Gaming Football Manager 2015

RDCR07 said:
How the feck do you increase morale? The same thing happened when I was with PSV. Im dominating and in first place but the morale is either good or less than that. Everyone has long term contracts and are happy with training levels as well. I got offered the Dortmund job and the same thing is happening here. I won the Super Cup and in tied first with Bayern after 12 games and still the morale is just not there. Mind the squad harmony is at an all time high.

Does signing a lot of new players in a window damage morale?
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It most def could. I've gotten complaints from players that are worried about too much competition. Also how do you handle your team talk? Maybe you should praise them more? It doesn't have to mean they will work less hard. The morale system has become more difficult on purpose this year though, as it was too easy before.
 
I find the best way is to set up a few friendlies when you have a decent-ish gap between games. Pick the weakest ass local teams, the ones you pay a couple of thousand to.

Team will be well perked up after a game or two of putting 10 or 15 in the net.
 
Hostekule said:
It most def could. I've gotten complaints from players that are worried about too much competition. Also how do you handle your team talk? Maybe you should praise them more? It doesn't have to mean they will work less hard. The morale system has become more difficult on purpose this year though, as it was too easy before.
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But not one of them has complained about competition. I have two players for each position. I rotate well enough and everyone gets games. Plus with injuries everyone definitely gets games. I do praise them after every victory and even if they lose closely in a difficult away game.
 
Earthquake said:
I find the best way is to set up a few friendlies when you have a decent-ish gap between games. Pick the weakest ass local teams, the ones you pay a couple of thousand to.

Team will be well perked up after a game or two of putting 10 or 15 in the net.
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Really? That is very interesting. Should try this.
 
RDCR07 said:
Really? That is very interesting. Should try this.
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It's pretty handy pre-season too, I line up a large amount of them. Full squad rotation between every game. Start the season with the entire squad fully match fit and in superb morale.

Usually makes for a lovely running start to the season.

If you play FMC, it's even better, as you can instant result, so 10+ pre season games goes by in minutes.
 
Earthquake said:
It's pretty handy pre-season too, I line up a large amount of them. Full squad rotation between every game. Start the season with the entire squad fully match fit and in superb morale.

Usually makes for a lovely running start to the season.

If you play FMC, it's even better, as you can instant result, so 10+ pre season games goes by in minutes.
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I do something similar - I fit in almost as many friendlies as possible (I go for three day gaps) ending a full week before the first competitive fixture. I always start with the same team, and sub every single position at half time so that all 22 first team and backup players get 45 minutes each match. By the time the season starts the morale is really high (and usually stays that way throughout the season), and every single player has 100% fitness. I go for a mix of opposition though, starting with crap and leading up to top teams.
 
Earthquake said:
It's pretty handy pre-season too, I line up a large amount of them. Full squad rotation between every game. Start the season with the entire squad fully match fit and in superb morale.

Usually makes for a lovely running start to the season.

If you play FMC, it's even better, as you can instant result, so 10+ pre season games goes by in minutes.
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You don't go to Japan/USA/China and the likes?
 
After my unbeaten season i figured i'd try to spice things up, and ended up selling not only Angel Di Maria (back to Real) but also my top scorer Wayne Rooney.
I signed Gareth Bale, John Stones, Tielemans (loan back for 1 year) got back a few loanees (like Lucas Romero) and signed quite a few decent talent that can figure as backup players.

Got rid of Zaha, Powell, Herrera, Lindegaard, Rooney, Di Maria, Blind, Rojo and Henriquez.
The squad seems very thin in terms of established players, but they only have to do well until Christmas so i can assess the market better.
I let Aboubakar & Khedira go to City without any real tries to grab them as I have faith in both Wilson & Lacazette up top, and I expect most of my goals to come from the wings and midfielders anyway.
I failed when I had to compete with Real Madrid for Hummels though, as I did try. I just didn't expect them to offer him 300k a week, and my 250k a week just couldn't persuade him to pick me over them.

A lot of players can and will likely cover more places in the team, so my good players will get loads of gametime, I just hope I don't end up with a injury crisis as it could potentially ruin my season.
Umtiti & Stones can cover for both wingbacks, as well as Sciglio being great at both ends.
Jones, Smalling, Umtiti & Stones are also enough established central defenders.
Romero, Kovacic, Witsel & Pogba is thin in midfield, but Ødegaard might get a few games here and there to ease up the pressure, and maybe even Lingard.
Bale, Januzaj & Moura are great wingers, but if two gets injured and both my strikers are available I should pull through with Lacazette and Wilson being able to cover for both wings, and Lacazette being quite the capable winger (netting 30 goals for me as a part-time winger and part-time striker last season)

Thiago Alcantara went to Chelsea for around 17m, I didn't even know Bayern were open for discussion so that went right by me, and Dortmund wasn't interested in talking with me for 30m for Reus, before they suddenly sold him for 40m to Real Madrid a few days later (i was only checking, but it was still quite annoying how i wasn't informed about the movement).


My first team at the moment is something like this:

De Gea
Coleman - Smalling - Umtiti - Shaw
Pogba
Witsel - Kovacic
Bale ------------- Moura
Lacazette
​

It's good on height and speed going forward, and I still haven't lost (6 games into the league), but I seem to be doing worse on the field.
Lacazette's flair is way more dangerous than Rooney's play in my opinion, but Kovacic & Witsels control of the games seem to have gone down some. The quality of chances created is lesser now than last season, but the quantity has gone up massively (I had 51 shots last game against hull, 24 on goal but only 1 goal).
I'm trying to tweak it into working better but expect it to take quite a few more games.

Guess I'm starting to ramble, i'll come with a better update when I've either realized that I failed brutally by selling Rooney or figured out how to fix the issues I've stumbled upon.

For the record though, my group in the return to European top football is with Spartak Moscow, Dortmund & Monaco.
A hard one considering Monaco won their league, Dortmund getting in some good players despite selling their two stars (Bernard, Bony, Sakai, Bacca) and Spartak winning the Russian league.
 
Seems like making Kovacic have less freedom to dribble is where the balance was.
A bit early to tell but out of the play I'd say it's working.
Lacazette moves the ball on dribbles now and Kovacic mostly does so in positions where he doesn't dribble down a blind-alley.
(There would be no blind-alleys when Rooney dropping deep created more space for the wingers last season)
 
Earthquake said:
It's pretty handy pre-season too, I line up a large amount of them. Full squad rotation between every game. Start the season with the entire squad fully match fit and in superb morale.

Usually makes for a lovely running start to the season.

If you play FMC, it's even better, as you can instant result, so 10+ pre season games goes by in minutes.
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Wow this works like a charm. I waited till the midseason break in Germany and just beat 3 teams by scoring 10+ goals past all three. Morale is just superb.
 
After my aweful 1-1 game against Hull the small tweak in the tactic was implemented.
The following results were:

United (5) - (0) Dortmund
Swansea (0) - (3) United
United (9) - (0) West Ham
United (8) - (0) Monaco

It seems like the extra space really worked wonders for my offensive play, and Lacazette especially works much better up top without Kovacic occupying his space.
No idea yet how it will work defensively over a long run, but so far I only see positives with the changes made.

Edit:
High energy playing Southampton was far harder to break down without one of the midfielders drifting through the middle with the ball.
I guess I'll have to adapt my second tactic so I can quickly change between them when i meet opposition who use their legs more.

Still ended with a 1-0 win, but the game was way more open and they were pressing me backwards at the end which didn't feel good. I prefer to keep the pressure up when the game is going towards a good result.
 
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Earthquake said:
I find the best way is to set up a few friendlies when you have a decent-ish gap between games. Pick the weakest ass local teams, the ones you pay a couple of thousand to.

Team will be well perked up after a game or two of putting 10 or 15 in the net.
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I've never considered this but it is a really good tip. Thanks for sharing it :lol:
 
Finally bored of FM14. Where's the cheapest place to buy FM15?
 
The Taurean said:
My strikers aren't clicking that well. Only Rooney has double figures, and only Valencia and Di maria come close. Do you guys play with 2 strikers upfront? I haven't been able to have 2 upfront without my midfield being overrun.
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I have never since i started with CM/FM played with 2 up top.
I'm sure there are some brilliant tactics to be made with it, but it's not my cup of tea.
 
The Taurean said:
My strikers aren't clicking that well. Only Rooney has double figures, and only Valencia and Di maria come close. Do you guys play with 2 strikers upfront? I haven't been able to have 2 upfront without my midfield being overrun.
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Never used a 2 striker formation.

My current midfield and strike force looks like:

CF
IF - T - RMD
CM - DLP
______________​
Get in the right players to play this formation and it's unstoppable for me.

I tend to have 2 players for every position, apart from GK.

CM: Tielemans/Lucas Romero
DLP: Verratti/Kovacic
IF: Neymar/Depay
T: Januzaj/Odegaard
RMD: Lamela/Volland
CF: Messi/Zivkovic
 
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Ødegaard said:
I have never since i started with CM/FM played with 2 up top.
I'm sure there are some brilliant tactics to be made with it, but it's not my cup of tea.
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theyneverlearn said:
Never used a 2 striker formation.

My current midfield and strike force looks like:

CF
IF - T - RMD
CM - DLP
______________​
Get in the right players to play this formation and it's unstoppable for me.
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Currently, I have been playing with the formation Ode put up a few posts up. Since I have lots of midfielders, that is the ideal formation for me. Other reason being solid defensively in open play. Alternatively, I switch to 4-2-3-1. It could be that I have switched between different formations that my players haven't been clicking that well.
Still coming to terms with the roles and tactics but defending against set-pieces is a pain. Always, someone fecks up at the near post.
 
The Taurean said:
Currently, I have been playing with the formation Ode put up a few posts up. Since I have lots of midfielders, that is the ideal formation for me. Other reason being solid defensively in open play. Alternatively, I switch to 4-2-3-1. It could be that I have switched between different formations that my players haven't been clicking that well.
Still coming to terms with the roles and tactics but defending against set-pieces is a pain. Always, someone fecks up at the near post.
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How is your starting XI?
And who are covering from those who are often injured?
 
So far it was,

De Gea
Rafael - Jones - Evans/Rojo - Shaw
Carrick (HB)
Herrera (DLP) - Blind (BWM/B2B)
Valencia(W)------------- Di Maria(W)
Rooney (DLF)
​
Now the mid 3 is like:
De Gea
Rafael - Jones - Balanta - Shaw
Lucas Romero (BWM-D)
Herrera (B2B) - Carrick (CM)
Mata (AP)------------- Di Maria (IF)
Rooney (DLF)
​
Subs: Falcao, Januzaj, Smalling, GG- Romero, Van Persie (injured), Valencia (Injured), Fletcher, Evans, Rojo, Young

​
 
The Taurean said:
My strikers aren't clicking that well. Only Rooney has double figures, and only Valencia and Di maria come close. Do you guys play with 2 strikers upfront? I haven't been able to have 2 upfront without my midfield being overrun.
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I usually prefer one striker formations, but so far in this I've had a lot more success with a diamond. Absolutely dominate everyone, bit ott really. I've tried to stick as close to the current first team as reasonably possible, currently in 2016/17 season (been playing PES instead recently). Regens in italics, signings in bold.

First team:

DDG
Rafael, Jones, Rojo, Shaw
Pogba, Romero, ADM
Mata
RVP, Messi​

Second team:

Savic
Del Monte, Romagnoli, Balanta, Mané
Herrera, Blind, Testi
Januzaj
Fierro, Munir​

In terms of strikers:

Season 1
Falcao 28 in 35, RVP 17 in 24, Fierro 9 in 14, Munir 8 in 21. Total: 62.

Season 2
RVP 43 in 44, Fierro 25 in 46 (20 of which were sub appearances lol), Munir 18 in 34, Messi 13 in 19, Falcao 11 in 21. Total: 110.

Season 3 (up to start of December)
RVP 24 in 16, Messi 13 in 19, Fierro 11 in 12, Munir 8 in 14. Total: 56.

Don't know what the hell happened to RVP. He seems to like this formation. :nervous:
 
@The Taurean

Blind: Squad-player quality.
Carrick: Will need replacement soon, is good but not as good at a fast-paced game, unless playing very direct.
Herrera: Good enough, but not CL-contender starting XI quality. Should do for first season if you can't improve.
Romero & GG- Romero are both very talented and will be great (likely at least), but they aren't ready made either.
Fletcher is dross imo.

Your biggest issue seems to be the lack of quality in your midfield.
It's also worrying that you don't have proper backup for your wingbacks, even though Rojo/Balanta/Evans can do a job on the left and Jones/Valencia/Smalling can do a job on the right, it's not good enough.

So you lose balance from the back, that along with both Jones & Balanta being weak in the air (midgets for defenders in my opinion) and without proper hard-men in midfield and i'm not surprised you will struggle.
Now it's not necessarily a problem that you let in loads of goals, but with a better defense you are able to push further up and regain the ball more often in midfield and take them while they are out of balance.

Without checking up a lot, i think you should make sure that Rafael & Shaw stays put (wingback with defensive mindset). They should be less caught off-guard and it'll bring some balance tactically.
If i were you I would also play Carrick as a deep-lying playmaker who also is defensively minded, instead of Blind. In order to have some hight and a greater passer in front of your CBs. He'll also stick more to his position and not focus too much offensively, bar the obvious chances.

I'm not sure how good Januzaj is at your save, but if he is usable you could use him on the left-wing, and switch Di Maria over to the right, and put Mata as a playmaker where carrick is now. (Dammit, this text will be huge, i'll just do the lineup)

De Gea (Sweeper, def)
Rafael (wb, def) - Smalling (CB, cover) - Rojo (CB, cover) - Shaw (wb, def)
Carrick (DLP, def)
Herrera (CM, support) - Mata (AP, support)
Di Maria (IF, support) - Januzaj (IF, support)
Rooney (DLP, attack)

Now you should have enough people that are good on the ball to play with the ball, so keep posession, also do short-passes.
Some of your defenders are rash, and Carrick is a bit slow, so be disciplined.
Try to play high (not very high), and fast (not extreme speed, they need to know what they are doing).
Give Herrera instructions that he shouldn't dribble much.



Give it a try if you find yourself struggling.
Blind is good cover for Carrick, Romero/GG-Romero can come in as well either there or in Herreras role (not so sure about GG, never used him myself), while Di Maria or Rooney can go down for in Mata's role if he ends up needing rest, with Van Persie in Di Maria's role (not preferred), or Van Persie/Falcao in Rooney's role.
 
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I believe i forgot to add that you should work with controlling mindset (I prefer som freedom with a 3-man midfield li in your standard tactic.
Change it howeve the game evolves, counter if you are pushed back and they have quality players. The standard stuff.

Also, i'm a fan of freedom in a defensive midfield diamond, but neither Herrera nor Mata are great defensively, so you might be better off with standardized freedom, or maybe even be more rigid if standard/tiny bits of freedom doesn't work.
 
I'm managing Boreham Wood and we're one game away from playing in the FA Cup 3rd Round. Just got to beat Lincoln in the second round. Already managed to knock out Southend.
 
So this is Lincoln's badge in my game. What the f*ck is that.

5974477-large.jpg
 
Ødegaard said:
I believe i forgot to add that you should work with controlling mindset (I prefer som freedom with a 3-man midfield li in your standard tactic.
Change it howeve the game evolves, counter if you are pushed back and they have quality players. The standard stuff.

Also, i'm a fan of freedom in a defensive midfield diamond, but neither Herrera nor Mata are great defensively, so you might be better off with standardized freedom, or maybe even be more rigid if standard/tiny bits of freedom doesn't work.
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Sweet. Dominated possession and shots in two consecutive matches. Still working out bits of tweaking but lots of control in midfield now.

Earthquake said:
Is it actually being overrun, or is it your assistant that's telling you?
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It was being overrun. Well, assistant tells one thing now and another thing the next second. Safe to say not to trust him blindly.
 
The Taurean said:
It was being overrun. Well, assistant tells one thing now and another thing the next second. Safe to say not to trust him blindly.
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Or at all, ever, you could be playing the most dominant, packed midfield, 60%+ possession and if you don't have wingers that assistant will say you're being overrun.

Also, "whip more crosses in, as we're dominant in the air", usually that aerial dominance is their crosses being dealt with by your CB's.....
 
The Taurean said:
Quite close campaign so far:
----------Games----Points
1. Chelsea 34 69
2. United 34 69
3. Liverpool 34 69
4. Arsenal 34 67

Us and Chelsea ahead on GD. Although I do have some easier opponents in the run-in :D
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That's mighty impressive with you running around with small defenders & generally lack of balance and quality in the middle for so long!
 
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