How do you research the opposition??

[Kingkestrel]

How do you decide to research the opposition? There are a few traits I've picked up before playing each team, I was just curious of how other FM players approach this?

Are you a Wenger who completely focuses and has trust In his own team therefore doesn't really do a lot, a set piece wizard like Tony Pulis who likes to organise every nook and cranny of a 90 minute game or are you somewhere in between. Lazily If you like I always let my assistant manager handle the opposition player instructions you set alongside your team talk, I set him to do this automatically in my staff responsibilities making sure he has a high tactical and judging player ability stat. Do anyone else do the same?

[Tipps]

1 hour ago, Kingkestrel said:

How do you decide to research the opposition? There are a few traits I've picked up before playing each team, I was just curious of how other FM players approach this?

Are you a Wenger who completely focuses and has trust In his own team therefore doesn't really do a lot, a set piece wizard like Tony Pulis who likes to organise every nook and cranny of a 90 minute game or are you somewhere in between. Lazily If you like I always let my assistant manager handle the opposition player instructions you set alongside your team talk, I set him to do this automatically in my staff responsibilities making sure he has a high tactical and judging player ability stat. Do anyone else do the same?

Yep, I leave to my assistant. 

I do team talks, press conferences, I organise player extra training & I do all transfers in & out.

[cns180784]

I do everything myself and go over most of what my scout report tells me. Mainly analyzing their goals/scored and assists, i also check out their manager to see how he likes to play and his preferred formations. Problem is i've been mostly playing the wrong system and have just found one which was excellent in our last match but i knew how to combat the opposition by looking at their players and scout report. For example Leeds in my game- they have a very technical playmaker plays in AM (oscar) but lacks bravery, is slow for pace and has poor stamina and work rate. I had Jedinak the perfect candidate to man mark him tightly and it worked a treat.

[OhHoopedOne]

I just find out what formation the opposition are using and then use the formation that works the best against that formation. For example if up against a 4-4-2, I use a 4-1-2-3 or if I'm up against up against a 4-2-3-1, I switch to a 4-3-1-2. This seems to work reasonably well, switching formations and adjusting team instructions, depending on the shape the opposition use 

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

15 hours ago, Kingkestrel said:

How do you decide to research the opposition? There are a few traits I've picked up before playing each team, I was just curious of how other FM players approach this?

Are you a Wenger who completely focuses and has trust In his own team therefore doesn't really do a lot, a set piece wizard like Tony Pulis who likes to organise every nook and cranny of a 90 minute game or are you somewhere in between. Lazily If you like I always let my assistant manager handle the opposition player instructions you set alongside your team talk, I set him to do this automatically in my staff responsibilities making sure he has a high tactical and judging player ability stat. Do anyone else do the same?

I always get an Assistant Manager/Coach/HOYD (Thomas Albeck in particular) who has good JPA and Tactical Knowledge and get them to do opposition instructions.

I do team talks, contracts, team meetings, transfers in and out, staff hiring, team training, individual training, tactics, formations and player selection myself.

[pelewasgood]

I have quite a thorough process for researching the opposition, which is a bit labour intensive st the start of a season, but is worth a few points over the course of a campaign.

 

My process is this;

1. Set my scouts to look at every player in the league during preseason, or as soon as the season ends. The aim is to have good knowledge on everyone by the start of the new campaign

2. Use the player search function to compile lists of players based on their weaknesses - for example, players lacking bravery who will shirk out of hard tackles. I then add this weakness to their profile as a nickname.

3. Repeat the process, but for strengths, such as highly creative players who are going to need to be pressed

4. Use the player search function to identify strongest roles for players, as typically this is the role the AI managers will use. Particularly note playmakers, ball playing defenders or target men. Again, this is noted in their nicknames 

5. Finally, use the search function to identify particularly positive or negative PPMs, such as "tries killer balls" (and therefore will need to be given little time on the ball) or "likes to beat offside trap" (and therefore requires a deeper D-line)

 

Using this info stored in the nicknames in each match generally allows me to set up three or four specific player opposition instructions to either exploit a weakness or limit a threat.

Takes a bit of planning, but worth it. My Hibs team are currently playing Champions League football without having signed a player.

 

[Kingkestrel]

10 hours ago, cns180784 said:

I do everything myself and go over most of what my scout report tells me. Mainly analyzing their goals/scored and assists, i also check out their manager to see how he likes to play and his preferred formations. Problem is i've been mostly playing the wrong system and have just found one which was excellent in our last match but i knew how to combat the opposition by looking at their players and scout report. For example Leeds in my game- they have a very technical playmaker plays in AM (oscar) but lacks bravery, is slow for pace and has poor stamina and work rate. I had Jedinak the perfect candidate to man mark him tightly and it worked a treat.

I'm Impressed how about set pieces do you do these before every game this Is an absolute must for me.

[sipsi]

In previous versions I was doing special man marking or closing to the most scoring or assisting player of opponent. I was leaving everything rest to my assistant.

In FM 2017 I'm leaving press conferences and opponent tactics to my assistant. Michael Lindemann. I'm selecting match training and doing every other detail myself. I'm taking extra precaution only when the opponent has a good set pieces rating I'm making defensive set pieces match training.

[cns180784]

9 hours ago, Kingkestrel said:

I'm Impressed how about set pieces do you do these before every game this Is an absolute must for me.

Yep i set up all my set pieces though i have rarely tinkered with throw ins. As for training i have just been looking at it and i'm confused. My head of youth development is running general training for youth squads which should mean both U18's and U23's but seems as though that only refers to the U18's as it states when i look at U18's training that he is in control but not for the U23's. I have myself selected to run general training for senior squads....squads? so the U23's is classed as a senior squad? how can that be? and so it seems that whatever general training is set for my senior team my U23's have the same. Also i have individual training set for my HOYD to carry out but when i go into my U18's individual training i can tweak it myself. Where as in general training for U18's i cant....strange.

[eriktous]

On 21-2-2017 at 01:29, cns180784 said:

so the U23's is classed as a senior squad?

23 year olds are hardly youth players anymore, aren't they?

On 21-2-2017 at 01:29, cns180784 said:

Also i have individual training set for my HOYD to carry out but when i go into my U18's individual training i can tweak it myself.

You can tweak it, but when you do you should get a pop up message asking if you want to take control just this one time or completely. Do you not get that message?

[cns180784]

13 hours ago, eriktous said:

23 year olds are hardly youth players anymore, aren't they?

You can tweak it, but when you do you should get a pop up message asking if you want to take control just this one time or completely. Do you not get that message?

Well yes they're hardly youth players but still players up to the age of 23. Imo i think it should just be the reserve squad so i'm not limited to the age of players that can play which is important in keeping those in/out of my senior (first) team match fit. It used to be your senior, reserve and youth squad imo i'd prefer it went back to that. I see no point in an U23 squad because a good number of players aged between 18 and 23 will go out on loan to help them develop which leaves the squad a bit thin with only being able to field a maximum of 3 players over 23 y/o.

Yea i did just try and tweak an U18's individual training and the message you refer to does come up, although it said my assistant is setting the training where its actually my HOYD but i guess it just refers to any member of staff setting this as an assistant.