retired_madness123

I just resigned as Leeds manager at the start of January because my players have yo-yo morale and I really can't stand winning 4 in a row and then something just snaps and they then lose the next 6 games and can't seem to shake their depression.

It's like I have a team of schizophrenics, one minute their on top of the world without a care. Example; I just beat Notts Forest away from home in the FA Cup 2nd round. The final score after extra time was 6-8, this came on the back of a 6 game unbeaten run and then bugger me, they forget to take their medication and the depression sets in so they lose the next 6 games.

Admittedly I didn't really change anything on the tactics, simply because I had gone through a disastrous opening to the season playing 4-4-2 and then changed to 5-3-2 and started to get some results (culminating in the thrilling 6-8 encounter). So why change as I already knew my team played poorly with 4-4-2 so I didn't want to rock a tactic I knew I had got results with.

Finally after being 2-1 down at half time, on a 5 game losing streak I didn't want to go 6 games without a win so I reverted back to 4-4-2. I lost 3-1 and then the fans had the audacity to complain about me sticking with a 5-3-2 formation!!! Where they watching the bloody game? I changed to a 4-4-2 at half time???

In my opinion I don't have a bad record tactically on FM (played it since the first one came out as CM) but I just don't get the morale issue? Why does a teams morale rocket up and down? What causes it? One game they are all superb and a game or two later the team is close to suicide.

If I can figure that out or if someone can enlighten me, then it would probably save me from resigning mid season again. (started FM08 4 times so far because I just can't seem to get anything resembling good form. (So far been Liverpool twice, Leeds and Chesterfield - all 4 games ending in resignation as I can't seem to overcome the yo-yo morale issue).

retired_tamslorene10

Antmanbrooks,

I think there are coming some fixes to morale issues in the next patch.

retired_tamslorene10

By the way, has anyone seen any other effect than "angered" or "seemed confused" when they've told the players to "play like this every week"?

And couple of other things:
When assman tells that players didn't listen to what you said, I think there's still different effects. Like: when you've said "you can win this game" and "for the fans" and both times assman told you they didn't listen. Or is the "didn't seem to be listening" always a neutral one = you didn't affect player's performance at all?

And in my experience, if you said something to an interview and you made someone's morale drop from superb to okay, he plays a lot worse than with just okay morale in the next match. It seems to be a disaster to put a player with a negative 'PR' on the field, that's why I usually skip all the interviews.

Godfearer

Football players are not kids , they are hardened men working in hostile grounds , sometimes there are 10.000's of people yelling about the sexual preferences of their mothers or throw bricks at them ; i can not imagine any player to be such a baby to have his morale falling after a team talk, it is like a soldier losing his aim and cry for his mommy after breaking a nail.
At short morale thing is overdone.

retired_tamslorene10

I fully agree, very good post. Feels like you are in the charge of a teenage football club. I think the team-talks should be more tactical-oriented or they should be removed. Now it just feels like you throw a dice and hope that the good things happen.

retired_dego72

Agree- poor morale should be indicative of you "losing the dressing room" due to a succession of poor results or decisions- not through one moment of poor judgement.

laner

Theres always a random factor going on. Getting your tactics spot on may get you wins in the vast majority of the matches but it will not guarantee a victory.

Also, it seems some players think they should and must always win against minnows. There's a reason why football has a term called giant killers you know.

retired_tamslorene10

I think you quite well missed the point (at least my point) of this thread.

I have absolutely no problem with losing matches against any team. It's the way they are lost that bothers me. I speak about "those days" when it seems you can't do anything to make your players play like they usually play. Suddenly your great playmaker can't make simple passes, your defenders look like they are drunk etc...

Of course it is easier to accept this when it happens against a good team. "Looks like my players can't do anything, well it's natural because they are playing against much better players"

retired_myu94070

God i wish that were an option </BLOCKQUOTE>
I remember asking for it a couple of years ago, some days you would need 11 boots, "lineup boys".