***The Official Football Manager Thread***

[rsnomar05]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

It's Real Madrid in the CL Final. The final was scheduled the same date as the Tim Cup Final, so the Tim Cup Final was rescheduled to the Wednesday before the CL Final. Yes, Just two days rest. Curse you FM scheduling gods!

Edit: In my save, Liverpool rehired Rafa Benitez. Well, after three seasons of mid-table finishes they sacked him. So of course he goes and declares interest in the open Barcelona job.

Edit Edit: I was also offered jobs by Barca, Man City, and Liverpool, but there is no way I'm leaving Roma.

Edit Edit Edit: Javier Hernandez has a Gold Cup match on Wednesday, June 11. This is two days after the CL Final. FM has decided that this means Hernandez will miss the CL Final because he will be traveling to meet up with his Mexico squad. He will also miss the Tim Cup Final for the same reason. WTF FM? Well, this means my decision has been made for me. Bonazzoli will be starting the CL Final over an absent Hernandez.

[rsnomar05]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

This was a fun way to end the season. A nice 6-0 win over Catania. And with that, the season is over, and Roma have once again won the Serie A!!!!!!

[rsnomar05]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

And Roma have won the Tim Cup!

[rsnomar05]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Real Madrid didn't have a shot until Kevin Volland scored a bomb from way outside the box in the 41st minute. By then, we had already scored three goals and were cruising. It was a lucky goal, I thought. Nothing to worry about. But then 6 minutes later Jonathan Silva decided it would be a good idea to slide tackle CR7 from behind in the box, and an even better idea to make sure he got both legs and absolutely none of the ball. James Rodriguez stepped up and slotted home the penalty, and now I was clinging to a 1 goal lead. 4 minutes into the second half, we were no longer clinging to any lead, as Xherdan Shaquiri rounded my entire defense and then the keeper. When he tapped it home to tie the game at 3, I considered taking a sledgehammer to my laptop. Thankfully there were no sledgehammers in sight.

Despite RM's comeback and my team's collapse, RM's squad were all looking nervous, while my players were all motivated or fired-up. That was completely baffling. I mean, during the comeback RM were playing like the protagonists of every sports movie ever after the coach gives the rousing half-time speech. Now they were playing like the protagonists of every sports movie ever before the coach gives the rousing half-time speech. They kept turning the ball over, their few shots sailed high and wide, and Hummels was playing like Bill Buckner in 9th inning of 1986 World Series game 6. Meaning he was letting everything by him. One of the things he let by him was my AML Konoplyanka in the 60th minute. After dribbling past Hummels, Konoplyanka glided into the box, rounded the keeper, then put his 11 finishing rating to good use by hitting the post from point blank range. Just as I was about to go on the official SI forums and request a new feature wherein you can have one of your players executed via guillotine in front of the fans, which would have been a fitting punishment for Konoplyanka's bout of pure ineptitude (and for Silva's idiotic penalty concession), Iturbe pounced on the rebound and tapped it home. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!
4-3 TO LA GIALLOROSSI!!!!!!!!!!

Real Madrid were now fully motivated. Apparently that only happens when they are losing. In the 67th minute James Rodriguez dribbled through Sule and Stones (my two CBs) like they were orange practice cones. He fired a shot that a charging Rulli saved, but....

We now interrupt this recap to bring you what rsnomar05 was thinking during the 67th minute:

"Oh no!...***lli tipped the ball but it's rolling behind him towards the goal. It's headed in. Crap. Sule and Stones are now first in line for that guillotine. Seriously, how can you idiots defend that p-OH MY GOD!!!!! SILVA JUST CLEARED IT OFF THE LINE!!!!! HE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!!!!! YOU'RE NO LONGER GETTING EXECUTED SILVA!!!!!! I LOVE YOU AGAIN!!!!! ALL IS FORGIVEN!!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!! Sule and Stones, you're still on the hook though.

We now rejoin your regularly scheduled recap.

With the lead I went defensive, subbing in Kristoffer Ajer as a DM in place of my AM Patrick Roberts. One minute after I did that (the 72nd minute), Silva decided to backpass the ball to my keeper. Only he passed it right in to the path of Kevin Volland who tapped the ball into the open net. HEY SILVA, REMEMBER WHEN I SAID YOU WEREN'T GETTING GUILLOTINED? WELL, I TAKE IT BACK YOU POS SORRY EXCUSE FOR A LEFTBACK!!

Thanks to that mistake, Silva's match rating plummeted to a 5.0 I had already used 3 subs, so I couldn't take him out. And I just knew that he was going to cost me the match. Sure enough, he tried another terrible backpass that Gareth Bale intercepted and slotted home in the 86th. SERIOUSLY?!!! THE EXACT SAME MISTAKE?!!!! Boy, was I pissed.

I went into overload, but it was futile. Real Madrid 5, Roma 4. Gutted.

[Cabke]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Just a heads up, FM15 is free to play on Steam all weekend, and it's on sale for $17 during that time.

[Perceptor]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Real Madrid didn't have a shot until Kevin Volland scored a bomb from way outside the box in the 41st minute. By then, we had already scored three goals and were cruising. It was a lucky goal, I thought. Nothing to worry about. But then 6 minutes later Jonathan Silva decided it would be a good idea to slide tackle CR7 from behind in the box, and an even better idea to make sure he got both legs and absolutely none of the ball. James Rodriguez stepped up and slotted home the penalty, and now I was clinging to a 1 goal lead. 4 minutes into the second half, we were no longer clinging to any lead, as Xherdan Shaquiri rounded my entire defense and then the keeper. When he tapped it home to tie the game at 3, I considered taking a sledgehammer to my laptop. Thankfully there were no sledgehammers in sight.

Despite RM's comeback and my team's collapse, RM's squad were all looking nervous, while my players were all motivated or fired-up. That was completely baffling. I mean, during the comeback RM were playing like the protagonists of every sports movie ever after the coach gives the rousing half-time speech. Now they were playing like the protagonists of every sports movie ever before the coach gives the rousing half-time speech. They kept turning the ball over, their few shots sailed high and wide, and Hummels was playing like Bill Buckner in 9th inning of 1986 World Series game 6. Meaning he was letting everything by him. One of the things he let by him was my AML Konoplyanka in the 60th minute. After dribbling past Hummels, Konoplyanka glided into the box, rounded the keeper, then put his 11 finishing rating to good use by hitting the post from point blank range. Just as I was about to go on the official SI forums and request a new feature wherein you can have one of your players executed via guillotine in front of the fans, which would have been a fitting punishment for Konoplyanka's bout of pure ineptitude (and for Silva's idiotic penalty concession), Iturbe pounced on the rebound and tapped it home. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!
4-3 TO LA GIALLOROSSI!!!!!!!!!!

Real Madrid were now fully motivated. Apparently that only happens when they are losing. In the 67th minute James Rodriguez dribbled through Sule and Stones (my two CBs) like they were orange practice cones. He fired a shot that a charging Rulli saved, but....

We now interrupt this recap to bring you what rsnomar05 was thinking during the 67th minute:

"Oh no!...***lli tipped the ball but it's rolling behind him towards the goal. It's headed in. Crap. Sule and Stones are now first in line for that guillotine. Seriously, how can you idiots defend that p-OH MY GOD!!!!! SILVA JUST CLEARED IT OFF THE LINE!!!!! HE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!!!!! YOU'RE NO LONGER GETTING EXECUTED SILVA!!!!!! I LOVE YOU AGAIN!!!!! ALL IS FORGIVEN!!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!! Sule and Stones, you're still on the hook though.

We now rejoin your regularly scheduled recap.

With the lead I went defensive, subbing in Kristoffer Ajer as a DM in place of my AM Patrick Roberts. One minute after I did that (the 72nd minute), Silva decided to backpass the ball to my keeper. Only he passed it right in to the path of Kevin Volland who tapped the ball into the open net. HEY SILVA, REMEMBER WHEN I SAID YOU WEREN'T GETTING GUILLOTINED? WELL, I TAKE IT BACK YOU POS SORRY EXCUSE FOR A LEFTBACK!!

Thanks to that mistake, Silva's match rating plummeted to a 5.0 I had already used 3 subs, so I couldn't take him out. And I just knew that he was going to cost me the match. Sure enough, he tried another terrible backpass that Gareth Bale intercepted and slotted home in the 86th. SERIOUSLY?!!! THE EXACT SAME MISTAKE?!!!! Boy, was I pissed.

I went into overload, but it was futile. Real Madrid 5, Roma 4. Gutted.

Dude....That's terrible. It wasn't bad enough that they came back on you but for you to concede the tying and winning goal because your defender was a tosser is a horrible way to lose I have had experiences like that on FM, but that's the game's fun and curse all at the same time.

On a positive note, I am unbeatable as Juve. My lord what a balanced and solid team. I have NEVER played with a back four like Chiellini and Bonucci. Buffon of course has been great. Morata has been on fire for me as well while Pogba is rounding into form.

Best result - a 4-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Llorente was unstoppable. Really enjoying this team and the prospects such as Coman, Vitale, and Sturaro have all had solid game time. My goal in January is to see if I can sell Llorente and get Berardi to further bolster my team. If that doesn't happen, I will wait until the summer to bring Berardi in to join with Dybala.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

My squad depth is going to get tested....

3/17 - League Cup Final against Hearts
3/19 - League Match against St. Mirren
3/21 - Europa League Leg 2 against Marseille

Three matches in five days. Thanks schedule makers!

[Perceptor]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

My squad depth is going to get tested....



3/17 - League Cup Final against Hearts

3/19 - League Match against St. Mirren

3/21 - Europa League Leg 2 against Marseille



Three matches in five days. Thanks schedule makers!

That's terrible. They really need to look at these scheduling issues. No way that should be happening

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

That's terrible. They really need to look at these scheduling issues. No way that should be happening

And naturally, the League Cup final went all the way to penalties, which I lost 7-6.

I highly doubt those guys will even be available for the Europa match now.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

First leg against Marseille did not go well for us. They were just too quick for us, and they marched out to a 3-0 lead. However, in the 84th minute, right back Murray Waddell made a well timed run and Jesse Lingard found him to score that all important away goal.

Still though, things looked bleak. The second leg would be the final match of three in five days, plus my captain Lee Wallace picked up a yellow in the first leg and he would miss the second leg.

So I pieced together a lineup for the second leg. Had a youth player Aaron McKinnon starting at striker. He had the highest starting condition of anybody at 95%. Everyone else ranged from 88%-92%. A few players from the League Cup final were on the bench, they could hopefully give me a few quality minutes late in the match, as well as the three players I subbed out early of my league victory over St. Mirren the day before yesterday.

The initial minutes of the match were dominated by Marseille as we played like a team on tired legs. Marseille generated three decent chances in the first 15 minutes, but all were put wide of the net.

In the 26th minute, we caught Marseille on the counter, and McKinnon, making his first career start, did what strikers are supposed to do. Beat the offside trap, collect the pass, and slot it past the keeper. Rangers up 1-0 (2-3 aggregate).

That goal seemed to unnerve Marseille as suddenly my boys forgot those tired legs and we dominated the rest of the first half. We generated four more decent chances, but two saves by Steve Mandanda kept the scoreline at 1-0 going into the half.

In the 52nd minute, disaster nearly struck us. Defensive midfielder Sarkis Shahgeldyan was called for a foul in the box and Cedric Bakambu stepped up to take a penalty. I was resigned, already making plans to try to become more attacking minded and go for the win. Hell, nobody expected us to make it this far. We've got nothing to lose.

Ibrox Stadium nearly exploded when Mickey Van Der Hart made probably the save of the season.

In the 58th minute, I brought in Thomas Reilly. He had been bothered by an ankle injury of late, but had played in the League Cup final and considering we need a goal and he was our leading scorer before having ankle issues, I thought this was the time. The 64th minute saw Lewis MacLeod not given a penalty on a clear foul in the box. The 68th minute would see Marseille put one wide. The 77th minute would see Marseille put another one wide. My guys had tired legs. We were starting to wilt under the pressure.

But these guys refuse to lose.

Thomas Reilly passed to Zeli Ismail, and then quickly made a break for the goal. Ismail promptly played it over the top back to Reilly. Reilly got inside the defender AND HEADED IT PAST THE KEEPER!!!!!!! Marseille were screaming for an offsides, but the official wasn't having it. Rangers up 2-0 (3-3 aggregate). That goal in garbage time in Leg 1 is making the difference now in this matchup.

Marseille generated one more scoring chance in stoppage time, but they harmlessly put it wide.

Rangers advance! WATP!! In the quarterfinals, we were drawn with Valencia, currently foruth in La Liga.

And while this was going on, Celtic lost to St. Johnstone 2-0. Seven points to clinch the SPL title.

[rsnomar05]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

That's terrible. They really need to look at these scheduling issues. No way that should be happening

Yeah, it's unacceptable. Like having star players on INT duty during the CL Final. Especially since this stuff was an issue in last year's game and SI had to patch it. You'd figure they wouldn't let that happen two years in a row.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Well, our dream run is over. Go down 4-2 on aggregate to Valencia in the Europa quarterfinals. At halftime, we were winning on away goals, but Valencia came out of their slumber and put us away.

But the good news, I only need two points to clinch the SPL title. A win, a Celtic loss, or a draw and a Celtic draw will qualify me for the Champions League Group Stage.

EDIT: And with an emphatic 2-0 victory over St. Mirren, we have clinched the SPL title with four matches to go. It took 2,503 days, but I have guided Rangers back to their deserved spot on top of the mountain of Scottish football. And I'm looking to make it a permanent stay.

Four matches left. Think I'll just hit total rotate on squad selection and let others get some playing time that normally don't.

[Perceptor]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Carlos Tevez 5...Milan 2

[rsnomar05]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

While I try and and improve my Roma squad in the transfer market, there is a UEFA Nations League tournament to deal with. My England squad faced the Netherlands in the semis, and beat them 3-2 to advance to the final! We play Russia, so we should be favorites.

[Kobalt]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Speaking of UEFA Nations League, I got Wales relegated to group D lol. There hasn't been any good regens ever since Ramsey, Allen, and Bale retired.. I'm currently trying to get these 2 English players to play for Wales..

I thought I would win goal of the year with this, but wasn't even nominated for goal of the month

Spoiler

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