The Official FOOTBALL MANAGER 2012 Career Thread

[jcdenton08]

I've just finished my second season (after finishing second and getting promotion in my first). It really was a slog, after Bloom only gave me £10m for transfer fees and £140k a week to spend on wages. I sold quite a lot of my squad and bought in assorted new players. First choice team was;

GK) Scott Loach (Watford, £525k)
DR) Calderon (c)
DC) Lewis Dunk (scored 15 goals!)
DC) Adrian Marriappa (Watford, £425k) until January then replaced by Daniel Ayala (Norwich, £525k)
DL) Gianluca Zambrotta (free)/Lee Hodson (Watford, £700k)
DMC) Liam Bridcutt
CM) Emmanuel Frimpong (Arsenal, loan)
CM) Alan Quinn (Sheff Utd, £475k)
AML) Kazenga Lua Lua (Newcastle, £1m)
AMR) Robert Snodgrass (Leeds, £2.4m)
CF) Danny Graham (Watford, £7m)

Unfortunately Danny Graham was absolutely terrible. I bought in Amauri on a free who played quite a lot (but was also injured quite a lot). Lua Lua missed a lot of the season through injury but Will Buckley replaced him and played really well. Dunk was fantastic and finished the season as our top scorer thanks to a lot of headed goals from corners.

We started the season terribly (including losing away at QPR and Newcastle who finished 20th and 19th respectively) but I eventually got the formation sorted (I downloaded one and then adapted it a bit to my personnel - I wasn't particularly keen to do so but the team played so much better afterwards that it was a no-brainer, it's a bugbear of mine that tactics make such a big difference when they are so difficult to set up well) and we went on a march from there. We beat a lot of the teams in and around us at the Amex and got a few vital away points to recover and went from one point in the opening 9 games to finish up with 34 from the full 38 - thankfully Sunderland, Newcastle and QPR were even more dire. Also made it to the semifinal of the FA Cup (thanks to a favourable draw) where we lost to Liverpool. I'll be looking to make some more big changes over the summer, and have already agreed to signing Darren Gibson on a free transfer. The youth system has also been producing some players that look like they could be quality (mainly defenders) - even had one sold above my head by Tony Bloom (admittedly for £1.5m plus add-ons!) to Blackburn Rovers.

Great read. Where did you finish? Did you lead the mighty Albion away from danger?

 

[sten_super]

Great read. Where did you finish? Did you lead the mighty Albion away from danger?

Ah yes, I missed out that crucial detail! We finished 17th, never looked like finishing higher (in fact looked like finishing lower most of the season!). End of season table was;

15. Burnley 42pts
16. Stoke 40pts
17. BHAFC 34pts
18. Sunderland 32pts
19. Newcastle 30pts
20. QPR 12pts

I'm currently playing through the off-season and trying to prise some of the better championship players away from their clubs... have decided that I'd rather get a few players on the relative cheap than splash the cash on one or two star players (after the Danny Graham fiasco!).

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

And so my first season ends as Brighton manager with a record of p 46 w 32 d7 l7 and 103 points. It may sound easy but West Ham stayed with us right to the last game although promotion was sorted four games earlier.

Have already started thinking about next season and of the original Albion the following will be joining me in the Prem:

Calderon (as back up)
Dunk
Painter (as back up)
Bridcutt
Vicente
Buckley
Noone
CMS and Barnes

The really unlucky ones are Greer, who has done well but age is against him, Navs who has been superb but wont make the step up, Harley who, again, has done well but someone needed to go to make space and Hoskins who is the weakest and has annoyed me for asking for now contracts after good performances in the reserves.


Now here is my report on all my season signings (hoping this will help others)

In pre-season -
Tim Sebastian - 30 games 3 goals av 7.28 - good buy and worth keeping - lynchpin at the end of the season
Pablo Mouche - 46 games 32 goals, 32 assists av:7.86 - player of the season and you are daft not to try and get him. Poor mans Aguerro.
Etien Velikonja - 32 games 24 goals av:7.55 - almost as good and another steal
Salaheddine Sbai - 30 games at 6.99 - offered comp for Painter but didnt really excel. wont stay for the Prem
Anel Raskaj - 27games 2 goals - had a right battler with Harley and Vicente for the middle and prefer to keep him to Harley.
Tom Heaton - 22 games - good keeper - should eb alright in the prem

In Oct on free

Geoffrey Tulasne - 19 games 7 goals - stunnign wing performances who would have played more if he hadnt got injured. Will do well in the Prem.

Jan
Joe Lewis - slightly more reliable than Heaton and with more potential
Tomasz Jodlowiec - jury is out on him. Scouts think he is our best defende but hasd only been OK - 12 games - 7.08
Frederick Moller - 5 games 7.42 natural left sided centre back younger than Dunk but great potential
Jordan Spence - 18 games 7.06 - started brilliantly but faded at the end - RB could still be a problem
Jean-Alain Fanchone - started badly then finished well.... nearly transfer listed him - 18 games at 7.21
Emre Can - 8 games at 6.91 - for the future but showed real signs of potential

Have spent the last of this seasons money on Craig Dawson and am tracking Diego Valeri. Will start rebuilding when I see my budget.

HTH

 

[Chris_Highwind]

This is tottenham's squad in the 4th season on my game....

and this is the final league...

 

[jcdenton08]

Clinical... or flukey?

 

[Windels]

This is tottenham's squad in the 4th season on my game....

and this is the final league...

That team is way too good to go down. I love how David Silva doesn't make the squad. At least it means there will be plenty of bargains for you to pick up.

 

[Chris_Highwind]

That team is way too good to go down. I love how David Silva doesn't make the squad. At least it means there will be plenty of bargains for you to pick up.

Managed to get Welbeck, Huddlestone would have been nice but wanted too much in wages... The rest are getting on a bit now!

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Preparing my first season in the Premiership and found something very interesting:

Clairfontaine FC seems to be pretty much the French Academy of Excellence and when searching for players found this and discovered a whole bunch of superb prospects (of course regens) on free transfers. Bought six in who are b15 and 16 who will be home grown by the time they make the first team. Seems a great idea if you are planning to play the long game.

 

[Falkor]

I just had the worst injury ever, CMS just broke his pelvis and is out for 4/5 months

 

[Chris_Highwind]

My 3rd season in the prem hasn't started the best.... need to start picking up points somehow!

 

[Brian Fantana]

Finished 2nd in the Championship in my first season, but find myself ROCK BOTTOM of the Premiership after the opening 12 matches. Only 1 win (a fluky 1-0 win over Wolves) and 3 draws to show for my efforts thus far. Goal-scoring is proving to be a massive problem for me at the moment, this despite smashing in over 100 goals in the Championship last year. Team meetings have been called left, right and centre with Gordon Greer trying to seize the squad by the scuff of the neck and single-handedly drag us out of the mire - but to no effect yet. I have a terrible sinking feeling that my ineptitude in the summer transfer market is the cause of our problems.

 

[sten_super]

Finished 2nd in the Championship in my first season, but find myself ROCK BOTTOM of the Premiership after the opening 12 matches. Only 1 win (a fluky 1-0 win over Wolves) and 3 draws to show for my efforts thus far. Goal-scoring is proving to be a massive problem for me at the moment, this despite smashing in over 100 goals in the Championship last year. Team meetings have been called left, right and centre with Gordon Greer trying to seize the squad by the scuff of the neck and single-handedly drag us out of the mire - but to no effect yet. I have a terrible sinking feeling that my ineptitude in the summer transfer market is the cause of our problems.

Yes I had exactly the same problem in my first season promoted - spent £7m on Danny Graham who couldn't hit a barn door. Luckily I had 3 teams that were absolutely dire (I stayed up with 34 points). The key is to try to beat the other teams in and around you, at least at home. I ended up playing a variation of 4-5-1 (effectively 4-1-2-2-1 with one defensive mid, two centre mids, two wingers and an advanced forward) on very fluid and attacking which gave me enough going forwards.

I invested quite well over the summer though (bought in Connor Wickham for £5.75, Elliot Bennett £4.4m, Jack Hobbs £1.5m, Anthony Annan £2.6m, Darron Gibson free, Michael O'Conner £525k, George Boyd £60k amongst others) and have really strengthened both the first XI and the squad. Currently 6th after 12 games on 22 points - should manage a few more than 34 points this season! Got a mention in the transfer window round-up for having strengthened my squad with TWENTY SEVEN players (a significant portion of them for the youth team though).

 

[Brian Fantana]

Yes I had exactly the same problem in my first season promoted - spent £7m on Danny Graham who couldn't hit a barn door. Luckily I had 3 teams that were absolutely dire (I stayed up with 34 points). The key is to try to beat the other teams in and around you, at least at home. I ended up playing a variation of 4-5-1 (effectively 4-1-2-2-1 with one defensive mid, two centre mids, two wingers and an advanced forward) on very fluid and attacking which gave me enough going forwards.

I invested quite well over the summer though (bought in Connor Wickham for £5.75, Elliot Bennett £4.4m, Jack Hobbs £1.5m, Anthony Annan £2.6m, Darron Gibson free, Michael O'Conner £525k, George Boyd £60k amongst others) and have really strengthened both the first XI and the squad. Currently 6th after 12 games on 22 points - should manage a few more than 34 points this season! Got a mention in the transfer window round-up for having strengthened my squad with TWENTY SEVEN players (a significant portion of them for the youth team though).

Good work!

I will try a small tinker with the tactics tonight I think. On paper, I should have a team capable of creating loads of chances and putting a few of them away but it just doesn't seem to be happening at the moment. I am dominating possession in virtually all of my games, but not actually doing anything with it. Teams just seem to let me have possession and then when we tire they hit us. The classic case of style over substance.

 

[Sitch]

Just started one with Malaga, only a few games in and sitting in 6th.

Callabero

Jesus Gamez
Sebastien Bassong
Demicheilis
Charlie Mulgrew

Toulalan
Apono

Santi Cazorla
Julio Baptista
Joaquin

Rondon

Bench: Ruben, Van Nistlerooy, Honda, Camacho, Mathjisen

Signed Michael Owen and Danny Sturridge aswell but both picked up knocks

Owen scored a hatrick on his debut though

 

[Falkor]

Thing is with Malaga the following season you get nothing to spend, considering the money in the club.

 

[Sitch]

Thing is with Malaga the following season you get nothing to spend, considering the money in the club.

Ohh, hopefully I can get a job offer elsewhere

 

[WhingForPresident]

Currently managing England and in my first few months with Fulham- Won Euro 2012, Confederations Cup 2013 and World Cup 2014 with England and Premiership and FA Cup with Liverpool in 2013. Was getting too easy with Hazard, Suarez, Pastore etc so left and took over at Fulham who were 15th in December.
Got them up to 10th by March but forgot to save after beating West Ham 1-0, reloaded it a few days later, played the same game with exactly the same tactics and lost 5-0

 

[MikeySmall]

Finished 2nd in the Championship in my first season, but find myself ROCK BOTTOM of the Premiership after the opening 12 matches. Only 1 win (a fluky 1-0 win over Wolves) and 3 draws to show for my efforts thus far. Goal-scoring is proving to be a massive problem for me at the moment, this despite smashing in over 100 goals in the Championship last year. Team meetings have been called left, right and centre with Gordon Greer trying to seize the squad by the scuff of the neck and single-handedly drag us out of the mire - but to no effect yet. I have a terrible sinking feeling that my ineptitude in the summer transfer market is the cause of our problems.

Similar - went up via the play offs and have lost 8 games in a row (although I have had to play the top 6). Defending seems to be my problem, Mackail-Smith is keeping Trezeguet and Luca Toni on the bench. 2-0 up against Man Utd only to concede twice in the last 5 minutes and go on to lose 2-3.

 

[Sitch]

Just got sacked for declaring interest in the Brighton job Only November in my first season, Brighton are 20th !

 

[Sitch]

Have took over Birmingham instead, 9th in Championship though so got some work to do!