Posted by Football Manager Guru in Club is poor? Who to buy?
Many people face that question, including me, when I started on my Football Manager 2010 game with Leeds United. At the start of the game, Leeds United can be found in the Coca-Cola League 1, third best league in the UK. I will be writing a series of post tracking my challenge of promoting Leeds United back to the Premier after this post, so do check back for it.
The aim of this post is to list the top 10 free if not bargain players that I have obtained for Leeds United. Hopefully it will solve the headaches of those managers of clubs with very little transfer budget. I had only 1 million at the start when I took over Leeds, but with the aid of the 10 players listed below, I am dominating League 1. Do note the following players are not for top teams, they are teams in the lower leagues, preferably in League 1 level. If you are looking for players for the top leagues, check out my Top 10 Football Manager 2010 Players To Buy. Click on images for a larger view.
1. Ian Walker
The great thing about Ian Walker is that he is an experienced Premier League keeper in the past, and is available for free. He spent almost a full ten years at Tottenham and prior coming over to my Leeds squad, he spent 4 seasons at Bolton. And while Walker statistics have dropped over the years, he is still a brilliant capture since he is available for free and is willing to settle for a club from a lower league. His wages are cheap too at 4,600 a week. I obtained him for free and now he is worth 825,000. Brilliant deal both football wise, and finance wise. If your keeper is the reason why you are leaking goals, get Ian Walker to shore up the hole in your defense.
2. Gláuber
Gláuber is probably my best buy this season. He was was available for free at the start of the game, if you are a lower league team be SURE to snap him up. Firstly, after half a season, Gláuber is worth 3.7 million. Meaning 3.7 million dropped from the sky for by debt-ridden Leeds united. Secondly, half way through the season, my scouts already reckon he is capable of playing in the Premiership and sure enough I had an offer from one of the Premier League teams during the January transfer window. Gláuber stats might look average but he is a very consistent player and I have never seen him made a mistake that led to goal in the first half of the season. He is another key asset you have to secure to ensure you have a strong defense in the lower leagues.
3. Boudewijn Zenden
This ex-Chelsea man at the age of 33 still has the average stat of 14, which translates into him being a deadly playmaker in League 1. I am playing Zenden as an AML on the left which is not his natural position, but even then he seems to put in beautiful crosses for my target man to bang into goal. He might not have the pace anymore, but his delivery is still accurate. And once again, yes, he is available on a free transfer at the start of the season. After half a season I had an offer from Wigan for Zenden for 1.4 million. Zenden can play as an MC or ML.
4. Henri Camara
Amount of Goals Scored by Henri Camara
Henri Camara is the top scorer of my league after half a season. 25 Games, 16 Goals, 7 Assists, 5 Man of the Match and an average rating of 7.28 for all games. Not bad for a free transfer. The best part about Camara is his pace, which is monstrous for League 1. He is constantly breaking all the offside traps for my team and forms a great partnership with a strong targetman. Give this out of favour striker a chance and he will not disappoint you.
5. Carsten Jancker
Jancker's glorious goal scoring record
Jancker was one of the players that I can vividly remember from the Man United game against Barca at Nou Camp in the year 1999. I remember making a comment like he is almost as tall as Jaap Stam. Jancker is the joint top scorer together with Camara in my Leeds United squad and I play in as the target man in my squad. 25 games, 16 Goals, 9 Assists, 3 Man of the Match and an average rating of 7.29. Jancker is naturally very fit and I could easily play him for every single game and he never ever gets injured. At 19 Strength and 17 Balance, he is great for holding off the ball as a target man. I get the team to play the ball to his feet as a targetman. His tall 193cm frame is probably the main reason he has scored so many headers for me. Once again, Jancker can be yours for free.
6. Iván Campo
Iván Campo might be old, but he is still one hell of DM. 16 Marking, 15 Tackling and 16 Technique ensures he is able to win the ball back and spray the ball to players higher up the pitch. The only problem with Campo is that he can hardly last a whole match, but still for a lower league DM he is really awesome and he is available for free.
7. Sol Campbell
God, this guy used to be playing in the Premier League at the highest level with Arsenal! Probably my best buy during my first season with Leeds. The board and fans was really happy when I managed to capture Campbell. I immediately made him Captain due to his 19 Influence and the fact that so many players in my squad was glad that he joined the squad. Campbell is still rock solid at the heart of my defense. Be it tackling or jumping for the ball he seldom loses out. Acquisition of the season for FREE!
8. Rohan Ricketts
Ricketts is an extremely versatile player, being able to play naturally in the AMC, AML and AMR position. In 22 appearances in the league, he managed 13 assists, 3 goals and an average rating of 7.41. Extremely tricky winger who is highly sought after at the start of the game. He is also available for free.
9. Sandrinho
Sandrinho is the only player that I actually bought with part of my transfer fund at the start of the first season. I bought him for a low price of barely 100,000 and he is a really good playmaker at the center of the midfield. Nothing too amazing about him, just a decent player that you can get for a really cheap price.
10. Zé Maria
Yes, I have saved you the best for last. Zé Maria is surprisingly my best addition to the Leeds squad so far. I am playing him as a DR although that is not his natural position, but he is definitely competent as playing as a right back. The best part about him is not his defensive capabilities. Sure he does not make too many defensive mistakes, but the best part of him is his insane and beastly attacking attributes. No I am not making this up. On his debut game, Zé Maria scored a 35-yard free kick for me and in the next game he scored a 30-yard free kick again. I am using him as my primary spot-kick taker, corner kick taker and free kick taker as he seems to have the technical attributes to deliver such balls. He is also a great crosser of the ball and has a wicked long shot. When he gets forward from the right back position he is really hard to deal with. Probably has the highest average rating in the whole League 1 after half a season. 23 League appearances, 10 goals, 9 assists, EIGHT man-of-the-match awards and an average rating of 7.68. This are INSANE statistics for a right back. Best of all, he is free. Definitely the best right back you can get for free.
Leave me a comment. Tell me your best bargain players and finds!
Related posts:
Hi FMGuru
I found a really interesting list with screenshots of some wonderkids, you have to check it out. Maybe you can add some of them to your list!
link: http://blog.linxiting.com/index.php/fm2010-wonderkids-screenshots.php
Wow, this is a great find!
Thank you so much wittenvdp (: I am sure my readers will find this helpful (: will make a post about it in my spare time. Cheers! thank you for supporting my blog.
Best Player To Buy In The Championship Is Ched Evans However You Will Have To Play £5,000,000
@Joe: Hi there, hmm 5,000,0000 is a lot of money, wonder if Championship squads have that kind of money though. Thanks for suggesting anyway (:
Well most FM players get wonderkid Marco Veratti… in relatively short time hes better than Fabregas. Brazilian young player Defederico is pacey forward or OMC… scores plenty in my verision of wolves ;… Then theres always Hulk. Norwegian international and central defender Tore Reginiussen is a real class act, as well as Iliasu Shilla who is available on free transfer when the game starts. A really nice backup for Modric is FC Zurichs Dusan Djuric(OML-OMC-FC). The young talented Brazilian kid Dudu becomes a great player rather quickly. Perhaps eaven better than Veloso is or becomes Brazilian DM Sandro. Some of the players ive got in my Wolves team season 2….
@matereo: hey mate thanks for the contribution. yeap verratti is a real bargain, right off the bat he is already capable of coming in as a substitute to change the game. I am sure people would find your contribution to be useful (:
I wouldn’t say that all the players i have mentioned and have in the Wolves season 2 squad are bargains.
Players i brought in with the little money available first season were, Illiasu Shilla (free), versatile Abubakari Yakubu Free(BC, FBR, DM, MC),Dusan Djuric(OMC OML, FC), Michael Lumb(FBL, WBL ML, OML),Morgan Schneiderlin(DMC, MC) Veratti ofcourse (Went on loan at Plymouth
and Tore reginiussen.
Defenders i kept were Zubar, Foley, Elokobi, Stearman(had a bid of 10m£ from Everton recently).
Midfielders fist season.. Kightly, Jarvis, David Jones, Karl Henry, Michael Lumb, Dusan Djuric, Nenad Milijas, Veratti, and Morgan Schneiderlin.
Up front i used Mainly Doyle and for backup Meierhofer played next to Ebanks blake and sometimes Keogh. Im amazed at what great performances Keogh can do from time to time. His finishing stat is low, but determination really high, he’s creative and quite pacey. Pretty muck answers the question, how Lavezzi can be so good in the despite really low value in finishing.
Vokes went on loan to Nac Breda.
By the way Wolves ended eighth, this first season… Blake scored and scored… value skyrocketed and is 8.5m£
@Matereo: Ah Morgan Schneiderlin, someone who I wanted to purchase for Wolves but he chose another Spanish club in the end. And we all know what a beast Shilla can be at defence, and he’s free at the start of the game! I’ve no idea Keogh could turn out to be decent. When I checked his stats I felt he did not have enough substance to make the cut, guess I never really gave him a chance. Ebanks-Blake has also turned out to be magnificent for me this season, the things he does sometimes amazes me more than what Milveskyi can do. Thank you for sharing your lineup though, I am sure it’s immense to people who are managing the lower EPL clubs.
hi, was looking at this for my save with norwich some really good players there, especially camara and ze maria. A player that i bought in my save was Henrik Larsson, he’s 37 but has some really good attributes for his age and he scored 30+ goals for also becomes quite a good coach, another player is Rudi Skacel who plays LW for me good player at 29.