Football Manager 2012

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I don't have anyone on extra high training. I'm usually pretty lazy with training in FM games and just leave the defaults as they are. The injuries seem to be coming in bursts based on position - at the start of the season I had five defensive injuries (both in match and in training) inside the first three games. Now, Robben, Ribery and Muller seem to be rotating round which one of them has to be substituted this week. I'll check what my match preperation has been set to; and I've already started making substitutions earlier in games.

I was also going to ask about team talks and getting players motivated. I'm generally calm and say that we are favourites, or we should win for the fans or something similar; I go assertive if we're playing badly at half time and say somehting along the lines of, 'Where's the passion/I know you can play better etc), and if a player has had a dip in form I tell him that I have faith. How do others handle it? I never seem to anger anyone and hardly ever make players switch off, but no-one seems to be fired up either.

[King Ellis]

I'm contemplating doing a long term game and there's 3 options:

Generic race to Premiership that a few people here are already doing with Basingstoke, not sure who i'd do it with. Beforehand I had imagined Darlington caus they have that funky stadium but they're BSP. Possibly Hyde as i've alluded to before. I could even go Wakefield if I put on some more of the English pyramid.

FC Vaduz. This one I think is pretty interesting. They play in the second division of the Swiss league but are from Leichtenstein. They still play in their cup and have won it like 40 times. Apparently it isn't in the game by default so you're just given an automatic Euro cup spot every year. This means you can't get into the Champions League were you ever to get that far but a good Euro Cup run could help your finances. Part of the idea is that you're meant to be the national team manager too and build up some prospects by getting your team a good youth setup and what not but i'm not sure on that aspect. Never really been into international management and certainlly wouldn't like being in charge at the start and losing 8-0 and stuff.

The other is the San Marino challenge which is like Vaduz except not as cheap in the sense that it's gonna be years and years until you actually are able to EARN your European spot. That and there's apparently a glitch where you don't get TV money if you reach Serie A so you have to edit it in.

I don't know why i'm so eager to do this given I have little LLM experience and this 2 seasons with Rangers is the longest game i've had in years.

[Hobo]

On the subject of training, since it was mentioned above, I've started to become a little more focused on the training side since FM11. I try to get the best coaches I can get and assign players to training regimes myself to focus on things I want them to improve on (case point with Juanmi for Viking on FM11 where I made him work on his composure to the point where he became a much, much better striker than he had been when I signed him).

I don't really get too technical other than bringing in coaches with the best attributes for what I need (unless it comes to something I want an individual player to improve on). So with the 'Caps I focused on defensive coaching because they scored a lot in the season prior but conceded a lot too.

I miss the "X agrees/disagrees from backroom advice" because now I just put everyone on training regimes that are suggested to me.

[King Ellis]

On my Earnie turn, I had a coach suggest one of the centre backs train in trying to knock the ball past people when he's taking them on. I would have fired him if it wasn't for the fact he costs me £0 a week.

[Gazz]

When it comes to training, there are only three things you need to know.

Level of discipline.

Motivating.

Determination.

If there not all over 15, you'll never get a five star coach rating.

[Liam]

Finished 4th in the end during my second season.

With my chairman as he is, spent 63million on Ganso, because I could. Went £45mil in debt, only for a day later having my chairman put £90mil into the coffers. And still, only expected to qualify for the Champs League this next season.

[NobBe Nobbs]

I can't work out if I suck at this game or if the mediocre results are more a product of the players I'm working with. Any general tips on playing in the lower leagues I should bear in mind?

[Guest mr. potato head]

I can't work out if I suck at this game or if the mediocre results are more a product of the players I'm working with. Any general tips on playing in the lower leagues I should bear in mind?

You can always find free transfers with more skill than 90% of your players.

Even though the team sucks compared to higher level clubs, you can still go out and dominate with Attacking play against a weaker club.

Don't have a million touchline instructions. Your players can't remember that much.

EDIT: I should point out, these tips were for the REALLY low leagues. If you're in League 1 or something, ignore them.

Edited January 12, 2012 by mr. potato head

[Plubby]

Russian First Division?

[Dan]

FC Vaduz. This one I think is pretty interesting. They play in the second division of the Swiss league but are from Leichtenstein. They still play in their cup and have won it like 40 times. Apparently it isn't in the game by default so you're just given an automatic Euro cup spot every year. This means you can't get into the Champions League were you ever to get that far but a good Euro Cup run could help your finances. Part of the idea is that you're meant to be the national team manager too and build up some prospects by getting your team a good youth setup and what not but i'm not sure on that aspect. Never really been into international management and certainlly wouldn't like being in charge at the start and losing 8-0 and stuff.

Sounds the best, I'd love to give that one a shot myself.

[NobBe Nobbs]

I can't work out if I suck at this game or if the mediocre results are more a product of the players I'm working with. Any general tips on playing in the lower leagues I should bear in mind?

You can always find free transfers with more skill than 90% of your players.

Even though the team sucks compared to higher level clubs, you can still go out and dominate with Attacking play against a weaker club.

Don't have a million touchline instructions. Your players can't remember that much.

EDIT: I should point out, these tips were for the REALLY low leagues. If you're in League 1 or something, ignore them.

I have been. Half of my team are youth players who are rated higher than my veterans and can't do shit. I'm playing Control and Attacking tactics against clubs in my league or lower and getting nowhere because my defense appears to be incompetent.

[stokeriño]

I presume these highly-rated youngsters have good ability, not just potential?

I know I got sick of my Basingstoke scouts rating every player as FIVE STAR SIGN AT ALL COSTS, when their actual ability was 0.5 stars and the rest "potential" that I certainly had neither the time nor facilities to unlock at my level.

[Benji]

Don't have a million touchline instructions. Your players can't remember that much.

This is one I always get wary of. How many is too many, depending on the level you're at?

[NobBe Nobbs]

I presume these highly-rated youngsters have good ability, not just potential?

I know I got sick of my Basingstoke scouts rating every player as FIVE STAR SIGN AT ALL COSTS, when their actual ability was 0.5 stars and the rest "potential" that I certainly had neither the time nor facilities to unlock at my level.

Yeah, my scouts are pretty fucking irritating for that, I took to ignoring every report that didn't suggest the player was capable of being a good player in at least the Blue Square Premier. But yes, these youngsters have good ability as well as potential.

[The Lusophone]

Parent Club is god.

[Steeb]

So far I've found, due to my leaky defence, outscoring is always the best option. This is helped along by the fact that corners always find Materazzi who beasts the air in League 2. Almost felt like cheating signing him.

[Benji]

Materazzi eventually became my first team coach at Leicester. He's a great leader, an astounding defender, and has generally good coaching stats.

[jack95]

I guess everyone else signed Materazzi too then. He's been first choice at CB for my Brighton team, but he's not been as good as he seems to have been for Benji. He has a habit of conceding fouls in dangerous positions, and I think he's got the worst disciplinary record in my squad. Still a good player though, and he's such a brilliant aerial presence, whether attacking or defending. I'll fondly remember beating table-topping West Ham 2-1 away thanks to Marco getting his head on the end of a corner and a free-kick.

[Benji]

He and Matt Mills were rocks in defence for my first season. He does get his fair share of fouls, but considering the rest of his stats from that season, I felt it was a tiny price to pay.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Parent Club is god.

You say that, but Walsall and Millwall have both been fucking useless.

I'm going to start again. With Welling, this time. Pretty sure they're more technically my home club anyway.