retired_vivimade

First off, I'm no FM expert but I've played the game since CM2 and always been pretty successful. But in FM2008 I just cannot seem to win the Champions League with Chelsea and my most recent exit just about took the biscuit.

Having emerged from a difficult group including Barcelona, I progressed to the semis (recovering from 2-0 down against Inter in the quarters to win 3-2). Drew Spurs in the Semis.

First leg at the Bridge 0-0. Second leg at their place, 5 minutes in they take a throw to the edge of our box and Daniel Alves overhead kicks his clearance into the top corner of his own net from 15 yards! Try as we might and despite dominating the game we cant score and go out to bloody Tottenham.

Suffice it to say this rather took the gloss of winning the league by 16 points!

I seem to have a recurring pattern of conceding an early goal in the Champions League knock out stages and not being able to recover. Should I be more cautious 'early doors'?

retired_ichihime

Not a good way to go out. :p

I tend to be really strong in the group stages, then without fail I will go out to the first English team I meet in the knockout stages. Usually Arsenal...

It HAS to be a bug.

deantibbetts

I also find the CL extremely difficult, and I don't think there is any definate way round it. I usually go a bit more defensive away and more attacking at home, but that didn't help me win with FC Bayern.

At Barcelona I went gung ho every match and lost heavily away, but thumped teams at home.

deantibbetts

Lol, I assume you're joking.

retired_ichihime

Lol, I assume you're joking. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Fortunately, yes.

retired_marcias

I use the same style in the Champions league as I do in the Bundesliga for Werder Bremen. First season we banged and crashed our way to the semi-finals, much to my astonishment, drawing 2-2 at home to Real Madrid before getting caned in Spain - we were both top scorers and top conceders that year.

2nd season it was Barcelona in the 2nd round, again we won 2-2 at home (we keep taking a 2-0 lead and then hurling it away!) and again we got thrashed in Spain.

3rd season we were really crap and easily failed to qualify from an easy group - Barcelona predictably won it, but Bordeaux comfortably beat us to 2nd!

Happily I couldn't give a flying fig about the Champions League though apart from the cash that keeps us from spiralling into a black hole of horrific debt.

Back in FM07 my Derby County team did almost the same thing every year - we regular screwed up our opening group game then steam rollered the next 5 before losing at some point in the knockout stage. Our one visit to the final resulted in a 3-0 thrashing by hated arch rivals Arsenal whom we competed for the Premier League title with for 6 years running. Apart from my anger at losing to a club I hated though again my Champions League failings didn't really bother me - the league was my top priority, the league cup my second priority every season.

deantibbetts

Phew . I actually like the way the CL is that bit harder and it certainly helped my long term save. I set out with the intention of winning the CL with FC Bayern and then moving on, it never happened and despite some good showings and good efforts the best we managed in 6 years was one final appearance agaisnt Barcelona. I moved on to Spurs 2014 and then Barca in 2015 and managed to win it in my first season in charge.

If it wasn't that bit harder I probably would have left Bayern early and I think that would have taken something away from my save.

retired_marcias

:p

retired_barsonlyone

Lol, I assume you're joking. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Fortunately, yes. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't be so sure...I've had similar experiences that just don't make sense. At least 3 times going out to english teams in the CL, usually Chelsea or Man U. One of those times I was Inter, and another, more recently, I was with Real Madrid on a 37 match unbeaten run with a team of world beaters (Ronaldo, Silva, Aguero, Robben etc etc). It does seem mighty strange.

Either that or I just have no idea how to play against english teams

retired_marcias

English teams have been over-rated for ages in FM. Now at last the English teams in real life are starting to match the kind of performances long shown by them in the Champions League in FM, more's the pity.