Gaming Football Manager 2021 (FM21)

Dan_F

Full Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
10,317
Is the mobile game worth it (I’d be using an iPad). I have a massive urge to start playing again, but not sure it’s worth buying a new laptop for, or sitting at my desktop pc, where I work for 8 hours a day already.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,141
Supports
Everton
xG has shot up for me and my opponents since the patch. Loads more key highlights too.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,141
Supports
Everton
Yeah, same for me. I started conceding a fair amount more goals.
Me too. It's increased the goals for myself too though. I've noticed aswell that there are gaping holes in the defence too. Myself and the oppositon are able to sprint through the middle of the pitch unchallenged.
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
Yikes :lol:

I played through the end of my CL campaign after the update and won it so you should be fine :wenger:
This new match engine is unrealistic and I can prove it:

1. Utd scored on a corner against me - not realistic
2. De Gea rushed out on 2 through balls to slide and grab them right in front of my striker at the edge of his box. Yeah right....

Utd are definitely my bogie team. Can't beat them. They are in 8th in the PL (after 4th,3rd,4th previous finishes) and Ole is still in charge.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
Me too. It's increased the goals for myself too though. I've noticed aswell that there are gaping holes in the defence too. Myself and the oppositon are able to sprint through the middle of the pitch unchallenged.
Yeah same, happened to me loads in the CL final in particular.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
This new match engine is unrealistic and I can prove it:

1. Utd scored on a corner against me - not realistic
2. De Gea rushed out on 2 through balls to slide and grab them right in front of my striker at the edge of his box. Yeah right....

Utd are definitely my bogie team. Can't beat them. They are in 8th in the PL (after 4th,3rd,4th previous finishes) and Ole is still in charge.
Liverpool are mine on this save I think. Can't remember beating them.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
Got this guy years ago for 5 MIllion and have loaned him out quite a lot to my affiliate Granada and also Frankfurt. Initially bought him as a winger being two-footed and having good physicals and technicals and he's developed into a rather nice (natural!) DLP/BBM.

 

Chipper

Adulterer.
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
5,467
Closing in on trophies, split the Old Firm. Celtic had won the title 14 times in a row prior to this season.

Gave a good account of ourselves in the club's first ever appearance in European competition and went far in both domestic cups. Just need a little bit of improvement to secure some silverware.

 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
I just learned a valuable lesson. Don't ever add a league to your game after you start it.

I decided I needed an additional challenge, to win the WC with the USA. I had snatched up a a few really promising American newgens, and when the US sacked their coach after he went winless in 22 (he didn't even call up Reyna.... dumb ass) I decided "Why not".

To increase my players options I added MLS. BIIIIIGGGGG mistake. All of a sudden my player pool is flooded by 20 players who are all as good as pulisic in very position. Completely unbalanced the game. My previous save was 6 months ago, so I think I am just going to start a new save. This time I am thinking Belgium and will add MLS from the start!
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
Warning to anyone considering Ajax. They have no staff. Like none. Apparently because of licensing issues. Spending an hour hiring the entire backroom staff from the ground up is not my idea of FM fun.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
Warning to anyone considering Ajax. They have no staff. Like none. Apparently because of licensing issues. Spending an hour hiring the entire backroom staff from the ground up is not my idea of FM fun.
That's the best bit :drool:
 

SoCross

Full Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
Messages
3,569
I am still playing FM 2015 :(

Played the 2020 trial version and was overwhelmed initially. Does it slowly grow on you?
 

NoLogo

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
19,750
Location
I can't remember why I joined this war.
It gets worse, players away on international duy right at the end of this crazy run of games.
This is so annoying when FM fecks up the schedule. I remember in FM20 I once had to play 2/3rds of my u18 in the FA-Cup final because my entire team was on international duty. Funnily enough my opponents Manchester City didn't have any players on international duty. I think stuff like this happened quite a few times now over the last couple of FMs and it's super annoying that this still can happen.
 

NoLogo

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
19,750
Location
I can't remember why I joined this war.
I am still playing FM 2015 :(

Played the 2020 trial version and was overwhelmed initially. Does it slowly grow on you?
2015 to 2020 is a bit of a steep climb I'm afraid. My tip would be to go to your staff responsibilities and delegate as much as you can to your assistant manager and other staff members until you get a good grip on the core things like tactic creator, shouts and so on. After that you can see if you want to get into messing about with training and setting up your scouting assignments and stuff like that.

If you get into it bit by bit you probably have a chance to get used to it, if not FM Touch is a simpler version and still a lot of fun, maybe that is even a good idea, try to start with FM Touch if you want to get into the new version of FM.
 

K Stand Knut

Full Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
5,167
Location
Stretford End
I’m torn with what to do with my United save now.

Finished second behind city but did a bit shit in the other competitions so feel like I’ve got unfinished business and there are a few youngsters I’d like to integrate in to the first team so might have another season but not sign anyone and just have a load of youngsters come through.

Has anyone had issues with unproven young players demanding excessive (by my level) wages. Have lost Charlie McCann because he demanded £10k/week for his next contract. He was on £800/week before negotiating and he walked away after two attempts to negotiate.
 

SoCross

Full Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
Messages
3,569
2015 to 2020 is a bit of a steep climb I'm afraid. My tip would be to go to your staff responsibilities and delegate as much as you can to your assistant manager and other staff members until you get a good grip on the core things like tactic creator, shouts and so on. After that you can see if you want to get into messing about with training and setting up your scouting assignments and stuff like that.

If you get into it bit by bit you probably have a chance to get used to it, if not FM Touch is a simpler version and still a lot of fun, maybe that is even a good idea, try to start with FM Touch if you want to get into the new version of FM.
Thanks mate...will look into going about it this way.
 

NoLogo

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
19,750
Location
I can't remember why I joined this war.
Ever just have way too many CB's that you are forced to just loan them out?

These are just the guys I had to loan...







Found all the Belgian guys for free in the Belgian amateur levels, which is such a goldmine it's untrue. Casado and Bustos cost me a combined total of £10 Million too. The depth I have at the club is frightening.

The top 15 goalscorers in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, 11 of them either play for me, are on loans from me or are players I have given away to teams for nothing.

I've had some amazing saves in my time but my scouting network and talent pool of players on this is the best I have ever had. It's becoming my favorite ever save and I can see myself going another 15-20 years into it very easily.
Actually wanted to ask for quite a while but always forgot. How do you get your player info to look like this, are you using a custom skin? The default skin has the player picture like super small in the left upper corner and yours looks way better with the big player face and that progress chart.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
Actually wanted to ask for quite a while but always forgot. How do you get your player info to look like this, are you using a custom skin? The default skin has the player picture like super small in the left upper corner and yours looks way better with the big player face and that progress chart.
Yeah, I just use the Rensie Dark skin. As you say, I like the default skin but the bigger player picture just looks nicer.
 

diarm

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Messages
16,681
I'm a big fan of the FME skin. It doesn't change many screens and stays close to the default in theme, but the club, player and tactics screens are much enhanced I reckon.



 

Lay

Correctly predicted Italy to win Euro 2020
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
19,790
Location
England
Closing in on trophies, split the Old Firm. Celtic had won the title 14 times in a row prior to this season.

Gave a good account of ourselves in the club's first ever appearance in European competition and went far in both domestic cups. Just need a little bit of improvement to secure some silverware.

The Europa run must have been great for finances?
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
Actually wanted to ask for quite a while but always forgot. How do you get your player info to look like this, are you using a custom skin? The default skin has the player picture like super small in the left upper corner and yours looks way better with the big player face and that progress chart.
I use OPZ Elite, it's gorgeous. I'll post a screenshot from my current save tonight.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
I'm a big fan of the FME skin. It doesn't change many screens and stays close to the default in theme, but the club, player and tactics screens are much enhanced I reckon.



I like parts of this skin but I think all that stuff on one page would give me a headache :lol:
 

NoLogo

Full Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
19,750
Location
I can't remember why I joined this war.
Yeah, I just use the Rensie Dark skin. As you say, I like the default skin but the bigger player picture just looks nicer.
I'm a big fan of the FME skin. It doesn't change many screens and stays close to the default in theme, but the club, player and tactics screens are much enhanced I reckon.



I use OPZ Elite, it's gorgeous. I'll post a screenshot from my current save tonight.
Thanks for that, I'll try some of them and see what I personally like the most.
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
Couple of absolute quality finds - Patson Daka and Dwight McNeil,

Patson Daka is an absolute beast - is bagging my Bournemounth team 40 plus goals a season, brought him for around £20m in my second season as won promotion to the Premiership. Have won the Europa League, Fa Cup, Euro Super Cup and finshed third in premiership with him leading the line. The big clubs are after him but he seems happy to stay, is now valued around £70m.

Dwight McNeil is a bitmore obvious, is a good player anyhow and cost £35m in my third season, but scored 20 goals in his first season and have just started my forth and he already has three goals.

Another find was Marcus leonardo, brought him in my forth season, and has only played one game for me so far, was playing for Leicester but they snapped him up from Santos, he scored a hat trick on his debut. brought for £30m.
 

Solius

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Staff
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
86,292
Me too. It's increased the goals for myself too though. I've noticed aswell that there are gaping holes in the defence too. Myself and the oppositon are able to sprint through the middle of the pitch unchallenged.
How do they keep making things worse when trying to make it better. Though I hear that's basically a programmer's life.
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
That's the best bit :drool:
Having to find and hire 5 performance analysts using the ridiculously (for Ajax) low wage cap is not fun. And I can't leave it to my DoF (Overmars, who is the one guy still there) since he would likely hire a frying pan for the job.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
Having to find and hire 5 performance analysts using the ridiculously (for Ajax) low wage cap is not fun. And I can't leave it to my DoF (Overmars, who is the one guy still there) since he would likely hire a frying pan for the job.
I love that aspect of the game personally. I spend hours at the start of a save setting things up and searching for a new backroom team before I even continue.
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
How do they keep making things worse when trying to make it better. Though I hear that's basically a programmer's life.
Part of the reason I played FM12 for so long & am currently enjoying a very stable version of FM20 with a ME mod & lots of other editor mods is due to SI not being able to make other versions as playable. It's been a long term problem for them this.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
How do they keep making things worse when trying to make it better. Though I hear that's basically a programmer's life.
I mean, programming AI is fairly difficult. I think they definitely make it better with each iteration.

I think the ME is definitely good enough. I can't really think of many, or even one occasion where I think I've been 'FM'ed' or the game has 'fecked me'. I think people who claim it's 'unplayable' are just wildly exaggerating.

Going back and analyzing games with a cool head often sheds a lot more light on why certain things happen and in a game where everything effects everything things happen which you don't intend all the time and I can understand that.
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
I love that aspect of the game personally. I spend hours at the start of a save setting things up and searching for a new backroom team before I even continue.
To each their own :).

For me I can't get the first half season over fast enough. I love the youth to senior pipeline building and will spend hours scouring the youth teams to find a few hidden gems. That's why I was loving that Feyenoord save so much till I broke it. Really pissed.

This Ajax save will have 2 rules: Only use Ajax academy newgens OR American players. I am going to use the Ajax youth system to train up a golden generation of US nats. Gotta win that 26 WC!
 

Champ

Refuses to acknowledge existence of Ukraine
Joined
Jun 17, 2017
Messages
9,888
Is the mobile game worth it (I’d be using an iPad). I have a massive urge to start playing again, but not sure it’s worth buying a new laptop for, or sitting at my desktop pc, where I work for 8 hours a day already.
Personally I love the mobile version, admittedly not as immersive as the full game but it does its job very well and its so quick to get through a season yet maintains an element of depth.

I think its closer to how FM2008 was if you ever played that version?

If you have an Ipad though, you might want to play FM Touch - thats the full match engine but slightly scaled back in terms of how many leagues you can play. Very decent and feels more like the full game. Its a happy medium between the full game and the mobile version.
 

Dave_MUFC

Full Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
812
Location
Somewhere
To each their own :).

For me I can't get the first half season over fast enough. I love the youth to senior pipeline building and will spend hours scouring the youth teams to find a few hidden gems. That's why I was loving that Feyenoord save so much till I broke it. Really pissed.

This Ajax save will have 2 rules: Only use Ajax academy newgens OR American players. I am going to use the Ajax youth system to train up a golden generation of US nats. Gotta win that 26 WC!
You on the latest update? Having no Onana for 1.5 years in-game seems a great challenge too. Definitely needs investing in a replacement, although I'm worried that if he can't play at all during that period, his ability is just going to dip.
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
You on the latest update? Having no Onana for 1.5 years in-game seems a great challenge too. Definitely needs investing in a replacement, although I'm worried that if he can't play at all during that period, his ability is just going to dip.
I am. From what I have read on the suspension it seems like bullshit since even the regulators acknowledge it was a mistake an not an attempt at performance enhancement. Some may call it cheating, but I used the editor to change it to 6 months since that seems more appropriate. Hopefully SI releases a patch ASAP if the court for arbitration in sports reduces the ban.
 

Chipper

Adulterer.
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
5,467
The Europa run must have been great for finances?
Yep! Just looking now for the totals as it kept adding up.Almost £9.2m prize money and £1.2m broadcast. Also set some new gate receipts records in the competition. Not big amounts, we have to play the European games at Hampden Park, the national stadium and crowds varied from 3000 in the qualifier to almost 12000 in a couple of matches.

New stadium is still a year away and is costing £10.75m so that paid for it.

Put some money into upgrading training and youth facilities for the first time and increasing junior coaching. Was given £77k a week wage budget for this campaign plus over £5m transfers. As we're ploughing it all into wages only it came out at £153k a week. Mind you, only spending £85k and my squad is complete.

Made a little bit of an error with some signings, jumped into signing them when they had 6 months remaining on contracts but I'd have been able to get better if I'd actually waited for players to be released. Could have or could still sign the better ones but it would upset the balance of the squad with too many players and new players becoming unhappy quickly due to not getting agreed playing time. We're stronger than last season anyway so it's still good.

Just played our first Champions League matches, was worried when drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk, they're traditionally strong in Europe in FM from my experience in past versions of the game. Delighted to get through and I think that means we go to the Europa League group stage again as a minimum even if we lose the next round.Besiktas next.
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,038
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
A couple of thoughts on the new tweaks to the ME:

1. As others have mentioned, the xG has shot up. What has also shot up is GK ratings. In my Ajax save the opposing GK has been PoM 2 out of 6 games, and they lost those games 4-1 and 3-0.
2. This is more of a general observation of FM21, but it seems 60-70% of all penalty VAR reviews lead to no penalties.
3. While I am not seeing the run right up the middle issue as mentioned above, what I am seeing is just an insane number of over the top long passes leading to goals. I am playing a moderately high line and not playing an offside trap, but routinely the CB's just stand there as the forward run right by them to collect a pinpoint 50 yd pass.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,977
Location
Cooper Station
A couple of thoughts on the new tweaks to the ME:

1. As others have mentioned, the xG has shot up. What has also shot up is GK ratings. In my Ajax save the opposing GK has been PoM 2 out of 6 games, and they lost those games 4-1 and 3-0.
2. This is more of a general observation of FM21, but it seems 60-70% of all penalty VAR reviews lead to no penalties.
3. While I am not seeing the run right up the middle issue as mentioned above, what I am seeing is just an insane number of over the top long passes leading to goals. I am playing a moderately high line and not playing an offside trap, but routinely the CB's just stand there as the forward run right by them to collect a pinpoint 50 yd pass.
What highlights do you play on?