Football Manager 2014 Discussion

[Nefaro]

Damn.

This makes me wanna fire up FM2013 again, after seeing bboyer's strategies. 

I can handle setting the general formations and assigning players, for someone who doesn't live & breath the game.  But it's some of the special team stuff that I'm a bit iffy on when it comes to player placement. 

Some of the in-game calls' specific intended results, and when (or for which team strengths/situations) to use them, is also my weak spot.

[undercovergeek]

if you google football manager teamtalks somewhere in there is a guide for all the pre match, half time and post match talks you should give - i think the guy was called Wolfsong

edit - its here -

http://www.talkceltic.net/forum/showthread.php?t=105314

its for 11 but hes says its still relevant

[bboyer66]

General rule of thumb is stay calm and positive in most of your team talks. Only break out the hairdryer treatment when you are getting beat by a lesser side, and dont do it too often.

I stay away from most touchline commands. Pretty much play with the same strategy all the way through the game.

[BanzaiCat]

I really don't understand why, but my Cheesefaire FC tied the first game 3-3, then won the next two, putting them at second in the Skrill South.

The last game we slaughtered Farnborough 7-2.

I don't hardly understand the positions and had accidentally screwed up my First Team by clearing them all out and tried to fit them all back together like a broken eggshell. I think I created a weird scheme in the Tactics section just before that third game pounding we gave.

I'd say I'm a genius that created some mystifying super-tactic, but I can't. Also, Farnborough was probably just a terrible excuse for a team.

I did learn that trying to sign players is a pain in the ass. I went into a bidding war for a player my assistant said was a huge star and we couldn't do without him, so I kept upping my bid and kept having it rejected until finally the club accepted it. Then I had to make a contract offer. I did, and he snubbed me, the ass. Lo and behold there's no way to make another contract offer so I guess he went away for good. Is that the way it works? Strange, but I am learning as I go.

[KyzBP]

I really don't understand why, but my Cheesefaire FC tied the first game 3-3, then won the next two, putting them at second in the Skrill South.

The last game we slaughtered Farnborough 7-2.

I don't hardly understand the positions and had accidentally screwed up my First Team by clearing them all out and tried to fit them all back together like a broken eggshell. I think I created a weird scheme in the Tactics section just before that third game pounding we gave.

I'd say I'm a genius that created some mystifying super-tactic, but I can't. Also, Farnborough was probably just a terrible excuse for a team.

I did learn that trying to sign players is a pain in the ass. I went into a bidding war for a player my assistant said was a huge star and we couldn't do without him, so I kept upping my bid and kept having it rejected until finally the club accepted it. Then I had to make a contract offer. I did, and he snubbed me, the ass. Lo and behold there's no way to make another contract offer so I guess he went away for good. Is that the way it works? Strange, but I am learning as I go.

That's why I prefer to sign Free Transfer players.  Nothing sucks more than haggling with a team only to have the player reject you...except losing 7-2 to some guy who just cobbled together a lineup while you've spent countless hours trying to perfect a tactic  >:(.

[JudgeDredd]

Elgin City are giving me a freakin headache!

I've got no money to buy a half decent player. The ones I have are crap with a couple of shining stars. I was 2-0 up against an opponent in a game last night and lost 3-2. If I'm not losing from the outset, I'm losing after I've taken the lead. I've played 18, won 4, drew 4 and lost 10!

In the league alone I have played 15 won 3 drew 3 and lost 9 :-(

[undercovergeek]

I really don't understand why, but my Cheesefaire FC tied the first game 3-3, then won the next two, putting them at second in the Skrill South.

The last game we slaughtered Farnborough 7-2.

I don't hardly understand the positions and had accidentally screwed up my First Team by clearing them all out and tried to fit them all back together like a broken eggshell. I think I created a weird scheme in the Tactics section just before that third game pounding we gave.

I'd say I'm a genius that created some mystifying super-tactic, but I can't. Also, Farnborough was probably just a terrible excuse for a team.

I did learn that trying to sign players is a pain in the ass. I went into a bidding war for a player my assistant said was a huge star and we couldn't do without him, so I kept upping my bid and kept having it rejected until finally the club accepted it. Then I had to make a contract offer. I did, and he snubbed me, the ass. Lo and behold there's no way to make another contract offer so I guess he went away for good. Is that the way it works? Strange, but I am learning as I go.

once the contract is rejected you have to start the purchase process over again - but at least you know the owning clubs asking price

[KyzBP]

This years version definitely seems more difficult.  I'm kind of happy about that.  Guys like me, who know next to nothing about soccer, shouldn't be able to easily move a team up the ranks.  I think this will be the version that forces me to better learn the inner workings of soccer.

[BanzaiCat]

This years version definitely seems more difficult.  I'm kind of happy about that.  Guys like me, who know next to nothing about soccer, shouldn't be able to easily move a team up the ranks.  I think this will be the version that forces me to better learn the inner workings of soccer.

I'm in complete agreement, which is why I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing that's winning these games.

I THINK I created a 4-3-3 formation (goalie at the bottom, then four guys, then two ranks of three each - that's how you describe a 4-3-3, right?). Not that this is all that unusual but it was different from what I had been doing. And I just knew Farnsborough was going to have us for lunch, but exactly the opposite occurred.

And to be completely honest - winning is not all that much fun. I'd much rather have my team getting pummeled and me figuring out why than being way ahead of the curve...and not knowing why! I'm actually afraid to fire it up again because if I start losing, I'll get mad, and even though I recognize that's ridiculous and I should be losing...well, I don't know.

There's a ton of fan support sites as you guys have been posting - and I greatly appreciate that - but what I need is a site that is basically "Football for Dummies." I need each position explained to me and whom you can put in them (my Tactics and First Squad screens look like a hopeless mess of alphabet soup chunks to my untrained eyes). I know the manual describes the positions and the skills most important to each, but I need to know what those positions do, what they're responsible for, what the expectations are, that kind of thing. I need to know what constitutes a yellow card (I've seen several get pulled in my last couple of games, but only against my opponents), or a red card (haven't seen this one yet), things like that. I'm the kind of person who would much rather bury myself in a manual and devour all the info before I hit the first screen when it comes to this game.

There is an "unofficial" guide to Football Manager 2014 on Amazon, which is available for the Kindle, and I've thought about buying it, but frankly if it's like the manual and just assumes you know how to play in the first place, I don't want to waste the money on it.

[undercovergeek]

hilarious - i cannot find one single site for explaining the rules of football to a non believer

Everytime i think ive found one its American Football, ill keep looking - the only people in the UK who dont understand it are women - ill see if i can find a ladies help manual for you  :P

[JudgeDredd]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Football-Dummies-UK-Scott-Murray-ebook/dp/B0062OADYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389276388&sr=8-1&keywords=football+for+dummies

[BanzaiCat]

hilarious - i cannot find one single site for explaining the rules of football to a non believer

Everytime i think ive found one its American Football, ill keep looking - the only people in the UK who dont understand it are women - ill see if i can find a ladies help manual for you  :P

Ohhh, see, okay, a Yank admits ignorance to an English national pastime, and actually for the first time in his adult life expresses an interest in it (just ask Brant, he knows how comedically hostile I've been towards "soccer" in the past), and in response you gotta go there, eh? :P

[CptHowdy]

hilarious - i cannot find one single site for explaining the rules of football to a non believer

Everytime i think ive found one its American Football, ill keep looking - the only people in the UK who dont understand it are women - ill see if i can find a ladies help manual for you  :P

rules as in laws of the game? http://www.ussoccer.com/referees/laws-of-the-game.aspx
I ref youth soccer and a little indoor in my spare time

[undercovergeek]

that might be a bit dry - more of a brief overview of the game i was thinking, explanation of defense, midfield, wingers, strikers and the offside rule!

[vyshka]

I really don't understand why, but my Cheesefaire FC tied the first game 3-3, then won the next two, putting them at second in the Skrill South.

The last game we slaughtered Farnborough 7-2.

I don't hardly understand the positions and had accidentally screwed up my First Team by clearing them all out and tried to fit them all back together like a broken eggshell. I think I created a weird scheme in the Tactics section just before that third game pounding we gave.

I'd say I'm a genius that created some mystifying super-tactic, but I can't. Also, Farnborough was probably just a terrible excuse for a team.

I did learn that trying to sign players is a pain in the ass. I went into a bidding war for a player my assistant said was a huge star and we couldn't do without him, so I kept upping my bid and kept having it rejected until finally the club accepted it. Then I had to make a contract offer. I did, and he snubbed me, the ass. Lo and behold there's no way to make another contract offer so I guess he went away for good. Is that the way it works? Strange, but I am learning as I go.

Unless something has changed in the last year, Farnborough have serious financial issues.

Here is how to run your team: