Football Manager 2012 Malaga story — season one report

Hey guys, I bet you didn’t expect to see me around with what looks like a story. :) Well there’s good news and bad, the good news is that I am planning on updating you with my FM progress from time to time as part of my Football Manager 2012 Malaga story. The bad news is that this may be season updates or just a topical post every now and then, but I’m not committing to anything as of yet and certainly won’t be writing more than once a week if that. These posts will just outline my league position and progress through other competitions as well as a look at my favourite players. Around the time I decided to stop doing such regular posts you guys had categorically chosen Malaga for my Football Manager 2012 story and I decided to honour that even if I didn’t start writing a story. So, let’s get down to business and see what happened during my first season in Spain.

Transfers

Malaga have a very old squad, they may be talented but a little over the hill for my liking. I decided to correct that this transfer window and brought in eight new faces and one loan signing. Six of these players are below the age of 22 and all held in the highest regard which you can see on the scouting network.

I also had a lot of dead weight to offload, mainly due to the last manager bringing in a lot of new players but failing to lose the older ones. I managed to raise £7 million which balanced nicely with the players coming in meaning my net spend was £24.5 million.

La Liga results — August to December

I wanted to start the season well but knew this squad would take time to gel just like I would with the new game. Considering the amount of new players that needed time to settle we did exceptionally well winning 11, drawing 2 and losing 3 of our first 16 league fixtures. Joaquin was by far our star player of the first 6 months.

La Liga results — January to May

The second half of the season went fairly well, my boys managed 13 wins, 3 draws and 6 losses from our remaining 22 games. The 6 losses were a little worrying but on reflection they all came against the best teams in Spain and at a tough time for me injury wise. My centre back Kara and young striker Niang were on form come the seasons end and by far my best performers.

La Liga final league standings

Well you’ve seen the results which in my opinion were very good, but how did this translate in the league table? Well Barcelona walked their way to the title finishing 17 points clear of the chasing pack…it will take a lot to catch them! Real Madrid scored a lot of goals and finished the season on 82 points while you know who finished 3rd…Malaga hit an all time high of 77 points. Finishing third guarantees me Champions League football and leaves me comfortable in the knowledge that At. Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal are behind me. This was a fantastic start to my Football Manager 2012 Malaga story.

Copa del Ray results

Malaga did OK in the Copa del Ray but lost 4-3 on aggregate in the quarter-final against Real Madrid. I used this competition to rest key stars and should hopefully have more strength in depth next year.

Best performer and most important player: This award has to go to Kara, the centre back cost less than £1 million yet was by far my best player scoring 17 goals and looking solid in defence.

Most improved player: This was another easy decision, while Badelj and Camacho developed well Niang seemed to grow in front of my eyes. The striker struggled to make an impact after his decent start, but during the last ten games lit up the league. Niang finished the season with a goal every three games…not bad for a 16 going 17 year old :)

Season 2011/12 progress

La Liga final position: 3rd

Copa del Ray: Quarter-finalists

Well that is all for today guys, sorry for the short update and minimal detail…but I don’t have much time these days. I think my first season went well but Malaga need a little more strength in midfield and more pace at the back, then we’ll be a force to reckon with. My next post may be a while away but will be presented in a similar fashion. Until then please feel free to comment below, I love hearing your thoughts.