Football Manager thread

[PorkChop]

Have you got the 2015 game? If so, what's it like?

It's on my Christmas list, but I'm tempted to just go out and buy it as I'm not sure I can wait another 24 days. I haven't played an FM game since 2012, which was my legendary Blackburn game - I managed them until I was like 130, when it automatically retired me. I basically had an infinite budget, the best stadium, traning and youth facilities in the world and there were guys who were worth 30 or 40 million sitting on my bench.

Are you halfway through a game currently? Anyone brave enough to take the Vauxhall Motors Challenge?

[Daz]

I bought it the day it was released, cause I'm hardcore when it comes to FM. Haven't had much time to play it recently though. In my current game, in my second season with Norwich. Walked the Championship in my first season and won the League Cup. So far, came top of my group in Europe and am sitting 6th in the Premier League mid-season.

I did the Valhalla Motors Challenge on FM14 and did well. Did it with Boreham Wood as well and got promoted to the Premier League in back to back seasons. That was probably the best FM experience I've ever had.

They've changed up the layout a little bit and cleaned up a few things here and there. It's easily the best game of it's kind and I have no idea how they're gonna keep improving upon it year after year.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Probably staying with my FM14 Classic on my PSP. But is the FM15 upgrade really an improvement from last year? Guess we go into that yearly releases of sports games debate..

But in my FM14 game, managing the mighty Stoke, used all my subs, then two players went off injured but we dug in and grabbed a 0-0 draw with Everton. Feels incredibly sweet to sneak a good result, must say.

[PorkChop]

Began my FM15 career as Villa, with a 4-0 win over Man United in the first game of the season. Suso (on loan from Liverpool), Anthony Stokes (bought from Celtic) and Agbonlahor with a second-half brace

[AkydefGoldberg]

Bad news. After two years at Stoke (in which I managed them to safety from relegation - they were in the bottom three), been SACKED after the second season ended in relegation. Couldn't win a game from Christmas.

I think playing on the Vita probably has its downsides from playing on a laptop, believe there loads of other features I've missed out on.

[PorkChop]

My 4-0 opening day win over Man United was followed by a 3-0 loss to Spurs, a 1-0 loss to Hull and a 1-0 lost to Bristol fucking City.

I hate Football Manager.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Out of interest, how do you approach games tactically?

I tend to play to the opposition weaknesses which gives me the tag of a tactical genius which is nice but times its backfired hence that bad losing run I had.

[PorkChop]

I'm currently playing a 4-2-3-1:

Guzan
Hutton, Vlaar, Okore, Cissokho
Sanchez, Delph
Agbonlahor, Suso, Weimann
Benteke

Anthony Stokes is just refusing to score at the moment, the cunt. I just always show the opposing attackers onto their weaker foot and set tackling to hard. That's basically the extent of my tactical prowess, so I'm basically ready to become the actual Villa manager now.

[Romo]

I'm at Porto right now we playing a 2-3-2-2-1 formation, completely dominate the ball getting around 60-70% possession per game, signed abunch of young talented players from Brazil to grow because they're pretty cheap out there and don't cost much on the wage, won the league and cup double missed out on the treble after a 1-0 loss in the final against Benfica and showed a decent effort in the champions league narrowly missing out on beating Real Madrid on a 6-5 aggregate score

[Viazon]

I haven't got the 2015 game yet. Still playing my mammoth Arsenal game from 2014. I think it's pretty safe to say it's going well.

[PorkChop]

^ what players have you got?

Suso has proven to be fucking quality for me, 7 goals in 12 games from the left wing. I'm 6th in the table but injuries are beginning to pile up and it's February, so there's not a lot I can do.

[Viazon]

I bought Lukaku in 2019 for £50 Million. Worth every penny. He has scored 329 goals for me in 459 games. 211 of them being in the Premier League. Surpassing Henry as Arsenal's top scorer. 81 of them have been in the Champions League, which I believe is more than the record in current real life. Right now he is one month away from his 36th birthday and I figured the season I am almost finished with would be his last season with me. But as it turns out, he is currently having his second highest scoring season, at the age of 35. He so far as 40 goals in 45 games. Insane. I was all set to buy another striker but I'm not sure I would need to.

Most of my current first team players are all now generated ones from the game. Apart from Lukaku, the only real life players I have are Luke Shaw who has been brilliant for me as a left back. And I have James Ward-Prowse and Will Hughes. Both have them have been great for me as my two center midfield players. I still have Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in my team, but I used them more for back up now.

I have a brilliant left midfield player called Oleg Pavlenko. I originally had a left midfield player called Toni Mas who is a great player but I needed a back up as I had no other left sided players. I bought him and he is so amazing he ended up taking his place. I have a brilliant right midfielder called Le Thanh Tai. I got him randomly when he came into my youth team and his scouting report showed he had the potential to be a five star player. He is Vietnamese but lived in England long enough to be able to play for them, which he does so. In my game, he is now Englands highest scoring player with 59 goals. He started off as a striker, which is where he plays for England, but he is also a natural at right midfield, where I play him. He hasn't scored nearly as many goals for me as he has done for England, but he gets a shit load of assists.

I also think I have come across the best young goalkeeper in the game. He is French and called Gerard Bourgeois. At the age of 23, he already has 69 caps for France. He was my first choice keeper at 19 and has already played 264 games for me. In his first four full seasons as a first choice goalkeeper, he has won the Golden Glove every year.

[PorkChop]

I just sold this shitty no-hoper from my reserves to Port Vale for 120k and Benteke went fucking mental about it. This guy was a 21 year old striker, Pace 9, Heading 9, Finishing 8... most of his other stats were similar if not worse. Benteke said he was the club's best prospect (he wasn't, he's not even close) and flipped his shit. The rest of the team also reacted badly to the sale.

What the hell? Unfortunately there's no "Oh fuck off guys, he was shite and we were lucky to get 120k for him" option at the team meetings.

[PorkChop]

http://m.imgur.com/a/uttxx

Some of these

[Daz]

Just won the Prem with Norwich in my first season back, meaning I'm clearly more qualified for the Norwich job than Neil Adams. I got 27 goals out of RVW for goodness sake.

[PorkChop]

Just won the Prem with Norwich in my first season back, meaning I'm clearly more qualified for the Norwich job than Neil Adams. I got 27 goals out of RVW for goodness sake.

I'd email in your CV, clearly you're some sort of divine miracle worker by getting RVW to score that many.

[Romo]

at some point we should all try and do a linked online game together

[AkydefGoldberg]

at some point we should all try and do a linked online game together

I play on Soccer Manager.com which is a CPU online management game with real players etc, but can play against other players. Nice, easy, fun.

[PorkChop]

aaaand just as I finalise a deal to sign a 16 year old wonderkid from Bordeaux my game crashes.

Also, if you don't know who Youri Tielemans is, you should do. By the age of 20 he's one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Try to sign him while he's still young at the start of the game.

[PorkChop]

Quit my game as Villa manager, and have started a new game in charge of Staines.

I've ruined the wage budget already, but I managed to mastermind a 0-0 bore draw against Whitehawk, who are the favourites to win the league. My best player is called Warren McBean, and he's shite.