Crazy Diamond

Still trying to resolve the sluggish speed issues, however, I played the Scottish cup semi-final and lost in the last minute 2 - 1. Falkirk went on to get hammered 4 - 1 in the final anyway. For maddog, here are my transfers in the first season. Bear in mind these are players for a Scottish third division side aiming for a midtable finish... Can't recommend this guy highly enough, stats aren't great but check out his history... Reaffirms my belief that the tactics matter more than the players. Get that right and you're laughing. I've only ever used one formation, here's the story of my success with it over the past 50 games. Ignore the 4-4-2 thing, that was my assistant manager taking charge of a pre-season friendly for me.

Too right. Imagine getting rid of Cotterill and getting lumped with Brian Laws or someone with a similar level of ineptitude? As for Mr. Gray, a friend of mine knew his son, and apparently the constant upheaval due to getting work with different clubs looked as if it was taking its toll on his family, so I hope he stays on. I don't think I'd wish those kinds of problems on anyone. Look at Terry Brown at AFC Wimbledon, for the umpteenth time his poor wife is undergoing treatment for cancer. Makes you think differently doesn't it.

Eight leagues. I know I can add and remove. It is not a problem with my computer.

Anyone know how to check how many players are in your game? I can't see it anywhere. The guy on the SI forums helping me with my loading issue wants to know. It's just taken me two minutes to click on save note and get back to my inbox. I can't carry on like that.

ARGH! I put Steam in online mode to do the whole cache integrity thing and it's downloading ANOTHER update - I now can't play the game for an ice age as it takes so long to download these stupid things. I really do despise Steam.

I'll do a screenshot of my transfer screen later. At the moment, I'm so frustrated by how slow the game is moving from menu to menu, I'm looking for a solution. It takes up to a minute to save a note and about 30 seconds to move from news item to news item, I've had enough now but the bugs forum on SI has crashed, how ironic... I've just won the division though so that's reduced my frustration levels!

Hate to say it but O'Driscoll is a decent manager. I actually had him down as my choice when we got rid of Pardew. He's used to working with small clubs too. Doncaster and Bournemouth, now them!

I'm not too bad at this game. As a result... I've just got Berwick into the Scottish Cup semi-finals too and got a great draw, Falkirk, as opposed to Rangers or Celtic. I beat Falkirk last season 3 - 1, so I could well be in the final! Top by nine points too, so promotion soon.

Skates fans, take notice. Lee Clark is leaving Huddersfield. But not for Fratton, he's going to Leicester, I have just heard.

I found out why the game was occasionally lagging a bit. Despite the fact I'd gone to offline mode in Steam(ing pile of ****) there was still a setting activated that was collating data from my game and that was running it down. Turned off now, big improvement. My Berwick team have lost two in three now and we've just gone second in the second division table. I've been linked with Nottingham Forest who have just sacked Sam Allardyce, but I think I'll go abroad, perhaps to a Scandinavian nation, as I've never managed there. Got to love the option to add leagues.

A good call? It's a bloody stonker. Well done sadoldgit.

Hmm. Might have to look into this. In other news, I've got a logo pack and it feels sooo good to have them in the game. Just have to wait for a decent kit pack. Oh and moooore news. I'm second in Scots division two, won 24 games in a row from last season, horrific 5 - 1 reverse at home ended that. Lost 1 - 0 in the 93rd minute to Kilmarnock in the League Cup too. Going to get Berwick into the first division for the first time in about forty years, seems a nice challenge.

Anyone else finding that this game is terribly slow at times? The match engine works like a dream for me, processing fixtures is incredibly quick, but simple stuff like saving notes and going from one news item to another takes a good while sometimes. I can click on 'attend' to go to a press conference and be kept waiting up to 30 seconds to start the questions for example. Not very impressed by that and I don't think it's my MacBook...

Use this for team talks: http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/football-manager-2011-tactics-training/29092-woifsongs-teamtalk-guide.html Read the summary here for which attributes to look for when buying players: http://www.mantralux.com/2010/11/player-attributes-explained/ That ought to help you out.

While we're on the subject of the police, does anyone know the fan, or are you the fan, that went up to the policeman with the camera last season against Leyton Orient? What was the point in that? I would have thought the game of football that was on offer a few feet behind the policeman involved was more interesting, but more fool me...

Superb. Just equalled the record points total in the Scots third division, or as I like to call it, turd division, with two games to go. Managed to get Pablo Counago to sign for me, a bit of a coup! Hasn't scored yet though...

I'm thinking FM12 proper deserves a thread of its own, not clumped in here with the demo.

Well I just won the Scottish third division with Berwick Rangers. Wonder what I'll do next...!

After a defeat on the opening day of the season, I had 15 consecutive wins. Then I lost to Alloa who weren't even in double figures! Still, top by 13 points.

All good'uns, Blackpool are definitely in there. I remember Crewe stayed up against all the odds the day before we went down (I think), I might give that a mention. I'm thinking of doing top fives, top five play-off surprises, top five relegation surprises etc etc.

I'm writing an article for FourFourTwo about surprise Football League packages. At the moment I've got Crystal Palace in 03/04 and Watford 05/06. Can anyone think of any good ones to mention? I'm thinking Cambridge United would be a good shout after their spell with John Beck in charge, maybe Derby County in 06/07.

You'll put thousands of lives at risk though, the place would probably collapse! Well, I say thousands, depends if their attendances turn round...

It's nearly 2012 and Fratton Park is only just now implementing an electronic scoreboard? Christ almighty. It's like when you watch Tomorrow's World from the 60s and 70s "This is a computer - we predict in the future that there will be up to five of these"

You asked and you received: Beat Falkirk of two divisions higher 3 - 1 on their own patch, top by about seven points at the moment. Was worried after the three defeats though, thankfully I've got the hang of the new team talks system now.

Check this out. Reckon it's a bad result? Think again. I'm managing Berwick. Check out the possession!