FM12: Hamburger SV - Caught in mediocrity?

[michaelthestrange]

Welcome to the Hamburger SV Thread!

- Football Manager 2012 -

History and recent performances

Founded in 1887, HSV has never been relegated from any top-flight league in Germany and is the only team that has been ever-present in the Bundesliga since its foundation in 1963.

The club has been formed through the union of SC Germania, Hamburger FC and FC Falke. While blue, white and black are the actual club colours, the team’s home kit usually uses red and white in honour of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

HSV has been most successful in the 1970s and 80s. In this period they managed to win the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) twice, became Bundesliga champions in 1979, 1982 and 1983, have won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977 and the European Cup in 1983. Key staff included Director of Football Günther Netzer and Managers Ernst Happel and Branko Zebec at that time.

Last season has been another disillusioning year. Hamburg was not represented in European Football and got knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in the 2nd round against Frankfurt. The team was placed 8th at the end of the season and therefore – despite having star players like Ejero Elia, Joris Mathijsen, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Zé Roberto in the squad – has consequently failed to reach continental qualification again.

Everyone knew changes would have to be made: The squad was aging, the club was paying very high wages and the old and/or overpaid star players failed to bring success to the club.

So the club members elected a new supervisory board. They in turn signed Frank Arnesen from Chelsea as sporting director and sacked the criticized chairman Bernd Hoffmann, who got replaced by politician Carl-Edgar Jarchow.

So after the club’s officials have changed completely, Frank Arnesen started to overhaul the squad. Chairman Jarchow made clear that the wages have to be reduced and that players have to go before new ones could be signed. With that in mind, Arnesen agreed that former first team players and top earners like Zé Roberto, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Frank Rost and Piotr Trochowski would not get offered contract renewals and could leave on free transfers. Furthermore, Eljero Elia, Joris Mathijsen, Jonathan Pitroipa, Alex Silva and David Rozehnal were sold for a total of €18M.

On the other hand, Arnesen took Jeffrey Bruma, Michael Mancienne, Slobodan Rajkovic, Gökhan Töre and Jacopo Sala with him from his former club Chelsea and also signed Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Ivo Ilicevic. This way he managed to turn an aging and unsuccessful squad into a young and unpredictable one.

Now the question is: was this the first step to bring back success to the club or did it burry the club deeper into mediocrity? Well, it’s up to you.

Good luck!

[michaelthestrange]

Home Ground: Imtech Arena - Volksparkstadion

Capacity: 57000

Club Information

Full Name - Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V.

Short Name - HSV

Nickname - Die Rothosen (Red Shorts)

Year Founded - 1887

Club Colours - Black, White, Blue

Major Rivals - Werder Bremen (Nordderby), St.Pauli (Hamburger Stadtderby)

Affinities - Hannover 96, Arminia Bielefeld, Glasgow Rangers

Club Legends – Felix Magath, Uwe Seeler, Manfred Kaltz, Jupp Posipal, Charly Dörfel

Icons – Ditmar Jakobs, Horst Schnoor, Horst Hrubesch, Rudi Kargus, Peter Nogly, Kevin Keegan, Thomas Doll, Jörd Albertz, Thomas von Heesen, Harals Spörl

Favoured Personnel - Sergej Barbarez, Rafael van der Vaart

Media Prediction - 6th

Squad Personality – Ambitious

Club Captain - Heiko Westermann

Vice-Captain – Mladen Petric

Kits

Expectations and Budgets

[michaelthestrange]

Squad Analysis

Goalkeepers

Jaroslav Drobny: He is definitely the best keeper at the club and has some excellent strengths while also possessing some weaknesses. He is far from flawless as he lacks in some key areas like one on ones, anticipation, decision making and agility. However, he is still a good keeper who will be decent enough for the first (couple of) seasons.

Sven Neuhaus and Tom Mickel: These two are your backups, but neither of them will be able to challenge for a first team spot. I personally wouldn’t trust Neuhaus due to his combination of high eccentricity and low decisions.

Defenders

Heiko Westermann: He is the club captain and possesses amazing physical ability. He is fast, strong and good in the air but far from being a perfect defender. His marking and tackling skills are decent but he lacks in some mental areas that are vital for Centre Backs. However, he is a model professional and capable of playing many different positions so you will definitely find a place in the squad for him, even if you get better Centre Backs in the future.

Slobodan Rajkovic: He is a new arrival from Chelsea and we were only able to buy him as he failed to get a work permit. He is a good choice to partner Westermann in the centre of the defence, as he is actually a very solid defender despite his low acceleration and decision making. While being able to play both full back positions he is definitely best suited to play in the centre due to his lack of speed.

Michael Mancienne: An Englishman playing in Germany – quite a rarity. The other Ex-Chelsea defender is another good addition to the squad due to his versatility. His lack of strength and aerial prowess probably does not make him the best centre back but he still will be a solid back-up at least. His speed also qualifies him to play as a defensive full back, which is a huge plus as the squad lacks in this area.

Jeffrey Bruma: He is a promising youngster on loan from Chelsea with good physical abilities. But as he is still developing, he lacks in some key mental areas and we do not have an option to buy him, which makes it appear a bit useless to give him much play time to develop.

Muhamed Besic: Momo already is a Bosnian International at this young age and has a lot of potential. However, he still has to develop and is far from ready for the first team. His attributes do not seem to be fixed.

Dennis Diekmeier: The only natural right back at the club is more of an offensive wing back than a defender. However, his raw pace can make up for some of his mistakes that he will inarguably make due to his lack of marking and mental skills. Then again, he is excellent at running up and down the flank and putting in crosses. He is also decent at jumping which is always nice to have, even for a full back in my opinion.

The full back area might not seem to be very well covered, but remember that all your centre backs are capable of playing as full backs and there are also some midfielders that are able to do so.

Central Midfielers

David Jarolim: If you are not crazy about jumping and creativity in a defensive mid, David Jarolim offers everything you could ask for: He is determined, brave, clever, hardworking and possesses excellent stamina without having defensive weaknesses. Do not expect him to hit pin point through balls all the time, though.

Tomas Rincon: The Venezuelan vice-captain might be your second choice in a defensive position and the researchers definitely made an effort to get his attributes right this time. He is a pure destroyer, who will not go for the right move every time and give away some fouls but he definitely plays with his heart and will give it all in every match. He is also able to help out as a right back, which might be useful.

Per Ciljan Skjelbred: The new signing from Norway is another hardworking midfielder who can also act as a winger. He is a good passer and will fiercely hassle every opponent, just do not expect him to score goals.

Dennis Aogo: While being a natural left back and first choice there in real life, the German International actually offers very little that might qualify him for that role. I think his mental and technical skills would make him a good central midfielder in a playmaking role, though. He also is excellent at taking set pieces, which is already a good reason to have him in the team.

Gojko Kacar: A very well-rounded player who is capable of winning the ball, moving into space, scoring goals and winning headers. He is also able to play in every central position from centre back to striker. I recommend using him as part of a three-man midfield. While defending, he can act as a ball-winner and while attacking he can use his excellent movement to burst into the box and offer a goalscoring threat. The problem is, though, that this is a very demanding role and due to his low stamina he will always be the first one who needs to be substituted in the second half. He also is unable to play a holding role, as he likes to get forward whenever possible.

Robert Tesche and Mickael Tavares: These two aren’t the most useful players. They might be decent backups but nothing more, especially as the squad is very strong in midfield anyway.

Wingers

Ivo Ilicevic: The new signing from Kaiserslautern is a pacey dribbler and decent finisher, who unfortunately lacks heavily in the mental department. However, this will not hinder him at dribbling through the opponents and trying to shoot or cross/pass. Do not expect him to pick the best option, though, especially due to his preference to take long shots.

Romeo Castelen: A bit slower and less skilled but cleverer than Ilicevic, Castelen always had problems with injuries since he came to Hamburg in 2007 and therefore was unable to play many games. Maybe this will be his season? It could be he his last chance due to his terribly low natural fitness.

Marcell Jansen: Jansen is an orthodox winger who might also be needed as a left back. He is a brave tackler but otherwise he is not very good defensively. Much like Diekmeier on the other side, he is great at getting forward but too weak in defense to be a defender. So you might prefer using him as a winger as he offers decent scoring and passing abilities.

Gökhan Töre: The ex-Chelsea player is a great talent who is another fast and skilful dribbler, but then again he is neither able to move cleverly off the ball, score goals nor pick out the best passing options. But he still has bags of potential and might turn into a quality player with the right guidance.

Sören Bertram: A young German talent who might be a candidate to leave on loan.

Strikers

Paolo Guerrero: The Peruvian is an excellent supporting or ‘false 9’ type of striker. He is not the best finisher but excellent at bringing others into play. Just make sure you don’t completely rely on him scoring the goals and he will perform just fine. Then again, considering his enormous wages, high starting value and that he is not the easiest character to deal with, selling him probably wouldn’t be the worst move either.

Tolgay Arslan: The natural attacking midfielder is another good prospect as he is able to score as well as create chances for others. He definitely deserves to get some match experience, probably as a backup for Guerrero.

Mladen Petric: Petric is an excellent finisher with good passing and creativity which makes him a very useful player as he can play a complete role. He unfortunately will have a hard time getting at the end of through balls as he lacks pace, but with the ball played to feet, he can use his excellent first touch and finish with a typically powerful shot or play a through ball to a team-mate. His preference to take long shots is a major downside, though.

Marcus Berg: Berg is a pure finisher. And while being excellent at that, he, similar to Petric, is just too slow to beat his marker and get at the end of through balls, which makes it hard to get him into goalscoring positions. You also don’t want him to be involved in link up play either as he is just awful at that.

Son Heung-Min: The South-Korean International is probably the brightest talent at the club and offers everything a poacher needs. Pace, Movement, Finishing combined with good technical abilitiy. He is also able to cut inside from both wings or play as an attacking midfielder. However, he should not be forced to play a lot of passes due to the lack of passing and creativity. He should rather focus on making forward runs, getting at the end of through balls and scoring goals - either as a poacher or an inside forward. Alternatively, you could put him on intense passing training as an individual focus to mould him into a more well-rounded player.

Possible Formations and Line ups

[michaelthestrange]

Wheeling and Dealing

The Budgets are tight, so in order to create some funds I recommend selling Marcus Berg, Mickael Tavares and/or Robert Tesche. I personally have no use for them and at least Berg and Tesche can be sold for twice their value, which is a good deal in my opinion. To further lower the salary, David Jarolim might agree to extend his contract on lower wages. So if you plan to keep playing him in the future, go ahead.

I feel the squad lacks quality on the wings. Marcell Jansen is useful, but might also be needed as a left back. Son can score goals, but can’t create things and I like clever players, even on the flanks. Anticipation, creativity, decisions and off the ball movement are key attributes for every attacking player in my opinion and that’s why I don’t feel completely comfortable playing Ilicevic, Töre or Castelen.

So to bolster up on the wings, I recommend buying Ecuadorian Luis Bolaños from Liga de Quito. He can be brought in for 1.3M and doesn’t have huge wage demands. Furthermore, you could bring in Patrik from Palmeiras on loan with an agreed price of around 3M. He is a fast, versatile player with no weaknesses just like Bolaños and still has potential. Another option would be Nacer Barazite from Austria Wien. He already looks very solid and is still developing as well. He is a player who is capable to fill in every attacking position.

To strengthen the defence, Ibrahim Sekagya from Red Bull Salzburg is a real bargain that costs no more than 240k. He is not the youngest, but a seems a perfectly solid defender who can either play as a centre back or a full back on both flanks. If you have some spare money Tottenham’s Kaboul and/or Bassong usually end up transfer listed and would be pricey but good additions to the squad.

If you don’t trust Neuhaus as a back-up keeper or just want to bring in a second one, Simon Pouplin can be snapped up on a free transfer.

Staff Analysis

Coaches to keep: Markus Günther, Ronny Teuber

Coaches to sign: Flávio Trevisan, Inge Takøy, Tony Meola, Lúcio Novelli, Chico Fraga, Chris Armas, Marcos Antônio Biasotto, Ørjan Berg, Jaime Duarte and Robertinho or Benevan (as Assistant Manager, this depends on your preferences though)

-> You shold now have at least 4 stars in every training category and everyone on light workload

Scouts to keep: Michael Schröder, (Werner Bröcker, Lee Congerton)

Scouts to sign: Faustino Asprilla, Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, Yves Eigenrauch, Samuel Pedroso, Rui Aguas, Stratos Apostolakis, Stan Valckx, Newton Motta

[michaelthestrange]

12.2 Update

Real Life - Thorsten Fink turning things around...

...tactically:

While Oenning has been changing his tactic nearly every match, Fink settled on a 4-4-2 straight away:

- edited from spielverlagerung.de -

Fink’s system is transforming to something like a 3-5-2 in attack.

The Fullbacks get forward a lot and act like classic wingers, while Rincon – the most defensive midfielder – drops deep between the two Centre Backs, who in turn move wider to cover the flanks. This not only helps to prevent the Centre Backs being outnumbered during counter attacks, it also should help the build-up play, as the defenders can give the ball to Rincon who than starts the attacking moves with passes of alternating length.

Töre on the right wing usually moves infield with and without the ball to draw opposition player out of position, create space for Diekmeier and to create a numerical advantage in midfield. Jansen on the other side acts more like a mix of a traditional winger and wide forward, as he tries to get crosses in the box or move towards goal off the ball himself. The two forwards are changing positions and alternately dropping deep.

…resultwise

Oenning was able to secure one point in six games this season. Fink is currently on 20 points in 15 games and brought the club from last place to a rather secure mid table position. The results still are not impressive, however, the team is dominating most matches and after the terrible start to the season the only real goal has to be to avoid relegation - and the club is on a very good way to achieve this. After the reign of Oenning it is also very pleasing to finally see a clear system being followed.

In-game update

Transfers:

Christian Norgaard and Dominik Masek are the only players that joined the club in the winter transfer window. They are two quite promising youngsters but no first team options.

Attribute Changes:

Starting with the most important one: Gökhan Töre.

He is a wonderkid now and finally a more than useful player. I am especially happy about his increased creativity as it should enable his moves to actually lead to something substantial. He is still lacking in some important mental attributes though so I would suggest putting him on heavy tactics training to increase his anticipation and decision making. He still will be a definite first choice on either wing, though. Just like in real life.

Tomas Rincón – There are only minor changes but I feel they really make him a better player. The biggest improvement has been his positioning which should be very useful. Again, he too still lacks anticipation and decisions, so a focus on those attributes is advisable.

Gojko Kacar – He has been downgraded, which is fine as he never seemed to have found the form he was in before he joined Hamburg. He is less creative, worse technically and slower in this version.

Mladen Petric – Unfortunately he is not as good as he used to be either. Especially the decrease in acceleration, creativity and passing will hurt.

Robert Tesche – He finally has been given a fixed set of attributes and has been portrayed pretty well. This unfortunately does not make him a more useful player though.

Jacopo Sala – He increased as a player overall and is a useful player with decent potential now.

Zhi Gin Lam – Shiggy gave his debut this season and therefore has got his attributes raised. He still lacks the potential to become a regular first team player though.

Per Skjelbred – Only minor changes again, but the decrease in passing and creativity unfortunately make him a less useful player.

Slobodan Rajkovic – Overall, I feel he is not as impressive as he used to be as he gained a weakness in his low concentration. Physically, he decreased slightly in acceleration and jumping but therefore his pace and stamina increased.

Formation and Line-up:

This would probably be closest to real life, however you might prefer the pace of Heung-Min Son up front. I am also not a huge fan of playing Jansen as a winger, so probably Skjelbred might be a decent option there or even a retrained Guerrero or Aogo. It is also nice to have Jacopo Sala as a decent and very versatile option in the squad now.

[michaelthestrange]

-- reserved for future purposes --

[SRL88]

Nice OP Michael

[london boy]

I'm considering taking over there in my game too. I went to Hamburg recently and watched HSV versus Wolfsburg, which ended in a one-all draw. They really lacked creativity. Personally, I would sign a top-quality keeper. Drobny is a back-up for me. He's quite error-prone IRL. Another thing I find lacking is leadership, so I would recommend signing players with good influence ratings. Tore and Son are definitely talented and worth keeping hold of and developing. HSV are a big club, but this squad is a work in progress. There is definitely potential there and I think you can challenge for the title with the right investment

[Llew_Arshavin23]

Nice OP mate

Hamburg could pose a very difficult challenge this season.

[Bigpapa42]

Happy to see this. Was disappointed that no one had done a Hamburg thread and had started to consider doing it myself. Great work!

The squad isn't fantastic at this point and there isn't a lot of young talent that isn't already in the 1st team. The complete lack of funds is a bit frustrating, especially since there is plenty of money in the bank.

Good point about Kacar not being great in the holding role, which I found out in the first friendly. He was supposed to be the base player in an inverted CM triangle yet on the pitch, he was constantly up ahead of the two guys he was supposed to supporting behind.

[michaelthestrange]

First of all, thank you for the positive reactions so far

The complete lack of funds is a bit frustrating, especially since there is plenty of money in the bank.

This is a bit misleading in the game, as you get these messages on the 1st of August:

So the financial situations is not as good as it looks at the start of the season.

Good point about Kacar not being great in the holding role, which I found out in the first friendly. He was supposed to be the base player in an inverted CM triangle yet on the pitch, he was constantly up ahead of the two guys he was supposed to supporting behind.

Yes, his PPM is a shame in my opinion as it heavily limits your tactical options and the ways you can use him. I personally cannot make him fit my tactic at the moment, which is sad as he has some excellent attributes.

[Bigpapa42]

Yeah, the loans are pretty huge. And there is no European football this year. Its just disappointing to get absolutely nothing to work with.

I have to admit that I had not really considered selling on Guerrero before reading your summary, but I'm thinking that might be a good move. He's not a great tactical fit for what I'd like to do and its a chore to keep him happy. That would definitely provide some money to shore up the squad with and to add some good prospects.

Kacar creates a bit of a tough situation. His technical skills make him look like a great anchor man, but that PPM means he isn't. Similar problem with playing him in defense. Putting him a bit further up the bitch concerns me due to his Touch and Passing both being quite mediocre. I really don't want to sell him, though if he causes too many tactical problems that may be the solution. I'm also giving some consideration to using him as a defensive forward...

[michaelthestrange]

Start of Season 2011/12 Update

August is over, the transfer window is closed, the first DFB-Pokal round is won and the first four Bundesliga matches are played. It is time for an update!

Transfers

Out

Robert Tesche to Vitesse for 4.1M

He is simply surplus to requirements and the fee is very high for a player of his calibre in my opinion.

Marcus Berg to PSG for 5.25M

He just doesn’t fit my philosophy at the moment. I like my attackers to be able to both score and create, which Marcus is not really capable of.

Comparing him with Petric and Son, he is definitely worse than Petric while Son still has a lot of potential and is fast, which is very important as a goal scorer in my opinion.

Mickael Tavares to AZ for 1.1M

Not a great fee but I just wanted to get rid of him as I do not plan to use him at all.

Gojko Kacar to Sevilla for 5M

This definitely was no easy decision but I plan to play two holding midfielders and his constant forward runs just do not fit my tactic. It is sad as he is a quality player, but selling him allows me to bring in players that fit my tactic better by creating some funds.

In

Simon Pouplin – free transfer

He will be my backup keeper. His wages ideally could be a bit lower but I am sure he will do a good job if Drobny is injured.

Ibrahim Sekagya from Red Bull Salzburg for 220K

This cheap and versatile backup defender should be a good addition to the squad, even though he is not the youngest and his first performances were not the best as he had to play as a full back.

Nacer Barazite from Austria Wien for 2.6M

He offers nearly everything I want from my attackers. He is versatile, can dribble, create and score and still has potential. His teamwork could be higher but you can’t have everything for this price can you? He averaged 7.17 in his first three appearances.

Luis Bolaños from Liga de Quito for 1.6M

Again, bought as planned. I definitely feel more comfortable playing him on the wings than Castelen or Ilicevic and he only costs 4,300 per week. Bargain.

Patrik on loan from Palmeiras – agreed price of 2.5M

As a loan signing, I can watch him play and calmly decide whether he is/will be good enough for squad or not. No risks at all and another option in attack.

Claudio Yacob from Racing Club for 425K

By selling Kacar I was able to bring in other options for the holding midfield positions. Yacob is solid defensively and able to pick out and execute passes - A cheap but quality addition to the squad.

Guido Pizarro from Lanús for 1.3M

This more attacking central midfield signing still has a lot of potential and might develop into a first team player.

Thoughts

Now that the transfer window is closed, I realize that I probably should have had a look at some natural full backs. However, Diekmeier, Aogo, Jansen, Mancienne, Sekagya and Westermann will offer enough cover for these positions even if none of them is perfect.

Formation

These players have a quite safe place in the first team. However, Skjelbred might lose his place to one of my new midfield signings who arrived just after the last match. Aogo and Mancienne rotate as left backs depending on whether I am looking for attacking options or defensive stability.

Due to lots of injuries it was not easy to make out the first choices in the four attacking spots. However, Jansen impressed with 3 goals and 3 assissts in 3 matches and Bolaños played quite well too. So they are probably the first choices on the wings with Patrik being the first back up. Guerrero, Petric and Barazite rotate in the centre depending on fitness and performance. By the way, I like to play Petric in the AMC spot as he seems to take fewer long shots from this position.

Concerning the tactic, it is a 4-2-3-1 with two holding midfielders who are not allowed to make forward runs but are supposed to spray passes from deep. The four attackers are on mostly mixed instructions. This way there is no clear separation of creators and scorers but everyone is assisting and getting into scoring positions, which seems to work better and better as the tactic gets fluid and the new signings blend into the squad. While being instructed to cut inside, I tend to play the wingers with their preferred foot matching their respective sides. This way they are able to bring in crosses and can still shoot from certain angles. If I face a narrow formation or want to go more attacking I tend to make the full backs overlap.

Results and League Table

It is early in the season but we started well even though lots of injuries hampered the performances. Jansen, Diekmeier, Guerrero, Pertric and Barazite were all out against Schalke and this way we were toothless in attack. Additionally our defense was unable to cope with Schalke's narrow 4-2-3-1 formation and Huntelaar scored twice as a consequence.

I am really looking forward to the season. Everyone but Arslan and Patrik will be available for the upcoming match against Werder Bremen and as the tactic seems to work nicely with the right players in the right places I feel it could become a good season. And with a remaining transfer budget of ~3M I will be able to further strengthen the squad in winter if needed.

[michaelthestrange]

I have to admit that I had not really considered selling on Guerrero before reading your summary, but I'm thinking that might be a good move. He's not a great tactical fit for what I'd like to do and its a chore to keep him happy. That would definitely provide some money to shore up the squad with and to add some good prospects.

I really like Guerrero as a player. He is actually my favourite attacker in the squad and fits my tactic quite well. Additionally, he just scored a hattrick against Werder Bremen so I am obviously happy that I kept him. However, considering his wages and the money you could possibly get, selling him would be a perfectly reasonable move.

Kacar creates a bit of a tough situation. His technical skills make him look like a great anchor man, but that PPM means he isn't. Similar problem with playing him in defense. Putting him a bit further up the bitch concerns me due to his Touch and Passing both being quite mediocre. I really don't want to sell him, though if he causes too many tactical problems that may be the solution. I'm also giving some consideration to using him as a defensive forward...

Yeah, Kacar can play everywhere but always seems to be lacking in some area, no matter where you play him. He lacks concentration and positioning in defense and (as you said) passing and first touch in midfield. Playing him as a striker might actually be a decent option and I am looking forward to hear how it works for you if you really want to give it a try.

[Bigpapa42]

Trying to sell Guerrero didn't go so well. He was unhappy at being transfer-listed. No clubs were interested in him and no one took up an interest when I kept offering him out at ever-decreasing amounts. I stopped after hitting about 3m, which is basically 1/3 of his value. I spoke to him again and apologized, which made him happy. Un-listed him. His morale tanked but that's the only damage.

I'm wavering between trying to sell Kacar or try the striker deal. Unless he unexpected excels up front, it would mainly be a specialty role - something I would do in the last 20-30 minutes of a tight match where I'm trying to hang onto a result. At the same time, I'm really hesitant to use him in midfield because of those PPMs. It may be possible to train them out of him, but that will take awhile. Because of the problems he creates tactically, he's a relatively disposable player and has some value, so selling him on might be the best bet.

Thought this was interesting/sad... My first game on FM12 went one season with Ajax. I had Germany running, and HSV ended up getting relegated.

[london boy]

I've taken over at HSV in February 2012 after their manager was sacked to try and save them from relegation. After a few games, we are now only 3 points from safety with a few games left. Both Guerrero and Petric have handed in transfer requests to join a bigger club! I'm playing a similar system to michaelthestrange, except I have Tesche as the anchor man.

[michaelthestrange]

Trying to sell Guerrero didn't go so well.

May I ask what kind of tactic you plan to employ that he does not fit into? His composure is letting him down sometimes but apart from that he is performing very well for me and currently is my top scorer.

I'm wavering between trying to sell Kacar or try the striker deal. [...] Because of the problems he creates tactically, he's a relatively disposable player and has some value, so selling him on might be the best bet.

Yeah, that is what I thought as well and why I decided to sell him. I only could have used him when I occasionally changed my formation to a 4-5-1, which I never did so far. So for me it definitely was the right decision to sell him and take the 5M. I recommend you to do the same if you do not plan to use him regularly anyway. The money just comes in too handy.

Thought this was interesting/sad... My first game on FM12 went one season with Ajax. I had Germany running, and HSV ended up getting relegated.

I've taken over at HSV in February 2012 after their manager was sacked to try and save them from relegation. After a few games, we are now only 3 points from safety with a few games left. Both Guerrero and Petric have handed in transfer requests to join a bigger club! I'm playing a similar system to michaelthestrange, except I have Tesche as the anchor man.

Interesting that HSV does not seem to perform if controlled by the AI. I am doing quite well so far, being in November and 3rd in the league.

london boy, what are Tesche's attributes in you save? They seem to be random and as you use him in the first team I guess you are lucky and they are well distributed? And what does your whole first team look like?

[pompeyfan]

Hmmm I'll have to give a HSV game a go I think, after Pompey HSV are my next favorite club as its where my mum's family come from.

[Bigpapa42]

Its not that he doesn't fit tactically so much as that he wasn't performing well in the tactic I've been using. Its a 4-3-3 with the same shape as the 2nd suggested tactic you posted. Short-passing and possession based. I've played through a few friendlies on two different saves and Guerrero just hasn't performed so far. Part of that might be tactical familiarity, and the play wasn't involving him as much as I wanted in one of the matches. But he wasn't doing much even when he was involved. No goals and ratings in the 5.90 - 6.10 range. In of the friendlies, against a small club, Son Heung-Min had 4 goals playing on the right wing as an inside forward. I don't think Guerrero has scored for me yet... I'm going to keep playing with different forward roles for him, though.

[michaelthestrange]

A Trequartista up front worked well for me in a 4-3-3 most of the time. Not in terms of goals but in getting involved and playing through balls to the inside forwards. A Trequartisa will struggle though, if you face a formation with a three man midfield, as there will be little space for him to drop into. Otherwise, Guerrero would fit this role very well in my opinion.

[Bigpapa42]

A Trequartista up front worked well for me in a 4-3-3 most of the time. Not in terms of goals but in getting involved and playing through balls to the inside forwards. A Trequartisa will struggle though, if you face a formation with a three man midfield, as there will be little space for him to drop into. Otherwise, Guerrero would fit this role very well in my opinion.

I haven't used him a Trequarista. Might have to give that a try. And I'm not too worried about him being the goal-scorer - I just want him involved. I was using a very similar tactic with the 4-2-3-1 shape with Ajax and the goals came from everyone in the front 4. I don't have an AMC in this shape, but it looks like the wingers will still be threats.

[michaelthestrange]

Winter Update 2011/12

HSV Best Player Award: Paolo Guerrero

He has been performing great as a striker in my 4-2-3-1. 13 goals in 13 league appearances are superb, especially as I do not have the team set up to feed him and he also made 9 key passes and 3 assists. Admittedly, he gives away a lot of stupid fouls and is not performing well every single match, but overall I am very happy with his performance as a spearhead of my attack. However, I might give Son more and more games as I want him to develop and I believe the striker position is where his poor passing is not exposed too badly, so Guerrero might find himself playing as AMC more often in the future.

League Table

As you can see, we have done pretty well in the league. A comfortable third place makes me hope for Champions League qualification. The money would definitely come in handy.

Results

Being kicked out of the DFB-Pokal in the second round definitely did not please the fans. However, as we had a match against Dortmund just two days later I did not want the team to be too exhausted so I basically gave the game away. We have won the Dortmund match so I am not too sad about the cup knock out.

Transfers

In

Cristian Bonilla from Chicó FC for 325K

My coaches say this young goalkeeper has the potential to be better than Drobny. I made him tutoring Bonilla to get his personality right and boost his determination a bit. Otherwise I am very happy that he is not lacking in any key area and am looking forward to see him improving.

Thre wasn't too much transfer activity as there is not that much money in the bank. There came in transfer bids for Rajkovic and Barazite, but I did not want to sell either of them. I wanted to sell Ilicevic and Fenerbahce has not made an offer. For the summer, I definitely want to bring in another quality winger or two, as Bolanos and Patrik are no world beaters, just like Jansen on the left.

I currently have quite a big injury problem as Drobny, Petric, Yacob, Barazite, Arslan and Son are all out for 2 weeks - 3 months. However, I am still optimistic to qualify for the Champions League. I just hope that no one else will get injured...

Adressing the other users on a Hamburg save: How is your game going?

[Bigpapa42]

Nice work in the first half of the season. I haven't gotten far yet in my current game. Managed to sell Berg for a good sum and I'm trying to spend it wisely to reinforce the squad and add some quality depth throughout. Having little room with the wage budget makes it tough.

[london boy]

I managed to save HSV from relegation with a victory over Kaiserslautern in the penultimate match. I was 1-0 down with 75 minutes on the clock and went all out attack and won 3-1. Finished 13th in the end! Hoffenheim got relegated!

It's frustrating in the 2nd season with the board not willing to invest much. Petric decided to stay and I couldn't get rid of others like Guerreo, Ilicevic, Rincon who had also put in requests.

[michaelthestrange]

End of Season Update 2011/12

League Table and Results

I am obviously happy with the league performance and curious to see the budgets for the new season now that we play in the Champions League. However, 4 draws and 1 loss in the last 5 games are unacceptable and I am happy that the season is over so this run cannot continue.

Köln and Hoffenheim are probably the most surprising clubs in completely different ways. Köln chased Bayern the whole season and Hoffenheim was so close to relegation. It will be interesting to see Köln's Champions League performance next year and how they will strengthen their squad.

Team of the Season

Squad Analysis

Goalkeepers

I really like how Drobny controls his area and is able to be in the right place constantly. What I absolutely do not like however is his behavior in one on one situations. Depending on the future budgets, I might invest in a new first choice keeper if the right one is available for a reasonable price. Simon Pouplin will probably get sold due to him wanting first team football. He made 5 appearances while Drobny was injured and has not performed too badly, but he will never be my first choice. Sven Neuhaus’ and Tom Mickel’s contracts are set to expire and will not be renewed.

Full Backs

This is the area that probably needs a major overhaul. Michael Mancienne - who developed nicely - and Tomas Rincón have proven to be solid defensive choice (they have the highest tackle completion ratio in the squad), but they cannot offer any assistance in attack. Dennis Aogo, Marcell Jansen and Dennis Diekmeier on the other hand are potent in attack but unable to defend properly. So I will look for players that are fast, solid defensively and useful in attack and then might become active on the transfer market.

Centre Backs

Rajkovic, Westermann and Mancienne are three good options here. Neither of them is flawless, but a flawless centre back might cost too much. However, this is all dependent on the upcoming transfer budget. Sekagya will be sold again, as he is unhappy in his backup role.

Central Midfield

This area needs no improving as there are several options with Guido Pizarro, Claudio Yacob, Per Skjelbred, Dennis Aogo and David Jarolim. It is diffucult to choose the two starters, but I think the to Argentine winter signings Yacob and Pizarro will be first choice in the future as they are already on a first team level and still can develop.

Wide Attackers

This area will most likely be improved even though Bolaños and Patrik had a good second half of the season. The latter really started firing as soon as I took the option to buy him. Marcell Jansen has not been the most consistent for me and is also very injury prone and not the best dribbler either. Castelen will leave on a free and Ilicevic will hopefully be sold, so there is room for one or two new signings. However, it might become difficult to find someone who meets my high demands while not being too pricey.

Maximilian Beister will return from loan and it will be interesting to see whether he has what it takes to become a squad member in the future.

Central Attackers

Paolo Guerrero and Nacer Barazite are good choices here and if I can get Heung-Min Son to improve on his passing and creativity he will become a good choice as well. Mladen Petric will leave on a free. I did not extend his contract as I neither wanted to meet his wage demands nor was he an essential part of the squad that would have to be kept. Also, his replacement will join us on a free transfer as his contract expires. He will be unveiled in next season’s pre-season update.

Nice work in the first half of the season. I haven't gotten far yet in my current game. Managed to sell Berg for a good sum and I'm trying to spend it wisely to reinforce the squad and add some quality depth throughout. Having little room with the wage budget makes it tough.

Yes, the budgets are very tight indeed so selling Berg was definitely a good move. Who did you manage/do you plan to add to the squad?

I managed to save HSV from relegation with a victory over Kaiserslautern in the penultimate match. I was 1-0 down with 75 minutes on the clock and went all out attack and won 3-1. Finished 13th in the end! Hoffenheim got relegated!

It's frustrating in the 2nd season with the board not willing to invest much. Petric decided to stay and I couldn't get rid of others like Guerreo, Ilicevic, Rincon who had also put in requests.

Congratulations on avoiding relegation! But considering you failed to qualify for an International competition it is no surprise that you do not get huge budgets. Good luck for the next season, I am sure the club will perform better now that you can manage them a full season.

[Bigpapa42]

Yes, the budgets are very tight indeed so selling Berg was definitely a good move. Who did you manage/do you plan to add to the squad?

I got good money for Berg from PSG - 8m or 9m Euros. I think I ended up with something like 10m total to spend as I sold a couple other fringe players (but the board only gave me 70% toward the transfer budget), and then some of that got transferred into the wage budget so I had a bit of wiggle room. I mostly targeted young players who were almost all pretty affordable and wouldn't demand high wages. I'm not sure this is everyone, but I know I signed Ivan Bandalovski, Matej Kezman, Vaclav Kadlec, Sekagya, Lucas Anderson, Kara, and the young Romanian keeper from Juventus. There is another central mid or two but I can't recall who (and can't check right now, obviously). I structured all the deals, which I would rather not do but I felt like i needed to stretch the money out as much as possible.

I haven't made it through into the season yet, but I'm struggling to get into the game with HSV a bit. I've already found myself eying up other clubs which isn't a good sign. I'm going to try to push forward with it but may end up trying another club and leaving Hamburg for later.

BTW, very nice season. Great work to grab 3rd. As for Koln in second, that seems to happen a lot in the first season or two. Apparently its due to the tactics their manager uses rather than the squad, and they fall off after he leaves.

[london boy]

Just beat Werder 8-1!!!!!!!!!

[michaelthestrange]

Just beat Werder 8-1!!!!!!!!!

Excellent! The matches against Bremen are always highlights of the season and winning them is probably the greatest thing to do do right after winning major competitions. The fans must be ecstatic!

[michaelthestrange]

Start of Season 2012/13 Update

Transfers

Despite Champions League qualification, the board only gave me a transfer budget of 4.4M with little room in the wage budget. Well, the lack of money definitely makes Hamburg an interesting save.

Out

Mladen Petric, Romeo Castelen and Sven Neuhaus on free transfers

As said earlier I did not extend their contracts.

Sören Bertram to RC Lens for 1.4M

He was complaining about wanting first team football and there are better talents than him at the club anyway.

Simon Pouplin to Manchester City for 2.1M

He again was complaining and I am very happy with the fee I got for a backup.

Ivo Ilicevic to Aston Villa for 4.4M

It was a very hard task to sell Ilicevic with some clubs being interested but neither of them wanting to make bid. Finally, Aston Villa declared their interest and I am happy that I was able to sell him for this money in the end.

Macauley Chrisantus to Nürnberg for 2M

Returning from loan, he would have had no chance to play in the first team.

Dennis Diekmeier to Werder Bremen for 3.7M

Selling him to a rival might not have been the best move, but he only would have been third or fourth choice as a right back as I do not think he will ever become solid enough in defensive.

Marcell Jansen to Inter for 10M

His contract would have expired at the end of the season and I did not want to pay him the wages he demanded. He does not perfectly fit my tactic anyway and is very injury prone in addition, so I am very obviously very happy with the high fee.

In

Julian Schieber from Stuttgart on a free transfer

I just could not resist to snap him up as I saw his contract expire. He is young, German, still has potential and despite his composure and flair I am already very happy with his set of attributes.

Kyle Naughton from Tottenham for 1.5M

He basically is the new Diekmeier: Not as outstanding physically but better defensively, mentally and more determined as well.

Daniel Ludueña from Santos Laguna for 350K

I saw him transfer listed and for this price he as a very good player in my opinion. It is a shame that he got injured during pre-season.

Joaquim Machado from Vit. Guimarães for 240K

He has the potential to play to a similar level to Rajkovic and Westermann, so the money paid should be a good investment.

Ariel Harush from Beitar Jerusalem for 140K

The fee might suggest he is a backup keeper and that is his squad status as well but I trusted him and he has 3 clean sheets in 4 appearances so far. He and Drobny will serve the club well as goalkeepers as long as I can attract significantly better ones.

Georgi Terziev from Chernomorets for 800K

He is just as talented as Machado and already is a very solid centre back, adding depth to the defence.

Carlos Fierro from Chivas for 1.2M

I read about this guy on the forums, scouted him and just had to buy him. 4.5 stars potential for this price is an absolute bargain, also considering that his attributes are well distributed already and there is no need for major fixing.

Maximilian Beister returning from loan

What an excellent talent! He is young, German, has a fairly strong weak foot, is able to play every offensive position and if I can get his passing and creativity up he will be a flawless player. Definitely extend his contract!

Due to the players sold, I have a remaining transfer budget of 12M and an available wage budget of 125,000 p/w.

Squad Overview

Position: Players descending from first choice to backup/talent

GK:Harush, Drobny, Bonilla

With two potential first team players and one good talent this position covered as well as possible, as I cannot attract better keepers that would be worth the money at the moment.

CB: Rajkovic, Westermann, Mancienne, Terziev, Machado, Sekagya, Besic

Again, a position that is very well covered. Rajkovic (who got promoted to be the club’s vice-captain) and Mancienne have developed excellently and with Westermann we have three solid players for two positions. Terziev and Machado are great talents and Sekagya, who decided not to want to leave, will be a decent last resort.

LB: Mancienne, Aogo

There still is no real well rounded left back in the squad. However, Mancienne has been proving to be a very solid first choice so far and considering there was no better one available I have to live with him not being the most potent attacking threat.

RB: Naughton, Rincón, Terziev, Mancienne

Naughton has been injured the first matches of the season but I consider him to be the first choice. If he does not perform, I still have enough options that will at least not disappoint me defensively.

MC: Yacob, Pizarro, Jarolim, Skjelbred, Aogo

5 players for 2 positions and I believe all of are able to perform if needed. However, Yacob and Pizarro are my first choices and have performed well so far.

Attackers: Guerrero, Schieber, Ludueña, Beister, Barazite, Son, Patrik, Bolaños, Fierro, Töre, Arslan

Obviously, 10 players for 4 positions might be a bit too much. I wanted to loan out Töre and Arslan but unfortunately there was no one interested in them. I definitely rather lack in quality than quantity in this area and there might be some movement in winter.

I started the Bundesliga season with 3 wins and 1 loss against Leverkusen.

Considering Champions League, the group consists of Porto, Anderlecht, and Tel-Aviv. I should be able to survive that.

[DirtyJoe]

Start of Season 2012/13 Update

Julian Schieber from Stuttgart on a free transfer

I just could not resist to snap him up as I saw his contract expire. He is young, German, still has potential and despite his composure and flair I am already very happy with his set of attributes.

Looks very good on my save, just fiddling with his position.

[london boy]

Season 2. Finished 12th. The team are frustratingly inconsistent.

Btw, Schieber is in the full Germany squad in my save in season 2.

[ArsenalFan7]

Giving HSV a go, here's my transfers:

Very pleased with my work in the market, managed to make a nice little profit but vastly improve the squad at the same time. Now have cover for positions such as CB and ST which were severely lacking in quality/numbers.

Future transfers:

Exciting little deal for me as he according to my scout he is going to be brilliant, cost me very little so I'll see how he develops for me in the future, hopefully he'll become a top player.

And here's the incredibly eccentric formation I'll be using:

[michaelthestrange]

Some good transfers you made there! Some days ago I also thought about how the initial squad suits a 3-4-1-2 with Jansen and Diekmeier on the wings. However, who do you plan to use there if one of them gets injured? I thought Skjelbred could do a decent job on the wings but apart from that the options are highly limited.

Good luck for your first season and keep us updated!

[ArsenalFan7]

For RM I have cover in Lazovic, Bertram and soon Castelen, so I have no issues Deikmeier gets injured. On the LW I have Tore, Ilicevic and Sturridge who can be employed there if needed so no issues there either. Obviously though if either of the defensive wingers gets injured though I will have to sacrifice their role and use a more attacking style.

I suppose Skjelbred could do a decent job there but I think he's better suited to AMC, I'm not a massive fan of the guy though as he lacks in areas I want him to be good at. If he just had a creativity of 14 or more he'd be a good player but he doesn't and he doesn't really make up for it in other areas well. I'll probably be using him in rotation with Lazovic and Guerrero at AMC.

Also two other points to make:

• Mancienne will be sold in January (40k a week? Do me a favour.)
  
• Guerrero will be sold January/Next season unless he can prove to me he is a good AMC.
  

[michaelthestrange]

Obviously though if either of the defensive wingers gets injured though I will have to sacrifice their role and use a more attacking style.

Yeah that's what I was worrying about. I wouldn't feel comfortable playing someone like Castelen, Töre or Ilicevic as the only player on the wing. It would be a definite option if I am chasing a game but apart from that I feel a player in a role like that should offer something defensively, even if it is workrate and stamina only.

Mancienne will be sold in January (40k a week? Do me a favour.)

Mancienne's wages are high, indeed. But I really like him as a player and he performed very well for me as a defensive full back on either side or as a centre back after he had blended into the squad. He also got capped for England recently.

[ArsenalFan7]

I decided the eccentric formation I was planning on using was a bit ridiculous so I decided to change to using a 4-2-2-2 (2 CM's 2 CAM's) and the results have been good.

August 2011

FC Bayern 3 - 3 HSV (A)

A good result in my opinion, to go to the Allianz Arena on the first day of the season and to get a draw, scoring 3 goals against them is a pretty good result if you ask me. The stats definitely show just how effective our counter attacking football was with Bayern having 27 shots and being forced into hitting 15 of them from range, however we on the other hand had just 7 shots with 3 being on target, those 3 being the goals. So overall a pleasing performance.

Goalscorers: Guerrero (1), Jarolim (1), Skjelbred (1)

Assists: Jarolim (1), Ilicevic (1), Aogo (1)

Best Performance (HSV): Jarolim, 8.2 - Put in a solid performance in the centre of the park managing to snatch a goal and also managed to get himself an assist.

Worst Performance (HSV): Rajkovic, 5.9 - Subbed off at 76th minute. Put in a poor performance at the back and allowed Bayern's attacking threat to cause us problems.

HSV 3 - 0 Hannover (H)

A solid performance by the team and a pleasing result, a win that would help put some motivation into the side.

Goalscorers: Kara (1), Sturridge (1), Westermann (1)

Assists: Rajkovic (1), Jarolim (1), Petric (1)

Best Performance: Kara, 8.7 - Put in a absaloutely solid defensive display and got a goal. The lad was a rock.

Worst Performance: Heung-Min, Guerrero and Jensen, 6.9 - Not necessarily horrific displays at all but they didn't really offer anything and had poor games.

Hertha BSC 0 - 1 HSV (A)

A decent result but we didn't deserve to win at all. We looked very poor all game and didn't pose much threat at all until the 91st minute when Petric popped up with a beautiful 25 yarder, a nice way to win but overall just not good enough.

Goalscorers: Petric (1)

Assists: Aogo (1)

Best Performance: Kara, 7.7 - Put in another solid defensive display and was a major reason why we didn't concede; looks to be a real bargain.

Worst Performance: Heung-Min, 6.8 - Got the same rating as others but yet again stands out in another result providing nothing, needs to improve or else Sturridge will replace him.

HSV 5 - 1 Dortmund (H)

Bit of a ridiculous result to be honest, was jumping around with delight at this. Totally unexpected, on the day we showed a very threatening attacking display and converted our chances well; can't wait to see what is going to come after this. Also heads up to Lazovic with his first ever goal for the club, that goal being a 25 yard screamer.

Goalscorers: Guerrero (1), Rajkovic (1), Kara (1), Lazovic (1), Heung-Min (1)

Assists: Petric (3), Heung-Min (1), Kacar (1)

Best Performance: Petric, 9.1 - Wonderful display by the guy, really did well on the day setting up everyone. He's doing much better than I expected in the Trequartista I hope to see him continue with performances like this.

Worst Performance: No one, N/A - On the day everyone played well, I won't single out anyone as they all did their part towards a great result.

[ArsenalFan7]

I've come to the conclusion that Drobny is useless. Struggles to save simple efforts that turn into goals.

So error prone it's disgusting, hopefully the board give me some more funds in January and I can buy a new GK.

[michaelthestrange]

A great start you had there

If you want a cheap but solid goalkeeper, definitely go and have a look at Ariel Harush from Beitar Jerusalem who has been available for 140k for me.

[ArsenalFan7]

Indeed, has been a good little start to my career with HSV

Looks like a good goalkeeper but has been bought on my game Going to have to go and look at free goalkeepers, I'm frightened every time the other team gets a shot at the minute!

[Bigpapa42]

I've had Drobny make a mess of a few corners but he has been solid enough in most open play situations that were reasonably stoppable for a goalkeeper.

[ArsenalFan7]

Well I went ahead and signed Markus Pröll as he's quite a good shot stopper and he only wanted backup status for the year, I haven't needed to use him yet though as Drobny hasn't been playing bad lately.

[michaelthestrange]

Winter Update 2012/13

HSV Best Player Award: Maximilian Beiser & Nacer Barazite

These two have been performing excellently. Beister is leading the club's scoring chart with 12 goals in 21 appearances and Barazite is averaging 1 goal and 1 assisst every other game.

League Table

The expectations are that we challenge for the title and I am happy that we are at least on course to qualify for Champions League again. It is unlikely that we will be able to catch up with Bayern, but I would be happy with another third or maybe second place.

Champions League

The group stage has been rather easy. However, we will face Manchester United in the first knockout round and I am not very optimistic and think our European journey will end there.

Transfers

In

Adam Johnson from Manchester City for 3.7M

Now he is really adding some quality on the wings. He has been transfer listed by ManCity and I think for this price he is a real bargain. His wage demands have not been too high either, at least for an ex-City player.

Out

Dennis Aogo to Lazio for 8.5M

It is a bit sad to let him go due to his German nationality and his versatility but he just does not fit my tactic. He does not offer what I want from my full backs, centre or attacking midfielders so I decided to take the money and save on his wages.

Paolo Guerrero to Athletico Madrid for 9M

The fans have been far from pleased about selling him as he became a club icon. But he lost his first team place to Schieber and Barazite and his wages are just far to high to keep him as a back up, so I think it was the best decision to let him go.

Line-Up

Son has been playing on the left wing in the first half of the season, but I think Johnson will take his place and Son will be the first back up on either wing.

I've had Drobny make a mess of a few corners but he has been solid enough in most open play situations that were reasonably stoppable for a goalkeeper.

Yeah, he has been solid for me as well, he just did not look too good in some one on one situation.

Well I went ahead and signed Markus Pröll as he's quite a good shot stopper and he only wanted backup status for the year, I haven't needed to use him yet though as Drobny hasn't been playing bad lately.

I remember Markus Pröll from FM11. As a free player he was a must have for me.

[ArsenalFan7]

doing very well there

amazing how much your squad has changed over a year! Minds very much going to be the same though I imagine, already got Schieber, Kenia and Cáceres coming in on bosmans!

Done well with those transfers, £9million for Pizarro a brilliant fee, not too sure about Aogo though, I'll probably keep him until the 3rd season, he's a handy little player.

[michaelthestrange]

amazing how much your squad has changed over a year!

This is true. I like to wheel and deal a lot to make the squad fit my tactic better and better. This probably is not the best way to play a save that you want to keep a team thred updated with, though. I tinker with the idea of starting a new save when the 12.3 patch gets released and plan to restrict myself to buy players aged 18 or younger and players on free transfers only. I think this will be a good challenge and it will be interesting to see how much is achievable with mainly the starting squad only.

[Gene]

Just started my third season with HSV, finished top of the table last season. I'll post an update here in a bit...

[michaelthestrange]

End of Season Update 2012/13

League Table and Results

*

It has been another good season and I am delighted that we finished 2nd in the end, as Leverkusen was ahead of us the whole second half of the season, but then they lost their last match against Bayern. We won against Köln and managed to climb above them in the end. On the other end of the league table you will see that Werder Bremen got relegated! At first I took a mischievous pleasure in envisioning the club's possible decline in the future, but then I realized that I will miss the derby matches against them.

My first Champions League season has been pleasing as well. The group has been rather easy and I - just like the board - am happy to have reached the first knock out round. Obviously, Man United has been a very tough opposition but we did not play too badly so it did not get embarrassing at all.

Team of the Season

Beister on the right wing is leading the club's scoring charts with 18 goals in 30 appearances. I would have liked Schieber to score some more goals but he is working hard for the team and contributed the highest number of assists, which makes up for the lack of goals. Yacob and Pizarro are working excellently as a double pivot as they are both good at passing, creating and defending, which is exactly what I want from my central midfielders.

Squad Overview

*

Next Season

Drobny and Sekagya will leave the club as their contracts are expiring, on the other hand there will be some regens joining the club. I am not too sure in what areas I want to strengthen the squad yet, but i am thinking about signing a better goalkeeper and might have a look at some full backs as well. I am looking forward to another Champions League participation and hope for a bad Bayern season so that we have a chance to challenge for the title.

Just started my third season with HSV, finished top of the table last season. I'll post an update here in a bit...

I am really looking forward to it

*right click to enlarge pictures

[Gene]

Not So Quick Review Of My HSV Career

2011/2012 Bundesliga Table and Transfers

It was a season that went as well as could be expected. Didn't really think I'd challenge for the title, but I did manage to reach the Champions League which was the aim at the start of the season. Dortmund, Schalke, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim, and Nurnberg all changed managers. Bayern and Leverkusen ran away with the league, and it's nice to see Leverkusen take home the title.

[Gene]

2012/2013 Bundesliga Table and Tranfers

Won the league but it was much closer than it appeared, I spent the majority of the season in second behind Bayern. We faced off near the end of the season with about 10 matches to go, and managed to take the three points that day. After that it was all downhill for Bayern. They essentially gave the title away. Their last five matches were three losses and a draw, which basically gave me the title. Obviously the main reason we improved so much was the addition of ter Stegen. Gladbach only asked for 7.5 million, and at that price he's a must buy. I'm now set in goal until Barca/Madrid lure him away or he retires.

Our Champions League campaign didn't go as well as expected. We made it to the group stages and were thoroughly routed. Our group consisted of PSG, Porto, and Wisla. We only managed 5 points, finishing last in the group. This was probably for the best as it allowed me to focus on the Bundesliga. HSV also made it to the DFB Pokal final against Bayern, we lost to a 120th minute goal by Robben.

[Gene]

Current Bundesliga Season, Transfers, and Formation

Things are going really well for us at the moment. Our team is playing really well at the moment, although Shaqiri just went down for a few weeks. I had been talking up Shaqiri to the media all year long, and it took a lot of work to get Reus' price down as much as I did. I'm surprised Ljajic was as easy to get as he was. Fiorentina didn't even haggle. Landing Danny Wilson for nothing was nice as well.

Our Champions League group consists of Chelsea, OM, and Anderlecht. This is a tough group but after our opening 3-0 win over Chelsea, I expect us to advance.

[michaelthestrange]

That is a very strong squad you have built up there Swapping ter Stegen and Drobny was a very good move just like signing Danny Wilson on a free transfer!

How is Son Heung-Min performing for you as a loan poacher up front? I mainly played him on the wings but he was not performing as well as I think he could have, so I am tempted to play him as a forward as well.

And don't you feel Aogo is a weakness in defense? His set piece taking qualities are great to have but I never felt too comfortable playing him in my back four.

Good luck on your current Bundesliga season and Champions League campaign!