[Suggestion/Discussion] Enhanced Opposition Scouting Reports

[Powermonger]

I've been thinking about this a while, before even FM17 was announced but was waiting until FM17 was released to see what improvements (if any) to the next opposition scout reports were made. Now there have been some improvements made in FM17 but I still feel the reports are lacking, although the addition of the Data Analyst Next Opposition scout report has added a bit more information.

These are the additions I'd like to see added to the Next Opposition Report:

• A combined view of our teams formation overlayed with the next opponents preferred formation. This is to show how the two teams formations align with each other to highlight weaknesses or areas where numerical superiority is expected.
• The scouts opinion on the roles likely to be played for each opponents position.
• Scouts comments and graphic on the opponents team placement in the attacking phase, noting the number of players expected to participate in the phase
• Scouts comments and graphic on the opponents team placement in the defensive phase, noting the number of players expected to participate in the phase
• More in-depth comments on the marking system used, such as any main areas the opponents like to man mark
• More in-depth comments on the pressing system used, such as any main areas the opponents like to press and the line which they start to press as a team
• Scout comments on any tactical adjustments the next oppositions manager likes to make during the course of a match
• More in-depth comments on particular players, such as those looking to be given more freedom of movement or types of problems they may cause for our team.
• More in-depth comments about the opponents style of build-up play, such as preferring to exploit flanks or the middle.
• Commentary on the opponents tactical attitude to home and away matches, and to stronger and weaker teams
• Scout comments on the opponents current overall psychological state, i.e. really bad run of late and team suffering from low morale

With the Data Analyst report, the Focus of Attacks information should be displayed as a field graphic with arrows, like the match panel that displays the same information. Having it just displayed as percentages seems incomplete. Data Analyst report should be more graphical using lots of charts and graphics to display raw data.

I'd also like to see that the Data Analyst Pre-match Report and Scouts Next Opposition Report come as a combined report so it builds up a complete picture utilising the two different types of information. I'd also like it if we could customise the report by indicating to both the scout and the data analyst the type of information we want and do not want to know. This could be done by talking to the head scout and detailing through him the types of reports we want to see.

Hopefully some of these suggestions can be taken on as I feel the scout reports we get now are a long way away from what manager would get in real life as the information we are given is rather rudimentary and more just a team snapshot then actual scouting analysis of the opponent.

 

[Powermonger]

Something else I wanted to add as a suggestion for the Next Opposition report is that there should be a mini-commentary on each of the likely starting 11 of the opposition to highlight things to look to be aware of the player and any key observations. This should be from both the scout perspective and the data analyst perspective.

The report should be presented like a Opposition's Best XI screen but with the likely lineup and we should be told our scout's rating opinion plus any key information about their ability, strengths and weaknesses. Now this should not be a full blown player scout report however it should be based on information the scout and data analyst noticed of the last couple of matches the opponents played. A real scout would be feeding back as much information as he can to the manager/coach to fully inform them on what they are likely to face in terms of play style and players. FM needs to emulate this better.

[Neil Brock]

Reviewed so locked.