And while they're at it, I hope they will also revamp board interactions in regard to finances. All transfer fees should be negotiable with board instead of having one big pile of money to spend. You should at least be able to ask for an advance for future transfers ("if we buy X I promise to make it up to you by selling two players this summer" etc.)
I'm managing Panonios (Greek Superleague), expected to finish 7th I managed to earn myself CL spot for second season, we'll see how that works out. Greek teams seem to be in weak position internationally because there is limit of five non EU players you can register, which means you have to buy players from expensive European leagues.
Sounds like quite the challenge UCRC. I tend to play most of my files in England, although I have been known to dip into Italy on occasion, so I've never had to deal with managing in a nation where it is difficult to lure top level players once your club reaches the top levels. I also usually don't reach down below the 3rd division.
The file I'm currently playing, with Leeds, doesn't have much in the way of accomplishments. I have been highly successful, but that's mostly down to incessant post-newgen youth poaching. The favorite player I mentioned earlier was actually purchased straight up after a scout discovered him, but at least 75% of my side were poached as teenagers. I started the poaching after I surprisingly won the league, but could not improve upon my squad because the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid kept outbidding me. It then became an addiction.
What has fascinated me with the file though is really the tactics. The tactic building system made it a lot easier for me to develop a tactic that works, and I've stuck with my narrow 4-3-1-2 formation throughout the file. It's interesting to watch most of my attacks come down the left-side from my fullback or the one striker drifting out wide, my midfielders drifting out into space to create, my midfielders drifting out wide to pick up the other teams' fullbacks when they move forward. The tactic's starting philosophy was set to "Standard" and "rigid", yet it's the most successful attacking tactic I've ever had.
The tactical setups of the other teams this deep into a file are interesting as well. A lot of teams seem to be playing five at the back and 2 strikers. 3-4-3 is also fairly common (and difficult to play against) and occasionally I see a side go out with a 4-4-2. Heck, I've even seen teams employ actual sweepers. The 4-5-1 and 4-2-3-1 have all but disappeared for some reason. I think the 4-5-1 would be very successful against me, but nobody uses it.
I just gave up a game with C.F. União after four years. We'd managed promotion to the Liga Honora, but the combination of skinflint chairman and tiny stadium was just too much to overcome. The highlight was a impossibe 2-1 win over Sporting in the Portugese Cup though (immediately followed by a 4-0 hiding by Porto).
Player porn! That's my left-winger who plays as modified inside forward/playmaker. I've bought him for 20k Euros so he's one of best bargains I've done in a while.
(other one, pre 10.3, was Siergiey Krivets, who now plays for Lech Poznań, but in vanilla FM 10 you could lure him away from BATE Borysow for less than half million and make him into >10M attacking midfielder)
So far I've managed to register profit from my transfer dealings over two years. This summer I've spent 1.2M and sold players for 1.5M, with more yet to come.
Roma is interested in employing me. It's December 2010, I've crashed out of CL qualification in last round (turns out Bayer Leverkusern has some decent strikeforce) but I'm competing in EURO Cup, I've beaten Spartak Moscow, drawn twice with Napoli and I still can't get more than 10000 people to turn up for games 
(Panionios is club from suburban Athens, town of Nea Smyrni)
I've made astronomical (well, for Greece anyways) profit of 7M Euros (this includes net profit of one million on transfers) but board looks unwilling to reinvest this money. Looks likely that I will be managing is some bigger league next season, I've been linked with Roma already.
Tactically, it's one of most entertaining sides I've ever managed. I've brought in creative players and play offensive 4-2-3-1 (with two MCs AMC, AML, AMR as inside forwards*). Even when I'm expected to lose heavily I manage to have about 60% possession and have well over 15 shots on goal. When they attack I just play safe possession football. When they defend deep... I do more of the same. Basically, two tenements are:
- Press, baby, press!
- KISS when passing the ball (well, unless you're on edge of penalty area)
You need good movement, passing and in-form forward to put some chances away (because I limit number of crosses ergo no headed goals), so on some days I have problems with scoring, but I don't care. As long as I can outplay big teams I love this tactic. In Greek League my goal record is 26 to 5 right now after 13 games and I'm yet to lose.
*three AMs cost me about 250k
€250k for your starting 3 attacking midfielders ? I think I had a striker in my Leeds file making that much per week in wages. Talk about depressing.
I'm starting to think that the 4-3-1-2 tactic may break the match engine. For something different, I started a Gladbach game (Paul Stalteri and Rob Friend!) file. I employed my 4-3-1-2, bought some Czech defender my scouts liked and a good Brazilian DM, and finished 5th when I was predicted to finish 16th or something. The last 3 seasons in my Leeds file I've been around 3rd-favorites to win the title and won handily. Maybe I got lucky and everything comes crashing down when friend stops scoring.
That guy above cost 20k, I bought more versatile Argentinian with similar stats for 95k and third guy is Swede loaned for something like 140k, with great combination of pace, off the ball, and finishing all above 15.
4-3-1-2 and variants of narrow diamond (also: narrow 4-3-2-1) always work well in FM, at least that's my experience of playing against teams deploying them. I didn't try it because I always seem to have good wingers.
I started a LLM game when I picked up FM201 during the Steam sale. I started in Jan 2009. My game is in October 2010 and I am currently at the helm of my 4th team in my 3rd different league.
I started out at the now defunct in real life Kildare County in Ireland's 1st Division. I spent almost a whole season there getting my feet wet with the game while managing a cash strapped amateur side? in a semi-pro league. For most of the season we were mid-table in 6th or 7th, but towards the end of the season I had 4 key players (including my captain) get offered contracts where they got paid to play and left. So I ended up finishing 10 of 12 and started looking for jobs after a VERY frustrating stint as a manager of an amateur team. Not fun when your best players can be snatched up at any point in time. Finished 11-6-16 on -6 GD (3 points out of 8th).
A couple of weeks after the end of the Irish 1st Division season (mid-November) I took over at Dundela in the Northern Irish 2nd Division. I lasted there for two months. 8GP 1-0-7 1GF 12GA with a team that was expected to compete for promotion. I resigned immediately following a 0-3 loss that extended our losing streak to 6 games.
A few weeks later relegation fighting Maidenhead in Blue Square South offered me a job. We ended up getting relegated on the last day of the season on GD (-13 to -27). We started out winning 2 of the first 3 then in last win our #2 scorer picked up a season ending injury. In the very next game our #1 scorer picked up a season ending injury. The game after that I lost my captain for the rest of the season. So in a 3 game stretch I lost my two 1st string strikers and my most influential DC. I overreacted and went on a buying spree raiding some of my remaining amateurs from Kildare. In my tenure there we were 9GP 2-0-7 3GF 14GA.
A few days after being released due to relegation from a playable division newly promoted to BSS Oxford City appointed me manager. After a summer of many trial players, bringing in some old favorites I am, and having a radical change of heart re: tactics we are now sitting one spot out of a promotion playoff spot in 6th in late October. Currently 6-2-3 with 11GF 6GA. I have a small squad so I am waiting for the injury bug to hit late season and dash my hopes. Also this is a first for me in FM. The club is in the middle of takeover talks. Should I be worried?
This manager thing scares the hell out of me, that's all I can say.
I began to start again with Reading, but after quickly getting fed up with Marek Matejovsky (i'm not good enough to be a Attacking Midfielder, a Advanced Playmaker, A Trequarista, or a Central Midfielder or a Deep-Lying Playmaker!), i'm back to the LLM. But to spice it up, I made a few real-life moves, and simulated the 2009-10 season. A few quick notes...
Brazil are your World Cup winners, after absolutely slaughtering Italy 6-0 in the final.
Chelsea win the Champions League, although the 1-0 win over Inter is rather dull.
Arsenal run rampant in the Premier League, winning by 13 clear points.
Your winners in France, Germany and Italy are Lyon, Frankfurt and Inter, respectively.
Barca and Real have it out in epic style in La Liga, but Real prevails, scoring an astonishing 92 goals, an utterly ludicrous 40 coming off the boots of that man, the winking, greased-up annoying one. It's saying something when David Villa can score 33 and be well-second-best.
So it's off to Bishop's Stortford FC for me. Sweet Jesus this is going to be a long haul.
P.S. - Anyone feel like uploading their most successful tactics somewhere, or e-mailing them to be so I can take a looksee at them? I was beginning to stagnate at Uniao where the players we could get in pretty much forced a 4-5-1 that was beginning to get old.
I do but I'm in middle of exams right now, give me few days.
Prederick, your mileage may vary. I'm still not sure how much youth-poaching is contributing to my success, but here's the 4-3-1-2 I've been using.
http://www.mediafire.com/?zolmlqnhmyx
Addendum: You'll want one fullback who can get forward and one striker who can drift out wide and get a cross in. I know that's a big ask for the lower leagues. If you end up getting a right-fullback who gets forwards, I would assume you would want to swap the striker roles so you have your advanced forward on the same side as the "attacking" fullback.
Thanks Roke. I don't want to just d/l someone else's tactic and slap it on mine, that got boring after CM 03/04. I'd personally like to just study other people's creations and ideas and see what knowledge I would glean from it. I much prefer creating my own winning tactic to just going online and finding a "money" one.
EDIT: AUGUST 2030? TWENTY-THIRTY? Do your players wear Space-Boots and play on Mars? Jeebus!
Thanks Roke. I don't want to just d/l someone else's tactic and slap it on mine, that got boring after CM 03/04. I'd personally like to just study other people's creations and ideas and see what knowledge I would glean from it. I much prefer creating my own winning tactic to just going online and finding a "money" one.
EDIT: AUGUST 2030? TWENTY-THIRTY? Do your players wear Space-Boots and play on Mars? Jeebus!
That version's a little old, but it was the first archived version I saw which was somewhat recent. I don't think i made any changes to it though. Recently, when I've needed a goal, I've brought on a striker for the Attacking Midfielder and gone straight 4-3-3 and it's worked out very well. The leftback is the key to my squad and the tactic in my opinion. Granted, mega-youth poaching going on here, but when my #1 leftback went down with a season-long injury my not-quite-as-good #2 came in and won UEFA defender of the year.
...I just finished the 2035-36 season... it helps that I vacation between games... and through games once I've won the league... and large parts of the transfer window when I've bought everything I wanted... and through the Carling Cup because I don't rate it that highly until
I should go back to my FM07 Canada game... I think I'm in 2037 in that one. I tend to latch onto one file and play it forever. Same thing with NHL:EHM, or Out of the Park.
Edit: The one thing I do miss in FM is the bug in 07 that apparently caused more players to be generated in countries where you had high scouting knowledge of. I took a look at the Canada squad the other day and it made me want to cry. 1 very good player, a couple other guys in Europe, and a bunch of nobodies. Back in 07 I could get quality Canadian regens, sign them all to my club to train and loan them, and build up a quality national squad.
Pred, if you haven't looked over TT'10 yet I'd highly recommend it. It helps explain the new tactics system and reads more like what the manual should have been. It's about 62 pages but there isn't anything too complicated about it. The appendix outlines successful tactics from the past and present and tries to translate them to the new tactics system.
Also if you haven't noticed in the new tactics system when you choose and individual's role (poacher, target man, etc.) the primary and secondary attributes for said role are highlighted underneath. That kind of helps tailoring tactics to players after the fact.
In my LLM save I play with one striker up front in a slightly attacking style that works really well at home, but on the road it can turn disastrous.
I found this year TT disappointing. They made much more sense when there wasn't tactics creator around, this season they've seemed to struggle with finding topics to cover and ended up with more generic material, talking about nature of tactics and football in general. Having read Jonathan Wilson few months prior to FM release I just found much of the stuff covered a watered-down rephrasing of the same stuff. Appendix with adaptations of real-life tactics was interesting, though.
As for primary/secondary attributes highlighting: well, it's quite arbitrary and always depends on style and level of competition you're in, but it always serves as a great run-down of your first eleven abilities. e.g. Every time I bring on some prospective youngster I'm reminded what personal instructions I might want to tune down etc.
Hooray for my board! Those dimwits have finally realised that if we're about to win anything in Europe we need to invest, and gave me 4 million transfer budget and 1 million for wages (they still don't allow me to respend all transfer profis, though). However, I can't bring in anyone who earns more than 400-500k/year because of wage limits. That severely reduces chances of signing outcasts from England, Spain, Germany and Italy - those kinds of guys who you can grab for few hundred thousand but have big wage demands.
So far that means I'm buying Croatians Dinamo Zagreb or Czech teams like Sparta have some great young talents that you can lure away easily with promise of first team football and decent wages, scout them every time you start a new game. However, Croatian (and Czech) players aren't as cheap as in other average leagues.
Oh Blue Square South, how I love you. The highlight of a recent FA Cup Qualifying match against Woking was my central midfielder trying another mildly aimless through ball on their defense, only to see it trickle into the box, where both the Woking goalkeeper and central defender decided to hold a full, formal debate over who should claim the ball. At some point after rebuttals, my striker, having grown bored of proceedings noticed that the ball was right there I mean right there seriously ran up and slotted it home.
Oh, and my second striker lacks both the height, strength and jumping ability to play as a Target Man, and the technical ability to play as a deep-lying forward. Or anything else for that matter. He also kicks exclusively with his shin, played a 6.44 in 44 games last year (notching six goals) and thanks to my predecessor, is on a nearly bank-breaking $40K a year contract until 2013.
To my other question though, Corner/Free-Kick routines? How do you guys handle them?
Oh Blue Square South, how I love you. The highlight of a recent FA Cup Qualifying match against Woking was my central midfielder trying another mildly aimless through ball on their defense, only to see it trickle into the box, where both the Woking goalkeeper and central defender decided to hold a full, formal debate over who should claim the ball. At some point after rebuttals, my striker, having grown bored of proceedings noticed that the ball was right there I mean right there seriously ran up and slotted it home.
Oh, and my second striker lacks both the height, strength and jumping ability to play as a Target Man, and the technical ability to play as a deep-lying forward. Or anything else for that matter. He also kicks exclusively with his shin, played a 6.44 in 44 games last year (notching six goals) and thanks to my predecessor, is on a nearly bank-breaking $40K a year contract until 2013.
To my other question though, Corner/Free-Kick routines? How do you guys handle them?
I love the Blue Square, although it can be incredibly frustrating when you see players doing inexplicable things.
I don't have anything on Free-kick routines other than just sitting there and hoping something good happens.
With corners in FM10 I've gone 2 ways. One is 2 short options and having the corner taken short. When you don't have much height it seems to work okay. Otherwise I have my tallest DC on 'challenge keeper'; DC#2 on 'Near post flick-on"; Striker on "attack near post'; A guy standing on the far post; a guy lurking outside area; and a guy forward with the corners set to mixed. It used to be an exploit in FM07 when you had Mertesacker and the corner set to "6-yard" box I think that was fixed. I can never buy a goal with everything on corners set to the default settings.
Haven't had too many Blue Square South LOL moments happen during my games. Although speaking of corners I had a curled one beat the keeper last night. Always see one of those every couple of seasons. That was one of two corners for goals I had all season. The other one came from a ball landing at my near post guy's feet and him slamming it home. I thought I had changed who goes where for the corner but maybe I did that mid-game?
Anyway I concluded my first BSS season at Oxford City. We finished in 3rd. Lost 0-2 away in the first leg of the promotion semi, but then came back in dramatic fashion at home in front of a record crowd to take the semi 3-2. After that the final seemed like a matter of fact. Yeah Eastleigh were favored, but in our last match with them we trounced them 4-2 at their grounds. We won promotion by winning 1-0 on my Bulgarian striker's 20th goal of the season.
Now on to life in the Blue Square Premier where we are relegation favorites again. I am expecting a mid-table finish, but the board only expect a relegation battle and weren't ponying up extra salary until the expectations got very high.
Oh, and my second striker lacks both the height, strength and jumping ability to play as a Target Man, and the technical ability to play as a deep-lying forward. Or anything else for that matter. He also kicks exclusively with his shin, played a 6.44 in 44 games last year (notching six goals) and thanks to my predecessor, is on a nearly bank-breaking $40K a year contract until 2013.
Oh, Emile, how far you have fallen.
Still, at least you won the Ladies Singles title at Wimbledon, fair play to you.
So I guess I didn't tell my team just how awesome they were in their 5-0 preseason drubbing of Spain's Glenn Hoddle Academy and now half of them have been a slight concern. Seriously? In the first 5 games I've coddled these babies at every team talk and press opportunity. At least we are 3-1-1 and off to an impressive start.
So I guess I didn't tell my team just how awesome they were in their 5-0 preseason drubbing of Spain's Glenn Hoddle Academy and now half of them have been a slight concern. Seriously? In the first 5 games I've coddled these babies at every team talk and press opportunity. At least we are 3-1-1 and off to an impressive start.
in FM 2010 they got some of squad reactions wrong and I think they're going to fix that in 2011, as they've already ironed some of these things out in 10.3 patch
@Pred
That goal that you've scored - it's probably a bug from FM09, where goalie went for ball, ran just to it and then decided to dwell on it just standing there, I had to replay a game once because I've lost two goals like that in space of five minutes, with my goalie standing sill and watching Samuel Eto'o making 30 meter dash for the ball and slotting into empty goal.
I didn't have time to upload those tactics for you because I went straight to Lisbon after my exams and plan to spen few weeks here, safely away from FM (pain!). I'll do it at some point in the future (well, provided I can safely hitch my way back to Poland).
In my last transfer window (before 2011-2012 season), I've managed to register 5 million Euros of profit on transfers while bringing in players like GABRIEL MILITO (seriously, the one who plays for Barcelona)!for free or decent prices. If this squad gels well we can go really far in Europa League.
While I try to get FM07 installed again (what a pain in the butt... damn java installer), FM07 player porn!
He was absolutely rubbish in the Premier League with Newcastle, but the man came alive for Canada. That screenshot's from the middle of the 2034 World Cup, where he went on to win the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot with 8 goals. By far my favourite FM newgen ever.
Quick question for all you enablers.
is it worth spending $20US (the sales price in Australia) to move up to FM2010 or should I just keep playing 2009? since the next iteration will be out in a few months? and I usually pick up the major releases (new graphics engine, etc, basically more than a roster update) on day 1
Quick question for all you enablers.
is it worth spending $20US (the sales price in Australia) to move up to FM2010 or should I just keep playing 2009? since the next iteration will be out in a few months? and I usually pick up the major releases (new graphics engine, etc, basically more than a roster update) on day 1
It might be, if only because i'm not sure there is a next iteration on the way. I haven't heard anything, seen any announcements, it looks for all the world like SI's throwing their weight behind FM Live, and perhaps using it to gigve them the extra year/few months to better tweak FM that they've always needed. There's nothing on SI's site about FM 2011, nothing in the forums, and the third result in a Google for "Football Manager 2011" is a rickroll.
So updating to 2010 might be good because 1.) It's cheap and 2.) unless you're down for FM Live, there's not any more FM in the immediate future.
Okay, follow up question then. In the US the sale price is $15US, here it is $20US.
Anyone want a $15 paypal donation in exchange for the game?
Pred, of course there's next FM coming, don't be silly, they always make their announcements in second half of July or early August.
Pred, of course there's next FM coming, don't be silly, they always make their announcements in second half of July or early August.
Ah, my mistake then. Then wait Prozac, might as well.
Whoops to late 
I got enabled.
What's FM2010's processing like? how many leagues do you guys think I can run with a decent speed on a quad core with 8gb of ram?
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