Football Manager 2008.

[Anzac]

Started a new game with the Arsenal and spent HUGE...

Brought in: Barzagli 12.5m, Nasri 30m, Silva 50m, Arshavin 7.5m and Akinfeev 15m.

Sold: Almunia 5m, Gilberto 10m.

So I have a ridiculously good squad playing a 4-1-2-2-1 formation. I feel I'm short a top quality DM (Flamini will do for now) and Aguero from a perfect team. Depth at the moment is amazing though.

how the h*ll did you come up with all that funding???
Silva alone would have taken all my funds!!!!!

Its quite simple, you just need to structure the deals properly. First of all contantly adjust your budget to get the most transfer funds even after big transfers so my final budget was 63m roughly with a wage budget of roughly 1m, + the 15m i got in transfers so I had around 80m. The actual fees I paid were some up front but most over 24 months. eg Silva was 20m + 30m over 24months. Arshavin I paid full up front, Barzagli was 7.5 now 7.5 over 24months (I just looked again and he cost 15), Nasri and Akinfeev were 5 upfront. And also I offer sweeteners like 50% of next sale for players like Silva, Barzagli, Akinfeev, Nasri because I have no plans of ever selling them. But yeah long story short I pay around 3m a month on back payments for transfers... it worked ok for Leeds, didn't it??

I understand about splitting the transfer fee over monthly payments, but I'm missing something re your comment about constantly adjusting it. In my game I say we'll challenge for the title & I get about 50mill budget & 1.1mill for wages. Even if I said we'd win the title I get about 58mill budget but can't recall the wages. What I'm presuming you do is constantly take money out of the wages budget into the transfer kitty??? :idea:

The only player I've sold has been Song to Pompey for 7mill + 25% next fee. RVP & Gallas were being hunted from Milan so I said I wanted 20mill for each & they left me alone & the players didn't complain. :wink:
You should be able to get Akinfeev for about 15mill - but it may have to be up front - I remember I have bought him a couple of times for that price & I think last time around it was something like 10-12.5 upfront & then 2.5-5 over 12 months. I think at one time I even put down the bid as non negotiable & a tomorrow deadline.
I presume you are using a 4-3-3 with a dedicated DM (& no AMC) - where are you using Arshavin - AMR??? Must admit I only buy him for my 4-2-3-1 to play in the hole. I find Ade & Bendtner are monsters in the central lone striker role, but I have problems trying to get the most out of Eduardo. In my 4-3-3 I was looking at bringing in Veloso (10.5mill) for my DM with Bert as backup, and then playing Cesc & Flams as my 2 mids behind a front line of RVP AMR, Farfan (10mill) AML & Ade ST - with Ignashevich, Bert, Hleb, Rosicky & Eduardo off the bench.
I want to try for Akinfeev (& sell Almunia) & Aguero to replace RVP on the right & am prepared to sell Rosicky & Hleb if I need to, although both are playing well (Hleb is even scoring on a regular basis!!!!)

The reference re Akinfeev was actually meant in response to Entropy ops:

 

[entropy13]

You should get Akinfeev Anzac, but I don't know about the bargaining though, perhaps bidding at 10m first would be enough. I gave an initial 18m bid, and I expected the board to intervene and accept (the respective boards intervened in accepting the Fernandez and Coloccini bids, so I thought why not?) but they didn't so now they're asking for 30m UPFRONT, plus installments and per league appearances for a grand total of 50m.

 

[Dez]

Your right Anzac you constantly take money out for example when I signed Silva my budget went down to bout 20 mill (from around 50) so i adjusted back upto 30m.

 

[spartan239]

This game is most anoying sometimes, playing as Wolves and am currently leading the Chaampionship by 13 pionts and going into January West Brom make a 2.1 million bid for Keogh who is my leading scored with 24 goals, and my stupid chairman accepts the bid, then Keogh accepts there contract offer even though there sitting 13th in the league. On the flip side that might just fund my move for Mauro Zarate.

update: Both transfers went through, dunno how I got Zarate to come but oh well, not gonna complain

 

[Anzac]

You should get Akinfeev Anzac, but I don't know about the bargaining though, perhaps bidding at 10m first would be enough. I gave an initial 18m bid, and I expected the board to intervene and accept (the respective boards intervened in accepting the Fernandez and Coloccini bids, so I thought why not?) but they didn't so now they're asking for 30m UPFRONT, plus installments and per league appearances for a grand total of 50m.

yeah every time I've signed him they have still been asking for at least 22 mill up front plus monthly payments - however I've never paid more than 15 for him - just can't remember if it was cash or 10-12.5 with the remainder over 12 months. If you look for payments over 24 months you may have to pay more though.

 

[tam1886]

I've only started playing this again recently, with all the courseworks, exams etc, but I'm getting right into it now. Last exam is tomorrow, so after that, I can claim I'm thinking about my future and just play this all summer

The only player I've sold has been Song to Pompey for 7mill + 25% next fee.

Abou Diaby - Inter Milan - £10m up front - 50% sell on clause - £5m after 1 international appearance - £2.5m after 30 league games. (off the top of my head, Im not 100% sure about the international and league game clauses, but it was certainly a large amount after 1 international, and I'm pretty sure I'm close with the league clause)

....where are you using Arshavin - AMR??? Must admit I only buy him for my 4-2-3-1 to play in the hole. I find Ade & Bendtner are monsters in the central lone striker role, but I have problems trying to get the most out of Eduardo.

I use Arshavin there too, rotate him with Rosicky. I bought him, Amauri, McFadden in my first transfer market, and got Vanden Borre in the Januuary window.

I use a 4-2-3-1 with Eduardo on the left, but the arrow of him going into the CF position, same with RvP on the other side. Both of them scores ****loads of goals for me, more than either Amauri or Adebayor. Rosicky is weighing in with his fair share of goals too.

 

[Anzac]

I've only started playing this again recently, with all the courseworks, exams etc, but I'm getting right into it now. Last exam is tomorrow, so after that, I can claim I'm thinking about my future and just play this all summer

The only player I've sold has been Song to Pompey for 7mill + 25% next fee.

Abou Diaby - Inter Milan - £10m up front - 50% sell on clause - £5m after 1 international appearance - £2.5m after 30 league games. (off the top of my head, Im not 100% sure about the international and league game clauses, but it was certainly a large amount after 1 international, and I'm pretty sure I'm close with the league clause)

....where are you using Arshavin - AMR??? Must admit I only buy him for my 4-2-3-1 to play in the hole. I find Ade & Bendtner are monsters in the central lone striker role, but I have problems trying to get the most out of Eduardo.

I use Arshavin there too, rotate him with Rosicky. I bought him, Amauri, McFadden in my first transfer market, and got Vanden Borre in the Januuary window.

I use a 4-2-3-1 with Eduardo on the left, but the arrow of him going into the CF position, same with RvP on the other side. Both of them scores ****loads of goals for me, more than either Amauri or Adebayor. Rosicky is weighing in with his fair share of goals too.

So your Farrows on your wide men are angled into the box as opposed to keeping them out wide..............haven't tried that one yet but I should as my FBs are always overlapping into the corners.

 

[True Gooner]

Finished my first season at Arsenal in 2nd spot, I was doing really well until I went on a 4 game run without a win (sound familiar?) in March, which naturally cost me the title, but I did win the FA cup, mostly because I had an extremely easy run and I only had to face Manchester City in the finals.

Overall -
League position - 2nd (5 points off the top)
FA cup winners
CC semi finalists
CL QFs - got knocked out thanks to a late, late goal by Zlatan Inbrahamovic :x

Anyway, I didnt spend much in the summer, because my squads really good in my opinion, the only thing is that, like the current Arsenal side, some of the players havent realised their full potential.
Anyway, I signed Richards and Veloso and hopefully the both of them will keep me a few more cleansheets.

I also spent a lot of money (close to 30 million!) on Guilhmere (sp.) and Ballottie (Inter U-20) striker, plus Walcott and Vela have come back to make a very exciting young squad. I think I'll be able to win the league and the CL this time around (as long as my lucks in) becaue everyones one year older and better.

I just won the Community Shield as well, beat Man Utd 4-0!!!!!!!!! Ben Arfa scored 1 and created the other 3.....but Toures injured and out for 2 months :roll:

I havent really changed my tactics, only changed the personnel moved Flamini/Veloso and Richards into my first team in place of Sagna and Gilberto.

 

[DREVAK]

Long time no see from the Tractor Boys. Erm. I hate that nickname, to be perfectly honest. Anyway, it is November 2011 and Ipswich have just beaten Manchester United 3 – 2. The scoreline should have been much better for the blue team. Really! The opposition was brushed aside. But I don't mind, as the win is enough to overtake United and, wait for it, top the table! Although Arsenal are two points behind with a game in hand, so my joy might be short lived. Still, what a huge, huge success, albeit early in the season.

In my last post, which, if I remember correctly, was around the time last season ended, I mentioned having to trim my squad a bit, as it has grown rather large. And with many promising youngsters or reserve players, keeping them all was just a big no no. And so the 30 million exodus started. First Tranquillo Barnetta to Liverpool for ten million. Not much in terms of profit as I signed him for 8.5 some seasons ago, but it's all about the cashflow and he was no longer instrumental in my plans and whatnot.

Then there was Alex Song. A surprise free transfer on my part only half a season ago, but he was very influental a few times throughout the season but in the end was just no longer necessary. Close to five million, destination Newcastle. Then a duo of central midfielders, Owen Garvan and Josh Wright, went to Aston Villa for ten million combined or so. Both were good, perhaps on the verge of very good, but I just had better. The same goes for Nuri Sahin whom I sold to Borussia Dortmund, so a sort of a comeback for him as he used to play there some time ago.

Ho-ho! Just as I type this Arsenal are held to a draw by Stoke (of all teams!). Great news for me. But as I have already said, it is way too early. Oh and did I mention that win against United has set a new record of unbeaten games in a row? 26 or 27 currently, unless I am mistaken. But back to the transfer market. Getting this wonderful amount of money I decided to spend a part of it. Pretty much on yet more extremely promising youngsters. Regens mostly, as the game has gone for a couple of years already. I just hope they can fulfil their potential.

Oh and how could I forget – Marek Hamsik joined from Aston Villa for close to ten million. A brilliant signing. That's all folks, at least for now.

 

[Anzac]

This transfer talk & BS is putting me off my AFC game - can't get into it at the moment. Think I'll have to fire up my LUFC game where I don't have the money or pulling power to worry about the market for a couple of seasons.

 

[CrazyInLoveWithArsenal]

I signed Nasri and Ramsey in my game.

 

[Rocafella]

I'm still playing FM07 but with a transfer update for the start of the season just finished. Really don't like FM08.

Just finished my 4th season with Arsenal, winning the Premiership in each year. This year just gone I was so close to the treble, i'd won the league and FA cup, but lost 1-0 to Bayern after dominating the game. Really annoying because i'd done the double the year before too, but it was the FA cup I didn't win.

I've been in the Champions League final the past 3 years running, but only won it once, bit disappointing. Anyway, thought it was time to move on, so i've just taken the Real Madrid job from Schuster after they finished 3rd in La Liga. He'd finished 1st, 2nd, 1st, 3rd so that's the pressure i'll be under

I'm in the summer window leading in to what will be my first season and I swopped Robben for Kompany and De Guzman from Arsenal, i'd assembled a monster team and i'm trying to raid them for a few more players too. My main concern is getting RVN and Raul off my damn wage bill lol, each earn 85k a week and are useless, but nobody wants them, even for free!

Oddly enough, Grant's just been sacked and Mark Hughes has just taken over at Man City. I've just been replaced by Klinsmann.

 

[DREVAK]

Tor! TOR! TOR!!! Oh wait, wrong language!

Anyway, Ipswich have just won the Carling Cup for the first time in their history! In their 44th game without losing, they have triumphed over none other than Manchester United! 2 – 2 after 120 minutes, and then... 6 – 5 after one of the most dramatic penalty shoot outs I have experienced in FM. Both sides had a goal disallowed for offside, too! What a match. Whew!

I think the team should have done just a tiny bit better and it perhaps might have not gone to penalties. However I do not mind, no sir! This season is just immense. 44 games unbeaten. Carling Cup winners. First place throughout most of the season. A great away win from the first knockout round of the Champions League. Still alive in the FA Cup. This is the Ipswich season! I feel it!

 

[DREVAK]

The unbeaten run continues. Ridiculous and awesome at the same time. Plenty of draws in there but I don't mind. Because on April 28th, Ipswich do the double. Arsenal, only few points behind me a couple of rounds back, stumble even more than I do – as I have drawn with the likes of Leicester – and rule themselves out of the title race.

A few days before securing the title another part of the dream run took place. After getting rather easily through the CL group stage, I was lucky to get a relatively easy draw with Betis and Benfica in the first two knockout rounds. The former fixture I won 4 – 3 after a 2 – 2 draw in the second leg was enough, the quarterfinal was more convincing, 3 – 1 and 2 – 1 wins.

The real test came in the semifinal. None other than Real Madrid. I was just lucky to be there so I didn't expect anything. A decent show would do. Getting this far was simply enough. True to this line of thought, the home leg started badly. Soldado and Zapata scored halfway through the first half. 0 – 2 against a better team, game over, right? Maybe... or maybe not!

Centre back Garry Bocaly clawed one back after a corner with only minutes left until the break. Then a short time into second half, star striker Guilherme equalized. Ten minutes later, I got a penalty and Eduardo Ratinho converted it. And then super sub Vincent Acapandie finished the great comeback with a stunning long range shot. 4 – 2 after going two nil down.

Stuff of legend I tell you! One of the best comebacks I have seen on FM. Maybe the best one. A huge result. But the fixture was far from over. The away leg awaited me. And Real have scored two goals at Portman Road. Which could prove very useful for them and very dangerous to me. And so, on May 2nd, the Tractor Boys stepped on the pitch of Santiago Bernabeu.

And were getting beaten soundly. Robben made it one nil after twenty minutes. Soldado could have got a hattrick if I did not get extremely lucky. I was puzzled as to how the game could be only 1 – 0 at half time. But it was. There was hope for me yet. The second half was the same. The opponents had to wonder how come they don't lead by five goals already.

When Robinho scored in 80th minute after a horrible goal kick and poor defending, meaning Real Madrid would win on aggregate, I kind of resigned. And shuffled the formation and instructions a bit. A lot. Towards attack. A very all out and crazy and suicidal attack. Nothing to lose now, so why not go down fighting, I thought! To have gone so far was an achievement by itself.

But my thoughts were premature and I was quickly setting up timewasting and defending tactics for the last minutes of the match. Because a few minutes after Robinho scored, Federico Fazio the Ipswich captain has done the same. I got a free kick just outside the box on the right, and the centre back powered an unstoppable header behind Casillas. Real Madrid 2 – 1 Ipswich.

Make that Ipswich 5 – 4 Real Madrid on aggregate.

Finally beaten, or still unbeaten.

I was through to the Champions League final. For the first time in my Football Manager career.

 

[Anzac]

You are an inspiration Drevak - think I'm going to start a game as Wolves in the Championship & see if I can create some history of my own. What sort of formation are you using?

 

[DREVAK]

In the very beginning I was using a pretty standard 4–4–2. Obviously with some fiddling around with individual instructions. To shape the formation from a seemingly rigid one with three flat lines into something more suited to either attack or defense. However, soon I realized there was something rotten with it.

Every single time I tried a different one, I got either lucky or simply successful. So I explored other possibilities, until I settled on the formation I have been using ever since. 4–2–3–1 with two central midfielders, three attacking midfielders – not wingers, but two of them with side arrows – and a lone striker.

I don't use a target man, just a normal striker. The idea is to have the four attacking players work like your usual strikeforce. With one more attack minded central midfielder only slightly behind them and the other providing some kind of defensive cover but without being a strictly defensive midfielder.

Works very well with a short passing game, all the players are rather fast and individually skilled. Strikers with superb finishing and the attacking midfielders are great creatively and have good goalscoring abilities as well. Usuall results in plenty of technical play, one twos, through balls and the like. And the speed is useful for a decent number of dangerous breaks and one on ones.

The attack is also helped by a marauding fullback, the right one in my case. With the left one being more defensive. In theory the right back goes forward and the right central midfielder, the more defensive of the two, provides cover. And vice versa on the left side, with an offensive midfielder and a more defending fullback.

But in truth the game seems to have got some issues with (defensive) midfielders providing proper defensive cover we see in real life, so don't think a gap left by the right back is sealed by his teammate immediately. But I guess it is better than exposing that side completely or not using the great offensive talent of my right back.

On the topic of things that seem great in theory but are less so in the game, the attack could use some fine tuning as well. I love how the attack is positioned. A striker with the two attacking midfielders to his left and right, pretty much in one line and very offensive minded, with the third attacking midfielder also extremely offensive.

However, despite looking great in the match engine, and looking like it is three or four strikers instead of just one, the attacking midfielders are not as active as I would have wanted. The central one is a bit boxed up with a crowd of teammates around him, which is a pity. And the other two are not as aggressive as I would have wanted.

Not while tackling, obviously, but in the box. Yes, they do have a fair share of goals. But when you see them, they seem to be moving around the same areas as the striker does very often. But are not as lethal and direct as him. Despite having not that different settings. I guess it is a game engine thing, a system setting.

As in having a certain difference between a midfielder and a striker despite making it look like they share almost everything role and tactics wise on the pitch. And I don't want to change the formation to move them into a proper strike role, as first that gets a slightly different result and second I'm not sure I have the players.

Thanks for the praise, but to tell the truth, it is not that hard when you think of it. Yes, definitely a good achievement but nowhere near the level of a other than top four Premier League side getting a good run in the Champions League. Because the game offers loads of very skilled players from strange countries for very decent prices.

And, being a computer game, numbers are what counts. And in the end the players are just that, numbers. So if you take this unrealistic approach it is fairly easy to build a strong team even with limited funds and a relatively low profile team. But I don't want to sound like it is that easy. Having good players is but a part of the job.

 

[Anzac]

I enjoy the passion in your posts about your game. I also like the idea of taking a smaller club to the big time and the satisfaction that brings. This is the first time that I've actually started a game as AFC (moreso out of frustration the season), as I've always felt that it was almost too easy to succeed with them. At the moment I'm too worked up about how our post season isn't going to be able to concentrate with the squad, so perhaps I need to step away from the spotlight so I can concentrate on the game again.

Your formation sounds very much like that used in the game by Toulouse, the only reason I know that is I played them in the CL quals in my AFC game recently.

I'm also a fan of the 4231 although I use it in the more traditional style with wide AMs, although I use FC types with good dribbling in those roles as I want them to score goals as well and not just be winger types. I did try it with the wide positions making central runs but found the area became quite congested & my players were blocking shots better than the defenders!!!

My only concern with the formation is that this version of the game looks to constantly exploit 'the hole'. I note that the AI has a DM dropping into this position as a default setting anytime you start to dominate the game. With only having a 2 man midfield it's difficult to have one of them drop into the hole in defence unless you also drop the AMC back as well.

I've tended to follow some of the mentality suggestions on FMBritain with their 5 mentality formations & the Rule of One. Of late I've been using the 2 holding mids on the same mentality as the CBs, and brought eveyone else back to maintain the RoO. Lastly in my attacking tactic I've got my central striker mentality set about highest 'normal', with the FBs, Wide AMs/FCs & AMC all higher - my AMC actually has the highest individual mentality so as to support the striker in the area.

I also use short passing on just about everyone & high pace with attacking down the flanks. I use my FBs to overlap with forward runs & if I've got a target man type I use them to cross frequently to him - moreso than my wide forwards who tend to make runs into the area towards the far post.

 

[DREVAK]

I am speechless.



Ipswich have won the Champions League.

After an impressive unbeaten run in the league and clinching the title with a few matches to spare, after beating Manchester United in the League Cup final, after losing by a single goal in the FA Cup final against Arsenal, Ipswich have won the Champions League final on penalties.

 

[True Gooner]

You are an inspiration Drevak - think I'm going to start a game as Wolves in the Championship & see if I can create some history of my own. What sort of formation are you using?

QFT

I always want to play as a Championship side, but I bail at the last minute and end up chosing Arsenal, which gets boring after a few seasons because you become the best very very quickly, because you can have any player and win the treble quite easily

Congrats on your CL win

 

[Anzac]

I must admit the best satisfaction I've had was in CM03/04 & taking Hull from 2nd Div to Championship as Division Champions in successive seasons, and along the way scoring an upset win in the L Cup & then UEFA Cup. Not only that but also finding an unknown youngster who became a monster gaol scoring machine for me - Dene Cropper from memory.

Got poached to manage S'hampton in pre-season in my 3rd year & then LFC grabbed me about half way into that season. Also managed Nigeria to the Q/Fs in the WC & I think I had Martins finish as top scorer for the tourneyment.