CityAndColour

If I had a dollar for every time the AI fields multiple underdone and fatigued players and then plays me off the park for 90 minutes, I'd never have to buy another FM game again. It's the one thing I just cannot seem to counter. Seeing those half-green and yellow hearts throughout the AI's line-up is like rat poison to me.

@Darceon I play similar roles down the wings, except I use an IF instead of an IW and I have both the WB and IWB on support and both the winger and IF on attack (as my striker drops deep). The thinking is the same though, in that you have an "overlap" of sorts on both sides of the pitch. Getting a lot of joy from the IWB too - he is among the league leaders in "key passes", which is because once he gets the ball and moves in field, he has three options - he can play it back out to the overlapping winger, he can switch it across to the other flank or he can go directly into the striker or AM. So he ends up playing the pass that leads to an assist a lot of the time. He also causes defensive issues with the AI as once he cuts in, they have to decide whether their winger follows or if a CM goes across, both of which leave gaps.

I just meant that I'm not sure the 3D highlights are always a great indicator (eg - if you start hitting the post a lot or missing a lot of chances, often it means something needs to be tweaked/managed rather than just being unlucky, which is what it can feel like). Anyway, back on topic... My 4-2-3-1 with an inverted wingback, DLF and a DLP/BWM as the pivots continues to perform really strongly. After switching to it a third of the way through our first season in tier seven (and on a seven game winless run), we went 16-6-6 to make the playoffs, where Hayes & Yeading were too strong for us. I struggled to really improve the squad in the offseason but did manage to retain most of our key players, and after a patchy start to the current season, we've won six of eight to be only three points off top spot with a game in hand. Offensively, we are 3rd in xG, 1st in cross completion and cross completion %, 2nd in chances created, 3rd in shots per game and 2nd in final third passes completed. Defensively, we are 1st in goals conceded, 1st in xG against, 1st in shots against, 1st in shots on target against and 2nd in opposition completed final third passes. So in short, we create a lot and are very difficult to create chances against, which is a good combination! A lot of our attacks will start with either the DLF or AF receiving the ball in a central area from the DLP, and then immediately looking to move the ball to the flanks. The right hand side has been particularly fruitful - my WB is my best player and leads the team in assists, but my IF is dual-footed so sometimes he'll cut inside and allow the overlap, but other times he'll chase a ball over the top to the byline and cross. My IWB hasn't impacted as much as I'd like, but he provides a point of difference in terms of crossing, as he will often cross right-footed from around the corner of the box so it curls towards the far post, which is a difficult angle to defend.

One other thing I'd say (and apologies for slightly taking the thread off topic) is I don't think the 3D representation always does a great job when it comes to problems with your set-up/team. Sometimes you may have issues (either tactical or morale/confidence) but the 3D will still show you seemingly creating a lot of chances in the box, it's just the finishing is poor. So you can easily fall into the trap of thinking your set-up is fine and you're just unlucky. It's always worth watching the odd game on full highlights too, if you have the time.

Analysing the types of goals you concede is the key - the AI is remarkably good at being clinical on the counter, so if you create a tactic in which you have a lot of possession and play a high line, you'll often find the AI scores a high percentage of their chances as they'll just wait until you lose possession and break. Lowering your tempo and your D line is often a good circuit-breaker. Other times it's just picking the right players. I recently had a four match run where I absolutely dominated the AI, created chance after chance after chance, allowed almost no chances at the other end aside from the odd long range shot or DFK, and I lost three of them. I was actually laughing by the end of one of them because of how ridiculous my finishing was. Turned out the antidote was just changing my 'keeper and striker. Above all else, sometimes you just get screwed.

Gotta say, despite playing with a higher tempo and a cautious mentality, we are consistently creating some really good chances. The combination of a winger (a) and an inside forward (a) is lethal, as when one gets in behind the defence, the other is generally rushing in at the far post for a tap in. We're consistently getting 2+ xG per game, and the computer is generally around the 0.6-0.8 mark. Our record since switching to this formation is now 10-4-4, with two of those losses after using the "instant result" button. This includes 6-2, 5-0 and 4-1 wins.

Ended up going back to a more conventional set-up, with a DLP(d) and a BWM(s) in the two DM slots. I'll probably revisit a HB and RPM once I have the players to do it, but at such a low level I was probably asking a bit too much of them. I only allow myself to sign players found by my scouts too so there's a bit of luck involved to get decent DMs. Results so far have been reasonable without setting the world on fire. We've gone 2-4-1 in seven matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding five - crucially, we haven't conceded more than once in a single game so it's definitely been defensively stable. We're one of the weaker teams in the division and have a small squad so it's definitely been a success so far. Last result was a cracking 5-0 at home to Totton, where we had an xG of 3.29. This included one of my favourite goals I've scored - my left winger got the ball and went to the byline, then turned back and found my IWB making a diagonal run towards the edge of the area. He shot and my AMC arrived late to deflect it past the 'keeper. Looking forward to how it evolves as my players become more familiar with it.

Currently with Thatcham Town in tier seven, after getting promoted first season with a balanced 4-2-3-1 with CMs. We started well at this level too, but a seven game winless streak (0-2-5) got the fans on my back a bit and prompted me to look at dropping back CMs back to DM, and going a little more defensive. My left back was also struggling and I have a better player in that role, but he's right-footed. So I came up with this: My two best players are my right back and my left winger so I want them with the ball as much as possible. I'm also not going to find DMs highly rated in the RPM and HB roles at this level but have always wanted to try this combo so why not! First result was promising, with a 3-1 win and an xG of over 3, with my LW running the show and my DLF scoring a hattrick. This was in a home match against another team tipped to be in the lower half though, so will see how it goes against stronger opposition and away. May look at dropping the tempo back to normal and playing a SK too.

I am also seeing this - every player who appears in the "scouting recommendations" list has all attributes unhidden immediately. Save game is: Westbury - scout bug

Shopto are notoriously difficult to get refunds from.

Reasonably close. Wouldn't have thought top flight sides would be letting non-league clubs (or any other clubs) play matches there though during a season.

is anyone else experiencing really strange ground shares? I started with East Preston in tier 9, got promoted and I'm currently playing my home games at the Amex Stadium (Brighton's home ground) while our own ground is having extra seats put in. I had a look around some other tier 8 clubs and have Cray Valley playing home games at The Valley (Charlton), Sholing playing home games at St Mary's (Southampton), Shaftesbury playing home games at Huish Park (Yeovil). Some other clubs are also ground-sharing with their local clubs, which seems more realistic. I wonder if it's just an issue that the game can't handle the amount of ground shares that happen when you start loading so many lower leagues?

Decided to have a bit of fun with a tier 9 save before FM23 comes out... My first ever unbeaten season and my first ever 100-point season in FM. Probably a slight asterisk with it as most of the teams in the division only have 7-8 real players and a bunch of greys, but I'm still claiming it!

Well, that's the end of an era... I'd managed to convert some of our unused scouting budget into wages, however the chairman simply lowered the budget again. Coupled with us being in the middle of a winless run which had dropped us from being in a playoff push to looking over our shoulders at the bottom three, I realised I didn't have a heart for the battle anymore. I leave after 385 matches in charge, which returned 161 wins, 84 draws, two promotions and 538 goals. Given we're going into the last few months before FM23, I'm going to drop back down into tier eight and try and get another promotion or two.

I actually just realised I can convert my scouting budget into transfer budget, and in turn can convert that into wage budget. So I have at least been able to get it back to where it was.

Without a board takeover and some funds, that will be the end of my Willand career, as it will be impossible to even fill a squad.

It's always the stupidest questions that "the public will want to hear a proper answer from you" about as well. Also, stop asking me who I think is the favourite to be relegated, or if I think another club can avoid relegation. Ad nauseum.

2028/29 - Willand Rovers - Conference South Season: After a few seasons of struggle, it was nice to have a season where we played some genuinely good football and weren't just scrapping for points. We dropped as low as 14th early on, but from that point pretty much stayed in or around the top half of the table, save for one week in 13th. We didn't quite match our Conference South best points total of 64 (which we got in our first season), but a late season run got us to 60, which we hadn't hit since. Our wage budget is also 40% lower than it was in that season so overall I'd say this is our best campaign yet at this level. Ultimately, we did it from the back. Only four teams could better our goals conceded number of 41, meaning we still registered a positive goal difference despite only scoring 44 times. After winning their league last year, our u18s finished runners up behind Eastleigh. We also got 67 starts and 48 sub appearances in the senior team from our own academy products. Players: Some good performances across the board, plus the ever-outstanding Stanford. Sean Stanford - His best season yet. He led the league for average rating, player of the match awards, interceptions and clearances, and won 89% of his headers. A colossus. Jérémie N'Goma - Signed from lowly North Leigh, he was a class act and made a huge difference to our season between the sticks. Unfortunately, he won't sign a new contract and even if he was interested, we can't really afford him anyway. Ashley Woolston - As you can see, he's far too good for this level. Mostly played in central midfield however also deputised in the centre of defence when required. Carlton Bullock - A summer signing from Bideford, I nearly released the ex-Coventry youth after he got sent off three times in his first seven starts. But he settled down and was reliable at both centre half and left back. Bradley Keetch - The club captain finishes the season just shy of 300 club appearances and is rightly listed as an icon. My coaches don't really rate him but he is as consistent as ever. Jamie Gannon - A really classy attacking midfielder with a cultured left foot. Exeter have allowed me to take him on loan for next season too, including a slightly-ambitious £300k optional future fee. Kyle De Silva - At 35, he was again excellent all season playing on the right with 10 goals and eight assists. He has now announced his retirement and will manage Chertsey next season. Narcis Drejan - On loan from Eastleigh, the mercurial Romanian was brilliant in the first half of the season. He fell away quite a bit after January but still finished with 19 goals in all competitions and a third of our total goals in the league (15/44). Next season: Despite a number of rumours and media headlines, we're still no closer to a board takeover and as such, will keep operating under the same financial restraints. That being said, aside from N'Goma, we've kept hold of all other key players and have a little bit in the wage kitty to hopefully chase a prolific striker, as we've already found a replacement 'keeper via loan. Last season was the first for a new HOYD, and he has already brought in two promising talents in his first intake - Ugochukwu Nnanami and Darren Williams (who scored on debut), plus had a 'keeper poached by Weston-super-Mare. Both of them will go straight into the first team squad to hopefully accelerate their development. If we can find a reliable striker and some decent loans, this is the first point I've felt like a playoff run could be on the cards. Big if though!

Another one? This would be the third takeover in less than eight seasons. Maybe this is the one that will actually give me some money?

2027/28 - Willand Rovers - Conference South Season: Another solid season. This time around we started well, quickly establishing a handy gap to the bottom few teams. Then Cray, who were already bottom, went into administration and were docked 10 points, meaning we were effectively safe from relegation before Christmas. Some good results in February and March had us with a very outside chance of stealing the last playoff position, however we then took only one point from the final six matches to drop us to 13th. Even if Cray hadn't had points deducted, we still would have finished 11 points clear of them so overall it was a pleasing season. Excluding Corinthian-Casuals for obvious reasons, our wage budget is nearly 50% less than the next lowest, which puts into perspective how impressive our staying power in this division is. This was also our first season in our new stadium and our average attendance nearly doubled from when we were ground-sharing with Taunton, with an average of 517 spectators each home match. It's not much, but every dollar counts. Pleasingly, I was also able to integrate a number of academy products into the first team picture, with five players combining for 31 starts and 78 sub appearances. None are world beaters, but given we are scrapping just to fill out a squad each season, it's a big bonus. Our u18s also won their league handily. We were pretty much where we deserved to finish, ranking in the mid-teens for goals scored, goals conceded, expected goals scored and expected goals conceded. Players: Aside from the ever-reliable Stanford, no one really stood out. Sean Stanford - Club player of the season for the third year running, and again nominated for the league's player of the season award. Probably the best player I've managed on this save and continues to be a rock at the back. Greg Hughes - A second season on loan from Torquay. Didn't quite match last season's goals total but still provided a reliable presence. Kyle De Silva - At 34 he is now winding down but was our most consistent performer along the attacking midfield line. Hopefully he goes around again. Ashley Woolston - The summer signing from Larkhall had a great debut campaign in central midfield and looks to be a future captain. Next season: Unfortunately, our youth intake did not produce that hidden gem, so we remain without any real prospect of making money unless we can manufacture an unlikely FA Cup run. Our wage budget remains the same too, meaning it will most likely be another season of just trying to keep our place in the division. There are just too many "big" clubs (Dover, Dulwich, Dorking, Havant, Eastleigh, Weymouth) to have any real chance at mounting even a playoff bid. Thankfully, I have all of my key players signed up for next season so can focus on loans and potential signings nice and early.

Re-signing key players in December and for two years each? That is certainly not the Willand way but I'm not complaining. Maybe this new chairman bloke isn't so bad after all...

Another absolute slog in our 5th season as a Conference South club! It was yet another summer of extensive scouting, trying to find those loans and freebies that would keep us in the division and also keep us somewhere around wage budget. Sadly, Cheltenham and Aldershot wouldn't let us renew the loans of Christoph Welsch and Kevin Ward respectively, robbing us of two of our key players, while our first choice left back, 'keeper and left winger all left due to earning wages that weren't representing value for money. Club icon Finn Tapp also left after 218 club appearances. We again relied on loans, bringing back Jed Chilwell and Bobby Greaves from Swindon and Aldershot respectively, and finding new talent in John Murray and Obinna Chibueze from Yeovil and Woking. This was despite clubs consistently denying us players on the basis they wanted them to "play with higher standard players", so a good deal of the off-season was painstakingly spent scouring through pretty much every club in and around the south-west of England just to find those who would be open to a temporary move. From a permanent point of view, our marquee signing was Ashley Woolston. The versatile midfielder came through the Bristol Rovers academy and arrives via a season at Larkhall in the Southern Premier, with a great personality and leadership credentials. If I can keep him around I am looking forward to seeing how he develops: After we christened our new stadium with an opening day loss to Slough, we managed to get last season's top scorer Greg Hughes back on loan again from Torquay, and he marked his return with a goal the very next match as we beat Corinthian-Casuals. A couple more wins, a draw and a couple of losses followed to plant us firmly in the top half, before before we welcomed 18th placed Chippenham to Willand Stadium... I've never seen anything like it. Our left back was sent off for a dubious professional foul after two minutes, they scored directly from the resultant free kick (of course they did), before going completely bananas. I changed shape, mentality, touchline shouts, anything I could to try and stem the tide, but even playing on extended highlights the match went for about 20 minutes as it seemed every 2-3 minutes they would pass their way through my ten men and find a shot. Remarkably, our 'keeper ended up with our highest match rating despite shipping seven! Predictably, this led to a slump, as we ended up losing five in a row, and I once again started casting an eye over vacancies elsewhere (albeit half-heartedly). However, three wins in four to start November has arrested the slide and keeps us well clear of relegation, thanks to Cray's awful start: Our finances continue to worsen and we have a chairman who "loves the club" (a terrible combination) and has somehow found his way onto the club's favoured personnel, so this save may just be me trying to avoid relegation from the Conference South every year because I can't see any pathway to promotion. We currently have five academy products in and around the first team too (six if you include my reserve 'keeper), and while none are world-beaters, it does add a further immersive element to the save.

I really, really don't understand why they have introduced club finances into player happiness. I am a tiny club in the Conference South. We have low attendances and, short of getting a freak youth player or an unlikely cup run, we are not going to make significant money. So why do I have to put up with 2-3 players a year coming to see me about the club's financial situation and then getting upset when I can't fix it? I also don't understand why it's one of your objectives as a manager. You are already judged on wage management and cup performance, so why am I also required to "repair the club's financial damage"? Isn't that the chairman's responsibility?

You know you're going to struggle when teams in your own division won't loan you kids because they want them to play with higher quality players.

Good luck - it seems to be hard-coded into the game that a player won't return to their last club. If you go into his personal page it will have "would prefer not to play for Bradford" under long term plans and from experience that will last for a couple of years.