WoIfsong's Teamtalk Guide 2010

[Beardeye]

Any observations or thoughts regarding 'prove a point'?

I have never seen anything noted by the ass man when i've used this. but these days my ass man rarely notes anything.

My guess would be that an ambitious, determined personality would be motivated to "prove a point" if he had not been playing well and/or criticised.

[crouchaldinho]

[scenario 1: Your players are reported as looking complacent]

In your Ass Man Feedback pre-match, he sometimes says things like "The recent fine form is unfortunately casting a false confidence on your squad... in particular xxx and yyy" or "xxx and yyy are looking cocky and not focused" or "xxx and yyy thinks our recent fine form alone can win matches" or "xxx is looking complacent" or things equivalent to the above.

This typically happens when you are on a winning streak, odds favour you and morale is high. It may also be caused by things said in the pre-match conference but as complacency can be used to your advantage if the right teamtalks are given, I do not worry about what's been said in the pre-conferences, I do not attend them.

In this scenario the general teamtalk should be "I expect a win" with "Expect a Performance" on the players named by your Ass Man as looking complacent (followed by "dont get complacent" or equivalent half time whenever available). Likely reaction: none reported but good performance in the 1st half, sometimes "Seemed Motivated", sometimes "Gained focus", rarely any negative effect.

Do not ever use "we can win this" or "wish luck" under this scenario. If used, like result = one or two players "seemed demotivated, looked delighted".

The individual teamtalks mentioned above may also be used, but I find that on players reported as complacent, "pick up" does not work as well as "expect a performance" does.

What would be the best approach for when odds are against you but you are still getting this message? 'For the fans' and then perhaps 'expect a performance' on the players mentioned in the assistant's pre-match comments?

[3at]

What to do with nervous players in the second half?

I also sometimes have a player with "having a poor game"?

[celebritykiller]

What to do with nervous players in the second half?

I also sometimes have a player with "having a poor game"?

Nervous plays are under too much pressure, so pressure off would be most obvious... although have faith is likely to help to some extent too.

[hbtfdbs]

Has anyone here noticed that when you give the ass man control of a match they say nothing at pre match and halftime and either pleased dissapointed etc at the end? seems to be the best way of handling team talks, saying nothing at all..

[DirtyACE]

What would be the best approach for when odds are against you but you are still getting this message? 'For the fans' and then perhaps 'expect a performance' on the players mentioned in the assistant's pre-match comments?

Yeah, I think "for the fans" would be probably a good idea in this situation, though once I did try saying "expect a performance" when the odds were slightly against me. I was playing as Hearts in an away match against Celtic. It actually worked out, we won 2-0. I think it all boils down to your players' personalities and how well they handle pressure. So even when the odds are not favorable but close, you can still expect them to win.

[Loversleaper]

Yeah, I think "for the fans" would be probably a good idea in this situation, though once I did try saying "expect a performance" when the odds were slightly against me. I was playing as Hearts in an away match against Celtic. It actually worked out, we won 2-0. I think it all boils down to your players' personalities and how well they handle pressure. So even when the odds are not favorable but close, you can still expect them to win.

If your team has 'established' stars that have 'key player' status then it is always a good idea to "expect a performance" from. They have to lift the team and shouldn't be allowed to get 'complacent'. Of course, as you have mentioned, you have to notice how players are reacting to the team talks but it doesn't take long for one to have an idea if it's working or not. I think it is a good combination in the situation discussed that it would be "for the fans" plus giving your key players "expect a performance".

Too bad this guy couldn't do some of my Post-Match press conferences: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t9-DIKDGGA

[WoIfsong]

Hey guys sorry I haven't had much chance of replying since...ages ago... been extremely busy with work and other commitments. In particular sorry DirtyAce that I never replied to your queries, I think you have must resolved them yourself now!

[TehUnseen]

Hey guys sorry I haven't had much chance of replying since...ages ago... been extremely busy with work and other commitments. In particular sorry DirtyAce that I never replied to your queries, I think you have must resolved them yourself now!

I must be in luck that found this guide now then, if you have a chance to reply now^^

My first question (I'm only at the Pre-Match teamtalks ) is which category " A few players, including x and y, still appear to be trying to blend into the squad" fits in? I couldnt find it named in any of your examples, and I don't want to gamble on this one when all the other teamtalks seems to be fully detailed

Hope to get an answer soon from you or anyone else that knows

And if I get any other questions, I'll edit them in here if that's ok.

The guide looks awesome, at least so far :3

Edit: I found the answer after reading the guide again

[TehUnseen]

I'm playing man utd, and it appears that the only teamtalks I use is "I expect a win" in pre-match, with "Expect a performance" to those who are cocky etc. Half time it's " Don't let your performance drop" and "delighted" to goalscorers and players with over 8 rating. Post-match is "Pleased" and "delighted to players with over 8 rating.

This is following the speadsheet, and it's not working at all.

Someone (could be me) Should update the spreadsheet and make it all easy to understand, and easy to look over and make desitions on what to do. Anyone else who feels like adding all the factors to the spreadsheet ?

[Jovetic]

how to check if somebody in my team complacent before match starT ?sorry newbie.

[swash]

You need to click on the assistant manager feedback tab on the pre match screen where you can set team talks opposition instructions etc.

In the top section of his report he will let you know about whether any players are looking complacent etc.

Quite a useful screen actually, recently I got a message stating that several players were struggling to motivate themselves to play for my choice of captain.

[bobani17]

I would also like to see the spreadsheet updated to make it a little bit clearer.. i would do it myself, but im n good at excel...

also.. one idea...i added an "archive" to my spreadsheet where i can put notes on wich players react well to what im saying.. like "reacts well to i have faith"xxx xxx xxx and so on... but i would still like it to be made a little simpler... but i can't do it myself =/

[Wayne\'o]

can i ask what sort of team talk you would do when away from home as slight favorutes leading 5-0 at HT..?

[crouchaldinho]

I just had a negative reaction to 'for the fans'.

It made one of my players 'stressed'. :confused:

[neilez2]

Just edited the file now. Some of the points you were making was already on there though(?).

Take another look now, as I know have updated it with those 7 comments.

Download here

http://www.filefront.com/15357621/Teamtalks.xlsx

DISCLAIMER

This spreadsheet is soley based on information found in Wolfsongs opening post. This is his work and ideas, merely put into Excel for easier viewing.

Thanks for doing this.

I read the OP but I'm glad someone simplified it for quick use.

[Gee_Simpson]

Just edited the file now. Some of the points you were making was already on there though(?).

Take another look now, as I know have updated it with those 7 comments.

Download here

http://www.filefront.com/15357621/Teamtalks.xlsx

DISCLAIMER

This spreadsheet is soley based on information found in Wolfsongs opening post. This is his work and ideas, merely put into Excel for easier viewing.

Does this cover everything mentioned in the OP yeah?

Cheers.

[Teiwaz]

First of all: great guide WoIfsong!

Just want to mention one thing: in most of my games played I found the combination of a pre-match "Keep it up" and half-time "Don't let your performance drop" almost every time results in a "Confused" reaction.

Anyone having made the same experience?

Also, handling players who are "Unhappy" can be very tricky, especially when they are reported "complacent" pre-match. In my latest ManUtd game I got Rooney unhappy after f*cking up captaincy (wanted Giggs as Captain and Ferdinand as Vice, but missclicked - or something - and got Rooney promoted to Captain), so when he showed complacency during warm-up and I "Expected performance", he almost every time "played nervously" - when I said "I have faith", he played complacent. But maybe that's just a rooney-ish issue ;-)

[headshotbg]

When I try to download from filefront it says file is not found. Could someone re-upload the spreadsheet, please? Thanks in advance

[JesterSTJ]

When I try to download from filefront it says file is not found. Could someone re-upload the spreadsheet, please? Thanks in advance

Yeh it would be awesome if someone could re-upload it, please .

[crazyscotsman]

for some reason I cannot download the excel file link?

[alvaan]

Hello again friends. I see that there's been a few people asking me in PM's and on posts about the excel sheet. I'm sorry to inform that the original file was lost with my late computer (R.I.P old friend )

If there is anyone here that has the file, I'd appreciate if you could a) upload it and post the link or b) send it to me for revision and re-posting

[Gee_Simpson]

Here you go guys

http://www.filefront.com/17139873/Wolfsong Teamtalk Guide 2010.xlsx

[ipfreely]

Link doesn't work

[alvaan]

Link doesn't work

Works fine here. Thanks for re-uploading Gee

[Gee_Simpson]

No Problem

[Brian Lannister]

Thanks Gee & alvaan.

[headshotbg]

Thank you very much!

[Magnakai Haaskivi]

This is great and works really well for me in club management. Do you have any advice on international management (where some of the options aren't available routinely)?

[ProZone]

I have become a big fan of this approach to teamtalks. I originally created this MS Word document, which contains all the information in WoIfsong's OP and some of his more recent responses to questions, for my own use. However, it has become something of an essential document for me so I thought it would be good to share it.

http://www.mediafire.com/?e9xmycq9a8958r4

All I have done is tidied up the formatting and some of the language so as to be more consistent and generally easier to read. The information, ideas, strategies etc. all remain those of WoIfsong and he has kindly given me permission to post it up in his thread. I hope you find it as useful as I do. Maybe this format can become the template for any future developments too.

[Collzy]

Could anyone possibly PM me the info in the word document? My computer is well and truely ****ed and won't even open word. So it would be muchly appreciated

[jefflackey]

I am really confused. I have Blackburn recently promoted to the Premiere League, and we have been exceeding expectations, mid table. We were scheduled to play a team where we were the heavy favorites, playing at home, 3-1 to win, and I used these team talk guidelines. We were down 0-1 at the half, again used the guidelines here for the team talk, ended up playing miserably in the second half and lost 0-5 to a team that is much weaker than we are.

I am really baffled....

[crouchaldinho]

Are you planning another one of your excellent guides for FM11 WoIfsong?

[kolly76]

Are you planning another one of your excellent guides for FM11 WoIfsong?

Or will this guide work perfectly fine for FM 2011, as it seems to me ?!

[zaragorn]

Thanks a lot for this explanation! I'm using this with Fm2011 and having great results!

[jsl]

D. Post-match teamtalks

The goal for post-match teamtalks is to keep morale high for the next match, build up good relationships with your players while not ignoring poor performance.

If my team wins a game, I say a general "pleased", with "delighted" on the top performers. Who are considered top performers? e.g. In a match where the general rating is 7 to 7.5, I consider rating 8 or above as top performers.

What if I win but a player has 6.2 and other one has 6.3? Should I still keep the "Team (Pleased)" for those too, or make some individual for them? If so, should it be "Disappointed" or "None"? Or how low ratings should I give the Disappointed to when I've won the match?

If my team loses a game when the odds are close or when the odds favour me, I say "disappointing", with individual talks depending on individual ratings. If we are supposed to lose and general ratings are above 7, I say "symphathise" with individual talks depending on rating.

What if we are supposed to lose, and the general ratings are below 7?

Cheers!

[vasilli07]

What if I win but a player has 6.2 and other one has 6.3? Should I still keep the "Team (Pleased)" for those too, or make some individual for them? If so, should it be "Disappointed" or "None"? Or how low ratings should I give the Disappointed to when I've won the match?

What if we are supposed to lose, and the general ratings are below 7?

Cheers!

For the 1st 1, if you win, it's better to say pleased if your player gets 6.1 and above or say nothing. Afterall, a win is still a win. Disappointed should be used on those 6 and below.

For the 2nd 1, since you are suppose to lose, look ta the scoreline. If it's a 1-2 goals loss, say symphathise. You don't want your team morale to go too low by telling them you are disappointed despite just losing by a small margin when the odds are stacked against your team. For players 6 and below, use disappointed.

[bobani17]

will there be a guide for FM2011 ? =) loved this

[bobani17]

I made my own spreadsheet for this, as i thought the first one wasn't "clear enough" (no offense, you did a great job, and i'm a bit slow! =P) and i just wanted to know if you guys would be intressted in me uploading it? I made it in swedish since...well..since im swedish =) but i would be happy to translate it and post it, since im a bit unsure that i made it right on all the scenarios, i would also be happy if you could correct me on my failings! =) that is, if you guys would like me to upload it! =)

[vasilli07]

bobani17, please upload it.

[bobani17]

here you go mate!

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/243211-Pre-Match-tips-Teamtalk-spreadsheet-for-download!-D

[Rio_V]

Are you planning another one of your excellent guides for FM11 WoIfsong?

It hasn't happened yet, has it? As for now, I am using this one and finding that it works very well. There are some nuances, but mostly obvious. Thank you, Wolfsong!

[crouchaldinho]

This is still the best team talk guide out there as far as I am concerned.

One thing I have found lately though is the importance of varying your team talks. In my current save, I'm now a big side and saying 'expect a win' most games. After a while, things appear to go a bit stale saying the same thing over and over. I have found 'relax, the result will come' can be effective sometimes (particularly for matches where you are huge favourites to win) as a replacement for 'expect a win'. Also, at half-time, 'none' can keep things heading in the right direction.

From the hints and tips:

Team talks can be very useful for morale, but don't always follow the same route. Constantly saying the same thing to your players may have less of an affect in the long-run.

[Rio_V]

Have to agree. Generally, it works extremely well, but at one point in my 3rd season everything just crashed. I started using Wish Luck for a while and then got back on track. Otherwise, it is still pretty spot on.

[Rio_V]

One thing I must say that I ABSOLUTELY HATE about this game is the way that team talks just seem to go out the window in finals. Using For the Fans basically never motivates a single player for me while the other side is totally motivated. I wind up down a goal or two and fighting to get back in the match, but Disappointed or Where is the Passion doesn't work. I find it a bit ridiculous that using all of the talks that got you to the final suddenly doesn't work. Incredibly frustrating.

[Rio_V]

So, now that I have calmed down from my gut wrenching Copa Italia loss, I am wondering how people deal with team talks for finals. I am almost thinking that Pressure is Off might work. Thoughts? Wolfsong?

[elland road boo boys]

Depends on if you are favourites or not.

How is team morale overall?

[crouchaldinho]

What are the odds for the final?

If they are close, you could try a one off 'you can win!'

[Rio_V]

Well, in this case, I was heavily favored, said for the fans and got smoked 2-0. I do feel that it is dangerous to say for the fans b/c often your side won't come out fired up but the other one might.

[matthew56]

someone had success with good team talks with small team ? can you post them here please thnks a lot