FM18 - Bayer Leverkusen

[BanOly]

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

More team guides coming soon!

Introduction
I know it's late, and some of you are probably looking forward to next year's edition of the game already, but for those of you still determined to milk the very last drops out of Football Manager 2018, I am back on the forums for a short time with a small handful of fun teams to manage, and relevant guides to get you started.

As is the case every season, the German Bundesliga is saturated with fresh young talent and hosts a wide range of clubs with rich history and proud traditions. Few clubs demonstrate this fact better than Bayer Leverkusen, who currently find themselves in possession of some of the best young talent in the country, if not the world. Taking a break from European football gives them the opportunity to challenge for their first domestic title but the ever-persistent question remains: can you win anything with kids?
 

History
The club was founded in 1904 by employees of the Bayer pharmaceutical company, whose headquarters are in Leverkusen and from which the club draws its name. Upon achieving promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979, they became the first fully company-owned club to play in the top tier of German football and, less than a decade later, secured their first major trophy when they won the UEFA Cup in 1988.

With the turn of the century came the promise of real success; by the end of the 1999-2000 season, Bayer Leverkusen had one hand firmly on the Bundesliga trophy and only needed a draw in their last fixture against SpVgg Unterhaching to win the title. However, an own goal from eventual club icon Michael Ballack wrapped up a disappointing 2-0 defeat, while Bayern Munich clinched the title with a 3-1 victory over Werder Bremen.

Two years later, the club once again had the chance to win the league as they sat five points clear of Borussia Dortmund with just three matches left to be played. They had just set a European record, becoming the first club to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League without ever having won a national championship, and as if this wasn't enough, they had also reached the final of the DFB Pokal. The events that followed have come to be known by fans as the "Treble Horror", as they surrendered the title to Borussia Dortmund and lost both cup finals to Real Madrid and Schalke 04.

Now dubbed "Neverkusen" by some of the English media, the club is yet to return to such heights and, following a dismal 12th-place finish last season, find themselves without European football.
 

Facilities
Leverkusen is one of the oldest industrial cities in Germany but also one of the smallest, home to just over 160,000 people. Because of this, when the BayArena was constructed in 1958 it had a capacity of just 30,000. The stadium was planned to be a venue for the 2006 World Cup until Leverkusen were forced to withdraw their bid, as it failed to meet FIFA capacity regulations.

[BanOly]

The Squad

First Team
The nightmare of last season's European Championship is but a distant memory and come 3rd July, all your players will be readily available for use in pre-season friendlies.

The summer transfer window saw several key players leave the club, most notably Ömer Toprak (Dortmund), Hakan Çalhanoğlu (AC Milan), Javier Hernandez (West Ham) and Kevin Kampl (Leipzig). Sven Bender and Panagiotis Retsos were signed to cover the departure of Toprak and Kyriakos Papadopoulos (HSV) while Dominik Kohr provided some stability in the centre of a now hollow-looking midfield. The transfer window closed with the signing of Lucas Alario still in limbo, however the deal was eventually finalised.

Update: The mid-season transfer window saw the departure of André Ramalho and Admir Mehmedi so it's up to you whether or not you want to keep those changes but thankfully FM Editor is a charm and I feature them in my squad, therefore they will also feature here.
 

Goalkeepers

    
         Bernd LENO

Position GK | Age 25 | Key Player
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Leno has come under a lot of scrutiny this season, particularly for his mediocre performances in the World Cup friendlies. Despite that, there's no hiding how crucial he has been to Leverkusen's campaign and he's still got a very long time left to improve. You should look to keep him in your squad for as long as possible, to the point where he ends up retiring at the club as a backup, unless you're offered such a substantial amount of money that you can find a better option for less elsewhere.
 

    
     Ramazan ÖZCAN

Position GK | Age 33 | Backup
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

"Rambo" Özcan earnt his transfer to the club when his performances for FC Ingolstadt achieved promotion to the Bundesliga. He's still a solid, reliable backup goalkeeper and will not fail to provide security when you need it most, but that won't be the case for long and I would suggest letting his contract expire in 2019.
 

    
        Niklas LOMB

Position GK | Age 24 | Backup
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

A product of the Leverkusen youth academy, he is capable of becoming a solid backup or following a loan spell or two may possibly unlock some kind of hidden potential. Take a chance or move him on, but there are definitely better prospects in the youth squad and personally I would give one of them a chance instead.

 

Defenders

    
Benjamin HENRICHS

Positions RB, LB | Age 20 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Following an impressive breakout season last year, Henrichs has done well to build on that and we see more balanced attributes from last year's edition of the game. Definitely a good player for his age and can feature in your starting eleven straight off the bat, although he faces stiff competition in his natural positions. I would recommend that he fills in at left-back whenver Wendell needs a break, and spends the rest of the time rotating with Lars Bender and Retsos at right-back. Try not to sell unless the price is right; a decent full-back is a difficult thing to find this year.
 

    
           Tin JEDVAJ

Positions RB/CB | Age 21 | Rotation
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Jedvaj has been tipped as a rising star since we were all in nappies, but some of us are sick and tired of waiting around for something to happen. To be fair to him, opportunities have been scarce and he is yet to be given the opportunity he needs to break into the first team. Either play him more regularly and see what he can develop into, or send him out on loan so that he can really prove himself without having to put a hold on the development of others such as Tah and Retsos.
 

    
    Panagiotis RETSOS

Positions CB, RB | Age 18 | Rotation
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

He'd already broken into the first team by the time I'd learnt how to spell his name without looking it up. What a fantastic signing this was, and proof that when it comes to signing young players, Leverkusen always get it right. At the tender age of 18, his attributes are already well toned-out and he can play the role of the fast, ball-playing centre-back that proves so popular in the Bundesliga. Try to give him as much playing time as possible in order to get the most out of his promising potential.
 

    
       Sven BENDER

Positions CB, DM | Age 28 | Key Player
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

I'll be honest, when I heard this deal had gone through I was less than impressed. Toprak was a phenomenal centre-back on his day, but credit where credit is due because the twins are back together, and that can only be good for squad morale. Seriously though, when you look past the hefty fee there wasn't anyone else who could provide the experience, versatility, quality and influence in the centre of defence to mount a title challenge from the word go, and the fact he can weild the captain's armband at a moment's notice is an unexpected bonus. The tricky part will be getting rid of both him and his brother at the same time, and to the same club, but I suggest waiting a couple of years first.
 

    
      Jonathan TAH

Position CB | Age 21 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Lacklustre work rate and determination are all that hold this man back; a solid first-team player at just 21 but we haven't seen any improvement in his attributes or performances from last year and it remains to be seen as to whether or not that is a good thing. Either way, it's safe to assume that this man will be a good, solid centre-back in the future barring a really disappointing development and unless you receive a ridiculous amount of money and manage to secure a replacement such as Dayot Upamecano, you'd be best off riding it out and seeing how he does.
 

    
    André RAMALHO

Positions CB, DM | Age 25 | Rotation
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Not the reason I decided to undo the club's transfer business in the winter, but by all accounts Ramalho can provide strong cover in the centre of defence and midfield. As it stands, however, there is more than enough cover in both positions so you might want to loan him back out and see if he unlocks some hidden potential, or see if you can get more for him than the mediocre €800,000 profit the club managed to make.
 

    
 Aleksandr DRAGOVIC

Positions CB, LB | Age 26 | Rotation
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

When the end of the season rolls around, you will have to decide whether or not his performances merit a place in the squad but at the same time you'll have to bear in mind that with Tah and Retsos, space in the centre of your defence will be limited. At the same time, so is your cover at left-back and if you decide to get rid of Dragovic then you should consider looking for a young player to fill in on the left so as not to put too much pressure on Wendell and Henrichs.

 

    
          WENDELL

Position LB | Age 24 | First Team
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Similar to Jedvaj, there was once plenty of promise for Wendell. What has instead followed has been a slow and steady improvement that has seen him retain his place at left-back but more due to the lack of better options than anything else. His natural pace and ability to send in a good cross have worked to his advantage and allowed him to continue to impress but consistency is definitely not his strong suit and he also continuously runs the risk of suspension due to his high aggression. It's important to remember though that, as previously stated, decent full-backs are a scarce commodity this year and you should keep him at the club unless you have someone better and ready to play the very next day.

 

Midfielders

    
       Lars BENDER

Positions DM, RB | Age 28 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

The club captain is annoyingly awkward to fit into your squad due to his attributes. Lacking a little bit in pace makes it hard for him to be an effective right-back if you like your full-backs to overlap and will also hinder the development of Henrichs, whilst playing him in defensive midfield is often preferred but means you have to rotate between him and the two others available. Instead, look to rotate him between the two and see that his last few years at the club are put to good use, before finding a new captain and putting him out to pasture.
 

       
Julian BAUMGARTLINGER

Position DM | Age 29 | Rotation
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

A dreadful debut season last year means that Julian is left with little time to turn his Leverkusen career around, which is a shame because his attributes look so promising. At first glance he appears to have all the makings of an Austrian Kante but look closer and you'll discover a lack of vision and mediocre mental stats that are essential when you're playing in the heart of midfield, such as composure and decision-making. What might just be worse than his below-par performances is the fact that his lucrative contract doesn't expire until 2020, so either see if you can get some money for him first or use the extra time wisely to find a long-term replacement for him and Aranguiz.
 

    
       Dominik KOHR

Positions DM, CM | Age 23 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

A product of the youth department returning home to put to bed our haunting memories of Baumgartlinger's performances last season. This can be the long-term replacement you so desperately need, but he has to find the playing time immediately as he makes his way towards his peak. So far he has put in fantastic performances that go a long way towards proving what he is capable of, and if that is mirrored in-game then you shouldn't have to worry about reinforcing this position for a while. Having said all that, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that Kohr lacks the potential to be anything more than a decent first-team player and you may well fancy a more promising alternative.
 

    
  Atakan AKKAYNAK

Positions DM/CM | Age 18 | Hot Prospect
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

This is that promising alternative. Bursting to the core with potential, Atakan is capable of being gelled into either an attacking or defensive midfielder but the best case is an all-round answer to Aranguiz' pending retirement. We're not just talking about the future of the team however, as highly-touted as this kid is out there in the real world, this may well be the future of German defensive midfielders. Try to keep him at all costs, and make sure he gets some first-team experience from the first season. Don't rush him straight in though, it's imperative that you ease him in to get the best out of his potential.
 

    
   Charles ARÁNGUIZ

Positions CM, DM | Age 28 | First Team
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

At first glance yes, it's true, the stats aren't much. But the mental ability is really important, and it's what gives Charles his power. This is the conduit around which your team is built, and should be built around for at least the next 2 years. The stamina and work rate will pay dividends as you only have Bender and Kohr to provide cover in the centre of midfield, combined with good natural fitness and consistency to ensure that he makes it onto the team sheet every single week. You'll need the 2 years to find a replacement.
 

    
        Marlon FREY

Positions CM/AM | Age 21 | Youngster
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

This isn't the promising alternative. As a matter of fact I'm unsure as to why André Ramalho was let go but Frey has managed to retain his place in the squad. The only reasoning I can think of is his age; yet to be written off completely, he's in dire need of a career-making loan spell in order to prove that he can one day be worth your time. As it currently stands, Yurchenko takes preference and looks set to continue to do so.
 

    
 Vladlen YURCHENKO

Positions AM/CM | Age 23 | Backup
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Clearly underwent the same training as Çalhanoğlu because he's ended up with attributes remarkably similar, if a bit worse. He does a job as a reliable, versatile backup player who has often come on and done something surprising for me in the past and still looks capable of such feats in this year's edition of the game. Worth keeping at the club to maintan depth and give opportunities to improve but ultimately won't amount to anything game-breaking so just a matter of trying to get as much as possible for him.
 

    
       Kai HAVERTZ

Positions AM, CM | Age 18 | Rotation
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Never has a title been more justified, a prodigy more rightfully hyped about. We have seen nothing but good things from Kai Havertz since his emphatic breakthrough season last year, and he has earnt the right to be referred to as "the next Mesut Ozil". We can only hope then that Ozil continues to improve because this man is capable of anything - of becoming anything. To have a player of this calibre in your team is something very few clubs can boast, and you should make sure that you maintain that bragging right because if your team played at their career best then this would be your best player. Described by those around him as "the most complete player I have seen at his age", Kai will feel most at home in central attacking midfield, just behind the striker(s), but can also play just about anywhere else besides defence and in goal. Having said that, I may have even tried him out at left-back last season...
 

    
       Julian BRANDT

Positions LM, RM | Age 21 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained at Club
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Once held in such high regard as Havertz, we now find him gracing the national team. Having reached this landmark in his career, however, seems to be slowing his progress down a little and hopefully his performances bounce back again in the near future so he can reach the expectations we once held for him. Even having said this, he is still an exceptional talent who continues to give his all for the club and must be held at least partially accountable for the club's success this year. A similar type of player to Maximilian Meyer, he relies on keeping a cool head and using his early maturity to boss proceedings at the head of the attack, feeding through faster players and creating chance after chance after chance. Do not let him go for anything less than a nine-figure sum.
 

    
        Leon BAILEY

Positions RM, LM | Age 20 | Key Player
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Further proof that when signing young players, Leverkusen always get it right. It took Bailey all of 6 months to break into the first-team squad and now he has, we can finally see what he's really capable of. Those of you who remember his attribute spread from last season will remember a player who is fast and can dribble, but this season you will be given a much more well-rounded player who smacks of instant first-team ability and still has so much time to improve. Leon rounds out what is undesputedly the greatest attacking midfield trio of young talent in the world, and like his counterparts should not be sold for anything less than a nine-figure sum. His left-footedness is best utilised on the right-wing so that he may cut inside and unleash hell upon the unfortunate defenders who await.
 

    
   Karim BELLARABI

Position RM | Age 27 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Officially bears the title of "unluckiest player in the world", just as I was warming up to Karim having witnessed his drive and determination for the team, and his willingness to fulfil defensive duties off the ball despite being an attacking winger. How unfortunate you have to be to possess such raw talent and fantastic ability, only to be stuck behind the three most promising talents the club may ever have. The only saving grace for you and Karim is that Havertz will not expect first-team football immediately and so with Brandt in AM and Bailey on the left wing, you can just about make it work. It's entirely up to you whether or not you try though, because at the age of 27 he's not going to last as long as his teammates and would probably attract a sizeable fee that could go towards buying some less-talented cover out on the wings.
 

    
       Sam SCHRECK

Position AM | Age 18 | Hot Prospect
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

The aforementioned "less-talented cover out on the wings". Signed only last year as yet another potential youth prodigy, we are yet to see anything exceptional from Schreck barring a less-than-aspiring second name. What is perhaps most daunting is the lack of versatility for a supposed "winger", seemingly having no natural role to speak of yet and possessing limited comfort out on the left despite being predominantly right-footed. Nonetheless, you can loan him out for experience or keep him for the cup games but don't expect any resemblance to other youth players for the time being.

 

Forwards

        
        Admir MEHMEDI

Positions LM/ST | Age 26 | Rotation
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Rather more amusing than seeing "that" facial expression is the lack of recognision in-game for his ridiculous versatility, Admir will play wherever you want him to play because frankly he's just happy for the game time. Currently in possession of a high work-rate and decent pace to match, cover doesn't get much better than this and it's only due to Wolfsburg's willingness to pay off the €8m we paid for him in the first place that saw him leave. This is an entirely personal choice but you'll be hard-pressed to find someone else in the game who is as good to cover for your star players and not demand ridiculous wages or game time. Of course, you should sell him eventually because you need to get that €8m back...
 

    
     Kevin VOLLAND

Positions ST, RM | Age 25 | First Team
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

Finally grabbed the opportunity to step out of Chicharito's shadow and establish himself as the first-choice striker, Volland has come through this season and delivered consistently good performances to show why Leverkusen paid €20 million for him two seasons ago. An incredible work ethic, beaten only by a world-class footballing mind makes what might possibly be one of the best defensive strikers in the world, make sure to get the most out of Volland by utiliting him as someone who sits up front and chases everything until someone makes a mistake. As if this guy needed an added bonus, he's perfectly capable of filling in a sort of Pedro-esque role out on the wings as a space investigator but should predominantly be left to his own devices at the forefront of the attack.
 

    
       Lucas ALARIO

Position ST | Age 24 | First Team
Home Grown Status None
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

I've gotta say, I've known about this guy for a little while and I'll be the first one to admit that I was extremely over-hyped for the transfer to go through. It's a difficult business being a successful striker in the top tier of Argentinian football, but Alario was and he earnt the chance to shine on the European stage. Sadly, although he's had some very good performances, he lacks the consistency so far to be as effective as I'd like and hopefully that can change as you dive into your save because this is as good as an all-round striker can get on his wages. Keep until he reaches similar heights to Chicharito and then sell in an equally-spectacular fashion.
 

    
     Stefan KIEßLING

Position ST | Age 33 | Rotation
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

This year will see a pleasant career come to an end for Stefan, the best you can do is try to win something for him. There's nobody on your team who can dominate the airspace above your opponent's penalty box as well as Kießling so if you're going to use him at all then it'll probably be as a Fellaini-esque "super sub".
 

    
   Joel POHJANPALO

Position ST | Age 22 | Rotation
Home Grown Status Trained in Nation
Rating ★★★★★ | Potential ★★★★★

I'd love to slate this guy off because boy was I on the hype train at the start of last season. Joel is the definition of super sub; two games he comes on as a substitute and scores four goals between them. Sadly Joel didn't end up meeting the potential he could have perhaps met in a different lifetime, but if you send him out on loan then he might change your mind. Otherwise, keep him as a backup striker in case you're 2-1 down with half an hour left.

[BanOly]

Tactics
Coming soon!

[FMbeginner]

Bayer Leverkusen are a great team to manage in Germany. I'm a big fan of academy/home grown talent and other than the obvious Kai Havertz and Benjamin Henrichs; Atakan Akkaynak and Marian Prinz are great prospects. Atakan was my first choice holding midfielder in the second season and by fourth season he was a solid performer. Marian Prinz wont be anymore than back up, but having a german second choice goalkeeper is good for the league registration.

Highly recommended save!!

[BanOly]

@FMbeginner Definitely, there's plenty of amazing prospects to bring through and another benefit of playing as Leverkusen is that they tend to get rid of a lot of their academy graduates, for example Dominik Kohr who recently returned. You can bring back other former players such as Kroos, Oztunali and maybe even Heung-Min Son if you wanted to. Oh and Arkadiusz Milik, a personal favourite of mine.

I will eventually get around to the tactics (and transfers) section, access to a computer is pretty limited at the moment, but Prinz and Akkaynak definitely help save money that would otherwise be spent on more expensive replacements.

[Aizo4576]

I may have to look at trying out a Leverkusen save! I've considered them in the past but I haven't really liked the way their squad has looked. Looks fantastic this year though

[crusadertsar]

Excellent piece @BanOly! I just have a question about Akkaynak. I'm playing with January update and his potential for me is only 4 stars. Is his potential variable or has he been nerfed for some reason?

[BanOly]

3 hours ago, crusadertsar said:

Excellent piece @BanOly! I just have a question about Akkaynak. I'm playing with January update and his potential for me is only 4 stars. Is his potential variable or has he been nerfed for some reason?

Potential stars are a vague representation of a member of staff's opinion of your player's Current and Potential Ability. The stars I've used are also a vague representation of my opinion of each player; for example, I'm sure you could get a player a million miles better than Aranguiz in central midfield but he gets four stars from me because I think he's an integral part of the squad and for his wages, loyalty and age I'd rather keep him than sign someone like (for example) Keita.

Akkaynak is building a massive reputation in the real world, so much so that Chelsea are linked with him. That paired with the layout of his attributes and how he can be gelled into almost any kind of midfielder you prefer means that he gets a five-star potential rating for me, but that doesn't mean he'll necessarily be one of the world's best.

[crusadertsar]

Oh I see! I thought you were just using the games potential rating of him

[ubos]

Having loads of fun with this save! So many young gems, not sure why there aren't more people playing with this team.

[aloshajeffers]

I did a long term save last year in the Bundesliga (with Wolfsburg) and am keen on doing doing another long term Bundesliga save this year. Is anybody playing as Leverkusen? They're a team that I've always been very interested in playing as, but i've not had a long term commitment to them. In fm 16 I did a season with them but lost interest. Any one have any recommendations for style of play? I am thinking a 433 to utilize Volland, Brandt and Bailey. Their focus on youth is perfect for my favored style of squad development, and they have a lot of sellable assets to raise funds. The team features a plethora of young first team players, and youngster close to being in the first team. The team is in good shape to make history.

[Armistice]

Marvelous work on the thread mate. The squad look pretty solid especially in the attacking departments so I think Leverkusen could be an interesting save for what remains of this year's edition.

[inthisspace]

Leverkusen has got a fantastic youth setup and it produces players good enough for the first team. I took over Leverkusen in the summer of 2021 (FM2017) and I can say they are in pretty good shape. A number of young players are already on the cusp of the first team. 

The main challenge is the finances, as well as to find the "right" players for the team. Not easy to obtain replacements for the likes of Aranguiz. 

I highly recommend to manage this team some time in your game career! 

[jimbowan]

I have been playing Hertha Belrin in the Bundesliga on my last few long term saves, great league with 5-6 teams who all challenge regularly. Good luck holding onto Heinrichs, Tah and Havertz as in my 2026 save they all turn out brilliant and all got lured to bigger reputation clubs overseas, which continues to be the main challenge playing a bundesliga save.

Offer them contracts EVERY time one of the big teams shows interest, even if you only gave them a new contract less than a year ago, its the only way i managed to hold onto my young talent

Ive won 5 titles and finally wont eh CL last season, good luck with Leverkusen they are a fun team and one if have been looking at

[CapaJr]

On 17/04/2018 at 19:27, ubos said:

Having loads of fun with this save! So many young gems, not sure why there aren't more people playing with this team.

Because its way too easy..

you basically have an entire team of wonderkids at your disposal. 

[ubos]

Ya but it still takes some effort to overtake Bayern and Dortmund, and it is also gratifying to develop young players. Having loads of fun, and that’s most important

[steevo55]

@BanOly thanks for the presentation really really helpfull before start.

It seems nobody wanna present his own save with Leverkusen so i'll do.

 

Yes the team is loaded with high potential wonderkid, especially Havertz and Bailey who are 2 of the most promising players in the game.

To continue in that way, i decided to recruit only players who are really young and don't spend too much money on a player (less than 30M, wich i know i already a good amount).

 

Season 1

Because you don't play any european competition the first season, it's a really short season even if i manage to win the cup.

Was a closed season, 4 points behind Bayern but only 3 points more than Dortmund which was 5th. I finally manage to play the champion's league as expected.

 

For my transfers i bought 4 main players :

- Zeca for free who play as a backup for Wendell and Henrichs

- Arthur who turn into a beast in the middle

- De Ligt who was paired with Tah

- Martinez to be the future striker of the team

- Rajkovic was added in January to become my new Leno backup

 

After this first season, needed a better central midfielder than both Bender twins who underperformed (like Aranguiz before he left the club in january) and a better left full back too.

 

Season 2

What a great season, finally manage to win the title and stop the 6 in a row of Bayern ! Again i win the cup (after a 4-3 in semi vs Bayern, losing 3-0 at 60 minutes)

In champion's league, i lose vs Atlético within with a 1-1 (away) and a 2-2 (home), kinda frustrating after win 7-5 vs Juventus (6-2 at home)

 

All my team just perform more than i can imagine : 

Bailey 7,96 (43 matchs/25 goals/22 assists)

Brandt 7,60 (49 matchs/18 goals/23 assists)

Martinez 7,83 (42 matchs/39 goals/14 assists)

Havertz 7,54 (42 matchs/7 goals/16 assists)

 

For my transfers, Thiago Maia was my main arrival, Arana only come in January and was injury for 6 month after only 6 matchs...

 

I'll post my transfers of season 3, my tactic and some screenshot of my players in an upcoming post

 

If you have any question, tell me

[Captain Funk]

On 10/07/2018 at 13:59, steevo55 said:

@BanOly thanks for the presentation really really helpfull before start.

It seems nobody wanna present his own save with Leverkusen so i'll do.

 

Yes the team is loaded with high potential wonderkid, especially Havertz and Bailey who are 2 of the most promising players in the game.

To continue in that way, i decided to recruit only players who are really young and don't spend too much money on a player (less than 30M, wich i know i already a good amount).

 

Season 1

Because you don't play any european competition the first season, it's a really short season even if i manage to win the cup.

Was a closed season, 4 points behind Bayern but only 3 points more than Dortmund which was 5th. I finally manage to play the champion's league as expected.

 

For my transfers i bought 4 main players :

- Zeca for free who play as a backup for Wendell and Henrichs

- Arthur who turn into a beast in the middle

- De Ligt who was paired with Tah

- Martinez to be the future striker of the team

- Rajkovic was added in January to become my new Leno backup

 

After this first season, needed a better central midfielder than both Bender twins who underperformed (like Aranguiz before he left the club in january) and a better left full back too.

 

Season 2

What a great season, finally manage to win the title and stop the 6 in a row of Bayern ! Again i win the cup (after a 4-3 in semi vs Bayern, losing 3-0 at 60 minutes)

In champion's league, i lose vs Atlético within with a 1-1 (away) and a 2-2 (home), kinda frustrating after win 7-5 vs Juventus (6-2 at home)

 

All my team just perform more than i can imagine : 

Bailey 7,96 (43 matchs/25 goals/22 assists)

Brandt 7,60 (49 matchs/18 goals/23 assists)

Martinez 7,83 (42 matchs/39 goals/14 assists)

Havertz 7,54 (42 matchs/7 goals/16 assists)

 

For my transfers, Thiago Maia was my main arrival, Arana only come in January and was injury for 6 month after only 6 matchs...

 

I'll post my transfers of season 3, my tactic and some screenshot of my players in an upcoming post

 

If you have any question, tell me

Hi Steevo

I was wondering, how is your economy - do you get a decent transfer budget?

And are you playing with or without Winter Update? :-)

[steevo55]

Hi @Captain Funk, the economy is pretty good, got £35M tranfer budget for the second season (because my transfers of the first season were with instalments). For the third and fourth season, i got £70M+ transfer budget which is enough to buy some valuable players. But you need to consider that a large amount of money will be needed to give big contracts to your stars players (Bailey, Haverts... want more than £100 000 per week to renew contract).

 

I play with the winter update.

 

Here's my result of the third season

 

Season 3

With 83 points, i made a really good season (Bayern was only 66 points), my players just perform more than expected (9 of my players were in the team of the year)

The 4 fantastic just improve again there level :

 

Bailey 7,69 (36 matchs/17 goals/17 assists)

Brandt 7,51 (48 matchs/22 goals/22 assists)

Martinez 7,80 (48 matchs/44 goals/18 assists)

Havertz 7,69 (48 matchs/14 goals/11 assists)

 

Was kinda upset of my loose vs Tottenham after wining vs Chelsea. My main objective for the 4th season is to play semi finals of the champion league.

 

I made really few transfers, used a lot of my budget to renew contract of all my stars as i said.

 

Here's the tactic I mainly use during the third season :

It's a quite offensive tactic, maybe too much, that's why i decided to play more "defensive" for the upcoming season and that's why I splash a large amount on only one player to bring more physical presence in the middle. Season 4 presentation incoming in a next post.