What do I need to know? FM 101

Hey guys, I have been a long time user of games like this and love the genre in general. I have played OOTP for years and years as well as Eastside and FOF and quite a few others.

I have never tried this series though as I have never really been a fan of soccer, and don't know all that much about it to be honest.

Lately I have been looking for a game to get into - and while there is a new version (at least new for me) of OOTP out - I prefer to save that for the spring when the baseball fever starts up again. Thus I have decided to give FM a shot. I have always heard it was the best done game of these types and all the other games I play always aspired to be like the FM franchise.

So as I DL the demo, what kind of general tips would you consider an absolute newbie needing to know? Remember I haven't played a minute of any other FM game, nor do I know much about the workings of worldwide soccer.

thanks for any info/suggestions guys

Score more goals than your opponent to win.

and make sure if nothing goes right, please don't turn out to be like this kid ... http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=M8pR1rZZHEs

Oh god I haven't got a clue where to start.

Spend 6 hours reading the manual and looking through the interface before you click "continue" once is probably the best thing I can advise.

There are so many different options etc. I wouldn't know how to cover them all...

If in doubt, start with Arsenal and play 4-4-2 with your best players, and pick the game up from there, good luck.

Oh god I haven't got a clue where to start.

Spend 6 hours reading the manual and looking through the interface before you click "continue" once is probably the best thing I can advise.

There are so many different options etc. I wouldn't know how to cover them all...

If in doubt, start with Arsenal and play 4-4-2 with your best players, and pick the game up from there, good luck.

Thanks - I appreciate that. This is the sort of thing I am looking for.

I know I have a TON of stuff to learn and digest - heck that's what sounds fun to me - but I just wanted some tips to at least not start off lost - haha.

This is a site that has links that will give you some basic and advanced hints on how to make a club become succesful. http://www.fm-tactics.co.uk/index.php?page=articles&view=article&news_id=192

here is a paste from this page courtesy The next Diaby.

Links and References

Tactic Building Basics

Tactical Theorems and Frameworks '08 - TT&F

Tactical knowledge remains the core of the game and can only be completed (or ruined) by man-management. Our sister thread offers in-depth knowledge and maybe the most systematic approach available since many years. Since this year the patch history has slowed down progress, also the link to Play FM as important basic knowledge of tactic building: Play FM: Tactical Design and Management Strategy

Fundamental Football Manager - FFM

Rashidi's systematic approach offering many alternate, but also common solutions to TT&F

I do not want to put any other theories down, but TT&F is FM-Britain core stuff and our TTT colleague Rashidi has a long tradition of presenting his approach as well, so I hope you do not mind that I refer to those two exclusively.

Squad Management topics of the FM-Britain Tactical Bible

Squad Management I

The first article of the complete Squad Management series of the FM-Britain Tactical Bible.

All of these articles are available for free reading on the FM-Britain homepage. If you want to read more details, updates and post questions or feedbacks, please visit the Tactical Bible Forum.

Part I: Youth Development - bringing youth through or selling them.

Part II: Subs, Rotation, Team Building - Increasing your squad depth, integrating new players with less frictions.

Part III: Staff, Media and Player Interaction - A key to consistency.

Part IV: Team Talks - A key to maintain your performance or turn games around.

Part V: Squad Discipline - How to avoid bans and finishing games with 10 men.

Part VI: Tutoring - How to get the most out of your young players.

Articles and threads on man-management

Extra-tactical Factors

A very good introduction into the importance of several aspects of man-management by Millie.

Team gelling and tactical consistency

Examples given based on my experience with rebuilding Zaragoza

Pre-match Comments - An experiment

Excellent detailed research by wugster on the effects of pre-match media interaction, especially helpful regarding different reactions of individual players.

Making extra money from players

Sock's guide how to use your squad to build up economic success.

take things slow and don't try to learn it all at once. It's taken people years to know this game and you shouldn't expect success straight away. Keep thins simple as well, with all the options available it's all to tempting to try and be clever. As has already been suggest try a simple 4-4-2. Obviously look around the forum, there's loads of people willing to help. So sit back, relax and wave goodbye to your life.

Hey, mate, welcome to the Beautiful Game.

As an American getting started with your first FM, you'll probably find these threads the most useful places to go:

1. Marc Vaughan's Hints and Tips (Can't beat tips straight from the designers!)

2. More newbie questions - (Questions from and answered by other North American FM fans)

3. Tactic Building for Dummies (No insult intended, its a good place to start for anyone new to the series.)

4. Communication and Psychological Warfare (The game is becoming ever more psychologically based, and there are great tips here for keeping your players motivated.)

Actually, before you read any of those, there's a more basic set of information you need to know:

A. Player "trades" are very rare. Instead, you will see "Transfers", where Club A pays Club B a cash "transfer fee" for Player X. Unlike, say, MLB, where Player X's contract with Club B can be traded, Player X's contract is exclusive to Club B. Therefore, Club A needs to arrange a new contract with the player. The transfer is only completed if Club B agrees to the fee AND Player X agrees to the new contract.

B. Transfer windows. In most leagues, you can only perform transfers at certain times. For example, English Premier League teams can only bring players into the squad from July 1st to August 31st, and from January 1st to January 31st. If a deal were finalized on, say, November 20th, it would be set to complete at a future date - either January 1st or July 1st of the next season.

C. No playoffs. In most leagues, the Champion is determined not by a playoff system, but by the club with the best regular season record. (Determined by "Points" - usually 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a defeat.) Draws are quite common; there is no "overtime" for league matches.

D. Cups. The elimination-system you're used to in an American playoff format is commonly used in Cups, such as the F.A. Cup, the League Cup, or the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. The rules will differ from competition to competition, but may include Overtime or even go to a Penalty Shootout. These are usually distinct and different from the league placing; each has its own trophy. A team would be said to have "Done the Double" if they managed to win both the F.A. Cup and the English Premier League in the same season.

Cup matches tend to run in parallel with the league season, so you might opt to rest your key players during a Cup match due to a crucial league match coming .. or vice versa.

E. Promotion/Relegation. Unlike baseball, where the teams at MLB, AAA, AA, and A are constant from year to year, in most of the football world, teams can rise or fall. If baseball were football , at the end of the season, the top three teams from AAA would be promoted to MLB, and the bottom three teams from MLB would be relegated to AAA. Similarly, the bottom three teams from AAA would be relegated to AA, to be replaced by the best AA teams.

(Often, the promotion/relegation battle includes a playoff at the very end. For example, the teams getting promoted from English League One are the champion, the second place team, and the winner of a playoff between the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th placed teams. Some playoffs also include giving a team one last chance to avoid relegation.)

F. European Qualification. The pinnacle of club football is the European Champions League, a Cup competition featuring clubs from many different nations. Currently, in England, the top four finishers in the English Premier League qualify for the next season's Champions League. (The number of places a league gets varies depending on how well clubs from that league do over a five-year period.)

Beneath the C.L. is the UEFA Cup. For England, the 5th-place EPL team qualifies for the UEFA Cup, as do the winners of the F.A. Cup and the League Cup. (If, as is often the case, a top-five team wins the Cup, the UEFA Cup berth may be awarded to the runner-up or to the next-best team in the league.)

Revenues for European qualification are usually very high, creating a Yankees-style "the rich get richer" structure ... but if a team takes on too much debt, anticipating permanent European revenue, and then fails to qualify ... well, ask fans of Leeds United what happens then.

. . .

When you put that all together, part of the joy of FM is taking over a mediocre club from some forgotten league ... earning promotion several times over a number of seasons until you reach the "top flight" of that nation's league pyramid ... and then your work isn't done, because the next season is often a tough fight against relegation .. and it will take several more seasons to start challenging for a UEFA Cup berth .. but if you can finally win the League and the Champions League from those humble origins, you can really be proud of your managerial career!

Avoid extremes, otherwise things will go rusty very quickly. Stick to the centre of the sliders (though a few clicks each way to personalise it is useful, don't go all the way to the edges).

Hey, mate, welcome to the Beautiful Game.

As an American getting started with your first FM, you'll probably find these threads the most useful places to go:

1. Marc Vaughan's Hints and Tips (Can't beat tips straight from the designers!)

2. More newbie questions - (Questions from and answered by other North American FM fans)

3. Tactic Building for Dummies (No insult intended, its a good place to start for anyone new to the series.)

4. Communication and Psychological Warfare (The game is becoming ever more psychologically based, and there are great tips here for keeping your players motivated.)

Actually, before you read any of those, there's a more basic set of information you need to know:

A. Player "trades" are very rare. Instead, you will see "Transfers", where Club A pays Club B a cash "transfer fee" for Player X. Unlike, say, MLB, where Player X's contract with Club B can be traded, Player X's contract is exclusive to Club B. Therefore, Club A needs to arrange a new contract with the player. The transfer is only completed if Club B agrees to the fee AND Player X agrees to the new contract.

B. Transfer windows. In most leagues, you can only perform transfers at certain times. For example, English Premier League teams can only bring players into the squad from July 1st to August 31st, and from January 1st to January 31st. If a deal were finalized on, say, November 20th, it would be set to complete at a future date - either January 1st or July 1st of the next season.

C. No playoffs. In most leagues, the Champion is determined not by a playoff system, but by the club with the best regular season record. (Determined by "Points" - usually 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a defeat.) Draws are quite common; there is no "overtime" for league matches.

D. Cups. The elimination-system you're used to in an American playoff format is commonly used in Cups, such as the F.A. Cup, the League Cup, or the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. The rules will differ from competition to competition, but may include Overtime or even go to a Penalty Shootout. These are usually distinct and different from the league placing; each has its own trophy. A team would be said to have "Done the Double" if they managed to win both the F.A. Cup and the English Premier League in the same season.

Cup matches tend to run in parallel with the league season, so you might opt to rest your key players during a Cup match due to a crucial league match coming .. or vice versa.

E. Promotion/Relegation. Unlike baseball, where the teams at MLB, AAA, AA, and A are constant from year to year, in most of the football world, teams can rise or fall. If baseball were football , at the end of the season, the top three teams from AAA would be promoted to MLB, and the bottom three teams from MLB would be relegated to AAA. Similarly, the bottom three teams from AAA would be relegated to AA, to be replaced by the best AA teams.

(Often, the promotion/relegation battle includes a playoff at the very end. For example, the teams getting promoted from English League One are the champion, the second place team, and the winner of a playoff between the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th placed teams. Some playoffs also include giving a team one last chance to avoid relegation.)

F. European Qualification. The pinnacle of club football is the European Champions League, a Cup competition featuring clubs from many different nations. Currently, in England, the top four finishers in the English Premier League qualify for the next season's Champions League. (The number of places a league gets varies depending on how well clubs from that league do over a five-year period.)

Beneath the C.L. is the UEFA Cup. For England, the 5th-place EPL team qualifies for the UEFA Cup, as do the winners of the F.A. Cup and the League Cup. (If, as is often the case, a top-five team wins the Cup, the UEFA Cup berth may be awarded to the runner-up or to the next-best team in the league.)

Revenues for European qualification are usually very high, creating a Yankees-style "the rich get richer" structure ... but if a team takes on too much debt, anticipating permanent European revenue, and then fails to qualify ... well, ask fans of Leeds United what happens then.

. . .

When you put that all together, part of the joy of FM is taking over a mediocre club from some forgotten league ... earning promotion several times over a number of seasons until you reach the "top flight" of that nation's league pyramid ... and then your work isn't done, because the next season is often a tough fight against relegation .. and it will take several more seasons to start challenging for a UEFA Cup berth .. but if you can finally win the League and the Champions League from those humble origins, you can really be proud of your managerial career!

Wow thankyou very much - this is exactly what I was looking for.

Right now for the demo I am just doing what someone else suggested and playing as Arsenal and sticking to the 4-4-2 to get a feel.

After a while of that and once I have the mechanics down then I will take on bigger challenges with smaller clubs.

Ok so I was able to play a lot yesterday and I already feel the hook in me. Very cool game, and I find it very fun to just watch the matches honestly.

The biggest frustration I am having, playing as Arsenal, is that my guys can't stay healthy, they are always getting hurt, and when they do it always seems to be for 1 or 2 months. It drives me crazy. Can I honestly ever expect to have my best lineup out there playing at the same time or does this rarely happen in soccer?

I have been experimenting with the training level but I can't decide. At first I turned it down to low medium level thinking maybe they were training too hard and breaking down. When the injuries seemed to continue I then moved it up to heavy thinking maybe I needed to whip these boys into shape.

Also it seems I have two guys with 17 stamina and they are basically wiped out tired by the second half. Could this be because they came back from injury and aren't full in match shape? I thought I read somewhere that it can take 2 months before someone is fully back after a lengthy injury.

ok, so if you're playing the demo you will find a lot of injuries. It has been toned down 33% in the full 'patched' game. At some point you will be able to get your strongest line-up on the field. It's not that rare.

I find that during pre-season (whilst friendlies are being played) I have my team just doing strength and aerobic work (push both sliders up to full, all others at the bottom) and once preseason is over I get my team into their specialised positional training. (Happy to upload these to here and share with you if you want to see them).

ok, so if you're playing the demo you will find a lot of injuries. It has been toned down 33% in the full 'patched' game. At some point you will be able to get your strongest line-up on the field. It's not that rare.

I find that during pre-season (whilst friendlies are being played) I have my team just doing strength and aerobic work (push both sliders up to full, all others at the bottom) and once preseason is over I get my team into their specialised positional training. (Happy to upload these to here and share with you if you want to see them).

I would love to take a look at them - I am trying to absorb so much at once that it really helps to be able to look at something to get a better understanding.

Do you have training schedules broken down by position? Say like defenders, strikers, midfield etc etc. I still just have the game defaults for General and GK, so thinking about tinkering with this.

As for the injuries brings me to another dilema. I have already decided I will buy the game - but figured I would just wait till demo is done, are you saying that I might be better off not getting too deep with the demo as there is something wrong with it in the code - and I might be better off just getting the full patched version and starting fresh?

Oh and can someone explain to me quickly what is the difference between say a striker and a forward?

Would a player listed as either of these spots be basically interchangeable? (Keep in mind I am running a 4-4-2)

As I understand it a striker is an out and out goal scorer where as a forward will be better at link up play (linking midfield to attack).

As for my training schedules, I have defensive / defensive midfield / Attacking Midfield / Strikers. I use the default keeper training. Give me a few minutes and I'll get them loaded onto mediafire for you. (I also have reduced workload versions for youth players).

Personally I would buy the game, install and download the patch. (if you authenticate through Steam it will patch automatically).

Training Schedule - Just download into the schedules folder contained with the Football Manager 2009 file that should be in the Sports Interactive folder in My Documents. (Hope that made sense). When you go to your training section if you go to 'edit schedule' and import the file.

Training Schedule

Training Schedule - Just download into the schedules folder contained with the Football Manager 2009 file that should be in the Sports Interactive folder in My Documents. (Hope that made sense). When you go to your training section if you go to 'edit schedule' and import the file.

Training Schedule

Thank you very much - I understand what your saying as I have played other SI games before. I appreciate it.

I think I am going to take your advice and just go buy the game and get the full version via steam and just restart my season (was only like 5 games in anyways).

no problem. Always happy to help. Good luck and don't forget to kiss your family and friends goodbye before you install the game!!!

no problem. Always happy to help. Good luck and don't forget to kiss your family and friends goodbye before you install the game!!!

Haha yeah I am well versed in how that works - playing OOTP and stuff like that has trained me.

But it actually works out well - I work from home for the next 4 months - and we are expecting our first child in mid-february - so I figure I will have a lot of time leashed to the house so this will give me something I can jump into at any hour of the day. haha

yeah I thought that when we were expecting our 1st child. I play a lot less than I used to, although probably more than I should

yeah I thought that when we were expecting our 1st child. I play a lot less than I used to, although probably more than I should

Yeah I realize I am probably being naive. But hey a guy can hope can't he? haha

I would really LOVE to be playing right now - but apparently Steam doesn't think a paying customer should have immediate access to his product....grrrrrrr.

Then once I get in to DL the game I am looking at hours to DL the game and the patch all over. This is a sure sing of addiction isn't it? haha

it sure is! Although Steam is usually pretty fast.

Let us know how you get on. If you need anymore help then ask, I'll help where I can.

yeah I thought that when we were expecting our 1st child. I play a lot less than I used to, although probably more than I should

i hear you there i have kids and i def play more than i should but the hook in this game just keeps pulling me back in. By the way kulprit defo buy the game well worth it.

i hear you there i have kids and i def play more than i should but the hook in this game just keeps pulling me back in. By the way kulprit defo buy the game well worth it.

Already have - just waiting for Steam to decree me worthy!

Ok so this time around I started fresh with the purchased version that was updated to 9.1 or whatever. Haven't gotten too far but seem to be getting less injuries this time, and the 3d view seems to be working a bit better as well.

Tell me if I am doing something wrong - but this time around I planned to use substitutions a lot more then I did before and not let players get so tired. I called up a bunch of my players from the Reserves squad - most of them are 18-19-20 and I had worries I would hurt their development. After a few friendly matches I was pleased by some of their play - they seem to be able to hold their own - at least against lesser clubs. When permitted I have been trying to sub out players when they get to around 70 con to hopefully avoid injury. I notice that defense are able to last a lot longer and this makes sense - but my wingers and strikers burn out fast - I can see the value in having a lot of options in those positions.

I imported Celtic's training template and have been using it. I had all my position players in the preseason mode (basically just Strength and Cardio heavy) until my first Premier match and then divided them up accordingly. Right now I am trying to find a way to train up my two good wingers Stam statistic - they are both fairly low at like 13 or 14, both players are 19 and 20, and have really high quickness and pace, so they wear themselves out very quickly. Is there a good way to focus their training towards uping their stamina?

I am starting to work out a plan for an A squad and a B squad where I divide up the best players equally and for the most part rotate games. For big matches I would blend in the best lineup I can field dependent on conditioning and injuries, but for normal league play start with a watered down squad and sub in as I may need. Is this a sound strategy to keeping my players fresh and not grinding them down?

thanks for any input guys!

Blimey - you seem to be doing pretty well on your own! Anyway I'll try to offer some advice (based on my 6 months of demo practise and a LOT of CM/FM time)

Ok so this time around I started fresh with the purchased version that was updated to 9.1 or whatever. Haven't gotten too far but seem to be getting less injuries this time, and the 3d view seems to be working a bit better as well.

That's good news - it seems the patch addressed the early season injury crisis issues to a degree!

Tell me if I am doing something wrong - but this time around I planned to use substitutions a lot more then I did before and not let players get so tired. I called up a bunch of my players from the Reserves squad - most of them are 18-19-20 and I had worries I would hurt their development.

Don't be worried - players of that age should be getting first team football - otherwise they won't develop to their full potential. If you can't fit them into your first team (in either the A or B squad that you've got going) you should make them available for loan.

A loan is a short term deal. The team that owns the player retains their registration but they play for the team they have been loaned to. Loan terms can last from 1 month to a full season, and if you request it as part of the deal you can recall the player from their loan on a day's notice. You can also agree to pay a percentage of the player's wages - important if your Premier League waged youngster wants to go to a much smaller side. Also seeing what teams are interested in your player acts as a guide as to how good they are!

After a few friendly matches I was pleased by some of their play - they seem to be able to hold their own - at least against lesser clubs. When permitted I have been trying to sub out players when they get to around 70 con to hopefully avoid injury. I notice that defense are able to last a lot longer and this makes sense - but my wingers and strikers burn out fast - I can see the value in having a lot of options in those positions.

Wingers burn out quickly because they are often set in the tactics in the MR/ML (Midfield Right/Left) position but with 'Forward Runs - Always'. This can be seen as a forward pointing arrow on the Tactics --> Positions screen. That means they are constantly running up and down the wing and will wear themselves out quickly.

In order to cut down how quickly they get tired, you could try moving them to the AMR/AML (Attacking Midfield Right/Left) position with no forward run arrows. It's worked for me at Swindon!

I imported Celtic's training template and have been using it. I had all my position players in the preseason mode (basically just Strength and Cardio heavy) until my first Premier match and then divided them up accordingly. Right now I am trying to find a way to train up my two good wingers Stam statistic - they are both fairly low at like 13 or 14, both players are 19 and 20, and have really high quickness and pace, so they wear themselves out very quickly. Is there a good way to focus their training towards uping their stamina?

Avoid Strength = Heavy training - it will make your players more prone to injuries in training. Take that training down a notch or two to medium, then spread the balance of effort around the more technical abilities. And if I remember, nothing improves stamina like league (or cup) playing time.

I am starting to work out a plan for an A squad and a B squad where I divide up the best players equally and for the most part rotate games. For big matches I would blend in the best lineup I can field dependent on conditioning and injuries, but for normal league play start with a watered down squad and sub in as I may need. Is this a sound strategy to keeping my players fresh and not grinding them down?

In some ways it's a good plan. However your team will take longer to gel if you cycle them constantly. I'd recommend a 'spine' of the team that plays 80% of the games if fit - 1 GK, 1 or 2 DC, 1 MC, 1 FC and a creative winger (if you have one). Cycle the rest of players as you see fit.

Your captain should play (almost) every game. They are an important character and should be treated as such. If they are unhappy then a lot of other players in your side will be unhapy also.

Also - look out for players who have contracts described as 'Key' or 'Backup'. Key players don't appreciate being rotated or dropped frequently and their morale will drop; backup players may think you've got them on the cheap, become unhappy and demand a better contract.

One last thing - on the tactics screen you have forward pointing arrows and backwards pointing arrows. The Forward pointing arrows mean Forward runs = Always, backwards means Forward runs = Rarely. If there is no arrow it means that the player will judge whether to make a forward run dependent on their mental stats, their PPM and their mentality (team or individually set). You'd be surprised how often good players make the correct decision to run forward at the right time without the Forward Arrow - you don't need them all the time!

thanks for any input guys!

No worries. Fairly soon you'll notice that you are conceding late goals and drawing or losing games you thought you'd wrapped up. When that happens, come back and we'll tell you how to avoid that problem with 5 (or so) mouse clicks!

Every year we get a thread like this one (Somebody from the USA trying Soccerball Manager for the first time ) and it usually ends up as one of the most informative and most interesting threads on the forum. And you'll bring Amaroq out of hiding - and he's a veritable goldmine of patience and advice.

Amaroq, I'm surprised at you. You are seeming a little out of touch this year. Age not catching up with you I hope

Tactical Theorems and Frameworks '09

The definitive guide to understanding the tactical module in FM09 (if I do say so myself ) although as it comes with a personal recommendation by Paul Collyer this year I hope that is read as more than just hubris. This year's version covers every formation under the sun, with alternative downloadable default tactics available in the following:

Modern Formations (Defensive, Standard, Attacking)

3-2-3-2 (532 with WBs, SW & AMC): DSA

3-3-2-2 (532 with WBs, SW & DMC): DSA

3-4-3 (flat): DSA

3-4-3 Diamond (classic Ajax modernised): DSA

3-5-2 (flat): DSA

4-1-2-1-2 (4-4-2 narrow diamond): DSA

4-1-3-2 (4-4-2, no wingers, DMC): DSA

4-1-4-1: DSA

4-2-2-2 (4-4-2 box): DSA

4-2-3-1 (Spanish formation, 3AMC rather than wingers): DSA

4-2-4: DSA

4-3-1-2: DSA

4-3-2-1 (Christmas Tree): DSA

4-3-3: DSA

4-4-1-1: DSA

4-4-2: DSA

4-4-2 Diamond (with wingers): DSA

4-5-1: DSA

5-3-2: DSA

5-4-1: DSA

Classic Formations

Catenaccio (5-2-2-1 with Libero: 1940s-1960s): Defensive Framework

Danubian School (2-3-5: 1920s-1940s) Standard Framework

Metodo (2-3-2-3: 1930s-1950s) Attacking Framework

The 3-3-4 (1950s-1960s: Spurs Double) Attacking Framework

The Ajax Formation (3-1-2-1-3: 1970s) Standard Framework

The Pyramid (2-3-5: 1890s-1940s) Attacking Framework

The Swissbolt (3-1-2-4: 1930s-1950s) Standard Framework

The WM (2-3-2-3: 1920s-1950s) Attacking Framework

The WW (3-2-3-2: The Magnificent Magyars 1940s-50s) Attacking Framework

Experimental Formations

The Roma 4-6-0 (4-2-3-1 Attacking with dropped forward and side AMCs pushed wide)

The Hiddink 3-6-1 (5-4-1 standard with altered shape only)

The Queiroz 4-2-3-1 Asymmetric (4-2-3-1 Attacking with staggered wingers and midfielders)

Communication and Psychological Warfare '09 should be available in December sometime.

Welcome aboard! I'm sorry I missed this earlier, but last year I was in the exact same boat as you and Amaroq and others were a huge help. I also have a thread here that I've actually printed out in it's entirety and have read several times over found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=9147

Don't be afraid to ask questions, the guys here were so extremely helpful that I finally stuck with it after trying and giving up on the demo a few years in a row and am already engrossed in the new version.

Good Luck!

Hey guys, I have been a long time user of games like this and love the genre in general. I have played OOTP for years and years as well as Eastside and FOF and quite a few others.

I have never tried this series though as I have never really been a fan of soccer, and don't know all that much about it to be honest.

Lately I have been looking for a game to get into - and while there is a new version (at least new for me) of OOTP out - I prefer to save that for the spring when the baseball fever starts up again. Thus I have decided to give FM a shot. I have always heard it was the best done game of these types and all the other games I play always aspired to be like the FM franchise.

So as I DL the demo, what kind of general tips would you consider an absolute newbie needing to know? Remember I haven't played a minute of any other FM game, nor do I know much about the workings of worldwide soccer.

thanks for any info/suggestions guys

All I can say is... You may not know the rules or much about soccer now but if you learn the basics and then play the game you will like a lot It is the most in depth management sim from Sigames and there is lots for you to do. Manage your team on the pitch with tactics, buy and sell players, loan players, set up training schedules and that is before we actually get on to winning matches and what different teams there are in different divisions

You will learn the in's and outs of soccer if you take the time to learn the basic rules first and it will be very rewarding if you take a few hours to research about the rules of soccer and what your team should consist of

Thanks so much guys - I really appreciate it - and am already enjoying the game quite a bit - and the wife is already saying "This better not be the new game you tune everything else out for!" haha

I did want to note that I AM using the forums and researching as much as I can and reading a lot of threads, I am just using this thread to fill in the holes. Didn't want to come off as being lazy.

Last night I discovered that I needed to hire a bunch of new coaches and configure them to one specific faction of training. They were all set to cover all areas and thus I wasn't getting many stars. So I spent the better part of my evening tracking down good coaches for specific areas. I spent a good chunk of money - but I still have a lot of money under my transfer budget that I didn't spend in the first xfer window so I figured investing into a great staff was a good way to spend some of the funds.

Quick question - lets say I do not spend 10 million of my xfer budget - will that carry over in some way to my next years budget? Or am I better off burning up that money at the very least on some prospects rather then letting it go to waste? Currently I am hesitant to make any huge moves cause frankly I realize I don't know jack. Don't want to make any moves and discover that they don't fit my style or anything. I have grabbed a good looking young goalie and a nice speedy winger but that's about it. Plus as Arsenal I start the game with a few good players injured so I wanted to wait and let them come back and integrate into the team before I let myself decide what my "needs" are.

Gotta be honest though - I am already finding myself daydreaming about taking over a small team and trying to work my way up - but figure at this moment that's over my head so I am content to tinker with Arsenal for now - haha.

Quick question - lets say I do not spend 10 million of my xfer budget - will that carry over in some way to my next years budget? Or am I better off burning up that money at the very least on some prospects rather then letting it go to waste? Currently I am hesitant to make any huge moves cause frankly I realize I don't know jack. Don't want to make any moves and discover that they don't fit my style or anything. I have grabbed a good looking young goalie and a nice speedy winger but that's about it. Plus as Arsenal I start the game with a few good players injured so I wanted to wait and let them come back and integrate into the team before I let myself decide what my "needs" are.

The funds will not carry over. You might want to spend all the budget but I'd advise keeping an eye on the bank balance and the clubs turnover/profit. Arsenal should not have too many problems in that area but still you have to consider that the 'budget' is just a guideline set by your board, the actual money comes out of your balance and if the finances go sour you'll be getting the blame.

"Out of touch", wwfan? That's unkind!

I'd actually been worried more about being out of touch the past two years, as I was still plugging along at my FM'05 save and therefore missing some features, etc, from my advice repertoire. Am now happily playing '09, so look out, world!

I do figure I ought to just grab all of the various "American newbie" threads, collate, and post as a single unified guide someday; it might be the companion piece to T&TT.

Can I honestly ever expect to have my best lineup out there playing at the same time or does this rarely happen in soccer?

Relatively close to American football, actually. If you can stay healthy, that's a big advantage.

One thing to consider is "squad rotation" - basically, players who run a lot (wings, strikers, midfielders) and have a low Stamina or Natural Fitness will only be able to start one match per week. You'll want to have good backups who can "rotate" in when the club has to play two matches in a week. Central defenders and players with high Natural Fitness and Stamina may be able to handle two matches in a week, especially a Sat/Wed week (but probably not a Sun/Tue week).

You might consider a rule like "Never start anybody with a Condition less than 95%" - but you'll want to pick the ## yourself.

Ahh, I see you've developed the A squad / B squad approach; that's much what I tend to run. I do pay attention to my captain, either getting him 60-70 minutes as a starter in each game, or making him a central defender (who tends to start every time out), and I also use a "look ahead" strategy to make sure my top players are well rested for the toughest of matches.

Leftback's advice about treating your captain as an important character in the story is very good.

I have been experimenting with the training level but I can't decide.

Try this:

Intense physical (Strength and aerobic both) for pre-season, June 22nd-August 8th or so.

High edge of Medium (with more of a technique/mental bent) for most of the season

Low to mid-Medium for December and January.

The reason for the Winter tune-down is that the "pitch" tends to degrade, and fatigue becomes more of a factor, during winter. Also, there is a nasty "fixture congestion" through December and January in England, with most clubs having to play two matches every week.

(I do tend to leave my Reserve team and more fringe players on their normal setting during winter).

Also it seems I have two guys with 17 stamina and they are basically wiped out tired by the second half. Could this be because they came back from injury and aren't full in match shape? I thought I read somewhere that it can take 2 months before someone is fully back after a lengthy injury.

The key variable is "Condition", expressed as a percentage.

The player attribute "Stamina" affects the rate at which a player loses Condition in the middle of a match. (So do tactical settings: high Mentality, high Closing Down, high Forward Runs)

The player attribute "Natural Fitness" affects the rate at which a player regains Condition during the week. (So does training intensity.)

1. What is their starting Condition? If its low, e.g., 68% before the match even starts, then of course they aren't going to last 90 minutes. If that's the case, you want to put them on the bench and bring them on for the final 15-30 minutes. If you're starting a player with, say, 92% to 94%, you probably want to have a competent substitute available to replace him before the match is complete (around 60 minutes or so).

2. There's a fitness line, it reads from

"In Superb Condition"

"Fully Fit"

"Match Fit"

"Lacking Match Fitness"

"Severely Lacking Match Fitness"

"Needs Intensive Training and Match practice before playing"

Players in the last category, you really want to put back on your Pre-Season training regime so that they get back up to physical fitness. I'd suggest, mid-season, that you "Send to Reserves Until Match Fit" or whatever the option is - this will let them get match fitness by playing Reserve matches which are usually much less intense.

Players in the two "Lacking" categories can play, but will lose Condition much more quickly, and you'll also notice their performance suffer. (Nothing like seeing a world-class striker "miss a sitter" because he's Severely Lacking Match Fitness!) So, you might prefer to get them fitness by bringing them on as substitutes, by starting them but for only 60 minutes, or by sending them to the Reserves - its your choice.

we are expecting our first child in mid-february - so I figure I will have a lot of time leashed to the house so this will give me something I can jump into at any hour of the day. haha

Hahahah.... yeah, there was a guy posting here who said he got tons of credit from his wife for taking care of all the "middle of the night" stuff while she got uninterrupted sleep. He sat up playing FM, and tending to the baby when she woke, then tagged out and went to sleep when mom woke up. I know it isn't really going to work out that perfectly, but that's totally how I imagine it going when we have our first!

The funds will not carry over. You might want to spend all the budget but I'd advise keeping an eye on the bank balance and the clubs turnover/profit. Arsenal should not have too many problems in that area but still you have to consider that the 'budget' is just a guideline set by your board, the actual money comes out of your balance and if the finances go sour you'll be getting the blame.

Thank you very much. While I am playing with Arsenal right now I do plan to eventually drop myself down and start with a lower club where this will be much more of an issue.

I will have to spend some time going over the financials.

"Out of touch", wwfan? That's unkind!

I'd actually been worried more about being out of touch the past two years, as I was still plugging along at my FM'08 save and therefore missing some features, etc, from my advice repertoire. Am now happily playing '09, so look out, world!

I do figure I ought to just grab all of the various "American newbie" threads, collate, and post as a single unified guide someday; it might be the companion piece to T&TT.

Didn't mean to be rude. Sorry.

That guide would be a great idea. Add it to TT&F and CPW and we'd have all the bases covered.

One thing to consider is "squad rotation" - basically, players who run ........

Thank you very much Amaroq - very helpful stuff.

I have sort of started doing what you say so it's good to get the confirmation that I am on the right path.

When I spoke of the guys with skills of 17 I was speaking of stamina - but yet they still were dropping Con really fast. I think I was talking about Cesc Fabregas (sp?) and how he is like the stud of my team and starts out injured with Arsenal in 09 - so when he came back I was super excited - only to be disappointed that he barely made it to half. Now after playing a bit I am thinking it was he wasn't rehabbed fully.

Now my main problem is my high pace wingers are tiring out - but as I watch more and more games this makes sense as these boys fly up and down the field non-stop always pushing my attack. I am now going to try to pick up some depth at winger with the xfer funds I have sitting since someone said it doesn't roll over. A nice high pace winger that can play striker would be ideal so I can plug them in around the 70th minute and let him wreak havoc on a tired defense.

I also am coming to the realization that I need a lot more depth. Maybe I am crazy but it seems that arsenal at least on the senior squad doesn't have much depth. Sure probably ok for premier league games where you only get 3 subs, but with the other matches I am starting to like making full scale subs to keep my roster fresh in those crazy weeks full of matches.

Also I seem to have made a mistake - I left Gallas as captain because he was the old captain and it said that keeping him in place is good for morale or something like that. So not knowing much about my squad I kept it - well Gallas seems to be riding the bench if I left it up to my Ass-Man so it poses a bit of a problem. He seems to favor playing a younger DM over him, so I might have to overrule that for morale sake. Not sure what I should do here.

Didn't mean to be rude. Sorry.

That guide would be a great idea. Add it to TT&F and CPW and we'd have all the bases covered.

No offense taken, my friend, so no apology needed - I laughed when I read your line, and should've put a smilie on mine.

Regarding covering all the bases, I think we'd need a training-and-player-development one, and then the instructional world would be complete.

Kulprit, you're welcome of course.

It definitely sounds like your Cesc Fabregas issue was him lacking match fitness, but if he's knocked the rust off and is going great guns now, then it isn't a long-term problem. If it were, I might recommend looking at his instructions. Oh, and yes, he's definitely the stud of your team.

Now my main problem is my high pace wingers are tiring out - but as I watch more and more games this makes sense as these boys fly up and down the field non-stop always pushing my attack.

Yep. You can tune that down a bit by using Player Instructions to train them not to "Get Forward Whenever Possible" if they have a PPM there. You might also try "Forward Runs: Normal" instead of High, lower "Closing Down", or a lower "Mentality". All of those will lessen the rate at which they lose Condition mid-match .. but to be honest, I just let mine get tired and sub out the first one who reaches 70%.

I am now going to try to pick up some depth at winger with the xfer funds I have sitting since someone said it doesn't roll over. A nice high pace winger that can play striker would be ideal so I can plug them in around the 70th minute and let him wreak havoc on a tired defense.

I recommend the pacey striker who can come on around the 70th minute to wreak havoc on a tired defense, full stop. Get him up front, set him as a Target Man, "To Run Onto Ball", and he'll chew up that tired defense.

For a winger, I tend to look for one who can play: ML AML MR AMR, all, and use that player as my backup winger, who can come in off the bench onto either side.

Another route is to wind up with players who can play DL WBL ML AML, for example. Then they can be a substitute winger (for scheduled changes) as well as providing injury cover for the fullbacks.

I also am coming to the realization that I need a lot more depth. Maybe I am crazy but it seems that arsenal at least on the senior squad doesn't have much depth. Sure probably ok for premier league games where you only get 3 subs, but with the other matches I am starting to like making full scale subs to keep my roster fresh in those crazy weeks full of matches.

Yep, I'm a proponent of the 20-man "First Team": 1 GK, 3 central defenders, 4 fullbacks, 4 wingers, 4 central midfielders, and 4 strikers. This is especially the case for an Arsenal, Man U, etc .. when I'm slogging through the Blue Square Premier with York City, I'm lucky if I have eleven guys I actually want to put on the field for any match.

The First XI are my best players, period, with the fringe typically taken by my most promising youth players and a few veterans who have been part of my team for a long while (like Gallas).

Also I seem to have made a mistake - I left Gallas as captain because he was the old captain and it said that keeping him in place is good for morale or something like that. So not knowing much about my squad I kept it - well Gallas seems to be riding the bench if I left it up to my Ass-Man so it poses a bit of a problem. He seems to favor playing a younger DM over him, so I might have to overrule that for morale sake. Not sure what I should do here.

Not sure you made a mistake, TBH. It sounds like he's still in your "twenty" and seeing some regular playing time, just not starting match in and match out?

Gallas is exceptionally experienced and professional, so he's going to take riding the substitutes' bench easily. If your "Vice Captain" is somebody who plays regularly, I wouldn't worry about it.

Making a change right now, mid-season, will be extremely disruptive - everybody who likes Gallas (e.g., lists him as a Favorite Personnel) will be highly upset. That could be half your team, and plunging Morale, loss of confidence in you, etc, would be devastating mid-season.

Meanwhile, bringing him on as a sub will provide a boost when the team needs it (e.g., when tied or trailing). I'd also recommend making sure to start him periodically, and especially in matches where you're starting a younger squad; the stability of having an experienced captain will help in that case. (I've done this while waiting for a long-time captain to retire in past games, and not noticed a steep drop in club chemistry; the Vice Captain wore the captain's armband most of the time, but the Captain wore it when he played.)

My captain is too old to finish most matches, but I tend to start him with regularity, and get 60-70 minutes out of him; my A.M. would probably not recommend starting him, but I ignore his advice and do so anyways, so you might consider doing the same. If he doesn't perform, get him back out of the lineup.

Next off-season, if he's had a reduced role this year, the players who like him will be much more amenable to you making him no longer captain .. especially if you have a high-reputation, high-experience, long-time-at-club starter with Influence whom you can slot in in his stead. Or you can continue your current approach until he retires or leaves the club.

(On the other hand, if Gallas fell out of your "20", and you were going to assign him to the Reserves, transfer list him, etc., I would recommend replacing him as Captain, even if you had to do it mid-season.)

No offense taken, my friend, so no apology needed - I laughed when I read your line, and should've put a smilie on mine.

Regarding covering all the bases, I think we'd need a training-and-player-development one, and then the instructional world would be complete.

There's a very interesting training/player development thread here. It's basically expanding a Thai site's work on Training in FM07 and encouraging experimentation in 09. Well worth a read.

Thanks Amaroq - Gallas gets some steady play time I would say (still only played like 5-6 league matches) and the vice-captain is Toure (sp?) who is also a DM stud and was going to be the captain if in fact I changed it.

Ok so I will go ahead and find that nice young speedster at striker - glad to hear I was on target there.

Also when I say "winger" I am probably using the wrong terminology and letting my hockey influence get through. I play a 4-4-2 and for lack of better terms when I say winger I mean the guys on the extreme left and right at midfield. I don't actually have players that play "wing" but I use AM-R AM-L type guys. If it's easier to explain I am talking basically about Woolcott on Arsenal. I also picked up I think "Diego Capel" in a purchase. They are both similar players and I have success with them - that's why I would love to get more time out of them - especially if I could get them both on the field together with that pacey striker. Seems to me it would be a dangerous combination.

So as I help my wife prepare for Thanksgiving I am mulling over strategies etc.

Here is what I am thinking my idea type of personnel would be for my 4-4-2

Two speedy wingers that can cross the ball real well.

One pacey striker that has high dribbling and finishing

One tall striker with good heading to be used as a target for the wingers

Or would I be better off having two good heading strikers - and save the third pacey striker to toss in late in games against a tired defense?

Oh yeah - and Cesc is listed as just a midfielder. Does this mean he is good enough to do either - be a defensive mid or an attacking mid - or does it mean I have to pick and begin to train him towards one direction? (remember I know basically zero about soccer haha)

Few other thoughts I have been working on - but without any long understanding of soccer I don't know the solution to.

In the tactics area it asks you to declare a "playmaker" - would you go with someone like my stud midfielder Cesc Fabregas or would you instead go with someone like a good winger or striker? Or is this just a matter of mostly how you want the ball to be worked up?

Secondly - I am thinking of upgrading my Ass-man. What would you say are the best qualities for an assistant manager? I have read people like Motivation, Man Management, and Tactics - but is there anything else?

Btw - what is the difference between "Tactical" and "tactical knowledge" and which one would I prefer for an assistant coach?

thanks guys

Oh and on a side note - I tried to print up the two threads linked above by americans fumbling their way through this game and it literally broke my printer - haha. So much info. Good stuff!

Someone who plays in the middle of the pitch and has good passing makes a decent playmaker. Fabregas would be good choice. If you use a winger, your tactics could become a bit predictable.

Note: You have to tic the "Use Playmaker" box.

I would say all mental attributes are important. If you are looking to your Ass-man for advice, then tactical knowledge, judging potential and judging ability are key. It is nice if he shares your footballing philosophy.

"Tactical knowledge" means tactical knowledge (lol). "Tactical" refers to his coaching ability (Team Work, Work Rate ect). You need a good tactical coach, but it doesn't have to be your Ass-man.

Someone who plays in the middle of the pitch and has good passing makes a decent playmaker. Fabregas would be good choice. If you use a winger, your tactics could become a bit predictable.

Note: You have to tic the "Use Playmaker" box.

I would say all mental attributes are important. If you are looking to your Ass-man for advice, then tactical knowledge, judging potential and judging ability are key. It is nice if he shares your footballing philosophy.

"Tactical knowledge" means tactical knowledge (lol). "Tactical" refers to his coaching ability (Team Work, Work Rate ect). You need a good tactical coach, but it doesn't have to be your Ass-man.

Ok I think I follow that. So basically for an Ass-man I would want high JP and JA as well as Motivation (for speeches) and Tac Knowldege then - then obviously other high skills would be a bonus

well a few months ago i tried to do the opposite i ventured into OOTP..... was really ready to give it my best shot see if i could pick it up..unfortuntly i never had a clue what i was doing. was all too complicated for me to pick up on and so i ran back to FM as fast as i could.

but good luck with FM hope you have alot better success than i did with OOTP... but you really wouldnt have to try that hard to do that.

well a few months ago i tried to do the opposite i ventured into OOTP..... was really ready to give it my best shot see if i could pick it up..unfortuntly i never had a clue what i was doing. was all too complicated for me to pick up on and so i ran back to FM as fast as i could.

but good luck with FM hope you have alot better success than i did with OOTP... but you really wouldnt have to try that hard to do that.

Yeah looking at it in the reverse I can see the challenge. Baseball is such a statistic reliant game for evaluation - especially in a managerial game like this. I couldn't imagine starting from zero without my inherent knowledge of the game.

Seems there is much more subtlety in FM though and that's really hard to pick up in a manual so they are both tough.

If you give it another go and have any questions feel free to ask - would be happy to help.

Have to say this is a great thread, I've been playing a few years but still learnt some stuff, someone should collate all the info here into a guide? I'll do it if you like (Credit given where it is due of course).

Just an update for those interested - I placed 2nd in the Premiere playing as Arsenal. I am pleased - considering I started out with zero clue. I did beat Man U. in the finals of the league cup and that helped me get some confidence from the board as well as my players and get a contract extension.

Luckily for me Arsenal is loaded and the strength of the roster allowed me to overcome many many mistakes as I learned. I made basically 3 decent sized additions - two of which the feedback is good one - the last one not so much and they really dislike it.

I picked up a lot of money at the end of the season and made a nice profit for the year (probably hard NOT to do as Arsenal haha) so I am hopeful I will get a nice chunk of cash for transfers next year. With Arsenal loaded with so much great young talent I can afford to go after a great player I think. That and just continue to stockpile young prospects.

I am going to really make an effort this year to my finances and try to squeeze down my payroll if I can.

Also plan to continue to tinker with my tactics. I have gone back to a 4-4-2 Attacking tactic (standard pre-loaded tactic) as my main style. I played with a 4-5-1 for a bit but I have a wealth of good strikers so I want to get them onto the field as much as possible so I went back to the 4-4-2. I started to tinker with my tactics based on the pitch and the weather and saw some good results so I will continue to do that next season.

Any tips I need to know going into my second season I would love to hear them. Again thanks for all the help!

Welcome to the addiction.

You appear to be doing pretty good so far.

For a real challenge try managing Luton Town (my home town team).

This is the ULTIMATE challenge... bottom of the lowest division of the Football League with no money and a very small wage allowance... oh and a 30 point penalty!!!

I have two games on the go... one Luton and just to taste the big time Aston Villa.

Welcome to the addiction.

You appear to be doing pretty good so far.

For a real challenge try managing Luton Town (my home town team).

This is the ULTIMATE challenge... bottom of the lowest division of the Football League with no money and a very small wage allowance... oh and a 30 point penalty!!!

I have two games on the go... one Luton and just to taste the big time Aston Villa.

Haha - yea I do plan to start a career unemployed at some point. But I still need to learn a great deal more to be able to manage my team to wins rather then ride talent to wins like I do with Arsenal.

my advice is to sell cesc fabregas to Celtic for very little money. you really dont need him!