Football Manager 2011

[Baddar]

I always make sure I have one left for injury time if I'm protecting a lead. The board goes up, and I make the change. I'm a dirty bastard like that.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Is there a way to instruct the TEAM to not take long shots, or do I have to select every single player and set it in their instructions? I had a 0-0 recently wehre I had loads of the ball but everyone seemed intent on shooting on sight from 30-yards rather than trying to work the ball into the box or out-wide for a cross. Was really frustrating.

As for subs, I think I do what everyone else seems to: make 2/3 subs on 55-60 minutes if I need so, save one for injuries or the last ten minutes - which'll be another striker added to find a goal, or a DM coming on for a striker to hold-out a lead (I only do that away from home). Sometimes I'll make a sub at half time if it's REALLY needed.

If I'm coating in a game, say 3/4 goals up I'll go to either extreme: Use all three subs between 60-70 mins to sive squad players some real match time, or just enjoy my starting XI performing so well and leave them all on. Maybe make one or two late changes if somebody's condition drops really low.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Everyone has to be selected, I believe. I find they tend to do it if they're running out of ideas, so I make a point of telling them to do something, like "retain possession" or something. Or even change the tactics. Attack makes them just fire the ball at goal a lot.

My subs? I tend to sub around the 70-75 min mark. I never worry about defenders, but I always make sure I put fresh legs on for the wings and midfield. I generally don't worry about time - I keep tabs on fitness. If there is a fitness issue, I sub the players there. That's always my main concern.

Tried that but now my team morale is shot all to hell and we're losing instead of drawing >_> I think I may have to resign myself to fate and say I'm going to be taking the relegation this season because my strikers have scored a grand total of 4 goals between them in a combined 100 games (including subs), and it's not down to shots, their target ratio is horrendous despite a finishing stat all above 10 (Uwezu himself is at 17). There's nobody available on the market who I can see who might be reliable for them and it's so beyond frustrating. I've still only been beaten once by two or more goals so my defence is fine, my midfield is connecting the play and my strikers have the opportunities, they're just squandering them

I'm guessing their composure is low? Find a striker who has good composure and a modicum of finishing ability and just get the ball to his feet. Not a guarantee, but it might help.

Someone you might want to look at is Gary Wales. He's about 31, Scottish and has played for Hearts, Kilmarnock and on loan for Gillingham and Walsall when they were in the Championship.

Dunno if he'll go for you, but he should do a job at that level.

[Whisper]

Just started a game with Man Utd to get back into the swing of FM, hoping that I can stop myself losing patience with it like I tend to do when playing United games. The minute I get consecutive defeats at home to Wolves and Stoke I tend to lose interest.... particularly when their keeper, in true FM style, saves everything under the sun.

But anyhow, got myself 22 million to spend by tweaking my budjets a bit and so far i've brought in Jefferson Farfan (£7m from Stuttgart) to join Giggs and Park as back up for Nani and Valencia. I wouldn't normally have gone for him but his stats are decent, he's only 26 and 7 million isn't a bad price. I've also brought in Tom Cairney, the young lad from Hull, for around 2 million as a bit of a future purchase. And then I spent 1 million in compensation taking some 17 year old Belgian midfielder from Birmingham who came highly recommended by my scouts.

Not shipped anyone out yet though shouldn't be too long before I'm offering certain individuals around (I'm looking at you Wes Brown and John O'Shea). I've got about 11 million left to spend and am looking for a decent young centre back as cover since I'll be starting the season with Evans and Vidic. Had a look at Rodwell but Everton want around 18m for him and I've got a 6 million bid in for Ryan Shawcross but I'm hoping I can find a young starlet who can play a bit part in the season as 4th or 5th choice centre half. Anyone know of any decent ones?

[britneyspearsisgod]

Probably impossible for you being at Utd, but Daniel Ayala is a sound CB with potential to be a first team player in the Prem. Failing that, I would give your man Corry Evans the opportunity. Every time I sign him, he turns out to be a great player for me. Can play CB, DM and CM. Versatile

[YI]

Phil Jones at Blackburn is a good shout, but they might want a bit much for him.

[DavidMarrio]

Phil Jones will cost about 5/7 mil, I tried to get him at Lyon but he didn't wanna come Fuck him just boosted the attacking options and got Jack Cork on a Bosman, Adam Johnson for 3 mil and Robinho for 10 mil

[The Future]

Yeah just give Corry Evans games, United have a lot of good kids in there. Ravel Morrison despite his stats put in good performances and was a breath of fresh air for my team when were tiring out towards the end of the season.

Bebe also scores lots of goals especially from distance.

[cmb211087]

Phil Jones at Blackburn is a good shout, but they might want a bit much for him.

They will in patch 11.3 ^_^

[Jimmy]

Finished my season 12th with Ipswich, which was quite good considering my shocking start. Made 4 loan signings, all promising youngsters and got Sol Campbell in on a free. Won one, lost one. Hoping to improve on 12th place this year, but we just let in weak goals all the time.

[Ben E.]

So, I have finally bored myself of Football Manager 2007 and I'm thinking about buying this. I've tried the demo and it runs great on my laptop and I'm liking the game so far. I was wondering if anyone has experienced a real slowdown in gameplay moving from the demo to the full game? Obviously there will be if I selected a lot of leagues, but I tend to only have England and Scotland playable anyway.

[stokeriño]

I've noticed no real difference between the demo and the full game.

[Baddar]

My PC is old, but still runs the game perfectly, even if the built-in computer test on FM disagrees.

[stokeriño]

My Watford game seems likely to turn into a very irregular and drawn-out affair, simply because I started it on my desktop which I don't use when I want to also watch TV in the evenings. So I guess that'll be my weekend game or something...

In the meantime, because simply watching TV isn't enough to keep me occupied these days, I've also installed FM11 on the laptop and started up a Chelsea game. Turned initial transfers off so my squad is 'as is'.

Decent start. Anelka broke his foot so I'm giving Sturridge more of a whirl, and it's safe to say the boy has done well. Also promoted McEachran and Kakuta to the senior squad while sending virtually every other reserve out on loan. Currently sticking with 4-3-3 until the squad become more competant with 4-2-3-1 in training, which I'll then give a try.

Chelsea 0 - 0 Manchester United (Community Shield, won on penalties)

Chelsea 2 - 1 Aston Villa

Chelsea 2 - 0 Manchester United. Wes Brown got sent off almost immediately, and Vidic followed him early in the second half. Ivanovic joined them near the end, but not before Studge had scored a brace. ^_^

Wigan Athletic 2 - 1 Chelsea.

Bolton 0 - 4 Chelsea

I'm getting utterly shafted in my cup draws though. Real Madrid in my CL group, then Arsenal in the Carling Cup 3rd round? Fuck off.

[The Future]

Absolutely tearing apart the Swedish Premiership with Osters at the moment, huge turn of fortune from when we were struggling to survive in the first division!.

Top of the league at the moment and the Europa League draw is soon, should be a great adventure...hopefully we won't draw someone boring.

[Hobo]

My 100% win rate with Cameroon ends in the first game of the Cup of Nations. When a late DR Congo goal costs us a 1-0 win. We're in a group with Benin, South Africa and Congo. The draw has us on top. I intend to stay there.

I blame Eto'o for having a shit game!

At Viking, I am struggling to keep young talented players and struggling to attract players.

[Dan]

Make you first one a Journey Man, Stok, and keep with it. I've just started a new one after realising I'd worked out the ideal path wrong. In order to get a chance at major league football I've used a list of the rankings of the top leagues of each nation found here. I'm going to make sure I'm at the top of the bottom

Nations I selected were...

Austrlia

Brazil

England (selected League 2 and upwards)

France

Germany

Holland

ireland

Italy (Selected Serie B and upwards)

N. Ireland

Scotland (selected Second Division and upwards)

Singapore

South Africa

South Korea

USA

Wales

All the ones un-noted were only the top league. Should give me a good range to go from, at least one league on all continents, a wide spread of reputation and plenty of interesting rules.

Ok, I've just started this list of leagues as I was reading through the thread and thought it was a good idea, downloaded a mid-January update, fixed some of the errors (the guy had put O'Neill in charge at WHU for example) and added some transfers to go through in January (Pienaar/Jones/Bent), started in January because south Korea was selected, gonna start unemployed and see who picks me up.

[Hobo]

Beat RSA 1-0. But players are dropping like flies. Three injuries so far in the tournament.

[Meacon Keaton]

Took the job as manager for the New York Red Bulls. We have eight games left in the season, we're dead last. My first game, we go up against the #1 team, Chicago and we're keeping up with them at 1-1. In the 84th minute, my middie passes it back to my goalkeeper and the goalkeeper watches it fucking roll into the net. Played tough with the best team in the league and lost on that stupid play. I was half the mind to release his ass then and there. Anyway, after that we went on quite a tear and finished 10th out of 14.

[Lineker]

Just lost the Asian Cup final on penalties. Gutting.

Didn't help that Josh Kennedy got injured in the second group stage match and he's my key player along with Cahill. Had a fair few other injuries too along with Bresciano suspended from the final. 7-6!! Bloody Shane Lowry...