Playing as liverpool. First season. Need transfer advice

[Mijaan]

Hi there, My names Mike. I've been playing FM style games since championship manager 90-something.

I've played as many different teams in the past, weaker sides, strong sides, international sides.

I was watching telly n saw liverpool playing and just randomly decided to give it a crack, managing their side. I'm a leeds fan so its abit strange for me

I'm only in April 2009, working my way towards pre-season and hoping to find myself some bargain players.
6th in the Premier League, Still in the FA cup and Euro cup.
Won the League cup!

I have been fortunate with my success, in my opinion, as my unfortunate run so far with my signings has been appauling!

IN

Javi Garcia - 3.2M - decent, not TOO expensive.
Michael Owen - 15M (I do not know what possessed me to pay so much money for him, he's been 'average' this season. Scoring a few goals here and there)
Glauber - 1.2M (Cheap but sat on my bench most of the season... decent back up for my current defenders though.)
Marcos Senna - 7.75M (has been a terrible purchase and I would advise against him, fans want him out of the squad already. gets 6's at most)
Martin Caceres - 12.5M (Tipped to be very very good by a few friends of mine but still to see him perform well enough to be worthy of 12.5M!)

OUT

Charles Intadje - 1.6M
Xabi Alonso 12M
Ryan Bbael 13.5M
Yossi Benayoun - 5.75M

I've also spent roughly 7M on Andrey Arshavin in hopes of covering the loss of selling my attacking midfielders. Due to arrive at the next transfer window.

I don't have much money to spend either right now, I've read through the threads and most of the players i've seen tipped to be great are already worth quite abit more than what you guys have paid for them!

I was hoping to try and budge Keirrison for 5 or 6M but i cannot currently afford the prices 8 or 9M the team is trying to sell him to me for.

My current line up is usually


GK - Reina

DR - Arbeloa
DL - Dossena
DC - Carragher
DC - Agger (or Caceres)

MR - Kuyt
ML - Riera
MC - Javi Garcia (or Senna, or *Mascherano) * - performed excellent up until the last 2 months
AMC - Steven Gerrard

ST - Torres
ST - Owen (or Keane)


Anyway i have no real strike force to be fair, Keane and Owen don't score enough and Torres is currently out injured. Without him liverpool have currently drawn the last 2 games 1-1 and 0-0. We're playing hull next and i presume we'll get the same.

Not forgetting gerrards incredible ability to rocket shots off the crossbar more than he gets them in the back of the net. He's an excellent player and usually sets torres up with some incredible through balls and crosses, and his long shots have some incredible power but...

I have NO cover for steven gerrards AMC role in my squad other than the Midfielder i mentioned i was purchasing earlier.

Any loans or cheap transfers would help me right now.

Anyway, this post has been abit long winded, sorry about that! ^^;;

ALL help is always welcome

- Mike

 

[broughton88]

every1 seems to think this cardoza is good and kerisson are quality strikers but im not to sure. insua and n'gog are ment 2 be great for the future 2 and joe mattock who is probably 1 of the best left back in the future

2 be fair iv only started playin this game again since i brought a new laptop and havent had much game time on it lol wish i cud of bin more help

 

[tiraths]

Sell pennant and riera...they're useless and you can get about 5m for each of them
You can buy Angel Di Maria who is a very good LM for 6m
Pogrebnyak is a good cheap striker for 4.4m, or you could get Lavezzi for about 6m if u want pace
Also, you made an awful decision to sell alonso for only 12m!!!

 

[Gatid]

you sold alonso bad move..

maybe you can get albeto paloschi hes a wonderkid if traiend well.

 

[Mijaan]

alonso was getting very very bad ratings for me, i decided to drop him to the bench and eventually out of the squad. I couldnt get anyone to offer me more for the guy, But by the time i'd dropped him he wanted to leave anfield anyway and I wasnt too happy about keeping him.

I sold him during the winter transfer window by the way

But aye. Anymore tip offs on players guys? Taking a look at those you just pointed out in a minute. Thanks.

 

[Craig01]

Can I ask what formation your using mate?

I started a season with Liverpool the other day and got sacked in February after a terrible run of games and a very bad league position with Gerrard and Torres out constantly, like you, I bought Owen (though for half your price!) and he didn't perform, and Keane was extremely bad.

I sold Kuyt for 20 million and Benayoun for 15 million. But I cant believe you got rid of Alonso and Babel, they were two of the best performers for me, Babel especially!

I'm going to give it another shot soon though and see how I do.

 

[forevered]

Selling Alonso(though you should have settled for much more money though) isn't so bad since you have Mascherano who is much younger and would be world-class quality(that is if u a'int sold him too...lol).For defense,i'd suggest Sakho or Fazio and for central midfield if you no longer have Mascherano try Miguel Veloso or Lassana Diarra.You could also get Matias Fernandez for LM or AMC depending on your formation tactics.If u want a striker who can really score and play off Torres,best is Balotelli or Paloschi.

 

[tiraths]

Can I ask what formation your using mate?

I started a season with Liverpool the other day and got sacked in February after a terrible run of games and a very bad league position with Gerrard and Torres out constantly, like you, I bought Owen (though for half your price!) and he didn't perform, and Keane was extremely bad.

I sold Kuyt for 20 million and Benayoun for 15 million. But I cant believe you got rid of Alonso and Babel, they were two of the best performers for me, Babel especially!

I'm going to give it another shot soon though and see how I do.

No-one could really sell benayoun for 15m lol...it was just a 1 off prbly

 

[Mijaan]

Can I ask what formation your using mate?

I started a season with Liverpool the other day and got sacked in February after a terrible run of games and a very bad league position with Gerrard and Torres out constantly, like you, I bought Owen (though for half your price!) and he didn't perform, and Keane was extremely bad.

I sold Kuyt for 20 million and Benayoun for 15 million. But I cant believe you got rid of Alonso and Babel, they were two of the best performers for me, Babel especially!

I'm going to give it another shot soon though and see how I do.

I'm currently 7th in the league =/ was hoping to aim for 4th or 5th, but there you go. I reckon i'll get sacked at end of season.
Losing 1-0 to portsmouth in semi final of FA cup will probably be the main reason they sack me.
Only 4 matches left in season!

My formation mate, is currently, 4, 3, 1, 2


Back 4, wingers going up Left and Right (Dosenna + Arbeloa). Dossena is exceptional.

3 Midfielders, Riera on left, Javi Garcia OR Mascherano in centre. Depending. And Kuyt on right.

Gerrard in an AMC position, behind the back two.

Owen and Torres

But i've also tried a formation like this.

4, 4, 1, 1

Where Torres or owen are up front (to the right - usually torres for most of the game, or play owen until second half, 70 minutes in. their defenders are tired) and gerrard just behind (to the left) advancing forwards.
Just 4 4 2 basically, but with the left attacker dropped to AMC

Works like a charm but you gotta make sure your tactics are set up to use gerrard as a play maker, with through balls and crosses being key in your tactics.

 

[Paul 23]

Sell pennent. can normally get 8 mill for him

sell owen bring in kierrison.

balotelli you can get for 7 mill if you negotiate well.

am currentley doing a liverpool one am in january 09 2nd in league, united 8 points clear but am 7 points clear of arsenal in 3rd

keirrison/torres superb together also got lewandowski as back up

selling alonso not that bad to be fair. get a youngster called enoh from ajax

id play skrtl instead off agger

attacking 442 i use with team instuctions tweaked.

ofcourse get bojan at end for free to

 

[david.rfc.1873]

firstly, alonso is class, u just have to get the best out of him, set him as a playmaker, and play him as a defensive mid. yeah, i would agree, that you need to sell reira, pennant, basically all the **** that liverpool has, due to benitez buying ridiculous players. sign saivet, he is 1 for the future, federico laurito is class so is paloschi. think you need to get more in midfield. try different formations, like 4-3-3 with wide men, or something like that. tactics that will help your team and suit the players you have.
im at arsenal, in 4th year, won league 3 times, champ league twice n fa cup twice, and i play quite a weird formation, but nobody can handle it, jus make sure u have lots of pace and creative freedom.

..............ST........ST..
...............................
AML..........................
...............................
.......CM...CM....CM.....
...............................
..LB....CB.....CB.....RB..
...............................
..............GK.............

one of ur centre mids defensive with high creativity and the other 2 with forward runs and all that stuff. i have loads of pace throughout my team which helps so much, and play on the counter as well.

 

[tiraths]

skrtl and caceras are much better than agger in the first few seasons

 

[Mijaan]

enoh, i've tried to get him but he doesnt seem to want to come yet. I'll try when the transfer window opens up anyway!

Atleast I won a trophy during my first season as manager, Though it's not majorly important atleast it's something for the fans to cheer about.

I'm hoping to head for atleast 2nd or 3rd next season, I have settled on a deal for 8.25M for keirrson, I must be **** at negotiating cause I cannot budge them any lower!

I'll probably sell keane if anyone. Owen is playing excellent for me right now.

 

[Paul 23]

I got keirrison for 4 mill at start and balotelli for 7 mill

well worth it

lucas plays suprisingly well for me to

plessis in your reserves is a good squad player to

id try and bring spearing and darby in your u18's through the ranks.
they look promising and liverpool have gota have local lads coming through

 

[Craig01]

Right that's it, i'm giving it another go right now. Will be selling Kuyt and Benayoun again and if I get a good offer for Pennant I'll sell him too (I begrudge selling English players). A fantastic buy is Lewandowski, who scored 8 in 11 for me at the start of the season and performed better than Torres, and he only cost me 800k, so will be signing him again. And Axel Witsel was a good buy, although he cost about 12 million I think.

 

[Mijaan]

no chance of getting Balotelli for some reason, i'm offering anywhere between 7-9mil and they're declining it, tried 10M and still nothing.

Right that's it, i'm giving it another go right now. Will be selling Kuyt and Benayoun again and if I get a good offer for Pennant I'll sell him too (I begrudge selling English players). A fantastic buy is Lewandowski, who scored 8 in 11 for me at the start of the season and performed better than Torres, and he only cost me 800k, so will be signing him again. And Axel Witsel was a good buy, although he cost about 12 million I think.

inspired you did i?
basically, if you're having a bad run with some players just drop them and tell them you're gonna rest them.
They'll fight their way back into the squad by playing well in reserve matches and start performing again. I've had to do this for a few players and .. well i aint got sacked yet!!

 

[Paul 23]

offer 3 mill up front and 3 mill after 24 months and 50% sell on clause

if they rejct offer 3mill upfront and 4 mill after 24mths 50% sell on and offer non-negotiable. see how you get on. thats how i got him

 

[Mijaan]

i'm in my last few games of the season now, just playing chelsea at home, 12 minutes in, droga just went down in the box and lampard has just scored a penalty. gutted.

update:

23 minutes in, at the other side of the pitch, kuyt fouled in the area and now torres is stepping up to take the kick! ...


And he puts it away! 1-1

 

[Paul 23]

gutted man, try that ballotelli offer i suggested tell me how you got on.

and craig o1 dont sell kuyt he plays so well for me on the right of midfield

id sell

pennennt
idjande
dossenna
keane
babel (if you get balotelli)

 

[Mijaan]

gutted man, try that ballotelli offer i suggested tell me how you got on.

and craig o1 dont sell kuyt he plays so well for me on the right of midfield

id sell

pennennt
idjande
dossenna
keane
babel (if you get balotelli)

not a chance of selling Dossena! He's amazing if you give him the creative freedom to be.
He's got vision and he's set up so many goals!

another update on that chelsea game. It's 2-2 now, with drogba scoring an amazing goal from outside the box.. then scoring an own goal putting liverpool level...

2 penatlys and an own goal... and this is on TV too.. heh, intense!