Things you do on FM which you don’t think anyone else does?!

[Danielfc]

This is a great bloody read! How about fist pumping the air when you score (becomes double fist pumps and screaming gestures in silence towards latter end of the season)?? I feel if I do not celebrate...they will know, and not try as hard. 

[toffee71]

20 minutes ago, Carambau said:

Always tell young players who want a better contract after a good game to sack their agent. Works 90% of the time

That is a dangerous game to play, IF the agent has a few of your players, it can come back to bite you, as I have found out previously, my hottest prospect wanted new contract I wanted to him new contract, agent wouldn't even speak to me, turned out I'd got another of my players to sack him.

[Carambau]

Didnt think of that. But never happened before... Fingers crossed!

[Scoham]

17 hours ago, Xeewaj Q. said:

The woodwork was a problem for YEARS. You (SI) even removed it from the match stats in FM17 (or 16?). Why? Guess we all know the answer. Give it back. It's fun.

Also, I never said scripted things targeting human players only. In one of the recent matches I played, the opposition hit the post twice during one-on-ones (those were more like one-on-zero and it was huge luck for my side). Though, those two unrealistic woodworks upset me much more than a realistic loss...

I don't cry 'cause of bad results, they're better than should be really (I want AI managers to do things much better). But I don't think any critic should be tackled with such aggression. If someone criticizes the game or even said s-word, forum oldtimers and sometimes even moderators (!) mock him on the verge of bullying. Is it how it should be done? New players, who got experience, say with FIFA/Manager or PES, may leave and never come back.

If someone is mistaken, correctly explain why (s)he's wrong and/or help to solve problems. If the critic is more or less valid, take it into consideration. It'll improve the game, player base and, eventually, profits.

P.S. I really appreciate an answer from SI staff. Oldfartstimers and some mods should use it as an example to learn how to talk to people.

The woodwork stat is still there, there’s a button somewhere on the stats screen that lets you choose which stats you want to show (or not show).

[Scoham]

.

[Bakiano]

When there is room for more staff for the youth team, I always hire coaches that have more than 50 international caps and sometimes I hire these coaches for the first team.

 

Imagine your kids are trained by the likes of Kluivert, Davids, Dida, Sol Campbell and other legendary names

[Brighton123]

I exploit the transfer system when multiple clubs offer for a player I want. I max out the contract so they except my offer immediately, then delay the transfer until it cancels. After a round or 2 (or 3) of doing this, all other teams lose interest allowing me just to offer a normal contract that they then accept. I almost wish FM would put something in the game that after 1 or 2 times of not completing a transfer the player/agent would say, do you know what mate, you're messing me around so I'm not going to let you offer me anything. A bit like when you actually withdraw from a contract then try again, and they're not willing to talk because of the breakdown in previous negotiations. 

Of course I could not do the above, but I can, so I do. How else am I supposed to get De Ligt to Brighton? 

If anyone else does this please let me know so I don't feel guilty when I do well in my save. 

[dannysheard]

29 minutes ago, Jambo_ said:

Thank god somebody else does this! I drive home from work talking to myself about how players are doing, how recent games are going, what team I'm gonna play in my next match etc. An 18 year old newgen got his chance in the first team after me talking about him on my drive home.

 

If I'm undecided on whether to keep a player or not, I take a photo of their stats to look at through the day and weigh up their pros/cons (e.g. this striker has good composure, but average finishing) and decide if I'll keep them. I do this with promising young players too, like a 19 year old keeper I decided to make my first choice based on his stats.

 

Squad numbers are very important too, with 1-11 being my first choice XI, 2nd & 3rd choice keepers 13 & 30 and only 30 players get a squad number every year - a few may get added on through the season if needed for injuries or to give youngsters a chance.

I used to be terrible with this!

I'd take screenshots of the game and email them to my work email and then spend half my working day writing up match reports as though I were a national newspaper.

Or I'd build complex spreadsheets looking at the P&L, wages to turnover ratio,  movements in revenue.

I'm 40 now, so take work a bit more seriously but I'd say that if I'd ever taken my career as seriously as I have FM, I'd be on double what I'm on now.

I also used to play FM at work a lot, either spending hours in the archive rooms out at clients pretending to look for old invoices or booking meeting rooms for half a day at a time, just to play FM.

Good times.

[Carninho]

3 minutes ago, dannysheard said:

I used to be terrible with this!

I'd take screenshots of the game and email them to my work email and then spend half my working day writing up match reports as though I were a national newspaper.

Or I'd build complex spreadsheets looking at the P&L, wages to turnover ratio,  movements in revenue.

I'm 40 now, so take work a bit more seriously but I'd say that if I'd ever taken my career as seriously as I have FM, I'd be on double what I'm on now.

I also used to play FM at work a lot, either spending hours in the archive rooms out at clients pretending to look for old invoices or booking meeting rooms for half a day at a time, just to play FM.

Good times.

I'm the same. When I had my own office it would be on all day. Then I moved to another job where my desk was in the middle of an open plan office. I then managed to wrangle a move to the corner desk and rigged up a secret laptop & privacy screen. In my current job I'm back to being the middle of the office but I setup an old XP laptop in the server room so I can play an old copy of CM when I get really bored. I know that if I setup a link to my current FM19 save then I'd be on a slippery slope. I could easily hide away on it all day being a hermit.

Even back at school, instead of revising for exams I'd by playing it behind my parents back, then getting **** grades. Basically Champ Man/FM has ruled my professional life since it came out. I go to sleep at night having imaginary meetings with my chairman and staff talking through what's going on in my current save and what players to keep/sell etc. Unless I'm really knackered its the only way I can drift off to sleep. 

[dannysheard]

50 minutes ago, Carninho said:

I'm the same. When I had my own office it would be on all day. Then I moved to another job where my desk was in the middle of an open plan office. I then managed to wrangle a move to the corner desk and rigged up a secret laptop & privacy screen. In my current job I'm back to being the middle of the office but I setup an old XP laptop in the server room so I can play an old copy of CM when I get really bored. I know that if I setup a link to my current FM19 save then I'd be on a slippery slope. I could easily hide away on it all day being a hermit.

Even back at school, instead of revising for exams I'd by playing it behind my parents back, then getting **** grades. Basically Champ Man/FM has ruled my professional life since it came out. I go to sleep at night having imaginary meetings with my chairman and staff talking through what's going on in my current save and what players to keep/sell etc. Unless I'm really knackered its the only way I can drift off to sleep. 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj0tsWyl-PeAhVEgRoKHcjcBEwQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffootball%2Fblog%2F2015%2Fmay%2F05%2Fis-being-addicted-football-manager-medical-condition&psig=AOvVaw32S6mz9DYjISbEP7zI99f6&ust=1542810573006462

[DominicForza]

Don't complain about a player being over/under/mis rated...I use the editor(s).

 

Become as addicted (more?) to "correcting" the database than to the game itself. 

 

Spend hour after hour on the first day of a new save...and days in pre-season.

 

More often then not, start a new save without playing a game.   "Gotta fix this damn database!"

 

Play (and/or edit db) in widowed mode....so I can have porn playing in another window so my gf has no idea how much time I spend playing a stupid game (or worse, not even PLAYING but editing the damn databse).  I'd much rather have her think I watch endless hours of porn.  

 

Take my gf out to a nice restaurant for a "special dinner...just because you're so good for me"...when it's really to celebrate winning the league.  

 

Hiding from family, friends, gf, co-workers and other acquaintances knowledge of players in Scandinavia, Bolivia, South Africa, etc.

 

Have a list of suggestions for future versions...that I never post.   

 

Consider Tonton Moukoko, Cherno Samba, Andri Sigporsson, and others as legends.   (Bendict Vilakazi and Legohang Mokoena anyone?)

 

Have a solid justification for buying a new laptop...but being honest with myself that it is really to be able to play FM with a huge database and active leagues.  

 

Flip the order of my substitutes.  Keeper at BOTTOM, FWDs at TOP.   

 

Manage multiple clubs simultaneously in one save.   

 

Loan my players...to myself.   

 

Become more emotionally invested to one of my "other" clubs. 

 

Start following Roma, Hertha Berlin, Dynamo Dresden IRL because of FM saves.

 

Think of players IRL as "one of MY guys."  

 

Still think sliders were better.  (I want to set my AM's mentality to 15, not 16!)

 

Take time before every match to set OIs.

 

Download and tweak posted tactics instead of spending MORE time on FM.

 

Admit that I'm an FM addict, see SI as my dealer...and all of you as enablers !

 

Erase twice as much other stuff that I'm too ashamed to admit...even to fellow junkies.  

[Jambo_]

1 hour ago, dannysheard said:

I used to be terrible with this!

I'd take screenshots of the game and email them to my work email and then spend half my working day writing up match reports as though I were a national newspaper.

Or I'd build complex spreadsheets looking at the P&L, wages to turnover ratio,  movements in revenue.

I'm 40 now, so take work a bit more seriously but I'd say that if I'd ever taken my career as seriously as I have FM, I'd be on double what I'm on now.

I also used to play FM at work a lot, either spending hours in the archive rooms out at clients pretending to look for old invoices or booking meeting rooms for half a day at a time, just to play FM.

Good times.

I'll do it at work for hours... compare screenshots of a player I've got against a player I've scouted or compare players I've scouted and try and work out which would be the better signing. I'd be sat bored in work a hell of a lot if it wasn't for FM!

[Novem9]

Also I delete plans from profiles Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho. For real moment Pep doesnt want to back in Barca, but who knows about future?

[zlatanera]

I almost always make sure when loaning a player the "can play against own team" is ticked, as I think its pure cowardice to loan someone out then say he can't play against you - I see it as an opportunity for that player to grab my attention. 

[Boomer Ang]

Avoid posting in this thread 

Ooops I just did it, damn

[Xeewaj Q.]

I don't sign brazilian and russian players and offload them asap if they were in the team I joined. I sign players from exotic countries and/or with weird/funny names, ignoring their skills. Having, say, "Abouchabaka Ratsimbazafy" from Madagascar in reserves improves morale (mine in the first place).

Also, I looking for a football messiah, the one with CA 1 and PA 1 (it's the only case when I use third party scout tools) and when he's found, I sign him as a club mascot.

[bar333]

10 hours ago, toffee71 said:

That is a dangerous game to play, IF the agent has a few of your players, it can come back to bite you, as I have found out previously, my hottest prospect wanted new contract I wanted to him new contract, agent wouldn't even speak to me, turned out I'd got another of my players to sack him.

Not to mention the agent might be replaced by a far worse one. I swear every time I do this without checking who the agent is, I find out that I just got the player to sack a reasonable agent only to replace him with a greedy, impatient one who touts his clients around like a pimp. I've kinda taken to believe the game knows that no one ever bothers to check who it is they're sacking and punishes me for picking the easy way out and knocking the problem down the road. 

[toffee71]

12 minutes ago, bar333 said:

Not to mention the agent might be replaced by a far worse one. I swear every time I do this without checking who the agent is, I find out that I just got the player to sack a reasonable agent only to replace him with a greedy, impatient one who touts his clients around like a pimp. I've kinda taken to believe the game knows that no one ever bothers to check who it is they're sacking and punishes me for picking the easy way out and knocking the problem down the road. 

The one who I got to sack the agent, the new agent drove a ridiculously hard bargain, barely budged on demands, so I caved in. It's now something I pay a fair bit of attention to, seeing who their other players are, and also if they have a player I'm after, I will give a good contract to one of my players who they have before making a move on the player I want, I hate the idea of buttering up agents, but as it's only a game I don't mind.

[b28937]

I try to get all the damn faces out of the game.  Turn off facegen.  No face packs.  Use the editor to extract and delete all the faces that come default with the game. Text only.

It’s all just too distracting for me.  What a player looks like has no relevance in the game (i.e. purely cosmetic), yet I can’t help but look.  And I must admit, it clouds my judgement sometimes because I won’t sign odd looking players or players with low quality images such as in lower league play.  The lack of uniformity drives me crazy.

Of course, I know this is just peculiar to me (which is the topic of this thread))).  Most people like them and I fully understand why. This is not a put down or criticism of anyone else’s preferences))

[Mardy]

10 hours ago, b28937 said:

I try to get all the damn faces out of the game.  Turn off facegen.  No face packs.  Use the editor to extract and delete all the faces that come default with the game. Text only.

It’s all just too distracting for me.  What a player looks like has no relevance in the game (i.e. purely cosmetic), yet I can’t help but look.  And I must admit, it clouds my judgement sometimes because I won’t sign odd looking players or players with low quality images such as in lower league play.  The lack of uniformity drives me crazy.

Of course, I know this is just peculiar to me (which is the topic of this thread))).  Most people like them and I fully understand why. This is not a put down or criticism of anyone else’s preferences))

I might do the same mate, I kind of like imagining how a player looks like. I remember signing Balotelli when he was about 17 and he was banging free kicks in. Imagined him looking like Pirlo because of his set piece ability and nationality.  Almost a strange, nice surprise when you actually see a player in real life.

[DeanoFM]

If there's nothing to play for on the last day of the season. I start my GK up front & my striker in goal.

[BadanieLuck]

During games I often stand up and walk around with arms crossed like managers IRL on the sidelines.

[Drogba11CFC]

On 16/11/2018 at 10:01, Mardy said:

I always give Eva Carneiro a job as a physio, with as high wage as I can afford, as a middle finger to Jose.

I did that in my Chelsea save (which you can find in FM Stories) just before facing Man Utd at Stamford Bridge. I won 4-1.

I always have my players close down/tightly mark/show onto weaker foot all opposition forwards, midfielders and wing backs.

I always sing the walk on music for each ground before the match starts.

I fine players for dismissal as follows:

2nd yellow/DOGSO: Warning, then 1 week fine

Violent conduct: 2 week fine

[Etebaer]

I killed a successful CaC save bcs i totally hate to look at red letters on a blue background - now i have to kill the wrong club for my CaC start…

[bigmattb28]

On 19/11/2018 at 20:28, dannysheard said:

I also put a coat on my manager in the Winter.

Not just me then

[Ross Ingersoll]

I sub out 2 of my 3 subs allowed at the half, keeping the 3rd in case of injury. 

[bestbrother]

Spend Billions on players and wages in one transfer window.

[womble248]

I always make two substitutions between the 50th and 60th minute mark. Something from reading Michael Owen's autobiography and reading about him getting annoyed at getting subbed off at half-time because he wanted at least 5 to 10 minutes to prove he could play better after the break. For some reason that stuck.

Also pre-Keita, once Gerrard retired if I was playing as Liverpool I effectively always retired the number 8 shirt with him.

Never give anyone the number 13 shirt unless it's a preferred number, and if I can't give someone a preferred number then they get a shirt number with the same last digit.

Try to actually answer press conferences seriously and changing my tone.

No goalkeeper on the bench, for sure. 

Used to do the first and second team things in friendlies. 

Longest save I've ever managed is 5 seasons. Every other time has been 2 seasons at best.

I also only just recently discovered how to select multiple players on the opposition instruction screen. Used to hate having to change that player by player.

Random anecdote: I tried in FM13 to play as Manchester City and bankrupt them. It didn't work.

[Jibby123]

On ‎18‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 19:25, toffee71 said:

Something else I do. Applaud poor execution when a player tries a pass that I saw and wanted him to make, I'm applauding the vision but also that it didn't quite work, though I then tend to hurl abuse too

This is my pet hate in real football when I see it! Great vision awe inspiring pass that ends over the touchline whilst the (not) receiver gives it the hands above head applaud. Still not sure if he is taking the p*ss or gen up thanks.

The hurl abuse option is better. Or should be!

[Wavelberry]

Once made two changes in the 25th minute because my opening tactical plan was so bad... it worked out as I ended up drawing the match 4-4 having been 2-0 and then 3-1 down.

[99]

22 horas atrás, b28937 disse:

I try to get all the damn faces out of the game.  Turn off facegen.  No face packs.  Use the editor to extract and delete all the faces that come default with the game. Text only.

It’s all just too distracting for me.  What a player looks like has no relevance in the game (i.e. purely cosmetic), yet I can’t help but look.  And I must admit, it clouds my judgement sometimes because I won’t sign odd looking players or players with low quality images such as in lower league play.  The lack of uniformity drives me crazy.

Of course, I know this is just peculiar to me (which is the topic of this thread))).  Most people like them and I fully understand why. This is not a put down or criticism of anyone else’s preferences))

Well you do have a point. It's very weird to me when I played some 10 seasons and I'm gonna buy a fully developed player that has... the face of a kid that couldn't even grow a beard. Because in the facepack, or IRL, he has like 16 or 17 yo so ofcourse he looks like a kid!

In FM18 I couldn't play a 26yo Edvard Tagseth because... this was his picture:

Great player btw.

[Kingstontom88]

This is more 'things I don't do', but if I've had a drink - even one strong one - I won't play FM. I can't trust that any alcoholic beverage will not impact my performance and tactical decisions 

[Miravlix]

Wondering how the game can tell me when my players on international duty return, how can it predict what match the players will loss ahead of time?

 

[zlatanera]

12 minutes ago, Miravlix said:

Wondering how the game can tell me when my players on international duty return, how can it predict what match the players will loss ahead of time?

 

as far as I can tell, it assumes they'll go all the way, then revises that to a couple of days after they're knocked out. 

[GerdMuller]

When my girlfriend leans over the screen of the laptop and wants a kiss i shout at her: " Stop it, you already crushed the laptop once this way! "

[dannysheard]

When my world class defenders, who are instructed to play out from the back, get the ball under no pressure, I've started shouting at the monitor "don't tw*t it, don't tw*t it, don't twa..."; too late, ball has been tw*tted upfield.

[funkymunky]

1. Always make a substitute at half time 

2. Talk to my monitor who ever scores the winner in important games is going to get a new contract

3. Only scout and sign players from the 5 main European leagues 

4. Never keep a player over 30 yrs old 

 

[Miravlix]

I use the subs based on how dangerous it will be to be without subs.

 

If I'm winning a game 1-0, I most likely will save one sub to give me options in case of injuries or a red card, so the other team can't pull a fast one in the last minutes.

 

If I'm loosing the subs get used in the hopes of changing the outcome, I'm already loosing so not really risking anything by using the subs.

[JRoberts2]

Always try to get former players as youth coaches, Stephen Warnock is something I've got at Liverpool this year. If there are none available I will go for staff whose favoured club is Liverpool. Is probably extremely counter productive but it's just something I do

 

[TheJanitor]

A great read! Here's a couple of my own:

• I always start without the first transfer window, and I never release the existing staff members in the first few months. I like to have more time scouting and hate grinding for staff at start.
• I never assign the number 13 to a player, but I always give players their real-life numbers. I am playing with Liverpool at the moment and seeing Alisson with that number bugs me. 
• This one is really weird: when my player takes a direct free kick, I always pauses right after it is taken. I guess if it's in or not and continue the game. 

[Guest]

I imagine Sky Sports running a feature on me and how I turned Sheffield Wednesday from Championship mediocrity to Euro League challengers with a positive net spend. 

I picture myself being very humble and saying it’s because I respect my players. 

Also fight tooth and nail to get Sportul Snagov as an affiliate so I can loan them players and shoot them up the Romanian League. 

[DazRTaylor]

I like all players in the first team squad to have started a game and to have come on a substitute as soon as possible.  With only three subs allowed per game, it usually takes me about two months.  No idea why, OCD I guess.

[Snorks]

2 hours ago, DazRTaylor said:

I like all players in the first team squad to have started a game and to have come on a substitute as soon as possible.  With only three subs allowed per game, it usually takes me about two months.  No idea why, OCD I guess.

Keeps the match sharpness up!

[VinnyChilds]

If anyone else does this, I'd be surprised...

Whenever staff members ask for competition win bonuses, I offer them a token £1. They don't really care as long as you agree on the basic salary.

It's then all forgotten about until we win our next trophy. The following day they're summoned to form a queue outside of my office and called in one-by-one, as I pick up a freshly minted £1 coin from the pile on my desk and hand it to them, thanking them for their continued hard work before they shuffle out again muttering under their breath.

Even in victory, never let them forget who's boss.

[pauly15]

On 21/11/2018 at 02:12, DominicForza said:

Take my gf out to a nice restaurant for a "special dinner...just because you're so good for me"...when it's really to celebrate winning the league.  

This was amusing. 

[SeedSnatcher]

If the league has a foreign player limit, I fill it up, no matter what. The most exciting transfer windows are the ones where I get to look abroad for new players

[DazRTaylor]

56 minutes ago, SeedSnatcher said:

If the league has a foreign player limit, I fill it up, no matter what. The most exciting transfer windows are the ones where I get to look abroad for new players

I grew.  I always go to South America, or more s-ecifical;y Brazil and personally check out the youth team s of a lot of clubs.  I usually bring at least three or four Brazilian teenagers back with me.  I have obviously had a few duds, but most are quality and one or two have turned into world class players.

[alanschu14]

On 14/11/2018 at 05:08, looknohands said:

I use all 3 subs at the 60 minute mark of each game (assuming no one is injured before then.)

I also never change formations or bother with shouts, opponent instructions, etc.

Aha! You are not alone on this! Well, the 3 subs thing. I typically bring mine in around 60 minutes as well. :P

 

On 14/11/2018 at 13:21, dannysheard said:

"Interview" myself as manager on the way to/from work every day.

LOL I do this too I'm so glad to see other people do it!!!!

[Ales]

I only play FM when I have at least 2-3 hours to spare. If less (e.g. when I am waiting to go for work), I just load my save and check players profiles, check how other active leagues are doing, check multiple club's history and head to head results to prepare my head for the "going to work" press conference before the upcoming match. Sometimes I also scout players (but don't save the game) and make notes who to sign next time when I will actually play the game. Instead of using Note option in FM, I use normal pencil and paper, but recently I've adopted the habit of taking  notes in my e-mail and sending it back to me, to remind me which obscure clubs (which I always forget) to scout as my main rival always tend to sign some future stars from them. In my head there is another idea-to not sit when watching the game, instead, to stand and chewing a gum. 

Regarding the match, I always put a GK in bench (as I have seen some don't), the  bench must have at least two strikers. 

I never respond to other clubs enquiries (just click Continue) and I never reject transfer offers, instead I make asking price of 145 000 000 and the clubs pull off. This is-to not unsettle my players. 

I sometimes watch European games of my rivals or random Euro/World cup games. And what is interesting-the same as in real life, if some underdog performs very well and I decide to watch their next  game "live", the will lose it.

When I win and the win is really special (like dramatic Champions league progress), the world is so better, that I might actually start a conversation with someone first! After such dramatic moments I prefer to save the game and not play it for a couple of days. In this time, I prepare a special toilet seat press conference(s) in my head to recap all major happenings of this event, the reasons. Sometimes there is also the fear-if I would continue the game straight away, this good feeling will be lost if we will be eliminated or lose the e.g. UCL final. My goal is to treasure the good FM moments as long as possible-15 years ago I would play for 5-6 hours a day, but not today. Today I play FM not for trophies, but because of me being the part of that special FM world in which I have an important contribution. The world, who gradually becomes full of regens, which-as people in real life-as soon as they "die", will never be replicated in another save by any user in any FM.

[gibbo11]

- Always remove the Unused Substitute bonus from the contract offer

- If playing in a league with a foreign player limit, always go above it and have players who can't play due to having no self-control (give me all the South Americans)

- Will always give youth players who may feature a number in the 30's, with high prospects who will get more game time a lower number so that they 'know' I think highly of them

- If I receive a bunch of loan offers for good youth players, then I will only accept an offer from a favoured team if there is one, and reject the others, no matter the offer

- More often than not make all 3 subs around the 65 minute mark. Usually down to 10 for the last 5  

- Never put a GK on bench, and only 1 defender. All attacking positions are covered so I can take all 3 off if need be