FM 09 Official Sheffield Wednesday Thread: In Association With AKPO SODJE

[Jonnyowl]

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club

The club is in The Championship and was founded in 1867 after originally starting as a cricket team in 1820 but in September 1967 it was decided to start a football team to keep the players fit during Winter.

The club has won four league titles, 3 FA Cups and 1 League Cup. The last major trophy to be won was the League Cup in 1991 against Manchester United. They lost in both the FA and League Cup finals in 1993 to Arsenal.

The club is nicknames The Owls and its major rivals are Sheffield United and Leeds United. Lesser rivals include Barnsley, Chesterfield and Rotherham.

The Squad

Goalkeepers

Lee Grant

Richard O'Donnell

Defenders

Richard Wood

Mark Beevers

Tommy Spurr

Frank Simek

Richard Hinds

Peter Gilbert

Liam McMenamin

Midfielders

James O'Connor

Sean McAllister

Kenny Lunt

Steve Watson

Jermaine Johnson

Etienne Esajas

Wade Small

Rocky Lekaj

Strikers

Akpo Sodje

Francis Jeffers

Marcus Tudgay

Deon Burton

Leon Clarke

Luke Boden

The old saying goes again on FM09, can you awaken the sleeping giant? The squad needs improvement if Premiership football is to be achieved. With very little money to spend, loans and free transfers may have to get you through the season unless you can offload some players. Defence is a weak area especially left back, Peter Gilbert will not be up to the job if Spurr is injured. Central Midfield is a weak area with no creative player in the middle. There is pace down the wings and, Tudgay, Jeffers and Sodje should score goals if you can get them the service.

[Jonnyowl]

Right I'll start us off then! Signed Darren Gibson and Daryl Murphy on loan and got Christianval on a free. signed Ivo Rossen for 210k could do with a left back though on loan but doesn't seem to be anyone around. Sold Lunt for nothing just to get him off wage bill, might sell Burton and Small to raise some cash!

[Daniel_swfc]

ok mate, keep us updated on anything that comes around

[Wild182]

Right, I've started again, After finishing my first season 21st and getting Sacked I really want to make it work with Wednesday.

I did well in Demo, I was up to 12th when the demo ran out.

Signed Nik Omladic (70k) in first game. 17 year old inconsistant but stats to be pretty good.

Signed Sergei Terehhov for the right wing.

I'm finding I conceeded a lot of goals so I'm on the lookout for a good goalie for my second game, Had john Ruddy on loan from Middlesbrough in my first game, but like I said I conceeded loads of goals.

I also sold Johnson (500k) Burton (120k) Clarke (110k) Lunt (22k) and Gilbert (forgot)

Also had Gibson, Murphy and Chopra on loan

[swfc81]

i've signed some young finish players for £50k haklo and sparv ( i think anyways do a search plus Jukeivic from everton is banging in goals for me) could do with another keeper though

[brigadier]

I've just started, now i'm just searching for players to sign.

I told the board a 'top half finish' which is probably not going to happen, but hey it'll give me cash for one extra player.

I've put Mcmenamin, Boden, Lunt and Clarke on the transfer list.

Could do with two more full backs and a dependable striker.

Any idea's anyone?

[Wild182]

I would keep Mcmenamin, He played ok for me when I played him at right back while Simek was injured, but I loaned him out in the end.

I signed a few slovenians; Omladic, Golob, and Jahic, Jahic is my new number 1 goalie, hes young and has got into the Team of the Week several times with several man of the match awards. Golob is keeping Simek out of the team at Right Back, and Omladic is struggling but definietly has stats for the future, all cost me between 100-200k each.

Chopra is good on loan as a striker, and Darren Gibson is excellent in Central Midfield. Though I've struggled to find Centre Backs and Left Backs. I've got 4 loan signings and next season without them I hope I get a good transfer budget!

I'm currently 13th with 3 games to go in my 1st season. My team has been:

Jahic, Spurr, Beevers, Hinds, Golob, Lopez (Loan), Gibson (Loan), Mcallister, Terehhov, Tudgay, Chopra

Subs: Grant, Wood, Smith (Loan), Lejak, Sodje/Jeffers

[brigadier]

Who's been your top striker so far?

I've just bought Velicka as a striker for £300k (quite expensive but all my scouts and coaches tell me to get him at all costs)

Got Babayaro on a free transfer at DL.

Roberto Junior Fernandez as a GK for 60k (brillant value for his stats)

Still looking around though.

[swfc81]

im doing ok at moment im 3rd with half the season gone. Tuggers and sodje up front. sodje has got 14goals from 17games but like franny jeffers he keeps getting injured - any advice

[brigadier]

im doing ok at moment im 3rd with half the season gone. Tuggers and sodje up front. sodje has got 14goals from 17games but like franny jeffers he keeps getting injured - any advice

Try and get a young striker on loan if you're in the transfer window. Like Evans from Man City maybe if they are willing.

[Wild182]

You want advice and your 3rd!? You should be giving us advice! lol

My top striker is Chopra so far.

Need some good players for the 2nd season, as I don't wanna rely on 4 loan players to carry my team again lol, I wanna improve this season after just finishing 12th.

Update:

Managed to sign Giles Barnes for 230k (Very good Championship midfielder)

Carl Finnigan on a free transfer (Utility, Right Wing or Striker, good statS)

Ben Thatcher for 95k (To be used as a backup for Spurr)

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (Loan, from Arsenal, to strengthen my Central Defence)

Offloaded Jeffers and Esajas to fund the transfers (crappy 295k budget for 2nd season!) I just look a bit weak for Strikers now, although I'm keeping a look out on Chopra and Gibson coming available again aswell as others.

[Ollie_Sheff]

I got Roy O'Donnovan on loan from Sunderland who is lightning quick and has banged in 12 from 12 in the second season, scraped 18th in the first year with Chopra and Sodje flops. second season much better...just out of interest who on earth is our 'chairman' who loves the club and would never dream of leaving?

[confidence1986]

Not sure what people will think to this suggestion but Freddie Ljungberg seems quality for me at AMR just got an 8.3 rating in first game against Blackpool and scored my only goal - won 1-0

[Ollie_Sheff]

how much in wages...thought he'd be well out of reach financially?

[confidence1986]

No mate He's at Seattle they got him on a free and they only pay him £2,000 p/w i think,he's only 31 so should be decent for a season atleast

[Wild182]

Just got to January 1 2010 so into my 2nd season, after finishing 12th last season after a terrible start and a good finish, I've started great this season.

Currently 3rd Played 25 - Won 13 - Drawn 8 - Lost 4 - GF 43 - GA 23

Signed some Spanish kid aswell De Lucas on a free and hes playing awesome for me, Average stats but still great, my line up this seasons looking like

Jahic, Golob, Spurr, Wood, Beevers, Barnes, Terehhov, McAllister, Lucas, Omladic, Tudgay

Though Spurr and Fabio (Loan from Man UTD) are rotating, and rotating Simek and Golob at RB, hopefully I can keep it up!

[msadler04]

Started as my beloved Owls.....determined to get them in the Premiership and then into Europe and take them back to past glorys...

Managed to ship out Clarke, Lunt and a few of the reserves...enabled me to get in Jason Brown from Blackburn on loan for the season (keeper) to strengthen that area with Lee Grant and also Bruno Aguair on loan from Hearts for the season too to bolster the midfield as we're a bit weak in the middle....id already added Tony McMahon and Lewis Buxton on loan through the editor before i started.

Ditched Russ Wilcox as my Assistant and brought in someone from Leicester who's got far better stats...(cant remember his name)

Made a good start with a 2-0 win at Doncaster to open the season followed by a 1-0 win at Bury in the League Cup....thats been followed up by a 1-1 home draw with Preston and a 3-0 home win over Wolves...so im sat 3rd with 7 pts. That goal by Preston (a penalty) is the only goal conceded so far in 8 league, cup and friendly games.

Ive found Sodje, JJ and Jimmy Smith to be the better players....Tony McMahon has made a good start too with Simek being away on Olympic duty....Beevers seems to be struggling a little and i think i need a centre half but unfortunately im upto my loan limit for match rules and ive not got much money to spend.

My first choice XI: (442)

Grant

McMahon Wood Beevers Spurr

Tudgay O'Connor Smith JJ

Sodje Jeffers

- Simek would probably be first choice for most other Championship teams but i cant really drop McMahon after a good start so he'll have to be patient. Tudgay has just picked up an injury so JJ is now back on the right for the time being with Jimmy Smith going wide left and Aguar coming in

[Wild182]

Ended up being promoted from the Championship in my 2nd season through the playoffs.

Was given £18m to spend by the board!! to avoid relegation, I had a pretty good start, I was 11th after 10 games, now I'm 18th after 23 games and struggling...

[Jonnyowl]

Only 10 league games into the first season so far but here's what happened so far. Sold Clarke, Lunt and Burton and brought in Rossen a MLR and Van Mosselveld LC and Christianval DC, Signed Gibson, Randall, Murphy (got injured for 2 monts a week after I signed him) on loan for the season and Meridia on loan for 3 months.

4-4-2

Grant

Hinds Wood Christianval/Beevers Van Mosselveld/Spurr

JJ Gibson O'Connor/Randall Rossen

Sodje Tudgay

in the league I have P10 W6 D3 L1 F19 A7 PTS 21 and in 2nd place

Through to the 4th round of Carling Cup.

Sodje has 8 goals in 11 games and Tudgay has 6 from 13

Best result 4-0 v Sheff Utd, Battered them they didn't even have a shot on target!

[Dave_Owl]

Just finishing first season, finding it really tough going and like in real life desperately needing a takeover to help with transfers. Iv sold Burton Small and Jeffers, plus Gilbert and Lunt for nominal fees....

4-4-2

GK Grant

DR Martis DC Beevers DC Wood DL Spurr

MR Mizuno MC Puri MC Straus ML Treacy

ST Sodje ST Tudders

just signed Chris Burke on a free for next season, just desperate for some funds as i got up to 7th only to not win in 12 and suffer 8 league defeats on the bounce.

[50_kwache]

Just started a go, and played all the friendlies now. Sold Jermaine Johnson (£1million!) Deon Burton and Peter Gilbert and Wade Small and brought in

[50_kwache]

Sorry clicked on post by mistake. Brought in Heidar Helguson, Mascio, Marvell Wynne (American right back I just found, not sure if he will be any good though) and Fabian Delph from leeds. Still have 300k to spend, how does Lee Grant turn out? Is he worth keeping or should I spend the last of my transfer budget on a new keeper?

[Wild182]

Get Jahic as a keeper if Slovenian players are available in your game.

In my 4th season now, Finished 17th in Prem in 3rd season just avoided relegation by 2 points in the last game of the season.

In 12th place now after 28 games, after 5 games I was bottom with 0 points, now I'm 12th with 39 and topping the form table for last 5 games wth WWWWD

[confidence1986]

Hey,need a striker as sold tudgay + burton,ive since signed aaron mclean but not sure if he'll cut it,got chopra on loan,and sodje and jeffers but cud do with abit of class..............cheap class!!!

[Lisandro Lopez]

Have a look at Seleznyov (Shakhtar Donetsk)

[Dave_Owl]

2nd season about to start.....only given 375k to spend. How am i ever going to get promotion with no money!

[Dave_Owl]

seleznyov....wow he is good, though way out of my price range second season

[Lisandro Lopez]

He usually only costs around £600-700K, you could try to get him on loan might be worth a go.

[Dave_Owl]

Sadly he's not interested.....

So having sold Boden, JJ and Lekaj, players in this season.....

Charlie Adam (Ln), Hamer Bouazza (Ln), Craig Beattie (ln)

My likely 1st team will be

GK Makaradze

DR Martis

DL Spurr

DC Beevers

DC Wood

MR Burke (on a free from Rangers)

MC Puri

MC Straus

ML Charlie Adam

ST Tudgay

ST Beattie

Fingers crossed! Up the Owls!

[confidence1986]

My team this season is:

GK - Lee Grant

RB - Frank Simek

LB - Razvan Rat (may not be spelt rite)

CB - Wood/Beevers

CM - Puri/Benya

AMR - Freddie Ljungberg

AML - esejes (spelt wrong i'm sure)

AMC - George Boyd

ST - Chopra/Fowler/Darly Murphy/Sodje or Jeffers

Won my first game against Coventry 1-0,then in second game against Preston was 1-0 up until 74th minute when beevers got straight red card.............lost 3-1,so fined him 2 weeks wages!

[Bridger]

Just started my first game on full version after mucking about with the demo for a couple of weeks, decided to start with Wednesday, because they are a huge club/great traditions/good support etc and a good challenge....due to the obvious lack of funds ive decided to not buy anyone yet and assess the current squad fully up until january....i have brought in Lewis buxton on loan from stoke(they pay wages) for 3 months to cover for simek.....the only glaring problem with the squad on initial thoughts appears to be the lack of creativity in the central midfield area......so this is an area i will look at in pre season.

I also got a message straight away that there is an impending take over of the club by a consortium headed by an ex player?, so it will be interesting to see if it happens.

One question for anyone is Mark beevers..........is he ready to go straight in the side straight away?....i know he has the potential, but not sure if in the game he is ready yet?.....otherwise maybe wood/hinds with beevers as cover until he has experience.

Anyway i will post how i get on and let you know if the take over happens.

[Jonnyowl]

Right just got promoted after beating Bristol City in the Playoffs. Signed Mcmahon and Sturridge on free's but only been given 3mil to spend any ideas?

[Dave_Owl]

Anyone been taken over yet? Im in march 2nd season, 4th and hopefully heading for playoffs, and iv just been taken over by a Emilien Hernandez, facilities being developed and all debts been paid off, plus 31m pumped into the coffers.....good times, regardless of whether i get promotion or not.

To all Wednesday managers, you MUST get Mascio, the guy is class

[Jonnyowl]

Anyone been taken over yet? Im in march 2nd season, 4th and hopefully heading for playoffs, and iv just been taken over by a Emilien Hernandez, facilities being developed and all debts been paid off, plus 31m pumped into the coffers.....good times, regardless of whether i get promotion or not.

To all Wednesday managers, you MUST get Mascio, the guy is class

Club went into takeover talks at the end of the first season and was hoping to get some money to survive in the premiership but surprise surprise the takeover collapsed. Football Manager is just like real life! lol

[Dave_Owl]

Thank god mine went through!

Got promotion, choked the last 2 games, getting draws when a win would have got me up in 2nd. scraped past Cardiff aet in the 2nd leg, and just beat watford 3-1 in the final, beevers scoring with a screamer to set us on our way. Well chuffed! Double over the Pigs 1-0 at the Sty and 2-0 at Hillsborough!

Try Craig Beattie, Charlie Adam, Chris Burke on loan jonnyowl, Beatties scored plenty for me alongside Tudders.

[RUFC]

Despite been a Rotherham fan, I have just started a new game as Wednesday.

Have got rid of Lunt, Clarke, Burton bringing in 500k between them.

Ive bought:-

Babayaro - Free

Alan Mahon - 150k

Graeme Smith - 7k

Robbie Fowler - 65k

Fredrick Ljunberg - 14k

Ive also signed Lukas Jutkiewicz, Darron Gibson and Henri Lansbury on loan for season, from Everton, Man Utd and Arsenal.

Ive only played 6 games so far, but apart from getting pasted 5-1 on opening day by Bristol City, im doing ok.

I am playing GKnap tactic, which I have tweaked and present side is

Smith

Watson - Wood - Spurr - Babayaro

Ljunberg - Lansbury - Gibson - Mahon

Sodje - Tudgay

Subs

Grant, Hinds, Smith, Johnson & Fowler

Would imagine Simek to come in for Watson when fit.

Im pretty happy with squad and will let you know how I get on

[Dave_Owl]

Well Mr Hernandez evidently meant business when he said he'd make Wednesday into a world force....for avoiding relegation i was given a 40mil transfer kitty.....

So this is how the Owls line up at Hillsborough this afternoon for the first game of the season....

GK Makaradze

DR Lauren

DL Masilela

DC Beevers

DC Kompany (LOA)

AMR Cani (3.5mil)

AML Fleck 7.75mil)

MC Mascio

MC Ratkovic (12mil)

ST Saviola (7mil)

ST Milevskyi (12.5mil)

3 games in, lost 2-0 to Liverpool home first game, 2-2 away at Villa and beat Man U 3-1 at Hillsborough!

Just a shame i have to stop and go to bed...6am start at work

[Dave_Owl]

3rd season sorry

[phillyhypa]

I am in the 3rd season of my sheff wed game,

made it to the prem in the 2nd season, unfortunatey no board takeover but i have enough decent players to keep me in there,

As soon as i got promoted sold Erick Delgado to Spurs for £4.5m and dalibor stevanovic for £3.5m to Reading, I then used that money to purchase some good quality players, here is my squad...

GK: Silviu Lung Jnr (£2.8m)

DR: Frank Simek

DL: Tommy Spurr

DC: Mark Beevers

DC: Sergey Ignashevich (bosman)

DMC: Bernard Brennan (Some amazing regen "wonderkid" who i found from Bohemians)

MC: Mascio (900k and a wonderkid, pretty great player always scoring long range goals)

MC: Nick Montgomery (£100k Sheff UTD bankrupt so robbed him, Brian Howard and Mark Hayward)

AMR: Reimond Manco (£2.8m and should become a wonderkid very soon)

AML: Bryan Ruiz (Bosman)

ST: Kerrison (£9.5m Pretty Amazing, should imagine he will be 1 of the best on the game soon)

subs: Mauro Esposito, Peter Murphy, Marcelo Moreno (loan), Christian Nazarith, Matt Murray, Carlos Edwards

I am 10th after 13 games in the prem, hopefully next season will be battling for top 4

[dav759]

Juststarted with wednesday (liverpool fan in real life!) have one win in first nine! is 442 a better line up? i have been tweaking it a bit..goit helguson from Bolton on loan up front but he isnt really scoring enough

[arcturus15]

Just started a game with SWFC and made a few signings before the start of the season (with a little help from players mentioned in this thread).

Current squad:

GK: Grant

DR: Hinds (Simek when he returns from his injury)

DL: Spurr

DC: Beevers

DC: Wood

MR: Johnson

ML: Esajas

MC: Rene Mihelic

MC: Nik Omladic

ST: Tudgay

ST: Diego Tristan (loan)/Daryl Murphy (loan)/Sodje

Subs will include Jahic, Babayaro, James O'Connor or Sean McAllister and one of the strikers not picked.

[Dave_Owl]

Get Mascio, nearing end of 3rd season and he's become a wonderkid

[dav759]

cant find mascio, where is he?!

[sethman75]

Just starting the 2nd season now with Weds.

I got taken over in the first month of the game by......Ashley Carson who hasn't given me a penny.....EPIC FAIL

So i've had to rely on bargains and free's and i've done quite well i think

Some of my best deals have been

Cameron Jerome (200k) - Signed him in Jan...scored 14 goals in 20 starts....fans love him

Collins John (FREE) - Just signed him....should rip the championship

Mariusz Lewandowski (90k) - Not bad for the Polish captain great defensive mid

Just starting the second season now, am hopeful of a better season than 12th in my first year.

[Bensoir]

Hey guys,

Managed to get myself promoted in 2009/2010 season along with a takeover .

In the 2010/2011 season transfer window I managed to sign Buonanotte, Marquinhos and Witsel who had an absolutely amazing season and I finished 10th.

Unfortunatly my dear cash loving chairman has accepted a bid of £15 million from Arsenal for Bounanotte and is on the verge of accepting £28 million for Marquinhos from Man Utd.

Any suggestions on replacements as I reckon I'm going straight back down without these 2 players as they held my season together for me.

[Wild182]

Just a tip I've found works to stop your chairman accepting lower bids from teams.

In the transfer status for the player set your asking price to £50m and it raises the value that the chairman is willing to accept.

I had a player worth about £4m and the chairman would accept £6m as too good to refuse, when I set their status to £50m I could reject offers of £8m+

[sethman75]

Is it just me or is everybody else frustrated with the transfer fund ratio?

Example:

I reluctantly sold Tommy Spurr for 6.5 million pounds as he was killing it every game at LB.

I didn't want to sell him but i thought......6.5 million pounds could rebuild my entire squad for promotion.

When the time came and he went, i got a measley 3.5 million in my kitty......WTF?????

I just had the same situation for Cameron Jerome.

I sold him for 6 million but i only got just over 3 million.

I understand there is a 60% transfer availability ratio, is there anyway around this or does it improve??

[Weezer]

I just finished my 1st season as Wednesday by unexpectedly finishing 2nd and going up to the Premiership. Luckily the board gave me £12 million to spend and I got £4 million from selling McAllister to Boro(no I don't get it either!). Managed to sign Defoe who was unhappy and Ashton after West Ham got relegated but haven't got any money left for the rest of the team. Also bought in Roger for £1 million and Danny Murphy, Daniel Sturridge and Michael Tonge on frees. Not spent anything on the defence, which although was by far the best in the Championship will undoubtedly get destroyed in the Prem.

[Wild182]

The transfer fund ratio differs depending on the teams financial status, when the game first starts I was on about 100% but at times it has dropped.

And Weezer I wouldn't worry about your defence in the premiership, Beevers and Spurr are more than capable, and even Wood and Simek are half decent, although your not gonna be a great side with that defence you shouldn't get destroyed, depending on who your keeper is ofcourse.

[Gundam]

I started a new game and in nov a new chairman came; he wanted to sack me but i had so much support so he let me stay. He also gave me 4,5 mil to spend on transfers in december. I am in Feb of the first season now lying 6th so I definatly have a chance for the play offs. I have noticed a lot of players do not want to come, i dont know if its 9.02 anyhow My current first team is;

----------------------------E Delgado

R McGowan-------B Soumare(black giant)-------T Spurr----------S Hammell

J Johnson-----------F Delph -------------------J McArthur--------F Merida

-------------------D Clarkson-----------------M Mifsud