Football Manager 2016 - 16.2.0 Official feedback thread

[MartinGregory84]

Does anybody know what todays update was???

[mikelfc8]

But you then have the option to tell him he'll go when a reasonable offer comes in for him and not before.

I have just told Emre Can exactly that after Real Madrid came in for him and he was happy with it. Then the game automatically and irrevocably transfer listed him causing a media uproar and a feeding frenzy of predatory clubs. I'm pretty sure that didn't used to happen.

[Seb Wassell]

I have just told Emre Can exactly that after Real Madrid came in for him and he was happy with it. Then the game automatically and irrevocably transfer listed him causing a media uproar and a feeding frenzy of predatory clubs. I'm pretty sure that didn't used to happen.

This is because you have effectively accepted his transfer request with the proviso of a reasonable offer coming in. He will be willing to be taken off of the transfer list if the interest in leaving is no longer relevant.

[johnhughthom]

This is because you have effectively accepted his transfer request with the proviso of a reasonable offer coming in. He will be willing to be taken off of the transfer list if the interest in leaving is no longer relevant.

There is a big difference between telling someone you will let them go if you receive an acceptable offer, and telling them you will actively attempt attempt to sell them.

As had already been mentioned quite recently in this thread, the difference in transfer offers for players clubs want to sell and have listed, and players clubs don't want to sell can be huge. If this is part of the programming, and my personal experience suggests it is, this change puts the user at a serious selling disadvantage.

If player conversation options have built in automatic transfer status changes, there is absolutely no excuse for not telling the user. A tool tip when you hover over the option would surely be simple to implement?

[howhigh1337]

what was 9 kb update?

[edgar555]

I'm Spurs. Season 3 we moved to Wembley while they finish New WHL. Prior to season 4 we move into New WHL. Now the Community Shield (which we're in) is being played at New WHL??!!

Bug?

[Seb Wassell]

Hey edgar555,

Do you have a save from before this game is scheduled? If so, could you please start a post here - http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/524-Other-Gameplay-Issues - along with uploading the save to our FTP? Details on uploading to the FTP can be found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/441296

Thank you kindly,

Seb.

[haffaz77]

what was 9 kb update?

good question . my game crashed (for the first time ever) tried to restart and then i noticed there was 9kb update

[higosfagundes]

what was 9 kb update?

yes, also I want to know.

[VP.]

My game wont even start, just gets stuck on the loading...

[velvetsky]

do you all find that the same transfers happen? regardless of what leagues you load - Higuien always goes to arsenal

i wish there was an option for "Volume of transfers" far too many in my eyes

[HUNT3R]

My game wont even start, just gets stuck on the loading...

]

Please report it in the Technical issues for PC section of the bugs forum. Your issue can then get looked at.

[Danchinaski]

The manager appointments are absolute bobbins. I run a big, worldwide journeyman save (over 100000), which should leave plenty of staff to choose from. Sadly, the AI makes consistently bizarre manager appointments. On every save, I've noticed the following:

* Neil Young leaves top-of-the-table Stockport to manage relegation-threatened Oxford City.

* Paul Morgan, Accrington's physio, will be given a job as manager of a league 2 club. This club is never Accrington, mind. In this save it's Cambridge, he replaced Gary Lowe, who is bafflingly always appointed as Cambridge gaffer from Hyde United in every save. If your club appointed a physio from a club in the same division as manager IRL, would you consider that normal?

* Bill Prendergast, who left his last (and only) job as Crewe's HOYD in 2003, is given a National League managerial position.

* In my current save Accrington appointed Declan Farmer as manager. Yes, that's right. Erstwhile Limerick youth coach who, in this save, had been appointed as chief scout at Dag & Red within the first few days. Three months later he's managing Accrington.

* Clubs appoint from within, but rarely appoint the caretaker manager. Crawley lost their manager and their assistant stepped in as caretaker, they then appointed their chief scout to the permanent role. The same thing happened with Birmingham, who appointed their chief scout to the permanent manager role despite the ass man being the caretaker. The chief scout, by the way, is John Rudge, who last managed a club sixteen years ago. He is seventy one years old.

* Clubs rarely appoint an unemployed manager. Instead they prefer to spend compensation on stealing an obscure youth coach from a club with a similar league standing. IRL when a managerial vacancy crops up, the initial leading candidates are usually unemployed managers or staff with a history with the club. In FM16 the leasing candidate is seemingly just as likely to be Albion Rovers chief scout than it is to be an experienced, unemployed manager with historical links to the clubs.

Am I the only person who is noticing this and finding it to be somewhat immersion-breaking?

[VP.]

Please report it in the Technical issues for PC section of the bugs forum. Your issue can then get looked at.

It appears to only happen when i have a downloaded skin in the 'skins' folder?

[Seb Wassell]

Hey Danchinaski,

If you reckon you've discovered some issues with managerial appointments, could you please head over here - http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/523-Transfers-Contracts-and-Scouting-Issues - and post along with an uploaded save (from before the appointment takes place). Details on uploading a save to our FTP can be found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/441296

Doing so will enable us to look into anything you consider to be a bug.

Thank you kindly,

Seb.

[haffaz77]

what was the 9KB update about ???

[Seb Wassell]

Hey there,

It was a small update fixing an internal game issue. I can reassure you that it will not have caused any new issues, such as crashes, elsewhere.

Cheers,

Seb.

[Danchinaski]

Hey Danchinaski,

If you reckon you've discovered some issues with managerial appointments, could you please head over here - http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/523-Transfers-Contracts-and-Scouting-Issues - and post along with an uploaded save (from before the appointment takes place). Details on uploading a save to our FTP can be found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/441296

Doing so will enable us to look into anything you consider to be a bug.

Thank you kindly,

Seb.

OK Seb, I will do that and keep an eye out for these issues as they are about to arise, but the majority of these issues I listed occur on every save. The unrealistic appointment of Gary Lowe to Cambridge is a nailed-on cert for me, as is Paul Morgan getting a League 2 job. pretty early on in the first season.

incidentally I did raise this when I got the original Beta release (particularly the Accrington's physio thing) but was left under the impression that it wasn't worth taking seriously and was realistic. The only reason I raised it again in this thread is to see what others thought and if it also happened in their saves.

[Wizard boy]

Does anyone have matches on director mode? used to to only have it on main stand but i think this will be my favourite. i do use 2d classic on tablet. haven`t got it on full graphics because pc is powerful isn`t enough so don`t know how it looks when its maxed out. that will change when i get new more powerful pc this week.

[roykela]

Any news or some sort of light about the issue with stat pack not being available in Chile?

Reported it as a bug and was told it's under review and thread closed.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/443467-Stat-pack-not-available-in-top-division-Chile

It's still the same after the big update.

[treble_yell_:-)]

I'd be interested to see the tactics of those who are still seeing a lot of goals coming from crosses. This last version of the ME has seen me some of the most varied football I have ever seem my teams play and the goals are coming from everywhere. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've seens goals scored in the last week I have never seen before in any version of the ME.

*I'm not discounting the experiences of those who are seeing this before anyone gets all defensive.

[velvetsky]

is there a way of lowering the amount of transfers ourselves? to me theres too many and ruining the games realism

[themadsheep2001]

I'd be interested to see the tactics of those who are still seeing a lot of goals coming from crosses. This last version of the ME has seen me some of the most varied football I have ever seem my teams play and the goals are coming from everywhere. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've seens goals scored in the last week I have never seen before in any version of the ME.

*I'm not discounting the experiences of those who are seeing this before anyone gets all defensive.

Agreed. I'm seeing some brilliant slide rule goals atm. And my attacking mid isn't really set up to play that way (using him like Kroos from Bayern 2012-2013)

[Dagenham_Dave]

Can anyone tell me what do you need to do when opposing team gets a red card? It looks like the moment when they go man down, they get some kind of bonus because I'm finding it impossible to capitalize on the fact that I have 11 players on the pitch. Wheter you attack,or drop deep...it makes no difference. At this point when I see AI getting a red card I'm holding my head "oh god please,no..just don't give him a red card" because from that moment my team will stop to make any kind of chance to score. And often AI will score. The same goes when I get a red card..as if my team suddenly becomes stronger. It's ridicilous.

Doing it wrong, clearly

[Danchinaski]

I'd be interested to see the tactics of those who are still seeing a lot of goals coming from crosses. This last version of the ME has seen me some of the most varied football I have ever seem my teams play and the goals are coming from everywhere. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've seens goals scored in the last week I have never seen before in any version of the ME.

*I'm not discounting the experiences of those who are seeing this before anyone gets all defensive.

A significant number of my goals come from crosses. My (16 speed, 16 acceleration) right winger is my top scorer and my left winger my main creator. A simple, lower-league clogger outfit, 4-1-2-3 / 4-2-3-1, my left winger on support duty and my right winger on attack. My right winger has 'moves into channels' and 'break offside trap' as PPMs. As such he regularly arrives late at the far post to connect with my deep crosses from the left. Plenty of tap ins, even the occasional headed goal, but mainly the tactic depends on him making a late, perfectly timed run and having the pace to get there first and lose his man.

I'm not sure whether crosses are over-powered or not, but because my side is generally well-equipped when it comes to wing-play it stands to reason that I should make the most of this and be regularly rewarded from crosses. Most goals I see these days are therefore very scruffy.

[s1111]

Offsides are crazy. There are usually around 8-12 a game between the two teams, including AI v AI. My left back was offside 6 times in one game! Throw ins near the corner are a nightmare with the thrower often receiving a pass straight back to him while standing offside. There could be even more in open play as I regularly see through passes towards offside players intercepted before the player can touch the ball and be called offside. Any striker with the 'breaks offside trap' PPM is useless and will guarantee 4-5 offsides per game.

These offsides break up the usually quite nice flow that the game has now and are even more infuriating on Comprehensive highlights which shows you every single one.

[Sunstrikuuu]

But you then have the option to tell him he'll go when a reasonable offer comes in for him and not before.

In FM2015, using that option (or the "you can leave when I find a replacement" option) were recorded as "will accept an offer from Team X as soon as they bid". This was one of my many gripes with the promise system. I don't know if that's changed for FM2016 as I've not played it yet.

[ravenation]

This patch toally destroyed my enjoyment of the game:

Just to metnion:

- My Italian national goalkeeper make drop after drop in every 2nd game.

- My defenders stand staring when the oppostion runs directly pass them to put the ball in the net

- Every match have 4-6 shots on post

- My team are suddenly conceeding corner after corner goals

- The graphcis are totally broken. The ball goes clearly outside the lines - but match still continue

- Goals are given even though they passed the backline and not the goalline - other clear goals are not given

- Defending looks even more poor than before

- Players with 16-18 in passing make pass error on pass error even with short passing instruction

- In Multiplayer my friend finished 7th in PL. SOme of the best players decided they want to leave the club as they didnt qualify for Europe. When United then wotn the Champions League on week later, Fulham qualified as 7th. But the players were still moarning and angry becuase Fulham didnt qualify.

This was a great game - but this patch have totally ruined it.

My suggestion to SEGA is to stop using precious resources on non-important things like souvenirs, books, transfersoftware, movies and what ever there are spend money on these days and get back to what Football Manager is all about. A Football manager simulation game!

FM16 is dont feel like a manager simulation game - but like playing a game of Russian Roulette.

[Sussex Hammer]

My feedback.... Have to be honest I'm calling it a day with this version. Used to be addicted to FM but have tinkered about with this and just can't get into it which is a shame but I think you need to be a cross between Stephen Hawking and Alex Ferguson to have any chance!! Think I have tried a very simple base with several different shapes and to be honest I can't see a difference in play with any of them. Play direct defenders hoof it, play out of defence defenders hoof it, pressing seems the same higher or lower, CM's stay far too high, DM's behind the centre backs at times leaving gaping gaps, fullbacks on support are standing in the opponents penalty area, defending is appalling, attacking is non existent it's all a maze of confusion in how you get a player to do the simple things! Yeah it's probably my tactics but even reading through endless posts I am none the wiser. Pity but there you go.

[howhigh1337]

to anyone struglingg after update: I managed to overcome 7 matches long sequence of loss/draw, and now rolling on winning streak. Keep trying

[ravenation]

to anyone struglingg after update: I managed to overcome 7 matches long sequence of loss/draw, and now rolling on winning streak. Keep trying

I played one and a half season with that patch, qualified for Europe, Qualified further from the group.

This is not about keep trying, but about several mistakes/errors in the match engine. Dont remember to have seen Pirlo miss 2 meter pass after 2 meter pass in every game. Normally quality players dont miss passes and as Sussex write, there are no difference if you play Direct, short, long ball - your players are making the exact same mistakes

[edgar555]

Hey edgar555,

Do you have a save from before this game is scheduled? If so, could you please start a post here - http://community.sigames.com/forumdisplay.php/524-Other-Gameplay-Issues - along with uploading the save to our FTP? Details on uploading to the FTP can be found here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/441296

Thank you kindly,

Seb.

Will upload tomorrow

[Guest]

to anyone struglingg after update: I managed to overcome 7 matches long sequence of loss/draw, and now rolling on winning streak. Keep trying

It's those low moments that make the periods of success even sweeter.

[Maleven]

This is weird. How is it possible that no one else seems to have two thirds of all goals coming from crosses? Maybe one third, some more some less, but not two thirds of all goals. Are you exaggerating to get attention?

Okay, time to hold my hands up. I wasn't intentionally exaggerating, and I certainly wasn't trying to "get attention", but I went back and looked at all the goals in the 11 games I've played since the update and came up with the following, and when taking open-play crosses and set-piece deliveries together, it turns out I was exaggerating by a factor of about 100%:

'F' denotes a goal scored by my team (Liverpool), while 'A' denotes a goal scored by the opposition.

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

A: Far post tap in from low ball across six-yard box.

F: Sidefooted finish from about 9 yards after square ball from left of box into centre of box.

Liverpool 2-0 Gent

F: Close-range far-post header attacking cross from left byline.

F: Right-back finished from tight angle after short diagonal through ball from central midfielder.

Liverpool 2-0 Man City

F: Close-range far-post header attacking stood-up cross from right byline.

F: Volleyed finish from 15 yards after centre-back's clearing header was short.

Everton 1-1 Liverpool

F: Loose ball bundled over the line from a yard or so out by Coutinho after Alvaro Morata (Striker), one of the better strikers in the game, kicked the ball straight at the goalkeeper from point-blank range, setting off a series of ricochets.

A: Half-volley from 12 yards after attacking player won a far post header from a corner.

Liverpool 2-0 Napoli

F: Side-footed finish from ten yards after receiving a short square pass from a team-mate. The manner in which the scorer, Christian Benteke, was left unmarked as both centre-backs rushed towards the man playing the pass was quite bizarre.

F: Side-footed finished from seven yards attacking out-swinging free kick delivery from about 23 yards out on the right.

Liverpool 2-0 Wolves

F: Sturridge picks up the ball on the right-hand edge of the box, goes past a man, and passes the ball into the net from a tight-ish angle and a distance of about 10-11 yards.

F: Markovic with a left-footed, first-time half volley after a knock-down header from Benteke just inside the box.

Real Madrid 3-0 Liverpool

A: Side-footed finish from six yards attacking out-swinging free kick delivery from deep on the left.

A: Ran past centre-back from outside the box to slot past the 'keeper.

A: Passed into net from about five yards at the far post, attacking cross from deep on the right.

Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool

A: Diagonal pass off the ground over about 20 yards from Oxlade-Chamberlain left of centre to Ozil on the edge of the box, who controlled the ball unmarked, and finished from about 12 yards.

F: Sturridge arrived from the right of the box onto a square pass across the box from the left to finish from about 11 yards.

F: Finish from around 12 yards as defender's tackle on getting onto through ball just inside the box saw the ball run loose.

Liverpool 3-2 West Ham

F: Coutinho finishes from a distance of less than a yard after an initial shot was pushed onto the post by the goalkeeper, who then inexplicably fell over while trying to gather the ball under no pressure as it slowly came back off the post, presenting Coutinho with a simple finish. Slapstick, and not even in an especially realistic or plausible way.

A: Right-midfielder ran past left-back onto through ball from striker and finished well from inside the box.

F: Midfielder received ball on the edge of the box after a lofted pull-back from the left-back near the byline, took a touch, and struck the ball into the bottom corner from about 15 yards.

A: Midfielder plays a cross diagonally off the ground from outside the box, centre-right, for left-sided midfielder to finish at the far post from about nine yards. In the build-up, the man who should have been covering that area, Nathaniel Clyne, somehow went from right-back to left of the 'D' and well past my right-sided centre-back.

F: Low strike into the bottom corner from around 30 yards by Coutinho. I'd say long-range goals are slightly too rare in the game, can't think of any in 11 games besides this one.

Brighton 0-2 Liverpool

F: Right-footed finish from Sturridge from five yards at the near post, coming onto a cross from Benteke from the right byline after a counter-attack from a corner.

F: Benteke strike from about seven yards, but tight angle wide of the perimeter of the six-yard box on the left takes a deflection off a full-back and in at the near post. Given as a Liam Rosenior own goal, perhaps harshly, but such debatable calls happen in real life.

Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace

F: Sturridge, right-footed, far-post finish from about four yards after cross from Moreno at left-wing back about 12-13 yards from the byline.

I make that 26 goals in 11 games, with a breakdown as follows:

Goals from open-play crosses: 6

Goals from corners: 1

Goals from indirect free kicks: 2

Goals from through balls: 3

Goals from a pass inside the penalty area: 5

Goals from defensive errors/goalmouth scrambles/loose balls: 4

Unassisted goals from inside the box: 3 (including the own goal given to Liam Rosenior after deflecting Benteke's shot)

Goals from outside the box: 1

So I hold my hands up to "two-thirds of all goals coming from crosses" being an exaggerated statement made in exasperation - not with any intent to exaggerate or lie, but without analysis. I would add, however, that crosses remain comfortably the single biggest source of goals at slightly over one third of all goals across a reasonable number of games, while four of the five goals scored from passes played inside the box were from passes played from the wide areas of the box into central areas, so sort of bordering on being the result of a crossing game. I'd be interested to know how this corresponds with reality, and also whether the number of goals resulting from defensive errors, goal mouth scrambles, and loose balls, at four out of the 26, isn't a little high, and also whether only one goal scored from outside the box in 11 games isn't a little low.

I haven't been the only one complaining that an inordinate number of goals seem to come from crosses - it's one of the most common if not the most common criticisms of this year's game to date. In addition, I'm not in the habit of complaining about the match engine or blaming it for everything. For one thing, my results are about as good as they usually are, albeit with slightly smaller winning margins that I often got in FM12 and FM13 to name a couple. I have, however, been critical of recent match engines, FM14 especially, and in its early stages, that in FM15. Still not keen on the FM16 match engine at all. I'm starting to see *some* improvements in the latest update, but still see elite strikers missing far too many easy chances, and far too many mindless 'Hollywood' balls and brainlessly misplaced return passes into touch after a throw-in or an attempt by two players to combine in an advanced area out wide.

[Defensive]

Thanks for the analysis Maleven and the effort to give some stats. I appreciate if someone is actually capable of admitting he was a little bit wrong because this is rare nowadays.:-) I also think that crosses are a little overpowered because there is a reason when so many people criticize it- just not as much as some people say. Lets hope the next update gives some more improvements.

[roykela]

My feedback.... Have to be honest I'm calling it a day with this version. Used to be addicted to FM but have tinkered about with this and just can't get into it which is a shame but I think you need to be a cross between Stephen Hawking and Alex Ferguson to have any chance!! Think I have tried a very simple base with several different shapes and to be honest I can't see a difference in play with any of them. Play direct defenders hoof it, play out of defence defenders hoof it, pressing seems the same higher or lower, CM's stay far too high, DM's behind the centre backs at times leaving gaping gaps, fullbacks on support are standing in the opponents penalty area, defending is appalling, attacking is non existent it's all a maze of confusion in how you get a player to do the simple things! Yeah it's probably my tactics but even reading through endless posts I am none the wiser. Pity but there you go.

This pretty much sums up my experience as well, apart from calling it a day. I'll still continue trying.

I see no difference on the pitch at all between different roles. All my strikers do exactly the same. Same with midfielders and defenders.

At the moment i have one striker as DLF and one as P. They both do the same. Regardless of who's there and how the rest of the team shape up, in regards to players, roles, formation etc.

I would expect to see the DLF actually be a bit deeper than the poacher but nah. He stays up there. Poacher is more likely to drop deeper rather than the DLF.

My fullbacks are on WB/S right now. That didn't work so i changed them to FB/D. Strangely enough, over the span of a season, they did exactly the same as they did as WB/S.

No change there. Same with DCs. Defender, Stopper or Cover didn't make a difference. They're still playing the same football.

The same is for the entire team.

I have tried attacking football, defensive football, counter-attacking football....it all looks the same to me.

My first-choice wingers are quite quick. When i have to start with the 2nd choice wingers they do exactly the same. They're just as quick relative to my other players.

My slow defenders outruns the opposition's pacey attackers.

I play the game on comprehensive. I always do. I watch all my matches but i see no difference in play presented to me, no matter what instructions i choose.

Be it no extra instructions or a massive amount. They still play their own game. Fluid or Structured doesn't really make me see any difference either.

I try to incorporate my own tactics and strategies from my time as a real-life coach, but i can't do it.

Not that i can see, that is. My real life instructions aren't possible to do either as those are greyed out when choosing "my style".

Maybe i'm choosing the wrong roles but that means the descriptions aren't accurate, as i choose the descriptions that relate to my real-life style.

I watch my matches in 3D, on comprehensive as i mentioned, but it confuses me. Obvious CCCs not even being counted as half-chances. Shots several meters outside counted as on target.

Several suggestions are to actually watch the matches play out. Other suggestions are to look at the match stats and analysis.

But i find there's no harmony there. The stats don't reflect what i see happening in 3D, or vice versa.

I'm not talking extreme cases like "stats say 2 shots but in 3D there were 20" or something like that.

I mean details. Details that can be very, very important.

To give an example taken out of where the sun don't shine:

"2 minutes of the first half has gone. For some reason i've seen every second of it, without anything interesting happening.

We've played the ball around within our team for the entire time, without the opposition even getting a touch on the ball.

Why does the possession stat then show me 68% - 32% in my favour?".

Nor do i trust the commentary. It gets worse if i add that.

The keeper saves with his legs in 3D. Commentary says keeper throws himself and pulls out a magnificent save which he palms out to a corner kick.

Stats don't even register a shot.

Yeah, that is another fantasy example. But what do i trust in those cases? What actually happened?

I don't know what to trust the most. The stats or the representation. When is which one right and wrong?

And why don't i see any difference between players and/or playing style, even when changing instructions; both team and individual instructions?

Just a little note to make it clear; i'm not talking about failure or success with tactics. I just want to implement my real-life coaching style into the game

and see it played out in the match that i'm watching.

At the moment, from what i can see, i see no difference between the teams or players. It's all very "samey".

Don't get me wrong. I love this game. I still enjoy it very much. The above is probably my biggest gripe currently.

[brenosantos]

What happened to Flamengo? They're with mixed colors and named as "Flemish".

It's a licensing problem?

[Dagenham_Dave]

I haven't been the only one complaining that an inordinate number of goals seem to come from crosses - it's one of the most common if not the most common criticisms of this year's game to date. .

It's also an extremely common way that goals are scored in real life too. Real life stats don't include low cutbacks as crosses though, whereas the game does, which skewes the stats a bit. It's one of these 'bandwagon' issues that you see every year on here. For example, in my last 50 games, a large majority of my goals are from through balls (41 as opposed to 24 from crosses). This is because I play a fairly cautious style with either wide midfielders or sometimes defensive wingers and like to work the ball into the box. Those who play attacking tactics with wingbacks and wingers/inside forwards are clearly going to have more goals from crosses. Because the tactic will naturally play out that way.

[jc1]

It's also an extremely common way that goals are scored in real life too. Real life stats don't include low cutbacks as crosses though, whereas the game does, which skewes the stats a bit. It's one of these 'bandwagon' issues that you see every year on here. For example, in my last 50 games, a large majority of my goals are from through balls (41 as opposed to 24 from crosses). This is because I play a fairly cautious style with either wide midfielders or sometimes defensive wingers and like to work the ball into the box. Those who play attacking tactics with wingbacks and wingers/inside forwards are clearly going to have more goals from crosses. Because the tactic will naturally play out that way.

Yep, I play either attacking or control with wing backs and expect to get a lot of crosses in, I play 4-3-3 narrow, so have 3 strikers waiting patiently for the cross or cut back, I like quick/sharp passing football with either wingers or wing backs.

[jc1]

Last year and even this year I seem to feel I'm playing a different game compared to many on this thread and board, I'm not seeing hardly any of the stuff people are complaining about, the ME is good, not fantastic but compared to 13/14 miles better. The ME may never be perfect but it's certainly not as bad as some are making out, I like the new tactics screen and the way your players already have individual instructions built into their position.

[akkm]

But crosses are not an extremely common way goals are scored in real life at all...that's actually a common misconception

See attached

http://eplindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/1001.jpg

[Dagenham_Dave]

But crosses are not an extremely common way goals are scored in real life at all...that's actually a common misconception

See attached

http://eplindex.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/1001.jpg

Link doesn't work. This one does though.

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3853/Stages/7794/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014

You need to play with the settings, but it comes to this...

You'll see crosses are far more common than any other assist type apart from the mysterious 'other'. This will be because a goal recorded from a 'cross' will be a straight cross then goal. Any cross goal which includes a cut-back, deflection, knock down, keeper error, etc will probably be recorded as an 'other' in most statistical data, but they're all counted as crosses in FM. Hence the difference.

EDIT - Plus you see the difference in a team who played that season with natural width, ie Liverpool, having far more goals from crosses than a team who doesn't, such as West Ham. Tactics play a massive part in how assists are made for goals.

[Sussex Hammer]

This pretty much sums up my experience as well, apart from calling it a day. I'll still continue trying.

I see no difference on the pitch at all between different roles. All my strikers do exactly the same. Same with midfielders and defenders.

At the moment i have one striker as DLF and one as P. They both do the same. Regardless of who's there and how the rest of the team shape up, in regards to players, roles, formation etc.

I would expect to see the DLF actually be a bit deeper than the poacher but nah. He stays up there. Poacher is more likely to drop deeper rather than the DLF.

My fullbacks are on WB/S right now. That didn't work so i changed them to FB/D. Strangely enough, over the span of a season, they did exactly the same as they did as WB/S.

No change there. Same with DCs. Defender, Stopper or Cover didn't make a difference. They're still playing the same football.

The same is for the entire team.

I have tried attacking football, defensive football, counter-attacking football....it all looks the same to me.

My first-choice wingers are quite quick. When i have to start with the 2nd choice wingers they do exactly the same. They're just as quick relative to my other players.

My slow defenders outruns the opposition's pacey attackers.

This really sums it up for me. Examples would be as I said above about my fullbacks on support standing on the oppositions penalty spot and generally getting as far forward as a CWB and that game I wasn't playing aggressively. IF's with sit narrower and get further forward play in exactly the same area as a winger asked to stay wide. Strikers as Roykela rightly points out plays out the same whatever role and duty you seem to put on them. Covering CB same positioning as a regular CB, that sort of thing. It's either very difficult to the eye to distinguish the differences in roles or the differences are very slim.

RE - Crosses - Goals conceded from crosses I don't mind but it's the type of cross that leads to a goal which is irritating. If a cross comes in and an opposing striker bullies your CB and heads home then fine but a weak cross across the area knocked home at the far post with no one marking is a real irritant. As is one that their central striker prods home with your CB's making no effort to make a challenge, not to mention the fact that your full back has failed to stop the cross in the first place. I don't think I have seen a corner yet because of a cross that has been deflected into touch by a full back making a block. On the flip side I had Andy Carroll volleying home a cross which was inches off the ground. Nice goal as it happens but I was playing floated crosses at the time!!

[Dagenham_Dave]

This really sums it up for me. Examples would be as I said above about my fullbacks on support standing on the oppositions penalty spot and generally getting as far forwards as a CWB and that game I wasn't playing aggressively. IF's with sit narrower and get further forward play in exactly the same area as a winger asked to stay wide. Strikers as Roykela rightly points out plays out the same whatever role and duty you seem to put on them. Covering CB same positioning as a regular CB, that sort of thing. It's either very difficult to the eye to distinguish the differences in roles or the differences are very slim.

Best way to check it if you don't notice it on the pitch (perhaps due to depths of highlights you watch) is to check the player's average position marker or heat map in the analysis screen afterwards.

For example, I have a central midfield combo of a B2B midfielder and an advanced playmaker. In my last game, here is the heatmap for the B2B player (from the perspective of me shooting right to left as it was an away tie)

And here is the AP

You can clearly see the AP doesn't spend anywhere near as much time in his own half as the B2B player. But here's the thing, at certain points in the game, perhaps during a highlight, you might see both players in slightly unfamiliar positions because of the circumstances. This doesn't mean they're occupying these positions all game, it's only in some of the bits you see as you're not watching a large part of the game. And if it's only key highlights you watch, you really need to start using prozone to understand better where things are going wrong, otherwise you'll never know.

[balldoktor81]

Best way to check it if you don't notice it on the pitch (perhaps due to depths of highlights you watch) is to check the player's average position marker or heat map in the analysis screen afterwards.

For example, I have a central midfield combo of a B2B midfielder and an advanced playmaker. In my last game, here is the heatmap for the B2B player (from the perspective of me shooting right to left as it was an away tie)

And here is the AP

You can clearly see the AP doesn't spend anywhere near as much time in his own half as the B2B player. But here's the thing, at certain points in the game, perhaps during a highlight, you might see both players in slightly unfamiliar positions because of the circumstances. This doesn't mean they're occupying these positions all game, it's only in some of the bits you see as you're not watching a large part of the game. And if it's only key highlights you watch, you really need to start using prozone to understand better where things are going wrong, otherwise you'll never know.

the heat-map may show you what's going on, but even if i'm watching full match it's like sussex said, no difference in individual playing-style and team-play, regardless what roles or duties you might apply! you'll see the same patterns over and over again... i don't think that coaches have heat-maps on the sidelines to check what's happening on the pitch, do they...??? i hope, perhaps in 10...15 years i will be able to analyze my teams play just from watching 3D, wishful thinkig, but who knows...

it's mind-boggling to see the gaps between the players on the pitch, sometimes it seems like they might be afraid to get an infection if they stay close to the opponent. instead of being close they "running away". the next thing pressing, where is it...??? more often than not it's like watching some Junior-McDonalds youth-team playing football and not Man City, Bayern, Juventus or whatever professional team you choose. I'm more and more loosing patience to stick with it and try my best igniting that little spark of joy, but watching the plays (not) develop on the 3D-Pitch is causing headache!

FM tends to be either rocket-science or russian roulette.

[Dagenham_Dave]

even if i'm watching full match it's like sussex said, no difference in individual playing-style and team-play, regardless what roles or duties you might apply!.

That's clearly nonsense as the above heat map has just demonstrated. If you're unable to spot this, then I'm afraid this says more about you than the game. No offence.

[balldoktor81]

That's clearly nonsense as the above heat map has just demonstrated. If you're unable to spot this, then I'm afraid this says more about you than the game. No offence.

You gotta be kidding me! You want to tell me that the heat-map is 100% reflecting the 3D-Gameplay. I would bet my house on it it's not. Someone should do a test, run 100 games and watch them in 3D, then guess the tactics of each team. If you get it 100% right, more power to you my friend!

[roykela]

That's clearly nonsense as the above heat map has just demonstrated. If you're unable to spot this, then I'm afraid this says more about you than the game. No offence.

If watching a match in 3D, on comprehensive, shows a different result than what the heat map is showing; which is the one with the correct information?

[HUNT3R]

Can we try and stay away from 'if' etc? D_D has shown (with screenshots, not speculation and hypothetical reasoning) that differences between roles are evident on the heat map. You can see it by watching a match too. The heat map and 2D/3D viewer should match up. So should everything else. If it doesn't, it's a bug and needs to be reported.

If you can't see differences between roles, that's probably more you not being able to spot it. Create a thread, provide detail and upload a PKM so that others can help you spot what's going on.

[Svenc]

Wow, if somebody doesn't notice the difference between a full-back on defend and an outright wingback, that sounds pretty weird or an outright broken installation/weirdly bug, to be honest. Like, there isn't even anything remotely subtle about it. Very generally speaking, the wing-back is the most aggresive wide defender option in the game, the complete one moreso, you'll notice it in the dribbling stats of a match and season too as they're meant to be dribblers and generally attacking players. As the wing-backs sit deeper than wingers, they start their runs with the ball frequently deep in your own half, which can prove dangerous if they are dispossessed. A full-back on defend will always hold his position and stay all behind the ball, not venturing far from the CBs, whereas a WB even on support has "gets further forward" activated by default, i.e. he is encouraged to move all the way up in the final third always, and he does. The FB/d is like these two chaps here in white, always. Two full-backs on defend duty (hold position activated by default, as with any role on defend duty) is in parts what used to make parking bus AI teams such a nut to crack. Unlike more balanced or attacking sides they are never caught out of shape when their move is intercepted/they lose possession and thus with every attack the opposing team has to work for the space rather than getting it handled on a plate.

I wouldn't put too much into the heat-map on occasion though, or at least outright ignore the entire match context. The above clearly shows in the map, as a fb/d or a limited fb never gets forward, like ever (except during set pieces, from corners to throws, depends on your instructions). However, you can go all out attack all you want plus push higher up, if the opponent is in control of the game, that will show in the heat-map as a very deep sitting team. And even attacking full-backs or wing-backs won't show up as highly up the pitch, naturally. Also the covering and stopper dutys on the CBs are primarily meant to show in the closing down, i.e. the one is meant to close down a ball carrier that is advancing towards that final defensive line of the two CBs whilst the other is encouraged to well, cover for him. It's not meant to show as a clearly positionally difference on the heat map, arguably it would be catastrophe if it did. Imagine a winger cutting inside space in front of the CBs from the your left flank, and the right centre back closing in because he's meant to be the "stopper" whilst the natural option, the left CB simply doesn'T because he's on "cover" duty.

As for the forward roles, some of the above also applies. You will pick up much more dribblings from say a complete forward than a target man, if any from the latter at all, which also shows up in the match and seasons stats under "dribblings" or "runs". Also off the ball some roles clearly drift wide and out and/or into the channels, whilst others not at all. However, as with anything, player preferred moves, if a player has some (always check the profile) plays into all of this too, from dribblings, to movement without the ball to through balls etc. Arsenal at the start of the game are a side for instance where almost every wide player has a PPM that encouraged players to make some forward runs, even on a defend duty. In some instances I wish the research was a bit more cautious with this as it "overrides" tactical instructions. No manager in the world would get Robben from cutting inside with the ball entirelly (same as you won't keep him even when not fielding him as an inside forward, for which this is part of the deal and a clearly difference to the winger role), but I highly doubt the entire Arsenal squad is made of players that "ignore" when Wenger wants them to hold their basic position as outlined on the tactical screen rather than venture forward from it. In other words apart of a manager's influence, players have natural tendencies, which has been an amazing addition to the game all along, however they need to be considered by players and research.

That said, FM 2016 seems to have implemented some (in my opinion) rather weird overhauls which also convult and complicate the game, in regards to duty in particular.