wana_be_seal

Hi to all,

This is my first post in the forum, although I am quite an avid reader of the Lower League Managers forum and the Tactics/Players as well since I registered.

I'd like to share with you my major disappointment with some aspects of FM 2008.

It is a game that costed me 99 bucks.

It concentrates my gaming time, actually nowadays 100%.

I started unemployed in Brazil, applied for the job with a Brazilian 3rd Division Team and was able to promote it to 2nd division in my first year through extreme attention to my opposition and careful planning.

I also prepared extensively my team for set pieces.

Well. it paid off, everything was fine and I found myself in 3rd place in the middle of the 2nd division next year.

Then things started to conspire oddly against my team.

Despite not being able to attract talent from less prestigious teams either in 2nd and 3rd division (I am Brazilian and I know that some denials I received from players were completely unbelievable in real life), I was able to get 2 players on board, a much needed DM and a DL.

To my surprise, neither were able to play, with the CUP symbol before every game. 2 months and they're not eligible to play at the League.

I'd like SI to clarify what is this rule in Brazilian football. I see transfers going on late in the season here and there's no such rule, even between teams of the same division.

And, more, if I saw such a rule was in place even for the sake of the game, I wouldn't spend the little money available for my team to by ineligible players for the full season!

So, here's a tip for future versions. Let the managers be completely aware of things like that before they decide on buying a player.

Then let's move to discipline. Since my first year, although I play with normal tackling as a team direction, it was common to have 4-6 players being booked every game. My players are not overly aggressive in their attributes, but the game identifies them as butchers.

My AMs were viciously booked every match and sometimes sent off until I specified in my tactics that they would use Easy tackling and wouldn't ever tight mark opposition.

Nevertheless, with all this careness, the game seems to have decided to give me a harder time. I had my 2 AMs sent off in consecutive games, both were banned for 2 matches and then my season started to fall apart.

Despite the strange odds, I was quite confident, after all I have a 19-corner taker in the team, and an 18 when he's not available.

My team has 5 players with 15 or better heading.

And the same corner-taker is also an 18-free kicker.

Well then.

6 games later, 6 defeats and 4 ejections and I followed through the highlights not a single corner from my team in the 6 games.

Only in the 5th game of the infamous series there was a free-kick to be taken by my team in the edge of the area whilst 3 goals were scored against me during this term in that particular situation.

I really can't see the probabilities of such a situation happening in real life. A team that scores loads of goals from set-pieces not being able at least to create danger for 6 games from a corner? With my designated corner-taker playing all those games?

Moreover, when I ask my team to close down on poor composed players from other teams I see those players free and sometimes deciding the games when they were supposed to be under pressure. Can someone tell me why is that supposed to happen?

What is frustrating is that I love the series, I quit my spare gaming time for anything else than FM and although I know it is just a game I dedicate my time to play it seriously.

I have a notebook of informations and stats, but apparently my respect to try to play it as best as I can is not reciprocated.

For 2009, I will think twice before spending my 99 bucks.

retired_vocostoner311

99 bucks? isn't that more than 50€?
in that case you have been swindled twice: once for the price, once for the gamethat doesn't function properly.

wana_be_seal

99 Australian Dollars, If I remember wel...

wana_be_seal

Well.

wana_be_seal

And now...

...incredibly, my last of the red cards, just like the 2 of my AMCs, were judged by a disciplinary committee and the player will be banned for further 2 matches.

That means, 3 red cards, times 3 matches per player.

And two of the red cars were controversial.

What can I say?

socalboarder87

I often come here for motivation to play Football Manager and I see stories like this everytime and give up. I'm really dissapointed in the direction FM is going adding loads and loads of features but still failing to get the simple things right year after year. I understand that SI work hard and I really do look forward to the installment that they eventually get right.

I suppose I'll go back to CM01/02 again.....

wana_be_seal

Tommy,

Thanks for your contribution, but with all due respect, having lived in Argentina and being Brazilian I reckon I know a bit about the game in South America.

As long as a couple of ejections is not impossible, though uncommon, in a single match, it is extremely odd that your attacking midfielders get booked every match even though you organise your team to play a clean game and their aggressiveness is not near 20.

It is even stranger when you have two attacking midfielders sent off in consecutive games after you actually setup their specific tactical instructions for them to exercise 'Easy tackling' and avoid tight marking.

As long as the South American game could be a bit more aggressive than the European, something which I disagree, it is just not justified.

Finally, about the corners, you clearly missed the point.

There's no lack of form, it is precisely this. My team is right there leading the stats in goals from corners, even though roughly 50% of the time (something also unbelievable) a foul is called when my player scores from the corner kick.

My corner-taker keeps his stat up there, at 19. And he's still taking the corners. And I am still sending a troop of 5 headers to the opponent's box, all of them with heading 15 or up. 4 of them are assigned to slots in the box, 1 of them is assigned to be forward, so he's loose and able to get the defense confused.

And finally I have one or two (depending on the game) passers/long shooters awaiting outside the box should the ball be cleared.

And yet again, the strategy simply stopped working out. It is not that I am scoring lesser goals, that is fine - your levels don't keep the same thorought an entire season, but shouldn't I expect that having an expert (19!) corner-taker in my team and 5 aerial threats I would be able to generate 1-2 dangerous situations per game?

Mate, in 6 games, there were none. My specialist played in all.

Something's gotta be wrong.

And it is not my team's form. Otherwise there would be a red pointer and a decrease of the attributes, which didn't happen.

So, your feedback is appreciated, but I cannot agree less.

Cheers.

retired_pschnapps13

Heading only plays a small role in determining whether you'll score from corners.

The corner taker needs more that corner taking to deliver a good ball. The attacking player still needs to get to the ball first AND win the header first.

Heading only comes into play ONCE your player wins a header. He won't win a header if he's got poor physical attributes (especially jumping, although balance, strength etc. are all useful) and/or can't take up a good position (e.g. lose his marker etc.). Even if he does win the header, he needs the necessary mental skills (e.g. composure) to put the header on target. Especially in a corner situation with everyone in the box, you've got to react coolly and quickly.

Same for your corner taker... if he can't cross and isn't creative his corner taking ability only goes so far.

And corners don't lead to that many goals, such that not scoring in six games could form any sort of statistical "proof".

retired_ekfrasca

Actually, 1-2 players sent off per round (10 matches) is more accurate. In FM08 there are too many cards in the Brazilian league, just like there were in FM07...

retired_samiam

Would it be fair to say that as your team has been using the same corner instructions for 2 years, it's likely that the AI teams have devised a way to stop you being so successful?

For example, in real life, John Terry used to score all the time from corners, and now, other teams make an extra special effort to watch him, and he hasn't scored or even gone close in ages.

AI teams will figure out ways to counteract your instructions if you use them for a long time. It sounds like this is happening now. I would recommend changing your corner instructions - possibly having a few short ones, or crossing to the far post, or the near post. Mix things up a bit.


Regarding the red cards, it might be possible that your team is dropping a few points, and you react by putting pressure on your players, either through your team talks, or by increasing the attacking mentality. It might be that the players are putting themselves under pressure - perhaps you've signed some new players in their positions, or have your eye on some. Pressure might mean that some players try "too hard" in games, and mis-time tackles more often, and get more yellow and red cards.

It might be close to the end of the season, which brings pressure as well.


It could be a lot of things, but what you need to do is change some instructions, mix things up a bit, and try and get back your old form.