Important Matches, What do you do

Hi Guys

I have been playing a game with Barnet in League 2. After a very peculiar first season I find myself top of the league thanks to goal difference with one game to play. There are 4 teams which could theoretically win the league still and so i could end up missing automatic promotion and ending up in the play offs. I was just wondering what people did when they had a really important match that will define a season. Do you treat the game like any other or do you do something different. Im not sure what answers im going to get and hopefully none of the nature of 'I put on a suit and play the national anthem if it is a cup final' unless thats what u really do. Just wondering how other people treat such important games as I need to make sure I dont lose.

I usually play my 11 with the best form.

go into it like any other. make sure the players you select arn't feeling under pressure though becasue they are likely to under perform.

I play my normal tactic for the must win games with the best 11 available. Then if I go 1 up I go more defensive and play counter with pacy strikers

I put on a suit and play the national anthem sorry had to be done

What I actually do is, just treat it like any other game, pick my best starting eleven, make sure that my tactics are set up correctly and use the team talk to tell any young or weak-minded players that 'I have faith' or 'No pressure'

Does the trick for me

I don't do much other than play as best as I can.....pay special attention and be careful with leads.

I pay very close attention to my use of the media and team-talks in the run up to the match.

If I've got anybody in stellar form, I'll praise him several days before the match.

If I've got a key player in poor form, I'll criticize him several days before the match.

I'll often play "Mind Games" with the opposition manager, if I can.

The pre-match team talk, I'll usually use "For The Fans!" as a base, assuming my Assistant recognizes what a key match it is.

Then I go through every player individually, and pick a personal team-talk for them:

- Pick Up Where You Left Off! - if unlocked

- Expect Better! - if unlocked

- No Pressure - low morale players, young players

- Expect a Performance - a veteran captain for whom no other talk seemed appropriate

I'll usually play it on Extended Highlights, with replays of Goals. I press SPACE as soon as somebody scores, which pauses the game during their celebration. (I wait just long enough to make sure it doesn't get ruled out.) If I want to make a tactical change, I do it then - you'll see your subs or formation changes go in before the following kickoff .. though often the game won't show me a Replay for those goals. ???

For a game I think of as "once in a lifetime", I'll play it on Full Highlights, e.g., if I made the F.A. Cup Final with a smaller team, or the Champions League Final, that sort of thing.

I'll be honest and say sometimes, if it's a champions league final or fa cup final I'll play it as a normal game but if I'm not confident in my teams ability to win and it's for promotion or the last play-off spot I'll holiday the game and then atleast I can blame my assman if I don't win

I usually play my important matches in full match mode. It takes about an hour to play one game in full match mode, not including overtimes or penalties of course. This lets me make adjustments on the fly as necessary while still being able to watch the match and get the full manager feeling.

I also may or may not have put on a full suit once for a cup final...