Gaming Football Manager 2014

[NoLogo]

They're not supposed to, in the AM position they're considered pure forwards. Though I find with high work rates they do drop back.

That's a concept that is indeed fairly difficult to grasp for a lot of players I think. The problem is that when it comes to the team sheet that is displayed on TV a 4-2-3-1 will always looks like the 4-2-3-1 Denmark version in the game. The truth is in game the defensive shape of the real world 4-2-3-1 is best represented by the 4-4-1-1 and not the 4-2-3-1 Denmark.

SI has adjusted to this a bit by changing the preferred formations of many of the coaches to use deeper winger and changed the 4-2-3-1 of Klopp for example to a 4-4-1-1 in the game. A lot of the 4-3-3 formation playing coaches also now seem to play the 4-1-4-1 instead.

My general philosophy on this atm is that I play the 4-2-3-1 with AM wingers when I'm up against smaller teams and the 4-4-1-1 when I'm up against strong teams. I also thought about the 4-4-1-1 with DMs as an additional formation if I want to shut up shop but so far the 4-4-1-1 always seems to do the job defensively so I haven't really felt the need to get my hands on that system.

 

[Earthquake]

That's a concept that is indeed fairly difficult to grasp for a lot of players I think. The problem is that when it comes to the team sheet that is displayed on TV a 4-2-3-1 will always looks like the 4-2-3-1 Denmark version in the game. The truth is in game the defensive shape of the real world 4-2-3-1 is best represented by the 4-4-1-1 and not the 4-2-3-1 Denmark.

SI has adjusted to this a bit by changing the preferred formations of many of the coaches to use deeper winger and changed the 4-2-3-1 of Klopp for example to a 4-4-1-1 in the game. A lot of the 4-3-3 formation playing coaches also now seem to play the 4-1-4-1 instead.

My general philosophy on this atm is that I play the 4-2-3-1 with AM wingers when I'm up against smaller teams and the 4-4-1-1 when I'm up against strong teams. I also thought about the 4-4-1-1 with DMs as an additional formation if I want to shut up shop but so far the 4-4-1-1 always seems to do the job defensively so I haven't really felt the need to get my hands on that system.

Aye, I've even read of guys trying to employ Mourinho's 4-2-3-1 like this, and having much success.

ST

LM----CM----RM
DM---DM
LB---CB---CB---RB
​

I actually love the 4-2-2-1-1/4-2-3-1 with the two DM's. You can get the DM's playing aggressively, or more like CM's with the roles, and it's about the safest approach to get a Regista() into your system.

 

[PvsNP]

Got Jonathan Silva for £175k.

 

[Varun]

@Earthquake Only just noticed I sent a top prospect on loan to the French league which I hadnt loaded as one of the leagues in the game. Will his development stall?

Got Jonathan Silva for £175k.

Great deal.

 

[Earthquake]

@Earthquake Only just noticed I sent a top prospect on loan to the French league which I hadnt loaded as one of the leagues in the game. Will his development stall?

He should still develop fine, I believe he still counts as getting game time.

 

[Lu Tze]

FM needs a few tactical tweaks, I think. It fails to differentiate between attacking and defensive shape. There should be an option to have a formation while in possession and a formation for defence. Football is generally thought of as a 3 phase game, defence, transition and possession/attack. FM should reflect that.

 

[paceme]

FM needs a few tactical tweaks, I think. It fails to differentiate between attacking and defensive shape. There should be an option to have a formation while in possession and a formation for defence. Football is generally thought of as a 3 phase game, defence, transition and possession/attack. FM should reflect that.

They should definitely add that but at the same time they should keep the simpler system too, that would alienate a lot of people.

 

[Mander]

Anyone else find that the keepers give the ball straight to opposition strikers right from a goal kick pretty often? Really annoying, especially when it happens in cup finals.

I have a bigger issue with my keeper deciding to instantly kick the ball when a defender plays it to him... even though there is zero pressure. Goes straight to the opposition strikers. I've got ter Stegen, so it's not like he's bad with his feet or anything.

 

[Varun]

He should still develop fine, I believe he still counts as getting game time.

Ah okay, thanks.

 

[NoLogo]

FM needs a few tactical tweaks, I think. It fails to differentiate between attacking and defensive shape. There should be an option to have a formation while in possession and a formation for defence. Football is generally thought of as a 3 phase game, defence, transition and possession/attack. FM should reflect that.

Agreed. Even though one could argue that transition actually consists out of two phases defending-possession and possession-defending which at least in training are need to be practiced separately.

But I think SI fears that it would make the game too complex in the end while I actually think it would be way more intuitive then the current model.

 

[roseguy64]

FM needs a few tactical tweaks, I think. It fails to differentiate between attacking and defensive shape. There should be an option to have a formation while in possession and a formation for defence. Football is generally thought of as a 3 phase game, defence, transition and possession/attack. FM should reflect that.

They used to have that but people exploited it.

 

[Earthquake]

Still in the first transfer window of the 2nd season, with lots of coin and wage available.

The free agents market is dripping in class, I wish I was in the top league, I could build a murderous team purely out of free agents, a team that would handily hang in the top half of a top division.

Sadly, one and all are "your club hasn't the finances to get close to my wages", or "playing in the 2. Budesliga wouldn't be a good career move".

Cnuts. Is sitting on your ass for the season a good career move? I clicked "all players interested", just for an eyeball at their ridiculous demands. 15-23k, to a man. I'd happily pay that kind of money.

 

[Flying Fox]

Dont have FM open atm, but from memory, second season in the Bundesliga with Leipzig, and am sitting in 4th after seven games. Great start

 

[ashgabat]

Missed out on promotion qualifications to the Belgian Pro league due to head-to-head record. Which is weird. We ended on the same points, and I had a better goal difference. I don't get this league. Goddamnit.

Got to renew my loan for another season with Davide Petrucci though, which is awesome. My best player by a mile!

 

[Sarni]

Still can't find a team to control. Valencia save was great and I'm looking for something of similar ilk in a top league - thinking about Leverkusen, Inter, Lyon or something.

 

[Siorac]

Missed out on promotion qualifications to the Belgian Pro league due to head-to-head record. Which is weird. We ended on the same points, and I had a better goal difference. I don't get this league. Goddamnit.

Got to renew my loan for another season with Davide Petrucci though, which is awesome. My best player by a mile!

I don't mean to be a dick but what is it you don't get? You said yourself, head-to-head record comes before goal difference. It's not that difficult a concept :P

 

[ashgabat]

I don't mean to be a dick but what is it you don't get? You said yourself, head-to-head record comes before goal difference. It's not that difficult a concept :P

Haha, I realize now that I was writing as I was thinking. I should've said "I think it might be because of head-to-head". There's this weird rule in Belgium, where the season is split into 3, and the team who has the best record in each of the three separate periods qualify for playoffs. A team that ended in 18th place had securd playoff, which meant that they weren't in a relegation battle, and the 4th worst placed were instead.

I havent looked it up properly which is why I don't get the league. It's all just venting buddy!

 

[Adam-Utd]

I have a bigger issue with my keeper deciding to instantly kick the ball when a defender plays it to him... even though there is zero pressure. Goes straight to the opposition strikers. I've got ter Stegen, so it's not like he's bad with his feet or anything.

Maybe try play ball out from the back, or clear to the wings? should help stop long punts down the middle

 

[Mander]

Maybe try play ball out from the back, or clear to the wings? should help stop long punts down the middle

He is set to play it out from the back... the problem is, he just doesn't try to control the ball before kicking it upfield, even though the nearest attacker is about 25 metres away... you'd think I was playing Pinto or something instead of ter Stegen.

 

[Mister_Stubbs]

Longest penalty shootout ever.. luckily I won so no harm down.

 

[TheGame]

FM needs a few tactical tweaks, I think. It fails to differentiate between attacking and defensive shape. There should be an option to have a formation while in possession and a formation for defence. Football is generally thought of as a 3 phase game, defence, transition and possession/attack. FM should reflect that.

Didnt they have this option in the CM versions? with/without ball?

 

[Joemo]

Are Sporting Lisbon's finances as fecked in real life as they are in the game? £1.5m budget first season but only £12K per week wages so I lost most of the trasnfer budget and then only £450k budget the second season despite me overachieving and finishing third and thus getting Champions' League football.

I signed a Brazilian striker called Guillherme for £1m in my first season, my only purchase but he banged the goals in and is now worth £7m. Luckily I've managed to sign Gil Romero on a free at the end of the second season, saving myself £1 million or so and I've also signed Casilla on a free, I had to put in a £5m release fee in order for him to agree my much lower wage offer so I'm expecting the offers to come in next transfer window but I'll take the ~£3m profit (the board refuses to increase transfer revenue % as finances are so bad)

 

[Ainu]

Didnt they have this option in the CM versions? with/without ball?

Yes, the old wibble/wobble as it was called. A framework of mentalities and off the ball runs were supposed to replace that system. Whether that was completely successful is up for debate.

 

[Varun]

Longest penalty shootout ever.. luckily I won so no harm down.

Wow.

Are Sporting Lisbon's finances as fecked in real life as they are in the game? £1.5m budget first season but only £12K per week wages so I lost most of the trasnfer budget and then only £450k budget the second season despite me overachieving and finishing third and thus getting Champions' League football.

I signed a Brazilian striker called Guillherme for £1m in my first season, my only purchase but he banged the goals in and is now worth £7m. Luckily I've managed to sign Gil Romero on a free at the end of the second season, saving myself £1 million or so and I've also signed Casilla on a free, I had to put in a £5m release fee in order for him to agree my much lower wage offer so I'm expecting the offers to come in next transfer window but I'll take the ~£3m profit (the board refuses to increase transfer revenue % as finances are so bad)

No expert but reports suggest Yes which is why am surprised to hear comments about Carvalho only leaving if his release clause is met.

 

[Joemo]

No expert but reports suggest Yes which is why am surprised to hear comments about Carvalho only leaving if his release clause is met.

Yeah, that's why I was so surprised. I started the save for their facilities and youth production but I was expecting a decent budget to sign the occasional youth player like Romero, Silva or Balanta.

@Sly

 

[wonnie]

How do some of you get the time to play this life-killer of a game? Do you fellas not have work, university commitments? Or commitments to life in general?

I find in the past when I've played this game I'm so completely immersed in this that it really hampers on my life far too much. I'd spend weeks just staying in and playing (going to class, work at a bare minimum) and mostly only have time for it in the holidays.

And I find that if i am constantly having to stop start and not play for many hours in one sitting, i can't really get into it.

 

[Sarni]

How do some of you get the time to play this life-killer of a game? Do you fellas not have work, university commitments? Or commitments to life in general?

I find in the past when I've played this game I'm so completely immersed in this that it really hampers on my life far too much. I'd spend weeks just staying in and playing (going to class, work at a bare minimum) and mostly only have time for it in the holidays.

And I find that if i am constantly having to stop start and not play for many hours in one sitting, i can't really get into it.

I have work, I take my Vita to work with me so I can play. Managed to play three full seasons last week at Valencia while glued to the desk, completed all my day-to-day activities at work too!

 

[Mander]

How do some of you get the time to play this life-killer of a game? Do you fellas not have work, university commitments? Or commitments to life in general?

I find in the past when I've played this game I'm so completely immersed in this that it really hampers on my life far too much. I'd spend weeks just staying in and playing (going to class, work at a bare minimum) and mostly only have time for it in the holidays.

And I find that if i am constantly having to stop start and not play for many hours in one sitting, i can't really get into it.

Easy, I just ignore the university commitments. Who needs good grades when you're guaranteed a career in FM?

 

[wonnie]

I have work, I take my Vita to work with me so I can play. Managed to play three full seasons last week at Valencia while glued to the desk, completed all my day-to-day activities at work too!

Seriously? Do you have two screens at work or something? Even then that's crazy productivity.

 

[Sarni]

I have three screens and a Vita put next to me so I play FM in my spare time. First half of the month I am usually too busy, second half of the month I have plenty of free time.

It actually increases my productivity when I can have 10-15 minutes off work doing something that entertains me every now and again.

I have managed to complete some complex tasks while playing FM in my free time, it doesn't hinder anything. To be fair at my previous company I had my own laptop with no restrictions so I just installed a proper FM on it, had some stunning saves during my three years there.

 

[Varun]

How do some of you get the time to play this life-killer of a game? Do you fellas not have work, university commitments? Or commitments to life in general?

I find in the past when I've played this game I'm so completely immersed in this that it really hampers on my life far too much. I'd spend weeks just staying in and playing (going to class, work at a bare minimum) and mostly only have time for it in the holidays.

And I find that if i am constantly having to stop start and not play for many hours in one sitting, i can't really get into it.

Same here. I can only play this properly when am free from work commitments. Currently, am waiting to join my 1st job so have free time. Once it starts, I doubt I'd be able to find time. And your last line is true for me as well, can get into it properly if am not putting regular time into it.

I have three screens and a Vita put next to me so I play FM in my spare time. First half of the month I am usually too busy, second half of the month I have plenty of free time.

It actually increases my productivity when I can have 10-15 minutes off work doing something that entertains me every now and again.

I have managed to complete some complex tasks while playing FM in my free time, it doesn't hinder anything. To be fair at my previous company I had my own laptop with no restrictions so I just installed a proper FM on it, had some stunning saves during my three years there.

That's quite brilliant.

 

[Mander]

Beat United 4-1 at home on four set-pieces (three corners) in the first leg of the CL semis... and won the PL (again). If I do win the CL this time, I'm not sure I'll stay with Southampton; there's not much left to do, other than defending the title.

 

[Sarni]

I am going to take over Leverkusen or Wolfsburg. Has anyone had any experience with Wolfsburg? They should be loaded with money and have a good team, could be a good save that.

 

[Earthquake]

I reckon Wolfsburg could be great fun.

 

[Mander]

Everton relegated in my game... now I just need to beat Arsenal in the CL final, and Norwich will be assured CL football next season (ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal)!

 

[Levo]

Just bagged the PL title in 1st season with Southampton.

Tidy.

 

[Mander]

Only just noticed that Tottenham seems to be the least creative club in the entire league...

 

[KM]

I am going to take over Leverkusen or Wolfsburg. Has anyone had any experience with Wolfsburg? They should be loaded with money and have a good team, could be a good save that.

Leverkusen is good fun. Both of the South Koreans in their team are awesome.

 

[Mander]

Beat Arsenal 15-14 on penalties in the CL final, after the game finished 3-3... ridiculous finish!

 

[Levo]

Had an agreed expansion earlier in the season of a modest 6,000 seats, board has upgraded that to 16,000! Taking a year to complete but I'll end up with a 48-000 odd seater stadium with undersoil heating being installed as well.

Not had my budgets through yet but hoping for a good whack as the likes of West Ham have gone down so will look to snag Morrison and a few others hopefully.