Football Manager, Part I

[johno]

I just lost to Cadiz. Crisis at the end of a glorious season at Barca. I went from one loss to four in three matches. The next match is the second leg of the Spanish Cup Semi. I need that game to get me back in form. I'm 7 ahead of Madrid with 3 to play. Not good.

have faith... I bet they lose their next game and gift you the title...

In my season I acquired a 33yo Zidane in December and in 11 starts he has 10 goals and 3 assists... he's been getting T-d up at the top of the box and curling them in for fun... a 8.4 average rating and the wonderful thing? I got him for 1.2 million and a huge amount in wages... strangely though he's unhappy since the press has been saying he's past it... I'm like he's the 3rd leading scorer on the team and he's played a 3rd of the team's games!!!

Oh well... I have been playing 1 striker formations for this entire game and it works like a charm... although it does help to have Rooney, Bergkamp and Zidane, and occasionally Ronaldo to play as the off striker... do any of you guys flirt with a 1 striker formation?

I play 2 formations...

-----------------FC
-------------AMC
--------------------------AMR
LM------------------MC
--------DMC
LB------CB----CB--------RB
-----------GK

that formation allows Ronaldo, my RW to play no defence since he sucks and allows Scholes ALOT of space to pass...

Another formation that I play, (well, i've been using this coming formation almost exclusively recently) is a weird one

-----------------FC
-----------------AMC
----------------------
ML---------------CM----------------MR
--------DMC---------------DMC
----<<<<CB-------CB-------CB>>>>
-------------------GK

Its risky, but when you've got Mascherano, Keane and Baptista, how can you not play 2 DM's? I really can't help myself... I also change formations in the game ALOT, anybody else do that? I mean like if I see a team is really playing down the wings I switch to 4-4-2 and i've got versatile defenders so i don't have to make subs but I also switch to 3-5-2 if my target man is closed down often before he can shoot...

[csc7]

Pretty new to the game and ran into an interesting problem... Was coaching Tottenham and won Euro Cup with the team and finished 7th in the league. The 2010 WC happened during off season and 4 players were involved all the way through. My only real offseason losses were my RW, Davies, who had been my main captain the year before and a central defender. In both cases, I picked up players that had similar or better qualities. The next season, using similar tactics to the year before, I completely bombed and got fired 15 games into the season (with just 4 wins). Any ideas why the team collapsed?

[Bonji]

Pretty new to the game and ran into an interesting problem... Was coaching Tottenham and won Euro Cup with the team and finished 7th in the league. The 2010 WC happened during off season and 4 players were involved all the way through. My only real offseason losses were my RW, Davies, who had been my main captain the year before and a central defender. In both cases, I picked up players that had similar or better qualities. The next season, using similar tactics to the year before, I completely bombed and got fired 15 games into the season (with just 4 wins). Any ideas why the team collapsed?
I think that is a question you'll ask many times through your FM/WWSM career. My Barca team, that had 21 wins a couple draws and one loss, was beating teams 4-0 on a regular basis. All of a sudden I dropped 4 straight games. Why? Who knows.

I did turn it around to take the last two games and the league title. I scored 92 goals and had 91 points in the league. One of my better seasons in the game. I'm waiting for the Spanish Cup final at the end of June, almost a month after the end of the season. WC 2006 just kicked off and I doubt I'll have my best team to try and win the double. I'm not sure what kind of moves I am going to try in the off-season. I'm thinking a strong defender could fit into the team well. Sylvinho on the left isn't considered on of my strongest players, and I have a hard time getting a good result out of my central defender playing next to Puyol. Maybe there is a WC standout I can swoop in for.

[JohnR]

FM Question -

Have they fixed the players "unhappy because of lack of squad depth" issue? That has bedeviled me in the past, I'd have 35 players, 7 strikers, would sell one forward and then would have half the team unhappy because my team was only enormous, not gargantuan.

Then of course, now happy because I'm back to having 3 players for every position, none of them would want to resign with me because I didn't play them enough. :rolleyes:

[Bonji]

have faith... I bet they lose their next game and gift you the title...
I did take the title, but I was hoping to get over 95 points in the league and wrap things up before the second to last game. Ohh well, a title is a title. Barca fans were very excited as I broke the title drought.


Oh well... I have been playing 1 striker formations for this entire game and it works like a charm... although it does help to have Rooney, Bergkamp and Zidane, and occasionally Ronaldo to play as the off striker... do any of you guys flirt with a 1 striker formation?

I play a one striker formation. Barca had so many skilled attacking midfielders I stuck with the default tactic I got when the game started.

-------------SC--------------
---^-------------------^----
---^-------------------^----
---^-------------------^----
--AM--------AM-------AM----
-----------------------------
------DM---------DM--------
-------^-----------^--------
-------^-----------^--------
-------^-----------^--------
-----------------------------
DL------DC-------DC------DR
-----------------------------
------------GK---------------

This tactic got me 92 points in the league this season and a spot in the Spanish Cup final. It didn't do me too well in the Champions League. I'm hoping I'll improve in the CL this next season.

[JohnR]

next season, using similar tactics to the year before, I completely bombed and got fired 15 games into the season (with just 4 wins). Any ideas why the team collapsed?

How long had you ridden that tactic?

In my game, I spent too many years with the same tactic and when the computer adjusted, it really adjusted. 24 games into the season, I had 55 points on 16 wins, 7 draws, 1 loss. Then bang!, it all went to hell even though I was facing a soft part of the schedule. Next 10 games, 1 win, 4 draws, 5 losses.

I got very frustrated, even cheated a couple of times and replayed games. No joy to be had. Once, I lost 5-3 to Liverpool. (Five goals!). A team that I had beaten like a drum for years. So I restarted. In the new game, a Liverpool defender got red carded 20 minutes into the affair. Hurrah! So then I lost 1-0. :(

I scrapped the tactic entirely, and went to a totally different formation. Much better.

[DutchFootballRulez]

Yeah, In Europe you really need top level DMs. Because the midfield play is much better. Pirlo and Van Bronkhorst are great in posession, but not when you need to knock around the other teams No.10

[ibreak4coffee]

WEll besides crashing once, the FM patch has worked so far with my WWSM game. Is it possible though just to uninstall a particular patch? Also does anyone know if when I download the WWSM patch, it will simply copy itself over the FM patch?

I may just finish this game and then reinstall when the WWSM 5.0.3 patch comes out.

[DutchFootballRulez]

the WWSM patch is out. I just did a copy over. However, I forgot whether or not there was any significant difference in WWSM over FM. When the game Loads at the Top of the Screen in WWSM does it Say "Football Manager 2005" or "Worldwide Soccer Manager 2005"?

[ibreak4coffee]

the WWSM patch is out. I just did a copy over. However, I forgot whether or not there was any significant difference in WWSM over FM. When the game Loads at the Top of the Screen in WWSM does it Say "Football Manager 2005" or "Worldwide Soccer Manager 2005"?

It says WWSM 2005 for me.

[Cannon]

Upgrades won't affect saved games.

That isn't totally true. Some changes to attributes will change right away. I'd suggest that you read the changelist so you know what you are getting with the patch. I'd highly recommend it because it does fix a lot of problems but you'll probably notice a change or two that annoy you. I'm really hoping a third smaller patch is produced to clean up remaining and new bugs. I really want the extra game ban for yellow card in Holland fixed and the selection column switching when you use filters corrected. That MLS bugs sounds massive as well. I never play MLS but SI shouldn't leave a problem that big unpatched.

[Bonji]

Yeah, In Europe you really need top level DMs. Because the midfield play is much better. Pirlo and Van Bronkhorst are great in posession, but not when you need to knock around the other teams No.10
Motta had a nice season for me in the left DM role, but I might look for someone in that position. Van Bronkhorst has never stepped into the role as well as Motta and I don't love either of them. Deco and Guilly are getting old, so maybe I need another top flight, younger attacking mid in there. Maybe a forward too.

[gaijin]

That isn't totally true. Some changes to attributes will change right away. I'd suggest that you read the changelist so you know what you are getting with the patch. I'd highly recommend it because it does fix a lot of problems but you'll probably notice a change or two that annoy you. I'm really hoping a third smaller patch is produced to clean up remaining and new bugs. I really want the extra game ban for yellow card in Holland fixed and the selection column switching when you use filters corrected. That MLS bugs sounds massive as well. I never play MLS but SI shouldn't leave a problem that big unpatched.

Should really have said updates.

btw: 4-3-2-1 DK, appears to the strongest formation. 4-4-2 works well only if you have good workrate throughout the team.

[DutchFootballRulez]

It says WWSM 2005 for me.

Crap. Then I'll probably have to reinstall then Re-patch.

[ibreak4coffee]

Crap. Then I'll probably have to reinstall then Re-patch.

I installed the WWSM patch tonight over the FM patch, and my game is working perfectly.

[odg78]

I play a one striker formation. Barca had so many skilled attacking midfielders I stuck with the default tactic I got when the game started.

-------------SC--------------
---^-------------------^----
---^-------------------^----
---^-------------------^----
--AM--------AM-------AM----
-----------------------------
------DM---------DM--------
-------^-----------^--------
-------^-----------^--------
-------^-----------^--------
-----------------------------
DL------DC-------DC------DR
-----------------------------
------------GK---------------

This tactic got me 92 points in the league this season and a spot in the Spanish Cup final. It didn't do me too well in the Champions League. I'm hoping I'll improve in the CL this next season.
--I play alot like this with Barca.


---------------SC--------------
-^--------^-----------------^-
-^--------^-----------------^-
-^-------AMC--------AMC---^-
-^--------------------------^-
-AML----------------------AMR-
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------DMC--------------
--------------------------------
DL-----DC----------DC------DR-
--------------------------------
--------------GK----------------

[Bonji]

--I play alot like this with Barca.


---------------SC--------------
-^--------^-----------------^-
-^--------^-----------------^-
-^-------AMC--------AMC---^-
-^--------------------------^-
-AML----------------------AMR-
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------DMC--------------
--------------------------------
DL-----DC----------DC------DR-
--------------------------------
--------------GK----------------
Nice. Maybe I'll try that when my tactic gets figured out by the comp.

[Bonji]

So I'm in the middle of the off-season, Germany just beat Holland to win the 2006 WC. I've signed Dede, the Brazilian left back. I think he will be a big upgrade over Sylvinho. I've also signed on a free Ruben Navaro as a third backup striker. Savolia and Eto share the starting duties and Navaro will fill in instead of Larsson who is getting too old. I also snagged a 21 yr old Croatian AMC who excelled in the WC. I payed $5 million for him and his value shot up to $18 million when he got to the club. I'm excited to work him in off the bench to see what he can do.

Naturally the rest of my 7 AMC's got pissed when the young Croat was signed. So I decided to bite the bullet on Guily. His salary was huge, he was turning 30 and there was interest for him in England. His value was $30 million but I offered him at $15 million figuring if multiple teams showed interest I'd turn it into a bidding war. Only Chelsea showed interest so I accepted their $15 million offer. The board and fans were pissed that I sold an "integral" part of the team. However Ronaldinho had staked his claim to the right AM spot and I had a glut of players. Guily had just played well at the WC but his time came and off he went. Hopefully I won't get bit in the butt by him in the CL.

I'm hoping that the purchase of Dede will help my chances in CL. I was also thinking of bringing in John O'Shea but I'm affraid Man U will want too much for him. I'm still looking for a left sided center back.

[DutchFootballRulez]

I assume you don't play Oleguer. Dede was a great signing, he can attack and Defend.

[Bonji]

I assume you don't play Oleguer. Dede was a great signing, he can attack and Defend.
I don't. He rides the pine and is pissed about it.