"I'd take a draw from this"

One thing I've noticed about myself when playing the game is how often I go into matches telling myself a draw would be an acceptable result. I think I hate losing so much that I see every draw as a positive result. But also, when I go into games I think we should win, all of a sudden, as it's game time, the opposition suddenly become better in my mind and I start to hope we can hold on for a draw.

It's ridiculous really. I feel like I'm trying to console myself with a point before the game has even been played.

You wouldn't be the first person to think this. When I'm managing a team that's doing well in a league, and am playing against one of the relegation contenders, I have a habit of changing from my preffered defensive movement to attacking movement match preparation, and telling my team that I 'expect a win' in the team talk. It never works for me, and we end up delivering a substandard performance.

Can't see anything nothing wrong with thinking that. You turn up with a point may aswell go home with at least that.

Only games I go into thinking a draw would be acceptable are the away games against the big clubs, it might be in my mind but I think the home teams have quite big advantages I believe my side can beat anyone at home but not away.

I win so often these days that I get annoyed with a draw :o

I win so often these days that I get annoyed with a draw :o

Are you the new "special one"?

Unless it's against the big sides anything but a win isn't acceptable for me.

I am fuming when I lose 1-0 or so to a mid table side and I'm not pleased with a draw either!

Are you the new "special one"?

He's always been a bit "special".

Tis true, mummy says I'm speshul.

To be fair, I only win because I'm still playing FM09 and have been playing it for so long that I've "beaten" the game.

Even when failing to secure leads in games I'm very much underdogs in, or in critical games when I need to avoid defeat much more than I need to win, I find myself pleased with what I've got.

Well with the mentality of accepting a draw every game I can only assume you subscribe to the Alex McLeish school of management?

My mentality in matches largely depends on who I'm playing and how my rivals are doing in the league. I'll always take a point from games against my close rivals, although obviously I would prefer the win, but games against lesser teams not so much. I hate losing, even to the bigger clubs.

i win so often, i almost punched my assman when he came back with a 1-1 draw against celtic.. its flaming celtic not barcalona ffs

i dont mind a draw, it keeps my unbeaten run ticking over, especially against the clubs around me, a draw against team in 2nd is good.

With new teams i always have that mentality when playing away.

Only when i have a really strong team and i know my players and the league that i start demanding a lot more from my away games.

I would only take a draw from a match if:

1) The opponent is much better than my team (generally from an upper division, or higher)

2) My team has been 'bombarded' for the whole match and hanging on for a draw

Otherwise, I always tell my team that the match can be won, or I expect them to win the match. Wouldn't it be quite self-defeatist if you enter a match just hoping for a draw?

Score draws away in Europe aren't bad results. Drawing against the big 4/5 is acceptable depending on how well I'm doing in the league at that time, but it's only in Europe that I'd ever go in thinking a draw is positive before kick off.

One thing I've noticed about myself when playing the game is how often I go into matches telling myself a draw would be an acceptable result. I think I hate losing so much that I see every draw as a positive result. But also, when I go into games I think we should win, all of a sudden, as it's game time, the opposition suddenly become better in my mind and I start to hope we can hold on for a draw.

It's ridiculous really. I feel like I'm trying to console myself with a point before the game has even been played.

Should change your username to Alex Mike-Leish

Most of the time, I see anything other than a win as a poor result. Even in games against bigger teams, if we're at home, I'm disappointed with anything other than a win. The only time I expect anything else is if I'm playing against a team in a division or more above me, and even then I'm hopeful of scraping it somehow.

Just to be clear, I approach most games thinking a win is the only acceptable result. It's when the game is about to kick-off and my tactics and line-up are all finalised that I suddenly bottle it and start thinking I'd be happy enough with a draw. It's not the best feeling but it does make every win feel like a bonus.

i'm happy with a draw as man utd.

away from home at a title rival

away from home in the champions league, but only a score draw

I go in to every single game no exception thinking "id take a draw from this" lol

Related to this, I also find that I tend to look down the league table at the clubs below me and what I need to do to stay clear of them, rather than looking up at what I need to do to catch those above me.

I'm very much a glass-half-empty type of manager. And person!

with struggling teams a draw can be vital to keep moral up (or at least avoid that it goes down massively), but if i´m generally performing within expectations i allways go for the win. I´d rather get a late goal 1 game and score a late goal the other than take 2 draws as then i´d have 3 points instead of 1.

Another exception is going against teams close by in the standings late in the year, those are called 6 point games for a reason.

Related to this, I also find that I tend to look down the league table at the clubs below me and what I need to do to stay clear of them, rather than looking up at what I need to do to catch those above me.

I'm very much a glass-half-empty type of manager. And person!

This is exactly what I do lol

Second season with Granada CF, I've drawn a third of my matches so far, with 30 games played. On the plus side, I've also won 20 and sit top of the league.

This unbeaten run in the league, carrying on from the previous season, has now seen my team go 39 matches without defeat. That said, there's been plenty of matches drawn that we should have won, plus matches we deserved to lose, but managed to scrape a point.

Having gone unbeaten for so long though, I'm actually dreading the next defeat. Whilst it's inevitable, with Barcelona and Real Madrid a point and three points behind me in the league respectively, there's absolutely no room for mistakes. The way this second season has gone so far, it'll go right to the final game between my Granada side and the "big two".

Second season with Granada CF, I've drawn a third of my matches so far, with 30 games played. On the plus side, I've also won 20 and sit top of the league.

This unbeaten run in the league, carrying on from the previous season, has now seen my team go 39 matches without defeat. That said, there's been plenty of matches drawn that we should have won, plus matches we deserved to lose, but managed to scrape a point.

Having gone unbeaten for so long though, I'm actually dreading the next defeat. Whilst it's inevitable, with Barcelona and Real Madrid a point and three points behind me in the league respectively, there's absolutely no room for mistakes. The way this second season has gone so far, it'll go right to the final game between my Granada side and the "big two".

But I have this fear of losing a game and the team just collapsing and losing the title. How I've stayed unbeaten in the league I'll never know, some very lucky ends to games (both games against Real and Barca I got an injury time equaliser) and I fear my squad will suffer with being one foot into the semis of the Copa del Rey and into the knockout rounds of the Champions League. The extra games are going to bite me in May and I'm already struggling to put out 7 subs on the bench.

Looks like you have some tough choices to make! You might have to sacrifice one competition! I know one season I was in Europe with a very thin Leeds squad, and although we made it to the Euro Cup quarter finals we finished 13th in the Prem that season! It was only 2 or 3 points from us finishing in the top half, but the players didn't have enough left! The Cup run helped my managerial reputation and I moved on, but the extra money from finishing higher in the table vs a cup run might have been better for the club, in the long-term.

If you are playing your top rivals away from home I think a draw is always going to be a good result. I mean, yeah, play to win, but 80,000 fans in the Bernabeu whistling you is bound to have some effect, and its good that the game attempts to objectively reflect that.

I'm in a similar sort of position with Tenerife only I have a larger gap and its not Barca and Real breathing down my neck but Real's choking rivals Atletico. Just scraped a 1-1 draw against them away from home so my record is now 15 wins and 4 draws from my 19 games.

But I have this fear of losing a game and the team just collapsing and losing the title. How I've stayed unbeaten in the league I'll never know, some very lucky ends to games (both games against Real and Barca I got an injury time equaliser) and I fear my squad will suffer with being one foot into the semis of the Copa del Rey and into the knockout rounds of the Champions League. The extra games are going to bite me in May and I'm already struggling to put out 7 subs on the bench.

Looks like you have some tough choices to make! You might have to sacrifice one competition! I know one season I was in Europe with a very thin Leeds squad, and although we made it to the Euro Cup quarter finals we finished 13th in the Prem that season! It was only 2 or 3 points from us finishing in the top half, but the players didn't have enough left! The Cup run helped my managerial reputation and I moved on, but the extra money from finishing higher in the table vs a cup run might have been better for the club, in the long-term.

If you are playing your top rivals away from home I think a draw is always going to be a good result. I mean, yeah, play to win, but 80,000 fans in the Bernabeu whistling you is bound to have some effect, and its good that the game attempts to objectively reflect that.

i never think much of it at the start of the season when its announced, but the fixture list can be either a non-issue or it can make life tough for you! For example, playing tough teams early in the season, as opposed to facing them once your team is already in some kind of form, whereas your rivals first 9 games are against the bottom 9! Or having tough matches just after Champions League fixtures. Sometimes a draw is a point earned, not 2 points dropped!

I've been lucky in that the cup draw has meant I could play a weakened side all the way to the semi finals, where I'll face mid table opposition. Also because I made a **** up of my squad registration for the Champions League, I've rotated much better this season than any before so the players that haven't picked up an injury aren't too tired. I'm better equipped to deal with 2-3 games a week than I was last year and I didn't miss out by a lot, so hopefully I'll be able to continue the blistering form

I'm managing Atletico Madrid - 6 or 7 seasons in. I basically expect to win all my home games, away games I'd take a draw from the likes of:

Real Madrid

Barcelona

Valencia

Ath. Bilbao

Malaga

Real Betis

Sevilla

Villarreal.

I'm happy with draws against them, but no one else. Maybe Real Sociedad as they always seem to outplay me home and away.