[Football] Football Manager 2020

[Frutos]

I finally got around to buying this just after Xmas, and as usual SI have done a fine job of producing one of the most addictive games known to man.

Obviously I'm managing the Albion, and if I say so myself it's going quite well. Finished 7th in the 2019/20 season which got us Europa League football for 2020/21. Thanks to Florin Andone (who just scored goals, generally without twatting anyone) and a few well chosen signings we finished 3rd in the Prem and got to the Quarter-Finals of the Europa League, after which Real Madrid came knocking (I declined their offer).

That third place finish brought CL footy to the Amex for 2021/22, although Juventus offered 55m for Andone so off he went, and so far we're topping our group after draws with Shakhtar and Porto, and a 4-1 home battering of PSG.

I go for a 4-2-3-1 formation with the emphasis on pressing and possession. Usual starting line up is:

Maty Ryan (c), Martin Montoya, Ben White, Adam Webster, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Sander Berge, Andrija Balic, Leandro Trossard, Alexis Mac Allister, Martin Terrier, Erling Haaland

Subs: Christian Walton, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Bernardo, Davy Propper, Solly March, Pelayo Morilla and Fedor Chalov

The rest of the 25 is made up of Patrick Burner, Haydon Roberts, Leo Ostigard, Yves Bissouma, Pascal Gross, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Aaron Connolly

Oh, and in this reality Palace finish rock bottom this season and don't even make the Championship play-offs next season, which is a nice thought.

Anyone else playing this year, and how are your virtual Albions doing?

 

[GloryDays]

What happened to Dunk? Is Brendan Rodgers at City yet? Did they bother loading CH on to the database?

 

[Frutos]

What happened to Dunk? Is Brendan Rodgers at City yet? Did they bother loading CH on to the database?

- Dunk wanted a new challenge and so moved to, erm, Norwich for £25 million at the end of last/next season.

- Pep is still at City, although half his team want transfers because they missed out on Europe entirely last/next season.

- CH is there, but not managing anyone. Graham Potter is managing Luton.

 

[lizard]

- CH is there, but not managing anyone. Graham Potter is managing Luton.

Interesting Prophesy.

 

[GloryDays]

Very interesting.

 

[Frutos]

If nothing else, I hope they've got Mac Allister right - if he's anything like he is in the game (for me at least), he is exactly what the actual Albion are crying out for.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

[MENTION=4675]Frutos[/MENTION] - a few questions if I may.

1) Are Liverpool dominating at the top of the Premier League?
2) Who have been in the relegation and promotion from Championship set up in your seasons to date?
3) Does Harry Kane pick up his annual injury to prevent him from knocking in 20 goals in the league per season?
4) Are high value transfers piling in all over the place?
5) What did you do to Shane Duffy? And the other Brighton HEROES you've sacked off?

Cheers!

 

[lizard]

If nothing else, I hope they've got Mac Allister right - if he's anything like he is in the game (for me at least), he is exactly what the actual Albion are crying out for.

As if they'll let him play for us.

 

[GloryDays]

Who is your assistant and coaches?

 

[KZNSeagull]

Keep going. The last one of these I played was Championship Manager 00/01 (yes, I know) - if you played it long enough (40 seasons odd), Manchester United end up at the bottom of League 2. I wonder if it is still the same?

 

[Frutos]

[MENTION=4675]Frutos[/MENTION] - a few questions if I may.

1) Are Liverpool dominating at the top of the Premier League?

Nope. The two league titles to date have been won by Man Utd (19/20) and Arsenal (20/21). Liverpool won the 20/21 Champions League, but that's their lot so far.

2) Who have been in the relegation and promotion from Championship set up in your seasons to date?

19/20 saw Sheffield United, Villa and Palace go down, and Forest, Huddersfield and Dirty Leeds come up. 20/21 saw Newcastle, Huddersfield and Forest go down, and West Brom, Villa and Cardiff come up.

3) Does Harry Kane pick up his annual injury to prevent him from knocking in 20 goals in the league per season?

He got 18 in 35 for Spurs in 19/20, then sodded off to PSG for £114 million.

4) Are high value transfers piling in all over the place?

See above as an example, a few others of note were Frenkie de Jong to Liverpool for £108m, Kai Havertz from Leverkusen to Barca for £91m and Lautaro Martinez from Inter to Atletico for £88m

5) What did you do to Shane Duffy? And the other Brighton HEROES you've sacked off?

Cheers!

Duffy is on loan at Sheff Utd in the Championship, Locadia, Tau, Alzate, Mlakar, Baluta and Gyokeres are all on loan in various places. Dunk and Andone left as mentioned before, Maupay is at Schalke, Mooy and Stephens are in the Championship with Huddersfield and Murray is retired.

Who is your assistant and coaches?

I kept Billy Reid as my assistant when I dumped GPott out of a job before he'd started, I think Ben Roberts, Casper Ankergren, Bruno and Bjorn Hamberg are still there too

 

[BadFish]

If nothing else, I hope they've got Mac Allister right - if he's anything like he is in the game (for me at least), he is exactly what the actual Albion are crying out for.

I can't get a work permit for Macallister. Third season in and no dice. Not done as well as you though. Hoping for Europa league finish this season.

Sent from my Redmi Note 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Dunk&Disorderly]

I used to play Fifa Career Mode and this season sacked it off finally for FM and I'm never going back - so much better.

I've only just started and I'm suuuuper addicted, do you have any top tips for managing the Albion/general important rules to abide by?

 

[Postman Pat]

I have 2019 and 2020, I am not a fan of starting in the Premier League, so for 2019 I started with Torquay and 2020 I have started at Notts County.

In the 2019 game I ended up leaving Torquay in league 2 as Villa offered me a job to get them out of the Championship, got them up but it is bloody impossible to make the step up from Championship to Prem.

Notts County I am just getting to xmas in first season, top of the league, but the board are tossers and keep getting upset with me every time I lose a game, or I am not top. Gits.

It is such an addictive game.

 

[The Wizard]

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I find it hard playing these games as Brighton, I hate selling my favourite players and buying players I don’t care about

 

[BBassic]

I have 2019 and 2020, I am not a fan of starting in the Premier League, so for 2019 I started with Torquay and 2020 I have started at Notts County.

In the 2019 game I ended up leaving Torquay in league 2 as Villa offered me a job to get them out of the Championship, got them up but it is bloody impossible to make the step up from Championship to Prem.

Notts County I am just getting to xmas in first season, top of the league, but the board are tossers and keep getting upset with me every time I lose a game, or I am not top. Gits.

It is such an addictive game.

I'm still playing FM2019 and my save is with Notts County. League Two to Premier League in five seasons and now attempting to win my third title in a row.

I was tempted by FM2020 but from what I've seen on YouTube play throughs there's not enough of a difference for me to make the switch.

 

[BadFish]

I used to play Fifa Career Mode and this season sacked it off finally for FM and I'm never going back - so much better.

I've only just started and I'm suuuuper addicted, do you have any top tips for managing the Albion/general important rules to abide by?

Good resources here https://sortitoutsi.net/

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I finally got around to buying this just after Xmas, and as usual SI have done a fine job of producing one of the most addictive games known to man.

Obviously I'm managing the Albion, and if I say so myself it's going quite well. Finished 7th in the 2019/20 season which got us Europa League football for 2020/21. Thanks to Florin Andone (who just scored goals, generally without twatting anyone) and a few well chosen signings we finished 3rd in the Prem and got to the Quarter-Finals of the Europa League, after which Real Madrid came knocking (I declined their offer).

That third place finish brought CL footy to the Amex for 2021/22, although Juventus offered 55m for Andone so off he went, and so far we're topping our group after draws with Shakhtar and Porto, and a 4-1 home battering of PSG.

I go for a 4-2-3-1 formation with the emphasis on pressing and possession. Usual starting line up is:

Maty Ryan (c), Martin Montoya, Ben White, Adam Webster, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Sander Berge, Andrija Balic, Leandro Trossard, Alexis Mac Allister, Martin Terrier, Erling Haaland

Subs: Christian Walton, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Bernardo, Davy Propper, Solly March, Pelayo Morilla and Fedor Chalov

The rest of the 25 is made up of Patrick Burner, Haydon Roberts, Leo Ostigard, Yves Bissouma, Pascal Gross, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Aaron Connolly

Oh, and in this reality Palace finish rock bottom this season and don't even make the Championship play-offs next season, which is a nice thought.

Anyone else playing this year, and how are your virtual Albions doing?

I always preferred FM to FIFA, I love the more strategic side.

The Amazon reviews seem to suggest that the game engine is buggy and annoying, with:

Taken from Amazon:

As with any FM game there are always going to be some annoying match day things but this game has them in abundance. My players will hit the post or crossbar a silly number of times. Players will run straight past the player they are supposed to be tackling / marking. Corners are a complete lottery and whatever routines you use seem pointless. My player will always head / kick the ball straight to an opposition player when clearing rather then to an unmarked team mate. Players head the ball out for a corner needlessly. Rebounds / deflections almost always go to the opposition. The opposition GK will save one on ones 8 / 10 times. My players will shoot from ridiculous angles rather then square the ball to an unmarked player. It never stops raining! Injuries are off the scale even for FM. In my first season I lost count of the injuries I had. 3 players were out for 3 months each. Another was out for 10 to 12 months. The following season another player was out for 8 months. All injures sustained in training and yet all these players were supposedly 100% fit and match ready.

Any sign of this sort of thing?

 

[BadFish]

I always preferred FM to FIFA, I love the more strategic side.

The Amazon reviews seem to suggest that the game engine is buggy and annoying, with:

Taken from Amazon:



Any sign of this sort of thing?

My players make odd choices in the final third, pass when they should shoot or shoot when they should pass etc

I thought it was just realistic

 

[Papa Lazarou]

My players make odd choices in the final third, pass when they should shoot or shoot when they should pass etc

I thought it was just realistic

That's BadFishBall for you.