my complete tactical ineptitude

[The Dolphinator]

for 12 straight years i have been purchasing the latest installment of football manager, and none of them even come close to the monitor-smashing annoyance it gives from the inexplicable results i've been achieving.

i've completed 3 seasons with west ham now, been sacked twice, and added a new manager twice in order to carry on managing the team. yes, this is cheating, but i am only doing it until i get the slightest hint that i'm doing something right.

luckily, i've managed to make some good purchases like buying guilherme for approx £4.5 mil, and selling him to man city for £25 mil a season later. through purchases like this i have actually managed to gather what is, in my opinion, an excellent squad containing arshavin, mota, sakho, neves, cavani amongst others.

however despite all this, not once have i created a tactic that has produced consistant results. not once have i felt confident that after scraping a 1-0 win against the team placed 20th, i could follow this up with a victory against the team placed 19th. i genuinly don't know where i'm going wrong.

i've read TTF and tried many tactical concoctions using that framework that have proved massively unsuccessful. i've downloaded the TTF tactics, and still my team manages to get completely dominated. i've downloaded dozens of tactics that some on here swear by, or at least thank the author for, as it has turned their fortunes round. still my record is win one, draw a couple, lose most.

i have come to the conclusion that i am the worst manager in the world, and i'm running the risk of putting this game back on the shelf and never playing it again. maybe i should end the close working relationships i've forged with my scouts, and maybe meet up with some of my friends in the "real world"?!

anyway, you see the point i'm trying to make. this game is HARD. if you want to offer some tips that you might think will help, feel free and i shall be very appreciative

[Bridger]

for 12 straight years i have been purchasing the latest installment of football manager, and none of them even come close to the monitor-smashing annoyance it gives from the inexplicable results i've been achieving.

i've completed 3 seasons with west ham now, been sacked twice, and added a new manager twice in order to carry on managing the team. yes, this is cheating, but i am only doing it until i get the slightest hint that i'm doing something right.

luckily, i've managed to make some good purchases like buying guilherme for approx £4.5 mil, and selling him to man city for £25 mil a season later. through purchases like this i have actually managed to gather what is, in my opinion, an excellent squad containing arshavin, mota, sakho, neves, cavani amongst others.

however despite all this, not once have i created a tactic that has produced consistant results. not once have i felt confident that after scraping a 1-0 win against the team placed 20th, i could follow this up with a victory against the team placed 19th. i genuinly don't know where i'm going wrong.

i've read TTF and tried many tactical concoctions using that framework that have proved massively unsuccessful. i've downloaded the TTF tactics, and still my team manages to get completely dominated. i've downloaded dozens of tactics that some on here swear by, or at least thank the author for, as it has turned their fortunes round. still my record is win one, draw a couple, lose most.

i have come to the conclusion that i am the worst manager in the world, and i'm running the risk of putting this game back on the shelf and never playing it again. maybe i should end the close working relationships i've forged with my scouts, and maybe meet up with some of my friends in the "real world"?!

anyway, you see the point i'm trying to make. this game is HARD. if you want to offer some tips that you might think will help, feel free and i shall be very appreciative

:)Lol Cracking Post mate !!!!, i think you have just summed up how millions of virtual Gaffers around the world feel right now........i had to physically go outside for a walk round the block to calm down last nite after losing a league cup tie to a team 2 divs below me....cos otherwise something was going to get smashed, i know how you feel !

[The Dolphinator]

cheers mate, good to hear i'm not the only one struggling!

[DirtyPrettyThing]

After around 2/3 of a season I've managed to develop what is begining to approach a decent 442 / 4411 tactic with Luton Town. It's not easy!

I managed to get a decent defensive structure after looking at the guide on this forum, I think I have the third best defensive record in League Two. Following that I've just played around with width, defensive line & tempo until it's given me decent possession stats in most games. Using a global mentality rather than individual mentalities seems to have given my team more cohesion too

[Noni.]

I try to make a good tatic, but its so frustrating, settings contradict and its very confusing. For example- Yay I want my MC to close everyone down, wait that means he will go out of position. So lets not make him close anyone down, which makes him sit there. So why did I just change this?

Its all very hard to understand, its not clear. In the end I gave up, I realised making a tatic is not FUN! Which is why I bought the game for .

[millsy1982]

This is by far and away the hardest FM/CM I have ever played in over 14 years. I have finally got a some joy with Arsenal having started the game no less then 8 times trying different tactics and approaches. I also experimented with United, City, Chelsea and Villa to help get a better understanding of the EPL and how it works in FM09.

What I've found so far (these are just my opinions and I'm sure many will disagree):

1) For the first time ever I have my CD set to zonal marking. Infact every member of my first 11 is set to zonal marking.

2) FB and DMC are on tight marking.

3) AML/R I have crossing from the byline and into the centre. I've noticed that they then tend to pull the ball back along the floor rather then hanging it up at the back post.

4) Wingers/Wide men, I have these set Cross Ball mixed and Through Balls often. It seems to me that crosses are to easily dealt with by the AI (again just my opinion).

5) When using TTF's FCa and FCd I have the FCd set as playmaker with free role and FCa as the Target Man.

6) I found starting the game of as a former International footballer seemed to help with squad morale at the start of the game, mostly Superb and V.Good compared to Okay and Poor if you start of as a Sunday League/Automatic previous experience.

7) *Potential New Corner Bug* Although this is to do with long throw in's. I say potential because I have just signed a new full back with 18 for long throws. I thought I'd try the Stoke City approach and see what would happen. So far so good, in my last 5 games I have scored 4 goals from long throw set-pieces. I have DMC, FB (not taking throw) and one of AML/R (depending on which side the throw is being taken all staying back. 1 DC and 1 FC (both good at heading Jumping) at Near post, 1 DC, 1FC (best finisher) 1 AML/R all going forward and MC Lurk Outside Area. Team Instructions, Throw In's - Long.

8) I only play attacking when my at home and then only if my team morale is high, otherwise I'll start of quite conservative and try and build my way into the match.

Everything else I still tinker with quite alot depending on who I'm playing and what players I'm going to play. Alot more thought has to go into this game to get consistent good results. Before I used to be able to knock around 6-8 matches an hour out now I'm only doing around 4-5 matches an hour because I'm spending more time tinkering with my tactics.