Reversing the Slump

I was just wondering when your team goes through that inevitable slump when your strikers couldnt hit a barn door and your defender think its funny to score own goals. How do you pick your side up and get out of it.

My slumps seem to go on for about 10 games and I was wondering what peoples strategies are for turning the team around once this happens.

My own strategies are getting the captain to call a players meeting about underperformance and keeping morale as high as possible (usually by not overly criticising my players when we suffer losses.)

I could be imaging things, but I often find it's a gd idea to rest the captain for a couple of games - if he goes through a bad patch, he'll often take the team down with him.

Rest him, trust your vice-captain, play a bit more defensive than you would normally, go lenient with your team-talks, and you should be okay _

GL

Have you considered it might actually be good to "overly criticise" your players after a loss?(not every one, just a the deserving ones) A less enthusiastic response too much could be seen as lack of ambition/desire on your part. If your players start to think that, then morale would surely fall.

I manage to keep morale high so they doesnt so much appear to be the problem

Hmmm if it's not morale. As I was going to say that then why not say the opposite of what you would say.

Odd as it may sound play your own team down in the media comments, as good as say you'll loose, or just randomly not play your star players, it might work a treat, I did it once. And it worked; but, but, it can seriously back fire, though the other players that player at times play a blinder if your still in a grip the star players shall you choose to leave them on the bench, may come on as super subs.

If you play the same formation all the time say ummm say a not so offensive 5-3-2 what not suprise the opposition on time only and play a super "Total Football" 3-4-3.

I was just wondering when your team goes through that inevitable slump when your strikers couldnt hit a barn door and your defender think its funny to score own goals. How do you pick your side up and get out of it.

My slumps seem to go on for about 10 games and I was wondering what peoples strategies are for turning the team around once this happens.

My own strategies are getting the captain to call a players meeting about underperformance and keeping morale as high as possible (usually by not overly criticising my players when we suffer losses.)

how do u get the captain to call a team meeting??

Many managers are too soft I find. You need to give them the hair dryer treatmeant like the most successfull managers do, eg Sir Alex Ferguson. You have to remember that it is the players that lose the games, you are only the manager. You have to get angry so they know losing is not acceptable.

how do u get the captain to call a team meeting??

It depends, as its not always available. You got to the normal player interaction screen it can be any player not just the captain or the reserves, and call them to a meeting sometimes it helps.

I'm pretty sure my team is in a slump too, but I've never seen it last this long... I used to be on a +12 goal ratio.

The strangest thing is, I loose most games 1-2, 0-1, 2-3 or even 3-4 so it's not really my strikers. Figured it'd be my defenders or goaly then, but they get the highest ratings of my whole team (7.20 and higher, all 4 defenders and GK). How can they be performing well according to their ratings, but let in so many goals?

Many managers are too soft I find. You need to give them the hair dryer treatmeant like the most successfull managers do, eg Sir Alex Ferguson. You have to remember that it is the players that lose the games, you are only the manager. You have to get angry so they know losing is not acceptable.

Yeah I agree, but after a night of one too many ales, that combined with a football session on FM was many, many hours of work down the toilet. I went mental, throughout my management of this club team I was managing I was nice, and really nice for ages. Occasionally was harsher then harsher again when needed. It was clear that is was fine to express my views. In the team talks.

But one day I lost it, each player chose team talk to "Angry"

It was a bad game, simply the lost yet again. So I lost it completely.

Then I think, if I recall correctly I fined nearly every single player a weeks wages some others x2. It was safe to say I was sacked. They say once burned twice shy from that lesson in '08 maybe it was in '07 I won't do it again. Hairdryer well for me is not ideal on the odd occasion I find its more effective. Hell even if there are on a good run morale is more than ideal, I'll have a pop at the only player with the poorest morale for no good reason. Sometimes it works, only after the obvious has option has been chosen by me again, and again, and again. I try to stay nice then I feel the hairdryer treatment works much better. When used sparringly.

Who cares if your players play well and you lose? not good enough.

There is absolutely no point in praising players if the team performs below expectations, depite their individual ratings. The only thing that counts is team performance and the last thing you want is to tell a player you are pleased with his performance when the team failed. It's your job on the line so demand better.

lol pyewackett, i know the feeling.

Obviously there is a fine line between anger and drunken fury and it seems you might have crossed it on that occasion

Yeah, I know.

Generally speaking, it's a pretty unhappy job being a manager. Short tenure, public criticism, co-workers you manage who make a lot more than you... the list goes on. I try to factor that in and treat my players as such. Praise is rarely forthcoming in my camp, yet morale is usually pretty good. So I agree with Kickballz.