Stooping the rot

Every year I buy the new installment to the football Football Manager series and every year it seems I have the same issue.

Regardless of the team I'm managing, I usually start well and am often sitting top or therabouts half way through the season. But this is where my team falls away time and time again. It's like the tactics that worked so well before are all of a sudden broken with my players running around like headless chickens! This usually results in me slipping down the league and finishing in a very weak position. Changing the tactics never seems to change my fortunes and is alltogether is hard because I've built a team full of players that are used to the positions in the formation I've chosen.

Any ideas on how to stop the mid season rot and get back to winning ways?

Could maybe be to do with conditioning of players a bad pre season can have an effect later in the season, I dont like starting a season without all players in superb condition. Also if a team is performing well the AI will set out very defensively, do you concede a lot of goals on the counter? I usually find a slight tweak, play more patiently, keep possesion and break teams down slowly, IMO thats what I found.

There's a reason you get to prepare for 3 different tactics. After dominating the first half of the season, other teams have learned your tactic and won't let you walk all over them anymore. Being at the top of the table is hard, and you need to adapt to your situation by changing tactic. If you can't change your tactic because you've built a team full of players for the particular formation you've chosen, then it's your vital mistake of not having a versatile squad.

There's a reason you get to prepare for 3 different tactics. After dominating the first half of the season, other teams have learned your tactic and won't let you walk all over them anymore. Being at the top of the table is hard, and you need to adapt to your situation by changing tactic. If you can't change your tactic because you've built a team full of players for the particular formation you've chosen, then it's your vital mistake of not having a versatile squad.

good point, I usually have three different formations but that utilise very simialr player positions and roles, for example I have a star AMC in Christian Eriksen, so all three formations utilise him but one formations uses wingers, one uses a more narrow approach and one if very defensive so I have different formations that can be used depending on situation. Versatlity is the key, I dont like buying say an AMC who cant also play MC or AMR/L.

Other teams become knowledgable of you tactics and read you like a nursery rhyme! gotta make some tweaks to your tactics and spring a surprise or two!

Other teams become knowledgable of you tactics and read you like a nursery rhyme! gotta make some tweaks to your tactics and spring a surprise or two!

AFAIK the AI don't "learn your tactic" per se. Just notice the pre-match media predictions and the pre-match odds and you will see that your form will have affected it. The AI clubs notice that they are now underdogs and drops deeper, trying to keep their goal clean while attacking on the counter. If you use Key highlights you won't notice anything but them getting all the chances if your tactic can't cope with defensive, compact teams. Despite of what it looks like, you are actually efficiently stopped by their strategy and isn't actually playing badly as such. The best way to counter a counter-tactic is to counter yourself; draw them out to find space. Drop a bit deeper, tick off counter-attack and play more patiently.

Another issue could be complacency setting in. Small clubs that do well don't tend to have model professional, ambitious athletes who loves big matches. This is why in real life the autumn's surprise party fizzles in winter and dies in spring (Blackpool? Norwich and Swansea? Newcastle without BA?) and this is also why it is more difficult to keep their heads straight after a fantastic autumn. When winter sets in and it is cold, dark and wet, the pitch is soggy and the fans expect the form to keep on running, that's when your players become both overconfident and nervous.

It's almost inevitable that you will have a drop in form during the season. Here are some tips

1) Have a big squad. It's worth the hassle trying to keep them all happy to have backup players of sufficient quality to cover injuries and poor form. At least 2 per position and maybe a decent youth too. Drop consistent underperformers (usually after a chat) and give a chance to a backup player

2) DONT PANIC! Don't start aggresive team talks or fining players after a few defeats. Don't change formations every match trying to find a win. Use a gentle touch - keep up morale with individual chats

3) Don't buy too many 1st team players during the season as it upsets the teams rhythm. that said, a really good january signing can do wonders

4) Take control and slow down. If you normally leave media to your assistant then try doing a few. Take time to set up some tutoring/preferred move training. Switch to Extended Highlights for a game or two.

5) Ctrl-S then Alt-F4. do something else and come back later!