering I don't have European football yet, and did at least get one or two I'd had my eye on all summer. I'll post an update soon with details but let's just say I added a LOT of youths with potential for the U18s and still have a major chunk of transfer budget remaining in case I want to make further changes.

[benhig]

Update of 1st Season and 2nd Pre-Season so far:

1st Season Transfers In

Konradsen - 19 CM, mainly development but saw more playing time due to injuries to Diame.

Rivierez - Rotation option capable of playing RB (Natural) and LB (Unconvincing, but does a job when asked)

Cajtoft - 21 GK, backup/development option.

Bergstrom - 21 year old CB, backup/development option.

Jan window Carroll and Peruzzi were brought in to cover the loss of Meyler and Odubajo (8 month injury) for the rest of the season.

Huddlestone although a good player I don't like his physicals plus I wasn't going to offer him a new contract and Watford came in with an acceptable offer. Aluko, Taylor and Meyler all complained endlessly so was happy to see the back of those.

Best XI

Elmohamady, Akpom, Davies and Diame were the stand out players throughout the year. Elmo and Akpom were Championship player and young player of the year respectively.

Performance

Championship: Managed to finish top, even with a run in of 1 win and 3 draws in the last 5. Was enough to see of Wolves who came 2nd 2 points back.

FA Cup: Knocked out by Palace 4-0 in the 5th round, rested a few but still disappointed by the result and looking for revenge next year!

Capital 1 Cup: Completely rotated team and knocked out 1-0 by Leicester in 3rd round. Not too fussed with the Capital 1 Cup with the league to focus on.

With promotion achieved I was given £25 million to spend with £510k wage budget.

The positions I wanted to improve/bolster were GK, CB, RB and CF so with that in mind below are transfer to date:

All contracts have Relegation wage reductions but these have often come at a cost of Relegation release clauses.

Happy with the business I've done so far an still some money left in the kitty for any youth I can manage to scout. Andy Clarke is a newgen CF who I have high hopes for, what do you think?

The tactics and instructions that got me promoted were;

Occasionally depending on opposition strength the AP-A became a BWM-D but mainly played our own game and were the divisions tightest defence and amongst the top scorers so felt fairly balanced.

Now that's out the way hopefully will be doing smaller updates so no more massive posts from me haha:thup:

Who have you brought in staff wise? Scouts apart I haven't brought many in but needs addressing sooner rather then later.

[Bigpapa42]

Yeah, I wondered if spending all the money might actually be problematic. Other clubs sniping potential signings is annoying, but it seems to happen quite regularly. Adding younger players and developing them from within might be the way to go

Not so sure that spending time managing in The Netherlands it he right move and while Leicester is appealing in some ways, Hull seems to be luring me back. I want to try a 4-1-3-2 narrow and a 4-1-4-1 variation of the counterattacking approach, as I think both might suit the squad a bit better. Particularly the 4-1-4-1. Using wingers might make Elhomendy worth keeping. But that 5m extra to play with off the start is nice too. I want to make some decisions before I start the new game so that I'm not scrambling and deciding as I go. That typically ends up with me buying 2 or 3 players for the same spot and then a bloated squad, etc.

[Welshace]

Don't normally post until I finish pre season, but I was shocked Hull had this much potential financially... look at the sales of players I consider surplus.. wow.

[Ukchris]

Don't normally post until I finish pre season, but I was shocked Hull had this much potential financially... look at the sales of players I consider surplus.. wow.[/img]

Aye, you can get a lot for several players whose contracts expire at the end of the first season anyway and it looks like Diame's sale value has doubled in full release (multiple people getting £13m now compared to £6m in the beta).

Zivkovic looks a great buy. My scouts found him for me at the end of the second season but Valencia signed him for £22m just as I discovered him £750k looks like an incredible bargain!

[Ukchris]

Start of Season 3: 2017-18, 1st Sep '17

As I said above I spent nearly a full week in pre-season, rearranging all the backroom staff and getting my (newly increased) scouting network busy everywhere. When it came time to finalise budgets I increased the goal to mid-table position and for that was given nearly £80m transfer budget with £970k p/w wage budget. As my scouts finished reports I put bids in for players, and with my budget that wasn't an issue, but most of my targets either refused to discuss a contract or agreed terms before joining another club that bid instead. Frustrating, as my huge war chest sat unused, but eventually I was able to sign some!

Transfers In, Summer 2017

Nathan Redmond, 23 (£10.5m @ £59k pw, 5 years) - MR/L, AMR/L - Norwich

Rony Lopes, 21 (£10m @ £40k pw, 5 years) - AMC/L - Monaco

Mads Fenger, 26 (£900k @ £15k pw, 5 years) - DC - Randers FC

Youri Tielemans, 20 (£16m @ £63k pw, 4 years) - MC, AMR/C - Anderlecht

Matheus Pereira, 19 (£5m @ £6.5k pw, 5 years) - AMR/L/C - Corinthians

Many U18 Newgens (ranging Free - £1.3m, £7.5m total, 24 youth players signed)

Total Spend: £49.88m

Redmond was a key target all along so I was pleased to get him. I wanted more width from right midfield this season and he'll provide that, along with being a young English player. Lopes wasn't my first choice but I needed another skilled AMC to rotate/cover with Olsson and he still has bags of potential. I looked at available centre backs with both Dawson and Davies getting older and Fenger was one of the best looking options at a very low cost. I almost signed Phil Jones but he demanded nearly £100k pw and a non-negotiable low min release fee which would've meant a loss if someone swooped for that. I hate having key players with low release fees so I opted for Fenger to add to the central defence rotation. Tielemans I spent an entire day deciding on when it came to finalise his transfer. He's a high potential player but his low balance, work rate and stamina made me doubt him. While he's natural at MC I like my central players to be stronger and work hard so I'm much more likely to play him in attacking midfield or on the wing. In the end I went ahead as I figured I could recoup the £16m if he doesn't work for my system, and I can try him in a number of midfield roles. I had him in FM15 where he was effective but always injured, though scouts made no mention of that this year so fingers crossed! Pereira was a final signing, natural across all three attacking midfield positions. It means I probably have excess players now but with his potential at that price I couldn't say no, and Bueno will be 30 soon so he'll be moving on in a couple of years.

Overall I signed a few players with the quality to play already and the added benefit of most having potential still to be filled at young ages. Then I signed 24 youths to fill out my U18s, and while most won't make it hopefully someone in there will stand out over the next couple of seasons

Transfers Out, Summer 2017

Adama Diomande, 27 (£1.2m) - ST - Cardiff

Paul McGowan, 29 (£500k) - M/AM - Partick Thistle

Michael Dawson, 33 (Released) - DC

Robert Snodgrass, 29 (£2m) - M/AM - Aston Villa

Ali Crawford, 26 (£300k) - M/AM - Portsmouth

Sone Aluko, 28 (£1.1m) - M/AM, ST - Cardiff

Total Received: £7.27m

Diomande simply wasn't good enough and he finally agreed terms with someone. Dawson was too slow with his age and McGowan and Crawford had outlived their usefulness with their job done after promotion the first season. Snodgrass was out of contract soon and not worth the high wage he demanded to stay, plus lacks pace, with Aluko also going after I added multiple new attacking players.

It means a considerable net spend for me this transfer window but hopefully a nice improvement in key positions.

Squad Depth

My depth looks like this for my 4411, with players from the original squad highlighted in bold.

GK: Rossbach, Bentley, Jarstein

DR: Zappacosta, Odubajo

DC: Davies, Fenger

DC: Keane, Maguire

DL: Robertson, Berardi

MR: Redmond, Tielemans

MC(s): Alli, Fabinho

MC(d): Ajer, Torres

ML: Pavon, Bueno

AMC: Olsson, Lopes

STC: Ivan, Cummings

Cover/Rotation: Bennett (DC), Livermore (MC), Konradsen (all Mid roles), Pereira (all Att Mid roles)

The right midfielder will mostly stay wider as more of a winger while the left midfielder cuts in like an inside forward as an extra goal threat. The positions also aren't fixed exactly like that as most of my players are versatile and can cover other roles (eg. Pavon and Bueno could play up front if needed, Tielemans can play centrally or wide, Lopes at AMC or on the left etc.). The above list is just where I envision each will get most pitch time this season. I don't think Cummings really fits my style as I like more of a complete forward to create for others as well as score and with his poor vision and decision making he's much more of a poacher. I'll stick with him as backup for now but he is the one that stands out as not quite fitting.

So I'm down to just a few original players remaining. Davies is my captain in what will probably be his final season as he turns 33 by the end, but he shouldn't decline until the season is nearly done. Robertson is of course a constant and Maguire the next most likely to see game time but he's behind Keane and Davies to start with and I'm not confident in his low acceleration, teamwork and concentration so I might sell him. Odubajo is only going to cover for Zappacosta when fitness issues arise and Livermore is my 5th central midfielder to cover if necessary in the middle.

I've got a squad this season led by experience but mostly filled with youth still reaching their full potential. I'm hoping I have the quality in there to at least make mid-table very comfortable, hopefully cement myself in the top half and ideally start making a push for the top 6. I'm not sure who I'd push out though as the traditional top 6 all have strong squads and others did very well last season. With the transfer window now closed I'm currently 4th after 4 games (beat Fulham and Stoke at home, draws in both away matches at Man City and Villa) so it's a better start than last season!

It'll soon be at the point where I'm focusing heavily on developing newgens so my updates will get less detailed in the future but for now I'm still working with 'real' players in the first team, and Robertson will likely end up as my only remaining original player soon - at least as long as he'll stay with me

[Bigpapa42]

@Welshace - that's some awesome wheeling and dealing. Being able to get more money for Diame is making me consider that. In a way, I dislike chopping up a squad as soon as I take over a club, and I worry that so many new arrivals will make the early part of the season harder. But its what new managers often do at a club, and if its increasing the overall talent level... Realistically, a lot of the starting squad aren't going to genuine Prem level and will have to be replaced within a season or two regardless.... My experience with Diame was much as UKChris mentioned - good player but his Natural Fitness levels mean he needs to be rested with fair frequency. Meyler was the least impressive of the three CMs.

You've given me another potential sale option to consider lol

@UKChris - some nice buys. Redmond should be a strong addition. How good are you facilities now? You mentioned improving them.

[Ukchris]

@UKChris - some nice buys. Redmond should be a strong addition. How good are you facilities now? You mentioned improving them.

Corporate Facilities: Good (No change)

Training Facilities: Impressive (No change, but they were auto-downgraded so back up to where they were)

Youth Facilities: Good (Up from Average)

Youth Level: 2 (No change, but it was auto-downgraded to level 3 so back up to where it was)

Junior Coaching: Good (Up from Adequate)

Youth Recruitment: Established (Up from Average)

When I got promoted the training facilities and youth level were downgraded, but some reinvestment got them back up. I ask for improvements to facilities every chance I get.

Redmond is an assist machine as a right winger!

[Bigpapa42]

Nice. Did you put any philosophies in place? I find adding they young players philosophies makes the board more willing to upgrade, add more staff, etc. So long as the money is there, at least.

Don't know when I'm going to have the time to dive into this new save and get rolling. Mostly just been trolling thru, making a shortlist, and appraising potential purchase options. I really like how the counter mentality works on FM16 and was having good luck with it before. As I mentioned, I want to set up a 4-1-4-1 counter as the standard tactic and maybe a tweak on the 4-4-2 narrow diamond I was using before, moving the AM back into the CM strata to make it a narrow 4-1-3-2. Having a couple of options on how to line up is nice as it provides more flexibility. I can actually use players like Clucas and Snodgrass more effectively. Still thinking I will sell Elhomendy and maybe - undecided but possibly - Meyler.

There is some cool, constructive conversation going on about countering and such. Its been a long time since I've used a relatively simple formation like a 4-1-4-1. It suits the starting squad better in some ways - can use the wide players better. I wanted to use an Anchor Man in the DM spot but if I use Huddlestone there, he's more effective as a DLP and I don't like his lack of pace further up as a CM. For the wide players, I'm much more used to using them in the attacking strata, and typically as inside forwards. Playing a bit further back makes for some interesting options - wide midfielder, wide playmaker, even defensive winger. Although a player like Zivkovic is super tempting (I landed him on the demo at one point), I would also like to buy and develop some more rounded wide players. Not just pure attackers but players with the positioning and work rate to really contribute defensively. That might mean finding players who are natural CMs and retaining them a bit.

[Ukchris]

Update of 1st Season and 2nd Pre-Season so far: ...

... Championship: Managed to finish top, even with a run in of 1 win and 3 draws in the last 5. Was enough to see of Wolves who came 2nd 2 points back...

Sorry, I somehow missed your post! Congrats on promotion to you too I agree on Huddlestone, he's a good player but I just don't like speed and agility down at 7/8. Dembele should do nicely for you, and Begovic will be a bit of an upgrade in goal!

I've replaced almost all the staff now, in many cases with 'unknown' staff as their low reputation keeps their wages low. I simply searched a long time for the specific attributes I needed in each area.

-Coaches to give 4+ stars in each category for the first team.

-U18 coaches as high as possible while also having good working with youngsters (tougher one, a lot of coaches refuse to do U18 work).

-Assistant Manager with good player ability/potential judging and motivation attributes.

-Head of Youth with a strong personality (and working with youngsters) to help bring better youth players through.

-Scouts with 16+ judging ability/potential from various nationalities to give a wider knowledge base (14+ attributes when I was still in the Championship).

-Physios not much change, some good ones already with high physiotherapy attribute.

-Managers and Assistants for U21s and U18s with decent motivation, tactical knowledge, working with youngsters and determination. Strong personalities and preferring a 4411 formation were a plus.

I think that about sums it up. I request extra scouts and coaches when I can, can never have enough!

[Ukchris]

Nice. Did you put any philosophies in place? I find adding they young players philosophies makes the board more willing to upgrade, add more staff, etc. So long as the money is there, at least.

Interesting, I've never tried that - I've always kept it to no philosophies wherever possible to not get tied into any specific aspect, and if the board rejects requests they usually change their minds if I say we'll be left behind by our rivals. Not always, but mostly. Depends how pushy I've been lately!

It does seem that this year playing more cautiously is rewarding, compared to previous years where control/attack would dominate. I've had some great wins against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs etc. by playing counter/standard and taking chances when they come, while I've actually struggled breaking down more defensive teams when I try a more attacking approach. When teams over-extend against me I hit them fast with pace on both wings and some great passers of the ball in the middle. My WM(A) cutting in like an IF on the left with a W(S) on the right are linking up very well - Redmond is supplying a lot of crosses for Pavon/Bueno to pop up and score at the back post.

[Bigpapa42]

Improving the staff is one of the first things I do, but it is and should be a continual process. I typically target star rating for coaches, but I'm starting to think that personality should be more of a focus. I'm not going to take a 2 star coach with a Professional personality over a 4 star one with Balanced, but if the difference is a star or half a star, go with the personality. It seems to help so much for developing younger players. And ending up with a squad full of professional, ambitious players is appealing in so many ways.

The philosophies do lock you in to an extent, but its never bothered me as its how I'm going to try to build the squad anyway and that isn't likely to change. Short of a takeover that results in a board pumping hundreds of millions into the club, a Southampton-like approach seems like a sound long-term strategy. And those philosophies definitely make the board more willing to invest in the facilities.

Countering seems like a great way to go now. I am really liking the ME on this version of the game.

[Welshace]

So, I must have fell asleep at some point while playing as I woke up with my laptop out of battery and my save corrupted, probably during saving :/ ..

Will start again, but emulate most of the transfers as I was pretty happy with them, apart from a few.

[benhig]

Sorry, I somehow missed your post! Congrats on promotion to you too I agree on Huddlestone, he's a good player but I just don't like speed and agility down at 7/8. Dembele should do nicely for you, and Begovic will be a bit of an upgrade in goal!...

My post took about 3 days to come up, then posted at the time I actually posted it so was about 5 or 6 posts behind!!!

Yeah Dembele is doing well and Begovic is solely responsible for more than half our points tally so far.

Just about to hit January transfer window so will update then but one thing to happen is we have been taken over.

Now owned by a consortium who gave me another £10m to play with (currently sat in wage budget as it looks better on financial control) and they agreed to improve youth facilities and then also decided to improve the training facilities.

[Bigpapa42]

That sucks, Welshace. But I can sorta relate....

Yeah, there was something weird with that post, benhig. I saw it, then I didn't. Now I do again. Sweet update.

In regard to relating to Welshace.... this one is self-inflicted. Spent a bunch of time this weekend setting up shortlists, finding better staff, and such. I brought in Zivkovic, Borja San Emeterio, Coote, Harry Souttar (the 6'8" defender who is raw), and Konradsen. I missed out on Rossbach again (I keep offering too low, which allows bigger clubs to make offers and I'm skunked). Only sold Elmohamady , thought I got 6m Euros this time. I considered keeping Elo as he fits the 4-1-4-1 counter I'm using, but I figured that I can get a younger, more-rounded, and high potential player in Zivkovic for half what I get for Elho, so it makes too much sense. The problem I ran into with Zivkovic is the agent ownership. You have to buy it out. On the demo, that cost me like 800k. This time, he demanded 2.5m, which killed my remaining transfer budget and meant I couldn't get another target - the other Souttar. That annoyed me and led to me reconsidering some of my purchases. Zivkovic, even with the extra cost, is a good buy. He a very good player for his age and I like that while he's not very defensive, he's not a total liability either. I don't know that playing him at MR will take full advantage of his attacking potential, but I love how rounded his skills are and that he has bags of potential left. Konradsen and Souttar are fine, although Souttar won't contribute for a while. Coote got bought again because he looks like he could develop into a solid wide midfielder for the ML spot - he got reasonably lucky with the random attributes again, though his Bravery is a sore spot. Buying San Emeterio again ended up bothering me. Which is odd, since he was very good for me on the previous save and immediately became the club's Top Prospect. Right after I finalized his purchase, I scouted Petar Stojanovic, a 19 year old Slovenian rightback. He was going to be target in the first save but the scouts said he wasn't interested. This game, he is and he's likely cheaper than BSE. He has similarly rounded skills and similar concerns, but he can play both RB and RM, which makes him more versatile.

So after some mulling, I'm going to reset this save. Luckily, I made a backup of the save right from the start so I can go back to that. I can import the shortlists, sign the same staff, and it won't take me long at all to get the save going. Maybe with saving some money on getting Stojanovic instead of BSE, I can still land Souttar or another midfield prospect. So starting over like Welshace, but like I said, entirely self-inflicted.

Trying to be systematic and careful with the buys. I'm too often impulsive with spending money and can end up with too many players for one spot, and not enough cover in another. So I'm using a 4-1-4-1 counter, as mentioned. It fits the starting squad, though not perfectly. I don't know if this will help or entertain anyone else, but it may help me.... Here's how I'm looking at each position:

GK - a key area of concern but doesn't require immediate attention. McGregor is an adequate starter and Jakupovic an adequate backup. Bringing in a clear upgrade isn't easy at the start. But with both out of contract and McGregor seeming to decline, a new starter for the second season seems like a near-must. That makes Rossbach such a good option but if I can't land him, I will spend the season having a couple scouts look for a new #1. Geronimo Ruilli never resigns with Real Sociedad but he doesn't seem interested in Hull when you can try.

DC - more than adequate cover here with the 4, but only Maguire is young. The lack of pace of both Dawson and Bruce worry me at the Prem level. Don't need to spend on anything more than a developmental player or two here for the first while. Once there is bigger money to spend after promotion, I might look at a player like Niklas Sule with size and pace.

DR/DL - since I don't see Lenihan and Townsend as more than emergency depth (and the scouts ratings don't make me think they will develop into a lot more than depth player), it seems a key area to add some quality depth. Hence Stojanovic or San Emeterio, both of whom are a bit better defensively than Odubajo. Taylor is a really nice backup but don't know if he bears resigning. I don't expect to have the interest in Robertson in this save, just because his role will be more defensive so he won't get the ratings and assists at quite the same level.

DM - although a pure Anchor Man might suit the tactic better, Huddlestone as a DLP will suffice. Hayden is nice backup. John Souttar or someone else as a developmental player is a luxury but not an entirely unnecessary one - Hayden is only on loan and Huddlestone has some obvious limitations.

MCs - an area of strength yet also concern. With Diame, Livermore, and Meyler, there is a nice rotation for the 2 CM spots, especially adding in Konradsen as a backup. The issue is that all three are pretty similar and don't offer real diversity. Following Welshace and selling one of them - Meyler most likely - is really tempting. I just don't know if I could find a solid and promising CM that will be just a couple million. There are a number of promising English players I wouldn't mind landing, but most are not interested and/or the clubs will ask for a fortune. I guess I could use Souttar (if I get him) as cover but his lack of speed is a concern as a CM.

MR/ML - one of the reasons I didn't go with a wider tactic before is concern over wide players. Snodgrass is fine, if slow. Elmohamady would do okay but he's a bit limited if he's asked to do more than attack - and he would be. Same with Aluko, and Clucas is just limited overall. The CMs aren't rated out wide but one of them could probably play as a WM in a pinch. I feel like this is going to be one of the limiting areas of my tactical approach, but getting Zivkovic helps, especially if he develops defensively. That kind of player provides tactical options - they can play as a winger, wide midfielder, or even a more defensive winger. I need to develop that kind of player for the left as well.

ST - well covered. Akpom might actually be the best fit tactically, but Hernandez is the best overall striker. I keeping thinking I should find a developmental ST but with only one spot, it would mean others are getting less matches. I was eying Jordan Larsson, who might be an option if there is a bit of money left.

So after all of that.... I'm mostly mulling whether to sell Meyler, and who to buy if I do go that road. Thoughts/suggestions?

[HCFC_Clark]

2016/17 REVIEW

Hi all, just finished my second season. Fairly uneventful but still pleased. Made big changes to the squad getting rid of a lot of the original squad due to the fact apart from a few they really aren't good enough to push on to the next level. Here is how my season finished:

We started off fairly slowly but got going around December time when the new signings started to settle in. We never really looked like pushing into the top 7 but never came anywhere near the bottom 3 either. I'm fairly happy with a mid-table finish as that was my aim for the first season. Gayle again continued his fine scoring record for me in the PL. Despite him not playing as many games he still got 17 overall and 12 in 30 games in the league. We seemed to have no trouble scoring goals it was just the conceding that let us down.

I struggled settling with what I would consider my first XI. The wide positions were always easy but I changed the spine of the team on a regular basis due to lack of form etc. However towards the last 10 games this was my go to XI. Before I go any further I'll post my transfers too.

As you can see spent a LOT. However also got a decent return too on some players and tried to replace them with a younger/better version. Stand out signings would have to be Begovic; who come in as a very good replacement for McGregor, Olsson; who added a bit of much needed creativity in the midfield (I owe this thread to him, thanks for recommending him), Benteke; who came in January on loan and was an absolute BEAST scoring a ridiculous 14 goals in 16 games winning my player of the year award easily. I had a future fee of £6.5m agreed but he wanted over 100k p/w which I declined to give him at first. I'm desperate for him to get listed at Liverpool tho and hopefully get him this season at some point. And finally Kranevitter who I signed in FM15 but never got to play due to him not getting a work permit. He was transfer listed by Athletic Madrid and is showing some real promise.

I'm sure most of you know who this kid is anyway but I have to give him a mention as he's developing really well.

He didn't always feature last year but he's going to a lot more this season. Only 18 and already looking a heck of a player.

2017/18

Just played the first 2 games of my third season. The training and youth facilities have been upgraded and we've now bought the stadium which is expanded to 30,000. I've made some more changes to the squad.

Butland has come in to challenge/back up Begovic. I really wanted to strengthen the defence which is why I've signed 3 centre backs. I have always been a fan of the two Greek beasts and Mbemba has plenty of time to improve. I like to have 4 centre backs which I now have in the 2 Greeks, Mbemba and Maguire with Van Dijk as just an emergency back up.

Bender was a free and I thought he was too good to say no to and Guillaume is my alternative to Benteke.

Hagi is another player I've got a lot of hope will improve and be the future of the squad. In case you haven't seen him before (unlikely) here he is

I'll rotate the squad a lot but this is likely to be my first choice line up:

I'm now very happy with the squad. Think we have a good mixture of youth and experience so hopefully will push on for Europe this year and maybe a cup of some sort. Really enjoying the save tho!

[Ukchris]

Thoughts/suggestions?

Wide Players

The main thing I see with a 4141 is that your striker will usually be the only advanced central player. You can put a CM(Att) in to get up there, and have wide midfielders cutting in too, but they tend to be running from deep rather than being there to begin with. In terms of wide play I'd then be reluctant to play double wingers with only one person to cross to, and would aim for at least one cutting in. It sounds like you want to build around Zivkovic playing on the right and cutting in onto his left foot, which makes sense as he'd be your strongest player. To pair with him on the left side you have a few options:

-Aluko I mostly used as WM(A) on the right, to cut in and score, but also some games as a winger on the left to burst past fullbacks with his pace. That worked when he was crossing it to Snodgrass on the right side to score with his late runs to the far post and should be nice for Zivkovic too.

-Snodgrass is quite strong with both feet, and while he lacks the pace of Aluko he could make better through balls for your midfield runners.

-Maloney did great for me in the first season if you want a second threat cutting in from out wide, and Snodgrass can probably still do this too with his strong two feet.

-Clucas could play as a left winger if desperate but I really found him lacking.

Plus you can always use Zivkovic as a left winger and have Snodgrass/Aluko cutting in from the right instead, there are multiple combinations with their versatility.

Elmo doesn't seem to fit your system as his only value is as a right winger. As you plan on using Zivkovic as a wide midfielder there, and both Aluko and Snodgrass can perform the same role, Elmo seems redundant unless you have someone (ie. Maloney) cutting in from the left instead.

Central Mids

To me, Meyler just lacks quality considering you can get millions for selling him. Try looking at Scotland for cheap midfielders - I mostly used them as backup but Paul McGowan and Ali Crawford can both play at MC and they're rather cheap, with their attacking attributes being quite useful. You can use a portion of the Meyler transfer funds to bring in them (or someone like them) to give extra depth in the middle and then still have money left over.

Strikers

Hernandez, Diomande and Akpom all have the ability to perform in the Championship. Personally I don't like loans so I sent Akpom back but as others have shown he can be a top scorer. He's also developing well for other clubs on my save, Villa just paid £11m for him so he has value if you intend to sign him after promotion.

Overall I wouldn't worry too much about development players in the first season. The main focus is on getting promoted and then a lot more options become available. It's why I signed a number of cheap rotation/cover players the first season as they did the job I needed them to with promotion and I got rid of them after. Out of the players you signed, Zivkovic will go a long way but the others probably not so much. Konradsen does develop and can be a useful squad player but he has a lower ceiling.

[Ukchris]

2016/17 REVIEW

...

I'm now very happy with the squad. Think we have a good mixture of youth and experience so hopefully will push on for Europe this year and maybe a cup of some sort. Really enjoying the save tho!

Looking like a nice squad there indeed, congrats on getting Lincoln! I tried to sign both him and Odegaard but Lincoln signed with PSG and Odegaard went to Inter Oh well, at least it was realistic! Olsson is a good little player and I'll probably keep him as long as his wage demands stay reasonable, but at some point I can see him becoming more of a rotation player - it'll partly depend how Tielemans develops for me.

I see you have Pavon too, he's been fantastic for me with 7 goals from 14 games. I play him cutting in from ML as a WM(A) though, while you have Lincoln cutting in from AMR. Where are you playing Pavon when he comes into the team?

[benhig]

HCFC_Clark: Your first season in the Premiership looks very similar to how mine is going (I'm in Feb), mid-table with with a small GD. Congratulations on your top 10 finish, something I'm hopeful I can achieve.

1 question about your tactics...how do the WB-Au perform for you? I have created a new tactic with FB-Au so that when changing between strategy I don't have to alter them manually. When you alter strategy do they act as you would expect? (Sorry its a bit vague, hope you get what I'm asking)

Bigpapa42: I've now had a tactical switch to a 4-5-1 (Left to right - GK; FB-A, LD-D, BPD-D, FB-S; WP-S, AP-A, BWM-D, BBM-S, W-A; DF-S) and found that my forward (either Akpom who I loaned again or Hernandez) was far to isolated even with the winger and advanced playmaker on attack duties so I changed the PI's for them and my BBM to get further forward and although on the odd occasion the forward can still be slightly isolated it has improved our goal threat greatly while keeping us solid at the back. Just on mentioning Akpom, I loaned him back after his sensational first season and just entering Feb he is in double figures again (on fire since altering the mentioned PI's) but he's just been ruled out for 5-6 months but as long as the injury doesn't affect his physical stats too badly I think he will be a transfer target come end of the season. Anyone know if trying to negotiate a transfer while he is injured could get me a better deal?

As I said above Akpom got injured so the next game Hernandez started, and inevitably got injured for (from the top of my head) 5 weeks leaving me with only a newgen (I stupidly sold Abdellaoue and Diomande after they threw hissy fits and didn't replace them ) but he is looking promising and managed to bag a couple of goals in the process. I'll post a SS of him and some of my other more promising youth I've managed to scout and sign later.

[Bigpapa42]

@HCFC_Clark: like seeing how you've done with the club. I saw you ask about signing Bentenke in the Buy/Sell Thread, and awesome to see how well he did. Looks like you have the club in really good shape.

@UKChris: that's pretty much my thought on Meyler. For a depth player, he's fine. But using two CMs and Diame's natural fitness means he gets matches. And from my first save, Meyler whines when he isn't getting regular starts. I did some looking last night, rather than getting going again on the save, and there are loads of options. Its just a matter of deciding exactly what type of CM I wand and then finding one who will come in the first window.

I guess calling them "developmental" players isn't really clear or particularly accurate. The kind of player I'm targeting are going to mostly be between 18 and 22 years old, developed enough to contribute, and still have some room for growth. Rossbach and Konradsen are prefect examples of the kind of players I'd like to bring in. Decently talented players who don't have much room for growth (whether due to age or just potential) can still be solid additions, but similar to getting loan players, aren't my preference. But you make a good point about focusing on promoting, worrying about building for the future later when there is more money and a bigger reputation. Kris Olsson is really tempting, but he's a bit limited defensively. Given the intent to have a defensive base, I don't want too many "attacking only" players. Not that every player is going to be a tackling machine, but hardworking and good position sense, etc. I looked at Crawford and McGowan previously but I'll take a closer look.

That kind of tactical versatility is exactly what I want. Using one basic shape and approach, but being able to alter how the side performs with different players and different roles. Against a bigger side, I would use fullbacks and the wide mids would be more conservative. Against a side that isn't as likely attack, the wide defenders become wingbacks and the wide mids become wingers, etc.

@benhig: the striker being isolated is definitely going to be an issue with this approach. Akpom as a defensive forward might be the most effective with this approach. I know Hernandez can lay in the goals (he was hitting an average of 1 in 1 on my previous save but with a different approach) but I'm not sure he's that suited to being the hard-working lone forward. Hopefully his pace will show on the counters.

I don't think the player being injured makes him easier to land, unfortunately.

I've already started scouting young forwards who have potential and the skill to do well as a hard-working lone striker. Andrei Ivan, who UKChris landed, is one such player. I actually tried to sign him due to his contract but the club extended his deal and killed that idea. But to be honest, Akpom might be one of the better options to try to sign for the role.

Looking forward to seeing some of the young players you have signed.

[Ukchris]

I've made it to January of Season 3 in my save and it's been a bit up and down. I started off brilliantly, undefeated in the first 8 to sit in 2nd position. Everyone was performing well, players linked together and I was picking up points away at Man City and Spurs. Then something changed. Backup players started moaning, I started getting niggling injuries to key players and my form disintegrated - after 5 wins and 3 draws in the first 8 games, my last 13 matches have gone as follows:

LWLLWWLLLLDDD

Somehow, despite only 3 wins in the last 13, I'm still in 7th. The chance of finishing top 4 has gone now (43 points for 4th, I'm on 30) but from 5th down it's all quite close so my target with half the season to go is to turn this form around and finish top 6 for the Europa League. The last 3 performances have been encouraging but with no wins in 7 I need to get the goals back!

I think I'll sell off 2-3 backup players, get their negativity out of the squad. I kept them for depth and cover (and I felt some loyalty towards keeping Livermore etc.) but I think it's been more trouble than help and I can't constantly rotate. A bit of squad trimming wouldn't hurt.

I might then look at signing a new goalkeeper. Rossbach has still been good but it's the one position where I've been screwed when he gets injured, and although my coach reports don't mention injury proneness his attribute for that can't be too good as he often picks up knocks that keep him out for 1-2 weeks. My cheap backup keepers just don't cut it in this league so I feel I need more competition here, and if that means Rossbach becomes #2 so be it.

Hopefully those two things should reverse fortunes a bit. I'm happy with the rest of the squad (though I still think Cummings is a bit crap as a forward for my system) and Redmond, Ali and Pavon in particularly have been fantastic. I don't think wins are too far away with a few tweaks so fingers crossed 7th can be my lowest league position for the season and I can get back into 5th or 6th.

[HCFC_Clark]

Looking like a nice squad there indeed, congrats on getting Lincoln! I tried to sign both him and Odegaard but Lincoln signed with PSG and Odegaard went to Inter Oh well, at least it was realistic! Olsson is a good little player and I'll probably keep him as long as his wage demands stay reasonable, but at some point I can see him becoming more of a rotation player - it'll partly depend how Tielemans develops for me.

I see you have Pavon too, he's been fantastic for me with 7 goals from 14 games. I play him cutting in from ML as a WM(A) though, while you have Lincoln cutting in from AMR. Where are you playing Pavon when he comes into the team?

Thanks mate, shame about you missing out on Lincoln but I see you've got Tielemans who isn't interested in joining me despite been transfer listed for £10m

HCFC_Clark: Your first season in the Premiership looks very similar to how mine is going (I'm in Feb), mid-table with with a small GD. Congratulations on your top 10 finish, something I'm hopeful I can achieve.

1 question about your tactics...how do the WB-Au perform for you? I have created a new tactic with FB-Au so that when changing between strategy I don't have to alter them manually. When you alter strategy do they act as you would expect? (Sorry its a bit vague, hope you get what I'm asking)

Yes I thought that myself when I saw your update! I've changed the full backs as I like them to get forward and overlap something they wasn't doing when set to automatic.

[benhig]

As mentioned I have managed to get a few good youth prospects in (this is an area I prefer to focus on rather then signing old/established stars where possible) these are the best;

The striker that filled in when Akpom and Hernandez got injured, got high hopes for him;

Fought off (by lining his pockets!!!) amongst others Juve, PSG and Napoli to sign this lad. Left him on loan at Malmo until end of season so see how he develops when he finally joins the squad;

Stats don't look amazing but has played a few times and done okay, has improved massively until the end of the season. Physically impressive;

2016/2017 Season

Very happy, finished in 10th place with a good defensive record (2nd best) if an uninspiring goalscoring record (6th worst) but its a solid base moving forward especially if I can improve the players along the way.

Cups were again a none starter but I'm glad as it allowed focus to be on the league. Now with a better quality of young players they will be handling the Capital 1 and squad players the FA Cup until the later rounds.

League Table;

Tactics;

Along with the signings made in my previous post, I brought in Kristoffer Olsson and Andrija Balic for the midfield rotation especially with playing a central 3.

These are the signings I've made ready for next season, and I've also been given a £60 million transfer budget for next season with about £200k free in wages too;

Bentancur is coming in to challenge Elmo for his place (contemplating selling him, even though he was a star performer again he's 29 and valued at £10m so could get a good return) but a well known player on these forums. Lacroix is a swiss CB who is coming in for squad depth but looks useful enough to fill in for any of the main 3, and Maksimovic is a 22 year old CM that hasn't got a work permit but I brought him in anyway as he looks like he could be worth developing, and at worst could be sold on for profit. The other 2 are newgens who I am looking forward to developing Hitchens is a striker, and Luke Campbell (How could I not sign Hulls own Olympic hero!) is a Scottish CB that again looks as though he could go to the very top.

Not sure where I will be looking to bring in players for the first team probably up front, but unless Arsenal lower their demands I won't be signing Akpom suppose it teaches me to use him so effectively

Yet again the owners have further improved the youth facilities and I am going to try improve the Youth recruitment to improve the players being brought into the academy as they have been awful so far.

[Ukchris]

2016/2017 Season

...

Very happy, finished in 10th place with a good defensive record (2nd best) if an uninspiring goalscoring record (6th worst) but its a solid base moving forward especially if I can improve the players along the way.

...

Yet again the owners have further improved the youth facilities and I am going to try improve the Youth recruitment to improve the players being brought into the academy as they have been awful so far.

Congrats on finishing 10th, a good solid return to the Premier League Good luck with the youths, it'll take some time but recruitment and facilities can steadily be improved.

If you're struggling for goals your system doesn't appear to give a lot of support to the striker. The winger is on Attack duty but will stay wide, a Playmaker is more a provider than scorer and the Box to Box is designed to arrive late. Have you tried swapping the roles and using Snodgrass as a WM on Attack with Clucas as a Winger on Support? It might also be worth using a CM Attack on the side next to your support wide player, to help get in the box earlier. It's also worth noting that Olsson has the PPM to 'come deep to get ball' which means even with a 'get forward' player instruction he'll tend to hold back a lot. For that reason I might be more inclined to use him as an AP on the side of your attacking wide player to act as the link and provide for others while Dembele, who I don't think has that drop deep thing, could play as a simple CM(A) to focus on getting in the box and scoring.

W(S) - CM(A) - CM(D) - AP(S) - WM(A)

Or still a WM(S) on the left if you have an overlapping attacking fullback there.

I'm actually tempted to give that a go myself in games where a DMC marks my AMC. That said, to finish 10th with Clucas as a regular is impressive and I'm sure you'll be able to bring in some good players for the next season so that alone will help That is a lot for Akpom, you could probably find better for less, but then getting a strong forward tends to cost a lot.

[Ukchris]

Season 3: 2017-18, End of January Window

I'm through January now and things are looking up again. I went ahead and looked for another good goalkeeper, signing David Ospina for £3m from Arsenal and paying him £58k pw on a 4 year deal. I had a bid for Geronimo Rulli accepted but he signed for PSG instead so Ospina comes in as my new #1 for now - I wouldn't say he's world class but in the tier below that, good all-round and reliable, and quite cheap too. With Rossbach still only 21 he has time to develop further and push for the starting spot again while Ospina at 29 should have 3-4 good years in him. I'm not sure Rossbach will develop quite enough to be a top 4 #1 in the future but he'll certainly make a good #2 as long as I can keep him content and he might still push on more with development.

I sold Livermore to Reading for £1.4m to get rid of his complaining and tried to sell Bennett (backup DC) but he refused to leave after I accepted bids from West Brom. Annoying that he wants to leave for first team football but won't leave to get first team football! Oh well, like Diomande last season he can go play with the U21s.

After my poor run in December finished with 3 draws I've since added 4 more draws and 4 wins to be unbeaten in 11 in all competitions now, 8 of those since Ospina joined. I'm back up to 6th but it's close with only 6 points between 5th and 9th. If I could pass Man City to finish 5th that'd be great, but I really need to hold onto 6th at worst or some of my players will get unhappy long term without any European football.

I'm 4th highest spender this season over both windows with £50m net spent on transfers but way down in 18th for squad salary (£33m pa), and only just higher than Blackburn as lowest (£27m pa). All the teams above and around me are paying £100m - £170m pa so it's nice to be competing with such lower wages.

My toughest choice with the squad at the moment seems to be who to play at AMC with Olsson, Lopes and Tielemans all performing best there. That's down to a choice of 2 for the next 8 weeks though as Olsson broke his collarbone in the last match so he'll only make it back for the last few weeks of the season and then he'll be missing match sharpness. Time for the other 2 to really stake a claim for that spot! They do all play a bit differently and I tend to use a different role there depending on who plays (Olsson AP-A, Tielemans Eng-A and Lopes Treq-A) so it's good to have different options. I stopped using AP-S there as it wasn't involved enough for my liking.

Pavon is still great as a WM(A) on the left, second highest scorer behind Ivan who's back on a run of goals as a CF(S). Redmond is providing most assists as a W(S) on the right wing and Alli is getting both goals and assists as a B2B in the middle.

[benhig]

Congrats on finishing 10th, a good solid return to the Premier League Good luck with the youths, it'll take some time but recruitment and facilities can steadily be improved.

If you're struggling for goals your system doesn't appear to give a lot of support to the striker. The winger is on Attack duty but will stay wide, a Playmaker is more a provider than scorer and the Box to Box is designed to arrive late. Have you tried swapping the roles and using Snodgrass as a WM on Attack with Clucas as a Winger on Support? It might also be worth using a CM Attack on the side next to your support wide player, to help get in the box earlier. It's also worth noting that Olsson has the PPM to 'come deep to get ball' which means even with a 'get forward' player instruction he'll tend to hold back a lot. For that reason I might be more inclined to use him as an AP on the side of your attacking wide player to act as the link and provide for others while Dembele, who I don't think has that drop deep thing, could play as a simple CM(A) to focus on getting in the box and scoring.

W(S) - CM(A) - CM(D) - AP(S) - WM(A)

Or still a WM(S) on the left if you have an overlapping attacking fullback there.

I'm actually tempted to give that a go myself in games where a DMC marks my AMC. That said, to finish 10th with Clucas as a regular is impressive and I'm sure you'll be able to bring in some good players for the next season so that alone will help That is a lot for Akpom, you could probably find better for less, but then getting a strong forward tends to cost a lot.

Yeah I'm going to look at making some changes during preseason friendlies and will definitely give your suggestion a try. Clucas mainly got games due to Elmo being injured/away on international duty and preferring Snodgrass at RM rather then the newgen Harper who was used from the bench for tiring Clucas/Snodgrass as needed. He is steady away but will be looking for an upgrade this year.

I'm tempted to try again with Akpom, definitely try a loan with future fee if nothing else as he has been outstanding for me and fits my tactic quite well, if I can get him for a decent price and acceptable wages, would like to give him the chance (I'm thinking the better the devil you know). Will see who else is available as well but he is first option.

Ospina looks a solid signing who I've scouted and added to my shortlist in case Begovic leaves (contract has £19.5m release clause to CL teams and Man City are interested) so well done on getting him nice and cheap. Was he transfer listed?

This is the first FM I've played, and enjoyed/got addicted to in about 4 years so its nice to be back

[Ukchris]

Ospina looks a solid signing who I've scouted and added to my shortlist in case Begovic leaves (contract has £19.5m release clause to CL teams and Man City are interested) so well done on getting him nice and cheap. Was he transfer listed?

He wasn't listed but had Backup squad status and he'd only played about 3 games for them each season with Cech as their #1. I figured they might be willing to let him go but didn't think it'd be for that little - his value was £2.8m and they barely negotiated up.

FM16 definitely feels like a good version.

[benhig]

FM16 definitely feels like a good version.

Yeah, for me they seem to have hit the right balance with tactics and squad building, where the last few iterations seem to be far too in depth tactically.

[Bigpapa42]

Liking the tactics discussion. Always helpful to see how others are finding success and helping to try to solve issues.

2015-2016 - End of August

Got the new save rolling. Played up to the end of the transfer window. Did a fair bit of business and things are going well. Pretty similar to the previous save.

I sold Elmo for 7.5m Euros (as always, to Monaco) and got 6.5m for Meyler. Was still debating whether or not he was expendable but decided to just go for it. He sold pretty quickly. Thanks Watford.

I went after Rossbach and Konradesen again and landed both, then paid the minimal fees to buyout their remaining contracts. Next two targets were Petar Stojanovic and Andrija Zivkovic. Stojanovic is a Slovenian righback/winger at Maribor. Got him for $2.5m Euros, though some of that is clauses. He is well rounded, though lacks great pace. I preferred him over San Emeterio this time because he provides cover for two spots, not just one. Zivkovic is just a fantastic young player. Cost about 2m with a bunch of clauses, and this time, his agent only demanded a bit over a million for his percentage buyout. I went back to Scotland for John Souttar (great DM backup who should develop) and his brother Harry (6'8" defender). Then I had to pick a replacement for CM for Meyler. And.... I panicked.

Had a few targets. There are a few good young English CMs but didn't get too far with negotiations for the likes of Teddy Bishop and Joe Ralls. Well, if I wanted to drop 20 or 25m, I could have landed one of them. So I went after Fede from Racing (ironically, the brother of Borja San Emeterio). He lacks pace and is a bit defensive, but I'm playing counter, so.... Under 4m and I have a player who could be a future captain. Then I noticed Fredrik Oldrup Jensen could be signed so I threw out an offer, not expecting to land him as there were a few clubs interested. He signed and the buyout was about 100k. Then I saw a news story that I was interested in Josh Brownhill (true) and that it could cost 5m. Well that was significantly lower than Preston demanded in other game so I tried. It ended up being about 8m with a bunch of clauses, but that's the English premium you pay. So now I have 4 developmental CMs. With the amount of matches and the work that Diame and Livermore put in, they will get matches. I dislike that three of the four lack in pace, which is a helpful asset for a counter-based side. But I can't complain too much.

Top of the Championship so far. 5 wins out of 5. 12 scored and just one allowed. That one goal allowed is the biggest difference with this tactic to what I was using before. That one scored a bit more but also leaked. Won the first two rounds of the Capital One Cup and drew against Luton in the Third Round. Zivkovic is the star performer so far. In 4(1) he has 3 goals, 2 assists, 3 POM, and a rating of 8.54. And that's being played outside of his best position. He is a monster. The only player worrying me thus far is Abel Hernandez, who was a scoring machine in the previous save but he doesn't seem to do as well as a lone striker. I will play with the roles and see if I can get him going. His pace should be lethal on the counterattack.

[Ukchris]

...

The only player worrying me thus far is Abel Hernandez, who was a scoring machine in the previous save but he doesn't seem to do as well as a lone striker. I will play with the roles and see if I can get him going. His pace should be lethal on the counterattack.

I used Hernandez as a Complete Forward (Support), playing as a long striker all season. His vision and decision making aren't the best but in the Championship his physicals and good technique/dribbling made up for that - he got quite a few goals after collecting the ball with his back to goal and then turning defenders, and would play through balls to onrushing midfielders.

Sounds like you're having a great start, Zivkovic should tear that league apart Nice to see you managed to land Rossbach this time too.

[Bigpapa42]

I used Hernandez as a Complete Forward (Support), playing as a long striker all season. His vision and decision making aren't the best but in the Championship his physicals and good technique/dribbling made up for that - he got quite a few goals after collecting the ball with his back to goal and then turning defenders, and would play through balls to onrushing midfielders.

Sounds like you're having a great start, Zivkovic should tear that league apart Nice to see you managed to land Rossbach this time too.

Yeah, I think CF-S is going to be the thing I try next. I'll watch his positioning. I'm concerned that he will sit too high and not be a proper outlet on the counter. But if players give him thru balls on the counter, his pace should catch out most Championship defenders. Both Diomande and Akpom are scoring as DF-S, which has them working hard and linking up on counters.

There was some discussion in a Tactics thread about using the lone striker as an AF. Which would definitely leave him high and isolated, but also draw attention from at least one central defender on a counter, opening up space for other players. So it might be worth trying.

I'll have managed to build a solid team of scouts, so I have a couple of them looking for goalkeepers. If I'm not resigning either, I'll still need a reliable backup for season 2.

The only downside to Zivokvic is that he makes me want to play him further up, as an AMR to see what kind of damage he can do. But that would mean tweaking the tactic quite a bit. Might happen down the road but gonna stick him as an MR (and sometimes ML) for now.

[Ukchris]

Yeah, I think CF-S is going to be the thing I try next. I'll watch his positioning. I'm concerned that he will sit too high and not be a proper outlet on the counter. But if players give him thru balls on the counter, his pace should catch out most Championship defenders. Both Diomande and Akpom are scoring as DF-S, which has them working hard and linking up on counters.

...

The only downside to Zivokvic is that he makes me want to play him further up, as an AMR to see what kind of damage he can do. But that would mean tweaking the tactic quite a bit. Might happen down the road but gonna stick him as an MR (and sometimes ML) for now.

Defensive Forward (S) is a role I quite like for strikers with limited vision and passing ability, and I did try Hernandez with that too, but he just seemed to perform better as a CF-S. I found as DF-S he'd often stop on the ball and pass backwards while as a CF-S he'd protect it until a midfielder ran into space and then play the through ball.

I have the same thoughts at times with Pavon too and get tempted to move him up to an Inside Forward but he never has the same impact there. He stays more advanced but isn't involved as much. I really like the Wide Midfielder role at MR/ML as it doesn't 'force' a particular style of play the same way IF does. A WM on support has no fixed instructions and on attack only gets Get Forward and More Risky Passes with a bit higher mentality. By playing Pavon as a WM(A) he makes those surging runs from deep, gets between the fullback and centre back and often has space to tap in a cross at the back post. Other times he's staying just outside the area to play a one-two with my AMC who'll go on to score and then there are times he'll pull out wide which drags the fullback out and allows my own fullback to then run into space and cross for a goal. There's more varied play when I use him as a WM. His ppm to cut inside from the left wing still has a big influence but at this position it really is more of an influence, while at IF with 'cut inside' as a fixed instruction on top he does it every single time.

Similarly there are games when Redmond's crossing from the right isn't working so I change him from W(S) to WM(S). A small change but then it mixes his play too - he'll still run wide and cross as he has ppms for that but without the winger role enforcing that approach he'll start playing more through balls or even cut inside the fullback.

WM is just a very versatile role, and you can use ppms or custom individual instructions to dictate how you want it to play. IF can be great but it's more one-dimensional. I'll still use it at times but I do enjoy WM play, particularly with a pair of good fullbacks linking up on each side. The first season I actually used a WM(A) on each side to get promotion which was quie effective.

[Ukchris]

That actually made me think a bit and I tried going back to that promotion approach with wide play when I was 0-0 at home to Derby in a game I really needed to win. I changed Redmond to WM(A) to play that role and duty on both sides.

ML = WM(A), Pavon (ppm: cuts inside from left wing)

MR = WM(A), Redmond (ppms: run with ball down right, knock ball past opponent)

The result? 4 second half goals. Redmond got 1 goal, 3 assists and Pavon got 2 goals, 1 assist. Redmond still crossed the ball a lot (including both the assists for Pavon) but he was doing so after breaking behind the defence rather than picking up the ball deep and crossing when their defence was already back in place. His goal came when Pavon returned the favour, crossing in behind the defenders for Redmond to sneak in at the back post. I might have to go back to using dual WM(A) regularly, I forgot how potent it is.

Have I mentioned I like the WM role?

[Bigpapa42]

Awesome stuff. Getting the roles and duties down takes some experimentation. Its a balance between how you want that spot to fit into your tactical idea and how that individual player can best perform. I need to work on tinkering more and being attentive to how that tinkering players out.

When I initially set up the 4-1-4-1 counter tactic, I was using WM-S and FB-S. This fits with Cleon's thread, but the initial inspiration for the formation and those roles came from another previous tactical thread. I've adjusted them to both be W-S and WB-S. Its working well but I feel like I am losing some defensive stability. I have tried to avoid having many attacking roles in the tactic, but going to WM-S and WM-A (depending on who is playing) and only having one wide defender as a WB might be the way forward. I wasn't getting all that much out of Robertson in early matches, and Odubajo just isn't very defensive. One suggestion I read that makes some sense is looking for fullbacks that are basically wide central defenders. With a defensive minded tactic, that makes a lot of sense. By memory, I don't think any of the Hull CBs can play out wide very effectively but when it comes to replacing Robertson and Odubajo, I will have to keep that option in mind.

[Ukchris]

End of Season 3: 2017-18

After a great start to the season up in 2nd position I hit a December slump with a poor run seeing me drop to 7th. With a bunch of high potential players I needed to qualify for Europe for a realistic chance of keeping them happy so the target for the 2nd half of the season was to finish 6th at worst. Some key wins over the teams around me put me up to 5th in the closing weeks but a loss and a draw in my final two games against Arsenal and Liverpool meant I finished 6th. With Man City playing Norwich in the FA Cup Final I needed them to win for me to get the extra European spot and thankfully they did, a 2-1 win for Man City giving me what I needed. Phew!

FA Cup: 5th Round (lost 3-0 to Norwich)

League Cup: 2nd Round (lost 2-1 to Millwall)

In hindsight, resting my first team for cup games maybe wasn't the best idea - particularly the FA Cup! The league went a lot better this season though, 6 positions higher and a much better goal difference (+15 rather than -12).

I played the 4411 in most games through the season with the main changes being to add more width with a winger on the right and my attacking midfielder being more advanced, usually a Treq or Enganche instead of the AP Support from last season.

Original Squad Players

As with last season I still used some original players in defence. Robertson is still first choice at left back and very good supporting attacks. Davies started the season next to Keane but I used him less as the season went on and at 33 he's now declining so will leave in the summer. Maguire was used as rotation, competing with Fenger in central defence for the spot alongside Keane once Davies changed to backup. He did ok but does get turned by nippy forwards. Odubajo was still backup, only playing when Zappacosta was injured.

Livermore was a backup central midfielder I kept for loyalty but after a lot of whining and annoying teammates I sold him in January.

Non-Original Players

Alli was voted Fans Player of the season and although his 5 goals and 8 assists don't look the most impressive he really kept things ticking in midfield. Redmond provided most assists and added a fresh dimension to my wide play, winning PFA Young Player of the Season for his efforts. He was also in the Premier League team of the season along with Pavon who was a big goal threat for me. Ivan scored nicely again but I'd like to get him to the 20+ mark next year and despite 0 goals and 0 assists I was happy with Ajer as my defensive midfielder. I might even make him Captain when Davies leaves, even though he's only 20, as his leadership, determination, teamwork and work rate are all fantastic.

Ospina really made a difference when he came in as keeper in January and just seemed more of a presence than Rossbach. Maybe being more experienced helped settle the defence but he pulled off some brilliant saves too, and you can see from the stats how many more saves he actually made.

My main rotation spot was at AMC where I find Olsson, Tielemans, Lopes and Pereira all performing best in my system. They do all provide depth for other positions but AMC is where they seem most comfortable and none have cemented a regular starting spot. They got 12 goals and 7 assists combined but I'm still trying different combinations of player and role in that spot to figure out which is the best option. I'm still deciding if I want my AMC to stay central with the striker drifting around to pull defenders across the pitch or the opposite with my striker staying central to score and the AMC floating around in space.

Zappacosta and Keane were both first choice at RB and DC and probably will be next season too as they both performed well, though I'll check who's available in the transfer market.

Summary

I would've loved to finish top 4 after a great start but I'm pleased to have turned the mid-season slump around to qualify for the Europa League. It should give me the platform I need to keep the players I have, potentially attract a few new signings and try to push on from here to get into the Champions League. As I should still get decent transfer budgets I'll look out for anywhere I can strengthen the first team squad, maybe a top class central defender and striker competition for Ivan if I can find someone interested, but I'll be putting most scouting effort into finding newgens now my first team squad is at least top 6 standard.

On that note I successfully asked for youth facilities to be upgraded again so hopefully I'll get category 1, the board came to me offering to buy the stadium which I agreed to and I convinced them to upgrade training facilities. There's nothing left I can request upgrades to at this point but those three areas will be nice to have, particularly if the stadium gets expanded after purchasing

I'm almost at the point where Robertson will be my only surviving player from the original squad. Maguire will be around a little longer but he's 2nd/3rd choice at this point and if I can find a top defender to bring in it'd push him down the list to the point of purely being backup. It's mostly his low concentration and teamwork making me uncomfortable using him regularly and his poor acceleration doesn't help. Odubajo is still here too but he wants first team football and if I can find a better backup it might be time to let him go.

[Bigpapa42]

Nice update. And even nicer results. Good work on overcoming the mid-season slump and landing a European spot. Looks like you side has the quality and depth to actually do some damage there next year.

I expect there should be some money available to do some wheeling and dealing if you so choose.

[HCFC_Clark]

Gutted. I know it's a lot of money but he was my captain and a real consistent performer.

Thankfully had time to get a replacement in...

Wasn't happy having to spend 80k p/w in wages but he only cost me £5m.

Oh, and Benteke rejected me for Norwich who also beat me to the signing of Guidetti in the summer . To be fair tho they have offered him £140kp/w in wages which is double what he agreed with me! All in all not the best window I've had to go through!