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[NoDakHusker]

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Do you guys even bother with team meetings before big games?

I don't. Other than the start and end of each season, the only time I use team meetings is if the team hits an extended rough patch of form and morale is very low.

If I need to motivate or encourage the players for a big game, I just do that in the pre-match team talk.

[Zac]

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Yeah never do the one your assistant ask you to before big/key matches. More times than not they will go poorly.

I also never praise a players recent form that my assistant thinks I should. Because more times than not that player gets uppity about it and gives you lip. Its stupid. "Just let me got on with my game".

[Suntan Superman]

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I've found that if my assistants motivating is 19 or 20, the team meetings/player form suggestions go well rather than bad. That being said, I never risk it.

[jasontoddwhitt]

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Speaking of team meetings, this was probably a little bug.

After the season, I told my guys that we would fight for Europa qualification. During the summer, Scotland gained another Champion's League spot. So when it was time for the preseason meeting, my options were Europa qualification and title. I selected Europa and all my guys thought I wasn't being ambitious enough. So I said fine, we'll go for the title. Now I'm asking for too much and morale plummeted.

Luckily, a jaunt through Europa qualification rounds restored morale, but it was interesting to say the least.


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[JHedges2]

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Curious, how much of the 'little things' you guys do, outside of tactics and playing? Like, do you typically handle contract negotiations, training, youth teams, etc.?

Just curious--as it seems you guys race through seasons, yet when I play for an hour or so, I get through like 2 weeks of game time.

[ImTellinTim]

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I do everything, it takes me longer than most to get through seasons. I also watch all games on comprehensive because I like to pick up on in-game trends ASAP and stop areas the opposition seems to be exploiting.

[studbucket]

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I do everything, it takes me longer than most to get through seasons. I also watch all games on comprehensive because I like to pick up on in-game trends ASAP and stop areas the opposition seems to be exploiting.

Yep, same here. 1 hour of game time is probably 0-3 games, depending on what's going on.

[Velocityy]

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I do most things...I leave training to my assistants since I'm not really sure how to do it yet and I'm still learning some other stuff in depth. I'll start doing it when I feel more confident in my choices. I also don't really bother with the friendlies but that's personal choice...I just find them boring.

Everything else I do. I just spent like 4 hours in my offseason this weekend which was the longest I had spent so far...looking through the youth releases and scouting and really digging into free agents.

[ImTellinTim]

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I also do not manage friendlies. I set them all up so I have them every 4 days or so. I do set the lineup. Your assistant will always at least start with the lineup you set. I just make sure everyone's in match shape by the start of the season.

[Suntan Superman]

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It depends on the save, I've gone as deep as also managing the youth teams to make sure certain players play, with bigger clubs I tend to distance myself from training, however at the lower levels, I'm normally spending 20-30 minutes per month(In-game) setting it all up.

I also never manage friendlies, I've never actually noted a large difference in match fitness if I don't.

[Zac]

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Like superman just said if I play with a big club I delegate a lot. But with a smaller club I do a lot more, almost everything really. You kind of have to with a small club though. And with a big club you really don't need to. Because you can hire backroom staff that are good enough to handle the delegation, and it not be a huge mess.

I seem to be on the outside of friendlies though. I do manage every friendly. I like to experiment with the tactics.

[Suntan Superman]

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Like superman just said if I play with a big club I delegate a lot. But with a smaller club I do a lot more, almost everything really. You kind of have to with a small club though. And with a big club you really don't need to. Because you can hire backroom staff that are good enough to handle the delegation, and it not be a huge mess.

I seem to be on the outside of friendlies though. I do manage every friendly. I like to experiment with the tactics.

experimenting in games is probably my biggest fault as a manager in-game.

[gopher_guy]

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I do everything but press conferences and managing friendlies.

[gopher_guy]

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Does anyone have tips for building counter attack tactics?

I've become pretty good at building control/possession based tactics, which is fine and dandy when I manage at Spurs. But doing this journeyman save, I don't think it's feasible to think I going to control every match when I'm managing bottom feeder clubs.

My general philosophy with counter tactics has been playing a 4-2-3-1, with 2 DMs. I figure that will clog up the middle and not allow teams to cut through me as much. Also have a rigid mentality to avoid those defensive players from straying too far.

I usually have my DMs set up as a BWM and a DLP. One to sit back and try to tackle attackers off the ball, and one to get it up the field.

I try to set it up where I'm exploiting the wings and passing into space. My ideal vision is that my DMs are winning balls in the midfield and kicking it up to my wingers to run on to. I just don't know if having them both set as DMs is creating too much of a gap in the midfield for that to be effective.

I don't have a big trouble with conceding, I can usually keep the games close, but I have very little offensive punch, sometimes going almost a full half without even a shot. So I think something is broken there, I just don't really know what to fix.

[Velocityy]

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Some things that have worked for me...I did a regular 4-2-3-1, but did have a BWM and a DLP, just not in the DM spot. I played higher tempo with more direct passing on structured. I had hit early crosses on, but not exploit the flanks (although that will work fine, I saved that if I was pushing for a goal).

I didn't put the defensive line into sit deeper, but I figure that could help in sucking them up towards you to make it easier to get space when countering. One thing I struggled with was pass into space because I felt like my team just couldn't get accurate balls with that on...had a lot of interceptions against me when trying to counter.