Hey guys and welcome to my Ultimate European Challenge. Some of you may not know what this is, for those who don’t please check the Ultimate European Challenge rules. Basically I started this save unemployed and have to win both the title and major domestic cup within five countries, England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. I also have to win the Champions League twice with any club. I created this challenge a while ago as an alternative to the usual saves. If you would like to catch up, all my posts are accessible from the Ultimate European Challenge story.
UEC career
2011-2012: Hamburg SV (Germany)
2012-2014: AC Milan (Italy)
2014-2016: At. Madrid (Spain)
2016-present: Chelsea (England)
2014-present: Argentina (International)
UEC honours
Bundesliga title — 2012
German Cup — 2012
Serie A title — 2013 & 2014
Italian Cup — 2013 & 2014
La Liga title — 2015 & 2016
Spanish Cup — 2015 & 2016
English FA Cup — 2018
European Champions League — 2014 & 2016
Copa America — 2015
Confederations Cup — 2017
World Cup — 2018
Anyway, back to the story and during my last post you saw Argentina lift the World Cup. An amazing achievement, but I was left considering International retirement. A decision has not yet been reached, but for now my focus returns to London and Chelsea. This is my second season at Stamford Bridge, after coming in late during 2017/18, I revived the London club to a third place finish. We also won the FA Cup. This seasons goal is to win the league title, that will be tough because Man Utd and Man City have incredible players. Hopefully a big transfer budget will help me reinstate Chelsea to their former glory.
Well that certainly is a good transfer budget and one I intend on stretching. With £450K extra for wages I could lower this to increase my transfer money up to around £80 million. Essien and Cech are leaving on a free transfer, this will also free up an extra £200K plus for wages.
Transfers out
A total of 13 players were offloaded, all either too old or surplus to requirements. Not only did I raise a reasonable £16 million for the kitty, but around £400K a week wages were freed up. This just shows how badly the previous managers had done. Over time they acquired junk for an extortionate price and I’m left to drop the debris.
Transfers in
After offloading so many players on big wages, I cashed in on my transfer budget. In fact I still have another £22 million left over. A total of £82 million has been spent so far, a lot I know, but we have some catching up to do. The big teams are way better and stronger than my Chelsea. Or should I say they were, after these signings the scales are officially balancing out. Lets take a look at my new stars in more detail.
Phil Jones (centre back)
One of my favourite defenders on FM. Phil Jones was bought by Man City from Blackburn and became as solid as a rock. I decided to spend so much on him as a great centre back is required and we lack pace.
Marcos (central midfielder)
This regen was available for £19.75 million because of a minimum fee release clause. Juventus were daft to offer him that and I took advantage. Marcos is very versatile and can play in many different roles within the CM position. At the age of 23 there is also room for improvement.
Marcelo (right winger)
With McGeady ageing and Weiss my only other cover on the right wing, reinforcements were needed. I found marcelo at Sampdoria, a hefty fee of £34.5 million was required. Hopefully the 23 year old will be worth it, his attributes seem to suggest so.
German Romero (central midfielder)
Romero is one youngster in my Argentina shortlist. I have been watching the central midfielder and have scouts reporting him as a quality signing. The small fee of £5.75 million, makes this Argentine a great buy in my opinion.
Below you can see my entire first team. Every position is well manned, and needs to be considering the hectic schedule created by Champions League football. Petrovic and Godwin were acquired last season and should be the key players for me again. While my new signings will add pace and strength in depth.
The next post will take us up to the end of November. Enough time for the league to take shape and me to see what I am challenging for. With matches away from home to both the red and blue half of Manchester, my squad will be challenged from the start.
Well that is the end of my update, I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to comment below and I look forward to hearing from you as always. Thanks for reading guys.
Alex
29 марта, 2011 at 12:42
Hi Darren,
Some brilliant signings there, Phil Jones is also one of my favourite central defenders, particularly if I am managing in England. Marcos looks like a bargain at 19.75M but I don’t understand why he has 20 heading but 8 jumping. Marcelo might not be worth all of the money that was paid but he will certainly be a great player for you. Romero is a god young signing and is certainly one for the future. Good luck for the upcoming season, winning in Manchester twice would signify that times are good under your management.
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 18:47
Hey Alex,
I was really happy with Jones and Marcos, they were by far the best targets for the money on offer. As always Marcos is just another regen with random attributes, jumping and heading should go hand in hand but not according to his stats ;) I do agree with you on Marcelo’s fee, it was a lot but my only option. It was him or a mediocre player for £17 million plus. The market was very cold in that position. :(
Excessive
29 марта, 2011 at 12:50
Whey! Back into the swing of things, some great signings you have made there Darren. Phil Jones is an absolute beaut of a player and he seems to have developed really well in your save. Massive expenditure but you have brought in quality players, just hope it pays off for you!
Let’s see that trophy haul get even bigger :)
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 18:52
Hey Jake, I was a little cautious when seeing my expenditure. But then looked at Man Utd’s line up and knew the cash was necessary, without it we’d really struggle for top spot. Like you say, I just hope we can make the most of it. :)
Vaibhav C.
29 марта, 2011 at 13:24
Hey Darren
Great signings there, at first I thought it was a waste of money but after that I saw the attributes of those players and I was impressed. Good luck on your season!
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 18:53
Cheers Vaibhav, you pretty much summed the transfer window up. A lot of money spent but on some top class players.
Timmy
29 марта, 2011 at 13:32
Hi,
82 million=4 player?
OMG thats big amount of money,Jones is looking great,and actually im agree with Alex about Marcelo,he is great if you buy him around 15-25 mill,so i think you pay too much,but he is can improve drastically.Good luck.
btw congrats you win world cup :)
cheers :)
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 18:55
Hey Timmy, it really was an expensive summer :) Like mentioned we have to spend to compete as the previous managers have left me with a useless squad. Marcelo is expensive but my only option. All the other right wingers cost more or had crap attributes. Thanks mate.
Davide
29 марта, 2011 at 13:43
Hey, well done so far, do you not think you are a bit short up top, I always get four good strikers in case on injuries, but suppose it depends on your formation.
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 18:57
Hey Davide, I use a 4-5-1 so three strikers is just enough. Having four would lead to unrest and someone without game time. From experience this leads to bad morale and usually an under performing season. If I had two upfront I’d always go for four strikers too, but prefer my 4-5-1. Thanks for the comment mate.
Lye
29 марта, 2011 at 14:03
Hi Darren,
You have really spent big this season. Phil Jones is favorite for lots of FM player. He is a beast. Look at his physical attributes. Simply awesome. I thought the rest of the players were well spent as they are young and yet to reach their peak. Anytime you want to cash in, you should be able to get the money back. Good luck for the new season ahead.
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 18:59
Hey Lye, if we’d spent more Chelsea would be named Man City ;) Like you say a lot of my signings haven’t reached their peak and I’m expecting them all to improve as the season goes on. Hopefully my big money will pay off, thanks Lye.
CsAtlantis
29 марта, 2011 at 14:51
Darren you transferred out a lot of players, so your squad looks pretty thin, hopefully your key players can stay fit for both Champions League and the league
Is Caceres nearing the end of his contract or something? he should still be around his peak, odd that he is worth around the same value as Turnbull
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:02
Hey CsAtlantis, I did transfer a lot out, but find my size of squad just right for the tactic. Every position is just about covered and I’ve got my eye on some youngsters to promote from the reserves. We are right on the border line, but I like it that way to keep everyone happy and give everyone a game. Caceres only has like two years left on his contract. Plus he’s 31 and hasn’t played properly. Thats probably the reason for his low valuation.
Johnny Karp
29 марта, 2011 at 14:57
Great signings Darren, those are exactly what your team needed! Phil Jones is awesome, he will do a great job, and the new midfielders are great as well. Looking forward to a successful season, good luck!
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:03
Cheers Johnny, I am very happy with the signings and think the squad is ready to challenge. Like some people say, we may need a few more bodies but I’ve got three or four reserves on stand by.
Sayam Khan
29 марта, 2011 at 17:30
Brilliant signings! Phil Jones is great and I think pretty cheap for 22.5m! 35m is a lot to spend on a player but I think it is worth spending it on Marcelo. Looking forward to Petrovic having a full season.
Good Luck!
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:19
Thanks Sayam, a lot of readers like Jones and I’m glad because he’s one of my favourite CB’s. You’re one of the few that thinks Marcelo is worth the cash, but we’ll soon see. If I could show everyone what my other options were I think the decision would make more sense. Petrovic has actually got even better than last year if thats even possible. I’ll provide a screenshot next post. :)
gki
29 марта, 2011 at 18:03
nice players you bought there.
i notice that you got only 2 defender left only. what if both are injured? then who will play in that position?
unless you are playing 3-5-2 or 5-4-1 or 4-1-2-1-2 or 4-2-1-2 or 4-3-2-1, you will need another defender left if you playing 4-5-1 or 5-4-1.
other formations like 4-4-2 and 4-4-3 is out for your current team as you got only 2 defender left and 3 strikers.
also i notice that phil jones is similar to micah richards in a way…..the stats between them is more or less similar except for composure and concentration including position.
my suggestion to defender left problem is retrain 1 of your defenders as defender left or look for a young and cheap but good defender left.
good luck with your chelsea team.
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:30
Thanks Gki, I can understand your concerns with having two CB’s. But I actually have four. Papadopoulos and Jones are world class and my first choice. While Caceres and Chygrynskyi are both ‘natural’ in that position and used as backup. I tend to use the backup players for so called easier cup games. I play a 4-5-1, so the three strikers are more than enough. Buying too many players leaves some not playing when they expect to. Then the unrest settles and I usually find my season falters as a result. I can see the likeliness from Micah to Jones too. Although Jones is far more competent in CB positions, where as Micah is better at right back for me. Bertrand is good enough for left back and I can deal with Bong as my backup for now. We’ll see how it goes but reinforcements may be needed.
Laxeyman
29 марта, 2011 at 18:12
Wow, a massive amount of money spent Darren, but you’ve spent it well by the looks of it, you’ve got 2 very good midfielders, Jones is a fabulous centre back, so the spine of your team looks strong. The new right winger looks a good play as well, and I reckon you can win the title this season. Good luck!
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:32
Hey Laxeyman, we certainly did spend a lot, maybe to much. I am gunning for the top this season, and could be under pressure after such a huge transfer budget.
hils
29 марта, 2011 at 18:58
Hi Darren,great signings there!!!!!!!!!! Jones is an amazing defender!!!!!!!!!! I hope he performs for you!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:05
Thanks Hils, I’m happy with pre-season and hopefully Jones will prove strong as the spine of our team. :)
Ana Garcia
29 марта, 2011 at 19:23
Wow! If you got the money you might aswell spend it!!
You seem to love buying South American players with two more from Brazil and one from Argentina but its hardly surprising as they always produce world class players.
Anyways best of luck this season! :)
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 19:38
The amount of world class players from South American is staggering. They could make two world class national teams a piece from them!! The Brazilians seem to be churning out some excellent players within the last three years. I just love technically gifted midfielders. :)
Liam101
29 марта, 2011 at 19:57
Some more great signings Darren. I hope you can win the prem this year and show those manchester clubs whos boss
Darren Smith
29 марта, 2011 at 20:30
Thanks Liam, I hope we win the league too. Man City and Utd are amazing but we have a good chance.
the-dutch-fm-god
29 марта, 2011 at 23:32
Some nice, but very expensive signings, you should be able to win the league with this team :)
Darren Smith
30 марта, 2011 at 11:47
Thanks mate, the summer transfers were a success in my opinion. It just feels wrong spending so much, but I figured if the moneys there and I want the title why not. :)
Kevin
30 марта, 2011 at 09:16
Hi Darren
Some very nice transfer actitvity though I’m not familiar with Phil Jones but he looks fantastic as do the ohter players you brought in. Good luck for the new season and thanks for re-capping the rules of the challenge which I had forgotten :)
Darren Smith
30 марта, 2011 at 11:50
Hey Kevin. Phil Jones has just this year started to show true potential. So in general football terms he’s relatively unheard of and you manage the lower leagues too which means you’ll probably not see much of him. Certainly worth a buy though mate. I felt like it was time for a recap on the rules, plus we have a lot of new readers to think about too. :)
alan pang
31 марта, 2011 at 02:59
hi Darren.
You have made some great transfer like Marcelo.For me, i think he certainly worth the money that you have pay for it.Hopefully you can fully revive Chelsea by winning the Prem this season.
Cheer!
Darren Smith
31 марта, 2011 at 17:57
Hey Alan, thanks for the support. Hopefully Marcelo will prove at least worth the hefty fee. I’m gunning for the title this year but competition is tough. :)
Liam101
1 апреля, 2011 at 04:59
Hey Darren. Just had a thought about your international career with argentina. I think you should keep your job because
A) It will give you something different to the usual with your new french team and
B) from what i have heard being an international manager means clubs are more attracted to you. I know your manger is world class and top of hall and fame but just a suggestion
Darren Smith
1 апреля, 2011 at 11:53
I’m afraid I have already resigned from Argentina mate. It was tough to concentrate on both club and country. Hopefully its for the best.
Liam101
1 апреля, 2011 at 20:35
Yeah. im sure with your skills and stature will easily get you a top club in france.
Good luck
Sears
2 апреля, 2011 at 13:58
Sorry for the late replay, but superb signings. You’ve got rid of the big earners and replaced them with players who deserve to be paid big wages. I’mm sure you’ll win the title this reason. Good luck.
Darren Smith
2 апреля, 2011 at 14:09
No problem Sears, and thanks for the encouragement. I went way overboard with transfers but had to if I’m to make a title challenge. Hopefully that will now happen. :)