How to not get slaughtered?

[EastBayFunk]

I have played FM sporadically for the past three years. I just recently got FM13 and started a new career managing Leeds United. I decided to go with a 4231 formation because this my favorite arrangement in real life. I did a lot of work scouting players and made four good signings to bolster the squad. I entered the season with the expectation to finish top half of the table. That didn't seem like a stretch given that Leeds had a decent roster to start with, but then the season started and my team just kept losing. Through approximately 12 games I had only two wins, was dead last in the standings, and was well past the point of being on the hot seat. I finally threw in the towel and quit the game during a 3-0 beatdown.

Can someone explain to me how a team with a 3-3.5 star average starter rating can get brutalized like this every game? My signings were performing well and drawing rave reviews from the fans, yet my team simply couldn't win a game. Is it the tactics? Is 4231 known not to work very well? I tried switching to my secondary 442 tactic and the results weren't much better. All of my players were well suited to their specific roles, so that shouldn't be the issue (I didn't sign a 4 star attacking mid and play him at DM, for example).

It is extremely frustrating to put 5-6 hours into building the staff and working the transfer market only to get steamrolled for no apparent reason when the games begin. This happened to me in FM12 playing as Wolves in the Premiere League. It was enough for me to put down the game indefinitely. I am tempted to do the same this year. Just wondering if there's something obvious I'm overlooking here. I had good success in FM11, so I don't understand why the game has tortured me like this the last few times I have tried to get a career going.

[darthrodent]

For what it's worth, I had the hardest time having any success with Leeds United. I too failed miserably in my first season with them (14th) in the Championship. I did notice that my midfield couldn't create a lie if their lives depended on it: all graft and no creativity. However if you're willing to be patient and you have a logical, coherent system—per the poster's advice above—you should be safe until season two; at which point you should be able to walk the division with the resources you have.

[soccer.joel]

star ratings are comparative to players in your squad so a 3 team star rating Wigan would be weaker than one at Man United for example

[BiggusD]

When you start a new game with the newest database, there are usually a bunch of players that are new at the club already - signing even more weakens the team gelling further. In addition, as a new manager - whatever reputation you chose - the players won't really trust you. A good tip is to holiday for a season (or five) and then add yourself to the club of your choice - this will alleviate some of the team gelling issues evident the first season.

Leeds might be a big club, and the players may be 3-3,5 stars but none of them are Premier League material. The best teams in The Championship have several players good enough for the division above. A more in-depth look at the squad will tell you that none of the players are particularly good at anything. There are no big, strong players; no quick, technical players; no creativity; no experience and smartness; no hard-working ball-winners. You cannot rely on player skill to score goals or prevent them - it is all up to you.

This makes Leeds a very hard team to manage.

[borobadger]

I actually have the exact same problem as the OP when managing Middlesbrough. I've had good success with every one of my other saves, but when I try to manage Middlesbrough, no matter who I sign or what I do, I get turned over every week until I get sacked. No idea what to do with them

[Kenco]

You need to be a bit more specific about your tactics than just saying 4-2-3-1.

Are the 2 DMs or MCs? Are the 3 all central or with wingers? What about team instructions, player roles and duties? Shouts? Team talks?

You'd be better off starting a thread in the tactics forum and explain exactly what tactical instructions you are using and asking the forum where it's going wrong. You'll get some good advice if you ask the right questions.

[jonomagloneo]

Not over-complicating things tactics-wise really is the biggest piece of advice here. Leave sliders alone, don't feel you need to go shorter passing/press more/more roaming etc etc... default across the board really can be OK.

4-2-3-1 can work (it's my favourite tactic) but with an team like Leeds, I'd think twice about utilising it - not sure you'd have the personnel straight away. Something to work towards via a 4-4-1-1, perhaps?

[EastBayFunk]

I think personnel could be a part of the problem. I had my DMs right in front of the back four. One of them was the Jamaican who is on Leeds by default. I had him in a committed ball winning DM role. The other was a new signing named Jay Tabb from Wigan, who I had as a deep lying playmaker. He was actually one of the only effective creative threats on the team, as he would occasionally pop in a nice deep pass to put Steve Morison through on goal.

I had Diouf at RW and a new signing from the Malmo at LW. Morison at ST in an advanced forward role. The only major weak link was the trequartista behind Morison, who wasn't perfectly suited to the role, but should've been serviceable there based on his rating.

The back four did okay, but occasionally fell asleep and let players run in behind them unmarked. The worst player was actually Stephen Warnock. He made several mistakes that let in goals, which is weird because he has a good rating for the Championship level.

Maybe I just bit off more than this squad could chew. The wing players and #10 just might not be good enough for this kind of system to work.

[Cougar2010]

I think personnel could be a part of the problem. I had my DMs right in front of the back four. One of them was the Jamaican who is on Leeds by default. I had him in a committed ball winning DM role. The other was a new signing named Jay Tabb from Wigan, who I had as a deep lying playmaker. He was actually one of the only effective creative threats on the team, as he would occasionally pop in a nice deep pass to put Steve Morison through on goal.

I had Diouf at RW and a new signing from the Malmo at LW. Morison at ST in an advanced forward role. The only major weak link was the trequartista behind Morison, who wasn't perfectly suited to the role, but should've been serviceable there based on his rating.

The back four did okay, but occasionally fell asleep and let players run in behind them unmarked. The worst player was actually Stephen Warnock. He made several mistakes that let in goals, which is weird because he has a good rating for the Championship level.

Maybe I just bit off more than this squad could chew. The wing players and #10 just might not be good enough for this kind of system to work.

Although you haven't said it sounds like you have the four front players on "Attack" duties and combined with the two DMs this means you have a massive gap between the DMs and the front four.

I always find 4231 a difficult formation to balance but for a start I always believe a lone forward should be on support orders, after that you need a mix of support and attack duties on your AMCs/wingers.

[Hala_Madrid]

Maybe you could ask barside in this thread about how to employ the ai tactic to get totally dominated and win 1-0 regardless.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/355994-What-am-i-doing-Wrong

[EastBayFunk]

Started a new career with Aston Villa and got sacked in December.

Yeesh. This game is brutal.

I think I'll take a long break. That and a nice cold shower.

[wwfan]

Have you read through any of the help threads? There's a couple stickied in tactics and darthrodent's team talk thread in GD is well worth a read (as long as you ignore the sniping in the earlier posts).

[GoDi]

There's something really wrong with your tactics then, something simple probably, that you are trying to force to work but its not.

My main problem with FM series is that its too easy, (im using self made 4-4-2 flat, 4-2-3-1 (2 dm, 3 amc, 1 st), 4-5-1 (1 dml, 1 mcr, 1 amc, 1aml, 1amr, 1stc) and all of those pretty much rips the opposition to pieces once I start to get players in that I prefer.

Stars dont mean S*it, dont get a winger with low speed, he may have 5* because of his other skills, but if he's slow, he aint gonna do nothing good for u, dc without decent jumping is pretty much a guy waiting for u to be yelled at after another conceded corner/cross....

And with ST (when using 2 strikers) and wingers pay attention to the feet they are strong at, a left footed guy can never play as a winger in right side, he will play as inside forward no matter what orders u give him, and when playing with 2 forwards, use left footed at right side and right footed at left side, that way they are gonna stay closer to middle and get alot more scoring chances, if not possible to do so, atleast leave the guy who is fast and able to run with the ball to play in his "wrong side (etc left footed in right side).

[ArsenalFan7]

5 at the back