Come on then you FM buffs...

My Reading team won the championship at a breeze.

Now in the premiership, we can't win a thing. 10 games in, only 1 win and 1 draw.

Morale is low, we can't defend and can't finish. Everything is wrong.

I have some pretty quality players. Klose and K Davies up front, Reo-Coker, Kyrgiakos, Smithies, and Kebe of course.

How do I turn it around? What tactics should I employ?

resign before you get fired:lol:

Some serious advice would be much appreciated

Could just be second season syndrome, have you tried jigging your tactics and formations around? If you made a lot of summer signings it could be that the team need time to gel. Try also setting your match preparation to defensive positioning and leave it there for a while. Hope some of this helps, good luck.

Could just be second season syndrome, have you tried jigging your tactics and formations around? If you made a lot of summer signings it could be that the team need time to gel. Try also setting your match preparation to defensive positioning and leave it there for a while. Hope some of this helps, good luck.

Its not second season syndrome as he has been promoted but its difficult to offer advice when he gives such limited information.

If you got decent attacking options, try a Blackpool-esque approach and just focus on scoring more than the teams around you struggling in the league. Just focus on avoiding relegation! 4-3-3 all out attack... makes for an exciting game...

If you stay up after the first season, change the tac though, it won't win you anything, but it might just keep you up!

Its not second season syndrome as he has been promoted but its difficult to offer advice when he gives such limited information.

Second season syndrome cant be happening because he's changed leagues?

Tweak your tactics if you feeling there not working. Build better relationships

With your players, anaylse previous games, drop players mallking mistakes. Get morale higher, and little tweaks.

Second season syndrome cant be happening because he's changed leagues?

Second season syndrome is where a team overachieves the first season and then the rest of the division see them as a bigger threat the following season and play more defensive against them. People who have this issue tend to play a fast, direct attacking game and struggle when faced with a team who keeps men behind the ball.

As he has been promoted the rest of the division treat him the same as any other promoted side. The media prediction & pre-season odds give you an idea where the rest of the division see you and as he has been promoted chances are he is expected to finish towards the bottom.

Perhaps change up your tactics?

If you play fast on the counter, perhaps play slow, passing game.

Try also setting your match preparation to defensive positioning and leave it there for a while.

Leaving match preperation set to defensive positioning wont have any long term benefits, it only gives a boost to certain attributes in specific situations during a match. All this would achieve is reducing the effects of training as some of the percentage of training gets put into match prep.

Ok well, with little information there's only so much help we can give but I'll try.

Whenever I get into this situation, I go back to basics. Go to a standard formation (Usually a 4-4-2 diamond for me, but a flat 4-4-2 works well too), pick your best 11 and just keep ploughing away with them. Change the focus of your team a little (focus passing in the areas you're strongest, either down the middle or out wide), and just try and keep things simple. It might take a couple of games but it should bring you benefits in the end. I always found that my teams got into trouble when I tried to get them to do things that they just weren't capable of, and if I went back to basics they started playing well again. You can always phase in the more complex formations and tactics when they're in form, but right now I'd go for a rigid structure, get balls in the box, and just try and grind out results.

Hope it helps mate.

Leaving match preperation set to defensive positioning wont have any long term benefits, it only gives a boost to certain attributes in specific situations during a match. All this would achieve is reducing the effects of training as some of the percentage of training gets put into match prep.

The OP said he had been struggling to get any kind of result, the first step to sorting this is to tighten up at the back.

I play in a 2 player league with my mate who goes Arsenal, won the league first 2 season along with UEFA cup and Champions league, 3rd season he won the league as i had some poor results over xmas period due to shipping too many poor goals. set to defensive positioning for a while and my back line tightened up. I'm not coming on here spouting nonsense for a laugh, what i've posted is based on what has happened in my game.

http://img845.imageshack.us/i/record1.png/

The OP said he had been struggling to get any kind of result, the first step to sorting this is to tighten up at the back.

As you will see i've lost 20 games in 3 years, thats in a 2 player league with another human manager (Arsenal) so im not a noob blowing smoke out my ars* here.

I wasn't inferring you are some noob but the info in my post did come from a si member in a thread about specifically about match prep.

Specifically post 4 in this thread. http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/230656-Match-preparation-question

From that post "There is no long term cumulative "level" for these focuses like there are for the tactical areas above, so you can change the special focus every week to suit the needs for the next match"

In his next match he needs to not lose = Defensive positioning will help. Continuing to not lose will help him get to the point where he may win. Is this too far-fetched, i dont think so.

From that post "There is no long term cumulative "level" for these focuses like there are for the tactical areas above, so you can change the special focus every week to suit the needs for the next match"

In his next match he needs to not lose = Defensive positioning will help. Continuing to not lose will help him get to the point where he may win. Is this too far-fetched, i dont think so.

I was not disputing that on the day of a match defensive positioning will be of benifit to his teams defensive capabilities, of course it will, but leaving it on defensive positioning during the time in-between matches serves no useful purpose. I may have misconstrued your post where you mention 'leave it there for a while' if what you were getting at was have it specifically set to defensive positioning on the day of a match for several matches in a row until results improve, then I would indeed agree fully with your advice.

Changing the match preparation around between matches is pointless as only the last setting gives any benefit. You can chop and change match prep all you like between matches but only the setting used directly before the game will take effect, you cant get "a bit of this and a bit of that" its one or the other.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/242575-How-to-Play-FM-A-(Very)-Short-Guide-to-Match-Preparation-Strategies-and-Motivation

Agreed as long as all your levels are fluid but if they aren't fully fluid changing to none and moving the work load to max will help the levels get to fully fluid a bit quicker.

OP - Perhaps the best advice you could get is to read what wwfan writes. Always top info!

We I am a Reading fan, and my team have just come off the back of our 6th season in the Premiership, coming 4th position, winning both the F.A. and Carling cup, and getting to the semi's of the Euro Cup.

My first season in the Premiership I came 8th.

My first note would be, massive mistake getting Smithies. Adam Federici becomes amazing. He is still my first team goalkeeper in the 2016-17 season.

My second note would be when struggling in parts of the season I played the team that seemed to get the best results, I would also use some form of 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 using a DM. Then to utilise the "Get Stuck In", "Get Ball Forward" and "Retain Possession" commands a lot. Never go attacking unless you are controlling the game. After scoring go straight to counter mentality.

Thirdly look at your training, create custom scheduales (i could send you mine if needs be, cos they are perfect ) get them to work harder and for longer, finely tune players by improving their weaknesses (training focuses).

When setting up tactics set Klose as an Attacking Forward and Davies as a Poacher. If you still have Shane Long use him as a first team poacher, he may not have the accuracy, but got a load of assists and goals for me first few seasons as his pace is unreal. Also Simon Church had some good years for me.

Use kebe and mcanuff on the wings. (AMR, AML). Very strong players, they do really well in the premiership.

Set up a strong back line. Mills and Ingimasson are your best CBs and they have good chemistry. A would suggest using Andy Griffin as RB too. Hes strong and experianced.

Use Reo-Coker right in the middle as an attacking playmaker.

Partner him with Karacan or someone.

I'd suggest using Adam Federici.

Message me for more help. I am an absolute god with Reading.

Balanced 4132. Play on the counter.

I have some pretty quality players. Klose and K Davies up front, Reo-Coker, Kyrgiakos, Smithies, and Kebe of course.

How do I turn it around? What tactics should I employ?

that fact you consider them quality players is an issue in itself

Use the exact same tactics that won the league with a breeze. Biggest mistake I ever make is to start changing a winning tactic just because things arent going well after a few bad results. Morale will be the problem. If morale is low they throw your tactics out of the window. Have a bad start and its pretty hard to turn it round but you need to try and fix that with the right team talks and such. Try and encourage and sympathise them instead of being dissapointed if they lose. Try and pick the the players with the highest morale and leave the very low on the bench or unselected.

My Reading team won the championship at a breeze.

Now in the premiership, we can't win a thing. 10 games in, only 1 win and 1 draw.

Morale is low, we can't defend and can't finish. Everything is wrong.

I have some pretty quality players. Klose and K Davies up front, Reo-Coker, Kyrgiakos, Smithies, and Kebe of course.

How do I turn it around? What tactics should I employ?

First thing, get a team-report from your ass-man... the eleven he says is your best should now be your first eleven whenever possible. Play the same team as often as possible, only making changes for injuries, fitness, suspensions, etc.

secondly, make sure your media/player interactions reflect your teams abilities... there's no point saying that you think your team can win at OT for example, in that scenario "I think we could really struggle" or similar would be better. Take the pressure off the players, give them encouraging team-talks rather than harsh ones. private chat all players who under-perform, etc make demands of your big-game players (Expect a performance, pick up where you left off, etc....)

Remember that even though you want to win every game, your team are essentially a championship team punching above their weight and are more likely to struggle against most teams in the EPL. All your media/player interactions should recognise that, it will help improve performances...

Set your match-prep to team-blend and leave it there unless you KNOW that your team are going to need to brush up on something for the next game (maybe the opponents are all 7foot giants and killers at set-pieces?). Team Blend improves morale, gelling, etc...

I played with Notts County and struggled to survive in my first season of Premiership. There are 2 key things that I noticed:

1. Speed is KEY! For ALL of your players. In previous edition of FM, target man works well, but I find FM2011 Target Man not as effective as before. Try getting players with speed (at least acceleration 15, pace 15). Having Klose and Davies as your strikers, I find it hard to work. You need pair of very strong wingers to make heading work in FM2011. Maybe other players have more luck on this than I do. On average my players has an average speed of 16, though i'm on 2019, so it did take years to assemble such squad.

2. I saw many post complaining 'bug' on central defenders. The solution is simple. Assuming you are playing a Flat Back 4, set 1 central defender as Stopper, and another as Cover. The stopper should be the one winning headers, and Cover if you can find one, a speedy defender. I got Nedum Onuoha on free transfer, and he performed very well on Cover role. If opposition use two strikers, Ill use both as stopper. Even my centrebacks have speed of at least 12 acceleration, 12 pace.

I use a Flat 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. Almost always start with a 4-4-2, but if my team can't find a way in, then ill change to either one tactic.

Also if you can find one, a winger that cuts in (for example, left sided winger who is right footed). In FM2011, they perform exceptionally well, especially if they are speedy dribbler.

Hope this helps.