The Manual (online) definitions - Attributes, Team Instructions & Player Instruction

Greetings fellow managers,

If like me you are finally finding your feet in this game or even just simply starting out, I hope this online reference to definitions assists you.

Across this three part post, I will give you the definitions from the manual for player attributes, team instructions and player instructions.

These are taken directly from the manual with no amendments by me. (EDIT) I have made some grammatical amendments……. This manual was clearly not proof read 8O)

Of course, should people want to comment on the definitions then please feel free, else this will simply be a reference point.

It’s worth a read even if you think you know what they all mean as A) did you honestly read the manual with the new game? B) Have you read any of the last 6 manuals from the games? C) The descriptions in this manual are of a better quality and tie the attributes together very well in ways that you may not have though of.

Player Attributes:

Physical:

A player with strong physical attributes is one who can potentially fit into a team better than a player strong in only one area in other attribute groups. If a player is strong in these attributes then he’ll be able to play a competent game and make sure he isn’t embarrassed much should he be less than adequately skilled because he has the required attributes to be a solid footballer. A skilled and mentally strong player who also has strong physical attributes can be considered a fantastic all-round player, as being strong in all three areas is pretty much what you look for.

Acceleration: Acceleration is how quickly a player can reach top speed (pace) from a standing start. It therefore ties in very closely with the pace attribute.

Agility: Agility reflects how well a player can start, stop and move in different directions at varying levels of speed (pace). It ties in with the Pace, Acceleration and Balance attributes as they work together in the match engine, especially when a player is running with the ball.

Balance: Balance reflects simply how well a player can keep his balance in situations both with and without the ball. With the ball, it refers to how balanced he is running with it and evading opponents, without it, it refers to his balance when facing a player running at him or his stability when turning/jumping.

Jumping: This attribute relates to how high a player can jump from a standing start.

Natural Fitness: How fit a player is as standard – his base level of fitness. It reflects how many games he is likely to be able to perform to peak physical fitness in, before becoming noticeably tired and susceptible to injury

Stamina: Stamina is player’s ability to endure high-level physical activities for along period of time. With the demands placed on a player over a nine month season, players with high attribute ratings for Stamina will be bale to perform at their top levels for longer. It ties in directly with natural fitness.

Strength: A player’s strength is his ability to exert his physical force on an opponent to his benefit. A player with high strength rating will be able to use it to his advantage against weaker opponents

Mental:

Ideally you’ll want every one of your players to be mentally strong. It your players have a high mental attributes you’re on the tight road to success – you’ll have a team of determined and committed players who will give their all for the team, whilst having a nice balance of flair and commitment.

Aggression: This reflects players attribute in terms of playing mentality but is not necessarily a dirtiness indicator. A more aggressive player will look to involve himself in every incident and get stuck in, perhaps at the expense of a yellow card or two. A less aggressive player may shy away from situations and merely drop into his comfort zone.

Anticipation: How well a player can predict and react to an event. If a player has a high attribute here he can read the game well and react to situations quicker than others. This attribute works well with ‘off the ball’.

Bravery: How committed and indeed, brave a player is. Braver players will risk injury more in situations a lesser-minded player may shy away from. They’ll go in where it hurts and lay it on the line for the team.

Composure: The player’s steadiness of mind and ability, particularly with the ball. When faced with a big goal scoring chance or heavy pressure defensively, a player with high composure will be able to keep his head and more often than not make and intelligent decisions which is beneficial to the team.

Concentration: This reflects a player’s concentration on an even-by-event basis. A high rating here will mean the player can concentrate harder or longer and be able to respond to incidents late in the game just as well as he did early on. Lower concentrations will see players lose focus and perhaps become liable to mistakes at crucial times in the match.

Creativity: This refers to a player’s vision and ability to see a potential opening, not necessarily exploit it. A player might be able to see something to take advantage of but also requires the technical proficiency to pull it off.

Decisions: The ability of a player to make correct decisions a majority of the time. This attribute is important in every position, but perhaps more so for central defenders and midfields, who will see a lot of the ball and have a number of options when in possession.

Determination: A commitment to succeed. A determined player will give everything in order to win. This ties in with Bravery – players with high attribute in one of this attributes may also be high in the other as the traits necessary are similar.

Flair: a natural talent for creative and occasional unpredictability. A player with a lot of flair will be one of the key attacking components in any team but at the same time may need tactical restraint to get the best out of him. Flair and creativity work well together.

Influence: Influence is the player’s ability to effect events or other players without any intentional effort. Players with high influence will be leaders on the pitch and team-mates will tend to rally around these players.

Off the Ball: A player’s movement without the ball. Similar to anticipation, this is how well a player, particularly attacking ones, can assess a situation and then move off the ball, making themselves available to receive a pass in a dangerous position.

Positioning: Positions is the ability of a player to read a situation and place himself in the best possible position to deal with the unfolding events. Anticipation will help him in the first stage but in terms of his actually positioning, it comes down to this attribute. A higher rating will ensure the player takes up a better position.

Teamwork: How well the player follows tactical instructions and works for and along side his team-mates. A team full of players with a high rating here will work better as a unit. Players will lower ratings will slack off and not ‘buy in’ to the team ethos.

Work Rate: This reflects the player’s mental drive to work hard. A high rating will ensure a player wants to work his socks off from start to finish, but he will need the necessary physical attributes to actually be able to pull it off. Nonetheless, it is an admirable trait to have in your team.

Technical:

These attributes are the real meat of the football world, where the elite are separated from the very good, and the very good from the rest. These are the playing attributes, where you’ll be looking for consistent ratings across the board for most of your players, and high-end ratings for the elite players to want to add to your squad.

Corners: The attribute reflects how well the player takes a corner. Taking advantage of set-pieces is important, and having a capable corner take to put the ball into key areas is useful.

Crossing: This indicates a player’s proficiency at crossing the ball from wide areas into the penalty box.

Dribbling: This refers to the player’s ability to dribble with the ball. This is purely his proficiency with the ball at his feet – his pace, acceleration, agility and balance will all aid his dribbling in different circumstances, and whilst a higher dribbling attribute will also help him in different situations, dribbling along isn’t enough to get by.

Finishing: The players ability to put the ball in the back of the net when presented with a chance. A high finishing attribute will put the shot on target a majority of the time as a bare minimum but compared to a player with pooper finishing will find the places where the goalkeeper can’t save it. This is purely the ability of the player to perform an accurate shot – composure and decisions will also impact on the ability of a player to score consistently.

First Touch: How good a player’s first touch is when receiving possession. A higher rating will ensure that the player can trap the ball quicker and put it in a useful position to then act upon. Players with lower ratings here will struggle to control the ball as adeptly and may be prone to losing the ball if closed down quickly.

Free Kick Taking: This reflects how good at taking free kicks the player is. It applies to both direct shots at goal and deliveries into dangerous areas from wider or deeper positions. A player who is proficient in taking free kicks can be a valuable commodity – scoring five free kicks a season and adding five more assist from them can be a huge bonus.

Long Shots: This is the player’s prowess at shooting from distance – from outside the penalty area. It is largely a stand-alone attribute but pay attention to any PPM’s the player may have which complement their long shots rating.

Long Throws: The ability of the player to perform a long throw, which can be taken advantage of in attacking situations.

Marking: How well players, mainly defensive types, mark an opponent. Marking alone will see them do a good job if the attribute is high, but remember that other attributes – strength, off the ball, anticipation – will play a part in the effectiveness of the marking, as well as the comparable physical statures of the two players.

Passing: How good the player is at passing the ball. His technique and ability will determine his success at passing over longer distances

Penalty taking: The ability of the player from the penalty spot. A player with a high rating here will be more confident and capable from 12 yards.

Tackling: How successful the player is at winning tackles and not conceding fouls from such situations. Players with a high tackling rating will consistently win the ball cleanly and be a more capable defensive player.

Technique: Technique is the aesthetic quality of a players technical game – how refined they appear to be with the ball. A player with high technique will be more likely to pull off a tricky pass or a cross-field ball with greater ease than someone less technically able. This in turn affects a number of technical attributes – poorer technique will let a player down.

Goalkeeping:

Goalkeepers are often referred to as a different breed. They’ve got their own set of technical attributes in Football Manager which are relevant only to them, and replace the standard technical ratings (although they may have ratings ins some of these areas which will remain visible – for example, a goalkeeper who often takes penalties of free kicks could have a rating here. Also bear in mind that goalkeeper will also need suitable physical and mental attributes to succeed.

Goalkeepers also have a small number of technical attributes which apply to them. These are First Touch, Free Kicks and Penalty Taking. Complete descriptions of these attributes can be found above.

Aerial Ability: This is a goalkeeper’s ability to deal with the ball in aerial situations – punching and catching. Goalkeepers with higher ratings here will be able to deal with these potentially tricky situations more capably. Taller goalkeepers may have an advantage as well, but that isn’t to say smaller ones will struggle

Command of area: The affects how well the goalkeeper takes charge of his penalty area and works with his defensive line. A goalkeeper who commands his entire box (i.e. has a high rating) will be instinctive and look to take charge of situations, especially coming from crosses (therefore working in tandem with aerial ability). Do note, however, that a high rating only increases his penchant for coming for crosses and not necessarily claiming them all.

Communication: How well a goalkeeper communicates with his defensive line and organises the defensive side of the team. A higher rating reflects a better communicator and will allow your back five or more to work better together, ensuring better defensive stability.

Eccentricity: This attribute represents the likelihood of the goalkeeper to do the unexpected and typically act completely un-like a goalkeeper. Things like dribbling out of his area will be commonplace if the eccentricity attribute is high.

Handling: How securely the goalkeeper holds onto the ball when making a save or coming for a loose ball. Greater handling will be beneficial in unfavourable weather conditions, but in general a goalkeeper who doesn’t give up rebounds will be useful

Kicking: The physical capability of a goalkeeper to kick the ball – this purely defines the distance he can reach. His passing attribute and technique ratings will define how accurate his passes are

One on Ones: The ability of the goalkeeper to do well when faced with an opponent in a one on one situation. Higher attributes will see goalkeepers attempt to impose themselves and win the ball with confidence.

Reflexes: How good the goalkeeper is at making instinctive reaction saves. If he has a high reflexes rating he will be bale to respond to the unpredictable with more success and be able to pull off the highlight reel saves.

Rushing Out: How good the goalkeeper is at coming off his line to react to through balls and similar situations. A goalkeeper will benefit from pace and acceleration here as well.

Tendency to Punch: This determines whether a goalkeeper will catch the ball when he can or punch it clear. A higher rating reflects a tendency to punch most things clear even when it may be possible to hold onto the ball.

Throwing: How good the goalkeeper’s distribution with his arms is. A higher rating will increase the accuracy of this throws, although strength imparts on the distance he is able to reach.

Team Instructions

The team instructions panel is where you set up how your team is going to play. Each tactical option is slider controlled, and further instructions are either in check box form or a dropdown list. The available options and configurations are described in this section.

Mentality:

Mentality directly affects that player’s position on the field. His set position on the tactical pitch display is where he will line up as a base default, but depending on the mentality set he may be more restrained or cavalier in his approach. The slider ranges from Ultra defensive to All Out Attacking. The further right the slider is set for the team instruction, the more aggressive your players will play positionally and more ambitious they may be when passing the ball (a more aggressive mentality will result in more forward passes)

Creative Freedom:

Creative Freedom affects the tendency of your players to attempt the more difficult and ambitious. The slider ranges from little to much, and in short, the more creative freedom you allow your team, the more unpredictable they may be. A higher setting may see your players occasionally ignore your tactical instructions and attempt to do their own thing, but the degree of success depends on the technical prowess of your players. Given they’ll be attempting the more difficult stuff; they need to be of a sufficient calibre to make it count. Therefore, it may be advisable to limit this on a team basis and allow it for the more talented players in your team.

Passing Style:

Passing style is fairly simple – this indicates the range of passing your team will adopt. The slider ranges from short to long and the notches in between will gradually ask your team to play a more expansive passing game. When deciding upon the style of passing you want your team to use, you’ll need to consider how everything else will affect it, both in terms of tactics and personnel. Have your players got the required to keep the ball comfortably over short distances? Does your passing style suit the tempo and mentality to your team? If you’re looking to play a direct game with an attacking mentality, your players may be launching longer passes from positions further up the pitch, which may prove wasteful.

Tempo:

Tempo dictates the speed and urgency your team plays with. The slider ranges from slow to quick and the further right you move the bar, your team will play a more up-tempo game and look to make things happen quickly and sharply. The tempo employed by your many can affect the success of your passing – it is entirely possibly to play a quick, short passing game but when you increase the speed of something, mistakes can become more likely.

Width:

The width your team lines up with largely comes into effect when they are in possession. The slider is set from narrow to wide. Setting the slider further to the right will indicate that you want your player to move towards the touchlines when they have the ball and in particular, get the ball to those in wider positions in order to stretch the opposition. A more narrow setting will attempt to bring the play inside and force matters through the centre of the pitch.

Without possession, your players are less inclined to follow your width instructions, but they will try to employ them as best that can against what the opponent is doing.

Closing Down:

Closing down represents how often, or how committed your players are, to closing down the opposition when they have the ball over the entire pitch. The slider is set from rarely to often. Increasing how often your players close the opponent down will put them under pressure when they receive the ball, but it can leave your team exposed for position and fitness, especially if your players don’t have the necessary physical attributes to be chasing opponents around for the whole game. Closing an opponent down will increase the changes of taking the ball from them and launching a counter attack, and is probably best employed in an attacking system – if you’re operating defensively with the intention to soak up pressure, your defensive shape doesn’t need to be compromised by players chasing the ball.

Time Wasting:

Employing time-wasting is a defensive tactic designed to neutralise the attacking thread of frustrate the opposition. If used through the game, it is safe to assume the team using it are inferior to their opponents and are doing all they can to avoid defeat. Many of teams of all strengths may use it late in the game to hold onto a slender advantage. The slider is set from rarely to often and unless your team is on of the aforementioned inferior ones, this may be an option you use most in the closing minutes of games, or set depending on opposition/match context.

Defensive Line:

The defensive line slider positions your deepest line of defence on the pitch. It affects the position the players take up both with and without possession. The slider is set from deep to push up and the further right the bar is set, the close to the halfway line the defensive unit will advance when in possession. If your team is using the defensive mentality, a defensive setting on the slider will ensure they stay deep when in the rest of your team attacks. If you team uses an attacking philosophy, the effect of the slider is lessened and players will advance – although deeper line will see them err on the side of caution a little more

When your team is not in possession the same applied, but in terms of nullifying the opposition. As soon as your team loses the ball, the defensive line will adopt the approach you have told them to and either drop deeper or push up. You may want to take the qualities of the opposition’s attackers into consideration before each match before deciding on your defensive line approach, as quicker players can get in behind an advanced line, and deeper lines can be exposed by direct play and a big target man upfront

Tacking:

The tackling slider determines the level of commitment and aggression your players will attempt to show when tackling for the ball. The slider is different from the others as it only has three options – easy, normal and hard. Hard tackling is more likely to exert authority on the opponent but is also most likely to inflict injury and disciplinary action against your players. Easy tackling negates this risk somewhat but also gives the opposition and easier time on the ball. Normally is a balance of the settings and is the best choice by default, but you should check your oppositions disciplinary record and their record from setpeice situations ahead of each game, as well as the type of player they have, before setting on your tackling approach for the match.

Focus passing:

This option is where you can tell your players where to generally work their play from. You have the option to direct all play down both flanks, either the left or the right only, through the middle, or a mix of all of them. The best use of this is in combination with other tactical settings, the strengths of your team and the weakness of others. For example, setting your width to ‘wide’ but direct play through the middle may worth through stretching the opponent but you effectively ignore your wide players all game. If you have a left or a right sided player of some ability, direct all play towards them can bring them into the game often and maximise he chances of the ability being used to great effect. Similarly, if the opposition has a weak link somewhere in the team, you can tell your players to focus their efforts on making his game a torrid one and yours beneficial.

Marking:

The marking option sets your team to play either a zonal or man marking style. Man marking is the easiest and simplest to employ as each player on your team is responsible for an opponent at all times. Zonal marking puts players in charge of an area of the pitch which they are then responsible for addressing should an opponent make their way into that ‘zone’. Is it harder to employ as your defensive players will need top ratings in anticipation, concentration and decisions as well as key defensive attributes, but if you have the players the implement it, some mangers believe it to be a more effective defensive tactic as players are less likely to be drawn out of position, ensure a solid structural foundation.

Target Man Supply:

If you chose to employ a target man, this option tells your players how to supply the ball to him. In simple terms, you should choose the option which best suites your target mans attributes. You can have your players feed him the ball to head, to feet, to run onto the ball, or a mixture of them all. A tall strong target man will benefit from aerial supply, whilst a skilful, quicker target man may prefer the ball to be kept on the floor.

Options:

The remainder to the option on the team instruction screen are a series of check boxes to enable to disable a particular option.

Tight marking:

Tell your player whether you wish for them to mark their opponents up close or to allow themselves a little ‘give’ should they be beaten to the ball.

Use target man:

Set whether your team players to a target man; such a player is a focal point in the attack which the team will look to involve in all attacking plays and feed off. Typically this player is big and strong, and capable of holding off opponents, but it can work with other types of players in the right system

Use Playmaker:

The playmaker is an almost cult role in world football – a fantasista – the player wearing the number 10 shirt. Those are the most common and typical types of playmakers but in short he will be the one player in your team capable of providing the difference-making play that very few others can. It can be a player anywhere on the pitch that you set as a playmaker (which you can assign from the ‘playmakers’ panel option from the ‘instruction’ menu), but ideally the selected player will be one who can make a difference offensively.

Play Offside:

Decide whether your defensive unit should play the offside trap or not. To pull it off successfully you'll need players who are mentally capable of focusing on the plan as well as a unit who know each other very well, and a sufficient mentality so as not to conflict with the option.

Counter Attack:

The counter attack option is best used by an underdog facing a superior opponent or a team with players capable of launch attacks at high speed with a directness about their play. They will tend to sit back in their own half and allow the opposition to have the ball in harmless positions before imposing pressure, taking the ball and countering.

Reserved for Player Instructions

Things that have sprung out at me whilst re-reading the manual and from entering it all into this (man..... seriously.... took way longer than I thought it would, and I am a fast typer!)

1. Teamwork: Would a player with a low team work rating respond better to an individual team speach

2. Influence: Would a high workrate coupled with influence encourage a higher alround work rate for the team

3. Crossing: Ability to get the ball into the penalty area from wide. Whats the line between a cross and a long pass

4. First touch: Does this have an affect on tempo. i.e poorer team first touch = lower tempo

5. Marking: mentions the skill 'off the ball'.

6. Passing: Quality of long passes is effected by technique

7. Aerial Ability: Does height modify this, unlike jumping

8. Technique: all round modifyer to technical abilities or for the tougher moves that use technicaly abilities i.e long passes, through balls etc et

9. GK Kicking: Purely a distance modifyer, passing and technique determine accuracy

10. GK Thowing: Purely accuracy, Strength is the distance modifyer (unlike kicking).

Ah...... can I please ask one thing, that you don't post if you are only simply going to say something like ' yeah...... knew that all along'. Its not constructive and of course there are tons of people that know some of these and maybe all of them.

Cheers

LAM

Hi Lam,

Perhaps you might add definitions for Assisstant Manager Feedback (from your excellent post "I think I am on to somethimg..."), and Opposition Instructions (what is the desired effect of each instruction, etc...)?

Thanks in advance,

Ghend

I've stickied this thread lam, because I was looking to post something very similar to this and you've saved me the trouble.

As you've gathered by now, I favour building squads around tactics and believe it's a much easier approach to the game than continually tinkering with tactics. So much so that when I see people complain about the lack of "simplicity" in the more recent releases of FM, whereas before (older CM) you picked a tactic, picked the best available players and away you go... nothing has changed really...

I pick (or create) a tactic I'm going to use in a save and stay with it. I then build my team around the tactic, concentrating on the player attributes that are most suited to the positions and roles within. Would anyone not agree that is a more simplified premise in which to play the game? It's then down to understanding player attributes and how they dovetail with tactical instructions and inter-relate to one another.

With that in mind, I really would like to see those that have posted tactics on this forum, post what particular player attributes they feel best suit and help make their systems work. Maybe then people will see that the two sides, tactic plus attributes, are vital to tie together for prolonged and consistant success in the game.

After reading this, I'm I right in being led to believe that there are no multipiers to the dead ball attributes?

IE Player 1 with 20 Penalty, and 10 for finishing/composure is better than Player 2 with 17 Penalty, and 20 finishing/composure?

If this is the case I've seriously gotta change my dead ball instructions haha.

5. Marking: mentions the skill 'off the ball'.

Yeah, this is strange. The hints and tips of the game always mention positioning so could it be that this is false information? I've always thought that Positioning is for the defenders and Off the ball is for the attackers.

After reading this, I'm I right in being led to believe that there are no multipiers to the dead ball attributes?

IE Player 1 with 20 Penalty, and 10 for finishing/composure is better than Player 2 with 17 Penalty, and 20 finishing/composure?

I don't have the manual with me, but I could have sworn it also mentions looking at finishing, composure, concentration and decisions when talking about penalties. However, I think it may have implied that this is for the specific high pressure scenario of penalty shootouts, rather than routine penalties.

But there's a lot in the original post that I have never seen before: after playing the game for so many years, I've got out of the habit of reading the manual properly: so all of the stuff about what technique actually does is new to me.

Team Instructions have now been added, so recheck the 2nd post.

Some of my observations on the team instructions:

1. Passing Style: Does this indicate that a direct passing style is not complimentary or an attacking mentality. It may simply indicate that you should not have your forward players with a direct passing. But worth some thought nonetheless.

2. Width has little impact on your defensive positons.

3. Closing down: I am starting to think that this is becoming more about the 'defensive pickup' zone for your players. Set to large, your players will move to pick up the opposition earlier than with a lower setting, regardless of zonal or man marking.

4. Offside: Refers to a mentality mindset here. Does it favour a defensive one or an attacking one? I would think maybe attacking as it has always seemed to me to be an aggressive type of response to a defensive call (I do not mean physically).

As always, you comments and feedback are welcomed. I know this isnt about a theory that I have posted, but it would be good to see peoples thoughts on possible combinations or things that others may have missed, ie something like I have subsequently posted. Even if it is just ponderings!!

LAM

I don't have the manual with me, but I could have sworn it also mentions looking at finishing, composure, concentration and decisions when talking about penalties. However, I think it may have implied that this is for the specific high pressure scenario of penalty shootouts, rather than routine penalties.

But there's a lot in the original post that I have never seen before: after playing the game for so many years, I've got out of the habit of reading the manual properly: so all of the stuff about what technique actually does is new to me.

HI chaps,

I have rechecked the information and I correctly posted it. Personaly, I always thought it was a little silly to have a penalty skill only then to multiply it by composure etc etc, maybe in this release, its a stats that already takes these things into account.

LAM

lam

You can get a pdf version from steam

http://cdn.steampowered.com/Manuals/10540/manual_english.pdf?t=1242677044

then cut and paste using the 'Select' tool. Might save you some hassle

Cheers for posting the link to the manual- thats very handy

I've got to say though- I feel sorry for lam.. I think I'd be in tears after writing all that out

Cheers for posting the link to the manual- thats very handy

I've got to say though- I feel sorry for lam.. I think I'd be in tears after writing all that out

Especially since the player attribute model is available in the FML online manual.

http://manual.footballmanagerlive.com/?q=node/66

But repetition is a good way of making things stick in our heads so i guess Lam can quote attribute explanations from memory now.

Especially since the player attribute model is available in the FML online manual.

http://manual.footballmanagerlive.com/?q=node/66

But repetition is a good way of making things stick in our heads so i guess Lam can quote attribute explanations from memory now.

lol. another awesome link (cheers ).. but jeesh, kick a guy when he's down why don't ya

6. Passing: Quality of long passes is effected by technique

I am fairly certain this is wrong

3. Closing down: I am starting to think that this is becoming more about the 'defensive pickup' zone for your players. Set to large, your players will move to pick up the opposition earlier than with a lower setting, regardless of zonal or man marking

As far as I know closing down is triggered with respect to the ballcarrier and only affects marking indirectly (player 'sticking' for example).

4. Offside: Refers to a mentality mindset here. Does it favour a defensive one or an attacking one? I would think maybe attacking as it has always seemed to me to be an aggressive type of response to a defensive call (I do not mean physically).

Set up a test match, 442 and give the left CB mentality 1 and the right side defenders mentality 20. With the rarely forward runs you'll see the difference in behaviour and how it relates to offside and getting hit with quick counter long balls with the 1 CB tending to hang back more and the 20 CB pushing out quicker more often.

This also ties into Defensive Line section as in my testing no matter where you put D Line the back 4 would make their way up to the halfway but whether or not this is seen depends on two things

1. Mentality/Forward runs => how quickly they push out

2. Whether or not you control possession, and push up the pitch such that the time frame results in them reaching that point

Off the top of my head not sure about FBs and the impact of forward runs on pushing out i.e. which takes precedence: mentality or FWR Run? Or is it a melding of the two?

Personaly, I always thought it was a little silly to have a penalty skill only then to multiply it by composure etc etc,

You're not the only one. For it all to be tied into CA causes more issues but that's a whole other thread

Aha! I knew I'd seen it. It's on page 31:-

When selecting Penalty takers, much of the above applies. Your regular penalty taker should have a

high Penalty Taking attribute, may have good Finishing, and above most other attributes, needs high

Composure, Concentration, and Decisions. Consider these attributes in greater scope when selecting

takers for a penalty shootout. It may be that you’re forced to use players who aren’t natural penalty takers, so look at the next most important attributes - mentally strong, capable players who strike a ball well and make a good decision.

yeah..... fair points from all.

Not sure how you cut and paste from a PDF though.

Also.... alot of this has sunk in whereas it didnt before. Really making me think more about complimentary skills.

Macon - spot on! Very odd that it does not take it into account in the penalty description though. That said, I'm not gonna type the whole of the manual out

LAM

Not sure how you cut and paste from a PDF though.

Open it inside the browser (ie just click the link).

Highlight the text you wish to copy

Right click "copy text"

Paste into preferred text editting software.

Hi Guys

Great work Lam,

Just adding my 2bucks.

As I am(was) new to the game and wanted to learn it properly - with my first liverpool save (on which I used external editor - don't judge - was using as wanted to get proper understanding of all aspects of the game)

Anyway - as I was browsing for players I could see that more stats had an impact on which type of players would suit my 3-5-2 setup. So for my DC, to be able to properly compare player A to player B, I categorized the skill's needed together in groups as I could figure out how they related, in each group I then prioritized (from top to bottom) which would be the most important ones, also I prioritized the groups as which would be most important overall.

Anyway this is the categories I came up with

Defensive Tackling/Confrontation

Tackling (Prim stat for ability to tackle cleanly)

Strength - Stregth to push player off ball

Aggression - Players willingness to confront opponent/challenge50s

Bravery - How likely player is to get involved (All players - esp GK/Def)

Determination - Player desire to win (linked to bravery-pre-min13)

Note: I picked this one first as I wanted all my CB's to be able to make a clean tackle and/or push the opponent of the ball

***

Defensive positioning

Composure - Players calmness ST=free on goal / Def under pressure

Positioning - Player ability to place himself in right position

Anticipation - Player ability to anticipate events

Decisions - Player ability to make right decision

Note: I put this one second as it also would apply to all DC's

***

Performance Individual

Concentration - Player ability to remain focused entire match

Determination - Player desire to win (linked to bravery-pre-min13)

Stamina - How long player can keep up

Performance Team related

Teamwork - How well player works as a team

Workrate - How hard Player works

Performance Individual

Natural Fitness - How many games player can perform before exhaust/injury

Note: Again 3rd most important for all DC's - notice I prioritized Team related performance higher (teamwork+work rate) than Naturall Fitness (how many games player can play) - I have a large squad

***

Heading (Defensive)

Heading - Players ability in aerial situations

Jumping - How high player can jump

Bravery - How likely player is to get involved (All players - esp GK/Def)

Aggression - Players willingness to confront opponent/challenge50s

Strength - Players Strengt to challenge for ball in the air

Height cm - Physical presence

Note: This one is listed fourth, as not necessarily all my DC's would need to be top notch in this, as I look at the defence as a team (ofcourse would be nice if everyone has it high, but in general is not realistic, so my setup was based on 1*DC good at defensive heading, 1*DC good at Defensive marking (along with my DM), 1*DC fast.

***

Defensive Man Marking

Marking - Prim stat for man marking

Strength - Strength to push player off ball

Off the Ball - Players defensive ability to move in to position without ball

Concentration - Player ability to remain focused entire match

Anticipation - Player ability to anticipate events

Decisions - Player ability to make right decision

Height cm / Weight kg - Physical presence

Note: Again good for all, but really need 1 DC who excel in this area

***

Players Defensive quickness (When being run at) DL/R + WBL/R + ML/R + DC:

Accelaration - How quick reach top speed (Prime stat for quickness)

Pace - Players Top Speed (Prime stat for quickness)

Agility - Ability to start/stop/move in diff direct at diff pace

Balance - Ability to keep balance when being run at+ability to turn

Work rate - How hard player works to reach/maintain top speed

Note: Again good for all, but need 1*DC expert in this area, also note in this I prioritized accelaration higher than pace, as DC being able to reach top speed quickly (coming out to meet opponent, was more important to me, than what his pace (top speed) is.

***

General passing

Passing - Ability to pass the ball

Technique - Tec Ability in passing ball (determines distance of passing)

Creativity - Players ability to see opening to create something

Strength - Strengt in over how long distance ball can be passed

Note: Again good for all, but also wanted 1 DC to start the attacks with excellent passing

***

General receiving passes

First Touch - Ability to control ball when received

Balance - Avoiding opp/tackles when receiving ball

Strength - Strengt to avoid being pushed off the ball when received

Note: Also good for all, but in particular central DC, to allow DM to pass it back or GK to pass it to this DC (as he has low kicking) to start new attack

***

Performance Individual

Influence - Player natural influence on area+teammates in his area

Note: Good for all, but wanted one "captain of the defense" - Could also be GK

***

Heading (Attacking - to score)

Heading - Players ability in aerial situations

Jumping - How high player can jump

Balance - Ability to keep in balance when jumping

Strength - Players Strengt to challenge for ball in the air

Off the ball - Movement off the ball for header

Pace - Pace to loose marker

Acceleration - Acceleration to loose marker

Anticipation - Ability to anticipate forthcoming event

Positioning - Plaers ability to place himself in the best position

Note: this is for my set pieces (corner kicks etc) when I attack. Need 1*DC to challenge GK so his would be more important with Strength, Balance, while DC attacking near post, would be more important with pace, acceleration etc

***

Set pieces

Long Throws - Player ability to take a long throw-in

Note: Not a must, but add attacking options if 1 or both DC(L+R) have this ability to send of the wingers

***

Personal stats (Deal Breaker)

Consistency - Players ability to perform to same level every game

Dirtiness - How dirty player is on the pitch

Important matches - How well player perform in a big match

Injury Proneness - Players likelihood of getting injury (aff Natural fitness)

Versatility - Player ability to learn/play/stay in new positions

Adaptability - Players ability to adjust to new team/country - high

Ambition - Players level of ambition (Not high and not low)

Controversy - Players chance of causing problems (Low max14)

Loyalty - Players level of loyalty

Pressure - Players ability to cope with press(low/slacking(high)

Professionalism - Players prof - Def no bad tackles - also train+teamtalk

Sportsmanship - Players ability to not cheat/commit fouls (High)

Temperament - Players likelihood of getting in to fights (Low)

Note: Most if not all of these are hidden stats. When I first tried to search my entire Database (large DB) sertting these paramters to the recommended ie Temperament max 14, only a total of 45 players fulfilled the ciriterias (out of 28500), so instead I used them to compare player, not just for DC - but for all players - hence I called them Deal Breakers, because if a player for example had 20 temperament and 20 Dirtiness I would not sign him, where as if one player was better in primary stat but had temperament of 15 where as poorer player had temperament of 14, I would sign the player with temperament 15.

Anyway - I have only done this so far with DC's, but the DC prospect I came up with where interesting, what more was - it has changed my team instructions and training for individual players - also my team selection is now more based on opponent so for example, they have to fast wingers who can cross but has poor long shoots/finishing etc I use my pacey DC's rather than my defensive heading DC and vice versa

Maybe I got some of these wrong would be interested to hear what anyone thougt of this approach - I still havent played any games as am still signing players etc

Ohh also one thing I didn't add

was Feet left and right footed as this would also impact on a number of defensive abilies.

3. Crossing: Ability to get the ball into the penalty area from wide. Whats the line between a cross and a long pass

This is something I have pondered on since the earliest versions of this game.How can a world-class crosser(18 to 20 in crossing) be average at passing, as many wingers often are?

Perhaps a cross is a ball played towards where another player is anticipated to be(from wide positions) as opposed to a pass which is more direct?

This doesn't really seem satisfactory though.:confused:

just to correct something in your post MM1

temperament is better if the value is higher.

according to the manual on some previous FM series, and my own testings,

the player who has low temperament attribute seems to behave hot-headed.

for example if you do negotiate contract with them, if your offer is not as good as they want, the chance that you would be able to sign them is much less than player who have high temp attribute.

another is that on field, he is likely to get angry over something ie tackled hard by opponents, and respond it by kick them in the face.

this was after I tried to assign John Terry's temperament to 3, he started to behave like a thug.

of course this is connected with other mental traits as well.

anyway, 14 is a good point.

hope this helps.

cheers.

Lam - are you sure about your definition for Stamina? I've always thought (prompted by rulebooks and hint messages throughout the years) that it was actually related to how quickly condition deteriorated during a match - ie given everything else being identical, a player with higher stamina will finish a match with a higher condition than a player with lower stamina.

edit: on the counterattacking tick box - it lowers the threshold for your team to look to counter (based on number of players defending and attacking at that particular moment) so that mentality will go to 20 and forward runs will increase by one step. You don't need to sit deep to use this tick box.

Brillant post

Going to try and make a succesful tactic right now.

Ok did some testing for my Arsene Wenger Training system and found some possible interesting scenario's

It seems when you ask a Player to learn a PPM move, his attributes in the relevant skills improve faster - ie for Place shoot, finishing and composure seemed to increase quicker

Can anyone else confirm this as I have only been able to do a few tests so far ?

Also it seems that players will refuse to learn certain PPMs if relevant attributes are below certain threshold - is it possible that each PPM has hard coded certain skill requirements ?

Can anyone confirm this - again have only done a few tests so far - but I have had a few players refuse to learn PPM place shoot where finishing was set to 1 - but could be coinsidence ?

Yes - I found it usefull, thanks.

Ok did some testing for my Arsene Wenger Training system and found some possible interesting scenario's

It seems when you ask a Player to learn a PPM move, his attributes in the relevant skills improve faster - ie for Place shoot, finishing and composure seemed to increase quicker

Can anyone else confirm this as I have only been able to do a few tests so far ?

Also it seems that players will refuse to learn certain PPMs if relevant attributes are below certain threshold - is it possible that each PPM has hard coded certain skill requirements ?

Can anyone confirm this - again have only done a few tests so far - but I have had a few players refuse to learn PPM place shoot where finishing was set to 1 - but could be coinsidence ?

Interesting post

Have you delved any deeper into this?

Not so sure if it is hard coded, because I've seen enough lower league players with fairly low "associated" attributes, to suggest otherwise.

I've not delved into attribute gains of the associated attributes, but then I've also had plenty of players with "ideal" attributes, refuse to learn a PPM, when they seem perfectly suited.

Still a bit of a mystery to me to be honest.

Ok did some testing for my Arsene Wenger Training system and found some possible interesting scenario's

It seems when you ask a Player to learn a PPM move, his attributes in the relevant skills improve faster - ie for Place shoot, finishing and composure seemed to increase quicker

Can anyone else confirm this as I have only been able to do a few tests so far ?

Also it seems that players will refuse to learn certain PPMs if relevant attributes are below certain threshold - is it possible that each PPM has hard coded certain skill requirements ?

Can anyone confirm this - again have only done a few tests so far - but I have had a few players refuse to learn PPM place shoot where finishing was set to 1 - but could be coinsidence ?

I have not found a correlation between low skills and a refusal to train PPM's, but I have found a correlation between number of existing PPM's and refusal to train PPM's, and there is potentially a correlation between position and refusal to train PPM's.

There may also be a correlation between certain hidden mental stats, i.e. professionalism and the refusal to learn/unlearn PPM's. I cannot get my professionalism 12, sportsmanship 8, temperament 8, 21 year old CM to learn any PPM's despite the fact he currently has none. Likewise Wayne Rooney (professionalism 13, sportsmanship 10, temperament 5) refuses to unlearn "Argues With Officials" and "Dives Into Tackles".

Personally speaking, with a quick look through FMScoutGenie, if I had to select one attribute that most closely corresponds to my success or failure at getting players to learn PPM's it would be Professionalism, as sorting by descending professionalism (high to low) places the players with the highest rate of success at learning PPM's at the top and the players with the lowest, or zero rate of success at learning PPM's at the bottom, with the "50/50" or "maybe" players sitting right in the middle. It would seem to me that the cut-off point or the point of below 50% success rate given all other positive factors is 15 professionalism. Age matters, as does number of PPM's and perhaps so does position and personality for certain PPM's, but ultimately it appears to me that Professionalism is possibly the important statistic for determining whether a strong candidate for a new PPM accepts or refuses.

Obviously this is a casual observation and has not been tested but I would suggest the Professionalism is a strong candidate for an important factor in learning PPM's. Every other hidden mental attribute shows no correlation whatsoever while Professionalism appears to match directly my ingame observations of who will and who will not learn PPM's.

lam:

5. Marking: mentions the skill 'off the ball'.

I think the reference to off the ball is with regard to the opposing player.. it's saying that the success of marking a player will partly depend on how well the opposition player moves off the ball, which makes sense.

Useful Thread.!!!....what about set pass to run onto ball for targetman..wat does it actually benefits?

Useful Thread.!!!....what about set pass to run onto ball for targetman..wat does it actually benefits?

I believe that the different settings and what type of player they benefit for targetman supply is somewhat like this.

To head: Your targetman will play with his back towards the oppositions goal and your team will try to feed him in the air. In order for this to work your targetman should have good jumping, heading and strength. A good balance is also worth looking for. In real life this type player would be Peter Crouch or Mark Viduka.

To feet: Your tergetman will play with his back towards the oppositions goal and your team will pass to his feet. In order for this to work your targetman should have good first touch, technique, strength and balance. For the most part the targetman will be pretty stationary and use his superior strength to hold off defenders and then pass the ball on. In real life this could be Wayne Rooney.

Run onto ball: Is the most different of the targetman supplies option. In this option the targetman is no longer stationary, but he will run towards the pass in order to create space for himself. This works best with a forward that has good off the ball, anticipation and technique. Generally you would want a targetman that is a more creative type of striker. In real life this could a Francesco Totti or Alessandro del Piero.

Hope this helps a little.

great job with the explanations

question.....in a 4-3-3 would it be a good idea to make 1 of the wingers the playmaker and the other one the targetman (w/ run onto ball supply)?

or does the targetman have to be a central attacking player?

does someone know what the influence is of the hidden non player attribute "hardness of training" ?

Counter Attack:

The counter attack option is best used by an underdog facing a superior opponent or a team with players capable of launch attacks at high speed with a directness about their play. They will tend to sit back in their own half and allow the opposition to have the ball in harmless positions before imposing pressure, taking the ball and countering.

Iam, how sure are you about this mate?

I think the Counter Attack option only comes into play once you win the ball. If you have it ticked the team is much more likely to attempt a speedy counter (via a long ball or a speedy run with ball). But if it is unticked the team will instead always try to organise a regular attack, this may be useful if you are playing short passing, posession football and don`t want any break-neck attacks.

Which one is the true interpretation?

Fast question:

Concentration is for the end of the match OR for entire match?

Fast question:

Concentration is for the end of the match OR for entire match?

Wow bumping a 4 year old thread:D You could have used the stupid questions thread...

However to answer the question, its for the entire 90 minutes.

Sory about that

But we had little dispute.

Thanks! I was right!

I think this is great to bump this thread. Maybe if some people re-read this they will understand that attributes should put you on the right road to success in fm2013. I for one got too hung up on the star ratings picking the individual player role and expecting to win. Instead picking a way I want to play and fitting the correct attributes to fit the roles of the team.

Thanks mods for making me re analyse my approach and enjoying the whole game rather than buying best star players and watching on key highlights, expecting to win every match with no thought process. Just my two cents.