FM13 - The Basic Guide to Training and Match Preparation

[Rashidi]

Personal opinion to follow, pls don take offense.

I've read a few training "guides" and I am afraid there is so much overcomplication over what is essentially a simple module. The training module has been designed to simplify training and to make it more intuitive and balanced with the whole game. For years the training module was a subset of the whole game, we were gaming the system to get "superplayers". Now if you look at the module you see how its interlinked to the tactical performance of your team and how you can easily develop players for new roles. And thats it fundamentally.

When people come around and tell me that I need to have one training system if I want to play counterattacking football and another for playing attacking football, thats strange to the point of being ludicrous. You can go counterattacking to attacking within ONE match, so how are you train for that? So that whole system is illogical and I toss it out of the window. Furthermore noone todate has provided concrete empirical proof that such training schedules produce the results you want. Another system that doesnt make sense is that you need to train a certain way when you meet a team better than you and change when you meet a team weaker than you. Thats bollocks. If I am up against a team thats prone to conceding goals from set pieces I focus set pieces. If a team is prone to conceding from open play I practice attacking movement If I wanted to set up training for specifc opponents thats exactly how I would do it, and thats how i used to prepare for games. Its simple and elegant.

When it comes to match preparation its all about temporary boosts to your training. If you do attacking movement and set piece training, you get a temporary boost for the next game. How effective it can be depends on whether they get carried over to personal training. These boosts disappear after that. Now lets say we have 20 home games and 20 away games. Thats 20 times you will find teams harder to score against cos you are away from home. So for those 20 games I will do 10 defensive positioning and 10 set piece defensive. I do the reverse for away games. That way I get a balanced boost for players. Furthermore I will carry these into games and enhance my performances. Now we have two simple systems.

Now as long as you keep your training focus balanced you get consistent results. This is a profile of Nathan Ake, my defender. Hes played in most games this season and all i have been focused on is his defensive development. He has been with me since BSS, and we are now gunning for promotion from the Championship. This is the summary of my defensive group of players. When my players are 18-20 I have them trained in their specific role and then they are set to specialise on focus areas. I am not saying that there is only one way to train, in fact I believe the training module has been simplified so that people can make easier training schedules that actually make sense. I've followed a simple system and we have been overachieving like every player is seeing his last season, and that makes me excited. I think everyone needs to remember there is no 'golden' approach to training. Its actually the simplest module in the game, and until someone categorically shows me empirical data like "whatshisname from 01/02 cleon might" I believe we should keep things simple

[Cleon]

It's still a long way from been balanced though and the current pre-set trainings aren't very flexible. I've seen a lot of defenders get better at dribbling and at corners. I've seen strikers get better at corners and positioning and a host of other flaws which is wasting CA.

Rashidi - Lyssien

[Rashidi]

It's still a long way from been balanced though and the current pre-set trainings aren't very flexible. I've seen a lot of defenders get better at dribbling and at corners. I've seen strikers get better at corners and positioning and a host of other flaws which is wasting CA.

Rashidi - Lyssien

I agree it isnt balanced, my defenders are picking up FLAIR???? yeah but overall defensive attributes are increasing and I am happy if I need to switch focus I will....i just don have the time to micromanage training to that point..wish there was some kind of tool that told you ingame that X number of players have improved in a certain set of attributes..and some others didnt..then we could go in and assign training for them..

And thanks Cleon, OMG ur memory is so freakishly good

[Cleon]

I agree it isnt balanced, my defenders are picking up FLAIR???? yeah but overall defensive attributes are increasing and I am happy if I need to switch focus I will....i just don have the time to micromanage training to that point..wish there was some kind of tool that told you ingame that X number of players have improved in a certain set of attributes..and some others didnt..then we could go in and assign training for them..

And thanks Cleon, OMG ur memory is so freakishly good

I actually like the new training module and think it could be really good. I didn't hold much hope for this year because it was new but it does have some potential to be great once a few flaws are ironed out. So I am eagrly waiting to see how it's improved upon for next year.

I don't micro-manage training as much as people think, I do a little bit but honestly it takes me 30 seconds to change the focus for every single player if needs be by using a custom view I did for training.

It's weird because I have a crap memory if you ask anyone who knows me. I can't remember important things, just the little useless stuff is all I can remember

[NakS]

When people come around and tell me that I need to have one training system if I want to play counterattacking football and another for playing attacking football, thats strange to the point of being ludicrous. You can go counterattacking to attacking within ONE match, so how are you train for that? So that whole system is illogical and I toss it out of the window. Furthermore noone todate has provided concrete empirical proof that such training schedules produce the results you want. Another system that doesnt make sense is that you need to train a certain way when you meet a team better than you and change when you meet a team weaker than you. Thats bollocks. If I am up against a team thats prone to conceding goals from set pieces I focus set pieces. If a team is prone to conceding from open play I practice attacking movement If I wanted to set up training for specifc opponents thats exactly how I would do it, and thats how i used to prepare for games. Its simple and elegant.

Since I have a bit contributed to that article, I thought I may react. Personal opinion as well

I love the new training system because of its UI which I found simpler and more user friendly. At the same time, I think the new training module has greater potential than sliders. I don't care about sliders, I only want more depth. Training is clearly not flexible enough though, role are fixed and fitness management could be more accurate while still being realistic. I have explained in great details why and I have made several proposals.

I have never, ever, considered pre-FM13 training like gaming system to make "superplayers" so I don't include myself in your "we were gaming the system". Cause, I simply was not. Player development is one of the most entertaining aspect in the game in my opinion, it is not a subset at all. But I can understand some can considered it like this though I think they miss a huge part of the game. I was not raising chickens! I was trying to shape players to fit my tactical system and playing style. I am still doing this.

My system is simple, it is based on what my playing style is and on what my strength are and it has always been the case sliders or not. Team comparison is a great tool in that regard to determine "playing style" and "training system". Why not having everybody training defense collectively if I feel defending should not be function of position? You can play keep ball in a counter or control strategy right? Maybe you are confusing training system and match preparation. I agree you can switch from counter to control in game, that's why I have 3 set-ups saved in match preparation with 3 different strategies. But I don't train strategies, I back up my playing style with a training system. I fail to see why having a general focus on defense if I plan to battle hard for relegation is ludicrous?! Same thing with a top team if I try to impose more my playing style like a possession centric game, surely a ball control focused training system is the way to go. How is that complicated? Now if you have a team that can completely change playing style (possession, short counter, strong and direct, reactive, high press, keep shape) that's good for you and surely a balanced approach is the most sensible way to go obviously. I completely agree that there is no golden strategy but your statement was a bit dismissive.

When it comes to specific match preparation and I fully agree with your logic. If my opponent has a strong attack and I am in a reactive (they are a better teamor away game) position, I may choose defensive positioning. Otherwise, I they had a leaky defence and I am in a proactive position (home and weaker team), then I may choose offensive movements. That's how I pick it up as well.

[RvP20]

So if you are unsure about the general training then balanced is the best option as this covers all the other options to a certain degree?

[llama3]

So if you are unsure about the general training then balanced is the best option as this covers all the other options to a certain degree?

Welcome to the forums mate. (Shame your username upsets me over our loss of He Who Must Not Be Named )

It depends what your team is weak in, or how you want to play. If unsure then Balanced covers everything well, but if you choose any other area, they still all train Defending, Attacking, Ball Control, just in lesser degrees.

Hope that helps.

[pigfacemonkeyman]

2) The first helps players settle who you've brought the club. The latter helps them work as a team on the pitch and gain an understanding of how each other play as a team3) Helps the team blend but once that's happened it has no bearing.

Maybe you know the answer to something I have been trying to find out for some time. As the game heads more and more towards "Teamwork" - Team Training, Team Gelling, Tactic Familiarity, Match Preparation etc. - are players now able to recognise the need to/learn to, pass/cross the ball to the feet of teammates who can't jump? If not, do you know if the powers that be intend to introduce it in future?

Also what use is the PPM "Likes ball played into feet" when teammates aren't aware of it? (does this PPM actually mean what I think it means, or is this similar to the "shout" version?)

[Cleon]

Maybe you know the answer to something I have been trying to find out for some time. As the game heads more and more towards "Teamwork" - Team Training, Team Gelling, Tactic Familiarity, Match Preparation etc. - are players now able to recognise the need to/learn to, pass/cross the ball to the feet of teammates who can't jump? If not, do you know if the powers that be intend to introduce it in future?

Also what use is the PPM "Likes ball played into feet" when teammates aren't aware of it? (does this PPM actually mean what I think it means, or is this similar to the "shout" version?)

Teamwork and decisions are key for getting players to compliment each other. If both are high then you'll find they'll tend to play to the players strengths (settings permitted ofc)i.e if a player steps up then the player at side of him will cover and so on.

[pigfacemonkeyman]

Teamwork and decisions are key for getting players to compliment each other. If both are high then you'll find they'll tend to play to the players strengths (settings permitted ofc)i.e if a player steps up then the player at side of him will cover and so on.

So they won't avoid playing to his weaknesses? My tactically astute, really fast (strengths) poacher can't jump (weakness) the best way to play to his strengths is to play the ball along the deck either to him "to feet" or for him to run onto "into space" BUT along the deck. Are you saying that in FM13 players with high Teamwork and Decisions (mainly) will recognise this need and then pass/cross the ball accordingly?

[Cleon]

So they won't avoid playing to his weaknesses? My tactically astute, really fast (strengths) poacher can't jump (weakness) the best way to play to his strengths is to play the ball along the deck either to him "to feet" or for him to run onto "into space" BUT along the deck. Are you saying that in FM13 players with high Teamwork and Decisions (mainly) will recognise this need and then pass/cross the ball accordingly?

If I play Neymar as my striker then balls are mostly whipped across space for him to try to get onto rather than aimed for his head. If I play Adebayor in the same team then they tend to aim for his head more. I'm not saying they will never make him try and use his head but they'll be more inclined to do it into space or his feet if they are intelligent enough.

It was like this in FM12 too.

[pigfacemonkeyman]

If I play Neymar as my striker then balls are mostly whipped across space for him to try to get onto rather than aimed for his head. If I play Adebayor in the same team then they tend to aim for his head more. I'm not saying they will never make him try and use his head but they'll be more inclined to do it into space or his feet if they are intelligent enough.

It was like this in FM12 too.

Thanks Cleon, good to know. Not had the pleasure of FM12, or FM13 yet, but this is a big tick in the plus column for me. ( cancels out the lost "personality comparison info" from scout reports )

[jujigatame]

Can someone explain the "teamwork" match training option? If it increases "team blend" what exactly is that and how do I know whether I need more of it? It sounds like it's something separate from tactic familiarity.

[llama3]

1. Can anyone explain how "Progression bar" in player report screen works (it seems permanently stuck in the middle on all my players)?

2. Whats the difference between general training focus set to Team cohesion and match training set to Teamwork?

3. Will general training focus set to Team cohesion accelerate progression of any particular group of player attributes or it helps team blend, boosts team morale...?

2) The first helps players settle who you've brought the club. The latter helps them work as a team on the pitch and gain an understanding of how each other play as a team

3) Helps the team blend but once that's happened it has no bearing.

Can someone explain the "teamwork" match training option? If it increases "team blend" what exactly is that and how do I know whether I need more of it? It sounds like it's something separate from tactic familiarity.

Already asked and explained up the thread - have attached the quotes for you there.

[jujigatame]

That's still kind of unclear. You're saying the individual player "progression" bar is actually "team blend"?

[Cleon]

That's still kind of unclear. You're saying the individual player "progression" bar is actually "team blend"?

No. The player progression bar is how well a player is developing as a whole. That was an answer to something else if you see. Your questions is answered in question 2 and 3.

[jujigatame]

But it doesn't answer the question of how you're supposed to tell how well "blended" your team is. There doesn't seem to be a bar or indicator for it anywhere.

[Cleon]

But it doesn't answer the question of how you're supposed to tell how well "blended" your team is. There doesn't seem to be a bar or indicator for it anywhere.

You access it via a match screen, choose analysis > Assistants name and he'll list the players that are having trouble blending with the squad or you can use Report -> Last Match -> Team Talk Feedback

Team Cohesion is what you'd train for squad blending.

[blekberot]

very usefull tips bro

now i understand how its work