Football Manager, Part I

[JG]

Typical FM moment yesterday...I am managing Portadown in the Northern Irish league, and clinch the championship with two matches to go. So before the next match...I get a media comment from the opposing manager saying that he doesn't think I can win the league this year! Then half my team gets the "unsure if team can win the title following opposing manager's comments" attribute, and their morale and play tanks.

Good thing I had already clinched the league :rolleyes:

[sitati_kituyi]

Similar thing happened to me recently. Playing as Southampton, United were interested in Vanden Borre and offered 12m (an offer I couldn't refuse!). I agreed, he agreed, and I finalised the deal the morning of a match day. By kick-off time, he was still there, so I figured "What the heck? One for the road".

He had a cracker, and in the news later that day, in addition to a confirmation that United had signed him, there was a question from the media saying he has been labled as one of the most promising youngsters of his generation and asking whether I thought I could keep him. I said no, and the game crashed!

Luckily I had saved two days before the match, so nothing much was lost. Events happened similarly, but the press didn't ask the question this time :)

[Bonji]

The only superstition I have is to not press my team tactics button while the opposing team has the ball. It seems they often score when I do that.

[Cannon]

I don't do anything weird with the mouse. But, I don't start players who just joined the team. I believe in that 'hidden gel' factor.

You had better believe in it since it is in there. I think its a bit too strong right now. If you leave a team of pretty good players together with minimal changes due to tired, injured or suspended players you can go on some insane (150+) unbeaten streaks. I'm hoping they seriously tweak the team gel factor and player's stamina. It is very tough to get a player to play in nearly every match unless its a GK in FM05. Of course, in real life we can all name a bunch of players that manage it without showing to much fatigue on the field.

[TheImposter]

You had better believe in it since it is in there. I think its a bit too strong right now. If you leave a team of pretty good players together with minimal changes due to tired, injured or suspended players you can go on some insane (150+) unbeaten streaks. I'm hoping they seriously tweak the team gel factor and player's stamina. It is very tough to get a player to play in nearly every match unless its a GK in FM05. Of course, in real life we can all name a bunch of players that manage it without showing to much fatigue on the field.
This killed me last year in the league with Bolton. After finishing 3rd the year before I added several players that should have strengthened the team quite a bit. However, I tanked for the first half of the season, and ended up finishing 12th. Interestingly enough, I won the champions league. This year I'm doing it a bit differently. I have one new signing, one big guy gone (for 29.5 mil after picking him up on a free a year ago), and I'm trying to sign a big name or two. If I do, they won't go straight into the team. I also took control over most of the friendlies -- it seems like the assman just throws people in there willie-nillie, so I played my first 11 together for increasingly long periods of time as we progressed through the friendlies. I'm about the start the league, so we'll see how it goes.

[astabooty]

Wow, just started a new game with Ivory Coast and I am doing pretty well.
Just had a home game against Sudan. I won 10-0. It was 7-0 at half time. Three players with 2 goals and four with 1. Surprisingly, Drogba didnt score! :eek:
Six players got a rating of 10. Three with 9.
Shots= 29:0

This was with my own tactic. I am playing a 2-3-2-1-2.

[Cannon]

This killed me last year in the league with Bolton. After finishing 3rd the year before I added several players that should have strengthened the team quite a bit. However, I tanked for the first half of the season, and ended up finishing 12th..<snip>..I have one new signing, one big guy gone (for 29.5 mil after picking him up on a free a year ago), and I'm trying to sign a big name or two. If I do, they won't go straight into the team. I also took control over most of the friendlies -- it seems like the assman just throws people in there willie-nillie, so I played my first 11 together for increasingly long periods of time as we progressed through the friendlies. I'm about the start the league, so we'll see how it goes.

That sounds like a great plan. At clubs with any money (poor clubs require a really different approach), I tend to make a fair amount of moves early in the first summer, pick a top group, and stick with them unless somebody gets a long term injury or if they just aren't working well after a fair amount of games. I then only bring in a player or two in the first winter window (usually a free who was out of contract at the end of December and I pre-signed earlier) and only insert the new guy(s) slowly into the side as players get tired, injured, or banned. Then each following window is more about small tweaks and not massive movement for the first team especially as my kids develop into starters. After a few seasons, my overall team is pretty big but it is well divided across ages, skill level, and squads so it isn't a real problem.

I run into a lot of new FM players (usually they pick a huge rich squad like Chelsea or R.Madrid) who get a bunch of players in and out of their first team all the time and they can't figure out why their team of stars isn't winning. Then I ask how many players they have in the first team and they say, "only 50-60" and they end up giving each of their "stars" about 10 games a season. :rolleyes: They tend to get sacked, don't win anything major, and have a bunch of unhappy players.

[TheImposter]

That sounds like a great plan. At clubs with any money (poor clubs require a really different approach), I tend to make a fair amount of moves early in the first summer, pick a top group, and stick with them unless somebody gets a long term injury or if they just aren't working well after a fair amount of games. I then only bring in a player or two in the first winter window (usually a free who was out of contract at the end of December and I pre-signed earlier) and only insert the new guy(s) slowly into the side as players get tired, injured, or banned. Then each following window is more about small tweaks and not massive movement for the first team especially as my kids develop into starters. After a few seasons, my overall team is pretty big but it is well divided across ages, skill level, and squads so it isn't a real problem.

I run into a lot of new FM players (usually they pick a huge rich squad like Chelsea or R.Madrid) who get a bunch of players in and out of their first team all the time and they can't figure out why their team of stars isn't winning. Then I ask how many players they have in the first team and they say, "only 50-60" and they end up giving each of their "stars" about 10 games a season. :rolleyes: They tend to get sacked, don't win anything major, and have a bunch of unhappy players.

I tend to have a somewhat similar problem with unhappy players, except that it works a bit differently. I start with lower clubs, then as I improve them their finances improve and you can buy better players, so the guys who were solid first teamers are now squad players, the squad players are on the outs, and your up and comers think they should be in the first team RIGHT NOW, while your stars all want to move to a bigger club (I had guys wanting to do that when I won the CL). So everybody's unhappy. And I never seem to be able to unload anybody -- guys who would be great at the next lower level are rejected because everybody "thinks they could not attract a player of his quality to their club".

[Cannon]

I tend to have a somewhat similar problem with unhappy players, except that it works a bit differently. I start with lower clubs, then as I improve them their finances improve and you can buy better players, so the guys who were solid first teamers are now squad players, the squad players are on the outs, and your up and comers think they should be in the first team RIGHT NOW, while your stars all want to move to a bigger club (I had guys wanting to do that when I won the CL). So everybody's unhappy. And I never seem to be able to unload anybody -- guys who would be great at the next lower level are rejected because everybody "thinks they could not attract a player of his quality to their club".

Most players see something like your pattern if they go through promotions or even significantly increase the performance of the club. A lot of your problems are related to the game's messed up method of setting rep (clubs/you/players/leagues), changing rep to reflect performance, adjusting player's desires to fit their rep and the club's performance/standing/league, making young stars take a realistic demands(they all want to be treated like galacticos from the start), and general problems with the transfers and loans module (this is related to the rep problem). :eek:

So a bunch of stuff that could be improved. I'm just crossing my fingers in the hope that FM06 sorts out 1 or 2 of these.

[TheImposter]

So a bunch of stuff that could be improved. I'm just crossing my fingers in the hope that FM06 sorts out 1 or 2 of these.
I was reading something over on the SI boards that suggested that there would be more ways to communicate with your team in FM2006 -- some kind of "halftime talk", and hopefully a way to sit down with an individual player to clarify his place in the team. I'd love a way to say to somebody, "You're my backup keeper, and an important piece of the squad", or "Be patient, your time will come", or "Sorry, I've done my best to move you, but nobody is biting". Performance-related communication would be great, too -- like "Look, buddy, you need to pick it up", or "I know you want to start, but every time I bring you in late you're performing an important role", etc. That's the biggest change I'd like. Obviously you can't make the match engine accommodate every single thing you might like to say to a player, but I'd think you could set up libraries of options relating to various situations, and program those to have effects that interact with the player's temperament, age, position in the team, etc.

[sitati_kituyi]

I was reading something over on the SI boards that suggested that there would be more ways to communicate with your team in FM2006 -- some kind of "halftime talk", and hopefully a way to sit down with an individual player to clarify his place in the team. I'd love a way to say to somebody, "You're my backup keeper, and an important piece of the squad", or "Be patient, your time will come", or "Sorry, I've done my best to move you, but nobody is biting". Performance-related communication would be great, too -- like "Look, buddy, you need to pick it up", or "I know you want to start, but every time I bring you in late you're performing an important role", etc. That's the biggest change I'd like. Obviously you can't make the match engine accommodate every single thing you might like to say to a player, but I'd think you could set up libraries of options relating to various situations, and program those to have effects that interact with the player's temperament, age, position in the team, etc.
On the site it looks like you'll just be able to say things like "dissapointed", "pleased" etc during half time to each player, and also to the team in general. So I guess that will be a new factor that affects performance depending on personality (do you picture Lauren Robert upping his game coz Souness told him he's playing sh!te?). It doesn't solve the communications problems you're mentioning, like telling your player that he'll get his rest when the fixtures are right.

The training system is apparently getting completely revamped.

[TheImposter]

On the site it looks like you'll just be able to say things like "dissapointed", "pleased" etc during half time to each player, and also to the team in general. So I guess that will be a new factor that affects performance depending on personality (do you picture Lauren Robert upping his game coz Souness told him he's playing sh!te?). It doesn't solve the communications problems you're mentioning, like telling your player that he'll get his rest when the fixtures are right.

The training system is apparently getting completely revamped.

http://www.sigames.com/news.php?type=view&article_id=1126

I don't know, it sounds like you might get a little more interaction with individual players, too.

Another welcome feature is the ability to manage players on a personal level. Unhappy players can cause huge morale problems for the whole squad and result in bad performances, so the new Player Interaction feature will help you to manage your team more closely.

We can only hope.

[Cannon]

Yes there will be much more interaction with players and the board. I'd tell you to check out the FM06 screenshots but SI's website is currently messed up so that when you try to go to them it send you to the announcement that their hockey mgmt sim is out today. Once they fix the website, you should check out the screenshots at this link. (http://www.sigames.com/softography.php?type=view&id=20)

Looking at them will give you a good feel for what is coming.

[Bonji]

Wow, FM06 already. I feel like I'm just mastering FM05.

Speaking of which. I have Liverpool first in the Premier League after 12 games of the 09/10 season. It is a tight race with Newcastle and Tottenham nipping at my feet. I just beat Spurs 4-1 so that should shut them up. :) Xisco is a monster on the LAM position in my 4-2-3-1 formation. He is averaging 8.5 and is scoring and assisting on goals constantly. Cisse is also scoring a lot of goal. He had 4 in a recent 8-1 League Cup rout of Colchester, a L1 side.

[Bonji]

I just looked through most of the FM06 screenshots. The new manager contract and player conversation features look really nice.

[Cannon]

I just looked through most of the FM06 screenshots. The new manager contract and player conversation features look really nice.

Cool. I told them to fix the website just 45 minutes ago. Now if they can fix the bugs on Fm06 that fast... :D

[Bonji]

Cool. I told them to fix the website just 45 minutes ago. Now if they can fix the bugs on Fm06 that fast... :D
Are you already beta testing FM06?

[TheImposter]

I just looked through most of the FM06 screenshots. The new manager contract and player conversation features look really nice.
I looked through 'em too -- I like the contract and player conversation stuff, the training module looks like it might be easier to handle too. I hope for the team talk stuff they come up with a couple options other than "Embarassment" and "Role Model". How about some instructions, like "Get more involved", or just "Improve work rate" or something. I know it can't be too complicated, but I'd like something other than a binary choice or no comment at all.

[Cannon]

Are you already beta testing FM06?

No, we did beta the media comment editor before they released the v1.0 version to the public but as of now SI still has FM06 in house.

[Cannon]

I looked through 'em too -- I like the contract and player conversation stuff, the training module looks like it might be easier to handle too. I hope for the team talk stuff they come up with a couple options other than "Embarassment" and "Role Model". How about some instructions, like "Get more involved", or just "Improve work rate" or something. I know it can't be too complicated, but I'd like something other than a binary choice or no comment at all.

Yeah all of the new features are a work in progress. SI has already said that some of those screenshots are pretty out of date and represent early versions of those modules that have gone through significant changes. They are taking comments on them in the forums and from the beta testers so if you any ideas, questions, or problems with them you should join the forums and post them. I've already stated my concerns about the new training system. We'll just have to wait and see which way they go.