Match Engine; FM2010

Expectations were high about new ME and Tactics Creator with so many people involved in this year's testing. We were promised to get the best out of box version in long time with features being polished as main objective in FM10.

I'm impressed with Tactics Creator, well done to all of them involved in making it. But what about new ME? What do you think about things happening on the pitch, like player movement and positioning, marking, passing, shooting, 1on1's, crossing, dribbling, cuting in...? How do tactical instructions translate into play, are different roles and duties represented well on ME...?

Just played 2 games at the moment and I'm really not in a position to give my detailed impressions yet. But the thing I was carefully watching were Wide Play instructions, which seemed like there's not much difference having it set to Hug line (one winger) and Cut Inside (the other one). It might easily be that players need time to adapt to your system and to gel as a team...

I think it's great. Very pleased. I've had a lot of my players make terrible shots directly at the keeper, though. Then again, that happens a lot in real matches too, so no real gripe there!

there's a huge difference between a winger and an inside forward in my experience thus far

Yeah, I've been toying with Winger (Support/Attack) and Inside Forward (Support/Attack) with varying results.

Certainly IF is very good for the likes of Kuyt and Babel as they can both play as strikers, Riera on the other hand suits winger much better.

there's a huge difference between a winger and an inside forward in my experience thus far

but you can't set a ML/R as inside forward via role. you can only replicate it's instruction.

I forgot to mention that I set my ML as a Wide Midfielder with Support dutie, with Roaming around and lots of CF and as my Playmaker. Plus I changed his Crossing to rarely. he sticked to his position just like my MR which I set more like traditional winger with Hug the line instruction...hardly any difference in their movement. But as I said maybe they just need time to settle to my tactics.

I haven't tested things like that yet, but it made a perceptible difference when I applied changes of overall mentality and certain touchline shouts. Overload and shoot on sight led to Tevez scoring 6 second-half goals (pre-season friendly)! And it seemed easier to tighten up too.

Also, I was changing Barry's CM role and it was obvious when he was a d-lying playmaker and when he was b-2-b or attacking role central midfielder instead.

I must say that the new engine has made it much easier to control the way your team plays.

On my FM09 game at Barce I had Yaya Toure as my DM and no matter what I tried he was always pushing forwards, which was great cos he was scoring 15 goals a season but often left my back 4 exposed.

Now he stays where I want and it makes the game much more enjoyable.