Probably, the Best half time talk ever

I was playing in the semi-final of champions cup against Milan. Won the first leg away 3 - 1.

Second leg at home, was 3 - 0 up at half time. Half time team talk was "thrilled".

Milan score 2 goals within 10 ten minutes of second half starting. I was playing a 4-1-3-2 so decided to change to 4-1-4-1. Slightly more defensive.

I score from corner, thinking to myself, should be okay now.

I don't think my team kicked the ball for the rest of the game. Milan proceed to score 4 goals in last 18 minutes despite me changing tactics again.

the game is odd sometimes, id like to know what else the game takes into account when.

your morale is superb, the oppositions is very poor

you have a far superior team

you are sitting pretty at the top, they are bottom

you are on a winning streak they are on a losing streak

and you stilll lose, i know it can hppen in real life and 'its football' but how do you code that, just a random number the ***** up the rest of the equation to add the radnomness of football.

Never ever tell them you're thrilled at half-time. Even if you're 10-0 up. If you've got a two goal or better lead, be "pleased".

I don't think my team kicked the ball for the rest of the game. Milan proceed to score 4 goals in last 18 minutes despite me changing tactics again.

The half-time team talk in two-legged matches is a bit of a minefield. Had a similar situation in a Champions League game, where my team stopped playing.

It's a known issue (I raised it in the bug forum at the time).

Check what the Assistant manager says in the Team Talk Feedback, in my case they all got upset because I said "don't let your performance drop", which the players didn't like at all. If you were "Thrilled", they probably relaxed and stopped playing.

This is what is known as 'EA's 4th Quarter comeback AI' Most notably feature in their Madden games where the computer decides to keep the game close, but instead of doing it throughout the game, it decides to do it in the final quarter of the game. You may be leading by 5 TD's going in to the 4th Quarter, with no turnovers, but about 10 plays into the Quarter the scores will be level. This has been tested by Madden-gamers by having a team of 99 rated players play against a team of 12 rated players and the same thing happened. EA were asked to comment on the findings, "We know of nothing wrong with our game, we will now charge you $80 for the next in the series, even though it is exactly the same as the one 2 years ago".

Seems some element of FM has actually become self-aware and is conspiring with EA to create SkyNet.

I was 5-0 at home against Leyton Orient, 12 minutes later it was 5-5, so realistic.

Im getting pretty annoyed with this on my Rushden game. I think its my bad tactical setup.

If Carlsberg did team talks eh

This is what is known as 'EA's 4th Quarter comeback AI' Most notably feature in their Madden games where the computer decides to keep the game close, but instead of doing it throughout the game, it decides to do it in the final quarter of the game. You may be leading by 5 TD's going in to the 4th Quarter, with no turnovers, but about 10 plays into the Quarter the scores will be level. This has been tested by Madden-gamers by having a team of 99 rated players play against a team of 12 rated players and the same thing happened. EA were asked to comment on the findings, "We know of nothing wrong with our game, we will now charge you $80 for the next in the series, even though it is exactly the same as the one 2 years ago".

Seems some element of FM has actually become self-aware and is conspiring with EA to create SkyNet.

I was 5-0 at home against Leyton Orient, 12 minutes later it was 5-5, so realistic.

Off topic a tad but which Madden is that? I've got 07 and 06 for the 360 and 05 and 03 for the Gamecube and I've never had a problem like that. All that I notice is that in the 4th the opposition try more desperate and attacking plays to try and claw back the points. Like running/throwing on 4th rather than punting, playing for conversions and onside kicks to recover possession. Realistic really.

Same with FM's AI I think. When things get desperate then the opposition will throw caution to the wind in an attempt to get something out of the game. Why not? At 5 goals down with only a small amount of time left what's to lose by going for it? I do it when I play. If I'm more than two goals down with 10 mins left then I'll stick more people up front, play direct and more attacking. Sometimes you manage to claw something back.

It's not amazingly fun when it happens to you, but it is reasonably realistic that they try and that it sometimes works. If it happens every time then maybe there's a problem but the odd comeback here and there does not amount to evidence of a flaw.

It might sound a bit samey but I think it's a matter of user tactics than an AI flaw. Or perhaps more accurately a case of a lack of response in the User tactics. If the opposition drastically change what they're doing then you can't expect your current tactic to be as effective as it was, even if it has given you a huge lead. Positionally there'll be different players marked/unmarked, making different runs, getting the ball delivered to different area's of the pitch and different heights. The entire tempo and passing style might change, they might suddenly start sticking the boot in on your players and so on. And all these changes are even more important in the final minutes. With the players being naturally more tired at this point a few key substitutions can really shake things up.

That said, the occasional last gasp goal is just a bit of bad luck

this just happened to me ffs, i beat madrid 3-1 away in the champions league 1st knockout round, in the 2nd leg its 1-1 at half-time then in the 2nd half madrid score 2 more. it went to extra time, in the 117th minute Jimenez scores for me then friggen saltado scores in the 120th min for madrid to win on away goals

I only praise them at the end of the game,never at half time. Thats a receipe for diaster as you found out losing like you did.

Depends what my initial team-talk was and the odds of us winning. In a game where we were maybe 10-1 against to win and I said 'No Pressure' at the start, if we're 3 or 4 up thrilled works well. The rest of the time its a don't get complacent unless we're +4 up.

Second leg at home, was 3 - 0 up at half time. Half time team talk was "thrilled".

Wonder what Milans team talk was like?

Im getting pretty annoyed with this on my Rushden game. I think its my bad tactical setup.

Ooooh I'm Rushden as well.

I know how you feel about the comebacks.

2-0 up against Darlington...lose 2-4

2-0 up against Accrington....lose 2-5.

On a side note, Stuart Beavon becomes rather good, you can get him from Weymouth (if he hasn't moved yet). He got me 20 goals in my first season in League 2.

Off topic a tad but which Madden is that? I've got 07 and 06 for the 360 and 05 and 03 for the Gamecube and I've never had a problem like that.

I've nto played Madden games, or any recent EA Sports games, but I remember this kind of 'rubber-band' AI happening in early editions of their games. You could be playing NBA Live 99, leading by 20 points in the 3rd or 4th quarter and suddenly Shaquille O'Neal, your big badass dunker, MISSES (???) 5 slam dunks in a row. He'd do the dunk animation but instead of the ball going into the net, it would bounce of the rim!

How is it even possible to MISS a slam dunk, let alone as Shaq?? This is an example of many occurences across the EA Sports board of games.

I've only ever given a thrilled half time team talk once and that was an accident when I was not concentrating, saw the teamtalk screen and thought it was full time. We still won, but I don't intend to use it ever deliberately!

Check wolfgangs (sp) team talks guide. I think it is in the tactics and training forum. If you read it properly it can help immensly and it really does work

ARGH!!! Do any of you ever look at the team formation screen doing the match? If you did you will notice that AI teams trailing behind will change to a very different tactic last 15 mins of a game, usually 4-2-4. Your tactic is most likely not set to match that, and so you will suffer heavily. Create a tactic with a flat 5 player defensive line coping with their 4 strikers, and at least 1 DMC dealing with any offensive midfield, and you will no longer see your opponents scoring a heap of goals in the last 15 mins

Play your own tactic and watch for the opposition tac change... then immediately change yourself... Simple!

ARGH!!! Do any of you ever look at the team formation screen doing the match? If you did you will notice that AI teams trailing behind will change to a very different tactic last 15 mins of a game, usually 4-2-4. Your tactic is most likely not set to match that, and so you will suffer heavily. Create a tactic with a flat 5 player defensive line coping with their 4 strikers, and at least 1 DMC dealing with any offensive midfield, and you will no longer see your opponents scoring a heap of goals in the last 15 mins

Play your own tactic and watch for the opposition tac change... then immediately change yourself... Simple!

That's not going to be the case every time, or maybe even half the time. It depends on what formation you start with, but I find even when my opposition are trailing and they play 4-2-4, all that does is leave humongous space for my team to play their flair/passing wing game, or poke it into the middle for my AMC or strikers to dribble into the area.

All it takes is a clearance and suddenly you have a big attacking opportunity.

However you may get problems if you've chosen man-marking and the change in formation messes it up.

If Carlsberg did team talks eh

hahaha brilliant they would probably be the bet team talks in the world.

carlsberg do sponser a football team and because they do. its the best football team in the world

It's the tactics.

I know this from experience.

I found that the tactic I used with the players I had dominated almost every team except a few.

Turns out, those few were using the same tactic.

with madden, i agree about the 4th quarter come-backs they annoy the hell outta me, i'm often up by 30+ points at 3 quarter time, only for the AI, whose offence i have restricted to less than 100 yards so far (i generally have an all-star defence and ok offence), will suddenly fall to s**t and i'll only win by a handful (or sometimes not all) the last game i played i lost the super bowl 13-10 after being 10-nil with only 2:30 on the clock. terrible.

oh, and Jesp, you're one of the reasons these forums have issues. i've seen 4 posts from you and all of them were insulting. go back to bed little boy, you got up on the wrong side.

Check wolfgangs (sp) team talks guide. I think it is in the tactics and training forum. If you read it properly it can help immensly and it really does work

I follow Wolfgangs teamtalk, and he does say that using thrilled at haltime when leading by 2 or more goals is OK.

The trouble is, Wolfgang now says that teamtalks have been re-tweaked for 8.0.2

I keep saying this but i'll say it again... It's funny how these kind of unbelievable comebacks didn't happen as much on FM 07.

Very rarely have I lost from 3-0 up at half time, seems it happens more often than it should on 08, thats why I don't play 08 and play 07.