I just started playing this game a couple days ago and I just don't seem able to win. Against top tier competition, I get dominated. Against a team my level, I get a lot of chances but my team doesn't not finish them. Same things happen to lower leveled competiton and some times I actually win. Does anyone have any advice they can give me in order to improve? I believe my tatics are fairly solid and my team isn't bad either. I don't know the ins and outs of the game, so maybe there is something I am not doing that would help..
what's youre team tactics, transfer budget if you tell me specifics i can help and if not try neoseeker.com they have a lot of good stuff for football manager.
it's just going to take some time to figure it out. i don't know what team you're using, but i would assume you didn't come in here asking why you can't get a win using sunderland against anyone else in the premiership? my recommendation, if you're really brand new to the game, is to play with one of the power clubs (manu, chelsea, barca) where it's actually hard to lose. you'll notice changes in their play when you make little changes in strategy.
To avoid losing in the last ten minutes, playing a counter-attacking tactic usually helps. The Mentality setting mostly affects the positioning of the team rather than things like the passes they attempt and such. If they're making a lot of silly mistakes, try altering the tempo setting slightly. Player wise: At low levels, as long as your players have the appropriate abilities for their position, they should be ok. Physical abilities and workrate can make up for weaker technical attributes though, if you're playing in a weak league. At higher levels, you tend to need players with all-round ability, although obviously the most important attributes are still the same. If they look like they should be good at scoring but aren't, check the Composure, if its 1 then even if the finishing is 20, they'll panic if there's the slightest hint of a defender around. The "safe option" with team talks is Encourage at half time and well done/sympathy when you win or lose. It'll have a small to medium positive effect every time, rather than the other options which may help some players and upset others. Make your last preseason game an easy one to get your players confidence up. Morale is rather important.
As others have said, it's a good idea to give some concrete info when asking for help - this game is sooooo deep and complex that it's sometimes hard to give general advice. I'm guessing that a couple of things are happening: 1.) your strikers aren't in form at all, because it's early in the season and you're a bit unlucky. 2.) Your team has played some friendlies against big teams and gotten their brains beaten out. This is where the game gets complicated; it's supposed to simulate managing a club, which is a complex undertaking. What's the deal? Are the strikers crappy? Are they not playing hard? Are they just out of form? Are they getting no service? How you answer those questions determines how you address the situation. Of course, there's always the possibility that your strikers are fine and the situation will resolve itself. Isn't football fun?