The Official FOOTBALL MANAGER 2012 Career Thread

[itszamora]

Just managed to get this working over the weekend, so you can probably guess what I spent most of the weekend doing.

In terms of transfers, I've loaned out a lot of the younger players, and have brought in Stephen Jordan on a free as we needed another left-back, Marco Materazzi (!) on a free as we're short of a central defender with the injuries (and he only wanted £1,800 a week) and John Bostock on loan from Spurs as my 4-3-3/4-5-1 system needed another central midfielder. Also signed some young DM from Cameroon who got released by Marseille, if he reaches his potential he'll be great, but I'm not 100% convinced he will. But he's cheap so it's a gamble worth taking I feel.

Longer-term, I'm targeting a keeper to provide competition for Casper - Joe Lewis is leaving Peterborough on a free at the end of the season so he's the obvious one to go for. I could also do with another right-back and a DM, but for now the squad is ok. I've doubts over my ability to hold on to LuaLua and Vicente though, both say they are not interested in signing new contracts at the moment.

Results-wise, we're 5 games in and have 13 points, good for second behind Burnley who are thrashing everyone, having beaten Pompey 2-0 at the Amex, Peterborough 3-0 away, Leicester 2-1 away with a brilliant comeback and Palace 3-0 at home where we dominated utterly (28 shots to none) and they had two men sent off. Only dropped points were a 2-2 home draw with Ipswich, although my decision to make 8 changes when we played Stevenage in the Carling Cup did backfire as we were knocked out 2-1. Vicente's just coming back from injury and hasn't done much, but CMS (5 goals), LuaLua (4) and Bostock (3) have all been sensational. It's all looking promising thus far...

 

[ees complicated no?]

Just managed to get this working over the weekend, so you can probably guess what I spent most of the weekend doing.

In terms of transfers, I've loaned out a lot of the younger players, and have brought in Stephen Jordan on a free as we needed another left-back, Marco Materazzi (!) on a free as we're short of a central defender with the injuries (and he only wanted £1,800 a week) and John Bostock on loan from Spurs as my 4-3-3/4-5-1 system needed another central midfielder. Also signed some young DM from Cameroon who got released by Marseille, if he reaches his potential he'll be great, but I'm not 100% convinced he will. But he's cheap so it's a gamble worth taking I feel.

Longer-term, I'm targeting a keeper to provide competition for Casper - Joe Lewis is leaving Peterborough on a free at the end of the season so he's the obvious one to go for. I could also do with another right-back and a DM, but for now the squad is ok. I've doubts over my ability to hold on to LuaLua and Vicente though, both say they are not interested in signing new contracts at the moment.

Results-wise, we're 5 games in and have 13 points, good for second behind Burnley who are thrashing everyone, having beaten Pompey 2-0 at the Amex, Peterborough 3-0 away, Leicester 2-1 away with a brilliant comeback and Palace 3-0 at home where we dominated utterly (28 shots to none) and they had two men sent off. Only dropped points were a 2-2 home draw with Ipswich, although my decision to make 8 changes when we played Stevenage in the Carling Cup did backfire as we were knocked out 2-1. Vicente's just coming back from injury and hasn't done much, but CMS (5 goals), LuaLua (4) and Bostock (3) have all been sensational. It's all looking promising thus far...

Football Manager 2012

more people use this one lately

 

[WhingForPresident]

Doing pretty well with Brighton going into the half-way point of my first season. Have spent absolutely loads of money, but will hopefully be recouped with promotion.

Ins:
Pablo Mouche- Boca- £130k
Michael O'Connor- Scunthorpe- £1.3mil
Kazenga LuaLua- Newcastle- £1mil
Joe Bennett- Middlesbrough- £1mil
Leandro Cabrera- Atletico Madrid- £650k
Ben Amos- Manchester United- £1mil
Glenn Loovens- Celtic- £350k
Stephen Dobbie- Swansea- £1.2mil
John-Joe O'Toole- Colchester- £400k
Kevin McDonald- Sheff Utd- £210k
Marco Verratti- Pescara- £1.5mil- Quality player- Only 19 and he is already 4 stars according to my scouts- meant to be the next Andrea Pirlo apparently.
Jlloyd Samuel- Free
Andreas Hinkel- Free

Out:
Ryan Harley- Reading- £250k
Ashley Barnes- Peterborough- £200k
Jlloyd Samuel- Colchester- £10k
Gary Dicker- Sheff Weds- £100k
Peter Brezovan- Cardiff- £100k
Michael Poke- Ipswich- £65k
Jamie Smith- AFC Wimbledon- £10k
Tommy Elphick- Bury- £45k
Jamie Strong- Cambridge- Free
Alan Navarro- Stevenage- Free
Raphael Branco- Released
Caskey, Hall, Grant, Kasim, Redwood, East, Simmonds, Woodley and Barker all out on loan.

Currently 4th with 51 points from 27 games, 3 points behind Leicester in first- Won 15, Drawn 6, Lost 6, Scored 46, Conceded 28.

Buckley, Mouche and CMS all have 7 goals so far, but have all been out for a long-time with injuries, especially Mouche, who has only played 5 games due to injury. Loovens and Noone were also out for 5 months and are just coming back into the fold.
Vicente has 12 assists from 17 games and Buckley and LuaLua have 7 a-piece.
Think I'll be getting the chop for my reckless spending if we don't go up this season

 

[shaolinpunk]

Scraped through the Champions League playoff with CSKA Moscow, nabbing a late winner at home then a dodgy penalty giving me a draw away from home. Been drawn with Lyon (defending champs), Roma and Dynamo Kiev in the group stage. I don't really care if I crash out early, the millions that the CL will make for the club will be a big boost

 

[jcdenton08]

Full update at end of season, but only into September 2012 and so far: Sunderland (A) 2-0, Man City (H) 3-2, Leicester (Second XI @ H - Lg Cup 2nd Rnd) 3-0, Aston Villa (H) 0-0, Norwich (A) 5-1, and just now Man Utd (Second XI @ H - Lg Cup 3rd Rnd) 5-1 !! 3rd in PL so far..

Back to back 5-1 wins - the second from my reserves (9 changes from the previous match!)

I bloody love this game at the moment - full update at end of season.

 

[sten_super]

So last night I finished my third season, summer 2014. England made it to the WC quarter-finals where they were knocked out by Brazil. Capello, who had stayed after the Euros, retired, and Roberto Mancini, sacked by Man City in 2013, was appointed his successor. They laughed when I applied. Oh and Turkey, yes Turkey, won the WC after beating Brazil 1-0 in the final. I finished the previous season in 7th, which earnt me a UEFA cup place (in the third qualifying round admittedly). Didn't need to make any wholesale changes, although I sold a few players (including Oscar Cardozo, who I signed for £400k in January and sold for £3.6m in the summer, Anthony Annan, Darron Gibson, and George Boyd). Major signings were Xherdan Shaqiri (for £13.25m, new record, from relegated Stoke), Championship player of the year Tom Cairney, Jordan Mutch, Jason Steele and Jonjo Shelvey. Mancini's first England squad included Jason Steele and Connor Wickham.

Team is;
GK) Scott Loach (Watford, £525k)
RB) Lee Hodson (Watford, £700k)
CB) Jack Hobbs (Hull, £2.5m)
CB) Lewis Dunk
LB) Greg Cunningham (Man City, £1.3m)
DM) Radosav Petrovic (Blackburn, £1.7m)
CM) Jonjo Shelvey (Liverpool, £2m)
CM) Josh McEachran (Chelsea, £5m)
AML) Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke, £13.75m)
AMR) Will Buckley
CF) Connor Wickham (Sunderland, £5.75m)

Bench is;
Jason Steele (Middlesbrough, £1m), Ryan Bennett (Peterborough, £2m), Jordan Mutch (Southampton, £3.1m), Tom Cairney (Hull, £2.6m), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds, £2.4m), Elliot Bennett (Everton, Greg Solle (AMR/ST American regen, free after he left NY Red Bull), José (AML/ST Spanish regen, Real Madrid £3.3m)

Calderon is still around as my backup right back, although he barely plays and has lost the captaincy (Dunk is captain, Hobbs is vice).

 

[shaolinpunk]

I got through the group stage. Finished second with 10 points.

I've been trying for a year now to sign an unbelievable regen striker from River Plate. 20 years old, 6ft and finishing, free kicks, pace, acceleration, first touch, strength, heading, and composure all 16+. Getting fed up that they keep on saying no (he's valued at £4m, I've offered up to £12 so far)... I think at the end of this season I should be getting a bumper transfer budget at which point I'll throw £20 million at them and see what happens

 

[sten_super]

I got through the group stage. Finished second with 10 points.

I've been trying for a year now to sign an unbelievable regen striker from River Plate. 20 years old, 6ft and finishing, free kicks, pace, acceleration, first touch, strength, heading, and composure all 16+. Getting fed up that they keep on saying no (he's valued at £4m, I've offered up to £12 so far)... I think at the end of this season I should be getting a bumper transfer budget at which point I'll throw £20 million at them and see what happens

Great effort to go through. I assume Lyon won the group?

On the transfer budgets - what have you been getting so far? I think I had c£12m my first season in the Prem, but in the two since then I've been given c£20m a go, plus an increase of £50k-£100k per week in the wage budget. I want to try to stick with a young british team, which has been easy so far (relatively few foreigners interested in signing for me) but is definitely going to get more difficult if I continue to progress. The season I've just started I've been trying to blood a couple of the youngsters (one half decent striker coming through, one right back both 18 so old enough for the odd cameo; a couple of good strikers and a potentially star centre back coming through the ranks as well).

 

[shaolinpunk]

Yeah Lyon won the group, I lost both games against them, did the double over Roma and took 4 points off of Dynamo Kiev.

I forget what it was second season but third season it was £22m. I'm a wheeler dealer so I try and bring in players on the cheap even though I have the money. When I need to I'll fork out though - my record signing is Kasper Schemeichel at start of second season for £7.5m. I'm trying to give Caskey more development in the first team after somewhat neglecting him previously, and I've brought a 16yo regen LB through to the first team and play him against weaker teams

I'm going to bring in either Caulker from Spurs or Jack Robinson from Liverpool in the summer I think to partner Dunk - young stars who v.good with the potential to be leading prem CBs. Robinson is annoyed about not playing much so he shouldn't be difficult to get.

I'll need a couple of midfielders as well. Someone to replace Clingan and/or Bridcutt and challenge Miles Addison and Henri Lansbury in the heart of midfield. Buckley wants to leave which is fair enough as he doesn't play much, nor does Sisi so I'll let them go if they want and try and find the new Gareth Bale

 

[shaolinpunk]

Also, I want the Argentinian striker as Hoskins wants to go, Bergkamp is limited to the occasional sub appearance and the three main strikers are very similar - quick with an eye for goal. Not a bad way to play but I'm limited to that one style. Leigh Griffiths is lethal but CMS is starting to get on a bit and neither he nor Frazier Campbell score as often as I'd like, so I want the strain taken of Griffiths

 

[itszamora]

OK, key question here. It's taken until October for Casper to start costing me points, so now the registration window's closed. I've offered Timo Hildebrand a contract (he's a free agent), but if he signs will he be able to play before January? There is room in the squad for him...

 

[Braders]

Well quite an Interesting first couple of seasons for me

Brighton
Season one
wanted a top half of the table finish and I finished 7th , wanted to build my squad for a push for the Premiership , CMS chipping in with 26 goals and sadly gets injured last couple of months of the season , well on track to beating Wardys record

Season two
Bought in some new players - Lewis came in from Posh , Bowyer, Delap etc... made the club a nice 2 million profit from selling the fodder in the squad but had a strong 25 man team ready for it , and we started well scoring 4 in each of the first 5 games ... before injuries and suspensions cost me players - a few niggly results including dumped out the fa cup saw me 15th , 6 points off the play off places in November but wasn't good enough for Bloom

SACKED!?!?!?

so that afternoon Woking offered me a job , 21st in the Blue Square South , hadn't won all season - it took me a few games to turn things around (including a 2-1 defeat at Farnborough) before some inspired purchases (due to the sides budget I had no money to buy players and 1.5k over the limit - so was paying the new signings a fiver a week and having to bring in loanees without paying wages - however this turnaround saw me shoot up the league over Christmas and ending the season having been undefeated in the last 15 games finishing a respectable 12th , end of the season Woking had 75k available to spend ,£500 under the wage budget and with a strong squad that could fight for the BSP in the forecoming season - however given what happened with Brighton I fancied a new challenge

RESIGNED

Season three
within a matter of seconds I was offered a job by Port Vale recently promoted then relegated back to league two , again no money or wages tied my hands somewhat but started to create a decent training level , bought in a new Assistant Manager (no one previously was there) and started to clear out the deadwood , agreeing deals to get rid of five players for a fee of over £750k and reducing the wage bill by £6k , back in the black before being headhunted by Barnsley ,just relegated from the Championship , five days later - £1.5 million to spend and £20k worth of wages to spend free , started my clear up and preparation for Season three at my fourth club!!

win rate - 52% , manager of the month - 6 times and turning clubs around since 2011

 

[Frutos]

In non-Albion news, I'm just about to embark on the 5th season of a game managing Valencia in Spain (although I have the English leagues running as well). Despite my limited trophy haul thus far (1x Copa del Rey), my slowly improving league positions (4th, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd) seem to be keeping the board happy enough. The club got taken over in the second season, which was a godsend as it cleared most of the debt and actually gave me some money to spend. Last season was a frustrating one as, despite amassing 95 points in the league, I still finished ELEVEN points behind Barcelona, and I then lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Madrid after having lead 1-0 most of the way then conceding an 86th minute equaliser and a 93rd minute penalty which they scored to nick the game and the Cup.

Squad currently looks like this:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves, Vicente Guaita, Sebastian Viera

Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Jose Angel, Natxo Monreal, Dejan Lovren, Adil Rami, Victor Ruiz, Salvador Martinez

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Rasmus Elm, Alan Dzagoev, Ever Banega, Hernan Bernardello

Attacking Midfielders/Wingers: Antonio Valencia, Pablo Piatti, Eugene Konoplyanka, Pedro Leon

Strikers: Jonathan Cristaldo, Iker Muniain, Roberto Soldado, Rodrigo Peralta

Muniain from Athletic Bilbao was my HUGE Summer signing, as I decided to put all my eggs in one basket and pay an eye-watering £40 Million to meet his minimum release clause (I tried to get him for less, but they weren't having it). He's spent the last 4 seasons scoring very well in an increasingly poor Athletic side, so I'm hoping that he can emulate and surpass that with some proper service from my wingers and a proper partnership with Cristaldo (now that Soldado is getting on a bit). At 22, and with key stats reading:

Finishing: 16
Composure: 15
Pace:16
Acceleration: 19

I feel I shouldn't be disappointed, and hopefully my top level coaching staff will get the best from him in that regard. Co-incidentally enough, although most of his fee came from my existing budget, I did have to sell some fringe players to make up the balance, with two of those going being Eren Derdiyok (£5m) and Jozy Altidore (£9m), both of whom made the hop across the channel to newly-promoted Premiership side Brighton and Hove Albion (under the management of Alan Curbishley!), so clearly Tony is splashing the cash a bit over there. Hopefully my new star, plus a slightly aging Barca side, can lead me to an improvement in my trophy tally this time around.

 

[Conkers]

Well quite an Interesting first couple of seasons for me

Brighton
Season one
wanted a top half of the table finish and I finished 7th , wanted to build my squad for a push for the Premiership , CMS chipping in with 26 goals and sadly gets injured last couple of months of the season , well on track to beating Wardys record

Season two
Bought in some new players - Lewis came in from Posh , Bowyer, Delap etc... made the club a nice 2 million profit from selling the fodder in the squad but had a strong 25 man team ready for it , and we started well scoring 4 in each of the first 5 games ... before injuries and suspensions cost me players - a few niggly results including dumped out the fa cup saw me 15th , 6 points off the play off places in November but wasn't good enough for Bloom

SACKED!?!?!?
)

Almost the same happened to me. Finished 4th, lost 4-0 to Hammers in play-off final. Set goal of promotion in 2nd season, was 2nd until I went 6 without a win (4 games away from home, picked up 2 draws). Then out of the blue I got SACKED. I was only a few points off the play-offs and this was in November!
Now manager of Brentford and look forward to a 2nd round FA cup replay with Luton to decide who hosts Liverpool in the 3rd round!

 

[Bertiehuburn]

well im 2015!! on my game gained promotion 1st season via play offs then just made sure my team were solid through the centre!!! looked in south america for players always works out for a wonderkid not spotted!! managed to finish 9th for 2 seasons in prem next season a player called LIEGH GRITTHIHS will garuntee you goals from wolves!! got him for 4 mill and he has single handed got me were i am!! with my brazillian wonderkid on the left!! after europa league having a great season winning 12 in a row and finally finishing 3rd 4 poins of 1st!!! champions league very happy with but just have blown all money out of proportion with this 19 year old who by these stats is the next messi just payed 8 mill up front 20 mill over 24 months but the stats say it all!! he is gonn be unreal trying to print screen but this is where scouting across the world comes usefull!!! ubt amazing!!! cant upload him but his main stats are dribbling 19 crossing 19 pace 17 passing 17 technique 17 and he is 6ft2 at the age of 19 but the rest of his stats are still sssssooooooo goooddd!! labelled the new messi at brighton and messi has not retired yet!!! buzzziiiiinnnngngggg!!!!

 

[Drumstick]

2016 Currently, Brighton sit in 13th in the Prem in April and I won the league cup so Europa League next year.

11/12 - 17th Champ
12/13 - 5th - Play off final but lost to Barnsley - Amex expanded to 23,500
13/14 - 3rd - Won play offs
14/15 - 16th - Stayed up Amex expanded to 24,000
15/16 - 13th Currently in April 2016, Won Carling Cup after pens with Newcastle.

Trying to expand the Amex further but short on money currently hoping to get it done at the end of this season. Youth and training facilities both top notch and Quinton Fortune is my assistant manager too.

Current Team:

GK: SCOTT LOACH

DR: DAN GOSLING
CB: JACK HOBBS
CB: LEWIS DUNK
DL: ALEKSANDAR KOLAROV

DMC: NIGEL DE JONG
MCR: JACK CORK
W: MATT JARVIS
W: JOEL CAMPBELL

F: HUGO RODALLEGA
F: SHANE LONG

OTHERS OF NOTE:
ORLANDO SA
HATEM BEN ARFA
ARNDRA DOSSENA
BEN MEE
JOE LEWIS

 

[WhingForPresident]

In my third season now- won the Championship with 103 points last season and have won 1, drawn 5, lost 1 of our opening Premiership games. Squad is-

Joe Lewis
Gonzalo Jara Reyes
Tore Reginiussen
Leandro Cabrera
Stephen Warnock
Craig Noone/Iago Falque
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Jake Livermore
Marco Verratti
Will Buckley/Kazenga LuaLua
Khouma Babacar

Loads of quality regens as well, mainly coming from Ireland. Also got Roque Santa Cruz, CMS, Kevin McDonald, Henri Lansbury, Pablo Mouche, Joe Bennett + Dunk and Caskey floating around on the fringes.

 

[jcdenton08]

youth and training facilities both top notch and quinton fortune is my assistant manager too.

flair

 

[jcdenton08]

Joe Lewis
Gonzalo Jara Reyes
Tore Reginiussen
Leandro Cabrera
Stephen Warnock
Craig Noone/Iago Falque
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Jake Livermore
Marco Verratti
Will Buckley/Kazenga LuaLua
Khouma Babacar

Be careful not to trust that Iago

 

[Frutos]

From my aforementioned Valencia game, my proudest FM moment: