FM18: Chelsea FC

[mhaffy]

On 11/11/2017 at 22:18, bucket said:

Ive got £0. Way to get round this is to do loan deals! Thinking of bringing in A Correa from Ath Madrid, but don't want to pay the over the odds monthly fee.

Snap re £0 plus I am also slightly over my wage budget.Hope I dont get lots of players pushing for immediate contract improvement.

[mhaffy]

Just wondered if anyone else experiencing poor on field discipline from Alonso. In 14 competitive games for me has has picked up 4 yellows and a red. Not the worst in Premier League (he ranks 8th) but higher than I would expect. His aggression is only 12 (with 11 others in my squad having higher aggression) but maybe my coach report that says he is "considered a physical player" indicates a hidden attribute coming into play? If I set him to tackle harder I could understand but I don't.

[PitchPosh]

1 hour ago, mhaffy said:

Just wondered if anyone else experiencing poor on field discipline from Alonso. In 14 competitive games for me has has picked up 4 yellows and a red. Not the worst in Premier League (he ranks 8th) but higher than I would expect. His aggression is only 12 (with 11 others in my squad having higher aggression) but maybe my coach report that says he is "considered a physical player" indicates a hidden attribute coming into play? If I set him to tackle harder I could understand but I don't.

I had that issue with some players on last year's game. Haven't run into anything like that this year so far. It could well be something that's a hidden value, but I'm not sure what. Maybe a competitive streak or something like that?

[masta p]

There is a hidden attribute called Dirtiness. Tactic instructions also "help" getting more cards. Tackle hard is not the only one, I think there were a couple of options something like Stay on Feet and the opposite one is what you are looking for, maybe. 

[mhaffy]

3 hours ago, masta p said:

There is a hidden attribute called Dirtiness. Tactic instructions also "help" getting more cards. Tackle hard is not the only one, I think there were a couple of options something like Stay on Feet and the opposite one is what you are looking for, maybe. 

One of his traits is mark tightly but does not have dives into tackles. Given he has Balanced personality and level headed media handling style I think the high level of cards he is getting is probably related to hidden stats like dirtiness and, more likely, temperament. I seem to remember him not reacting well to me praising him after a particularly good performance and his sending off was in the next match. Need to look at his in match body language a bit more compared to teammates....

[masta p]

 

56 minutes ago, mhaffy said:

One of his traits is mark tightly but does not have dives into tackles. Given he has Balanced personality and level headed media handling style I think the high level of cards he is getting is probably related to hidden stats like dirtiness and, more likely, temperament. I seem to remember him not reacting well to me praising him after a particularly good performance and his sending off was in the next match. Need to look at his in match body language a bit more compared to teammates....

 

Check the tactic instructions. I think it was in the bottom left corner of the dialog window.  

Edit1: 

 

Edit2: I am not saying it's this one, but probably a combination of all: Aggression, Dirtiness, Get Stuck In, Player Trait and maybe something else. 

NB: Do not take everything I say for granted! I am just thinking here, using all I know about the game, which might be correct or not  

[mhaffy]

End of November and just been invited to open contract re-negotiations - never experienced this before so early in a save!

Had just asked for increase in wage budget before accepting when we suffered a power cut!

Luckily an autosave had just completed before the power went off.

Back on now. After sorting placing of icons on PC screen (all in "wrong place" when PC powered up) and sorting out Sky+ box for my wife,  I have successfully concluded a two year contract extension.

Just waiting for board to let me know outcome of my request to increase the wage budget - currently £0 in transfer kitty and slightly over existing wage budget so more headroom for renewing player contracts would be useful

[mhaffy]

7 minutes ago, masta p said:

Edit2: I am not saying it's this one, but probably a combination of all: Aggression, Dirtiness, Get Stuck In, Player Trait and maybe something else. 

NB: Do not take everything I say for granted! I am just thinking here, using all I know about the game, which might be correct or not  

Thanks. I do not use get stuck in as part of my team instructions and rarely tell players to "go in hard" on an opponent. Definitely a combination of things methinks. He accepted his warning after the sending off and i think things like that "help" improve temperament  rating under the hood. Fingers crossed he behaves going forward.

Is the screenshot you posted part of your current tactic for Chelsea? If it is I would be interested to know what formation/set up you are using and how team is performing with a Counter/Fluid approach.

[masta p]

43 minutes ago, mhaffy said:

Is the screenshot you posted part of your current tactic for Chelsea? If it is I would be interested to know what formation/set up you are using and how team is performing with a Counter/Fluid approach.

No. Took it from google images and circled the instruction, as I am in the office at the moment.  

I am using my favorite: 

--------ST--------

AML-------AMR

-----MC-MC----

-------DM--------

DL-DC-DC-DR

-------GK--------- 

using @SupraFlush instructions (page 2 screenshots) 

 

Although I change some positions and even the tactic from time to time during the game using knap's tactics in the Tactic Sharing sub-forum. 

I have won all my friendlies and won the cup against Arsenal 4-2, but they had 2 red cards and I was awarded a penalty which Hazard scored. I use the friendly games for building fitness, tactic familiarity and team building, so the results are not important, even though I won them all. Scoring is really difficult, but the good news is I get many shots and luckily some of them get in the opposition's goal. Team talks are really important, but I still can't figure out my "openers", while I am pretty good with the half-time and after the match team talks. Morale is great and the Dynamics says a number of players have my back. No number and names though or at least I have no idea how to see them.  

I have to set the set pieces, as I haven't touched them. Has anyone done it? Any recommendations? 

Sold Cahill and Moses for 14m € each, brought in Arthur (DM/MC), a young winger from Fiorentina, Unal Nunez (DC/DM?) and a french 16yo regen. Can't remember the money I paid, I'll try to post tonight when I get home. David Luiz had a problem with me selling Cahill, but I've managed to calm him down after 2-3 comments. 

[SupraFlush]

10 hours ago, masta p said:

using @SupraFlush instructions (page 2 screenshots) 

Glad to see someone trying it out! The tactic generates a lot of shots (i have about average of 15/6 shots off/on target) and usually not giving the opponents any ccc. I'm sure you could tune it and i know that i've been lucky with injuries and some results. I'd probably develop another tactic for the harder games in the future.

I actually managed to win the triple! The League, Champions League (lucky me or else i'd be forced to sell Hazard!) and the FA Cup. I finished 15 points ahead of United, also defeating them in the CL and defeating Arsenal in the FA Cup. Can't say i'm too disapointed about that! Did lose the Carabao Cup to City, but i'll survive.

The two stand out players were Kanté and Savic. Kanté truly played amazingly in the end of the season and was the reason we won those last games. Savic was the one who carried the team to get to those opportunities however. As a BBM, he got 17 goals and 14 assists over 36 starts and 10 substitutes. He won Footballer of the Year, Players' Player of the Year AND Players' Young Player of the Year. I had no idea that you could win them both but apparently you can (unless it's a bug?)

I bought Andrija Zivkovic at the start of the season, but he didn't get a work permit so i sent him to Vitesse, where whe managed to get 7 goals and 14 assists in 29 games with an average of 7.76! Hopefully he'll get a permit so i can replace Pedro (who didn't have a good season) with him.

So the summer transfer window just opened, and i have no idea who to buy! I'm looking for a striker, Batshuayi decied that he woudn't get game time here and wanted to leave. Do you have any suggestions? I currently have £49m, but i'm going to try and increase it. Could use some youngsters with decent potential as well

Got a couple of exciting regens as well:

Vaclav was brought in for £4.3m and will hopefully replace Fabregas in a couple of seasons.

And now for the most exciting one:

Fleming came through the youth system and looks truly amazing! I might even sell Alonso and keep Fleming and Castillo as reserves. Do you think that's a good idea or is he still too young?

 

I have to say that i love that the thread is quite active nowadays. I usually never post, but i've always been lurking in the shadows lol. Even though this edition of the game has been getting some complaints (which i agree with plenty) it has still been one of the most fun experiences so far for me. I usually give up after one season but this time i'm motivated to continue... At least for now!

EDIT: Zivkovic didn't get a work permit, so i'll be looking for a winger as well it seems...

[mhaffy]

21 hours ago, masta p said:

Morale is great and the Dynamics says a number of players have my back. No number and names though or at least I have no idea how to see them.  

In dynamics go to hierarchy and click on your manager square at top of the pyramid. It will she who supports and opposes you etc.

 

[mhaffy]

10 hours ago, SupraFlush said:

Glad to see someone trying it out! The tactic generates a lot of shots (i have about average of 15/6 shots off/on target) and usually not giving the opponents any ccc. I'm sure you could tune it and i know that i've been lucky with injuries and some results. I'd probably develop another tactic for the harder games in the future.

I actually managed to win the triple! The League, Champions League (lucky me or else i'd be forced to sell Hazard!) and the FA Cup. I finished 15 points ahead of United, also defeating them in the CL and defeating Arsenal in the FA Cup. Can't say i'm too disapointed about that! Did lose the Carabao Cup to City, but i'll survive.

Excellent first season; expectations will be high in 18/19 though! Did you go through the season without any tricky patches? I normally find that after a period of playing well, there is a tricky period to get through when opposition play better/have "rumbled" your tactic due to reputation having increased etc. This usually tends to occur in January and requires tactical tweaks etc.

11 hours ago, SupraFlush said:

o the summer transfer window just opened, and i have no idea who to buy! I'm looking for a striker, Batshuayi decied that he woudn't get game time here and wanted to leave. Do you have any suggestions? I currently have £49m, but i'm going to try and increase it.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Belotti - I bought him at start of my save and he is top scorer/playing well. With £49m you should be able to get him by structuring deal with circa £35-30m upfront and sizeable balance over 3 years in 12m installments. Let us know who you end up recruiting.

 

11 hours ago, SupraFlush said:

Fleming came through the youth system and looks truly amazing! I might even sell Alonso and keep Fleming and Castillo as reserves. Do you think that's a good idea or is he still too young?

Looks an amazing regen to get through youth system and attributes for WB role already looking decent with lots of room to develop. I normally tend to gradually integrate youngsters into first team but given his starting stats maybe you could give him decent amount of game time. Ideally I like to have a squad ot circa 25 with two players for each position and some utility players/youngsters. I would be wary of getting rid of Alonso.

Re work permits, I never sign players if they fail to get a work permit - given the time it takes to qualify, I would never be sure of my save lasting long enough for me to actually have the opportunity to get them back and playing.

11 hours ago, SupraFlush said:

I have to say that i love that the thread is quite active nowadays. I usually never post, but i've always been lurking in the shadows lol.

Pleased thread is so active this year....hopefully momentum continues. Based upon the number of views it seems this thread is one of the more regularly viewed FM18 ones. Glad you have taken the plunge and started posting.

[mhaffy]

22 hours ago, mhaffy said:

End of November and just been invited to open contract re-negotiations - never experienced this before so early in a save!

Had just asked for increase in wage budget before accepting when we suffered a power cut!

Luckily an autosave had just completed before the power went off.

Back on now. After sorting placing of icons on PC screen (all in "wrong place" when PC powered up) and sorting out Sky+ box for my wife,  I have successfully concluded a two year contract extension.

Just waiting for board to let me know outcome of my request to increase the wage budget - currently £0 in transfer kitty and slightly over existing wage budget so more headroom for renewing player contracts would be useful

Just noticed that my wage budget has increased by circa £600k to £3634kpw. Downside is that despite my actual wage outgoings not having changed, I am now shown as failing Premier League FFP wages. Surely FFP should be measured on what you actually spend rather than what your budget is. Bizarre.

[PitchPosh]

14 hours ago, SupraFlush said:

Spoiler

 

Glad to see someone trying it out! The tactic generates a lot of shots (i have about average of 15/6 shots off/on target) and usually not giving the opponents any ccc. I'm sure you could tune it and i know that i've been lucky with injuries and some results. I'd probably develop another tactic for the harder games in the future.

I actually managed to win the triple! The League, Champions League (lucky me or else i'd be forced to sell Hazard!) and the FA Cup. I finished 15 points ahead of United, also defeating them in the CL and defeating Arsenal in the FA Cup. Can't say i'm too disapointed about that! Did lose the Carabao Cup to City, but i'll survive.

The two stand out players were Kanté and Savic. Kanté truly played amazingly in the end of the season and was the reason we won those last games. Savic was the one who carried the team to get to those opportunities however. As a BBM, he got 17 goals and 14 assists over 36 starts and 10 substitutes. He won Footballer of the Year, Players' Player of the Year AND Players' Young Player of the Year. I had no idea that you could win them both but apparently you can (unless it's a bug?)

I bought Andrija Zivkovic at the start of the season, but he didn't get a work permit so i sent him to Vitesse, where whe managed to get 7 goals and 14 assists in 29 games with an average of 7.76! Hopefully he'll get a permit so i can replace Pedro (who didn't have a good season) with him.

So the summer transfer window just opened, and i have no idea who to buy! I'm looking for a striker, Batshuayi decied that he woudn't get game time here and wanted to leave. Do you have any suggestions? I currently have £49m, but i'm going to try and increase it. Could use some youngsters with decent potential as well

Got a couple of exciting regens as well:

Vaclav was brought in for £4.3m and will hopefully replace Fabregas in a couple of seasons.

And now for the most exciting one:

Fleming came through the youth system and looks truly amazing! I might even sell Alonso and keep Fleming and Castillo as reserves. Do you think that's a good idea or is he still too young?

 

I have to say that i love that the thread is quite active nowadays. I usually never post, but i've always been lurking in the shadows lol. Even though this edition of the game has been getting some complaints (which i agree with plenty) it has still been one of the most fun experiences so far for me. I usually give up after one season but this time i'm motivated to continue... At least for now!

EDIT: Zivkovic didn't get a work permit, so i'll be looking for a winger as well it seems...

 

 

Wow, Fleming looks to be an absolute gem! I'm excited to see what youth comes through the ranks on my save. If they're even half as good as Fleming we'll be in a good spot. Great results as well. I am hoping to sneak in a Champions League win so I'm able to hold onto Hazard. I am curious if anything else during that time will convince him to stay? Maybe if Barcelona pursue someone else instead? 

I was able to get a bit of time in with my save and we've had some mixed results. Lost 1-3 against Liverpool in a match we dominated, then beat Man United 2-0 with 10 men for the majority of the match after Zappacosta got sent off. Haven't really gotten much out of him, to be honest. Glad Dave is making his way back to full fitness after his injury. Cahill had his role within the team hierarchy reduced after his "poor run of form." He's no longer a team leader, so hopefully that makes selling him in January a bit easier! Lastly, Luciano Vietto is transfer listed at Atletico Madrid for only £5.5m. Thinking about picking him up since Morata has gone down and see where it leaves us come next season. Michy has been doing relatively well in Morata's stead, though. 

[Amarante]

Has anyone have any problems with Michy and Morata scoring? They seem to miss everything for me. Like nothing works they just miss the simplest of chances. 

[PitchPosh]

3 minutes ago, Amarante said:

Has anyone have any problems with Michy and Morata scoring? They seem to miss everything for me. Like nothing works they just miss the simplest of chances. 

I've definitely had that problem with Morata. One game (mentioned earlier in this thread) I had something like 5 or 6 clear cut chances, of which Morata missed 3-4 of them. He's still having a good season for me, but his average rating is way down due to having ratings in the low 6's due to missing chances. I'm not sure if it's a bug or not because he has good enough stats. I'd be interested to hear if other people are having similar problems with other clubs/players. 

[Amarante]

1 minute ago, PitchPosh said:

I've definitely had that problem with Morata. One game (mentioned earlier in this thread) I had something like 5 or 6 clear cut chances, of which Morata missed 3-4 of them. He's still having a good season for me, but his average rating is way down due to having ratings in the low 6's due to missing chances. I'm not sure if it's a bug or not because he has good enough stats. I'd be interested to hear if other people are having similar problems with other clubs/players. 

Oh okay cause I thought  was getting crazy. I'm no tactical genius but when I start watching matches on full to find out why am losing am realizing that Morata and Bats are just missing everything some shots that they should be putting away they are missing like crazy. I feel for some reason Chelsea at the start of a new save has lots of issues. 

[mhaffy]

1 hour ago, Amarante said:

Has anyone have any problems with Michy and Morata scoring? They seem to miss everything for me. Like nothing works they just miss the simplest of chances. 

Lots of "shots", not just by Michy/Alvaro, are waaaay off target. At least it is same for opposition players!

For me Michy doing fine in competitive matches 12(4) appearances, 5 goals, 4 assists and ave rating 7.15

Alvaro keeps getting injured but 15(2), 5 goals, 4 assists, 6.99 - not as good as Michy

Belotti is the man for me though.... 23(0),22 goals (incl 8 pens), 4 assists, 6 player of match and 7.46 ave

[SupraFlush]

12 hours ago, mhaffy said:

Excellent first season; expectations will be high in 18/19 though! Did you go through the season without any tricky patches? I normally find that after a period of playing well, there is a tricky period to get through when opposition play better/have "rumbled" your tactic due to reputation having increased etc. This usually tends to occur in January and requires tactical tweaks etc.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Belotti - I bought him at start of my save and he is top scorer/playing well. With £49m you should be able to get him by structuring deal with circa £35-30m upfront and sizeable balance over 3 years in 12m installments. Let us know who you end up recruiting.

 

Looks an amazing regen to get through youth system and attributes for WB role already looking decent with lots of room to develop. I normally tend to gradually integrate youngsters into first team but given his starting stats maybe you could give him decent amount of game time. Ideally I like to have a squad ot circa 25 with two players for each position and some utility players/youngsters. I would be wary of getting rid of Alonso.

Re work permits, I never sign players if they fail to get a work permit - given the time it takes to qualify, I would never be sure of my save lasting long enough for me to actually have the opportunity to get them back and playing.

Pleased thread is so active this year....hopefully momentum continues. Based upon the number of views it seems this thread is one of the more regularly viewed FM18 ones. Glad you have taken the plunge and started posting.

Thanks! Yeah that's my fear, but i think it'll be a good season nevertheless. I had a short one when we drew 4 games in a row and lost 2 after, but after that the team really picked itself up. I noticed that it's quite important to praise and criticize the team frequently. When i started doing that the players really started to perform. That's also one of the reasons i think we got out of the slump in form. 

I'll keep a lookout for him. He's currently unhappy so should be able to pick him up for a cheaper sum i hope. Just bought the FM favourite Luan from Gremio for £17m and he's a natural striker, amr and aml so i'm not sure i need Belotti at the moment. Will launch a bid a see how much he goes for at least.

Yeah i think i will hold on to him for now. He's still on his original contract so he's quite cheap. If he demands a better one later i will be truly tempted to sell him!

I usually do the same, but i thought Zivkovic looked too good to pass on.

12 hours ago, mhaffy said:

Just noticed that my wage budget has increased by circa £600k to £3634kpw. Downside is that despite my actual wage outgoings not having changed, I am now shown as failing Premier League FFP wages. Surely FFP should be measured on what you actually spend rather than what your budget is. Bizarre.

Yeah i still have no idea how it truly works. I was in the red at the end of the season but i still passed it somehow. Maybe because of the prize money but not sure.

8 hours ago, PitchPosh said:

Wow, Fleming looks to be an absolute gem! I'm excited to see what youth comes through the ranks on my save. If they're even half as good as Fleming we'll be in a good spot. Great results as well. I am hoping to sneak in a Champions League win so I'm able to hold onto Hazard. I am curious if anything else during that time will convince him to stay? Maybe if Barcelona pursue someone else instead? 

I was able to get a bit of time in with my save and we've had some mixed results. Lost 1-3 against Liverpool in a match we dominated, then beat Man United 2-0 with 10 men for the majority of the match after Zappacosta got sent off. Haven't really gotten much out of him, to be honest. Glad Dave is making his way back to full fitness after his injury. Cahill had his role within the team hierarchy reduced after his "poor run of form." He's no longer a team leader, so hopefully that makes selling him in January a bit easier! Lastly, Luciano Vietto is transfer listed at Atletico Madrid for only £5.5m. Thinking about picking him up since Morata has gone down and see where it leaves us come next season. Michy has been doing relatively well in Morata's stead, though. 

Thank you! And yeah, he looks like something special. Hopefully he will fulfil his potential. I mean it might work if they do, but i don't see them giving up on Hazard if you won't fulfil your promise. 

Yeah Zappa hasn't been too amazing for me either, but on the other hand he doesn't complain anything so i'm fine with him for the moment. Vietto for £5.5m is a steal, i would pounce on that immediate! 

4 hours ago, Amarante said:

Has anyone have any problems with Michy and Morata scoring? They seem to miss everything for me. Like nothing works they just miss the simplest of chances. 

Morata scored 40 goals over 35 starts and 25 subs, so i can't complain too much! Michy wa a different story however. I gave him 24 starts and he only managed 6 goals in them. So it was a easy decision to sell him 

[mhaffy]

All good things come to an end eventually.......After 12 competitive wins in a row since drawing 1-1 against Sevilla, Man Utd parked the bus at Stamford Bridge to "earn" a point in 0-0 draw. We hit the post twice and Utd survived a couple of goalmouth scrambles but the ball would not go in the net. They never really threatened Courtois. At least Arsenal, nearest rivals, were also held to a goalless draw away to Newcastle and we have maintained our 3 point lead at the top of the table with 44 points from 17 games. Man Utd didn't hold back in tackling and Rudiger stretchered off with concussion....

The tricky period for my rather thin squad is upon us now with Arsenal away next up and the busy Christmas/New year schedule looming.

Four players currently out injured so I may well have to call in some yougsters.....

[mhaffy]

On 11/21/2017 at 11:18, mhaffy said:

Just noticed that my wage budget has increased by circa £600k to £3634kpw. Downside is that despite my actual wage outgoings not having changed, I am now shown as failing Premier League FFP wages. Surely FFP should be measured on what you actually spend rather than what your budget is. Bizarre.

Just looked at my finances again having triggered 1 year extension to David Luiz contract and giving a new, improved, contract to Trevoh Cahalobah......

I now comfortably pass FFP re wages....and really do not have the foggiest idea how this is working....

[PitchPosh]

1 hour ago, mhaffy said:

Just looked at my finances again having triggered 1 year extension to David Luiz contract and giving a new, improved, cotract to Trevoh Cahalobah......

I now comfortably pass FFP re wages....and really do not have the foggiest idea how this is working....

Yeah, I have no clue how it works. I had multiple times during last year's game where I would comply one week and be in trouble the next. It never really amounted to anything, though. I always tend to be rather stingy, though.

[PitchPosh]

Finally home for a 4-day weekend due to Thanksgiving here in the US. I get to hunker down for the night and get back into my save and have started it off by dominating City. On top of that, "Dave the Peacekeeper" has convinced Kante to stay at the club after he became unhappy due to not receiving a big pay raise. Hopefully I can tie him down to fend off interest from PSG!

[bucket]

I’m just about to hit Jan 1st. Haven’t been able to play much due to other commitments. Now to look at strengthening the squad!!

[PitchPosh]

8 minutes ago, bucket said:

I’m just about to hit Jan 1st. Haven’t been able to play much due to other commitments. Now to look at strengthening the squad!!

Same here! Only a few days away, so I'll be looking to make some moves when the time comes.

[bucket]

9 hours ago, PitchPosh said:

Same here! Only a few days away, so I'll be looking to make some moves when the time comes.

Do you know what players you’ll be targeting PP? I started with the first window closed. Now everyone is worth much more then they were at the start...🙄🙄🙄. Not sure whether to try and leave it for this season or chop and change the squad. 

[PitchPosh]

4 hours ago, bucket said:

Do you know what players you’ll be targeting PP? I started with the first window closed. Now everyone is worth much more then they were at the start...🙄🙄🙄. Not sure whether to try and leave it for this season or chop and change the squad. 

Well, I played through January and wasn't able to get much done in the transfer market. A lot of my targets wanted first team football and way too much in wages. I really only wanted another central midfielder and attacking midfielder, as Fabregas and Drinkwater have been playing an awful lot and we're fairly light in those positions. I had a £30.5m offer accepted from Fekir, but he wouldn't take less than £125k p/w and Key Player status to sign, so Tottenham got him instead. Then I turned my attention to Denis Suarez of Barcelona. I had a bid of £44.5m accepted (his release clause), but he wanted £115k p/w and Key Player status as well, so I passed on him.

After that, Monaco came in with a bid for Marcos Alonso. I wasn't able to get much out of him, so I negotiated it up to £31.5m (£36.5m future) and shipped him out. I figure Baba can do the job as backup LB until Dasilva comes back next season. On the bright side, I was able to loan Real Madrid's Marcos Llorente. He looks like a great player, and is perfect for the Deep Lying Playmaker role in my 4-2-3-1. Nothing to exciting, but I signed an extension and have £109m in the transfer fund for deals in the summer (assuming it stays the same).

[mhaffy]

8 hours ago, PitchPosh said:

13 hours ago, bucket said:

Do you know what players you’ll be targeting PP? I started with the first window closed. Now everyone is worth much more then they were at the start...🙄🙄🙄. Not sure whether to try and leave it for this season or chop and change the squad. 

Well, I played through January and wasn't able to get much done in the transfer market. A lot of my targets wanted first team football and way too much in wages. I really only wanted another central midfielder and attacking midfielder, as Fabregas and Drinkwater have been playing an awful lot and we're fairly light in those positions. I had a £30.5m offer accepted from Fekir, but he wouldn't take less than £125k p/w and Key Player status to sign, so Tottenham got him instead. Then I turned my attention to Denis Suarez of Barcelona. I had a bid of £44.5m accepted (his release clause), but he wanted £115k p/w and Key Player status as well, so I passed on him.

After that, Monaco came in with a bid for Marcos Alonso. I wasn't able to get much out of him, so I negotiated it up to £31.5m (£36.5m future) and shipped him out. I figure Baba can do the job as backup LB until Dasilva comes back next season. On the bright side, I was able to loan Real Madrid's Marcos Llorente. He looks like a great player, and is perfect for the Deep Lying Playmaker role in my 4-2-3-1. Nothing to exciting, but I signed an extension and have £109m in the transfer fund for deals in the summer (assuming it stays the same).

Somewhat envious that you both have money to spend in January if you want to as my remaining transfer budget is zero. Unlikely to be able to progress my save (top of the table clash away to Arsenal) until early next week due to other commitments....I can still ponder tactics though....

Player wage expectations do seem high in FM18 and I don't blame you for refusing to cave in. I seem to recall in earlier versions of FM that I "lost" some of my transfer kitty to dividends/tax....Hope you do not lose some of the £109m transfer fund you currently have available for the summer.

Baba is great for me, when he is not injured.......Really looking forward to getting Dasilva back for next season too.

 

[PitchPosh]

2 hours ago, mhaffy said:

Somewhat envious that you both have money to spend in January if you want to as my remaining transfer budget is zero. Unlikely to be able to progress my save (top of the table clash away to Arsenal) until early next week due to other commitments....I can still ponder tactics though....

Player wage expectations do seem high in FM18 and I don't blame you for refusing to cave in. I seem to recall in earlier versions of FM that I "lost" some of my transfer kitty to dividends/tax....Hope you do not lose some of the £109m transfer fund you currently have available for the summer.

Baba is great for me, when he is not injured.......Really looking forward to getting Dasilva back for next season too.

 

Yeah, I have always been on the frugal side when it comes to fees/wages. I didn't mind shelling out for Suarez, since he's only 22, but everyone is looking for a big contract!

On the downside, both Barkley and Goretzka have signed new contracts, so no free transfers for them. Sanchez is still "on my radar", but I don't think I'll be able to match is wage demands, while Ander Herrera is also out of contract at the end of the season. I think I'm going to see who I can use from the loanee pool before I sign anyone else. My tactics have fallen a bit flat after a really good run, so I'm trying to diagnose what's going on with that.

[bucket]

Had a great January, will update when I’m in this evening. Spent a bit of money too, with Cahill only one leaving on a permanent £10m deal so far. Kenedy and Musonda both gone/going out on loan. From top of my head I’ve signed Bernat from Bayern for £10.5m. Baba remember is out for another 7-9 months after breaking down. Savic from Lazio. Had to spend big to get him. Got Correa from Ath madrid on loan. Also signed the winger from Ajax. Cannot think of his name... currently 2nd but level on points with United. Beat Aston Villa and Spurs in FA Cup so far. City struggling, Liverpool just above relegation zone 🤣🤣🤣

[PitchPosh]

4 hours ago, bucket said:

Had a great January, will update when I’m in this evening. Spent a bit of money too, with Cahill only one leaving on a permanent £10m deal so far. Kenedy and Musonda both gone/going out on loan. From top of my head I’ve signed Bernat from Bayern for £10.5m. Baba remember is out for another 7-9 months after breaking down. Savic from Lazio. Had to spend big to get him. Got Correa from Ath madrid on loan. Also signed the winger from Ajax. Cannot think of his name... currently 2nd but level on points with United. Beat Aston Villa and Spurs in FA Cup so far. City struggling, Liverpool just above relegation zone 🤣🤣🤣

Looking forward to reading the full update! That's funny about City and Liverpool because in my game they're my closest challengers in 2nd and 3rd.

I've really been struggling lately to get the best out of the squad. I have no clue what happened. Maybe teams are lining up much more defensively against us now. Morata and Fabregas in particular have really been poor. Morale is still fine and we have a 7 point lead in the league, so hopefully we can hold on.

[bucket]

[bucket]

Thought it would be easier to just upload some pictures instead of writing lots of words. Doing well I think, still a long way to go. I have Bayern in the next round of the Champs League. 

Anymore you want to know, just ask.

[PitchPosh]

4 hours ago, bucket said:

Thought it would be easier to just upload some pictures instead of writing lots of words. Doing well I think, still a long way to go. I have Bayern in the next round of the Champs League. 

Anymore you want to know, just ask.

Whoa, you got Marcos Llorente for only £1.7m?! He has a low player value in my save, but Madrid wouldn't even entertain the idea of selling him to me, despite him being a rotation option. Good results there, though!

[bucket]

1 hour ago, PitchPosh said:

Whoa, you got Marcos Llorente for only £1.7m?! He has a low player value in my save, but Madrid wouldn't even entertain the idea of selling him to me, despite him being a rotation option. Good results there, though!

His contract was expiring in the summer, so could have got him for free. Sent him out on loan now. 

[PitchPosh]

Gotcha, he signed a new contract on my save. 3 targets of mine have signed new contracts: Barkley, Goretzka, and Llorente. Oh well, maybe something better will come along!

[PitchPosh]

I've got to say, I'm getting real tired of two things with this year's game: injuries and set pieces. I've lost 9 first-team players to over 2 months of injuries, and 16 of them to a month or more of injuries. Maybe I've had some bad luck, but this is kind of ridiculous. Also, I've had so many goals scored by opponents from balls headed down from set pieces. I've tried multiple combinations of players marking specific areas, but It's happened 10+ times to me where a ball is headed down to an unmarked player on the goal line.

I'm almost done with the first season and the end is turning into a nightmare. I won the league (that's great), but lose to Man United 1-5 on the final day of the Prem, and have now lost to Tottenham 1-2 in the FA Cup Final. I now play Juventus in the Champions League Final, so hopefully that goes better. On top of that, have lost Willian and Drinkwater for 1 & 2 months respectively. What luck.

[bucket]

Heres the tactics I've been using...

And Sanchez.... He wants to impress me... off to go and watch him!!

[PitchPosh]

Cheers, I'll give it a shot! I finished my season. Won the Champions League 2-1 against Juventus. Got really lucky as they piled on the pressure during the whole second half, but we got the win. I'll post a proper update this evening. I entered negotiations with Sanchez, but he wanted £320k p/w! Man City ended up signing him

[bucket]

Great... I can no longer play. Game wont load after updating to the newest patch. Dreadful from SI. 

[PitchPosh]

25 minutes ago, bucket said:

Great... I can no longer play. Game wont load after updating to the newest patch. Dreadful from SI. 

That's awful! I wonder what cause it. My game seems to be going fine. Hopefully it's not something wide-spread

[bucket]

9 hours ago, PitchPosh said:

That's awful! I wonder what cause it. My game seems to be going fine. Hopefully it's not something wide-spread

Think it’s just on macs mate. No proper response from SI neither 

[mhaffy]

On 11/26/2017 at 08:41, bucket said:

Think it’s just on macs mate. No proper response from SI neither 

Hope this gets fixed soon for you....Not good.

I have finally managed to find some time to resume my save and make some progress.

We drew 1-1 away to Arsenal in a top of the table clash but should have done better. Arsenal had Kolasinic sent off after just 8 minutes but we could not take advantage - passing very poor and below recent standards throughout the team. Typically Arsenal took the lead after 17 minutes and we only managed to equalise from a Belotti penalty after 67 minutes.

I decided to give my main players 2 days rest after the match to get them ready for Carabao Cup Qtr Final away to Huddersfield. It took a Redan winner 90(+3) with us down to 10 men since 62nd minute after Charly came off injured just after I made my last substitution......A narrow 2-1 win.

The team has seen a shadow of itself since the 0-0 draw against Man Utd and I am convinced that I have hit the "sudden dip in form" that always comes after a period of good results. Time to change tactics, methinks. I decided to go 4-1-2-1-2, short passing, higher tempo,Higher defensive line......

Promising start against Newcastle with a 2-1 win at The Bridge....passing still wayward all too often though. Possession over 60% and fingers crossed...

Away to Spurs we played a lot better but....they hit us on the counter to sneak an undeserved 1-0 win.

Despite losing to Spurs we maintained a 3 point lead at the top of the table thanks to West Ham beating Arsenal 1-0..Phew.

Hopefully the team will re-discover its mojo and kick on in the New Year!

 

[mhaffy]

Since my last post I have managed to, at last, to spend some time playing FM and making some progress in my save.

With the January transfer just about to open it was time to have a fresh look at my squad and make some decisions.

i entered the transfer window with my main first team players (Hazard, Kante, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Alonso, Belotti, Morata, Zappacosta, Christensen, and Dave) all being regularly flagged High Injury Risk due to match fatigue. I am resorting to resting them all from training for 2 days after every match so that their condition recovers for the next match. Rudiger due back from injury but Luiz and Baba still injured so I planned to give Redan, Trevoh and De Ligt increased first team game time. I really needed a quality, versatile central midfielder so that my midfield trio could get some well deserved recovery time but a transfer budget of £Nil ruled this out.

Moses had suffered a few injury setbacks but even when fully fit there was no way I saw him as having a role to play and an average rating of 6.65 in his 5 appearances led me to the conclusion that I should sell him to get a little money in the transfer kitty. I offered him to clubs with value "Unspecified" and immediately received an offer from Jiangsu for £13.75m. Deal swiftly completed and no issues noted in squad dynamics.

I was then advised that Cesc was unhappy with the amount of first team opportunities he was getting. His average rating of 6.80 in 13 appearances hardly supported his case and his poor acceleration/pace also counted against him in my eyes. Previously i have always used the option asking a teammate to have a word when advised of similar issues with other players and Cahill/Dave/Luiz had always managed to resolve them. With wages of £205k/week and me having no plans to offer Cesc a new contract in 2019, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and offload him. I tried "Unspecified" value, no bids, low up front/installment etc, added him to unwanted list and asked him to actively seek out a new club....No luck.

Time to get creative. Savic of Lazio was my number 1 central midfielder target but lack of transfer funds seemed to rule this out. When I opened the make offer option, I noticed Lazio were after an attacking midfielder.....I offered Cesc in part exchange with c£5m upfront and £30m spread over installments.....Accepted!.....I agreed a contract with Savic only for the deal to collapse due to Cesc wage demands..Grrrrrr. I then unsettled Savic and he had row with his manager and I had another (lower) part ex offer accepted....only for Cesc wage demands to cause the deal to fall through again. What a pain Cesc is.

I then tried offering Cesc for loan but no initial offers due to his wages......Then all of a sudden Man Utd offered £31.5m up front - yes please, even if they were our main rivals in the league...Guess what......Deal collapsed because of Cesc wage demands......By this stage the end of the transfer window was looming and Pedro wanted more game time! Another player that I did not see a future for (5 appearances, 6.56 average rating and £99k/week wages) so I had a chat with him and we agreed it was best if he got a new club.......No takers for a transfer but I managed to loan him out to Southampton for £195k/month fee with a £19.75m future fee clause.

I decided to participate in final day of transfer window and am glad I did. I made a cash offer for Savic of £5m upfront and £50m over 3/12monhtly installments. Not cheap but at least I could conclude the deal by using some of my wage budget...and Cesc not invlolved. Savic wages of £220k/week were high but I refused to have 10% annual increase clause. Agents fee also a lot lower than it had been in earlier negotiations that Cesc wage demads derailed.

I tried numerous last day loan offer options for Cesc and finally got some bites..only for wage demands to lead to failure. With hours left I managed to loan him to Inter...phew...Fingers crossed they follow up on the £15m optional fee to save me having to spend all summer trying to offload him

That was the most frantic transfer deadline day I have ever taken part in on FM and I ended the window a very happy bunny! Moses,Pedro and Cesc out (1 sold, 2 loaned with optional future fees) and my main target Savic in. Still have transfer budget of £Nil, as at start of window, and headroom of nearly £300k/week in my wage budget - so that I can renew some contracts if I want too. Also passing Premier League FFP wages again now.

Enough of transfer wheeler dealings....On the pitch January has been a very good month.

Only one defeat, at home to Arsenal in first leg of Carabao Cup SF......(an undeserved loss) that the team avenged by winning 2-0 in the return.

Until the 1st leg against Arsenal I had been trying my "new" 4-1-2-1-2 tactic mentioned in my previous post. Results had been good but I was not totally happy with  the style...For the Arsenal match I decided to try a back 3, and "match them up". Although we lost the first leg 1-0, the team played really well and did not deserve to lose. I have made a few tweaks over subsequent games but have settled on what seems to be a defensively solid (5 clean sheets on the spin) that creates enough good chances for my team.

Tactic and main starting line up that has been serving me well in recent matches is:

Redan has been playing while i nurse Belotti back from injury. Batshuai is fit and available but I was keen to give Redan (5* potential) some first team experience to aid his development. Two goals and 1 assist so far with an average of 6.72 in his last 5 games. Not bad for a 16 year old! Trevoh has also scored and chipped in with 2 assists, averaging 6.98 in last 5 games.

Savic made his debut in the 1-0 away win at Everton on transfer deadline day, coming on as a sub in 60th minute.

Current squad as follows at end of transfer window:

Fingers crossed for Premier League run in...

[mhaffy]

On 11/28/2017 at 16:22, mhaffy said:

Think it’s just on macs mate. No proper response from SI neither 

Any development/fix yet? This thread has been quiet for a while....

[PitchPosh]

Nice update there, mhaffy. Glad to see someone else is giving Redan chances. He played in almost all of my cup games during the first season. I finished winning both the Premier League and Champions League (not sure how), and am currently about to start preseason for the second season.

I'm super slammed at the moment between work, freelance projects, and applications for graduate school. Hopefully I'll be able to find some time here soon!

[bucket]

Hey lads, yes managed to get it back working. I have a feeling, it was something to do with Steam rather then the game itself. Anyhow heres my update.

Current Date: 4th April 2018. So managed to play quite a bit since last update.

Currently 1st in the league and into the Qtr Finals of the Champs League after knocking out Bayern Munich in the 1st knockout round. 4-1 on aggregate. Beat them at Munich 1-0 in the first leg. I now have Juventus in the next round.

Also into semi final of FA Cup. Beating Aston Villa, Spurs, Stoke (replay) and Cardiff on the way. Now face Arsenal. Other tie is Huddersfield Vs Leeds....

Flying in the league. 

Stoke won 1-0

Bournemouth drew 1-1

Watford won 3-1

West Brom drew 1-1

Swansea won 1-0

Spurs won 2-1

Brighton won 2-0

Man Utd won 2-0 

Played 32 games, Won 23, drew 7 lost 2. 76 points. United 2nd on 74 and looking at the run ins, they have the easier fixtures.

Squad:

Morata has 23 goals in 45(1) apps.

Hazard 13 goals in 29(1) apps

Willian 10 goals in 32(6) apps.

[mhaffy]

14 minutes ago, bucket said:

Hey lads, yes managed to get it back working. I have a feeling, it was something to do with Steam rather then the game itself. Anyhow heres my update.

Glad that you have sorted and save going well looking at results. Interesting to see that, like me, Man Utd are your main challenger.

Hope you hold them off in the run in. Just played Leicester since my update above and thumped them 5-1; Belotti scored 4 and has 31 for the season.

Have just tied Willian down to a new contract and Dave considering my new offer. Now failing Premier League wage FFP again - these projections yo-yo....and I have little faith in them. Wish it was clearer how they worked and whether it is safe to rely on them or not.

I also offered Kenedy a new contract as he has decent potential and I am tempted to keep hold of him for now. Failed to get work permit though due to lack of International appearances and I have to wait 120 days......

Looks like I may have to accept an offer for him - no point keeping if work permit will not be granted. Anyone else faced similar issue re Kenedy? Advice welcomed.

[bucket]

Managed to finish my season last night and what a season. I did win the League by beating United by 1 point. I did win the FA Cup beating Huddersfield. And I may have won the Champions League beating Man Utd on penalties without the suspended Kante, a injured Fabregas and a half fit Bakayoko! Even after David Luiz playing school boy football by trying to keep the ball in OUR corner in the 84th minute, losing it and them equalising. Oh and following that up by getting sent off shortly after in Extra Time! Will write a more detailed review this evening! But was buzzing for that end of the season 

[mhaffy]

27 minutes ago, bucket said:

Managed to finish my season last night and what a season. I did win the League by beating United by 1 point. I did win the FA Cup beating Huddersfield. And I may have won the Champions League beating Man Utd on penalties without the suspended Kante, a injured Fabregas and a half fit Bakayoko! Even after David Luiz playing school boy football by trying to keep the ball in OUR corner in the 84th minute, losing it and them equalising. Oh and following that up by getting sent off shortly after in Extra Time! Will write a more detailed review this evening! But was buzzing for that end of the season 

Excellent.....looking forward to this evenings detailed update. Congrats!