Why do I suck? Formation, Discipline or Language?

So I am new to the game and new to soccer. The extend of my knowledge is that if my team kicks the ball into the other teams net more than they into ours we win.

Somehow last season as Arsenal I won a bunch of games and ended up second in the premier league.

In the off-season I sold 4-5 players and brought in 4-5 better ones (my definition of better is my ast manager tells me they players I bought have more stars - in most cases I went from 2.5 star guys to 3.5 or 4 star guys)

Now mid way through my second season I am in 9th place and about to get fired.

a few things to consider:

* I started out incredibly hot winning my first 10 games, many by 3 or 4 goals.

* Since then I am a mess. getting crushed by the good teams and either drawing or barely squeaking out wins against the bad teams.

* I have also received word that my players are upset with my lack of discipline (although I just read this morning about warnings of being carded, so I need to work on that)

* Previously I had been playing a 4-4-2, but because of the players I acquired in order to get my best on the field I need to play a 3-5-2. The primary reason being I acquired a "world class" player in Danielle De Rossi that I thought I was going to play as Center Defender not realizing he was a Defensive Midfielder and not all knowing the difference other than it changes my formation.

* De Rossi and a couple of other players I acquired don't speak English and are struggling to fit in because of the language barrier.

So my question is do I suck now because:

* that is the way it goes - good one year, bad the next is the natural order of things?

* the 3-5-2 is not as good a formation as the 4-4-2

* the lack of discipline

* the language barrier is effecting my teams ability to play together

* the players I got are not really better, just better according to my scouts

* I am a know nothing Yankee b***** and should go back to America and leave the managing to the pros who know what they are doing?

* a combination of all of the above?

* the 3-5-2 is not as good a formation as the 4-4-2

* I am a know nothing Yankee b***** and should go back to America and leave the managing to the pros who know what they are doing?

* a combination of all of the above?

always stick to a winning formation no matter who your playin excepted champions leauge games

its always the yankee vault to be honest

the 2nd season always seems hard on FM

It must be the lack of discipline if all the rest worked for the first 10 games and you havent changed anything else since then. Keeping Motivation and moral high is important so anything that upsets the players might get them playing bad.

I hate it if I forget or don't notice that I need to discipline a player because it upsets the team for about 3 games.

I had a great player who couldnt be motivated to play while I was the manager and I lost almost every game I played with him in. I had to sell him because he moaned all season.

It must be the lack of discipline if all the rest worked for the first 10 games and you havent changed anything else since then. Keeping Motivation and moral high is important so anything that upsets the players might get them playing bad.

I hate it if I forget or don't notice that I need to discipline a player because it upsets the team for about 3 games.

I had a great player who couldnt be motivated to play while I was the manager and I lost almost every game I played with him in. I had to sell him because he moaned all season.

I am beginning to think that is what I might have to do with De Rossi - I bought him for an absurdly high amount (32M US and Aaron Ramsey)

since he has come

I realized I wanted him to play as Defense when he is actually a midfielder

he is always ****ed at me

he is struggling to fit in because of the language barrier

he has 9 yellow cards, 2 reds in 23 games and has been suspended by the league twice.

this might be a failed experiment. Considering this season is mostly lost I might try to assimilate him into the team for the remainder of the year and if that doesn't work - sell him off and purchase a more pure defender.

buying and fielding too many new players at once can disrupt your squad

the lack of discipline is disrupting your squad

foreign players need time to addapt, so dont expect them or demand much of them to start off with (especially if they dont speak the language)

are you getting exploited by the opposition wingers on your 3-5-2 formation? if so have a look at your playing philosophy, creative freedom settings and consider using your midfielders to man mark against opponents with strong wingers. the idea would be to stop leaking goals before shifting your focus to the attack.

i suggest playing de rossi as a DM, however

for future reference i suggest buying the best players which fit your chosen and comfortable formation/role rather than the best players full stop.

"a champion team is better than a team of champions"