1-11 numbers assigned

Something I brought up before, which then seemed to improve, has now gone stupid again in FM12, relating to the numbering and ordering of players in your matchday eleven.

This used to be something I just disliked because it looked daft; we all know what numbers each position usually wears: low numbers for defenders, 9 for a striker, 8 for a midfielder etc. FM (11 I think) then started ordering players by position regardless of how you moved them around in your tactics so you couldn't force the right number to be assigned to a player. It looked daft having your right winger wearing 6 and striker wearing 11, but it would only be visible in games like friendlies where squad numbers weren't in use.

However, FM12 now orders your list of players by their 1-11 number - regardless of whether squad numbers are being worn - in things like the Match Info boxes while viewing the match. I'm using a wingbacks formation (yeah I know, 1998 called and wants its formation back) where my wingbacks wear 8 and 9, centre backs are 2, 4 and 5, and my central midfielders have 3 and 11. This is a real mess when I'm looking at my player ratings and morale levels in-play.

Does this make sense? I'm really not sure how best to explain what it is and why it is a problem but I'm hoping others will know what I'm talking about and support what I'm saying! If I can succinctly explain the problem and propose the solution by consensus with others here I think I ought to raise it in the Bugs forum.

Sounds like you have clicked something and re-ordered the lists accidentally? A screenshot would paint a thousand words here.

OK this is from a different save game but see:

Chester has been assigned the number 7 shirt playing in the centre of defence. He therefore appears after a midfielder wearing number 6 in things like Team Ratings and Motivation on the match screen. It would be much nicer to see him grouped with the defenders for quick reference to how my defence is doing. It would be much more realistic for the defender to wear 6 and the midfielder to wear 7, but just ordering the players in these lists by their position instead of by their number would suffice (Well, as a number obsessive I'd still be annoyed!)

This is a less drastic example, I have another save game where my midfielder wears 3 and a wing back wears 9.

Its to do with the way Fm sets out its formations (right to left, back to front).When you create formations these can get out of sync ( even default ones sometimes have the shirt numbers in the wrong place for my liking) When you first add players to a new formation and can see the shirt number they will be given (1-11) swap any shirts (not players) you feel are out of place. So as above swap mcr (6) with cb (7). You will then need to re select players to the correct positions. This can have a knock effect with another formation you might end up with a striker being dmc)but if you are only using 2 you can edit them together. This has always bugged me too!

I did this: I dragged the shirt icons on the tactic screen onto the one I wanted to swap with (i.e. held down on the '6' shirt and dragged it onto the '7' shirt so the two players swapped), then deselected all players and picked my team from the squad screen. The numbers didn't change.

Then the must be some issue with the way you are viewing your team but I'm sorry I'm not sure what it could be or how to help. This solution has always worked for me. As you know which shirts need swapped have you tried swapping them with no players selected and then re saving the tactic, before adding players? If not this then I'm stumped sorry.

Andy, have you got 'Sort team lists in TV View' checked in the preferences? Believe it is under Display & Sound.

No, it is unchecked.

I find it annoying that I pick my team in the team selection screen in the "Def, Mid, Att, Right to Left order", so my striker is the 11th player picked, but then watching a match they are in a different order in the stats and motivation screen, with striker moved to the number 9 position.

Will be interested to hear whether you solve this as it is something I have noticed before too. Especially when the left winger is right at the bottom on one screen but 3 places up on another!

Kenco: That's exactly the problem I'm talking about. He moves to the number 9 position because he's got the number 9 shirt (or he would if it's a competition without squad numbers, like friendlies). Not such a problem if your players have got realistic numbers but to have my central midfielder third in the list then wing backs 8th and 9th is a pain.

Jamie King: That looks like a solution, thanks. I'll have to check how it looks in-game but looking it post-match, defenders are at the start and so forth. Subs who came on also appear in the first eleven places, which wasn't expected but is actually a bonus as I don't have to scroll down to see how they're doing. I'm also traditional with my squad numbers but they don't apply, it just looks at what they would wear if it was 1-11 (and I'd also prefer to be traditional with 1-11 numbers in friendlies but I've been trying to get SI to fix that for years.)

Pikeal: Yes that's the other daft thing about it: On the team talk screen your players are in a normal order but the in-game screens they're ordered by 1-11 shirt number (regardless of squad numbers).

Another issue I have - Why don't squad numbers appear on the team ratings/morale widgets? This would be especially useful for opposition players, because I like to keep an eye on their formation screen and ratings, but I don't know who is who unless I know their squad number.

It should be so easy to include this.

Why don't squad numbers appear on the team ratings/morale widgets? This would be especially useful for opposition players, because I like to keep an eye on their formation screen and ratings, but I don't know who is who unless I know their squad number.

Good suggestion!

I made this tactic using the Tactic Creator so I'm sure these are the default numbers. I chose 3-5-2 at the basis of my formation and haven't moved any players, it's a flat 3 defence, 5 midfield, 2 strikers. Most of the team is OK except number 3 in the middle of midfield.

Defence, left to right, is: 5 - 2 - 4. Giving the central midfielder 4 or 5 would make much more sense so 3 is at the back.

On Previous Fms this could be fixed by, having no players selected, and then moving the shirts aroudn, just swapping them for the one you want. Work it out in advance or do it by Trial and Error

Yeah that's what I used to do. Doesn't seem to work now.