Started my first game on FM2006, haven't ever really found time to start one up.
Plucked for Valencia for a few reasons. Good squad with a few star men that I thought would shine (Aimar, Villa, Vicente) and thought it would be tough as there would be high expectations yet high difficulty in trying to win the league ahead of Barca and Real.
First transfer: Fernando Cavenaghi, Spartak Moscow. 9.5m. Thought this was a relatively good price, bought him for cheaper than the 11m I'd just got out of Barca for Mista. Used that and the remaining transfer budget to sign Anthony vanden Borre and Olivier Deschacht.
I played a general 4-4-2 but with Vicente on the AML position and Rufete just playing as MR. Worked quite well but was drawing too many games. Signed a pre-agreement deal for Freddy Guarin. 1m at the end of the season.
At half-way point had 36 points and was hovering around 4rd place, swapping regularly between 4th, 5th, and 6th with Real and Bilbao. Atletico Madrid were surprise leaders with Barca just behind in 2nd. Betis were in between the two battles in 3rd.
Cavenaghi was scoring for fun and was making a good partnership with Di Vaio. Cavenaghi had 16 goals after 18 games, Di Vaio with 10 in the same amount.
Second half of the season let us really show what we were about. Got a quick contract extension which saw me on 55,000 a week, the highest paid manager on the game.
Towards the end of the season I won 7 on the trot to storm into 2nd, with Barca a good 5 points clear. Final game of the season was away at Madrid at the Bernabeu. A win would guarantee automatic qualification for Champs League Group Stages.
Hammered them 3-0 with 2 goals from Di Vaio and 1 from Cavenaghi.
Finished 2nd with 75 points. Cavenaghi top scorer with 29 goals and Vicente top assister with 18.
England did badly in the World Cup, Sven was sacked and I was quickly unveiled as the new England manager. Just about to start my 2nd season, signed Jan Lastuvka, Sergio Aguero and Francesc Fabregas so far, looking at Milito as a centre back partner for La Liga Player of the Year, Vincent Kompany.