FM22

[The Drunken Communist]

May 3, 2022 17:44:24 GMT mattador78 said:

On mine there’s a lad at Everton Thierry Small not sure if he’s on yours but he was on the first database on mine now he’s Real madrids first choice left back and a machine. At the beginning of the game though he’s sold off for pennies and works his way there from league two. Have a look for him might be a bargain

I've looked for him but couldn't find him, but I didn't think as I would 'cos I didn't load any of the big leagues in. Seeing as we're on about full backs, though...

What a fucking nightmare I've had over the summer & into the first few weeks of the season. All last season I had a first choice right back with not much else behind him as the main back-up was out for months, had to make do with some young kids & a centre half who could fill in there when needed. Back end of last season my first choice right back gets a broken leg, but I could cover for him as the back up had finally returned from injury himself.

Fast forward to the start of this season & within the space of a week I've had the back up right back get an offer from Ajax, he's Dutch so he wants to leave or he'll start kicking off. Fair enough, I've still got some cover with two young kids & the centre half untill my first choice is back in a couple of months. Then, the first young kid gets injured, the second young kid gets a loan offer, I talk to him & tell him how I'm going to reject the loan offer (From some fucking Serie C team) 'cos I'm going be needing him to become my first choice right back... The little bastard starts kicking off telling me how it's unacceptable that I wont let him go out on loan, what the fuck? I'm going to be making him my first choice right back in Serie A & the Champions League but he's kicking off 'cos I wont let him go on loan to Serie C? Madness. So I've had no choice but to accept the loan offer for him. "Nevermind, you've still got that centre half who can play there" I hear you say... No. 'Cos that prick has come out & said he's been at the club long enough & he wants a new challenge & demands I sell him right away.... Oh & before this week of madness happened I'd already loaned out all the other right backs in the youth ranks, so I've had to go scrambling around trying to find some half decent young lad who I can bring in on loan for a month or two.

Oh I nearly forgot about my 'striker problem'. My scouts found me another belting young lad, really good value aswell, I couldn't resist but to make an offer for him. So I now needed to get rid of one of my two older guys. One of them had absolutely no interest in renewing his contract so I figured I might aswell cash in on him now. Offered him around for £30m, didn't really expect any takers with him about to turn 32 & being in the last year of his contract but Juve stumped up the money. Brilliant, I thought. Fella in his 30's on £55k p/w out for £30m, young teenager on half the wage at half the price brought in to replace him... Everything goes quiet for a few days. Shit, I'm guessing the young guy is going to tell me bollox & I've pissed my old guy off for nothing. Nope. Young lad signs for me but then the old fella rejects Juve so now I'm stuck with him. Offer him out to clubs again, Roma come in for him with a £16m bid. Fuck that. Offer him one final time & Inter come in with a bid of £18m upfront & £11m in installments. That's fine, offer accepted..... The very next morning the bastard goes & breaks his leg in training, transfer falls through. Are you fucking kidding me.

Still loving it, though

[mattador78]

Just sold off £100mill worth of defenders to use my youth and finance a move for Lucca from Juve. In the set up I have he was a beast at Juve for me and he scored twice on his debut against Liverpool, I’m top and five points clear but my goal threat is shocking and it’s 1-0 wins scraping me through. With youth the first time I was at Stoke I signed a argie lad for 3mil who moved on to Man utd when I left for £70mil and is now worth £200mil but he’s not a patch on a columbian I signed when I rejoined Stoke,Fabian Pastrana he’s won world young player of the year twice and European golden boy twice. He’s mustard like Beckenbaur, Hudson and Nobby stiles rolled into one, the big clubs are sniffing but he’s loyal to me

[mattador78]

Lucca is in 23 goals in his first 11 games and he’s missed two penalties, previously I’ve played him as a TF but due to Campbell playing there and has over 200 goals for me I have him as a DLF and he’s rinsing.

[clarkeda]

May 8, 2022 8:02:06 GMT mattador78 said:

Lucca is in 23 goals in his first 11 games and he’s missed two penalties, previously I’ve played him as a TF but due to Campbell playing there and has over 200 goals for me I have him as a DLF and he’s rinsing.

Yeah lucca is abit of a game breaker for sure, same I can’t get a work permit for him 🤬

[mattador78]

May 8, 2022 10:36:06 GMT clarkeda said:

May 8, 2022 8:02:06 GMT mattador78 said:

Lucca is in 23 goals in his first 11 games and he’s missed two penalties, previously I’ve played him as a TF but due to Campbell playing there and has over 200 goals for me I have him as a DLF and he’s rinsing.

Yeah lucca is abit of a game breaker for sure, same I can’t get a work permit for him 🤬

He only got into the Italy team when I was managing Juve when I left he was dropped by Juve and Italy. Him and Souttar at corners are almost a goal a game. Just overturned a two goal deficit against Man City on to the semi finals of the champion league, hopefully my third win will finally be with Stoke. The league might be out of touch this season I’m top and three points clear but my run in is horrible with 7 games left I have Man Utd who are second Mancity who are third Chelsea Fourth and Liverpool in fifth all to play.

[The Drunken Communist]

Well I'm glad someone's having things go well for them. I've currently got half my starting eleven out injured, half of my back-up eleven out injured, half of my "they can play in a few spots & fill in where needed during an injury crisis" out injured. I'm having start games with people only 80% fit (And subbing them out for people who're only 70% fit) I've got 16 year old making their debuts in defence, with 16 year old making their debuts infront of them in midfield, and veteran 17 year olds making their debut upfront. Nice easy run of Juventus, followed just two days later by Bayern, followed just two days later by Inter, followed just two days later by Atletico Madrid coming up next week aswell. Fun times.

Still loving it though, it's far better than having a million amazing players to pick from

[mattador78]

May 8, 2022 12:58:47 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

Well I'm glad someone's having things go well for them. I've currently got half my starting eleven out injured, half of my back-up eleven out injured, half of my "they can play in a few spots & fill in where needed during an injury crisis" out injured. I'm having start games with people only 80% fit (And subbing them out for people who're only 70% fit) I've got 16 year old making their debuts in defence, with 16 year old making their debuts infront of them in midfield, and veteran 17 year olds making their debut upfront. Nice easy run of Juventus, followed just two days later by Bayern, followed just two days later by Inter, followed just two days later by Atletico Madrid coming up next week aswell. Fun times.

Still loving it though, it's far better than having a million amazing players to pick from

I’ve still got Bursik Souttar and Campbell from the beginning I’ve probably got 16 players that I can get a tune out of the rest of the squad are filler and a problem when I get injuries. The wage bill is the killer hopefully though I’m getting a stadium increase which should help I’m still 13th on wage bill in the prem

[mattador78]

It’s 2030 and Stoke have won the champions league with a scrappy 1-0 win over Bayern. Bursik man of the match as he saved three kne kn ones with greenwood and mbappe in the dying minutes for my columbian wonder kid to smash in an extra time volley just as I was going sub him off. On now to the World Cup with England. As for the league held my nerve and won it with a 3-3 draw at home to Leicester after being docked 5-0 by Man Utd

[mattador78]

Ground sharing with Man City next season as we get expanded to 46000

[The Drunken Communist]

Things are going well so far (touch wood) at Atalanta. Well, we got knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage. We finished level on points with Atletico Madrid, with the same goal difference & same for & against, we also beat eachother but they beat me by one more goal so they went through, bastards. So we're in the Europa League & what the fuck are the rules in this competition?! We went into the draw & got ourselves a match against Sturm Graz or someone, went & beat them at their place which was lucky 'cos it turns out it's only that one match that counts, since when has that been a thing?! We then went into the hat for the next round & suddenly a bunch of other good teams appeared in the draw, where the fuck had they come from?! Anyroad, we got Arsenal & again it was only over one leg at their place, luckily, despite having my reserves playing, we managed to beat them on penalties. We've now got Juventus in the next round which I think is over two legs, but who the fuck knows anymore.
(Also got Juventus in the semi-final of the Italian Cup, we won the first leg 3-1 - Would have been 3-0 but the bastards scored with their only shot on target in the 94th minute, you just know we'll lose the away leg 2-0 now!)

In the league we are somehow 6pts clear at the top (From Lazio, and possibly Milan if they win their games-in-hand) with 11 games remaining. Already looking forward to next season though, a bunch of my over 30's will be off at the end of the season (All on freebies) but I can't wait to start giving games to some of my young stars who're out on loan. I've already got a bunch of U21's in my first team & once next season starts the average age will surely be one of the youngest around. We'll have also reduced the weekly wage by a quarter (From £1.2m when I took over to just over £900k next season). Some great kids coming through the academy aswell, had a good half-a-dozen really promising lads come through in the summer, and it looks like we might have another 3 or 4 really promising players come through this year... Biggest problem I'm going have next year is deciding what to do with my goalkeepers. I've got a brilliant young keeper who I've sent out on loan the last two seasons who is now fully ready to become my No1, only problem is my current keeper is doing a sound job, last season he broke the clean sheet record for the club & this season I think he's on course to do it again. I surely can't sell him when he's doing so well for me, but there's no way I can keep both keepers happy if I keep them both here, but it'd feel weird to send the younger keeper out on loan again, assuming he'd even accept that.

All-in-all though it's turning into one of my best ever FM/CM saves, who'd have thought that banning yourself from signing anyone from South America, any of the big names from England/Spain/etc... or anyone over 21 would turn out to be such fun!

[cheadlepotter]

May 10, 2022 16:25:32 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

Things are going well so far (touch wood) at Atalanta. Well, we got knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage. We finished level on points with Atletico Madrid, with the same goal difference & same for & against, we also beat eachother but they beat me by one more goal so they went through, bastards. So we're in the Europa League & what the fuck are the rules in this competition?! We went into the draw & got ourselves a match against Sturm Graz or someone, went & beat them at their place which was lucky 'cos it turns out it's only that one match that counts, since when has that been a thing?! We then went into the hat for the next round & suddenly a bunch of other good teams appeared in the draw, where the fuck had they come from?! Anyroad, we got Arsenal & again it was only over one leg at their place, luckily, despite having my reserves playing, we managed to beat them on penalties. We've now got Juventus in the next round which I think is over two legs, but who the fuck knows anymore.
(Also got Juventus in the semi-final of the Italian Cup, we won the first leg 3-1 - Would have been 3-0 but the bastards scored with their only shot on target in the 94th minute, you just know we'll lose the away leg 2-0 now!)

In the league we are somehow 6pts clear at the top (From Lazio, and possibly Milan if they win their games-in-hand) with 11 games remaining. Already looking forward to next season though, a bunch of my over 30's will be off at the end of the season (All on freebies) but I can't wait to start giving games to some of my young stars who're out on loan. I've already got a bunch of U21's in my first team & once next season starts the average age will surely be one of the youngest around. We'll have also reduced the weekly wage by a quarter (From £1.2m when I took over to just over £900k next season). Some great kids coming through the academy aswell, had a good half-a-dozen really promising lads come through in the summer, and it looks like we might have another 3 or 4 really promising players come through this year... Biggest problem I'm going have next year is deciding what to do with my goalkeepers. I've got a brilliant young keeper who I've sent out on loan the last two seasons who is now fully ready to become my No1, only problem is my current keeper is doing a sound job, last season he broke the clean sheet record for the club & this season I think he's on course to do it again. I surely can't sell him when he's doing so well for me, but there's no way I can keep both keepers happy if I keep them both here, but it'd feel weird to send the younger keeper out on loan again, assuming he'd even accept that.

All-in-all though it's turning into one of my best ever FM/CM saves, who'd have thought that banning yourself from signing anyone from South America, any of the big names from England/Spain/etc... or anyone over 21 would turn out to be such fun!

Europa league 2nd round is the Europa League group runner ups vs CL 3rd place teams. The 8 winners of those matches go with the Europa group winners into the 3rd round.

[mattador78]

May 10, 2022 16:51:06 GMT cheadlepotter said:

May 10, 2022 16:25:32 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

Things are going well so far (touch wood) at Atalanta. Well, we got knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage. We finished level on points with Atletico Madrid, with the same goal difference & same for & against, we also beat eachother but they beat me by one more goal so they went through, bastards. So we're in the Europa League & what the fuck are the rules in this competition?! We went into the draw & got ourselves a match against Sturm Graz or someone, went & beat them at their place which was lucky 'cos it turns out it's only that one match that counts, since when has that been a thing?! We then went into the hat for the next round & suddenly a bunch of other good teams appeared in the draw, where the fuck had they come from?! Anyroad, we got Arsenal & again it was only over one leg at their place, luckily, despite having my reserves playing, we managed to beat them on penalties. We've now got Juventus in the next round which I think is over two legs, but who the fuck knows anymore.
(Also got Juventus in the semi-final of the Italian Cup, we won the first leg 3-1 - Would have been 3-0 but the bastards scored with their only shot on target in the 94th minute, you just know we'll lose the away leg 2-0 now!)

In the league we are somehow 6pts clear at the top (From Lazio, and possibly Milan if they win their games-in-hand) with 11 games remaining. Already looking forward to next season though, a bunch of my over 30's will be off at the end of the season (All on freebies) but I can't wait to start giving games to some of my young stars who're out on loan. I've already got a bunch of U21's in my first team & once next season starts the average age will surely be one of the youngest around. We'll have also reduced the weekly wage by a quarter (From £1.2m when I took over to just over £900k next season). Some great kids coming through the academy aswell, had a good half-a-dozen really promising lads come through in the summer, and it looks like we might have another 3 or 4 really promising players come through this year... Biggest problem I'm going have next year is deciding what to do with my goalkeepers. I've got a brilliant young keeper who I've sent out on loan the last two seasons who is now fully ready to become my No1, only problem is my current keeper is doing a sound job, last season he broke the clean sheet record for the club & this season I think he's on course to do it again. I surely can't sell him when he's doing so well for me, but there's no way I can keep both keepers happy if I keep them both here, but it'd feel weird to send the younger keeper out on loan again, assuming he'd even accept that.

All-in-all though it's turning into one of my best ever FM/CM saves, who'd have thought that banning yourself from signing anyone from South America, any of the big names from England/Spain/etc... or anyone over 21 would turn out to be such fun!

Europa league 2nd round is the Europa League group runner ups vs CL 3rd place teams. The 8 winners of those matches go with the Europa group winners into the 3rd round.

Or keep winning until someone gives you a trophy

[mattador78]

I’ve just found out today how you can increase young player potential basically when you have carte Blanche to choose your own affiliate club choose burton as their training facilities are at St George’s park which has some of the best facilities in the world loan your young players with potential out to them but also have them play for your reserves if not selected so they learn your tactics. Due to St. George’s being constantly upgraded you don’t have to spend your own money on the academy just on the scouting. Who knew? I’ve only had a quick blast today played the World Cup beat Spain in the final 2-1 conceding only one goal in the entire tournament and that was in the 89th minute against Spain. Used five Stoke players in the squad with Campbell beast of the groups but only one goal in the knockouts but four assists, Bursik and a young CB I have called Boateng were solid at the back with Ben Godfrey super subbing and covering suspension. Finally Gallagher steady and solid in midfield. Sold £70mill worth of deadwood from Stoke during the tournament but new contracts have rinsed my available wages, will be the last season I use Campbell as he’s up to £120k a week and it’s more through loyalty than ability I’m paying that much, his testimonial is against Man City coming up so will probably shift him at the end of the season to pull some cash back and wages.

[The Drunken Communist]

Lost in Europe to Juve but completed the league & cup double at home. (First cup win since 1963 & first league win ever, so the Atalanta fans are loving me). Huge clear out of the older players in the squad over the summer but my word have I had some headaches along the way. I'll just give two examples...

Example one. One I've touched on before with my goalkeepers. My older keeper who's been ace for me came into the office wanting a new deal (A huge deal over £100k p/w) I wasn't going to offer him that much so talks broke down & he was talking about leaving. That's fine I thought as it means I can bring my younger keeper in, so I offer my older keeper out to clubs... He then comes back into the office saying he doesn't want to leave & lets just drop the whole thing. Okay, fair enough, I'll go back to 'Plan A' & keep you in goal & loan the younger lad out yet again... No fucker wants the young lad, despite him being mint (He's a genuine 'Leading Serie A' keeper with better stats than my first choice keeper!) But despite repeatedly offering him to clubs on loan all summer long, even with no fees or wages required, not a single club wanted him.... Right up untill the day before the first game of the season when I take him OFF the loan market, then all of a sudden Roma come in with a transfer bid for him... One which is shit but he wants me to accept 'cos they're offering him more playing time... I ask him if there's owt I can do to persuade him to stay... He wants me to make him a 'Star player'... So now I've got a young kid who no-one wanted on loan as my new star player keeper, and my old number one who wanted a huge new contract or he was off is now my back up on the wage he's always been on.

Example two. My team captain is entering the final year of his contract, he's in his 30's & I've got someone lined up to replace him so I don't mind just letting his contract run down. Backroom staff start getting on at me to renew his contract 'cos he's such a good & influential player & we don't want to cause any fuss in the dressing room, so I go & offer him a new two year deal... While the deal is on the table he comes into my office & tells me how he's home sick (He's Dutch) and wants to leave so he can go back home to finish his career... So I say fair enough & promise to sell him & he hands in a transfer request... The next day he goes & accepts the new contract saying how he loves it at the club & hopes he never has to leave.... So now I've got a hugely influential player who is transfer listed by request, who I've given a promise to that I'll sell him this transfer window, but who no-one will make an offer for 'cos they know he wont leave 'cos he loves the club too much! What the fuck?!

This fucking game, man!

[mattador78]

May 12, 2022 17:47:43 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

Lost in Europe to Juve but completed the league & cup double at home. (First cup win since 1963 & first league win ever, so the Atalanta fans are loving me). Huge clear out of the older players in the squad over the summer but my word have I had some headaches along the way. I'll just give two examples...

Example one. One I've touched on before with my goalkeepers. My older keeper who's been ace for me came into the office wanting a new deal (A huge deal over £100k p/w) I wasn't going to offer him that much so talks broke down & he was talking about leaving. That's fine I thought as it means I can bring my younger keeper in, so I offer my older keeper out to clubs... He then comes back into the office saying he doesn't want to leave & lets just drop the whole thing. Okay, fair enough, I'll go back to 'Plan A' & keep you in goal & loan the younger lad out yet again... No fucker wants the young lad, despite him being mint (He's a genuine 'Leading Serie A' keeper with better stats than my first choice keeper!) But despite repeatedly offering him to clubs on loan all summer long, even with no fees or wages required, not a single club wanted him.... Right up untill the day before the first game of the season when I take him OFF the loan market, then all of a sudden Roma come in with a transfer bid for him... One which is shit but he wants me to accept 'cos they're offering him more playing time... I ask him if there's owt I can do to persuade him to stay... He wants me to make him a 'Star player'... So now I've got a young kid who no-one wanted on loan as my new star player keeper, and my old number one who wanted a huge new contract or he was off is now my back up on the wage he's always been on.

Example two. My team captain is entering the final year of his contract, he's in his 30's & I've got someone lined up to replace him so I don't mind just letting his contract run down. Backroom staff start getting on at me to renew his contract 'cos he's such a good & influential player & we don't want to cause any fuss in the dressing room, so I go & offer him a new two year deal... While the deal is on the table he comes into my office & tells me how he's home sick (He's Dutch) and wants to leave so he can go back home to finish his career... So I say fair enough & promise to sell him & he hands in a transfer request... The next day he goes & accepts the new contract saying how he loves it at the club & hopes he never has to leave.... So now I've got a hugely influential player who is transfer listed by request, who I've given a promise to that I'll sell him this transfer window, but who no-one will make an offer for 'cos they know he wont leave 'cos he loves the club too much! What the fuck?!

This fucking game, man!

It does conflict itself quite a lot especially on contracts and promises. What I’ve started to do is before negotiations just remove all the playing time and especially the position requests. There’s nothing worse than have a player who’s started every game as a TF and scored 50goals with 20 assists and won all the awards going but isn’t happy as you promised he would be a poacher

[The Drunken Communist]

May 12, 2022 19:43:06 GMT mattador78 said:

It does conflict itself quite a lot especially on contracts and promises. What I’ve started to do is before negotiations just remove all the playing time and especially the position requests. There’s nothing worse than have a player who’s started every game as a TF and scored 50goals with 20 assists and won all the awards going but isn’t happy as you promised he would be a poacher

Yeah mate I always remove promises & shit from contracts nowadays. I fell foul of it on a previous save when I splashed out £70m on a right back (The most I'd spent signing a player since about FM06!) played him at right back but as a wing back, he did mint, average rating of around 7.5, we won the league, but he was all pissed off 'cos I had promised him I'd play him as a right back. (How is that even a thing, I signed him to play at right back but just to push up that bit further as a wing back, he was still playing at right back but got the hump over it!)

So yeah, I'd learned my lesson with that shit, but this latest one was sat in the office with me, I had no other options (Other than to piss him, and therefore half ther dressing room off) it was either promise to sell him or reject his request.

I hate it when players come into your office & want to talk to you 'cos so many times the answer you want to give just doesn't exist.... I hate them fucking team meetings at the start of the season aswell. Start of this season for example I had to give the team my expectations for the Champions League, I said something like lets make sure we get to the knockout stages, the team were pissed off I wasn't being brave enough so I changed it & said something like lets make the semi finals.... Then the very next thing I had to talk about was the Italian Cup so I thought I'd stick to the same & say lets make the semi's, then the team start moaning I'm being too ambitious! What the fuck?!

[mattador78]

Lorenzo Lucca near post, Harry Souttar back post and James ward prowse on corners. That’s it it breaks the game, I’m now in 2031, Lucca is on 46 goals in 30 games in the league and 62 in total by April. Ward prowse has 30 assists in 31 games in the league

share.icloud.com/photos/09e1_PdUMuHvyGDbM4_vJsBBw

[The Drunken Communist]

I know all about Lucca, signed him from Pisa for about £4m after he finished as Serie B's top scorer. Had an awful first season for me where he barely scored, for some reason he thought this performance should earn him an £80k p/w wage rise. I wasn't giving him that so tried get rid but no-one would take him so I was stuck with him for another season. Turned out for the best as my other two strikers got injured so I needed him, he played much better scoring something like 15 goals from about 18-20 games but again came into my office demanding £130k p/w, this time round Shaktar Donetsk took him off my hands.

In other news we made the Europa League final for the second year in-a-row, winning it this time (Beating Man Utd in the final) still not won the league again yet though as Milan are pretty much unstoppable, and in my current season Inter & Juve have risen from the flames after a few poor years, so it's going to be a right old slog to get into the Champions League this season... Not as we ever do much when we get there as we always get the pissin' group of death & finish 3rd. (Athough this season I have finally landed a slightly easier group, so we might just make it through to the knockout rounds for a change).

Had another huge clearout of players over the last summer, the wage bill had again shot up to just over £1.3m p/w, so we sold off basically all my 'in their prime' players to get it back down to £900k p/w. Not sure how many more times we can keep selling all my best players & replacing them with youngsters & it keep working out... The board have started work on a new stadium though (With a whopping 30,000 capacity!) so hopefully when that's built it'll mean we can have one or two guys on £100k p/w.

[mattador78]

May 31, 2022 6:47:45 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

I know all about Lucca, signed him from Pisa for about £4m after he finished as Serie B's top scorer. Had an awful first season for me where he barely scored, for some reason he thought this performance should earn him an £80k p/w wage rise. I wasn't giving him that so tried get rid but no-one would take him so I was stuck with him for another season. Turned out for the best as my other two strikers got injured so I needed him, he played much better scoring something like 15 goals from about 18-20 games but again came into my office demanding £130k p/w, this time round Shaktar Donetsk took him off my hands.

In other news we made the Europa League final for the second year in-a-row, winning it this time (Beating Man Utd in the final) still not won the league again yet though as Milan are pretty much unstoppable, and in my current season Inter & Juve have risen from the flames after a few poor years, so it's going to be a right old slog to get into the Champions League this season... Not as we ever do much when we get there as we always get the pissin' group of death & finish 3rd. (Athough this season I have finally landed a slightly easier group, so we might just make it through to the knockout rounds for a change).

Had another huge clearout of players over the last summer, the wage bill had again shot up to just over £1.3m p/w, so we sold off basically all my 'in their prime' players to get it back down to £900k p/w. Not sure how many more times we can keep selling all my best players & replacing them with youngsters & it keep working out... The board have started work on a new stadium though (With a whopping 30,000 capacity!) so hopefully when that's built it'll mean we can have one or two guys on £100k p/w.

I’m walking the league hadn’t beat the shit in 9 games losing 7 of them just did them over three games back to back, one league two champions league either side 10 goals scored

[mattador78]

May 31, 2022 6:47:45 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

I know all about Lucca, signed him from Pisa for about £4m after he finished as Serie B's top scorer. Had an awful first season for me where he barely scored, for some reason he thought this performance should earn him an £80k p/w wage rise. I wasn't giving him that so tried get rid but no-one would take him so I was stuck with him for another season. Turned out for the best as my other two strikers got injured so I needed him, he played much better scoring something like 15 goals from about 18-20 games but again came into my office demanding £130k p/w, this time round Shaktar Donetsk took him off my hands.

In other news we made the Europa League final for the second year in-a-row, winning it this time (Beating Man Utd in the final) still not won the league again yet though as Milan are pretty much unstoppable, and in my current season Inter & Juve have risen from the flames after a few poor years, so it's going to be a right old slog to get into the Champions League this season... Not as we ever do much when we get there as we always get the pissin' group of death & finish 3rd. (Athough this season I have finally landed a slightly easier group, so we might just make it through to the knockout rounds for a change).

Had another huge clearout of players over the last summer, the wage bill had again shot up to just over £1.3m p/w, so we sold off basically all my 'in their prime' players to get it back down to £900k p/w. Not sure how many more times we can keep selling all my best players & replacing them with youngsters & it keep working out... The board have started work on a new stadium though (With a whopping 30,000 capacity!) so hopefully when that's built it'll mean we can have one or two guys on £100k p/w.

After winning the league and champions league in successive seasons I’m still being told by the bookies I haven’t got a good enough squad and I’m 25-1 to win it this year. If you’re still scouting for obscures Eden Kartzev I had on fm22 an Israeli but I had him at Stoke for 10 years as club captain he was mr consistent anywhere in midfield.

[scfcwebby]

I'm playing it on xbox (not quite as good as PC but still good)

I just cannot get any momentum... Started with stoke, had a team that should have pissed the league, started well and then couldn't buy a win (even losing 6-0 to bottom club Peterborough) finishing 16tg (sound familiar 🤔) second season pretty much identical (sound familiar 🤔) left and went to Bristol City, 2nd place at the start of December, again like the flick of a light switch, couldn't win a game for toffee... Got sacked and went to Luton where again I've got a squad that should walk the league and currently sat in 17th...

Such a frustrating game. Maybe I'm not looking enough into the finer details etc...

[mattador78]

Jun 5, 2022 15:42:20 GMT scfcwebby said:

I'm playing it on xbox (not quite as good as PC but still good)

I just cannot get any momentum... Started with stoke, had a team that should have pissed the league, started well and then couldn't buy a win (even losing 6-0 to bottom club Peterborough) finishing 16tg (sound familiar 🤔) second season pretty much identical (sound familiar 🤔) left and went to Bristol City, 2nd place at the start of December, again like the flick of a light switch, couldn't win a game for toffee... Got sacked and went to Luton where again I've got a squad that should walk the league and currently sat in 17th...

Such a frustrating game. Maybe I'm not looking enough into the finer details etc...

I’m not to sure on the Xbox, but on pc I usually download a few tactics play a season or so with a big successful team and figure out some tweaks from there. Strangely though I’m still playing my first save from the release. I’m 11/12 seasons in so it’s regens filling the squads more than anything now which is good as I can get bargains.

[The Drunken Communist]

Came very close to the sack at the back end of last season. It felt so stupid that I was in that position though. We were still in the Champions League (Exceeding expectations), we had a bunch of games-in-hand over the teams above us in the league, and we have a wage bill which is around 10/11th in the league... Unyet the board are getting pissed off with me 'cos we're sat in 6th.

Somehow made it to the end of the season still in a job (Although no Champiosn League this year) only to have a bunch of my better players wanting new contracts on over £100k p/w, and as anyone who's been following this thread knows that's a big 'no-no' for me, so it's yet another rebuild job as I ship out a bunch of my older, better, higher paid players & replace them with yet another bunch of youngsters from my U20's team. Started the season quite well, although we're only a few games in... Oh I forgot to mention I had both Milan & England come calling for my services, told them both bollocks. (Milan 'cos they're the mortal enemy who I shall overthrow one day, and England would be way too much of a distraction when I'm constantly trying to find young kids I can sign for a few hundred grand).

Really enjoyed the hell out of this save so far.

[mattador78]

Jun 5, 2022 17:58:48 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

Came very close to the sack at the back end of last season. It felt so stupid that I was in that position though. We were still in the Champions League (Exceeding expectations), we had a bunch of games-in-hand over the teams above us in the league, and we have a wage bill which is around 10/11th in the league... Unyet the board are getting pissed off with me 'cos we're sat in 6th.

Somehow made it to the end of the season still in a job (Although no Champiosn League this year) only to have a bunch of my better players wanting new contracts on over £100k p/w, and as anyone who's been following this thread knows that's a big 'no-no' for me, so it's yet another rebuild job as I ship out a bunch of my older, better, higher paid players & replace them with yet another bunch of youngsters from my U20's team. Started the season quite well, although we're only a few games in... Oh I forgot to mention I had both Milan & England come calling for my services, told them both bollocks. (Milan 'cos they're the mortal enemy who I shall overthrow one day, and England would be way too much of a distraction when I'm constantly trying to find young kids I can sign for a few hundred grand).

Really enjoyed the hell out of this save so far.

My youth team is rinsing me cash. Following signing Florian Wirtz for 100m I was pretty much skint, one summer transfer window later I have 4 more players for the first team and five for the youth plus £100million profit.

[The Drunken Communist]

Jun 5, 2022 18:16:18 GMT mattador78 said:

My youth team is rinsing me cash. Following signing Florian Wirtz for 100m I was pretty much skint, one summer transfer window later I have 4 more players for the first team and five for the youth plus £100million profit.

Oh mate I aren't short for cash. When I took over the club I think we had around £10m in the bank, nowadays, around 6 seasons later I think, we've got state-of-the-art training facilities, state-of-the-art youth facilities, the highest grade of academy coaching, the highest grade of youth recruitment, the best coaching, scouting & medical set-ups in all of Italy, a brand new stadium half built & already paid off in full, plus over £350m in the bank.... I just don't like spending it, I'm not some manager of the 'Galactico' Real Madrid era, I prefer to run at a profit & leave the club in great shape when I leave.

[mattador78]

Jun 5, 2022 18:47:50 GMT The Drunken Communist said:

Jun 5, 2022 18:16:18 GMT mattador78 said:

My youth team is rinsing me cash. Following signing Florian Wirtz for 100m I was pretty much skint, one summer transfer window later I have 4 more players for the first team and five for the youth plus £100million profit.

Oh mate I aren't short for cash. When I took over the club I think we had around £10m in the bank, nowadays, around 6 seasons later I think, we've got state-of-the-art training facilities, state-of-the-art youth facilities, the highest grade of academy coaching, the highest grade of youth recruitment, the best coaching, scouting & medical set-ups in all of Italy, a brand new stadium half built & already paid off in full, plus over £350m in the bank.... I just don't like spending it, I'm not some manager of the 'Galactico' Real Madrid era, I prefer to run at a profit & leave the club in great shape when I leave.

Board are building me a new stadium no details yet. Problem I have is reputation it’s taking ages go up still only 13th in the world last time I looked. The German clubs are richer than god and Bayern and PSG just unsettle players and hoard what they have, Bayern have Mbappe, Havertz, Muselia, Greenwood, Moukola, Chiesa and Adeyami as their striking options and only want stupid money for any of them

[cheadlepotter]

I started a new career to try something different than Stoke or England. Doing a tour of Europe and the aim is to win the league and cup in the top seven countries. Won the league and cup in both seasons with Benfica, the same with Milan but with a Champions League too, now with Atletico. Only the Europa League in my first season, their transfer budget is very low presumably because of the repayment of a loan for their stadium and because some players are on ridiculously high contracts (Felix 600, Koke 300, Saul 300, Depay 250, Llorente 300, Gimenez 300, Romero 300, de Paul 300). I’ve lowered the wage bill by £2m a week so far but hopefully I win the league this season and off to Germany.

Weird thing. I’ve signed Alex Telles with Benfica, Milan and Atletico as he’s been absolutely brilliant. Averages a rating of over 8 each season with plenty of assists.

[The Drunken Communist]

Jun 9, 2022 7:11:00 GMT cheadlepotter said:

Felix 600, Koke 300

Them two players pretty much earn each week the same amount as my entire 100-odd man squad

----

I've had another one of those weird transfers take place. I'd got myself a decent young goalkeeper from some team in Norway, took the gamble that he was ready for my first team so I sold my old No1 & promoted him. January transfer window has just opened & he's threatening to kick-off if I don't accept a bid from some team in Belgium 'cos he'll get more football... We've played something like 16 games so far in Serie A & he's played every single minute of every single game. What the fuck?!
(Luckily I'd got a really exciting young 'keeper I'd signed just a few months earlier in my U20's team, so I've now promoted him to take over as the new No1 for the first team).

[hcstokie]

Just finished first season as Stoke. After going into the second leg of the play offs with a 3-1 lead I got spanked by Sheff Utd 3-0. Another season in the championship it is.

Planning a big squad makeover. Managed to pick up a couple of decent young players before the season finished and looking to get 7/8 in over the closed season.

Biggest achievement so far was getting a £250k fee for Joe Allen in January and shifting £50k a week off the wage bill.

[mattador78]

Jun 10, 2022 5:56:34 GMT hcstokie said:

Just finished first season as Stoke. After going into the second leg of the play offs with a 3-1 lead I got spanked by Sheff Utd 3-0. Another season in the championship it is.

Planning a big squad makeover. Managed to pick up a couple of decent young players before the season finished and looking to get 7/8 in over the closed season.

Biggest achievement so far was getting a £250k fee for Joe Allen in January and shifting £50k a week off the wage bill.

Don’t let Souttar go I’ve just lost him as he’s Kraft at the end of his contract to join Porto on my save, 2033 and it was only the season he left where his adverage rating record was broken by a player scoring 78 goals in the season.