Football Manager 2011

[stokeriño]

Having a bit of an unexpected League Cup run with Forest. The story so far:

1st Round

Nottingham Forest 4 - 1 Lincoln City

An easy win over the League 2 side, featuring a hat-trick from Rob Earnshaw. He then failed to score in the subsequent 12 games, before suffering a slipped disc and getting injured for four months.

2nd Round

Nottingham Forest 8 - 0 Plymouth Argyle

A ridiculous win over a decent League 1 side. This time it was Dexter Blackstock's turn to get a hat-trick, with goals also coming from Nathan Tyson, Paul McKenna and Julian Bennett.

3rd Round

Nottingham Forest 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur

Aaron Lennon was absolutely tearing me to shreds in the first half, and scored to put Spurs ahead in the 20th minute. My centre-back Luke Chambers headed in a corner to equalise 15 minutes later, but most significantly Lennon got injured just before the stroke of half-time and was replaced on the right by the far less incisive Sandro. Tudgay somehow managed to squeeze in a brilliant shot to beat Gomes midway through the second half, and we clung on to the end. Spurs dominated the number of shots with 22 to our 11, but more tellingly only 5 of them were on target.

4th Round

Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Fulham (4-3 on penalties)

Struggled with the speed of Fulham's forwards beating my back line throughout the match. They had a goal from Kakuta (rightly) disallowed for offside in the 8th minute, but Zamora put them 1-0 up in the 22nd. We kept on battling and got a lucky equaliser from Blackstock late in the second half. In the resulting penalty shootout, Simon Davies hit the post to lose it for Fulham.

The team is absolutely shattered after those 120 minutes against Fulham - and of course we've got play Millwall only three days later, so we'll probably roll over and die on our feet there even if we're firm favourites with the bookies.

I've been very lucky in getting home ties so far in the cup because our away form in the league has been less than convincing. But our Quarter Final tie? Away to Burnley. Bring it on.

[Plubby]

I started a massive youth movement in Tottenham. 20+ guys over my three seasons here. A couple are cracking the first team already - including Phillipp Klement and Raphael Varane at just 20, and Alex Sandro (not to be confused with Sandro) and Rafael Toloi at 22.

2010/11: Fifth in the league, won English League Cup.

2011/12: Second in the League

2012/13: Won Community Shield (from last season), WON PREMIER LEAGUE , won English League Cup

SAF retired at this juncture.

Got offered the Manchester United position. Agonised over it for 24 hours (for reals) decided to knock back ManU, and parlay the offer into a vastly improved contract with Spurs. Going to leave Tottenham after 2015 to see what I can accomplish elsewhere

[Hobo]

The good. Started my third season with Viking with a 4-1 win over Rosenborg in the Superfinalen. Then a 1-0 win over Stromsgodset.

The bad, Juanmi, my top scorer last season and the player who has already scored 3 times this season for us, is out for 4-5 months. >_<

[Thrilla]

Started a new game as Blackburn with the January transfers in place. If only J. Jones and Grella were as good in real life as they are my game at the moment. Our form is incredibly inconsistent, we're currently eighth and generally beat everyone below us but the teams above us absolutely spank us, lost 5-1 to United, 4-0 to Chelsea and Arsenal and Liverpool put three past us. We are in the Semis of the League Cup though and 4-2 up against Leicester after the first leg, have only really played my reserves and youth team guys in the competition, so its quite a surprise.

Also, Grella will never score a goal as good as this in real life. (Only uploaded that to get the achievement)

Oh, and my character has the best international record I've seen so far, 93 games and 46 goals or something like that.

[Plubby]

I think he already did.

[Jimmy]

In my Champions League group last year, my Ipswich team managed two draws against Barcelona. So I was a little bummed out when we went to the Nou Camp this year and lost 3-0. However, on the return to Portman Road we thrashed them 5-1. Kevin-Prince Boateng, who I only played due to injuries and fitness level, scored a hat trick. Since that game he hasn't come close to keeping any kind of form up. But it looks like I'm poised to qualifiy top of my group at this rate as Benfica and Barcelona drew their first game together, and so far, I've got 9 points out of 12.

[MDK]

Bloody hell, my second season in the championship and I cant get a win from anywhere, goals coming in from all angles and the like. The previous season I nearly got promoted to the premiership but this season has been terrible, I don't understand. No massive change of players, no massive change of tactics... any ideas?

[EddieG]

The other teams have had a massive change of players .. for the better?

That and maybe the other teams have gotten used to the tactics that you haven't changed.

[MDK]

Probably, probably. I'll just have to play really negative football with a new formation for a while. I'm 4-0 down at half time, now my team finally start to play. I JUST WANT TO GRAB THEM BY THEIR COLLARS AND GIVE THEM A PIECE OF MY MIND.

[Benji]

Bloody hell, my second season in the championship and I cant get a win from anywhere, goals coming in from all angles and the like. The previous season I nearly got promoted to the premiership but this season has been terrible, I don't understand. No massive change of players, no massive change of tactics... any ideas?

What Eddie said. Sticking with the same tactics always fucks me over. You find a formation that works then stick with it even in the face of a ridiculous loss streak because it worked before. I find the best plan is to put a player or two in a different role, that at least gives you a fighting chance if you don't want to change formation.

[MDK]

And it doesn't help that this season is the only one that I consistently let in screamers from 30 yards away. Its ridiculous.

[Benji]

Sounds like you need a more organised defensive midfield to cover that area.

[MDK]

I thought I did up until now.

[Liam]

Bogey teams?

Seriously, no matter who I play as, Wolves and Blackburn seem to beat me more often than they realistically should. Fuck Kevin Doyle.

[Whisper]

As a Wolves manager sitting mid table and into the Carling Cup quarters.... Kevin Doyle is wonderful. As it Matt Jarvis.

[MDK]

Gorram it. 20th in the championship, but I've scored the most goals in the league outside the top 5, but I've also let in the most. My team is schizophrenic, go 4-1 down but bring it back to 4-4. My defence is utterly pointless.

[EddieG]

So you're Arsenal?

[Meacon Keaton]

Zing!

I hate taking over a team, halfway through the season in a country I'm completely unfamiliar with.

[stokeriño]

Why the fuck would my first-choice full-backs get upset that I don't want to sell them to Norwich in the January transfer window? I'm 8 points clear at the top of the Championship and Norwich are in bloody 9th. Do they not want Premier League football?

[Hobo]

Last game just saw 2 own goals. One for our opponents and one for us. Ours was wonderful, Steinslid scored it from about thirty yards. We won the game 4-2. Apparently Haugesund couldn't handle Brede Hangeland coming up for corners.