retired_pamela

I've been playing a s Nottingham Forest. They gave me a 3 year plan to be a mid-table Championship side, which I duly accepted. After two successive promotions (the latter being very lucky), my board expect me to be challenging for the Premiership Title at the end of a two year plan... what the?!

Anyway, I got a £20m budget this season, compared to approx £500,000 over the past two. I've lost most of my old players on free transfers, but I've done some wheeling and dealing and my squad is as follows:

GK - Dida (£20k) / David Blackmore (free)
DL - Vilhaz (some random Canadian LB, £1m)
DC - Breno (£7m, Olympiakos) / Cathcart (free)
DC - Michael Mancienne (on loan) / Nordveit (on loan)
DR - Kevin Wilson
DMC - Ropotan / Patrick Bell (regen)
ML - Duff (£75k) / Seedorf (£500k)
MR - Kallon
AMC - Banega (£5m - retraining) / Buonanotte
FC - Stancu / Doudin
FC - Ronaldo (free) / Shevchenko (£75k)

Anybody think I have a realistic chance of staying up with this makeshift squad?

I desperately need to improve my defence, the only problem I have is that nobody wants to join me. I tried Samba, but Roma bought him instead! I've also tried Simpson & Evans from Man U, but they're not interested....

Any experienced defenders to bolster my backline that might want to come?

Would Simunic (£3m) be a good buy? I've got about £5 left to spend.

Thanks

retired_rossa7878

Try John Heitinga from ajax, you might get him for 5m(DC and DR)

retired_pamela

Thanks, might give him a shot.

May also try Skrtel - if these fail does anyone else have any suggestions.

Do you think I can challenge for the PL next season?!

retired_red26

cahais from boca or river (forgot which one), class player and will cost about £4m, and doesnt want loads in wages.

jack hobbs on loan

retired_rotert

I had a Van Nistelrooy bid of 1.2m accepted in the Jan window but he wouldn't come to Leeds. Still had excellent technical stats, only his pace had dropped to 11 and strength to 13. Like you, two successive promotions so it should be the same year.

You might do better with another keeper. Itanje from Liverpool maybe, or Pletikosa. By this year most of the bargain keepers are at big clubs. I lost out on Enyeama to Athletico, but have a scout around here for some GK suggestions.

Also, your CBs look a bit young and inexperienced. Maybe try and sign some veteran who still has the physical side of his game as well as technical. Might not be a long term solution but good for establishing yourself. I nearly signed Sol Campbell on a free but saw his pace was 6, stamina 9 and strenth a puny 7! He joined a league one side.

I picked up someone called Terrell Forbes. Cheap, but an excellent backup for CB/RB. About 100k I think.

Good backup winger in Jaime Peters if he's really cheap, but don't shell out a fortune.

Depending on who has bought him, Riga is a sound AMRC, often with a 7.5m release fee.

Another youngster, but Matthew Connelly is an excellent Loan CB from Arsenal. Better than Mancienne IMO.

ocon11630

If u have had only two successive promations and shevchenko only cost £75k, you have urself a bargain in my save (same year) hes still valued at £15m and still banging in the goals. Also Eduardo (wonderkid brazilian) can play in many positions and is premiership quality in 2009/10. I also got bhoularouz (sp?)for 3.1m in the third season. And i'd also second the vote for cahias from boca, and hobbs on loan.

retired_tinawojo

4 million? I got Cahais for 600k in the summer window of the third season, maybe I just got lucky.

retired_tinawojo

Damn the lack of an edit feature!

As for defenders Mancienne was class for me in second season so should be even better in third and Cahais is a good buy if you can get him cheap. i find the best way to find good defenders is search for Defenders with good atats in 3 or 4 key areas like, tackling, marking, heading, positioning and jumping who can often be bought for a less than million even though having 17 or 16s in most of those attributes.

retired_red26

that was a bargain. i had to pay £4.6m fir him half way through my third season, but hes been great and got loads of teams after him now

retired_pamela

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Yeah I though Sheva was a bargain, it is the start of season 3, but he'd been listed for a year and hadn't played for 18 months. It doesn't usually happen but there are lots of players listed for £0 or next to £0 at Chelsea, but Sheva was the only one I could attract. My strikeforce is definitely my strongest asset though, Doudin and Stancu dominated the Championship, and Ronaldo actually seems quite healthy and has finishing of 20!

Kalou, Mikel and Pizarro have all left for nothing as well.

I tried Jack Hobbs but he's needed for first team duty apparently.

Will try Cahias when I get home, hopefully he'll still be there. Will also look out for Terrell Forbes.

I can buy Simunic for £3m, his stats look good but my coach doesn't rate him!

As for Mancienne I had him on loan last season and he was my best CB so I've brought him back again.