[Archived] Football Manager 2011

[sloth_frattelli]

I ended up scrapping the Crewe game when my laptop got a virus...

I had a great game when I started out as an ex Sunday League Footballer and took the reins at Vauxhall Motors, predicted to finish bottom of the Blue Square Bet North League. As the underdogs I applied my trusty counter-attacking 5-3-2 formation and exceeded expectations with a top half finish. 2nd season seen us finish just outside the play-offs, again surprising everyone with our performances and recruiting some raw talent through free transfers spotted by my scouts. Started the 3rd season with a very young side well-drilled in my tactics and with bright futures career-wise, we took charge as league leaders for the majority of the season before a slump in Feb/Mar led us to 3rd although we were able to clinch promotion through play-offs.

By this stage my team was producing some magic when in form but taking too long to re-surface after losing momentum and morale, they always seemed to be crushed when an unbeaten run came to an end. We made the critics eat their words in our first season in the Blue Square Bet Premier League with a 14th place finish, never in danger of relegation, for which we were favourites. I vowed to push on and progress the following season, promising at least another mid-table finish and during another morale-slump I was approached, head-hunted, tapped up... by the recently relegated Darlington. They offered me a contract to walk out on Vauxhall. The Vauxhall with whom I had smashed records with, (youngest ever player, youngest ever goalscorer, highest ever attendance, highest ever league position, highest transfer fees etc.) the Vauxhall that I had revamped from top to bottom - tactics, staff, training, players... I even had the board in my pocket, they loved me.

And yet I acccepted.

A brief glance at the resources available at Darlington told me I'd be going up in the world with a swoop of a pen and a splash of ink. Looking back now, what hurts the most is that the Vauxhall board even talked me up and wished me well through the press.

To cut a long story short - Darlington didn't quite work out. We finished 19th, the players wouldn't conform to my tactics and the board wouldn't get off my back. Vauxhall plummeted the following season and when I declared interest in the position Darlo asked me to apologise or resign. I clicked resign and Vauxhall hired someone else. With my status as an ex Sunday Leaguer it was proving fruitless looking for another job so I had to hit 'Quit' and start again.

Back in 2010 with....Weston-Super-Mare from Blue Square Bet South League.

Watch this space...

[Mc Love]

Still on FM10 - currently on a 13 game winning streak. Cant wait for work to finish so I can get home and play some more

[BangkokRover]

What tactics are you playing on FM 2010 Sparky?

I bought the game a while back but have never actually got around to playing it.

[cmb211087]

Been made the Blackburn Researcher so if anyone has any problems with any data let me know and I will update it if it is reasonable.

[dazmaz]

Been made the Blackburn Researcher so if anyone has any problems with any data let me know and I will update it if it is reasonable.

We still only get a 1.5m transfer budget, needs to be fixed

[BangkokRover]

We still only get a 1.5m transfer budget, needs to be fixed

Don't worry in the next version you will be told you have £5M but actually you have nothing

[Mc Love]

What tactics are you playing on FM 2010 Sparky?

I bought the game a while back but have never actually got around to playing it.

I am using a tactic I downloaded but it relies more on what teamtalks you give. I used to hate giving teamtalks but I love it now when most of myresults are good, but as its football, sometimes luck is against you.

Currently in year 2080...and next year Blackburn will be playing in the new Blackburn Stadium 55k with retractable roof. A Malaysian owner has been in charge for the past few seasons and I would definitely label him a Jack Walkeresque owner. Anytime we are near the red he dips in to his pocket and gives the club more money.

I have a huge transfer kitty too.

[cmb211087]

Haha I have it set at £5m. Question for you, at the moment I have JW as chairman but have increased his resources from 5 to 12 (so he gives out more money for transfer budgets etc). Should I do this or move him to another role and put Mrs D as chairperson?

[Mc Love]

Haha I have it set at £5m. Question for you, at the moment I have JW as chairman but have increased his resources from 5 to 12 (so he gives out more money for transfer budgets etc). Should I do this or move him to another role and put Mrs D as chairperson?

Is Mrs D chairperson? Sometimes I see her referred as such. My answer from Rovers.co.uk dated 22 Dec 2010:

Chairman: John Williams

Managing Director: Tom Finn

Finance Director/Company Secretary: Martin Goodman

Directors: Robert Coar, Richard Matthewman.

Club President: K.C. Lee

Vice Presidents: I.R. Stanners, G.R. Root, M. Jeffries.

[BangkokRover]

I am using a tactic I downloaded but it relies more on what teamtalks you give. I used to hate giving teamtalks but I love it now when most of myresults are good, but as its football, sometimes luck is against you.

Currently in year 2080...and next year Blackburn will be playing in the new Blackburn Stadium 55k with retractable roof. A Malaysian owner has been in charge for the past few seasons and I would definitely label him a Jack Walkeresque owner. Anytime we are near the red he dips in to his pocket and gives the club more money.

I have a huge transfer kitty too.

Hi Sparky,

Are you talking about this? Tactical Theorems ’10

Cheers

BKR

[Mc Love]

I used the 10.3 tactic you can download from here:

http://www.filefront.com/15775207/10.3-Classic-Everton-May-2010.tac/

Here is the thread about it, read the first post - it also has a link for the teamtalks (it really helps)

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/194951-Mr-Hough-10.3-Tactics?highlight=hough

There are other tactics that guy created but I have found the 10.3 Classic works the best

[cmb211087]

Doing the potentials and current abilities for the squads tonight so will post them all here when I am done so you can tell me what you all think. Consider Phil Jones was a measly 116 ca and about 20th in the rankings of the rovers team for it...

[BangkokRover]

I used the 10.3 tactic you can download from here:

http://www.filefront.com/15775207/10.3-Classic-Everton-May-2010.tac/

Here is the thread about it, read the first post - it also has a link for the teamtalks (it really helps)

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/194951-Mr-Hough-10.3-Tactics?highlight=hough

There are other tactics that guy created but I have found the 10.3 Classic works the best

Cheers Sparky that will be a great help. I am not really interested in buying 2010 when I have not got to grips with 2010. I was way to busy with work but now I have plenty of time. I will try this out this afternoon.

[Miker]

I haven't played for a few weeks now, but am currently in the second season, having finished the 1st season in 7th place and making the Europa League (no mods or database changes used).

Quite pleased with my results so far, I've used a very customised 4-4-2 formation and rely heavily on opposition instructions. Those team blend bars are all at 100% as well for all the different tactics I use (very slight modifications in each).

I'll post my transfers in and out later. Jones and Kalinic have progressed really nicely so far. Kalinic scored over 20 goals in the first season with multiple hat-tricks against teams like Chelsea and Arsenal! If only it was real life...

[Hughesy]

Only got this the other day so il start my fm11 career this weekend.

[BangkokRover]

Good Luck Hughesy it's a difficult game but that's what makes it so rewarding when you get it right.

[Daremz]

To be honest, I am playing quite good with Blackburn. But then the month January came, which was absolutely horrible. I've got a few of my fellow countrymen in - Luciano Narsingh as a a backup for Hoilett, Patrick Zwaanswijk as a backup for Nelsen and Pacheco on loan from Liverpool. Which is the best formation to play with Rovers? For me a flat 4-4-2, with a lot of direct passing:

Robbo

Emerton - Samba - Jones - Givet

Hoilett - Dunn - Grella (injured all the time, then replaced by Pedersen) - Pedersen/Olsson

Roberts (any hints on a stunning striker?) and Diouf or Kalinic upfront.

[AHoyle90]

Had a long term game with Rovers, got into March 2012, finished 10th first season and was on course for the same in the second season. Couldn't get consistent enough to challenge for Europe. Resigned and went for the Liverpool job, got the job but was soon bored so time for a new game.

Gone for Aston Villa, been ambitious and aimed for a continental finish giving me £23m to play with in the transfer market. Villa haven't a bad squad either, just need to replace average players with good players.

[Hughesy]

Been made the Blackburn Researcher so if anyone has any problems with any data let me know and I will update it if it is reasonable.

Erm can we have our take-over please....with a budget of £5m....With RSC, Rochina, Vazquez & JJ coming in from January

[Amo]

Do FM Researchers actually get paid? That would be the sweetest job ever.

[bluebruce]

Been made the Blackburn Researcher so if anyone has any problems with any data let me know and I will update it if it is reasonable.

Dunno if any patches changed this, but I disagree with listing Matt Jansen as a 'Legend' (presumably the highest setting). Whilst he was a cracking player for us and is well loved here, I don't think his achievements warrant company with the others on that list, especially when you consider that Brad Friedel and Colin Hendry are only listed as Icons. He should be in Icons. I'm also curious why the game doesn't use all the real records. Top goalscorer (unless this is just last season's top goalscorer) and total transfer income are not correct. They wait for you to set them. The highest transfer fee received has an error, it says Roque to Chelsea...and I could be wrong, but isn't our fastest goal actually Sutton's against Everton at Goodison, not Cole's against Chelsea? I thought that one was about 16 seconds. I was there, but I could still be wrong!

Into my second season now, had a cracking start (I was briefly 1st, but only because I rage-repeated my game against Bolton, due to my intense hatred of them ...every other game has been clean). Worried the wheels will fall off now I've been hammered by Arsenal. I had an amazing game against Birmingham...79 minutes in, I was losing 2-0, and then Samba popped up with a hat trick! Yes, Samba! And I didn't put him up front or anything. One deflected off him, the other two were straight from set pieces provided by my brilliant Brazilian Fabao (He's a game-generated player, don't bother looking for him...4.5 star potential though and astonishing at everything except pace which is 10). So, won 3-2 with high drama right at the end and a centre half bagging a 13 minute hat-trick!!

Blew most of my summer budget on three players. The aforementioned Fabao (£5.5 mill), Leonel Galeano (£8 mill), and Yaya Sanogo (£8.5 mill). All youngsters with 4 and a half star potential, a strain for now but well worth it long-term. Nearly signed Lukaku instead of Sanogo, but glad I didn't because the scouts have gone from rating him at 4.5 stars to 3.5!!! The club's reputation hasn't increased, and that seems a huge drop...anyone know why that would happen with the same scouts?

I also signed Gerrardo Torrado (Free) and Server Jeparov (625k) to replace Grella and Andrews. Carlos Diogo (Free) to replace Michel Salgado. A young keeper called Chico (game-generated, 4 star potential) to replace Bunn and Fielding. Enrique Corrales as left-back cover. Mario Santana for free for the right wing. Dembele (400k!) and Pierre-Alain Frau (free) to replace Roberts and Benjani. Nicola Legrottaglie (Free) to replace Ryan Nelsen (fans didn't like Nelsen going for free at all, but definitely shrewd business). Quite pleased with my strengthening exercises, think I even reduced the wage bill whilst at it. But I now have a negative 14 million bank balance!

Very difficult raising funds, had to sell a lot of youngsters who will never make it, and had to subsidise wages for a lot of players leaving. Fortunately the end of season money is a big pot, but with this big a deficit I may struggle to get a budget without major sales. Apart from those mentioned though, I've also acquired a large crop of 3-4 star players for frees or cheap, most of whom are simply my player farm to raise money from in the future!

First season I only signed pure freebies...Guillermo Franco (now released), Salva (now last choice striker, but top scorer in first season), Gael Nlundulu (potential), Pires (useless for me, pace seems crucial in this game...but he's now playing brilliantly for Levante). And the aforementioned Jeparov was a Jan reinforcement. I mention them because they might represent good moves for new players (Although Pires was dire and Franco played well but didn't score many).

Ah, important question...does anybody know if we have ended our feeder club arrangement with Cercle Brugge?!? I was really looking forward to using them for work permit reasons, I activated the Belgian League just so my loanees data could be accurate, then found they were gone from our Feeder list! Also, any hints on how to get a Feeder club? So far I've tried repeatedly (on this and my Nuneaton game, where I tried for parents and feeders), and not once have I been given any options, which is lame. I'm wondering if I should search at a certain time of the year?

[Hughesy]

Phil Jones with a - potential, yet actually rated the next John Terry....That cant be right!

[DE.]

Depends what his - potential is, if it's 8 or above then I think he could reach Terry's potential in-game. The minus potential numbers go up to 10 and make potential variable rather than having a specific target of 170, 180, etc. Most good youngsters have minus potential.

[cmb211087]

Phil Jones has -9 set for his Pa and from 11.3 135 for his ca (up from 116).

I have not put venkys in as owners as it is not possible on this version of fm to have it recognised by the game that we have a chairman that doesn't do much, so the head researcher told me to keep jw but increase his resources, so up to 12 from 5.

As for the records, everything is set correctly in my data, whether that then gets put into the game is anyones guess. The files had to be in on Friday 14th so a lot was missed, like judge going, rsc and jones coming in etc but I have informed the hr who has done all the late changes so it should be as up to date as possible.

Think the top 3 players at the club are samba, mgp then givet

Oh and we don't get paid :-(

[DE.]

Phil Jones has -9 set for his Pa and from 11.3 135 for his ca (up from 116).

Sounds about right to me. -9 will put him at potentially 170-190 PA I think? -10 being 190-200.