So fed up and frustrated!!!

Guys,

sorry to rattle on about this again, but I feel like I'm being robbed in every game I play.

It doesn't seem to matter who I manage, who my strikers are or at what level, but I'm really fed up of having to create 15+ chances to score 1/2 goals, then end up losing.

Am I just rubbish at the game or is anyone else really fed up of playing the game they love under these circumstances?

Guys,

sorry to rattle on about this again, but I feel like I'm being robbed in every game I play.

It doesn't seem to matter who I manage, who my strikers are or at what level, but I'm really fed up of having to create 15+ chances to score 1/2 goals, then end up losing.

Am I just rubbish at the game or is anyone else really fed up of playing the game they love under these circumstances?

well the game has got much harder since 06 and 07 but u can make watever ur diserd club is and use the editor to make the whole team better if u like or continue losing matches

Its your tactic

It's ^his^ tactic...

Sorry www2, could'nt resist, your's works fine really

I wish it were my tactic, then I could blame myself, my strikers are just pants!!

its not you mate im the same managing norwich is putting my pc in serious health issues!!!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by www2:

Its your tactic </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

WHS

yeah, FM07 wasnt easy but it was definitely fun. FM08 is good but so darn frustrating, ive went through about 3 mouses (mice?) due to having 22 shots at goal but still losing 1-0 in the last minute to the bottom placed club in the league who only had 4 shots at goal.

i dont think its all to do with bad tactics niktheblade, i had great success on fm07 but on fm08 im not doing very well at all.

The shots on target issue is well-known, but yes - it's your tactics. You have to tweak DURING the game a lot more often than previous releases. Small tweaks, though.

EG, I play an attacking formation that requires fast-paced passing, set to mixed style of passing. But if by 60/70mins I'm dominating and not scoring I change the pace of the passing to mixed, and style to direct. Usually works. Or sometimes swapping my AMC to one with better finishing/dribbling/long-shots and setting his instructions to suit.

It can be a pain, but within a couple of seasons you can find your rhythm.

I'm finding FM08 hugely frustrating, but then I keep starting at clubs who have really crap players or just a bunch of 16 year olds straight out of the youth team so there's a combination of match engine issues and just the plain fact that my players don't do what I tell them and probably don't have the skills to do so anyway. I try to devise simple tactics, but they can't be too simple like the default tactics that leave centre-backs on team mentality and all that pezzaz!

Generally though I reckon I'm just failing because I have a team of kids who are useless!

Basically FM has gone beyond 'game' and has become 'sim'.

This is then rendered hugely frustrating by the totally unrealistic 'sim' 08 has been made into.

Now you play a fantasy sim to beat a fantasy match engine.

This, combined with all the other half arsed features and bugs makes it very unrewarding UNLESS you enjoy trying to beat an artifical and unrealistic tactical engine.

Most don't ..

Hence all the flame.

I think everyone who keeps shouting "it's your tactics" should get a ban.

At the topic starter: have hope and wait for 8.0.2

If SI aren't complete bastards (which they are for a part for selling a game that is so bugged), they will bring out the patch before March

if you know its no your tactics...and it is infact your strikers..why this pointless rant?..sign new strikers..or invest in a better and more organised defence

The foundation of a team starts at the back after all

No use scoring 2 goals if you defence causes you to loss 3

Sorry Neil Warnock..

I forgot that to solve any problem with your team, you just go out and buy a bag full of strikers

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

I think everyone who keeps shouting "it's your tactics" should get a ban.

At the topic starter: have hope and wait for 8.0.2

If SI aren't complete bastards (which they are for a part for selling a game that is so bugged), they will bring out the patch before March </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

eXistenZ: Check your own post eXistenZ. I would ban those that use bad language first of all.

niktheblade1: If you are having problems, please post your formation, tactics and any specific players you have and I (and others) will help you over in the tactics forum. There are problems with the engine but most of which can be overcome in the meantime. If you want help, it's available.

Thanks Hawshiels

I did that a few weeks ago, still having probs.

I will grin and bear it until the patch comes out and try not to do anymore spleen venting

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by niktheblade1:

Thanks Hawshiels

I did that a few weeks ago, still having probs.

I will grin and bear it until the patch comes out and try not to do anymore spleen venting </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We've already heard from SI that the tendency to take long shots is being toned down which will help in the new patch. It's still worth persevering with your tactics now though. If you can get them working pre-patch .... just think how succesful you'll be post-patch.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by 18-WATP-73:

if you know its no your tactics...and it is infact your strikers..why this pointless rant?..sign new strikers..or invest in a better and more organised defence

The foundation of a team starts at the back after all

No use scoring 2 goals if you defence causes you to loss 3 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If your strikers have 18-20 in the important areas, which beter strikers can you get?

Same for your defence-keeper

it cant be the tactics, the tactics are working well if your creating 15+ shots on target, its the strikers fault for not putting them away whether thats a bug or poor morale or whatever but tactics arent to blame for finishing quality

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by turn it upto 11:

it cant be the tactics, the tactics are working well if your creating 15+ shots on target, its the strikers fault for not putting them away whether thats a bug or poor morale or whatever but tactics arent to blame for finishing quality </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Its his tactics. The problem is that he is creating too many chances. I know that it shouldn't be that way but thats is what it is. I'd suggest downloading a tactic from the tactics forum until 8.0.2.

when your dominating games but not scoring it isn't tactics; it is team talk especially for your strikers.

I don't know if it is tactics guys, I use a different number of tactics and variables in different countries and at different levels, from (not limited to) short to direct passing and slow to fast tempo and I still find that many chances are created and not many goals scored?

at the mo, I'm flying in league 1 with swindon and scoring goals, but in quite a few games it takes 10 shots on goal to beat a team, it's only because I have a tight defence that i'm doing well, winning 2-0 for example, but take my game against yeovil at home, they are second and doing really well, I lost 4-1, they had 6 shots on target and I had 9, their striker is worse attributes wise than mine. They have Marvin Williams and I've got Agyemang and Carl Cort, but Williams still manages to bag a hattrick and has scored 40 goals in 32 games.

I'm at a loss really, but it will be interesting to see if anything is mentioned when the patch comes out?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by turn it upto 11:

it cant be the tactics, the tactics are working well if your creating 15+ shots on target, its the strikers fault for not putting them away whether thats a bug or poor morale or whatever but tactics arent to blame for finishing quality </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree. The Match engine is completly ****ed up

FM08 marks the first time I've ever been moved to tell people that "it actually isn't you, it's the game". And from the sheer weight of people with exactly the same gripes about the match engine, i know I'm neither alone or wrong on the subject.

yeah it seems too much of a coincidence that everyone has this problem and it makes playing the game not as fun as i found playing the old FM's

I still find it fun, but at the same time gives me a coronary and makes me want to smash the computer to peices.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by cornelius11:

yeah it seems too much of a coincidence that everyone has this problem and it makes playing the game not as fun as i found playing the old FM's </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Everyone knows there is a problem.

Seriously, niktheblade1, download a couple of tactics such as B1GD from the tactics forum and see if it helps. I've used it for a short period but scored a fair amount of goals and conceded very few.

I know it's not the perfect solution, but if it works then it will have to be a temporary solution until the patch is out.

I believe we might come to the conclussion that there is some problem with ME, lol

All this moaning, honestly. I took little Ecija of Spain with no budget, an average starting squad, in a division with top club B teams who stuffed what were really first team squad players in them, up from the 2D4 to the Liga BBVA in 3 seasons. And I don't consider myself a particularly great manager.

I’m no great tactician and don't read the tactics But the one thing I do a lot is a huge amount of scouting for quality free players and totally change the squad if need be. I think a lot of people keep playing with the same old squad even though they're not doing the business. Changing tactics won’t help. Just my theory.

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

FM08 marks the first time I've ever been moved to tell people that "it actually isn't you, it's the game". And from the sheer weight of people with exactly the same gripes about the match engine, i know I'm neither alone or wrong on the subject. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

There were warning signs since FM06. You hoped that FM07 would fix the problems but it only made things worse by the predictable 4-2-4 and 3-3-2-1-1 ai formations. At that point you'd think that the match engine couldn't get any worse and there were promising signs in 7.0.2 and the subsequent release of 8.0.0. However SI has since surprised us once more with the even more unplayable 8.0.1.

This has been driving me nuts too!

I've been a big fan of the series since I can remember, but I've had to stop playing 08 and trade back to 07 before I have a stroke.

I play as Liverpool mainly, and on the latest game had Modric and Aguero in addition to the current squad (minus Kuyt, Kewell and the other crappy players). And there's just no connection between the team, the tactics and the results on the pitch.

It's ridiculous. I tell my team absolutely no long passes and give them NO creative freedom... yet they pass it long, lose the ball and we concede! I can lose to any team on any day, and sometimes, I do anyway. It took me FOUR reloads to beat Wigan with a full strength team, and of those four, two ended up with Wigan scoring FOUR goals.

I dunno if 07 was better or worse, but I do know it was less infuriating. I think for 09, I'll wait and see what the feedback is like on here before picking it up. More of the same, and I'll just pack it in.

It’s not your tactics; it’s not your strikers. It’s SI’s tactics.

The ME, with its multi-million slider/instruction combinations, has created a Frankenstein’s monster that invalidates a successful defensive (to give but one example) set up simply with the addition of a code “improvementâ€. It has nowt to do with real life football anymore. Real life tactical awareness and appreciation of the game has nothing to do anymore with FM setups. Computer dweebery is all, and this has to be reviewed with each release, each beta, and each patch. If there was any rhyme and reason to FM tactical approaches, a tactic wouldn’t be utterly invalidated on every slight change to the ME’s code. The tactical combinations are now so extreme, a slight deviation from pre-set tactics produces basketball score chances on goal, bionic man moves across the field, strikers with the amazing super-hero powers to repeatedly bounce balls off keepers straight to their teammates.

I get the impression SI have overstretched themselves with this. The parameters are now too extreme to retain any sanity in the ME when human players get involved. They are too many variables “out there†to guarantee anything that resembles a real life football match.

Unless they reign in the tactical variations they’ll end up like the Roman Empire. Dominant for a while, but, having become over-ambitious and over-stretched, in terminal decline and fall. The ME is knackered.

scoring goals is easy. im bradford in 2017 and just won 4-3 in the european cup quater final 1st leg. im also 5th in the league. ive got an attaking midfielder thats scored 33 goals this season with about 10 games remaining.

make sure you buy the right players. strikers should have good pace, finishing,composure, heading, first touch.

another good way to score goals is to have anumber of players with good attacking attributes i.e defence and midfield. also match your tactics to the players you have, theres know point having an attacking tactic if you have a defensive team

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

It’s not your tactics; it’s not your strikers. It’s SI’s tactics.

The ME, with its multi-million slider/instruction combinations, has created a Frankenstein’s monster that invalidates a successful defensive (to give but one example) set up simply with the addition of a code “improvementâ€. It has nowt to do with real life football anymore. Real life tactical awareness and appreciation of the game has nothing to do anymore with FM setups. Computer dweebery is all, and this has to be reviewed with each release, each beta, and each patch. If there was any rhyme and reason to FM tactical approaches, a tactic wouldn’t be utterly invalidated on every slight change to the ME’s code. The tactical combinations are now so extreme, a slight deviation from pre-set tactics produces basketball score chances on goal, bionic man moves across the field, strikers with the amazing super-hero powers to repeatedly bounce balls off keepers straight to their teammates.

I get the impression SI have overstretched themselves with this. The parameters are now too extreme to retain any sanity in the ME when human players get involved. They are too many variables “out there†to guarantee anything that resembles a real life football match.

Unless they reign in the tactical variations they’ll end up like the Roman Empire. Dominant for a while, but, having become over-ambitious and over-stretched, in terminal decline and fall. The ME is knackered. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree with almost all of this I'm afraid. I am confident, however, that SI can turn things around. But it really does need turning round. I haven't played the game for 10 or 12 weeks now, which is probably the longest I've gone cold turkey except in the cricket season.

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

It’s not your tactics; it’s not your strikers. It’s SI’s tactics.

The ME, with its multi-million slider/instruction combinations, has created a Frankenstein’s monster that invalidates a successful defensive (to give but one example) set up simply with the addition of a code “improvementâ€. It has nowt to do with real life football anymore. Real life tactical awareness and appreciation of the game has nothing to do anymore with FM setups. Computer dweebery is all, and this has to be reviewed with each release, each beta, and each patch. If there was any rhyme and reason to FM tactical approaches, a tactic wouldn’t be utterly invalidated on every slight change to the ME’s code. The tactical combinations are now so extreme, a slight deviation from pre-set tactics produces basketball score chances on goal, bionic man moves across the field, strikers with the amazing super-hero powers to repeatedly bounce balls off keepers straight to their teammates.

I get the impression SI have overstretched themselves with this. The parameters are now too extreme to retain any sanity in the ME when human players get involved. They are too many variables “out there†to guarantee anything that resembles a real life football match.

Unless they reign in the tactical variations they’ll end up like the Roman Empire. Dominant for a while, but, having become over-ambitious and over-stretched, in terminal decline and fall. The ME is knackered. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Have to say I agree with this too. When it comes to people having to go the the tactics forum to get any kind of handle on how to setup a vaguely sensible tactic it isn't good. I will continue trying to get my tactics balanced myself because I don't want a tactic devised by someone else specifically to beat the match engine, I want a tactic based on my knowledge of football, a knowledge which has plenty of gaps in it, but which has, in the past been able to produce decent enough tactics.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Have to say I agree with this too. When it comes to people having to go the the tactics forum to get any kind of handle on how to setup a vaguely sensible tactic it isn't good. I will continue trying to get my tactics balanced myself because I don't want a tactic devised by someone else specifically to beat the match engine, I want a tactic based on my knowledge of football, a knowledge which has plenty of gaps in it, but which has, in the past been able to produce decent enough tactics. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Exactly. I don't hold out much hope for you though I'm afraid. Not with the current version anyway.

My personal opinion is that the tactics engine needs throwing away and starting again. I'm not sure if that's feasible though.

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

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

It’s not your tactics; it’s not your strikers. It’s SI’s tactics.

The ME, with its multi-million slider/instruction combinations, has created a Frankenstein’s monster that invalidates a successful defensive (to give but one example) set up simply with the addition of a code “improvementâ€. It has nowt to do with real life football anymore. Real life tactical awareness and appreciation of the game has nothing to do anymore with FM setups. Computer dweebery is all, and this has to be reviewed with each release, each beta, and each patch. If there was any rhyme and reason to FM tactical approaches, a tactic wouldn’t be utterly invalidated on every slight change to the ME’s code. The tactical combinations are now so extreme, a slight deviation from pre-set tactics produces basketball score chances on goal, bionic man moves across the field, strikers with the amazing super-hero powers to repeatedly bounce balls off keepers straight to their teammates.

I get the impression SI have overstretched themselves with this. The parameters are now too extreme to retain any sanity in the ME when human players get involved. They are too many variables “out there†to guarantee anything that resembles a real life football match.

Unless they reign in the tactical variations they’ll end up like the Roman Empire. Dominant for a while, but, having become over-ambitious and over-stretched, in terminal decline and fall. The ME is knackered. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree with almost all of this I'm afraid. I am confident, however, that SI can turn things around. But it really does need turning round. I haven't played the game for 10 or 12 weeks now, which is probably the longest I've gone cold turkey except in the cricket season. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Serpico. Sometimes I feel like I’m trapped in Monty Python’s Parrot sketch where I’m John Cleese trying to get across to the fanboy over the counter that the dead parrot is, in fact, dead.

I’ll give 8.2 a go. The second patch should show us whether FM8’s match engine has been pining for the fjords since last October, or whether it’s been pushing up the daisies.

the people achieving succes arent great tacticians theyre just intelligent enough (not me im afraid) to work out how to get round the bugs whereas the people who cant do it are setting up tactics how they think a real football game should be played (me )

sometimes its luck for me though took farsley up to L1 with a regular 442 just tweaked a touch but tried doing the same with other clubs and get destroyed

I don't think it's so bad. The one point I do agree with is too many players think they're Roberto Carlos and try ridiculous shots from distance. But it happens in real life too.