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Right, to many of you this may sound extremely tedious, however if you could bear with me as I’m new to both the game and these forums.
Basically I just can’t seem to get my head around the game, I know what all the buttons are etc, but just can never seem to do well, whether it be managing a good team (Man United/Arsenal etc) or a team with low expectations (Derby etc) but can’t seem to get anywhere. I haven’t tried the lower leagues as I can’t seem to get anywhere in the top leagues so with a lower league club I’d expect it to be even harder with money restraints and what not.
I’ve seen the tactics section but my PC at home is not connected to the internet so can’t download them and am writing this from College.
So basically if anyone can give me some tips on areas such as;
-Transfers (players to buy/ good youngsters – for both higher and lower clubs)
-Tactics (What are effective, formations, play makers, anything that helps)
-Focus (such as arrows on formation page and what mind set players should have, eg ‘closing down’ and whether or not I should close down and tightly mark dangerous players)
If anyone could give me any pointers then it would be much appreciated, as being honest what I’m currently doing in the game is pathetic.
Right, despite not being able to download tactics the tactics forum is still the place to go to answer your tactical queries. There is an FAQ and some other stickies at the top of the tactics forum that have a wealth of very valuble information, and none of it requires any downloading.
As for players, the good player and team guide forum is the place to look for tips on good players.
You might want to also have a read of this thread which I've written, you may find some useful info in there. If you want to use my tactic that the link goes to I've put screenshots up of the formation and all the player and team instructions if you want to use it as a base to build a successful tactic.
Assuming you really want to learn the game and are not just interested in a quick win, here is what I suggest.
1. Regardless of what level you start at, play your first game with attribute masking disabled (yes, attribute masking makes the game much more realistic, but you're looking to get started here).
2. Once you have a team, look at the other teams in your league to get a sense of what their skill levels are. Ditto for staff.
3. Next, review your staff and see what other staff are available. Fire the whole lot if you have to, although hold on to the AM, even if he's not all that great, because by going to the AM's Team Report, you can get a sense of where your team is at the moment (although be forwarned - AMs NEVER think the team is strong enough ).
4. Your scouts should have the highest possible ratings in judging ability and potential. After all, that's what they do. You should also have these attributes as high as possible in your AM.
5. For tactics, look at your best players' attributes and try to decide how you think they can play. Start out with the default tactics, but don't be afraid to tweak things. For starters, keep Creative Freedom low except for a couple of players if they have high ratings for creativity and decision-making.
6. Go to the Tactics forum and read through the threads that talk about the "why" of tactics rather than the "what". The TT&F threads are particularly helpful.
7. Watch your matches with extended highlights or the full match. It does take longer, but it's the only way to see how your tactical instructions get played out on the pitch.
8. The first game or two you play of FM, don't worry about results. Just get a handle on game play.
Chopper99' that sounds good, took my time to read but I've copied the main points and will give it a try.
Also thanks to goonerfan have taken some advice on board.
And nope, I'm not just looking for quick success, just trying myself at a higher level with top teams to get a hang of the game and then move to lower league management once i have a grip of the game, but currently i would most likely ultimately fail at my task in hand.
And nope, I'm not just looking for quick success, just trying myself at a higher level with top teams to get a hang of the game and then move to lower league management once i have a grip of the game
This is exactly how I start off every time. Be warned though, the pressures of managing a top team mean you can be sacked much quicker than with a smaller team and this can actually make it more difficult to use a top team. It is, however, a good way to learn the ropes, buy some players you like and get a feel for things because once you start in the lower leagues you're in it for the long haul, and progress can sometimes feel slow. But the long term lower league games are by far the most enjoyable imo :thup:
Remember that if you are looking for a simulation that gives you instant results out of the box, then FM is probably not for you. If you are prepared to put a bit of effort into the game, then you will get lots of satisfacftion ( and some frustration as well ! ) from the game.
i've only had the game about 2 weeks and i feel your pain! i was derby to start off with and we got murdered in the premiership. it does take a while to get use to the game but you'll get the hang of it in no time.
I'm managing Morcambe at the moment and we're top of league one. A good tactic for an away day is 5-4-1, it's worked for me many of times! i even beat middlesborough and hull away using this tactic.
A two really good players to sign is Gabriel Torje and Stancu, they're both romanian under 21 players and they're top class!
If you've smoked through those four - chopper's included - and you've still got questions, please feel free to ask!!
As for picking a team, I would suggest you start with a team which is dramatically better than the quality of the average team in its division: Ajax, the Old Firm, teams like that. You should be able to win matches, even if your tactics and personnel aren't perfect - and that'll keep you from getting too frustrated with things.
Last thing I'd advise is, for that first game, expect to get sacked. Every month you're in charge past the middle of the first season, treat as "bonus time" - just don't get too attached to it!
A little advice. 
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