Life in FM

The success last season was a result to a two seasons of work coming together after buying the right players to get some balance into the side that was under achieving before my arrival. It also meant that last year I didn’t need to splash the cash as I had spent the years developing the squad to go for the title, this meant that when the season closed their was still £30 million in the pot. Before the new budget was drawn up I thought that I would go out and splash the cash and look forward to a new budget in the summer. I looked at a few players that I had been chasing in the January and finally negotiated a deal with Juventus for central midfielder Javi Martinez whose brilliant performances in Italy shot his value sky high. But the negotiating went on so long that just at the last minute the new budget was drawn up and the money I had for the summer went on the midfielder, but I wasn’t too worried as rumours had surfaced that new money was going to come into the side as new investors looked to takeover. The takeover took the majority of the summer to be sealed and during the time I was hit with uncertainty of being in the job once it was complete and also a transfer embargo, causing me problems when ageing Toure and Barzagli were really coming to the end of their careers with no body to take the reigns in the middle. So I took the decision that it was time for me to move on, this would be the second time that new owners at my clubs didn’t turn out well.

I quickly got back on the saddle and found a new club as things moved quickly, managers shifted around first of all Munich manager Felix Magath replaced my position at Arsenal, leaving a space for Ronald Koeman to take up a management role in Germany and I looked to travel to Spain and try my hand in La Liga sitting in the hot seat of failing Valencia side. Taking up my position late meant that I had to deal with the squad that I had avaliable to me but in the knowledge that £59 million would be there for the side come the January sales. Finishing only only mid table in the previous season the club looks to be going in to decline and when I arrive I can see why. I inherit a team though that on the face of it looks fairly decent and definitely something to build on, the one thing the side lacks is depth and if a few players are injured then the side will totally go under and struggle to reach a European space, which this side is more then capable of.

Goalkeeper

Vincent Enyeama the Nigerian international as many FM fans know, is amazing a must signing for many players, so to have him behind the defence is a real pleasure and will mean that I am going to have safe hands between the sticks for the next couple of seasons. The backups are 36 year old Timo Hildebrand a decent backup and a good servant to the club, but is getting a bit old now and with his contract ending at the end of the season I won’t be renewing as I look to revamp the whole squad. Juan Castillo is the goalkeeper with time on his hands at 19 he has along way to go but with a little training could definitely be one for the future.

Defenders

On the left there is only one player, Italian Simone Chinelli a decent work horse and good enough to stay in the squad till the end of the season if needed, but if we are going to challenge for a title then he is going to have to up his game, Simone will be part of the squads plans in the long term but might not take a prominent role as I seek to bring in new players. On the right is another seriously lacking part of the field, 31 year old Scouser Ryan Taylor who again is in a similar situation to Chinelli, does the job but nothing fantastic and the only problem with Taylor is his age at 31 he has already peaked, he has played in Spain for sometime now though and played consistently not a matter of urgency to replace him. Centrally is key to the defense as it holds an amazing young Frenchman who arrived from PSG 6 years ago for £26 million, making him Valencia’s all time most expensive player, but the defender hasn’t really put in the performances over a season yet, but coming to a more mature age I will be expecting alot from Sakho. Partnering him at the back is huge defender Raul Albiol, a favourite in Valancia and so he should be as over his career he has been consistently a great player and has plenty of legs to keep going. The only decent backup to those two though is former Newcastle man Steven Taylor great attributes and would walk into many sides and recently broken into the England side. Ageing Amorebieta is the the squad who has spend his career moving on bosman rulings look like going to do again as I have no plans in keeping him. When I arrived the defender was asking for a transfer but now begging to stay, with my rejections going straight back to him.

Midfielders

Again down the wings the team had little to spare, but the players on both sides did look like pretty good players to start off with. Saudi Arabian Ali Al-Basha who at 25 had done a lot of traveling spending time in Holland, Scotland and Turkey before arriving in Spain for a fee of £12.5 million this season, the only signing made by Koeman. But the player looks worth every penny as there is nothing he can’t do down that wing and will most probably just need someone to back him up in case of injury. On the other wing though is Oleg Husyev who has never been a regluar in the first team usual playing as backup to Obertan has recently left for Madrid before I arrived but leaving with putting some money in the transfer kitty. At 32 I will be looking for a quick replacement but for the time being he has been enjoying his best season yet, with a point to prove as I look for new players. In the middle their is no short of players, but the only problem all of them are defensive minded players. The two best I have already had on my books at Liverpool, Lucas who commanded a huge sum to arrive from Real Madrid and a player who I was looking to bring back to England to place in my Arsenal side is Ignacio Camacho. Backing up these guys are some really strong players in Dider Digard and youngster Pinheiro, also looking to end his career at the club is Cameroon captain Jean II Makoun, all decent players but all defensive midfielder and I will be looking to bring in my attacking players for that position.

Strikers

Upfront Valencia again had strong players, but once again lacked in depth. It is coming apparent that the side needs a whole other tier of players if we are to compete with the likes of Madrid and Barcelona who are on fire. Mexican Carlos Vela has made a name for himself in Spain and will hopefully continue under my own guidance. Up with him is Marcia who since signing for Valencia has came into his own and finally reaching the potential that everyone knew he had. The two strikers should be able to get 50 goals easily between them. Behind them is Mchedlidze who is another Valencia favourite and has put in the performances over the last couple of seasons but looking at his attributes I don’t why, good at running and in the air, maybe he is able to get on those crosses 99% but I think I will stick with Vela and Marcia up front. David Villa is still at the club but looking a bit worn now and will only serve as someone for the young players to look up to and maybe the odd cup game.

So with this side the aim is for a European spot in the first season, the board have already told me they want to be in the UEFA cup next season, but with a few more players I can see this side looking for Champions League football once again. But when the window comes about it will be about getting some depth into the side, a must is two full backs and a winger, hopefully with the quality I have already got on the wings for now I will be able to get away with bringing a utility man in who can cover both wings. I am also going to concentrate on producing a decent B side to call players from, mixture of young players fighting for first team action and experience to help the young players come along. Another striker might be nice to bring in when other parts of the field are filled, it will be interesting to take up a job that I haven’t paid too much notice of in my career game, it will force me to look around the league for players and hone my scouting skills in the game.