[FM11] Heathxxx Lower League Management Approach

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

To be honest, managing the finances of any club in the BSN/BSS is pretty easy once you've sorted the wage bill out.

It's when you get into the league things start to get tough.

LOL you forget my idea of "sorting the wage bill out" is to max out the salary cap and keep signing players until I can only offer £25 per week!

[heathxxx]

You know me though...

Having taken control of a club at the start of a save, the side that kicks off the first match of the season is usually completely different from the side the game starts with.

Likewise, my scouts usually have their return flight tickets to Reunion pre-booked.

[Guest nik1313]

i just finished my 1st season with Cerro Reyes. The first thing that was rough at the start, was to complete my transfers only from the team's scouts reports and by using the player search despite the attribute masking. Anyway, the first BIG mistake i made was to sign as a coach the only remarkable physio who wanted to join. He only accepted a new role at December and until then i had many injuries. During the season i discovered new things, i finished 3rd and won the 2nd liga cup. i lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs 0-1,0-0 though i am untouchable yet unproven as a manager, with 35% and declining financial handling. Some teams had much stornger squads, i had a media prediction of 16th position after all, so i am proud as gold braid for my 1st season and i wanted to share my adventure with all the LLMers. cheers

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

At Blue Square levels I seem to waste a lot of time wading through staff-searched coaches that comply to the following filter search "Coach/Interested/Out of Contract" and with basic stats of 5 or 6 for important abilities + maybe 9-10 for critical abilities (so no superstar!), only to find nearly every single one will not accept the top wages that I can afford. Is there another filter to help? I actually found a "cheat", you find a coach who is quite good relatively and is still a player then offer him a player/coach contract. He will sign for way below your wage cap and for much much less than a Coach-only with the same staffing attributes. Nice trick but annoying all the same!

Still dont know how to painlessly find reasonable & interested staff who will accept low wages. This faffing about is the most frustrating element of the game for me. I have found a way to find rare player gems though. In player search (by name) trawl through every available name (yep there are thousands!) and trial anyone who will come. To control the search I methodically work through "<space>aaa", "<space>aab", "<space>aac" etc upto aaz then go aba, abb, abc etc. Worth starting with other Letter combinations at the same time eg taa, tab, tac & waa, wab, wac etc., otherwise you end up with a team full of Aaron's and the Aalborg familly! With just 20 mins of searching this way I found one player good enough to be a star for my league, a player that no one else has ever posted about on the forums (to my knowledge). That gave a good feeling of achievement - but I am easily pleased!

[Steve Odom]

Still dont know how to painlessly find reasonable & interested staff who will accept low wages. This faffing about is the most frustrating element of the game for me. I have found a way to find rare player gems though. In player search (by name) trawl through every available name (yep there are thousands!) and trial anyone who will come. To control the search I methodically work through "<space>aaa", "<space>aab", "<space>aac" etc upto aaz then go aba, abb, abc etc. Worth starting with other Letter combinations at the same time eg taa, tab, tac & waa, wab, wac etc., otherwise you end up with a team full of Aaron's and the Aalborg familly! With just 20 mins of searching this way I found one player good enough to be a star for my league, a player that no one else has ever posted about on the forums (to my knowledge). That gave a good feeling of achievement - but I am easily pleased!

I do this solely in the Faroe Islands, where it's less time consuming.

[heathxxx]

Just thinking ahead for the FM12 version of this thread...

It would be quite nice to have different people emulating what I do in my opening post, but with teams in different countries and leagues around the world.

For example, someone starting in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, one of the Eastern European or Scandinavian nations, or even South America.

This may lead to quite a few different perspectives about the lower league "experience". We may discover different approaches to tactics and styles of play in different countries, varied ways to build our squads, the affects of managing clubs playing in different climates, etc...

Perhaps we could condense our combined efforts in one thread, or different forum users can select to start a "Lower League Management Approach" thread focused on a particular country.

Let me know what you think.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

Just thinking ahead for the FM12 version of this thread...

It would be quite nice to have different people emulating what I do in my opening post, but with teams in different countries and leagues around the world.

For example, someone starting in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, one of the Eastern European or Scandinavian nations, or even South America.

This may lead to quite a few different perspectives about the lower league "experience". We may discover different approaches to tactics and styles of play in different countries, varied ways to build our squads, the affects of managing clubs playing in different climates, etc...

Perhaps we could condense our combined efforts in one thread, or different forum users can select to start a "Lower League Management Approach" thread focused on a particular country.

Let me know what you think.

Great idea. Personally I much prefer the English set up. My attachment to European clubs can be traced to a sticker collection "European" feature from 1975 so the historical Eurpean Giants to me (as at that time) include Ajax, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but also include St Etienne (my fave European club), Coleraine (!) and the only club that would fit in this scenario, the German Magdeburg (minnows nowadays). So I probably cannot help in this case but Magdeburg would be my weapon of choice (if playable) should I have a change of heart.

Slightly off topic of your post, I am searching without success for a guide to understanding scouting reports. With FM12 changes in this area I cannot pre-empt how this will work but assuming the reports will contain the same sort of info as in FM11 I may attempt to start a thread for compiling report findings and the Communitie's interpretation of, and solutions to the points raised. Having already started a "What to do if" thread for specifically "Team x like to get it down & play it" which was poorly subscribed I may need to do it in conjunction with someone who has more of the answers than I. Am more of a Question s man than an Answers man, to my shame. Any suggestions Heath?

[heathxxx]

I think most people are at that stage where they're waiting for FM12 now, given it's only around the corner from release.

Will be interesting to see the additional detail from scout reports in practice, along with getting the most out of the information.

At present, I do take a passing note of scout reports, but so often I find them to provide information that's not always relevant to the match I'm playing against a particular opponent. For example, a scout report may tell me how my next opponent played a certain way against another team, yet when I start watching my match, they're playing a different way, or even a different formation. If you've based your preparations entirely on the scout report, then it's probable you'll have to make changes.

Personally, I prepare for matches by looking at opponents players and their current form. I also prefer to play mainly to my own teams strengths to start a match, then let observation of the match and the statistics be my guide for what changes may be most appropriate.

I'm probably more of a man and media manager prior to matches. Try to highlight weak link players, or pressure a danger man, whilst also trying to ensure my own players are suitably motivated.

Every match itself is different. You could reload the same game countless times and you'll see different events and results every time. Therefore my main management and "scouting" is based upon what I see unfolding during games, then base my tactical decisions to change anything based on what I observe.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

Heath, in preparationfor FM12, what exactly happens whena club changes from semi pro to pro? Do all contracts get upgraded en masse or do you re-negotiate each player individually. And when does this happen, do you ask the board, do they ask you, is there a message to which you respond or does it happen without your consent?

[phnompenhandy]

Now in FM12 with part-time and amateur clubs you can offer non-contract pay-as-you-play deals. Will keep expenses down but result in huge transience in squads. Very realistic and very challenging!

Anyone ready to comment on playing the FM12 demo yet??

[heathxxx]

The non-contract situation is something I'll be looking at for the FM12 version of this thread, for sure.

I'm actually hoping that it's more difficult to sign the plethora of foreign players in FM12, that I inevitably have in previous versions. Obviously I don't adhere to strict LLM Forum rules, with the belief that if I can sign them in the game, then why shouldn't I sign them!

I've not got the demo, but I'll get a new FM12 Lower League Management thread going once I've got the full game and had a chance to look through everything properly.

Thinking on what I said in post #1006, again, it would be great to get more people involved and contributing, with the lower leagues in many different countries represented.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

Now in FM12 with part-time and amateur clubs you can offer non-contract pay-as-you-play deals. Will keep expenses down but result in huge transience in squads. Very realistic and very challenging!

Anyone ready to comment on playing the FM12 demo yet??

Yeah, finding it hard to convert pay-as-you-pay deals to proper part time, the players just dont want to know. maybe that is realistic though, why would a player commit to a below min wage deal when they can just get paid to play eg £80 per match.

[Jenko_EFC]

I think that is a great idea what you've said above. Don't know how much I could contribute, considering I only tend to manage Everton with a few games in the BSS/BSN!

[Ricky Riccardo]

I'm finding BSS management a bit trickier this version in terms of finances, I'm currently with Thurrock avoiding relegation just fine, but I'm in the red and getting worse :/

[heathxxx]

When I get my copy of the game through, I'll start the new FM12 thread.

Managing the finances can be tricky for sure, but there's always a way. Haggling over player wages during negotiations is a good start. With FM11 first few seasons, I managed to get players to sign contracts that were usually half what they would ask for.

I've actually got a mess around save going on FM11 with Altrincham in the BSP at the moment. Most of my players are on less than £150 each.

[tigerhgrrrrrr]

When I get my copy of the game through, I'll start the new FM12 thread.

Managing the finances can be tricky for sure, but there's always a way. Haggling over player wages during negotiations is a good start. With FM11 first few seasons, I managed to get players to sign contracts that were usually half what they would ask for.

I've actually got a mess around save going on FM11 with Altrincham in the BSP at the moment. Most of my players are on less than £150 each.

Heath, you may want to check out my list of signings in the Dorchester FM12 thread, not sure they will suit a Cadiz game but there's a lot of them!

[heathxxx]

Will do. My copy of the game landed today!

[KippaxBlue]

This thread is amazing! Exactly what I've been looking for!!!

[LordAEM]

Heath if i look elsewhere on the forum (tactics). I see that u can still find the big heap of foreign players to make a dreamteam, big question is how to manage ur wages.

[heathxxx]

I'm methodically working my way through my first save at the moment, which isn't lower league, but it's helping me get to grips with the new interface.

Once I've got some time over the weekend, I'll probably get started with a couple of lower league saves, so I can start writing up the OP for a new FM12 lower league thread.

[heathxxx]

Heath if i look elsewhere on the forum (tactics). I see that u can still find the big heap of foreign players to make a dreamteam, big question is how to manage ur wages.

Simple really... haggle!

I always negotiate wages and fees, so that they're in the best interests of my club and not the players and their agents. Some players and agents won't budge when it comes to their demands, whilst some players in the lower leagues done even have agents, so they're often easier to negotiate with.

Foreign players (such as the much lauded contingent we always seem to find in Reunion), have very low expectations when it comes to wages, compared for example to their British counterparts in the BSP or BSN/BSS. My final mess-around save with FM11 was with Altrincham. I managed to get players from Reunion and elsewhere overseas, for no more than £150 p/w on full-time contracts. Quite unrealistic of course, but if you can sign them up for as little as that... why not?

No matter how attractive a player looks for my lower league team, if he and his agent demand more than I'm willing to pay them, I don't sign them... it's really as simple as that. It's also why I usually have a complete overhaul and end up clearing out the entire existing squad, either selling them or releasing them if there's no interested bidders.

As a rule of thumb, I try to work with half my allowed wage budget. So fore example, if my wage budget is 6k p/w, I'll try to spend no more than 3k p/w. Don't forget, the board usually sets a maximum weekly wage budget that the turnover of the club can support (in most cases), so the less you're spending, the more the club will save in the long run, gradually improving finances over time.

So to put it quite bluntly, just because the club offers x amount in the wage budget, doesn't mean to say you have to spend it all.

[phnompenhandy]

Haggling is much more interesting - i.e. tricky in FM12. As soon as you lock the max wages you'll offer, they'll bang in with a list of outrageous clauses. When you haggle, some are patient and keep going for interminable rounds, but others will lose patience and back out just when you thought you were a button away from closing a deal.

Another interesting observation is the extra detail in the finances/expenditure screen. One item is bonus payments. Now you can see that if you stay within your wage structure but are too generous with bonuses, those payments will cripple you.

I don't know if the 'Reunion' exploit is in FM12; I only load up/scout England and Scotland, but what I am finding is that players who are frankly too good for my level seem happy to join me so long as they are key players on the highest wages.

[MartinGregory84]

one thing this year heath. Seems that when you release your players it appears that it puts you in financial dog do.

I was managing as Bradford and with playing at a low level (League 2) there was not much money coming so any players I released seemed to put me more in the red and I had no way of getting out of it as even my squad players were unwanted by other clubs.

It seems FM12 is a lot more realistic with Squad Management and Finances.

To be honest I love it!!

[stothy]

Anyone know if Reunion still is the nation to load?

[Colorado]

Hi guys, I haven't read all the previous eleven pages and am unsure how high the levels are which you call lower league management?

I've just started a game in the third tier of Welsh football - which is very low (and amateur)! What's the main few pieces of advice you could give me?

I'm assuming I'm going to have to play rigid, long ball game using a straight-forward 4-4-2.

[ANUBUS]

Doesn't really matter the formation you pick i play a 4-2-4 with wingers . Lower league is bottom teirs of your league as in england its the BSN/BSS and BSP brazil its the third league and etc. I am almost done with my first season with Bishop Stortford in the BSN it has been a challenge to clear out my squad and rebuild the staff and squad i know i will have to fix some of the positions for the next tier.

Heath i would love a thread following fm12 lower league i play in Europe now but im open to try any league except Spain because the lower league rules are god awful lol. I lover the challenge of lower league football but sometimes it can take 15 seasons to get from the bottom to the prem but i guess that's what is fascination about it.

For suggestion i think you should put a list on the post for FM12 stateing who is in what teir and league i know it will be alot of work but then we all know who is where and if we need help we can ask them.

[ANUBUS]

Yes there are about 30 players at the start worth looking at. in Reunion.

[phnompenhandy]

Hi guys, I haven't read all the previous eleven pages and am unsure how high the levels are which you call lower league management?

I've just started a game in the third tier of Welsh football - which is very low (and amateur)! What's the main few pieces of advice you could give me?

I'm assuming I'm going to have to play rigid, long ball game using a straight-forward 4-4-2.

Not really. So long as your players are a little bit better than the opposition, you can pass the ball around. Certainly don't bother with creative freedom or offside traps or anything requiring intelligence, but you should still choose the formation and tactics that suit the players at your disposal. Other advice is just footballing common sense - your DCs will likely be limited defenders; if they are slower than the average forward in your league have a deep D-line; if they are quicker play a high D-line. If your squad is low on stamina, play slow tempo, if you have decent wingers hit the flanks and so on.

[heathxxx]

If you can get players in the dungeon divisions with double figures in most of the mental attributes, then you'll be one step ahead of most of your opponents.

That's why many veteran players usually do exceptionally well in the lower leagues, because even if their physical attributes aren't great, they think ahead of their opponents.

[MartinGregory84]

Anyone know if Reunion still is the nation to load?

Indeed it is my friend indeed it is!

[MartinGregory84]

Also, Heath one question you may be able to help me..

I see all the lower league lumanaries going on about this star and that star they all see these amazing foreign players and all i get is the usual free rubbish englishmen.

How is the best way to scout for these foreign gems and excellent veterens do you have a strategy or do you just search manually.

[ANUBUS]

Also, Heath one question you may be able to help me..

I see all the lower league lumanaries going on about this star and that star they all see these amazing foreign players and all i get is the usual free rubbish englishmen.

How is the best way to scout for these foreign gems and excellent veterens do you have a strategy or do you just search manually.

The way i have done it the last two Fm11 and FM 12 is to bring in scouts that have 5 or 6 nations each that they can scout to find some other odd gems here and there. But im sure a lot of us do it manually as well looking through all the free transfers we can find and etc.

Depends on each position you want if you want a poacher i start by searching by attributes that they need and start off at 10 for each and go lower to 8 if needed but i will not go lower then that for each position. a lot of the players people mention in the FM 12 lower players post have been known for awhile but depending on your system and your tactics on what you need and how well they will perform.

It also helps if you have a lot of the leagues and country's / Nations loaded up to find a lot of these players.

[heathxxx]

One of the very first things I do at any club is bring in my own scouting team. As ANUBUS above mentioned, the broader the "scouting knowledge" of different countries, the better. Not only does this aid scouting, but also the number of players "found" in a standard search.

Otherwise, lots of time manually searching for players.

[MartinGregory84]

Is it me or is it ten times harder to get scouts in at lower league level all want £100 more than I can offer :-(

Thought id try out Heaths legendary lower league formation with a twist A trequista and Playmaking midfielder with my fiancees team Gateshead....

Not a bad start

[ANUBUS]

Just finished my first season as bishop Stortford who had a media prediction of 20th in the BSP i won the league and was promoted to the BSP i was using a 4-2-4 with wingers and dominated the league lets see how well i do in the BSP. Also won the FA Trophy now on to trying my luck with another promotion and see how far i can get in the FA Cup lol.

I built the team from the ground up but i know as soon as i get to L2 or L1 it will stall for a bit till i can get some money and etc but don't mind as i have been offered jobs from sunderland to villa and wigan but i will not take them until i get Bishop to the promise land of the EPL but i still might not take it loving the club lol.

[MartinGregory84]

Just finished my first season as bishop Stortford who had a media prediction of 20th in the BSP i won the league and was promoted to the BSP i was using a 4-2-4 with wingers and dominated the league lets see how well i do in the BSP. Also won the FA Trophy now on to trying my luck with another promotion and see how far i can get in the FA Cup lol.

I built the team from the ground up but i know as soon as i get to L2 or L1 it will stall for a bit till i can get some money and etc but don't mind as i have been offered jobs from sunderland to villa and wigan but i will not take them until i get Bishop to the promise land of the EPL but i still might not take it loving the club lol.

I am playing a similair formation with the two advanced wingers.

A little point heath made is very true of this version of the game, Its not the stats of the player it’s the mental attribute, As Gateshead I am playing a very average side at best not full of the Reunion boys but a mixture of the squad that was there and players I have managed to get on loan.

Most of my mental attributes are above average for that league hence I have given them more creative freedom and roaming with a balanced philosophy. So far I have got to December without losing a game the odd draw yes but it is like watching Man City in the BSP.

One thing I have noticed that helps especially at lower league level is playing to players strengths.. If you go into their profile and look at their reports it will tell you where and what sort of position they like to play. I signed Sami Adjei on loan from Newcastle, He played well as a inside forward but I was using wingers I changed to his style for him personally and basically he is adding to my team so I took all my players and played them to their best.

It works and I would advise people to maybe give a shot in preseason to this philosophy I do not know if heath already uses this or not but is an idea.

[JoeBainborough]

Just thinking ahead for the FM12 version of this thread...

It would be quite nice to have different people emulating what I do in my opening post, but with teams in different countries and leagues around the world.

For example, someone starting in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, one of the Eastern European or Scandinavian nations, or even South America.

This may lead to quite a few different perspectives about the lower league "experience". We may discover different approaches to tactics and styles of play in different countries, varied ways to build our squads, the affects of managing clubs playing in different climates, etc...

Perhaps we could condense our combined efforts in one thread, or different forum users can select to start a "Lower League Management Approach" thread focused on a particular country.

Let me know what you think.

I think this is a cracking idea.

I would love to participate in such an experience. I for one would fancy perhaps going down the lower leagues of South America in Brazil or Argentina.

Or perhaps into Scandanavia to find some of the young talent they seem to have on FM12. Or maybe into the Portugese leagues.

I'm excited at the thought of it!! Especially with the amount of good youths available on free contracts this version!

I hope this gets going because I can't wait already!

[heathxxx]

I'm going to try to get the ball rolling with an FM12 thread this weekend if I get the time.

Whilst I like the idea of having lower league management threads for different countries (which is why I suggested it ), my only concern would be several threads that all end up looking the same.

What I'll probably look to do to begin with, is start a "sign up" to take responsibility for different countries. Hopefully each "experience" will offer something different, so that those responsible for a country can offer their guides, suggestions and thoughts, for managing a team in said country.

So for example, if I was managing in Spain, I'd mention the varied climates throughout the country (hot in southern Spain, wet in northern Spain) that might affect tactical choices because of the climate and variety of pitch conditions. If I was managing in Brazil, I might mention the huge quantity of matches a team will play over a season, in state championships, national championships and cup competitions, which would require a different outlook on squad management and rotation.

Above all, I'd like to get a variety of people and their experiences involved in the FM12 Lower League Management thread. Different countries can offer completely different playing experiences, even though there'll always likely be some common ground to certain aspects of play.

So if you feel comfortable that you could provide and supprt (posting regularly and in detail) a lower league guide for a country other than England, which always seems to be the main focus, then respond in this thread so I know who's interested and how I'll go about setting up the FM12 thread.

[JoeBainborough]

Would definitely be interested in signing up. My uni timetable gives me so much time so would be very keen.

Also, would like to take on a number of different countries so I won't be fussy

Really feeling my performances on football manager improve massively after the last 6 months or so.

[Fabian Jonsson]

Would be nice to see someone take on a lower league team in a smaller country too... say Sweden.

Basically any country with a low reputation, so that you don't "only" have the club reputation to combat.

[JoeBainborough]

If you need any help setting one up Heath I'd be happy to. No it can be very time consuming setting up something like this.

[swedishchef_uk]

Heath - and anyone else who can offer advice...

Fascinating and helpful thread - thanks. I love to start with a lower league team and stick with them, but find that I rarely get the 'interesting' regens from countries such as Africa that others do. I tend to load up 20 or so playable leagues and go from there. So reading the start of this thread and how you set up the custom database interested me. Some quick questions:

1. In general terms, what custom database set-up do you prefer? Do you always play with the settings you mention in your opening posts? To get an in-depth game full of non-European talent, am I best to do like you and pick options for 'based in nation'?

2. As I say, I tend to opt for a number of playable leagues just to get more players in the game. With the ability in FM12 to add/remove leagues, is it better to add fewer leagues to start, but add players instead via the custom database?

3. The opening post suggests you have far more players loaded than recommended. I know the recommendations are 'flaky' but did it affect your game speed? Do you run enough seasons to hit problems later on?

4. Any other game set-up tips you/people can suggest for a really long and deep experience, bringing regens in from all across the globe - and perhaps some hidden gems like your Reunion find! I get bored with French, Spanish and Brazilians filling my squad!

Sorry if the questions seem daft/amateur - but once I start a game I tend to stick with it, so really want to get it right first time and enjoy myself hunting for unknown talent in remote places to turn into stars. Or at least flog for profit....

Thanks Heath - and anyone else who has an input here.

[lewis999]

Any news on the FM12 version of this Heath? Just got my new laptop which is about 6873726554 times better than my other one, speed wise so was wondering which leagues to load up this year.

This thread was of a great help when I was in the Blue Square North/South.

[reece1973]

Looking forward to a new version too.

To be honest im bored of FM now and need something to get me into playing again.

Said after FM2011 i wouldnt buy another but thought maybe something in it would give me the buzz again. I was wrong.

Trying my hand at lower league management at the moment to see how it goes.

[jim morrow]

Lewis, for myself, I load all league possible except very low reputation one, and start unemployed with a semi-pro experience. I signed in 2nd division of Norway and win the league. But I didn't like the president and its view for the club so I moved to a 1st division in Sweden.

It's pure pleasure to arrive in a unknown country and unknown club and build a good team and tactics. I used only scout research and divisions rumours to find players. It's quite enjoyable.

[sebs]

i need a faster computer to contemplate buying fm2012

[PrinceEgypt]

The Tactics I Settled On

After my unease with the 4-2-3-1 and 4-5-1, which I'll still keep to one side as my second and third options, I decided to return to my "old faithful" from a few years back. Funny how over the years I've settled into a number of different formations that feature a single striker, with either wingers, inside forwards, or packed central midfield positions, I've ended up back at an attacking 4-4-2.

I've managed to bring in a much better squad of players, who each have decent attributes in all but a few of the highlighted key attributes. I continue to scout and manually search for better players and also offer trials to players who might be useful, but I think I have a squad that is both capable of a promotion or title winning campaign, plus one that will work well enough with the tactics I've finally settle on.

Main Tactics

Just looking at the formation, it's very much akin to what I've used in previous years, although not so much for the last two releases.

With an eye on the General Strategies and Playing Style, one might question some of those settings given that I'm playing in the lower leagues, with not the most technically, mentally or physically gifted of players. However, if comparing my squad directly with those of my opponents in the Blue Square North, as is often presented in pre-match meetings, then I'm confident that my players are stronger in most, if not all areas of ability.

Mindful of that, I feel I can be more confident that I can try to use the technical and mental advantages especially, allowing for more expressive football. Given those advantages, I've also opted for "Control" as the starting strategy. I want to dominate possession and out play opponents. If I feel that during matches my team isn't providing enough cutting edge, then I may change the strategy to "Attacking" or even "Overload", depending on both opponents, condition of players and match circumstances.

I've gone for a "Fluid" philosophy of allowing players to be involved in more than one phase of play, because I'm more confident in the ability of my players to make the right decisions more often than not.

"Default" passing has often been a preference of mine in most tactics I employ, because I prefer to allow the players more freedom with the range of passing they utilise. If chasing a game or looking to get the ball into advanced positions more quickly, I can change this to "More Direct". Direct passing shouldn't be confused with long-ball. Although sometimes defenders can bypass the midfield with a longer pass, it's more about getting the ball quickly to players in more advanced attacking positions, be that with a long punt upfield, a through ball, slide rule pass to a player in a good shooting position, or a short one-two.

Creative freedom is set to "More Expressive" to take advantage of the good mental and technical abilities of my attacking players. Although this setting will affect the whole team, it's the more advanced players who will be allowed the most creative freedom to use their judgement and abilities.

Closing down is set to "Press More", because I want my team to keep opponents under pressure when they have the ball, with the aim of recycling possession quickly back to my team.

"Default" tackling is used as an overall setting, as I prefer to use the opposition instructions to set hard tackling on opposing individuals. I'll only change this setting to either "More Cautious" if we have a referee that thinks it's Christmas and likes handing out cards, or "More Aggressive" if the referee is seemingly lenient and either the condition of opposing players is poor, or I spot individuals with low bravery.

Marking is set to "Zonal Marking" as I think it better suits players of lower defensive abilities. I believe that tight marking is more specific to the individual qualities of a player and their opponents. I'll use the opposition instructions more for that if needed.

"More Roaming" is selected more with the advanced players in mind, as I believe it makes them harder to mark if they're technically and mentally able to roam effectively. When players can roam from their positions effectively, I feel that it can both open up more space for attacking moves for other players, or allow a player to move from his position into a better space to receive the ball.

I've left playmaker and target man instructions un-ticked, because at this stage I don't want play to focus on any one individual. I may change this later in the season once I've observed individual performances more and assessed if such instructions for individuals would benefit the team as a whole.

In the following few threads, I'll show images of the positions, roles and highlighted attributes within my tactics. Please note the highlighted attributes in the images, of each position and role. You'll note that overall, each of my players has double figures in most, if not all, of those attributes. At this level, anything in double figures is a good attribute, but obviously the higher the attributes are, the better.

Heath, will this tactic work on FM12 do you think? I am managing Queen's Park in the 3rd Division in Scotland. Just about to start a new game on FM12

[jim morrow]

You certainly don't have the players to do the same in 3rd scotland division...Create your own tactic depending on your available player, that's the way you will understand how FM match engine is working.

[PrinceEgypt]

You certainly don't have the players to do the same in 3rd scotland division...Create your own tactic depending on your available player, that's the way you will understand how FM match engine is working.

I have great players Jim....Division 1 standard and higher. I used Genie scout to find the best available free players and approached them. I am playing with a 110,000 player database and my players in Scottish Division 3rd division are better than those in divisions 1 and 2!

[ricardomac]

You're right. Jim was a bit of an ass there.

About the tactic. If you have the right players to play it, it will work definitely. But if you don't it might not. Though, since, as you say, you have good players to play in Division 2 or 1 you can try it anyway.