Football Manager 2009: So How Are We Doing?

[Spike]

I just tried to sign Bartosz Salamon for £500k only to be told they want £2.3 million, I made a £1 mill offer and they came back with £2.1mill + 35% future transfer clause. They won't accept £500k no matter how many times I've tried the game

I took a look at and after seeing Salamon being extremly overpriced I took a shot at buying Surman for £1.2 mill like I saw someone else here do... they want £3.2 mill.

How do people buy such good players for so cheap?

[swansea_jack]

Anybody updated the patch for the pc?

If so any good??

[roadyred]

Played 3 full seasons with City, half way through my 4th but loosing interest.

08/09 - Promotion, beat QPR 3-0 in playoffs (maynard hattrick)

Signed Tyson 500k, Lita in Jan 650K, Mifsud 650K, and loaned Possebon, Fabio and Rafael.

Sold Fonts 2M to Crystal Palace, and McCombe in Jan 1.2M to Norwich.

09/10 - Relegated, bottom of Prem, peaked at 7th, great start then tailed off rapidly. Signed D'Alessandro 5.75M, Rodney Sneijder 1.3M (worth 5.3now) Nedem Onuoha (875k) and Amr Zaki (2.2M) 26games 15goals, Ross Wallace and Chris Porter on Frees. Let go of a number of squad players (wilson, Johnson)

10/11 - Promoted - Finished 15 points clear, dominated big time, retained all my big time players, much to their annoyance, managed to restore dressing room faith and cleaned up, won the league cup somehow! had a good run. Added Edu, and some free transfer players to squad, Dave Nugent. Again let go some city regulars. Sold Chris Porter to Wolves for 5.25M, don't know how, he was useless!!. sold Nobes for 200K.

11/12 Bottom of Prem, knocked out Qtr final of EURO Cup against Sampdoria. Notably beat Juventus at Home! have given up now and being offered Portsmouth job. Bought Aimar 1.6M and Zanetti and Van Bommel Frees to add experience...didnt work. Funny old game as quality in Europe, shocking in Prem.

Best X1 is.. Basso, Onouhra, N.Collins, Ribiero, Wallace, R.Sneijder, D'Alessandro, Elliot, McIndoe, Zaki, Lita, Subs, Sturridge, Carey, Zanetti, Orr, Lobont, Nuno, Buchan.

Good fun, But ridiculously hard in the Premier League, even with raising a limited amount of funds through selling.

[Barrs Court Red]

Well I'm halfway into an increasingly frustraighting 3rd Man City season. Huntelar has been a flop at £27 mil, and my 424 has gone from seeing me score goal for fun, to barely scoring, although in fairness not conceeding many.

I won every group game in the UEFA gup, notably beating benfica with ease, but despite using Europe to try new tactics, non of it seems to work in the prem.

It's annoying when players like Ashley Young and Marquinhos were terrorising defences after reverting to 424, the new season hasn't seen them being so good, even when playing them in other systems.

I'm still 8th, but I really did have hopes of winning the league after destroying everyone after changing my tactics halfway through the last season.

We'll see how it goes, but I'm fast losing faith in my ability to even challlenge for the top 4.

[Ian M]

Played 3 full seasons with City, half way through my 4th but loosing interest.

08/09 - Promotion, beat QPR 3-0 in playoffs (maynard hattrick)

Signed Tyson 500k, Lita in Jan 650K, Mifsud 650K, and loaned Possebon, Fabio and Rafael.

Sold Fonts 2M to Crystal Palace, and McCombe in Jan 1.2M to Norwich.

09/10 - Relegated, bottom of Prem, peaked at 7th, great start then tailed off rapidly. Signed D'Alessandro 5.75M, Rodney Sneijder 1.3M (worth 5.3now) Nedem Onuoha (875k) and Amr Zaki (2.2M) 26games 15goals, Ross Wallace and Chris Porter on Frees. Let go of a number of squad players (wilson, Johnson)

10/11 - Promoted - Finished 15 points clear, dominated big time, retained all my big time players, much to their annoyance, managed to restore dressing room faith and cleaned up, won the league cup somehow! had a good run. Added Edu, and some free transfer players to squad, Dave Nugent. Again let go some city regulars. Sold Chris Porter to Wolves for 5.25M, don't know how, he was useless!!. sold Nobes for 200K.

11/12 Bottom of Prem, knocked out Qtr final of EURO Cup against Sampdoria. Notably beat Juventus at Home! have given up now and being offered Portsmouth job. Bought Aimar 1.6M and Zanetti and Van Bommel Frees to add experience...didnt work. Funny old game as quality in Europe, shocking in Prem.

Best X1 is.. Basso, Onouhra, N.Collins, Ribiero, Wallace, R.Sneijder, D'Alessandro, Elliot, McIndoe, Zaki, Lita, Subs, Sturridge, Carey, Zanetti, Orr, Lobont, Nuno, Buchan.

Good fun, But ridiculously hard in the Premier League, even with raising a limited amount of funds through selling.

Well having started off as Hyde in the Blue Square North I'm in my first season in the Prem with Sheffield Wednesday (having got promoted in 2nd place the season before) and am experiencing that great start that you did in your first Prem season with City. Am currently 4th after 13 games with 26 points (hopefully enough to ensure I get the 11 I reckon I need over the final 25 games to stay up (my board's aim for this season).

Have had some truly strange results this season such as stuffing Spurs on the opening day 5-1 & following it up with a 2-0 win against Chelsea but then I've dropped points against teams in and around the relegation zone. Strangely the games I do win I tend not to dominate (in terms of chances created) yet I've lost 2-0 at Old Trafford & 3-2 at the Emirates whilst on both occasions I've created more than my more illustrious opponents. The game at Arsenal was pretty frustrating as i was sat there watching the game, knowing this was the best performance in my history on this game, I even had 60% of possession but every time they needed to score, they did.

Anyway, the game I'm playing I have no affinity for Wednesday and just as soon as a bigger club comes in for me I'll be off

[Barrs Court Red]

Madger what tactics are you using, in particular your individual player instructions? What instructions do you give for the opposistion players as well.

[Ian M]

Madger what tactics are you using, in particular your individual player instructions? What instructions do you give for the opposistion players as well.

I'm using a 442 that I've just tweaked all through the game. However, Wednesday is my 3rd club and I notice that when I go to each new club the formation doesn't work so well and needs changing a little bit. For opposition instructions I have just hired an Asst Manager with good tactics attributes and do what he says to save on looking through all the players, otherwise it's the obvious, midfielders & strikers onto weaker foot if they are not "either" footed, going in hard on midfielders and strikers with < or =10 composure OR bravery, closing down similar. Rarely choose tight marking.

But all that said I've just been handed a footballing lesson by.....West Brom

[Ian M]

I'm using a 442 that I've just tweaked all through the game. However, Wednesday is my 3rd club and I notice that when I go to each new club the formation doesn't work so well and needs changing a little bit. For opposition instructions I have just hired an Asst Manager with good tactics attributes and do what he says to save on looking through all the players, otherwise it's the obvious, midfielders & strikers onto weaker foot if they are not "either" footed, going in hard on midfielders and strikers with < or =10 composure OR bravery, closing down similar. Rarely choose tight marking.

But all that said I've just been handed a footballing lesson by.....West Brom

.....who have since gone on to complete the double over me

Still managed to hold onto my 4th spot though with 30 odd games gone, although Man U are breathing down my neck. Hopefully if I finish in a CL place it will boost my rep from National to Continental and aide me in getting a Prem job at a higher reputation club. Prem clubs it would appear only employ Continentally reknowned managers, choosing to ignore managers who have achieved 4 promotions in 5 years & are guiding an unfashionable club to a ludicrously high Premier League finish

[Guest DanC]

Heres my team for the Prem season.

Sign Mascio, he'll cost you about 120k in the first season, I got to him after Napoli signed him so I had to pay £3million!

He's decent but he just can't seem to break into my first team and hold down a place. He's coming up to 20 now so this coming season is make or break for him now. I won the League with Accrington in my first season but resigned just before the start of the new season as my chairman was selling all of my best players. Plymouth had been relegated from the Championship and were down in about 10th place so sacked there manager so I applied and that's where I am now. We went on to win the league with 98 points and won the JPT. Many thanks has to go to the maker of a tactics set I downloaded.

Doing well in pre season and between me and you I think we will go up. Jim patterson is a great LB and can play up down the left side, Just signed a similar player to him called Avine who is looking good in teh friendlies. David Barron plays well at RB, Leandro Camilo is very good at CB as is Tiago Prado. Signed a player called Rinaldo whilst at Accrington and in 37 games scored ten and had 17 assists. My chairman then sold him to City who were Premier League bound, Tried getting him on loan during the season as he wasn't playing but he kept turning me down. City offered him to me in the summer so I snapped him up and know he will do well in the Championship.

Bonin offers me something different on the right and although I have plenty of players who can play right wing I'm not entirely happy with it, Feel I only really have Bonin as a proper out and out right winger. Jon Altuna is a great DM. Seem to have strikers coming out of my ears at the moment so may need to send a few to my feeder clubs to get them some games have about 16 of them so plenty to chose from.

[Pilnin]

started with peterborough, finished 10th first season with 73 points, 3 off the play offs.

second season- 6th, again on 73 points but went out in the semis to forest.

third season- 1st with 106 points, absolutely walked away with it. Highlight of season winning 6-0 at the gas and going 37 games in a row scoring a goal.

then, got offered the Brum job who had finished bottom of the prem, going into the championship with a transfer budget of 12 mill, or going with p'boro with 800k. so.. left for brum.

1st season with them (2011/12) finished top with 104 points, pushed all the way by burnley who finished on 100 points.

problem being, i'm in a lot of debt. Had way too many fringe players on big wages who I couldnt get rid of. Was losing around 2million a month which could have been more if i hadnt reached quarters in both cup competitions. At the end of the season, had a board takeover so going into the prem thought i'd be given a big budget.... 4 million!! Going to be a tough season I reckon.

Tactics i use:

Either:

.........gk.........

rb..cb...cb....lb

........dmc........

...cm..cm...cm

.....st.....st

or:

.......gk..........

rb..cb..cb...lb

.....dmc........

.....cm.........

amr.......aml

......st..st......

Was using the first one with Peterborough where I had determined and hard working players and the second with Birmingham where I have players like Lennon, Mcsheffery and Flood on the wings.

Managed to sign a few promising players, one in particular who is 16 at cb is a rock and consistently has been getting 7.2 or over. And signed Mevlut Erdinc who has been banging them in.

[Big Red Rich]

players you HAVE to buy if your using 9.2 patch:

Striker: Blas Perez - Will cost you £1m.

Striker: Robert Lewandowski - Will cost about £1.5 (i bought him in my 2nd season as a replacement for Perez who I sold for £7m)

Midfielder: Mascio - £100k wonderkid

Keep faith in Basso, he is awesome!

[Ian M]

Keep faith in Basso, he is awesome!

I'm using that

[Pickle Rick]

players you HAVE to buy if your using 9.2 patch:

Striker: Blas Perez - Will cost you £1m.

Striker: Robert Lewandowski - Will cost about £1.5 (i bought him in my 2nd season as a replacement for Perez who I sold for £7m)

Midfielder: Mascio - £100k wonderkid

Keep faith in Basso, he is awesome!

Add Kikin Fonseca to that - a Mexican Striker who'll get loadsa goals for any club. Excellent for a target man especially if you got a pacey striker alongside.

I play him and Djibril Cisse up front together and they have a strike partnership of 14 goals already from just 8 games!!

A must buy for any team and just £2.5m!!!

[SyntaxtheRed]

Just got this a couple of days ago having not played the like since champ 01/02 season. 10 games in with City currently in 3rd place behind Norwich and Southampton. Brought in Hasanri from bollton reserves on loan currently top scorer with 5 goals and i'm only paying him £250 p/w . Lost to portsmouth in 3rd round of lg cup 2 -1 at Fratton park. Biggest league win 3 0 home to Plymouth, biggest loss 2-1 away at Derby. Using 442 formation with Sproule (who is awsome) in amr postion.

Loving the 3D engine. will report back.

[Pack’s Chin]

I was manager of Cambridge United, expectations were to get promoted.

I signed a seriously good striker for the conference... John Cunliffe (was free agent) but he got injured and was out for 8 months!

Now been sacked by Cambridge and offered the job at Hampton & Richmond after floating mid table all season.

Wish me luck!

[grebes]

Any advice regarding press conferences anf the replies you should give, or better still, do you think I could get away with the assistant manager taking them. No idea how to respond to some of the questions. For example, did you enjoy the opposition players performance when he made your defence look stupid?....of course not.

In my first season with City I was second for ages just behind Reading. Bad run in saw me drop to 3rd. Lost in the play-off final to Watford. 2nd season started poorly before climbing to second. Then the players started shooting off to the press that they didn't rate me and I was then sacked.

Training? Anyone bother tweaking it?

Any advice chaps?

[southy354]

Press Conferences are a waste of time, the assistant manager is competent at doing them, so leave it to him.

There's a very good training out there, here's the link.

[Pack’s Chin]

I'm Wimbledon now... any part time training files for download?

[CiderHider]

Riberio is prem quality, hes keeping out Aurellio.

I bought Henry Saivet and John Fleck, both wonderkids, Jack Rodwell too and Jack Wilshire. Neymar, Marquinhos, Santana are all special here is my 442 line up in 2011 I'm 4th in teh prem

Asenjo

Riberio Rodwell Gary Cahill Zacardo

Dos Santos Defour Santana Fleck

Saivet Elmander

Basso

Jack Wilshire

Marquinhos

Roberto De Sousa

Javi Garcia

Oscar

Fabio Aurellio

Awsome squad

[Barrs Court Red]

I've brought fleck, havn't really used him, it seems he will come good. I've just picked up Wilshire on a free

Anyways, after getting pissed off with the game I'm playing it again, realising it's going to be yet another season without the title (Arsenal anjd Liverpool are 20 points ahead, only losing 1 game each) I've gone out and spent £60 mil on Barry, Thiago Silva and Ponzio. I've got Sampadoria in the UEFA, and if I beat them and Everton win their game we've got each other - They're 3rd in the league and gave me a couple of hammerings in my 2nd season

[BristolCity1992]

Well I am 9 games into my season with Rushden first year.

I managed to sign a promising English striker from the USA on a free but he can not seem to score despite good stats, Richie Partridge has come in on loan from Chester to shore up some cover on the wings and James Wilson has come on loan along with a Leicester player we lack serious cover in the middle and that is something I need to address in the next transfer window.

I have up front: Akinde, Leon Knight, Clare, Lee Phillips and that promising striker yet we still can not score goals, Akinde is a great player to play off of but has yet to score, Knight scored a hat-trick thats it and is now injured for a while, Clare is just coming back from injury and Phillips has been pretty dire he had 6 shots in the first game and failed to get one on target.

At the moment I have P 9 W 2 D 5 L 2 and I have only scored 9 goals along the way 5 of them coming in one game against Gravesend.

[BCFC RED]

1st in the prem with city!

after 11 games in 2nd season..

recomended signings: Diomande, Tordoya, Michael Morton, Binya, Juan Angel Albin, Jozy Altidore, Robert Lewandowski (polish U21)

[SyntaxtheRed]

Got promoted via play offs first season.

Given 4.7m to keep team up in prem. Bought Zaki for 2.6 million who scored 17 goals to help us to finish 14th.

second season with club having cleared all debts have been given 30m to stay up. Spent 9m on two centre backs, Norways capt (can't spell his name from memory) & Sunkoh (siera leone cpt). both awesome playing Care at right back with Fonts at left back. Bought danish Star Zimiling for midfield 4m. Kasper Schmicheal 4m. spent a 1.5 mil on two young wingers for cover (with better potential than) Mcindoe & sproule. F'Ing Newcastle have unsettled Zaki though (i rejected 7.5m bid ). 14m left in transfer kitty.

Currently 7th after 9 games in second season in prem playing 4-1-4-1 attacking, short passing, tight marking.

Loving it still, addicted rating: time to change underwear.

My tip: buy awesome centre backs.

[SJC]

A Football Manager live question for you all;

I was eagerly looking forward to FM Live's release, however I was extremely disappointed when I realised that team names would be created and players would feature in an auction style system.

I'm sure it is incredibly addictive once you get in to it, but do others share my thoughts that the whole thing is devalued through an emphasis on user creation?

Why not, which is what I assumed they would do, simply employ a 'luck of the draw' style lottery system where new managers are assigned a club at random?

You could choose your country and perhaps division preferance, but I would much rather pit my wits at Chester or Leyton Orient within the basis of the existing game than tackle 'Jazzy fc' etc.

Anyone agree?

[Barrs Court Red]

Yeah, along with the subscription that aspect of it put me off too.

Surely it would be better to have multiple game worlds than have all these made up teams. The problem with having a "real" game world though, is that it wouldn't suit everyones time.

[The Enormous Turnip]

Just starting my 3rd season on the 9.3 patch

Got City up first season using the old 4-1-4-1, got Fransisco Merida in on loan from Arsenal and signed Franco Zuculini (dm) with a 500k transfer kitty. Styvar up top scored 20!

Up in the prem i decided to keep the same formation but made a few signings, Daniel Aquino up front for 5mil, Mark Beevers at the back for pennies, and Kasper Schmeichel for 3m. then in Jan i bought 2 new wingers, Giovani dos Santos and Kightly, ended up finishing 14th. Got a prety nice 3-0 win over Liverpool in there somewhere aswell!

Zuculini didnt sign a new contract and went to Lazio on a free which was a bummer, tried to sign him back but hes worth almost 10mil now So i decided to strengthen the midfield, with a much bigger transfer budget this time, bought Diego Buonanotte for 7mil and Georginio Wijnaldum, both AM's, and playing Marv at DM. Getting huge bids in for Aquino and dos Santos but luckily we've got a decent balance so Lansdown isn't stepping in an accepting them!

Not too far into this season, but i trashed Ipswich (who had just come up) in the first game at AG, got a draw at White Hart Lane, won at Goodison and knocked Preston out of the cup so far, not bad!

The only place I haven't strengthened is the defence.. which seems to be holding up alright, Ribeiro is awesome.

[CarlBCFC]

just got the game

started with city

sold elliott for 1.5 mil

brought in barazite as a replacement. Any ideas as a cheap replacement for Mcindoe?

[Nogbad the Bad]

Sorry.. wrong user again! I should really check before posting

[The Enormous Turnip]

The only place I haven't strengthened is the defence.. which seems to be holding up alright, Ribeiro is awesome.

Well as it goes i just spent a ton strengthening my defence... anyone who can afford him, get Federico Fazio at CB, the kid is unreal.

This is my team now..

brought in barazite as a replacement. Any ideas as a cheap replacement for Mcindoe?

Would suggest keeping McIndoe, but if not theres this guy called Steven Robb.. not quite as good as macca but a lot younger and only about 140k? Give him a go

[CarlBCFC]

how u take screenshots?