So fed up!

This happens every time I join a club. Always do amazingly well for the first season. Second season comes along and inexplicably half my team lose their confidence in my ability, or have some other ludicrous concern - with everton it was that we wern't topping the table :/ - in the following season my team always falls apart as a result.

I do **** in the first season, excuse my foul language. I then do brilliant in the second season or I just win all the seasons..

Could it be that the AI teams have got used to your tactics the 2nd season and know how to counteract them? Do you mix your tactics up or do you stick with the same one that gave you success in the 1st season?

Strange, my experience has usually been that my first season at a club is a complete write-off and I only really start to do well after that (or later even).

Well, maybe but the decline always begins with the players losing confidence in me. This season with Betis, after a 100% record in pre-season 4 of my starting 11 had lost confidence in me. They started dragging the team down so I dont play them but 2 of them were key!

Can the AI counter my tactics without changing formation? I play a 4-1-0-4-1, so I dont see how they can counter my tactics without changing formation??

I'd say that is proof that different styles of press conferences/team talks etc do have some effects. Might be worth mixing it up.

I am the other way. I sometimes struggle to survive the first season as a rule but then am normally off and running. Have never had players lose confidence in me at any point in any save on FM10. That doesn't mean i think my way of doing it is right at all (I suspect it isn't) but if yours is the opposite to mine it might be worth finding a happy medium-i answer any press question in a confidence increasing way and stick with 'for the fans' or 'none' for starting and half time talks and well done if they have won. If nothing else it seems to keep them happy. Would be interested in what you are saying to compare for my improvement.

Well, maybe but the decline always begins with the players losing confidence in me. This season with Betis, after a 100% record in pre-season 4 of my starting 11 had lost confidence in me. They started dragging the team down so I dont play them but 2 of them were key!

Can the AI counter my tactics without changing formation? I play a 4-1-0-4-1, so I dont see how they can counter my tactics without changing formation??

There is more to the Ai countering your tactics than just the formation they play! Do you chnage things about in your games and taylor them to the opposition you're playing or just keep the same tactic all the time?

I tend to play the same tactics, I only really change formations when I come up against far better teams in the cup. We're predicted to be promoted in the league so most teams are inferior to mine and don't need much changes.

Its the 3 S words Ask Hull and many other premier league teams.

Second Season Syndrome

XD

Seems like you have made a series of poor team talks, press conferences over a period of time and lost the trust of your players or you might have made some promises you could not keep (saying you could win the league, or win matches you ended up losing etc) and/or just doing poorly in the second season mainly because as you said yourself, your players dislike you. Self explanatory really.

The game is very touchy with team talks etc. You need to plan your matches a week before hand, bad mouth some of the opposing players, use mind games, always (and I mean ALWAYS) praise your players after every game, even if you lose away.

Your players will gain your respect when you have the balls to pinpoint weaknesses in other peoples side, when you praise them after results and see positives out of negative situations. Also when you do praise a player, make sure they really deserve it, even when being constructively negative.

Seems like you have made a series of poor team talks, press conferences over a period of time and lost the trust of your players or you might have made some promises you could not keep (saying you could win the league, or win matches you ended up losing etc) and/or just doing poorly in the second season mainly because as you said yourself, your players dislike you. Self explanatory really.

The game is very touchy with team talks etc. You need to plan your matches a week before hand, bad mouth some of the opposing players, use mind games, always (and I mean ALWAYS) praise your players after every game, even if you lose away.

Your players will gain your respect when you have the balls to pinpoint weaknesses in other peoples side, when you praise them after results and see positives out of negative situations. Also when you do praise a player, make sure they really deserve it, even when being constructively negative.

This is the best post on here Listen to this guy!

However, I do disagree with one thing, if players have a bad game, DON'T praise them!

I very, very rarely criticise players either in team talks or press conferences, so stay away from criticising them.

But, if they have a poor game, either set their team talk to 'None' or 'Sympathise'.

Don't praise unnecessarily, but don't criticise ever - or very rarely - this is the way I always go, and without blowing my own trumpet, I am very good at FM!

I very rarely have bad seasons with any team, and as press conferences and team talks are very important in FM, I think part of my success is getting these correct.

Also it helps that I'm a tactical genius But that is for a different thread

I think I slightly worded my post incorrectly. With regards to praising after a defeat, this is what I meant : If they play bad, do not say bad things about them, and do not show anger or any extreeme dissapointment and make sure you ALWAYS do this even if you lose 10-0. As the above guy said, sympathise or none is way better than anger.

This is the best post on here Listen to this guy!

However, I do disagree with one thing, if players have a bad game, DON'T praise them!

I very, very rarely criticise players either in team talks or press conferences, so stay away from criticising them.

But, if they have a poor game, either set their team talk to 'None' or 'Sympathise'.

Don't praise unnecessarily, but don't criticise ever - or very rarely - this is the way I always go, and without blowing my own trumpet, I am very good at FM!

I very rarely have bad seasons with any team, and as press conferences and team talks are very important in FM, I think part of my success is getting these correct.

Also it helps that I'm a tactical genius But that is for a different thread

Don't agree with all of this. I've won everything a shed load of times with Spurs for 23 seasons now, easily the most successful manager ever in the Hall of Fame. I ALWAYS criticise my team when they underperform because I have the players with the best possible mentality- ALWAYS praise after a win but don't be afraid to tell the players when they have played poorly. It really motivates a determined and ambitious squad. It depends massively on squad personality tho.

I do **** in the first season, excuse my foul language. I then do brilliant in the second season or I just win all the seasons..

Please dont apologise for your foul language after using it.- just dont use it- thanks.

This is the best post on here Listen to this guy!

However, I do disagree with one thing, if players have a bad game, DON'T praise them!

I very, very rarely criticise players either in team talks or press conferences, so stay away from criticising them.

But, if they have a poor game, either set their team talk to 'None' or 'Sympathise'.

Don't praise unnecessarily, but don't criticise ever - or very rarely - this is the way I always go, and without blowing my own trumpet, I am very good at FM!

I very rarely have bad seasons with any team, and as press conferences and team talks are very important in FM, I think part of my success is getting these correct.

Also it helps that I'm a tactical genius But that is for a different thread

Your advice probably works for your team, but it will differ depending on the types of players that are in your team and their personalities. I don't believe there are any hard and fast rules with this you just have to see what works.

But you do have to tinker with tactics here and there. Even if your playing inferior teams they will learn your ways and if you leave it exactly the same every game they will learn how to play agaisnt you. This is proven by your giood start and then slump.