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Season: 2010/11
League: Premier League
Position: 14th
Played: 38
Points: 40
Top Scorer: Steven Fletcher (11)
Highest Avg. Rating: Steven Fletcher (7.21)
Fans Player of the Year: Steven Fletcher
Major Ins: Steven Fletcher (£5.5 million, from Hibernian), Hossam Ghaly (Free), Liam Rosenoir (Free, from Reading), Emerse Fae (Free, from Reading), Emmerson Boyce (Free, from Wigan), Marton Fulop (Free, from Sunderland), Federico Macheda (Free, from Manchester United), Junior Stanislas (£230,000, from West Ham), Enrico Alfonso (£60,000, from Inter), Keirrison (£4 million, from Coritiba), Chris Eagles (£500,000, from Burnley)
Major Outs: Amaury Bischoff (£3 million, to Toulouse), Lewis McGugan (£2.5 million, to Reading), Andy Robinson (£120,000, to Plymouth), Peter Sweeney (£250,000, to Blackpool), Chris Killen (£350,000, to Norwich), Kevin Kyle (£300,000, to Peterborough), Eric Odhiambo (£150,000, to Bradford)
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Season: 2009/10
League: Championship
Position: 3rd (Promoted Via Play-Offs)
Played: 46
Points: 92
Top Scorer: Jermaine Beckford (25)
Highest Avg. Rating: Jermaine Beckford (7.30)
Fans Player of the Year: Leroy Lita
Major Ins: Ronaldo (£100,000, from Botafogo), Steve Irwin (£1 million, from Liverpool), Lewis McGugan (£110,000, from Notts Forest), Keith Southern (£375,000, from Blackpool), Kevin Kyle (Free, from Coventry), Chris Killen (£400,000, from Celtic), Amaury Bischoff (Free, from Arsenal), Leroy Lita (Free), Lukasz Zaluska (£1.1 million, from Dundee United), Eric Odhiambo (Free), Adam Bodgan (Loan, from Bolton), Henri Lansbury (Loan, from Arsenal), Giles Barnes (£250,000, from Sheffield United)
Major Outs: Luciano Becchio (£500,000, to Burnley), Casper Ankergren (£2 million, to Aston Villa), Enoch Showunmi (£75,000, to Norwich), David Prutton (£250,000, to QPR), Tresor Kandol (£900,000, to Brighton), Paul Telfer (Free, to Wrexham), Ben Parker (£200,000, to Bradford), Scott Gardner (£20,000, to Exeter City), Owen Price (£35,000, to Exeter City)
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Season: 2008/09
League: League One
Position: 1st
Played: 46
Points: 113
Top Scorer: Jermaine Beckford (24)
Highest Avg. Rating: Alan Sheehan (7.17)
Fans Player of the Year: Alan Sheehan
Major Ins: Stephen Carr (Free), Brian Murphy (£16,000, from Bohemians), Federico Macheda (Loan), Henri Lansbury (Loan), Rhys Murphy (Loan), Owen Price (Free)
Major Outs: Andy Hughes (£40,000, to Sheffield Wednesday), David Lucas (£26,000 to Man City), Jonathan Douglas (£150,000 to Coventry), Neil Kilkenny (£475,000, to West Brom), Rui Marques (£250,000, to Birmingham City)
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Macheda and Drinkwater Brought in on Loan
Fabio, Sanchez Watt, and Gerardo Bruno all failed to make an impact when I signed them on short term loans for Leeds, so they’ve returned to their respective clubs and I’ve now brought in Manchester United duo Daniel Drinkwater and Federico Macheda on loan until the end of the season.
I first discovered Macheda whilst managing Huddersfield Town back in December, and I got a good couple of seasons out of him in League One, so decided to give him a try with my Leeds team. Drinkwater is a player that I’ve not experimented with in Football Manager before, he had a few League One teams after him on loan though, and he had some promising stats, so I thought I’d bring him into the team to see what he can offer (wage contribution is 0%, so there’s nothing to lose even if he does turn out to be a bit of a flop).
The season has started well for my Leeds United team, and hopefully as the season progresses I can continue to march towards the Championship.
I first discovered Macheda whilst managing Huddersfield Town back in December, and I got a good couple of seasons out of him in League One, so decided to give him a try with my Leeds team. Drinkwater is a player that I’ve not experimented with in Football Manager before, he had a few League One teams after him on loan though, and he had some promising stats, so I thought I’d bring him into the team to see what he can offer (wage contribution is 0%, so there’s nothing to lose even if he does turn out to be a bit of a flop).
The season has started well for my Leeds United team, and hopefully as the season progresses I can continue to march towards the Championship.
The Start of the Leeds United Story
Having won every competition possible and been the best team in England for over a decade with Manchester City; I’ve finally decided to start a new career in Football Manager, and have this time chosen Leeds United as my football team of choice.
The aim is to get promoted from League One in the first season, to achieve a respectable position in my first season in the Championship, and to win promotion to the Premier League by season five.
I’ve already made a few moves in the transfer window, signing Stephen Carr, Owen Price, and Alessio Tacchinardi, all on free transfers, and have also secured the services of Henri Lansbury on a season-long loan from Arsenal. Fabio (Manchester United), Sanchez Watt (Arsenal), and Gerardo Bruna (Liverpool) have all been signed on short term loans, and if they impress in their initial 3 month spells then there’s a possibility that one or two of those will be playing for the club on a more long term basis also.
The board want me to win the league, I want the team to win the league, and with the squad that we’ve got I feel that there’s a very strong chance that we shall indeed finish the season as champions.
I’ll be updating the Leeds United story as the season progresses, and hopefully my first season in charge of the popular League One club will be a successful one.
Carlos Vela in Football Manager 2009
In Football Manager 2009, Arsenal's Carlos Vela is most definitely a player that is well worth signing. After a couple of seasons in the game he begins to start scoring a lot of goals, and if you’re giving him a regular place in the starting eleven then he should become a consistent 20 goal a season striker.Consistently averaging higher than a 7 rating for the season, Carlos Vela is an incredibly high quality player, and one that will no doubt enhance the overall quality of your team if you sign him.
Carlos Vela is young, talented and skilful, and if you’ve got a decent transfer budget then Carlos Vela is without doubt a player to try and sign.
Nearly Time to Start Afresh
The time has nearly come for me to start a new career in Football Manager. It’s been a fun time managing Manchester City, halfway through my seventeenth season in charge however and the novelty of being able to buy anyone I want is beginning to wear a little thin.
Cristiano Ronaldo has come and gone, so too have the likes of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, and Kaka, and with more than 3 billion pounds having been spent out on players; I’m now well on my way to my twelfth consecutive Premier League title.
It really is all too easy, and I feel that the time has come to return to managing a team from the lower levels of English football.
Leeds United may well be my team of choice; a League One team with ambitions of returning to the Premier League. Alternatively I may opt to manage a side from the Blue Square North or South, and set myself a five year plan to take them to the Football League.
Whichever team I choose to manage I’ll hopefully be able to achieve success with, having been used to the Football Manager easy life for the last few months however I know that suddenly adapting my approach is not going to be easy.
Cristiano Ronaldo has come and gone, so too have the likes of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, and Kaka, and with more than 3 billion pounds having been spent out on players; I’m now well on my way to my twelfth consecutive Premier League title.
It really is all too easy, and I feel that the time has come to return to managing a team from the lower levels of English football.
Leeds United may well be my team of choice; a League One team with ambitions of returning to the Premier League. Alternatively I may opt to manage a side from the Blue Square North or South, and set myself a five year plan to take them to the Football League.
Whichever team I choose to manage I’ll hopefully be able to achieve success with, having been used to the Football Manager easy life for the last few months however I know that suddenly adapting my approach is not going to be easy.
