FM database used by real-life managers?

Is it possible that real-life managers use the database as a scouting tool? Obvisually not the big, rich clubs but smaller, poorer clubs.

If a club came asking SI would they provide the database with some kind of reader that clubs could use to get some idea of the kind of the type of players they might like eg dial in an 18yo striker then get the list, narrow it down further in someway then send out scouts to have a look?

I know it was sort of done with Ronnie Bull a couple of years ago, albeit by the managers son, but all the same

never heard of it but it would make quite a story on this forum i think

well a lot of wrok is put in to make the database very accurate, so why not, they would b silly not to. if they wanted someone who was say really quick to play down the left do a little search, it would be a lot more cost effective then send out a scout for a couple of weeks.

Ionikos ( currently in Greek B division) has a reputation of buying players using fmscout.

Players with strange names , from strange clubs none ever read about and strange countries ( like Andora *not that i have anything against Andorans but how possible is one of their non national team players to end up on the other side of the continent ?) appear every year in their roster.

Back in the 90's Ionikos used to buy 10-12 new players and at the end of the season 90% of them were released so they could buy new ones.

At the end of the day, alot of work goes into the scouting/research aspect of this game.

I don't see a reason why professional teams would not take some of the information on board

I would imagine they would use the database to form initial ideas, but wouldn't use it as a deciding factor, they'd send 'real' scouts out.

There's been rumours about this for years now. As a Rangers fan I like to think that when Walter was manager of Everton he used CM to scout because he bought Bakayoko, who was immense on CM97/98 but was absolute pap IRL.

Dennis Wise is currently exclusivly using FM to scout for Newcastle players.

Look at all of Sven's signings for Man City on FM07 they all turn out good, especially Corluka.

its true managers/ back room staff do use FM an how many times have they been wrong?

As BBC said on the Final Day of the transfer window: If they are good on FM, thats all you to know!

MG perdsen on CM 03/04

others i found that i cant remember! lol

i wonder how long it is until Stancu is in the Premier League

I think Rafa Benitez said in an interview he found Lucas via FM. Or one of his backroom did.

I can't believe that Premiership clubs would even entertain the idea.

However, I bet lower league clubs definitely use it.

I heard a rumour that went a little something like this: When terry Venables was drafted in to help Brian Robson out at 'Boro, Terry bought Brian a copy of Championship Manager, and convinced him that it was a new FA tool for buying, scouting and training squad players. So, whilst Terry actually ran the team, Bryan played on championship Manager. Terry still insisted that Brian run every transfer decision past him. here's just one example:

Brian: (monotone) Hi Tel, I found a player.

Terry: Ah, well done Brian, let's have a look

brian: (spins monitor) He's called To Madeira

Terry: Come on Brian, I said we've got no more to spend, can we get him on lone.

Brian: no don't worry Terry, I figured out that if we offered a million then dropped it to £0, they'll accept it.

Terry: Well done Brian, keep up the good work.

brian: Can I see Maxim Tsigalko yet

terry: I told you Bri, he hasn't arrived yet

Brian: What about Kim kallstrom?

Terry: Not yet - you can see Colin Cooper if you want

Brian: Oh, ok then. you will let me see my signings when they come though won't you

Real-life managers source players through their scouts, so I doubt they'd ever turn to FM. However, I've heard of rumours of scouts dipping into FM or gaining access to research done by FM researchers.

How true it is, I'm not sure. What I will say is that we shouldn't get carried away. FM remains a game and it's unlikely that real-life scouts would use it widely or regularly. I'd love to be wrong on that, though.

I find it hard to believe anyone in the world of football would use the FM database in a big way, it'd be ridiculous to go "right.. we need a strong, quick striker" and use the search and filter on FM to find him. it could be completely inaccurate. Lower League and semi-pro teams might use it to identify players and then send someone to look at them and make an informed decision, but the idea of basing a transfer on FM stats is ludicrous.

Personally, i think it would be very useful for any team to use. You could, as in the game, send a scout off to a country on the off-chance that they uncover a gem. this could be a lengthy and fruitless task. however, you could use the database as a starting point, looking for the highly rated players on the game and having a look e.g. Lulinha, breno. it is worth taking a look. If they're rubbish, then forget it. But i wouldn't dismiss it off-hand. If you think about it, how did SI get the info, guess? Or did they approach the clubs for info?

Originally posted by backpackant:

I think Rafa Benitez said in an interview he found Lucas via FM. Or one of his backroom did.

Really, Have you got a link?

Not sure it would make sense for a Premier League manager to stake his reputation on a management sim, no matter how diligent the researchers.

[Quick word to all you researchers: thanks for your diligence, not meaning to belittle your work!!]

Signing youth players in particular is only ever going to be a lottery, as too many things depend on whether a promising youngster turns into a wonderkid.

For established players, there are professional resources available, including more stats than you can shake a FM08 disk at (e.g. Opta Sportsdata).

Its got to happen.

Mauro Zarate - unheard of until 08, then joined Birmingham

Ever Banega - same, now joined Valencia (ALOT of money as well!)

Breno - same, joined Bayern Munich (Again, ALOT of money)

Hugo Lloris - Sky Sports News says that he has joined Lyon. I hadnt heard of him until 08.

Im sure a lot of managers use FM, to at least get a decent idea of players.

If Matias Fernandez is bought to the EPL this season I reckon it is confirmed.

Originally posted by arsenal_2111:

Its got to happen.

Mauro Zarate - unheard of until 08, then joined Birmingham

Ever Banega - same, now joined Valencia (ALOT of money as well!)

Breno - same, joined Bayern Munich (Again, ALOT of money)

Hugo Lloris - Sky Sports News says that he has joined Lyon. I hadnt heard of him until 08.

Im sure a lot of managers use FM, to at least get a decent idea of players.

If Matias Fernandez is bought to the EPL this season I reckon it is confirmed.

Whilst I dont doubt some managers etc have used it you must be joking. Someone must have heard of Zarate for him to haeve made the move from Argentina to the Middle East. Banega and Breno where both u21 internationals, and Lyon buying a highly rated French youngster in no way points to FM that I can see.

Originally posted by arsenal_2111:

Its got to happen.

Mauro Zarate - unheard of until 08, then joined Birmingham

Ever Banega - same, now joined Valencia (ALOT of money as well!)

Breno - same, joined Bayern Munich (Again, ALOT of money)

Hugo Lloris - Sky Sports News says that he has joined Lyon. I hadnt heard of him until 08.

Im sure a lot of managers use FM, to at least get a decent idea of players.

If Matias Fernandez is bought to the EPL this season I reckon it is confirmed.

if you hadnt heared of those players then maybe you should take a closer look at world football. if zarate was unheared of before b'ham how did the club they loaned him from in the middle east have to fork out £11m for him?

Will real managers use FM to scout potential buys? Only if they want to lose their jobs and any kind of credibility in the football world.

What a scandal - front page material for the Sun.

Originally posted by backpackant:

I think Rafa Benitez said in an interview he found Lucas via FM. Or one of his backroom did.

Where did you hear that?

Originally posted by veston pants:

Will real managers use FM to scout potential buys? Only if they want to lose their jobs and any kind of credibility in the football world.

Only if they stake their reputation on the findings of FMs stats alone, without looking at the player! It could be used as a guide. I'd be interested to know how the researchers go about collating data. Could someone from SI confirm the process or is this sensitive info?

Originally posted by Burscoughnian:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by backpackant:

I think Rafa Benitez said in an interview he found Lucas via FM. Or one of his backroom did.

Where did you hear that? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Err, on this forum last year. Not the best of sources, but they posted a link to a footie site. Might have been someone else - Miles mentioned Mourinho.

But when Sven signed Elano, Bojinov and Corluka, my firt thought was, "Who's next? Eddie Johnson?"

ive seen this subject brought up loads of times. I remember SI admitting, back in the early 2000's they had sold the database to several football contacts from premiership teams who they weren't at liberty to divulge the identities of. This of course may have just been talk to boost claims of realism for their game though.

I also remember a story running a few years back in a national newspaper how a lower league team signed a player (who turned out to be one of the teams star players of the season), after the managers son recommended him from Championship Manager.

Apparently the manager happened to mention his difficulty in trying to sign a right back for the club when his son mentioned that this player was available on a free transfer, which he was IRL too.

As the basics for identifying players to have a closer look at Football Manager's database is obviously a great tool for club scouts. I doubt they take too much interest in the actual stats within the game, but as means of picking potential players to watch its a great tool.

Have any of the researchers ever applied to be a football scout by putting Football Manager research in their CV?

onikos ( currently in Greek B division) has a reputation of buying players using fmscout.

Craig Brewster used to play for them didn't he?

I think one difficulty with using the FM database for real life transfers is that attributes and abilities tend to be biased, especially in the Premier League. It's just a feature of fans becoming involved when researching their teams.

As an example, I'd love to find out what Nemanja Vidic's CA/PA and attributes are in FM08 compared to a version before he joined ManU, say FM05, when he was at Spartak Moscow.

If there was some kind of CA/PA jump, it would suggest that Premier League players, especially those at top teams, get a bonus just for being signed to those clubs.

Originally posted by jedclough:

Brian: (monotone) Hi Tel, I found a player.

Terry: Ah, well done Brian, let's have a look

brian: (spins monitor) He's called To Madeira

Terry: Come on Brian, I said we've got no more to spend, can we get him on lone.

Would have been fun if a club tried to sign that fella, wasn't he a researcher who put himself in the game for a giggle?

For some reason, I was under the impression that one of the management games or people who researched for one of the management games had some hands in the player stats for the last three versions of PES, but I'm equally aware that I may have simply picked up on an urban legend.

quote:

onikos ( currently in Greek B division) has a reputation of buying players using fmscout.

Craig Brewster used to play for them didn't he?

He did indeed.

if i was a manager and wanted to bring in some talented youth for the future without having anyone in particular in mind, fm would be the perfect place to find a list of "hidden gems" how i could then get scouted by real people, maybe watch him play a few times and then make the final decision on whether fm got it right.

having said that, the rafa benitez rumour is surely bogus; rafa needed fm to tell him about the u21 captain of brazil???

Firstly I would like to say a big THANK YOU to sports Interactive, for their accuracy on young talents. I remember Fabregas on 01/02 well you only have to see how good he really is now, there is a lot of ther players as well.

In terms of managers using FM scout I think even top managers use it as well, one for e.g. Sven Goran Erikkson and Arsene Wenger.

Being a liverpool fan I dont think our scouting network is all that great compare to arsenals.

Originally posted by dilz786:

In terms of managers using FM scout I think even top managers use it as well, one for e.g. Sven Goran Erikkson and Arsene Wenger.

Really? Where did you hear that?

Would love to see some evidence.

I know one for sure.

Sam Allardyce's son told him to sign Jay Jay Okocha, purely from his stats on one of the old Championship Manager games.

That came true.

I reckon FM scouting is commonplace nowadays, but scouts are paid to go travel and see matches so they would still go look at them for real.

i'm actually arsene wenger and i think football manager is great!

Haha awesome thread.

BBC: So how did you get such a strong squad together?

Jose Mourinho: I played Football Manager.

Originally posted by backpackant:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Burscoughnian:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by backpackant:

I think Rafa Benitez said in an interview he found Lucas via FM. Or one of his backroom did.

Where did you hear that? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Err, on this forum last year. Not the best of sources, but they posted a link to a footie site. Might have been someone else - Miles mentioned Mourinho.

But when Sven signed Elano, Bojinov and Corluka, my firt thought was, "Who's next? Eddie Johnson?" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I doubt this very much, Lucas was gaining a reputation with his previous club Gremio (who are a major club in Brazil) before he joined Liverpool.

Originally posted by ShearersTino:

Dennis Wise is currently exclusivly using FM to scout for Newcastle players.

that's why he works in London then?

Originally posted by HHUK:

I know one for sure.

Sam Allardyce's son told him to sign Jay Jay Okocha, purely from his stats on one of the old Championship Manager games.

That came true.

I've found it hard to believe that Allarduce wouldn't know Okocha was a fb player already. He was well known for many years before he played in here

Well I know for a fact that trappatoni i think it was might not have been scouted all england's young players like alan smith and joe cole using cm when they were playing a friendly few years back because he never heard of an of them think it was costcurta that was playing on his laptop and told him to look but this defo happened.

Originally posted by Colorado:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by backpackant:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Burscoughnian:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by backpackant:

I think Rafa Benitez said in an interview he found Lucas via FM. Or one of his backroom did.

Where did you hear that? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Err, on this forum last year. Not the best of sources, but they posted a link to a footie site. Might have been someone else - Miles mentioned Mourinho.

But when Sven signed Elano, Bojinov and Corluka, my firt thought was, "Who's next? Eddie Johnson?" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I doubt this very much, Lucas was gaining a reputation with his previous club Gremio (who are a major club in Brazil) before he joined Liverpool. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

lol what a joke...

lucas was brazilian player of the year or whatever that award is (the one ronaldinho etc used to hold).

skrtel was a bit more under the radar but he was a leading defender for zenit and also was slovakian footballer of the year in 2007.

I would hardly call either of those two players unknown players who were good on fm..

my mistake

lucas won the Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball) which is the player of the year in the brazilian league won in the past by people such as kaka, robinho, tevez etc