Suddnely remembered Liddle's ok at CB, keep him and play him there.

Try looking round the Danish league if you have it loaded, I've had a few decent league one/Champ players from there.

Where from? Asda? Might get it tomorrow

Yeah Asda, get it with your winnings mate.

For fucks sake laptop switched itself off so lost everything id done including a nice 3-0 away win at Wimblesdon in my first friendly :(

I'd be up for a network game. I've done a few with my mates and the main thing that is really slow is during the off-season. Everyone is scouting players like you do in single-player so there are loads of intervals during one day. When the transfer window shuts it gets a lot quicker. Also I'm pretty sure you can set a time-limit if it gets ridiculous.

Started new game with Pools just had my first game of the season...Nice 4-0 away win at Notts county

Signed Soukouna who scored twice and Nathan Baker. Gunna be a good season!

Well 1st game away at Carlisle and won 5-0! Bit of a fluke i thought with my 4-2-4 formation but followed that up with a 2-0 win at Boro in league cup.

That Stewart guy that someone recommended has been outstanding.

Take a look at tounkara from Sunderland. Get him on loan-good striker.

Check out Sean Thornton - good player and a free kick specialist.

The Portuguese leagues are good for picking up £50k-100k players in their mid to late 20's. Better than what you start with.

My illegal download was a shambles, off to do the honest thing and buy it from The asda's.

A game so adicting I've won the Asian champions league with a team from Indonesia ! , on my latest pools save currently sit 2nd in the championship with luke james having won his first England cap a few days ago :D

Im unbeaten in August sitting 1st! Not holding my breath mind as we all know what can happen to an unbeaten start at the beginning of the season!

Can't wait to get home and install the update then get cracking. My aim is to be established in prem within 5 years.

Am sit in play offs after 30 games and just signed James Beattie to try and cement my top 6 spot. Keep winning the games i dont expect to and losing the easy ones though

I came 2nd with pools on the update, Luke James was a beast, 29 goals n 17 assists, I'll put a screenie on later

Went through pre-season played 6 games.

Won 5 without conceeding and drew one against a full strength Tottenham 2-2, I missed a penalty and battered them possesion and chances wise.

The season then begins and Stevenage do me over 4-2, I went to bed in a mood and couldn't stop thinking about it.

Made a few signings. Nathan Baker, Michael Stewart, a kid called Fraser who I spotted at the england trial days, he is shit rating wise but gets assists for fun. Some french right back my scout found and some right winger on a season long loan from wolves.

Don't pay too much attention to ratings. If someone is shit hot at crossing, dribbling, has decent vision and a bit of pace he'll be dynamite on a wing, however, if his heading, strength, positioning and the like are all shite it'll drive his overall rating down.

Youth's a complete waste of time 'til you're a top 4 team as well.

Well just lost my first game of the season in October to Sheff wed! Luke James and Ahmed Soukouna are goal machines up frot for me

I'm hoping I was unlucky, was 4 defensive errors that cose me for all of the goals.

What type of tactics do people use?

I go all out attack usually but the game is quite smart, if you constantly use the same tactic you start to draw and lose alot of games as other teams "figure out" what tactic.

GK
DR
DC
DC
DL
CM
AMR
AMC
AML
FWD
FWD

I am just straight 4-4-2 at the minute like. Playing short passing, high tempo and with a lot of width.

Depends on the tactics, to be fair, if you have a decent side a 4-2-3-1 with short passing can be absolutely devastating season after season, the lone striker usually walks away with 40 or so goals and the attacking midfielders chip in with 15 or so each in all competitions.

The only formations I've had sussed are 4-4-2 variants. If you're thinking of trying something new out mid-season test it on the reserve side while your squad's learning it, no one gives a toss about the ressies so it's risk free.

Long ball works well in the lower leagues, you'll want to start working on a short passing game around championship level.

Oh and avoid asymmetrical formations, I've never seen one that works. If your team's off balance the AI will just exploit the gaps and torture you.

What were the defensive errors exactly? It probably was just a bad game but if it keeps happening your tactics are probably fecked.

Two of them were stray passes that were intercepted. One back ot the keepr and the striker nipped in, one was from right back to centre back and player nipped in. The other two were someone caught in possesion. Wasd my right back who had a stinker, took him off at half time.

Hope you fined him as well after that...

Just a new signing, been quality all pre-season, put it down to a bad day at the office.

Will play a couple more like this then look to change it if its not good. Been winning 3-0 & 4-0 all pre-season, granted the teams were only southend and things like that but was playing them off the park.

Have you started hating agents with a passion yet?

Stick your corners to near post n get your centre halfs on the near post, they'll bag u 15 each easily

Been ok for me so far. Only had a budget of 10k so not a great deal of transfer activity apart from a few frees. After this french centre back for 50k but the board won't budge.

Nathanial Mendez-Laing is the right winger I have on loan, seems decent so far like.

I went up in first season via the playoffs, stuffed Sheff Wed 3-0 in final :)

Wasnt happy with transfer fund of 87k for a season in Championship but surprised at level of players you can get for free.

I believe team is

gk Stephen Bywater
rb Austin
lb Jeremy Helen
cb Nathan Baker (got on a free)
cb Liddle
CM Stewart
CAM Petrucci (released by Man U and worth 1.2 million now)
AMR Joel Ward i believe on free from Pompey
AML Some guy on loan from Newcastle worth 2.2 million whose names escapes me
ST James
ST Toukaka

Btw dunno if just since update but Baldwin is worth 1million for me so suggest keeping him.

4 points from first 4 games in Championship, i think it will be a struggle somehow.

Baldwins as good as James on the update

Aye Baldwin is a good player like... First thing I done is release Sir Ritchie....release clause of £10million

Luke James can't finish for toffee on my game, even with the update. Granted I play him slightly behind my front man (Boydy - 6 from 7), but James has spurned a fair few. Baldwin has just scored an own goal against Notts County but I'm still in the automatic slots. Nobby is worth playing purely for his corners. Signed the Mali U20 Samba Kanouté on a free five year deal £350 p/w! Awesome in the air, but I think Micky Barron is a racist as he always tells me to take him off. Did in one game after two goals and one off the line! Oh and Ritchie got a hat-trick pre-season against a strong Ipswich. A very odd start to my career this time around.

I'm in January 2015 and sitting 5th in the championship

My team is:

GK: Flinders

RB: James Tavernier (free from Newcastle)
CB: Nathan Baker (free from Aston Villa)
CB: Peter Hartley
LB: Paul Black (free from Chesterfield)

RM: David Cotteril (free from Barnsley)
CM: Keith Fahey (40k from Birmingham)
CM: Dean Parret (free from Spurs)
LM: Arvydas Novikovas (30k from Dundee United)

ST: Marc Antoine Fortune (free from Brighton)
ST Edgar Schippers (free from god knows )

Just started with the update and I'm already 5 games into the season, Soukouna has played 4 of those and scored 4 with an average rating of 7.9 (2 MOTM). Looks like a good signing so thanks to whoever reccomended him in this thread, I'll forward what you said. I also got Jordan Cook from sunderland on loan to play as an attacking winger in my 4-2-4 formation. 10 points from 5 games and I'm 5th in league one.

Soukouna will want a high wage like but I got him on a 2 year contract on £2,900 plus £850 app fee and £850 goal bonus. So last game when he scored 2 I paid him £5450. If he gets 30 goals it'll be worth it I guess!

Nobby Solano also scored a 35 yard free kick for me in my 5th game, might as well just give him goal f the season now. He's worth playing to take quality set peices in my opinion and he can play right back if you wouldd prefer Browny on the right wing. That's where I play him and he's done well.

Top after 18 games, can't grumble really. Hope I can hang on for the title. Joint with Sheff Utd at minute.

It's Friday and i'm bored at work! How's people been getting on?

First season in the premier league and finished 12th and beat boro to win the League Cup. The Vic is 23000 capacity and getting 15k every week. There is only Luke James and Brownie left from the original team. Uncle Ken wants euro qualification this year!

Finished 2nd in my first season... All downhill so far, lost first 10 games in a row, but are now on a 5 game unbeaten streak. Luke James U19 england call up, few panic buys with papa diop, michael brown and erm...Sol Campbell... Flinders seems to be letting goals in for fun, almost got Brad guzan but permit declined.. Cudicini wanted £5250 and I could only offer £5000 which he declined!

try for woodgate

Beat Bournemouth in the playoff final in my first year, Luke James ripped them to shreds. Brought in some hungry youngsters and Danny Shittu. Scattered a load of our squad, Boydy, Monkhouse, Big Sam, Ritchie, Nobby have all gone. Lost my first four games, but drew with Wigan, Derby and beat Norwich at the Vic. Won at Elland Road too. Flukes a 16 year old striker with 15 pace and 12 finishing. Might be a long, tense season but should stay up. Threw away a 2-1 lead with 7 to go against Brighton, clear fouls not given cost me three points - they won. Steve Ogrisovic is my goalkeeping coach and working wonders with a previously dodgy Flinders.

I used to dream some of these scenarios until I gave up and realised I would probably die without seeing pools win a title or beat a premiership side away in the 5th round of the cup.

Used to play fifa when it first came out in the mid to late 90s, remember winning lots with Newcastle at the time, but I always preferred managing a small club and going on a journey, took East Fife from scottish 3rd to 1st divison, kept Motherwell in the scots prem for 10 seasons before I got bored, and got Donny up from the conference the div 1 play offs, Adam Boyd was my star striker, just a few of my memories. We didnt cheat in those days.Stopped playing it around 2002, seriously addictive and for me it was getting a bit too complicated for my liking, preferred the simplicity of the earlier games.

He went to Sunderland !

I was top or 2nd all season then fell apart, ended up outside the playoffs on goal difference, had a big clearout, gonna start season 2 tonight. Preseason has been horrific so far.

I never usually do well with Pools but got us up first season through play offs then finished 8th in Championship. Then got took over by a concortium who wanted Eddie Howe as manager and was at every game but thankfully they gave me a chance and I took us into Premiership again through play offs. Simeon Jackson bagged me 30 and main reason i got up.

Anyway got given 20mill to spend on Prem survival. (Emmanual Jay Thomas was a great signing for 4million) but couldnt keep club up and i left with them rock bottom and took Man U job at end of season after they finished 6th.

2 seasons later and Pools regulary in Champ play offs.

8th season in and completed quadruple with pools.... personalised tictacs is all you need.

Worrying news lads, Jonathan Franks was just voted worst signing of the 2012-13 season in League One. Naturally I'm in the Championship with Pools, but never-the-less he flopped for Chesterfield.

Get shot Neale!