Football Manager 2009 – 3
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You could say that my season has just started. Since the only work that I have on the radar for the next three to four months are the occasional sitreps and strategic forecasts this means that I have plenty of time to play FM. I need to find that old passion again though. That kind of save that reels me in and doesn’t stop.
So it looks like my official season is going to start today. I know I know its weird but I should be able to get some serious playing time in over the next few months. Due to my calculations it usually takes me around two weeks to finish a season if I play on average 5-6 hours a day. I can push it and play even longer during the day and finish a season within a week. But I don’t have that kind of will.
Last I checked I was halfway through my second season with Palermo. So you could cut that time down in half and do the math. My longest running save was with Palermo in 08 that lasted until the 2014 season. Those were the days…by the way is there a new patch?
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I first watched him during LD Quito’s Copa Libertadores campaign and then on several occasions during the Club World Cup. He had some very impressive pace and some great movement on the ball. Espanyol and several other teams were very interested in signing him but Santos snapped him up at the last second. I was looking for some low-key prospects in South America and remembered him.
He has 16’s for pace, stamina and flair while he has some balanced stats overall. I scouted him in my Colo-Colo game and thus signed him as a result but we will have to wait since the transfer deadline is in another few months. At the most he would probably be a decent midtable prospect or relegation team but he could always improve in the future. He can play on the left and right up the wings and in the center of the midfield. Someone should see how he does in Europe…
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I remember reading an article about the differences between the leagues. For instance in real life Italian teams play differently than Spanish teams. Argentine teams play differently then German teams. Chilean teams are different than Japanese teams and so on. I have tried to find that article again since it had some great info on the different playstyles and formations that are used in the different leagues around the world.
So I started thinking about that in the 09 edition of FM. Have any of you noticed a difference? Usually I don’t pay attention to the opposition formation but I guess I should start doing that. I should look to see if when I am managing in Argentina for instance do teams play a more aggressive mentality then the ones in Mexico. I haven’t really ever had to adopt my system to different leagues since it seems to always work. For instance when I managed River Plate I used the same 4-4-2 Diamond that I am using at Palermo. I won the Apertura and Clausura five times each, the Copa Libertadores three times and the Club World Cup once. Pretty impressive I should say.
I have a game going in Chile with Colo-Colo, Brazil with Atletico Mineiro, Mexico with Pachuca and obviously Argentina with River Plate. Yes I am still playing the Palermo game but I have plenty of time on my hands to play and I usually play two or three at the same time. I have yet to really delve into those saves but I will eventually do it. So the question is have any of you noticed the differences between the different leagues? And could anyone give me a link to that article?
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I discovered him while looking at the stats leaders for the Argentine Primera near the end of the Clausera. He led the league with the most tackles, reds and yellows. And by a long shot might I add. Since I needed a physical presence in my midfield I brought him to Italy for only 5M. His attacking ability was horrible and his technical ability was even worse. But he was essentially a mix of Gattuso, Materazzi and Dogo Argentino (Argentine Pitbull). The guy was a legend for his work rate, tackles, yellows / reds and injured players he left in his wake. I couldn’t play him for over 65 minutes because he would have at least three fouls by halftime. He had an average of one yellow per game (he only played around 45-65 minutes.)
He broke legs, destroyed careers and was loyal throughout. While Dessena was the prettier Pirlo-esque midfielder Juan was the I don’t give a shit midfielder. He argued with refs, got sent off over 13 times in one season, 15 times the second season, and missed god knows how many games. But it was worth it. Even through his comical disciplinary problems he did take out Ibra and Pazzini for the season when we faced off against the respective teams. He shut down Cristano Gaynaldo, Fabregas and plenty of others in Europe while maiming everything else in his path.
My favorite red was against Inter. We were winning 2-1 and with 75 minutes to go Ibra dropped back in the midfield to support the attack. I had already had Torres marking him and he didn’t really do anything that match. He gets the ball and instantly Torres goes two feet in from behind and takes his giant gay swede ass out. Perfect tackle and unfortunately not career ending. But he did injure him so badly he had to sit out the rest of the season thus costing Inter the Scudetto and the future downfall of the team.
Pazzini had been on a hot streak during the fourth season and posed a big threat. We came up against Fiorentina with only five games left and we were tied for first. It was clutch time. It was an exciting game as Adriano and Mutu took the game to 3-3 with only 10 minutes left. Pazzini was on the counter attack when Torres maimed him and also tore some of his muscles. 8 months later Pazzini recovered from the tackle while we went on to win the Serie A. Adriano scored the game winning goal in the 91st minute.
Torres doesn’t have the technical and balanced nature of Dessena, the speed of Buonanotte, the strength of Gattuso or Ambrosini but he is the most aggressive player that I have ever seen. Plus anyone who injures one of the opponents star players is great in my book. He was very consistent over the five or six seasons he spent with us and would have stayed with us until the end of his career. Nobody will ever notice him as they look for the next great Argentine player but I always look at San Lorenzo and bring him on for the obvious reason. The man is a legend and can play in Europe with his aggressive and physical ability. Scored a few brilliant goals and penalties while proving the block in the midfield.
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After looking through my possibilities and after consulting my ass man on which potential “big-name” signing I should bring in I decided on none other than Ricky Kaka’. Yes I know I am a Milanista so it was a pretty easy choice to make. I forget the exact amount since I don’t have FM up right now but it is in the 170M range. Surprisingly he was extremely interested in coming down south. He penned a five year contract worth 230,000 per week with a 38K appearance and goal fee. 25% yearly wage rise and a signing on bonus of 9.5M if I remember correctly.
Money…its brilliant. Now the big question. Where is he going to fit? Well simple. In the home formation (4-4-2 Wide Diamond) he will play behind the strikers in the CAM position (Centre Attacking Midfielder) and basically do the same thing he did at Milan. I will fit the counter attack in more though and use him as the playmaker since that is his specialty. In the 4-1-4-1 he can either play in the middle or on the wings and run the counter attack from a deeper position. I have a huge ladder going though on the list for the AM / Wingers positions.
1: Kaka
2: Buonanotte
3: Fernandez
4: Quique
With ample rotation they should get enough time. Since I always play Fernandez on the wing he won’t have to worry about missing too many games. Buonanotte can drop to the left side of in the midfield if needed when Kaka is on the field. Quique will probably be loaned out or play in some of the easy cup matches to avoid injury to my starters.
Ricardo will bring a new dimension of sheer pace and world class skill that will further strengthen my attack / midfield. With Buonanotte and Fernandez also capable we will be looking even stronger. Frankly our midfield is now up to par with the likes of United, Real Madrid, ect. if not for a few additions later on. He had a stellar last season with Milan unlike his current one (Why did you bring him on against Siena only to see him injured again oh great Enchilada? BIG MISTAKE). Hopefully the Palermo loving match engine (yes Daryl that is right…at least so far…hopefully it doesn’t change) won’t screw with him and get him injured. The Brazilian trio of Adriano, Keirrison and Kaka will be formed in January when he arrives. Fireworks should be in order.
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I won’t lie. I love tactics. In 08 I was so proud when I was finally able to come up with a complicated system that actually worked since before that I always used a global mentality system. Usually during the day I daydream about my tactical approach, formation, rotations and possible additions. Yes I am addicted.
I will be keeping my favored 4-4-2 Wide Diamond formation for home games and if I am confident that we can get the three points. I want to keep the same system also. Except for cup and away games. Personally I think that a slower and more defensive approach aimed at a short passing game that can hit the counter attack would do well. I will be testing out the 4-1-4-1 formation over the next few away games and see how it works. I did change the mentality system though. The Benitez 5 x 5 theory sounded interesting and hopefully it will work.
The 4-5-1 enticed me but I always love having the defensive midfielder in front of my backline for two reasons. One: Chasing balls and fighting for possession. Provides support for my backs and serves as the first line of defense. Two: Support man / Deep playmaker. With Javi Martinez, Matuidi and Dabo as candidates for the DM position I can employ them to support the buildup or play as the playmaker on the counter. Either way they have a more attacking role instead of Torres and Ambrosini. Buonanotte, Fernandez and Isla can play on the sides and in the middle. They will basically do the same thing as they do in home games except with a more “careful” philosophy. Cavani / Adriano / Keirrison / Inzaghi can play as the lone striker. (In Inzaghi’s case I will adopt a more “long-ball” approach if the defense is playing higher up but with a slow buildup he shouldn’t have to try and out run the defenders.
Adriano is very powerful and can shrug off plenty of challenges while delivering a mix of speed and flair. I have used him as a target man the past few games with great success. My fullbacks / wingers provide crosses to him and they don’t usually miss. Cavani is in the same mold as Adriano as they both play similarly. Keirrison hasn’t played in the LS position yet so I will have to think about that. He has the pace and acceleration even though his size is lacking and he isn’t the strongest. He is more of a poacher type though. He isn’t as weak or frail as Inzaghi but has the required smarts to play as one. He has the pace to the loose ball and round the keeper.
The keeper will always be the same. The modern “sweeper” keeper as they call it. High closing down and tackling. Since Fiorillo and Kameni are both very capable of rushing out it works perfectly. I have seen plenty of strikers denied in the one on one in that situation.
Cup games are cup games. I have bad luck in the Italian Cup even though that seems to have faded. We played our first game in Europe against Slavia Prague (I will elaborate later) and basically stomped them 5-0. Against tougher opposition though (Man Ure is in my group along with Rangers) I will definitely use the 4-1-4-1 formation. I plan on using a third “backup / support” formation to mix it up every once and a while. Probably going to be my second favorite 4-2-3-1 or the 4-3-2-1 depending on the situation. The mentalities / philosophy / system will stay the same. Possession, possession, possession. I hate long shots. I will always tinker around and change a thing or two but a radical change won’t happen.
As I always say “The more balls my lads touch the less the opposition has a chance” (yes I just thought of that) which is the evolution of my other saying “the more possession we have the less work our defense has to do”.
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When it comes to rivals I have hundreds of them. Personally this is my top five most hated Italian clubs of all time. I make it blatantly clear that I utterly despise Torino, Inter and Catania with everything that I have. They are all shit and the world would be better without them. They are a disgrace to everything that is true in the world but that is just me.
One of the great features in FM is the manager interaction. I always love to talk trash to any rival managers that I am about to face. I am always nice to the classy guys. Prandelli, ect. But apparently some players don’t like my comments against our opposition.
The next game is against Chievo. The manager tells me that we suck and all of that crap. I always choose my preferred comment. Which ends up being shown as “De Luca believes Di Carli to have magical powers” in the sense that he can make them disappear. Which in truth he is very capable of doing.
Vicenzo Fiorillo, our current number one in the net, thought that I acted in a very unprofessional manner. Also for the past few games he and Kolarov have found difficult in getting motivated while playing under me. Honestly I don’t know why. I give them most of the starts. I gave them the Scudetto and Italian Cup. The Italian Super Cup and hopefully the Champions League. I give them big nice contracts and praise. And they do this.
It’s okay though. As long as they do what they are bought to do I am happy. As long as they bring in the performances I don’t care. But one man. Or the only other one that cares about press conferences and my comments stood up and did the honorable thing. The man. The icon. The legend. Adriano.
Out of all the people he said that he likes my view regarding Chievo’s slim chances of survival. I am also one of his favored personnel. When he scored on his debut he ran over to me or the fans I forget but either way let’s just say he did. A real man. Class guy even if his personality sucks but I guess Palermo isn’t the greatest party city in the world.
Another Palermo legend, Juan Manuel Torres, is pleased with my comments on Chievo. He has always been loyal. Actually I just looked and Kameni and Jankovic are also pleased with my comments. I like that attitude. I am only telling the truth. They are shit. Why lie to Chievo even after they totally disrespected us? We won the game 4-0 by the way. Adriano scored three while Cavani got the brace.
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Let’s say theoretically you have a large, fat, obese, purring, loving, hungry, big and furry, transfer kitty (transfer budget) that is so damn fat that it can’t move. So fat that it makes the largest cat in the world look like Nicole Richie. Now if that takeover didn’t happen I definitely wouldn’t have the squad that I have now. I wouldn’t have won the Serie A and I would probably be in another mid table situation.
But the gods wished in differently. Now with the legend Adriano coming in at last to regain the former glory of my managerial career another question was raised. I still have 173M left for transfers and if I need more I can balance my epic wage budget tog an additional 100M. More money came in due to the “good” results last season and a nice kit sponsorship. Financially we are doing great. But should I make that big transfer? The most I have ever spent on a player was 44M on Veloso in FM08. Yes he was class but I never got to see him reach that legendary status.
I have plenty of attacking midfielders and class wingers so my attack is fine. My squad has plenty of depth and my defense should be great. But that thought of bringing in a big name player is enticing me. David Silla, David Villa, Torres, Kaka’, Pato, Cristiano Gaynaldo (he is shit in real life), Xavi and even Messi. Would you? I only have money to lose. Everyone has a price even the most loyal players. Any player in the world basically…the only question is which one do I want? Who would you sign? Does anyone have experience with any of the world class players? Besides Kaka’ and Pato I haven’t managed any besides Adriano.
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With the season fast approaching I decided it was time to take a look at the Palermo squad. Last season we overachieved and my system worked to perfection. Winning the Scudetto and Italian Cup is one thing though while doing it a second year is another. Expectations will be higher and the competition will be bigger. I doubt I will have an easy schedule towards the end of the season like I did. I don’t plan on changing the system around. Sure I might tinker here and there and change some things around with the new players coming in but I want this simple formula to work: Possession + Rhythm = Wins. Simple yeah? I hate it when I see long shots going to waste or balls thrown into the box for no reason. So let’s start from the back of the lineup.
Keepers
Carlos Kameni
Twenty five year old Cameroonian keeper that cost around 21M. Fiorillo needs a backup or someone able to play the rotation scheme and with Amelia under-performing and in my opinion not up to the new Palermo standard I had to pickup someone between the pipes. With plenty of transfer kitty to spend I signed him from Espanyol for 21M. Five appearances in the preseason and only one goal conceded, a blatant handball in my opinion, but a good performance overall. He has more experience than Fiorillo which will help.
Vicenzo Fiorillo
I consider him the next Buffon. Class keeper that didn’t cost that much and is only 19. 23 appearances last season, 15 conceded, 15 clean sheets and two Man of the Match awards. Pretty good for a kid. Had some brilliant stops on several occasions and was pretty “clutch” if you will. Has a brilliant future and definitely one for us to keep a hold of.
Defenders
Paolo Hernan Dellafiore
In real life he may have left Palermo but I intend of keeping him. Above average defender last season and had some great moments and some brilliant tackles. All in all very impressive with very few mistakes. Actually I don’t remember seeing him make a huge mistake except for this missed tackle that led to a goal but crap happens. Lethal in the air with great jumping and heading with great marking stats also. May not be the fastest defender in the world but that is why I play him farther back than the rest of my line.
Mouhamadou Dabo
Even though they say that his best position is in the midfield I managed to get him to play defense and with great success. In my system I employ one very defensive CB and a “aggressive” CB. The latter CB almost plays as a defensive midfielder while the DM plays as a playmaker up front. He also covers for the wing-backs if they push up to support the buildup. I have him on the highest closing down and normal tackling with a higher mentality than his defensive partner. Dabo is a class player who can play practically anywhere on either side and in the center except for striker. I played him up front as a AM several times but I prefer him in the back.
He had a great season along with his former St Etienne teammate Matuidi. 21 appearances last season with three assists and an overall rating of 7.13. Class. With all of the options I have at the back though I might ship him up front now in the midfielder position.
Marek Jankulovski
The old Milan veteran, well not that old, but one of the oldest on my squad and favorite arrived from the San Siro to provide some experience in the defense and the midfield. He has always been a favorite in RL for his work ethic, professionalism and skill. The kind of player that isn’t afraid to break another guys leg but keeps his mouth shut for the most part. Very underrated player in my opinion. Personally he is one of the best backs in the world but then again I am a biased bastard.
25 appearances last season with four goals and six assists. Overall rating of 7.10 (he had some brilliant games with his national team). He seems to be ignoring his age as he is still able to run up and down the flanks. I employed him primarily on the wings but tried him on the left side of the midfield on a few occasions. I prefer him to be in the left / right back position so he can support the buildup and use his pace to recover when the possession is lost.
Moris Carrozzieri
Former Atalanta defender and also known as “Carrotman” as I dubbed him. Not much to say about him. He provided backup for Dabo and co with some good performances. 15 appearances with a rating of 6.94. Probably will hang on for a year or two but I can see him parting ways since I have some younger defenders coming in.
Aleksandar Kolarov
Arrived from Lazio at the beginning of last season. Young and fast he had some great games and overall good season. Always hits his passes and shoots in crosses with accuracy. Scored two goals last season with five assists and an overall rating of 7.10 with 18 appearances.
I am still rotating him with Jankulovski, Balzaretti and Azpillicueta but he should stay on the left for most of the season. Similar to Jankulovski but he is not as versatile as Balls are ready and others but still class. Still has a way to go though since he is young. Great potential.
Matias Cahais
Brought him in last night from Argentina and to maybe get a good young defender out of him for the future. Looks decent and had a great season with his old club. Decent stats and can play in the center and left side on defense. I will start him out off the bench to see how he does for the first few games and when we face a smaller side I will bring him on or start him more.
Leandro Gioda
Same boat as Matias. Decent stats but my ass man rates him as being Serie A quality and a good signing. Will do the same with him as Matias when it comes to the rotation scheme.
Havard Nordtveit
Palermo legend from FM 08. Well not a legend but was still class and would have probably been a legend when his time came. Only 19 though but has great stats for his age and can play in the center of the defense, midfield and on the right side. Had seven appearances in the preseason with two assists and an overall rating of 7.09
I might play him on the youth team for a while like some of my other youngsters while I am also looking to get him loaned out. I have him on a five year contract so I will be hoping that he will recapture that form from last version.
Federico Balzaretti
Balls are ready had a brilliant season with 24 appearances, four goals, five assists and an overall rating of 7.30. Had a few great games with Italy on the international stage and even won them a few games along the way. Scored the best goal that I have seen in the preseason. He took the ball on the right side behind the midfield line and crossed / chipped / shot the ball from the same spot and made the keeper look retarded. It was a fluke but a brilliant goal that I wish I would have gotten a replay of. The keeper was pushed up though but just getting a shot from like 55 meters out is enough for me. (I forget the exact distance)
He is the usual suspect on the wing playing in the right side mainly unless he replaces the defenders on the left side of the field. Never really tried him up in the midfield but I will be looking into that eventually. Reminds me of an Oddo who can actually cross.
Glauber
Signed him since I needed more depth in the back. Looks above decent but I won’t be expecting amazing things out of him. Still though I want him to get a few games in and if I get a serious injury have him fill in during the absence.
Midfield
Juan Manuel Torres
Legend. One of my favorite midfielders of all time both in and out of the game. Imagine Gattuso mixed with some Argentine flair and passion and you have him. He may have the offensive capability of Titus Bramble but he has the heart of Rino and the tackling to match it. Played a few games in the preseason and managed to get a red card with a couple of yellows which was expected.
I will go into greater depth about him in the “Legends” section of this blog once I get a chance to write about him. I always employ him as the “killer” of the midfield. He searches and destroys anything in his path. Red cards will be expected but I don’t think he can top the 20+ yellows he had with Palermo during one of our seasons in FM08.
Javi Martinez
I discovered him four years ago for my Milan team. I may not be the only fan but he is certainly class. I was unable to sign him last version and had forgotten about him for a while. But I had to get him this season. Wonderkid midfielder is all I have to say. Plenty of people know about him but how many knew about him four years ago? Arguements aside I am really looking forward to seeing him this season.
Signed him on a nice five year contract so he will stay as long as possible. I can imagine employing him as a “Pirlo-esque” deep lying playmaker or on the wings. He is the exact opposite of Juan Manuel Torres though. he can still hold his own and has decent tackling but does better while contributing to the attack and supporting the buildup. Has great passing, work rate, stamina and strength with overall above average stats especially for a 20 year old. I might loan him out actually…
Massimo Ambrosini
RL family favorite and my current captain. Loyal midfielder who is the underrated version of Gattuso. He will do well with Juan Manuel Torres considering they are both the same type of midfielder. Hard working, tenacious and hard tackling. Had fourteen appearances last season with an overall rating of 7.24. One goal and three assists but he did well for Italy and well in Europe. He adds some much needed experience and ethic in the midfield while serving as the captain to hold players in line.
I can see Juan Manuel Torres being his successor…but time will tell. I could say that I revived his career since he was being frozen out at Milan. Then again Enchilada isn’t the most intelligent manager in my opinion. He is over the hill now at 32 but should be good though nonetheless.
Mauricio Isla
I was originally looking to sign Alexis Sanchez who was offered to me on a discount but I was rejected. Out of the blue Udinese offered Isla for only 6.5M and I had to jump on the offer. He is very versatile, even more than Dabo, and thirteen appearances last season for his old club with an overall rating of 7.01. Pretty impressive and especially for that price. Still not sure where to place him since he can play in so many places but we will have to see.
Attacking Midfield / Wingers
Augusto Fernandez
Argentine Palermo legend from yesteryear. Had a absolutely amazing season with us last year. 27 appearances, eleven goals, nine assists, three man of the match awards and an overall rating of 7.37. As with other “legends” I will tell about his career with us in FM08 which was brilliant. I signed him on with an original two year contact but I managed to get him to sign on for another five years. I will be keeping him as long as possible.
He was a club icon last version and he will probably be the same again. I prefer to have him on the right side of the midfield but he can play both on the left, center and right just as easy. I tried him in the center but it seems like Quique and Buonanotte were better in that position. He has explosive pace matched with great acceleration and agility. Had some amazing runs that reminded me of the ones in earlier versions. He can easily dart in between three or four defenders with dribbles that can make even the best defenders look stupid and score some impressive goals. Surprisingly his finishing isn’t that good even though I can beg to differ. All of his goals were from the midfield / wing.
Diego Buonanotte
Even if my beloved River suck in real life I did win plenty of accolades in FM with that side. Diego was always class in Argentina but I had never seen him play in Europe. The diminutive Argentine, mighty mouse, was a brilliant playmaker for me but I was interested in seeing if he could match up against faster, stronger and taller defenses. He has blistering pace, acceleration, agility, stamina with world class dribbling, first touch and flair.
He has great stats for being as young as he is. I was trying to figure out which position would suit him better. Playing in the center behind the two strikers or on the wing where he could use his size and pace. Surprisingly he could mix it up with the big boys in the center just as well. 26 appearances, seven goals, 16 assists, two man of the match awards and an overall rating of 7.46. Pure class.
Davide Lanzafame
Signed the other 50% of him from Juventus. He didn’t put up as many goals or numbers as the other strikers but had a good season nonetheless. 17 appearances last season, most of them off the bench, with eight goals, three assists, one man of the match and a rating of 6.71.
Had a few great chances and I played him primarily as a striker but I might try him on the wing. I hope to loan him out to get some more experience since the new arrivals are making it cramped.
Bosko Jankovic
Decided to keep him even though Genoa really wanted to sign him permanently after a great loan spell at Genoa. Had two good games during the preseason with three other appearances off the bench. Three goals, two assists, 19 average fouls (wow) and a rating of 7.40 during the preseason.
Last season he had 29 appearances for Genoa, ten goals, nine assists and an overall rating of 7.01. They offered several bids that were enticing but I wanted to see how he would fare on the new Palermo team even though I have plenty of attackers. If all else fails he will probably go back to Genoa or maybe go on another loan spell.
Quique
In my entire FM career I have only had a few saves where certain players overachieve with crappy stats. His stats aren’t crappy but they weren’t exactly top four material. I loaned him as a backup and frankly because he looked cool in his player photo thing. Yeah I know…
Twenty appearances last season for us with fourteen goals, six assists, eight man of the match awards and a rating of 7.37. Ok so he had a few hat tricks against the smaller teams and in the Italian Cup against Serie B teams but I still bought him. Very fast with decent stats. I play him in the CAM position and the striker position along side Cavani.
Strikers
Edison Cavani
Brilliant. Lethal forward who I regret selling in FM08. This time its different though. I plan on keeping him as long as possible since he can definitely be club icon in the future. I dream of his partnership with Adriano dominating defenses and bring us glory which should happen.
26 appearances, twenty three goals, nine assists, five man of the match awards with an overall rating of 7.65. Legendary season in my opinion. He had a few hat tricks against some of the easier teams while bring in some good performances against some of the top teams. Had plenty of bids even going up to 65M+ but I rejected all of them. Surprisingly he wants to stay in Palermo which is a good thing. Got him on a nice five year contract too. Maybe the new “Adriano”?
Adriano
Scored the game winner against Roma in the Super Cup and on his debut. I couldn’t refuse signing him. He rejected my contract the first time but he eventually accepted it after I offered him 200,00+ per week and a huge relegation / release clause along with yearly wage rise, goal bonuses and appearance bonuses. Signing on fee was maxed also.
But if you read the previous post he is a legend. I have him on a five year contract and I won’t sell him this time. Unless they want to offer 300M+ a few world class players. I can’t wait to see him work with Cavani and the other strikers…with this firepower we should be able to do great in the Champions League.
Keirrison
Brazilian wonderkid that I signed last season for nine million. Tried signing him on earlier versions actually for much more but he would never come on board. He finally did it and with Adriano along side him they should do great. I plan on getting Adriano to tutor him since they are very similar in style.
Eighteen appearances, 17 goals, six assists, three man of the matches with an overall rating of 7.23. Very impressive for his age. I actually might loan him out but if not he will be rotated with the other strikers. Fast with great finishing, acceleration and good mental stats. Was lethal on corners last season also.
Filippo Inzaghi
Real life family favorite and FM favorite of mine even though SI shafts him every version of the game. So what if he is old, washed up, slow and weak? You don’t score that many goals for nothing. He is the smartest forward in the game. Some clueless idiots and fanboys may argue that Nistelrooy is better but then again the numbers don’t lie. Sure they are both poachers and both great Pippo is on a completely different level.
Anyone who can score that many goals with no talent, physical ability or technique is a legend in my opinion. Nobody can finish like he can. And you know the first thing he did when he first came off the bench in the preseason? Offsides. Actually he was caught offsides three times before getting the game winning goal. SuperPippo I love you. He may not be as good as Adriano or Cavani but I will be keeping him for laughs and for frankly just having him on the lineup.
I have a couple promising youngsters on my youth team that I will look at later. (Adrian, ect.) I would say that our squad is looking very strong and capable of placing in the top four. We have a good mix of youth and experience, class and ability. We will see though. The second season is always the most important for me. Once we place in the top four or win some silverware I expect us to do the same. My expectations for this season will be challenging for the title, if not placing in the top four, making it past group stage in Europe and winning the Italian Cup. Europe will be calling…and yes I did download the UEFA Champions League theme so that I can play it while I play in Europe.
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I started this category to talk about the legends of your careers. The players that rescued the team from certain relegation, carried them on their backs and eventually led you to glory. Maybe they just played their hearts out on the save and you thus fell in love with them. Maybe it’s the amount of goals, red cards or performances they put in. Either way everyone has a player they love because of FM and thus you love them in real life.
Adriano…where to begin. Well in real life he has soooo much raw talent and potential that has been wasted. First he is at Inter. They will always fail. Second he likes to party and don’t make me google the Adriano party pics. Third he is Brazilian and living in Milan. Besides Kaka being well Kaka most Brazilians love to party. You are in the fashion capital of the world for Dunga’s sake. In real life he may have his problems and I may eternally hate everything that Inter stands for but I have to give props to Adriano.
So let’s go back in time. My first season in charge of my beloved hometown team and pretty men of the world Palermo was a difficult one. I immediately sold off the cheap dirty sluts Barzagli and Zaccardo and managed to get some great cash money off of them. With around 50M to spend on transfers I tried my best and I managed to build up a decent squad while not wasting a load of money. We finished in 6th that season thanks to Amauri. Eventually though he left for Milan, the only team I would let him go to, for 27M. I finished the next season in 7th but I knew that I had to strengthen the squad since Budan, Vannucchi (spelling?), Miccoli and Cavani weren’t going to match up to the top four. While looking at the top squads I noticed something amazing. Adriano had a few weeks until his contract ran out and I could swoop in like a black, pink and golden eagle and steal him from the scum.
That I did. Gave him a nice four year contract worth well let’s say a lot and one of the highest paid players in Italy. I remembered the days of earlier versions with Ivan Klasnic dominating the league and I wanted to relive that glory. Well I was in for a treat. First season with us he scored 23 goals and a load of assists. Life had been given back to Palermo. Long story short he essentially carried us for the next six seasons. Scored over 140 goals while in the pink shirt and won us three CL trophies, four Scudetto, One Italian Cup, Two European Super Cups, One Italian Super Cup and one Euro trophy. Class eh? Sure I had a great team behind him but he was the one that scored the most goals. Pure class.
The fondest memories happened during his last season with us before unfortunately departing to Real Madrid for 204M euros (I wanted to get as much money as possible and I knew he had to leave). We were matched up against Arsenal in the second knockout round. First match it ended 1-1 at London. They had to come down to Sicily though and it was a different story. Adriano scored a brilliant hat-trick but we were still tied for a combine 4-4 score. With three minutes to go in extra time he took the ball from the midfield and ran Kaka style down the middle past three midfielders, fooled the last defender and chipped it over the keeper to give us the win. Needless to say I, wearing one of my sport jackets and Palermo scarves (wore them all day for good luck), jumped up and started yelling. It was brilliant. I had won it before but that was just….amazing. We went on into the finals against Manchester United and beat them 1-0 with guess who getting the winning goal. Adriano bagged a goal in the 59th minute off of a rebound from the corner.
So that is a little insight into the story of Adriano. He accumulated more goals than legend Ivan Klasnic and practically won us more silverware. Sure I love Ivan but Adriano claims the number one striker of all time for me in FM. I actually had Ivan and Adriano for a while (the latter left while Ivan stayed for a few seasons) and enjoyed the goals. Living those glory days…nothing like it. Earlier this year Inter beat Milan in the derby through a blatant handball. We all know it. We were watching the game with plenty of other people, all of the Milanistas, and I commented “I had him on my Palermo squad for five seasons. Guy was class but you can tell they are playing him wrong.” needless to say I got some very strange stares and threatening looks. Good times.
Even if he has no class, plays for the scum of the earth and will never set foot in the Renzo Barbera wearing the pink jersey he will always be one of my favorites. I decided to blow some transfer kitty away and spent 40M on him and I was very surprised that he accepted the contract. Maybe another chapter in the book will be added? With Cavani, Miccoli, Keirrison, Quique and Lanzafame he will have some strong competition. He may not score 40 goals but he will be playing for the right team again.
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