Football Manager 2014

[Jimmy]

Soldado finished as the league's top scorer last year while playing as a Poacher. Granted, this season hasn't worked as well, but to say it's useless is a bit much.

[METALMAN]

Yeah, the most recent FM I've played was 12. I would always play a lone poacher and it worked really well.

[Lineker]

I'm sad that poacher apparently doesn't work in newer FM's!

[Gazz]

I should clarify I meant poacher as a lone striker, such as I use in the Pentagon. It will still work if you have a creator alongside them.

[Plubby]

I'm getting a couple goals and some improved performances from Freddy Kanoute and Rickie Lambert now that i'm playing them both as lone Trequartistas. Still getting most of my goals from wingers though.

[Benji]

Soldado finished as the league's top scorer last year while playing as a Poacher. Granted, this season hasn't worked as well, but to say it's useless is a bit much.

Yeah, hyperbole and all that. Generally a striker at the top level shouldn't be restricted to poaching though.

[METALMAN]

Why not? It's worked for a lot of top, top strikers.

[Baddar]

If ever I needed Hernandez to play up front on 13 (I play with 1 striker and a CAM, usually Rooney), he did well as a Poacher.

[Gazz]

Why not? It's worked for a lot of top, top strikers.

Tactical evolution.

The current prevalence of high line, aggressive pressing means that your attacker becomes your first line of defence. An out and out poacher will be rubbish at this.

If you then couple that with the current trend of playing a lone striker in a 4-3-3, having an attacker who cannot drop deep to fill the hole where an AMC would usually play means they will become isolated as they try to maintain the poacher role in playing off the shoulder of the last defender. It's one of the major factors in why Michael Owen went from England first choice to Stoke benchwarmer to unemployed, once injuries had robbed him of his pace, he was no longer effective in the only role he knew how to play, a role not many teams have the luxury of being able to carry defensively.

[Plubby]

Rickie Lambert just split THREE defenders with a back-heel pass to release a winger for a goal. I think there's a gap between the Premier League and Ligue 1

[METALMAN]

There is. It's the English Channel.

[brenchill]

Guys, I have a question.

I previously had FM13 on an old computer. If I download Steam on this new laptop, will I be able to play FM again without disks, etc?

[Plubby]

There is. It's the English Channel.

And he backheeled over that too!

[9 to 5]

Guys, I have a question.

I previously had FM13 on an old computer. If I download Steam on this new laptop, will I be able to play FM again without disks, etc?

Should do.

[Nerf]

After a 2-1 away defeat to David Moyes' Spurs, my Man Utd side are currently joint top with Chelsea and Everton in early January. Playing 4-3-3 (4-5-1) and struggling to get my strikers scoring. Hernandez has 7 and Van Persie 10 - Kagawa has 11 from midfield and Rooney 5 from wide. I've had the most joy playing my lone front man as a false 9, but still can't seem to get them scoring consistently.

That said, the team have been fairly consistent as a whole and we've gotten most of our more difficult games out of the way. Brought in Will Hughes from Derby in January for 12 million and may have to play him sooner than expected as Kagawa has gone down for 4 months

Noted United fan Will Hughes

[Plubby]

Just drew PSG in the cup 4th round. Oh come on.

[Gorka]

Anybody else struggle to breakdown teams with only ten men? I've played against at least five teams this season who have had a man sent off and I can never seem to take advantage.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

First round of the Champions League, overturned a one goal deficit against Juventus to take it to penalties.

Went all the way to 11-10 to me. Was heart in mouth stuff. Longest shootout I've had playing, and it was so damn stressful.

[9 to 5]

When you start the first game of the season, and after 70 seconds, you are 2-0 up away from home, it is a good feeling that yoiu might actually know what you are doing.

[Gazz]

Losing 3-2?