Realised I needed 5 posts before I could embed images - sorry for the double post.
Anyway, here's some of my Stockport Class of 2025. I'll show a bunch of my future prospects in another post to avoid clutter.
So, going from back to front, here are some of my best first-teamers:
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First up we have Mo Camara. I signed him for about £5m just after he signed his first professional deal at 17 years old, since my scouts gave him 5* potential. He’s broken into the first team this year after a couple of decent loan spells and with his high ambition he’s developed beautifully so far this year with another full star of development to go yet. Could be a staple in the team for the next 10 or even 15 years.
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Next is the mainstay in defence – Edu Oliveira. I picked him up when I first got into the Premiership from Porto for a measly £235,000, and stuck him straight in the first team as his potential was enormous and my other centre half options weren’t the best at that time. He’s gone from strength to strength – a classy and consistent defender, his stats may not look all that special but look deeper and you’ll notice he’s an amazing all-rounder with no weaknesses. The perfect counterpart to a tall, physical brute of a centre-half, he has almost 200 league games for Stockport under his belt and his value is now over 100 times what I paid for him.
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Next up is Ivo Sousa. I picked this guy up for around £12.5m from Benfica as my scouts raved about him; only once I’d signed him did I notice the Model Pro personality. He’s almost 23 now so he’ll be ready to tutor any time soon; his stats have absolutely rocketed despite the fact that he’s actually not a starter, since my captain (who I forgot to screenshot) starts in the LCM position. Still, a probably future captain and a brilliant tutor-to-be, Sousa is going to be a Stockport staple for years – I’ve already turned down bids of upwards of £35m from Real Madrid and he still has half a star's development left.
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Here with have the wonderfully named Jamaica. I followed him for years and finally snapped him up from Santos (I think) for about £6m a couple of seasons ago; he’s only now becoming my first choice though ahead of a stalwart English newgen called Karl Green who I picked up for £8.5m from Newcastle when I first got promoted, who's now 27 years old and has peaked, whereas Jamaica's potential is far superior. This has been Jamaica's breakthrough season. His PA rating wobbles between 4.5 and 5 stars and he’s got a lot of developing to do yet - a whole star's worth in fact.
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Guillermo Tunani is the greatest central midfielder in the world. I saw him early after he came through the youth system at PSG, and eventually I managed to get him at 22 years old for £27m, an eye-watering amount in my 2
nd season in the Premiership. But I knew he’d be worth it. He can play either as a DLP or as a destructive BBM – he started as a sitting midfielder but as his stats rocketed upwards I realised I had to get him involved further up the pitch, and 13 goals and 13 assists last season showed it was worth changing the formation to suit him. I also taught him the Dictates Tempo and Shoots From Distance PPMs. Using Genie Scout I’ve discovered his PA is an obscene 195 – he’s currently sitting at 187 CA so he’s got a little bit more in him. A wonderful player.
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Gastón Gutiérrez was a Real Madrid youth product, who slipped through the net with a criminally low release clause of £7.25m, so I duly obliged and snapped him up. His stats weren’t far off what they are here when I first bought him and when he joined his value jumped immediately to £22m. I think Real Madrid probably feel quite foolish. Naturally a playmaker, I’m training him to be natural up front as well, since I tend to play with 2 up front and a flat midfield 4. He’s a terrific technical player with half a star of development left and he’ll inherit the number 10 shirt as soon as the current incumbent retires. Speaking of which...
...now for the crown jewel.
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Damien McClements.
What’s that you say? He’s mediocre? Nowhere near the class of Tunani! How could a player so average get in a title-winning team? Well... I have no idea. But before you judge him on just his stats, take a look at his history...
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Quite simply - and bear in mind I’ve been playing Football Manager for over 15 years - this guy is the best signing I’ve ever made. It doesn’t matter what level he plays at. The boy just scores. And scores. And scores. According to my scouts, he’s weak at Important Matches. Nonsense. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing Man City or Macclesfield. Feed McClements and
he will score. There can't be many players who have scored the winning goal in the finals of both the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and the Club World Championship...
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Youth products coming soon...