Why am I absolutely useless at this game?

Chesterfield in the first season. I took over from big Jon Sheridan in October. Fluid with all my formations. Sorted out all of defensive free kicks bt still concede. I concede from long range constantly and always concede late. My form is extremely patchy. Win a couple, lose a couple then draw then lose then win etc. Craig Davies is quality one game and then the next he can't bury sitters. I just don't know what to do. It's pointless changing tactics as the team will have to get used to them from scratch and looking at the tactics they do suit the current players and their positions. I control most games as well.

Well you are winning some so it can't be all bad... sounds like you have a more realistic save then the guys that talk about going undefeated with a basic 4-4-2.

Anyway... gotta be tactics and/or your players and how they fit in those tactics. Sometimes I wonder about the lack of player consistency, thinking maybe they are too inconsistent. Like the only player on my squad that staff tell me is a consistent player is one of my more inconsistent, odd. Then my star striker gets injured early in the season and has been pure garbage since while I have fair backup starting in his place scoring very regularly, especially considering his questionable attributes.

I find the game is just as much about the players as it is the tactics. I spend probably twice as much time scouting players compared to tactics. I know what tactics I like and then it;s just a matter of finding the right players for that system.

I can't offload Craig Davies from my Brighton squad.......may have to give Chesterfield a call!

The thing is mate I am getting no enjoyment out of the game at all. I love it when I win but now I'm not bothered because I know I will lose the next match.

The thing is mate I am getting no enjoyment out of the game at all. I love it when I win but now I'm not bothered because I know I will lose the next match.

I would say that it's NOT your tactics! :O *shock horror*

no, it's your motivating that's at fault... it's time for your squad to 'man-up' and realise that they aren't going to win every game unless they turn up to every game! Proper use of media and player interaction tools alongside the team-talk will sort out a lot of your problems. I'm assuming that Chesterfield are supposed to be good and winning *most* games? If they're not, then what you've described sounds like my season at the moment (but we're supposed to finish 24th and we're 13th with Xmas approaching )

So what approach should I take? How can I motivate them better?

So what approach should I take? How can I motivate them better?

and this is the question everybody asks...

sadly, I could tell you everything that I do with my team and you could do the same and what works for me could fall flat on its arse for you! You need to get to know your players, basically, find out yourself what motivates them and what doesn't - nobody can tell you the answers as your players will react differently to mine... your players would react differently to me saying the same thing as you (we're different managers, probably different in styles, tactics, training, media, etc etc... it will ALL have an effect).

Basically, I have through trial and error discovered which players will respond to bollockings in private chat, which will respond to media "hype", which will respond to "demands" of performances ("Expect a performance!" - "Pick up where you left off!" etc). More importantly, I've learned which players WON'T respond... As soon as the final whistle goes I am planning for my next match. My post-match teamtalk is the first step to getting the players "up" for the next game. After the match I will private chat those who have had bad games (I ignore those who've played well.. nice aren't I?) and check teamtalk feedback, morale and fitness before then heading off to the post-match press conference which is the next stage of motivating for the NEXT game. All my interactions between the final whistle of one game and the first whistle of the next is geared towards a performance in the NEXT game.

I'll repeat, You need to discover what works for your players yourself as nobody can tell you what will work (because it might not...)

Long gone are the days where you can pick up and play though.

i understand why it has got so complicated but, sometimes I need to revert to CM01/02 for a blast

I'm the same as the OP. Start any game and blitz pre-season. Then when the season proper starts I just lose every game.

There's a tremendous post in the tactics forum which describes motivation in a very simple manner which I'd strongly reccommend reading (think it's stickied)

and this is the question everybody asks...

sadly, I could tell you everything that I do with my team and you could do the samenobody can tell you what will work (because it might not...)

Long story short, 'We can win' and 'for the fans'. Once you detect there effectiveness wearing out mix it up with a 'good luck', dont reapeat the same one over and over, use it till you feel the performance start dipping. 'We can win' seems to have the most power. Also add a 'You have faith' to subs and players at half time with over 7.3 rating. If you get beat 1 or 2 games, do your pre match press conference and pick the 2nd one down on chances of winning question, then add a 'we can win' team talk.

The trick is of course to get it right before you lose...

Thanks all.

Oh, and dont give out any dissapointing or angrys. Sympathise with players, and 'did well' 6.9 to 7.9 and fantastic 8+s Its not exact but a somewhere around that and you wont be too far wrong.

In my first season on the game I managed Rangers, finished 3rd and was very frustrated with the game.

Since then I have won the Scottish Cup, and Premier League in 2 seasons, and am set for another succesful 3rd season. My advice would be to be patient, make crude signings (loan players are always great for me), it comes eventually.

It's your tactics.

Long story short, 'We can win' and 'for the fans'. Once you detect there effectiveness wearing out mix it up with a 'good luck', dont reapeat the same one over and over, use it till you feel the performance start dipping. 'We can win' seems to have the most power. Also add a 'You have faith' to subs and players at half time with over 7.3 rating. If you get beat 1 or 2 games, do your pre match press conference and pick the 2nd one down on chances of winning question, then add a 'we can win' team talk.

The trick is of course to get it right before you lose...

Oh, and dont give out any dissapointing or angrys. Sympathise with players, and 'did well' 6.9 to 7.9 and fantastic 8+s Its not exact but a somewhere around that and you wont be too far wrong.

Would you be upset if I said I disagree with everything you said? Yep, thought so...

"you can win" = yucky... unless you have built up your pre-match media, last team-talk, player interactions to make this the ONLY team-talk..

"for the fans" = neutral... add in to this "pick up where you left off!" "expect a performance!" "no pressure!" "you have faith" etc as applicable.. (again, your pre-match build-up should leave you with this as your ONLY option)

"expect a win!" = well yes... I have yet to use it in FM11 but I think that *maybe* I've lost/drawn a couple of games where had I used it the results would have been more favourable...

in any case, your suggestions work for your team. I KNOW for a fact that if I did exactly what you said - "If you get beat 1 or 2 games, do your pre match press conference and pick the 2nd one down on chances of winning question, then add a 'we can win' team talk." - that we would get beat. How do I know? Because I know my players. If I tell the press conference I think we have a good chance of winning, then told the players that "you can win tonight" in the team-talk they would not be 'up' for the game. sure one or two might be, but most would be "demotivated" or just not at the races.

If I choose the second one down, then my teamtalk is almost always "for the fans" with a smattering of "expect a performance" or "pick up where you left off" amongst key players. (course, it all depends on form, opposition, team I pick, fitness, morale, expectations, match-odds, etc...)

I'm not upset, I just dont believe it is that clever or complicated. I'm am a little peeved off by team talks though as I've soon realised that as long as you have half decent tactics and half decent players the teamtalk takes care of the rest and if you lose it was because you got unlucky picking the right one. Nothing else really matters.

I have never changed my tactics, I have never used any shouts or whatever, I have never bought anynew players for 3 seasons and just because I figured out how the team talk works I keep winning. Back to back promotions to the championship. Its getting boring. My tactics arent even that good, neither are most of my players. Morale is sky high though.

It's your tactics.

Damn you.

I came in to this thread with the sole intention of using my catchphrase for the first time in over 4 years.

Damn you to hell.

What do you mean? You lose you lose. There is no fixed way to win every match unless your tactics etc break the ME. Yes, tactics apply but you can still lose because a big % of the game is random too.

There is no set path to winning a match. Make yourself aware of some of the messages in the game, you can be 'unlucky'