Football Manager 2020

[Dan LCFC]

Finished the season. We are up as ****ing champions.

 

 

We went on two really good runs that did the job. The first was in the first half of the season, we won 12 games on the bounce (including 2 in the cup against teams in our league) putting us comfortably top and we never let it up. We then produced another 15 game unbeaten run, mainly draws this time, ended by bloody Krasnodar-2 at home after we'd won the league.

 

Tambov and Sochi both had miserable starts to the season as newly relegated teams but managerial changes saw them make serious upturns in form, I was offered the Sochi job but I am loyal to the project of getting these into Europe* and turned them down. Sochi have a decent side though, I think I could've taken them up and kept them up.

 

We had consecutive games at home to Tambov and Sochi. We drew with Tambov, taking the lead in the 84th minute and throwing it away at the death (though I was happy enough to draw) and then beating Sochi 2-0, sealing it with a last minute counter attack after withstanding their barrage, the goal where I knew we were up. We made a bit of a pigs ear of the last few games, struggling against some sides I'd have expected us to beat comfortably, but it didn't matter - though it's impossible to ignore that the idea that we're running out of steam.

 

The fact that Tambov and Sochi went up isn't good. I think we only came above those two because of their poor starts. Basically I think despite winning the league we're comfortably the weakest of the three and in turn, the weakest in the top flight next season, as the three who went up went straight back down (mind the gap Khabarovsk). There seems to be a real gulf in quality between the original 16 teams in the top flight from the start and everyone else. Sochi for example I think are comfortably better than any of the three who went up last year.

 

In Russia's top tier, there are 16 teams, the bottom 2 go down, then 13th and 14th play off against 3rd and 4th in the second tier. If you offered me 14th now I would take it. This is going to take a shift and a half to keep these up. I laugh at Khabarovsk but we are basically this seasons version of them, and they only won twice all season in the top tier.

 

 

* Regarding getting these into Europe I've got this horrible vision that I'll do it and our stadium will be deemed unfit for purpose, so we'll have to go and play in Moscow. That would be the ultimate kick in the balls.

Edited 31 August 2020 by Dan LCFC

[Will1981]

Rudkin Challenge - Season 2

 

Rudkin's major transfer dealings:

 

15/6/20 signed A. Onana for £26m from Ajax - proved to be a good replacement for Schmeichel

18/6/20 sold D. Amartey for £6m to Brighton.

29/6/20 signed K. Malcuit for £12m from Napoli - good backup RB.

9/7/20 sold Ricardo for £33m to Man City - bid mistake.

17/7/20 signed J. Draxler for 11m from PSG - great signing for bargain price.

21/7/20 signed Willian for £27m from Chelsea - a lot of money for a 32 year old but had a good season.

30/7/20 sold F. Diabate to Brentford for £8m.

30/7/20 signed Mario Rui from Napoli on season loan - good backup for Chilwell.

1/9/20 sold C. Soyuncu to Arsenal for £41m - biggest mistake of the season.

1/2/21 sold D. Praet to Brescia for £24m - good price for unhappy player.

1/2/21 signed C. McGregor for £18m from Celtic - good signing.

1/2/21 signed Lee Kang-In for £28m from Valencia - a lot of money for a 19 year old wonderkid will be one for the future.

 

Competition Results:

 

Premier League:

1st: Liverpool - 93 pts

2nd: Arsenal - 92 pts

3rd: Man City - 85 pts

4th: Man Utd - 74 pts

5th: Tottenham - 68 pts

6th: Chelsea - 67 pts

7th: Wolves - 67 pts

8th: Leicester - 61 pts

 

FA Cup: lost in 5th round to Man Utd on penalties

 

Carabao Cup: lost in Quarter Final to Burnley on penalties

 

Champions League: Lost in Quarter Final to At. Madrid (again)

 

Player Stats:

 

Fans Player of the Season: Maddison

Young Player of the Season: Maddison

Top Scorer: Morelos 21

Highest Average Rating: 7.44 Tielemans

Most Assists: Willian 13

Most MOTM: Tielemans 8

 

Overall a hugely disappointing season leaving me on the verge of being sacked, Rudkin's decision to sell Ricardo and then Soyuncu on deadline day proved to be a huge mistake as he chose to not replace Soyuncu with another CB leaving me with just Evans & Ajer with Benkovic & Knight as backups who were nowhere near ready.

Was unlucky to go out of both the domestic cups on penalties and lost 4-2 on aggregate to At. Madrid in Quarter Final of Champions League after beating them twice in group stage.

Edited 31 August 2020 by Will1981

[Will1981]

Rudkin Challenge - Season 3

 

Rudkin's major transfer dealings:

 

15/6/21 signed M. Ginter from Bayern on season loan - finally a CB to replace Soyuncu.

16/6/21 sold J. Draxler to Wolves for £18m - disappointing

18/6/21 sold B. Chilwell to Arsenal for £47m - poor decision

30/6/21 sold Y. Tielemans to Chelsea for £70m - good price for my most consistent player.

2/7/21 signed T. Meunier from PSG for £14m - good backup RB.

28/7/21 sold F. Benkovic to Milan for £19m - good price for a backup player.

6/8/21 sold K. Iheanacho to Burnley for £15m - good price for unused player.

8/8/21 signed K. Zouma from Chelsea for £27m - good upgrade on Benkovic.

16/8/21 sold A. Onana to Tottenham for £38m - good profit for one season.

21/8/21 signed R. McCrorie from Rangers for £14m - solid replacement for Onana.

1/9/21 signed D. Origi from Liverpool for £48m - massive flop 2 goals in 23 games.

1/9/21 signed L. Paredes from PSG for £38m - good replacement for Tielemans.

10/1/22 sold K. Malcuit to Jiangsu for £22m - good price for my RB.

26/1/22 signed T. Jedvaj from Milan for £21m - good replacement for Malcuit.

26/1/22 signed X. Shaqiri from Liverpool for £28m - massive waste of money.

31/1/22 signed M. Sabitzer from RB Leipzig for £45m - good player for a big price.

31/1/22 signed A. Martial from Man Utd for £27m - so far so good.

 

Competition Results:

 

Premier League:

1st: Liverpool - 88 pts

2nd: Man City - 81 pts

3rd: Tottenham - 80 pts

4th: Chelsea - 77 pts

5th: Arsenal - 73 pts

6th: Man Utd - 72 pts

7th: Leicester - 64 pts.

 

FA Cup: lost in 3rd round to Chelsea.

 

Carabao Cup: lost in 4th round to Bournemouth.

 

Player Stats:

 

Fans Player of the Season: Willian

Young Player of the Season: K. Ajer

Top Scorer: Maddison 16

Highest Average Rating: Maddison 7.26

Most Assists: Maddison 9

Most MOTM: Maddison & Kang-In 4

 

Another pretty poor season, Rudkin went crazy in the transfer market spending £248m on transfers and selling players for a total of £228m, his biggest mistakes were wasting £48m on Origi and £27m on Shaqiri, his decision to sell Chilwell and not sign another LB was a big mistake and I had to play a combination of Ndidi and Justin at LB which ensured another season of not being able to break into the top six.

[Mark_w]

On 23/08/2020 at 09:15, The Bear said:

How much time do you lot spend playing this? 

I'm down to much healthier levels these days according to Steam.

Football Manager 2012 - 1,073.2 hours
Football Manager 2013 - 987.9 hours
Football Manager 2014 -- 1,279 hours
Football Manager 2015 - 1,104.3 hours
Football Manager 2016 - 1,073.6 hours
Football Manager 2017 - 280 hours
Football Manager 2018 - 297.2 hours
Football Manager 2019 - 519.9 hours
Football Manager 2020 - 603.3 hours

Edited 31 August 2020 by Mark_w

[Will1981]

On 23/08/2020 at 09:15, The Bear said:

How much time do you lot spend playing this? 

Football Manager 2009 - 564 hours
Football Manager 2010 - 1245 hours
Football Manager 2011 - 855 hours
Football Manager 2012 - 1003 hours - editor 279 hours
Football Manager 2013 - 1308 hours - editor 285 hours
Football Manager 2014 - 1047 hours - editor 495 hours
Football Manager 2015 - 1260 hours - editor 248 hours
Football Manager 2016 - 972 hours - editor 215 hours

did not buy 17/18/19.
Football Manager 2020 Touch - 100+ hours

[moore_94]

Football Manager 2012 - 1,370 hours
Football Manager 2013 - 991 hours
Football Manager 2014 - 1,342 hours
Football Manager 2015 - 1,726 hours
Football Manager 2016 - 1,376 hours
Football Manager 2017 - 1729 hours
Football Manager 2018 - 1628 hours
Football Manager 2019 - 1723 hours
Football Manager 2020 - 1678 hours

 

Im also not someone who leaves it on overnight or just leaves it running all the time, these will pretty much all be active hours

[Lako42]

Interested in getting back into FM after not buying for years. 

 

What is the cheapest spec lappy that could run a 8 league medium database? Don't really want to spend more than £350

Edited 3 September 2020 by Lako42

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Won the Labrokes and the Betfred with Aberdeen first full season in charge - absolutely tonked by Celtic in the Scottish cup semis though, the elusive silverware. Was surprisingly easy tbh, Celtic dropped a load of points early doors and have lost something like 8 games so I only really needed to be semi consistent given the rest of the league is much of a muchness - few Prem loanees through the door and we're on our way

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Endured a heartbreak I ain't felt since Laura 24 left to go down under this morning, lads.

It's May 2024, we're at the Estadi Cornellá-El Prat for another balmy night in Barcelona in the showpiece, the Euro Cup 2 final - the one everyone's been waiting for. Aberdeen's blistering young guns versus strong favourites Wolves.

13 minutes in and your boy the Fulham loanee Ian Richardson, the wizard of dribble as I like to call him careers down the right side and takes a tumble. PENALTY DONS. 50 goal season hero Michael Ruth confidently dispatches the spot kick past a hapless and frankly pathetic Patricio. 'Hello?' I think to myself, raising my freshly poured Nespresso to my soft, supple, voluptuous lips 'GAME ON IS IT.' 

The next twenty minutes are cagey and bitty, Wolves and their caveman footy trying to prevent my swagger and verve from hitting it's pomp. 32 minutes in and the talisman sends Connor Coady back to his GCSEs and slaps the ball into the back of the net, another Micky Ruth special. I rub my thigh without sexual intent. 'Surely not?!'

 

Three minutes later, we flap and the ever reliable right back loanee Cody Drameh brings down some Portuguese cheat in the 18 yard box. I face Mecca and pray instead of watching the pen, but turn around and our very own turncoat James Maddison has scored from the spot against his former club. 'How can that cretin look his mother in the eye when he goes to bed with her at night' I quip. We're still 2-1 up.

THE ****ING MINUTE AFTER. Long ball from the cavemen, Neto has the freedom of Barcelona to knock it past Tom Ritchie in goal. 'NOT LIKE THIS' I scream at my mac as if the pixels on the screen will hear me, NOT LIKE THIS.

83 minutes. Some other continental fancy dan with an inswinger, of course the towering giant of a man that is 5'7" Mario Gotze leaps like a salmon and nods it in. Head in hands, cancel the holidays, I've lost the lot. But before I can attach a hosepipe to the car exhaust, the lads at (the Spanish version of) Stockley Park are at it. GOAL DENIED MARIO. We're still at 2-2 and at this point my arsehole is pulsating like Liquid and Envy nightclub circa 2008.

We go into extra time. 93 minutes, Michael Ruth baring down on Patrico, surely he can't bag a hat trick? Of course he can, makes Patricio look a ****ing mug in the process, and not an elegant mug, one of those bloody ridiculous Sport Direct ones, cheerio Rui - the trophy is coming back to Aber bloody deen.

A MINUTE LATER and some Spaniard for them immediately equalises. At this point I don't know what to think, I feel like I've been at American Adventure riding the Missile all god damn day at this stage. Just make it to pens, boys - the lottery of pens.

119 minutes on the clock. Nearly two hours of chasing the dream, blood pressure Trudy Roofe, a Susan Perb show of effort. Raul Jimenez makes it 4-3 Wolves.

The bastard in the black blows his whistle, it's finished boys. The dream has died - and I spend the next few hours knowing exactly how tactics Tim felt at our gaff circa September 2015. Like a delicate package after a Yodel delivery, I'm broken.

 

Edited 5 September 2020 by Miquel The Work Geordie

[deejdeej]

22 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

Endured a heartbreak I ain't felt since Laura 24 left to go down under this morning, lads.

It's May 2024, we're at the Estadi Cornellá-El Prat for another balmy night in Barcelona in the showpiece, the Euro Cup 2 final - the one everyone's been waiting for. Aberdeen's blistering young guns versus strong favourites Wolves.

13 minutes in and your boy the Fulham loanee Ian Richardson, the wizard of dribble as I like to call him careers down the right side and takes a tumble. PENALTY DONS. 50 goal season hero Michael Ruth confidently dispatches the spot kick past a hapless and frankly pathetic Patricio. 'Hello?' I think to myself, raising my freshly poured Nespresso to my soft, supple, voluptuous lips 'GAME ON IS IT.' 

The next twenty minutes are cagey and bitty, Wolves and their caveman footy trying to prevent my swagger and verve from hitting it's pomp. 32 minutes in and the talisman sends Connor Coady back to his GCSEs and slaps the ball into the back of the net, another Micky Ruth special. I rub my thigh without sexual intent. 'Surely not?!'

 

Three minutes later, we flap and the ever reliable right back loanee Cody Drameh brings down some Portuguese cheat in the 18 yard box. I face Mecca and pray instead of watching the pen, but turn around and our very own turncoat James Maddison has scored from the spot against his former club. 'How can that cretin look his mother in the eye when he goes to bed with her at night' I quip. We're still 2-1 up.

THE ****ING MINUTE AFTER. Long ball from the cavemen, Neto has the freedom of Barcelona to knock it past Tom Ritchie in goal. 'NOT LIKE THIS' I scream at my mac as if the pixels on the screen will hear me, NOT LIKE THIS.

83 minutes. Some other continental fancy dan with an inswinger, of course the towering giant of a man that is 5'7" Mario Gotze leaps like a salmon and nods it in. Head in hands, cancel the holidays, I've lost the lot. But before I can attach a hosepipe to the car exhaust, the lads at (the Spanish version of) Stockley Park are at it. GOAL DENIED MARIO. We're still at 2-2 and at this point my arsehole is pulsating like Liquid and Envy nightclub circa 2008.

We go into extra time. 93 minutes, Michael Ruth baring down on Patrico, surely he can't bag a hat trick? Of course he can, makes Patricio look a ****ing mug in the process, and not an elegant mug, one of those bloody ridiculous Sport Direct ones, cheerio Rui - the trophy is coming back to Aber bloody deen.

A MINUTE LATER and some Spaniard for them immediately equalises. At this point I don't know what to think, I feel like I've been at American Adventure riding the Missile all god damn day at this stage. Just make it to pens, boys - the lottery of pens.

119 minutes on the clock. Nearly two hours of chasing the dream, blood pressure Trudy Roofe, a Susan Perb show of effort. Raul Jimenez makes it 4-3 Wolves.

The bastard in the black blows his whistle, it's finished boys. The dream has died - and I spend the next few hours knowing exactly how tactics Tim felt at our gaff circa September 2015. Like a delicate package after a Yodel delivery, I'm broken.

 

Can I just say, you're a master of the art of storytelling 

[The Bear]

Hard luck. 

 

As if we were going to lose to Aber-bastard-deen?

[Fox92]

Got the "Childhood dream" trophy as Leicester offer me the job. Took it. I'd taken Chesterfield from non league to 10th in the Championship.

 

Leicester are in a mess. 18th in PL with players earning stupid money despite not playing. Last manager chucked money away. Ings signed for £31m, £110k a week, and he's not even registered  

 

Lost my first game to Man Utd (De Gea saved everything) but then beat fellow strugglers Birmingham and Newcastle. Got a nice run of fixtures including Forest and Villa so looking to get us to mid table quickly while sorting out 

[Stadt]

Won the quintuple at San Lorenzo, my best ever season on any fm. 4/5 done on the pentagon challenge. Want the Atletico or Valencia job so it's a bit of a challenge. Only have Spain loaded in Europe

 

 

Edited 8 September 2020 by Stadt

[Stinkenzo]

Taken over Krsko in the Slovenian Second Division. Never seen such an unbalanced squad, and no real u19 players doesn't help. 1 GK, 3 defenders (thats right, left or centre) then 8 players capable playing CM, 6 AMR and 5 A,L, and 9 strikers Good versatility but blimey. Got 3 players on loan from Dinamo Zagreb strangely so that will be handy. Loaded up Austria and Italy with it, feel like it was a mistake to not load Croatia aswell for geographical reasons but had them on my last proper save.

[Stinkenzo]

Only a week in, despite potential financial benefits i've had to cancel my first friendly at home to Zenit as I don't want to be completely annihilated. Discovered that actually 80% of my squad is Croatian (5 Slovenians, an already-on-loan Argentine who looks incredible and an Angolan who i'm shipping off to Malta). I have no link to Dinamo despite the 3 loanees but found I have a link to NK Maribor but they don't have many players I can loan. Gonna have to go for a 3 at the back formation I think instead of signing 6 new players to make 4 at the back a possibility.

 

Also there are rumours already speculating we could be the subject of a takeover bid. I picked the team as i'd heard of them, but didn't realise they'd only just been relegated to the 2nd tier, albeit predicted 10th/16 this season. They seem a fairly small club in fairness spending most of the last 20 years in the 2nd tier, with 3 or 4 in the top tier. Average wage a little over £100 p/w. Their fierce rivals are Krka who play in the 2nd tier also.

 

Obligatory stadium photo

 

 

Funfact: There is a nuclear power plant in the town of Krsko

Funfact #2: Krkso's nickname is "Nuklearci" which means The Nuclear Boys.

Edited 9 September 2020 by Walkers

[Lako42]

On 03/09/2020 at 11:46, Lako42 said:

Interested in getting back into FM after not buying for years. 

 

What is the cheapest spec lappy that could run a 8 league medium database? Don't really want to spend more than £350

Anyone?

[AjcW]

19 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Anyone?

I don't think price/spec is really where you focus needs to be. It's more about what you want from within the game. It's pretty customisable if you're happy with the most basic settings.

 

If you turn off all the fancy game graphics then anything around £350 will do a job.

 

Important consideration is also number of leagues you want to load... if you're happy with a couple and a reasonable player database, then again you'll be fine around that price.

[Finnegan]

On 03/09/2020 at 21:35, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

with Aberdeen

judas

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

judas

 

Mate I waited and waited for Derek Adams to get the chop at Easter Road

[Stadt]

 

[Stadt]

Born in Ibiza  

 

 

 

Actual Pearson was at Watford for 13 years on this save

Edited 9 September 2020 by Stadt

[Stinkenzo]

Well the Nuclear Boys adventure is predictably frustrating. Reached Christmas in 5th, 5 places above my predicted finish and 7pts off the 2nd placed play off spot. The league is a simple 16 team, 30 game format and the top division I think a 10 team, 36 game format, none of this daft league splitting. One up, one down, 9th in Div 1 plays 2nd in Div 2. Won 8, drew 8 and lost 5, just can't put any sort of run together. Struggling to score, 24 goals in 21 games looks better than it is as i've had atleast 4 games where i've scored 3 goals. 16 conceded though is alright.

 

My Argentine striker is a mystery. I have no link with his club, he is clearly a decent player but I have no idea why he's in the Slovenian Second Division He's my only "specialised" striker to have scored a goal this season, but he has underwhelmed and more so, there is a limit of 1 non-EU player in the entire match day squad. I have had to juggle him and 2 players (both CBs) all season. I'm better off terminating the loan, just found out i'm also paying his £1.3k wages which is about 33% of my wage bill. Atleast I can rotate the other two to keep them happy.

 

Asked and received a new contract seeing me through the next 18 months so looking forward to the summer when I can have a bit of a reset with my squad, jotted down only 9 players that I want to keep for sure so far. On the plus side i'm semi-pro and some players are on non-contracts. I signed two in the summer and one of them was the best fit to become my captain On the downside the other has been snapped up by a Croatian side.

 

 

Ok scrap my list of 9 players I want to keep. These players are being pinched on free transfers despite admitting they're happy to stay, but don't want to enter talks over a new contract as they feel I can't offer them improved terms (when I can)

Edited 10 September 2020 by Walkers

[Stinkenzo]

Can somebody recommend a formation for a shite Slovenian 2nd division side? I've always thought keeping it simple was important at this level so 442? Think I read earlier in the thread that this formation was generally good anyway? Either way can someone give me that and some decent player roles/tactical style?

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, Walkers said:

Can somebody recommend a formation for a shite Slovenian 2nd division side? I've always thought keeping it simple was important at this level so 442? Think I read earlier in the thread that this formation was generally good anyway? Either way can someone give me that and some decent player roles/tactical style?

442 with very few instructions, play to your teams strengths and try to minimise their weaknesses.

 

Typically with a 442 most use one ST on attack one on support, have one wide player on attack going beyond the supporting striker. One support and one defend in midfield. Balanced is a under appreciated mentality imo

[Lako42]

Picked up a refurbed Dell i5 with 16gb Ram. Fingers crossed it should work and I can contribute to the thread.