You can predict this game like a book sometimes

I had to win my last Champions League game to go through but I predictably lost. And I almost always get a major injury before a vital game (mostly before a big Champions League game).

You've no chance of even getting a draw against the decent sides because the game doesn't give your team enough of the ball, thus rendering what you do in that tactic menu pointless. I'm rangers (glasgow) and I played Inter and I never had a single shot in at goal away from home because the game kept "blinking" to Inter all the time. I managed to score against Inter at home but then they just came up and equalized right away (Inter went on to win the game).

Is a lucky result possible against the goods team if you manage an average team?

Yes, perfectly possible. If it wasn't then it would be the same teams winning everything year after year and human managers wouldn't be able to break it.

Also, it's not a great ethos from SI is it? "Let's make the game impossible to beat, I'm sure people will love that and buy FM again next year"

Face it mate, at some point, it's your tactics.

I beat Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield in my second season with Celtic and narrowly lost 6-5 on aggreage to Real Madrid in my third season.

It's just that I always get hammered away from home and I feel powerless to do anything about it. It's as if the game's saying "They're so much better than you so they're gunna win no matter what you do, no matter what type of tactics you choose or player you buy, because you're Rangers and that's Inter.

just feels like that sometimes.

Yes, perfectly possible. If it wasn't then it would be the same teams winning everything year after year and human managers wouldn't be able to break it.

Also, it's not a great ethos from SI is it? "Let's make the game impossible to beat, I'm sure people will love that and buy FM again next year"

Face it mate, at some point, it's your tactics.

Not the old tactics argument again!! Tactics may or may not help but if you have a certain amount of good players, always the same good players you'll win hence this game does at times become pointless because unless you play the way it wants you to play or sign the players it wants you to have then you´ll nearly always lose. To prove this save prior to a game, play it, restart it, play it, restart it, etc and you'll realise you will win once in ten or twelve and almost always you'll lose by a goal to the same player in the same manner. and no Im not endorsing cheating, this is a way to prove just how flawed the ME is.

Well it's going to be a combination of: tactics / players / injuries and random chance

It's just that I always get hammered away from home and I feel powerless to do anything about it. It's as if the game's saying "They're so much better than you so they're gunna win no matter what you do, no matter what type of tactics you choose or player you buy, because you're Rangers and that's Inter.

just feels like that sometimes.

Argggggg, have you taken the time to go through all the useful threads, bubbaraytuna and ???wolf's team talks ones? The T&TF one, including downloading TT&F itself. There are also some good ones about touchline shouts, crouchaldinho's work I believe.

Investing time in these threads will help you understand whats going wrong and how to beat these teams. Good luck, I hope you can find the love in FM10.

I'm not here to moan or nothing. I just find it annoying how I feel powerless to keep the score respectable. The game won't let me buy players to help either... I go to buy an under 18 but even they (yeah even the under 18s) aways show no interest in joining Rangers.

Just have to put up with it and keep playing

Yes, perfectly possible. If it wasn't then it would be the same teams winning everything year after year and human managers wouldn't be able to break it.

Also, it's not a great ethos from SI is it? "Let's make the game impossible to beat, I'm sure people will love that and buy FM again next year"

Face it mate, at some point, it's your tactics.

Argggggg, have you taken the time to go through all the useful threads, bubbaraytuna and ???wolf's team talks ones? The T&TF one, including downloading TT&F itself. There are also some good ones about touchline shouts, crouchaldinho's work I believe.

Investing time in these threads will help you understand whats going wrong and how to beat these teams. Good luck, I hope you can find the love in FM10.

The problem is it shouldn't be about "following" a system. The game should be available to everyone's system. Not exclusive to a set pattern that has to be followed. It feels like some authoritarian regime whereby you must do this or you fail. Its not conducive to ppl liking the game. If someone puts a forward in goal, they lose but they shouldn't lose by the same score or in the same manner as someone who puts a useless goalkeeper in goal. This game has too many set patterns which are down to programming and having to follow set ideals makes it less appealing to the gamer. Saying this I love all the work done by ppl to improve things, they really do their best to make the most of the game and try to "crack" it but it should be about your gameplay and not a system.

I'm not here to moan or nothing. I just find it annoying how I feel powerless to keep the score respectable. The game won't let me buy players to help either... I go to buy an under 18 but even they (yeah even the under 18s) aways show no interest in joining Rangers.

Just have to put up with it and keep playing

I'll take that as a no shall I.

Honestly mate the tools are there to help if you want. To constantly moan (and you are moaning) about something that you can change is just breeding negativity within you. Spend more time reading the threads I mentioned and less complaining about the broken this, that and the other and you just might find some joy in this game.

Without a doubt it is probably the most challenging FM yet, but for me that just makes it more rewarding.

I'll take that as a no shall I.

Honestly mate the tools are there to help if you want. To constantly moan (and you are moaning) about something that you can change is just breeding negativity within you. Spend more time reading the threads I mentioned and less complaining about the broken this, that and the other and you just might find some joy in this game.

Without a doubt it is probably the most challenging FM yet, but for me that just makes it more rewarding.

I don't like getting "hints" from other people. I'm gunna keep playing no matter what, with my own ideas.

I don't like getting "hints" from other people. I'm gunna keep playing no matter what, with my own ideas.

None of those threads, tell you 'how' to play the game, just explain what certain things mean and how to use them to your advantage. I don't understand your refusing help that is offered and available to all. You think Ferguson, Wenger et al never talk about their issues and problems with their peers? I'm sure they do, as does anyone in any walk of life.

If that is your attitude though, I don't think I can help you nor do I think you will solve the issues that you are having which probably means there will be more angst and moaning from argggggggg in the near future. Which is a shame.

I don't like getting "hints" from other people. I'm gunna keep playing no matter what, with my own ideas.

They don't tell you what to do, they aren't like walk-through guides.

What they can tell you is how setting something can have a knock on somewhere else, or how they can compliment each other etc etc.

Team Talks are just as important, if not moreso than tactics. There's an excellent guide on here that I've used and I never look back.

It's as if the game's saying "They're so much better than you so they're gunna win no matter what you do, no matter what type of tactics you choose or player you buy, because you're Rangers and that's Inter.

Didn't someone set his teams reputation to 10,000 and won most of the games and then set it to 0 and lost most of the games with the same players? Can't find the thread. Anyone?

I know what you mean arggggggg. I sometimes get frustrated when my team barely get a touch against one of the bigger sides. Sometimes you just have to admit that if your opponents play to their full potential, they're almost certain to win. There are things you can do though.

Playing as CSKA Moscow recently I was getting trounced by Man United in the Champions League. They were one up at half time and the possession stat was something like 60-40 in their favour. So I pulled off one of my strikers at half-time and replaced him with another ball-winning midfielder to try and stifle their midfield, set the touchline shouts 'hassle opponents' and 'get stuck in', and completely dominated the second half, eventually winning 2-1.

Have a think about the ways you can stop your opponent playing to their strengths when your team's struggling. It won't always work, but it gives you a chance.

I know what you mean arggggggg. I sometimes get frustrated when my team barely get a touch against one of the bigger sides. Sometimes you just have to admit that if your opponents play to their full potential, they're almost certain to win. There are things you can do though.

Playing as CSKA Moscow recently I was getting trounced by Man United in the Champions League. They were one up at half time and the possession stat was something like 60-40 in their favour. So I pulled off one of my strikers at half-time and replaced him with another ball-winning midfielder to try and stifle their midfield, set the touchline shouts 'hassle opponents' and 'get stuck in', and completely dominated the second half, eventually winning 2-1.

Have a think about the ways you can stop your opponent playing to their strengths when your team's struggling. It won't always work, but it gives you a chance.

Shhhh, don't tell him that, he doesn't like learning!

I only noticed into FM09 a special game behaviour ...let's say a crazy game behaviour when I played against my fierce rivals......matches ended with results like 8-6 , 5-5 etc.... with no penalities......

I am still unsure about FM10