Football Manager: A Tale of Highs, Lows and Curses (With Some Other Stuff Too)

Today, I felt like writing a gaming post, which I've not done in a long while.

For the last couple of months, my life has been consumed by Sports Interactive's finest, Football Manager. As the time I've spent playing it's nearing ever closer to 8 days, I think it's time to reflect on my four seasons so far as manager of Werder Bremen, which has been a mixed bag, to say the least...

2008-09 (I'm playing FM 2009)

League - 1st
German Cup - Knocked out (3rd Round - Dortmund)
Europa League - Winner (At. Madrid)
Top Scorer - Vagner Love - 41

2009-10

League - 1st
German Cup - Knocked out (Qtr Final - Leverkusen)
Champions League - Runner up (Man. Utd)
Top Scorer - Vagner Love - 47

2010-11

League - 1st
German Cup - Knocked out (Qtr final - Leverkusen)
Champions League - Runner up (Arsenal)
Top Scorer - Gennediy Shumanskiy - 34

2011-12

League - 1st
German Cup - Winner (Stuttgart)
Champions League - Runner up (Real Madrid)
Top Scorer - Vagner Love - 38

So league-wise, aye, I'm beastin', but it's like I'm cursed in Europe. I only one the Europa League because of a disallowed goal, and I've lost in 3 consecutive Champions League finals. Also, after only winning the German Cup for the first time last season, I had lost the the eventual winner each time before...

For recommending players to sign, I'm just going to say players Graeme Kelly (THANK YOU) told me to sign along with ones I've found myself:

Vagner Love, Miralem Pjanic, Darijo Srna, Juan Manuel Vargas, Ivan Marcano, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer, Rene Adler (Never signed but a bloody good keeper), Giuseppe Rossi and countless youth players that don't actually exist who I've managed to sell off at a tidy profit.

So I'm on my second week of game time with my fifth season at Bremen, and hopefully I might actually win the damn Champions League!

And in other really exciting news, I arranged all my CDs in alphabetical order, all 80 or so, which may not be as many as I'd like, but it still took bloody ages to sort! You know you really have too much time on your hands when you're debating whether to sort them by the name of the band, the name of the album, or the year it was recorded. (I went with the band order, for those interested, who I hope will be none of you...) Next challenge: 30-odd PS3 games and Blurays, then onto the 150-ish DVDs. Good thing I'm not working till Friday...

I'm also having a massive Queen-gasm today, after I found my dad's CD downstairs (I bought him it, so tough, I'm keeping it). Absolute Greatest indeed. How I didn't have this before, I'll never know. I mean, I've always loved Queen, I just looked to hear new things before buying any Queen albums, I suppose!

Also, I was looking through old posts (look at the "Supergroups" post to find a horrible aspect of my musical past which I was sure I had erased all mention of...) and I came across a band I had seen live once. Their name is In Case of Fire, they're from Northern Ireland, and think of them as a cross between Muse (but less dramatic), Queens of the Stone Age and Biffy Clyro. I found their album on Spotify today, and it reminded me how good they were at T last year.

Anyway, I'm off for a night of giving blood, watching questionable movies and Baileys on the rocks with Mr Kelly and Mr MacInnes!

Darren out, saying open your eyes, look up to the skies and see...

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Now playing: In Case Of Fire - This Time We Stand
via FoxyTunes