Assistant Managers Advice

[supertrrier]

My Assistant Managers tell me "we have a tendency to become complacent against teams with a lower reputation" also we struggle against teams with a quick tempo or wide width. How do I combat this with tactics or instructions? As far as I can see they may as well have said "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much." or "White liquid in a bottle has to be milk,"

[Kadatherion]

That's just a report based on your previous results, not an actual tactical analysis. It just means that you performed worse than expected against lower rep teams (and also you had some bad results against teams with a quick tempo etc): this is useful only as a statistic, the reasons WHY you actually underperformed against those teams can be a thousand. One of the most common reasons for consistent bad performances against lower rep teams is complacency, which you should address through team talks, still you would have the very same report if you had lost those matches because you used a crazy tactic against 'em, or because you had half your team injured in a period when you had matches against lower rep teams.

You are the only one able to actually know the reason(s) you underperformed on those matches.

[Cassian]

I usually address this matter through TT, as Kadtherion said before me. The point is to keep under control the Morale of your players, before, during and after a game.

Let's go through some situations:

1. Game is coming, and you're favorite:

TT start = Expect a performance - Individual (that means you have to set for each player: expect a performance); if player have morale < okay = You have faith; if player has 2 consecutive games played and with ratings above 7.1 = Pick up were you left of!

Observation: Avoid = You can win! ... this in my opinion is the engine behind complacency.

TT half time = If ahead: Don't let performance drop! (Or sometimes .. something with complacency) - Individual (if any player < 6.5 = disappointed, if any player > 7.0 You have faith; if any player scored and >8.0 You are pleased) .. the worse case scenario here from complacency some players turn into second half in Playing nervously ... i keep an eye on them and if after 10 minutes i get any sign of them playing bad, i consider subbing them

If draw or loose = individual Dissapointed, with you have faith for any > 7.0 .. here, in any case, is not a complacency driver... ( i mean not for the future)

TT full time = If you have it ... you can "Warn against complacency ... in next match .. or something like that" .. as general TT ... AND individual Done Well for all > 7.1, Delighted for all > 8.0.

The ideea for me at least.. at full time... i give a general full time TT for the entire team... and go for individual only for those > 7.0.

BUT .. if after some games the situation persists... you can try to leave general TT "Warn against complacency" ... and give Well done only for those who scored, assisted or > 8.0.

2. Not favorite but close odds ... same as 1

3. Not favorite - underdog = TT at begining: Wish luck, TT half time go for Have faith from 6.9

4. I don't take into account playing against rivals or any other factor

As of this edition of FM... we now have, Personal Chats with players... i tend to use them as much as I can ... with sole purpose to fight against Complacency.

I manage Man Utd... so I know one thing or two about complacency .. especially during those pesky League Cupa or FA Cup games.

I usualy, watch every 2 weeks my training development... if any player has a downward arrow (not as a result of an injury) or no arrow at all (AND he was not injured recently)... i go for : Train harder if you want to keep first team place (for first team), and: Train harder if you want to reaming at the club (for reserves).

+ after any match the had a rating below 6.3 .. i go for chat and tell him he had a bad match.

As a result of all this I have almost all players on Superb Morale ... i rarely loose against (almost maximum 2 games/season) week teams ... and when i loose against big teams, at least i know is not just complacency there... as one can expect to loose at least once/season against arsenal, Chelsea, Man City or Liverpool.

[mufcchampmanfan]

Cassian nice post, will refer back to this tonight when the game is in front of me. Playing as Man Utd myself and am so frustrated with the team because they are smashing the top teams Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, City etc without any hassle but then losing 3-0 next time out to West Brom, Blackpool or Stoke. Complacent Players and no quick fix click button to solve. Hopefully copying your approach to team talks will solve the issue.

[Kadatherion]

Right now, I'm having very good results from following the pattern explained in this thread. I have however a team with several high professional players, which helps a lot to prevent complacency from becoming a serious issue.

What I'm noticing, however, is that in this new installment of the game, team talks tend to become less effective the more you use 'em: at least judging by the ass manager reports on them after the matches. After a dozen matches or so, the only team talk still consistently giving a result is the "have faith" one. Still, performances are more than good, so... :confused:

[alvaan]

Right now, I'm having very good results from following the pattern explained in this thread. I have however a team with several high professional players, which helps a lot to prevent complacency from becoming a serious issue.

What I'm noticing, however, is that in this new installment of the game, team talks tend to become less effective the more you use 'em: at least judging by the ass manager reports on them after the matches. After a dozen matches or so, the only team talk still consistently giving a result is the "have faith" one. Still, performances are more than good, so... :confused:

This is an excellent thread that addresses these exact situations. I made an Excel-sheet that summarise the different teamtalks pre-game, half-time and post match which should still be in the thread. If the link ain't working and you would like the Excel sheet (also works with OpenOffice which is a free download), just reply or send me a PM

[supertrrier]

Thanks for the really contructive replies and to continue my theme it looks like Brian Clough was right : "Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes."

[Cassian]

to alvaan pls if you can research forum, one of my replies in the past (not so long, in a FM10 topic), i have explained almost all situation for TT. There you can find an .doc as well about Touchline shouts

I "discovered" that playing with a big team, and with professional players, and with big budget... you can go from easy to extremely difficult carrier as manager.

Everybody says here that is easy to manage a big team.. well .... lets try to play after 4-5 seasons when you won everything there is to won .... lets manage a club of 100 players () 50 in first team 50 in reserve team or under 18 ... because at some times you just can't help yourself to buy the new-kid on the block...or the winner of golden boot ... or some player that ever news you get is about him. And then lets see how you keep happy all players... and lets see what does the board and fans say when you finally loose against Arsenal after a streak of 100 consecutive wins (it's an exaggerated example...but intended for exaggerated people... that have this kind of opinion against those who like to play with Real Madrid, or Man Utd...or what ever team they see fit to be the best in Italy).

You say: "Lets see...you big shoot... manage a team in 11'th league were you have 0 budget, 10 semiprofessional players and no coaches!"

I say: "Lets see.... YOU try to manage Vidic or Ferdinand who got mad and wants an immediate transfer out, because I said to him ONLY ONCE after a game... that: i was disappointed in a game, where he got 5.2, and i received 2 goals because of his OBVIOUS mistakes!

And if you have the courage to put him at his place... and say... I'm boss here... you do as I say!... lets see how the rest of team goes form Superb Morale to Very Poor ... and "Has a fairly bad opinion of you, because you mistreated a teammate" (or something like that)

[mufcchampmanfan]

Yeah finding after playing January to Mid-February now on the game with Man Utd that I have several unhappy players who don't appreciate my team talks. Followed the Guide Above to the Letter and still seem Complacency in games and the players reacting negatively to being told they are disappointing me.

[Cassian]

First of all it is a vicious circle, if you get one bad result after another (perhaps due to bad tactic), you can imagine that they don't like to receive from you yet another disappointing.

Second, you have to adjust Well done and disappointing with your team expectation, the ranking of league, and your intentions for title (runner up or winner... depending on what you choose at the start of championship). Let me elaborate a little: I don't over congratulate a player with a rating of 7.9, why? ... because I play with Man Utd, it would only seem fair that i expect a minimum of top performance from him. Then, I can go for disappointed even from 6.6 down, especially after a winning streak .... because i consider it to be a poor play.

So you, see the nice thing about TT is that to some extend they due take into consideration some factors related to your team position. I suspect that for 7-8th League you could go for "Delighted" at any goal scored and a rating of 7.3. I go only for >8.0

I can post print screens with results and with morale to show you, how easy can be to maintain happiness throughout your squad.

I lost against Benfica with 0-5. I can't explain how was it possible, all players went to poor and very poor ... i did not take that into consideration, and kept on going with "Expect a performance" (FH)/"Don't let your performance drop" (HT)/" Well done" FT ... but remember only Individual TT's!!! I give a general TT at the end to have something for subbs.

And perhaps, if some of you don't know ... "try" to get your subbs before minute 75 if you want to have the proper effect on a player. After that minute, they will not receive a rating (in general) so I consider FT Talk useless.

[mufcchampmanfan]

My General rule has been anyone getting less then 6.5 gets an Angry talk. 6.5-7.0 gets a disappointing talk. Struggling with talks for players between 7.1 and say 8.4 don't want to be harsh but same time don't want them to think I'm happy. Seems a gap in talks here. For players 8.5 or higher I give pleased or delighted talks to.

Feedback from Assistant shows that regardless of what talks I give players before or at half time the players show no change in motivation.

[transferking]

nice thread...

Cassian, what are you saying to those who's moreale before the match is "poor" or even "very poor"?

[Cassian]

As I said < ok (that means poor and very poor, too). You have faith.

As for what Ass man says about no change in motivation, i gave up a long time ago to watch for that. No matter what he says it's quite visible to me, that after a loss some of my players go from superb to very good... and after 2-3 draws or wins where i apply what i said before, they go back to superb. And ore important i don't receive playing nervous or complacent within those games, or after them... and in general they start to play well again.

[phnompenhandy]

I love analysing and tweaking according to my scout and assman advice.

In my last game I was away to a side equal to me. The assman told me they concede most of their goals in the first 15 minutes, so instead of starting 'standard', I kicked off 'overload'. They panicked. In the second minute their keeper took a swing at a backpass and missed, leaving my striker to roll the ball into an empty net. Sweet.

If the team does well against high tempo or narrow width, I'll consider setting up opposite (not slavishly - it depends on my players' capabilities).

The best bit is targeting the opposition dangerman. When I set up my tactics to take him out of the game, it is so satisfying to read in the post-match report that he was the weakest player on the pitch. It happens time and again.

I keep the opposition motivation widget active on my match screen. When a player is nervous, wound up, in danger of a booking (or any red comment) I'll tight mark and maybe hard tackle him. It leads to plenty errors and even red cards. For example, an opposition DC was slow and nervous. So I put mu nippy forward on tight marking. Result: a shirt pull, denial of a goal scoring opportunity and a red card. What was 0-0 at half time ended up 4-0. Lovely.

These snippets of advice are brilliant if you read them correctly and act upon them. To ignore them is missing a major opportunity.

[Cassian]

i do that too...and even more: i have ai team formation in order to see in time if he changes setup, i have ai motivation for the same reason, i go for hard tackle as well for those who have less then 70% condition...sometimes i make them leave field injured... i have my own widget with motication, to check for lazy playes...any nervous or complacent might be kicked by 60 minute, any playing ok get dissapointed at half time, i have ass feedback, and i take notice to all indications about OI's .... it can get crowded, my screen i mean, but i work on 27"