Top 5 Tips to achieve success on FM

I just wanted to know what 5 or 10 golden rules you would put down to achieve overall success playing this game.

The most imperative would probably be the right tactics, training, players bought and sold - what else would you say was just as important?

Contracts are important, so you don't lose your players for nothing

Win all your matchs

Win all your matchs

hilarious

some people are just overly helpful, dont u just hate that?

id say effective training schedules for ur first team, and good youth coaches so your youth players develop right :-)

Read the TT&F guide, bin the one that came with the game, download somebody elses tactics coz you'll no doubt get sick of hearing "it's your tactics" when you loose over and over again. Read the TT&F guide again. Start all over again then scream V E R Y loud and finally.... cheat!

Only joking!

This may sound a little out of place but I think one thing you have to remember is this - its a GAME, its meant for you to enjoy and have fun with. I have read so many stories on the boards about people getting mad and upset about what happens. I think you need to remember its a game and stay calm. Something doesnt go your way, take a breath and walk away. Dont do anything stupid that you will regret later and that will kill your game.

Case in point, I happen to know an owner who got sooooooooo upset because the high priced striker he bought, didnt score a single goal in 3 games. He became so mad, he shipped him to a rival club for pennies compared to what he paid. Ended up that striker turned on the burners and scored 30 goals that season, including the goal that got my team relegated

So take a breath and walk and relax, you will be happier in the long run

Patience and persistence. Nothing can take the place of persistence so the saying goes. And pay attention to what's happening in matches! If something appears wrong react IMMEDIATELY instead of whining about how crap the game is.

It also helps to have a sound tactic and when you are on a bad run, a 10 minute walk outside can do wonders to your morale

And don't use global tight marking when playing against a formation different from yours.

There, 5 tips for your review..

Spend as much time as you possibly can scoruing for young talent.

Even if their potential isn't as high as what you alreayd have, chances are you can sell them on for huge profit.

Also my personal favorite, if you have 2 striker who can knock in 20 goals a season, defence isn't too important

On top of what has already been said, a solid keeper is a must imo, I've neglected other positions and still gotten results in the past, but from my experience the keeper has to be reliable.

#1. Always try to keep your patience your going to need to.

♥ÅđΜïŊĭŚŧŘãŦõŘ♥™

Win all your matchs

hahahahahaha thats pretty funny

Here is a guide I am working on with many different topics covered

http://loswonderkids.com/community/index.php?s=&showtopic=3411&view=findpost&p=60007

Feedback on the site and the guide would be appreciated

Consider building your squad of players around a preferred tactical system, rather than trying to impose various tactics onto players who might not be suited.

It's entirely possible you can be successful with any sensible tactic, so long as you use or sign the right players in each position.

For an example of what I mean, think of the attacking full-back role that Patrice Evra plays so well in with Man Utd. His attributes suit the role he plays, arguably to perfection. Now imagine that he's injured and John O'Shea comes in to replace him. Clearly O'Shea doesn't have the same type of attributes to Evra and thus, will not be as effective in that role. Ideally you'll have another similar player to Evra as backup. Current example of this, when he gets more games, is Fabio, brother of Rafael. With that in mind, you can understand with Sir Alex's system favouring attacking full-backs, why they signed these Brazillian brothers. Their attributes are suited to the tactical system he employs.

Other advice would be to try signing players with similar characteristics, such as "Determined", "Loyal", "Professional", etc... This helps a team work better together and to gel more quickly.

Finally... be patient! Things click into place very quickly at some clubs. At other clubs, it may take a little longer. So often it's best to give a tactic or player a little more time to work before thinking it or they are rubbish.

Don't overcomplicate things. If you are a big club with loads of good players, the sliders are IMO pretty intuitive and I don't need to spend ages on tactics "bibles" or anything else.

If you're a smaller club, then you probably need a more in-depth understanding.

Oh, and don't get attached to a particular formation. Play to your strengths. EG, if you lack strikers, a 4-5-1 is probably your strongest formation.

These are in no particular order, just as they popped into the brain...

1. Keep control of your spending, even if the board allow you to plunge into the red.

2. Spend time looking at as many players as you can (I usually look at each team in Ireland, Poland, Belgium etc) you can find good bargains

3. Don't over complicate tactics. Find a decent framework and concentrate on the match variables (Tempo, DL, Width, Time Wasting) these can make as much of a difference as changing mentality etc.

4. Good balance between youth & experience

5. Get a good assistant and listen to him

6. Choose your teamtalks wisely !

This may sound a little out of place but I think one thing you have to remember is this - its a GAME, its meant for you to enjoy and have fun with. I have read so many stories on the boards about people getting mad and upset about what happens. I think you need to remember its a game and stay calm. Something doesnt go your way, take a breath and walk away. Dont do anything stupid that you will regret later and that will kill your game.

Case in point, I happen to know an owner who got sooooooooo upset because the high priced striker he bought, didnt score a single goal in 3 games. He became so mad, he shipped him to a rival club for pennies compared to what he paid. Ended up that striker turned on the burners and scored 30 goals that season, including the goal that got my team relegated

So take a breath and walk and relax, you will be happier in the long run

I think this is the best advice one should remember. Don't take FM too seriously (I know, it's hard sometimes), relax a bit. If you loose a game, it is not the end of the world. At the end of the day it is just a game, no matter how addicting it may seem.

The other good advice here is to take a walk, get some fresh air if you're getting frustrated with something within FM. It's a great way to clear your head, regain focus, and brainstorm some new ideas, or look at already existing ones from a different angle. I've done this on several occasions, and while I didn't really think about FM while taking these walks, they nevertheless helped me regain the focus and the desire to do well, instead of giving up. To be honest, I wish real life jobs required employees to take a break and take a 15-20 minute walk outside.

Save after you win and reload after you lose.

That got me promotion within a single season

Always look to the future. It just makes sense to purchase a cheap young player instead of an older star, when within a year or two the younger player will have surpassed the ageing legend.

#1. Always try to keep your patience your going to need to.

♥ÅđΜïŊĭŚŧŘãŦõŘ♥™

Wow funky name, is that why he/she got banned? Does not seem to have posted anything bad in their 4 posts apart from the Signature.

Anyway on topic: Patience is key for sure, For exmaple in the first season as Huddersfield you get beat of Morecombe in the johnstones trophy north final 1-0 despite battering them off the pitch and there only shot on target goes in arrrg resist the temptation to give up and start another new game! It does feel more rewarding in future games when you stick to it after the anger as faded away anyways.

Plus always checking those contracts at the end of May that are due to expire. You will always find at least one class player you can snap up on a free.

Skimmed through the replies and can't believe no one said it : Stability.

First thing you do when you take control of a (weak or medium) club is to start the rebuilding process and buy good young players that fit your style of play while keeping some of the veterans, make sure every young guy is signed long-term. Then you sign all the extra coaches you need along with some good scouts long-term. Sign a very good ass.man. long-term. Then grow with the team. Keep the core intact for years and every year improve only the little details, slowly but surely. This should make you successful.

1. Keep things simple; If it doesn't work in simple, it won't when complex.

2. Keep your squad happy.

3. Keep your squad well trained.

4. Rotate. And wisely - if the player is hot - use him. If not rest him; length determined by level of importance.

5. Get rid of dead wood early. In short have a plan from the get go.

Bonus tip: Don't underachieve on transfer market.

if in doubt, kick it out!

Best advice, Score one more goal than you opposition.

yea, staying calm is the key really, you'll end up taking drastic measures in an angry reaction which could see you concede more goals or p1ss off a player.

DO NOT GO FOR A DRIVE to calm down, or you'll end up going on a 'Falling Down' style rampage around your neighbourhood lol

1. Choose your tactics based on teams expectations and adjust your current squad to suit this, if you have a right winger who is great but won't suit the team then look to seel him for a cash injection for players who will fit.

2. Check your reserves and youth team for possible stars or sales. Update there training and squad stsus accordingly.

3. Check contracts for stars finishing up soon.

4. Set training schedules of your own for your positions.

I set mine up as Defence, Midfield, Attack.

5. Eliminate weak points in your team and solidify with signings.

6. Cancel any overloads of friendlies and give the team a minimum of a week before new season to rest.

7. Look for coaches, assistant managers and youth coaches etc.

These are just my procedures, not to be taken as gospel.

yea, staying calm is the key really, you'll end up taking drastic measures in an angry reaction which could see you concede more goals or p1ss off a player.

DO NOT GO FOR A DRIVE to calm down, or you'll end up going on a 'Falling Down' style rampage around your neighbourhood lol

Lol, Falling Down, that was a class movie. Imagine that you have just lost the match that cost you the title, go on a rampage, end up running over a few lollipop men near a school.

In the lower leagues, a decent backline is more important that quality strikers. The goals will come because of other teams shoddy defenders.

1. Keep things simple; If it doesn't work in simple, it won't when complex.

2. Keep your squad happy.

3. Keep your squad well trained.

4. Rotate. And wisely - if the player is hot - use him. If not rest him; length determined by level of importance.

5. Get rid of dead wood early. In short have a plan from the get go.

Bonus tip: Don't underachieve on transfer market.

Loving the bous tip.

Read the TT&F guide, bin the one that came with the game

Can you link me to the guide please

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=61144

There you go

In the lower leagues, a decent backline is more important that quality strikers. The goals will come because of other teams shoddy defenders.

That's good advice for the lower league managers and something I've definitely found true. So long as you have a pacy striker and a good defence you'll do well down there

Never increase the Board expections at the start of the season, decrease them if you can. A few injuries to key players (Goalkeeper) can devastate a season and get you sacked if raise expectations.

You rarely need to use all of your wage budget. I only ever get close to it when managing a heavily debt ridden club that will only allow a very small budget for the league.

In the same vein as the defence tips, get the best Goalkeeper you can find and afford. They are even more important then a good defence, an inconsistant keeper will cost you more points then strikers missing one on ones.

Create your own Training Schedules. I like to have some that are almost at Heavy overall Workload, put players onto these and ones that complain about the workload are ones with low professionalism. These players need tutoring by a player with a professional personality, and to be put onto a less intense schedule (I have 2 schedules for almost every position). If it is a keeper with low professionalism sell them and find a better one.

Your the boss not the players. Anyone who doesn't like being disciplined for sending offs or wanting to move to a bigger needs to be sold as fast as possible. This is quite hard a lot of the time as you end up losing a lot of good players that you have to find replacements for, but in the long run the club is stronger.

Never repeatedly change your formation/tactics. Keep it simple and only make small changes if they're needed.

My advice would be to take your time. It gets very tempting to fly through the game and not pay attention to the 'little details'. I would say you need to treat each match as the cup final and set you tactics, teamtalk and formation accordingly.

My number one piece of advice would be to use your common sense and logic. Sounds easy doesn't it? Well as you play you start concentrating on numbers and sliders but you really need to use common sense more than those.

Read the TT&F guide, bin the one that came with the game, download somebody elses tactics coz you'll no doubt get sick of hearing "it's your tactics" when you loose over and over again. Read the TT&F guide again. Start all over again then scream V E R Y loud and finally.... cheat!

Only joking!

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=61144

There you go

thanks dude

watch each game on FULL. Its the only way to be in complete control. I know finishing a game can take an hour or so for me - but its worth it

watch each game on FULL. Its the only way to be in complete control. I know finishing a game can take an hour or so for me - but its worth it

..or for those people who don't want to do this, lean to read the home/away match stats (passing, heading, tackles. runs etc). You might not have as much control over the match as watching the full 90 but those stats can tell you what's going on and where the trouble spots are.

This is the most annoying game you will ever play, understanding this is the basis for everything else.

watch each game on FULL. Its the only way to be in complete control. I know finishing a game can take an hour or so for me - but its worth it

Was just going to post saying exactly the same. It's impossible to see what is wrong with your tactics when you aren't watching the game. Can you imagine Fergie watching just the highlights of a game every week?!

change your tactics/formation every other game or so, even if its only slightly.

AI teams do have scouts aswell and they will play to your weakness.

thats the best advice i could give. im currently 2nd in the prem in november of first season with man city and only bought vagner love and requelme.

1. play narrow if players are running through your defense

2. tight mark any strikers with good heading and off the ball

3. take advantage of corner bug! (gets me a goal every 4th game)

4. if players morale is superb or v. good leave them alone you'll only make it worse (use 'do it for supporters' in team talk & don't comment on performance)

5. never compliment a determined player they don't like it

6. watch first 5 minutes of each half on full if problem change if not let it run

7. always close most advanced left and right winger

8. scout scout scout scout scout ... bargains are a boys best friend

9. read TTF

10. ... play as crewe

3. take advantage of corner bug! (gets me a goal every 4th game)

Whats the corner bug dude? How does it work?

1 - 5) Enjoy the game

1 - 5) Enjoy the game

I agree. Don't get worked up over it.

1) Have fun.

2) Have patience, in abundance.

3) Be realistic, set yourself realistic goals.

4) Do your own thing, other peoples guides are great for tactics and learning if your totally new I do have occasional snoop at them and so on. However there is nothing more special then creating your own created/bespoke winning formation saving a team from relegation/winning promotion play offs.

5) Have fun. Enjoy the game, as it's only game.

1. play narrow if players are running through your defense

2. tight mark any strikers with good heading and off the ball

3. take advantage of corner bug! (gets me a goal every 4th game)

4. if players morale is superb or v. good leave them alone you'll only make it worse (use 'do it for supporters' in team talk & don't comment on performance)

5. never compliment a determined player they don't like it

6. watch first 5 minutes of each half on full if problem change if not let it run

7. always close most advanced left and right winger

8. scout scout scout scout scout ... bargains are a boys best friend

9. read TTF

10. ... play as crewe

Wow Seb...some good tips there mate. - I am a bit concerned about using the 'tight marking' and 'off the ball' combination though - If the striker is good technically and is able to pass my defenders, he might cause us a few problems if i have a slow defender tight marking him i read somewhere - and the same with closing down opp wingers if they have good pace...

Also, you never compliment a determined player? First i have heard of this ......interesting