Football Manager 2007

[Maquiladora]

Scarborough have stamped their authority on the Conference North for the new season winning 7 and drawing 3 out of the first 10. It's especially satisfying when the opposing manager tries to demoralise your team before the game and you walk it 3-0.

Hopefully I can get more loans from Hull once their good reserve players realise they won't be getting a game there. One of the previous loans I had actually turned down a contract from Hull and spent a month as a free agent before he finally agreed to sign for me. What an idiot.

[Maquiladora]

I'm finding concentration a lot more important now I'm regularly winning games, especially top of the league where the computer tries to find any way to break your team. I've dropped much less creative players for mentally strong/older players and it seems to be working. But even with concentration around 10 some of my defenders make horrific mistakes in the last 20mins.

Last season my D/C tried to pass back to the keeper from the halfway line and it went sailing past him into the top corner, would've been goal of the season if it weren't an own goal.

As for the effectiveness of loans, have a look at this fella. He got one 2 week injury last season, lets see what happens this season

[Colonâ„¢]

I've had such astonishingly incredulous own-goals as well. Didn't know who I had to be more angry at, the GK or the own-scorer in question. I suppose you can always change players who are tired though.

Stats look nice, strong, balanced mental and physical attributes. I have such a player on a 3-years contract though.

[Maquiladora]

Well some of us have no (or £450 to be precise) transfer funds I'm still £400 p/w under my wage budget, but I can't find anyone good mid-season for free. I have 4 other strikers but they're all inconsistant or fluff some easy chances, which I didn't see at all when they played for other clubs.

Do you get any money for getting promoted to Conference National? I hope my wage budget goes up, I must have half the squad on +25% wage raises for promotion.

Also whats the benefit of signing a coach/scout on a full-time contract instead of part-time? Do they train/scout better?

[Colonâ„¢]

I've never paid a dime for transfers. Or actually, I have, but to nick away a fitness coach from another team. I do search and scout long and intensively for players. Have to say I'm playing as Scottish nationality, which provides me with a great knowledge of the Scottish competition. I can sign players over there on contracts well before their original contracts expire.

Are you sure those are actually easy chances? Vaughn's guide is mentioning your playing style affects the probability a striker scores. I suppose this is true, but I've found it hard to set up attacks in such a way strikers have plenty of free space to shoot. It's much easier to create solid defences.

My wage budget went up by €3000 p/w for this season, see fitness coach. Maybe if you're pushing up, or somewhat crossing the limit, and if they like you, they're automatically inclinded to increase the budget?

Must be. Their workload is spread out over more hours. I got to re-sign P/T coaches on the same wage in F/T so if it didn't do any good, it didn't do any bad either.

But did you get FM 2007? Those screenies look identical to it.

[Colonâ„¢]

What's really bugging me is not so much getting players, but improving them. I have quit a bunch of young players (under 23) who barely improve over time. One striker I have is pretty fast, has great stamina and the mental attributes I seek, but hasn't improved at all the past 2.5 years. Am I playing him too much, too little? Training too hard or too soft? Should I encourage or harangue him? I don't know.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
I've never paid a dime for transfers. Or actually, I have, but to nick away a fitness coach from another team. I do search and scout long and intensively for players. Have to say I'm playing as Scottish nationality, which provides me with a great knowledge of the Scottish competition. I can sign players over there on contracts well before their original contracts expire.

I do spend a long time looking for players, especially end of season for free agents. I'll also look for all players released by Premiership clubs with no current club, only a few will want to sign, and they often have great ability/potential, as in "definite purchase" according to my scouts at least...

Are you sure those are actually easy chances? Vaughn's guide is mentioning your playing style affects the probability a striker scores. I suppose this is true, but I've found it hard to set up attacks in such a way strikers have plenty of free space to shoot. It's much easier to create solid defences.

I play short-ish passing and all my strikers require is ball control, speed, and shooting stats, so the majority of my good chances are one-on-ones. They'll either go into the side netting, wide, or the keeper saves, but I don't count that as a miss.

Williams will put away all of those, whereas the others will score maybe 1/3. They're obviously lacking something I can't see, I'll investigate shortly.

My wage budget went up by €3000 p/w for this season, see fitness coach. Maybe if you're pushing up, or somewhat crossing the limit, and if they like you, they're automatically inclinded to increase the budget?

I got an increase at the start of a new season, and the board (and new chairman) changed it's expectations from "reasonable position" to "expect promotion". Not surprisingly this new chairman "loves the club" so is perhaps is more ambitious, whereas the old one was a businessman type, happy enough with balanced books and security. I'd say i got a lucky switch there.

But did you get FM 2007? Those screenies look identical to it.

Yep it's FM2007.

What's really bugging me is not so much getting players, but improving them. I have quit a bunch of young players (under 23) who barely improve over time. One striker I have is pretty fast, has great stamina and the mental attributes I seek, but hasn't improved at all the past 2.5 years. Am I playing him too much, too little? Training too hard or too soft? Should I encourage or harangue him? I don't know.

As the man Vaughn says, if he hasn't improved in 2 seasons then he's useless, or words to that effect.

I think regular football at a low level is the best way to bring on a good youngster.

I had a 16yo GK who didn't improve at all with me in a year. His strength went up, technical went down as usual, but then his strength would go down again and technical spring back to normal. Like training wasn't enough. I sent him to Whitby for a year and he's scoring 7's and 8's and his jumping and strength has gone up 2 or 3 in one season, which is good for a 17yo.

[Maquiladora]

Here's a saved match, you can view it from main menu "view match".

It's interesting for 3 reasons:

1) best goal i've seen so far
2) Williams gets injured as expected (3-5 months torn calf muscle)
3) defensive mistake near the end nearly costs me again

The first half I was lower on possession and was lucky to keep it at 0-0 until half-time. Second half i changed some mentalities slightly (according to which action zones i was losing in) to balance against their attacking mentalities. After that gained most possession in all areas of the pitch, especially in attack, which led to the 1st goal. 2nd goal was just lucky. I may have a replacement for Williams there.

After the 2nd goal i put it on almost the slowest tempo to slow the game down, i wonder if this led to the defensive mistake, making him hold onto it for longer?

[Ãskallin]

AAAAAAAAARGGGGGHHH!!!!

I just finished my Feyenoord save. Well the first season anyway. I was in 1st place for almost all the year. Last game after a few draws in a row I just have to get a point against FC Twente at home. My captain comes out and "rallies the troops". Yep sure as ****, I dominate the game, 20 shots, 60% possesion and they sneak in a bastard in the 85th minute . So fckn PSV win the division My first reaction is rage and I contemplated throwing the computer out the window. But I decide to play the Dutch cup final as well.......................................


Yep you guessed it i lost it as well , to who!? PSV of course.

I uninstalled football manager and deleted the save.

To angry to even think about starting again. Stupid bloody game.

From New Zealand with hate towards the world

[Maquiladora]

It takes a lot of determination to come back to the game after that kind of thing, but you'll feel a lot better for winning the double in style next season.

[Colonâ„¢]

Maguiladora, you had Ben Wilkinson? That guy is my dream player. I was seeking to sign him when was playing for (relegated) Crawley but that team demanded a transfer fee well beyond my limit, so I waited until his contract ran out and prayed he wouldn't sign a new one. The guy himself was extremely interested to join my team and I courted him several times to make sure he knew he could get better deal than at Crawley. Less than a month before his contract would finally expire some Scottish crap team pre-signed him for free. I'm still raving mad about it, especially now I see his solo in that game.

About that Burscough goal, see the position of your #5 vs their #16 and the position of your midfielders. Maybe you should have used tight marking? I generally felt you were giving away a lot space if it was your intention to keep the 2-0.

As the man Vaughn says, if he hasn't improved in 2 seasons then he's useless, or words to that effect.

I think regular football at a low level is the best way to bring on a good youngster.

I had a 16yo GK who didn't improve at all with me in a year. His strength went up, technical went down as usual, but then his strength would go down again and technical spring back to normal. Like training wasn't enough. I sent him to Whitby for a year and he's scoring 7's and 8's and his jumping and strength has gone up 2 or 3 in one season, which is good for a 17yo.

The player in question is useful as he is now, but it's frustrating to know he could get a whole lot better (he's still only 20). Besides, most other young players won't improve either so I'm guessing the problem doesn't lie with him. Surely regular appareances in your own first team is as good as regular appearances in a lower division team?

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
Maguiladora, you had Ben Wilkinson? That guy is my dream player. I was seeking to sign him when was playing for (relegated) Crawley but that team demanded a transfer fee well beyond my limit, so I waited until his contract ran out and prayed he wouldn't sign a new one. The guy himself was extremely interested to join my team and I courted him several times to make sure he knew he could get better deal than at Crawley. Less than a month before his contract would finally expire some Scottish crap team pre-signed him for free. I'm still raving mad about it, especially now I see his solo in that game.

He was the player i loaned from Hull for a season, then when he rejected Hull's contract i stepped in and offered one when it expired, he must've been desperate for first-team football.

I just wish I'd have taken Williams off, then he wouldn't have got injured, at least for another week. Lesson learned there.

About that Burscough goal, see the position of your #5 vs their #16 and the position of your midfielders. Maybe you should have used tight marking? I generally felt you were giving away a lot space if it was your intention to keep the 2-0.

I always put "tight marking" on the opposition forwards and "closing down" on all creative MF and wingers on the "opposition instructions" screen. This becomes quite a chore to change when the opposition keeps swapping their players around, but it's working well enough so far.

I don't put my players on "tight marking" on my tactics screen though. I assumed this meant they would tight mark everyone within range, which isn't what I want.

Maybe i needed tight marking on their midfielders aswell.

The player in question is useful as he is now, but it's frustrating to know he could get a whole lot better (he's still only 20). Besides, most other young players won't improve either so I'm guessing the problem doesn't lie with him. Surely regular appareances in your own first team is as good as regular appearances in a lower division team?

I have dozens of youngsters who don't improve permanently aswell. My most improved are first team players around 25-30yo, who regularly score 7-9. When young players come in they usually don't have the ability to match their attributes yet to score highly. This is where lower opposition games work well to get them a good score.

It seems better that they get 7+'s against lower teams, than 6's in your full team, at least until they're fully ready.

BTW how do you raise/lower your club/player loyalty in your profile? All my stats have raised two to 12, but that has dropped two to 8.

[Ãskallin]

You raise your loyalty by accepting new contracts with your club and not selling heaps of players. As far as I can tell anyhow

[Colonâ„¢]

Originally posted by Maquiladora
I always put "tight marking" on the opposition forwards and "closing down" on all creative MF and wingers on the "opposition instructions" screen. This becomes quite a chore to change when the opposition keeps swapping their players around, but it's working well enough so far.

I don't put my players on "tight marking" on my tactics screen though. I assumed this meant they would tight mark everyone within range, which isn't what I want.

Maybe i needed tight marking on their midfielders aswell.

When I really want to stiffle any chance opposition initiative I set team instructions to tight marking (except for forwards), narrow width and deep defending.

The way 6 of their players were behind your midfielders and the way your #5 left a gaping hole in the middle of the defence really didn't look well IMHO.

I have dozens of youngsters who don't improve permanently aswell. My most improved are first team players around 25-30yo, who regularly score 7-9. When young players come in they usually don't have the ability to match their attributes yet to score highly. This is where lower opposition games work well to get them a good score.

It seems better that they get 7+'s against lower teams, than 6's in your full team, at least until they're fully ready.

BTW how do you raise/lower your club/player loyalty in your profile? All my stats have raised two to 12, but that has dropped two to 8.

Those youngsters who've "made" it, did you constantly play them in the first team? I'm very concerned with overplaying these guys, so I often rotate them, even though there's one I really can't miss.

How harshly do you train youngsters? Do a lot of them play in reserves games?

Not sure about club/player loyalty. Maybe if you dump players regularly or if you rotate players often loyalty drops. Mine's 8 as well.

Pfff look at me do all this talking and I haven't even been playing the game for days.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Ãskallin
You raise your loyalty by accepting new contracts with your club and not selling heaps of players. As far as I can tell anyhow

I've free transfered maybe 12 young players, and sold 2 other players in two seasons. I suppose that's lowered my player loyalty, but how do i need to show loyalty? by keeping every player until they retire or want to leave? That would be annoying.

When I really want to stiffle any chance opposition initiative I set team instructions to tight marking (except for forwards), narrow width and deep defending.

The way 6 of their players were behind your midfielders and the way your #5 left a gaping hole in the middle of the defence really didn't look well IMHO.

I suppose it's just the way I play, but I couldn't do anymore about my #5, it was actually the tight marking that brought him out of defence to stick close to the man with the ball, he just didn't realise 2 other defenders were doing the same thing, which left the gap.

My defensive line was about 10% on the bar aswell, so that couldn't have made much difference. Width was still default so I'll try lowering that next time.

Those youngsters who've "made" it, did you constantly play them in the first team? I'm very concerned with overplaying these guys, so I often rotate them, even though there's one I really can't miss.

I'm only in my 2nd season so none of the home-grown real youngsters (16/17yo) have made it, but my first team has 4 under-21 players that all play every week. One of them gets tired around 30 games but I rest him for a week or two and he's fine after that.

How harshly do you train youngsters? Do a lot of them play in reserves games?

They all have separate regimes, which are all just under "heavy" workload.

Reserve games I haven't seen any played. I only have 9 "greyed-out" players in the reserve squad, and a lot of my youngsters in the U18 squad are on loan.

How do i get reserve/U18 squad games? My U18 squad has enough players available but they don't play. Do i have to arrange games?