Starting a new game - Your first steps

I love Football Manager but I will admit that I am totally useless! I was in work the other day and I was having a chat with a friend about what he does at the start of every season. Did he have a set of events that you always do no matter who your managing. Just wondering what you guys do when you start every new season.

what do you mean exactly, at the start of a brand new game? or just a new season in general? in regard to transfers? or what?

I start by going through the youth team and releasing or listing the dead ends.

Then the reserves - I make sure anyone who has the ability to play for me is given squad status and moved to the seniors.

Then I go through the seniors and make sure I have two players for every position and any extras I list or terminate.

Then I check the finances, wages specifically and prune off any over-paid players or anyone whose contract is running down.

Then I assess the staff, usually releasing most of them ..

Then I plan a pre season. I didn't used to bother with pre-seasons myself, usually allocated it to an Ass Man but in 09 it is _vital_ you get your team playing to your tactics immediately and 5-6 friendlies can be key to establishing the tone of your campaign.

After that its time to hunt the free transfers, min 10 caps, max age 32 for 'filler' and some backbone for morale and team mentality.

Then I do some scouting ..

Either to be honest! Im just curious to see what you guys do and to see if I can add it to what I do to make a bigger impact pre season

well what he said above is a pretty accurate plan

i usually tell the assistant manager to arrange the friendlies and things like that, if its a new game ill get my star players on longer contracts, check out the staff, see if i can improve them

if its a new game again ill really try and shake up my squad if i think it needs it, get the right players in for my style of play, get the scouts scouting out for young talent all over the world

i have the arsene wenger theory, buy young, develop for the future, step by step, usually comes good in the end but sometimes takes time to perfect, especially when players get impatient and i have to sell them to stop the squad getting unhappy and have to sign a new player for his position

1. Check through squad

2. Check staff

3. Assign reserve/u18 manager

4. Arrange training schedules

5. Assign scouting jobs

6. Take all players off Loan/Transfer list (if any in the squad)

i click start new game.

I pretty much follow the same routine in slightly different orders though. I look at my training first..I have my own presets that i use so i drop those in and see how the coaches I have fit around them. I usually end up scouting for new staff straight away. Friendlies are setup by Ass Man (as he always seems to do a good job at this) and then I comb through the squad and look at the Ass Man report for a quick heads up...he's normally wrong on most counts but hey...

I go through my squad and do a check to see if anybody needs to go. This includes looking through my reserves and U18s.

I look at the players with contracts that have expired/unattached to see if anybody hass slipped the net.

Do a rigorous staff check and get rid of any rubbish and bring in new better ones. Or just bring in more if staff capacity has been increased by the board.

Look through the older players and if I still want them I try to get them to reduce their wages.

Same as everyone else really.

Basically what's been said already but i'd like to really emphasise getting the coaching staff you want and fine tuning the training. Seperate schedules for attacking players and defending players at the very least. Leaving them in 'general' training won't do you any good at all.

Pre-season i want my players fit so the fitness coach is important.

assign coaches to their strengths and those that arn't upto coaching your style of footie get rid and replace. Dont have all coaches coaching everything. have them coaching no more than 2 parts of training.

Search for players out of contract!

Some bargains to be had there. Even if they're out of contract for a reason like they're quite old if you're a lower league team then there's almost always a former international or two that will bag you 15 goals or play well for you everyweek. You'd likely no have much money anyway so freebies are never bad. For example, i've just started a new game with Burnley in the 08 version with a data update and Hasselbaink has scored 9 goals for me before Christmas, he was free. Obviously look to where you need strengthening though.

do that and everything the others have said and you'll be on the right track.

Getting in some good scouts,and coaches of my choice.Setting up my tactic,asses my squad,get in players in which position there is a shortage of.Basically what everyone does