FM 12: Atletico Madrid thread: who needs Aguero when you have Falcao?

[ReggaeBwoy]

Welcome to my first ever club thread. Hope people viewing this can be convinced into making an Atletico Madrid save. Good luck and let us know how you are getting on if you are taking up the challenge

Club Information

Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D., commonly known as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish football club based in Madrid who play in La Liga.[2] Atlético have won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey on nine occasions, including a double in 1996; in Europe, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, were European Cup runners-up in 1974,[3] won the Intercontinental Cup in 1975, won the Europa League in 2010[4] and won the UEFA Super Cup in 2010.

Los Colchoneros play their home games at the Vicente Calderón,[5] which currently holds up to 54,960 spectators. In 2015, Atletico are due to move to their new home of Estadio La Peineta, which will have a capacity of 70,000.

Atleti's home kit is red and white vertical striped shirts, with blue shorts, accompanied by blue and red socks, this combination has been used since 1911. Nike are the kit manufacturers, the only sponsor is Kyocera.

During their history, the club have been known by a number of nicknames, including Los Colchoneros ("The Mattress Makers" in English), due to their first team stripes being the same colors as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s, they became known as Los Indios, allegedly due to the club signing several South American players after the restrictions on signing foreign players was lifted. However, there are a number of counter theories which claim they were so named because their stadium is "camped" on the river bank, or because Los Indios were the traditional enemy of Los Vikingos (The Vikings), which is the nickname of the club's city rivals, Real Madrid.

Stadium Information

The club play their home games at the 54,960[1] seat Estadio Vicente Calderón in southern Madrid. Before this, the club played originally at the Ronda de Vallecas until 1923. After the completion of the Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid in 1923, the club moved there until the Vicente Calderón was finished in 1966.

The club plan to move in 2015 to the renovated Estadio La Peineta,[55] which will be expanded from a 20,000 seat capacity to 73,000 after it was used for Madrid's failed bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Vicente Calderón will be demolished, and replaced by a waterfront park at the banks of the Manzanares River in Madrid.[56] The club's training ground is the Ciudad Deportiva de Majadahonda, 20 km west of Madrid. The facility maintains grass and artificial patches as well as a gym. Both the senior and youth squads train here.[57]

Atlético also runs a sports academy at the Ciudad Deportiva del Nuevo Cerro del Espino in Majadahonda.

Current Stadium(1) New stadium planned for 2015 (2)

2010-2011 Season summary

Atlético had a comparatively disapponting 2010–11 season, finishing only seventh in the League and being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and the Group Stage of the Europa League, despite having the likes of Aguero and Forlan in their ranks. This ultimately led to the departure of manager Quique Flores before the conclusion of the season, who was replaced with ex-Sevilla manager Gregorio Manzano, who secured the final Europa League place for Atlético. Manzano himself was replaced with Diego Simeone in December 2011 after a poor run of form in La Liga. There has been many changes in the current squad for Atletico, you no longer have the brilliant partnership of Forlan and Aguero but you now have arguably one of the best strikers in the world in Falcao. You also have the addition of creative forces, Arda Turan and Diego in your team. It is now up to you to help bring Atletico Madrid back in the Champions League places with a new set of firepower and hopefully have a better go at the Europa League as well.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Atletico Madrid Team Kits

Team Expectations

As we can see the demands are quite high really. With a rejuvinated squad and decent financial backing the board expect no less than Champions League qualification. I believe it is possible, but do you? or do you feel you can go a step further and challenge Barca and the great rivals, Real Madrid? A predicted finish of 3rd means there is going to be a bit of expectation on you.

[ReggaeBwoy]

SQUAD ANALYSIS

GOALKEEPERS

Thibaut Courtois- A very commanding keeper with an exciting future ahead of him. Unfortunately Courtois is only on a season long loan from Chelsea. In my opinion this should be your undisputed one. He has all the excellent attributes required of a goalkeeper. He is aerially commanding, brilliant reflexes and brilliant handling. I am not sure if Chelsea would allow it but with Petr Cech their no.1 keeper you could maybe try renew his loan for another season but this area is a definite strength of your team.

Sergio Asenjo- Another equally good keeper. Many people may prefer to have Asenjo as their no.1 keeper. His jumping and aerial ability is far inferior to Courtois but seen as he is on the club on a permanent basis you could be wasting his potential by keeping him out the side. I would definitely not advise to sell him as if Courtois is not allowed to extend his loan deal he should be your no.1 and this would save you time looking for a new keeper. But as I said they are not too far apart from each other, I would go for Courtois but you might go otherwise.

DEFENDERS

Diego Godin has been brought in to add steel to the defence and he should no doubt be your first choice at Centre Back. Miranda has also been brought in for free and I would have him partner Godin. Perea is a very decent centre back and despite not getting younger he still does a decent job. Very fast and his work rate is as good as anyone. None, but least is the home-grown talent, Alvaro Dominguez. Even if he does not figure in your starting 11, make sure you do not sell him. Will prove to be am excellent centre back in years and give him games to make sure he fulfils his potential. Your strongest Right Back attacking will be Silvio. Has pace to burn and against teams you expect to attack against he should be used. Not too sure about his defending but if you want to tighten up, Perea can do a decent job here as can Juanfran. Your strongest Left Back is Filipe and like Silvio is very attacking. If you feel you may need to rest Filipe, Antonio Lopez can always be used for rotation and are very similar to each other. Dominguez can also do a role in this position.

CENTRE MIDFIELDERS

Tiago is the best of these lot. Provides a threat whether it be passing or shooting as does Gabi. Mario Suarez and Paulo Assuncao also provide good service here. Koke is another homegrown youngster who has come through the ranks. I would not say he is a definite starter, but he has excellent potential. I would advise play him in the cup games and the off league games to further his experience. If he is not a prominent part of your squad for the first season I would recommend sending him out on loan. Merida is another one I would say keep him in your plans. Excellent vision and flair and look to give him game time as he can change games. Be aware that Diego can be trained to play here but you would be best of utilising him in the Attacking Mid role. When I show a preview of my tactical analysis, it hopefully provides you with ideas on how to utilise the players most efficiently.

WINGERS

Arda Turan is your most creative force from the wing. I would use him as an advanced playmaker on the LW to bring the best results from him. Other natural players in this position are Juanfran and Merida can do a job on the wing as well. I use Adrian as a right winger in my save and have Falcao on his own upfront. Although Adrian natural position is a striker I have noticed he has the dribbling skills and pace to play on the wings, If you wish to do this, I would recommend putting him on an individual training programme to improve his crossing. Pizzi is another exciting talent brought in on loan and can offer something different, especially when you are looking to attack the opposition. I am not sure why Salvio is in the B team but I would make sure you put him in the first team from the start and drop Omar Santana to the B team. Salvio can also change a game if you are needing something different.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Diego, in this role will provide a threat and if playing with an attacking mid should be your first choice there. Can pass, dribble and shoot with perfection. Arda Turan is equally as good in this role but due to Diego playing here I would have Turan on the wings where he is equally effective. Merida also can be used here as well but would not feature in my first choice

STRIKERS

Falcao without no doubt is the most important player in your team. Will spearhead the line and score the goals. He may garner interest if he bangs in the goals but I would not sell him at any cost. Will terrorise defenders with pace, strength, movement and finishing. Adrian can also do a job here whether you want to partner him with Falcao or use him as an alternative. You have Diego Costa out on loan, however when his loan finishes I would keep him. When he returns he will be ready to play and could be a key part of your plans. Eduardo Salvio also provides good cover here.

Youth Prospects

There are a few decent crop of youngsters in the U19, however the stand out one is Saul. Only 16 years of age but has brilliant technique for somone of his age. Atletico have a young team so tutoring him may not be reasonable or available. But with good training facilities he should continue to develop well. Extend his contract asap as I have had Valencia sniffing around him from the off.

[ReggaeBwoy]

RECOMMENDED LINEUPS

This is my recommended formations. My main one is to use the 4-2-3-1 formation this way, you are using Diego and Turan more effictively as this allows the two Centre Mids to do more of the dirty work and getting the ball upfield. If you however are wanting to use a 4-4-2 formation partnering Falcao with another strikers there is another formation that could prove useful. However as stated the 4-2-3-1 formation is a much more useful way to get the playmakers working more efficiently.

WHY CHOOSE ATLETICO MADRID?

You have a young squad, all capable of achieving a respectable position in La Liga. You have the challenge to eventually overhaul Real Madrid and Barcelona. Atletico Madrid are also known for playing football of a very exciting calibre and you have an abundance of talent in your team. You are in a league with several teams fighting out for the Champions League places. Can you go to the Valencia's, Seville's and pick up three points? Well your the manager and have to prove it!

That is my official team thread done This is my first thread so not as good as others and will take constructive criticism. Thanks for reading and hope you take the challenge

[Gorgut]

Nice one ReggaeBwoy. Gonna give'em a try!

[NorthernGooner]

Not a bad effort for a first club thread Not managed in Spain this FM but will probably manage these of Malaga CF. Again, nice OP

[ReggaeBwoy]

No problem people, thaks for the compliments My first time managing in Spain apart from Barca. Just signed Borja Valero from Villareal. Looking forward to this save.

[metalface13]

Glad to see someone get an Atletico Madrid guide up. I played with them in FM11 and loved it. I've been interested in doing a new save with the new squad, just haven't yet.

[metalface13]

Also, useful info to know is the 3 foreign player slots on the squad are filled by Falcao, Miranda and Salvio. In case you're thinking of adding any non-EU players,

[ReggaeBwoy]

I agree metalface. They are a very exciting team. Thanks for pointing out that foreign player thing. I was unaware of that. Sure they put those rules in for this season.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Also, forgot to emention the potential of Borja Baston currently on loan at Murcia. Potentially can be one of the best strikers in the game if develop correctly

[joe__the__man]

Ahh, you beat me to it. :-D Good job on the thread.

Was just writing up a thread for Atletico, although tbh I started about two weeks ago and still hadn't finished it haha. Anyway I'd also done a team analysis, may as well post it even though it is very similar to yours in its conclusions. Was gonna put some stuff about the different formations I've played and how successful they were, I'll probably do that at some point in the future.

Goalkeeper:

Thibault Courtois, Sergio Asenjo, Iago.

First season:

In the first season it really is a toss-up between the two 'keepers. Courtois is better in the air at coming to claim crosses, whilst Asenjo has better agility and reflexes and; he will pull off more wonder saves. One thing you may want to consider is that Courtois is only on loan from Chelsea, and is therefore unlikely to have a future at the club beyond the first season, whilst Asenjo could be your goalkeeper for years to come. Iago Herrerín is a perfectly fine third choice, but he can go back to the 'B' team once Asenjo returns from injury a couple of months into the game.

Long term:

Courtois has the potential to be one of the best 'keepers in the game if you can arrange a permanent transfer for him, but Asenjo is definitely good enough to be a Champions League standard 'keeper long term. Iago isn't going to be good enough, but the out-on-loan Joel Robles has the potential to be good enough for back up in my opinion.

Key man: Thibault Courtois.

Prospect: Joel Robles.

Rating: 7/10

Right Back:

Luis Perea, Sílvio Pereira, César Ortiz.

First season:

Two decent options for the right back position, Silvio is natural here whilst Perea is a natural centre back (though I wouldn't recommend playing him there). In my opinion Perea is the stronger of the two as he's better defensively, is quicker and generally more intelligent. Silvio does have his good points though, he's a better crosser of the ball and will help support attacks better. Therefore it's really your choice out of who you play here, maybe you could rotate depending on the opposition, fitness and form. Youngster Cesar can offer decent cover here in an emergency, but he should really remain in the 'B' team.

Long term:

Luis Perea is 32 now and won't be first choice for much longer, particularly given his reliance on his pace, and whilst Silvio is a decent player you should probably be aiming higher long term. Whilst funds are tight at the club, right back isn't usually an expensive position to reinforce, so you may be able to afford a quality player here in the future. Cesar should be disregarded.

Key man: Luis Perea.

Prospect: None.

Rating: 5.5/10

Left Back:

Antonio López, Filipe Luís, Sílvio Pereira, Álvaro Domínguez

First season:

Another battle of ideologies, the adventurous, attacking Filipe or the solid all-rounder Antonio Lopez. I think the choice here is clearer than at right back, with the veteran Lopez being the better option. Considering Lopez's injury proneness however, Filipe will inevitably be used a lot throughout the season. Right back Silvio is good cover here, as is centre back Alvaro Dominguez.

Long term:

Another position that probably needs strengthening in the long term, although that time is not as soon as at right back. Alvaro Dominguez could be retrained to be natural here to make a great defensive full back, but I personally prefer him at centre back, whilst Filipe still has many years left at the club, but I think Atletico can do better than him personally - he's just not good enough defensively. Jason Bli could become a decent player in the future, he has good pace, but I wouldn't hold out too many hopes for him.

Key man: Antonio Lopez.

Prospect: Jason Bli.

Rating: 6/10

Alvaro Dominguez doesn't like conceding goals.

Centre Back:

João Miranda, Álvaro Domínguez, Diego Godín, Luis Perea.

First season:

Three great centre backs here, plus Perea. Miranda, Dominguez and Godin are all really good options, so much so that it makes a three man defence very usable. In my opinion Miranda is the best of the three, whilst the other two are very similar. If you're looking to play a higher defensive line though, Dominguez may prove the better option, even though Godin is rated higher by your coaches. I also plan on making Dominguez my vice-captain, so I feel a loyalty to him that barring a drop in form will see him as first choice. Ultimately though, this is another position that can be rotated based upon form, fitness and morale.

Long term:

Your long term situation is exactly the same as the short term, except that Perea won't be around much longer as cover. With the first three choices aged 26, 25 and 22 you should be set for a long time. Leandro Cabrera and Jorge Pulido are both decent players out on loan, but they won't become anything more than a backup for you,

Key man: Miranda.

Prospect: Leandro Cabrera.

Rating: 8.5/10

Defensive Midfield:

Paulo Assunção, Koke, Mario Suárez.

First season:

Three main options here, firstly there is Paulo Assuncao, who makes an excellent holding midfielder, but also has the stamina and work rate to play higher up the pitch in a ball winning role. Mario Suarez is a similar player, but has more ability playing further up the pitch, both with a higher positional rating and better passing ability. Koke is the best of the three in terms of attacking ability, and makes an excellent deep lying playmaker for just a 19 year old, though he is the worst of the three in terms of defensive ability.

Long term:

Assuncao does not have too much time left at his best, though he should remain in the squad for a few seasons yet, whilst Mario Suarez's ability to compete at the highest level is questionable. Koke however is an excellent prospect, and given enough game time will become an essential player for you, so definitely keep hold of him. Raul Garcia, currently out on loan, can play here, though he is much better used in central midfield, and arguably doesn't deserve the wages he receives.

Key man: Paulo Assuncao.

Prospect: Koke.

Rating: 6/10

Tiago will have a hand in a lot of your goals.

Central Midfield:

Tiago Mendes, Gabi, Koke, Mario Suárez, Fran Mérida.

First season:

Tiago is a very good player, especially at the passing game, and he's just generally a good all round player, your best option. Gabi is also a good player here, similar to Tiago but not quite to the same standard, though he also has a good long shot and is probably more capable defensively. Suarez and Koke, covered under the defensive midfielders, are both also good options, Suarez for his defensive abilities and Koke for his passing, as an understudy to Tiago perhaps. Merida is a decent attacking minded player, but nothing special and he should be nothing more than cover for the first season.

Long term:

Tiago is 30, so won't be around for too many more years, but Koke will be ready to fill his shoes by that time. Aside from those two there are plenty of average options, Gabi and Suarez are and will remain decent players, the same can be said of the out-on-loan Raul Garcia and Ruben Micael. Fran Merida doesn't really have the potential to become anything more than a player of similar standard to those players, so in the future you should look to secure a top central midfielder.

Key man: Tiago.

Prospect: Koke.

Rating: 6/10

Right Wing:

Arda Turan, Juanfran, Eduardo Salvio, Pizzi.

First season:

Loads of options here, the most talented of which is undoubtedly Arda, though it's very questionable about whether the wing is the best place for him. If you are going to use him here then as an inside forward or advanced playmaker is what you should be using him as due to his his creativity and flair. The other three options are similar in style, Juanfran being probably the best of the three, he is hardworking and well rounded, though Atletico could probably do better. Edu Salvio is a very promising talent, his flair and dribbling ability is exceptional but he is a little rough around the edges - a great player off the bench if anything. Pizzi is the last option, on loan from Braga, and he is like a light version of Juanfran, both being able to play on both wings and being good wingers without having any standout talents.

Long term:

Arda Turan should be a long term option, but probably not for this position as he suits being an attacking midfielder in the middle much better. Pizzi probably shouldn't be kept on after his loan ends; he's a decent player but nothing great. The same can kind-of be said about Juanfran, though I think he has more to offer. Edu Salvio is the player who has the potential to take this position long term and make it his own. A signing is optional, but if Salvio progresses as he should do then it won't be necessary.

Key man: Arda Turan.

Prospect: Eduardo Salvio.

Rating: 6.5/10

Left Wing:

Arda Turan, Juanfran, Pizzi.

First season:

Similar options here to the right wing, except that Salvio isn't competent on the left. Arda is first choice here again, and with less options here it should be there side that he starts. Juanfran and Pizzi can cover here well if need be, and Omar Santana from the 'B' team will play here in an emergency. This isn't a very well covered area of the pitch though and it would be a good idea to bring in a quality player to compete for a first team spot.

Long term:

Again, Arda could easily be your long term solution here but is best used in the middle, whilst Pizzi shouldn't be kept on and Juanfran is nothing special. Therefore, investment definitely should be made into this position, a quality player to take over first team responsibilities. However if you're not planning on using an attacking midfielder then Arda would definitely be first choice here, though you could still invest in a young player capable of coming into the team, someone similar to Pizzi's standard.

Key man: Arda Turan.

Prospect:

Rating: 4.5/10

That Turk is a tricky one.

Attacking Midfield:

Diego, Arda Turan, Fran Mérida.

First season:

On-loan Diego is a top class player, one of the few in the team, and you should use him here to make the most of his goalscoring and creative abilities. Arda is the other fantastic player in the side that can play here, and although not as good a goalscorer as Diego he is probably a better team player and better creator. A formation involving two attacking midfielders would be great if you had adequate backup for these two, so instead I would suggest shoving Arda onto a wing for the first season whilst Diego is on loan. Fran Merida can also cover here, but I wouldn't recommend giving him such an important role in the team.

Long term:

Depending on how you treat him first season, Diego may want to stay and if you could make that happen at a reasonable price then it would be good, but there are other options out there so it's not necessary. Arda Turan should probably have this position in the long run. Omar Santana and Sergio Marcos are decent players, but probably won't turn out good enough for the club, definitely not as first choice, whilst the likes of Fran Merida, Ruben Micael and Raul Garcia aren't really best suited for this position, and won't become better than Arda.

Key man: Diego.

Prospect:

Rating: 7.5/10

Striker:

Radamel Falcao, Adrián López, Eduardo Salvio.

First season:

Atletico are perfect for a one striker system with the squad containing one exceptional striker and one very decent backup. Falcao is one of the finest poachers around at the moment, he will definitely get you goals, whilst Adrian is more than adequate backup. Maybe you might want more numbers here, as Salvio isn't the greatest of forwards as a third choice, but I think the strikers at the club are fine as long as you're only playing one up front, certainly for the first season at least.

Long term:

With Falcao and Adrian being only 25 and 24 respectively they have plenty more years service for the club, and you may not need to change your strikeforce for many years to come. Maybe adding another midfielder with the capability to play up front in an emergency would be more secure, but not particularly necessary as you have Diego Costa returning from loan after the first season, who is decent. Also there is the bright looking Borja Baston in the academy (currently out on loan) who looks like an excellent prospect at the age of 18.

Key man: Radamel Falcao.

Prospect: Borja Baston.

Rating: 9/10

It seems that Falcao likes to score.

[joe__the__man]

Incidentally Reggae, you can use any of the URLs of players in my post in your OP if you want.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Cheers Joe, much better clarification tbh. Before I created this I was hoping someone would start a thread but never did. Cheers for improvement joe

[Bane]

Gonna start an Atletico game myself. I remember it was really enjoyable on the previous patch. Great thread @ReggaeBwoy. Hope more ppl will start a game.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Thanks Bane hope you enjoy your save and more people are tempted, really exciting team with potential. Any tips from people on how to pay Falcao? Not sure I want him as a poacher as I feel there is more to his game than that.

[joe__the__man]

I don't think he's got that much to his game apart from goals tbh. I mostly use him as a poacher because I just want him playing on the shoulder of the last defender and getting into the box, but if I feel he's going to be isolated up front (like in my some of my formations) then I use him as a deep lying forward/attack. I change a couple of instructions for this, but the basic role stays the same.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Good point, but his heading ability is 20 so i was wandering if people used him as a targetman? What is his scoring rate as a poacher?

[ReggaeBwoy]

But Joe, I would agree actually, his off the ball movement, decisions and anticipation are brilliant attributes required for a striker:thup:

[Bane]

Falcao has been upgraded a bit since the last patch, hasn't he?

[joe__the__man]

Diego out for two months.

Falcao out for three months. :(

[ReggaeBwoy]

@ Bane yes he has improved quite a bit, one of the best strikers in the game I say. @Joe that's unfortunate, arguably your two best players

[joe__the__man]

Yeah will have to rely on Adrian to take over from Falcao scoring every 60 minutes so far this season.

Fun fact from my game; Falcao has exactly 5 times more completed passes than shots on target this season, and less than 4 times more passes than shots attempted. Poacher.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Quite a stat really. Shows that with great poachers like that, you can always expect them to get goals even at a bad day at the office.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Regarding Joel Robles, providing he has successful loan spell at Rayo and is developed well, he has a potential to be the no.1 at the club IMO. Has a high attribute for free kicks surprisingl.

[joe__the__man]

Hah hadn't noticed Joel had good free kicks. Don't think he'll become better than Asenjo though.

How are people using Diego? Can't get him to perform myself, he's lost his place in the first team due to injury and he hasn't been nearly good enough to get it back.

[joe__the__man]

Half-Season Review: January 2012

Best XI

Asenjo

Silvio Miranda Dominguez Lopez

Tiago Gabi

Salvio Arda Juanfran

Adrian

Asenjo and Courtois have both had a lot of gametime for me whilst I decided on who is better and it hasn't been an easy decision because of how different their strengths are. Courtois has fantastic handling and aerial ability, but Asenjo's better reflexes win out for me, he pulls off some great saves that Courtois wouldn't get close to.

Perea started off the season as my first choice right back, but Silvio has won me over by putting in more consistent performances and generally being pretty solid. Filipe has been injured for much of the season so the only real choice has been Antonio Lopez at left back. Centre back has been as I thought it would be, generally nothing to differentiate Miranda, Dominguez and Godin but the former two has been my most popular pairing.

Tiago and Gabi have been my best central midfielders, Gabi in particular has been great. Special mention to Koke who is a very solid all-rounder. In my 4-3-3 I usually prefer Assuncao at the base of the midfield as well, a very good anchor man. The most used formation has been the 4-2-3-1 though, and Arda Turan has been performing to expectations, which cannot be said of Diego, who has produced lacklustre displays all season.

My favoured option for the right wing is Edu Salvio, who's had a great season scoring plenty of goals and getting loads of assists, forcing Juanfran to the other wing, where in fairness he has also performed very well. These two have also outperformed Arda when he's been played on the wing. Up front I haven't really had much choice, Falcao has been injured most of the season so far, so Adrian has played most games, doing really well in the process. He might not be as prolific as Falcao, but he's set up plenty and offers better link up play.

Results

The Europa League group went well, winning the first 5 games and qualifying easily in a group of Standard Liege, Sochaux and APOEL Nicosia. Lost the last game 2-1 to Sochaux though, but the highlight was a 6-0 home win over APOEL with Salvio getting a hat trick. I've draw Swedish side IF Elfsborg in the next round (woo!) so should make it through there. In the cup I'm very likely through to the quarter finals, taking a 4-0 lead over Levante into the second leg and beating a lower league side 5-0 on aggregate in the 4th round.

January Plans

I'm staying on the lookout for a creative midfielder. Marvin Martin has caught my eye but Sochaux want a little too much for him, and most other top young players don't want to join or have too high a wage demands. I'm also looking at bringing in a proper left winger, and Nene is transfer listed at PSG so I may try and bring him in on loan if a more long term prospect doesn't appear.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Real Madrid look to have that league done and dusted, Athletic doing very well as well. Shocked at how bad Valencia are doing. I agree about Koke, looks very good for me in my friendlies and Europa League qualifiers so far. Have not officialy started any league games due to Theory revision and so but hoping to start it soon. Regarding creative midfields have you considered Borja Valero? With Diego I would advise using him as an advanced playmaker.

[joe__the__man]

Yeah Barca and Real just competing for the league with Athletic and us competing for third. Top four looks wrapped up at the moment, but that could all change.

Thanks for the tip regarding Valero, looks a cracking player and not one that I'd considered. Still can't get Diego to perform, he's just a backup at the moment, but that's alright because Arda, Salvio, Juanfran etc are doing so well.

[Bane]

I've been switching constantly between 3 saves each one more enjoyable than the other but now I think I'll concentrate on Atletico. Brought on loan Mario Balotelli as a backup for Falcao because I've dropped Adrian on the wing, he is injured for now but when he is back he will take his place. Also brought Clement Grenier as a backup for Arda Turan or Diego whoever plays the Advanced Playmaker position (AMR). At first that was a spot for Arda but I switched him with Diego and now Diego is on the wing as an Adv Playmaker and Turan as an Attacking Mid. They are both doing nice but nothing special. Will make an update soon I guess

[joe__the__man]

Who do you use on the left? Sounds like you have loads of attacking options anyway, look forward to the update.

[Ranquelme]

I've been managing Atletico for 5 seasons. I will give a brief summary.

Season 1 - Finished 2nd, 1/4 Europa Liga and Copa Del Rey - Best Player - Arda Turan

Season 2 - Finished 3rd, 1/4 Champions League, Final of the Copa (lost to Valenica) - Best Player - Deigo Godin

Season 3 - Finished 3rd, Won the Champions League (Beat Marseille in the final, Copa Del Rey last 16 - Best Player - Eduardo Silvio

Season 4 - Finished 2nd, 1/4 Champions League, won the European Super Cup, World Club Cup, Copa Del Rey - Best Player - Menez

Currently in Season 5 - Top by 5 points ahead of Barcelona, 24 games gone, out of the Copa Del Rey, drew 2-2 against AC Milan first leg of last 16 Champions League.

I never got Falco firing after 3 seasons, his best was 18 goals in 44 games. Got injured a lot too, sold him for £20m to Zenit St Petersburg. Really disappointed with him, missed some crucial penalties also!

My Strikers at the moment are - Adrien (supersub, fantastic hold on to him) Wilifried, Regen and Fernando Torres on loan (Rubbish!)

Wingers - Menez on a free , Arda Turan (Pure Class) Eduardo Silvio (Assist machine)

CM - Koke (Develops nicely) Ruben Yttergard (best CM for me) Ruben Micael, Regen, Castro (£1m ball winner from Porto, good player)

Fullbacks/Wingbacks - Alvaro Perrieria, Filipe, Montoya, Silvio

Centre Backs - Godin, Miranda (scores a lot), Dominguez, Regen, Papapost..er..he's greek!

GK - Asenjo, Regen, Joel (out on loan)

I kept hold of Raul Garcia and Mario Suarez before selling them to tycoon owned Almeria for crazy money, Luis Perea is good cover but he got too old so I had to release him, Deigo was poor for me in his only season with me. Gabi got a lot of assists from midfield but again he got old and I sold him, was brilliant though. Fran Merida never performed, sold him to Almeria too, Tiago..decent..nothing special, played for Atletico B til he left on a free for his last two seasons. Antonio Lopez was solid but he retired. I sold Deigo Costa after 4 seasons for £5m never played for me, always was on loan..I should have tried him out though. Juan Fran did well for me but just didn't give me confidence despite having good assists ratio and chipped in with a few goals.

But yeah for anyone starting this save the key players for me from the start have been:

Arda Turan

Miranda

Eduardo Silvio

Koke

Adrien

Godin

Dominguez

Asenjo

Felipe (gets niggling injuries though)

Gabi

Mario Suarez performed better than Assunaco for me, Koke replaced both of them though.

Disappointments:

Falcao - Plain and simple. Adrien out performed him season after season despite not starting as many games. I'm glad I got £20m for someone who scored 7 goals in 35 games in his last season for me and was out injured for 3 months during the World Cup, got fit with 3 days left til the window shut and sold him to Zenit! (Where he has been average and injury prone!)

Youth Products:

Jason Bil is a decent left back, I sold him to big spending Almerica for £5m in the end but he can become good. Saul unforutnatly isn't progressing well at all. Still at the club but he won't be for long. Elliot Kebbie the english boy who was let go by Barcelona is OK...he scored on his debut for me in his first season, 16 at the time. But he gets injured alot and in the end he left on a free, a shame as I wanted to make him a star! I signed Moises from Villarreal, 17 years old for £1.2m will become top class attacking mid!

Tactis

I switch between a 4-3-3 and a 3-4-3 formation (wing backs and wingers) both work well.

[Bane]

Who do you use on the left? Sounds like you have loads of attacking options anyway, look forward to the update.

It seems I have made a mistake. Diego is on the AML spot as an Adv Playmaker, then there is Arda Turan as an AMC - Attacking Mid and on the right I rotate between Eduardo Salvio and Adrian playing as Inside Forward/Support (Adrian being my 1st choice).

[joe__the__man]

Currently in Season 5 - Top by 5 points ahead of Barcelona, 24 games gone, out of the Copa Del Rey, drew 2-2 against AC Milan first leg of last 16 Champions League.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

I never got Falco firing after 3 seasons, his best was 18 goals in 44 games. Got injured a lot too, sold him for £20m to Zenit St Petersburg. Really disappointed with him, missed some crucial penalties also!

Disappointments:

Falcao - Plain and simple. Adrien out performed him season after season despite not starting as many games. I'm glad I got £20m for someone who scored 7 goals in 35 games in his last season for me and was out injured for 3 months during the World Cup, got fit with 3 days left til the window shut and sold him to Zenit! (Where he has been average and injury prone!)

This is really surprising, he's scores loads for me! Haven't finished the first season yet and he has missed four months through injury but he'll probably finish with close to 40 goals this season.

I switch between a 4-3-3 and a 3-4-3 formation (wing backs and wingers) both work well.

Yeah I like my 3-4-3 formation for when coming up against strong teams playing two up front.

It seems I have made a mistake. Diego is on the AML spot as an Adv Playmaker, then there is Arda Turan as an AMC - Attacking Mid and on the right I rotate between Eduardo Salvio and Adrian playing as Inside Forward/Support (Adrian being my 1st choice).

Ah right, yeah that sounds good, though I preferred Juanfran or Pizzi to Diego when on the left personally.

[Ranquelme]

How are you playing Falcao? I tried him as a target man, poacher and a complete forward (where he performed the best) but he would score two in a game and then go 5-6 games without scoring! His record as shown below isn't terrible but its not what I expected from him considering his stats. His first season was the best for me..but I expected 20+

He's currently out for 3 months at Zenit.

[joe__the__man]

I use him in pretty much a standard poacher role. This is the striker role in my 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3, and this is it in a 4-3-3. He usually plays a lot better in the former whilst Adrian does well however he's played.

[Bane]

What do you guys think about keeping Thibaut Courtois? My ass man (JPA 19, JPP 18) rates him CA 3 stars, PA 4 stars and a half? Should I activate his clause and keep him or maybe look elsewhere for ter Stegen or maybe Akinfeev or so?

EDIT: My bad, he doesn't have a release clause which will make it impossible to lure him

[ReggaeBwoy]

I say stick with Joel and Asenjo after your first season if you feel their ready to hold the sticks. Sves you the expenses of buying a new keeper. Looking forward to getting my first few games out the way. One new thing I did, made a bold decision and put Godin as my captain.

[joe__the__man]

Yeah I prefer Asenjo to Courtois anyway, he's the type of keeper that I prefer. Got my eye on Rene Adler though, his contract is running down so he would be free but I'm not sure he'd be much better than Asenjo so I'll probably just keep what I've got.

Godin is my third choice captain, which really works out as vice captain as Assuncao only really plays in tough away games.

[ReggaeBwoy]

Having mentioned Adler, I am in a predicament now, he looks different class in nearly every single area, might approach him on a free but sure there will be many clubs after him. I changed the captaincy and appointed Godin because I wanted someone who is going to play most games of the season for me. Antonio Lopez is my second choice left back so I felt obliged to change this. Courtouis will start as my number one as I am not convinced of Asenjo's aerial ability and commandment.

[joe__the__man]

Yeah that's why I have Alvaro Dominguez as my vice. Dominguez > Godin.

[Ranquelme]

I've had Adler on a previous save..He didn't perform that well for me (but I was Blackburn) and normally he leaves on a free and no one is interested for a couple of months as he has a preference to play for Man Utd.

Quick update.

I was 5 points clear of Barcelona and my run in sandwiched between ties in the 1/4 of the CL against Chelsea was - Real Betis (they are 3rd) Away, Barcelona at home and Valencia away.

Drew 2-2 with 10 man Betis! beat Barcelona 1-0 - Busquets own goal and lost 1-0 in the 93rd minute against Valencia - Godin..o.g..

I put out a weak-ish team against Chelsea in both ties, but some how drew 1-1 at Stamford bridge and Moises with his first start of the season in the return leg! scored twice, two mazy runs and I won 3-0, Semi Finals to face Arsenal!

I am 2 points clear of Barcelona but with two games in hand! with 5 games left and the best thing is that 4 are at home! The away game is against Almeria who are 19th. If I mess this up I will never win the league.

Small concern is that the chairman is now willing to listen to offers..

(i drew 1-1 with Arsenal at the emirates in the first leg) its funny as I have totally written of the CL this season for league success but I keep winning!

Torres scored his first goal for me.. took him 13 games but he tapped one in against Sociedad.

Squad news - Eduardo Silvio is an absolute beast, he will either score or get an assist in a game. Keep him active throughtout your seasons. Koke is also immense.

Also, De Gea's contract at Man Utd is running out and I keep saying how he has Atletico DNA and he wants to come back..even though its a free his signing on fee he wants £4.7m and his agent wants £2.5m plus £94,000 a week wages.. Too much for a goalkeeper?

[joe__the__man]

Ranquelme, what points totals did you get in your previous seasons, what what did the winners get? Just wondering if Barca/Real will drop in standard in the future.

[Bane]

Just a quick update for my game. Currently in January, surprisingly sitting on the 1st position 2 points from Barcelona. It is going to be a tough end of the season I hope I can keep my place. Managed to beat R. Madrid which is the thing I'm most proud of but then again they are currently heavily underachieving. Also I've made only one transfer due to the lack of money (I start with no transfer budjet in order to test my own players and maybe get good money for them). My transfer is Milan Badelj who proved as one of my favorite player in this years FM. I also brought in Moises because he was free transfer and my scout rated him 4.5 stars kind of unrealistic but will see what he will become. Also as I've mentioned in the begining I loaned Clement Grenier and Mario Balotelli. The second one is having a great season as a backup for Falcao but I'm not the biggest fan of his even tho I like City and he is definitely going out when his loan ends. Currently looking for a club for Arda Turan because I'm also not his biggest fan and he has been recently linked with Valencia, let's hope they step up and make a good offer for him. My only transfer out this season was Tiago who went on loan to Napoli until the end of the season. He was not playing regularly Koke, Gabi and Badelj ruled my midfield and there was just no place for him, let's hope they make a permanent deal. About my goalie I had a quick look at Joel and he is looking like a very decent backup and I'm considering now my future goalkeeper and everything hints at placing Sergio Asenjo behind my defenders. Will make a bigger update at the end of the season. Fingers crossed for the first place in La Liga, it's going to be a miracle!

[Ranquelme]

Ranquelme, what points totals did you get in your previous seasons, what what did the winners get? Just wondering if Barca/Real will drop in standard in the future.

First Season

Second Season

Third Season

Fourth Season

[joe__the__man]

Ah cheers, strange the first season was your best points-wise so far, but it had a poor goal difference compared with your last two seasons. Looks as though the big two stay strong though which is good.

Fingers crossed for the first place in La Liga, it's going to be a miracle!

You're doing really well good luck.

[Ranquelme]

That's the Falcao effect I would dominate games but only win 1-0 or 2-1 because he missed so many sitters! But I would admit my tactics were defensive and tough for a lone striker in my first couple of seasons. I have loosened the reigns in the last couple of seasons.

I have just won the league after 5 seasons. I finished with 97 points, Barcelona had 89. Real Madrid failed to finish in the top 4 by a point. Surprisingly Rafa wasn't sacked (he's been the manager since midway through the first season) He did win the Copa Del Rey this season though. And has won the CL a couple of seasons ago beating Barcelona in the final..but still. Them not being in the CL is shocking seeing as they went out of the group stages this season also!

Another bonus was winning the champions league for the second time, beating Tottenham in the final..beating Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham on the way is satisfying.

Getafe have been taken over by a Saudi Tycoon..third tycoon in 12 months in Spain. Almeria went down despite signing all my fringe players

[joe__the__man]

What a game!!

Season finale update on the way.

___

Great news about the double Ranquelme.

[joe__the__man]

Season 2011/12 - sponsored by Adrian going goal crazy

First I'll start off by saying what I won - Copa del Rey and the Europa League, and got 3rd place in the league.

Copa del Rey

This competition was fairly comfortable from start to finish, with Malaga the only decent team I faced before the final, and even then it was a comfortable win due to an early sending off for them in the first leg. Real Sociedad had been good for much of the season, they beat Barcelona and Athletic Club on their way to the final, but they were really dropping off by the time I faced them in May and it ended out in a really comfortable 3-0 win where they never really threatened me.

Incidentally, Adrian was absolutely on fire in the cup, he scored in all but one game as the games happened to fall either when Falcao was out injured or when he was in great form and being picked ahead of Falcao anyway. He finished with 13 goals in this competition.

I may have done it the easy way but it was my first trophy and I was happy.

Europa League

As you can see, not exactly the most convincing of European runs, but I made it! Nearly messed up against Aalesund for a start, that would've been embarassing, but then a comfortable win over Maccabi and I was into the proper competition.

The group stages were really comfortable, generally rested a few players each game, and the loss was when the group was already won. The games against Elfsborg were in the same vein. Copenhagen was a much tougher tie than it should have been, we dominated the first leg in chances but couldn't put them away, whilst they did really well in the second leg, winning 1-0 in normal time then going ahead in extra time. I though I was certainly going out but Falcao popped up in the 119th minute to send me through on away goals.

The game against Arsenal followed the same course, dominating at home and only scoring one goal, then playing poorly away and scraping through. This time it wasn't taken to extra time though, and we won only away goals by the end of normal time. The semi against Ajax was a bit more comfortable, despite going behind early in the first, home leg. For a change we were the better side in the away leg as well though, and a late two goals for them made it look closer than it really was.

The final against Hannover was one of the most exciting and infuriating games I've played on FM. I probably gave the wrong teamtalk in expecting a win, and several players looked nervous throughout the game. Little happened throughout the first half and neither side could create properly or take control, but there was several bookings (13 in the whole game). The first incident of note was a penalty being given for a foul on Nene, but Gabi stepped up (nervously) and missed both the penalty and the open goal follow up. With no chances being created it was inevitable that the breakthrough would come from a set piece, and it was Miranda that headed in the opener on 87 minutes. It didn't last long though, Mo Abdellaoue scored from a corner up at the other end and the game was taken to extra time...again. Right at the start of extra time Miranda took a heavy knock and had to come off, though I'd already used my three substitutes and had to finish the game with 10 men. This gave me a problem, and I finished the game with a 3-4-1-1 formation with two full backs playing at centre back and Diego playing deep in midfield. Hannover dominated extra time but couldn't put the ball in the back of the net, and Pizzi and Adrian hit them on the break with the latter bagging the winner in the 119th minute (sound familar?). Congratulations if you read all that.

I may have done it the hard way it was my second trophy and I was happy.

La Liga

Really happy with how the season went overall, some big results and pretty good consistency against the lower sides. Particularly pleased with the amount of times we came back from a goal behind with many of the goals coming after the 80 minute mark particularly. The best result of the season was undoubtedly my 4-0 win at home to Real Madrid, at a point when it was looking like I could still catch them. Adrian scored a hat trick in that game, which cemented his place in my 1st XI. Another great result was another 4-0 win, over Sevilla this time, but one of the most important results was a comfortable 2-0 win over Athletic Club, allowing me to overtake them at a point when they were playing really well.

Incidentally, as you might have guessed from the Europa League results, my home form was far superior to my away form. Really struggled away from home, picking up only 32 points compared with 50 at home.

Player Stats

Most Games

1. Adrian Lopez - 61

2. Arda Turan - 51

3. Tiago Mendes - 50

4. Diego Godin - 49

5. Alvaro Dominguez - 48

Most Goals

1. Adrian Lopez - 44

2. Radamel Falcao - 36

3. Arda Turan - 12

4. Eduardo Salvio - 11

5. Juanfran - 7

Most Assists

1. Arda Turan - 24

2. Juanfran - 12

3. Adrian Lopez - 12

4. Diego - 11

5. Pizzi - 10

My Team of the Season

Asenjo

Silvio Miranda Dominguez Lopez

Tiago Gabi

Salvio - - Arda - - Nene

Adrian

My Player of the Season

1. Arda Turan

2. Adrian Lopez

3. Joao Miranda

4. Tiago Mendes

5. Radamel Falcao

Future Plans

Diego, Nene, Pizzi and Thibault Courtois will not be kept on after their loan spells. Luis Perea will also be released on a free, and Tiago will likely be sold to make way for a better player, despite his very good and consistent performances over the season. Paulo Assuncao will also probably be sold to give more gametime to Koke.

The better player that will replace him is Borja Valero. He's a few years younger, a bit better overall and Spanish - I would ideally like an all-Spanish squad. Also Joel Robles will come into the squad to replace Courtois as backup goalkeeper. I've not decided how to replace the other players yet, but I want a versatile defender player that can play right back, a versatile attack minded midfielder (I may use Ruben Micael) and a left-sided, left-footed winger - I've got a few players in mind but they're generally either too expensive or not really good enough to replace Nene or displace Juanfran.

[Bane]

About the left wing why don't you try Iker Munian, one of my most favorite players this year, bought him in every save so far. The only thing is that he is not left-footed iirc. I'll def go for him once I get the money nevermind he is only 19. His release clause of 21 mil is really affordable compared to the others of his rank.