Coming up to January 2010 on my City game, any suggestions on who to buy, aside from Villa and Chiellini who I'm already after ?

FM2010 is a lot better than previous versions. A lot better.

Watching the 3d is pretty much essential as it gives you a good indication of where you are going wrong. I have found that the tactical advice given by the coaches is inconsistent, some will lead you to win games, other times it will ensure you lose. I have started in the lower leagues and find that as a basic rule it works well to have a high defensive line and play wide against slow strikers or those good in the air and to sit deep and play narrow against pacy but weak strikers.

I am finding playing away really easy and can read where it's going wrong and more often than not win. At home my record isn't as good, I find it particularly hard to beat less capable teams, particularly those who play really narrow and defend. I never seem to score against them and will finish with a 2-0 defeat from two headers from set pieces after having 18 shots and 7 clear cut chances. I think my current season in L2 finished with a home record of W10 D3 L10 and an away record of W20 D2 L1.

The player roles and duties are a massive step forwards in the series. They should however follow this up by removing the sliders completely in the next version. Instructions in football management are all verbal, you get Mourinho saying, "Play deeper" rather than saying "Play seven notches up from the bottom". The shouts are also really useful and can have a real impact.

And as mentioned, those people hoovering up the talent as Man City? If you don't support City, what other excuse is there to use them bar getting to know the game with it's easiest possible challenge? It reminds me of when I was a kid and I'd spend days editing Championship Manager to make Everton brilliant, then stop playing it the day after because it was boring.

Considering taking a punt on van der Vaart at around £7m. Would add another creative option in my midfield.

My Leeds team (League 1) who have just lost on pens to Burnley (prem)

GK - Steve Simonsen (Signed for £1.1m)

DR - Stephen Darby (Signed before my time)
DL - Ben Parker
DC - Paddy Kisnorbo
DC - Richard Naylor

DM - Damien Plessis (Signed for £1.8m from Liverpool)
MC - Johnny Howson
MC - Oliver Lee (On loan from West Ham)
AM - James McCarthy (20 year old from Wigan signed for £3m)

ST - Jermain Beckford (On Loan from my previous club Liverpool)
ST - Daryl Murphy/ Luciano Becchio

SUB - Casper Ankegran (GK)
SUB - Daniel Ayala (Signed from Liverpool for £300k) (Def)
SUB - Leigh Bromby (Def)
SUB - Paul Anderson (signed before my time) (Mid)
SUB - Niel Kilkenny (Mid)
SUB - Becchio/Murphy (St)
SUB - Mike Grella (St)

Also got the Uruguay job for some reason

January 2010 - Sold Bridge and Bellamy who no longer featured in my first team plans and brought in van der Vaart (£8m) and Chiellini (£54m inc. clauses). Currently 5th in the league, looking to break into the top 4.

Good player this fella, I loaned him for Luton in League 2 and he was one of my players of the season, basically my catalyst to my great run-in at the end of the season.

I signed Villa, spent a fortune on him, and biggest waste of money i've ever spent. Maybe i was using him wrong, i don't know, but he was sh!te. I just signed Dzenko, and he's played 3 and scored 3. So far, so good.

Van der Vaart is pretty decent, does OK for me. Gives me a bit of depth in midfield, i only signed him as a back up, because Ireland has been on fire this season.

I'm considering Dzeko, as he's available for around £20-30m as opposed to Villa, Valencia want £153m for him.

Sign oscar Cardozo, plays for in the portugese league, available for between 9 - 13 million, class ratings and a goal machine no matter what club hes at.

I managed to get Villa for £72Million, majority being installments. I signed Dzeko for about £20million, and so far hes been pretty good. As i said, my game just disappeared, so i've had to start again, signed more or less the same players, although i for Modric in January to boost my chance of winning the league, along with Van der Vaart and Dzeko so i have a reasonable chance, being 4 points behind Chelsea, pretty much a two horse races. I do think though, that if i don't win the league my finances aren't going to be in good shape because i've had to use a lot of installments to get the players i have.