Lower league style

I quick question - as I am about to venture into the challenge of playing as a newly promoted team into the Conference North/South.

Does the ME represent a realistic style of football in the lower league compared to the premier league or even the championship/League 1? So, are long balls, tackling and miss placed passing all more common - or is this not really accurately shown?

If you mean, do they play like a bunch of sloppy pro-am's? Then yes, most certainly they do.

It's really hard to watch my lower league team after playing my main save... just makes me want to gouge out my eyes they are just so sloppy compared to true pros.

If you think the players are bad in Conference North/South then try the Northern Premier League First Division South!

I'm playing at level 9 (Bedlington Terriers). The 'quality' of football is simply hilarious. Defenders and goalkeepers are absolutely atrocious - most of my goals come from defensive howlers, as well as a lot of goals from goal-mouth scrambles that you don't really see in higher leagues.

Mind you, that goal Berbatov scored from Chimbonda's pass-back was pure LLM on Saturday; I was watching on the big TV that at the same moment I benefited from an almost identical situation on my lap!

Who are you managing, Nobby?

Haha, sounds hilarious - how are you getting on with Bedlington Terriers phnompenhandy?

What I found most frustrating was the number of passes that were hit miles behind the intended receiver straight into the crowd.

On the other hand, it was very satisfying to move up the leagues and slowly adopt a more cultured style.

I'm playing in the BSN and the crossing is still of a ridiculous quality. Top flight players would find it difficult to cross perfectly across the box while running at full pace yet it is done with regularity at this level.

Also, I have had by far my best form while playing with a 'fluid' mentality, so take from that what you will.

Haha, sounds hilarious - how are you getting on with Bedlington Terriers phnompenhandy?

Very well. I started by releasing all the current players (didn't cost anything - all non-contract amateurs) and bringing in a bunch of kids aged 15-17. This gave me a squad that was short, slow and stupid, and too easily shoved off the ball, so in pre-season I quickly realised I needed to mix in some height and strength, so I lured in some mature 18 year olds!

I'd like to nickname my team 'The 'Fugees' because I appear to have a squad of refugees. Many of my kids have dual nationality, English and ..... I have an Anglo-Afghan, Anglo-Iraqi, Anglo-Gambian, Anglo-Pakistani, Anglo-Indian and 4 or 5 other nations, all released by English clubs. My one foreigner is my star Slovakian striker, who came from Nantwich!

You're at a level where quality starts to bottom out; I mean at Level 10 you get squads where all the players have CA in single figures, so at level 9 it isn't much higher. This means that your players, however bad they are, can't be much worse than the opposition, so with such a level playing field (well the bottom of a barrel is level!), the key difference between you and them is .... YOUR TACTICS!

This is the point where you really see the difference your tactics make (allowing for your players' very limited intelligence; I think my highest 'decisions' is 5, and boy, can you see that in 3D!). Basically I have the lads playing some nice tippy-tappy in my own half, then lumping the ball up behind the defence. Nearly all teams have slow lumbering DCs, so if you have one or two nippy forwards it's easy to send a through ball and then it's one-on-one versus a hopeless keeper.

My only concern is that I'm playing the fanciest football in the division, and there's no one to see it. I'm getting the second lowest attendances with fewer than 100 turning up most games. Can't please some people.

I started in the Croatian Second Division, which probably is nowhere near as sloppy as you're headed, and it drives me crazy. I daren't think how many of the goals we conceded last year were from own goals... Passing is woeful and (although it could be argued this affects all FM11 teams) finishing is non-existent.

A stat I found quite funny: Last season, the average attendance was equal to the goals conceded for the year! (47)

I am playing into League 1 that it is not strictly a lower League anyway sometimes when you play against newly promoted teams the ME represents quite well the " skills " of the opponents , so the answer is very close to a yes.

i played with boston in the bsn and the standard was at times unbearable. defenders passing back to the gk so far wide it would go out for a corner would be my biggest annoyance. quite simply dont ask your players to do anything intelligent (not even the slightest bit) as they simply cant do it

i do remember a lot of goals from perfect crosses though, playing with a bit of width seems to be a way to play

How (or if) are the tactics affected lower down?

Are they scaled?

For example it would make sense in the lower leagues not to play a too short a passing game. But if we are the best team in the division despite it and us being of a ridiculously low standard, would the tactic settings be scaled? So passing short becomes achieveable becuase of the standard of the opposition?

I play short, fluid passing with Worksop Town in the BSN, and have won 23 of 30 games to sit 18 points clear, scoring 66 goals in the process.

EDIT - should add I have clearly the best squad in the division, so will see how such a game plan survives the BSP next season.

Who are you managing, Nobby?

Newcastle Town

How (or if) are the tactics affected lower down?

Are they scaled?

For example it would make sense in the lower leagues not to play a too short a passing game. But if we are the best team in the division despite it and us being of a ridiculously low standard, would the tactic settings be scaled? So passing short becomes achieveable becuase of the standard of the opposition?

It's not a matter of scaling; if the opposition have very poor anticipation, positioning, movement etc., they make your short passing game look like Barcelona even though your guys are pants. My guys play a short passing game before hoofing a through ball and it looks good in level 9. I got a cup tie against Barnet and I couldn't play that way. Hell of a tie that - nerve-wracking 0-0. replay 3 days later even more nerve-wracking 1-1, went to penalties - my best penalty taker had an attribute of 5, yet we won it!!!!!