[retired_anastashia]

I am surprised at how Pirlo fails to command an automatic place in the team for some on here.

Ambrosini's class, and gets the nod ahead of Gattuso in the first season (though I might play both away).

But in my first season, where I won serie A and should have won the Champ's League were it not for an outrageous Man U comeback in the semis, Pirlo was outstanding. He must have made 40 appearances or so, most of them starts; he got upwards of 10 goals, and nearly 20 assists.

Pirlo, not Kaka, is my playmaker, if I use one. I put him on mixed (just over short) passing, so he can make some longer-range passes. A lot of my moves go through him, and since I play him in his natural DM position (with forward-thinking mentality and through balls) he makes things happen.

He was the outstanding player and really saved me from coming 2nd in the last 10 matches of serie A. With Kaka and Rosina injured, UI switched to a 4-1-3-2 and made Pirlo play as a MC running onto AMC. He was outstanding and got a few proper goals (i.e. not free-kicks).

Play Pirlo right, and support him with the DMC's to do the gruntwork, and he'll reward you.

[vineela]

if you're using pirlo as a DMC playmaker, would you have him "hold up ball"?

[retired_Kristaod]

As above, wouldnt mind knowing some good coaches to get, my 15 season Milan save, i didnt both with youth till my 10th.
I want to start early in 08, and get them churning out asap.

Im not doing too bad thus far, transfer wise.
Played 2 games, Siena & Sevilla, won 3-1 and 3-2.

Managed to sign:
Akinfeev
Barzagli
Tuia
Amauri
VanDerVaart

Im playing 4-1-2-1-2 with the tactics mentioned late on in the 07 thread.

Transfer targets/outs for next season:
Zaccardo - hopefully on a free. Replacing Cafu.
Chiellini - Hes gone Sevilla so he'll be easyier to get than from Juve. Replacing Kaladze
Pazzini or Bojan - Inzaghis Replacement.
Cassani - Long term replacement for Oddo.
Raul Garcia - Replacement for Brocchi.
Kompany or another good fast defender - Replacement for Maldini.

And evantually Fabregas.

[retired_anastashia]

skanky: I'm very wary of using hold up the ball for any player other than a strong striker, and then only if I'm in the lead, because I always play with two strikers and I expect them both to work the flanks, drop deep, and get goals.

Pirlo is set to an attacking mentality (normal away), highest creatrivity, strong closing down. He wins a few balls by getting there first, but mostly, he's the one who the ball goes to if we've hit a "dead end" forward.

I'm having serious problems in season 2, but in season 1 it worked a treat. No, I might try to put him on "Mixed" passing, to see if he can release players out wide- as I may be forced to play with wide players soon if my 41212 stops working.

(I'm thinking Pandev up front, Robinho out left, Kaka AMC, and Rosina on the right... Pirlo and Ambrosini/Gattuso to pick up the pieces)

[retired_anastashia]

Bojan's not interested. Fabregas would have cost me 80 million, if I'd gone ahead... and he's contracted til 2012.

[vineela]

gone back to the 4-1-2-1-2 i used in fm07.

i didnt think of putting pirlo on highest creativity, i think only kaka has the highest creativity (about 15 i think).

although i do have him set to low closing down (moot point with the closing down bug surely) with direct passing (again around 15) and the 2 MCs in front to close down super quick, as pirlo sucks as a DMC, he cant tackle or mark for toffee!

[retired_selenal74]

I play with the no transfer fund initially...so there is no buying selling at the start of the season..means i have to play with what ancelotti does
Is really tough..and i can understand ancelloti's position.
Tactics
I normally play 4-3-2-1 ( the christmas tree that carlo also plays).The 2 AMCs have sarrows and the MC(pirlo) has a barrow in away matches. The sidebacks have farrow in home matches.
My starting 11 becomes
Dida
oddo nesta maldini/bonera kaladze
gattuso pirlo ambro
kaka seedorf
pippo/gila

I buy strikers and backup defenders in the january window.
So I switch to 4-3-1-2 home with pirlo as central MC gattuso/ambro as MCr and seedorf as MCl. My away tactics becomes 4-1-3-2 with pirlo as dmc and kaka as central MC with farrow.

Transfers
In july i cannot buy and no one else can buy from me coz no one has any transfer budget so I take a few players on loan.
I usually loan a GK(benaglio), a defender (fazio), MC (diaby), AM(baptista) & Fwd(saviola or soldado)
In january i buy palacio, belluschi, kompany, barzagli & banega, Kiesling. This time I have also bought Steven Defour and seen that he is a wonderkid...so lets see.
In 2008 I am buying a gk(Ochoa - cheaper than akinfeev),another Fwd(giuseppe rossi), a DR(Alves), Crespo(cover for Inzaghi & got him for free) and some U20s at cheap.

Result
I was playing in a network game with my room mate who was Inter. In the 1st 6 months he had raced to a 14 pt lead in serie a. but after my january buys, i started playing in aggressive manner to win at roma,lazio,juve & fiorentina. Our milan inter 1st round was drawn 2-2 after I was leading 2-0. Ultimately in the end he was 3 points ahead with our match left. I won it 2-0 to tie in pts but go ahead in league and won the league. Lost in the semis of italian cup to Cavani(5 goals over the 2 leg).
Won the Cl 4-2 over my friend at Inter again after equalising at 2-2 in the 89th min. Gila scored a hattrick
have also won the supercups and world club cup already
Club offered me a new deal in 2008 for 2 months as I had won the league before their plan. My friend at inter is still stuck at his old deal

[retired_DawnC]

I am impressed

half way through season 1 (with transferfunds). Ive bought Amauri, barzagli, ignashevich and a couple of youngsters (zakho/phiatti). ive won the supercup and world club, but struggling to keep on top of the league. Both inzaghi and gilardino suck at goalscoring. Kaka rules but his been injured a couple of times. Now seedorf, ambrosini, gattuso, kaladze are out for a good while. and dont get me started at Ronaldo! What a f.... puzzy!!!Personal problems!! El gordo MY ASS

Whats with the penalties, I had 3 yet, but havent scored on any!!!

[retired_hilltopdaisy]

I am just playing with AC and am doing great......I am lying in 1st position, 29 leg two points above Juve.

Just created a great tactic (which you can check in tactic forum.....) and it works great with Milan.

Kaka absolutely rules as does Pirlo and I am rotating Pipo, Gila and Ronnie and they score just enough.

Bought only Barzagli, Breno (out on loan) and sold Bonera

[retired_hilltopdaisy]

Originally posted by BoomAM:
As above, wouldnt mind knowing some good coaches to get, my 15 season Milan save, i didnt both with youth till my 10th.
I want to start early in 08, and get them churning out asap.

Im not doing too bad thus far, transfer wise.
Played 2 games, Siena & Sevilla, won 3-1 and 3-2.

Managed to sign:
Akinfeev
Barzagli
Tuia
Amauri
VanDerVaart

Im playing 4-1-2-1-2 with the tactics mentioned late on in the 07 thread.

Transfer targets/outs for next season:
Zaccardo - hopefully on a free. Replacing Cafu.
Chiellini - Hes gone Sevilla so he'll be easyier to get than from Juve. Replacing Kaladze
Pazzini or Bojan - Inzaghis Replacement.
Cassani - Long term replacement for Oddo.
Raul Garcia - Replacement for Brocchi.
Kompany or another good fast defender - Replacement for Maldini.

And evantually Fabregas.

How in the world did you manage to buy all those players without playing with the editor