I don't know about anyone else but this is probably the most frustrating FM since I started playing in 2010.

 

I've always favoured my 4-2DM-3-1 but it just isn't working as I intend it too in this version and I can't find out why. 

History is repeating itself in my second season with Chelsea:

 

 

 

We meet again...

Edited November 12, 201312 yr by Huttsey

Why does Man City always underperform in this years game? 

 

They have the best squad by far!

Won the league in my 3rd season!

 

Best part was that it was won on the final day, at White Hart Lane. 

 

Time to buy me some new players.

Why does Man City always underperform in this years game? 

 

They have the best squad by far!

 

Even with Jose Mourinho at the helm in my save.

 

I'm taking great joy in watching Liverpool. The sacked Rodgers and re-hired Benitez at the end of last season. They're ninth.

Second Cambridge season finished, we built on last years title success with another promotion, although this time around it was a bit tougher...

 

 

We finished 7th in the table, at one stage of the season it looked as if automatic promotion could be a possibility but we hit a dip in form late on.

 

 

We handled Exeter easily enough, our trip to Wembley was booked.

 

 

A rather dramatic encounter, we raced out to a two-goal lead but they pegged us back quickly. Fortunately one of their players picked up a red, giving us the advantage heading into ET. Cunnington was the man to put us ahead, from that point on it was plain sailing.

 

 

The Wembley gate money was a huge financial relief, we're now back in the black.

 

 

Another season of frees and loans, managed to get some decent talent in. Attracting players good enough to keep our heads above water in League 1 next year is going to prove difficult.

Edited November 12, 201312 yr by Charles Ryder

Just scored this goal too. Chip from 31 meters out.

 

 

Won goal of the season.

 

I don't know about anyone else but this is probably the most frustrating FM since I started playing in 2010.

 

I've always favoured my 4-2DM-3-1 but it just isn't working as I intend it too in this version and I can't find out why. 

 

I have found having the DM's at CM is more effective when combined with my tactical choices.

 

Then again, I only had one natural DM (Mikel), and have since sold him...so it's CM's all the way for me now.

 

 

League 1 is hard.

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by Charles Ryder

 

 

League 1 is hard.

 

holy f**k

This season I've been winning a lot of games, but struggling for clean sheets. I conceded a goal a game, most games.

 

I recently started churning out the clean sheets. 0-0 Milan, 1-0 Leeds, 3-0 Cardiff, 1-0 Wigan, 3-0 Southampton, 0-0 Cardiff, 3-0 Milan. I'm thinking...this is fantastic...next up a home league game against Watford...should be a nice easy game. 30 minutes in, they score, 4 minutes later, they score again....damnit haha.

 

Won 5-2, but still...not a nice way to lost your clean sheet streak...0-2 down to Watford in the 34th...pfft

 

Edit: Oh, and I got drawn against Madrid in the QTR's of the CL...what a nightmare...I still have flashbacks of my 4-0 loss last time.

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by Cam

One thing I'm finding is that I keep conceding goals in the final few minutes of each half. Normally I'm scoring enough to get through but I really keep a clean sheet.

I'm wondering if my high tempo, high pressing tactic is knackering out my players before they finish the half, thus losing concentration.

Jesus...I just beat Ipswich 6-4 away. What a ridiculous game. I have no idea how my defenders averaged 6.8 rating with that showing. One of the goals had the ball going directly back to Courtois before he decided to run away from it, leaving an open goal for Ipswich to run the ball into..

 

And Lewandowski scored 5 goals.....

 

I was playing a second string team because it was a game right in the middle of the 2 champion's league games. I managed a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu...but I need a home win.

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by Cam

f**king hell....This was my year for the Champion's League....Beating Milan, then Madrid...only to fall to f**king Ajax in the semis. Gut wrenching. Only drew 0-0 at home and went down 2-1 in Amsterdamn. I'm putting it down to fatigue for my better players and a crucial injury to Cesar which meant I had to play an awful Kane at RB.

 

I wanted to face City in the final...I think I'd have won...but nope, get done by Ajax...

 

On the bright side, I won the PL, and am in the final of the FA Cup, due to face Birmingham.

Won the FA Cup 4-0, to complete the double. Really thought this was the year of the elusive treble though...

 

Finished the League with this

1. Chelsea (P) 38 (W) 30 (D) 5 (L) 3 (F) 93 (A) 30 (GD) +63 (Points) 95

 

Hazard won Footballer of the year. Van Ginkel won Player's player. They were both in team of the year, along with Zouma, Azpilicueta and Lukaku. I was manager of the year.

 

My top scorers were

1) Lukaku 22 goals in 28 starts and 9 sub appearances

2) Lewandowski 17 goals in 19 starts and 9 sub appearances (it's worth noting that 9 of those goals game in 2 games against poor opposition)

3) Van Ginkel 16 goals in 32 starts and 21 sub appearances (he's not even a first choice, but played a lot because of injuries and fixture congestion)

 

MVG and Hazard lead the team with 14 assists a piece.

 

Top rated players

1) Luiz 7.43

2) Zouma 7.35 (in his first season, great buy)

3) Jedvaj 7.35 - top 3 all CBs

4) Lukaku 7.23

5) Van Ginkel 7.20 (has a knack of scoring important goals)

6) Hazard 7.15

7) Papadopolous 7.13

8) Ramires 7.13

9) Lewandowski 7.11

10) Azpiliecueta 7.08

 

Finally letting Frank go after 3 seasons of good performances. It's time for Chalobah to take over. He's been an impressive back up. The young striker (4 1/2 star potential) I picked up for a lofty 15 million had a good season. 13 starts, 21 sub appearances, to finish with 12 goals, and a 6.99 rating. Still 17.

 

(Last post from me tonight, I swear!)

My best signing so far is probably Danny Welbeck.

 

Transfer listed by Utd, picked him up as 3rd striker and also needed more English players. Cost £7million.

 

Ended up outscoring Lewandowski & Lukaku despite playing considerably less games. Mainly used him as super-sub and consistently paid off.

 

Also, after season 2, got £30million for Azpilicueta and bought Carvajal for £16m. Carvajal finished in TOTY 

 

Played 5 games won two lost three.Won the Super Cup and lost three in a row in the League this has never happened in any of my other campaign on FM.I will probably be sacked in a few weeks. 

I found it's quite easy to get on a bad run of games...not necessarily losses, but draws certainly.

 

I find it happens, when I get too aggressive with my team talks post match. Morale quickly deteriorates and they start playing worse and worse. To keep the morale up as high as possible even when they're not winning, I tend to stick to assertive speeches, saying it's not good enough, and save aggressive speeches for HT speeches during the match when they have been horrendous.

 

And of course failing the morale factor, tactical tweaks here and there can do wonders. For instance, my strikers goal ratios have improved dramatically since I took drill crosses off, and let the team decide what crosses to do and when to do them. I think I need to tinker a bit more to find a perfect defensive balance though.

 

 

 

 

Damn you, Cambridge, I hope you die. I drag you up from the Skrill Premier, take you to Wembley to win a second promotion, wipe out half a million pounds worth of debt and this is how you repay me? What did you expect in League 1, we had no bloody money. Curse you, curse your decrepit stadium and your hideous yellow shirts, you won't achieve anything without me!

 

So, I hit a rut. I started out on Sunday league reputation and my Cambridge exploits only raised it to regional, so I've had a problem trying to get my foot in the door at a new club. I keep getting turned back by League 1 clubs and even League 2 sides opt for other candidates. I decided to settle in for a nice long holiday, but then this happened...

 

 

I thought, 'Skrill Premier? Skrill bloody Premier? Are you joking? I've already won the sodding Skrill Premier, why on earth should I be forced to stoop as low as that to get back into management?'

 

But then I had a look at Grimsby Town's fixture list. Their next game was a first round FA Cup tie. Away. To Cambridge.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by Charles Ryder

Lmao

Absolute gold.

 

Could try going abroad for a better chance of a job? Thought Cambridge were bang out of order tbh. 

I downloaded the demo off of steam, played it the last couple of nights only for a short amount of time so I am still only in pre-season with Chelsea. 

 

Signing players borders on being a chore, only £16.5m transfer funds to start with so I sold Mikel for around £12m to make more funds available and I'm trying to move on Ba as well.

 

 

I won't lie, I have no idea what I am doing because it has been a few years since I last played and there are so many more options now.

 

I was playing about with 4-3-3 but the team seems to play better in 4-2-3-1, van Ginkel seems like a gem performing well in all pre-season games.

Hmmmm...Arsene Wenger retires, Ranieri gets the Arsenal job (leaving Monaco in the process), in May 2016.

 

June 2016 "Ranieri leaves Arsenal"