FM 2011, reprise

[Pedrito]

I'm playing the hell out of this game, as usual.

Won three back-to-back league titles with Juventus, the first one the most difficult because damned Inter is way overpowered in the start of 2010-2011.
In 2012-13 I won the Champions League against Palermo (?!), then resigned Mourinho-style because Barca's and Chelsea's benches were vacant; applied for both, obtained noone despite my world level reputation 

Had some time of off the lawn holiday, then in january 2014 who comes begging for my services? Damn Inter, the most hated, the only one team I'd never train. Ever. But I'm a professional. I accept.

they're floating around the fifth place in the league, and got two bad losses in the CL first round.
I buy three players in the january market window, apply my tested and true 4-1-2-1-2 leaving on the bench almost all of my AMs, and start a streak of 8 league games and 5 CL games won. 5 goals conceded, lots scored.

I manage to climb up to a satisfying second place in the league (two points behind Palermo) with a lot of games still to play, and can pass the round of sixteen in the CL, when suddenly Barca fire their coach.
It's the ides of March, I'm gonna backstab the whole of Inter's board, then dance on their bodies 

I release a press conference telling everyone I'm interested in Barca's bench, then apply for the place.
The next day Inter's prez comes to me spitting lava from the mouth asking for my head, which I promptly hand to him.

Barca do not hire me.

by the end of the season, Inter is out of the CL in group of sixteen, out in the Coppa Italia's semis and snatches a fourth place in the league during the last game of the season.

I'm unemployed, and happy.

L.

[The Larch]

Why so much Inter hate? 

[Pedrito]

Everyone has to have an archnemesis.

Mine is FC Internazionale.

L.

[Norgy]

 

Mine's Liverpool. And Tottenham. And any Danish club.
Well, most teams, really.

I still play. Did the same as you, albeit more low-key. Took an unfancied team to semi-glory, with promotion, two championships and two cup wins in Norway and victories in the CL qualifiers against Red Star and Rangers, a win at home and a draw away against Real Madrid in the group stage, and thorough thumpings by Fiorentina. My team finished last. I resigned and got offered the job in the garbage capital of the world; Napoli.

14th in Serie in December when I took over and no real money to spend. The team looks good enough, so I have implemented a sweeper-based system with three at the back, wing-backs, two central midfielders, two wingers and a lone striker. It works a charm for counter-attacking.

[Josephus]

I'm still enjoying FM 2010, in my sixth season as Liverpool. Trying to capture all trophies. Charity Shield, Carling Cup, World Club Cup, League, FA and ECC. Once I do that I might switch to 20111. Is it worth the switch?

[Pedrito]

Mine's Liverpool. And Tottenham. And any Danish club.
Well, most teams, really.

I still play. Did the same as you, albeit more low-key. Took an unfancied team to semi-glory, with promotion, two championships and two cup wins in Norway and victories in the CL qualifiers against Red Star and Rangers, a win at home and a draw away against Real Madrid in the group stage, and thorough thumpings by Fiorentina. My team finished last. I resigned and got offered the job in the garbage capital of the world; Napoli.

14th in Serie in December when I took over and no real money to spend. The team looks good enough, so I have implemented a sweeper-based system with three at the back, wing-backs, two central midfielders, two wingers and a lone striker. It works a charm for counter-attacking.

I suppose the former coach has already sold Lavezzi, Cavani and Hamsik. What a trio of wonders they are in real life!

L.

[katmai]

Yeah i'm thinking about getting 2011 as well, is it worth it to upgrade?

[Pedrito]

I'm still enjoying FM 2010, in my sixth season as Liverpool. Trying to capture all trophies. Charity Shield, Carling Cup, World Club Cup, League, FA and ECC. Once I do that I might switch to 20111. Is it worth the switch?

Is it worth, for a drug addict, to go for a stronger version of his drug of choice?

Main features are:

dynamic reputations make for interesting long-run games in the same league;
a revamped training system is simpler and effective, and one has the ability to prepare three different formations for an upcoming match;
new contract negotiation is pretty funny, & the player agents should be unconditionately burned at stakes;
the 3d visuals are way better than FM10;
press conferences are annoying and useless as before.

L.

[Viking]

I'm playing a rather epic game right now with me at Man U (yes, I'm managing evil incarnate). The rest of the top 4 is made up of Bobby Convey at Man City (twice as much money as me), my former player Anthony "Ball Biter" Annan Managing Arsenal and my former player and a regen managing Fulham (rounding out the top 4).

first 4 seasons at Rosenborg (my local team) giving them two titles and a new stadium.
next 3 seasons at Eintracht Frankfurt (avoiding relagation from Bundesliga 2 first season, propotion to Bundesliga 1 second season and avoiding relagation third season)
disagreements between me and the board room about player wages meant that I willingly accepted the offer from Schalke
next 7 seasons I'm at Schalke 04 winning the Bundesliga 5 times and Europa Cup 1 and CL twice then I get the Man U offer, bored with Schalke I accept
next 5 season I'm at Man U winning the league 4 times and the CL 2 times.

While at Man U the max I've spent on a player is €20M, but I've spent that amount three times, all on players from my youth setup at Schalke. I exploited minimum release clauses to the max. I have 7 English players registered for the first team (out of 25) including a player labelled "The Next Nobby Styles" (who is 18 and rotating in the first team).

I play 4-4-2

Gk - Sweeper
DR - Full Back - Automatic
DL - Full Back - Automatic
DC - Central Defender - Stopper
DC - Central Defender - Cover
MC - Ball Winner - Defend
MC - Attacking Midfielder - Support
MR - Winger - Support
ML - Winger - Attack
FC - Advanced Forward - Attack
FC - Deeplying Forward - Support

The wingers are asymetric because my macedonian national team first choice left winger is much much better than my english national team first choice right one, and because the only backup I have to my right winger is either an MC/ST playing out of position or my right back moving up to winger. So, in case of a right wing injury I can have the sub play modestly without changing the game plan. This puts two players into the gap between each line.

Right now I have two or three players in each position except right winger (had been trying to buy a spanish wonderkid from porto, but they sold him to barca for €50 million), so I brought in a 18 y.o. from my youth team who will I don't really rate that much.

I need to buy one next window. I just found this italian wonderkid in the same position.... here's hoping...

[Warspite]

apply my tested and true 4-1-2-1-2

In my day, we called this "4-4-2 diamond".

[Ed Anger]

So, if I buy this, will my Lazio players salute me properly?

[Pedrito]

apply my tested and true 4-1-2-1-2

In my day, we called this "4-4-2 diamond".

The diamond is a wider formation with two wingers, 4-1-2-1-2 is narrower and uses 4 central midifielders; one defensive mid, one ball-winning, one box-to-box and one attacking mid/trequartista.
I usually prepare both wide and narrow formations, and switch between them depending on the opponent.

Update: After a horrible 2014 European Championship, England has offered me to train the national team. 

L.

[Pedrito]

So, if I buy this, will my Lazio players salute me properly?

Sadly they left politics outside the simulation. There are no swastika flags on the supporters' stands.

L.

[Norgy]

I have Cavani and Lavezzi. Also, Blasi as a hard man.

[FunkMonk]

I've played 2011 for about 300 hours over the course of 2 or 2 1/2 months. So far I'm only in my fourth season as manager at Arsenal.

Did the Cup double in my first season (had to win something!), won the league the next year, then did the treble the year after that (also rocking Man City in the SuperCup). After that I felt kinda felt like moving on (who was it that said that a manager should leave after three seasons?), but decided to stay. I'm still interested in developing the young players I bought and seeing what will happen when Cesc, van Persie, et al leave.

I bought Adler to replace Almunia early on. He's easily one of the reasons why we've done so well. Sold Clichy to Real Madrid and let Gibbs take over at DL, and he's done all right, though I ended up buying a cheap backup left back/central defender in case Gibbs or Vermaelen gets injured.

Probably the most important player I bought besides Adler was Marek Hamsik from Napoli for 30 million. He and Fabregas in the midfield are fucking sublime.

This past summer transfer window I bought Angel di Maria on the cheap (2.1 million!!!) as Arshavin's replacement. The wily Russian is getting old and can't run around anymore. Too bad - he was my player of the year in my first season.