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#153269 Southampton - The European Dream
Chewy92
No, I guess you're right. So used to playing FM with big clubs, I don't often start with smaller teams, but I have to say I'm enjoying this!
Cheers for the comments guys, I'll keep you updated
#152835 Project Bilbao
Chewy92
#152834 Southampton - The European Dream
Chewy92
August 2013 - January 2014
A quick look at the results between August & January shows that it has not been all plain sailing on the South Coast. After a solid start, winning 5 of my first 7 games in all competitions, the 3-2 defeat at home to West Brom signaled the start of an extremely dark patch in my first season in charge. After that game, we went on a horrendous run of not being able to win any of our 8 games, and falling to defeat in 7 of those. The defence was shakey, we were conceding goals left, right & centre - the 6-3 drubbing by Liverpool and shipping 4 goals Swansea, Spurs & Chelsea during this period shows that. We topped the table after the first 3 games, winning all of them and performing well. But after this shocking run, we were flailing round the foot of the table, sinking as low as 16th. The pressure was mounting at St. Mary's, I'd been called in to a meeting with the Chief Exec and I was almost out of the door. Even the 4-2 win against Palace wasn't enough to kick-start the team's confidence. I firmly believe that we not had our little cup run to the quarter finals of the CO Cup, I would've been out by November.
The 1-0 victory at home to Everton - and incidentally, our first clean sheet in the league all season - was the start of the Southampton revival. From then on we won 6 of our next 8 league games, and managed to keep yet another clean sheet in one of them! We've made hard work of some of our games, West Ham and Hull, both floundering in and around the relegation zone, both proved more difficult than they should've been. But we've made it in to the New Year in good form, and after being given an extremely generous £21m transfer budget increase, I can now try and patch up the leakiest defence in the league.
So we're now sitting pretty in 6th thanks to our little pre-Christmas run. We're still shipping goals though, worryingly - the 7-0 defeat to United particularly bad, managed one shot at goal all game. It's thanks to defeats like that we have conceded the most goals in the league, and have a goal difference of 0. I signed German GK Tim Wiese on a free in October, he has been horrendous. Also in October, I arranged the transfer of Jose Fonte to West Ham for £1.1m, he was out of contract in the summer and I didn't want to hang on to him. Of course, since the transfer was arranged, he's been one of, if not our best defender, FM can be cruel sometimes. So with my bulging transfer budget, I have brought in Bruno Ecuele Manga from Lorient for just over £5m, as well as French 'keeper Benoit Costil, signed on a pre-contract agreement, for £1m to get him in before the summer. I have also, rather surprisingly, been able to arrange the transfer of Jeremy Menez from PSG on a free in the summer, and also have the possiblity of signing Victor Valdes and Nemanja Vidic, but their wage demands are rather too high right now.
I can't have any complaints about the attackers in my squad, we have the 3rd highest goals tally in the league, behind United & Chelsea (who thumped Fulham 10-0 earlier in the season, Diego Costa of course getting 6 of them!)
So there we are, halfway through the season and we are well in range of getting European football at the first attempt. Will update more later in the week!
#151906 Southampton - The European Dream
Chewy92
Had a switch up of tactics, and a couple of new players and the team that drubbed Yeovil 8-2 looks very different to the side that was dismantled by Plzen. The 4-1 victory against Boca, also a very good result. Eduardo looks like he could be a decent signing, injury-prone but seems to be working well. Also signed Chris Wood from Leicester with my remaining transfer budget, as I want to move to a formation with 2 strikers, and Lambert still a few weeks away from full fitness. Signed Seb Larsson from Sunderland for just over £2m, very good as a RWB, and more used to that position unlike the other options in my squad.
The new formation. I find the Poacher/Target Man combo works well, although Woods is yet to have a decent game. Opening day of the season, a 2-1 victory over Arsenal thanks to a Jay Rodriguez brace. The pulled 1 back through Cazorla, but my defence held strong. Good start to the campaign, optimistic ahead of the next game vs Sunderland.
#151894 FM 14 German National Team Fix - How to stop the German National Team having greyed out players in Football Manager 2014
Chewy92
#151832 FM 14 German National Team Fix - How to stop the German National Team having greyed out players in Football Manager 2014
Chewy92
This is odd. I never had this issue with FM13, which was installed etc exactly the same!
#151823 Southampton - The European Dream
Chewy92
The Targets -
So, for my latest game, I have decided to take control of Southampton, and go about bringing some much deserved success to a team that have quickly become a Premier League staple after only a season back in the top-flight. They have a good solid squad to work with, although a couple of areas do need strengthening. They're a challenge, as you have to find your own finances, as the board offer you nothing in the first season, which isn't surprising given the amount they spent in the summer. As it's the latest patch, I am also coping without record signing Dani Osvaldo, who is on loan at Juventus for the rest of the season. Morgan Schneiderlin wants out, and I'm lacking a left-back to offer competition for the highly-rated youngster Luke Shaw.
Disaster. First game in charge, and not only a rather disappointing 2-2 draw against Dunfermline, but 2 of my key players are injured in the first game of pre-season. Jay Rodriguez, out for 6 weeks with a sprained ankle, and talisman Rickie Lambert out for up to 2 months with a dislocated shoulder. Could've gone better. I've sold Schneiderlin off for £12m to Monaco, fans are pretty happy with that. I've also loaned in former Arsenal striker Eduardo for the season, to add some depth to my depleted strike force. Italian left-back Luca Antonelli has joined on loan from Genoa for the season, as back-up for Luke Shaw. Second game of pre-season, not much better - a 4-0 home drubbing by Viktoria Plzen. Perhaps a tinker and some transfers are needed.
If this is something people might be interested in following, i'll happily post some more? Feedback would be welcomed guys!
#151821 FM 14 German National Team Fix - How to stop the German National Team having greyed out players in Football Manager 2014
Chewy92
#151778 FM 14 German National Team Fix - How to stop the German National Team having greyed out players in Football Manager 2014
Chewy92
#151768 FM 14 German National Team Fix - How to stop the German National Team having greyed out players in Football Manager 2014
Chewy92
#151756 FM 14 German National Team Fix - How to stop the German National Team having greyed out players in Football Manager 2014
Chewy92