A few suggestions for FM12.

Better/more sliders for match speeds - Basically my problem is that I like my games running pretty quickly, yet there is only one slider (there used to be two but you took it out because it was too complicated (not really, I mean if you can't get your head around that then why are you on FM?)). I have it so that there's only commentary and it runs at full speed with goal replays. I'd perfer it so that I have key moments and goal replays, but not key moment replays, just play them real time. Problem is if I turn on key stuff then they blast past really fast and it's a waste of time so can we bring back the slider for real time speed and one for match speed. It just makes it hard to say watch a replay of a goal outside of the match (like goal of the month) and it zooms past really fast and before you can even pause it to slow down the slider it's already gone and you have to just restart and hope for the best. It's annoying basically. So I'd like it so that when it's just the commentary it goes quickly (not too quickly mind so that I can read it. On max speed it's really hard to read some times... although I guess if I'm able to use key moments stuff properly I won't need it) and when nothing at all is happening it can go as it does with 1 minute a second but then when something interesting happens it slows down to 1:1 ratio and/or goes to TV view or whatever.

Rest day after a match - This was in CM in team settings as a check box then when FM came out it disappeared. Please bring it back. It's annoying having to constantly put people on rest for a day.

Pre-season training schedules - These used to be in CM (and might have been in FM I don't remember) but you could pick a option on team settings to automatically switch players to pre-season training schedules in the off-season. I would also like this to return and I would like to make an addition. I would like it so that I can make special pre-season schedules that I can assign to players in conjuction with their regular season one. You get me? So like... Neymar will be on his normal centreforwards schedule I made in the season but when the pre-season starts he switches to a schedule I made that has lots of strength work (and some football work so he stays a bit sharp) or whatever. It'd be easy to add on, just a extra drop down with the players training screen or a extra tab on the team training screen or whatever. I dunno. Whatever works.

More match preperation tactics options - I personally would like four to practice (two types of home and two types of away). This could be balanced by it using more training percentage so people can't just get extra stuff to use.

Two tactics options when going on holiday - This one is simple, you can say 'use current match tactics' when you go on holiday but the problem then is that you can't have them switch for home and away fixtures so it's a little bit not as good. It could just be a duo of drop downs on the holiday screen that you pick two tactics from. Easy. I ask because sometimes I like to just fastforward through those non-months in oct to dec.

Bring back the arrows on tactics for where your players go when you are not in possession, it was useful, I liked it. You got rid of it because people thought it was for player runs, like it is now, but just inform them.... or let us do both? Not complicated. Again, if it's too confusing you shouldn't be playing FM.

Better negotiating with clubs - It's rubbish right now when clubs are trying to buy your players. They ask what you want, you say a price and then say get lost (maybe I highballed you for my player but so what, tell me that and come back with what you would like to pay). There's zero back and forth. Signing a player should be like negotiating the contract is. That's what it is like IRL. I want at least *some* feedback. We might not actually be that far apart but it seems unless you undervalue your player (compared to what I have to pay to buy) they just go away and that's it. It's *so* annoying. Also, when I literally offer a player to a club for nothing because I just want him and his wages gone and I get no takers... ... ... really? No one on the entire planet wants a *free* player? Really? Not one? This should also apply to when I offer him at really, really low value too.

'B' teams in Spain - Are they really that disconnected to the first team? I always thought they were like reserve teams that get to play proper football. I really don't like getting no say their training or aything. It's also annoying when some scrub player I don't want is listed as 'indispensible' or something to the 'B' team and acts like that's what *I* think and they want new deals and more games etc etc. It's like... shut up... you're in the 'B' team.

Scout ratings should be the same no matter your club level. It can get confusing when you're at a club you've been building up and peoples ratings keep changing or whatever. Is that because he sucks or we're getting better? I don't know, no one tells me. 5 gold stars should always been the best players. If you're at a rubbish side use all those silver and bronze stars you never see in scout reports. THen you'll learn like that 3 bronze stars is awsome for right at the bottom level of football and as your team progresses you can be wanting guys with more and more stars. Does that make sense?

Scout report comparisons - I'd like to pick who they are being compared to. It would help avoid them always being compared to the best guy that happens to have that position down as one of his positions, like Rooney and AMC, I never play him there and I have better AMCs on my books based off stats conducive to the role but because his CA is 6,000 it's always him a player is compared to when I'd rather compare him to a specific player like the one I am trying to replace or get a understudy for. It could just be an extra drop down next to the position one on the report.

Citizenship papers - Standardise the time please. I got three players get them in one season. One took 10 days after moving to the country, another took 1 and a half months, and the last took THREE and a half months. That would not stand in real life, you'd be driving down there and throwing a brick through thier windows. Just make it take a week for 14 days or something... or almost instant because I'd be asking for the papers before I even had the days in real life so I can get them sent off as soon as possible. Also have random citizenship for players. Stuff happens, like they get married or what have you, it's not exactly wierd to get married, even if this only could apply to regens.

Agents - Can we make them more reasonable please? I don't like it when they ask for a salary then want signing on fees/agent fees that are far, far beyond that salary and they won't take the lower on and the whole deal falls through. Weak.

Loan/exchange negotiations - You get one shot and I'm sick of players being sent away on exchange or something and a huge deal falls through because the turd player on your team wanted a slightly higher goal bonus or some garbage. I'd also like to be able to stress to players sometimes how much I really, really, REALLY don't want them at my club and how when I say 'is no longer required' I literally mean you will literally never play another minute of football for me again and you have 3 years left on your deal so seriously super bad just take the offer. It's especiallly grating when it's a good club or when the player is not as good as he thinks he is and a club at a apropriate level for his talent are trying to sign him. I get it can happen sometimes (Winston Bogarde) but it happens way too much in FM.

Regens - Every year there's something wrong with them. They have no speed, they have no strength, this year I beleive it's a lack of technique and flair and such. Seriously, when you're alpha/beta testing just start a game and set it to go on holiday for 20 or 30 years and come back and look at the players, make a note of whatever the wierd thing this year is and fix it. Regens having kids would be nice too.... although I've never got past 10 or 15 years so maybe they do... I heard a rumor that if you play long enough your son will come through the academy.

Stats - Can you educate the raters on what they're worth please? I'm sure some think a 10 is rubbish and some think 10 is supposed to be totally average. It's especially prevelant with the jumping stat that is a representation of a persons hieght. 10 should be whatever average height is (5'10?) and 11 is say 5'11 and 12 is 6ft and 13 is 6'1 and so on and so on. That should cover you up to like almost 7ft tall. They could then factor in actual jumping ability, like how Chicharito and Aguero have a good leap but are short so you could give them say 11 or 12 or something. As an aside for the whole uniformity on the stats thing. Hernandez jumping is 13 and Aguero's is 7. He is 5'8 and Hernandez is 5'9... why a *6* point difference? Niether is a terrible leaper.

13 as a rating is a good example. Many people think 13 is quite a poor rating (for top flight players) where I know I've been in the data thread talking about a player and the rater argues that although he agrees with me that a pleyer is good at something the 13 stat is entirely sufficent as it's well above an average/normal score of 10. See what I mean. Perhaps you could put out a sheet with a few ratings of players who are indisputible and could be used as a benchmark for rankings like Xavi, Casillas, Messi, Ronaldo and Vidic or whoever you want. This is aside from my own beleif that ratings are out of control. I beleive your 19's and 20s should be the pinnacle of football history, not just of players playing. Like when you see guys in really low leagues for 17 or 18 for a stat and it's like... not really, else he wouldn't be at such a low level. Just think about it. 18 is especially bad for it. I just fired up the game and put 20 for finishing, RvN and Huntelaar popped up, that's fair I guess. Go to 18 and you get guys like... Umberto Eusepi... he plays for Pavia in Serie C... yet according to someone out there he is as good a finisher as Fatty Ronaldo... a legendary, literally legendary finisher... or better yet Stian Nikodemussen who plays in the Norwegian 3rd division yet has 19 and is therefore as good a finisher as David Villa (and *almost* as good as Ronaldo even at his peak I would assume)... I don't think so. I don't mean this in a 'go to the data thread and argue for a reduction' sense but more a this sort of thing is rife across all stats. What I'm saying is that there's a whole spectrum of numbers 1-20 well actually 1-100 because I'm sure that's what the ratings are actually in but my point still stands. There's a lot of bunching up for certain numbers (10-13) and hardly any for 1>5 etc. You need to release guidelines on what the numbers are really supposed to mean. I'm bored of seeing scrub trash defenders with as good a finishing stat as some strikers. It doesn't make sense.

And tell those damned Brazilian raters to keep thier coaches in check. This game makes it seem like you could go to Brazil and throw a stone in some random direction and hit one of the best coaches or scouts *on the planet*.

Also, no more apples in the vending machine please.

That is all for now, thank you for your time. If I have any other ideas I will come back and add them. Hopefully I have a couple here that'll get added to my list of stuff I managed to change.

I like some of your ideas. I've been thinking in some of them the same way that you do.

Specially the ones concerning the contract negociations, the "B" teams, the scouts, the loans and exchange negotiations, the agents fee, the FREDs quality over the years and the ratings in general.

I'm very much concerned about the ratings. I don't think that the way it's implemented in the game is the best way to simulate the greatest players. See Messi. In reality is awesome and in the game is a player like many others.

I agreed that it's unrealistic that some player in a 3rd divison of a small country would be almost as good finisher as one of the greatest finishers of all time. Dispite the fact that eventually all other ratings are crap and at the end he would never score a goal anyway.

I think that almost all ratings should be in between 5 and 15. Below 5 and above 15 should only happen in some very special cases. Only world class players and some good player would have some ratings above 15.

Example: The way it is now there's a bunch of players that could driblle like Messi and that's totally untrue in reality. Messi should have 20 at driblling and nobody else in the game, maybe 1-2 19 (C.Ronaldo?), 2-3 18 and so on.

The training also should be extra difficult for each level up. Specially above 15.

But at the end I see that this is just a game, not reality. I love this game but there are many things to improve in future releases.

But because it's very difficult to simulate the reality many things in the game are just a compromise and we have to live with them till they are improved.

I'd love it if players would make comments to the media, actually. That happens a lot (Szeszeny's latest rant, for instance) and could really make man managing more interesting. It'd also be interesting if you had to make a player available to the press after a match; right now I can control the press conferences, but an unhappy player might not be able to do the same. As players are more and more in the public eye, it'd make sense to make "Media Handling" a stat to watch.

It would make more sense to do that, or more realisticly let you pick some players from the squad to do t he conference with you, as they do irl. If you're in a mood you could pick two of the youth players like Fergie did once, it annoyed the media.

Another thing I just remembered is I'd like the option to play my Reserves in tournaments like the League Cup like teams do in real life. It could be on a game by game basis or you turn the whole thing over. Perhaps letting the kids get to the final for example and then giving that game to the 1st team could have big morale ramifications etc, things like that.

Also I'd really appreciate some kind of acknowledgement that this has been seen. I didn't type over 2.200 words for fun.

Another thing I just remembered is I'd like the option to play my Reserves in tournaments like the League Cup like teams do in real life. It could be on a game by game basis or you turn the whole thing over. Perhaps letting the kids get to the final for example and then giving that game to the 1st team could have big morale ramifications etc, things like that.

Also I'd really appreciate some kind of acknowledgement that this has been seen. I didn't type over 2.200 words for fun.

I'm also amazed that your good suggestions have received so few replies. But maybe that's the fate of good suggestions, as most people are more motivated to state their disagreement rather than just add a '+1' or something.

Your quoted suggestion should however be in the game already. As a human user you can obviously field your reserves whenever you like while the AI also does that at times.

Vicente, i pretty much agree with all your ideas.

Ratings are a tricky one because of how they play out in the ME. It IS plausible that a lower division player had great finishing ability. The reason he never played at a higher level is due to his crapness in other areas, specifically mental attributes. But i do think stats should be toned down or completely re-evaluated, for managers aswell.

You must realise that it's the sheer size of your post that's put people off it? The actual SI employees who read these forums very rarely reply to any ideas, but do make a note of anything new in their database. All the casual readers have seen your wall of text and thought "Oh noes".

More match preperation tactics options - I personally would like four to practice (two types of home and two types of away). This could be balanced by it using more training percentage so people can't just get extra stuff to use.

I think a smoother idea would be that it defaults to your two or three tactics to work on depending on whether your next game is home or away. There are a couple of things that could be improved by this. In pre-season, you'd either have to mix up your friendlies a bit, or it would have to look at all 4 or 6 of them. The holiday idea of yours is another area that could be factored. Alternatively, I'd like to see it changed as to who is favourite - ie, an underdog/favourite formations. Obviously, at home to Man Utd I would be less attacking than away to Norwich.

Better negotiating with clubs - It's rubbish right now when clubs are trying to buy your players. They ask what you want, you say a price and then say get lost (maybe I highballed you for my player but so what, tell me that and come back with what you would like to pay). There's zero back and forth.

I totally agree with this. I feel as though I have to pay a lot more for players than anyone ever sells them for.

Scout ratings should be the same no matter your club level. It can get confusing when you're at a club you've been building up and peoples ratings keep changing or whatever. Is that because he sucks or we're getting better? I don't know, no one tells me. 5 gold stars should always been the best players. If you're at a rubbish side use all those silver and bronze stars you never see in scout reports. THen you'll learn like that 3 bronze stars is awsome for right at the bottom level of football and as your team progresses you can be wanting guys with more and more stars. Does that make sense?

In a similar vein, the team reports from your assistant - why are they set so that no-one is 5 stars? Surely, if they're all relative to the team, SOMEONE should be 5 stars?

Regens having kids would be nice too.... although I've never got past 10 or 15 years so maybe they do... I heard a rumor that if you play long enough your son will come through the academy.

There is a (very small) random chance that the manager of a club will have a son come through, whether that manager is you, a real life manager, or a regen manager. What I would like to see is brothers come through the academy.

Well as long as they get seen that's all that matters. I want the game to be the best it can be. I didn't want to make threads for each one as that's just troublesome.

Your quoted suggestion should however be in the game already. As a human user you can obviously field your reserves whenever you like while the AI also does that at times.

Yeah but it's troublesome having to keep clearing my squad and blah blah blah. It also gives my Assistant some competetive games to play in, whether that makes a difference.... plus putting my reserves in the first team might bug the game and give them ideas about how good they are [not]. One quick click at the start of the season and boom, all done.

Alright then! Thanks.

now that is cool!

Excellent points, Vincente.

One smallish thing I would like to suggest is also to do with ratings. As I understand it (and if I'm wrong, this post is pointless) the rating for physios determines how well they predict how long a player will be out injured. For me the rating should determine a couple of other things:

1) The higher the rating the quicker they can help a player recover from an injury. ie not many of us could fracture a metatarsal and be back playing 5-a-side in 2 months yet how many England players have made it to major tournaments? Your 20 rated Physios get players back for World Cups, Your 15 rated physios don't.

2) The lower the rating the more likely a player is to have a reoccurance of the same injury or pick up a new injury not long after recovering from his previous one. ie a Physio with 10 rating may tell a guy with a groin strain to rest for a few weeks and treat the results of the groin strain, a top level physio does that and also deals with what led to the groin strain so it doesn't happen again.

I realise this might not sound good to a lot of players given the recent discussions about increasing injuries following 11.3 but it would make things more realistic.

Could be seperate stats, like judging pot and cur ability... Although I'd guess the worse skilled a Pshyio the worse they'd be at judging a comeback.... and tbf I kind of assumed that's what it was for a looooooooooong time, not that they're all equally good. Anyway.

Another suggestion!!!

This one has bugged me for all CMs and FMs I've ever played. I kept meaning to suggest it.

Knocks/minor injuries. I've wanted it listed on the info screen with the goals and bookings and stuff. It's so easy to miss even on slow speed sometimes, particularly in dull games with few replays. A few times I've got in at half-time or got a replay/highlight at 80 minutes and find a injured player has been running about with a pulled hamstring that, thanks to not taking him off and antagonising the injury is now a longterm injury, or it gets turned into a major one in the game like a torn hammy.

Edit: Another soloution would be to just treat knocks like severe injuries and pause the game and you can choose to sub him or not...

Did that last one get seen? 'Cause I'm done after that I think. At least for the time being. I might think of something in the future, I'll just make another thread.

Some very good suggestions there Vicente

I kinda like the stars as having 4-5 stars will always mean he's a good player for a club of my level. But I agree it's frustrating to see a 4-star player suddenly turn into 2 over the summer (despite not getting promoted and the board having the same 'survive relegation' expectations).

Don't think the arrows are coming back and I'm fine with that. Think it was a good move to remove them.

One thing I've been wanting for absolute ages is more localized scouting. It's just wrong that a team in the lower reaches of the English pyramid can scout in France. The same surely applies for other countries in the database too, perhaps even more so than England. A tiny club in London should not be able to scout in France and Scotland, but in the London area.

I'm still on 10, but negotiations is such a pain. Frustrating to 'always' pay out the nose for players and get very little back. Makes no sense that when we offer quality players for 'free' nobody wants them. Also terribly frustrating we more or less have to offer out players before any bids come in (maybe this has changed for 11?). Set them as transfer listed and not wanted and some clubs usually are interested, but they 'never' bid. Yes, there are exceptions (hence the quotations marks) but they are rare.

A lot of testing goes into regens, and it's an area that is very difficult to get perfect. I think they've gotten better with this over the years though, and hopefully that will continue. I had a game that went on for a very long time on FM10 so all players in the world were regens. I thought they were overall very good. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that their (hidden) mental qualities do not stand up at all to the best players in the starting database. That was my impression at least, and that seemed to be confirmed by people looking into it more systematically.

One area that needs to be improved is AI in transfer dealings. It's a tough area to get right, I'm sure, but too often it's too easy for the human manager to sign great players for free and with no to little competition. I haven't played enough of 11 to know if this has changed a lot, but on 10 too many very good players are released and the human manager can pick them up before the AI gets seriously interested - even though I exclusively use scouts to find players (not player search after attributes and such).

Again, this has hopefully been sorted for 11 (though I suspect it has not). Match day expenses are ridiculously high, especially for lower league clubs. It's usually higher than the wages, sometimes even player+staff wages. I've done the numbers the last few seasons, and we are actually losing money by playing matches. We would be better off financially if we played in a park with no ticket or anything. That is just absurd and crazy. The wages should be the supremely biggest cost for a club, particularly so in the lower leagues.