I Am A Complete Idiot

[Pretended]

Uh-huh, definitely. Look elsewhere for tactic-related rocket science. This will be all rant.

Ever since FM 07, I've simply failed to accomplish anything in this game. And considering I'm not the only one playing this game, this leaves us with the unavoidable consequence: I'm a complete idiot.

The only time I could count myself successful was my post at Borussia Dortmund which already had a winner squad, and in even that my second season was turning into a mess despite my championship in the former season.

So in this FM 13 I picked my favorite team of all times, Real Betis -the team that I had made it to UEFA Cup final from Intertoto stage back in my CM glory days-.

I'm always fascinated by the tactical aspects of CM/FM series as well as its tremendously realistic database. So I've come to the conclusion that "one tactic for all games" was not valid anymore and that I had to tinker my tactics from home to away games.

So I wrote up one 4-3-(wide)2-1 for home matches and a classic 4-5-1 for ones away. Starting surprisingly well, I managed to beat high profile guys such as Malaga and Atletico Madrid, building a team that managed to stand off any goals in away matches adorned with a couple of surprise counter-attack goals, and home matches with Zdenek-Zeman-esque results -lotsa goals in both nets.

However the moment I played against Real Madrid, the team was shaken. The unbeaten run came to an end -ok, no problem, they are los galacticos anyway- and add two consecutive Barcelona matches (league & cup) that followed to that and we had a mess once again in our hands. Somewhere at some point I could, insisting on the aforementioned tactics, put the team back on track and managed another run of unbeaten games but with less wins this time.

And that Granada match..Oh them los bloodios madermockeros. They were leading the La Liga to your surprise and I was just "the next one" on their list. 2-0 lost and I was sacked. I had to quit the club while los Beticos were still on 13th seat of the table.

A couple of days later Almeria, Liga Adelante 6th spot contenders approached, that was a surprise and I accepted the job.

I had seen that although somehow my team could manage at away games, home games were never a streak of wins so I tried a 4-6(2 central players)-0 for home games.

My first game away was a 0-2 loss to Mirandes and as my expectations were mounting on our new tactical surprise, I was losing heavily 4-0 at home to Numancia where I RAGEQUIT FM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

Where has my touch and joy gone ? I simply avoid FM now because it made me feel like a total idiot now. 5 years of -although not as frequent as I used to play in my teenager days- incompetence should surely mean something, no ?

Shall I go back to brainless Serious Sam hunting from now on ? What do you say ?

Thanks SI Games for revealing my true level of intelligence after 28 years of lifetime. (Heck, what am I doing right now anyway ?)

P.S. I may be multiplying my stupidity as I re-open this thread in another -hopefully, right- section of the forums. Ahem..

[MakaveliPT]

Well, with 5 years playing i doubt you are a complete idiot as far as the games go, you might need some help tho', i sure did before. Try creating a thread on tactical forum with some screenshots of your tactics and such and perhaps we could help get it performing better or see if you are making any big mistakes.

[AytchMan]

I think you should stick with it. I've been playing for a decade now as a tactical ignoramus -- exclusively lower league -- and have rarely bumped up more than a couple of levels in any career. But, as I never tire of repeating, FM is a journey, not a destination. The constant frustration (in the good sense) is completely dispelled by the occasional starburst such as a lucky, breakthrough signing who propels us to promotion. And the not-infrequent relegation battles are sometimes a joy as we battle better teams, injuries and bonehead plays to survive. It has always amused me that some posters come on here bemoaning the end of their (inevitably boring) eighty-seven game win streak with Man U and whine that the game either offers no challenge, is broken or hates them, i.e., it made them lose. Keep 'em flying.

[kingjericho]

Try the challenges forum. It's a good way to develop your skills (I sure did) and when managing lower league teams you lean so much, because if you can do it with lousy players you can do it with a top tier team.

[Ackter]

First, pick International reputation when starting a game as it makes all but the most Carlos Tevez-y of players respect you.

This then makes it easier to implement tactical ideas, deal with players and just generally succeed.

As for tactics, my advice is always K.I.S.S. Use the tactics creator and keep everything as default as possible to start off with. Make sure you have at least one player placed to link up each are of the pitch. So, with a 4-4-2 for example, have one fullback on support while the other defends, have one winger attack while the other supports, have one midfielder defend while the other supports, and have one attacker support while the other attacks, This will ensure there's options open when every player has the ball (unless the AI gangs up on one of your players, but even then your setup will allow you to play the ball through other avenues instead, bypassing that one tracked player).

With transfers, in this version technical and mental attributes are finally just as important as physical ones, so having a Guti in your team can be just as beneficial as having an Agnonlahor was in previous versions. To start with, sign players at least 25 years old and ensure they have good mental attributes. Try and have one leader in each area of the pitch - your captain shouldnt be the only person with influence.

Try and sign a set piece specialist as they can be relied upon to help you get a few more goals each season.

Allow your assistant to handle team talks, press conferences etc and make sure to hire one that looks like a manager. High motivation etc a must.

Get a DoF to handle the sale of transfer listed players, as it's one less thing you have to worry about and he does a good job of it. I also get him to handle negotiations - if he comes back unable to sign a player, it'll be because the opposition require an unrealistic amount of money for him, in which case you either take over yourself if you feel you must have that player, or try and find a new target.

And if all else fails, save, quit and reload until you win

[Pretended]

So, with a 4-4-2 for example, have one fullback on support while the other defends, have one winger attack while the other supports, have one midfielder defend while the other supports, and have one attacker support while the other attacks,

You lost me there.

What's reasonable with a LB being supportive while a RB being all offensive ? We are talking about an average of 50 metres of distance between the two. How come is such asymmetric build supposed to help considering the natural gap between them ?

Also, is it right for me to open a tactics thread and discuss every other result I get with it ? It does not count as a story I presume ?

@AytchMan it's not challenge that I'm pissed off. I'm an underdogs manager after all. It's just my eventual downfall, may it be after half a season or two.

I've opened a new Vitesse game now and will be back to my favorite tactic: 2 DC- 2 WB - 1 DMC - 2 MC - 2 AMR/L - ST. I'm very sure that's destined to fail because of the gap behind the WBs though.

To others, thanks for your encouraging posts. Very much appreciated -hey, I've run the game again, that's an accomplishment itself.