Gaming Football Manager 2021 (FM21)

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo


We did it. Championship winners and Prem here we come. Since the patch I have been scoring quite freely and been involved in a bunch of fun games. Currently emargoed because of a potential takeover which is irritating as I can't do some early summer business. We are having to move to Craven Cottage in the PL too as our stadium doesn't meet requirements. We are planning a new stadium though and are currently looking for a site to build it on. It will be a 19,250 seater which is double what we currently have.

VNLS 1st - > VNL 1st - > League 2 1st - > League 1 1st - > Championship 9th - > Championship 1st.
I could take a leaf out of your book mate. I started my 1st save with Boreham Wood and am only 4 games in. You can see the above post regarding the issue I have now noticed.
 

Solius

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Staff
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
86,294
Is it normal for your team to play the 1st two games abnormally well (both games I scored 5 goals each and only conceded 1 goal) and then just about snatch draws against teams who are flirting with the relegation zone? I thought that maybe it had something to do with realism. You know the way players react to new management but then go off the boil.
Wait when did you come back? Blast from the past!
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
After the aforementioned miracle in Rotterdam Ahmedhodzic went down for 11 months with an ACL and my only other senior CB was filling in at RB after my top 2 choices there went down with long term injuries. In stepped the wonderkid CB from Newcastle and he hasn't left the starting lineup since and is one of the best CB newgens I have seen. The other stars of my current team are a 16yo academy newgen who is just amazing and a kid I found by sheer stupidity. @Berbaclass's posts intrigued me, so I loaded the Austrian league to see how Vienna would do on their own. Being an idiot I thought he had managed AKA Rapid Vienna so I took a look all the way down to their youth team and found Yusuf Demir. The kid is insane and is likely going to win the Ballon d'Or this season or next. Not sure if it was a fluke random attribute generation or if he is really this good.



Don't mind me. Just innocently taking notes. Not that Boreham Wood will manage to land any such players. Every time I try and sign a player I know is good I am always laughed at by the agent. Either that, or the player goes to another bidder. I'm clearly doing transfer business like an imbecile
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
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.
Holy Shit ball!
 

diarm

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Messages
16,681
How do you know when FM is trolling you?

When your youth intake report says you have a once in a generation winger and then you see this:

Sometimes the attributes are misleading.

I got a centre back described like that last year and when he landed, his stats were muck.

But every time I played him, he was man of the match and scored a hattrick of headers from corners (literally, he got 5 hattricks one season). Then when he was 19, his attributes shot up 3 points across the board in a single season.
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
Sometimes the attributes are misleading.

I got a centre back described like that last year and when he landed, his stats were muck.

But every time I played him, he was man of the match and scored a hattrick of headers from corners (literally, he got 5 hattricks one season). Then when he was 19, his attributes shot up 3 points across the board in a single season.
So you should listen to your back team? What if your back team are a bit shit, and your club is a bit shit so can't attract decent Scouts? And your board are turning down absolutely everything you request of them? I'm playing as Boreham Wood. The one great thing they have going for them is their exceptional youth training facilities so I am holding out for young talent coming through
 

Chipper

Adulterer.
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
5,467
Is it normal for your team to play the 1st two games abnormally well (both games I scored 5 goals each and only conceded 1 goal) and then just about snatch draws against teams who are flirting with the relegation zone? I thought that maybe it had something to do with realism. You know the way players react to new management but then go off the boil.
I've seen that a few times. Never thought it could be why you said but that would make a lot of sense, I like the theory.

Not just for a new manager with a new team, happens fairly often at the start of a season for me, but then I also do quite a lot of transfers every summer. Could be a similar affect, players lacking familiarity with the tactic and cohesion with each other, gradually building consistency.
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
I've seen that a few times. Never thought it could be why you said but that would make a lot of sense, I like the theory.

Not just for a new manager with a new team, happens fairly often at the start of a season for me, but then I also do quite a lot of transfers every summer. Could be a similar affect, players lacking familiarity with the tactic and cohesion with each other, gradually building consistency.
Well I can honestly say, hand on my heart I haven't a feckin clue what I am doing. It's information overload. Should I be overseeing training? I've handed it all over to my assistant manager because the micro-management would do my head in. I just need to know how much more advantageous it would be for me to handle the training verses my shit assistant manager. If it's well worth the effort then I might look into it, or just download something from the Stream workshop. You see I have a bad attitude. I want all the glory but none of the work
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
Well I can honestly say, hand on my heart I haven't a feckin clue what I am doing. It's information overload. Should I be overseeing training? I've handed it all over to my assistant manager because the micro-management would do my head in. I just need to know how much more advantageous it would be for me to handle the training verses my shit assistant manager. If it's well worth the effort then I might look into it, or just download something from the Stream workshop. You see I have a bad attitude. I want all the glory but none of the work
I do no training at all, let the best ass. man I can find do it. All that happens is your players might not develop as fast as they could, but they still develop. A good solid tactic or set of tactics & high morale management are the most important things imo.

If you have a good tactic and high player morale then you are halfway there. How fast you then improve as a team/club with those fundamentals in place comes down to squad management & recognizing the areas where the squad needs to be improved.
 

diarm

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Messages
16,681
So you should listen to your back team? What if your back team are a bit shit, and your club is a bit shit so can't attract decent Scouts? And your board are turning down absolutely everything you request of them? I'm playing as Boreham Wood. The one great thing they have going for them is their exceptional youth training facilities so I am holding out for young talent coming through
Do you have a head of youth development? I imagine probably not at that level but check the attributes of whoever was responsible for the Youth Intake report. If his judging player potential attribute is strong I'd listen to him but if it's shite, I wouldn't.
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,040
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
Sometimes the attributes are misleading.

I got a centre back described like that last year and when he landed, his stats were muck.

But every time I played him, he was man of the match and scored a hattrick of headers from corners (literally, he got 5 hattricks one season). Then when he was 19, his attributes shot up 3 points across the board in a single season.
That determination though..... I usually don't feck with anyone below 10, and especially when combined with THAT personality.
 

diarm

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Messages
16,681
That determination though..... I usually don't feck with anyone below 10, and especially when combined with THAT personality.
I'll be honest - I didn't look closely enough at the individual stats!!! Yeah I wouldn't be touching that with someone elses money.

If he had 7-10 determination and was unambitious, you could consider mentoring him with a model citizen/professional but 1? He's going nowhere fast!
 

Rolandofgilead

Trigger Happy Priest Killer
Scout
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
21,508
Location
Bob Lucas Stadium
Supports
Weymouth
OK I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying the pc version. The thing is I'd probably only play FM touch and can't decide if it's worth it.

Somebody take me by the wallet and take control of this situation.
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
Do you have a head of youth development? I imagine probably not at that level but check the attributes of whoever was responsible for the Youth Intake report. If his judging player potential attribute is strong I'd listen to him but if it's shite, I wouldn't.
Actually a Head of Youth Development was suggested to me and I just clicked yes. I have no idea how good he is. Must check later when I play. It is going to be a FM2021 weekend.
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
OK I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying the pc version. The thing is I'd probably only play FM touch and can't decide if it's worth it.

Somebody take me by the wallet and take control of this situation.
If you're a novice then touch could be the way to go. Depends how keen you are for fine detail & potentially being lost in the mire/frustrated at times. I've never played touch so can't comment on the differences but I love the detail level of the full version.
 

Solius

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Staff
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
86,294
My first two games after the update have been absolutely tumescent. One highlight for the entirety of the two games and it was me giving away/conceding a penalty.
 

Rolandofgilead

Trigger Happy Priest Killer
Scout
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
21,508
Location
Bob Lucas Stadium
Supports
Weymouth
If you're a novice then touch could be the way to go. Depends how keen you are for fine detail & potentially being lost in the mire/frustrated at times. I've never played touch so can't comment on the differences but I love the detail level of the full version.
Far from a novice. I had every version from Championship manager '93. Then stopped buying every year from 2016.

I just find touch the more enjoyable version of the game.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,143
Supports
Everton
@Kinky Melinky Here are some players that worked well for me in League 2 and below. I will spoiler them in case you don't want to know / other people don't want to see if they are thinking of starting a save. I found that a direct brand of football worked best in those leagues too. Lump balls over the top for the striker to exploit. Oh, set pieces too. Get someone good at corners / free kicks and that picks you up and extra 10-20 points a season.

Dennis Gyamfi
Dion McGhee
Jake Kenyon
Lamin Jagne
Jordan Cox
Antony Spyrou
Saul Milovanovic
Joe Oliver
Joseph Olowu
Josh Tobin
Joe Hardy
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
@Kinky Melinky Here are some players that worked well for me in League 2 and below. I will spoiler them in case you don't want to know / other people don't want to see if they are thinking of starting a save. I found that a direct brand of football worked best in those leagues too. Lump balls over the top for the striker to exploit. Oh, set pieces too. Get someone good at corners / free kicks and that picks you up and extra 10-20 points a season.
I pass/passed my way out of those leagues with controlled possession & low tempo. Flooded the channels with double Mezzala's & APA's from the wings. I Pep'd them to death. Fascinating how different approaches can be adopted. Agree on the set pieces, they can be abused.
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
If you're a novice then touch could be the way to go. Depends how keen you are for fine detail & potentially being lost in the mire/frustrated at times. I've never played touch so can't comment on the differences but I love the detail level of the full version.
I gave the mobile version a go and enjoyed it. I should be ok. I'm just being a moaner
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
@Kinky Melinky Here are some players that worked well for me in League 2 and below. I will spoiler them in case you don't want to know / other people don't want to see if they are thinking of starting a save. I found that a direct brand of football worked best in those leagues too. Lump balls over the top for the striker to exploit. Oh, set pieces too. Get someone good at corners / free kicks and that picks you up and extra 10-20 points a season.

Dennis Gyamfi
Dion McGhee
Jake Kenyon
Lamin Jagne
Jordan Cox
Antony Spyrou
Saul Milovanovic
Joe Oliver
Joseph Olowu
Josh Tobin
Joe Hardy
Thank you very much SilentWitness. Much appreciated
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
I pass/passed my way out of those leagues with controlled possession & low tempo. Flooded the channels with double Mezzala's & APA's from the wings. I Pep'd them to death. Fascinating how different approaches can be adopted. Agree on the set pieces, they can be abused.
Yeah I noticed there is a tactic to play for a free kick.

Another thing; is it better I first approach the agent and inquire, or should you just bypass them and go and make a bid? I would be interested to know the best way possible to increase your chances of a player considering you
 

Chipper

Adulterer.
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
5,467
Nah, must have been disco night

Ha! Was thinking similar, those bright patches looked really weird. Also disappointed we didn't get a yellow or orange ball to play with.

First time I've seen wintery conditions despite managing in Scotland for 7 seasons now, had to go to Ukraine in February to find them.

Edit: Wait, I think that ball is yellow, my eyes must be rubbish. Should be yellower!
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
Yeah I noticed there is a tactic to play for a free kick.
This just instructs your forward players to hold on to the ball more than their selected role dictates. All tactic screen choices are modifiers of the base tactic in some way. I believe @SilentWitness was referring to as were I was having a good set piece taker in general as well as some good routines set up that you can take advantage of.

Another thing; is it better I first approach the agent and inquire, or should you just bypass them and go and make a bid? I would be interested to know the best way possible to increase your chances of a player considering you
Providing you have the player interested filter turned on to a realistic level then I would avoid all agent contact as you know these players want to join you and require less initial persuasion. I would only contemplate 'tampering' via agent contact or 'tapping up' via announcing interest/praising the player if they are less or not at all interested... & I would only do the latter if I was a manager with a high reputation as this can backfire.

If you are in a contract bidding war then all I tend to do is offer a higher signing on fee to both the player and the agent. This works for me a lot of the time. This is mostly FM20 I'm on though, perhaps there are differences in 21 which I've played less of currently.
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
This just instructs your forward players to hold on to the ball more than their selected role dictates. All tactic screen choices are modifiers of the base tactic in some way. I believe @SilentWitness was referring to as were I was having a good set piece taker in general as well as some good routines set up that you can take advantage of.


Providing you have the player interested filter turned on to a realistic level then I would avoid all agent contact as you know these players want to join you and require less initial persuasion. I would only contemplate 'tampering' via agent contact or 'tapping up' via announcing interest/praising the player if they are less or not at all interested... & I would only do the latter if I was a manager with a high reputation as this can backfire.

If you are in a contract bidding war then all I tend to do is offer a higher signing on fee to both the player and the agent. This works for me a lot of the time. This is mostly FM20 I'm on though, perhaps there are differences in 21 which I've played less of currently.
Excellent information Yams. And what is considered to be a high set piece taker playing as Boreham Wood in the National League? I grabbed an addon from Steam to get rid of Brexit. fecking Brexit :rolleyes:
 

YAMS49

Full Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
1,346
Location
Nottinghamshire
Excellent information Yams. And what is considered to be a high set piece taker playing as Boreham Wood in the National League? I grabbed an addon from Steam to get rid of Brexit. fecking Brexit :rolleyes:
Anything from a 12 upwards for SP's would be rather effective at conf/conf.N/S level. I have a 16 on my current Gateshead save & he is lighting the assist stats up. Technique & composure higher than 10's would be nice as well but these are harder to attain at that level.
 

Walrus

Oppressed White Male
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
11,156
Still on my nice easymode United playthrough. Got bored at the end of last season so decided to spice things up - sold Haaland for £200m, Rashford for £125m, Reyna, Tonali, Marcos Antonio, Brandon Williams, Bellingham and a few others. Took in a total of about £750m and barely spent a penny. Instead had some quality players coming back from loan. Diallo has become a beast, Greenwood is decent and Fernandes is still a legend.

Annoying thing though, I signed some regen AM for about £30m (peanuts) and he has thrown a massive hissy because I left him out of the CL squad. Now half the team are disgruntled because they think I treated him unfairly.

On a related note, morale has such a ridiculous impact on team performance. After the above incident i had a few games where the squad morale was “average” or “fairly good” rather than perfect and.... fecking hell. Nobody can manage a simple 5 yard pass, the GK literally may as well not be there. It’s ridiculous. Fair enough players have an off day, but this was too much.
 

SilentWitness

ShoelessWitness
Staff
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
30,143
Supports
Everton
Excellent information Yams. And what is considered to be a high set piece taker playing as Boreham Wood in the National League? I grabbed an addon from Steam to get rid of Brexit. fecking Brexit :rolleyes:
Dion McGhee if you can get him is quality at set pieces and good enough to stay with you until League 1. His wages are quite high but well worth it.
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,981
Location
Cooper Station
So, I've just realised that my reserve and youth team players are earning £42 MIllion a year combined total. This is £7 MIllion more than Red Bull Salzburg and LASK spend on their entire teams combined :lol:

If you chuck Rapid Wien in there too that would be only 8 million more than me :lol:
 

Kinky Melinky

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
27,120
Location
Sligo
So, I've just realised that my reserve and youth team players are earning £42 MIllion a year combined total. This is £7 MIllion more than Red Bull Salzburg and LASK spend on their entire teams combined :lol:

If you chuck Rapid Wien in there too that would be only 8 million more than me :lol:
Where are you getting all your money from!? Berbaclass also plays Drug Dealer Simulator!

Slightly off topic, great game!
 

Berbaclass

Fallen Muppet. Lest we never forget
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
37,981
Location
Cooper Station
The more I look at this guy the more I think he is far too good to play at CB. Re-training him as a CM - DLP (D)