Football Manager

Henry just got FM '09 today, so I await his verdict on it XD

not much to say so far. still finishing off transfers which always takes ages. especially when you've just started at a club. that's why I've been inactive of late. not allowed to play a match until I've been to library later

What are your first thoughts on it though? Any different to last years?

yep. just got invited to a trial day for free agent footballers. wasn't expecting that.

well after the first day's play (more interupted afternoon and evening). here's the view so far. I'm in the 20's of october. my form so far is a 4-2 (was 4-1) opening day win against the title favourites. Then I noticed that the assistant give you plenty of tactical advice. likeon how you're playing compared to how your players are used to playing, who is doing well.badly and how (though that can be contradictory). also advice for instructions to use against the opposition. though eventually I got tired of switching most of the opposition to being pushed onto the weaker foot and hard tackling. it prodiced an equalizer in the next game, but a late capitulation in the 3rd so I gave up on that. as it was overcomplicating things. Than 5 draws... broken up by 2 league cup wins. before the blackburn result in the 3rd round. the 6th league draw in a row followed but did beat norwich after in the derby. nothing much else of note in the other few games. One thing interesting is after all those years of the pitch being represented by a flat top down view with coloured numbered blobs for players. there is a proper 3D view now. so it looks like a proper football game, though the graphic quality is hardly up to modern day standards (early gamecube at best) its so amazing seeing it in an FM. I always play commentary only though (as its much quicker and seasons take a few days as it is) so I only see still pitch images but maybe I'll put highlight mode on for key games so I can watch them properly. the skin looks a little better and crisper as well. maybe because the blueish yellowishness is more my thing that that reddish hue of last years one more than anything else. the one thing I haven't found out yet is if it trips you up with inconsistency when you're trying to do well. something that ruined the last game for me. it'll take a few seasons of building a strong team to work that out. especially as I haven't been good enough to go on a good run in the first place.

Sounds good, and I heard about the new 3D feature, I even saw a video of it on YT
Where are you in the table now then?

near the top of the bottom half of the table when I should be well inside the top half. switched to playing with 1 up front for the first time ever because my forwards seem to have a knack for rating in at much lower than anyone else. despite all that the reason I love this game is the memorable moments. things have been frustrating so far but there's still that opening win, blackburn and the derby win as good highlights of any season so far. especially as there's not much else.

how many seasons do you reckon it'll take to get you up to the premiership?