Football Manager 2012

[FOX]

Even if your youth system is good, it's a good idea to bring in youth staff with better stats for working with youngsters and spotting potential. United have excellent youth facilities, but improving the staff made some great players come through. I never seem to produce the 15 year old footballing freaks that seem to crop up at other clubs though. My kids take years of loans and weaning into the first team. Bah.

Right, done that. Still getting shite all, but I'll wait it out and see what I find.

[Soda Jerk]

Jordan Rhodes will FUCK YOU UP.

Jo Inge Berget is a tidy player who comes good for me too. Very good. Got him from Molde, who are one of my feeder clubs. Worth looking into if you're just starting a game. He was shite in the first season, but I kept sticking him on individual training schedules for this and that, and now he's storming.

[Lemonade]

This game seems worryingly in-depth. I'm afraid if I get it it will completely envelope my life. I lose days at a time to FM10. If I buy FM12 I may as well just give up on life altogether.

Though it says an awful lot about the series that every day I check the thread about a game that I don't even have.

[FOX]

Looked into getting Jordan Rhodes and ended up not getting him. I guess it'll be too late for him to be any good now that he's spent 2011-2015 at Huddersfield.

[Soda Jerk]

This game seems worryingly in-depth. I'm afraid if I get it it will completely envelope my life. I lose days at a time to FM10. If I buy FM12 I may as well just give up on life altogether.

Though it says an awful lot about the series that every day I check the thread about a game that I don't even have.

It's as difficult and as detailed as you want it to be. You can assign loads of stuff to your assistant manager to deal with. You just need to make sure you bring in a good man to do the job, and then you can take care of the things you want to do.

Or you can be head honcho and do it all. I do it all because Mike Phelan is a tit.

[The Milner]

Yeah it depends how in depth you want to go, a few pals of mine set the assistant to do everything, including picking the team on a match day and they just adjust where they see fit, they blast through seasons in an evening, i personally do everything except control the under 19's, i leave a coach to do that.

[Soda Jerk]

I don't do much with the reserves apart from assign staff for them, and let the boss know which of the first team he can use. I've never really changed much to do with the training other than shipping in some good coaches. It seemed to work as my younger players have turned into monster footballers.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

The most important thing for development of youth is first-team matches, in my experience.

[The Milner]

I ignore the reserves, mostly because the SPL doesnt have reserve football, but i do give the under 19's consideration, i make sure there are enough players in each position and stuff, no point having a superstar youngster who has to play 50 games because you only have him in that position it will just burn him out early on. Also my dons under 19's got to the final of the next gen champs league thing this year, which was quite cool, not had that before.

[Soda Jerk]

If you play as a team like Bayern Munich, or Barcelona; instead of reserves, do you control the B Team, and promote those players to your first team ranks and whatnot?

[The Milner]

No they are almost treated as separate clubs as far as the games goes, you can manage either the main team or the b team as they both play in professional divisions, but if you manage one of the B teams the manager of the main team can steal your players at any time, and will do so without any care of what game you have coming up, also if you manage them you have access to their players whenever you want. The German clubs are a bit weird in the way it works, if you dont have all the german divisions loaded it doesnt work quite right i dont think. I have only managed in Germany once, a great save with Dortmund. True story.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Just taken the Scotland job in my Spurs game, and with my time set to be divided between club and country it remains to be seen whether my schedule will allow me to fully focus on challenges on both fronts. After my application, the SFA claimed they would be 'foolish to turn down a manager of (my) calibre'. Boost.

In Spurs news, we have moved to our brand new 60,000 all-seater stadium - the PERRYMAN ARENA. Daniel Levy has been bought-out and Julian Rhodes is my new chairman. Loves the club, apparently, but is not forthcoming with assistance when it comes to signing big names; although my transfer WARCHEST is heaving. He has been good with regard to improving the club's facilities - both a new training ground and youth academy.

I got rid of David Villa and Sergio Busquets. Cliquey. Christian Eriksen gone too - didn't quite make the grade, possibly due to lack of game-time. Kaka is now a coach - after deciding that he would retire in June 2017 (it's July 2016 at the moment), I thankfully managed to offer him terms as a coach to reduce his £175k p/w wage to £17k p/w as a coach. Squaaad is as follows:

Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Gordon Toshney (young Scottish regen signed from Dundee Utd)

Ransford Ashong (young English regen through my youth system)

Kyle Walker

Gregory Van der Wiel

Phil Jones

Michael Dawson

Toby Alderweireld

Gareth Bale

Jordan Spence

Fabio da Silva

Nigel de Jong

Tom Huddlestone

Ross Barkley

Fabian Delph

Luka Modric

Angel Di Maria

Aaron Lennon

Marko Marin

Mauro Zarate

Mesut Ozil

Thomas Bertrand (young French regen - see screenshot earlier in this thread)

Karim Benzema

Edinson Cavani

Geert Kole (young Dutch regen - see screenshot earlier in this thread)

My reserves are amazing also; pretty happy that I have decent cover in every position that I wouldn't have a problem throwing any of them into the first team.

[The Milner]

I'm in the middle of a clear out, had a beasting team for quite a few years, but i think i have held onto some of them too long, went on a 22 match unbeaten run last year, 8 points clear, then some how lost to Motherwell who A, hadnt won in 14 games and B, hadnt beaten me in 6 seasons, 3-1 at Fir Park, what followed was a shit storm of defeats and draws for 2 months to leave me behind 6 points behind Celtic, out the Scottish cup, lost the league cup final, then got gubbed by man u in the champs league semi final. Sold £60m worth of players, including two of my best in anger and started building again. I love FM.

[Lemonade]

I feel sad. I want to talk about my FM 2010 team :-(

[Woodsinho]

Talk about it anyway. I'm still playing FM2011 but I won't let that stop me from saying that my Carlisle United team is now firmly established in the Championship following finishes of 13th and 12th after a couple of years spent treading water just above the relegation zone. I'm hoping to push for the play offs in the 2017/18 season after the addition of a couple of promising, young wingers on free transfer after they were dropped by arsenal/chelsea respectively. Meanwhile it looks like I'll be taking Nigeria to the World Cup barring a capitulation in the last 2 qualifying group games. Hurray.

[Soda Jerk]

Yes. Talk any manager game. Even Jan brought up his ChampMan Celtic team from many years ago. Might even have to go back to Ultimate Soccer Manager, just to build a mega stadium. That was the best bit.

[Lemonade]

OK! I'm in charge of Arsenal and into my 4th season. Shipped out a load of the big names and tried to sign good young British players whenever possible, though had to sign a lot of foreign imports who are cheap and can actually add something to the team as the English players are ridiculously expensive. I had to shell out 10m for Craig Ramage from Man U who hadn't even started a game for them. I've got a reserve team bursting with young talent as well, signed tons of promising Spanish and Italian players, most of them are on loan to Gillingham, Leicester or Aberdeen learning their craft.

First season finished 2nd in the prem, but picked up the UEFA Cup, the League Cup and the FA Cup.

Second season finished 1st in the prem but nae cups.

Third season - barren. The supporters were not happy.

Fourth season - winning the Prem by 10 points with 7 games to go. In the FA cup semi but punted from the others. Champion League eludes me. Haven't got past the First knockout stage yet in 4 seasons.

My policy is to have a squad of 25, one player for each position and a spare striker. Uncharacteristically, I've also thrown in a couple of my former promising youngsters who are into their 20s now but shite, just as squad players as they are nicely versatile for the bench. But here you go.

GK: Manuel Neuer

GK: Wayne Hennessey

DL: Leighton Baines

DL: Marton Olsson

DC: Ryan Shawcross

DC: Jordan Spence

DC: Philippe Senderos - is being replaced with Juventus' star defender Gary Cahill in the summer

DC: Havard Nordveit - young Norwegian from my youth team - top defender, fielding bids from Inter and Real Madrid for him

DR: Stefan Lichtsteiner

DR: Stephan Schwaab - the fans absolutely love him but I've no idea why because he isn't that good.

DM: Fernando Gago - he was my first signing, solid enough but will be replaced soon.

DM: Rio Mavuba

ML: Kieran Gibbs - was a hugely talented youngster and banged them in in his first two seasons, broke his leg and missed most of the third season and has never been the same player since.

ML: Ashley Young

MR: Andriy Arshavin - is getting shipped out in the summer. 31 is too old for my team. I rarely sign a player who's over 25.

MR: Yohann Gourcuff

AMC: Cesc Fabregas

AMC: Rafael Van Der Vaart - UNBELIEVABLE in this position. Scores ridiculous goals from 30-40 yards almost every couple of games. Lazy cunt is never fit though. He trains on his own. Almost all fitness training.

ST: Robin Van Persie - in the poacher position. Scores goals for fun.

ST: Eduardo

ST: Landon Donovan - in the "big fucker up front" position. Also scores goals for fun.

ST: Theo Walcott

ST: Wellington Silva

On the bench:

Jay Emannuel-Thomas who can play anywhere at the back or anywhere across the midfield.

Henri Lansbury, versatile midfielder who was a revelation on loan at Motherwell, but has been found sorely lacking at this level.

Other promising youngsters include Fraser Fyvie, who is my DM in waiting, and Craig Whyte who is my ML in waiting.

The fans are drooling over the prospect of seeing Dundee United's Stewart Holt in an Arsenal shirt. But he's on loan at Aberdeen as well

I'm also Scotland boss. Currently on course to hit a play-off place for the World Cup 2014.

I fucking love talking Football Manager. I did that entire squad from memory.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I fucking love talking Football Manager. I did that entire squad from memory.

As do I, and as did I.

I would honestly probably pay about £100 for FM.

[Soda Jerk]

I would too, but only if the game updated each time, not just with rosters, but with engine updates too. 2012 is the first one I've had for ages, but I dunno if I'll pay £30 next time around.

[Moose]

I NEED A COMPUTER SOOOOO BADLY

[The Milner]

New match engine coming for FM13 apparently, this one has gone as far as they can take it so they have built a new one altogether. I have spent thousands on FM over the years, from buying new computers to run it on to overheating laptops because of it.

[Lemonade]

It's ridiculous how addictive it is. I have to ration myself. I'll play it pretty much constantly for a couple of months then I have to put it away and forget all about it for a few months because it actually starts to take over my life, and I'll find myself making excuses to avoid social engagements so I can stay home and play FM. ATM I rush home from work at 4.30 so I can play for a couple hours before my girlfriend gets home at 7, and every day I will her to miss the bus so I can have an extra half hour.

I'm trying to save for a new laptop at the moment so I can buy the latest game. My 5 year old laptop struggles with FM10, I don't think it would run the latest version. it can't even handle the 3D match engine on FM10. I have to play with the old 2D birds eye view.

Anyone played the iPhone version? It's fairly shit.

[The Milner]

I go through phases, cant be bothered for a few weeks, then cant put it down for a few weeks now a days, right now the only thing stopping me playing is sleep and work, so i have been cutting back on my sleep to accommodate.

[Soda Jerk]

I cut down on work to accommodate too, kind of. Mt last flexi-day was spent playing Football Manager all day.

[Soda Jerk]

Right. Fuck Man United. English football is a piece of piss. Hansen can shove his opinions up his arse. I was on course to win it all with kids, and my narrowest win, 15 games into the season, was 3-1. So, I'm leaving that alone until I get bored of failure and want to taste victory again. I've started again from Summer 2011.

I've taken a small step down, to the German 3rd division. WEHEN!

Home of the best fans on the fucking planet...

The board is pleased to announce BIG BASTARD taking over as manager of WEHEN WIESBADEN! Look at that. My next game is against PACY FOOTBALL. Amazing. I bet they are all a bunch of part-time slow, fat carthorses. They are going to get cunted.

Philosophy? To be hard as fuck. I'm not even going to touch this new-era 4-2-3-1 Rafa Benitez bilge. I've got 2 fucking sweepers in my squad, and I'm going to use them. Full backs? Shove them up your chuff. 4 centre backs and an insurance policy. I might as well just build a brick wall infront of the goal mouth.

We're coming.