How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[_ChicoBass]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Am I automatically qualified for the group stage of the Champions (at Alcorcon) since I won it last season or will I have to play in the qualifier again since I finished 4th in La Liga?

You should be automatically in the group stage. I think the game takes the best option when you have two. For example when I won the Europa League I finished in a Champions League position on the table and the game put me in the Champions instead of back in the Europa.

[_ChicoBass]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[CENTER]


[B][SIZE=5]Hellas Verona

TOTALLY different transfer window than it was with Hertha. I see your signings were mostly for squad depth with potential. Miss making all those headline transfers yet? Don't worry, you'll get there. I like that you'll be sticking with Marquez and Toni despite their old age. I hope Marquez can keep that back line under control with his leadership and experience.

Hahaha... Corleone. Beginning to wonder how Simeone landed the job with minimal coaching experience. Perhaps he had to ask for a favor from someone, on the day of that someone's daughter's wedding.
:P

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

You should be automatically in the group stage. I think the game takes the best option when you have two. For example when I won the Europa League I finished in a Champions League position on the table and the game put me in the Champions instead of back in the Europa.

thanks, hope it is that way, would love to avoid that headache. Besides the regular August schedule I have the 2 Spanish Super Cup games and the EuroCup game ... B team better get in form!

[cathal]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Sorry, was at school. I'm down for the sponsorship. Get your squad report fella

I was at school too. Can't wait for the sponsorship.

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Spoiler

Hellas Verona


Transfers In




Sebastian Cristoforo

69 Ovr, Defensive Midfielder, 21 Years Old, Uruguay

Season Loan With a Buy Option

The Uruguayan holding midfielder Sebastian Cristoforo was the first signing Simeone Corleone made in his new job as Hellas Verona's manager. The young and talented midfielder will spend only a season in Italy but he can be bought at the end of the season for under two million euros.




Federico Bernardeschi

70 Ovr, Right Winger, 20 Years Old, Italy

Season Loan With a Buy Option

Hellas Verona managed to sign another young and talented player in this summer and this time it was Fiorentina's skillful winger Federico Bernardeschi. Like Cristoforo, Bernardeschi will spend a season with Verona and if the manager likes him he will be signed permanently for a few million euros. The young winger has a bright future ahead of him and he's expected to be the next big Italian winger with the likes of El Shaarawy and Domenico Berardi.




Nicola Murru

68 Ovr, Left Back, 19 Years Old, Italy

Season Loan With a Buy Option

The third and final young loanee signed by Corleone was the high-potential left back Nicola Murru from Cagliari. The youngster was signed on a season long loan with an option to buy him at the end of the spell. Murru will have to fight for playing time because Davide Brivio is ahead of him in the playing order.




Samuele Longo

69 Ovr, Striker, 22 Years Old, Italy

€1,200,000

One of the two permanent signings made by Hellas Verona was buying the young Italian striker Samuele Longo from Cagliari for a cheap fee of just over one million euros. Longo, who used to play for Inter Milan, will now need to work hard for playing time because there are four strikers ahead of him in playing order.




Connor Wickham

72 Ovr, Striker, 21 Years Old, England

€2,200,000

The second permanent deal and the last signing of the summer for Hellas Verona was buying the Englishman Connor Wickham from Sunderland for a fee of just over two million. Wickham, who is one of the most talented future strikers for the national team, was given permission to leave for an unknown reason. The 21-year-old will be the third or fourth choice striker after Luca Toni, Nico Lopez and maybe Javier Saviola.


Transfers Out


Alessandro Agostini, €140,000 to Parma


August 2014


Hellas Verona 4 - 1 Perugia, TIM Cup Round of 32
Toni 45', 76' pen, Bernardeschi 90', Saviola 90'
Falcinelli 45'


Atalanta 1 - 1 Hellas Verona
Gomez 54'
Lopez 43'


Starting XI (4-4-2):

Rafael 74
Luna 71 - Marquez 76 - Moras 72 - Brivio 72
Christodoulopoulos 72 - Obbadi 72 - Hallfredsson 73 - Juanito Gomez 72
Nico Lopez 74 - Luca Toni 78


League Table


1. Udinese, 3 pts
2. Sampdoria, 3 pts
3. Napoli, 3 pts
4. Juventus, 3 pts
5. Cagliari, 3 pts
6. Inter, 3 pts
------------------------------------------------
11. Hellas Verona, 1 pt
------------------------------------------------
18. Palermo, 0 pts
19. Genoa, 0 pts
20. Empoli, 0 pts


No press conference this time because I'm in a hurry. Sorry.


Thank you for reading this post! I hope you have enjoyed it! Any feedback or suggestions will be appreciated!

One thing I always forget to do when loaning players is to set the future fee. It sometimes comes back to bite me and I think it will this season.

My budget is a terrible 425k and 2k wages for the championship.

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

One thing I always forget to do when loaning players is to set the future fee. It sometimes comes back to bite me and I think it will this season.

My budget is a terrible 425k and 2k wages for the championship.

Try competing in the BPL with a (SPOILER ALERT)

Spoiler

$1.3 million budget

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Guys, I want to introduce a player sponsoring system for my Parma career. For those of you unfamiliar with the practice, basically everyone chooses a player (first come, first served) on my squad to sponsor. I assign points for each of the following:

Goals
+25 for a forward
+40 for a midfielder
+60 for a defender
+100 for a goalkeeper
+100 via free kick

Assists
+15 for a forward
+20 for a midfielder
+40 for a defender
+80 for a goalkeeper

Clean sheets
+0 for a forward
+15 for a midfielder
+35 for a defender
+50 for a goalkeeper

Cards
-20 for one yellow, -40 for two (does not stack)
-60 for a straight red

Man of the match
+100 for any player

Captaincy (stacked)
+5 per start as captain
+5 for scoring (not per goal)
+10 for man of the match

Other bonuses
+15 for starting cup final, +5 as substitute
+5 for cup final win (starter/substitute)
+50 for winning Serie A (30+ appearances)
+25 for Champions League qualification (30+ league appearances)
+15 for Europa League qualification (30+ league appearances)

End of season bonus
Average rating x100 + (Total appearances in all competitions x5)

If a player transfers away mid-season, you will be given the choice to either sponsor another player for the remainder of the season or collect points equal to the transfer fee x10 and not sponsor anyone for the remainder of the season. Winner gets bragging rights and a say in transfers during the following summer window. The sponsorships reset every summer.

If enough people are interested, I will post the squad with ratings/descriptions after completing deadline day, and you can request the player you want to sponsor. Remember, first person to request a certain player gets him, so if someone has already called the man you want, please choose someone else.

What do you guys think? Interested?

I'm down for this

[texasbum06]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Okay guys, bear with me there's no goal scorers or game recaps on this month but any updates going forward will have more to it. This really is a bare minimum update so it will be better in the future!

Exeter City F.C.
FIFA 15 - Season 2

The Grecians

November

Exeter City 4 - Colchester United 3

J. Paint Trophy
York City 1 - Exeter City 5

Leyton Orient 1 - Exeter City 2

Exeter City 3 - Brentford 1

Doncaster 4 - Exeter City 4

Football League 1
1. Sheffield United - 53 pts
2. Leyton Orient - 43 pts
3. Exeter City - 42 pts
4. Ipswich Town - 38 pts
5. Yeovil Town - 38 pts
6. Southend United - 35 pts
--------------------------
21. Port Vale - 18 pts
22. Doncaster - 17 pts
23. Oldham Athletic 15 pts
24. Fleetwood Town - 11 pts

Youth Academy

Adam McCartan (Northern Ireland) 16 years old 50-54 OVR 74-80 POT.
- Adam has made gread use of his technical gifts to be a playmaker in the CAM role with the youth teams.

Andrew Wynne (United States) 16 years old 46-50 OVR 72-80 POR.
- Andrew has yet to find his position for the future. He plays all over the midfield and as a forward for the youth teams, it remains to be seen which he will stick with.

Carl Little (Northern Ireland) 15 years old 41-43 OVR 74-80 POT.
- Carl Little has stepped up for the youth team playing as a center back. At only 15, he still has some growing to do to have a future at the position.

Chris Dean (United States) 17 years old 45-47 OVR 70-74 POT.
- Combined pace with creativity has made him a natural for the CAM role. He is the first American signing brought over by Tex Bumosix to the youth academy.

Drew Tootle (England) 17 years old 54-58 OVR 70-74 POT.
-The young keeper is a giant at 6'5" and only 17 years old. He has the potential to be the future first choice keeper for Exeter if he develops properly.

Isaac Fryers (England) 16 years old 56-60 OVR 75-81 POT.
-The young 16 year old prefers to play right in the center of the pitch. He plays with a more defensive mindset, but has a tendency to play more in the center rather than in the traditional holding position.

Josh Meenan (Northern Ireland) 15 years old 46-48 OVR 72-78 POT.
- The young boy from Northern Ireland has natural talents at keeper, but his future will be determined on how much he grows over the coming years since he is standing only 5'7" at the momemnt. If he hits a growth spurt as expected, his future seems bright.

Leon Robinson (England) 16 years old 57-61 OVR 74-80 POT.
-At only 16 years old, he has found himself a role as a right back within the youth squad. He is a pacey right back who likes to get involved in the attack with his ability to overlap with the midfielders.

Luke McClure (Northern Ireland) 16 years old 57-61 OVR 90-94 POT.
- Has the look of a natural winger on the pitch. He favors the left side, and has the potential to be one of the best to ever come through Exeter City.

Paddy McEleney (Northern Ireland) 16 years old 46-50 OVR 71-79 POT.
- Another giant in the academy to challenge for the keeper position of the future. Standing at 6'3" he isn't quite as tall as Tootle, but has plenty of the height required for his position.

Exeter City Player of the Month

James Wilson


Wilson once again was the most outstanding player for Exeter City this month taking on the brunt of the goal scoring duties. His hat-trick against Doncaster and his brace against York City were two of his highlights for the month.

Press Conference

Q: You are making a little separation from the fourth spot below you, do you think an automatic promotion could be in your future especially with you only 1 point behind second?

A: That is certainly our goal right now. I don't see any reason why we wouldn't be able to accomplish it. We are hitting great form right now and I think we will only continue to improve as the season moves forward.

Q: You are still alive in all cup competitions, but a match against Manchester United is looming right around the corner in the Capital One Cup. How will you approach this match?

A: We approach it with the intention to win. We won't be intimidated by a large club ad we believe that on our day we have a chance against anyone. We will go in confident and hope for a good result.

Q: You are one month away from the transfer window, are any moves in your plans right now?

A: It is tough to speculate on that right now since we are very limited in funds. It all depends on what we do this month in competitions as well as any funds the board is willing to add to our budget. I will have a better picture of that by the end of next month.

[jamiec47]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Try competing in the BPL with a (SPOILER ALERT)

Spoiler

$1.3K budget

Do you not mean million because I've done that with Coventry. If you mean thousand though, what the hell!

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Do you not mean million because I've done that with Coventry. If you mean thousand though, what the hell!

you're right, I meant million, fixed, thanks.

[Simppu12]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

TOTALLY different transfer window than it was with Hertha. I see your signings were mostly for squad depth with potential. Miss making all those headline transfers yet? Don't worry, you'll get there. I like that you'll be sticking with Marquez and Toni despite their old age. I hope Marquez can keep that back line under control with his leadership and experience.

Hahaha... Corleone. Beginning to wonder how Simeone landed the job with minimal coaching experience. Perhaps he had to ask for a favor from someone, on the day of that someone's daughter's wedding.
:P

Yeah, it's completely different. It feels so weird having to actually think about signings and calculate a lot. With Hertha I was basically able to get everyone easily. Now I need to compare a lot of players, scout them ingame and online and at the end decide what to do. All and all I'm happy about how the transfer window worked out but I would've liked to buy a better striker. I will try to get some Bosman signings in January with my wage budget of €35,000.

Yes, I will keep them in the starting eleven but sadly Toni is retiring after the season. Marquez on the other hand has two or three years left on his contract. I just like keeping legends and respected older players in my team.

Corleone was the first Italian name that came to my mind and I decided to use it. It will give the career a darker tone with all the mafia work going on :P Or maybe he made the owners an offer they couldn't refuse. Here we go again.

One thing I always forget to do when loaning players is to set the future fee. It sometimes comes back to bite me and I think it will this season.

With a budget of three million future fees were my only chance to survive. The players I brought in were mainly to replace the players who will leave in the summer when their loans expire. I should be able to afford all of the future fees. Sadly I need to offer a big amount of money before they accept them.

Since eveyone else is in I'm joining the sponsoring thing, too.

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Season 1 | 2014-15



What is squad sponsorship?

Just in case anyone missed my earlier post, here's how this works. Everyone picks a player from the squad below to sponsor, and certain events and achievements in the game performed by that player earn the sponsor a certain number of points (mentioned below the squad). Reserving a player basically works like dibs; if you're first to name him, he's yours for the season. Once you choose a player, nobody else can sponsor him. You're also stuck with him unless he leaves the club in January or sustains an injury that ends his season. In either situation, you can change players OR take a flat bonus ― 1,000 points in case of a transfer and 150 per month until June in case of a season-ending injury.

How does my player earn me points?

The primary method of winning points is having your player score a goal, register an assist, or help keep a clean sheet. Any cards your player is shown will result in point deductions, with different values for yellow and red cards. Other than those, there are a few other ways to win extra points, usually through consistency and leadership.

Be clinical. Goals are the lifeblood of any team's success, but some players are more likely to score than others, so each goal your player bags will win you points based on his position. Remember, goals scored directly from free kicks count double!

• 25 points for a forward
• 40 for a midfielder
• 60 for a defender
• 100 for a goalkeeper

Look for the pass. Sometimes, it takes a killer pass to put a man in a position to score. Assists are a crucial stat, as an assist for one player means a goal for another. Each time your player plays a quality ball that results in a goal, you benefit.

• 15 points for a forward
• 20 for a midfielder
• 40 for a defender
• 80 for a goalkeeper

Be the brick wall. Sometimes, you just need to keep your opponent from scoring. The best managers know that titles are won at the back, and without a good defensive shape, you're not likely to win enough games to make a difference.

• 0 points for a forward
• 15 for a midfielder
• 35 for a defender
• 50 for a goalkeeper

Maintain discipline. Proper behaviour on the pitch means more time to get naughty with the ladies off it. Stupid, reckless, malicious tackles will not only see you subbed off or suspended. The manager might just decide to drop you to the bench, or worse.

• -20 points per yellow
• -60 per red

Look to the leader. The captain is the backbone of the team. When the players are out on the pitch, he's the manager's eyes, ears and voice. As such, the captain must meet certain responsibilities. He is therefore privy to certain benefits and subject to some penalties (values for vice-captain in brackets).

• +20 [10] points per goal/assist
• -120 [90] per red card (double deduction)
• -500 [250] for discontent/transfer request outside transfer window

Be the best. Being as good as possible should be every player's goal when they go out to play. Whether that's by scoring a hat-trick or passing with laser precision, the key is consistency.

• +50 points for Man of the Match
• +100 for Player of the Month
• +100 for Team of the Year
• +200 for Player of the Year

Excellence comes in many forms. That's why it's important to be consistent as well as talented. Work hard every game, and you'll be chosen ahead of every world-class player as lazy as an Italian on Merseyside.

• +300 points for 30 or more appearances (win the league)
• +200 for 30 or more appearances (qualify for Champions League)
• +100 for 30 or more appearances (qualify for Europa League)

Everyone deserves something extra. Because nothing ever happens with just 11 men, all players are entitled to an end-of-season bonus based on their performances and number of appearances.

• (Average rating x100) + (Total appearances x5)

K. Anything else, or can we pick players?

Needless to say, whichever of you has the most points at the end of the season wins. What's in it for that person? You'll get bragging rights, and you'll also be my assistant scout for the following summer window. Okay, maybe you don't really care, but this sh*t seems fun as hell, yeah? With that out of the way, on we go to the squad. Players marked with an asterisk are first team or tactical, and those without are for rotation or the reserves.

Goalkeepers
1 Alex Cordaz
22 Alessandro Iacobucci
83 Antonio Mirante*

Defenders
2 Mattia Cassani*
3 Hong Chul*
4 Pedro Mendes*
6 Pedro Luis Cavanda*
14 Hong Jeong-ho*
15 Andrea Costa*
27 Fabiano Santacroce
29 Gabriel Paletta*
33 Andrea Rispoli

Midfielders
8 Jose Mauri
11 Paolo De Ceglie*
13 Stefan Ristovski
16 Bryan Cristante*
21 Francesco Lodi*
30 Afriyie Acquah*
33 McDonald Mariga
80 Cristobal Jorquera*

Forwards
5 Abdelkader Ghezzal
7 Jonathan Biabiany*
9 Nicola Pozzi
10 Ishak Belfodil*
17 Raffaele Palladino*
18 Zoran Tosic*
20 Soufiane Bidaoui
23 Nelson Oliveira*

There you have it, so get down to reserving the player you want! I'll post an update with details from preseason, the transfer window and my first league match at Cesena after most of you have chosen someone to sponsor. I figure out of the 18 marked players, we should be able to fill up at least 10-12 between the regulars here. Obviously, I won't be sponsoring anyone due to conflict of interest.

EDIT: I'm adding the links to players a lot of folks may not know.

http://sofifa.com/player/149474-ishak-belfodil?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148992-chul-hong?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148591-jeong-ho-hong?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148218-cris...quera?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/147754-zoran-tosic?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/149317-nels...veira?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/150620-brya...tante?hl=en-GB

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Season 1 | 2014-15



What is squad sponsorship?

Just in case anyone missed my earlier post, here's how this works. Everyone picks a player from the squad below to sponsor, and certain events and achievements in the game performed by that player earn the sponsor a certain number of points (mentioned below the squad). Reserving a player basically works like dibs; if you're first to name him, he's yours for the season. Once you choose a player, nobody else can sponsor him. You're also stuck with him unless he leaves the club in January or sustains an injury that ends his season. In either situation, you can change players OR take a flat bonus ― 1,000 points in case of a transfer and 150 per month until June in case of a season-ending injury.

How does my player earn me points?

The primary method of winning points is having your player score a goal, register an assist, or help keep a clean sheet. Any cards your player is shown will result in point deductions, with different values for yellow and red cards. Other than those, there are a few other ways to win extra points, usually through consistency and leadership.

Be clinical. Goals are the lifeblood of any team's success, but some players are more likely to score than others, so each goal your player bags will win you points based on his position. Remember, goals scored directly from free kicks count double!

• 25 points for a forward
• 40 for a midfielder
• 60 for a defender
• 100 for a goalkeeper

Look for the pass. Sometimes, it takes a killer pass to put a man in a position to score. Assists are a crucial stat, as an assist for one player means a goal for another. Each time your player plays a quality ball that results in a goal, you benefit.

• 15 points for a forward
• 20 for a midfielder
• 40 for a defender
• 80 for a goalkeeper

Be the brick wall. Sometimes, you just need to keep your opponent from scoring. The best managers know that titles are won at the back, and without a good defensive shape, you're not likely to win enough games to make a difference.

• 0 points for a forward
• 15 for a midfielder
• 35 for a defender
• 50 for a goalkeeper

Maintain discipline. Proper behaviour on the pitch means more time to get naughty with the ladies off it. Stupid, reckless, malicious tackles will not only see you subbed off or suspended. The manager might just decide to drop you to the bench, or worse.

• -20 points per yellow
• -60 per red

Look to the leader. The captain is the backbone of the team. When the players are out on the pitch, he's the manager's eyes, ears and voice. As such, the captain must meet certain responsibilities. He is therefore privy to certain benefits and subject to some penalties (values for vice-captain in brackets).

• +20 [10] points per goal/assist
• -120 [90] per red card (double deduction)
• -500 [250] for discontent/transfer request outside transfer window

Be the best. Being as good as possible should be every player's goal when they go out to play. Whether that's by scoring a hat-trick or passing with laser precision, the key is consistency.

• +50 points for Man of the Match
• +100 for Player of the Month
• +100 for Team of the Year
• +200 for Player of the Year

Excellence comes in many forms. That's why it's important to be consistent as well as talented. Work hard every game, and you'll be chosen ahead of every world-class player as lazy as an Italian on Merseyside.

• +300 points for 30 or more appearances (win the league)
• +200 for 30 or more appearances (qualify for Champions League)
• +100 for 30 or more appearances (qualify for Europa League)

Everyone deserves something extra. Because nothing ever happens with just 11 men, all players are entitled to an end-of-season bonus based on their performances and number of appearances.

• (Average rating x100) + (Total appearances x5)

K. Anything else, or can we pick players?

Needless to say, whichever of you has the most points at the end of the season wins. What's in it for that person? You'll get bragging rights, and you'll also be my assistant scout for the following summer window. Okay, maybe you don't really care, but this sh*t seems fun as hell, yeah? With that out of the way, on we go to the squad. Players marked with an asterisk are first team or tactical, and those without are for rotation or the reserves.

Goalkeepers
1 Alex Cordaz
22 Alessandro Iacobucci
83 Antonio Mirante*

Defenders
2 Mattia Cassani*
3 Hong Chul*
4 Pedro Mendes*
6 Pedro Luis Cavanda*
14 Hong Jeong-ho*
15 Andrea Costa*
27 Fabiano Santacroce
29 Gabriel Paletta*
33 Andrea Rispoli

Midfielders
8 Jose Mauri
11 Paolo De Ceglie*
13 Stefan Ristovski
16 Bryan Cristante*
21 Francesco Lodi*
30 Afriyie Acquah*
33 McDonald Mariga
80 Cristobal Jorquera*

Forwards
5 Abdelkader Ghezzal
7 Jonathan Biabiany*
9 Nicola Pozzi
10 Ishak Belfodil*
17 Raffaele Palladino*
18 Zoran Tosic*
20 Soufiane Bidaoui
23 Nelson Oliveira*

There you have it, so get down to reserving the player you want! I'll post an update with details from preseason, the transfer window and my first league match at Cesena after most of you have chosen someone to sponsor. I figure out of the 18 marked players, we should be able to fill up at least 10-12 between the regulars here. Obviously, I won't be sponsoring anyone due to conflict of interest.

EDIT: I'm adding the links to players a lot of folks may not know.

http://sofifa.com/player/149474-ishak-belfodil?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148992-chul-hong?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148591-jeong-ho-hong?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148218-cris...quera?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/147754-zoran-tosic?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/149317-nels...veira?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/150620-brya...tante?hl=en-GB

would help me to know what formation you're planning to run?

either way I think I want dibs on Zoran Tosic

[Simppu12]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Hmm... do I pick Oliveira or Belfodil? Or maybe Biabiany? I choose Belfodil because you usually score a lot of goals with your strikers. Good luck!

[jamiec47]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Season 1 | 2014-15

Spoiler

What is squad sponsorship?

Just in case anyone missed my earlier post, here's how this works. Everyone picks a player from the squad below to sponsor, and certain events and achievements in the game performed by that player earn the sponsor a certain number of points (mentioned below the squad). Reserving a player basically works like dibs; if you're first to name him, he's yours for the season. Once you choose a player, nobody else can sponsor him. You're also stuck with him unless he leaves the club in January or sustains an injury that ends his season. In either situation, you can change players OR take a flat bonus ― 1,000 points in case of a transfer and 150 per month until June in case of a season-ending injury.

How does my player earn me points?

The primary method of winning points is having your player score a goal, register an assist, or help keep a clean sheet. Any cards your player is shown will result in point deductions, with different values for yellow and red cards. Other than those, there are a few other ways to win extra points, usually through consistency and leadership.

Be clinical. Goals are the lifeblood of any team's success, but some players are more likely to score than others, so each goal your player bags will win you points based on his position. Remember, goals scored directly from free kicks count double!

• 25 points for a forward
• 40 for a midfielder
• 60 for a defender
• 100 for a goalkeeper

Look for the pass. Sometimes, it takes a killer pass to put a man in a position to score. Assists are a crucial stat, as an assist for one player means a goal for another. Each time your player plays a quality ball that results in a goal, you benefit.

• 15 points for a forward
• 20 for a midfielder
• 40 for a defender
• 80 for a goalkeeper

Be the brick wall. Sometimes, you just need to keep your opponent from scoring. The best managers know that titles are won at the back, and without a good defensive shape, you're not likely to win enough games to make a difference.

• 0 points for a forward
• 15 for a midfielder
• 35 for a defender
• 50 for a goalkeeper

Maintain discipline. Proper behaviour on the pitch means more time to get naughty with the ladies off it. Stupid, reckless, malicious tackles will not only see you subbed off or suspended. The manager might just decide to drop you to the bench, or worse.

• -20 points per yellow
• -60 per red

Look to the leader. The captain is the backbone of the team. When the players are out on the pitch, he's the manager's eyes, ears and voice. As such, the captain must meet certain responsibilities. He is therefore privy to certain benefits and subject to some penalties (values for vice-captain in brackets).

• +20 [10] points per goal/assist
• -120 [90] per red card (double deduction)
• -500 [250] for discontent/transfer request outside transfer window

Be the best. Being as good as possible should be every player's goal when they go out to play. Whether that's by scoring a hat-trick or passing with laser precision, the key is consistency.

• +50 points for Man of the Match
• +100 for Player of the Month
• +100 for Team of the Year
• +200 for Player of the Year

Excellence comes in many forms. That's why it's important to be consistent as well as talented. Work hard every game, and you'll be chosen ahead of every world-class player as lazy as an Italian on Merseyside.

• +300 points for 30 or more appearances (win the league)
• +200 for 30 or more appearances (qualify for Champions League)
• +100 for 30 or more appearances (qualify for Europa League)

Everyone deserves something extra. Because nothing ever happens with just 11 men, all players are entitled to an end-of-season bonus based on their performances and number of appearances.

• (Average rating x100) + (Total appearances x5)

K. Anything else, or can we pick players?

Needless to say, whichever of you has the most points at the end of the season wins. What's in it for that person? You'll get bragging rights, and you'll also be my assistant scout for the following summer window. Okay, maybe you don't really care, but this sh*t seems fun as hell, yeah? With that out of the way, on we go to the squad. Players marked with an asterisk are first team or tactical, and those without are for rotation or the reserves.

Goalkeepers
1 Alex Cordaz
22 Alessandro Iacobucci
83 Antonio Mirante*

Defenders
2 Mattia Cassani*
3 Hong Chul*
4 Pedro Mendes*
6 Pedro Luis Cavanda*
14 Hong Jeong-ho*
15 Andrea Costa*
27 Fabiano Santacroce
29 Gabriel Paletta*
33 Andrea Rispoli

Midfielders
8 Jose Mauri
11 Paolo De Ceglie*
13 Stefan Ristovski
16 Bryan Cristante*
21 Francesco Lodi*
30 Afriyie Acquah*
33 McDonald Mariga
80 Cristobal Jorquera*

Forwards
5 Abdelkader Ghezzal
7 Jonathan Biabiany*
9 Nicola Pozzi
10 Ishak Belfodil*
17 Raffaele Palladino*
18 Zoran Tosic*
20 Soufiane Bidaoui
23 Nelson Oliveira*

There you have it, so get down to reserving the player you want! I'll post an update with details from preseason, the transfer window and my first league match at Cesena after most of you have chosen someone to sponsor. I figure out of the 18 marked players, we should be able to fill up at least 10-12 between the regulars here. Obviously, I won't be sponsoring anyone due to conflict of interest.

EDIT: I'm adding the links to players a lot of folks may not know.

http://sofifa.com/player/149474-ishak-belfodil?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148992-chul-hong?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148591-jeong-ho-hong?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/148218-cris...quera?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/147754-zoran-tosic?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/149317-nels...veira?hl=en-GB
http://sofifa.com/player/150620-brya...tante?hl=en-GB

Biabiany is mine. It would have been nice to know the formation though so I could make a more educated choice.