Hallo Brendn,
First of all, i'm a big fan from the 5 year project story! I'm a big fan of Liverpool and almost every safe i play is with Liverpool. So I also played 5 years projects :d!
It's not the first time that my players play bad in the second saison.. Is their a proper explaining for this under performance? The still have a good moral. What my feeling is by this safe. Normally i buy around 5-6 new players second saison. This time it was different. I thought if you play champion with a team you don't bring in 5-6 new players to make impact. But just 2 months later after a worldcup and players like skrtel, mignolet, agger are making every game again mistakes and players of the year coutinho is on rating 6.20 suarez scored 8 out of 12 games but is on rating 6.50 because he is missing more then scoring..
I'm pretty sure that i'm selling costa in the winter and bringing in ozil ore something that suarez can go as striker..
Actually, I have found that after the first season it is VITAL that you strengthen your side for Season 2. Why? Because if you made Top 4 in season 1 you are now going to enter Champions League competition.
This means that your team MUST get better, stronger, and more talented to deal with the best teams in Europe! I am playing Liverpool save myself. Each season you must identify who has become dead weight, get rid of their salaries, and look for ways to improve your team and add depth.
In season 1, I won the premier league with Liverpool as well but just barely. I was hurting big time in the depth department!! Any injury or bad performance would put my team's position at risk! I did win it, 86 points in 1st place, but Manchester United had 83 points and was breathing down my neck the whole way!!
Lesson: NEVER be satisfied as a manager. As Mourinho said, every manager lies, they always want to improve their team. The same should hold true for you!!
Here was my starting 11 for Liverpool in season 1 by the end of the season:
Home 4-3-3
GK Maxym Koval (11m)
LB Enrique
CB Agger
CB Sakho
RB Glen Johnson
CM Gerrard
CM Jordan Henderson
DM Leiva
AML Lorenzo Insigne (12.5m)
AMR Daniel Sturridge
ST Luis Suarez
Key Backups:
Zouma (15m), Wijnaldum(9.25m), Aspas, Martin Kelly
Also bought Davies (12m) with a 1 season loanback, he would become my starter in season 2.
Sold Skrtel and Allen before S1 started.
Now here is my starting 11 for Liverpool in season 2. I have not finished the season yet, but I just defeated Barcelona in the CL knockout rounds by an aggregate score of 4-1!! 1-1 tie away, dominating 3-0 win at home.
My plan for season 2 was to make my squad deeper, tougher, and stronger. So I looked for the biggest meanest defensemen that I could as well as added a ball-winning magnet midfielder. Those key additions turned out to be Papadoupalous, Yanga-Mbiwa, and Victor Wanyama. YM would start most of the season but later gave way to a blossoming Zouma who turns into 4 stars current ability for me near the end of season 2.
Liverpool also got tougher and meaner upfront by adding Benteke and Rondon. These guys add an aerial dimenson and often can draw penalties in the box just because they are so tough and strong that the defender can do nothing else but foul them.
Home 4-2-3-1
GK Maxym Koval
LB Ben Davies
CB Kyriakos Papadoupolous (10m)
CB Kurt Zouma
RB Danilo (18.5m)
CM Victor Wanyama (18.25m)
CM Morgan Schneiderlin (15m)
AML Lorenzo Insigne
AMC Lewis Holtby (player swap for Henderson)
AMR Luis Suarez
ST Salomon Rondon (21m)
Key Reserves:
Yanga-Mbiwa (9.5m), Clyne (player swap for Sturridge), Benteke (17.5m), Leiva, Sakho, Wjnaldum, Gerrard
See how much deeper my team is in season 2? Gerrard has gone from a starter to a bench role. Benteke alternates with Rondon at the ST role. Suarez has been bumped to the AMR role. I have a very high quality switch FB in Clyne. And two veteran DCs on the bench that I would be glad to start or rotate with my young studs in Papa/Zouma depending on who is tired or hurt.
Like I said, I crushed Barcelona with this improved season 2 side. And in case you were wondering about my table in season 2 of the Premier League.
1st Liverpool 33 played 78 points
2nd Manchester United 34 played 69 points
3rd Southampton 34 played 67 points
4th Arsenal 34 played 63 points
5th Chelsea 34 played 60 points
Yeah, I know, Southhampton 3rd?? But apparently they are a powerhouse in FM 2014.
Oh and I've got the best defense in the Premier league so far with only 26 goals conceded in those 33 games.
Anyways as far as the money goes, I got a ton of money for winning the Premier League. And I knew the money would roll in with Champions League play so I went for broke and spent every penny that I could to improve the team. I've already qualifed for next season's Champions league and enjoy a 9 point advantage over Man U with 1 game in hand and 5 more to play!
As far as your game, it is unfortunate that you are struggling in season 2. Look to add some more talent in the second transfer window. I also got few decent free signings for added depth. I'd look for guys that make your team stronger defensively. Goals are pretty, but defense wins championships. I'd rather win 1-0 than 3-2 to be honest. And you are going to have grind it out games like that in the CL playoffs. Better to shut down teams like Barcelona than to try to get into a shootout with them!! Good luck!
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