feeling like a real manager and it isn't becasue i'm wearing a suit with a skinny tie

My thoughts on this years game compared to old versions is that i like the fact that i have to tinker with tactics depending on who i'm playing. In past editions i would create a tactic and regardless of who i was playing, found that i never had to change tactics and i would win 90% of my games regardless.

This years game is totally different - let me explain.

I'm playing as brighton and i'm in my 4th season. I got them promoted to the prem after 2 seasons managing to win the play off final after losing at the same stage a year earlier. My 3rd season i finished 4th in the prem so i was obviously doing something right.

In my time managing brighton i've had to play against a number of different formations. I usually opt for an atatcking 4-4-2 with both wingers in the AMR/AML positions. In a recent home game i played west ham who were struggling, i noticed they lined up with a 4-5-1 (flat 5 across the midfield) and in my arrogance i thought they are playing badly so i wouldn't change formation, how wrong was i, they beat me 2-1...just a fluke i thought so when i faced swansea (bottom of the league and also playing a flat 4-5-1) i thought i wouldn't change anything again...(the clever readers of this forum will see a pattern emerging), i was beaten again.

Highly perplexed by this (as i had beaten arsenal, man u and chelsea in recent games) i was forced to create a flat 4-5-1 of my own to counter this recurring problem. Next up i faced bolton away and they had also decided to play 4-5-1 against me. anyway, to cut a long story short, i finally managed to beat my nemisis formation of 4-5-1 by winning 3-0. what's the moral of the story, don't leave things to chance.

I now constantly tweak my in game tactics and i am always analysing how i could do better, i know a lot of people enjoy plug and play tactics but in my opinion, that doesn't offer the same enjoyment as feeling like you actually made a positive change in the game by understanding how to counter your opponent.

So come on people of FM game, what has been troubling you in recent weeks and how have you overcome it?

A run of poor form finishing up with being knocked out of the League cup in Quarters and taking a defeat to a Rival. Im playin as Blackburn currently 6th in prem at end of Jan. Mid september the form started so I thought it was just a small dip. Come end of November and quite a few scrappy draws (aginst swansea and Norwich) was not good enough. After the rival defeat I went all hairdryer on my players, held a team meeting went psyco. (Imagine Fergie kicking a boot at Beckham) had private conversations with worst performers. Then proceded to go on a 9 game unbeated run. That made me proud of the boys.