So we're pushing for the title. That wasn't the plan when we started the season, but after a successful run in the first half of season 1 the board gave us the option, and we took it. With that came 30m and a payroll increase.
I play two formations... a 5-2-3-0 with a sweeper, or a 5-2-3-0 with the sweeper role moved up in to the DM spot. My FB's are WB's who are expected to overlap and contribute greatly in attack.
My current roster looks like this:
GK: Reina
DC: Skrtel
DC: Carra / Coates
SW: Agger / Sergi Gomez (brought in from Barca cheap)
WBR: Johnson / Henderson / Kelly
WBL: Enrique (been out for two months injured, 1 month left) / Johnson / Jack Robinson
DM: Leiva / Gonalons (on loan, thinking of sending back) / Joe Allen
MCR: Jonjo / Leiva / Allen / Javi Espinosa (bought from Barca cheap, plays mostly reserves)
MCL: Gerrard / Jonjo / Moi Gomez (plays mostly reserves and cups)
AML: Coutinho / Borini
AMC: Suarez / Borini
AMR: Sturridge / Sterling / Suso
I have a ton of youth / reserve players that are quality... I went on a shopping spree first window buying nothing but youth.
Neal Maupay, Mason Bennett, Mathias Bossaerts, Kike (D/WB L), Ryan Gauld, Jordan Ibe, Ruben Duarte (DC), Pol Balleste (GK), Branco Van den Boomen (M/DM), Jose Angel (AMC regen beast), Luka Krajnc (DC), Joel Pohjanpalo (ST/AMC), Adama Traore (AMR/L), Andre Wisdom, Yesil, Flanagan, etc.
So now that all that is out of the way, here is my question / dilemma.
With 30m from the board, I can't decide who to buy. I feel my youth group is pretty solid... There are a couple players I want, but they can wait.
My weak spots are
*DC (carra is retiring, Coates is good but his attributes just aren't there yet, Agger was injured for 2-3 months and lost a lot of his attributes, I'm thinking of selling him. Kelly is good cover, may be ready for starting role next year, but we could use a worldclass DC.)
*LB (With Enrique injured for so long he has dipped in ability, which wasn't that amazing to begin with. His absence has given Jack Robinson a chance to develop, but we need someone else there. I'm signing Pablo Armero on a free, but not until the end of the season)
*AMR (Sturridge is so/so. I'm tempting to move away from a striker-less formation just to help him do better. Right now, he takes too many poor shots and throws away possession).
*Cover for Suarez (None of my youth players are ready to play that false 9/striker role that Suarez is in, so I need a quality player that can score/create, but won't complain about either playing as an AMR or playing as a sub for Luis at AMC)
* Goal scorer from the AM slots (Right now, Luis is my leading goal score, with 8 in all competitions, followed by Gerrard from the MC slot with 7 all from the prem. league. I'd like to bring in another player than can really score goals from either the wing or the AMC, as Coutinho and Sturridge don't really seem to be a threat)
I want to sell Borini, Agger, and Assaidi, which may bump my transfer kitty up to 40m (50% transfer fee made available)
But until then...
With 30m, and it looks like the AM role needing the most attention, who should i bring in?
There was a lot of movement in August... with players like Kweuke, Hamsik, Subotic, and Kaka all coming to the Premeire league. PSG also snatched up a lot of quality players in Sept., like Wilfried and Douglas Costa.
I was in negotiations for Jovetic, which originally started around 18m. I kept trying to push it down to 17m, and I guess negotiations broke down because Fiorentina shut down on me and bumped his price to 35m...
I'm eyeing Stephan El Shaarawy, but I have no experience with him and he's barely played for AC Milan this year... His 12 finishing would suggest he's not a true goal scorer, and his other stats (low decision, low passing and crossing) leave a lot to be desired. Milan has a 21m price tag on him.
I'm also considering Lamela or Griezmann if I can get them for reasonable prices. But again, I've never used them and I have no idea what their goal scoring prowess is.
Some players will out and out not sign for me right now... like Rodrigo, Schurrle, Ben Arfa (went to Man City).
So I'm open to suggestions.
TL;DR: With 30m, and it looks like the AM role needing the most attention, who should i bring in?
I play two formations... a 5-2-3-0 with a sweeper, or a 5-2-3-0 with the sweeper role moved up in to the DM spot. My FB's are WB's who are expected to overlap and contribute greatly in attack.
My current roster looks like this:
GK: Reina
DC: Skrtel
DC: Carra / Coates
SW: Agger / Sergi Gomez (brought in from Barca cheap)
WBR: Johnson / Henderson / Kelly
WBL: Enrique (been out for two months injured, 1 month left) / Johnson / Jack Robinson
DM: Leiva / Gonalons (on loan, thinking of sending back) / Joe Allen
MCR: Jonjo / Leiva / Allen / Javi Espinosa (bought from Barca cheap, plays mostly reserves)
MCL: Gerrard / Jonjo / Moi Gomez (plays mostly reserves and cups)
AML: Coutinho / Borini
AMC: Suarez / Borini
AMR: Sturridge / Sterling / Suso
I have a ton of youth / reserve players that are quality... I went on a shopping spree first window buying nothing but youth.
Neal Maupay, Mason Bennett, Mathias Bossaerts, Kike (D/WB L), Ryan Gauld, Jordan Ibe, Ruben Duarte (DC), Pol Balleste (GK), Branco Van den Boomen (M/DM), Jose Angel (AMC regen beast), Luka Krajnc (DC), Joel Pohjanpalo (ST/AMC), Adama Traore (AMR/L), Andre Wisdom, Yesil, Flanagan, etc.
So now that all that is out of the way, here is my question / dilemma.
With 30m from the board, I can't decide who to buy. I feel my youth group is pretty solid... There are a couple players I want, but they can wait.
My weak spots are
*DC (carra is retiring, Coates is good but his attributes just aren't there yet, Agger was injured for 2-3 months and lost a lot of his attributes, I'm thinking of selling him. Kelly is good cover, may be ready for starting role next year, but we could use a worldclass DC.)
*LB (With Enrique injured for so long he has dipped in ability, which wasn't that amazing to begin with. His absence has given Jack Robinson a chance to develop, but we need someone else there. I'm signing Pablo Armero on a free, but not until the end of the season)
*AMR (Sturridge is so/so. I'm tempting to move away from a striker-less formation just to help him do better. Right now, he takes too many poor shots and throws away possession).
*Cover for Suarez (None of my youth players are ready to play that false 9/striker role that Suarez is in, so I need a quality player that can score/create, but won't complain about either playing as an AMR or playing as a sub for Luis at AMC)
* Goal scorer from the AM slots (Right now, Luis is my leading goal score, with 8 in all competitions, followed by Gerrard from the MC slot with 7 all from the prem. league. I'd like to bring in another player than can really score goals from either the wing or the AMC, as Coutinho and Sturridge don't really seem to be a threat)
I want to sell Borini, Agger, and Assaidi, which may bump my transfer kitty up to 40m (50% transfer fee made available)
But until then...
With 30m, and it looks like the AM role needing the most attention, who should i bring in?
There was a lot of movement in August... with players like Kweuke, Hamsik, Subotic, and Kaka all coming to the Premeire league. PSG also snatched up a lot of quality players in Sept., like Wilfried and Douglas Costa.
I was in negotiations for Jovetic, which originally started around 18m. I kept trying to push it down to 17m, and I guess negotiations broke down because Fiorentina shut down on me and bumped his price to 35m...
I'm eyeing Stephan El Shaarawy, but I have no experience with him and he's barely played for AC Milan this year... His 12 finishing would suggest he's not a true goal scorer, and his other stats (low decision, low passing and crossing) leave a lot to be desired. Milan has a 21m price tag on him.
I'm also considering Lamela or Griezmann if I can get them for reasonable prices. But again, I've never used them and I have no idea what their goal scoring prowess is.
Some players will out and out not sign for me right now... like Rodrigo, Schurrle, Ben Arfa (went to Man City).
So I'm open to suggestions.
TL;DR: With 30m, and it looks like the AM role needing the most attention, who should i bring in?
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