retired_appoint

Won Premiership with West Ham in my first season and only lost 5 all year. My biggest defeat in the League was 0-2, I had 14 clean sheets and only conceded more than one goal 10 times.

Only bought Mattias Fernandez pre season (and he fractured his ribs first game)so it's basically the same team I play and I have managed to get 7 stars now on all my coaching levels bar set pieces. My results so far read.

Everton at home 4-4
Spurs away 1-0
Blackburn away 2-1
Charlton at home 2-3

The chances other teams create are double what they were in my first season.

Could it be my defenders are losing pace? Could it be a confidence thing after drawing
4-4?
Is it the inevitable second season slump?
Or is the AI working out my tactics?

retired_matte_1

See this is what it don't get as well? when the AI wurks out your tactics are you supposed to change them?

leanwitit

Most of the information you ask for hel is available to you

e.g. 1) compare defenders pace season 1 to season 2, have they declined 2) confidence...check morale, are you not praising players? are you using half time talks 3) other teams...have they invested in better players 4) You should expect the AI managers to attempt to beat you in the same way you attempt to beat AI managers. If you play the same formation each match then the ai manager will have scouted your side to understand how you play.

Look at every premiership manager, they will every season look to better the playing staff they have. You'll need to do the same. Can't afford to rest on your laurels!

retired_gwenlyn

Don't underestimate the difference the reputation of your club makes on the tactics that the AI uses.

If you have had such a good season, the AI teams will change their mentality and tactics accordingly to avoid being hammered by you.

You have to change to maintain the advantage. One very simple thing to try is this. At the end of a very successful season, do nothing other than move the mentality of your playes one notch (at least) towards attacking. There is obviously much more to tactics than this, but this one simple change will be applicable to most people in your situation and will at least help you to avoid these slumps.

If you had a successful tactic just one season previously, it does not become a bad one, but just one that needs to be tweaked to accomodate this increase in reputation within the club.

Teams will adopt a more defensive (counter attacking) tactic if you are believed to be a better team than last year (which you obviously are now that the rep has increased).

Note that success in European competition is the biggest influence on the reputation growth.

retired_srini_aug1

Make sure you have a good pre season and get your players fit.

A good tip is to have friendlys against crap teams to get your morale really high

leanwitit

If Alex Ferguson selected the same team and played the same tactics every match against all opposition its reasonable to expect opposition manager's to attempt to develop tactics that prevent the other team playing as well / allow the opposition team to win.

As an ex semi-pro footballer the statement you are always told, and it applies to football of all levels, you can not afford to stay still!!

dejasade

could be so many different things.
new players not bedding in quickly.
causing slight confusion with your current players.
your pre-season wasn't up to scratch.
or the old 'second season syndrome' which commentators in real life mention, usually when talking about a single player though.

in my experience sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.

retired_appoint

I don't know, look at West Ham IRL. Two Years ago they got to the Cup Final and the season after nearly got relegated!

retired_krissyski

As you improve, your reputation improves and that changes the way the AI plays against you.

retired_nsample

I think it is a combination of most of what has been stated in the thread so far. There is no doubt that the AI managers will change their tactics and formations against you in the second season to take notice of the way you played in the previuos season and you need to make small but subtle changes to counteract these. You do need to keep your team evolving and improving as well. This syndrome does happen IRL as has been seen regularly in the EPL