Is there any way to avoid the obligatory March slump?

No matter the season, the team or the save, I always hit a slump in March where my team basically just shuts off until the end of the season. I keep morale high, rotate/praise players to avoid jadedness and adjust team talks whenever the AssMan mentions overconfidence. Still, no matter what I do, the team just gives up around mid-March. The already-sorry conversion rate of CCCs goes down, defenders randomly wander out of formation and everyone just kind of stares at cleared balls when we're under pressure. No matter what, it always looks like this:

Is there any way to beat this or is this just another unavoidable quirk of the game?

I dont, I seem to have a slump mid jan.

So what do you do in January to avoid my slump?

Go on your holidays in March instead of June? Start using 'Expect them to win' more? Can't say I've ever noticed. Thats normally the time of season I'm picking 16 year olds for most games as we've already won the league.

I dont, I seem to have a slump mid jan.

So what do you do in January to avoid my slump?

Ban them from eating Christmas dinner. It's in the options screen under 'canteen options'.

I dont, I seem to have a slump mid jan.

So what do you do in January to avoid my slump?

Well, since you asked, I guess I better add the inevitable, unhelpful response before someone else does: IT'S YO TAKTIKZ MATE!!!

Go on your holidays in March instead of June? Start using 'Expect them to win' more?

Usually when the slump hits, "expect them to win" makes them all nervous. Using "I have faith" on every player tends to motivate a couple, but it doesn't really help much.

Well, since you asked, I guess I better add the inevitable, unhelpful response before someone else does: IT'S YO TAKTIKZ MATE!!!

Well it either is:

1) Your tactics

2) Your team talks

3) Your squad size

4) Your press conferences

5) The game hates you

1) I don't see how this would be seasonal. Obviously, tactics can "stop working" when your reputation increases and opponents start adjusting theirs, but in that case, things wouldn't be hunky dory again in August.

2) Again, this would seem to show up in the Motivation screen and AssMan feedback. I don't have a problem getting players motivated unless I change up my approach.

3) Maybe, though I do my best to rotate players and it's not something I can really help.

4) Possible. I tend to be negative to avoid complacency in long winning runs. I'll try to put on a happy face in March next time.

5) This goes without saying.

Are you competing for the title or fighting relegation? Then the pressure as the season enters the final straight is getting to your players; if not, maybe there's nothing worth playing for and you players aren't that motivated for this reason. If you were expected to achieve a mid-table finish, and are now pretty much safe from relegation and not involved in the title fight, how motivated would you be at that point?

Another possibility: Have you over or under achieved up to this point? Then other teams are changing how they set up against you compared to the start of the season.

But the first option seems more likely if it kicks in about 1 - 1.5 months before the end of the season, around the time when the press conferences focus on relegation/promotion. You always hear people banging on about how Manchester United "have been there before" when the title run-in comes around.

Also: don't pay too much attention to your ass man, the AI is not very good. In fact, if you're always doing what he suggests, that's probably why things go to pieces

Aye, I'm in the title fight. I'll try to take off the pressure.

But I'm also in Europa League and always go down in the quarters/semis with something like this:

If the AI's man management isn't that good, wouldn't it make sense for the pressure to get to them as well?

EDIT: I tried to take the pressure off, and managed to beat a relegation candidate... 2-1 after they got a red card and scored a goal on one of the two shots they had all game. Not too hopeful here...

thats a classic one, they are well fired up (im my experience almost too much), but they are snatching at their chances, used to have this issue, lower the tempo of the game (retain possession etc) dont let them go full throttle. When the side is that motivated, you ust need to cool them down against defensive/cautious opposition, however the upside is that they tend to take the game to teams playing an open style

thats a classic one, they are well fired up (im my experience almost too much), but they are snatching at their chances, used to have this issue, lower the tempo of the game (retain possession etc) dont let them go full throttle. When the side is that motivated, you ust need to cool them down against defensive/cautious opposition, however the upside is that they tend to take the game to teams playing an open style

Thanks for the tip. Would you suggest using "Take a Breather" in those instances?

Thanks for the tip. Would you suggest using "Take a Breather" in those instances?

yeah its a good one to use too especially if you are placing passes astray too. my favourite at this point is control mentality: play wider, retain possession, passing into space

Aye, I'm in the title fight. I'll try to take off the pressure.

But I'm also in Europa League and always go down in the quarters/semis with something like this:

If the AI's man management isn't that good, wouldn't it make sense for the pressure to get to them as well?

EDIT: I tried to take the pressure off, and managed to beat a relegation candidate... 2-1 after they got a red card and scored a goal on one of the two shots they had all game. Not too hopeful here...

It's Poulsen's fault.

If the AI's man management isn't that good, wouldn't it make sense for the pressure to get to them as well?

There's normally at least one AI side in the title race that capitulates completely come end of the season in my game. This happened to the 2nd place team last year- they went on a horrible run, losing 4 games in a row (including the crunch game at home to us), basically handing me the league with a few games to go.

Maybe you have an excellent ass man, but mine just suggests exactly the same initial team talks all the time; I get much better results when I ignore him completely for important matches, although we are more likely to agree on half time team talks.