Any tips?

[matias82]

 

Do you have any tips for playing social games, motivating players and training, and then in the league season to achieve better results?

[Snorks]

So far with FM 19 I have left the bulk of training to the AssMan, I haven't got round to exploring that module fully yet so it is generally left on 'on one of the pre-season presets and AssMan takes care of - seems to be doing a better/more logical job of it than in previous versions of the game though.

 

As far as the friendlies themselves go,  I usually schedule nine of them, playing weekend-Weds-weekend and I only play the mfor two reasons:

 

1: To raise Match Sharpness - heavy rotation of players, and starting 11 picked by lowest match sharpness, subs made regularly to bring other players up in this respect.

2: Tactical Familiarity - I will arrange 3 friendlies against stronger teams, and work on my 'defend' strategy. 3 against similar strength teams, and the last three (always the final three) against lower rated teams I can attack, three wins on the bounce improves morale going into the first game of the season.

 

Motivating players can be hard in friendlies, many will go through them looking Disinterested or Complacent - I never worry about that, it's only a friendly and I only want them to get fitter.

[zlatanera]

I'm more of a one-tactic-fits-all kinda guy: occasionally I lower or raise a defensive line or make my attack / defence wider, perhaps alter a duty or two, but just the one tactic.

With my pre-seasons I do somethings similar to the above post and some different.

1. I always try to have a 5-6 week pre-season. This allows me to have either a tour then home friendlies against local (weak sides), or some big friendlies followed by the local sides. If I'm in continental qualifiers though I'll make pre-season longer because I don't like it when my AM tires out all my first choice players three days before a crucial qualifier. I'll always make sure I have friendlies against the weaker sides before the league season starts - as @Snorks said, that morale boost is useful.

2. I always leave three clear days between friendlies - a hold-over from previous versions' training where that allowed one day rest after, then two days of training. It seems to work out similar in the new system too, given I like to have Recovery-Match Review-Rest the day after a match.

3. Because your AM doesn't necessarily play all the right players in friendlies, I also give my u19s friendlies with the three day spacing, to be played two days after first team friendlies - this way the prompt to set players to be available comes after the first team's game has been played so you can see who didn't get a run out.

 

One "hack" I found worked during the season FM18 (forgot about it until now) was that if you have a real dip in morale, go through your entire squad and "praise conduct" for everyone bar players who are complaining. Puts you right back in the green side of the morale / happiness bars. 

[Snorks]

Yep - Praise Conduct always gives at least one notch positive to morale.