FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

[teambayern]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

All this Bundesliga talk has got me in a tough bind for which league to target in my first MM on Fifa 10. I want to take a second tier team and rebuild them into a first-tier contender. I had my sights on taking Nottingham Forest back to the prem, but now I'm considering doing the equivalent with 1860 Munchen.

Seems like the Premiership offers a more robust challenge at the top of the tables, but the Bundesliga might offer a more exciting play style (using the custom tactics posted elsewhere in this thread) and more parity across the league as a whole. Any thoughts on which might be more fun?

[rckabillyRaider]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

started a league in bunseliga....with sc freiburg...i suck with them out of 18 games won 1 and got one draw....they really have some crappy players...surprisingly i havent been fired yet lol

damn. Good luck in turning that around!

[Buckeye]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

damn. Good luck in turning that around!

Any news on the Galaxy?

[paperbag]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

All this Bundesliga talk has got me in a tough bind for which league to target in my first MM on Fifa 10. I want to take a second tier team and rebuild them into a first-tier contender. I had my sights on taking Nottingham Forest back to the prem, but now I'm considering doing the equivalent with 1860 Munchen.

Seems like the Premiership offers a more robust challenge at the top of the tables, but the Bundesliga might offer a more exciting play style (using the custom tactics posted elsewhere in this thread) and more parity across the league as a whole. Any thoughts on which might be more fun?

English league is fun when you have a lot of depth because there are many tournaments so you can actually have a youth or reserve team, but for building up, I think Germany, Italy France or spain is the way to go

use ST Pauli, brown jerseys and this guy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sukuta-Pasu

is cheap and incredibly fast in the game

[Cod]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

I started a MM with the Galaxy this afternoon. I won my first game 2-0 with both goals coming after the 85th minute (Donovan and Lewis). The goal from Lewis was sick...shot from around 40 yards and placed it in the upper corner perfectly. Looking forward to playing more games later. Just signed a RCB that my scout found, so hopefully he'll turn out well.

Any suggestions for the upcoming transfer period? I was thinking a defender or two since the LA backs aren't exactly studs.

[rckabillyRaider]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

I started a MM with the Galaxy this afternoon. I won my first game 2-0 with both goals coming after the 85th minute (Donovan and Lewis). The goal from Lewis was sick...shot from around 40 yards and placed it in the upper corner perfectly. Looking forward to playing more games later. Just signed a RCB that my scout found, so hopefully he'll turn out well.

Any suggestions for the upcoming transfer period? I was thinking a defender or two since the LA backs aren't exactly studs.

Man, stick with Franklin and Gonzalez in the back. They are future USMNT players for sure! Berhalter in the back is very solid too but old and slow. You might want to give the Brazilian, Leonardo, some playing time and build him up. He has potential.

Sell Beckham. I did immediately and fetched a nice amount for him. Get a striker. LA is pretty weak there. Buddle can't do it all by himself. Sometimes I play Donovan up top but not too often.

[rckabillyRaider]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

Any news on the Galaxy?

Still need to start my season opener in year 2. I've been really hooked on Football Manager 2010 lately though. I'll get in some FIFA games tonight.

[NYBorn81]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

This is easily the most fun I've had in any sports game, with that said, it's also one of the most frustrating games I've ever played. I started my real MM with Port Vale in Coca Cola league 2, after a few test runs using the Red Bulls Of MLS.

At the beginning of the season, I own two of my leagues teams in friendlies, I use Pro with semi/manual settings by the way. The next two friendlies coming up are against Palerma and Real Madrid, I'm thinking I'm going to get destroyed in two consecutive games. Surprisingly I beat Palerma 4-3 after a hard fought game, then we went on the road to face Real Madrid, I was in awe of their stadium..Anywho, the game goes on, they score two early goals in the opening minutes, I answer about 10 minutes later with a goal of my own, then run back down the field and score another one to tie the game. In the second half Madrid scores two more goals to be up 4-2, I'm thinking I'm done, it's over, but I never give up...I run back down the field, and pass the ball to my BAP who has a open lane, the defenders start to rush to him, I pass to my teammate Loft, he knocks it in to make the score 4-3. At exactly 89 seconds, I score again with my BAP to tie the game, I keep Madrid from scoring, and the game ends in a tie, boy was I proud of my half star team.

Here's where the frustration stems from, after just knocking off these high caliber teams, I fail to put away Macclesfield in the season opener and the game ends in a 4-4 draw, the next game is against Bradford City. I get spanked 4-1, my only goal came from a PK, it seems that after the Madrid game, none of my shots seem to connect anymore, I want the ball to go high it goes low, my chip shots keep floating just past the net, and my goalie can't keep the team from scoring if his life was on the line. I'm considering dropping back down to semi-pro unfortunately.

[teambayern]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

Started my first MM in FIFA 10, taking the reins at Borussia Dortmund. My first act as manager was to develop my own game plan for success. I decided to modify the default 4-4-2 by dropping Zidan into a CF role so as to make it easier to get the ball to his feet in the central attack, changing one of my two default DMF to a CM, and pulling Tinga in from a wide LM position to more of a LCM.

The friendlies went by like a breeze, mostly wins, some draws, no losses. The last two games were the most enjoyable, holding on for a big win against Juventus 3-2, and pulling a draw from the jaws of defeat by scoring 2 goals in the last 10 minutes to tie Deportivo. In the transfer market, I unloaded some extra baggage at goalkeeper, upgraded my scout and defensive coaching, and am still courting a fantastic CAM named Tosic that just won't sign on despite an 84% interest level.

Then came the season. First fixture was Hamburg, and it was a Ruud awakening. Seeing the star striker, matched with Petric, I got nervous and dropped my back line and pressure settings in hopes of keeping them in front of me at all times and closing them down with numbers. Unfortunately, this seemed to provide too much space for the Hamburg strikers, and Ruud scored early on after easily beating one of my CB's at the top of the box. I tried to correct the problem by upping the pressure and height of my back line, but I continued to get carved up. It seemed far too easy to get the ball to the feet of their strikers, like my CM and CDM weren't anywhere in the equation. My offense was largely stifled, with the lone goal coming on a counter attack that saw the GK misjudge a low shot he should have handled. Switching Zidan back to a ST seemed to help, but there was no sustained attack. Final score ended up being a 3-1 loss.

Second fixture was Hertha. I had my eyes on the win, and didn't want to concede so early again. I realized that for 3 consecutive games I had given up multiple goals, so I sought to find a new tactical arrangement that would shore up the D. I tried to plug the holes in the central midfield by going back to a system with a LDM and RDM. I also switched my RB to CB (he had both for preferred positions) because he had higher marking and tackling ratings than what I was previously fielding, which allowed me to add a truer fullback to RB. The result was disastrous. From the blow of the whistle, pressure seemed to find its way immediately to the center of my defense. An early fluke of a header somehow floated over my GK into the bar, getting an easy tap in from the same player to finish it off. I was unlucky to not equalize with several chances. The second half was embarrassing. Goals poured in like rain, with my backs being beat every which way: counters, crosses, simple passes to the top of the box. It was a nightmare, made worse by my attempts to equalize later in the half. The scoreline ended up at 6-0.

So after an encouraging start, I have some real defensive problems to sort out. Any tips much appreciated.

[Qb]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

After a good two season run with Dortmund before my 360 crapped out, I finally started a MM on PS3 with Nottingham Forest. I only made it through the friendlies as I did a lot of manual scouting of potential transfer targets. However, I can't do much as my wage budget is tight with only around £3,000/wk to spare, even after unloading 3 players. Two were in the 40s with minimal wages, the other made about £1,500/wk. Forest has such a small squad, I really can't spare anyone else at the moment.

My only true signing thus far was a free agent RB/RW named Kevin Walker (69OVR). Not even sure if he is a real player, but he has mid 80s SPD/ACC and decent enough ball skills and I had no cover on the right side. He may even get some starts as I'm not terribly impressed with Chris Gunter (sorry, Millennium) or Paul Anderson. I say "true signing" because I added Nicky Shorey to the squad before I started since he began the 09-10 season on loan with Forest from Aston Villa.

I have bids in on GK Asmir Begovic from Stoke and LW Hameur Bouazza from Blackpool.

Begovic is only 22 and 74OVR, but the most attractive factor was that I only needed to offer £470/wk to get him over 80% interest. I'm hoping I can get Stoke to part with him for the roughly £1.5M I offered. My other two keepers are in the mid-to-high 60s.

Bouazza is a speedy left-footed winger, something I sorely need. My wage offer was about £1,800/wk and the proposed fee in the region of £1.2M. If I don't get him, I may renew my interest in Victor Moses, who I unsuccessfully attempted to get on loan from Wigan. However, I'd likely drain my available funds -- I invested several million pounds in staff upgrades -- to pay his transfer fee, so I'm reluctant to go all in for him despite his promising skill set (speed, strength, and 5* skill moves).

Which brings me to my biggest frustration when attempting to use lower-league clubs, the loan system. Very few players are listed for loan and they're usually very lowly rated. The only guy listed who would be an improvement was Bilyaletidinov (sp?) from Everton and I was amazed to see him there. But I couldn't afford his wages, so it wasn't much help. Taking young players in need of first-team experience or older players out of favor with their club is common for Championship clubs, but FIFA just will not let it happen unless a player is listed for loan, which again, rarely happens. I really hope they can improve this for FIFA11...

At any rate, I'm looking forward to knocking out a good chunk of games this weekend. I'll be surprised if I get through more than a season before NHL, FIFA & PES drop in the fall. The 46 game Championship docket and two Cups make for A LOT of fixtures.

******************************

Teambayern, Dortmund's board was very reasonable with me, asking for only a top-10 finish and 4th round of the DFB Pokal (two wins). I got off to a good start in the league and was never in trouble with them. As for the squad, I had a hard time finding a good fit with the current players, so I did a lot of transfer business. Get yourself a faster & stronger DM to pair with Kehl, as he is rather slow (but relatively skilled for a DM). You could try Tinga with him until you do.

I'd recommend going with a 4-5-1 with Hanjal or Sahin (not a big fan of his, too slow) at CAM and Zidan wide left with Barrios or Valdez up front. If I went with Dortmund again, I'd sell Sahin (his value is pretty high due to his youth) and bring in Kevin-Prince Boateng from Portsmouth to play as a CM/CAM. He spent a half-season on loan with Dortmund in 2009 and you may remember him as the rather eccentric and dangerous Ghana player with lines shaved in his hair at the World Cup. His FIFA ratings look quite good as well...

[TracerBullet]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

I finished up my first season with 1860 Munchen. Went 23-8-3 and barely squeaked out winning the 2. Bundesliga over MSV Duisburg and Hansa Rostock. 72 GF and 32 agaisnt. We reall didn't get too many clean sheets alway just trying to outscore most teams lol.

Got knocked out of the Deutscher Pokal in the quarterfinals during the season. Lost 3-2 to FC Schalke 04. They scored in the 89th min .

[Lecrae]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

My only true signing thus far was a free agent RB/RW named Kevin Walker (69OVR). Not even sure if he is a real player, but he has mid 80s SPD/ACC and decent enough ball skills and I had no cover on the right side.

this might be him, he apparently has a very non sounding Swedish name

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Walker_%28footballer%29

[rckabillyRaider]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

Year 2, Season opener kicks off with our long time rivals, San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS "California Clasico".

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[Qb]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

this might be him, he apparently has a very non sounding Swedish name
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_W...8footballer%29

Yeah, I found that earlier myself, but I was mistaken. His name is Kyle Walker and worst of all... he appears to be a Tottenham player.

[teambayern]

Re: FIFA 10 MANAGER MODE Progress thread

Qb, thanks for the tips. I have since switched to a 4-2-3-1, and it has worked out a lot better. The board is indeed very reasonable, but I still almost got fired. At one point in the season, they told me my performance was under review, and I was losing 2-0 to a team at half, came back and got the win to potentially save my job. In terms of the cup, I got the quarterfinals no problem, but got summarily dismantled by Bayern Leverkusen, 3-0. It was the best I've seen in the game thus far, they moved the ball around in the midfield so well and had clean, clinical finishes to boot. In the league, I sit at 5th within striking distance of the leaders, hertha BSC, with about 10 games to play.

On the management side, I sold Valdes and got almost 9 mill for him. Not bad. And thanks so much for your tip about Boateng. I was looking at other CDMs/CMs, but checked him out before I made any offers. Glad I did! I ended up signing him (the ONLY player that hasn't summarily rejected every offer I've made) and he's scored 6 goals in 7 games from CM. Not bad at all. I also tried your tip of moving Zidan out left, and it has worked out reasonably well. He wasn't very effective at the CF spot where I had been playing him, and he's gotten more out on the wings. The real improvement though was bringing Hajnal in to CF. He feeds the ball to Barrios much more accurately, and distributes the ball better than Zidan was able to do. Down the line I'll hopefully get a more natural CF and a ST that with more strength/aerial ability up top. Neither Hajnal or Barrios is particularly good and holding the ball up, but for now, they are doing just fine. If I sign a left footed LAM, I might move Zidan as well. Any more tips you have would be greatly appreciated. I took BD at least in part from your recommendation, Qb, and am really having a blast.

Three more things
1. FIFA is great- Since deciding that PES had gone down a dark road following PES 6, I've bought FIFA 08, 09, and 10. I've enjoyed each, but never fell in love the way that the PES of old had captured my attention. After playing this MM and getting away from the online crowd for a few weeks, I'm really seeing why this game is so beloved. With the custom tactics, you can really have a realistic flowing match, and see different strategies and tactics from different clubs. I'm noticing a lot more player individuality now that I know my team so well, and also seeing a lot more random/unpredictable goals since returning to all manual for the first time since last Fall. Great game. Now the not so good...

2. Form- I know I've heard rumblings about this before, but I'm a surprised at how shoddy the implementation of form is. It seems like no matter how well I play, every player but maybe the one who scored the most that game goes to orange within a game or two of joining. I know it's down to the bad player ratings system, but I didn't expect it to be this poor. Boateng had a hat trick in one game and got an 8, just enough to take him to level form. It seems they need to either randomize the system a la PES, devise a new way to rate players that isn't so dependent on the outcomes (rewarding the dangerous cross/run more rather than the safe one that hits its target), or scrap it altogether.

3. Comebacks- This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I've had more than my fair share of amazing comebacks this season and wanted to know if anyone else has had this. Against Bayern Munich, BD came back from being down 4-0 at half to winning in regulation on the last play of the game, and I had a similar comeback against Stuttgart after being down 3-0. In both cases, and in other games, switching to all out attack on the D pad was all I seemed to need to do. I bet it's the momentum system, as both games involved quick goals after half-time, which seemed to lead to absolute domination.