How much difference do AI Managers make?

Do top managers make a difference? How does the AI distinguish between Jose Mourinho and Steve Staunton? Is this an aspect of the game developers will really look to push on in the coming years? TBH I loved FM as a kid when I wasn't as 'aware' but now everything about the game annoys me and I really think AI needs to improve drastically to maintain my interest.

Yes they do. I tested it out on FM12, I made the young English manager in charge of then League 1 side Stalybridge Celtic a top top manager using FMRTE, I set him to be very good in certain areas ' making subs, buying players, motivating' etc. and over the next few years he took the club from League 1 to the championship on a tiny budget and with some average players. Whether the pre-made managers on FM like Mourinho etc are actually as good as they should be, is up for debate, but occasionally I meet a regen manager in my long-terms saves that is almost unbeatable.

Anyway, hope that helped a bit with your question

I think the games implementation of managers like Mourinho is far from perfect. I think AI managers lack the element of surprise in a tactical showdown. I'm 5/6 seasons in the EPL and the league has become very dull for me.

Well they do have their own tactical philosophies, Simeone for example is one of the few who put out a 4-2-4 formation, fun for me to batter him with in the EPL!

But I still get the feeling it's a reputation lottery. You'll still get some famous ex-plonker with no management experience getting some juicy jobs. A bit rarer now though.

How realistic should it be? If it was, 99% of players would be realistically ***** and wouldn't have a hope in hell of being successful on FM.

Being able to consistently win the English Prem League 5+ times in a row, without managing one of the top teams, does seem to indicate something is not right.

It's already broken that each season, the AI squads gets more and more borked, because the AI can't create good teams in the current model, so you should at least get totally and utterly owned by the top five teams in the first 3-4 season, until their squad building messes up the teams beyond any managers ability to get anything out of them.

It's already broken that each season, the AI squads gets more and more borked, because the AI can't create good teams in the current model, so you should at least get totally and utterly owned by the top five teams in the first 3-4 season, until their squad building messes up the teams beyond any managers ability to get anything out of them.

This is a lot better this year, I'm 7 seasons in and all of the top European Clubs still have excellent squads, and they still spend to buy the best players in the world.

Its so weird how something so paramount to a management sim is so flawed yet realistically is very hard to improve upon.

TBH I think they need to add some more attributes to the AI managers in the game to give them greater individuality.

yes, they do. AI mgr are definitely doing better than myself. I sold an injured prone 16 player to AI. This player has never been in a serious injury longer than 6 days since then. It has been about 2 years. I have a lot to learn.