I get it every single year... legitimately last game of the season, the pitch is relaid message.
https://www.google.com/maps/@58.5651...1!1e3?hl=en-US
I get it every single year... legitimately last game of the season, the pitch is relaid message.
https://www.google.com/maps/@58.5651...1!1e3?hl=en-US
How ruthless is everyone with player cutting? I've had money to spend so have been a bit heavy on recruitment... squad is now 40ish players. And this post might be more me justifying my squad cutting...
3 are definitely off. The goalkeeper and left back that saw me through the second divison and first division survival.... and an Estonian Swedish striker who I picked up on a free for squad depth. He's played less than 20 times for 3 goals but just isn't good enough to even hang around for depth.
GK wise, I think I am good. I have my South Korean international as a starter, a great Swedish prospect (and important +1 to HG) as bench and then an Italian prospect in the reserves. Picked him up from Fiorentina on a free so hopefully the two youngsters can develop into starters with some cup games.
Defenders is where the squad feels thinnest in terms of quality but thickest in terms of quantity.
My starting centre backs are fantastic but neither are Swedish. I have 4 Swedish back ups (3 multi position) and then a Canadian and Serbian who aren't HG. The Canadian will be if he develops as I have had him since he turned 18 so will qualify in 2 and a bit years. Trying to offload the plain old DC if I can and likely the Iraqi Swede DC/DMC as he is earning almost as much as my starters despite being fourth choice at best.
I have one right back and he's easily the worst starter in the team. He is Canadian but Swedish HG so that helps but he's really not great. Two of the DC's can play RB so they are good back up options and my starting DL can also play there... but I very much need a quality starter and preferably Swedish.
At left back, I have two players really close to starting quality so might make sense to offload the American who is on a much higher wage. The only downside might be that he has been at the club so long he is a Highly Influential player so offloading him might upset the apple cart. I also have a young Swedish DL as back up, so having 3 capable doesn't make much sense.
In the middle of the park, I must have gone crazy with signings or picking up freebies. I have 7 players capable of playing DM... which seems excessive for two spots, especially when 3 of my defenders can slot in there as well. I have a Greek youth international that's probably the current worst of them but also highest looking potential, so hopefully I can farm him out to a lower league club and maintain a push for Swedish HGN. My current starters are a Macedonian international (Swedish born) who is wanted by two promotion pushing Serie B clubs. He's also the oldest, the least potential and on the highest wages... but he is also the captain, the most influential player in the squad and fan favored personnel. I also have a pair of other youngsters, one French and the other Slovenian, but both too old to get HG status. Frenchie is much more of a defensive midfielder (Kanta) where my Macedonian is more Ugarkovic... but that might work next to the Nigerian who is even more suited to an attacking role than the Macedonian. The Slovenian will get cut or sent out on loan (along with a fringe Swedish player) and leave me with one Swedish prospect and my versatile defenders to back up.
When I play with an MC instead of two DM's, the Nigerian and Swedish prospect are both natural there but the hottest prospect is an English regen I got on a free from Burnley. My back up left winger and THREE of my back up strikers can also play there in a pinch.
Right wing is set. Have an absolute superstar Swede who was last year's big signing and he is capably backed up by a Norwegian youngster that will become HG in the middle of next season. Nigerian midfielder and one of my Swedish bench strikers can also back up there. I have a winger that's been with me since my first year in the top flight that I will look to sell.
Left wing is similarly sorted. Serbian superstar with Swedish back up.
Up front... what the hell have I done. I have three phenomenal players that can start... none of them Swedish. I have a fourth coming in because my scouts said "sign him whatever the price"... so a potential Brazilian superstar on his way who can also play MC and AMC. My latest purchase was another "whatever the price" signing of a regen from WSW who my scouts spotting at an Asian Cup game. 21yo, 3 goals in 7 starts for the Socceroos. Throw in the Argie and Frenchie who closed out the season as my starters and I am well packed with strikers. And that's before I get to club icon who spent a large chunk of the season injured or the 4 amazing youngsters I now have to farm out on loan. My bench is going to be two superstars and I am going to have to offload an icon, I think.
Cool. Buy a right back, sell two club icons and a captain. Shouldn't be too disruptive.
edit - So... despite what I said above, looks like I am buying a midfielder. A French youth international, from PSG. For peanuts. First 100 scouted player - Adil Aouchiche is coming to Sweden.
Got a gun RB too. Fills the home grown requirement, can double as a DC if needed.
edit #2 - Right wing might be a problem. BSU in China and Citadella in Serie B have met his £1m release clause. I tried offering him a new contract but he wants a near 600% increase so I've told him to **** off.
Last edited by Grimario; 12-12-2019 at 04:33 PM.
My Europa League campaign is over... 6 weeks after the league season finished, we are still slugging away with 3 games in Europe after everyone else has gone home.
Was expected to be competitive and I think I did just that despite not winning a game.
2-2 PSV (18 shots to 8)
1-2 @ Norwich (11 to 15)
1-2 Sion (17 to 12)
1-1 @ Sion (19 to 12)
0-1 @ PSV (13 to 18)
1-2 Norwich (21 to 11)
Really, apart from the away trips to PSV and Norwich, I could and maybe should have won 4 of them.
Wow... I never realised that when I was there. It's only bottom division.
real life - switzerland/not sweden has in the Challenge League (2nd division) 4 changes. Takes getting used too.
My aarau team at the moment in FM18 - year 2022 has a problem with playing really good against the top teams and just fail to score against the bottom.. frustrating.
Amigos Aarau
I think the squad I have assembled is too good.
4 games in, 4 wins, 14 scored and just 1 conceded. The Australian striker I signed from WSW has scored 9 in 9 (including cup), Aouchiche has 4 goals and 6 assists and my wingers have 6 goals and 8 assists between them.
I think I am going to go for Vanarama North/South but hesitant to leave before I get a second stab at Champions League. If I wait though, I get a team mid-season with no hope of squad building myself.
Looks like I might have a mid-season rebuild on my hands...
My centre backs are worth £2.5m combined, winger £1.5m, striker £1.1m and def mid £900k. I would be open to selling the striker for his release clause (£2) as I have 4 players worth a starting spot alongside my Aussie. I have a capable left winger waiting for a start, so would be okay with starter leaving as well. I don't have any quality back up at centre back but if I got £5-6m from the sale of everyone else, I am sure I could find a Swede or two to start for me.
7 games in now, dropped first points with an away draw at IFK Goteborg. Aouchiche has scored in 6 straight games and got an assist in half of them. Cheat player at this level.
Up against one of the recently promoted teams next, so might be a good opportunity to rotate a few of my squad players in for a run.
Another Swedish Cup to the trophy cabinet. Always good games because there's no HG player requirement so my South African regen got to come on late and score his first goal for the club.
My Korean centre back and Aussie striker are both away at the World Cup so they missed the last game before the mid-season break and estimated won't be back till mid July. Fortunately, the game was against a team fighting relegation so was a comfortable win. My South African should have filled his boots with 8 shots but only got 3 on target. Aouchiche carried the team (again) to keep us still undefeated in the league (11-3-0). Tied on points with AIK who are 11-0-2, one clear of Malmo (10-2-1) and two ahead of IFK Norrkoping (10-1-2). Next best is 12 behind fourth.
American left back is off to BATE who put a £275k bid in for my third choice left back. Kind of hoping the Korean leaves as well so I can bring a Swede in.
Starting left back might be off after Ferenvaros came in with a £1.1m bid for him. That's too good to turn down at his level. Means my young Swedish left back can get a shot at making the job his before I look at the transfer market.
Gertjan Verbeek has masterminded Australia to second place at the World Cup... group stage. Dominant 3-1 win over Venezuela but humbling defeat to Spain... but the whole group of 3 thing worked for him. Lost to Russia in the second round. Barely even in the game.
Hopefully he gets the sack and I can lead them to mediocrity.
Second season 18 games in. 7 wins 8 draws and 3 losses and we sit in 4th. Miles better then I thought we would do. However we struggle to score more then 1 a game, the same goes for conceding but. Unfortunately my star striker has 3 goals in 18 games after 13 in 26 the year before and my best Midfielder is upset I sold a good player who wanted to leave and wont stop crying, May have to sell him in the off season, Unless I decide to move on to a new country.
Decided I wanted to play with Singapore at the Asian Nations Cup. After I knock Australia out there, I can take over that gig.
Have drawn RB Salzburg in CL Qualifiers again. FFS.