I'm Such a Loser

I've got the rope round my neck, and am on the verge of kicking the chair out from beneath my feet. I'm such a loser.

I've played CM/FM since 97/98 yet in that time have won maybe four trophies? A league title with Oldham, and the Champions League with Chelsea. I think I've won one or two other trophies but that's it. I'm coming to the end of my tether. Each carnation of FM brings fresh hope as I tell myself I will bring glory to a chosen team. It's probably partly to do with the fact that I insist on managing League One/Two teams, as I like small squads and I'm very familiar with this level being a Swindon Town fan.

Being a Swindon fan I'm used to glory, so my time with FM is making me despair. I'm contemplating one last shot with FM08 before the new one to win a trophy and not be branded a failure by flatmates, peers and even my own girlfriend. Anyone care to suggest a team where I cannot fail? Please bare in mind a game with Notts Forest brought 8 draws in the first 10 games - a team that really should walk the league. Forest fans are probably amazed to hear that someone is potentially worse than Calderwood, but alas it's true. I'm afraid I haven't any screenshots to prove my hopelessness, as it's just too painful to look at...

A team that wont fail? Steaua.

Manchester united! I hope you are joking

Try Rangers or Celtic. It's pretty hard not to win something with them.

Being a Swindon fan I'm used to glory,

It could be worse, you could support Oxford.

Any big team, used in conjunction with Kimz "No Tweaking" tactic (In the T&T Forum) should quite easily bear fruit.

If you want to do it all yourself you should maybe spend some time reading through the very good articles in T&T which teach you how to implement your own tactics into the game. It's a forum that's certainly worth a look.

Download Knaps tactic and go play as Shakhtar the challenge is europe but with loads of cash the league should be easy. The same tactic used with Arsenal who have a great team I cant see how you could not fail to win a few trophies. The tactic is the best I have ever used and has even bought countless trophies to my Crewe side. With teams lower down the leagues I think its all about buying players that can be sold on for a big profit and doing this until you get to the prem.

Being crap is fun too, makes those wins all the more enjoyable!

I'm pretty sure Lyon is the easiest team in the game.

Being crap is fun too, makes those wins all the more enjoyable!

Totally agree

I kinda feel your pain......I've played this game a decent amount (I'd say 20 seasons), and I've won about 4 or 5 major trophies.....to be fair though....most of my time was in the Championship or League 1 (Leicester and Nottingham Forest, respectively). I still have found many more ways to play and I have 4 saves going on at the same time right now (LLM, Forest, Arsenal (my fave team), and Chelsea(from PSV)) and I still find myself playing one of my saves everyday (I have no life) and having fun doing it......so my advice to you find some fun in the little things (mainly wins), as it's not all about trophies......ok it is, but it doesn't have to be

I suck at FM too and it borders completely demoralising at times mate. I rarely win anything in the game - although in FM05 I was awesome for some reason. My all conquering Villa team were almost unstoppable. I won the league about 4 times and the Champions League twice I think in about 5 years. Chevanton and Saviola were an amazing striking partnership.

It could be worse, you could support Oxford.

ironically I've won the league cup twice and the FA cup in consecutive seasons with Oxford in 08

A team that wont fail? Steaua.

I failed with them I think I finished fifth in the league and got knocked out of everything else before I lost my job. Ah good times.

Bayern Munich is pretty easy doemstically, but very difficult to achieve in continental competition.

Being a Swindon fan I'm used to glory

I take it you missed out the word "not" from that sentence.

Maybe we should start some sort of "I suck at FM" support group.

Think it speaks volumes for the game that we all keep playing, Im terrible but despite that play hour after hour. It's kinda strange I cant think of anything else offhand that I would persist with for this long with so little improvement.

As for teams I think Celtic or Rangers have got to be your best bet, they both tend to win something every year.

There's a member called isuckatfm and I think they started a thread earlier this year about how bad they were and invited people to come along and tell us all how bad they were, it was very popular, might have got lost in the forum change though.

Its very popular in the LLM forum to 'boast' at how mediocre you are

Aye, I reckon the LLM forum is just a brag forum really, but in the same sense as inverted snobbery. People can go to brag about how crap a team they have chosen to manage

ironically I've won the league cup twice and the FA cup in consecutive seasons with Oxford in 08

ironically I won the champions league 3 times in a row with Oxford

I must be a sucker for punishment... Gone for Tranmere to put things right and win a trophy! I am determined not to download other tactics, although I don't think there's much wrong with mine... I am just a terrible judge of player.

On FM07 my big-money signings for Chelsea included Defoe, Beattie and Sidwell (before Chelsea signed him)!

TNS. You CAN'T go wrong.

Copenhagen

I must be a sucker for punishment... Gone for Tranmere to put things right and win a trophy! I am determined not to download other tactics, although I don't think there's much wrong with mine... I am just a terrible judge of player.

On FM07 my big-money signings for Chelsea included Defoe, Beattie and Sidwell (before Chelsea signed him)!

Kick the chair, or manage tranmere....tough call

Lyon, Inter and Bayern Munich are easy teams.

... I am just a terrible judge of player. ...

Hold the chair! That's correctable.

Ask yourself a couple of questions:

Which attribute group is more important, the Physical group, the Mental group, or the Technical group?

What are the three attributes you want to have high for most if not all of your players?

Which do you rate most importantly: statistics (such as average rating, goals scored), attributes, PPM's, or a scout's report?

Do you scout-for-3-matches with two or more scouts before purchasing a player, or do you buy players without scouting them at all?

. . . .

Personally, back in the day, I think the match engine was ruled by the Physical, and Pace was the one attribute I had to have. I was able to judge pretty solidly by attributes alone, and it wasn't much necessary to scout.

In the modern game, all of that has changed.

I think that the Mental attribute group is the key to success.

Within that, I think Decisions, Determination, Team Work, and Work Rate are key across all of my players.

PPM's have become a valuable commodity that I make sure to judge a player on, in addition to his attributes ..

.. and I've really come to rely on my scouts much more in later versions. Remember, a four-star rating means "average starter for your team as they currently are" .. so if you're Manchester United, a Wayne Rooney is going to get four stars, and you're never going to see a seven-star player. However, as Tranmere or Swindon, you really don't want to waste your time on three-star players; four-stars are a must for your starting lineup, and if a player isn't five or six stars, he's not going to be much use to you as you try to climb up the divisions.

From the get-go, I have scouts out, and every player I short-list I instruct my top scout or assistant manager to "Watch For 3 Matches" .. you can get a lot of good information.