Just signed up to the forums properly, i've been viewing the scouting network pages for some time though and trying players.
Thought i'd show my current saints game as my first proper post, its only my third game on football manager so im still trying to learn alot about training and things, also ive only ever played 2008, seen a bit of 07 but never played it.
I won the championship in my first season, i cleared out alot of the saints starting line-up and brought in loan signings aswell as buying Jack hobbs and Craig Cathcart, my young DC's
Also one of my star signings in the first season was Kasper Hamalainen, you need a large database to get him, on paper his stats aren't that good but he's a great winger and a dribbler, brillaint crossing and freekicks and he's a constant performer. Fans player of the year in my first season. (You can buy him from a team called Turun Palloseura, a finish team and pick him up for around 50k, now he's still doing well for me in the prem and worth 5m, thats 100x what i paid for him ^_^;)
I love buying youngsters, and the average age of my current saints squad is 23, ive just brought raw talent and tried to train it
heres my squad in the 09/10 season
I was lucky to sign bale, tottenham went down in the first season as i went up so after my first season in the prem i managed to pick him up for 9m, quality leftback, not QUITE as good as marcelo but you pay alot less for him
Cathcart and Hobbs are my rock at the back, theres still a lot to come from them but they are getting used to both international and premiership football now.
Biakowski is a great keeper with the right training so he's holding ship until Bouzanis has matured slightly
I've got 3 great young DM's in the form of Dan Gosling, Omar Benzerga and of course Ever Banega, i sometimes play Gosling at rightback if i feel the need, hes a very versatial player and Ostlund is getting a bit past it now
Aaritalo was a great signing but i did have to pay 5.5m for him, if i had the funds to get him earlier i could have got him for under 1m possibly
And of course The Saviet
I know he's nothing new but putting 4 past Man U in a game at the age of 19 is astounding, i paid 8.5m for him and have already recieved an offer of 12m, i wont be selling though.
I've also got Victor moses loaned out to bournemouth in the championship getting regular first team football and i think that when they are both 21 the moses/saviet front 2 are going to be awesome. Saviet pace - moses strength and great in the air.
17 games in and i'm doing okay in my second premiership season, expectations are a top-half finish and my media prediction was 11th so we're exceeding expectations, i had a nasty 6-1 knocking out of the league cup by chelsea and a shameful 2-1 FA cup 2nd round defeat by champsionship wigan, so thats why im putting all my effort into the league this season.
The main problem for me with such a young squad is the consistancey, my only consitant performers are Ever Banega, andrew surman (quality all round premiership player for any non-top-4 side, check him out if you've never seen him before) and the aforementioned Kasper Hamalainen.
So beating Man U 4-2 one week is followed by a 2-0 defeat to near religation zone reading, both games at home.
I play a basic 4-4-2 and vary my tactics on opposition and home/away advantages, if im playing Arsenal/Chelsea/Man U i play a defensive 5 man midfield though, giving 2 free roles between the 5 midfielders, this gave me my 4-2 defeat of man U, a 1-1 draw with arsenal at the emirates and a Gritty 1-0 defeat of Chelsea.
Im looking forward to this squad "Coming of age" and gaining some consistancey, im looking to challenge for europe either this season or the next, maybe go on a better cup run that in the past 3 seasons.
I'd like to hear some opinions on the squad and what i've done with it, also any tips for strengthening, im looking for a new right-back but i've only got 5.76m tranfer budget left for the season, im going to try and offload a few of the older players that are still worth big money, Saganowski etc, and raise some more funds.
Any good right back suggestions, preferabley one thats got great dribbling and crossing to go with the defensive attributes.
Also thankyou if you've taken the time to read all this crap
Southampton Youth Team 
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