How Are You Doing On CM?

[Johnners]

Didn't mention it, but my Fiorentina save died the day after I posted that Quaresma screenshot It was my fault though, was deleting old saved games that I'd never play again, and accidentally deleted it, meh.

Started a new game with Villarreal though, which is proving to be a challenge. The club itself is hardly rich, only worth 7-8m iirc, and the facilities are in dire need for upgrading for a La Liga team. Obviously though, the team is actually quite good, with Matias Fernandez, Rossi, Nihat, Carzorla, Cani, Capdevila & Senna in the start lineup. Because I'm such a bandwagoner, I cashed in on Arshavin early, despite the fact we already had an abundance of fowards/midfielders, as well as young Barca left winger/attacking mid Falque Iago.

It probably wasn't the smartest of moves, as the club is in desperate need of a better goal-keeper, and a right back. I should be able to offload a few players for cash at the end of the season though, and bolster the defence as Villarreal have 5/6 decent players out on loan to rival La Liga clubs. We're currently sitting 4th, 14 games into the season, having been thrashed by Barca 4-1, and Real 2-0 (highlighting our deficiencies down back), where both matches could have easily been 5 goal margins but for some poor finishing.

 

[sledger]

Tried to replace all of my facepacks etc... to disasterous effect, for some reason my previously crisp and clear face pics have now all turned to hash...and a lot of the other graphics are messing up, hopefully I can correct this by just taking them off and putting them back in, otherwise...oh dear.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Good game Camps has there, makes me want to go back to a spot of LLM... will do before long I should think.

Anyway, just won my first Treble on 08, winning the league by miles, beating Tottenham in the most nervous of penalty shoot-outs (10-9, IIRC) in the FA Cup final (deserved it though given I dominated the match only to concede two late goals for the 2-2 draw), and beat Valencia 2-1 after extra time in the European Cup final.

 

[Barney Rubble]

My FM game is infuriating me ATM. My Pompey side finished 8th in the first season, and despite having signed some awesome players over summer, I'm languishing in 15th come early February of the 2008-2009 season. This is my starting XI:

GK - Sebastian Viera
DR - Petri Pasanen
DL - Filipe
DC - Christopher Samba
DC - Zan Gokhan
DMC - Ever Banega
MC - Arnold Mvuemba
MC - Sulley Ali Muntari
AMC - Andrey Arshavin
FC - Dean Ashton
FC - John Utaka

With Kranjcar, Bernard Mendy, Distin, Taylor, Begovic, and Alexander Frei on the bench.

All of a sudden my usual 4-1-2-1-2 tactic just stopped working, and I've been scraping through this season with a couple of half-decent cup runs. My Premiership performances are usually dire, but occasionally I pull out a great performance from nowhere. Don't understand it at all. Just trying to do enough to get myself a new contract, and then build for next season.

 

[Tom Halsey]

If you signed a lot of players all at once, it probably upset the squad harmony. If that's the case then, as long as you don't sign a lot of players again in the summer, you should be much better next year.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

dominated the match only to concede two late goals for the 2-2 draw

The most annoying thing. I went through a period with Liverpool when late goals were killing me, regardless of my tactics and personnel. I guess it's just luck of the draw - literally - sometimes. It's been the opposite with Mallorca and West Ham just recently, where we've been the ones scoring late to salvage tough matches. Set pieces, however, are killing me now. I feel like Portugal.

 

[roseboy64]

My FM game is infuriating me ATM. My Pompey side finished 8th in the first season, and despite having signed some awesome players over summer, I'm languishing in 15th come early February of the 2008-2009 season. This is my starting XI:

GK - Sebastian Viera
DR - Petri Pasanen
DL - Filipe
DC - Christopher Samba
DC - Zan Gokhan
DMC - Ever Banega
MC - Arnold Mvuemba
MC - Sulley Ali Muntari
AMC - Andrey Arshavin
FC - Dean Ashton
FC - John Utaka

With Kranjcar, Bernard Mendy, Distin, Taylor, Begovic, and Alexander Frei on the bench.

All of a sudden my usual 4-1-2-1-2 tactic just stopped working, and I've been scraping through this season with a couple of half-decent cup runs. My Premiership performances are usually dire, but occasionally I pull out a great performance from nowhere. Don't understand it at all. Just trying to do enough to get myself a new contract, and then build for next season.

Tweak tactics a bit.

 

[sledger]

My newcastle game infuriated me tbh, with a simple 442 formation I proceeded to lose several pre-season friendlies to extremely poor Greek sides, that was enough for me, mircale I didnt throw the bloody thing out the window.

 

[sledger]

If you signed a lot of players all at once, it probably upset the squad harmony. If that's the case then, as long as you don't sign a lot of players again in the summer, you should be much better next year.

Yeah find this as a problem myself tbh, if you buy more than 2 players who you want to go straight into the first team it usually means you will have a long period of bad form, ala my Fiorentina game which has now been discarded after the annoying history glitch that showed up.

 

[Craig]

For me it has been weird that in September I have to scrap through games, getting what I can, but come October I have no problem scoring goals. I can only assume it is my players are getting used to each other, especially the new boys.

 

[Craig]

Geez how hard is it to get the official patches for FM 08?

 

[Barney Rubble]

If you signed a lot of players all at once, it probably upset the squad harmony. If that's the case then, as long as you don't sign a lot of players again in the summer, you should be much better next year.

That's what I was hoping. However, my contract was up after the second season and they didn't renew it. Bastards. I had Artur Boruc coming in on a free, too.

Anyway, I started the game again, with Pompey as usual, and haven't done much better so far this time. Had the annoying habit of taking the lead in games and then conceding late goals all throughout the first season, so I ended up finishing 13th, despite having a pretty strong squad. Brought in Arshavin, Palacio (34 goals in his first season, Player of the Year and Golden Boot winner) and van der Vaart (!) and played some great attacking football, but my defence was leaky as ****.

Going into the second season I've secured the signings of Vagner Love and Jean Il Makoun, plus some defensive reinforcements/squad players in Erik Edman, Tim Cornelisse and Mario Yepes. Looking at Onuoha and Pletikosa to ensure defensive strength in depth, too, as the likes of Pamarot, Johnson, Traoré, Hreidarsson, Primus and Lauren are all gone or going. Optimistic about the new season - team's been gelling well in the friendlies, and my tactics are a lot simpler now, very little tinkering with the instructions.

 

[sledger]

Well, after my Newcastle game started very poorly I quickly ended it and decided not to go back. Have just started a new game with Valencia, not got any real money for transfers, so no new signings as of yet. And have resisted the temptation of selling Silva and Joaquin, first two games of the season have been a 0-0 draw away at Getafe and a 2-2 draw at home to Barca, Silva scoring in the last minute to even it up. Got Racing at home in my next match, need to pick up a win to put me into a decent position in the league.

Also got a bitch of a Champions League Group of Inter, Sporting Lisbon and AZ, could be tricky to get through that one, though if I can get a win away at AZ i'd be confident of getting enough out of my other home games to pull through for second spot.

 

[Craig]

Started up with Fiorentina. My computer is again playing up so I haven't been able to patch it up though.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Already beat Chelsea 2-0 and Liverpool 3-1 this season and was hoping to take out Man U too. For most of the game we (West Ham) held them well and looked to match them shot for shot, but just couldn't put the ball away. My goalkeeper (Bengsston) had a 9 rating at half-time. In the second half Man U scored around 60 minutes, but we equalised around 77. Down to the 91st minute I made my last substitution to kill some of the remaining 2 minutes of extra time. With the last kick of the game, Man U scored winner. Usually I'd have been furious, because I get deeply invested in FM, but on this occasion I just sat there motionless. It just had to happen, really.

On a brighter note, I'm into the second knockout round of the UEFA Cup. I'm playing Villareal, which should be good, because I know that team pretty well from my time at Barca.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Already beat Chelsea 2-0 and Liverpool 3-1 this season and was hoping to take out Man U too. For most of the game we (West Ham) held them well and looked to match them shot for shot, but just couldn't put the ball away. My goalkeeper (Bengsston) had a 9 rating at half-time. In the second half Man U scored around 60 minutes, but we equalised around 77. Down to the 91st minute I made my last substitution to kill some of the remaining 2 minutes of extra time. With the last kick of the game, Man U scored winner. Usually I'd have been furious, because I get deeply invested in FM, but on this occasion I just sat there motionless. It just had to happen, really.

On a brighter note, I'm into the second knockout round of the UEFA Cup. I'm playing Villareal, which should be good, because I know that team pretty well from my time at Barca.

Went conservatively into the first leg away, with a 4-1-4-1, and had a positive 0-0. Then won the return leg 1-0 at home. Good hard fought win, though we should have scored 3/4. My leading striker (15 league goals by the end of February) hasn't scored in about a month now. Missing some easy chances too.

Drawn against Blackburn in the QF. Blackburn are 8 places below me in the league (West Ham 9th, Blackburn 8th), so I'm hoping for a SF spot.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Went conservatively into the first leg away, with a 4-1-4-1, and had a positive 0-0. Then won the return leg 1-0 at home. Good hard fought win, though we should have scored 3/4. My leading striker (15 league goals by the end of February) hasn't scored in about a month now. Missing some easy chances too.

Drawn against Blackburn in the QF. Blackburn are 8 places below me in the league (West Ham 9th, Blackburn 8th), so I'm hoping for a SF spot.

A one-man show in this thread right now.

My second best striker has turned a corner and elevated his game exceptionally. He scored a couple of excellent clutch goals for me, coming off the bench early in the season. He hadn't started much until now, however, with my first choice guy in poor form and now injured. Name is Michael Steele and he's scored 7 goals in 5 games and counting. Scored 2 in the first leg against Blackburn and then 2 more against Villa on the weekend. He's a yellow away from a European suspension, so I rested Steele for the return leg. We won that one 3-0, for a 5-0 aggregate.

As things stand there are 6 games left in the League and we stand in 6th place on goal difference. Just a point out of 5th, but tied on points with 7th. Pretty easy schedule ahead, aside from a game against Arsenal to finish it off. And also a European semi-final against Arsenal to look forward to. Granted, Arsenal are second in the League with 16 points more.

Pulling things together nicely to end my first West Ham season. Not expecting much money to strengthen the squad this summer though.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Stop playing FM and do some simming.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Stop playing FM and do some simming.

Leaving time for the rest of the teams to come in. Will sim in an hour if they're not in.

Anyway, Steele misses some really easy chances, but also scores some amazing goals. Notched another against QPR, taking his tally to 15 in 31 games (across all comps) this season. Beat QPR 4-1, opening a 3-point lead for 6th. Still 1 point behind Man City for 5th, as they won too. I play them in 3 weeks though. Also 4 points behind Villa, who are 4th. Champions League ambitions now.

 

[Craig]

Signed Andrea Barzgali but couldn't get him, as some prospective transfers (ie players being sold) took too long, due to lack of funds, he chose Fiorentina (well he is a local) over Real Madrid, put in a second bid, got accepted but he chose AC Milan instead. ****