Help! Spiral of poor form I can't escape!

So I'm a relative noob to FM14. It's the first in the series i've bought and i've owned it for just 2 months.I'm currently in my first really serious save and it started well.

I began at Ipswich and took them to the playoffs in my first season. A board takeover in january of Season 2 messed with the systems at the club an I elected to hand in my resignation. After a pretty hideous 4-month spell at Swindon I now find myself at a struggling Exeter, who were 14th in the Skrill Premier in October 2015, the time of my arrival.

I joined the club and made some changes, reviving some out-of-favour players. In doing so i extracted excellent form and was hovering just outside the playoffs by the end of December. However, At the end of january, despite now sitting pretty at 3rd in the league, we crashed out of the FA Trophy after going to a Quarter-Final replay with Aldershot and conceding in extra time. This has killed my squads morale and subsequently their good form! I'm currently on a four game losing streak and it's only getting worse.

The trouble is, whoever ran the club from August told the board he would secure a top-5 spot + promotion. He then left with them in an awful situation which I inherited. I also inherited this expectation! I did wonders at this club but the board doesn't recognise it because we're still below-par. If I can't fix this in the next few weeks I expect to receive a rudely worded email from the chairman. I'm desperate to make amends as I'm enjoying being their manager and don't want to be kicked out after doing so well. I have attempted team meetings and gave some of the U21's a shot but so far have come up empty. As a result of my meddlings, some bigger clubs are recalling my loan players too! Combine that with 2 or 3 high profile injuries and the situation is now very dire! Is there anything else I can do that doesn't involve meddling with formations? I'm pretty happy with the ones I have (checked them over with my friend, an FM veteran) and my squad familiarity with both my first tactic and my 2 backups is almost perfect.

Signings are off the cards as my wages are thread-bare as it is. Willing to try anything you guys suggest. Thanks in Advance! Cpt_Short

In slumps i will normally play more experienced players and also players with higher morale, this normally resolves it.

Stunned at how well this works! Played the team with the highest morale and did a couple of private chats with the most upset and defeatist players. Right off the bat registered a dominant 2-0 victory over Wrexham.

FM14 is as much about managing your players as it is managing your tactics, which is more realistic IMO.

Certainly is! It never occurred to me that when I'm struggling to choose a squad for a game that squad morale should be a deciding factor. Since learning this my form has gone through the roof. There was the Wrexham result i mentioned above, but I also beat Nuneaton 2-1 (added time winner) and Grimsby 3-0. Superb bit of advice.

Okay it's stopped working. We're playing rubbish again and this same strategy no longer works.

How long did your streak last?

4 games won in a row, followed by a 3-1 loss to bottom of the league Telford and chucking away a 2 goal lead at Forest Green.

It's not guaranteed to make you go unbeaten.

No, I guess it's not a permanent fix. Must be something else I'm doing wrong :/

Possibly an upturn in form was a coincidence with me trying this morale idea. I don't really know. Either way my job is now "Very Insecure" so if i don't turn this around NOW i'm pretty much gone.

I had a slump at Southampton. First 2 seasons were great - won carling cup then good European run next season along with 6th place finish.

The 3rd season was a shocker. started well then could not win a league game for love nor money and was bottom but in Europe we were strong. I tried senior players, slight change in tactics but nothing worked. In the end I got the normal board response and after losing the next game after, I resigned as I just could not see a way out of the situation that was there before they sacked me.

4 games won in a row isn't quite enough (I don't think) to become complacent, but I guess it depends how much your praised them.

It may be your tactics causing you to be inconsistent as well.

How do you mean? The tactic's dodgy or I keep fiddling with it?

I play a counter-attacking 4-4-2, all 4 defensive players set to "Defend" duty and the instruction to pick out midfielders or forwards when they win the ball, who then orchestrate the attack.

How do you mean? The tactic's dodgy or I keep fiddling with it?

I play a counter-attacking 4-4-2, all 4 defensive players set to "Defend" duty and the instruction to pick out midfielders or forwards when they win the ball, who then orchestrate the attack.

All four defensive players set to "Defend" is probably part of the problem.

Well, it may just be a dodgy (your word!) tactic. Having all 4 defenders on defend duty isn't the greatest idea in the world.

It's not a terrible tactic, because you obviously won 4 games in a row, but it could be that you're one-dimensional. Relying on the same type of play and same player to get you goals. If that player has an off day or the opposition is strong in the area you're trying to exploit, there's no other real way of scoring. Having a more varied attack would help in those cases. But, I'm just talking hypothetically here. I don't know if this is your case.

It's up to you what you want to do. We can go into your team talks, because complacency is a danger. You might be lacking tactically though and that's more important. Are you finding that play is a little one-dimensional? That you're relying on one player a lot, for instance?

If that's the case, it's a good idea to start a thread in the tactics forum. All 4 defenders on defend duty is already a problem. Post your tactic and the problems you're having. There is a sticky thread about ASKING FOR HELP and what information to provide.

Awesome advice! I'll go on the tactics thread, seeing as you're right in guessing we're one-dimensional, with 31 goals coming from Ashley Harris up front and another 7 from Della-Verde's free kicks. I figured there was something I was doing wrong but, as a noob, I had no way of knowing what. Since you're here, can I ask why all 4 defenders on "Defend" is a problem? At the time of me making it, it made sense.

Awesome advice! I'll go on the tactics thread, seeing as you're right in guessing we're one-dimensional, with 31 goals coming from Ashley Harris up front and another 7 from Della-Verde's free kicks. I figured there was something I was doing wrong but, as a noob, I had no way of knowing what. Since you're here, can I ask why all 4 defenders on "Defend" is a problem? At the time of me making it, it made sense.

Mainly, it's a problem going forward. At the very least, if your fullbacks are on support, they'll be coming forward a little and they'll be more available to receive passes. It's needed, especially in a 4-4-2, where you often have 2 midfielders vs 3. Them being available as the "out ball" to take off pressure would help immensely.

But yes, open a thread.

Ah I understand. That makes sense. I do often get told by my assistant we're being overrun but always assumed this is PURELY the fact that they have more midfielders. never realised having defensive-minded fullbacks contributed to that. Anyway I made the tactics thread so hopefully the problem will be sorted soon.