The Official FOOTBALL MANAGER 2012 Career Thread

[Frutos]

One month into my season, and results wise it's so far so good:

Crystal Palace (Championship) W 3-0
Gillingham (League Cup R1) W 1-0
Portsmouth (Championship) W 2-1
Burnley (Championship) W 2-0
Blackpool (Championship) W 2-1
Swansea (League Cup R2) W 3-2 (AET)
Watford (Championship) W2-1

So, top of the Championship with 15 points out of 15 which puts me two points clear of Middlesbrough and Ipswich, and into the 3rd Round of the League Cup where I have as trip to Craven Cottage to look forward to.

On the downside though I've had to modify my formation to just play one up front (Mouche) with an AMR (Lua Lua), AML (Vicente) and AMC (Buckley) due to CMS, Hoskins and Barnes not being able to hit a barndoor between them thus far. Also, Bridcutt is out for 3 months, but I've been able to bring in a £1 million valued DMC from Villarreal on loan to cover him. At only a £700 a week wage and a potential 675k future fee, I hopefully can't lose there.

Vicente has been superb, as have Mouche and KLL, so they've been able to cover for the slow starts from the other strikers. One pattern I have noticed as well is that against Pompey, Blackpool, Watford and Swansea we were behind until late one (twice, in the case of the Swansea game) before hitting out stride to nick the wins late on...something the real Albion could do with learning from maybe.

 

[chez]

This game is very realistic. Vicente cant seem to stay fit for 2 games in a row and Brighton are suffering an alarming drop in form. We have dropped from top to 6th having not won a game in 8.

Charlie Oatway has just organised a team meeting to try and increase team morale. Never seen that in previous versions.

 

[The_Viper]

Is this worth a buy then?

I had 11 but usually wait until January but all this talk is making me think I should go for it now?

 

[Frutos]

Is this worth a buy then?

In my opinion, as someone who plays this every year, this is the best version for YEARS. The talk and 'hype' are fully justified.

 

[sten_super]

In my opinion, as someone who plays this every year, this is the best version for YEARS. The talk and 'hype' are fully justified.

Absolutely agree. I wasn't going to buy this years edition, but made the mistake of playing the demo and the extras (even though they are relatively small, like the assistant organising team meetings) are great. It's much improved from FM2011, which in itself was pretty decent but had lost a bit of the 'magic', IMHO.

 

[jamesp]

Half way through my second season now, Christmas Eve or there abouts I believe! In Premiership with a virtually unrecognisable team. Kadlec is a must for everyone, young striker and now wonderkid after 6 months. Signed a German CB from Leeds Grimpel great in Championship, good potential & fans are mad for him! There is a Mexican named Torres @ Chivas I think, waiting to approach on pre contract my scouts rate him 5 stars potential! Niang French Forward, top young player too. Otherwise its Barkley from Everton, frimpong & Coqulin from Arsenal in midfield. Playing a 4 3 1 2 at the min, was 4 4 2 in the Championship! Not got my game open now so thats it off the top of my head!

 

[jcdenton08]

Can't help but laugh at some of the stuff in the game - as with all FM's ever it is brilliant for some of the ridiculous moments. Like Emile Heskey being named the next England manager (odds on that, please?) and then there's this..

"Mauricio Taricco has suspicions that Leon Redwood may not have the required potential to be better than Vicente"

I also share that suspicion, Mauricio, but thanks for the tip. I also have a hunch that Mitch Walker may not have the required potential to be better than Peter Schmeichel

 

[jcdenton08]

How are we all getting on?

 

[SeagullSongs]

I'm just into my second season in charge. I finished 3rd last season, 2 points off automatic promotion!
Got beaten by Bristol City in the play-offs though :/

Team:

Button (signed from Tottenham for £1.2m)

Vincelot
Greer
El-Abd
McFadzean (signed for a ridiculous £1m!)

Buckley
Ángel (£2m)
Soares (£1.3m)
Bridcutt
Etuhu (£350k)

Mackail-Smith

CMS scored 30 goals, but his value still dropped to £1.2m?! Most of his goals were set up by Buckley.

(And yes, I did persuade the board to spend more £4.5m in the first season, then an extra £1m in July 2012)

Up the Albion!

 

[Farehamseagull]

Really enjoying it. At the end of October and currently second behind Reading.

Signed Jamie Mackie and Glen Loovens for money. Got J Lloyd Samuel on a free as left back cover and a few promising youngsters on frees. Also signed Jake Livermore on loan from Spurs for the season and he has been superb.

Play a 4-2-3-1 formation, first choice 11:

Ankergren;
Calderon, Greer, Loovens, Painter;
Bridcutt, Livermore;
Lua Lua, Buckley, Noone;
CMS

Mackie, Harley, Dunk, Vincelot and Sparrow are my most used subs. Vicente and Hoskins are constantly injured! Barnes is sulking about not playing but CMS is a goal machine, 12 in the league already including 2 hat-tricks.

Noone, Buckley and Lua Lua getting lots of goals and assists from behind and wide of CMS. Goalscoring not a problem but I am conceding too many, next signing will be a keeper, Ankergren has had a couple of shockers.

Love this game.

 

[Common as Mook]

Absolutely flying with the Albion. 11 points clear in February

Amos (loan)

Mihael Kovacevic (free)
Greer
Dunk
Joe Bennett (500k from Middlesborough) / JLloyd Samuel (free)

Bridcutt
Sammy Clingan
Vicente

Anthony Pilkington (£3m from Norwich)
Kazenga Lua Lua (£1m permanent by)

CMS

Other signings include:

Danny Drinkwater (free from Man Utd in Jan)
Rudi Skacel (free from Hearts in Jan)
Tomas Cerny (GK £800k from Hamilton)
Ravel Morrison (Loan from Man Utd)

Cant quite believe how much I am pissing the Championship to be honest; all seems a bit easy. Dunk and Greer have 10 goals each for the season as well!!

 

[ees complicated no?]

just finished my 1st season came 5th got beat 4 -1 agg against burnly as I had 6 yes 6 players injured !! no change there then :/

 

[leigull]

Absolutely flying with the Albion. 11 points clear in February
Cant quite believe how much I am pissing the Championship to be honest; all seems a bit easy. Dunk and Greer have 10 goals each for the season as well!!

Same here, am 8 points clear just moving into January. CMS, Hoskins, Bergkamp, Barnes and Hulse (on loan) all score regularly when played. Buckley, Vicente, Noone and Lua Lua set up loads of goals and the defence has been in top form all season. Haven't made too many additional signings - Laboue in goal (Amos on loan as sub keeper), Darcy Blake as right/centre back cover, Michael Tonge in centre mid and Hulse up front.

 

[sten_super]

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.

 

[Albion4]

Absolutely flying with the Albion. 11 points clear in February

Amos (loan)

Mihael Kovacevic (free)
Greer
Dunk
Joe Bennett (500k from Middlesborough) / JLloyd Samuel (free)

Bridcutt
Sammy Clingan
Vicente

Anthony Pilkington (£3m from Norwich)
Kazenga Lua Lua (£1m permanent by)

CMS

Other signings include:

Danny Drinkwater (free from Man Utd in Jan)
Rudi Skacel (free from Hearts in Jan)
Tomas Cerny (GK £800k from Hamilton)
Ravel Morrison (Loan from Man Utd)

Cant quite believe how much I am pissing the Championship to be honest; all seems a bit easy. Dunk and Greer have 10 goals each for the season as well!!

How did you buy Pilkington when he has just moved to Norwich? I didnt think you was allowed to have two permanent transfers in the same transfer window?

 

[willyfantastic]

How did you buy Pilkington when he has just moved to Norwich? I didnt think you was allowed to have two permanent transfers in the same transfer window?

I guess bought him in January. They barely ever sign for a new club in the same window they moved. Only ever seen it a few times

 

[Common as Mook]

Yeah, bought him in January. As i was doing so well they altered expectations so I got more budget. Pilkington wasn't playing so i picked him up for £3m plus a load of add ons.

 

[Chris_Highwind]

Onto my 4th season! (I had sweet f*** all to do this weekend...) 11th in champ first season, 2nd next season(Sunderland were in the championship with Richardson, Gyan etc) 13th next season and sitting pretty in 8th with 6 games left this season! Noone, Bought in Bennett from Peterborough this season and some slovenian called Vinko, he's been injured for 3 months but still scored 15+ goals! (Also spent £20mil on Felipe Anderson from Santos....) Also bought Elliot Bennett back first season in the prem!

Current team:
GK: Mannone
DR: Romulo
DC: Cathcart/Dunk/Bennett/Cook
DL: Easton/goddard(19 year old regen who's amazing)
DMC: Bridcutt/Greek guy I don't remember the name of..
MC: Lansbury/Anderson/Strootman/Bennett
AML/AMR: Noone/Buckley/Bennett/Templeton
SC: Vinko/Fernandez(Uruguayan)/Mackenzie(Regen striker with 17+ Heading/Jumping/strength)

It's all looking good for the albion!

 

[sten_super]

Onto my 4th season! (I had sweet f*** all to do this weekend...)

Good effort, although I'm still impressed how quickly you've got through it. I did bugger all yesterday from about midday onwards besides play FM and eat, and even then I only managed to play out about 3/4 of a season! This is the first iteration in about 4 or 5 years where I'm actually playing all of the games (got in the habit of adopting a 'director of football' approach and going on holiday for matchdays and leaving them to my assistant) and I'd forgotten how long a full playthrough takes!

 

[Chris_Highwind]

Good effort, although I'm still impressed how quickly you've got through it. I did bugger all yesterday from about midday onwards besides play FM and eat, and even then I only managed to play out about 3/4 of a season! This is the first iteration in about 4 or 5 years where I'm actually playing all of the games (got in the habit of adopting a 'director of football' approach and going on holiday for matchdays and leaving them to my assistant) and I'd forgotten how long a full playthrough takes!

Was on season 3 at the start of the weekend to be fair.... Playing all of pre season too, just watching Gillette Soccer Saturday/MotD and playing FM!