FM2012: Newcastle United thread - Triumphing by brave defending.....well maybe!

[OLLMEISTER1]

Just about to start my 2nd season after a modest but respectable first season finish of 9th after a poor end to the season when was in 5th place with 5 games to go.

Sold most of the deadwood and brought astute younger quality players in to fit in with the current transfer policy ashley has adopted.

Squad at start of 2nd season looks like, Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation with 2DMC and 3 AM players with AML,AMR and AMC with lone striker up top.

GK Krul/Forster

DL Santon/Jack Robinson

DR Vrsjalko/Santon

DC Vertonghen/Taylor

DC Collocini/Kadar

DMC Cabaye/Gosling

DMC Tiote/N'Zonzi

AML Gutierrez/Marveaux

AMR Torje/Obertan

AMC Pandev/Ben Arfa/Vuckic

SC Sturridge/Ba/Alcacear

Brought in some real quality with Sturridge made permanent for £4m Jack Robinson from Liverpool for £7.5m, Pandev on loan aswell as Alcacear. Torje signed from Udinese for £7m and N'Zonzi from Blackburn for £6.5m.

Should reach my goal of top 6 and europe qualification this season as squad looks very decent.

Any body care to offer suggestions of improvement please feel free to do so.

[DandyDon]

Made some slight changes to the Newcastle data, nothing official, just things I was unhappy with post release: http://www.fileplanet.com/223025/220000/fileinfo/FM12---Newcastle-Data-Update-1

I'm assuming that data update would need a new save to take effect.

Also, have a question about Ashley and the board, have they been set up so that they won't authorise above a certain level of wages? I was moving some of the transfer budget into the wage budget during the January window and noticed it didn't seem to make much difference to the upper level of wages we could offer.

That's not a complaint by the way, adds a little more to the challenge.

[ChrisNUFC]

£50k is suppose to be the wage cap, though I was told it hadn't made it into the game (be great if it has as it'll be realistic).

[DandyDon]

£50k is suppose to be the wage cap, though I was told it hadn't made it into the game (be great if it has as it'll be realistic).

Looks like it's not hard wired at £50k but they won't go above £62k for key player status for anyone but Colo on my save. Despite being 156k under my wage budget. And I'm assuming they'll only go over 62k for Colo as he's already on 80....but they won't offer any more than 80 for him. So getting him to sign a new deal could be tricky.

[DandyDon]

Interesting, after only 3 games for us Hargreaves gets an England call up.

He better not get crocked Don Fabio....

[JizzleyBear]

Looks like it's not hard wired at £50k but they won't go above £62k for key player status for anyone but Colo on my save. Despite being 156k under my wage budget. And I'm assuming they'll only go over 62k for Colo as he's already on 80....but they won't offer any more than 80 for him. So getting him to sign a new deal could be tricky.

Colo wants £120k a week for his new deal and Ashley and Co wont let me offer more than the £80k which he is already on, so looks like he's leaving me after season 2.

[OutClassed]

I was over £200k under on my wage budget, yet still couldn't offer Tevez above £90k. I think I've done enough to get rid of most players that I didn't need-

Ranger - £1.9m

Kadar - £1.4m

Xisco - £1.7m

Guthrie - £2.4m

Coloccini - £5m

Ba- £7.5m (Paying Ba £11k until his old contract runs out)

Also trying to sort out loan deals for Ameobi, Elliot and Marveaux. After spending only £4m on transfers last season, I'm hoping to bring in more than I spend this season. £20m raised so far, £10m spent and only £5.75m tied up in a deal for Moussa Sow. I'm considering selling Steven Taylor if I find any promising defensive regens. At the moment I only seem to have my first team defenders (Vertonghen, Clark, Dawson, Montoya, Santon, Aldrete) and one reserve/youth (Streete).

[DandyDon]

2011/12 Season Update - League Cup

After a relatively cushy route to the Final (Leyton Orient, Birmingham, Fulham, Aston Villa, Reading)we had to face Chelsea at Wembley. We got off to a flyer when Colo's on target header was nudged over the line by Essien. With that boost we were all over Chelsea for the first half, Bressan added to our lead when put through by Jonas, sliding the ball under Cech. We should have had the game done and dusted before half time, with Bressan running the show he put both Jonas and Obertan clean through, one on one only for them to punt the ball straight at Petr Cech.

Chelsea got a lifeline when Obertan got himself sent off for a two footed challenge on Raul Mereiles during a goalmouth scramble in their box. However a fantastic defensive performance from Colo and company meant we didn't concede until the 89th minute and Chelsea ran out of time.

[Scott1892]

Finished the 1st season in 3rd with 77 points, very happy with that, especially as I didn't have an out and out goalscorer. Didn't do as well in the cups though, got knocked out of the carling cup in the quarters by Pompey, and fell at the first hurdle to Wolves in the FA Cup.

Top Goalscorer: Wilfried 13 goals

Top Assists: Yohan Cabaye 15 assists (highest in league)

Top Average Rating: Steven Taylor & Hatem Ben Arfa 7.46

Ben Arfa also managed to win footballer of the year and got into team of the year, with Cabaye and S.Taylor among the subs. Wilfried would have scored a lot more if he wasn't getting injured every other match, and Ba only scored about one in ten chances, often putting it wide or over, although he managed to score 10 goals in the end. Colo and Taylor were sturdy at the back and Krul managed to keep 17 clean sheets which I was very happy with, and Diame came in and did well while Tiote was at the ACoN.

Team at the moment:

4-2-3-1

GK: Krul

DR: Vrsaljko

DL: Santon

DC: Colo/Taylor

DC: Vertonghen

MC: Tiote

MC: Cabaye

AMR: Shaqiri

AMC: Ben Arfa

AML: Gutierrez

SC: Ba/Wilfried

As you can see, I've only signed youth players so far and have sold the deadwood to free up some money, which I will be spending on a striker and left winger, although all the targets I'm looking at have already been signed with the likes of De Jong, Matavz, Sow and Doumbia all moved. I may sell Coloccini, Ba and Jonas to free up some more funds and wages, and so I have upto £20m to use on a striker and left winger, any suggestions?

[DandyDon]

I notice you've managed to sign some bargains from Clairefontaine Scott...were they available at the end of the first season or before that?

Just wondering as all their players are greyed out on my game.

[Scott1892]

They turn up on the 7th March along with all the other French regens, and they're pretty damn good. It's the Clairefontaine academy where Ben Arfa started out, and due to their state of the art youth facilities and recruitment they can get some pretty good players, and you don't have to pay compensation either.

[DandyDon]

They turn up on the 7th March along with all the other French regens, and they're pretty damn good. It's the Clairefontaine academy where Ben Arfa started out, and due to their state of the art youth facilities and recruitment they can get some pretty good players, and you don't have to pay compensation either.

Ooooh...time to go have a lookee methinks. Cheers

Good season by the way Champs League should be a nice money earner for you next season. To keep in with the current Geordie Nation/French love in at the club, have you looked at Antoine Griezmann for the AML position? He was very handy on FM11 and from what I've seen of him on Sky's La Liga highlights might be worth a look at this time round, he should be at Real Sociedad if he hasn't been snaffled elsewhere.

[Scott1892]

Will have a look, I thought I had him on my shortlist already actually, now just need a striker, will go and check the transfer list...

[Abramovic]

They turn up on the 7th March along with all the other French regens, and they're pretty damn good. It's the Clairefontaine academy where Ben Arfa started out, and due to their state of the art youth facilities and recruitment they can get some pretty good players, and you don't have to pay compensation either.

that is f***in brilliant, wonder how you came across that

I have to admit im slightly jealous of yous lot getting brilliant results with a 4231 formation.

[DandyDon]

Owen Hargreaves might be staking a claim for player of the season with the fans, scoring one and making the second in a 2-1 win over noisy neighbours on their own patch

We're currently clinging on to second place by our fingernails, but we have a couple overy difficult weeks ahead when we play 3rd,4th and 5th placed clubs (Spurs, Man Utd and Liverpool) all one after the other, 2 of them away. Utd and Liverpool have games in hand on us as well, so we'll be doing well to hang on to a top 4 spot at the end of it.

[col_nufc1]

Newcastle season one review.

We won the Premier League on the last day of the season after a 2-1 win over Man Utd at Old Trafford. We were one point clear of Man Utd and two clear of Chelsea so a draw wouldn't of been enough had Chelsea won there last game which they did.

We also won both cups after easy runs in both and then Chelsea fielded a team with a mixture of first team and reserve players but even so I am delighted with what the squad achieved.

Premier League Table.

In the cups.

FA Cup final. Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea.

Carling cup final. Newcastle 2-1 WBA.

FA cup fixtures.

Carling cup fixtures.

The squad.

[col_nufc1]

I am gutted that the players from Clairefontaine are all greyed out on my save even though I have large database and all the french leagues loaded. Does anyone know why it is working for some people and not for others :confused: ?

[Abramovic]

I am gutted that the players from Clairefontaine are all greyed out on my save even though I have large database and all the french leagues loaded. Does anyone know why it is working for some people and not for others :confused: ?

France one of the playable leagues ?

[col_nufc1]

France one of the playable leagues ?

Yeah I have the French leagues as playable

[Scott1892]

I have a large database and the top two leagues in France as view-only, if that helps. It seems that a lot of those who can see them have it as view only.

[paulyash]

Half way through season 2 now! Sitting 3rd in the league, Man Utd appear to be running away with it! Still on course to win the league cup, and facing CSKA Moscow in the last 16 of the champions league!

At the start I brought in Gaston Ramirez (6.75mil) Andrea Poli (4.2mil) and Leandro Damiao (20mil) and got rid of Demba Ba for 4.8mil as well as getting rid of R. Taylor, Xisco and Perch on frees!

Ashley seems to be feeling generous as he's chucked in another 19.5mil for me to spend in January! Made an audacious attempt to lure Jack Wilshere here as he's sitting in the Arsenal reserves (WHAAA?!) but while he seemed kean to join the lowest I could get Arsenal to was 27mil

Anyone have any suggestions? Need a CM, one of pretty decent quality now! A cabaye like guy! Also someone to replace tiote wouldn't go a miss either!

Also anyone know what Vuckic' potential is this time round? Seems damn difficult to develop youngsters these days!

[Geordie_Gaz]

My team are finally responding to team talks now. Still in 9th, and it's the beginning of April, but we're only 3 points away from 6th placed Man City.

Says alot, though, when my attacking midfield trio placed first second and third in the player of the month awards for March, with Obertan becoming the eventual winner. He has been absolutely outstanding for me since I gave him a run in the team (app 18(2), 7 goals, 14 assists, 6 motm and av rating of 7.76)

Absolutely loved the way the boys welcomed Carroll and Enrique back to Tyneside too:

Chuffed.

[DandyDon]

Gaz, I wish I could have grabbed a result like that against Liverpool

Had to settle for a 2-2 draw and things have really concertinaed at the top of the League with ourselves, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool all covered by 5 points. Man City are further back, but they've got three games in hand at the moment, if they won all 3 they'd be up to second and possibly knock us out of the top 4.

[SeanH91]

Gaz, I wish I could have grabbed a result like that against Liverpool

Had to settle for a 2-2 draw and things have really concertinaed at the top of the League with ourselves, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool all covered by 5 points. Man City are further back, but they've got three games in hand at the moment, if they won all 3 they'd be up to second and possibly knock us out of the top 4.

Easy for you to say haha

Just suffered my first loss of the season after 8 league games, with Arsenal taking a 2-1 victory away from St. James' Park Ameobi could have equalised for us in the dying minutes but due to him being a dreadful, dreadful player, he put it wide

Oh well, at least I now have Ben Arfa back so can finally put my plan A into action.

[DandyDon]

Easy for you to say haha

Just suffered my first loss of the season after 8 league games, with Arsenal taking a 2-1 victory away from St. James' Park Ameobi could have equalised for us in the dying minutes but due to him being a dreadful, dreadful player, he put it wide

Oh well, at least I now have Ben Arfa back so can finally put my plan A into action.

I'd have killed for a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in our last game....we got absolutely belted 5-1 at the Emirates

[DandyDon]

Slight sigh of relief...struggling to break down Stoke at home and we get a penalty and Cabaye steps up having missed his last two attempts from the spot.

Thankfully this time he sends the keeper the wrong way, but keeps it inside the post.

[Geordie_Gaz]

Gaz, I wish I could have grabbed a result like that against Liverpool

Had to settle for a 2-2 draw and things have really concertinaed at the top of the League with ourselves, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool all covered by 5 points. Man City are further back, but they've got three games in hand at the moment, if they won all 3 they'd be up to second and possibly knock us out of the top 4.

See, I'd happily swap that 7-0 to be near the top four! Sums up my season I think when I lose Demba Ba for the rest of the season in the match after that - glad I signed Wilfried as cover now!

[DandyDon]

See, I'd happily swap that 7-0 to be near the top four! Sums up my season I think when I lose Demba Ba for the rest of the season in the match after that - glad I signed Wilfried as cover now!

Fair point

With two games left to go we've snuck back up to second spot, 1 point beind ahead of Spurs and 3 ahead of Man City though they still have a game in hand. Man Utd have opened a slight gap up at just the right time and look a shoe in for the title, in fact even if they lose their final game I think their goal difference means they are pretty much champions. (Unless Man City win all of their last three matches by healthy margins, or we win our last two by an aggregate score of 37-0.....)

[dutch3723]

How are people getting on developing Adam Campbell? I want to make him the new local hero but his technical stats arent great. That said I've been forced to play him lots in the 2nd season because of bad injuries to Ba/Wilfired + ACN and he's got 13 goals over the course of the season, albeit 5 against poor quality cup opposition

[DandyDon]

How are people getting on developing Adam Campbell? I want to make him the new local hero but his technical stats arent great. That said I've been forced to play him lots in the 2nd season because of bad injuries to Ba/Wilfired + ACN and he's got 13 goals over the course of the season, albeit 5 against poor quality cup opposition

I'm not sure how random his attributes are, but I get the impression on FM he's one of those players where hopefully his physical attributes will compensate for technical shortfalls. His technical attributes haven't improved massively during the first season for me, but he was murdering teams in reserve and under 18 fixtures regardless.

[DandyDon]

Season Update 2011/12 - February to May - The Run in

Somehow, by hook, crook and whatever other method we could find, we'd clung on to second place in the league once the dust settled on Man City's monumental collapse. Up until may they were in with a chance of pipping Utd to the title, but their run to the final in both the FA Cup and the dreaded Europa Cup tournament meant fixture congestion wreaked havoc. They lost their last 4 league matches on the bounce (including defeats to Man utd and Chelsea) to slip down out of the Champs League spots...to add insult to injury they lost the Europa Cup final to Arsenal.

Our surprise win at White Hart lane kept us in with a shout of automatic qualification for the Champs League, and a very hard fought win over Stoke proved vital.

Final League Table

We didn't have any challengers in the squad for the end of season prizes, due to some very inconsistent performances, though Steven Taylor did make it into the final Team of the Season, and Yohan Cabaye finished with the most assists in the league.

The Road Ahead

Obviously we'll have to improve next season, especially defensively as we can't rely on the likes of Man City and Chelsea having such poor campaigns next year. Also I was largely unimpressed with the contributionfrom the strikers and if I can sign another quality finishers as well as Paloschi who is on his way on a free, then Ameobi, Best, Ba and Vossen may all find themselves surplus to requirement.

Much as I hate to, Coloccini looks destined for the transfer list as well. His agent won't drop his wage demands below £92,000 a week and even if the board will meet that, I'm not willing to spend such a big chunk of our wage budget on a single player, and I don't want to lose him on a free transfer at the end of the season. Young Craig Dawson was pretty impressive for us when called on, so if I can find some takers for Colo he'll most likely start a lot more games this year.

I'll probably move Mahamadou Diarra on during the summer as well, he joined on a free and while he did a good job when called on, I've got another young central midfielder arriving so we're more than covered in that area.

[OutClassed]

DandyDon, have faith in Craig Dawson. He was brilliant for me in his first season and started most league games. If I hadn't signed him I don't think I would have sold Coloccini, but Dawson and S.Taylor formed a solid partnership.

[DandyDon]

DandyDon, have faith in Craig Dawson. He was brilliant for me in his first season and started most league games. If I hadn't signed him I don't think I would have sold Coloccini, but Dawson and S.Taylor formed a solid partnership.

I was very impressed with Dawson to be honest, I'd planned to use him pretty sparingly when he arrived, but he got quite a good run of games toward the end of the season. Weighed in with 3 goals and 2 assists from 9 starts so he'll definitely be getting more games this season.

[DandyDon]

Looking at some of our results last season, and the stats for the games, one of our biggest weaknesses was how incredibly wasteful we were in front of goal. In several matches we had 15-20 shots on goal (or even more) but were on target with only 2 or 3 out of those. So during this transfer window I've been prioritising signing a striker or two who not only has decent Finishing, but some decent Composure as well.

After scouting several targets I leapt at the chance to sign Moussa Sow when my scouts thought he'd be available for as little as £6.25 million...in the end we had to pay £7.5 million to get him, but I believe that will prove to be money very well spent.

I've already sold Shola Ameobi to Southampton for £1.3 million (although we're still paying some of his wages for the rest of the season) and with Sow arriving, I decided to transfer list both Leon best and Demba Ba to recoup some money.

So far Best hasn't generated any interest, but I noticed some Serie A clubs were looking at Ba so I took a bit of a gamble and offered him out for £15 million (3 times his current value at the time)

A day or two later and I've received these three bids, all from Italian clubs

Obviously I almost broke the mouse clicking on 'Accept' for the Juventus offer, and now I'm hoping they don't get too stingy when it comes to his wage demands and scupper the deal.

[OLLMEISTER1]

I got collocini to sign a 1 year extension for £80,00 a week the same as he is currently on. A larger agent fee should suffice.

[OLLMEISTER1]

Very good buisness if Ba goes for £15m Sow should be more than a adequate replacment and for half the price.

Very astute managment

[DandyDon]

I got collocini to sign a 1 year extension for £80,00 a week the same as he is currently on. A larger agent fee should suffice.

Believe me I did try the larger agent fee, but he just wouldn't budge ended up selling him to Fiorentina. Now regretting it, as if I'd realised I could get an offer that big for Ba, I would have used some of that fee to increase our wage budget and hopefully be have been able to offer the agent the necessary dough.

Ah well...regrets...I've had a few and all that

[DandyDon]

Very good buisness if Ba goes for £15m Sow should be more than a adequate replacment and for half the price.

Very astute managment

Fingers crossed

Currently trying to unsettle Jack Wilshere who has been put in the Arsenal reserves by the new manager after Wenger resigned during the summer. Would love to add him to the squad if remotely possible

[darrensen]

@col NUFC,

How are you playing Demba Ba? He's gone v well for you 1st season.

[DandyDon]

Well Juventus came through with the wages, so Demba Ba left for a very nice £14.75 million, thank you very much.

With the money already raised through sales I now have 24 million in the budget and I'm targetting three more signings. Have my eye on a very useful looking Mexican centre back as the main one, and I'm considering a bid for Gaitan at Benfica. Depending how much is left after that I may add one more striker to the line up, if the right type of player is available.

[darrensen]

Wow some of you are having some good fortune with Ba. I can't get him to hit a barn door! What are you guys playing him as?

[DandyDon]

Wow some of you are having some good fortune with Ba. I can't get him to hit a barn door! What are you guys playing him as?

He wasn't all that great for me in the second half of the season, missed a lot of one-on-one chances against the keeper. He had a decent strike rate before christmas playing as an Advanced Forward, but he was pretty injury prone for me which didn't help.

[OutClassed]

Darren, I didn't get him scoring at all for the first season. Even Nicky Maynard outscored him for me!

[DandyDon]

My lovely deal for the Mexican defender got cancelled on the opening day of the season due to work permit. So scouts are out checking over a few more targets....thinking about signing Daniel Van Buyten on a free as cover just in case.

The deal for Nicolas Gaitan went through thankfully to give us some more quality out wide.

[DandyDon]

This was the lad I was hoping to sign, from Chivas in Mexico, hoping to have a new Jose the Bull

I reckon he could have been immense in the Premier League, might go back in for him next season...if he doesn't move elsewhere.

[col_nufc1]

@col NUFC,

How are you playing Demba Ba? He's gone v well for you 1st season.

I played him upfront on his own as a poacher or as a inside forward attack from the left wing.

[col_nufc1]

Dandy that Mexican regen looks awesome its a shame that he didn't get a work permit. It's a bit strange though a 24 year old regen, must be a bug surely.

I am still finding it impossible to sell the likes of Ryan Taylor and Sylvain Marveaux at the start of the second season even after offering them on free transfers I get the news that teams are unwilling to to pay the players wage demands .

[DandyDon]

Dandy that Mexican regen looks awesome its a shame that he didn't get a work permit. It's a bit strange though a 24 year old regen, must be a bug surely.

I am still finding it impossible to sell the likes of Ryan Taylor and Sylvain Marveaux at the start of the second season even after offering them on free transfers I get the news that teams are unwilling to to pay the players wage demands .

I actually didn't realise he was a regen as we scouted him in the first season...didn't even twig about the facepic :o

I'm having similar problems when trying to sell Leon Best at the moment, nobody even wants him on loan. On the other hand I've managed to get £10 million for Gabriel Obertan (only 1.2 million of it upfront though). I was a little overcrowded with wingers and a couple of players were complaining about too much competition for places, so decided I'd cash in on Gabriel after his good run of form at the end of last season.

[toontoon4]

Finally got round to finishing my first full season since getting FM2012.

Once again I started with signing that man Lacina Traore and once again he produced the good helping us to a 2nd place finish in the league. Also had a semi defeat in the Carling Cup and a defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

[paulyash]

Fingers crossed

Currently trying to unsettle Jack Wilshere who has been put in the Arsenal reserves by the new manager after Wenger resigned during the summer. Would love to add him to the squad if remotely possible

If you manage to unsettle him at all share the secrets! Been trying for over a season now and they wont budge below 30mil even though he's sat in the reserves rotting away!