Breaking the Habit - A Man United rebuild
Forum Discussion
Good end to the season overall and a a cup double preventing Arsenal from doing a Domestic Treble provided a little extra joy.
Top 6 whilst expected from Man United probably felt a long way off a few months ago after a slow and stuttering start to the season seemingly way off the pace more so in attack of remember rightly.
@thurlow885 wrote:Good end to the season overall and a a cup double preventing Arsenal from doing a Domestic Treble provided a little extra joy.
Top 6 whilst expected from Man United probably felt a long way off a few months ago after a slow and stuttering start to the season seemingly way off the pace more so in attack of remember rightly.
Yes, Arsenal were certainly the preferable option to win the league, but I didn't really feel like them winning all three domestic titles. Plus reaching the semi final in the Champions League as well. Good season for them. Liverpool were also knocked out of the semi final with a first ever El Clasico to decide it. Barcelona eventually winning it 1-0.
With a better ending I might have got a 5th place, but top 4 was a closed group this season, and I was far away from getting an invitation there. As you say, my attack simply wasn't good enough for that, so that has to be the focus for the new season.
Breaking news Leeds United were 🤏 that close to signing Emile Smith-Rowe but we're priced out of the move then bringing in Anthony Gordon instead while Smith-Rowe joins rivals Manchester United instead
Couldn't resist when I saw the signing, I nearly signed him during previous window but was priced out of the move and took the cheaper Gordon option 😂
@thurlow885 wrote:Breaking news Leeds United were 🤏 that close to signing Emile Smith-Rowe but we're priced out of the move then bringing in Anthony Gordon instead while Smith-Rowe joins rivals Manchester United instead
Couldn't resist when I saw the signing, I nearly signed him during previous window but was priced out of the move and took the cheaper Gordon option 😂
Haha, how fun. I almost opted against it with his recent injury record. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to sign other easily breakable players, now that Mount's hardly played a game yet and Lisandro Martinez also happens to be out of the squad again and again. But I suppose that's also what it takes for a club like Arsenal to allow him to move away. And at £16m it was very hard to resist.
@JustinCase0110 wrote:
@thurlow885 wrote:Breaking news Leeds United were 🤏 that close to signing Emile Smith-Rowe but we're priced out of the move then bringing in Anthony Gordon instead while Smith-Rowe joins rivals Manchester United instead
Couldn't resist when I saw the signing, I nearly signed him during previous window but was priced out of the move and took the cheaper Gordon option 😂
Haha, how fun. I almost opted against it with his recent injury record. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to sign other easily breakable players, now that Mount's hardly played a game yet and Lisandro Martinez also happens to be out of the squad again and again. But I suppose that's also what it takes for a club like Arsenal to allow him to move away. And at £16m it was very hard to resist.
He was a lot more expensive and playing in Spain I think in my career can't remember off top of my head but definitely wasn't at Arsenal. Think he was 83/84 ovl not much higher than Gordon at time but fee they wanted was over 45mil
@thurlow885 wrote:He was a lot more expensive and playing in Spain I think in my career can't remember off top of my head but definitely wasn't at Arsenal. Think he was 83/84 ovl not much higher than Gordon at time but fee they wanted was over 45mil
Yes, that is way above the fee Arsenal required in mine. But there is a logical explanation for that.
You know I started in the 2023 summer in game, but in the 2024 summer in the story, meaning that the story was actually a year ahead. And since the beginning of my save, I had noticed a fair few headscans being added in the game, among others for Teden Mengi, whom I would like to bring back to the club. So I quickly had an urge to start over, but also wanted to keep the story going for some time.
In the end I finished the season and went into the new season to play the Community Shield, also to see the draw for the UEFA competitions. And then I went out of the save, made my in game transfers manually, promoted and relegated the clubs that was supposed to do that and voilá. Now I've started a new save, once again in 2023 in game, but with the story continuing from 2025. I haven't done it like this before, but I saw it as a way to avoid wanting to start over already. And there are also some perks to it, with opponents being recognizable for a bit longer and players being 2 years younger in game than they are supposed to be in the story. I expect this to be the last time doing this though. I also want to promote some academy graduates at some point.
Impressive start to the season and another win over Arsenal winning a trophy.
100% record and zero goals conceded. Must be happy with Europa League group altho I don't recommend underestimating any of those ties.
@thurlow885 wrote:Impressive start to the season and another win over Arsenal winning a trophy.
100% record and zero goals conceded. Must be happy with Europa League group altho I don't recommend underestimating any of those ties.
Yes, you should never underestimate the opposition in this game. I also wouldn't do that with Rennes, they do have a pretty strong side IMO. They have sold Martin Terrier to Chelsea though, arguably their best player. So maybe I should take the group win here. I begin with a home game against them by the way.
Another cup win vs Arsenal, yes. They do have the upper hand against me in the league though, beating me towards the end of last season. And - spoiler alert - that is also what happens in the next league game here.
- @JustinCase0110
One question, which I might regret asking...
If you have started a new save, what European competition are United in (surely, the Champions League if you've started from 2023 again?). They can't be in the Europa League, can they?
@CO88LER5 wrote:
@JustinCase0110
One question, which I might regret asking...
If you have started a new save, what European competition are United in (surely, the Champions League if you've started from 2023 again?). They can't be in the Europa League, can they?Your able to edit all that as you start a career when enabling European Competitions, can change who's in which competition and groups etc so I'm assuming @JustinCase0110 did that
A good question, in case you didn't know about it, @CO88LER5. But @thurlow885 is correct. Groups are editable, when starting a career, and it's possible to promote and relegate teams too. So I did that to make the new season reflect the season I was entering. I also made a few transfers beforehand - for instance Nico Williams to Liverpool, which I had mentioned at some point in the story. Other transfers made in game was something I was happy to allow to return to default, perhaps making the teams become a bit more recognizable.
Funny thing. My first idea was actually to go in and look at every league and try to figure out who would enter Europe and make my own groups from that. For all three competitions. But then I stopped and realized I could just enter the new season and skip the first months to have the game create it for me, haha. Much easier that way. I couldn't copy/paste it 100% though. Sometimes it said that no more clubs from some nation could be selected. That was kind of strange, since I only tried to select the same number as had been in the draw made by the game itself.
- @JustinCase0110
I knew about moving teams between national league divisions, but I didn't realise you could do it in the European competitions. Interesting. - @JustinCase0110
Good start to the season. It's also good to know that Ander Barrenetxea seems to be fitting the bill at Old Trafford.
I like it when a recommendation comes good...
@CO88LER5 wrote:
Good start to the season. It's also good to know that Ander Barrenetxea seems to be fitting the bill at Old Trafford.
I like it when a recommendation comes good...Thanks, I do too. He did start slowly for me though, as I had this idea that I wanted him on the right side and use a left-footed on the left. But all his best performances have come from the left so far.
I watched some of Real Sociedad's game last night, where he also came on and scored a goal. Ruled out for offside though. But it was an inspiring cameo IMO. As a player, I was only familiar with from the game, it was also fun to watch the real version of him in action. Looks promising indeed.
@JustinCase0110 wrote:Exactly how I approach my squad: trying to get every position covered twice (that's 22 players), then adding a third goalkeeper and a handful of academy players (ca. 30 in total).
- @Danimal5981
I know I run with a bigger squad than that, but lots of the difference is usually academy players.
I must say that I find it hard to let them go, nut i am getting more ruthless with them...
@Danimal5981 wrote:Exactly how I approach my squad: trying to get every position covered twice (that's 22 players), then adding a third goalkeeper and a handful of academy players (ca. 30 in total).
I usually go for a 24-25 man squad, including academy graduates. I don't really have any of those yet though.
When hit by injuries, fatigue etc., I cover the gaps by using players in their secondary positions. I hate having players around that don't play regularly. Perhaps that's why I also tend to 'forget' including a 3rd keeper from time to time.
RKC in Europa League, meaning they'd won the Dutch Cup?!?...
And then winning their opening game at Besiktas: wow!
I think pigs can fly before that happens...I don't mind such unrealistic surprises, but I do wish the game makers would address the away game-bug (AI simulated teams away win more in Europe, than at home)
That 1-0 win over Man City seems like a vital 3 points, well done.
@Danimal5981 wrote:RKC in Europa League, meaning they'd won the Dutch Cup?!?...
And then winning their opening game at Besiktas: wow!
I think pigs can fly before that happens...I don't mind such unrealistic surprises, but I do wish the game makers would address the away game-bug (AI simulated teams away win more in Europe, than at home)
That 1-0 win over Man City seems like a vital 3 points, well done.
I was surprised to see Waalwijk in Europa League too. Not that I'm an expert in Dutch football, but that was a team that surprised me, when I saw the draw for the competition. Didn't know about the away bug, haven't noticed myself, but I agree nonetheless.
City win was vital, yes, especially after a few poor results. Leeds were the better team by far at Elland Road, and I have no words for the collapse in Istanbul. So going from that to a derby win was pretty sweet.
@CO88LER5 wrote:
You've still got Antony, then.
Any particular reason why? Are you playing him much?Two reasons, I suppose.
1 - I deemed it unrealistic to sell him, since he probably wouldn't have anyone interested in buying him. So while Rashford, Bruno, Casemiro and others went away, I decided to "force" upon myself to make it work with Antony.
2 - While I struggle to see his potential on the right flank (often stopping and playing backwards), I felt some time ago that he might actually be useful on the left. He is a hard worker, and he does keep the ball quite well, compared to some United players like Bruno, who is often in a hurry to decide things and throws the ball away too quickly too often.
He was actually off to a flying start in my save, assisting my first two goals, if I remember correctly. His goal contributions have been few and far between since then, but I find him to be helpful in regards to width, possession and fight. Currently he and Ander Barrenetxea are rotating the left flank, the latter playing it a bit more attacking-minded than Antony. In time I have an idea to test him (and train him) as a left back, but his current defensive abilities are so poor that I'm not sure he'll ever be suited for that role.
