I just checked and overall i paid £52million for Chiellini, at the start of my second season. I was desperate for one of the best defenders though, because that was my real weakness.

I think i signed Jovetic for a similar price, maybe a little bit more but that was at the start of the game, but he has been a brilliant signing. I signed Julio Baptista, and hes not in the same class.

Anyway, the second season is on the way, and i've made quite a few changes to the team, but it is definatly for the better. This is now my team:

Given

Toure
Mexis
Chiellini
Lescott/Bridge

Maxi Rodgriguez
Modric (Attacking)
Barry
Robinho/Jovetic

Tevez
Villa

Subs:
Lescott/Bridge/Srna
Van Bommel/De Jong
Wright-Phillips
Robinho/Jovetic
Van der Vaart/Ireland
Adebayor
Santa Cruz

Richards
Kompany
Srna
Deco
Baptista
Bellamy
Rodwell (Youngster)
Luisma (Youngster)
Verratti (Youngster)
Oscar (Youngster)


Again, i have many options, and quality options at that going into the second season. I've sold the likes of Johnson, Onuoha and sent a few decent players out on loan as i had no-one wanting to buy them. If i'm honest, i have been trying to offload Bellamy but he won't budge, but hes not going to get much game time. Also, i regretted signing Deco as i don't really need him, but he was free so i couldn't resist. I said that i didn't have the strength in depth, and now i cam confident i do, i feel i have a very strong squad of players.

In the second season, i didn't make the best of starts, i beat Sunderland 4-0, and i thought it was going to be easy and then i drew 1-1 at home against Chelsea, after hitting the post 3 times. I then lost 1-0 away at Wolves, so things weren't as good as they could be. Since then though, i haven't lost a game, and i got a draw 0-0 away against Liverpool, the reigning champions. I am now sitting 2nd in the league, level points with Man United, but its still very early days, we also have level goal difference. I should also get through the group stages of the champions league, quite easily, having already beat Celtic, Galatasary and drawing to Inter Milan at home.

I have found a 4-4-1-1 to be the best formation this time round. After 3 years of finishing 3rd to Celtic and Rangers as the mighty Hibs I started again as Stockport and am currently 2nd in my 2nd season. Having United as my parent club is a boost though as I have Cory Evans, John Bostock, Richie De Leat and some Italian they signed for 2.5 mil on loan!

Iv banned myself from football manager for the time being, at least untill next friday, exams next week dont want my revision time been impeeded by hours and hours of football manager

For some reason, the game was running really slow, and i was forced to tun my laptop off. When i've loaded it back up, my last saved game (my Man City game) has vanished, and is no longer available to load. Does anyone know whats happened or if there is any way to get the game back?

Into my second season as Liverpool now. Finished 5th in my first season, Tottenham finishing 4th on goal difference. Finally got some transfer budget for the 2010/2011 season of £20million. Signed Kris Boyd for £12m, Michael Johnson for £9m and got Van Der Vaart on loan from Real Madrid.

The one annoying thing is when you sell a player, for example, I sold Benayoun for £7.5m but I only got £2m of that money to spend on other transfers...

Totally agree, I am trying to sell him but nobody wants him...

Forgot to say I signed Deco for £750k aswell, he's pretty good..

I got Deco on a free at City, as a back up, and he was pretty rubbish to be honest. Maybe i was using him wrong, but he was playing rubbish and was only really used as a back up so didn't play an awful lot, so all he did was moan despite signing a contract stating he was back up. Lost my saved game anyway, going to start a new one.

Just beat United 6-2 on my City game. Santa Cruz and Adebayor are on fire.

Both are very good on mine too, as well as Tevez. Bellamy is also good, although i found his value dropped quite a lot in the second season, despite him playing well regularly.

I've used him mainly as a back up.

I had an upturn in form when I listened to what Sammy Lee had to say about tactics. It works a treat. 4-4-2 and 4-4-1-1 seem to work very well as formations. Gerrard in particular is class in the 4-4-1-1 formation and Salomon Kalou has been a great signing for me. Him and Torres up front are dynamite as a pairing.

I've won the title after Chelsea blew it at home to Fulham in their 2nd to last game and I went into my last game as champions. Got a Europa Cup Final and FA Cup final to come. I hope I get the £20m you got pal, I could do with a good defender. Agger and Skrtel get quite a few injuries and Kyriagos is w*nk.

I apologise if this has already been posted many times but im not going through everypage (i have read the last 2) I am tempted to get the new 2010 game but i read somewhere that you cannot just have the game info bar along the bottom during the match and you have to have the 3d match engine. Is that correct as it would put me off getting it. Thanks

You don't have to have the 3D match engine at all, I run with just 2D, and if by the infobar you mean the report of what's going on (like in Champ man of old) then that's still there too.

Yes indeed i do just mean the match report in old champ man. Thanks i will have to purchase it then i think

Just make sure that under the 'Highlights' tab under the match screen you select "Only Commentary" - it will speed things up.

Had a massive summer going into my second season.

Sold:

Zabaleta
RSC
Bridge
Bellamy
Given (released)
Etuhu
Caicedo sp
Jo
Logan

And a few others who escape my memory.

Signed:

Lisandro Lopez
Criscito
Mathias Jorgensen
Sandro
Wilshere
Jovetic
Omer Toprak
Eduardo Salvio

As well as a load of youngsters. Things are looking good but I struggle to get the best from Tevez in the 4-4-2, anyone got him firing?

Tevez does very well for me, but i just play him either just behind the striker in a 4-4-1-1 or i play him as a complete forward. Saying that though, all my strikers are a bit hit and miss, they go through stages of being fantastic, then they will be rubbish for a few weeks.

Do you play Gerrard just behind Torres in the 4-4-1-1 formation? Or in the centre midfield role?

Agger doesn't really play for me and Skrtel is constantly injured, ut I have to disagree about Kyriagos, he's a pretty solid centre back for me, probably helped by him being a World Cup runner up with Greece though (he scored my first goal of the season with a cracking 25-yard volley anyway, and he got another in the second game.)

The Europa league puts you too many games behind everyone else at the start of the season, I was supposed to play Bristol City 2nd game of the season but I don't play them until a midweek game after 8 games of the season. For some reason, Reina has gone Sh*t too, I have conceded 11 goals in 5 league games and he had a shocker against Chelsea when I lost 5-1...

I normally use two formations, 4-4-2 and 4-1-1.

4-4-2:

Reina

Johnson
Skrtel / Agger
Carragher
Aurelio

Kuyt (winger)
Gerrard (attacking midfield - attack)
Mascherano (ball winning midfielder - defend)
Riera (winger)

Torres (target man)
Kalou (complete forward)

4-4-1

Reina

Johnson
Skrtel / Agger
Carragher
Aurelio

Kuyt (winger)
Aquilani / Lucas (support)
Mascherano (ball winning midfielder - defend)
Riera / Kalou (winger)

Gerrard (advanced playmaker)

Torres (Target man)

Oli! Is that some kind of sick joke?!

Coming up to January 2010 on my City game, any suggestions on who to buy, aside from Villa and Chiellini who I'm already after ?

FM2010 is a lot better than previous versions. A lot better.

Watching the 3d is pretty much essential as it gives you a good indication of where you are going wrong. I have found that the tactical advice given by the coaches is inconsistent, some will lead you to win games, other times it will ensure you lose. I have started in the lower leagues and find that as a basic rule it works well to have a high defensive line and play wide against slow strikers or those good in the air and to sit deep and play narrow against pacy but weak strikers.

I am finding playing away really easy and can read where it's going wrong and more often than not win. At home my record isn't as good, I find it particularly hard to beat less capable teams, particularly those who play really narrow and defend. I never seem to score against them and will finish with a 2-0 defeat from two headers from set pieces after having 18 shots and 7 clear cut chances. I think my current season in L2 finished with a home record of W10 D3 L10 and an away record of W20 D2 L1.

The player roles and duties are a massive step forwards in the series. They should however follow this up by removing the sliders completely in the next version. Instructions in football management are all verbal, you get Mourinho saying, "Play deeper" rather than saying "Play seven notches up from the bottom". The shouts are also really useful and can have a real impact.

And as mentioned, those people hoovering up the talent as Man City? If you don't support City, what other excuse is there to use them bar getting to know the game with it's easiest possible challenge? It reminds me of when I was a kid and I'd spend days editing Championship Manager to make Everton brilliant, then stop playing it the day after because it was boring.

Considering taking a punt on van der Vaart at around £7m. Would add another creative option in my midfield.

My Leeds team (League 1) who have just lost on pens to Burnley (prem)

GK - Steve Simonsen (Signed for £1.1m)

DR - Stephen Darby (Signed before my time)
DL - Ben Parker
DC - Paddy Kisnorbo
DC - Richard Naylor

DM - Damien Plessis (Signed for £1.8m from Liverpool)
MC - Johnny Howson
MC - Oliver Lee (On loan from West Ham)
AM - James McCarthy (20 year old from Wigan signed for £3m)

ST - Jermain Beckford (On Loan from my previous club Liverpool)
ST - Daryl Murphy/ Luciano Becchio

SUB - Casper Ankegran (GK)
SUB - Daniel Ayala (Signed from Liverpool for £300k) (Def)
SUB - Leigh Bromby (Def)
SUB - Paul Anderson (signed before my time) (Mid)
SUB - Niel Kilkenny (Mid)
SUB - Becchio/Murphy (St)
SUB - Mike Grella (St)

Also got the Uruguay job for some reason

January 2010 - Sold Bridge and Bellamy who no longer featured in my first team plans and brought in van der Vaart (£8m) and Chiellini (£54m inc. clauses). Currently 5th in the league, looking to break into the top 4.