Real Football Managers using FM

This topic comes up once in a while, but is always interesting.

I'll copy and paste an item from today's Guardian online:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/16/manchester-united-rosenborg

"According to this Times article from 2006, Football Manager has apparently been utilised by a few clubs. "We started getting phone calls from scouts," said Miles Jacobson, the managing director of Sports Interactive, the game's developers. "Someone Ray [Houghton, the former Ireland midfield player, an adviser on the game] worked with called us up and said, 'We've been called by a club in division one, they need a left back, we can't come up with any and we thought you might know about some kids.' He sent a fax with some details; 20 minutes later, having done a database search, I sent him a list of 30 players and three weeks later I saw in the paper that one of those had signed for the club. We did that!"And according to Jacobson, Peter Taylor's sole England squad for the November 2000 friendly with Italy so flummoxed opposing coach Giovanni Trapattoni, that he needed extra unusual help. "There was Trapattoni on the coach looking at the England squad, going, 'I've never heard of any of these players,'" said Jacobson. "So Demetri Albertini gets out his laptop, boots up the game and starts going through the players to show Trapattoni what they were like."

Is it true, Miles? Is it true?

Miles wouldn't say it if it wasn't so

Miles wouldn't say it if it wasn't so

It was a rhetorical question, wasn't it?

I don't know, was it?

Ionikos FC ( Greek 2nd division club) uses FM's data base , they always bring like 10 foreign players every year all of them from the strangest possible countries and clubs.

don't everton use it too?

don't everton use it too?

I think they're using the CM database.

That would explain their current league position

Chelsea have used the FM database before, at a time when Jose Mourinho was there iirc. Jose said himself a couple of signings came from the FM db I believe

don't everton use it too?

no, they use fm, because in a magazine here in italy (eurocalcio) the director interviewed Miles, and he says about the deal with Everton

Thats crazy! Cool, but crazy. Mind you, to the clubs, it must just be like having free scouts. SI send out thier researchers and log it in the database, XXX FC pick up a copy for 20 quid and they can pick up some leads through Football Manager...

Interestingly I was thinking about this earlier. I'm surprised more managers don't do it, or at least employ someone part time to check out details of players who are highly rated in the database. Obviously the database isn't perfect, but the sheer number of researchers there are for clubs and leagues suggest the data is, to an extent, reliable. In The Guardian today:

"If Newcastle's ascent to the summit is down to a combination of class and coaching, Ipswich's woeful, winless start to the season raises questions about Roy Keane's ability to manage without much money. By his standards Keane hasn't spent a great deal at Ipswich, and his decision to concentrate on signing ex-Sunderland players suggests his Suffolk scouting network may not be too hot. Back at the Stadium of Light he always bought his way out of trouble, with an array of incomers – usually ex-Ireland or Manchester United – arriving with each transfer window."

Keane is terrible for this, he would surely benefit from expanding his horizons a bit and the FM database may be the way to go!

no, they use fm, because in a magazine here in italy (eurocalcio) the director interviewed Miles, and he says about the deal with Everton

Yes, they paid a bunch of money to SI, so it can't be the regular one we all have. I'd love Miles to clarify that one, but it's probably classified!

Everton signed a player from the 4th tier of the American soccer leagues. I very much doubt they just happened to notice him themselves.

Everton signed a player from the 4th tier of the American soccer leagues. I very much doubt they just happened to notice him themselves.

Two actually, Cody Arnoux and Anton Pederlin. Neither of which are in the FM09 database. Cody Arnoux said he had a family friend with a connection to Everton and they had kept tabs on him for a while. Anton Pederlin was found by one of Everton's staff who was in California.

Better blue you, la.

You'd think Veloso would be signed by a bigger club then, right?

Interestingly I was thinking about this earlier. I'm surprised more managers don't do it, or at least employ someone part time to check out details of players who are highly rated in the database. Obviously the database isn't perfect, but the sheer number of researchers there are for clubs and leagues suggest the data is, to an extent, reliable. In The Guardian today:

"If Newcastle's ascent to the summit is down to a combination of class and coaching, Ipswich's woeful, winless start to the season raises questions about Roy Keane's ability to manage without much money. By his standards Keane hasn't spent a great deal at Ipswich, and his decision to concentrate on signing ex-Sunderland players suggests his Suffolk scouting network may not be too hot. Back at the Stadium of Light he always bought his way out of trouble, with an array of incomers – usually ex-Ireland or Manchester United – arriving with each transfer window."

Keane is terrible for this, he would surely benefit from expanding his horizons a bit and the FM database may be the way to go!

I would love to do that job, just looking for players through FM and getting paid for it:thup:

I think we all know Sven had one eye on the FM database when he was building his squad at Man City

Slightly off topic but I used to write a blog following one particular club and I was getting approached by agents and representatives.

I don't think it's that suprising that these types of people are approaching SI. Their just going to someone who is a good source of information regardless of their role.

I've often thought about Managers using Fm , Kerrison to Barca ?, Tosic and the other lad to Man Utd, Banega to At. Madrid, Fellaini to Everton, Christian Benitez ( Chucho ) to Birmingham, and more i can't think of right now

I'm sorry, but if Dalla Valle's move to Liverpool wasn't brought about by FM then I'll eat my sock puppet.

I'm sorry, but if Dalla Valle's move to Liverpool wasn't brought about by FM then I'll eat my sock puppet.

Well, bon appetit!:

from his website:

Dalla Valle has been chosen as the best player of Finnish Nike Premier 2005 and Pohjola Cup 2006. Urheilulehti appraised Dalla Valle as the most promising 1991 born Finnish player and ultimately one of the most talented Finnish players of all time in its issue released in November 2006.

Several clubs were interested in Dalla Valle and Liverpool invited him to a test camp in autumn 2006. In October 2007 Chelsea offerred Dalla Valle a 3.5 year contract with a million pound signing bonus. Furthermore they promised to double any offer by Liverpool. Nevertheless, in November 2007 Dalla Valle announced that he had chosen Liverpool as his new team. The parties signed a contract extending until 2011.

This is not the first time Dalla Valle is playing abroad. Earlier he spent about three months in Italy, playing in Inter, but he returned back to Finland to play in Joensuun Jippo.

The guy has had his place in the spotlight before he got signed by Liverpool

You really don't need the FM database to know (back in 2006, I mean) this is a great player.

I think you lot grossly underestimate the extent and the capabilities of professional club scouting. Youth camps and tournaments are scouted extensively, and clubs have all sorts of sources helping them from all around the world

I've had some limited experience in working with professional scouts, albeit in another sport, and I can tell you that it's not so far-fetched that clubs discover obscure talent in unexpected places. Word travels quickly, even among the scouts themselves, who are a bit of a fraternity at times. They network with youth coaches, media, and people all around the world to get information. And with the Internet, agents, and the ability to obtain stats, video, and media snippets so readily, it's made scouting a fully global enterprise, even for small clubs.

Certainly FM provides an interesting option, but it's just one of many outlets available that have transformed the way that players in all sports are scouted, evaluated, and signed. Fans are always among the last people to know about a budding young talent. Scouts are more informed now than ever before.

Yeah, if people used the FM database you'd think Sporting Lisbon would get raided a lot more often.

In my opinion realistically FM should be used only as a guideline for scouts. Basically they play the game see a good prospect then go and have a look at him for around 3-4 months before making any decisions on signing him or not.

Everton are giving a trial to Colo Colo's 18-year-old Chilean striker Nicolas Millan, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Full story: Daily Mail

Haha, proof that Everton are using it!

I doubt any club uses FM to sign players. The only time i've ever heard this mentioned is during publicity for a new game..

I think its very easy to confuse players being good on FM because they are good and reputable in real life, and players being good on FM and being a hidden secret to those who play the game. Its worth bearing in mind that any team signing a player will scout a player on numerous occassions before making a decision. Graeme Souness aside of course. Im confident there are many more whispers in the football world, not to mention the obvious insights scouts etc will gain from spending multiple years tracking clubs and players around europe - the best players will always be noticed no matter what, and FM wont make a difference to that, good stats or indeed otherwise.

Im quite sure that Inter Milan have searched the CM db before buying players like Lampros Choutos. Fantastic in CM 01/02 i think, but awful irl :-D

Im quite sure that Inter Milan have searched the CM db before buying players like Lampros Choutos. Fantastic in CM 01/02 i think, but awful irl :-D

before to play inter, he played in roma

Its worth bearing in mind that any team signing a player will scout a player on numerous occassions before making a decision. Graeme Souness aside of course.

I don't think clubs are going and faxing offers to teams straight away based on FM's database. But as a research tool as something to pick out *potential* talent in far flung regions where your scouts aren't quite that good it would obviously have its benefits.

I could easily believe that Man Utd or Everton were alerted to Tosic and Millan respectively via an FM search and then took further action to see how good they really were based on this.

Its worth bearing in mind that any team signing a player will scout a player on numerous occassions before making a decision. Graeme Souness aside of course.

I'd say even he's a bit more sensible now, when he started punditing for RTE he spoke 100% drivel. Thanks to the help Chippy Brady Eamo Dunphy and Johnny Gilesy he has improved immesurabely, he now only speaks it 90% of the time.

Im quite sure that Inter Milan have searched the CM db before buying players like Lampros Choutos. Fantastic in CM 01/02 i think, but awful irl :-D

There is a story which typified Inter until recently, when Kallon was out on loan from them at either Genoa or Calgiari (he was at both) he scored tow in a Seria A game against Inter. After the game one of the directors said "we should buy that Kallon guy he made a fool of us" or words to that effect, whereupon the then manager sais "we already own him, he's out on loan". I don't know if its true or not, and from what I read of the story the director knew his football, but is a good one none the less.

Rumour has it that Boro signed Juninho on a tip off after a fan had signed him first on FM (or whatever it was those days) .. Signed him, sent a letter off, club scouts got involved, had a look, he got in the Brazil squad, Boro swooped.

So the urban myth goes, anyway ..

Gordon Strachan's son used to use it, but Strachan could never afford the players he suggested...

I don't think clubs are going and faxing offers to teams straight away based on FM's database. But as a research tool as something to pick out *potential* talent in far flung regions where your scouts aren't quite that good it would obviously have its benefits.

I could easily believe that Man Utd or Everton were alerted to Tosic and Millan respectively via an FM search and then took further action to see how good they really were based on this.

I wouldnt expect any club to go straight and buy any player. Perhaps im just slightly cynical.