Idea for FM11 - More manager customisation/ Become existing manager

For Football Manager 2011, I would like the option to take control of a manager already in the game database and to change the starting status of a manager you add. As it is right now, you always start off as a manager who has only playing experience, with only one club down as a favourite and no other favoured or disliked clubs, players or other staff.

What I would like is to be able to specify my playing career (clubs, appearances, substitute appearances, goals, transfer dates, transfer fees, international career, etc..). Then, I could add in details of favoured/disliked items and items that favour/dislike me, have the game decide based on my career or have it decide and then me customise it further.

There could also be an option to add in previous back-room experience, so I could have already had some time in management and be respected for this in the football world or as a non-manager, so if I was already a coach at my starting club, but didn't seem an obvious choice for manager, then the press could say that I probably got the job so the team could save money on bringing in an outsider, or I already know the team, etc.. Also, if you said you had managerial experience, then you could select your style of play, so if I was known for using attacking tactics, teams with a similar style of play would be more likely to approach me if I was unemployed, or my appointment at such a club from the start would be more justified.

The other option upon adding a new manager would be to take control of an existing manager, and inheriting his job and 'footballing personality'. For example, if I chose to be Sir Alex Ferguson, then I would be well respected at Manchester United by the players already, would have more leeway with the fans and board, and have many relationships with people/clubs in football.

Does this sound like a good idea to people? Any thoughts?

sorry mate, i don't like the idea, the game with the experiance is good as it is, why should we benefit form having past experiance when irl we have not?, that is what the game tries to simulate over a career. I would however like the option of listing more than one club as a favourite and also clubs that you do not like, i for one under no circumstances would ever (and i have been offered) take up the Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Dundee Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Leeds teams (yes I am an Aberdeen & man Utd fan).

I agree with putting a bit of background into a manager (i.e. playing career, more personalised stuff), but becoming an existing manager would defeat the object of the game for me - you already have a status as a manager, you don't need to build it up. Some may find this better, but it wouldn't be my cup of tea.

Well, you can already benefit from having playing experience which most of us don't have, you just can't specify the details. And if you don't want to use this, you don't, right now you have to say you are at least a Sunday league player even if you are not in real life. And you can lie about your gender, but I don't know if males get a higher reputation or anything like that.

I like it.

I'd like to be able to build a back-story for my manager, but it isn't essential as my imagination does that anyway.

I am, however, a subscriber to the belief that we should be able to play as assistant managers. I wouldn't mind losing control over every aspect of my club except for tactics and team selection because it would feel like a more realistic way to enter the game-world.

Rather than starting unemployed, as has been my wont before, I have recently taken to starting as the manager of the Under-19s side of small nations, which is an enjoyable way to enter the gameworld as a new manager, as I have (in my imagination) built myself a reputation my managing the younger lads of a nation. I'd love to be able to do this with a club side, as McClaren and Queiroz have previously done, and as I expect Solskjaer to do in the future.

i would also like to have a biography page for your manager!!

having more favoured players and teams is a good idea

I wouldn't want to take control of an existing manager. Wouldn't be for me.

But i would love it if i could put in some more info ,about myself. at the start of the game. Think it's not enough stuff like that at the moment

for the favourite players, there could be an option at the end of each season for you to add a favourite player from your squad?

i think you should be able to name more than 1 favoured club too because (for arguaments sake) if in real life your a liverpool fan, you put them as your favoured club but in the game you want to manage a lower team like rotherham and after a coouple of years there you should be able to add them as a favoured club, obviously for your managerial records

I wouldn't want to take control of an existing manager. Wouldn't be for me.

But i would love it if i could put in some more info ,about myself. at the start of the game. Think it's not enough stuff like that at the moment

What he said, exactly.

I wouldn't want to take control of an existing manager. Wouldn't be for me.

But i would love it if i could put in some more info ,about myself. at the start of the game. Think it's not enough stuff like that at the moment

What he said, exactly.

What they said, exactly.

I want to choose which languages I speak, which team(s) I support, which players/staff are my favourite and that sort of thing.

I think you might have some issues with data protection act with becoming a manager already in the game/real life.

cant really think of adding any more info at start of the game thats relative. training badges maybe but wouldent matter

It would definitely be good to be able to add details about past experience - atm it doesn't feel right to go in and manage a team based on the experience you had as a footballer, so this would change that.

I think both ideas are good, personally.

Becoming an existing manager could be interesting, and even though not everybody out there would be a fan of that, its a rather simple and potentially fun option.

I wouldn't use this, but I think it's a good idea.

While this doesn't really float my boat, I think there does need to be more manager customisation, but in different ways. I think that at the start of the game you could choose your hair colour, whether you wear a suit or tracksuit etc - but no more. Just so you have a figure on the touchline. It doesn't need to be gimicky, just so that you can see yourself on the touchline. After all, there are physios, linesmen substitutes - but no manager on the field? Isn't that the point of the game?

I think both ideas are good, personally.

Becoming an existing manager could be interesting, and even though not everybody out there would be a fan of that, its a rather simple and potentially fun option.

Although I'm not for adding this option, it would at least be funny to become Alex Ferguson and then start praising rival managers, commending the referees when they only add a minute or two on when you really needed a goal etc. Or become Wenger and right away start 'seeing things' that your own players have done, become Rafa and suddenly get adventurous etc etc.

The space-time continuum would most likely implode, or collapse in on itself though.

What i would like to see in the game is 2 things, 1 is place of birth, like the players have, i think it might make players and coaches settle quicker if they from same town as yourself. 2, have the option throughout the game to add someone to favoured personel, so when a fellow manager praises you, instead of the "feels like the two of you become friends" quote, you could actually become friends as well as players and coaches etc.

have the option throughout the game to add someone to favoured personel, so when a fellow manager praises you, instead of the "feels like the two of you become friends" quote, you could actually become friends as well as players and coaches etc.

Agree with this. And so what if some people 'abuse' it by adding countless personnel to their list, it's THEIR list; they can like as many people as they see fit.

I'd like to be able to add more to the past experiences, have more than one favourite club and have coaching attributes so that you can coach too.

Agree with this. And so what if some people 'abuse' it by adding countless personnel to their list, it's THEIR list; they can like as many people as they see fit.

well that can be sorted by being limited to 5 favoured players, 5 favoured clubs and 5 favoured staff members. I also like to have favoured stadia and unfavoured stadia. and it being commented on in the news feed, similar to when a manager hates going to the reebok or somewhere irl. When a manager gets interviewed irl they are always asked about it. E.G wenger hates going to the reebok because arsenal dont play that well there and he always says that he hates going there. just a suggestion lol.

well that can be sorted by being limited to 5 favoured players, 5 favoured clubs and 5 favoured staff members

I think that's daft though. We, as humans, don't have 'space' in our minds to like a set number of people/teams/items (whatever). You can like as much as you like, there should be no boundaries.

I think that's daft though. We, as humans, don't have 'space' in our minds to like a set number of people/teams/items (whatever). You can like as much as you like, there should be no boundaries.

yeah i know that lol but where will it end. and besides 5 is better than none as it is now.

Dont like the idea of taking over an existing manager.

I do however think we should be able to add more to our background in terms of experience, languages, favourite clubs/people etc...

The idea is not my cup of tea but I can see that some people would like it.

What they said, exactly.

I want to choose which languages I speak, which team(s) I support, which players/staff are my favourite and that sort of thing.

This.

I think you might have some issues with data protection act with becoming a manager already in the game/real life.

cant really think of adding any more info at start of the game thats relative. training badges maybe but wouldent matter

Not data protection, what data are you violating? Licensing issues? Definately

I'm with most people. I think the only thing I like out of this is inputting more information about yourself at the start.

I don't like it because it defeats the purpose of playing the game to achieve all of that mentioned above.

Doesn't that make sense? That's a huge part of the game and you want to eliminate it to make it easy-going.

I agree for some points, particulary about adding more favorite teams, but specially about adding disliked teams.

(It's really annoying to be offered a contract by a team you really dislike... Specially when you don't have a "Not even for a billion euros per week" button ! ).

Yeah sound idea

I would certainly agree with the fact you should have favoured players and staff as well as more info.