Just to spice this up again, are there any players that you try and buy a lot when you're playing? When I do League of Ireland I basically take what I can get but after getting Limerick promoted one year in CM 2000/01 I strengthed the squad with Alan Kernaghan (a rock), John Sheridan and Tommy Coyne (couldn't even hold a place on the bench!). I remember signing a young lad called Robbie Daly in the same game but I think he was randomly generated.
With bigger teams I'd recommend Aimo Diana, Dmitrios Gramosis (spelling is off, he's a Greek/German with Hamburg I think), the usual Backircioglu and Kallstrom tandem, a verstaile defender called Suleyman Sleyman (again, spelling isn't great there but he's a Syrian/Swede), Greek international keeper with a long name that starts with 'E', Nigmatulin is a good cheapish keeper, Ajax have some players who develop well (Yakubu, Cruz, Trabelsi, Hersi), John Buikelma becomes a decent player as well. I've never really bothered with huge clubs, Villa, Celtic and Ajax are about my biggest so take that as a gauge. Oh and Taribo West on a free in a lot of editions is a good buy as well.