FM16: Newcastle United - Lifting The Fog On The Tyne

[profii]

Has nobody used Adam Armstrong? I used him sparingly from the bench when he returns from Coventry on loan in season one and by the same time the following year he was easily outscoring Perez and Mitrovic. He develops really quickly given the game time and I don't mean as in "he's solid backup", I mean he is capable of becoming a world beater by the time he's 21.

I've got Adam Armstrong and Rolando Aarons on loan to Swindon in the Championship in season 2.

I've just got Aarons so not really tried him but Armstrong looks good. I had him for Gateshead last year and he took me from L1 to the Prem but never quite made it in the Prem for me. Although he is doing great for Coventry (in real life) so perhaps he has a bit more potential in this years FM and I can pinch him from Newcastle towards the end of his contract in my save

[cris182]

I've got Adam Armstrong and Rolando Aarons on loan to Swindon in the Championship in season 2.

I've just got Aarons so not really tried him but Armstrong looks good. I had him for Gateshead last year and he took me from L1 to the Prem but never quite made it in the Prem for me. Although he is doing great for Coventry (in real life) so perhaps he has a bit more potential in this years FM and I can pinch him from Newcastle towards the end of his contract in my save

I wouldn't expect so or at least not until January update time, He did nothing last season to warrant any increase

[cris182]

I've got Adam Armstrong and Rolando Aarons on loan to Swindon in the Championship in season 2.

I've just got Aarons so not really tried him but Armstrong looks good. I had him for Gateshead last year and he took me from L1 to the Prem but never quite made it in the Prem for me. Although he is doing great for Coventry (in real life) so perhaps he has a bit more potential in this years FM and I can pinch him from Newcastle towards the end of his contract in my save

I wouldn't expect so or at least not until January update time, He did nothing last season to warrant any increase

[Kaisah16]

Hey guys,

Been playing FM for the last few years with no real problems.

With FM2016 I just cannot win with Newcastle. I've been using a mix of he tactics mentioned in this thread, finished 14th then 17th next season. I cannot get ayoze to play decently at all. I'm constantly overrun in midfield even playing a DM in front of the back 4. Anyone have any advice - is there something obvious I'm missing?

I can't see many other people here struggling, which makes me think do I just suck this year? Lol

[Welshace]

Keep it as simple as possible Kaisah, very little ti's and not too many on attack duty..

[Kaisah16]

TI = team instructions right?

[Welshace]

Yeah, keep it as simple as possible, get familiarity up and change things around slowly if needed.

[jlawlor91]

Just finished my first season on FM16, thoroughly enjoyed it so far.

I got rid of the deadwood in my first summer & signed old favourites Balanta, Peruzzi, Romero and Barbosa - all of whom performed brilliantly. Janmaat wanted to go so I sold him straight away and had a ready made replacement in Peruzzi. I also liked the look of Meli and needed a LB so signed Ben Davies from Spurs for a decent British player. In January Sissoko had been performing brilliantly and Man Utd offered a ton for him, which I negotiated for £30m! An absolute no brainer as I replaced him with Embolo while also signing Goretzka, Subotic and Aurier on loan for some squad depth.

I tend to stick with the same formation, on control, unless I'm playing one of the big sides where I keep the same instructions (retain possession, pass into space, exploit both wings, tighter marking, clear ball to flanks) but just have it on counter. At first I struggled to pick my best side and get the best out of Perez and Mitrovic, but I found my current formation got Perez banging the goals in, while Barbosa and Embolo also scored a lot.

Finished 3rd in the league which was brilliant - in typical NUFC under Mike Ashley fashion we got beat in the cups early doors with weakened sides. I did however do the double over the Mackems in the league (3-0 at home, 2-1 late winner away) and even beat Man United at home 5-0.

Looking to get rid of some more deadwood - Lascelles, de Jong, Thauvin (inconsistent, whinging, missed training), Zivkovic (despite his PA he has been terrible) and possibly sign some more English players for the Champions League. Any suggestions who I should get? Callum Chambers is on the radar but a lot of the young English players performed awful last season.

[knap]

Not sure if I have ever played a season with Newcastle, but squad was up to winning PL.

[Dodds']

Just got the game a few days ago, usually have it from release but I passed this year.

I've tried to replicate how we play IRL. I've attached my tactics incase anyone wants to try - also I put the pressure to full when you play against the likes of City and Man Utd, Chelsea.

I'm 3 games in won 2 (Leicester and Man U) and got pumped 3-0 off Norwich.

Obviously Perez in for Thauvin but he's injured.

[NLH]

Ac Milan has offered £50m for Perez, do I accept it or not? The only problem if I do sell is his replacement.

[Dodds']

Ac Milan has offered £50m for Perez, do I accept it or not? The only problem if I do sell is his replacement.

Try and get them to add in Mastour or El Shaa

[Dodds']

First Season Review

Well the goals came thick and fast for Mitrovic, especially in the first 10 games of the season however after getting an injury it never really came back. He scored here and there, finishing the season with 14 goals. Wijnaldum was fantastic all season too, however he's start to kick up a fuss about going to Chelsea and said he wants to leave.

Finishing 15th wasn't where I was expecting to finish after the first few games of the season but I'm safe from relegation and playing in the Prem next season. Bit gutted to lose in the Semi's against Arsenal too but they literally ripped me apart every game this season.

Little gutted to see Sunderland go down as it's always a good game whenever I've played them, also adds excitement to the game twice a season. I definitely need to sure up the defence at the start of the season by getting in some lads, only got Hoger, Bojan, Sven Bender and Kolodziejczak on loan through the season. I think I'll only be bring Bender and Kolodziejczak back permanently.

[CapaJr]

Signed Ayoze for my Valencia team.

How should i play him? thinking about

a)left wing inside forward

b)right wing raumdauter.

c)amc second striker

[Welshace]

Striker as a false 9 for me..

[CapaJr]

Yeah thats also a good idea i was just hesitating about it because he'll be playing as a lone striker after all and his strength level scares me.

[Dodds']

Had a decent window, signed some players I really needed in positions that also needed cover. Especially players like Bender, Rulli and Kolodziejczak. Also getting Bojan so cheap was a no brainer too.

Also the two regens at the bottom look like my STR partnership in a few years time...

Very nice start as well, two smash and grab wins at Liverpool and Arsenal. Seen Ayoze win POTM and GOTM, as well as Mitrovic getting YPOTM and myself getting my first MOTM.

[james_wilko]

Was a star as a Shadow Striker for me, so either that or false nine. Wasted out wide imo.

[Dodds']

Second Season Review

Another season that Mitrovic got top goalscorer, however less than last year which he really needs to push on next season. Great signing with Jenkinson too, although he nearly ended up leaving after not getting games because of Janmaat. Then PSG decided to splash £30m on him and gave Jenks his place in the side and he never left. Cabella in the most assist chart, they were very spread out this year and thats a good thing I guess.

Well finishing 11th after such a good start was a little disappointing, although only conceding 40 goals in 38 games is a huge positive. However only scoring 48 was another little downer on the season, next season we really need to score more to put games away as 18 draws this season was annoying to say the least.

Some really good signings this year and they showed their importance to the team however, I'll end up looking to move some on either permanently or on loan. Also the youngsters I brought in are improving massively and some will definitely be playing more in the first team or either moving on loan to play a load of first team games.

[ChrisTunn]

Struggling a bit on my first save guys.

Transfer wise, got rid of Anita, Obertan, Krul, Gouffran (pardew signed him, funnily enough). Loaned out Aarons too which I'm regretting currently. Brought in Bojan, Timo Horn, Cook and Augustinson. Bojan was a panic buy if I'm honest, Thauvin, Sissoko, Mitro and Perez all got injured in the space of 2 games.

But yeah, in terms of the games I'm struggling. Drew to a 10 man West Brom, beat off Norwich, beat Arsenal (?!?!), Hammered off Chelsea and City. Going with 4-1-2-3 generally with Gini and Thauvin playing inside forward but it just doesn't seem to be working at all. Don't know if I've made the wrong signings or if my Team instructions just arent great? Not sure what to use.

Perez was flying in pre season but he's just stopped dead in his tracks now, not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Don't play a lot and have never had that great luck on FM so currently regretting the purchase

[dirtyprettymagpie]

Struggling a bit on my first save guys.

Transfer wise, got rid of Anita, Obertan, Krul, Gouffran (pardew signed him, funnily enough). Loaned out Aarons too which I'm regretting currently. Brought in Bojan, Timo Horn, Cook and Augustinson. Bojan was a panic buy if I'm honest, Thauvin, Sissoko, Mitro and Perez all got injured in the space of 2 games.

But yeah, in terms of the games I'm struggling. Drew to a 10 man West Brom, beat off Norwich, beat Arsenal (?!?!), Hammered off Chelsea and City. Going with 4-1-2-3 generally with Gini and Thauvin playing inside forward but it just doesn't seem to be working at all. Don't know if I've made the wrong signings or if my Team instructions just arent great? Not sure what to use.

Perez was flying in pre season but he's just stopped dead in his tracks now, not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Don't play a lot and have never had that great luck on FM so currently regretting the purchase

You should definitely be regretting loaning out Aarons. Play him as an out and out winger from the start and he's immense. Takes players on with pace, gets crosses in and scores goals. He performs far better than his attributes initially suggest. I've signed him for other clubs as well and he's consistently brilliant.

[Dodds']

Third Season Review

Premier League - 11th

FA Cup - 6th Round v Arsenal

Capital One Cup - Quarter Final v Chelsea

Well we've near on hit the exact same finishes from last year, and from our start I'm absolutely chuffed. After 10 games, we had only won 1 game with 4 draws and 5 losses sitting in 18th place for about 2 month - we couldn't find the net and we were leaking goals like there was no tomorrow. We had conceded the same amount of goals in 15 games than what we did the whole of last year, next year will definitely have to improve defensively.

Our season had some massive downs at points but Ayoze Perez eventually turned up 2 year into my reign with a huge 27 goal return, also our loanee Alex Oxlade Chamberlain was absolutely outstanding he was the first name on my team sheet every game stacking up 10 assists and the best average rating. I'll definitely be looking to sign him permanently for the upcoming season.

Overview of the transfers in and out. I mainly aimed on bringing players in where I thought we lacked the season before, as well as bringing in some youngsters for the future. The outgoings were players that weren't really being used and were taking up a decent percentage of the wages per week.

Best Youth Prospects

Forthaus - Bouchta - Vandecasteele - Ramos - Kovacic - Crompton

[Scully11]

Part 3; Transfer Targets

Time for everyone's favourite bit!!! Or not, as the case may be. You will be handed a transfer budget of £700k to start with, and around £50k wages to spare. Without selling anyone, signing any players will prove very tricky, and I highly recommend you get a couple in. Players such as Krul, Sissoko, De Jong, Gouffran, Anita, Tioté and Janmaat can all be sold off to raise funds, along with the deadwood players you sell just to get off the books.

I'll go through each position, covering if/why to strengthen, and a list of viable targets.

Defence;

Now, Coloccini and Janmaat are good enough to start. There is a couple of issues in this area, the partner for Colo and the DL position. For the first season(and due to lack of cash), I would stick with Haidara/Dummett, and look to sign a PL quality DC to partner Fabricio.

Targets; Loic Perrin(Saint Etienne, £6m-£7m), Serdar Tasci(Spartak Moscow£6m), Daniel Amartey(FC Kobnhavn, £4.5m)

Midfield;

Midfield is dependent on how you decide to line up and who you sell(if anyone). I would look at selling maybe De Jong, and Anita, raising funds, to maybe look at signing a creative midfielder and a wide player, hopefully one that can play RLC.

Targets; Oguzhan Ozyakup(Besiktas, £4.5m-£5m), Ole Kristian Selnaes(Rosenborg, £1.5m), Rasmus Elm(Kalmar, £700k), Marcelo Meli(Boca, £6m), Edwin Cardona(Monterrey, £6m), Andrija Zivkovic(Partizan Belgrade, £1.2m), Kuki(Malaga, £3.2m)

Forwards;

You should be OK in this area barring a sale or serious injury. As such, I haven't looked into signing anyone here.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you on the CBs. I'm a Newcastle fan myself so I hate dropping colo but he isn't good enough on the other hand mbemba and lacelles make a great partnership from the start especially with mbemba being a CD cover. Again Anita is the best playmaker in the starting squad with his vision and positioning just my opinion though haha

[Anthony Michael Hall]

I thought a change was needed.

[Anthony Michael Hall]

Has anyone signed Will Hughes? I just got him for £16 mil (obviously overpaid with the English tax) and am wondering if he'll actually be any good.

[Dodds']

Fourth Season Review

My best season so far based on placings and Cup runs, getting to the final of the FA Cup when infact I should have been knocked out in the 4th round on penalties. However the final ended up on penalties where we lost 2-1, yes we missed 4 pens!

League based we also started off pretty awful then after christmas we got the Arsenal phase of smashing it till the end of the season, I even think we could have finished in the Champions League places if we didn't slip at the end of so many games.

Not really a shock that Ayoze Perez was again our most outstanding player of the season, it's also even more crazy that he missed around 10-15 games this season with injuries. This form also is starting to attract some of the big boys, with Schalke offering upwards of £70m for him which I declined as he's also our captain.

Mitrovic picking up most assists this season was a little disappointing from the wide men and central perspective however his target man approach and holding the ball is fantastic for the likes of Ayoze running off.

I brought in some fantastic players at the start of the season such as Wilshere and Origi on loan, I couldn't get the Ox back on a permanent or even another loan which caused me to worry and grab Origi who unfortunately couldn't get the goal return of 30 that he got with Stoke a season and a half ago.

January seen us bring in some massive names the likes of Heung Min Son, Rudiger and Sisto, however I didn't have enough English players in my squad so Sisto only played cup games. Some of the players that left weren't really getting the games and I decided to cash in whilst they had some value left in them.

Best Youth Players (First Team)

Vandecasteele - Bouchta - Crompton - Kovacic - Ramos

Best Youth Prospects

Armstrong - Tuta - Basso - Bullock - Fisher - White

[james_wilko]

Has anyone signed Will Hughes? I just got him for £16 mil (obviously overpaid with the English tax) and am wondering if he'll actually be any good.

Looking at his stats (4 seasons in, still at Derby) and he looks like a solid talent, but 16mil is definitely too much.

Looks like he'll be solid but unspectacular in a number of CM roles. Maybe box-to-box or a DLP at a guess.

[mss]

Im halfway through the 3rd season with Newcastle and am looking for some advice.

Im really struggling with this version of the game and looking for some advice. I can’t seem to get any consistency at all and it feels like no matter what I do it doesn’t effect anything, like the result has already been pre-determined.

1st season we were in and around the relegation zone and in February according to the media I was 1 game away from the sack. That game was against Man Utd and out of nowhere we hammered them 5-1!! No change in tactics from previously but from then on we only lost another 2 games and ended up finishing 9th. We signed Shawcross for 15 million at the end of the January transfer window and I can only assume he’s that good he made the difference. That and Cisse turning into Messi for a month, he scored 11

2nd season we had a nightmare opening run of fixtures which saw us bottom with 1 point from 5 games. Things picked up though and we were in with a chance of European qualification with 5 games to go but we then only picked up 1 more win and lost to already relegated Norwich and Hull. An 8th placed finish was a slight improvement though.

This season im not really sure what is happening. We are 11th after 21 games, we have won 10, drawn 1 and lost 10. We are conceding way too many goals, including 10 from corners despite not making any changes at all to the set piece settings that have been working fine for the last 2 seasons. I have 2 tactics, a 4-2-3-1 and 4-1DM-2-2-1 for tougher games but both are proving inconsistent. This is my current squad which I believe should be performing better than we are (after 2 victories we have just lost 3-2 to bottom of the table Watford), how would you set them up and how do you defend against corners?

GK – Rulli/Begovic

DR – Chambers/Byram

DL – Riedewald/Robertson

DC – Shawcross/Mammana/Subotic/Phil Jones

DM – Sami Khedira/Sven Bendner

CM – Cook/Ajer/Anita

AMC – Wilshere

AML – Wijnaldum/Arrons

AMR – Redmond/Sisto (loan)

ST – Berahino/Armstrong/Cisse/Mitrovic

Berahino scored 18 last season but only has 4 so far this season and Spurs have just bid 35 million for him so he may be leaving in this window. Cisse is just coming back form 2 long term injuries which have kept him out for almost a year and Armstong has 10 goals this season mainly from the bench. All the wide men can play either side as wingers on IF’s and Berahino and Armstrong can also play on the wings. Mitrovic will be leaving and Rulli also as he is transfer listed by request and there is plenty of interest in him, he’s been **** though

An advice would be greatly appreciated as the game has me tearing my hair out currently.

[Dodds']

Fifth Season Review

Well it wasn't our best of seasons lets put it that way, but it definitely wasn't the worst. Getting to the Quarter Finals of the Europa League was very pleasing however to go out to Spurs was a little annoying. Premier League was proper up and down, we'd go weeks with constant wins and then weeks without a win... I'm tempted to change to a 4231 however I enjoy playing with 2 strikers as I score a load of goals.

Another season passes and another season Ayoze gets 20+ goals, also Heung Min Son was fantastic too bagging around 20 goals in all competitions. With Son getting so many goals and assists this season it'll set us up fantastic for the next season, especially with the new youngsters coming into the team more often.

Some great transfers in last pre-season with the likes of Bakkali,Gaudino and Kimmich all coming from the transfer list, we also brought in a load of players for the future hopefully and Phil Cannon went a bit mental on signing players too.

Obviously we had to shift some players on too, I was a little gutted to see Wij leave however with the new blood I don't know how much playing time he'd get. Other players like Cabella and Thauvin who had long term injuries left the club too for small amounts. However the wages they were receiving and would knock a load off our list. Lastly losing Mitrovic for so little was due to him not being able to get a work permit as he hadn't played for Serbia, so we were going to lose him for nothing... so the £3.5m was a bonus. Little gutted, but the younger lads will get more minutes now.

Best Youth Players (First Team)

Vandecasteele - Venegas - Bouchta - Villagra - Crompton - Kovacic - Basso - Ramos

Best Youth Prospects

Palmer - Afkir - Armstrong - Tuta - Robertson

[james_wilko]

Im halfway through the 3rd season with Newcastle and am looking for some advice.

Im really struggling with this version of the game and looking for some advice. I can’t seem to get any consistency at all and it feels like no matter what I do it doesn’t effect anything, like the result has already been pre-determined.

1st season we were in and around the relegation zone and in February according to the media I was 1 game away from the sack. That game was against Man Utd and out of nowhere we hammered them 5-1!! No change in tactics from previously but from then on we only lost another 2 games and ended up finishing 9th. We signed Shawcross for 15 million at the end of the January transfer window and I can only assume he’s that good he made the difference. That and Cisse turning into Messi for a month, he scored 11

2nd season we had a nightmare opening run of fixtures which saw us bottom with 1 point from 5 games. Things picked up though and we were in with a chance of European qualification with 5 games to go but we then only picked up 1 more win and lost to already relegated Norwich and Hull. An 8th placed finish was a slight improvement though.

This season im not really sure what is happening. We are 11th after 21 games, we have won 10, drawn 1 and lost 10. We are conceding way too many goals, including 10 from corners despite not making any changes at all to the set piece settings that have been working fine for the last 2 seasons. I have 2 tactics, a 4-2-3-1 and 4-1DM-2-2-1 for tougher games but both are proving inconsistent. This is my current squad which I believe should be performing better than we are (after 2 victories we have just lost 3-2 to bottom of the table Watford), how would you set them up and how do you defend against corners?

GK – Rulli/Begovic

DR – Chambers/Byram

DL – Riedewald/Robertson

DC – Shawcross/Mammana/Subotic/Phil Jones

DM – Sami Khedira/Sven Bendner

CM – Cook/Ajer/Anita

AMC – Wilshere

AML – Wijnaldum/Arrons

AMR – Redmond/Sisto (loan)

ST – Berahino/Armstrong/Cisse/Mitrovic

Berahino scored 18 last season but only has 4 so far this season and Spurs have just bid 35 million for him so he may be leaving in this window. Cisse is just coming back form 2 long term injuries which have kept him out for almost a year and Armstong has 10 goals this season mainly from the bench. All the wide men can play either side as wingers on IF’s and Berahino and Armstrong can also play on the wings. Mitrovic will be leaving and Rulli also as he is transfer listed by request and there is plenty of interest in him, he’s been **** though

An advice would be greatly appreciated as the game has me tearing my hair out currently.

Would need to see all of your tactic instructions to give advice - player roles, mentality etc.

Would say your first mistake is not getting the best out of Rulli and Mitrovic though been two of my best players.

[lewis999]

Mitrovic looks like a shoe in for the target man role but i'm a bit worried how much the team will just hammer it up to him and we will be one dimensional. Anyone tried him as a complete forward? I'm in pre-season and staring at the tactic screen but this I have Ayoze as SS behind Mitro TM - S.

Obviously I have to play games to see if it works but anyone had any experience with both target men and Mitrovic?

[james_wilko]

I've used him as both a supporting and attack complete forward. Started on support in season one, before moving to attack near the end of the first season and continuing now half way through season 4. He's played a total of 155 games in that time, scoring 115 goals.

My main advice would be make sure he has service. I have an inside forward on support on the left and a winger on support on the right, so he gets plenty of service. Sissoko was great as the winger in season one, but he got replaced by Lucas Moura in season 2.

Also, you'll want to spend time dedicated to training him. He needs a bit of work to be a star, but he's worth it.

About to hit January in season 4, looking forward to Barcelona coming to take some more of my players already got Mbemba and Wijnaldum, barely playing Wijnaldum despite paying 52mil for him. I'd be annoyed, if James Ward-Prowse hadn't stepped up, and in his 27 games so far this season made 7 assists, got 3 goals and an average rating of 8.19. Despite those performances, Moura is still out performing him, with 16 goals, 13 assists and an average rating of 8.22 in 24 games. Moved him from MR to AMR this season and clearly it's agreeing with him, as he already scored 6 more goals than he managed in his last two seasons combined.

[Dodds']

Sixth Season Review

Another year gone and another year that Ayoze Perez has topped our goalscoring chart, 97 goals in 207 league games since taking over. Most assists was took up by big Sisto, not far behind was our Chilean wonderkid who only played 18 games this season and he had around 8 assists... can see next year being massive for him. Also Ayoze was very unlucky missing out on TGS for the Premier League, however Clough had only played 21 games and was on fire this season.

Another decent season for us in the league, just missing out on Champions League football for the first time in many many years by just 3 points. Also another cup final that we got too just narrowly missing out again, I'm sure we will win one next season... with a few more improvements to the squad and some players out who aren't playing we could have a magnificent squad.

This season I've brought in some great players, especially for minimal amounts... players like wonderkid Villagra, Halilovic, and many youngsters hopefully to play in the first team for many years ahead.

Some players that left such as Heung Min-Son was a little disappointing but the release clause was met, getting a huge profit of £25m was also good for the finances. However a lot of the other players that left wouldn't have been anywhere near the standard for our first team.

Best Youth Players (First Team)

Vandecasteele - Pedersen - Bouchta - Villagra - Crompton - Armstrong - Kovacic - Ramos

Best Youth Prospects

Gallagher - Haris - Robertson - Palmer - Madueno - Tuta - Talbot - Bullock

[NLH]

You got some good regens there, seem to be flying through the seasons as well

[tommonufc]

Got this years FM today, and whilst not fully intending my first save to be Newcastle, it's ended up so. Loaded up with a start date in March, and started unemployed to see what teams I could land a job at with most of the season gone. Steve McLaren had done a sterling job and had actually mathematically relegated Newcastle before I could even have a chance of a rescue mission, with the highest he'd reach all season was a lofty 17th place!!

So despite more or less starting off in the Championship, and after turning down a contract approach from Fulham and Blackburn whilst I waited for Steve's head to roll - taking charge of Newcastle seemed as an attractive proposition as any! I was left with 3 final fixtures to the season - West Ham (H), Southampton (A), and Bournemouth (H). I kicked off with 2-1 defeats with a first team squad left mental wrecks, so decided to give game time to Freddie Woodman, Kevin Mbabu and Adam Armstrong ahead of next season. Final home game of the season I managed to comfortably control a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth.

End of Season standings: Viewer discretion advised...

So ahead of starting the new season in the second tier I've cleverly offered out a few new contracts, adding in 50% relegation clauses! Tim Krul and Anita each got ones extending them beyond their last year before they realised they didn't want to forced to stay! Part of my attraction of settling for a season in the Championship was the chance to reshape the squad from a clean slate. Sadly for nearly every player at the end of season meeting that say'd they won't be sticking around - tough!! I fully intend to flat out refuse to sell or accept bids for better players like Perez, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Krul.

So I made a quick start of appointing Graham Carr to Director of Football, and began the search of end of contract players that I could be approaching - and get Carr on his merry way scouting them! From the UK top of my list is Charlie Austin, as well as Tom Carroll, with Tonny Vilhena, Unai Lopez and Andrija Zivkovic coming in on pre-contracts.

So next season I hope to build a fairly kick ass squad that can bounce straight back up with 100+ points. I'm going to try and shift the deadwood that I would have done anyway, so my axe will be swinging at more or less anyone I wouldn't consider to have the potential to play in the Champions League with me in five years time. That will then free up space for me to recruit younger talent that can grow into the potential much quicker.

[Dodds']

Seventh Season Review

Right a season that Ayoze hasn't won the top goalscorer award, you might be thinking 'WTF'. There's a good reason, he was injured for around 4 months after the 3rd game of the campaign... and Alvaro Ramos filled in perfectly for him. We infact my two young strikers filled in well and shared the goals between them all season, also it's not like Ayoze didn't score many he bagged 18 in all competitions so I think he would have had his best personal season if he had stayed fit. Crompton who got highest rating and most man of the match awards this season was fantastic, he also got nominated into the PFA Team of the Year... which is a fantastic achievement and the first in my managerial reign. Rolando bagging the most assists this season was also a particular highlight, his pace and dribbling was deadly for the oppositi

I'm a little disappointed how far we ended up down the league, we were sitting joint on points with Man Utd in 1st position at January... however a run of players around 8 iirc got injured within about 3 weeks. This caused a massive downturn in our results and saw us slip down to 4th, however after getting players back we still managed to get into the Europa League semi final where infact we only got beat on an away goal by Man City. It went down to the last day in the league where we went from 3rd to 6th with a loss at Hull, unfortunately the champions Man Utd only finished 9 points above us, it shows how good the season really was. Terrible cup runs, I don't want to explain

A overview from the transfers this season seen us bring in 2 young first team centre halfs, one from Uruguay and one who was lighting up the Portuguese league. We also brought in a back up goalkeeper from Barcelona who we could see a lot of potential from, also he'll probably be expecting a lot more games next season with Rulli coming up 30 years old. Also a left back from Man Utd who we've always had trouble with filling the position, he was amazing this season.

We also got rid of a few players such as Lucas Silva, who had a great few seasons with us however we've got a large selection of midfielders coming through so it was the right idea. The same reasons that Wilshere and Kranevitter left too, as well as many loan moves too.

Best Youth Players (First Team)

Vandecasteele - Alles - Janela - Svensson - Bouchta - Madueño - Villagra - Crompton - Ramos

Best Youth Prospects

Blackshaw - Haris - Robertson - Musah - Palmer - Kudela - Bullock - Pond

[Stu_UBJ]

Still haven't managed to get a Newcastle save going this FM!! Hoping that the 16.3 update and transfer release will get me going. Will look forward to fitting Townsend and Shelvey(and potentially Doumbia & Berahino) into nmy squad!

[lewis999]

Did anyone get more money in January of the first season?

[roddam]

Does anyone know when the 16.3 update comes out? Can't wait to start a save with the new signings!

[Welshace]

As always, no-one knows when it will be released, usually a week or two after the window closes...

[Dodds']

Little sad to see him go but the money was far too good.

[Dodds']

Eighth Season Review

Another season where Ayoze lacked the goals this year, but it's a Spanish striker that's picked it up in his place. He's only grabbed 23 this season but the 4 strikers we had all had over 15 goals each which is the most goals we've scored under my reign at the club. Kovacic with over 15 goals also got the top assists, he's not exactly a world class player but he always causes problems and gets some crucial assists in big games.

This season was so up and down, the first part of the season I was sitting in Champions League places and after Christmas our form literally died... that's the only way I can describe it. Europa League I got smashed by Monaco, which they were battling PSG for the Ligue 1 title so we can't really complain. I really fancied our chances in the cups however like I said with our form I wasn't surprised that we got beat, however both cup games we lost on penalties.

Brought in some fantastic players throughout last season, Baert was probably the best signing I've made... got him on a free and he's worth near on £20m, so I'm looking at a fantastic return if I ever decide to sell. Jose Miguel was banging goals in for Granada and basically the second coming of Ayoze Perez. Getting him for the price I did was an absolute steal. We also got a 20 year old wonderkid Oliver Mann that I've been chasing for years, Boro' wouldn't let him go however after releasing to the press he wanted to leave I snapped him up for the price and he was a light in our dull second half of the season.

I also brought some fantastic money in, getting rid of a 30 year old Rulli which can go upto £30m. Also getting rid of Rolando Aarons was a little gutting but he wasn't exactly a world beater so getting £22m was a fantastic price for him, as well Rudiger left for a great Juventus team... was basically to get the younger CB's some more game time as they were just as good if not better than him.

Best Youth Players (First Team - Under 23)

Gallagher - Vandecasteele - Rada - Janela -Bouchta - Madueño - Villagra - Crompton - Mann - Baert - Ramos - Miguel

Best Youth Prospects

Robertson - Palmer - Musah - Kudela - Bullock - Kitching - Fenelon

[james_wilko]

Finished season 4-

I'll start with the individual awards-

Moura won Footballer of the year

Rulli the golden glove with 19 clean sheets, two more than he got last season.

Ayoze won players player of the year.

Mitrovic was top goalscorer with 27, 4 less than he managed less year but he started several less games and managed the same overall goals (39). He also got the Golden Shoe with 54 points, beating out second place Jamie Vardy.

Not quite a clean sweep, but pretty close.

But it wasn't just on an individual level we did well, winning several different competitions throughout the season.

Started with the Community Shield, beating Spurs on Penalties. We were the poorer team so undeserved, but who's going to complain about another trophy?

Followed that up with the European Super Cup, beating Arsenal 2-1. Should have been more but we weren't as clinical as I'd hoped.

The Club World Championship, beating Corinthians 4-1. We battered Tigres 7-0 in the semi final, so a bit disappointed we didn't get at least 5 V Corinthians.

Won the FA Cup, beating Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley. A fairly even game, could have gone either way.

And of course the Premier League - stormed it by winning 34 games, drawing 2 and losing 2. Top goalscorers with 123, and lowest conceded with 28. Ended up with 104 points, 22 clear of second place Man City. Our two losses were away to Man City, and away to Spurs.

So obviously I didn't win the Capital One Cup - The kids went out to Crystal Palace in the 4th round, losing 1-0 away.

And the big one, the Champions League - We stormed the group stage, winning 5 and drawing 1. We then got Bayern in the First Knockout Round, losing 2-1 away then winning 3-2 at home meaning we went out on away goals. It went to extra time, Muller scored a penalty in the 111th given away by Janmaat to make it 2-2, before Mitrovic made it 3-2 a minute later. Unfortunately we couldn't get that next goal. I hate the away goals rule.

Made a few small tweaks to the team during summer:

Janmaat has been sold to Barcelona (them again) for 18mil up front, that could rise to 26mil. He was our captain, and had been great, but at 30 I thought it was the time to cash in.

Sven Bender to Norwich for 24mil. As with Janmaat, 30 years old and thought it was the best time to cash in. Had been a great player, and I couldn't recommend him highly enough.

Dennis Praet who was only bought in January, sold to Schalke for 8mil. Had bought him for 4mil, but decided he wasn't needed and moved him on.

Diego Poyet sold to Bournemouth for 7mil. Barely played, profit made, no complaints.

Paddy McNair to Wolves for 4mil. A small loss, but he was crap.

Jake Bidwell to Stoke for 3.6mil. Another loss, but I signed a young newgen in January and want to give him more game time.

Liam Moore to Bournemouth for 3.2mil. A nothing player who was only in to provide backup.

plus a few young kids are out on loan. The likes of Santi Lopez and Lars van Dijk who are potential stars, want them to get plenty of first team action this season. Both have recall options if it's not going how I want it to.

and the ins. The big one was Lewis Cook from Watford (formerly Leeds) to replace Bender. 30mil for a 22 year old CM who'll be a first team player for at least 8 years, helps with the HG position and I've had no newgens who looked like potential star CM-D so I took a punt on him. He was consistent at Watford, and he's my first choice CM-D for England and was very good and important to the team that won the International League (what is that?)

Few other incomings include-

Jordan Ibe from Liverpool for 8mil. Backup player, but versatile and young so not a bad signing.

Calum Chambers from Norwich (formerly Arsenal) for 13mil. Janmaat's replacement, another youngish Englishman with room to improve.

Mason Holgate from Everton for 2mil. Last year of his contract so on the cheap, and another decent young prospect. At 22 I doubt he'll even challenge for the first team spot, but solid enough for 4th choice.

Ryan Shawcross from West Ham (formerly Stoke) for 4mil. An old hand at 31 - making him the joint oldest player in the squad - but a good option for third choice CB while a few of the younger players develop.

Finally, Rodrigo de Paul from Valencia, and Filip Krovinovic from Rio Ave signed on a free. Not sure I need either, but both on low wages so either be decent back up or sold for a profit.

Feel I should mention, I brought back Fraser Forster in January for 1mil as he was out of favour. Good choice for backup GK. Also brought in Dominic Solanke from Chelsea for 6mil. Yet another young English player to provide depth, and him being able to play ST, AML & AMR means he covers a lot of spots. He was initially bought because Afobe was away at the ACON and I needed a back up striker, after realising that 2 strikers is not enough.

Squad is now worth a fortune, ignoring the first team stars like Mitrovic and Bernard, even the squad players are highly valuable. Afobe - 2nd choice Striker - is worth 22mil. No surprise considering he made 12(20) appearances last season and hit a cracking 20 goals. Adam Armstrong - back up Shadow Striker - is worth 19mil. Again no surprise, with 11(31) appearances he hit 13 goals and created 12 goals. It's almost tempting to sell Ayoze, purely so I can have a young Geordie be part of the first team, but Ayoze scored 28 in 47, and made 14 assists and an average rating of 7.90 overall.

Some of the other valuable squad players include Aarons - 16mil after 8(20) appearances last season and an average 7.32. I have had to reject a number of offers for him through the Summer. QPR offering around 20mil, but I've no need to sell him with the club being worth over 1billion and having 156mil in the transfer budget.

I am worried with Real Madrid sniffing around Mitrovic. They've offered 70mil for him which I rejected - thankfully Newcastle are one of his favourite clubs, I'm one of his favourite personnel and with our recent successes, he's not tried to push through a move. Not sure how I'd replace him, Akpom is good as second choice but I doubt he could do it week in week out. I do have a young Scottish striker who at 16 years old looks like he'll be a potential star, but he's not there yet.

On to season 5 - hopefully there's a Champions League trophy waiting for us.

[Dodds']

My team last year basically died, had no attacking presence and conceded at will. I've changed from a 442 flat into a wide 41212 and oh my god the changes are unreal.

This is how many games I've played so far in the 23/24 season and I've only conceded in 2 Premier League games, absolutely outstanding.

[james_wilko]

The tanking away to West Ham doesn't look great Weakened line up,or just a freak result?

[Stu_UBJ]

This is how I'm looking to line up to start with. Depending on signings etc, may be altered a little bit, but reckon it'll do nicely for now.

[NLH]

you might want to swap Thauvin with Aarons

Hopefully we have ~£20m to spend

[Stu_UBJ]

@NLH haven't made a decision on final squad, that's just going off CA ratings for the positions. With my outgoing transfers I will have around £20m to spend! Obertan(£2m), Gouffran(£4.6m), Cissé(£9.5m), Riviére(£5m), De Jong(£10m) all gone/going. (Cissé managed to go for that much due to China update I found that gives them the money they have been flashing this winter IRL).

Signed Joel Veltman(£6m), Ben Davies(£13m), Moussa Dembélé(£1m plus addons). Looking to get in some young lads with the rest of the cash.

[Stu_UBJ]

Couldn't have asked for a better start - 77

Noticed that Thauvin missed a few fairly straight forward chances, as did Sissoko coming off the right. Anita/Tioté/Shelvey looks promising as a midfield triangle.

[NLH]

I thought you was talking about the 16.3 patch, my bad. Not a bad result either