Pre-determined results

[Anost]

Only 5 on target shots? Sounds like your team needs a bit of work mate. You only had 3 clear cut chances.

[tottivillarossi]

As an "old timer"...

First off - and as some have mentioned - this sort of thing (liitle guy beating big guy against all the odds) has happened throughout the CM/FM series - it's nothing new, and neither should it be because it happens IRL.

Secondly - part of playing this game, and by game I mean any version of CM/FM, is that hopefully after 10-15 mins of the matchplay you check some stats, player performance, progress etc. and maybe tweak your tactic a little to try and mix it up a bit if your having little success in front of goal. Point being, the opposition were clearly coping with your tactic and although I don't know for sure it looks like you didn't try something different. Hopefully you did.

Thirdly - this was an FA Cup semi, a big occasion. I don't know but did you give a good team talk pre-match or did you make your side feel that a win was a foregone conclusion? Because it's a big occasion some players get nervous despite having all the ability and quality in the world. That applies to your players too - so they will miss "stupidly easy chances".

I'm not having a go at you, but try and learn from what has happened and maybe next time dig a bit deeper into the performance of your team as the game progresses. You may still lose the match but at least you will have tried to tip the balance in your favour - and that separates the great managers from the good.

The opposition were never coping with my tactic. Never. From the moment they scored until the 120th minute, I was all over them.

My team talks were "expect a win", "disappointing" [it was 1-1 at half time], then "we only need one more goal!".

I do like to watch the games and adjust my tactics accordingly - I love that about FM. For instance, my 1-0 victory over Man City in the League Cup final I watched all of it, played with my tactics (one of the changes being: I shifted Reo-Coker out to a "wing back" role so he and Cueller could double up on Silva, who destroyed my team in the league, and it worked - he didn't even get in the game, and I didn't feel the loss in the centre of the park because Man City play with seven defenders, which left Ireland to dictate the game). Earlier in the season we lost five out of six opening games, so I changed the tactics, and we went on a great run and now lay 3rd in the league. I appreciate the constructive post, I really do, but when I literally predicted how the game was going to go, and my top goal scorers are suddenly missing chances my mother could score, I feel I have a right to be very annoyed.

[jefflackey]

So, to the OP - do you really think that match engine has an algorithm that calculated before the game "OK, this team is going to beat this team, no matter what happen on the field?" And therefore made sure that a special programming piece kicked in that made sure any shot your players made would miss, no matter what? As opposed to a match engine that just handles all of the complexities of what is going on on the field, players abilities, morale, etc. and calculates each result of each action? Why in the world do you think the programmers would do that? How would the guys who have programmed this match engine for years and years think that somehow doing that would make this a better simulation?

Again - if what you are accusing them of is true, as opposed to just the kind of odd thing that happens once in a while over millions of matches simulated by the game, then replaying that match would result in you never winning. I guarantee you, would bet you a glass of your favorite beer, that is not true. I have replayed matches over and over, both in league play and tournaments, as a way to test tactics (sure wish there was a way to test and practice tactics on the practice field in the game!) and I can tell you that, even keeping the tactics and players and pep talks the same, playing the same match over and over will generate a variety of results.

I was on the other end of one of these - managing a weak team up to League 1, and somehow we made it to the FA Cup finals. And somehow by a miracle we beat the Premier team in the finals. I replayed the match that got us into the finals and the final match several times (did special saves for each situation) and got beat, sometimes badly, on every other time I replayed the match (one time got a draw and lost in a penalty shootout.) The scores were different and action was different. The final that we won, we were outshot 35 to 3, and we won 2-1 with an amazing shot in injury time that deflected off the crossbar right in front of one of my strikers who knocked it in. They had two goals disallowed - one was a close offside (but he was) and the other was a clear offside.

Again, the only way that what you accuse the system of doing could be true is if they decided to specifically program that in (which makes no sense) and if, when you replayed the same match, you get the same result. I guarantee that would not happen.

[toon army 06]

They do exist.

Seriously, SI? Seriously?

stop moaning and close your mouth your spraying the boy george jizz all over the room.

[Sheva Elite]

I agree with the TC if anything.

Call me a cheater, but I've done quite a bit of research over various Football Managers, in terms of reloading the save file and altering things to test the differences. Morale is fine so it's not that. My team is the favourite but we'll not have a chance the entire game. I'll reload, change everything up, but we'll still be rubbish. I'd try everything different. Different tempos, widths, passing lengths, formations. All my great players will get ratings below 6.5 consistently despite having good morale and everything else. I'll reload like 30 times but nohting seems to work sometimes. It was worse on the older games. In one case, literally the only way I found to win was to add manager and make them play a 0-0-8 formation with youth players.

If they are not cheating, I think SI need to implement some sort of system whereby they show you where you are going wrong. Maybe let you know what tactics they use for the AI and tell you what you could have done better.

I don't trust the assistant manager. They give conflicting info sometimes and sometimes It actually messes you up, like he'll get you close down player A all the time, but in doing that, player B with 20 finishing is wide open in plenty of space.

[Johnjo]

Its your fault for not changing your tactics, If they score early of course they are going to consider shutting up shop against a vastly superior opposition, You have to find a way to draw them out or blast your way through. Sounds to me like you had some complacent players on the pitch as well.

[Almondo]

My team talks were "expect a win", "disappointing" [it was 1-1 at half time], then "we only need one more goal!".

You put the kibosh on the match with your pre match team talk. Expect a win is one of the worst team talks you can make as it means your players will be more nervous due to your expectations of them. This stuff happens in football IRL. The little team know's there's no pressure on them while the bigger team has Media and fans expectations on them. You then piled more pressure on by expecting a win.

Also you had 5 shots on target out of 30. That should tell you your players were feeling the pressure. Plus then a penalty shootout is a crapshoot anyway.

[TheMister]

Always a laugh to read these threads. It's beyond me why they're so popular though.

'A wee diddy team screwed me!'

Nae luck. It happens. Grow up and move on. Either that or download another 29 tactics from the forum to 'test' and one of them might work.

[TheMister]

Also you had 5 shots on target out of 30.

Look on the bright side - at least some in the crowd went home with match balls ;-)

[Almondo]

Look on the bright side - at least some in the crowd went home with match balls ;-)

Just looked at the stats the OP posted and Bristol City had a man sent off as well. NOw that really makes me laugh

[TheMister]

Just looked at the stats the OP posted and Bristol City had a man sent off as well. NOw that really makes me laugh

I just noticed that too LOL

[DirtyACE]

The opposition were never coping with my tactic. Never. From the moment they scored until the 120th minute, I was all over them.

My team talks were "expect a win", "disappointing" [it was 1-1 at half time], then "we only need one more goal!".

...but when I literally predicted how the game was going to go, and my top goal scorers are suddenly missing chances my mother could score, I feel I have a right to be very annoyed.

Would you like some cheese with your whine?

You really need to gain some perspective. For one, every player's form fluctuates, no matter who/what/when/where they are. Your top scorers missing easy sitters that your "mother could score". Perhaps a substitution (or two) might have been in order? Or maybe a specific individual talk to drive your point home to that particular player? I understand you're annoyed with the substandard performances, but you're very much misdirecting your blame.

Perhaps next time you have a game where the opposition is missing sitters against you, you can come back and rant a bit about how outraged you are about it as well.