Wednesday 9 April 2008

The End of the Bad Run

Guess what the servers are down again. Quite annoying as with a job, family and the usual package that goes with it I don't normally get much time. I do leave the game on in work though.

It seems I may have pinned the dire run of form down and it was kids that did it. If your going to do kids and really go for them properly I think it's a shotgun approach that'll work best. It's somewhat expensive, but I'm willing to sacrifice pain today for some release tomorrow.

Although it seems a potential is high if ability doesn't improve after a Season and a half then really it's my thinking it's not going to happen. A striker with finishing of five really needs to get a move on. Anyway a few hadn't improved and I thought I'd move on to some new recruits.

Out went a few one on a £600 wage (high for a sixteen year old) and I trialled a few more. It was only on reading the forums that another manager had released a few 30+ year olds and experienced a serious dip in form did the penny drop. That's pretty much all I can think that would have resulted in the terrible run.

The really strange thing is that the U21's went on to win something like 19 out of 20 games whilst the seniors lost 19 out of 20 games....Bizarre.

The League Season continues in the UFFA qualifies I go down 5-0 to a team that I can't pronounce who plays two AMC's and two strikers. Weird. Mind he had one superstar who was 33, few months he won't be a superstar:)

Bliss FC at home I lost 2-1 if you recall and actually did control much of that game and certainly deserved a draw, the return on their patch was a simliar affair at one point I was something like 18 shots to 5, deserved a win really but I'd take a draw, 0-0 in the end, they missed a penalty. Ninja Pirates was up next and their Manager was in the middle of a horrible run.. Another Arda special topped a convincing 3-1 performance which now leaves us with 13 points from seven games a LONG way from relegation form but still it's only seven games.

If I could just grab a really good AMC I think we'd be certain of premiership status next time out. Just as I was about to post this a match challenge came in from Dundee Rio, now this outfit is like a superstar roll call, solid throughout. I have played Dundee Rio numerous times and tried so many different tactics I have lost count. We've had a few draws but never came close to beating them. I have decided you can fluff about with tactics all day but it's eleven v eleven and either their good enough or their not.

For forty five minutes you'd swear we were the team chasing the title world class names looked like League One players as we pounded away, we grabbed a goal before the break to take us 1-0 up. I guess I should expect this from a young side but gradually Dundee started to build momentum and we were fading. The last ten minutes were very touch and go. With a few minutes to go one his players broke clean through one on one with the keeper only for Moya our goalie to snatch it off him. I started to think this could be our day. We held on for the best three points of my FM Live career thus far.

Budal is out on loan again it's not that he does much wrong just he just never turns it on for us. I've really got to make a decision on his return and have already banded about a £1million plus fee. Wendall and Derds are now starting strikers. They must have played close to 300 games together, one is small and tricky the other tall and charges through a game, it's a classic partnership which has carved many a U21 defence apart. Derds with his little burst of burst it counts for a lot in goalmouth scrambles.

Sousa has started to catch my attention a little as AMC he's started to boss games now and the odd thunderous strike for a goal certainly wins my admiration:) There is so much to do in FM Live, I've noticed a few players whinging about how it's unfair they started late and they have no chance of competing. It would help a lot if SI would clarify the plans for Gameworlds as I doubt they'll end them when the game is released. If your starting out I'd recommend keeping things tight picking the comps you enter and putting some of your funds into a youth pro gramme. For around £10k a day you can form a nice little U17 squad and enjoy the rewards later. Ohhh and PICK YOUR GAMES CAREFULLY.

Many of my U17's will be 18 next term so I've already started to consider who's' going / staying and trialling the odd 15/16 year old with an eye on next season. I do recall picking up my first batch of U17's and it's surprised me how some have turned out. Sene was just a random click in the distant past and only impressed a tiny bit at first. Villano another rising star pretty much mistimed every tackle and was a mess. Montero was like a lunatic. Meanwhile Deering a pacey winger has just stayed as he was at 17, pacey and can't quite kick a ball:) Evina a French winger plays a nice game but isn't coming on at all. I can see where Mitz gets into the youth thing, you almost don't care about the seniors :)

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