The Football Manager 2017 Thread - Sponsored by Brexit.

[Panda Bear]

I never really check what their preference is regardless of position. I don't feel it makes a great deal of difference.

I'm the opposite. Foot preference affects (or at least seems to) whether they drive wide or cut inside, how long they have to dwell on the ball to do something with it, and the accuracy of their passes, crosses and shots.

I'm least concerned about it with centrebacks and goalies. I like my fullbacks to be two-footed because they're a lot better at recycling possession since they're not always defaulting to crosses in the final third. It's always a fullback or a deep midfielder who picks up a headed clearance it seems.

Improving the weaker foot is the number one PPM that I train for that reason.

[Yevrah]

What an end to the season:

how to take a screenshot on a pc



15th in the league. Might need to spend some proper money finally in the summer.

[Giggles]

This one's been ongoing for a while, even worse than my old Mazzari spats, but I've finally broken him

[Pen]

As I have mentioned in this thread before I'm currently enjoying a fantastic time managing Bolton.

Quick history:
2016/2017 League 1 champions and broke the 100 point barrier, did nothing in the cups
2017/2018 Championship champions and broke the 100 point barrier again, did nothing in the cups
2018/2019 Midtable mediocracy, but I won the League cup
2019/2020 More of the same in the league with a slight improvement and winners of the Europa League
2020/2021 The first trophy-less season, but finished third which was a great result compared to the previous seasons
2021/2022 Premier league and Champions league double and went out in the semi final of the FA-cip.
2022/2023 League Champions and broke the 100 point barrier in the Premier league and defended the Champions league title successfully. Lost in the FA-cup final.

In the past few seasons I have become the best club in the league and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. My transfer model shits on the AI's as always and my oldest player at the moment is Callum Chambers who's 28 (got him on the cheap (£6,5m) a few seasons back and his value at the moment is £33m. He will probably go after this season though as I have great youth defenders to take over. I only have 11 players in my squad who have been here form the start and they are Jääskeläinen (gk), Chambers (rb), Galloway (cb), Ryan Sessegnon (lb), Aiden O'Neill (mc), Grillittsch (mc), Brekalo (aml), Matheus Pereira (amr), Embolo, Quitongo and Charlie Osborne (all strikers). The rest are newgens. Osborne and Jääskeläinen are my own youths as well. All of the above are pretty good as well (well Jääskeläinen is only there because f his nationality) if anyone's looking for decent players. Matheus Pereira has won the Premier league player of the year three times in a row now after his £4m move in January 2018. It took two of those awards to get him his first cap with Brazil

Within the spoiler are three screenshots that I thought were some good things to share from my save. My comeback in Turin against Juve was great. After Brekalo's red I was sure I was out, but after getting through from that I ended up hammering Bayern and then beating Arsenal on penalties (after hammering them for 120 mins). Obviously I had to put a screenshot up from the 100 feat in the Premier league. I was actually on course to an unbeaten season before securing the title and losing the next two games scored 100 goals too. Last but not least was a surprise from the summer that just passed. Apparently the teams voted to get rid of work permits (I had a pretty hard Brexit but was really enjoying it, but still voted yes as I thought it would even the playing field a bit as I have a few self imposed rules). Has that ever happened to anyone else?

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[Jimmy Floyd]

How is Jussi still playing? He'd be 48.

[Smiffy]

Dare I mutter those famous last words?







I'm hoping we do it this season as I don't hold out too much hope of it happening in the next couple of years. Lucas Leiva and Dejan Loven both went to Guangzhou Evergrande in the January market for £33.5M although Dejan has another £7.5M to come in add ons so not a bad deal. The wage bill was something like £2.6M a week and I'll be aiming to get it down to £1M. I've kept mostly the first team thus far with the youngsters getting the odd start now and then but the long term aim is to bring them all through so the inevitable bids in the summer will be accepted providing they match our valuation otherwise I'll use them for tutoring purposes.

Mignolet decided to damage his achilles and has been out for the past 3/4 months whilst Firmino, who I rejected bids for in January ended up breaking his leg a few weeks later. Six months out.

Origi and Sturridge have grabbed 30 between them but the goals have been spread out. I've struggled to find a spot for Mane but he's still chipped in with 10 in 9 starts. Squeeky bum time.

It's bugging me that Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher won't entertain coming back to the club.

[Pen]

His son Will is my second choice gk. Jussi is still probably playing somewhere too.

@Jimmy

[Smiffy]

I've just had my intake. Perhaps losing Mignolet isn't that bad (I bet that statement doesn't exist on the internet up until now!)

[Yevrah]

Budgets set.



Delia doesn't seem to think we need to build another stadium, so I can see the full shilling being spent this window.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bop4rr6sUQo

Sorry.

[Yevrah]

That was genuinely amazing.

[Yevrah]

So my avoiding relegation from the Premier League for two years running has propelled us into the top 30 of the rich list.



Ahead of the Milan clubs no less.

[spokej]

Started a new game and this is the state of my goalkeeper situation a few days after transfer window shuts.

Gordon - 4-5 month knee tendonitis early in pre-season, fair enough, bought Bain to fill his spot. De Vries then gets knee tendonitis too, oh well Bain is still decent and I'll bring up Fasan as backup.

Window shuts and Bain picks up an ankle knock for a month and then Fasan fractures his back for two months?

Lustig also picked up a case of the knee tendonitis' and Gamboa broke his ankle on international duty. My two RBs.

Go fuck yourself.

[phonics]

I got bored and spunked 70 million quid on Laporte and the Dembele from Celtic. I'm thinking of signing the other Moussa and just creating a team of Dembeles.

I've got 12 games left, 5 points clear with Bayern as the 3rd to last match of the season. Can't wait to finish work.

[Smiffy]

Liverpool - Season 2016/2017

It took from the beginning of the season until the 12th of December to lose our first league match as we ran rampant. Victories at Stamford Bridge (3-2) and Goodison (4-0) proving every bit as pleasing as the 3-0 annihilation of Man United at Anfield and the manner in which we did them over in the EFL Cup was fantastic.



Pogba's penalty should return to planet earth early 2018. As it was it proved pointless in the end as we were defeated in the final to Arsenal.



I mentioned earlier about us being 'ten games away from greatness'.



But ultimately that proved to be as disappointing as the last time as we bottled it.



Opening season hasn't been great as far as blooding in youngsters but that's the long term aim as opposed to flooding the first team with them. Trent Alexander-Arnold had a few starts owing to his versatility and he'll be one I look use more next season.



Kevin Stewart was another but he's not really going anywhere and is likely to be allowed to leave in the summer. Andre Wisdom returns from loan and he'll be thrown into the first team as I hope to be rid of Klavan. Jack Dunn, Allan, Taiwo Awoniyi and Luke Hunter, the keeper from youth intake are all earmarked for next season where it looks more and more likely that Phillippe Coutinho and Emre Can will be departing.

[wullie]

Alexander-Arnold is my first choice RB in the Premier League in 2022, Connor Randall second. Add Joe Gomez on the left and I didn't realise until now I've just been raiding Liverpool for fullbacks.

[Smiffy]

How has Trent turned out for you? Gomez I was thinking of a using as a centreback.

On a side note, well into my second season but check it out. Bloodshed all round.

[Jimmy Floyd]

In my second season, England got five teams (Arsenal, holders Tottenham, United, City and West Ham) into the last 16. Spurs then smashed Real Madrid 5-1 in the first leg of said. Strong league.

[wullie]

How has Trent turned out for you? Gomez I was thinking of a using as a centreback.

I had him on loan as backup to Randall but once he signed on a permanent he took top spot. Possibly the most consistent and reliable defender I've got, not sure he's missed a game yet. Gomez is a jack of all trades, bought him mainly to bolster the middle but had a bit of a leftback crisis so he's done alright there

[Smiffy]

Liverpool - Season 2017/2018



£92M brought in and more expected next season as I hope to offload the big earners. Unfortunately that means Firmino and Clyne this upcoming season as both want well in excess of £200K a week. I've got the wage bill down to £2M which given my history is pretty good.

The clubs balance stands at £300M at the time of writing and only money spent has been the return of Steven Gerrard as the U18's manager and Sammy Lee as my assistant.

The best thing about the season is we ended the wait. Rather emphatically in the end as well.



Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge once again proved too formidable upfront.





Which is more than can be said for Taiwo who has found the step up a bit too much thus far.



One man who hasn't is youth product Luke Hunter who continues to go from strength to strength.



He did concede six against Arsenal but I take the blame for overloading the entire first eleven with kids.

Not too many starts for Allan but I'm expecting Milner to leave in the summer so there is an opening for him.



Jack Dunn and Lazar Markovic are probably going to join Milner given neither took their opportunies albeit limited ones.

Overall though I think it's fair to say Andre Wisdom and Marko Grujic were the main developers.





Stats might say otherwise but on viewing alone they were.

Back to the scores.

Our FA Cup bid was ended by Chelsea in the cruelest of fashions but we had bigger fish to fry at that point anyway.



Losing to Tottenham in the semi's was a disappointmenet. You always want to get to the final when you get so close.



Thems the dangers when you're giving youth a chance.

The most gutting part of the season came in May.



Considering we lost Can and Coutinho in the summer, I felt we did well to qualify for the knock out rounds. PSG proved easier than expected.

A date with Juventus followed but we were far too dominant in the final third.



Man United were to come in the semi's. Neither club wanting to lose least of all Man United given they were witnessing an impending league title arrive at Anfield as well.



Then shit got real. Real Madrid in the semi's, the winner facing Tottenham or Barcelona and the first leg couldn't have gone any worse.



It would require a famous night at Anfiield to stand any chance of going to the final.

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God dammit.

Waiting In The Wings.







Not exactly blessed in the youth department thus far.

[Giggles]

My main man is gone.

Not much you can do when they come knocking. He wanted €350,000 a week to stay.

[Manc]

God bless Brendan.

[Giggles]

Don't know whether to recall yet though or wait til the summer.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My Dortmund side has completely collapsed. We've gone from smashing goals in for fun to being completely unable to create any sort of openings. Aubameyang hasn't scored for 14 games and with about nine to go, I think it's unlikely he'll score again this season. Just can't hit a barn door.

Haven't changed anything. Do tactics get cracked like the good old days?

[Panda Bear]

My Dortmund side has completely collapsed. We've gone from smashing goals in for fun to being completely unable to create any sort of openings. Aubameyang hasn't scored for 14 games and with about nine to go, I think it's unlikely he'll score again this season. Just can't hit a barn door.

Haven't changed anything. Do tactics get cracked like the good old days?

Tactics get cracked.

You need your main tactic, your tactic that counters their counter tactic, and then your tactic that counters their counter-counter tactic. Naturally, your main tactic should function as the counter to their counter-counter-counter tactic.

I'm working with a 4-1-2-1-2, 4-3-2-1, and a 4-3-3, none of which have wingers. What I do have, though, are multi-faceted forwards and midfielders. You want to be able to have a high-paced, direct-passing tactic that can thrive with aerial play. You want a slow-paced, short-passing tactic that retains the ball. You want a mixed-paced, mixed-passing tactic that can do both. They just all need to be different formations.

Options like your defensive line, width, where to exploit and passing into space change on a match-to-match basis.

[Manc]

Change personal, Jim.

I've dropped Nzonzi, Mendy & Knockaert (big earners) this season. A few games on the bench seems to encourage.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That sounds very tedious, Panda.

I brought in Isco who is completely useless, Reus has also stopped performing. Maybe the little Spanish disease has poisoned the whole thing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Now I'm being utterly thrashed by the likes of Ingolstadt. Five defeats in a row and no sign of the next point, let alone win. It's like the game's decided I just can't play that formation anymore, even though my players are completely suited to it and for the first 18 months of my reign pretty much made hay.

[Panda Bear]

That sounds very tedious, Panda.

I brought in Isco who is completely useless, Reus has also stopped performing. Maybe the little Spanish disease has poisoned the whole thing.

Remember the time you spent making your once-effective tactic?

Make a new one, and keep your old one. You'll end up having to do it again at some point once the new one stops being the best tactic that has ever been created. Then you end up with three tactics that are all, hopefully, different enough from each other that you will no longer have to worry ever again.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hmm. I'll probably have to ditch half my squad as well if the wide men have to go (and I've not seen anything to suggest that wide men are any use at all in this version) but I'll take your word for it. I suppose this is why you should have versatile players.

[Giggles]

Suarez has been one of my best as an attacking playmaker in a wide position, and Boufal before him. Never get massively good performances from a winger role though.

[John]

Panda is making the whole thing sound far, far more labour intensive than it's ever been in my experience. I've been using the same system with almost cosmetic tweaks on a game to game basis for seven seasons now with Beograd and it hasn't been 'cracked'. I don't have counter or counter counter tactics either.

[Smiffy]

Me either. In most cases I've just got one tactic that I rarely even change.

Wes Harker who arrived in my first ever intake has taken me by surprise, I didn't clock who he's been likened too up until now however.





Firmino leaves for Bayern Munich in the January window so I'm hoping he'll be ready to take his place.

[Dark Soldier]

Panda is making the whole thing sound far, far more labour intensive than it's ever been in my experience. I've been using the same system with almost cosmetic tweaks on a game to game basis for seven seasons now with Beograd and it hasn't been 'cracked'. I don't have counter or counter counter tactics either.

Yup, same tactic, all 3 slots for training purposes. I have slight variations I can just load with minimal loss of knowledge too.

[Smiffy]

Heading into January and we've just bid farewell to Firmino and Moreno whilst Clyne looks set to join them in another round of savings. Daniel Sturridge, James Milner and Karius all went out on loan with their new clubs paying 100% of their wage.

With that said, this should make John proud.


Current.



First season.



Henderson, Matip, Lallana and Sakho (nearly £500K a week) all have 18 months remaining so will be looking to offload them in the not so distant future which would leave Origi as the clubs highest earner and I hope by that point we have a few more able additions coming through plus more places free in the starting line up should aid their course.

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I'll take top four as I imagine it's going to get harder over the next few years.



Despite the sales, I'm still boggled by the financial side of it.

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Hopefully we'll be completely debt free at some point before 2030.

[Panda Bear]

But making tactics is the best.

[Smiffy]

Liverpool - Season 2018/2019

Some big names left in each window which helped the wage budget decrease rapidly and January was as hectic as could be as I decided as many youngsters in the U23's should get six months experience or so.




Season Summary

It was always going to be difficult retaining our Premier League title with so many first teamers leaving but it was disappointing for it to end up back at Old Trafford after they finished 3rd last season.



It would appear early doors that both Manchester clubs are going to be the top dogs in the next few years. Chelsea improved considerably but it wasn't much of a title challenge by any of the top five in truth.

Arsenal may look at it as a missed opportunity given what's going on at Anfield but overall I would say we deserved to finish where we did.

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I do wonder where we would have ended had it not been for a rough start to 2019 though.

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Away from the league though we appeared to go from strength to strength.

Not so much the EFL Cup.



But revenge was dished our later in the season though to ruin Man United's hopes of a double.



Given our starting line up contained Luke Hunter, Andre Wisdom, Jon Flanagan, Marko Grujic and the exciting Wes Harker it's fair to say this is as close as I've got to supposedly being unable to win anything with kids.

But it got better. Much better.

An easier group than last season and it showed as we qualified after just four games. That doesn't excuse the two defeats but I was a bit more generous in giving youngsters a chance as a result.



Our passage to the knock out round complete once more and Borussia Dortmund were hoping to end it.



They didn't. Our early onslaught in the first half was excellent and set up a quarter final game against arguably the weakest side left in the competition. Shakhtar.

Which made the first leg the biggest irritation of the season.



It would require a special night at Anfield although I was suprised we didn't fill the ground. 2,000 odd short which has been rare this season. Something that wasn't rare though was the clubs ability to bounce back from the brink.



Easy in the end but a tie that should have been over before kick off. Real Madrid lay in wait and after last seasons 4-3 aggregate defeat to them I felt we owed them. The winner would face either Bayern Munich or Manchester City in the final. The winner would of course be us.

The testicular fortitude shown after not only going behind but being pegged back later in the match was telling.



If Allan goes on to do nothing else, he did enough here.

Madrid were apparently ravaged by injuries by Ronaldo, Benzema, Rodriguez, Ramos, Kroos and Modric all featured though as I'm not buying into it.

Finally though it would be an all English affair in the final. Manchester City defeating the Germans to reach their first whilst we would be looking to win it for the first time since 2005. Well, you don't win anything with kids, do you?





Just look at that final ten minutes.

Way beyond expectations but perhaps I'm underrating those I have.

Moving on. The big two are still Luke Hunter who has successfully established himself as number one now in place of Mignolet who I hope to sell in the summer and 'the next michael owen' in Wes Harker. Forget the fact he's a target man, clearly mirrors that treacherous twat.

He is getting better though.

Season 2016/2017



Season 2017/2018



Season 2018/2019



As for our number one. He'll be in the England squad soon I reckon.

[Pen]

I'm the same as Panda with my tactics. I usually have two more attacking tactics that I change depending how my opponents line up. The formation is the same, but team instructions and roles are a bit different. Then I also have one more cautious tactic that's used for closing out games and for away games against teams that are better than me. So far the tactics have been serving me well as I'm again undefeated in the league after 27 games (21-6-0). I am 2-1 down to PSG in the Champions league though after losing the first leg in Paris.

[Smiffy]

Well that was a quick turn around.



Barely seven months later.

On the plus side. (Because him being back in the Premier League with City is shit!)



£50M roughly. Not bad, not bad.

[Raoul Duke]

Why are you selling off all your good players Smiffy?

[Smiffy]

I'm trying to use only youth intakes. I probably should have kept a good number of them for tutoring purposes but I figured first team football for them would be more beneficial.



We've recouped £315M in fees thus far and the wage bill is now down to £1.1M. Unheard of for me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Lost another four in a row this morning (with two different formations) and on the brink of the sack after dropping to 8th. Once it goes on this version, it goes, and there's no way back.

We scored 48 goals in the 17 league games before Christmas, and 11 in the 15 games since, not to mention a double blank in the Champions League tie (having topped our group ahead of PSG) and a 0-0 penalty loss to Bochum in the cup. I did not change a thing until recently. There was just a point probably 2 games before Christmas when the match engine just decided nah, that's it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Seeing Smiffy attempting to balance the books is mental.



'Mon Smiff, look how beautiful that is. Join the dark side again.

[Smiffy]

It's such a foreign experience but until the remaining £181M is paid off then I'm going to stick at it. I've probably gone about it in the wrong way by getting rid of all those on big wages but ultimately I've had more fun managing just Harker on his lonesome than I have on a good few recent saves. It's rare I go Liverpool, even rarer to do this sort of save however it's worthwhile when you see how good some of those you wouldn't have given a chance to have developed.

Grujic being a prime example.



As you're in 3030's Mahow, any chance you can have a quick check and get back to me on the intake dates for England. The site I used only goes up to 2021. It's a shame I'm only using my own youth as some of the prospects with this 200 youth rating thing are mental.

[Smiffy]

Get fucked.

[phonics]

Blimey,

3 games left in the season, I have to earn 1 point from Bayern, Cologne and Shalke. Bayern beat me 5-0, Cologne win 2-0, I hold a team meeting only to destroy the confidence of every player I have.

We win 4-1 with Auba scoring a hat-trick

First title I've won on this game in 2 years.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Whenever I played Bayern (I think I've given up now), we always had the better of the game only for Lewandowski to rattle in just enough goals to win whether it be 3-2, 2-1 or whatever. That repeated literally about 5 times. Didn't even get a draw off the fuckers.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

2022 - 06/03
2023 - 08/03
2024 - 02/03
2025 - 11/03
2026 - 06/03
2027 - 10/03
2028 - 02/03
2029 - 09/03
2030 - 01/03

If you want the earlier years from my save just say so, Smiff.

You can send over £50m to my GKS account to say thanks.

[Smiffy]

Top job. I'm thinking I may have to raid others. Is that allowed on YDWAWK saves or am I doing it the proper way? Intakes aren't static so I could reload save until I fill in the positions I need or go poaching which ideally I want to avoid.

[Danny]

http://www.passion4fm.com/football-m...-youth-intake/

Raiding others isnt a YDWAWK game.