Perfectionism, a double edged sword.

[Aladdinsane]

It is my nature to be a perfectionist, When I play FM i expect to win, to win convincingly and win regularly. It is my perfectionism that makes me spend hours thinking about tactics and how to best employ my players. When I make a substitution, change a roll, add or substract a team instruction or buy a player I do not make those decisions lightly but ponder the implications of my choices for quite some time.

Do I sacrifice a physical beast in favor of a colorful playmaker? Do I lower my defensive line? tell my team to pass into space? Whenever I make one of these decisions I feel like I am trying to predict the future and find a path where every possibility leads to my victory, as impossible as such a thing is when it comes to Football Manager. I have made a lot of mistakes and a lot of breakthroughs since I started playing football manager and have felt both inmense pride and unspeakable shame. 

I believe perfectionist such as myself are also very invested in the game. We take opposition goals badly and look at many replays searching for the player responsible, the one who did the mistake. We hate losing because the failure of the team is viewed as our personal failure. In other words we are very emotional.

Here is something I have learnt from playing professional chess. Emotional players such as myself are very moody and therefore streak dependant. When we are on a good run we are unstopable, I have won games against people against whom I paper I had no chance and played beautiful chess well beyond what I can usually play. When things don't go our way we get hit hard, recently I have been on a terrible run and have lost games because of oversights that make me look like a novice rather than someone with years of experience and training.

I believe the same applies to Football Manager. Feeling good about my latest games? my boys can face any team up to Barça, City and Bayern. A few Opposition instructions over here, a few role changes over there and victory will be hours. On poor form, even playing a cup game against a lower division team becomes a challenge.

I almost abandoned my current FM19 save with AC Milan. I had lost 3 out of my four first games. Got hammered by Juventus, failed to hold a lead gainst Napoli and couldn't score against Genoa. Then came Chelsea. They humiliated my team, humiliated ME. 4-0. I was about to quit and start thinking about my next save when I had a revelation.

Why wouldn't Chelsea, Juventus and Napoli beat AC Milan? more importantly an AC Milan that was using a high line and that was urgently pressing the opposition. Why would anyone expect Rogmanoli and Caldara to stop Hazard, Dybala, Insigne or Cristiano from scoring in quick transitions?

I had forgotten that the goal of my save was not to win every single game but to build a squad of players that could pull of an urgent pressing high line against those teams. The moment I accepted the deficiencies of my squad and that this present defeats were to be expected I gathered the fortitude to keep the save going. The result against Genoa was unlucky, the results against Juventus, Napoli and Chelsea were to be expected. It wasn't a bad tactic and they aren't bad players, I was simply handed a tough start for the season and was foolish enough to think that my current squad could dictathe the game against domestic juggernauts like Napoli and Juventus.

I changed nothing, kept thinking about the correct rotations and elevens and overcame the bad start to the season. I started winning games, Against Empoli, Chievo, Atalanta and other weak italian teams. I was winning the games I should be winning, Genoa had indeed been an unlucky result. Then my team earned 4/6 points in Europe against Frankfurt which meant I would be betting my chances to qualify for the first knockout round on drawing against Chelsea.

Against Chelsea I deployed a much more conservative 442 in lieu of my attacking 4231 and drew the game 1-1. We managed to qualify from arguably the hardest group in the Euro Cup. Then came a key game against Fiorentina, the next serious test from my 4231. I was losing 0-2 by the 20th minute but changed nothing and trusted my players. We won 5-2. We won a hard fought 2-1 against Inter as well.

19 league games into the season I AC Milan stands second in the league 2 points behind Juventus and 3 points above Euro Cup qualification. Had I abandoned my save I would have deprived myself from some good team goals and nice victories.

If you are a perfectionist like me or are feeling particularly emotional about a bad streak here is some advice:

1) Cool down before making any decision, your emotions are clouding your judgement, whatever you do you must think about it when you are cool and focused.

2) You can't win every game. Ferguson and Lobanovsky lost games. Mourinho, Klopp and guardiola loose games. You will lose games.

3) Don't let your quest for perfection ruin the game for you. Striving for perfection is good. Ambition is good. But if your ambition sours your experience, why play?

4) Good tactics are ruined by bad player choices. Slow players rarely belong in a high defensive line. Playmakers need to know how and where to pass the ball. Wingers must know how to beat their man and cross. Attacking midfielders are usually the stars of the team because they are on a whole other level. The most demanding roles require the best players. If you don't have the players you need for the tactic you want is time to compromise.

5) The one who scores the most wins, don't expect to keep a clean sheet for long without excelent defenders. Even the most sturdy teams loose concentration and make mistakes. Vidic Ferninand and Van der Ssar managed an impressive 1311 minutes without conceding. That is the longest clean streak in modern times. Any number close to that one is reason to be proud.

6) Sometimes it just isn't meant to be. You will have games were you can't score. As long as you have chances it is OK. Only worry about not scoring in a game when you didn't have chances to score.

Thank you for reading, have the best of times playing this wonderful game.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Aladdinsane

[mc22]

Needed to read this, I am nearing the end of my second season at Monaco and yet again PSG ran away with the league already and Safely in second place but not producing the style of play I want. Was about to throw it all down the drain and try new tactic after tactic but maybe I’ll let it play out again 

[zlatanera]

I have a career thread that serves as evidence that I frequently do exactly what OP almost did:

 I'm also an extremely momentum-based player, to the extent that transfer windows are the reason my saves don't make it past 3-5 seasons, particularly when I have work, a day is all it takes for me to forget about that 20-game winning streak to end the season and get frustrated that player X won't leave after I've already brought in player Y, or that the idiotic supercup playing on The Moon for money-making reasons saw my favourite player get a months-long injury. I started a second River Plate career thread because the winter update came out meaning I could keep Quintero, only to quit when I realised the 2018 Copa Libertadores win showed in his history even though the game started in June 2018. I've started saves with Ajax about 7 times only to quit when I didn't make it into the Champions League proper, and that's just on FM19. 

I doubt I'll change my ways, but its good to know I'm not alone!

[BadAss88]

So recognisable!

I haven't made it past the first season in FM19 starting more then 100 games I think..and even now in FM20 I haven't made it past the first day of my first save, because I'm overthinking too much!

I'm already experimenting with a test save with that team to get my tactic to work, so I can have a good transfer window to match my tactic..maybe I just need to play! Thx for reminding me that!

[frukox]

10 hours ago, Aladdinsane said:

It is my nature to be a perfectionist, When I play FM i expect to win, to win convincingly and win regularly. It is my perfectionism that makes me spend hours thinking about tactics and how to best employ my players. When I make a substitution, change a roll, add or substract a team instruction or buy a player I do not make those decisions lightly but ponder the implications of my choices for quite some time.

Do I sacrifice a physical beast in favor of a colorful playmaker? Do I lower my defensive line? tell my team to pass into space? Whenever I make one of these decisions I feel like I am trying to predict the future and find a path where every possibility leads to my victory, as impossible as such a thing is when it comes to Football Manager. I have made a lot of mistakes and a lot of breakthroughs since I started playing football manager and have felt both inmense pride and unspeakable shame. 

I believe perfectionist such as myself are also very invested in the game. We take opposition goals badly and look at many replays searching for the player responsible, the one who did the mistake. We hate losing because the failure of the team is viewed as our personal failure. In other words we are very emotional.

Here is something I have learnt from playing professional chess. Emotional players such as myself are very moody and therefore streak dependant. When we are on a good run we are unstopable, I have won games against people against whom I paper I had no chance and played beautiful chess well beyond what I can usually play. When things don't go our way we get hit hard, recently I have been on a terrible run and have lost games because of oversights that make me look like a novice rather than someone with years of experience and training.

I believe the same applies to Football Manager. Feeling good about my latest games? my boys can face any team up to Barça, City and Bayern. A few Opposition instructions over here, a few role changes over there and victory will be hours. On poor form, even playing a cup game against a lower division team becomes a challenge.

I almost abandoned my current FM19 save with AC Milan. I had lost 3 out of my four first games. Got hammered by Juventus, failed to hold a lead gainst Napoli and couldn't score against Genoa. Then came Chelsea. They humiliated my team, humiliated ME. 4-0. I was about to quit and start thinking about my next save when I had a revelation.

Why wouldn't Chelsea, Juventus and Napoli beat AC Milan? more importantly an AC Milan that was using a high line and that was urgently pressing the opposition. Why would anyone expect Rogmanoli and Caldara to stop Hazard, Dybala, Insigne or Cristiano from scoring in quick transitions?

I had forgotten that the goal of my save was not to win every single game but to build a squad of players that could pull of an urgent pressing high line against those teams. The moment I accepted the deficiencies of my squad and that this present defeats were to be expected I gathered the fortitude to keep the save going. The result against Genoa was unlucky, the results against Juventus, Napoli and Chelsea were to be expected. It wasn't a bad tactic and they aren't bad players, I was simply handed a tough start for the season and was foolish enough to think that my current squad could dictathe the game against domestic juggernauts like Napoli and Juventus.

I changed nothing, kept thinking about the correct rotations and elevens and overcame the bad start to the season. I started winning games, Against Empoli, Chievo, Atalanta and other weak italian teams. I was winning the games I should be winning, Genoa had indeed been an unlucky result. Then my team earned 4/6 points in Europe against Frankfurt which meant I would be betting my chances to qualify for the first knockout round on drawing against Chelsea.

Against Chelsea I deployed a much more conservative 442 in lieu of my attacking 4231 and drew the game 1-1. We managed to qualify from arguably the hardest group in the Euro Cup. Then came a key game against Fiorentina, the next serious test from my 4231. I was losing 0-2 by the 20th minute but changed nothing and trusted my players. We won 5-2. We won a hard fought 2-1 against Inter as well.

19 league games into the season I AC Milan stands second in the league 2 points behind Juventus and 3 points above Euro Cup qualification. Had I abandoned my save I would have deprived myself from some good team goals and nice victories.

If you are a perfectionist like me or are feeling particularly emotional about a bad streak here is some advice:

1) Cool down before making any decision, your emotions are clouding your judgement, whatever you do you must think about it when you are cool and focused.

2) You can't win every game. Ferguson and Lobanovsky lost games. Mourinho, Klopp and guardiola loose games. You will lose games.

3) Don't let your quest for perfection ruin the game for you. Striving for perfection is good. Ambition is good. But if your ambition sours your experience, why play?

4) Good tactics are ruined by bad player choices. Slow players rarely belong in a high defensive line. Playmakers need to know how and where to pass the ball. Wingers must know how to beat their man and cross. Attacking midfielders are usually the stars of the team because they are on a whole other level. The most demanding roles require the best players. If you don't have the players you need for the tactic you want is time to compromise.

5) The one who scores the most wins, don't expect to keep a clean sheet for long without excelent defenders. Even the most sturdy teams loose concentration and make mistakes. Vidic Ferninand and Van der Ssar managed an impressive 1311 minutes without conceding. That is the longest clean streak in modern times. Any number close to that one is reason to be proud.

6) Sometimes it just isn't meant to be. You will have games were you can't score. As long as you have chances it is OK. Only worry about not scoring in a game when you didn't have chances to score.

Thank you for reading, have the best of times playing this wonderful game.

A great and thought-provoking read. Thanks a lot!

Edited November 25, 2019 by frukox

[FMunderachiever]

I love this post.

 

Its easy to get sucked into reading these forums and think that unless you can win the premier league with Burnley youre some sort of failure not just on the game but in real life.

 

I believe a key reason is the game happens so quickly you dont appreciate HOW you played in the way you do in real life.

 

Because you chase dots around the field and watch sped up games i dont think you appreciate that you COULD have played a big team and been unlucky and take some heart from that.

 

Likewise when you get momentum going it happens QUICKLY. You can rattle off 4 wins in 30-40 mins no problem..... and you can just as easily LOSE 4 games quickly in that period too. Momentum seems to snowball in a way not dissimilar to me to online betting, you dont step back and think, did the players implement what i was trying to do?

 

I think arguably this feeling is worse as a top team....if youre Bayern, Barca or Juve.....you EXPECT you should win every game. Not the case atvall.

 

In fact when Barca won the league last year their league win percentage was around 66%.... they didnt win 1/3 of their games. That would make me want to quit a save but they won the league doing that.

 

Its also nice to read something other than the usual "look at my tactic" threads which are just a thinly veiled brag by the poster sometimes

[crusadertsar]

Hi my name is Crusadertsar and I'm a perfectionist too. Its the end of November and my team is 4th in the League as Liverpool is leading once again. And I'm ready to strangle that smug bastard Jurgen Klopp. I have to remind myself that it's but a game and I am not leading Manchester United to Premiership glory for real.

[FMunderachiever]

17 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

Hi my name is Crusadertsar and I'm a perfectionist too. Its the end of November and my team is 4th in the League as Liverpool is leading once again. And I'm ready to strangle that smug bastard Jurgen Klopp. I have to remind myself that it's but a game and I am not leading Manchester United to Premiership glory for real.

I love your Man Utd blogs. to me the tactical ideas and implementation are more interesting than the results.

 

I did a short term man utd save, where I finished 3rd in the Premier League with 82 points and won the Europa League.

I felt like it was a bit of a flop.

What would Man Utd give in real life for that?

We judge ourselves very critically. We expect to beat teams regularly who are miles better than us, and when we lose, because its a "game" then we think there must be something wrong because we cant beat the game.

 

 

[crusadertsar]

1 hour ago, FMunderachiever said:

I love your Man Utd blogs. to me the tactical ideas and implementation are more interesting than the results.

 

I did a short term man utd save, where I finished 3rd in the Premier League with 82 points and won the Europa League.

I felt like it was a bit of a flop.

What would Man Utd give in real life for that?

We judge ourselves very critically. We expect to beat teams regularly who are miles better than us, and when we lose, because its a "game" then we think there must be something wrong because we cant beat the game.

 

 

Thanks! I think that's partly it. We judge ourselves way too critically, underestimating our achievements when compared to the real team.

The new interface also doesn't help. The competitive A student in me cringes when I see the board give me C- haha. And that's despite bringing back Norwegian talent to Old Trafford (Erling Haaland for a measly 24 million) and averting a full-blown team revolt (damn you Pogba) and improving the lockeroom atmosphere.

I also managed to tie Man City which I felt was an achievement in on itself. Could never beat them in FM19.

Edited November 25, 2019 by crusadertsar

[Burbian De Bay]

Impatience is usually the reason when I am on a losing streak in chess and in FM. Perfectionism and impatience are a terrible combination. In my case it often leads to aggression. I should start meditating instead of playing chess and FM, but I will rather start my therapy by bookmarking this page. Thanks.

[FMunderachiever]

3 minutes ago, Burbian De Bay said:

Impatience is usually the reason when I am on a losing streak in chess and in FM. Perfectionism and impatience are a terrible combination. In my case it often leads to aggression. I should start meditating instead of playing chess and FM, but I will rather start my therapy by bookmarking this page. Thanks.

We don't just try and "win" that's the issue I think.

Unless we are decimating the competition we feel like we are managing poorly.

We don't accept losing, because its a computer game. We think we can outsmart the game, rather than viewing it as a real football match.

Liverpool must have lost at least 4 games en route to winning the champions league.

Id want to win EVERY game, that's our downfall I think. Not being able to understand why we cant outsmart a load of numbers

Edited November 25, 2019 by FMunderachiever

[gibson147]

Great OP and one everyone should read. I'm managing Leeds and in the second season currently sitting second in the Prem at the halfway mark but well behind Liverpool and got teams around me with games in hand. I would happily take a top 6 finish and the board just want me to avoid relegation.

To do this I had to adapt from how I played in the first season when I was playing the high press and attacking almost at will to romp to the Championship Title. So I went to a clean slate tactic and a 4-1-4-1 and adapted this as I went along, I keep the same formation always but change mentalities and roles and duties depending who we are playing and what the oppostion style might be.

So playing a more conservative style depending on the opposition and looking to hit teams on the break particuarly when away from home. I managed to nick a one nil win at Man City despite hanging on for most of the game, hit them on the break and scored a one v one in the 90th minute. Most satisfying as a plan came to fruition, it certainly wasn't beautiful free flowing football but I knew if I tried that we would get ripped apart.

I tried a similar plan when away to Liverpool and got beat 3-1 (we were 1-1 for a while and looking like we might sneak a draw but they were just too good in the end). Also got well beat at Chelsea and as the OP said this is when you have to accept that some teams will just be too good. Yes, you might get lucky like I did at Man City and nick a win or a draw on occasion but generally as in real life the better teams will prevail. But you can at least give it a go and adapt your tactics to suit.

Sometimes just changing a right back from WB to FB or support to defend can make a difference if the opposition are strong down that flank. Playing a deeper defensive line, taking off the offside trap and have a centre back on cover can help when facing some of the pacy attacks. Essentially keeping the core tactic and formation and just tweaking here and there. So fully agreed, the game shouldn't be about winning every game and trophy in a season. It should be about how you learn and adapt to different challenges and mould a group of players into a team which is better than the sum of its parts. I've got 3 star players playing really well in a system that suits them and my priorities are high work rate, team players, fitness and determination. i can't afford the luxury players yet so what we lack in flair we make up for in work rate and commitment.

Interestingly in my save Spurs have just sacked Poch and replaced him with a certain Marcelo Bielsa...