Football Manager 2021

[Lineker]

 

[King Ellis]

I'd be curious to see how much it changes on a proper Xbox rather than the PC lite version Kev was using but it does look remarkably similar to the full game. I was expecting something much different considering how they said it was based on touch. Sure there's the odd bits and pieces missing but it's very close.

[Lineker]

 

[DavidMarrio]

What's the general consensus on this year's FM? Thought the last one was the best in a long time.

[Malenko]

4 hours ago, DavidMarrio said:

What's the general consensus on this year's FM? Thought the last one was the best in a long time.

I'm still playing FM20 but I've read amazing reviews. Best in a long time for many people.

[RazorsEdge]

11 hours ago, DavidMarrio said:

What's the general consensus on this year's FM? Thought the last one was the best in a long time.

It is better than FM20. Not miles better but still better. I think it is worth the purchase.

[Szumi]

Yeah I think I might purchase this. I have FM20 when it was free off Steam, but I hate not having the editor. I love being able to get the proper names of everything and just have that ability to tweak a few things if I want, so might actually buy my first FM since 2013.

For whatever reason, I've just always loved playing FM12 

[Naitch]

@It's Pronounced Zoom-E Fancy seeing if we can set up an FM12 Network game (if it's still possible)? It's never going to be replaced as the one I've put the most time into.

[FLiam]

I’ve been playing a bit of the demo and I have to say that I really dislike the new UI. Especially in game, it’s just a downgrade and I don’t really know why. 

We’ve lost a ton of information in the pre-match part now, they’ve included team sheets which is a nice touch, but all the pre-match info with stat packs and things is gone. Then there’s team-talks and team meetings which are horrendously laid out - they’ve said it’s an immersion thing to make it feel like you’re in the actual situation and your players are around you but it doesn’t work, there’s too much information scattered around the screen and it takes far more effort to see what players are saying. There was nothing wrong with the layout before. 

The gestures I really don’t care for and the new fitness icons (despite being more realistic in theory) are taking a while to get used to. 

Now, the positives - the match engine has definitely been improved, not without its issues, it plays better than last year and I can see more of my tactics coming across in-game. Central play has been improved, you see a lot more combinations through the middle than before. The “focus play” instruction has also improved as gives you a better chance to create overloads on any particular side of the pitch. 

Recruitment meetings are also a good addition, taken the whole scouting change to another level - I really dig it. 

Other than that, there’s not an awful lot which is drastically different. I do feel it’s gone backwards though, especially in terms of the interface. Not sure if it’s something skins can fix as we go along. One thing I’m not keen on with it is the empty rooms we get as a backdrop, they look awful and tacky. Hopefully there’ll be some background graphics packs that can overwrite them with something else. 

[Szumi]

5 hours ago, Naitch said:

@It's Pronounced Zoom-E Fancy seeing if we can set up an FM12 Network game (if it's still possible)? It's never going to be replaced as the one I've put the most time into.

I don't know anything about network games 😛 how does it even work, but more importantly, am I using the internet to play? I have to use satellite internet so my internet is limited in terms of data I can use.

[The Lusophone]

1 hour ago, Liam Mk2 said:

I’ve been playing a bit of the demo and I have to say that I really dislike the new UI. Especially in game, it’s just a downgrade and I don’t really know why. 

I honestly couldn't disagree more with this. I find it's actually much better. You get the same kind of information managers would get, and it's much more immersive thanks to the improvements in the match and graphics engine. It's a more realistic simulation, which is the goal SI largely look to aim towards.

[DavidMarrio]

There's a lot I've taken into account with what I've seen posted directly to my post and from others. I would get the game either way given I always do but there's a lot of interesting things they seem to have done. It feels like a step forward in some ways as I do think FM2020 was the best game in a while. 

[Naitch]

1 hour ago, It's Pronounced Zoom-E said:

I don't know anything about network games 😛 how does it even work, but more importantly, am I using the internet to play? I have to use satellite internet so my internet is limited in terms of data I can use.

I would imagine it does use up data to play. Maybe not much but certainly not something worth using up a finite resource on haha.

[stokeriño]

Got the England Tier 10 database and started a game in the Spartan South Midlands Division One (as Winslow United).

My 42-year-old Assistant Manager is also my star winger.

He is being paid £50pw out of a total wage bill of £52pw. I have no idea who is being paid the other £2. I, the manager, am being paid precisely nothing. Since our wage budget is literally N/A and the club balance is £6, this may cause a problem.

I try offering him a mutual termination, but he wants £1,000 to do so. He may as well set fire to the changing rooms while he's at it. 

So yes, this is a right laugh.  

[JasonM]

So I immediately hit the jackpot on the newgen lottery with my first ever intake with my Feijenoord save this year.

Kid came out of the system with 14's in dribble/finishing/touch, assumed to myself that i'd take it easy bringing him up because I had strikers a-plenty.

But a small injury bug with my strikers, going deep in the Conference League. and a mid-season tactical change had me call him up around the winter break and he's just destroyed defenses.

His growth has been staggering, and is making a very good bid at becoming the next top striker not just for his hometown club, but also the nation if he keeps growing at this insane rate.

Only naff thing is that his left foot is weak and apparently in FM21 you can't PPM-train a foot to reasonable anymore, so i'm having him learn to use the outside of his foot in the hope that he won't ever need his left foot.

Also made sure to give him an ironclad:tm: contract to ensure no French moneybags are going to steal him away before he brings me to the promised land.

[Lineker]

He's a bit good.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Still carrying on my Chelsea save on FM20 because I cba to buy this. Currently on the 5th season.

Last season was my third League win on the bounce after Liverpool and Man City keep bottling the final run ins. It was the first season I didn't win the Champions League though, having had a shit away fixture against PSG in the quarter finals. Won the FA Cup for the first time since season 1 against Norwich, who have somehow turned into a tour de force. They've been performing above expectations in the league, made some really solid signings (including Edinson Cavani!?) and actually won the Europa League in season 4. Norwich are in the god damn Champions League as 1st seeds as a result of this. Fucking Norwich!

Speaking of the Champions League, just had my first group game of this season and you'd have had long odds betting on this man as a hat trick scorer.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Ignoring my own progress for a minute, Norwich topped a Champions League group containing Atletico Madrid and now get to face Real Madrid in the First Knockout Round, love a trip to Spain apparently.

[Naitch]

¿Qué opinas de la peatonalización del centro de la ciudad de Norwich?

[Szumi]

Midway through March 21st in my first game, playing as Hertha Berlin. Started off pretty slow as I was trying to get my tactics down since I'm used to 12 not 21. Berlin also has a lopsided squad a bit which wasn't easy. They have a lot of CMs to play the 442 Diamond they play a lot IRL, but they have 2 young promising wingers in Lukebakio and Dilrosun, Cunha who is a 10 or 9, plus a good striker in Piatek and Cordoba as a €15 million new signing. So trying to switch between a 442 Vertical Tiki Taka Diamond and 4231 Gegenpress early on definitely created an imbalance in results. 3 wins in my first 6 - including a shock 1-0 snatch and grab away to Leipzig - then turned into 4 straight losses and in the bottom half of the table going into December, closer to the bottom 3 than the European places.

Piatek injured his hip during the 4 loss streak, and his 3-6 month absence forced a switch to the 4231, even with bringing in Mario Mandzukic on a free. However, the start of December brought a home fixture against Union Berlin in the big Berlin Derby, and a 2-0 win. I haven't lost since! 18 matches unbeaten - 15 in the league - and only 4 draws in the 15 league matches. Best results there have been doing the double over Leipzig (thanks in part to an early red card), a 1-0 win away at European rivals Frankfurt, and holding Bayern to a 1-1 draw at home. Jhon Cordoba has been huge during this run. Playing poorly and unsettled, he didn't get his first start until the 3rd match of this great run and proceeded to score 9 goals in his next 7 starts to really propel us forward. 

We're currently sitting in 2nd place - 6 behind Bayern - as I enter the final 10 fixtures. Leipzig and Frankfurt are 1 point behind us, Gladbach 3 behind in 5th, and Dortmund are now 6 points behind in 6th after a run of just 1 win in 8 in the league including 5 losses (plus losing twice to Sevilla in the Europa League R32 after failing in UCL). Last loss was 4-0 to Bayern and resulted in the sacking of Favre. We play them next away, so hoping they don't suddenly find form now that they sacked the manager. Still have, in addition to Dortmund away,  I have Leverkusen home (plus away in the Pokal SF), Berlin away for the derby, and Gladbach home for the next 4 league fixtures so that's going to determine if I'm going to qualify for Champions League or settle for Europa League.

Had no budget for transfers, but frees and loans have been used to help exponentially. Mandzukic and Wilshere were signed in November when I was able to make signings, although Mandzukic has been massively disappointing with 1 goal in 7+8 appearances in the league, while Wilshere at least got in 1+11 before his first ankle injury! Reiss Nelson and Roberto Gagliardini joined on loan in January, but the best has been MFin Hulk. On trial almost all of January after leaving China, wouldn't negotiate a permanent deal because he said we couldn't afford him. Finally decided no one else was coming in so when he was open to contract talks, and only wanted €50k p/w. One start and 4 sub appearances later, and he's had 4 assists to be a big addition.

I'll be thrilled if we finish Top 4 but I'm not holding my breath given the matches we still have to play and the other 4 sides having better squads, IMO. But we have momentum, the second best defense in the league, a midfield double pivot in Tousart and Ascacibar that shield the defense very well, Dilrosun in great form on the left wing, Cunha playing great in the 10, Hulk now match fit, and Piatek back to lead the line now that Cordoba's hot streak is cooling off. 

Having no idea what the off-season will be like when the season finishes, I definitely expect some of my players to be transfer targets for bigger clubs. Cunha, Dilrosun, Tousart, Ascacibar, Niklas Stark, and Jordan Torunarigha all have played well and are already getting the dreaded Wanted tag by them.