***The Official Football Manager Thread***

[Altimus]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

First season with Citeh didn't end well as we just ran out of gas in the end. In Europa beat Inter Milan 3-1 at home and then lost 6-3 away in an absolute crazy game. Lost to United in the 3rd to last game of season which lost our chance at the title and finished 3rd. Then lost to United in the Final for the FA Cup. However, a huge improvement over Pep's mess, both in the league and financially.

I did splash the cash this summer though bringing in 2 key signings in Morata (Juve) and Alaba (Bayern). Also on deadline day I brought in Nainggolan for a cool €6m. Of course 2 days later he gets injured and is out 2-3 months. Risk as he's older now (and already injured) but his attributes are out of this world and Roma gave him up cheap.

Meanwhile, right before the season Ancelotti jumps ship to Arsenal and Zidane follows to Bayern. Immediately I get an offer from Madrid and as tempting as that was, rejected it.

[gopher_guy]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

First full season at Granit is complete. The board wanted a top half finish and I under-achieved, finished in 9th only 2 points safe from relegation. That being said, I never really thought relegation was a threat, I was solidly mid-table all season, but a bad run of form brought me down in the bottom half.





The board called me in after the season and said they were displeased. I told them to cut me some slack because it's my first job; they didn't like that, lol.

Regardless, they gave me an ultimatum, 8 points from my next 5 games. So I better start next season off on a good run!

I was able to complete my first coaching course so some of my attributes saw a *slight* bump. I'm hoping I can take one during the offseason, but I don't know if there are rules about how fast you can take them. Aaaand my club has very little money, so there's that obstacle as well.

I really ****ed up with one of my real promising young players, waited too long to renew his contract, and he refused to sign it. It got to the 6 month period and he signed with a team in the 1st division

I have some equally exciting young prospects to go in his place (although admittedly, they are younger and more raw than he was). I spent most of this season looking for expiring contracts from the 1st division in Belarus. I found some pretty decent ones coming in next season.

Gonna try to schedule a lot of friendlies before the season to get the cohesion/morale up. Going to be coaching for my job after all.... Haha

[Velocityy]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Welp, my run of 12 straight matches unbeaten in the league just ended.



Sitting in 2nd, but level on points for 1st. Started the year with my top choice RB, LB, CB all going down within the first 3 games...and then I lost my 2nd choice CB and my 2nd choice LB. My defense was a shambles. I was playing my DLP at RB, my U21 CB's in the middle, and my all around back up defender at LB.

Needless to say, goals were being conceded. A lot. Started the year 1-2-2 (when we were 2-1 faves to win the league)...but then started to get healthy and made a slight tactical change to close down more and the wins started rolling in.

Sadly just lost one of my new strikers who has been awesome for 5-6 months...but we'll see if that truly affects the team. My wingers are scoring a lot of goals so it may not be the end of the world.

[Velocityy]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Need some help with a re-sign decision. This guy is my starting RW, but an injury while he was on loan last year has lowered his potential by about 1 1/2 stars.



He's having an incredible year so far, though.



His contract is up and he wants to be a first team player, but through scouting I've found a few players who appear better.





What do you guys think I should do? Should I re-sign him and then try to sell him on if I get one of those 3 players? I don't want to sell him this year because of how well he's been playing...any thoughts welcome!

[ImTellinTim]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

I think you should stick with the hot hand.

However, if you will definitely be replacing him:

What do the pro/con screens look like? When there are a bunch of seemingly similar players in the technical/physical attributes, always give weight to mental attributes, consistency, injury proneness, and tendency in big games.

The first player would be an absolute no-sign for me with his 4 Determination right off the bat. That's like a non-starter in my rules for signing players, though he is young enough to get tutored. A successful tutoring will bring a player's determination to the same level as the mentor.

[Velocityy]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

I think you should stick with the hot hand.

However, if you will definitely be replacing him:

What do the pro/con screens look like? When there are a bunch of seemingly similar players in the technical/physical attributes, always give weight to mental attributes, consistency, injury proneness, and tendency in big games.

The first player would be an absolute no-sign for me with his 4 Determination right off the bat. That's like a non-starter in my rules for signing players, though he is young enough to get tutored. A successful tutoring will bring a player's determination to the same level as the mentor.

One of the the guys has a 'doesn't like big matches', one other has a 'plays well in big matches'. Think it's the Pinau guy who is the best in terms of mental (not in front of it now). He looks the best, and on a free I might get him anyway, but we'll see.

When the season started I was going to give him the year but probably scrap him, but he's won me over. After I posted this he scored 4 goals the next game. At only 8 finishing he's pretty good and getting it into the net, lol.

I just hate finding players that are awesome...and then not having a space for them. That leads to plenty of angry players asking for first team soccer!

[Suntan Superman]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

First season in the prem, struggling, and managed to get this guy in January. Gave him a relegation release clause of £0 to get him to sign.

[Zac]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

I'd sign this guy if you could. But not if his wage demands are too high. And not to replace the guy you currently have right away. As a backup until that guy goes into a slump. His stats are amazing for that level. So you probably wont able to sign him unless you pay him insane wages.

Also the star ratings should not be how you judge a player for the most part. It should be based on their stats for the position you play them in first and foremost. Then on performance. The star rating never really tells the true story of any player. Its affected by so many things. And any 3 star ability player is usually a great player.

[Zac]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

I've tried taking a break from my current save and started a new one as an international manager. I've only ever done U23's prior to this. And I have to say, I really don't like senior international management in this game.

[elprez98]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Wow some of you guys' setups look awesome.


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[Velocityy]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Okay so took both pieces of advice. Signed Willmott to a 1 yr deal. He led Vanarama South in goals. We wound up losing out on the title in the last 3 games of the year, but won promotion through the playoff! Was down 1-0 after first semi-final leg, won 4-2 on aggregate. Then won on pens in the final (2-2, 4-2 on pens).

I wound up signing Hines and thankfully I did because I'm having injury issues at Winger and he's playing well. Also started my time off in Van National in top 7...8 games in. Started with 2 losses, switched my tactic to counter and every thing started flowing.

[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Okay vets, tactics. Do you guys build your own and tweak, and battle through them not working? Find plug and play from online? I know making your own would be more rewarding.

I keep restarting or starting new saves because I'm unsatisfied with tactics. I keep telling myself to just stick with a save, get fired, and learn.

Any thoughts? On 17, by the way.

[gopher_guy]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Okay vets, tactics. Do you guys build your own and tweak, and battle through them not working? Find plug and play from online? I know making your own would be more rewarding.

I keep restarting or starting new saves because I'm unsatisfied with tactics. I keep telling myself to just stick with a save, get fired, and learn.

Any thoughts? On 17, by the way.

I'm actually in a bit of a tactical conundrum right now, as well. I usually use a high tempo pressing system, with very tight marking and quick passing. But I'm playing in the Belarus 2nd division where high determination and speed is rare.

Last season I kind of plodded through with my tactic, and it didn't particularly work. I think I might have to tweak it to be more slow and forgiving of my players' shortcomings.

[Zac]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

Okay vets, tactics. Do you guys build your own and tweak, and battle through them not working? Find plug and play from online? I know making your own would be more rewarding.

I keep restarting or starting new saves because I'm unsatisfied with tactics. I keep telling myself to just stick with a save, get fired, and learn.

Any thoughts? On 17, by the way.

I'm not a vet, but I like to build my own. I tried a tactic once last year I found online. It didn't really do anything for me. I didn't understand why it worked, and why it didn't when I lost. And I got bored of it fast. So now I suffer through until I find something that works. Then find players that fit it specifically. Not just sign players who look good. But sign players for specific roles in the system. Which tends to be much cheaper and less of headache singing some one and then making a change tactically.

I usually start with what works best for the core of the best players on a team that first year. Regardless of how proficient they are with it. I set that up along side what I want to play eventually, so both are being trained at all times. Then over the first year I am in charge there I will bring in players to play what I want. Then once I have that set, I remove the first one and only use my setup. After that I never change it. Ever. Even if we lose 10 games in a row.

I've found that you can have a very crappy run setting it up. But once it all clicks with the players, it will be very rewarding. And effective. I've been running the same 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-1-2 (both on fairly narrow, sit deep, higher pace, close down more, retain with mixed, overlap, work into box) in my current main save since the second season. And I've had massive success with every team I've been to. Because I stick with it. In all my other past saves once I started messing with things, it would all start going wrong. So now I just leave it. I don't ever change anything during a match either. And I'm sitting on 72% win ration in 10 years with it. Across 3 teams.

But when I start my next long term save I'll use something completely different. This is also my first time not using wingers. And I was surprised at how successful it has been. I'm not sure if its just this year, or I've found a sweet spot with it. But playing narrow seems unstoppable at times.

And yes I know higher pace with retain shouldn't work, but it does. I think because the back line sits so deep and I don't have fullbacks move into attack. So we create lots of counters when we don't have possession, and we never get countered. They just cycle it back quickly into the other half and then we slow it down and probe. We average 80% pass completion, over 400 passes a game, 57% possession, and average 12 shots with 5 on target a game. 3 CC and 5 half also. And I'm getting bored with it, lol.

[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Football Manager Thread***

I'm not a vet, but I like to build my own. I tried a tactic once last year I found online. It didn't really do anything for me. I didn't understand why it worked, and why it didn't when I lost. And I got bored of it fast.

That is definitely why I don't want to use a premade one—sums it up perfectly.

So now I suffer through until I find something that works. Then find players that fit it specifically. Not just sign players who look good. But sign players for specific roles in the system. Which tends to be much cheaper and less of headache singing some one and then making a change tactically.

I'll keep suffering! If I get through a season and get fired, oh well, I'll at least be on the path to something.

I think I might actually go with what you mentioned you were, as I'm at Schalke and there isn't really much wide or wing talent, but plenty through the middle.