How to raise player morale in FM2011

As stated above what techniques and stategies have you used to keep morale high in youur players and how have you turned morale around after a run of poor form

I usually encourage the players if they have a slender lead at half-time, at the beginning tell them they can win this game, but the best way to start morale going up is to grind out a win from somewhere.

If a player has been playing in the last few matches and his morale drops I usually tell him I'm going to rest him in the next game, he'll usually reply thanks, I think I need it and his morale increases, then if he's fit enough I'll still play him anyway.

Teamtalks. I keep checking the assistant feedback to see what effects the teamtalks are having. Praise the players when they do well, over an 8. I never use disappointing for a player who gets over a 6 even if its a defeat and my assistant tells me thats what the team should have.

Since the new patch morale doesnt seem to go down so fast. Its a lot easier to keep morale high.

i rage at them and hand out fines. Lazy stards get payed loads its not unreasonable to expect 7s

Teamtalks. I keep checking the assistant feedback to see what effects the teamtalks are having. Praise the players when they do well, over an 8. I never use disappointing for a player who gets over a 6 even if its a defeat and my assistant tells me thats what the team should have.

Since the new patch morale doesnt seem to go down so fast. Its a lot easier to keep morale high.

I do this but on thegame before the patch the morale used to go up now it doesnt seem to

Hmmm, strange. Before the patch I had that problem but after the patch its the opposite.

Ive just been on a 4 game winless run and morale was still very high. I am expected to lose every game though so that might be a factor.

Hmmm, strange. Before the patch I had that problem but after the patch its the opposite.

Maybe they have changed when the morale will go up depending on the performance. Since the patch I have only praised players who have had 7 - 7.5 as nobody has got over 8 yet. That could be the reason.

I also used to use needs to improve in training to raise morale before the patch but now the morale of that stays the same so I wonder if it has been tweaked abit and the morale will only raise in depending upon the circumstances

Begining of the game I give them a 'We can win' at home and 'good luck' away. And the feedback often says looked delighted. Half Time any player that gets over a 7 gets a 'you have faith'. All subs get a 'you have faith'. People between 6 and 7 get a sympathiese. and below that get disappointed. Usually this always gets a good response from my players.

I'm still learning myself what works well but so far so good.

I've never used the improve traing thing. In fact I never private talk to my players unless I get a message to.

Even though we are 18th in the leauge after 14 games my assistant reports that morale couldnt be any higher.

I had a four match losing streak, pre-patch, that had literally destroyed morale. In the fourth game, FIVE key players got 6.2 or less... those five all got a private chat "last performance was unacceptable"... next match those five got "expect a performance" - we won that game 4-1, and then lost only one more game in the next 24 but won 22 (admittedly the patch was released with 20 games to play and I've yet to lose in 11.3 )

Begining of the game I give them a 'We can win' at home and 'good luck' away. And the feedback often says looked delighted. Half Time any player that gets over a 7 gets a 'you have faith'. All subs get a 'you have faith'. People between 6 and 7 get a sympathiese. and below that get disappointed. Usually this always gets a good response from my players.

I'm still learning myself what works well but so far so good.

I've never used the improve traing thing. In fact I never private talk to my players unless I get a message to.

Even though we are 18th in the leauge after 14 games my assistant reports that morale couldnt be any higher.

'You have faith' for someone over a 7? really? lol... surely thats to raise morale for someone thats low/playing poorly.

Has been mentioned before - sort of unrealistic - but if you have some days in between matches - schedule a friendly against the weakest team you can find - and play it with all your low morale players. After hopefully a big win - everyone's morale spikes.

Simple answer would be - win games.

On more serious note - winning itself gives confidence, which then helps to win your next game. When team starts season with some wins in a row they may as well turn out unstoppable for the rest of the season. I always prefer having couple of easy fixtures in the beginning of new season to get into winning rhythm.

By the way, this effect may be seen IRL too. Take Dortmund in Bundesliga this year - they started well and then continued same way until winning the title. Turning around morale isn't easy neither IRL or FM and it shouldn't be.

On issue I have with the game is that when a player has "poor" morale and I go to the player talks screen under "happiness" he has nothing listed. Surely this should be improved in the next version of the game.

I always give 4 or 5 individual pep talks between games. After a game in which a player performed poorly, rather than lay into him, I tell him he's going to be rested for the next game to save him for more important fixtures. He feels better for it better for it (morale might notch up 2).

Mind you, I also make sure I have a squad of determined and professional lads with me in their favoured personnel list. I like to cut out the problem at source!