Can't win the Champions League in FM14

Hi

I can't win the CL in FM 14. Played with dortmund, psg, real madrid. Was two times in the final and lost.

Any genereall advices for the KO-Rounds when playing away?

thx

Score more goals than the opposition.

From paragraph 1 on ''Beginners guide to Football''.

Helpful ^^^

Try tightening up away from home. Look to play on the counter. Home advantage is something the hosts look to take advantage of so they will try and force the game more. Look to nullify them and exploit any weaknesses.

These attributes help and are often overlooked:

Important Matches

Pressure

vandamme22.

Are you prioritising Champions League over domestic league?

If so, are you doing so in half measures or are you completely resting everyone?

I have won the Champions League with San Marino, (also lost in the Final too), but my tactic is to completely rotate the squad in the run up to games. I have effectively 2 squads, (actually I have more than 2 squads). The idea is that everyone has great morale, everyone has great condition and mft and you can rotate players in out to make sure that come the big games, you have your strongest possible team available and much more than that, they are actually in absolute peak condition in all senses.

Does this mean that I occasionally get poorer results in Serie A games than I might otherwise expect? Yes, it absolutely does, but the thing about the league is that I have another 37 games to try and make up that lost ground. In both domestic Cups and Continental Cups there is no 2nd opportunity, (not even the 2nd leg if the 1st leg was a significantly poor result).

Rather than looking tactically for an answer, is squad management more of an area that might be improved?

[Edit]

Buggus is correct about important matches, but maybe that's your problem, (in that you keep moving on to a new club). I have lost LOADS of Finals. I mean properly loads, and every time one of my guys plays in these games then his important matches hidden attribute improves. I honestly don't pay much attention to it anymore in the knowledge that we play so many big games, (and I'm happy to play youngsters), so that even if there was an issue with this hidden attribute, then before too long it will be a strength rather than a weakness. By moving clubs, (you listed quite a few in your opening post), you effectively start from scratch each time and all the hard work you have done before is wasted. Take the longer term view rather than expecting to win immediately.

Make sure your starters are fit and you tactics are fluid/sound. Changing tactics after the group stages is never productive.

As they've said, play on the counter, if you get a goal, pack it in - you can play more aggressive at home in front of your own fans. Play clean, as the game says "your best chance is if you have 11 on the field".

Actively watch the play on the field and make incremental adjustments if needed - and have some bench flexibility in case you want to change your tactics/squad at halftime.

And loudly pray for any knockout draw that doesn't match you against Madrid or Man City.

Oh, and if you make it to the final, keep it as tight as possible and take it to PKs if necessary.

Buggus is correct about important matches, but maybe that's your problem, (in that you keep moving on to a new club). I have lost LOADS of Finals. I mean properly loads, and every time one of my guys plays in these games then his important matches hidden attribute improves. I honestly don't pay much attention to it anymore in the knowledge that we play so many big games, (and I'm happy to play youngsters), so that even if there was an issue with this hidden attribute, then before too long it will be a strength rather than a weakness. By moving clubs, (you listed quite a few in your opening post), you effectively start from scratch each time and all the hard work you have done before is wasted. Take the longer term view rather than expecting to win immediately.

Are you sure that Important Matches improves as the player gains experience from big matches?

Are you sure that Important Matches improves as the player gains experience from big matches?

Yes. Absolutely.

Yes. Absolutely.

What about Pressure?

High Important Matches without the ability to handle pressure is pretty wasted in my experience.

What about Pressure?

High Important Matches without the ability to handle pressure is pretty wasted in my experience.

Well I don't know about wasted exactly, but you do have a point. Doesn't team reputation and of course manager team-talks impact on this though?

From my own point of view, we have always seemed to be the underdog in every big game, (we are San Marino remember), so of course it was less of an issue, and my style with team-talks, (rightly or wrongly), is to take pressure off players rather than heap it on them.

The other thing of course is player personality, and to a lesser extent the influence of the character of the captain. I have a hugely professional squad, (9 Model Pro's even after a few retirees recently). While pressue isn't linked to a Model Pro, I have moved towards that personality type and away from such personalities as Jovial, Spirited and Light-hearted, (although I would make an exception for Resilient or Iron Willed players). I just think that the whole package, (in terms of personality), is more important than concentrating just on the pressure attribute for example.

It really is a hard trophy to win luckily I've won it twice, obviously you need quality but you also need the luck of the draw

The first is always the hardest i find. You certainly need a bit of luck along the way and player management is very important. Winning the Europa League then the Champions League three years in a row with Cambridge is my biggest FM achievement, i doubt i will ever topple that save.

I found when I stopped focusing on being slightly more defensive and countering the opposition in away legs of knockout round ties, I started to do a lot better. Letting my team play the way they usually do seems much more effective.