AI managers imagining "bad blood" between us?

[..Valhalla..]

I am now well into my 11th season as manager of various clubs and nations, and I can categorically state that I have never once spoke negatively about another manager. I always choose the diplomatic replies in press conferences/media interviews. And yet, for reasons unknown to me, I am forever having to say things like "I don't see it as a grudge match between me and [AI manager]" or "I think things got a bit out of hand between me and [AI manager] last time" and "to be honest I don't even remember what it was I said, and I'm glad [AI manager] is over it now as well..." (those kind of answers).

In my most recent match just now, I was playing Leverkusen away (I'm Gelsenkirchen) and pre-match had to say that "I don't even remember what it was I said etc, glad Tuchel is over it and so on"

We won 3-0 and the press asked me afterwards if "our pre-match exchange affected the match and am I glad I got one over him now?" (which makes no sense as our pre-match comments were positive and friendly).
I responded: "There are no hard feelings between Thomas and myself and our comments had no affect on the match"
He in turn replied: "The fact he is trying to backtrack now says all you need to know about him. He has been utterly unprofessional and I'm not at all interested in getting in his good books..." 

It just seems that no matter what I say, AI managers are absolutely convinced that I'm being negative, unprofessional, trying to wind them up. It doesn't affect the game in the grand scheme of things, but it is annoying that I have to keep "cooling the war of words" that I never took part in to begin with.

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

Yeah, I've often been asked if I see a match as grudge match against an A.I. manager only for me to say no.

I end up beating them and in asked if in glad to have gotten one over on him. I say no, I never disliked him in the first place, it's just the media making it up.

Then that manager says after the match that he's been thoroughly unimpressed by how I've conducted myself. 

It can be funny sometimes, but other times it can just take away from the immersion a bit.

[..Valhalla..]

2 minutes ago, Fer Fuchs Ake said:

It can be funny sometimes, but other times it can just take away from the immersion a bit.

That's what annoys me about it. AI managers are constantly commenting on how I've conducted myself when I've been nothing but professional and diplomatic. Spoils the illusion when it's happening all the time.

[Spurs08]

I've used the same thing against AI managers as a distraction. If I've taken over a squad of mentally weak players lacking confidence and not playing so well, I'd much rather the media were covering some silly "feud" between me and Mr. Muppet in the opposition dugout than asking why my centre-half seems to have developed a severe phobia of that small round white thing flying around the pitch. 

[..Valhalla..]

2 minutes ago, Spurs08 said:

asking why my centre-half seems to have developed a severe phobia of that small white round thing flying around the pitch. 

made me laugh

[Alari Naylor]

I don't work on the PC game, but I am guessing for OP's specific example that the media hype may have to do with Tuchel being a favoured person of Dortmund - Gelsenkirchen's biggest rivals.

[..Valhalla..]

@Alari Naylor - granted, that's a very real possibility. But just now I'm fielding another question from the media before I face Midtjjyland in the Europa League final group match.
They're asking me if there's an "extra incentive to the match given my very public war of words with their manager last time out?"

There was no public war of words. There never has been either. I just keep getting these questions from the media which allude to me being a very outspoken and confrontational manager, when I'm nothing of the sort. I always choose the diplomatic replies in press conferences; I support under-pressure managers, I praise their team's fighting spirit, I praise the manager for his professionalism, I refuse to get drawn into anything negative (it's a personality I'm trying to build with my in-game manager). Alas... the media keep asking the same daft questions, and more often than not the AI manager responds as if there really has been an issue between us. 

[FrazT]

There is no doubt that this is an area of the game that requires some work.  In theory it is probably not the AI managers who are causing the issue, but more likely to be the press trying to raise the controversy levels.

Like the OP, I have spent all my FM careers in press conferences being at the very worst neutral about other teams, players and managers but there are still multiple questions about the "so called war of words" with manager x.  I have taken now to making absolutely no comment about any of these types of question.

In FM 16, I met a small European team that we had never played before in a CL qualifying round and still the press asked me about the war of words the last time we met?

No comment is regrettably the only safe option- then of course you get the " the public will need to get a response from you on this, so I really need to press you for an answer"  !!

What part of "no comment" do they not understand?

[..Valhalla..]

@FrazT - you're absolutely right; it's the media that causes it rather than the AI manager(s).

Oftentimes a manager will make a comment about me in a press conference like "I'm a big fan of how Ray Valhalla has his team playing, I'm sure it'll be a good match..." (words to that effect)
I will then respond with something equally positive and his relationship status with me will change from "okay" to "good" (supposing it was our first interaction).

After the match the media will put it to me that perhaps my pre-match comments got under his skin, but I will deny this and reassert what I said previously about getting on well with said AI manager.

The very next news item will be his response, usually along the lines of how he was disappointed with my comments, I was unprofessional, all that nonsense. It makes absolutely no sense considering the conversation we had just had.

[Tiger666]

Agree with all of the above. This is one issue about the game that has been very annoying for me for years now.

[kingjericho]

Can confirm this happens.

I usually do one of two:

1- say "i have no idea what he is talking about"

2- contribute to this media created rivalry by always choosing the most aggressive answer possible

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

7 minutes ago, kingjericho said:

Can confirm this happens.

I usually do one of two:

1- say "i have no idea what he is talking about"

2- contribute to this media created rivalry by always choosing the most aggressive answer possible

Same for me. 

I almost always go for Option 1 but if I'm on a losing streak and I just wanna complain about a manager that beat me in the media then I will.

[samuelawachie]

This doesn't happen in FM 14. If you're on good terms with a manager, the game recognizes it as such and you'd be getting questions along the lines of ("Does a good relationship that exists between you two make allowing bids more easier" and the like). I haven't had the negative interactions with those I'm positive with, except on perhaps rare occasions (but none of those even spring to mind). 

There is nothing wrong with this side of the game in FM 14.., and if it's broken now, then something must've changed from FM 15 through 17.

[puffascruffowitz]

That's why literally any question at all about another team or manager I just say "no comment". It's served me well so far and I  get next to none of these questions from the press about our long standing feuds and what have you.

Except for Mourinho. Early on I did engage in his mind games via the press and ended up losing 6 straight games to Man U. Once I stopped trying to badmouth him in the press I started winning against him. Not sure if it's related at all though.

 

[samuelawachie]

Another thing I might add is that, once you're at certain clubs, the game recognizes the historical rivals of the clubs and institutes those managers as those you have negative opinions of (and the anti-thesis for the positive opinion side too) even before you've had any relevant interaction with them. Once I began my Barca save years ago, I already saw that Mourinho and a few managers that like Mourinho had a "poor" opinion of me. I didn't mind, mind. I had a pretty poor opinion of them also. I mean, who can like a man like Mourinho?  

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

Just yesterday I had a manager complain about my comments last time we met. However, it was the first time I've gone against him in my managerial career.

[Marius_R]

I got the same "war of words"question about PSG`s manager before our Coupe de France game, even if we`ve only met once and the only thing I said in the previous press conference was that his side were rightfully awarded a penalty in said game. 

[eple]

Many of the options that come across as diplomatic are mind-games options.

I.e being complimentary towards a team and/or manager is basically to set a trap for them to fall into and get complacent.

So if you do that, and whatever the reaction and what happens in the match itself, the media will spin your behavior afterwards in the sense that you tried to play mind-games and the opposing manager will likely react in a negative manner.

That's just my observation.. not saying it should be like that.

[zebec]

Somehow someone in the press recently quoted me in print as saying the following:

"Valhalla has a good habit in this forum of raising good topics while undergirding his observations and assessments with objective experiences.    I say he has a really keen eye for this game."

Now?  Now will the media spin, twist and hype this to create a war of words between us???      (And, trust me,  I  don't favor Dortmund  or Everton in the slightest)

 

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

1 hour ago, zebec said:

Somehow someone in the press recently quoted me in print as saying the following:

"Valhalla has a good habit in this forum of raising good topics while undergirding his observations and assessments with objective experiences.    I say he has a really keen eye for this game."

Now?  Now will the media spin, twist and hype this to create a war of words between us???      (And, trust me,  I  don't favor Dortmund  or Everton in the slightest)

 

 

Reporter to Valhalla: “Zebec has recently praised your ability to post a good thread. Did you find his comments to be in any way patronising? Did you perhaps feel that he was surprised by the quality of your posts?”

They'll always find a way to create a war of words. 😉

[enigmatic]

Lots of things like not sympathising with a manager when they're being sacked create a "dislike" between managers, and sometimes the "war of words" is a one-off comment they made a few years ago...