Soccernomics is a revolutionary book written by journalist Simon Kuper and economist Stefan Szymanski, and one that all football fans of all levels should read. The first chapter in the book takes a detailed account of the money thrown in the transfer window and how one can avoid making silly mistakes in the market", studying the transfer strategies of Lyon and Nottingham Forest (under Peter Taylor) to uncover the secrets of the transfer market that all other clubs are missing. It brings up intriguing facts and I wanted to see whether the points highlighted in the book worked out in Football Manager; that is, if I followed the books tips as to how to make good transfers, will I succeed? The sample club would be FC Barcelona, primarily because it offered a club with an excellent youth set-up, ample transfer funds (so that heavy splurges could be made if needed) and also a club where a minor overhaul over a prolonged period was required (bringing in youngsters and shipping out the deadwood). On paper, Real Madrids team was better than Barcelona's, so that rivalry immediately offered a comparison and an objective for where my Barcelona team would need to get to. Right now, I am in my first season, leading the La Liga and having recently qualified for the knock-out phase of the Champions League.