A helping hand?

Beware of your Assistant Manager. I have already warned of what he can do when you are on holiday so be sure you tick the right boxes or you'll sell your spare 'keeper without telling you and only find out after the transfer window closes.

Also he advises on your current squad. He is quick to tell you when a player is not up to scratch, but I have discovered this is triggered by his value as much as anything.

I had a young non-league striker I took a gamble on. At the start of the season he was a prospect that needed first team football. I loaned him out for half a season and on coming back noticed he needed a new contract as his value suddenly dropped. I asked his advice only to be told he was past his best and should be sold.

I still think he can make it so offered him a contract and his value shot up seven fold... straight away he is a useful member of our squad. Hopeless!

The Wonder of Youth - Part II

A lot has been made of the Sugar Daddy unlockable function that gets you almost unlimited funds. This is probably more realistic than the way you can accumulate funds through player trading.

I have achieved this by buying 17 years olds at almost any level. Be it non-league or far flung European clubs, they can be snapped up for a couple of hundred thousand. Then loan them out for a couple of season.

If they work out you have a bargain. If not they always sell for £2m upwards, the money rolls in! I have five on the go at any one time.

The Wonder of Youth - Part 1

Winning over the Board is the key to survival. Even when you are playing like Sunderland you need them on side to avoid the chop or being thrown to the fans chanting your name outside the training ground.

I have found a way to increase your rating with the Board. By playing a number of home grown players you get the message “The Board admires the rapport you have with the supporters” (or words to that effect).

All fans like to see the local boy do good, so by playing around three ensures they are happy… and if they are happy the Board are happy.

Rogue Bidding

I wonder if anyone can help me? I have come across something that I cannot explain. My team has made four bids for players that I have never heard of or seen before. One of the bids has even exceeded the Boards limit!

I wasn't on holiday at the time so I cannot explain it. I haven't bought any of the players so wonder if I should have taken the hint!

Home Is Where The Heart Is

This is probably the worst Football Manager Handheld hint yet but I haven't seen it elsewhere so thought I'd commit it to writing.

You are having a bad run? Bought a player you wish you hadn't? If you haven't got autosave on, save the game prior to any big game / moment then when things go South hit the HOME button and restart.

There. Told you it was rubbbish.

Seeing Red

This may be a coincidence but I think I have found a tactic that gets a player from the opposition sent off.

Still persevering with the 5-3-2 Attacking I was conceding quite a few goals. To try and stop this I placed two defensive midfielders (Folly & Denilson) in the centre allowing my Attacking Midfielder (Toro) and various strikers to mount their attack, supported by the wing backs.

For the first half of the season, 75% of my games ended with a player being sent off! I had to stop as the formation and changing form meant that I was only ever scoring one goal a game so had to sacrifice a bit of stability for attacking flair (on came Andrew Potter now valued at £30m plus).

Sick Notes

In a previous article I have warned of the injury prone player, but in the last few seasons I have been haunted by a few bad signings.

Marian Pahars and Kenwyne Jones (yes, I still can't get rid of him) are up there and should be avoided but one player takes the biscuit.

A player from Man U called van de Meyde has made Darren Anderton look spritely! Another word of caution, make sure you tick the right boxes when you go on holiday. I turned my back for two weeks and my assistant offered him a ruddy "lucrative" contract when I was planning to release him!

For Evra And A Day

Playing 5-3-2 Attack the wing backs are crucial, and I have found two crackers.

P Evra was a rejected left sided player, low on morale when I found him at Man U for less than a million. He is now worth £10m!

Raul is a Brazilian right back who wanted to come over for the big time. It is rare that a defender says that so I snapped him up.

Both cause the message that their "crosses are causing havoc" which can only be a good thing!