Football Manager 2014

[9 to 5]

Starting a 2nd game is cheating. :/

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

So, my season's progressed nicely up to December. Only one loss since the start of the season to that point, that being the previously mentioned 2-1 defeat to Zenit. 11 straight wins in the league before Reading ended that run with a draw, and a draw to Zenit in the return fixture saw us confirmed for the next round of the Champions League!

December has been shit though. Continental hangover hit big time as I've lost 4-0 to Spurs, 5-0 to City, beat Galatasaray in the final group game before losing to Chelsea 2-0 and then scraping past Brighton into the Capitol One Cup Semis. Think I need to work on the rotation of the squad. All of those were away games though, my home form is still unbeatable.

The new signings have all fit in well, Balanta is third (!?) on my scorers chart with 6, behind Barkley with 8 and Mirallas with 18. Kovacic is a great little playmaker in the heart of my midfield, and Emanuelson just what I've needed out on left wing. Currently injured though for 4 months.

Giovinco's had a massive goal drought of 20 games before scoring the winner at Galatasaray, but he's leading my assist chart so he's not been useless. May need to investigate ways to help him fit in better.

[brenchill]

I think I'm going to start my first ever journeyman game today from unemployed. Argentinian 3rd division here I come.

[Gazz]

Ah, a big time Charlie I see...

[Liam]

Seamus Coleman just got sent off in a Champions League game, and followed it up by getting sent off in the next Premiership match. Both straight red cards.

Still won both games though, so maybe he should get sent off every game? >_>

[Arjen Robben]

I find bookings to be well excessive in this game, particularly fullbacks. I've pissed about with instructions to the point that I've basically told them to avoid tackling all together and they're still like nah.

[Gorka]

Norwich somehow managed to finish fourth in the second season of my Aston Villa game, in front of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City.

City then sacked Guardiola and brought in Clarence Seedorf, who got Montpellier to finish fourteenth in Ligue 1.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Finished season two 5th in the league, the horrible December/January run ruined the league season. Signing Begovic didn't help the flow of goals, but it got rid of Joel, who had demanded to leave, so that's a plus.

Knocked out in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League by Barcelona, but I never though we'd get passed them. Only aimed to escape the groups, so exceeded all expectations!

Walked away with the Community Shield, the Capitol One Cup and the FA Cup though, so a good season for cup competitions!

Early transfer dealings being made, Urby Emanuelson has left to Hull for 3.3m. Wasn't bad for me, but was very injury prone and missed half of last season, so 3.3m for a player I got on a free is great business in my mind.

Coming in as his left wing replacement: Lorenzo Insigne for 19m to continue the raiding of Serie A. Top business.

Also signed, some Iraqi wonderkid by the name of Humam Tariq for 3.6m. I didn't even bid for him so I don't know where the bid came from. Either way, he's being loaned back for a year so he's none of my concern for now.

Distin and Osman have anounced their retirements at the end of the season Replacements are already lined up, John Stones has been used sparingly as a sub but will jump up as Distin's replacement, already had enough cover for Osman.

[Whisper]

Anyone managed to get an advanced playmaker playing well? Mata has averaged 6.9 over the last 2 1/2 half seasons but since my team have been winning I haven't really bothered to try and change it.

Tempted to change him to a supporting attacking mid to see if that makes a difference but I already have 2 attacking mids (on attack duty).

[stokeriño]

I have APs that do well from central midfield, but I've not really been convinced of them in any of the AM positions (in FM14 at least - in FM13 they could be amazing).

For an AMC I'm usually tempted to make him a Trequartista. I've certainly been having success with them lately, although at the moment it's as part of a Trequartista/Target Man pairing of two strikers.

[Plubby]

My AMC has been amazing as an AP. And the way he plays, visually he's lethal on the break.

[Arjen Robben]

I had Ross Barkley playing incredibly for me at AMC in one of my saves with Southampton. Was getting 40+ goals a season.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Arjen Robben

[Whisper]

Don't think I'm gonna make any changes to my tactics to be honest. I'm doing well with what I've got just now. I feel like my AP does a job for the team by dropping off and creating space for my 2 AMs.

I think the low (ish) ratings are more to do with the way the game rates players. FM seems to heavily weight goals and assists in the ratings and if my AP is sitting deeper and playing the ball into my Attacking Mids, Full Backs and Centre Forward for them to create chances, then he's doing a job whilst not scoring goals and getting tonnes of assists himself.

It's just the 'statto' in me that hates seeing a player like Mata averaging 6.9 a season while Jessie Lingard averages around 7.4 because he gets forward and gets goals (but misses at least 2 sitters before getting said goal).

Also, I learnt something today. I never realised, perhaps foolishly, that scout reports are relevant to your squad's ability. And here I was wondering why Nick Powell had dropped from 5* potential to 4 despite featuring pretty heavily in my first team squad.

[Plubby]

I thought that it was relative to their opinion of the QoC they face in the league, but when you do a Team Report it's relative to your squad?

[brenchill]

I've just spent a fortune on assembling an attacking Arsenal squad and we are dreadful. I won the FA Cup in the previous season and hoped to win the league this season but that's not happening now.

I have Draxler, Wilshere, James Rodriguez, Belhanda, Fischer and I can't seem to get them going. Can anyone recommend some team instructors to get these fuckers firing? It's so frustrating.

[Arjen Robben]

How are you playing them? MC, MC, AMR, AMC, AML?

To be honest, they might just need time to gel and get accustomed to playing together in your formation? What does it say their familiarity with your tactics is at?

[brenchill]

Familiarity is maxed out.

I play 4-2-3-1.

Draxler AML, Rodriguez AMC and Belhanda AMR. I have Rancon up front playing as a AF.

Wilshere and Evan Angelista in midfield.

[Benji]

What's your issue? Not enough goals? Conceding too many? From which wings are you struggling? Is your passing game failing? Is your posession game failing? Are you conceding most goals from set pieces? Etc etc.

[brenchill]

Possession is a big problem. We can't kill teams off. We're not creating enough either for a team with so many good individuals.

[Benji]

For posession, try tinkering with your tempo and passing. It tends to be you're giving the ball away too easy, so slowing it down or speeding it up (depending on your team) will allow you either breathing room, or allow you to get around your opponents with your speed. Passing is a tougher one to gauge, but generally I find short passing works best. Also, if you have five midfielders and don't have someone's job as "Ball Winning Midfielder", get them on that because they'll work at making sure that on the occassion you do lose the ball that you get it back ASAP. The other option is to change your pressing of the opposition, but I rarely find that makes a difference at higher levels, where people's personalities tend to be more attuned to playing under pressure.