Got FM2011 for Christmas, so have started a game as Stranraer in Scottish Division 3.

Still getting to grips with it but pre-season has started well with a couple of wins over teams from higher leagues. Fingers crossed I can pick up one of the Old Firm as a parent club and get some decent loan players in, as I've no transfer budget and I'm already at my wage limit.

I've started a career on FM11 after getting it from Santa. I must say it runs like a dream compared to previous versions. So silky smooth and so responsive. On the same PC FM09 and FM10 chug away and have noticable delays post click, but there is none of that on this one.

Everything seems better so far. Contract negotiations are more realistic and I love the ability to chat with your players. I started off as Everton with a £2m transfer budget and about £30k in the wage budget left. After sacking a few members of backroom staff and paying fees for their replacements I thought I would only be able to dabble in the loan market. However after spotting that I needed a right winger I clicked on Landon Donavan to see if he was available for loan so I could pick him up in January like Everton did. There was a button to approach the board about signing him. Kenwright got on the task and snapped him up for me as I told him he was vital to me achieving the goals the board had set. That is a ridiculously superb addition to the game. I guess you will only be able to do this so many times but it's a fantastic and realistic (Well, apart from old Bill pulling off a deal) addition. In previous games I was always really annoyed when a fantastic player was available for a great price, but you couldn't sign him because you didn't have any funds available to spend, despite there being £30m in the bank.

Just got FM11 and noticed three familiar names in the Chesterfield U18s. One, Jordan Burrow was in my brother's year at primary school, Jack Waddle, son of Chris who goes to my old school, and another lad in his year, Sam West, who's sister is my sister's best mate.

That said, a girl who was in my year is the younger sister of Michael & Rory Boulding.

Having seen them both at Bradford I'm guessing she got the footballing talent in the family?

I love FM11!

Started out at Saints. 1st season got them up via the 2nd Auto promo spot with the likes of Jay DeMerit signing on a free, Charlie Austin for £1m and Frank Fielding on loan. Recruited fairly well in the off season with people like Eddie Johnson & Mido signing on frees, got Fielding for £1m and Stephen Darby for £400k and finished 11th in my first season in the Championship.

How do you get your board to sign a player for you?

James Chester, who was at Manchester united, now at hull city, Went to my school

Go on the offer screen and there is an option top right to tell the board how desperate you want to sign him etc.


Started my second season at Pompey with a 1-1 draw at Hull, 2-0 win at Torquay in the cup and a 1-0 loss to Millwall after being down to 10 men for an hour (almost snatched a point too)

Expected drivel?

Anyway, the way I did it is by asking the Assistant for a team report. Being Everton he's then come back and told me I need a right midfielder as the midfield is weak. Then after that there is a button when you got to a relevant player like Donovan saying 'board interaction'. You can then have a conversation with the Chairman about signing the player.

The board then take over and either sign him for you, tell you they couldn't reach a deal or tell you to stop being silly like they did when I asked them to sign Lionel Messi for me

Sick of snotty youngsters (mainly re-gens) refusing every loan move they get. Some accept and all is good, but others would rather rot in the u19s or reserves instead of playing first team football somewhere, when they are talented young players. Surely there should be an option in future versions to interact with a player that is refusing loan moves and try to get him to change his mind, explaining why you are trying to send him out on loan.