Frustrations with FM09

I've been playing FM09 for a few months.

So far i've played 4 Seasons on my first game with Man City and i've recently started a new game with Southport in the Blue Square North.

Its becoming really frustrating though as i've noticed that no matter what i do my season will just go to crap after a certain amount of games, its happened every season on both games so far.

What i'm talking about is i'll be going great guns for a number of games (at man City it was usually around 20-25 and at southport it was 35) My strikers will be taking chances they are presented with, free kicks will be going in, i wont be conceding from corners and i'll be winning game after game and keeping clean sheets etc and then all of a sudden it just stops happening, Strikers miss 1 on 1's and chances they would have put away blindfolded just a few games ago, the opposition will score from almost every corner, the keeper will start presenting opposition strikers with easy balls from Goal kicks etc, Free kicks dry up and i'll lose 3-4 on the spin.

I've tried everything i can do, sticking with the same team and formations and trying to ride it out, changing the team both drastically and small changes, trying new formations. Nothing is working, it almost seems like the game is stopping me from succeeding on purpose.

Perfect example is my Loan striker scored 23 in his first 25 and has now scored 25 in 38......

Has anybody else noticed this happening at almost the same point every season??

After a while I believe teams get used to your tactics and find out way's to counter them.

Your example of your loan striker is not an especially good one. 23 goals in 25 games is bordering on unrealistic. 25 in 38 is a pretty good strike rate. Certainly more realistic for your average striker.

After a while I believe teams get used to your tactics and find out way's to counter them.

I've tried changing tactics and trying new ones after thinking this myself but nothing changes game wise.

I've just gone through a month when a draw was a fantastic result in my 3rd season with AFC Wimbledon. I've had certain players lose form etc. the last two seasons but nothing like I've just experienced. I am punching well above my weight at the moment and I think my players have just become tired.

My main frustration (not really a big one just slightly annoying) at the moment is Oldham and St. Mirren keep hijacking all my transfers, I think I'm their scouting network and nobody told me.

Your example of your loan striker is not an especially good one. 23 goals in 25 games is bordering on unrealistic. 25 in 38 is a pretty good strike rate. Certainly more realistic for your average striker.

But why do the goals just dry up all of a sudden? he'll still be getting those same chances to score but instead of hitting the net it'll go "inches wide" or "blazes it over the bar"

The player in question is an Everton Reserve playing in the Blue Square North

Edit: Just about to kick off and noticed my striker has now gone 567 minutes without scoring!

Welcome to the SI Community.

Tactics play a huge part in FM09, more so than any other game in the series. It takes more than just switching formations and rotating players. Tweaking tactics on a regular basis before and during matches is crucial to long term success. By tweaking Im talking about the 'sliders' that appear on the 'Team Instructions' tab. You will find the more you play the game the better you become at tactical setup. There is also a great 'Tactical Forum' http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18 where you will find some very useful help.

Morale also plays a part in team slumps. As your team keeps getting bad results, morale drops and makes it harder to get good performances out of the team. Using the media in the right way can boost individual players morale. Asking one of your players to call a team meeting through the 'Player Interaction' tab is another.

Stick at though and you will begin to figure things out. Have a look at the tactics forum above, might find some useful tips.

Could be the 'New Boss Factor'. Players are uncertain about their future, want to prove themselves, etc, find you inspiring and what not. But after a while, you're just the Gaffer and players will revert to type (won't they Harry? Oh, yes, they will). That, and it's realistic for other managers to suss you out. It's then down to how you juggle the squad, make small changes to playing style, etc...and then it's down to if the player is good enough to bring that change to the game. Just because you tell someone to play a different type of ball or attack more often doesn't mean he will do it. There'll be all sorts of reasons for this - low confidence, wrong mentality (not setting, as a person), or maybe he's just not up to the task in terms of stats grouping (may be able to pass, but has limited intelligence in picking a pass; may have high pace for bursting into the box, but low stamina or determination).

And just because you take a striker from a Prem side on loan to the BSN, doesn't mean he'll score every game. I've taken an experienced striker from Leicester for my Rushden team, and he's scored a few but not a goal a game by any stretch (despite him having a reputation, certainly 7-8 years ago, for being a goalscorer). He is, however, getting chances, and that is the key thing. Look at Arsenal IRL: you'd think they'd score a fair few, but lately, they couldn't hit the side of a barn - van Persie in particular. Strikers will go through purple patches and lean spells. It's the nature of the beast. The only time to worry is if he's not getting any chances or getting into good positions.

Thanks for that advice Dar, i'll look at the forum if i dont just delete the game and give up!

Another game, another 2 points dropped.

A few games ago the league looked like this.

1 Southport (me) 70pts

2 Harrogate 69pts

3 Stafford 60 pts

Now it looks like this

1 Harrogate 80

2 Stafford 72

3 Southport (me) 71

I've gained 1 point to Harrogates 10 in the last 5 games!

and my form...

WDWDWWLLLLD

You can see what i'm getting at here? Its been the same in every season on both games.

Maybe it is tiredness. Especially with Southport where your players would be nowhere near as fit as at Man City. Are you performing above expectation? If you are it may be that a long hard season is catching up with them

Not especially no, Southport were relegated the season before this game and my expectations were to win the league, my media prediction was 1st as well.

Another draw but my striker scored his first goal in 7 games

What's your squad personality like, mate? Seems like they're lacking a little something (or you are ;-)) in the final run-in. Try taking it easy in press conferences and team talks. I know you'll be wanting to whip them towards promotion, but don't forget the players want that too and would feel pressure off the fans, etc (well known 'promotion/championship jitters'). Look at the Championship over the last couple of years: the incentive to get to the Prem and the pressure from all levels to get there seems to make it become 'the division no one wants to win'. Of course they do, but nerves play a massive part from about February on.

Seems like the game simulates that (there are also teams, like Harrogate in your game, who seem to be unphased by it all - maybe because they're on a late surge or something).

Try taking the pressure to perform off the players a little bit, see if it works. Don't thrash them so badly if they lose, but tell them you're happy with the effort. It's as much about juggling confidence at the top as it is in maintaining it at the bottom.

Its been a close run between myself and Harrogate all season, only 1-2 points between us and draws in both our games. My sqaud personality is "ambitious" which says it all! Its the games fault!

I used to think it was something i was doing wrong but i've followed advice on forums like this one and websites and i'm starting to think its something built into the game!

I remember on FM05 whenever i got a crack at getting into the top 4 with Portsmouth, say liverpool had lost and all i had to do was win to go above them for a few days i'd lose to the likes of WBA even if i'd won 4 or 5 on the bounce and beaten Arsenal/ Man U etc

I have the same problem with City, and I have even changed tactics to no avail. It's not the chances that lacks, but the efficiency of my players. After 20 viewed chances, I might be able to raise my arms in praise as they fumble the ball past the opposition keeper. Most of the time they will just kick the ball to him, or shoot it over. Luckily for me the opposition attackers are almost as ineffecient as my team. At the start of the season they played pretty well - especially at home, now they are awful - even if I win. Furthermore, it seems like its the same 5 different attacks in each game. Makes me think that Kevin Toms' Football Manager from early 80's was just as good - nah - it was better.

To me very little have improved from 9.02. It is an improvement, but it is still terrible to play. Thanks SI - you have shortened my life with 5 years - don't bother with FM 10 when you can't fix this one.

I have the same problem with City, and I have even changed tactics to no avail. It's not the chances that lacks, but the efficiency of my players. After 20 viewed chances, I might be able to raise my arms in praise as they fumble the ball past the opposition keeper. Most of the time they will just kick the ball to him, or shoot it over. Luckily for me the opposition attackers are almost as ineffecient as my team. At the start of the season they played pretty well - especially at home, now they are awful - even if I win. Furthermore, it seems like its the same 5 different attacks in each game. Makes me think that Kevin Toms' Football Manager from early 80's was just as good - nah - it was better.

To me very little have improved from 9.02. It is an improvement, but it is still terrible to play. Thanks SI - you have shortened my life with 5 years - don't bother with FM 10 when you can't fix this one.

Do you find the chances that Robinho used to curl round the keeper all just end up wide or in his hands now?? and how he used to flow into a run when he received the ball ad leave defenders standing now he stammers and stutters before he starts running and the defender wins every time?

Its been a close run between myself and Harrogate all season, only 1-2 points between us and draws in both our games. My sqaud personality is "ambitious" which says it all! Its the games fault!

I used to think it was something i was doing wrong but i've followed advice on forums like this one and websites and i'm starting to think its something built into the game!

I remember on FM05 whenever i got a crack at getting into the top 4 with Portsmouth, say liverpool had lost and all i had to do was win to go above them for a few days i'd lose to the likes of WBA even if i'd won 4 or 5 on the bounce and beaten Arsenal/ Man U etc

Hmm...an ambitious squad may feel the pressure more than a professional one. I had the same type of squad in a previous game, and easing off on them seemed to work better than anything else, even though it wasn't ideal - so yeah, you may be onto something when you say it's written in. I've seen AI teams run away with a league before, but I've always been pegged back and been left to sweat. I think it's a 'dramatic season end' thing, if it's there at all.

9.02 did my head in with apparently random results. I'd go and beat everyone but dreaded seeing 'x hasn't scored since he was a schoolkid and now he's 32' or something like that, as it'd mean he'd get at least one. Ditto for the side with no win since God created the universe. You could bet they'd pick up the points against my side, no matter how well my lot played. Lost 1-0 at home to Leyton Orient as Hereford, and we battered the doors down all game long after they went 1-0 up after two minutes.

I agree with what you say about the "X hasnt scored" thats been going on for years in CM/FM, and if you had a player on your shortlist you could put your mortgage he'd score against you!

I'm now on a mini revival of sorts in the last 5 games of the season, 1 game tto go and the league has gone but at least i'm in better form heading into the play offs.

last 5 games

DDDWW 3 Clean sheets on the bounce and i beat Stafford 2-0 to take back 2nd.

To be honest, your team are in the same position that Liverpool find themselves IRL

As i know all too well!

Lost in the play off semi final

3-3 Away to Tamworth Star striker scored 2 and went off injured to miss the return leg.

0-1 At home.

Another year in the Blue Square Northern.

Do you find the chances that Robinho used to curl round the keeper all just end up wide or in his hands now?? and how he used to flow into a run when he received the ball ad leave defenders standing now he stammers and stutters before he starts running and the defender wins every time?

Otherwise, yes, that is pretty much my experience - and not just with a class player like Robinho.