Example of why team talks are rubbish...

...Playing as manager of Russia, I gave no specific team talk to one player in particular. Can't remember why, he might have been brought off at half time if I remember correctly.

His team talk effect was as such, 'Happy, Unhappy, Angered, Felt Harshly treated, Looked Envious, Seemed Confused, Didn't seem to be listening'

.......

There's been a few like this. Team talks seem to work once, and then never a second time again in the same situation and appear quite random. Basically, just saying angry at half time regardless of score is the only way to fire any of my players up. I really wish there were a team talk that could fire the players up from the off. The only one I've seen motivate my players from the start is, pick up where you left off, or I expect a win, if you are heavy favourites....and even then they never work ever again for the same player.

Please, SI, get rid of the team talks as I find them random, tedious and they hold far too much weight on any one game. I am now convinced that most gamers tactics are fine and that the team talk is the main cause of failure in football manager.

For instance, I have a pretty good IFK Hassleholm squad in the Swedish leagues and played recently at home to PSV in the UEFA cup. 3-0 down at half time I used the angry team talk. The game ended 6-4 in my favour. I've never scored 6 goals in one half before, and very rarely score 6 goals in an entire game.

The route of my problems is motivation, if my players can go out and score 6 goals against PSV, why can't they do that week in week out?? If anyone has any advice to get my players motivated from the off I'd be happy to hear it, because I'm tired of poor average ratings all the time because my players aren't, "fired up"....

The route of my problems is motivation, if my players can go out and score 6 goals against PSV, why can't they do that week in week out??

You have answered your own question.

The key is to say the right things to the right players, at the tight times. If this means keeping paper notes my your computer with details of how a player reacts when you say certain things, then so be it. Sounds a little sad/obsessed, but if it helps you get the best out of your players, who cares?

Just a thought....can you speak Russian?!....

Just a thought....can you speak Russian?!....

Does that have an effect on teamtalks in game? Because that would be awesome.

Just a thought....can you speak Russian?!....

And maybe some languages should take longer to learn than others. For example, Russian is damn difficult, but many British people know small amouts of French, Spanish or Italian, so the game could recognise this and it could become a fluent language in the game faster than other languages, etc

And maybe some languages should take longer to learn than others. For example, Russian is damn difficult, but many British people know small amouts of French, Spanish or Italian, so the game could recognise this and it could become a fluent language in the game faster than other languages, etc

I like this idea! So people who come from certain countries find their neighbours languages easier to learn. For instance Americans might be more inclined to learn Spanish and Portugese as many South Americans speak these languages.

You have answered your own question.

The key is to say the right things to the right players, at the tight times. If this means keeping paper notes my your computer with details of how a player reacts when you say certain things, then so be it. Sounds a little sad/obsessed, but if it helps you get the best out of your players, who cares?

That was part of my problem though, I keep a reminder of what team talk works well and when, but it only seems to work well once or twice. I find it's all pot luck if a team talk works well ever and I find myself performing individual team talks, which make a mockery of the "team talk".

I've worked out that there are two kinds of team talks. The moral booster and the motivational. However, there isn't a team talk, specific or group, that can motivate or fire up my players from the off. So, I have to wait until half time before I can say angry, and they go out fired up....or at least three of them do.

Just a thought....can you speak Russian?!....

....and, yes I can speak Russian in the game. I learned it in about 6 months.

That was part of my problem though, I keep a reminder of what team talk works well and when, but it only seems to work well once or twice. I find it's all pot luck if a team talk works well ever and I find myself performing individual team talks, which make a mockery of the "team talk".

I've worked out that there are two kinds of team talks. The moral booster and the motivational. However, there isn't a team talk, specific or group, that can motivate or fire up my players from the off. So, I have to wait until half time before I can say angry, and they go out fired up....or at least three of them do.

Yes I know what you mean. Although slightly off-topic, I find that changing my pre-match team talks every few games keeps my team on their toes. If I say the same thing for too many games in a row, they play very poorly.

I think the worst part about team talks is that IRL they mean very little. Anyone who has played organized sports knows this. Players before games do their own thing and have their own rituals - focusing in on upcoming game, listening to music, taking a pre-game nap, etc. There are a few words from manager or certain players, but the reality is that pre-game motivation for a player is largely internal. They will listen to tactical instructions from a manager, but motivational speeches?

Can you imagine a scenario that has a team up 2-0 at halftime, the managers says "I'm pleased", and this leads them to tanking the second half? I'm not saying that managers don't play a role in keeping a team motivated, just that it doesn't happen with a few words spoken before, in the middle, and after games. It slowly builds over weeks and months, so players are ready and motivated before and during game without manager needing to make sure he gets his speeches spot on. So why can a few words spoken at half time cause your team to either 1. blow a solid lead? or 2. make an amazing comeback?

And maybe some languages should take longer to learn than others. For example, Russian is damn difficult, but many British people know small amouts of French, Spanish or Italian, so the game could recognise this and it could become a fluent language in the game faster than other languages, etc

try learning Chinese

Wolfsong's team talk guide will help.

The fact we need that much depth to a guide in order to figure out half-time talks speaks for itself.

Wolfsong's team talk guide will help.

I read this once. Whilst I appreciate the effort taken to compile this much material on a critical subject of FM, I didn't see anything in Wolfsongs essay that I hadn't previously thought about and implemented.

The criticisms of the team talk are summed up by Boywonder, a few words from the manager at half time or before the game does not decide whether your team loses after being 3-0 up, or wins after being 3-0 down.

Why didnt they vary the team talks for 09:\?

i would like to see them keep the team talk feature but would like them to expand it:)

Sorry to bring this thread back to the top, but I have an example of why never to listen to the assman regardless of his motivational rating.

I just this minute played a UEFA cup 1st round knockout game against Fiorentina. I asked the assman, who has 17 for motivating, he suggested, Pressure is off. So I thought, that sounds great, they'll be more relaxed. How wrong I was....

The game started tentatively enough, until the 10th minute. My best defender scores an own goal, then things went progressively worse....by half time I was 4-0 down....the the 2nd was a mistake by my right back, the 3rd was a pen after my centre back fouled their striker, the 4th was a freak goal as their striker appeared to nod the ball on only for it to go over my goal keepers head.

The only reason they didn't score more than 1 goal in the 2nd half was because Fiorentinas manager gave a bad team talk. And, yes, you guessed it, the 5th was a pen after another one of my defenders playing like a nervous schoolboy on his first day at school wrecklessly hacked down their player.

The game ended with Fiorentina having 5 shots on goal all game, with 4 clear cut chances created. I had 4 shots on target, with 5 clear cut chances. But of course, this being football manager, when ever my defenders get in the box the keeper either saves the shot, or my striker balloons the ball over the bar....

Moral of the story is to just shoot the assman so he can't open his mouth.

i would be happy to do away with all team talks including media, considering the amount of bugs in the game and the limited amount of answer and reply's it is pointless..

Lets get the ME right, and useing a system that goes by player skill, morale, team blend and tactics..

Having said that you only have to look at Cleon and what he done with Sheff Utd to know if you get it all right this game is as easy as riding a bike..