What should I spend my ~$500,000 on?

[NAIWF]

I just got a bid of $500,000 for Tim Thomas (23 yo excellent defender), so I'll be pocketing at least $460,000 by Thursday and was curious what should I spend it on/going rate for certain skills.

I play a 4-5-1 and train 'D' and have enough trainees that I'm OK there, so I was thinking about upgrading either my scoring slot, midfield or my stadium.

As it stands, my best forward only puts up 2*, my middies get 2.5, 2, and 2 or 2.5*.

Naturally I think midfield help is most important since my defense is far and away the best in the series. I'm sure I could pick up 1 or 2 older solid playmakers, but does it make any sense to do so when I'm probably switching to PM next season anyway?

On the other hand, I'm getting passable/weak/passable in the attack rating, would an excellent scorer really make that much of a difference?

Lastly, would I be better served to just upgrade my stadium? I've already recorded 4 straight sell outs of my 13,250 seater and I expect to be a top 2/3 team next season. Right now I've only got 791 supporters, but it should be about 850 when the season starts and I begin with a home game.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

[vex]

I don't really have an answer, but I do have another question for the masses.


I have a 20yo formidable midfielder with no real secondaries who is getting a consistent 3.5 stars.

Question is, should I sell now, or wait until he is at "outstanding" around week 9 or 10 next season?

[NAIWF]

I would wait. Most people only look at the primaries anyway, and I would think the increased assessed value will really help as well.

[daedalus]

Originally posted by NAIWF
I just got a bid of $500,000 for Tim Thomas (23 yo excellent defender), so I'll be pocketing at least $460,000 by Thursday and was curious what should I spend it on/going rate for certain skills.

Good show! Congratulations!

Naturally I think midfield help is most important since my defense is far and away the best in the series. I'm sure I could pick up 1 or 2 older solid playmakers, but does it make any sense to do so when I'm probably switching to PM next season anyway?

I'm not sure if you mean 'next season' as in the upcoming one or the one follow but, if you mean the one following then I think it is. I mean, if you get a good midfielder to hold the fort until you switch over, you should have little trouble selling him back for at or near what you paid. I would definitely look for someone in the 26-28 year old-range in that case, though, since he'll still be under the big three-oh when you sell him back. He'll have 1-2 offseason's worth of stamina training and some defensive training by the time you sell him back as well.

On the other hand, I'm getting passable/weak/passable in the attack rating, would an excellent scorer really make that much of a difference?

It can. With a 4-5-1, I'd want a pretty darn good forward. Probably something in the neighborhood of an excellent with good passing skill. Only the scoring skill will help the wing attacks but the combination of scoring and passing should give you some boost in central attack. As DK's experience showed, finding a good scorer with good set piece is pretty darn tough. One alternative may be to snag one with head skill if at all possible. If someone else on your team takes set piece, he may snag a goal or two in those situations. An alternative for improving your attack is to keep an eye on passing when you're looking for your stopgap midfielder but those can get insanely expensive. The other is the same thing that DK is going for this offseason, chase a solid coach with attacking preference. The coach can give you a level or two boost to your attack and that just may make the difference you need.

Lastly, would I be better served to just upgrade my stadium? I've already recorded 4 straight sell outs of my 13,250 seater and I expect to be a top 2/3 team next season. Right now I've only got 791 supporters, but it should be about 850 when the season starts and I begin with a home game.

Upgrade is also a good idea here. With your team being as competitive as it is, you might consider overshooting your stadium (ie, going into the 25-30X range instead of the recommended 20X range).

[daedalus]

I agree with NAIWF vex. With this offseason's stamina training and the pop to outstanding, you should be able to snag some major cash. Ardent's sale of Sumner just shows that you can still grab some major dinero in the latter part of the season if you peddle major talent. Plus, with Hattrick engine being what it is, I would not think that playmaking talent will drop in price as much as other skills over the season.

[Desnudo]

You can also increase your attack by finding good offensive playmakers (PM + passing) or wingers. If you feel the need to solidify your midfield, that could be a way of taking care of two needs.

[Poli]

Buy a Raider player!

[sterlingice]

daedalus had some great advice. I'll try to take it a step further with a shopping list and possible costs.

Also, since it's the offseason- it's the perfect time for a stadium upgrade with cup games coming and all. You sound like you're going to be very competitive so I'd put yourself in 20-25x 1000 supporters (20K-25K) because by mid season, you'll be selling that thing out.

Stadium Upgrade (to the low 20s or higher): $250K
26-30yo solid playmaking middie who puts up 2.5-3.0 stars per game: $150K-$200K
23-27yo Solid forward with decent passing, possibly head skill and/or set pieces: $150K

Yes, this puts you in a little debt but with cup games coming up, you'll get some spare cash and this will make your team very solid and competitive.

SI

[NAIWF]

Thanks guys, I'll probably upgrade the stadium as soon as I get paid. Just want to be sure exactly how much I'm going to have in the bank before I decide how much to spend. After that I'll probably go middie then forward unless a steal falls into my lap or I pull a winner on Saturday (yeah right) I appreciate the help.