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Greyfriars Bobby · 05-28-2018, 03:30 PM

July and August 2013

I set up my save game a little bit differently this time. I often use fake players, because I think it makes the game more uniquely my own. Also, I get tired of seeing the black silhouettes for so many players' faces.

In fact, that's another reason why I'm playing FM 14. In some of the later versions, the generated players' faces look like something from a bad horror film, with vacant eyes, massive foreheads, and an assortment of ghastly hairstyles--Mohawks in varied colors, an array of teenagers with their grandpas' receding hairlines.

I also didn't "add players to playable teams," because I wanted to put together a team from scratch. The latest iterations of FM will let you do this, with the Create-a-Club feature.

I'm using a very simple tactic, a 4-4-2 I've become very happy with. The roles and duties are basic, and I think I've created a good balance between attacking and defending. Sometimes I think about creating a "sexier" tactic, with enganches or inverted wingers, but the mood passes and I go back to my tried and true.

There are people who have played a lot more Football Manager than I have who claim that the key to success in the lower leagues is concentrating on physical prowess, like pace and strength, because the players at your disposal can't do anything else.

I'm testing a different philosophy with the Alfredians. I looked for players with decent scores for the key attributes needed for the roles I want them to play--which include some technical skills. I also looked for guys with high scores in Work Rate and Teamwork. I want to build into the team's DNA a willingness to play for the shirt, to cover the pitch in an effort do do what the team needs. I want strikers who will come back and defend, full backs who will come forward and deliver a cross and also handle their responsibilities in the back.

I discovered that all the players I wanted to sign would only accept squad statuses of Key Player or First Team. In fact, I couldn't offer them anything else during contract negotiations. I didn't dare sign more than 11 or 12 of these lads, because the ones who don't start every match will start complaining and wreck the team's morale. So, I began the preseason with a very small roster.

That worked fine until the first league match. I discovered I can have a grey goalkeeper on my bench, but nobody else. I had only one substitute, and I ended the match with a very tired team. Fortunately we held on to win, 1-0.

I thought about how to fix this problem for a moment, and the answer came to me. I can sign my team's Grey Ghosts to contracts, and use them to fill out my roster!

That's another advantage for FM 14. Back in the day, the Grey Ghosts were unique players with varying attributes. Some of them were fast; others were fairly skilled; still others were mentally strong. A few could play several positions well. Now, they are completely generic, with the same value for every attribute. Most can only play one position.

I checked out my Grey Guys, and signed seven of them to contracts. I was able to find lads who more or less fit the team's mentality, too. I confess to a bit of cheating in this regard, however. I went into the editor and change their contracts, to make their appearance fees lower. Otherwise, they'd bring in more money per appearance than all but my three top earners make in a week. It didn't seem realistic for the players I brought to life to sit on my bench to pull in that kind of coin.

In my next post, I'll introduce the 2013/14 Wantage Town team.

05-28-2018, 03:30 PM	#2
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	July and August 2013 I set up my save game a little bit differently this time. I often use fake players, because I think it makes the game more uniquely my own. Also, I get tired of seeing the black silhouettes for so many players' faces. In fact, that's another reason why I'm playing FM 14. In some of the later versions, the generated players' faces look like something from a bad horror film, with vacant eyes, massive foreheads, and an assortment of ghastly hairstyles--Mohawks in varied colors, an array of teenagers with their grandpas' receding hairlines. I also didn't "add players to playable teams," because I wanted to put together a team from scratch. The latest iterations of FM will let you do this, with the Create-a-Club feature. I'm using a very simple tactic, a 4-4-2 I've become very happy with. The roles and duties are basic, and I think I've created a good balance between attacking and defending. Sometimes I think about creating a "sexier" tactic, with enganches or inverted wingers, but the mood passes and I go back to my tried and true. There are people who have played a lot more Football Manager than I have who claim that the key to success in the lower leagues is concentrating on physical prowess, like pace and strength, because the players at your disposal can't do anything else. I'm testing a different philosophy with the Alfredians. I looked for players with decent scores for the key attributes needed for the roles I want them to play--which include some technical skills. I also looked for guys with high scores in Work Rate and Teamwork. I want to build into the team's DNA a willingness to play for the shirt, to cover the pitch in an effort do do what the team needs. I want strikers who will come back and defend, full backs who will come forward and deliver a cross and also handle their responsibilities in the back. I discovered that all the players I wanted to sign would only accept squad statuses of Key Player or First Team. In fact, I couldn't offer them anything else during contract negotiations. I didn't dare sign more than 11 or 12 of these lads, because the ones who don't start every match will start complaining and wreck the team's morale. So, I began the preseason with a very small roster. That worked fine until the first league match. I discovered I can have a grey goalkeeper on my bench, but nobody else. I had only one substitute, and I ended the match with a very tired team. Fortunately we held on to win, 1-0. I thought about how to fix this problem for a moment, and the answer came to me. I can sign my team's Grey Ghosts to contracts, and use them to fill out my roster! That's another advantage for FM 14. Back in the day, the Grey Ghosts were unique players with varying attributes. Some of them were fast; others were fairly skilled; still others were mentally strong. A few could play several positions well. Now, they are completely generic, with the same value for every attribute. Most can only play one position. I checked out my Grey Guys, and signed seven of them to contracts. I was able to find lads who more or less fit the team's mentality, too. I confess to a bit of cheating in this regard, however. I went into the editor and change their contracts, to make their appearance fees lower. Otherwise, they'd bring in more money per appearance than all but my three top earners make in a week. It didn't seem realistic for the players I brought to life to sit on my bench to pull in that kind of coin. In my next post, I'll introduce the 2013/14 Wantage Town team.