Three suggestions plus a whole bunch of issues I have with FM (although I'm a huge fan)

[frank_flores]

Hi guys

Since I upgraded to Monterey on my MBPro M1 I’m unable to play FM which leaves me with a ton of free time at my hand. I thought I’d use this time to share some potential future feature ideas as well as thoughts about the FM series regarding things which would need looking into IMO. I’m keen to get your views on those matters and see what you think about some of the issues mentioned.

In terms of future features I have three to suggest:

•         Dynamic PA (coming to that a bit further down)
•         More in depth player and team metrics like:

o   non-penalty xG, post-shot xG (think of the regular xG as kind of “pre-shot”, but post-shot xG allows you to take a more in-depth look about the strength or the weaknesses of a player)

o   xA/xGA (expected Assists/expected Goals Assisted) tell you a better story of a player (e.g. an AM) because the end product (e.g. of the Striker) doesn’t come into account

o   PPDA I find very interesting because it tells you how hard a team is going to press you

o   Ball recoveries is another metric I find very telling for defenders or defensivly orientated players on the pitch

•         Different attacking and defensiv formations (in one tactical setup):

o Think of 433 becoming 343  (depending on if I'm attacking or defending)

o   Think of 3412 becoming 4231  (depending on if I'm attacking or defending)

o   Think of 3412 becoming 442  (depending on if I'm attacking or defending)

o   Think of 3412 becoming 3313  (depending on if I'm attacking or defending)

o   Think of Sari, Bielsa, Galtier, Kompany, Potch, Tuchel, Pep, and so on…

 

But as I said I wanted to post something about things that bug me the most with FM.

Disclaimer: I’m a huge fan of the FM series (Although I’ve been left hanging by with my problem since upgrading to Monterey) and I played thousands of hours of FM (and tens of thousands hours of various other football manager simulations since I was 11 years old.

So, here we go: My issues with FM

 

CA/PA:

IMO the most critical feature of the FM series is the concept of a fixed PA (and everything which is related to it, e.g.: AI transfers). Science just does not support a fixed potential ability AT ALL. Not even when it comes to the the matter of intelligence.
But in footballing terms: There is no ceiling if a player has the physical attributes in place and the right coaching and developing moments in his life.

Sir Alex once said (I cannot quote him since I read it ages ago but it was somewhere along the lines of): All I need a player to have is the legs. The rest I can teach him.

That’s coaching! That’s making a sh***y player a very, very good player. Which is simply not possible with players in FM. Of course, this won’t work for older players (e.g. Usein Bolt, who had the legs but not the technique or tactical understanding). But it defo works for the younger ones. And don’t get me wrong: not everybody can be a CR7 or Messi or whoever. But a fixed PA is simply not realistic.

I mean how on earth could Athletic Bilbao still be in La Liga and produce loads of talent EVERY YEAR? They scout from only a pool of roughly 400K people (which includes everyone, adults, infants, etc.). Basque people are not genetically better than people in other areas. Athletic Bilbao just coach them really really well and install the right mentality to become a professional athlete (do yourself a favor and read Daniel Fieldsend’s “The European Game” and the chapter about Athletic Bilbao. It's a teriffic read).

Or think of the class of 92 with Man Udt: were they all born to be successful with a PA of at least 170? No, they were not. No doubt they were a talented bunch, but they simply were extremely well coached and their PA IMO got higher with time (and good coaching lessons).

I don’t have THE solution to this but I’d probably go with a dynamic PA which would be connected to mental and physical attributes and hence could change with time.

 

static (or almost static) hidden attributes:

The matter of the fixed PA brings me to other fixed (or more or less fixed) attributes like consistency. You are NOT born either consistent or inconsistent and stay like this your entire life! These attributes can change. If not, we would all be the very same person our whole life. But people can change. And in footballing terms this means for a young player to go on loan and prove yourself and go from being an inconsistent little brat to become the player Harry Kane became after his okay loan spell at Leyton Orient for example.

 

AI-Transfers / AI NEVER releasing high PA youth players:

The example of Harry Kane brings me to something which bugs me a lot with the FM series and has to do with fixed PA and everything that comes with it: Ever wondered why a player who gets released from the AI as a youth player never (!!!) becomes a superstar? It’s because the AI knows the PA of players and those players simply don’t get released. Which brings me back to Harry Kane, who got released by Arsenal and was picked up by Tottenham (although admittedly he was very young when he was released). Or Eddie Nketiah who was released by Chelsea and became a PL player for Arsenal. Or Joao Felix, who was released as a 15yo and was a first team player with 18yo. The list is freaking endless! (Mbappe, Rashford, Gullit, Zanetti, Messi, Nick Pope, Andi Robertson, Declan Rice, and so on and so forth)

Andy Robertson and Jamie Vardy are particularly interesting players in that regard. Because not only were they released by their boyhood clubs (Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday respectively), they also were pretty late bloomers (also something, even with high PA, which does not happen in FM).

All those players were released by their clubs because the coaches didn’t see anything special in them. But a coach (or scout) with some other club did and those players thrived in a different environment and became good or even excellent players elsewhere. In FM this just won’t be happening (I made test saves and check the PA of the youth players being released by the AI in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues. The highest PA I found was 130, average was 109).

The solution: Even the AI needs to make mistakes and release wonderkids because they just didn't think the player would ever be good enough! FULLSTOP! The rich clubs have high potential youth players all over the field and could within 10yrs field a starting 11 which only consists of their own youth player.. which is completely BS because you have to be an immense talent to make it at Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, and so on. But sometimes even the best clubs release youngester who thrive elsewhere.

 

Youth players and their attributes:

The subject of youth players brings me to their attributes. Why are most youth players so slow on not agile? I understand that they might not be the strongest yet but Jesus, their pace is laughable. Ever played football against nowadays youngsters? Those kids a freaking fast, I can tell you! Of course not all of them, but maybe ONE out of 20 kids of my academy had decent pace and acceleration. It gets worse the further down the leagues you go. I mean look at lower league football nowadays: They might have the legs but they don’t (yet) have the (footballing) brains.

 

Staff:

After spending years with some staff members and taking them to various clubs with me this/these member/s still has/have “no relationship to me”. Really? After I spent more time with this person than I’ve spent with my wife??

 

AI managerial choices:

This is a typical example of the AI filling Manager vacancies: Manchester United in 2024 go after a 60+ yr old Turkish Manager who won loads of trophies in Turkey.

Hasenhüttl, after being fired by Southampton gets offers from Germanys 3^rd division or League One clubs (nevermind that he’s done a good job at Southampton IRL and easily has Bundesliga or PL potential).

Klopp getting no offers at all after being sacked by Liverpool. After being unemployed for 2 yrs he comes to Tottenham (who sacked OGS, who btw won the CL twice with Man Utd before).

Guardiola, after being sacked by Man City chooses the Liverpool job offered to him (which would never happen in 1000 years). The realism in these moves is simply not very high.

The AI fills vacancies by checking the reputation (visible star rating and hidden points, Klopp, at the start of the game, hasn't achieved anything special, maybe that's the reason why he wasn't  offered tons of jobs when he was fired) of a Manager but not because of a system he plays or based on a clubs vision/philosophy or man management skill or things like that. Howe to Newcastle would never happen. They’d rather go for some (successful) Serbian coach.

Another thing about Newcastle: The club’s reputation is damaged and as a result of this cannot attract good players or managers. Now they have a sugar daddy (and I changed that setting during the game with the in-game editor). But can they attract good/big players? No, because the clubs reputation rating is bad. Whereas in reality the club attracts good players like B. Guimaraes because money rules (plus Howe having a vision for the Club probably helped to convince him to sign).

The point I’m making: AI cares about reputation rating and that’s final. It’s a thing nowadays to give young up and coming managers a chance. Not at the top of the PL tho which is understandable. But it would be nice to see it for midtable teams tho. Guys like Julien Stephan, Bo Svenson, Ivan Juric, Vincenzo Italiano, and so on… Would be nice to see them getting the jobs they deserve and the AI looking beyond trophies and world/home (hidden) rating.

 

I will at a later date follow up with some more issues. As for now I'd really like to know your thoughts.
Have a lovely day guys and all the best

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by frank_flores

[DemitriThelwell]

Thank you for this amazing post. I share similar sentiments. I think Football Manager can be a beautiful game but it has so many unrealistic flaws.

[FrazT]

Guys- please note that this forum is for the posting of new feature requests, so I would ask that you do not use it for posting issues with the current game unless you include a suggestion for improving that issue.

[frank_flores]

@FrazTThank you for your suggestion. I'd like to point out that I did recommend additional features but thought it might be interesting to also include my reasoning for it.
But about the issues: where'd you suggest one can post issues?

[FrazT]

2 hours ago, frank_flores said:

@FrazTThank you for your suggestion. I'd like to point out that I did recommend additional features but thought it might be interesting to also include my reasoning for it.
But about the issues: where'd you suggest one can post issues?

I noted that your post did have some feature suggestions and there is no issue with that. My request was because of your last paragraph when you indicated that you would add more issues.

Any existing issues should be logged in the relevant FM 22 Bugs forum after reading the forum guides for posting.