retired_w0lfpack1

That change of captain should help.

The goalie, yeah Handling of less than 10? He'd have been giving away a lot of rebounds. Think of "Handling" as "Ability to make a catch". There was also a guide which talks about "Aerial Ability" being key for any shot to the top-half of the net; don't know how true it is but I've gotten much better results from goalies after deciding that my five key stats for them were:
- Reflexes
- Handling
- Aerial Ability
- (low) Eccentricity
- Positioning

Terminology wise, I think of them as
farrow = forwards arrow
barrow = backwards arrow
and you're the only person I've seen using 'darrow', though I don't frequent T&TT often so the terminology may have evolved!

On rotation .. where's that thread HonkyDick and I were in? Ah, here we go: do i rotate or stick with my team?

My advice would be 'don't start anybody whose condition is less than 95% without thinking about it and having a good reason', and I tend to aim for 98% or better throughout my starting XI.

I violate that rule all the time - I might start a recovering-from-injury guy at 80% and play him for 45 minutes, or ask my key players to play two big matches in succession, or when forced to by injury crisis, or even just to line things up so they've had a full week's rest for some key game .. but as a loose guideline its a good starting point.

retired_w0lfpack1

I'm actually quite over-the-top about the rotation, this is a snippet from the 'Notepad' file with notes on my long-running save:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Date Lge Versus GK DR DL DC DC DMC MR ML AMC FC FC | S1 S2 S3 S4 S512-10 Pre A LIVERPOOL Tho McC Dil VDB Fer Bor Pen Kni New S-P Joh | Gib Cou Pen Roz Bro16-10 CUP A Trabzonspor Tho Tor TRS Roz VDB Bor Law Bla But S-P K.R | Sza Cou Bla Rid Tho20-10 Pre H Newcastle Bro McC Dil VDB Fer Gua Jac Car New Gib Joh | Sza Cou Bla Roz Bro23-10 CUP A MANCHESTER UTD Tho Tor TRS Roz Fer Bor Law Kni But S-P K.R | Sza Cou Bla VDB Tho26-10 Pre A ASTON VILLA Tho McC Dil VDB Fer Gua Jac Car New S-P Joh | Gib Cou Men Roz Bro 3-11 Pre H Ipswich Tho McC Dil VDB Fer Gua Car Men New S-P Joh | Bra Cou Bla Roz Bro</pre>
As you can see, I've got my squad planned out for matches some month in advance - clubs in CAPS are games I'm thinking are "big games" or tough opposition. (Villa are top of the table at the moment)

THOmas is my starting goalkeeper, though I've decided to get youngster BROwn a home match for experience.

You can see how much less I rotate the central defenders, especially FERdinand, whom I want out there for all my key matches, when compared with saw the wingers or fullbacks, both of whom I have doing a lot more running.

Up front, I wanted S-P to handle the United 'Cup game, so I gave him 60 minutes against Trabzonspor even though I expected an easy time of it, just to have him 'on rhythm' when United came up, while JOHn is probably a better indication of what my usual 'first team' rotation would look like.

MENendez is coming back from injury, so I got him two Reserve starts in late October, then an appearance off the bench, then a start-for-about-sixty-minutes in November ..

retired_lydia shalaby

actually the aerial ability on the new keeper is A LOT better than the 37 year old.

Also the Darrow thing....dont mind me...i might have simply gotten things confused. Which in all honesty is that i expect it to be.

Am right now, kind of hanging on a thread, have got a 2 week winning streak going. Just turned into december. I have no plans on making any acquisitions though via the transfer cash, simply because i only have 600K, and well i might be able to find a prospect, but not sure. Trying to loan out all my youngins right now though.

Ya know it was funny also, i was looking at my players during the bad streak, and most of em said they were determined to help end the streak, which gave me quite a bit of joy to see that. Now one of the players says he thinks he is too good for the club.

Also my average age is 26 on my club, with a lot of my players on my first team between 22-30 (about). So i know i am a young club, which i wanted to be. So i think that also compounded the streak problem.

Ah well, game by game will take it. Will check out your linked rotation thread. I think am going to rotate relatively heavy from here on out. Simply so i dont pick up nagging injuries.

retired_w0lfpack1

Of course, the best-laid plans never survive contact with the enemy .. so I might adjust those day-of-game due to minor injuries, 'gut' feeling, condition, form, or morale .. but I do tend to have a framework in mind for a month or so.

My actual starting lineup against Ipswich was:

Tho McC Dil Roz VDB Gua Car Men But K.R Joh

with Ferdinand out injured, and Newell and S-P rested due to the relegation-bound nature of the opposition.

retired_lydia shalaby

and also amaroq, THANKS A BILLION for all the helpful advice you have given. This game is actually quite complex with so many moving parts in it..first you have to understand teh physical stats, then mental stats, then tactics, then formations, then understand well gobs more.

But, i have a base understanding at the moment, which i am pleased at.

In terms of tactics my comfort zone pretty much follows the Mark guide in terms of individuals...however i have been playing with a few notches above on mentality, a notch or two above tempo, and passing on mix. The results have been decent. I have been using that pyramid formation i mentioned earlier, and it seems to be ok. Am leery that my striker has only a finishing of 14 (might be 15), since my main striker (eastwood) has a finishing of 19 at the moment, and he is suspended for another match or so.

Oh, quick question, probably not the right spot...but Counter Attack, when have you found an appropriate usage for it. I gather that you try to gather the opposing players on to your side, and once your players see a possible break they spring for it.

The reason am asking is that I seem to face a lot of clubs that play 4-4-2, possession, according to my scouts. So i would assume that the counter attack is not the best to use for it. Just not sure when to use it, and when it would be its most effective.

And, back to the rotation thing..I have depth, am going to rotate big time now. With the mental list of who might be easy and who might not be in mind.

retired_w0lfpack1

That's probably the big difference between them - that plus lower Eccentricity it sounds like you've really made the righ

Nice - December/January can either be really good or really bad, depending on rotation and injuries.. its definitely the time to be rotating your players, though, as simply slogging through the mud, etc, is going to tire them out more than nice-weather matches in September and May will.

Its the little details that keep the sense of wonder going!

26 is pretty good, there's guys who try to amass a squad in the 18-22 range, with an avg of 20, and then complain when they have to deal with moody teenagers ..

It might be worth using that 600k on an aging veteran, though - I'm talking 32, 33, with very high determination, workrate, and teamwork and a 'Professional' personality.. as a leader. Typically, at that age - especially if their contract is en-route to expiring - you can pick up ex-superstars who aren't seeing first-team action for the biggest teams anymore but can still really help a squad in the promote/avoid relegation fight.

Alternately, saving the money for next year's summer transfer window is also a good plan.

retired_lydia shalaby

Well my other concern now, is that i am losing money each month, i think oct. i lost about 1 million, same as sept., and Nov. i lost about 500K. I think the budget reserves should be ok, i recall skimming through the finances, but i dont want it to be touch and go. Something about how much they had in reserves seemed to indicate i should be ok. BUt i am hoping i go on a streak, hence boosting attendance, hence bringing in more cash.

Also another consideration is that my team seems so "fragile" right now, that i am unsure who i would want to bring in. if anything it might be a striker to provide depth, since i really only have 3 quality ones. I have a 4th one, but his finishing is like 8 i think.

i will keep that in mind though, in terms of bringing in an aging superstart. Might have to see who is available, i am currently about 120K under the player budget, so happy with that. I do have room if i can find the right deal.

retired_lydia shalaby

Oh another thing that made me laugh. There was a 20 year old DC who i really really wanted. Dominic Shimmin I think his name is. He seemed good, had good stats for that age, technique was 15, and my scout (the 20,20) guy said he could have the potential to be as good maybe better than my star DC (something along those lines). So i managed to finally finagle him for 3.2 million. The chairman of the board then sent me a message asking if I was sure I wanted to do this. Was amusing.

And also, i assume that mental stats go up via playing games as well.

retired_w0lfpack1

Yeah.. i found it overwhelming, coming in as an American with no immersion in football culture, so much so that I actually gave the game up the first time. Obviously came back to it, though, to my everlasting joy

Its the area of the game I'd most like to see improved: have the Assistant Manager give you the sort of feedback I'm giving you .. so you can learn football from the game, if that's the level you're at.

I've some ideas for how to make that work, but that's probably a different thread.

But, i have a base understanding at the moment, which i am pleased at.

I know a lot of people swear by Finishing, but alone it isn't everything.

I get the best results from a striker with great Acceleration, Anticipation, Off the Ball, Composure, and Technique .. so if your guy is strong in several others of those, you can forgive a 'decent' Finishing instead of superlative. 14 should be enough for next year's relegation-battle.

I actually don't use the "Counter-Attack" checkbox. I get the 'collapse, then spring forward' effect by liberal use of barrows.

In theory, though, what you're looking for is:

Counter: quick tempo, more direct passing, slightly defensive mentality.

Use when expecting the opposition to come out and attack - your idea is to "suck them in", get them to committ one too many players to the attack, and hit them on the break.

To really pull it off ideally, you need some speedy attackers - Pace 16+, Accel 15+, with plenty of Dribbling .. (if they have low Dribbling, they'll move a lot more slowly with the ball 'at feet', as they have to concentrate on it, so they'll get caught from behind by slower defenders.) .. then a couple of strong passers with Creativity who are willing to launch the long ball for them.

(There's a guy on the forum who swears by a 5-0-5 with all "long balls", just "hit and hope", says the AI doesn't handle it well. But I figure from my 4-4-2, hitting them on the long ball occasionally is fair game.)

Patient: I alternate that with a 'patient buildup', the 'swing it around the perimeter' style I described earlier, with plenty of Through Balls, Creative Freedom, etc.

I use that when I expect the oppopsition to hang back and defend, keeping nine, ten, or eleven men in the box.

I usually let the fullbacks and wings get very involved in the attack, among other things, with that tactic.

I think that'll help a lot.

retired_w0lfpack1

Depends on the time of year - I tend to lose money in the first half of the year, and make it back in the second half, plus there's all that end-of-season revenue (prize money, etc.)

I wouldn't worry unless you're losing money "year over year", compared to where you were last season at the same time.

Lastly, you're planning on getting promoted.. so it would make sense if you're running a "bottom of the Premirship" budget on a "top of the Championship" income .. its probably acceptable to post a loss for the year; if you get promoted, you'll be looking at considerably more income.

If you don't.. well, then you'll have worries!

You can always bring in loans for cover.

I'm definitely looking for four, even five strikers in a 4-4-2 .. they're so d*** fragile! For me it tends to be '2 stars in their prime, one aging-veteran, and 2 up-and-comers with a ton of potential'... that lets me run the 2 stars out together in a must-win game, or pair the youngsters with a more veteran player to get them experience.

Just a thought .. and its definitely a short-term investment, but it sounds like you have the long-term pretty well in hand with all your youth-and-potential.

For the most part.

The other key factor is "mentoring".. one of the Player Interactions you can assign a young kid to 'be mentored by' one of your more veteran players.

He will adapt towards the mental and stylistic traits of the veteran.

So, a kid with great Influence already you might want to see mentored by Gera so he picks up the other attributes of a captain, for example, or a kid with low Determination you might have mentored by the most Determined player on the side.

It works the other way 'round, too, if you take a good kid and have him trained by a temperamental git, you'll suddenly have two temperamental gits on your hand.