Normally I go there for 2 weeks...Iv'e been there 4 years now!

jack5225

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Hi everyone...new to this, always wanted to put one of my stories up here.

After the January transfer window I realised Malaga were starting to sign some quality players. Baptista, Demichelis, Camacho, Buonanotte, Asenjo etc. So I thought, I needed a new challenge, so why not put these guys to come in january and see how it goes??

Now I've done a few years already, but wanted to fill you in on how I've gotten on, as I got really into it.

First off, I wanted to create something from nothing...Malaga hadn't won a trophy in their history, had no real players, no good staff, so I thought ... perfect!

My objective was:
1. create a side capable of competing in the league, cups and champions league within 5 years.
2. make icons and legends out of players I'd signed.
3. make my players love Malaga
4. make the players and staff have me in their favoured personnel to create a feel of real togetherness
5. win any trophy!

So my first season started with 11 pre season friendlies so I could really have a look at my squad and work out what was what.

Beating Terrassa, Petrolul and Farul (and the reserves), drawing to Ceahlaul and Alaves, and losing on tour to Estudientes, Lanus, River and Velez, also losing to Livorno.

My seasonal objective was to just avoid relegation as we'd been put to finish 18th by the media, and judging by my squad it needed a major overhaul...which believe me, was about to happen.

So when I looked at my finances, I had just £6m in the transfer kitty and couldn't really look to sign anyone, so I thought, if I get a shortlist of the youngsters I think could make an amazing side in the future then I'll keep them together, let them grow and let them play every week where I won't be expecting immediate results.

So you're standard names were in there, but I like to sign players who fit the mould I want to create, not just sign them cause I know everyone else signs them. I wanted a sense of identity to my side, created with a certain mindset. I wanted players who had massive potential but hadn't really done much to date, other than live off that potential. I wanted players to grow into a proper team that had each other amongst their favoured personnel. I wanted players to come from the same teams and countries.

After doing that, I looked at who of them would actually come to me. Now I thought, with the Qatari chairman, there would be a bit of money behind us, and within a month I already had my first cash injection of £12.5m to help with running costs. I soon realised my plan for player recruitment was going to go one of two ways. Either it was going through the roof or I was going to be stuck with no money, or getting so far and not having any money to keep buying.

My fortunes were based solely on Season 1 performance.

Now bearing in mind, some people have done this before, but maybe not to this extreme. I could offer decent wages so some of the players were interested that maybe shouldn't have been, and others were just young or playing in inferior leagues.

So bids were placed, all over 4 years (48months) and made it much more manageable to get a few players in. My squad overhaul was drastic to say the least. And to be honest, at one point I thought, this is ridiculous, this would never, never happen. BUT and the but was important, if the game let me do it fair and square then why not? and anyway, Man City are buying players like Yaya Toure and that was a much bigger scale to this, so I will agree to people's scepticism to a certain degree.

All of these are £0 upfront and everything over 4 years. Every one. Please believe me when I say, all I changed for this game is the players who really signed for Malaga in January, came in January. No funds were added, otherwise, what's the point??

First signing was through the door, Taye Taiwo from Marseille. Like him in real life, thinks he's good and solid, quick, big and with one year left on his contract was a steal at £3.9m

Romelu Lukaku was next, £6.75m from Anderlecht. My striker was sorted now for the next 15 years. Bargain.

Moussa Sissoko from Toulouse at £15m. Can you see the trend? African type players who were young, fast, strong. I'd never signed Sissoko before, so wanted to play him every week and see how he developed.

Eden Hazard came in two days later for £16.5m from Lille. Was a bit more than I wanted to spend, like Sissoko, but I thought, I wanted him, so was going to get him. They broke my mould a little bit these two, because I wanted players who were cheap and that could grow into good players, but they're the best youngsters, and I could keep them for so long. I'd never signed him on any FM before either.

Then I got the two from Santos, Ganso (£17m and Neymar £22.5m). Hadn't signed Ganso before, so wanted to have him just to see if he'd flop or if he'd be the main man. Neymar I had last season at Standard Liege and then to Atletico (that's a whole other story).

I needed a partner for Moussa Sissoko, and again, I hadn't signed him before, so I went for Yann M'Vila from Rennes for £13m.

I made £20m from selling players, and had it all upfront, so this put me in a strong position to get one or two more in. Alexis Sanchez from Udinese (£26m) Gregory van der Wiel (£8.5m) from Ajax. The Sanchez deal put me nicely in debt, because I had to pay £10m upfront, they wouldn't do £0, I'd been negotiating from day one on him, and it was only three days before deadline day I got him.

So in my mind, my main 11 would be something like:
Asenjo (loan)
van der Wiel
Juanito
Demichelis (loan)
Taiwo
M'Vila
Sissoko
Ganso
Sanchez
Hazard
Lukaku


then the rest of the squad was made up of whoever was leftover from the original Malaga squad.

That's my first part, just going to let people comment if they wish, and I'd be more than happy to write up the full first season if there's any sort of interest.
 
you wont believe that after 80 years. i am still the mananger of liverpool in fm2010. now i have literally won everything
 
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