Philip Rolfe

The League/Competition screen holds all the important information and links that you need to check regularly if you are to be successful. Keeping up to date on the very latest information from your opponents is a massive factor, and Football Manager™ Touch 2023 allows you to do this in many ways. The sections described below are all found from the tabs menu on any league or competition screen. They are also accessible from the competitions screen, which can be found on the Side Bar (containing details of all competitions you are taking part in). Basic Competition Information Overview A comprehensive overview of the competition, with several dedicated sections with a trove of content. Profile Each competition page has a ‘Profile’ screen which offers all the relevant competition information at a glance. More detailed information can be found throughout the tab and sub-tab menus, as explained in this section. Season Preview The Season Preview section projects the upcoming season, including a proposed league table with title odds and last season’s award winners, the key transfer activity that has taken place ahead of the big kick-off and the players to watch in the months ahead. Stages/League Table The League Table displays completely up-to-date standings from the competition(s) you are in at the time. Each table header is sortable in both A-Z and Z-A styles – simply select once on the header icon to sort it and again to sort it in reverse order. The overall menu to the top left allows you to view the table in several different manners. Past Positions The ‘Past Positions’ screen displays the progress of one or more teams over the course of a single season. The graph plots their round-by-round league standing and presents it in a line graph. Rules The ‘Rules’ screen informs the manager of all the specific rules for the competition. Check this screen as early as you can to familiarise yourself with the competition(s) you are participating in and ensure that your squad meets any criteria it needs to well in advance of the start date. Some competitions feature extensive and often complicated rules and regulations and, as such, it pays to read them thoroughly to ensure you’re well on top of any and all situations that might arise. News The News section delivers the latest news, split into three sub-sections covering Daily News, Match Previews and Reports as well as Transfer Rumours. Matches Competition Review This provides a quick overview of the very latest goings-on in the competition. The latest results or forthcoming fixtures are paired with the league table so you’re up to the minute with everything you need to know. Fixtures and Results The ‘Fixtures and Results’ screen displays the round-by-round calendar for the current season. From the date dropdown at the top, and the back/forward arrows next to it, you can freely move around each round and view the results or upcoming fixtures for the entire competition. On a match day, the ‘Latest Scores’, ‘Goal Updates’ and ‘Live League Table’ tabs become active. Schedule This section displays the forthcoming match schedule. Stats Team and Player Stats This Statistics section incorporates both the Team and Player Stats sections. Statistics are kept for a vast number of areas, the most important of which are displayed on the Overview pages, while the ‘Detailed’ versions cover affairs in greater depth. Transfers Transfers This screen simply lists all transfers that have taken place involving teams in this competition. Draft If you’re managing in Major League Soccer, details of the upcoming draft can be found here once the order of picks has been finalised. Awards Awards honour the best of the best. Each competition in Football Manager™ Touch 2023 has its own seasonal (and other) awards, the details and history of which are found on this screen. History In a similar way to the previous ‘History’ screen descriptions, the ‘Competition History’ screen details historical information about the competition. Once again, these records are there to be broken, so check back here regularly to see where you stand in history. Juggling The Fixture List There will inevitably be moments throughout your career – throughout most seasons of your career in truth – when fixtures come thicker and faster than you can really handle. This is where smart forward planning can pay off. Using the various schedule and fixture screens at your disposal allows you to foresee any fixture congestion – including provisional dates for matches yet to be scheduled, such as future rounds of cup competitions – and pick your teams accordingly. Selecting a squad of players three or four matches in advance might seem unusual and at times unnecessary, but it can pay off handsomely if your best players are available for the bigger matches during a spell of congestion.

The League/Competition screen holds all the important information and links that you need to check regularly if you are to be successful. Keeping up to date on the very latest information from your opponents is a massive factor, and Football Manager™ Touch 2023 allows you to do this in many ways. The sections described below are all found from the tabs menu on any league or competition screen. They are also accessible from the competitions screen, which can be found on the Side Bar (containing details of all competitions you are taking part in). Basic Competition Information Overview A comprehensive overview of the competition, with several dedicated sections with a trove of content. Profile Each competition page has a ‘Profile’ screen which offers all the relevant competition information at a glance. More detailed information can be found throughout the tab and sub-tab menus, as explained in this section. Season Preview The Season Preview section projects the upcoming season, including a proposed league table with title odds and last season’s award winners, the key transfer activity that has taken place ahead of the big kick-off and the players to watch in the months ahead. Stages/League Table The League Table displays completely up-to-date standings from the competition(s) you are in at the time. Each table header is sortable in both A-Z and Z-A styles – simply select once on the header icon to sort it and again to sort it in reverse order. The overall menu to the top left allows you to view the table in several different manners. Past Positions The ‘Past Positions’ screen displays the progress of one or more teams over the course of a single season. The graph plots their round-by-round league standing and presents it in a line graph. Rules The ‘Rules’ screen informs the manager of all the specific rules for the competition. Check this screen as early as you can to familiarise yourself with the competition(s) you are participating in and ensure that your squad meets any criteria it needs to well in advance of the start date. Some competitions feature extensive and often complicated rules and regulations and, as such, it pays to read them thoroughly to ensure you’re well on top of any and all situations that might arise. News The News section delivers the latest news, split into three sub-sections covering Daily News, Match Previews and Reports as well as Transfer Rumours. Matches Competition Review This provides a quick overview of the very latest goings-on in the competition. The latest results or forthcoming fixtures are paired with the league table so you’re up to the minute with everything you need to know. Fixtures and Results The ‘Fixtures and Results’ screen displays the round-by-round calendar for the current season. From the date dropdown at the top, and the back/forward arrows next to it, you can freely move around each round and view the results or upcoming fixtures for the entire competition. On a match day, the ‘Latest Scores’, ‘Goal Updates’ and ‘Live League Table’ tabs become active. Schedule This section displays the forthcoming match schedule. Stats Team and Player Stats This Statistics section incorporates both the Team and Player Stats sections. Statistics are kept for a vast number of areas, the most important of which are displayed on the Overview pages, while the ‘Detailed’ versions cover affairs in greater depth. Transfers Transfers This screen simply lists all transfers that have taken place involving teams in this competition. Draft If you’re managing in Major League Soccer, details of the upcoming draft can be found here once the order of picks has been finalised. Awards Awards honour the best of the best. Each competition in Football Manager™ Touch 2023 has its own seasonal (and other) awards, the details and history of which are found on this screen. History In a similar way to the previous ‘History’ screen descriptions, the ‘Competition History’ screen details historical information about the competition. Once again, these records are there to be broken, so check back here regularly to see where you stand in history. Juggling The Fixture List There will inevitably be moments throughout your career – throughout most seasons of your career in truth – when fixtures come thicker and faster than you can really handle. This is where smart forward planning can pay off. Using the various schedule and fixture screens at your disposal allows you to foresee any fixture congestion – including provisional dates for matches yet to be scheduled, such as future rounds of cup competitions – and pick your teams accordingly. Selecting a squad of players three or four matches in advance might seem unusual and at times unnecessary, but it can pay off handsomely if your best players are available for the bigger matches during a spell of congestion.

Good financial management is imperative. Your Board expects and demands it. You can be successful on the pitch but if your finances are in a perilous state, you’ll be heading down a troublesome road that many teams struggle to come back from. Furthermore, with ‘fair play’ rules and restrictions coming into effect in more and more competitions, it is imperative to have a firm grasp on the club’s fiscal responsibilities. Basic Finances These options largely deal with the day-to-day financial status of your club. The Summary screen gives you a quick and informative overview of how the club is doing, with particular attention on any rules and regulations you are obliged to adhere to. The Income and Expenditure screens display a detailed breakdown of the money coming in and going out on a monthly and seasonal basis. The Debt and Loans tab contains information on all outstanding payments the club is required to make; the Sponsors and Other tab shows where and what is coming in from sponsorship streams. You can also adjust the budget from the Summary screen by selecting the ‘Make Budget Adjustment’ button. This is contingent on the Board being happy for you to do so as well as there being sufficient funds to manipulate to your requirements. It is very much worth taking some time throughout the season to check this section thoroughly to make sure you’re fiscally responsible. Some football league authorities punish teams who enter administration with a points deduction, and if things get seriously bad, creditors may take control of your team and accept any bids made on your players to alleviate the financial problems you are in. Successfully managing your finances You also have the option of managing your wage and transfer budgets so that you may, for example, move some funds from one area to another to maximize the benefits you are able to make from your balance. To do this, navigate to the Club Vision screen and the ‘Budget Adjustment’ panel. Your Board indicate their thoughts on the matter, as well as any changes they are willing to allow you to make. Depending on the financial situation at the club, these changes may be restricted somewhat. Otherwise, sensible financial management relies on you taking an active role in checking your Finances screen often, and making sure you know where money is being spent. One common area some managers struggle with is how much money leaves the club in transfer deals; just because the fee is being spread over a certain number of months doesn’t mean that the money doesn’t have to be budgeted for immediately, and then there’s the loyalty bonus or the agent fee to factor in too. A few quick transfer deals in a short space of time – or a host of contract renewals all done together – can have a major impact on your finances. If you’re on a tight budget and struggling to keep things balanced, pay attention to player wages, money being spent on scouting, and additional payments either due to players (bonuses, clauses) or other clubs (additional transfer payments). You can often negotiate a fee with the other club to buy out that clause and stop that money from going out, and you can attempt to renegotiate more favourable terms with your own players or, if needs be, sell them.

Good financial management is imperative. Your Board expects and demands it. You can be successful on the pitch but if your finances are in a perilous state, you’ll be heading down a troublesome road that many teams struggle to come back from. Furthermore, with ‘fair play’ rules and restrictions coming into effect in more and more competitions, it is imperative to have a firm grasp on the club’s fiscal responsibilities. Basic Finances These options largely deal with the day-to-day financial status of your club. The Summary screen gives you a quick and informative overview of how the club is doing, with particular attention on any rules and regulations you are obliged to adhere to. The Income and Expenditure screens display a detailed breakdown of the money coming in and going out on a monthly and seasonal basis. The Debt and Loans tab contains information on all outstanding payments the club is required to make; the Sponsors and Other tab shows where and what is coming in from sponsorship streams. You can also adjust the budget from the Summary screen by selecting the ‘Make Budget Adjustment’ button. This is contingent on the Board being happy for you to do so as well as there being sufficient funds to manipulate to your requirements. It is very much worth taking some time throughout the season to check this section thoroughly to make sure you’re fiscally responsible. Some football league authorities punish teams who enter administration with a points deduction, and if things get seriously bad, creditors may take control of your team and accept any bids made on your players to alleviate the financial problems you are in. Successfully managing your finances You also have the option of managing your wage and transfer budgets so that you may, for example, move some funds from one area to another to maximize the benefits you are able to make from your balance. To do this, navigate to the Club Vision screen and the ‘Budget Adjustment’ panel. Your Board indicate their thoughts on the matter, as well as any changes they are willing to allow you to make. Depending on the financial situation at the club, these changes may be restricted somewhat. Otherwise, sensible financial management relies on you taking an active role in checking your Finances screen often, and making sure you know where money is being spent. One common area some managers struggle with is how much money leaves the club in transfer deals; just because the fee is being spread over a certain number of months doesn’t mean that the money doesn’t have to be budgeted for immediately, and then there’s the loyalty bonus or the agent fee to factor in too. A few quick transfer deals in a short space of time – or a host of contract renewals all done together – can have a major impact on your finances. If you’re on a tight budget and struggling to keep things balanced, pay attention to player wages, money being spent on scouting, and additional payments either due to players (bonuses, clauses) or other clubs (additional transfer payments). You can often negotiate a fee with the other club to buy out that clause and stop that money from going out, and you can attempt to renegotiate more favourable terms with your own players or, if needs be, sell them.

Profile The Club Profile screen gives you a simple and quick look at the club’s key information. Club Details, League History, Staff, recent Results, Kits, Stadium information and Club information are all present and displayed for your perusal. These also all apply to international teams. Information The ‘Information’ sub-tab displays all the information about the club’s stadium and training ground, and any other facilities they may have, such as a youth academy. Training Facilities and Youth Facilities operate on a scale of ten as follows, from best to worst (if the facilities are rented, this is displayed in parentheses): State of the Art, Excellent, Superb, Great, Good, Average, Adequate, Below Average, Basic, Poor The Stadium Condition and Pitch Condition fields exist on a scale of seven: Perfect, Very Good, Good, OK, Poor, Very Poor, Terrible What benefit does increasing the quality of various facilities have for my team? Facilities directly affect player development. An increase in quality of training facilities allows player attributes to further develop, allows them to become more likely to realise their full potential, improves the rate at which they progress, and also improves the coaching staff working there, which in turn benefits the players again. The same applies to youth facilities; the players and coaches working in this part of the club reap many of the same benefits at a markedly more important time in their careers. Increasing the standard of Youth Recruitment, for example, boosts the quality of potential ability among players coming through into your annual youth team intake. Each time the Board decides to improve an aspect of the club’s infrastructure, it upgrades to the next level up the scale. If technology elsewhere improves at a pace you can’t keep up with, you’ll be notified that your facilities have been downgraded in their grading; they haven’t physically changed, but the standard at which they exist has been re-evaluated. The cost of each stage of improvement depends on the standard of existing facilities, starting out smaller for minor improvements, and then into several millions for high-end adjustments. Training facilities cost slightly more as additional investment is required for the scale of the work being done and additional staff requirements that may come with it, and they are adjusted depending on the financial state of the country where the work is taking place. Affiliate Clubs Teams are increasingly seeking arrangements with others in order to create mutually beneficial situations both on and off the pitch. From local relationships to international partnerships and corporate groups, the footballing world is connected like never before, and affiliations are a major part of that. Any clubs affiliated with yours are displayed on this screen and you can also begin the process of finding a new affiliation from here, as well as from the Board Requests screen by selecting ‘Networking -> Affiliate Club’. Depending on the size of your team, you may also request that the Board ‘Look for Senior Affiliate’ to which you act as an affiliate and benefit accordingly; primarily from the ability to receive players on loan from them, but also potentially through shared scouting, finances and facilities. Any proposed affiliations appear under the ‘Proposed Affiliates’ option. There are several types of affiliation, each offering different benefits. - A local partnership in which players are loaned. Players are made available for loan from the senior affiliate at no cost to the lower affiliate. - A local partnership in which facilities are shared. The teams share training facilities, typically to benefit the lower affiliate. - A national partnership in which players are loaned. Players are made available for loan from the senior affiliate at no cost to the lower affiliate. - Financial benefits for both teams. A commercial link-up which boosts club finances, usually with an overseas team in a ‘new market’. - Benefits for the youth setup for both teams. A link-up with a foreign academy whereby players from the affiliate may appear in youth intakes. - The senior affiliate has first option on the affiliate club’s players. The senior affiliate has the right to match any transfer offer accepted for a player at the lower affiliate. - An international partnership in which players are loaned. Players are made available for loan from the senior affiliate at no cost to the lower affiliate. - To avoid work permit regulations. Players are loaned from the senior affiliate until they’re able to acquire a nationality that doesn’t require them to qualify for a work permit. These deals are usually struck with teams in countries where the naturalisation period is shorter than average. - The senior affiliate sends youth players to the affiliate club to gain experience. Youth players at the lower affiliate spend time training with the senior affiliate. - The senior affiliate sends reserve players to the affiliate club to put them in the shop window. The senior affiliate sends unwanted players to the lower affiliate to try to make them more attractive for a transfer offer. - The affiliate club receives players from the senior affiliate to aid them in their bid for promotion. The lower affiliate is sent players to aid in their promotion challenge. - The affiliate club receives players from the senior affiliate to aid them in their bid to avoid relegation. The lower affiliate is sent players to aid in their survival bid. - A shared youth team where players can be sent. Some teams share an affiliate and they combine to provide the lower affiliate with players to develop and hone. - A mutually beneficial relationship. All other affiliate links where no specific reason for the relationship exists. If you have managed a club for a successful period, your Board may allow you to request a specific type of affiliation to benefit your own needs, and over an even longer period of time the Board will be willing to allow you to specify a club to approach for a link-up. These options will become available to you as part of your conversations with the Board. Affiliations may be cancelled for a few reasons; the most common among them is if the lower affiliate is promoted to play in the same division as the senior affiliate. Underuse of the affiliation – particularly with regards to loans – is another common outcome, while a change in reputation between the two clubs can either cancel the deal outright or see the senior party in the arrangement change. Board Confidence If you’re going to be successful in your job, it’s imperative that you satisfy the demands of the Board and the Fans – and they can be quite demanding. The Overview screen is mostly concerned with progress towards the Club Vision, which in turn directly affects the Manager Performance assessment. You are assessed on a grading scale, with A+ being the best grade, and everything below that increasingly poor. The ‘Confidence’ screen breaks all of this down into more detail. The Board and the fans deliver a summary of their satisfaction with your work in a number of key areas – Club Vision, Matches, Transfers, Tactics, and Squad management, and each of these sections have their own dedicated screen available from the ‘Confidence tab, covering the reasons for their (dis)satisfaction in greater detail. It almost goes without saying that by ensuring you’re trending positively in as many areas as possible, you will enjoy a long and prosperous reign at your club. How do I ensure the Board are happy and that I keep my job? The most important thing is to ensure you’re constantly aware of Board confidence, both on an Overall level and in each contributing area. A brief shortlist of things to always keep at the forefront of your attention also goes a long way to ensuring long-term success: - Keep your players happy. - Perform well on the pitch, in terms of both result and performances, while working towards short and long-term objectives connected to the club’s vision. - Manage your finances properly. - Don’t make excessive or unlikely Board requests and demands. - Understand your status within the club; wait until you’re established before asking for more. Keep tight control over these areas, follow the advice laid out throughout this manual, and you should be in a good position to move forward in your career. What are the different levels of Board confidence and what do they mean? Untouchable In terms of the 1-20 attribute range as seen on player profiles, imagine this to register at around the 16 or above mark. This is the strongest level of confidence you can have and it means your job is as safe as can be. Very Secure We lose a couple of marks dropping to Very Secure but you’re still highly impressive and have the Board’s full backing. Secure Another couple of marks drop off as we’re ‘only’ Secure now; you’re doing a good job, and the Board have no concerns with your management. Stable Consider this to be just above 50%; you’re trending slightly upwards, but things are finely-poised and the next few results could swing things up or down. Insecure We’re now dropping below the mid-point threshold and your job could be in peril if you don’t start to pick up points. It’s at this point that the Board might start to consider calling a meeting for you to explain yourself. Very Insecure One step down is Very Insecure; your job is now in great peril, and a win in your next fixture is of paramount importance. Precarious Anything at 6/20 or below on the comparative attribute scale means you’re almost certainly on the verge of being sacked; the Board may take action at any time, and another defeat before then will almost certainly result in the termination of your contract. Under Review This is used immediately following a Board takeover while the new Chairperson evaluates the managerial situation at the club.

Profile The Club Profile screen gives you a simple and quick look at the club’s key information. Club Details, League History, Staff, recent Results, Kits, Stadium information and Club information are all present and displayed for your perusal. These also all apply to international teams. Information The ‘Information’ sub-tab displays all the information about the club’s stadium and training ground, and any other facilities they may have, such as a youth academy. Training Facilities and Youth Facilities operate on a scale of ten as follows, from best to worst (if the facilities are rented, this is displayed in parentheses): State of the Art, Excellent, Superb, Great, Good, Average, Adequate, Below Average, Basic, Poor The Stadium Condition and Pitch Condition fields exist on a scale of seven: Perfect, Very Good, Good, OK, Poor, Very Poor, Terrible What benefit does increasing the quality of various facilities have for my team? Facilities directly affect player development. An increase in quality of training facilities allows player attributes to further develop, allows them to become more likely to realise their full potential, improves the rate at which they progress, and also improves the coaching staff working there, which in turn benefits the players again. The same applies to youth facilities; the players and coaches working in this part of the club reap many of the same benefits at a markedly more important time in their careers. Increasing the standard of Youth Recruitment, for example, boosts the quality of potential ability among players coming through into your annual youth team intake. Each time the Board decides to improve an aspect of the club’s infrastructure, it upgrades to the next level up the scale. If technology elsewhere improves at a pace you can’t keep up with, you’ll be notified that your facilities have been downgraded in their grading; they haven’t physically changed, but the standard at which they exist has been re-evaluated. The cost of each stage of improvement depends on the standard of existing facilities, starting out smaller for minor improvements, and then into several millions for high-end adjustments. Training facilities cost slightly more as additional investment is required for the scale of the work being done and additional staff requirements that may come with it, and they are adjusted depending on the financial state of the country where the work is taking place. Affiliate Clubs Teams are increasingly seeking arrangements with others in order to create mutually beneficial situations both on and off the pitch. From local relationships to international partnerships and corporate groups, the footballing world is connected like never before, and affiliations are a major part of that. Any clubs affiliated with yours are displayed on this screen and you can also begin the process of finding a new affiliation from here, as well as from the Board Requests screen by selecting ‘Networking -> Affiliate Club’. Depending on the size of your team, you may also request that the Board ‘Look for Senior Affiliate’ to which you act as an affiliate and benefit accordingly; primarily from the ability to receive players on loan from them, but also potentially through shared scouting, finances and facilities. Any proposed affiliations appear under the ‘Proposed Affiliates’ option. There are several types of affiliation, each offering different benefits. - A local partnership in which players are loaned. Players are made available for loan from the senior affiliate at no cost to the lower affiliate. - A local partnership in which facilities are shared. The teams share training facilities, typically to benefit the lower affiliate. - A national partnership in which players are loaned. Players are made available for loan from the senior affiliate at no cost to the lower affiliate. - Financial benefits for both teams. A commercial link-up which boosts club finances, usually with an overseas team in a ‘new market’. - Benefits for the youth setup for both teams. A link-up with a foreign academy whereby players from the affiliate may appear in youth intakes. - The senior affiliate has first option on the affiliate club’s players. The senior affiliate has the right to match any transfer offer accepted for a player at the lower affiliate. - An international partnership in which players are loaned. Players are made available for loan from the senior affiliate at no cost to the lower affiliate. - To avoid work permit regulations. Players are loaned from the senior affiliate until they’re able to acquire a nationality that doesn’t require them to qualify for a work permit. These deals are usually struck with teams in countries where the naturalisation period is shorter than average. - The senior affiliate sends youth players to the affiliate club to gain experience. Youth players at the lower affiliate spend time training with the senior affiliate. - The senior affiliate sends reserve players to the affiliate club to put them in the shop window. The senior affiliate sends unwanted players to the lower affiliate to try to make them more attractive for a transfer offer. - The affiliate club receives players from the senior affiliate to aid them in their bid for promotion. The lower affiliate is sent players to aid in their promotion challenge. - The affiliate club receives players from the senior affiliate to aid them in their bid to avoid relegation. The lower affiliate is sent players to aid in their survival bid. - A shared youth team where players can be sent. Some teams share an affiliate and they combine to provide the lower affiliate with players to develop and hone. - A mutually beneficial relationship. All other affiliate links where no specific reason for the relationship exists. If you have managed a club for a successful period, your Board may allow you to request a specific type of affiliation to benefit your own needs, and over an even longer period of time the Board will be willing to allow you to specify a club to approach for a link-up. These options will become available to you as part of your conversations with the Board. Affiliations may be cancelled for a few reasons; the most common among them is if the lower affiliate is promoted to play in the same division as the senior affiliate. Underuse of the affiliation – particularly with regards to loans – is another common outcome, while a change in reputation between the two clubs can either cancel the deal outright or see the senior party in the arrangement change. Board Confidence If you’re going to be successful in your job, it’s imperative that you satisfy the demands of the Board and the Fans – and they can be quite demanding. The Overview screen is mostly concerned with progress towards the Club Vision, which in turn directly affects the Manager Performance assessment. You are assessed on a grading scale, with A+ being the best grade, and everything below that increasingly poor. The ‘Confidence’ screen breaks all of this down into more detail. The Board and the fans deliver a summary of their satisfaction with your work in a number of key areas – Club Vision, Matches, Transfers, Tactics, and Squad management, and each of these sections have their own dedicated screen available from the ‘Confidence tab, covering the reasons for their (dis)satisfaction in greater detail. It almost goes without saying that by ensuring you’re trending positively in as many areas as possible, you will enjoy a long and prosperous reign at your club. How do I ensure the Board are happy and that I keep my job? The most important thing is to ensure you’re constantly aware of Board confidence, both on an Overall level and in each contributing area. A brief shortlist of things to always keep at the forefront of your attention also goes a long way to ensuring long-term success: - Keep your players happy. - Perform well on the pitch, in terms of both result and performances, while working towards short and long-term objectives connected to the club’s vision. - Manage your finances properly. - Don’t make excessive or unlikely Board requests and demands. - Understand your status within the club; wait until you’re established before asking for more. Keep tight control over these areas, follow the advice laid out throughout this manual, and you should be in a good position to move forward in your career. What are the different levels of Board confidence and what do they mean? Untouchable In terms of the 1-20 attribute range as seen on player profiles, imagine this to register at around the 16 or above mark. This is the strongest level of confidence you can have and it means your job is as safe as can be. Very Secure We lose a couple of marks dropping to Very Secure but you’re still highly impressive and have the Board’s full backing. Secure Another couple of marks drop off as we’re ‘only’ Secure now; you’re doing a good job, and the Board have no concerns with your management. Stable Consider this to be just above 50%; you’re trending slightly upwards, but things are finely-poised and the next few results could swing things up or down. Insecure We’re now dropping below the mid-point threshold and your job could be in peril if you don’t start to pick up points. It’s at this point that the Board might start to consider calling a meeting for you to explain yourself. Very Insecure One step down is Very Insecure; your job is now in great peril, and a win in your next fixture is of paramount importance. Precarious Anything at 6/20 or below on the comparative attribute scale means you’re almost certainly on the verge of being sacked; the Board may take action at any time, and another defeat before then will almost certainly result in the termination of your contract. Under Review This is used immediately following a Board takeover while the new Chairperson evaluates the managerial situation at the club.

Scouting Centre This is the hub of your activity and the singular reference point to return to for all your scouting and player identification business. Everything begins with the choices you make from the bar at the top of the main screen area. Scouting Responsibility: This allows you to either take charge of things yourself or delegate them to a chosen member of your backroom staff. If delegated, scouting assignments are handled automatically, otherwise you get to decide. You can still handle the recommendations yourself if these assignments are delegated. Recruitment Focus: Determine the type of players you want your scouts to go out and find. Set the tactic you want the focus to be on, and then instruct your scouts on specific details you want them to find in prospective new signings. The Recruitment Team section details your current scouts and links to the Assignments Panel. The Scouting Budget section displays the monthly remaining budget, which can be used for upgrading Scouting Packages and/or undertaking assignments outside of your scouting range. The final section outlines the current Transfer and Wage Budget, from where you can adjust the money allocated to each aspect. The Recommendations panel is the most important aspect of the Scouting Centre as it’s where you go through the brief reports filed by your recruitment team, agents, affiliates or players directly approaching you. It is split into two views – Cards and List – and you can cycle through each player report card before actioning it. The most common actions are as follows: Not Interested: Dismiss the report and forget about the player. Acknowledge: Retain the player within your Scouting Centre to keep track of their progress. Scout Player: Add the player to your scouting assignments to generate a full Report Card. Make Offer: Immediately begin negotiations to sign the player. You can also choose to Add to Shortlist to continue to monitor the player, or you can Offer a Trial where appropriate. The List view looks similar to the Player Search screen, described immediately below. Player Search This is where the heavy lifting is done in terms of identifying new talent and sifting the wheat from the chaff. To begin with, select the ‘New Search’ button (or ‘Edit Search’ when a search has been made) to bring up the search dialog. This enables you to start filtering down to the exact specifications of your player search. Flick between the ‘Quick’ and ‘Advanced’ modes to find the right settings for your requirements and then select ‘OK’ to refine your results; these actions can be undertaken from both the ‘Player Search’ and ‘Scouted’ screens, the latter only filtering through players you’ve actively scouted (and can subsequently be filtered by assignment from the foot of the main screen area). There is also a ‘Quick Search’ drop-down menu that acts as a shortcut to refine the search results for a particular type of player based on a single criterion. A host of information on each player is presented to you from the Overview view but perhaps the most important is the Scout Recommendation score. This takes the scout’s report on a player and distils all the information provided into a grade from A to E (where + and – within each grade indicate an additional positive or negative to the overall grade, so A+ is the strongest possible recommendation) and, in essence, makes for a much easier comparison when attempting to weigh up the pros and cons of multiple potential targets. There will naturally be times when even this isn’t enough to separate them, meaning you must dig even deeper to determine the best of the bunch, but it’s yet another tool at your disposal in the hunt for greatness. Recruitment Focus A Recruitment Focus allows you to set a series of specific parameters for your recruitment team to use as the framework for identifying prospective new talent. Choose from a range of options to refine exactly what type of player is recommended to you and to make sure that your recruitment team are using their time to find you suitable options for the way you play. Assignments This screen lists all ongoing scout activity, featuring details of each individual’s previous, current, and future scouting assignments, and links to their reports. The ‘Scout Priorities’ Assignment screen holds details of tasks to watch an individual player in action as opposed to an assignment covering a broader region, country, or competition. Priorities If you make several requests and find your scouting teams unable to handle the workload, some of those requests are queued up until an available member of staff can be found. These screens list those such requests. It also allows you to easily clear a number of queued assignments at once. Shortlist It is quite likely that for one reason or another, you’ll have a target you can’t currently sign, but you would like to keep track of their progress and be informed of any action involving them. This is where your Shortlist comes into play. The shortlist allows you to add players to it for a desired period and for that duration, you receive news to your feed whenever a key event involving that player occurs. To add a player to your shortlist, select and choose ‘Add to Shortlist’ or select the same option from the ‘Transfer’ section of their profile. A box pops out asking you to choose how long they should remain on the shortlist. Select your choice to finish adding them. The Shortlist screen itself looks much the same as the Player Search screen but instead features players you’ve added to it. A powerful set of filters can be applied from the ‘New Search’ button towards the right of the main screen area, while the ‘Positions’ sub-tab allows you to break it down position by position (and subsequently role by role) with direct comparisons to players within your current squad. Select a player and then use the ‘Scouting’ button at the bottom of the screen to get a Scout Report should you wish to get further information. To remove a player from your shortlist at any time, load up their profile and from the ‘Transfer’ section on the tab bar, select ‘Remove from Shortlist’. This act can be performed on multiple selections by selecting all the players you wish to remove from your shortlist, then right select and choosing the same remove option. To remove everyone at once, from the ‘Shortlists’ menu below your shortlist of players, select ‘Clear Shortlist’ and then confirm your decision. The same menu is used for saving and loading different shortlists should you wish to keep different ones for multiple purposes. Reports and Feedback Choose any player and select ‘Scout Reports’ from their Tab Bar allows you to access the scout’s detailed reports on the player. This is the real work your scout does when on assignment. They file a report on the player’s strengths and weaknesses (referred to as Pros and Cons in-game) and the potential fit into your team. Each time the player is watched, the information fed back is a little more detailed, accurate, and informative. The Player’s overall playing style is also featured for comparison with any scouting assignment focuses you might wish to undertake. What is the benefit of undertaking additional scouting reports? Each time you request a scout report on a player, you unlock a little more of their profile, and get more information. The more information you have, the better understanding you’ll be able to put together about the player, and you can therefore make a more informed decision about whether to sign them or not. It typically takes three to four full matches of watching a player before your scout can put together a 100% complete report, so time becomes a factor, as well as the cost of that scout’s assignment. You might need to balance the need for comprehensive knowledge against the urgency of completing a deal or moving in early before a market develops for the player. Making a Transfer Offer The Transfer Offer screen allows you to compose your offer in as much detail as you like. Begin by deciding whether you want to make a Transfer offer or a Loan offer. You can also offer a trial or make an enquiry from the player’s Context Menu or the Tab Bar, but for the purposes of this section we’ll deal with the two main types of offer to make. Sticking with the Transfer type, you then need to decide upon a fee for the player. The information panel to the top of the main screen area indicates the player’s current estimated value and any fee the club are likely to demand (if known). Unless the player has been transfer listed, you usually need to bid their value at an absolute minimum to hold the interest of the owners, and most likely you’ll have to offer above that to get anywhere. The ‘Transfer Date’ allows you to set when the deal will go through. A lot of the time you’ll leave this as ‘Immediate’ so it goes through at the first opportunity but, should you not have the required funds at the time, or if you want to leave the player to develop for a longer period, you can set the deal to complete at the end of the current season. Once you’ve set the core components of your deal, you can begin tweaking it with Additional Fees and Clauses to entice the other team into accepting. For example, you can break down the payment into instalments, or offer add-ons based on performance or international recognition. These are of interest to any prospective selling club as the potential income in months and years to come can help long term financial security and prosperity. Many aspects of a deal can be insisted upon by ‘locking’ them into place using the padlock icon (once for non-negotiable (red), twice for semi-negotiable (orange); semi-negotiable means the other party is aware that you want to insist upon it, but you might be prepared to budge if another part of the deal is sweetened), and they can be either removed by selecting the circular icon with a ‘-‘ through the centre, or removed permanently and excluded from negotiations by selecting that option from the menu produced by selecting it. There is also the facility to offer a player in a part-exchange deal. This is usually only of benefit if the selling club has an interest in one or more of your players. Your Assistant Manager informs you of any positions they are in need of in the comments panel at the left of the screen. Use the ‘Add’ button to include players in the deal. Once you’re happy with the package, you can either select ‘Make Offer’ and await a response, which typically arrives 24-48 hours later, or you can select ‘Suggest Terms’ to negotiate ‘live’ in a bid to get your business done swiftly. In this situation, the other party in the deal tells you what they like and dislike about the offer, with colour-coded references around the screen leading you to identify which areas need further work if you’re to strike an agreement. Making a Loan Offer Loaning players typically benefits all parties. The player gets first team football, the owners benefit from the player either developing or leaving the club temporarily, which reduces the club’s wage bill depending on the deal, and the loaning team get a player they presumably want, having offered to loan them. When composing a loan offer, you can set the duration of their spell at your club, as well as your wage contribution and any fee you may offer as an incentive for their club to accept. A series of clauses and loan options may then be configured; for example, if there is any intention to keep the player long-term, you can set a ‘Future Fee’ that you can meet at any time and offer the player a permanent contract. You are also able to inform the player’s parent club of your intentions by declaring their role in the squad and the position you’re likely to play them in. Free Agents If your club is short of money and short on numbers/talent, you’ll have to look elsewhere for your additions. The free agent market comes into play here. It’s not just for the lesser teams; clubs of all sizes can find a vast array of talent, particularly in the lower leagues, where long-term contracts are rare, and annual player turnover high. Selling and Loaning Players Out Selling players is just as fundamental a part of management as buying. Whether you’re doing it to get rid of ‘dead wood’ and/or to ensure financial stability, it’s going to happen at some point. If you receive an offer for a player from another club, you can negotiate the deal in the same way as you may have put together a bid as described in the previous section. However, if you wish to initiate the sale of a player, you have the power to set the ball rolling. From the ‘Transfer’ tab on a player you wish to sell, select ‘Offer to Clubs’. The screen is like the Transfer Offer screen in appearance. Initially set the fee you’re aiming to receive for the player. Try to consider the target club(s) and what they may be able to afford. If necessary, ask for less up front and more money over a longer period and/or insert incentive-based payments, available from the ‘Additional Fees’ section. At the same time though, don’t forget you’re the selling club – try to get back as much value as you can. One such way is to include an additional clause. If you’re selling a young player with potential, try to include a clause where you get a certain percentage of any fee the club may sell for in the future. If you suspect the player may not get a lot of first team football at the new club, or might reach their full potential, maybe include a ‘Buy Back’ price, where you can attempt to bring the player back to your club for a fee lower than their potential long-term value. Your Assistant Manager sends the details of any proposed deal to all clubs deemed suitable. If you don’t want a player going to a rival club, tick the appropriate check box on the Targets tab before selecting ‘Confirm’. Any interested parties will indicate as much in the days immediately following by making an offer of some kind. From here, it’s up to you to negotiate the best deal possible. Alternatively, you can add the player to the ‘Unwanted List’ and have the responsible person, e.g. your Director of Football, manage their departure. If you are loaning a player out, you may want to consider whether the player is able to play in matches against your club or play in cup competitions (therefore becoming cup-tied should they return to you), and whether you may want the option to terminate the loan early. Additionally, ensuring that the player is going to play regularly and in a position you wish to see them used in is an advisable approach, and there is plenty of flexibility to ensure you’re suitably compensated financially for allowing someone else to borrow one of your assets.

Scouting Centre This is the hub of your activity and the singular reference point to return to for all your scouting and player identification business. Everything begins with the choices you make from the bar at the top of the main screen area. Scouting Responsibility: This allows you to either take charge of things yourself or delegate them to a chosen member of your backroom staff. If delegated, scouting assignments are handled automatically, otherwise you get to decide. You can still handle the recommendations yourself if these assignments are delegated. Recruitment Focus: Determine the type of players you want your scouts to go out and find. Set the tactic you want the focus to be on, and then instruct your scouts on specific details you want them to find in prospective new signings. The Recruitment Team section details your current scouts and links to the Assignments Panel. The Scouting Budget section displays the monthly remaining budget, which can be used for upgrading Scouting Packages and/or undertaking assignments outside of your scouting range. The final section outlines the current Transfer and Wage Budget, from where you can adjust the money allocated to each aspect. The Recommendations panel is the most important aspect of the Scouting Centre as it’s where you go through the brief reports filed by your recruitment team, agents, affiliates or players directly approaching you. It is split into two views – Cards and List – and you can cycle through each player report card before actioning it. The most common actions are as follows: Not Interested: Dismiss the report and forget about the player. Acknowledge: Retain the player within your Scouting Centre to keep track of their progress. Scout Player: Add the player to your scouting assignments to generate a full Report Card. Make Offer: Immediately begin negotiations to sign the player. You can also choose to Add to Shortlist to continue to monitor the player, or you can Offer a Trial where appropriate. The List view looks similar to the Player Search screen, described immediately below. Player Search This is where the heavy lifting is done in terms of identifying new talent and sifting the wheat from the chaff. To begin with, select the ‘New Search’ button (or ‘Edit Search’ when a search has been made) to bring up the search dialog. This enables you to start filtering down to the exact specifications of your player search. Flick between the ‘Quick’ and ‘Advanced’ modes to find the right settings for your requirements and then select ‘OK’ to refine your results; these actions can be undertaken from both the ‘Player Search’ and ‘Scouted’ screens, the latter only filtering through players you’ve actively scouted (and can subsequently be filtered by assignment from the foot of the main screen area). There is also a ‘Quick Search’ drop-down menu that acts as a shortcut to refine the search results for a particular type of player based on a single criterion. A host of information on each player is presented to you from the Overview view but perhaps the most important is the Scout Recommendation score. This takes the scout’s report on a player and distils all the information provided into a grade from A to E (where + and – within each grade indicate an additional positive or negative to the overall grade, so A+ is the strongest possible recommendation) and, in essence, makes for a much easier comparison when attempting to weigh up the pros and cons of multiple potential targets. There will naturally be times when even this isn’t enough to separate them, meaning you must dig even deeper to determine the best of the bunch, but it’s yet another tool at your disposal in the hunt for greatness. Recruitment Focus A Recruitment Focus allows you to set a series of specific parameters for your recruitment team to use as the framework for identifying prospective new talent. Choose from a range of options to refine exactly what type of player is recommended to you and to make sure that your recruitment team are using their time to find you suitable options for the way you play. Assignments This screen lists all ongoing scout activity, featuring details of each individual’s previous, current, and future scouting assignments, and links to their reports. The ‘Scout Priorities’ Assignment screen holds details of tasks to watch an individual player in action as opposed to an assignment covering a broader region, country, or competition. Priorities If you make several requests and find your scouting teams unable to handle the workload, some of those requests are queued up until an available member of staff can be found. These screens list those such requests. It also allows you to easily clear a number of queued assignments at once. Shortlist It is quite likely that for one reason or another, you’ll have a target you can’t currently sign, but you would like to keep track of their progress and be informed of any action involving them. This is where your Shortlist comes into play. The shortlist allows you to add players to it for a desired period and for that duration, you receive news to your feed whenever a key event involving that player occurs. To add a player to your shortlist, select and choose ‘Add to Shortlist’ or select the same option from the ‘Transfer’ section of their profile. A box pops out asking you to choose how long they should remain on the shortlist. Select your choice to finish adding them. The Shortlist screen itself looks much the same as the Player Search screen but instead features players you’ve added to it. A powerful set of filters can be applied from the ‘New Search’ button towards the right of the main screen area, while the ‘Positions’ sub-tab allows you to break it down position by position (and subsequently role by role) with direct comparisons to players within your current squad. Select a player and then use the ‘Scouting’ button at the bottom of the screen to get a Scout Report should you wish to get further information. To remove a player from your shortlist at any time, load up their profile and from the ‘Transfer’ section on the tab bar, select ‘Remove from Shortlist’. This act can be performed on multiple selections by selecting all the players you wish to remove from your shortlist, then right select and choosing the same remove option. To remove everyone at once, from the ‘Shortlists’ menu below your shortlist of players, select ‘Clear Shortlist’ and then confirm your decision. The same menu is used for saving and loading different shortlists should you wish to keep different ones for multiple purposes. Reports and Feedback Choose any player and select ‘Scout Reports’ from their Tab Bar allows you to access the scout’s detailed reports on the player. This is the real work your scout does when on assignment. They file a report on the player’s strengths and weaknesses (referred to as Pros and Cons in-game) and the potential fit into your team. Each time the player is watched, the information fed back is a little more detailed, accurate, and informative. The Player’s overall playing style is also featured for comparison with any scouting assignment focuses you might wish to undertake. What is the benefit of undertaking additional scouting reports? Each time you request a scout report on a player, you unlock a little more of their profile, and get more information. The more information you have, the better understanding you’ll be able to put together about the player, and you can therefore make a more informed decision about whether to sign them or not. It typically takes three to four full matches of watching a player before your scout can put together a 100% complete report, so time becomes a factor, as well as the cost of that scout’s assignment. You might need to balance the need for comprehensive knowledge against the urgency of completing a deal or moving in early before a market develops for the player. Making a Transfer Offer The Transfer Offer screen allows you to compose your offer in as much detail as you like. Begin by deciding whether you want to make a Transfer offer or a Loan offer. You can also offer a trial or make an enquiry from the player’s Context Menu or the Tab Bar, but for the purposes of this section we’ll deal with the two main types of offer to make. Sticking with the Transfer type, you then need to decide upon a fee for the player. The information panel to the top of the main screen area indicates the player’s current estimated value and any fee the club are likely to demand (if known). Unless the player has been transfer listed, you usually need to bid their value at an absolute minimum to hold the interest of the owners, and most likely you’ll have to offer above that to get anywhere. The ‘Transfer Date’ allows you to set when the deal will go through. A lot of the time you’ll leave this as ‘Immediate’ so it goes through at the first opportunity but, should you not have the required funds at the time, or if you want to leave the player to develop for a longer period, you can set the deal to complete at the end of the current season. Once you’ve set the core components of your deal, you can begin tweaking it with Additional Fees and Clauses to entice the other team into accepting. For example, you can break down the payment into instalments, or offer add-ons based on performance or international recognition. These are of interest to any prospective selling club as the potential income in months and years to come can help long term financial security and prosperity. Many aspects of a deal can be insisted upon by ‘locking’ them into place using the padlock icon (once for non-negotiable (red), twice for semi-negotiable (orange); semi-negotiable means the other party is aware that you want to insist upon it, but you might be prepared to budge if another part of the deal is sweetened), and they can be either removed by selecting the circular icon with a ‘-‘ through the centre, or removed permanently and excluded from negotiations by selecting that option from the menu produced by selecting it. There is also the facility to offer a player in a part-exchange deal. This is usually only of benefit if the selling club has an interest in one or more of your players. Your Assistant Manager informs you of any positions they are in need of in the comments panel at the left of the screen. Use the ‘Add’ button to include players in the deal. Once you’re happy with the package, you can either select ‘Make Offer’ and await a response, which typically arrives 24-48 hours later, or you can select ‘Suggest Terms’ to negotiate ‘live’ in a bid to get your business done swiftly. In this situation, the other party in the deal tells you what they like and dislike about the offer, with colour-coded references around the screen leading you to identify which areas need further work if you’re to strike an agreement. Making a Loan Offer Loaning players typically benefits all parties. The player gets first team football, the owners benefit from the player either developing or leaving the club temporarily, which reduces the club’s wage bill depending on the deal, and the loaning team get a player they presumably want, having offered to loan them. When composing a loan offer, you can set the duration of their spell at your club, as well as your wage contribution and any fee you may offer as an incentive for their club to accept. A series of clauses and loan options may then be configured; for example, if there is any intention to keep the player long-term, you can set a ‘Future Fee’ that you can meet at any time and offer the player a permanent contract. You are also able to inform the player’s parent club of your intentions by declaring their role in the squad and the position you’re likely to play them in. Free Agents If your club is short of money and short on numbers/talent, you’ll have to look elsewhere for your additions. The free agent market comes into play here. It’s not just for the lesser teams; clubs of all sizes can find a vast array of talent, particularly in the lower leagues, where long-term contracts are rare, and annual player turnover high. Selling and Loaning Players Out Selling players is just as fundamental a part of management as buying. Whether you’re doing it to get rid of ‘dead wood’ and/or to ensure financial stability, it’s going to happen at some point. If you receive an offer for a player from another club, you can negotiate the deal in the same way as you may have put together a bid as described in the previous section. However, if you wish to initiate the sale of a player, you have the power to set the ball rolling. From the ‘Transfer’ tab on a player you wish to sell, select ‘Offer to Clubs’. The screen is like the Transfer Offer screen in appearance. Initially set the fee you’re aiming to receive for the player. Try to consider the target club(s) and what they may be able to afford. If necessary, ask for less up front and more money over a longer period and/or insert incentive-based payments, available from the ‘Additional Fees’ section. At the same time though, don’t forget you’re the selling club – try to get back as much value as you can. One such way is to include an additional clause. If you’re selling a young player with potential, try to include a clause where you get a certain percentage of any fee the club may sell for in the future. If you suspect the player may not get a lot of first team football at the new club, or might reach their full potential, maybe include a ‘Buy Back’ price, where you can attempt to bring the player back to your club for a fee lower than their potential long-term value. Your Assistant Manager sends the details of any proposed deal to all clubs deemed suitable. If you don’t want a player going to a rival club, tick the appropriate check box on the Targets tab before selecting ‘Confirm’. Any interested parties will indicate as much in the days immediately following by making an offer of some kind. From here, it’s up to you to negotiate the best deal possible. Alternatively, you can add the player to the ‘Unwanted List’ and have the responsible person, e.g. your Director of Football, manage their departure. If you are loaning a player out, you may want to consider whether the player is able to play in matches against your club or play in cup competitions (therefore becoming cup-tied should they return to you), and whether you may want the option to terminate the loan early. Additionally, ensuring that the player is going to play regularly and in a position you wish to see them used in is an advisable approach, and there is plenty of flexibility to ensure you’re suitably compensated financially for allowing someone else to borrow one of your assets.

Team Training can be devoted to focusing on a particular area. Pick from Defending, Attacking, Possession, Technical, Tactical, Physical, Set Pieces or a Balanced approach where some work is done in all the above areas depending on need. You’re also able to delegate the responsibility to your Assistant Manager if you wish. It's necessary to remember that players can become unhappy if training isn’t meeting their needs. If you give them too much to do or unsuitable individual training, focus too heavily on one positional unit at the expense of another, or negate to work on certain attributes, it could lead to individuals becoming disillusioned with your practices and asking you to do something about it. Individual Players can be assigned new Positions and Roles to train in; they do this automatically during training sessions. They can also be tasked with working on a ‘weaker’ area of their game, using training sessions to specifically focus on a small number of attributes that either need improving, or are heavily stressed for their position and role and therefore need further dedication. Individual training can be undertaken in the following areas: Injury Rehabilitation: Quickness, Agility and Balance, Strength, Endurance and General Rehab (this is only applicable when a player is recovering from an injury) Set Pieces: Free Kicks, Corners, Penalty Taking, Long Throws Attributes: Quickness, Agility and Balance, Strength, Endurance, Defensive Positioning, Attacking Movement, Final Third, Shooting, Passing, Crossing, Ball Control, Aerial Goalkeeping: Reactions, Tactical, Technique, Sweeping, Long and Short Distribution Mentoring Mentoring, previously a concept known as Tutoring, allows younger players to learn from more senior teammates by working directly with them during training. A group must feature a minimum of three players before they can begin working together. The closer they are in profile, the more likely the senior player will be able to translate some influence onto the younger player, while success is also based on several factors like the senior player’s age and importance within the squad, and how well the players in the group get along. The influence is ongoing; the longer they spend working together in the same group, the more likely it is to succeed, but it isn’t perpetual; there will be a point where the return has been maximised and can no longer be of any use to the younger player.

Team Training can be devoted to focusing on a particular area. Pick from Defending, Attacking, Possession, Technical, Tactical, Physical, Set Pieces or a Balanced approach where some work is done in all the above areas depending on need. You’re also able to delegate the responsibility to your Assistant Manager if you wish. It's necessary to remember that players can become unhappy if training isn’t meeting their needs. If you give them too much to do or unsuitable individual training, focus too heavily on one positional unit at the expense of another, or negate to work on certain attributes, it could lead to individuals becoming disillusioned with your practices and asking you to do something about it. Individual Players can be assigned new Positions and Roles to train in; they do this automatically during training sessions. They can also be tasked with working on a ‘weaker’ area of their game, using training sessions to specifically focus on a small number of attributes that either need improving, or are heavily stressed for their position and role and therefore need further dedication. Individual training can be undertaken in the following areas: Injury Rehabilitation: Quickness, Agility and Balance, Strength, Endurance and General Rehab (this is only applicable when a player is recovering from an injury) Set Pieces: Free Kicks, Corners, Penalty Taking, Long Throws Attributes: Quickness, Agility and Balance, Strength, Endurance, Defensive Positioning, Attacking Movement, Final Third, Shooting, Passing, Crossing, Ball Control, Aerial Goalkeeping: Reactions, Tactical, Technique, Sweeping, Long and Short Distribution Mentoring Mentoring, previously a concept known as Tutoring, allows younger players to learn from more senior teammates by working directly with them during training. A group must feature a minimum of three players before they can begin working together. The closer they are in profile, the more likely the senior player will be able to translate some influence onto the younger player, while success is also based on several factors like the senior player’s age and importance within the squad, and how well the players in the group get along. The influence is ongoing; the longer they spend working together in the same group, the more likely it is to succeed, but it isn’t perpetual; there will be a point where the return has been maximised and can no longer be of any use to the younger player.

Tactical Templates To assist you in setting up a tactic, a number of templates are provided for you to use as a foundation for the way you want to play. Each tactical template sets a series of team and player instructions geared towards a particular style of play; once you’ve picked the one that best suits your plans (the textual descriptions on screen will help guide your choice), have a look at the various instructions set as a result to better understand what’s going on. Mentalities What are the differences between mentalities and what do they change behind the scenes? Like many other mechanics in the game, mentalities can be thought of as being scored between 1-20. A Very Attacking mentality moves the score closer to 20 and represents the fact that the team is being asked to operate in a more attacking manner. Conversely, a Very Defensive mentality moves the scale much closer to the other end. Each base Mentality adjusts several tactical settings ‘under the hood’, combined with your tactical instructions, including intensity of press, line of engagement, tempo, attacking width, directness and time-wasting. In turn, mentalities also affect the actions of players set to an Automatic duty; a more attacking team mentality asks those players to be more attacking, and they are more defensive if you adopt a more defensive approach. Team Fluidity The number of attack, defend, and support duties you set within a Formation while using a certain Mentality is reflected in your Team Fluidity. For example, a Balanced Mentality and a Balanced Fluidity has three players with Defend duties, four players with Support Duties, and three players with Attack duties. Your distribution of duties determines whether you move up or down the scale to more attacking or defensive football, and whether you apply more fluid or more rigid approaches. If you set seven players to have Attack Duties and three players with Defend duties, you’ll be playing with a Very Attacking mentality but a Very Rigid fluidity, as you haven’t provided sufficient balance within your overly attacking setup. Balancing this with more Support duties will achieve a more fluid result, and the same rule applies across the board, so feel free to play around with your options and see what happens – there is no single correct ‘solution’. Your overall Fluidity is always indicated to you on the Tactics Overview screen. Formations What are they? A formation is the distribution of players across the pitch both in and out of possession. Football has developed to a point where teams play either three, four or five defenders, and then split the remainder of their outfield players between midfield duties (playing in the middle of the pitch) and the attack; players who are primarily there to score goals. A host of pre-set formations are ready for selection via the dropdown menu with the tactic name on; the ‘Set to Formation’ option then lists a handful of the most prominent formations while also including sections covering all 3, 4, and 5 Defender formations. A 4 Defender formation has two central defenders and two full-backs; 3 and 5 Defender formations are often quite similar with the most significant difference being that the full-backs in 5 Defender formations become more advanced in 3 Defender formations and can often be found as part of the midfield instead. Most teams line up symmetrically to provide balance and options to move in either direction without becoming unpredictable, but again, this is not a hard and fast rule. Should I pick the players to fit the formation or formations to fit the player? There are two prevalent schools of thought on formations: pick a shape that best suits the players at your disposal, or force your best players into a preferred formation and tell them to make it work. The latter doesn’t provide much flexibility and is likely to result in a certain level of compromise on how much you’re able to get out of each player, but the argument in favour of it is that if the tactic itself is structurally sound and the players do what’s asked of them, you’ll be hard to beat. The former is a more idealistic approach and allows players to fully express themselves in their best positions and roles, but it requires a fine balancing act between individual talents and the needs of the team. What am I looking at? What does the tactics screen actually represent? It bears noting that the formation you see on screen represents the team’s defensive shape when not in possession. The instructions you then apply to the team and to each individual impact what they do and where they go when they do have the ball. This is particularly important to consider when placing players in terms of defensive positioning, and areas of potential weakness and exposure. Roles and Duties Each role carries a text description alongside it that explains the fundamentals of what they’re being asked to do. You can see this by bringing up the position and role selection dialog. An additional sentence is appended to reference what happens when the player’s duty changes. A player can have an Attack, a Defend, or a Support duty, ostensibly adjusting how attacking they’re allowed to be within the team’s overall mentality. They directly modify the player instructions to allow for a greater level of risk within the tactic, and those instructions in turn require slightly different attributes. ‘Highlight Key Attributes for Role’ on the Player Profile screen identifies the different attributes needed to be effective in the role. How much does it matter if I play a player in an unfamiliar role? As outlined in the similar question about playing a player out of position, there are several degrees of severity as to how much it might matter. As a rule, it isn’t quite as disadvantageous to play a player in an unfamiliar role as it would be for a different position, as the player is likely to at least still be in the same position on the pitch. The difference between a Box-to-Box Midfielder and an Attacking Playmaker isn’t as marked as the difference between a Central Defender and a Central Midfielder, for example. To use a metaphor, they’re speaking different dialects of the same language, rather than a different language altogether. That said, you end up with diminishing returns if you ask a player to adopt a role to which their attributes are not suited. Asking a Ball Winning Midfielder to operate as a Trequartista is unlikely to yield positive results as they won’t have the right attribute profile to perform the instructions set for that role. By using the ‘Highlight Key Attributes for Role’ option on the player profile screen, you can see how much scope you have for asking a player to play an unfamiliar role, and that in turn gives you some insight into how they might perform on the pitch. Will playing in an unfamiliar role help learn that role faster? In short, yes. The more they play there, the more the attributes adjust to the requirements of the role, and as they should be training in the same role too, they become exposed to it on a daily basis. To be perfectly clear however, there is no set timeline for how long it can take for a player to learn. Instead, it depends on familiarity with the position, the quality of the coaching staff, the similarity of the positions and roles to those they can already play (a centre-back could learn to play full-back roles quicker than a striker role, for example), and what position and role they’re set to play in training. The more of those criteria that are matched successfully, the better chance they stand of learning it in a quicker period. Team Instructions Team Instructions effectively adjust the way your team plays. They operate on a sliding scale between attempting something much more frequently to much less often. IN POSSESSION Attacking Width This controls how wide you move the ball when in possession. A wider approach stretches the field horizontally; a narrower one funnels play through the middle of the pitch. Approach Play This instructs your players where to focus their passing. Pass Into Space asks players to lead their teammates into open spaces with their passing, rather than delivering it to their feet, in an effort to stretch the play and increase the overall tempo. They can Play Out Of Defence as well as focus their play down either flank or through the middle, and you should set this based on the strengths of your players and the weaknesses of the opposition. Passing Directness The Passing instructions above set the intention of the pass, the Directness instruction sets how it gets there. A more direct approach sees the ball played forward in a more vertical manner, with increased urgency, moving it from back to front as quickly as possible. Conversely, a shorter approach sees the ball moved patiently from side to side, probing for a way to unlock the defence. Tempo A higher tempo asks players to make more decisions in a quicker fashion, designed to capitalise on situations as they present themselves, and to force lapses in concentration. Time Wasting The higher the setting here, the more your players look to do nothing with the ball and take more time over set pieces and dead balls. Final Third When you have the ball in the attacking third of the pitch, there are a host of options for you to ask your players to focus their play on. The focus is on how the ball makes its way into shooting positions. Mixed Crosses is set by default (except for Tiki-Tika, which uses Low Crosses) but you can change this to focus on high, low, or near post deliveries if it suits your players and/or the circumstances. Play For Set Pieces encourages every player to attempt to win corners, free kicks and throw-ins so as to allow the team to bring players forward for dead ball situations, attempting to command control of the match in that way. Dribbling Dribble Less makes the players more likely to pass the ball, while Run At Defence increases each player’s likelihood of dribbling with it. Creative Freedom Creative Freedom is closely tied to your overall Team Fluidity. Be More Expressive increases the overall fluidity score, while Be More Disciplined reduces it. IN TRANSITION When possession has been lost This instructs your players how to react after losing the ball. Counter-Press asks the players to immediately apply pressure with the aim of recovering the ball as quickly as possible; Regroup is a defensive instruction asking them to fall into position and focus on defending. When possession has been won Once you’ve recovered possession, you must decide what to do with it. Counter asks the players to immediately go on the front foot and seek to take advantage of any opportunities left by the dispossessed opponents. Hold Shape asks the players to adopt a patient approach, keeping the ball and retaining their formation, before building an attack. Goalkeeper in possession Distribute Quickly asks the goalkeeper to operate at a quicker tempo when in possession, perhaps to increase urgency or instigate counter attacks. Slow Pace Down asks the goalkeeper to reduce tempo when in possession, perhaps to control the game or to waste time. Distribution Type Distribute to Area/Player asks goalkeepers to distribute the ball to a specific group of players on the pitch: Full Backs, Centre Backs, Playmaker, Flanks, Target Forward or over the top of the opposition defence. Roll It Out asks goalkeepers to roll the ball out to a teammate from hand, rather than kicking it. Throw It Long asks goalkeepers to throw the ball to a teammate over a slightly longer distance. Take Short Kicks asks goalkeepers to take shorter goal kicks to a teammate positioned close by. Take Long Kicks asks goalkeepers to take more traditional goal kicks over longer distances. Distribute to Specific Position asks goalkeepers to seek a pass to a designated position as their primary means of distribution. OUT OF POSSESSION Defensive Shape Line of Engagement The Line of Engagement is where the forwards in your team begin to press the opposition to try to win the ball back. In combination with the Defensive Line, it allows you to control the team’s vertical compactness out of possession. The distance between the Defensive Line and the Line of Engagement is the amount of space you’re willing to allow the opposition to potentially play in if they’re able to beat your press and move the ball into attack. Defensive Line This instructs the defenders as to how high they should position themselves when the opposition have the ball in their own half. You can also set whether or not to Use Offside Trap, although this should generally be used in tandem with a higher line, else opponents will be able to make their move from positions closer to the goal and with a reduced risk of being caught offside. Defensive Width This instructs the team how much of the width of the pitch they should attempt to defend within the structure of their formation. A wider approach covers more of the pitch but leaves larger spaces between each man; a narrower one allows the opposition to keep the ball on the periphery of the penalty area but then floods central areas in an attempt to protect the goal. Prevent Short GK Distribution takes this a stage further and assigns forwards to specifically mark defenders who might receive the ball from a goalkeeper looking to pass the ball short, rather than kick it long. Marking and Tackling Stay On Feet asks the players to remain upright when challenging for the ball; Get Stuck In increases the chance of them going to ground to try to win it, potentially risking conceding more fouls and yellow/red cards. Pressing Trap The success of how you implement a pressing trigger determines how successful your Defensive Transition and your Line of Engagement are, but it also needs to fit snugly with those instructions to be possible in the first place. You can try to Trap Inside or Outside depending on where the strengths and weaknesses of your team and of the opposition like respectively; Trap Inside will try to force play into central areas where winning possession back could lead to high-quality chances, while Trap Outside is often more successful as opponents have fewer options when under pressure, but it doesn’t often yield quite as many successful transition opportunities. Cross Engagement You can ask your team to Stop Crosses, denying the forwards the penalty area supply they crave, or you can Invite Crosses to force a team to play in such a way that they’re uncomfortable with, perhaps because they don’t have forwards suited to getting on the end of crosses or, indeed, delivering them in the first place. Player Instructions In addition to your overall team instructions, you can designate instructions to any individual to tailor their playing style specifically. The ‘Player’ sub-tab presents a screen that allows you to configure instructions on a player-by-player basis, as well as configuring rules for anybody who happens to feature in that position in the team. For example, if you select the Defensive Midfielder slot on the formation graphic in the left sub-panel (‘Tactic’), you can customise Role, Duty and Instruction commands for the positions regardless of who plays there. You can also add members of your squad to the ‘Instructions For’ sub-panel towards the bottom left of the screen and set up further instructions on a case-by-case basis. Selecting any of the players in the ‘Instructions For’ section allows you to quickly toggle between using the instructions set for the position or for the player. The Position/Personalised toggle switch in the panel directly underneath the player’s name achieves this. The rest of the screen is devoted to attributes and feedback on the performances of the player currently selected in that position for the team. The instructions available for assignment vary by position and are split into several areas but, for the convenience of finding and utilising them from the lists in this section, they have been grouped into areas of greatest similarity. Each instruction acts as a modifier to an instruction already set for the player by the role and duty assigned. When Opposition has the Ball Trigger Press determines the frequency with which the player goes about trying to regain possession. A more urgent approach encourages the player to make the effort to harass any opposing player who has possession in hope of forcing a mistake and regaining the ball. Less urgent pressing instead asks the player to stick to their position when defending and make it hard for the opponent to break them down, rather than risk being caught out of position. Mark Tighter asks players to stick particularly closely to their assigned opponent in defensive situations so as to limit the space they have in which to attack the ball. Tackle Harder encourages players to be forceful and combative when challenging for possession. Ease Off Tackles asks players to consider the ramifications of an aggressive mistimed tackle and instead encourages them to pick their moments in a more timely fashion. Mark Specific Player focuses on a specific opponent to mark. Mark Specific Position focuses on a specific position to mark, regardless of the player occupying it. When Team has the Ball Get Further Forward increases each player’s chances of making forward runs. Hold Position reduces the freedom for a player to move from an assigned position. The team’s overall Fluidity still governs how often they do this. Stay Wider encourages players, primarily those in wider areas of the pitch, to stay as close to the touchline as possible in a bid to stretch the game over the full width of the playing surface. Sit Narrower asks the player to stay in the central areas of the pitch, either to exploit a weakness in the opposition or to consolidate defensively in a bid to keep the opposing threats on the periphery. Move Into Channels instructs central players to find space between their assigned positions and the wider areas. It also allows players in some wider roles, like Raumdeuter, to move inside to exploit the same spaces. Hold Position asks players to stay with their assignment instead of moving into space as they see fit. Roam From Position gives players the freedom to leave their designated position within a team's basic formation and instead find pockets of space in which they can be more effective. When Player has the Ball Hold Up Ball asks players to turn their back towards goal and retain possession before bringing teammates into play. Run Wide With Ball encourages players to move into wider areas of the pitch when in possession in a bid to stretch the opposition and disrupt their shape. Cut Inside With Ball asks wide players to look to come into central areas when running with the ball, driving inside their opponent and heading towards the goal. Shooting Shoot More Often encourages players to attempt a greater number of shots when posed with potential chances, rather than looking for a pass. Shoot Less Often asks players to retain possession and remain patient in search of a more opportune moment at which to finally shoot. Dribbling Dribble More encourages the player to run with the ball more often. Dribble Less asks players to primarily pass the ball around and not attempt to beat opponents individually by way of taking them on. Passing Directness Shorter Passing asks players to adopt a shorter passing game and primarily retain the ball with a patient approach. Standard Passing asks players to adopt a sensible style of passing correlating to the game situation. More Direct Passing asks players to adopt a direct passing game and primarily get the ball into advanced areas of the pitch as quickly as possible. Cross From Cross From Deep asks players – most typically full-backs, although not exclusively – to set up crossing opportunities from deeper areas on the pitch rather than waiting until the ball is in the attacking third. Cross From Byline asks players to get the ball as high up the pitch as possible in wider areas before attempting to cross into the goalmouth and penalty area. Crossing Frequency Cross More Often encourages regular delivery into the penalty area from wide positions. Cross Less Often asks players to retain possession longer rather than attempt to cross. Aim Crosses At Aim Crosses at Near Post asks players to deliver their crosses into the near post area. Aim Crosses at Centre asks players to deliver crosses into the middle of the penalty area. Aim Crosses at Far Post asks players to deliver their crosses towards the far post. Aim Crosses at Target Forward asks players to deliver their crosses in the general direction of a designated target forward. Passing Risks Take More Risks encourages players to increase the number of low-percentage through balls in the hope that one or two of them will unlock the opposition defence in a potentially decisive manner. It does not ask the player to try riskier passes than they would normally consider, though as a natural by-product of attempting more low-percentage passes, this might occur. Take Fewer Risks asks players to play fewer through balls and only attempt them when the opening is much clearer. Opposition Instructions This screen allows you to configure default opposition instructions to apply to any position on the pitch. These are applied ahead of every match, but you can tweak them before kick-off depending on the team selection and shape of each specific opponent. Alternatively, they can be delegated to the Assistant Manager. Tight Marking, Trigger Press and Tackling all act the same way as described above but while focusing on one specific player outside of the Team Instructions as a whole; Show onto Foot asks the team to ensure that an opponent isn’t allowed to use a particular foot and is instead forced into situations where they perhaps have to use a less favoured option. The success of these instructions is determined by the relative ability of the player tasked with the instruction compared to a direct opponent, the tactical balance of incorporating it into the instructions given to the player and the team, and the overall head-to-head tactical battle between the two teams. Set Pieces Selecting the ‘Set Pieces’ sub-tab allows you to set up your dead ball instructions. Each set piece type guides you through a visual presentation of your set piece instructions and takers. Each position is visible on the pitch with a series of available icons either when selected on or dragged away from the current position. You can drag an icon to another area of the pitch (only areas with an indicated ‘landing spot’ are accepted). Good set pieces can often be the difference between winning or losing. Taking advantage of the numerous dead-ball situations that occur in matches can work massively to your benefit. Primarily you need to identify your best corner, throw-in, and free kick takers. Each of these have their own attributes, so initially look for as high an attribute as you can in each of these specific areas. If your squad isn’t blessed with any particularly capable players, consider bringing one in. Once you’ve identified potential takers, you can start narrowing the selections down. A good free kick taker also needs good Crossing if the attempts are not direct at goal, since the free kick most likely needs to be put into a dangerous offensive area. Throw-in takers should have a good Long Throws rating to make full use of the situation, but they also need to have decent ratings in Strength and Balance to get a good throw away. When selecting Penalty takers, much of the above applies. Your regular penalty taker should have a high Penalty Taking attribute in addition to good Finishing and Composure, although these carry less weight in the overall decision-making process. Penalty Taking as a standalone attribute is what you need to really concern yourself with. It may be that you’re forced to use players who aren’t natural penalty takers when it comes to shootouts, so look at the next most important characteristics; mentally strong, capable players who strike a ball well and make a good decision. Multiple players may be selected for set piece duties in the same way as described in the Captaincy section below. Select on the desired player’s table row; drag then drop into the appropriate set piece menu. The ranking is hierarchical and follows the order if the top player is not on the pitch at the time. Saving and Exporting Routines You can now save, export and re-use set piece routines for free kicks, corners and throw-ins. From the ‘Routine’ view menu to the top right of the pitch display area on the Set Pieces tab, you can ‘Create New Routine’ and, once you’re happy with your configuration, revisit the same menu to ‘Save Routine’. The ‘Load Routine’ option then gives you the facility to import previously saved routines, while there are also options to save and load in bulk, remove routines, or reset a particular routine to the default options. You can have a maximum of three routines for each side (left and right) and each scenario (defend and attack), leaving you with a potential total of twelve routines for each set piece type. If you have more than one routine, your players rotate between them throughout the match, as circumstances dictate. Match Plans and Instant Result Where applicable and where set, your Match Plans are carried out by your Assistant Manager depending on any given match scenario. These plans can be tailored to your own personal tastes and triggered whenever you see fit (including a host of scenario-based possibilities), allowing you a dynamic range of criteria to implement when a particular circumstance occurs. The ‘Create New’ button takes you step-by-step through creating your Match Plans. Let’s run through one example to familiarise you with the concept: Step 1: Introduction Step 2: Choose a Template – choose when this Match Plan should come into effect. A range of scenarios are available for you to pick from. Step 3: Choose a Defensive Approach – decide how defensive you want the team to be when this Plan is in effect. Step 4: Choose an Attacking Approach – decide how attacking you want the team to be when this Plan is in effect. Step 5: Save Match Plan Step 6: Choose Starting Tactics – choose your starting tactic for when this Match Plan is in use. This tactic will be the foundation upon which other changes are made. Step 7: Choose a Mentality – similarly, your starting mentality will then be adjusted based on your Match Plan. Step 8: Auto-Select Team – decide whether or not your Assistant Manager picks the team for any match where this Match Plan is in force. Step 9: Substitutions – decide when, if at all, you want performance-based substitutions to be made. Once you’ve set this up, you can further tweak things based on specific scenarios. For example: Select ‘Add Scenario’. Select a Match Strategy; for this example, we’ll use ‘Winning by 1+ goal’. Select the time period you want the plan to apply to. Let’s choose ‘in 75-85 mins’. We’re now in a position to ask the Match Plan to be activated when leading by at least one goal in the last twenty minutes of a match. At this stage, you now get to choose what Tactic and Mentality is deployed in these circumstances, as you seek to preserve the advantage late in a match, or perhaps kill the game by adding to the lead. Touchline Instructions may be added to complement the above. They issue new Team Instructions, as if you were making the changes in the full Tactics screen. The powerful scope at your disposal theoretically allows you to set up several plans to be automatically used throughout a match, as you can cover almost every conceivable situation. Plans can be overridden by your changes from the touchline, and the combination of the two should leave you well-positioned for anything and everything that can possibly happen over the course of ninety minutes. Should you wish to skip over the match and instead generate a result, you can use the Instant Result button. When doing so, you are presented with a set of Match Plans for your Assistant Manager to bring into play depending on any given match scenario. Captains At the start of every season, you will receive an item in your Inbox asking you to confirm a captain and a vice-captain for the coming season. Once selected, they appear at the top of the ‘Captains’ panel in different colours to the rest of your squad. Note that should you change your captain during the season, the previously deposed captain, friends and the media will want to know why, so make sure you’ve got a good reason for doing so. If you do wish to change your captain, select the newly desired player from the drop-down list. If you wish to add players in a hierarchical order of which they should take the captain’s armband, select their table row and drag and drop them into the list. The same method applies for re-ranking them, but you can do this from within the right-hand side panel. When considering your captain, one of the primary things to look for is a high Leadership attribute. Anyone with 17 or above here should immediately be considered as a candidate, but there’s more to look at than just that. Your captain should be mentally strong enough to be a capable leader of their teammates. On a player’s ‘Personal Information’ screen each player has a Personality trait. A ‘Born Leader’ is an ideal candidate for the captaincy. ‘Determined’ and ‘Model Professional’ are also desirable. Also consider the player’s age and experience –he’ll ideally have been at the team for a few years and been in football long enough to understand what it is to captain a team – and their place within the Team Hierarchy. A Team Leader or Leading Player is likely to serve as a better captain as they have already ascended into a leadership role within the changing room and, by and large, carry the respect of many of their teammates. A good captain improves the ability of every player in the team, with the potential for them to exceed their ability on occasion. A poor captain results in those same players not playing to their full capacity. Your choice matters.

Tactical Templates To assist you in setting up a tactic, a number of templates are provided for you to use as a foundation for the way you want to play. Each tactical template sets a series of team and player instructions geared towards a particular style of play; once you’ve picked the one that best suits your plans (the textual descriptions on screen will help guide your choice), have a look at the various instructions set as a result to better understand what’s going on. Mentalities What are the differences between mentalities and what do they change behind the scenes? Like many other mechanics in the game, mentalities can be thought of as being scored between 1-20. A Very Attacking mentality moves the score closer to 20 and represents the fact that the team is being asked to operate in a more attacking manner. Conversely, a Very Defensive mentality moves the scale much closer to the other end. Each base Mentality adjusts several tactical settings ‘under the hood’, combined with your tactical instructions, including intensity of press, line of engagement, tempo, attacking width, directness and time-wasting. In turn, mentalities also affect the actions of players set to an Automatic duty; a more attacking team mentality asks those players to be more attacking, and they are more defensive if you adopt a more defensive approach. Team Fluidity The number of attack, defend, and support duties you set within a Formation while using a certain Mentality is reflected in your Team Fluidity. For example, a Balanced Mentality and a Balanced Fluidity has three players with Defend duties, four players with Support Duties, and three players with Attack duties. Your distribution of duties determines whether you move up or down the scale to more attacking or defensive football, and whether you apply more fluid or more rigid approaches. If you set seven players to have Attack Duties and three players with Defend duties, you’ll be playing with a Very Attacking mentality but a Very Rigid fluidity, as you haven’t provided sufficient balance within your overly attacking setup. Balancing this with more Support duties will achieve a more fluid result, and the same rule applies across the board, so feel free to play around with your options and see what happens – there is no single correct ‘solution’. Your overall Fluidity is always indicated to you on the Tactics Overview screen. Formations What are they? A formation is the distribution of players across the pitch both in and out of possession. Football has developed to a point where teams play either three, four or five defenders, and then split the remainder of their outfield players between midfield duties (playing in the middle of the pitch) and the attack; players who are primarily there to score goals. A host of pre-set formations are ready for selection via the dropdown menu with the tactic name on; the ‘Set to Formation’ option then lists a handful of the most prominent formations while also including sections covering all 3, 4, and 5 Defender formations. A 4 Defender formation has two central defenders and two full-backs; 3 and 5 Defender formations are often quite similar with the most significant difference being that the full-backs in 5 Defender formations become more advanced in 3 Defender formations and can often be found as part of the midfield instead. Most teams line up symmetrically to provide balance and options to move in either direction without becoming unpredictable, but again, this is not a hard and fast rule. Should I pick the players to fit the formation or formations to fit the player? There are two prevalent schools of thought on formations: pick a shape that best suits the players at your disposal, or force your best players into a preferred formation and tell them to make it work. The latter doesn’t provide much flexibility and is likely to result in a certain level of compromise on how much you’re able to get out of each player, but the argument in favour of it is that if the tactic itself is structurally sound and the players do what’s asked of them, you’ll be hard to beat. The former is a more idealistic approach and allows players to fully express themselves in their best positions and roles, but it requires a fine balancing act between individual talents and the needs of the team. What am I looking at? What does the tactics screen actually represent? It bears noting that the formation you see on screen represents the team’s defensive shape when not in possession. The instructions you then apply to the team and to each individual impact what they do and where they go when they do have the ball. This is particularly important to consider when placing players in terms of defensive positioning, and areas of potential weakness and exposure. Roles and Duties Each role carries a text description alongside it that explains the fundamentals of what they’re being asked to do. You can see this by bringing up the position and role selection dialog. An additional sentence is appended to reference what happens when the player’s duty changes. A player can have an Attack, a Defend, or a Support duty, ostensibly adjusting how attacking they’re allowed to be within the team’s overall mentality. They directly modify the player instructions to allow for a greater level of risk within the tactic, and those instructions in turn require slightly different attributes. ‘Highlight Key Attributes for Role’ on the Player Profile screen identifies the different attributes needed to be effective in the role. How much does it matter if I play a player in an unfamiliar role? As outlined in the similar question about playing a player out of position, there are several degrees of severity as to how much it might matter. As a rule, it isn’t quite as disadvantageous to play a player in an unfamiliar role as it would be for a different position, as the player is likely to at least still be in the same position on the pitch. The difference between a Box-to-Box Midfielder and an Attacking Playmaker isn’t as marked as the difference between a Central Defender and a Central Midfielder, for example. To use a metaphor, they’re speaking different dialects of the same language, rather than a different language altogether. That said, you end up with diminishing returns if you ask a player to adopt a role to which their attributes are not suited. Asking a Ball Winning Midfielder to operate as a Trequartista is unlikely to yield positive results as they won’t have the right attribute profile to perform the instructions set for that role. By using the ‘Highlight Key Attributes for Role’ option on the player profile screen, you can see how much scope you have for asking a player to play an unfamiliar role, and that in turn gives you some insight into how they might perform on the pitch. Will playing in an unfamiliar role help learn that role faster? In short, yes. The more they play there, the more the attributes adjust to the requirements of the role, and as they should be training in the same role too, they become exposed to it on a daily basis. To be perfectly clear however, there is no set timeline for how long it can take for a player to learn. Instead, it depends on familiarity with the position, the quality of the coaching staff, the similarity of the positions and roles to those they can already play (a centre-back could learn to play full-back roles quicker than a striker role, for example), and what position and role they’re set to play in training. The more of those criteria that are matched successfully, the better chance they stand of learning it in a quicker period. Team Instructions Team Instructions effectively adjust the way your team plays. They operate on a sliding scale between attempting something much more frequently to much less often. IN POSSESSION Attacking Width This controls how wide you move the ball when in possession. A wider approach stretches the field horizontally; a narrower one funnels play through the middle of the pitch. Approach Play This instructs your players where to focus their passing. Pass Into Space asks players to lead their teammates into open spaces with their passing, rather than delivering it to their feet, in an effort to stretch the play and increase the overall tempo. They can Play Out Of Defence as well as focus their play down either flank or through the middle, and you should set this based on the strengths of your players and the weaknesses of the opposition. Passing Directness The Passing instructions above set the intention of the pass, the Directness instruction sets how it gets there. A more direct approach sees the ball played forward in a more vertical manner, with increased urgency, moving it from back to front as quickly as possible. Conversely, a shorter approach sees the ball moved patiently from side to side, probing for a way to unlock the defence. Tempo A higher tempo asks players to make more decisions in a quicker fashion, designed to capitalise on situations as they present themselves, and to force lapses in concentration. Time Wasting The higher the setting here, the more your players look to do nothing with the ball and take more time over set pieces and dead balls. Final Third When you have the ball in the attacking third of the pitch, there are a host of options for you to ask your players to focus their play on. The focus is on how the ball makes its way into shooting positions. Mixed Crosses is set by default (except for Tiki-Tika, which uses Low Crosses) but you can change this to focus on high, low, or near post deliveries if it suits your players and/or the circumstances. Play For Set Pieces encourages every player to attempt to win corners, free kicks and throw-ins so as to allow the team to bring players forward for dead ball situations, attempting to command control of the match in that way. Dribbling Dribble Less makes the players more likely to pass the ball, while Run At Defence increases each player’s likelihood of dribbling with it. Creative Freedom Creative Freedom is closely tied to your overall Team Fluidity. Be More Expressive increases the overall fluidity score, while Be More Disciplined reduces it. IN TRANSITION When possession has been lost This instructs your players how to react after losing the ball. Counter-Press asks the players to immediately apply pressure with the aim of recovering the ball as quickly as possible; Regroup is a defensive instruction asking them to fall into position and focus on defending. When possession has been won Once you’ve recovered possession, you must decide what to do with it. Counter asks the players to immediately go on the front foot and seek to take advantage of any opportunities left by the dispossessed opponents. Hold Shape asks the players to adopt a patient approach, keeping the ball and retaining their formation, before building an attack. Goalkeeper in possession Distribute Quickly asks the goalkeeper to operate at a quicker tempo when in possession, perhaps to increase urgency or instigate counter attacks. Slow Pace Down asks the goalkeeper to reduce tempo when in possession, perhaps to control the game or to waste time. Distribution Type Distribute to Area/Player asks goalkeepers to distribute the ball to a specific group of players on the pitch: Full Backs, Centre Backs, Playmaker, Flanks, Target Forward or over the top of the opposition defence. Roll It Out asks goalkeepers to roll the ball out to a teammate from hand, rather than kicking it. Throw It Long asks goalkeepers to throw the ball to a teammate over a slightly longer distance. Take Short Kicks asks goalkeepers to take shorter goal kicks to a teammate positioned close by. Take Long Kicks asks goalkeepers to take more traditional goal kicks over longer distances. Distribute to Specific Position asks goalkeepers to seek a pass to a designated position as their primary means of distribution. OUT OF POSSESSION Defensive Shape Line of Engagement The Line of Engagement is where the forwards in your team begin to press the opposition to try to win the ball back. In combination with the Defensive Line, it allows you to control the team’s vertical compactness out of possession. The distance between the Defensive Line and the Line of Engagement is the amount of space you’re willing to allow the opposition to potentially play in if they’re able to beat your press and move the ball into attack. Defensive Line This instructs the defenders as to how high they should position themselves when the opposition have the ball in their own half. You can also set whether or not to Use Offside Trap, although this should generally be used in tandem with a higher line, else opponents will be able to make their move from positions closer to the goal and with a reduced risk of being caught offside. Defensive Width This instructs the team how much of the width of the pitch they should attempt to defend within the structure of their formation. A wider approach covers more of the pitch but leaves larger spaces between each man; a narrower one allows the opposition to keep the ball on the periphery of the penalty area but then floods central areas in an attempt to protect the goal. Prevent Short GK Distribution takes this a stage further and assigns forwards to specifically mark defenders who might receive the ball from a goalkeeper looking to pass the ball short, rather than kick it long. Marking and Tackling Stay On Feet asks the players to remain upright when challenging for the ball; Get Stuck In increases the chance of them going to ground to try to win it, potentially risking conceding more fouls and yellow/red cards. Pressing Trap The success of how you implement a pressing trigger determines how successful your Defensive Transition and your Line of Engagement are, but it also needs to fit snugly with those instructions to be possible in the first place. You can try to Trap Inside or Outside depending on where the strengths and weaknesses of your team and of the opposition like respectively; Trap Inside will try to force play into central areas where winning possession back could lead to high-quality chances, while Trap Outside is often more successful as opponents have fewer options when under pressure, but it doesn’t often yield quite as many successful transition opportunities. Cross Engagement You can ask your team to Stop Crosses, denying the forwards the penalty area supply they crave, or you can Invite Crosses to force a team to play in such a way that they’re uncomfortable with, perhaps because they don’t have forwards suited to getting on the end of crosses or, indeed, delivering them in the first place. Player Instructions In addition to your overall team instructions, you can designate instructions to any individual to tailor their playing style specifically. The ‘Player’ sub-tab presents a screen that allows you to configure instructions on a player-by-player basis, as well as configuring rules for anybody who happens to feature in that position in the team. For example, if you select the Defensive Midfielder slot on the formation graphic in the left sub-panel (‘Tactic’), you can customise Role, Duty and Instruction commands for the positions regardless of who plays there. You can also add members of your squad to the ‘Instructions For’ sub-panel towards the bottom left of the screen and set up further instructions on a case-by-case basis. Selecting any of the players in the ‘Instructions For’ section allows you to quickly toggle between using the instructions set for the position or for the player. The Position/Personalised toggle switch in the panel directly underneath the player’s name achieves this. The rest of the screen is devoted to attributes and feedback on the performances of the player currently selected in that position for the team. The instructions available for assignment vary by position and are split into several areas but, for the convenience of finding and utilising them from the lists in this section, they have been grouped into areas of greatest similarity. Each instruction acts as a modifier to an instruction already set for the player by the role and duty assigned. When Opposition has the Ball Trigger Press determines the frequency with which the player goes about trying to regain possession. A more urgent approach encourages the player to make the effort to harass any opposing player who has possession in hope of forcing a mistake and regaining the ball. Less urgent pressing instead asks the player to stick to their position when defending and make it hard for the opponent to break them down, rather than risk being caught out of position. Mark Tighter asks players to stick particularly closely to their assigned opponent in defensive situations so as to limit the space they have in which to attack the ball. Tackle Harder encourages players to be forceful and combative when challenging for possession. Ease Off Tackles asks players to consider the ramifications of an aggressive mistimed tackle and instead encourages them to pick their moments in a more timely fashion. Mark Specific Player focuses on a specific opponent to mark. Mark Specific Position focuses on a specific position to mark, regardless of the player occupying it. When Team has the Ball Get Further Forward increases each player’s chances of making forward runs. Hold Position reduces the freedom for a player to move from an assigned position. The team’s overall Fluidity still governs how often they do this. Stay Wider encourages players, primarily those in wider areas of the pitch, to stay as close to the touchline as possible in a bid to stretch the game over the full width of the playing surface. Sit Narrower asks the player to stay in the central areas of the pitch, either to exploit a weakness in the opposition or to consolidate defensively in a bid to keep the opposing threats on the periphery. Move Into Channels instructs central players to find space between their assigned positions and the wider areas. It also allows players in some wider roles, like Raumdeuter, to move inside to exploit the same spaces. Hold Position asks players to stay with their assignment instead of moving into space as they see fit. Roam From Position gives players the freedom to leave their designated position within a team's basic formation and instead find pockets of space in which they can be more effective. When Player has the Ball Hold Up Ball asks players to turn their back towards goal and retain possession before bringing teammates into play. Run Wide With Ball encourages players to move into wider areas of the pitch when in possession in a bid to stretch the opposition and disrupt their shape. Cut Inside With Ball asks wide players to look to come into central areas when running with the ball, driving inside their opponent and heading towards the goal. Shooting Shoot More Often encourages players to attempt a greater number of shots when posed with potential chances, rather than looking for a pass. Shoot Less Often asks players to retain possession and remain patient in search of a more opportune moment at which to finally shoot. Dribbling Dribble More encourages the player to run with the ball more often. Dribble Less asks players to primarily pass the ball around and not attempt to beat opponents individually by way of taking them on. Passing Directness Shorter Passing asks players to adopt a shorter passing game and primarily retain the ball with a patient approach. Standard Passing asks players to adopt a sensible style of passing correlating to the game situation. More Direct Passing asks players to adopt a direct passing game and primarily get the ball into advanced areas of the pitch as quickly as possible. Cross From Cross From Deep asks players – most typically full-backs, although not exclusively – to set up crossing opportunities from deeper areas on the pitch rather than waiting until the ball is in the attacking third. Cross From Byline asks players to get the ball as high up the pitch as possible in wider areas before attempting to cross into the goalmouth and penalty area. Crossing Frequency Cross More Often encourages regular delivery into the penalty area from wide positions. Cross Less Often asks players to retain possession longer rather than attempt to cross. Aim Crosses At Aim Crosses at Near Post asks players to deliver their crosses into the near post area. Aim Crosses at Centre asks players to deliver crosses into the middle of the penalty area. Aim Crosses at Far Post asks players to deliver their crosses towards the far post. Aim Crosses at Target Forward asks players to deliver their crosses in the general direction of a designated target forward. Passing Risks Take More Risks encourages players to increase the number of low-percentage through balls in the hope that one or two of them will unlock the opposition defence in a potentially decisive manner. It does not ask the player to try riskier passes than they would normally consider, though as a natural by-product of attempting more low-percentage passes, this might occur. Take Fewer Risks asks players to play fewer through balls and only attempt them when the opening is much clearer. Opposition Instructions This screen allows you to configure default opposition instructions to apply to any position on the pitch. These are applied ahead of every match, but you can tweak them before kick-off depending on the team selection and shape of each specific opponent. Alternatively, they can be delegated to the Assistant Manager. Tight Marking, Trigger Press and Tackling all act the same way as described above but while focusing on one specific player outside of the Team Instructions as a whole; Show onto Foot asks the team to ensure that an opponent isn’t allowed to use a particular foot and is instead forced into situations where they perhaps have to use a less favoured option. The success of these instructions is determined by the relative ability of the player tasked with the instruction compared to a direct opponent, the tactical balance of incorporating it into the instructions given to the player and the team, and the overall head-to-head tactical battle between the two teams. Set Pieces Selecting the ‘Set Pieces’ sub-tab allows you to set up your dead ball instructions. Each set piece type guides you through a visual presentation of your set piece instructions and takers. Each position is visible on the pitch with a series of available icons either when selected on or dragged away from the current position. You can drag an icon to another area of the pitch (only areas with an indicated ‘landing spot’ are accepted). Good set pieces can often be the difference between winning or losing. Taking advantage of the numerous dead-ball situations that occur in matches can work massively to your benefit. Primarily you need to identify your best corner, throw-in, and free kick takers. Each of these have their own attributes, so initially look for as high an attribute as you can in each of these specific areas. If your squad isn’t blessed with any particularly capable players, consider bringing one in. Once you’ve identified potential takers, you can start narrowing the selections down. A good free kick taker also needs good Crossing if the attempts are not direct at goal, since the free kick most likely needs to be put into a dangerous offensive area. Throw-in takers should have a good Long Throws rating to make full use of the situation, but they also need to have decent ratings in Strength and Balance to get a good throw away. When selecting Penalty takers, much of the above applies. Your regular penalty taker should have a high Penalty Taking attribute in addition to good Finishing and Composure, although these carry less weight in the overall decision-making process. Penalty Taking as a standalone attribute is what you need to really concern yourself with. It may be that you’re forced to use players who aren’t natural penalty takers when it comes to shootouts, so look at the next most important characteristics; mentally strong, capable players who strike a ball well and make a good decision. Multiple players may be selected for set piece duties in the same way as described in the Captaincy section below. Select on the desired player’s table row; drag then drop into the appropriate set piece menu. The ranking is hierarchical and follows the order if the top player is not on the pitch at the time. Saving and Exporting Routines You can now save, export and re-use set piece routines for free kicks, corners and throw-ins. From the ‘Routine’ view menu to the top right of the pitch display area on the Set Pieces tab, you can ‘Create New Routine’ and, once you’re happy with your configuration, revisit the same menu to ‘Save Routine’. The ‘Load Routine’ option then gives you the facility to import previously saved routines, while there are also options to save and load in bulk, remove routines, or reset a particular routine to the default options. You can have a maximum of three routines for each side (left and right) and each scenario (defend and attack), leaving you with a potential total of twelve routines for each set piece type. If you have more than one routine, your players rotate between them throughout the match, as circumstances dictate. Match Plans and Instant Result Where applicable and where set, your Match Plans are carried out by your Assistant Manager depending on any given match scenario. These plans can be tailored to your own personal tastes and triggered whenever you see fit (including a host of scenario-based possibilities), allowing you a dynamic range of criteria to implement when a particular circumstance occurs. The ‘Create New’ button takes you step-by-step through creating your Match Plans. Let’s run through one example to familiarise you with the concept: Step 1: Introduction Step 2: Choose a Template – choose when this Match Plan should come into effect. A range of scenarios are available for you to pick from. Step 3: Choose a Defensive Approach – decide how defensive you want the team to be when this Plan is in effect. Step 4: Choose an Attacking Approach – decide how attacking you want the team to be when this Plan is in effect. Step 5: Save Match Plan Step 6: Choose Starting Tactics – choose your starting tactic for when this Match Plan is in use. This tactic will be the foundation upon which other changes are made. Step 7: Choose a Mentality – similarly, your starting mentality will then be adjusted based on your Match Plan. Step 8: Auto-Select Team – decide whether or not your Assistant Manager picks the team for any match where this Match Plan is in force. Step 9: Substitutions – decide when, if at all, you want performance-based substitutions to be made. Once you’ve set this up, you can further tweak things based on specific scenarios. For example: Select ‘Add Scenario’. Select a Match Strategy; for this example, we’ll use ‘Winning by 1+ goal’. Select the time period you want the plan to apply to. Let’s choose ‘in 75-85 mins’. We’re now in a position to ask the Match Plan to be activated when leading by at least one goal in the last twenty minutes of a match. At this stage, you now get to choose what Tactic and Mentality is deployed in these circumstances, as you seek to preserve the advantage late in a match, or perhaps kill the game by adding to the lead. Touchline Instructions may be added to complement the above. They issue new Team Instructions, as if you were making the changes in the full Tactics screen. The powerful scope at your disposal theoretically allows you to set up several plans to be automatically used throughout a match, as you can cover almost every conceivable situation. Plans can be overridden by your changes from the touchline, and the combination of the two should leave you well-positioned for anything and everything that can possibly happen over the course of ninety minutes. Should you wish to skip over the match and instead generate a result, you can use the Instant Result button. When doing so, you are presented with a set of Match Plans for your Assistant Manager to bring into play depending on any given match scenario. Captains At the start of every season, you will receive an item in your Inbox asking you to confirm a captain and a vice-captain for the coming season. Once selected, they appear at the top of the ‘Captains’ panel in different colours to the rest of your squad. Note that should you change your captain during the season, the previously deposed captain, friends and the media will want to know why, so make sure you’ve got a good reason for doing so. If you do wish to change your captain, select the newly desired player from the drop-down list. If you wish to add players in a hierarchical order of which they should take the captain’s armband, select their table row and drag and drop them into the list. The same method applies for re-ranking them, but you can do this from within the right-hand side panel. When considering your captain, one of the primary things to look for is a high Leadership attribute. Anyone with 17 or above here should immediately be considered as a candidate, but there’s more to look at than just that. Your captain should be mentally strong enough to be a capable leader of their teammates. On a player’s ‘Personal Information’ screen each player has a Personality trait. A ‘Born Leader’ is an ideal candidate for the captaincy. ‘Determined’ and ‘Model Professional’ are also desirable. Also consider the player’s age and experience –he’ll ideally have been at the team for a few years and been in football long enough to understand what it is to captain a team – and their place within the Team Hierarchy. A Team Leader or Leading Player is likely to serve as a better captain as they have already ascended into a leadership role within the changing room and, by and large, carry the respect of many of their teammates. A good captain improves the ability of every player in the team, with the potential for them to exceed their ability on occasion. A poor captain results in those same players not playing to their full capacity. Your choice matters.

Overview The Staff Overview screen displays the senior staff in charge of running each department of your backroom team, and provides quick-access links to customise the remit of their day-to-day activities. Staff Attributes The following details describe how the ratings model for non-players works in Football Manager™ Touch 2023. All attributes work on the 1-20 scale, where 20 is the very best while 1 is the lowest possible value, in the same way as Player Attributes do. Coaching Attributes Attacking This reflects their competency and interest in coaching attacking football. This is used to determine how likely a coach is to adopt a suitable attacking approach from game to game, how likely certain Player Traits are to be successful under their coaching, and a general attacking bias towards training, backroom advice and player evaluations. Defending This reflects their competency and interest in coaching defensive football. Higher ratings indicate an interest and a proficiency in working well on the defensive side of the game. If the non-player in question has a higher Defending rating than Attacking, their bias when undertaking match preparation will be skewed towards the defensive side of the game, for example. Fitness This reflects a coach’s ability to work on the fitness side of the game, and to recognise potential issues before they arise during matches. Goalkeeper Distribution This reflects an ability to competently coach a goalkeeper in the quality and effectiveness of their distribution. A goalkeeper’s technical attributes – Kicking and Throwing in particular – govern the success of their delivery. This attribute primarily deals with identifying the right player to distribute to, and developing the method of delivery. Goalkeeper Handling This reflects their ability to coach a goalkeeper’s Handling attribute as well as impacting upon their Aerial Reach, Command of Area and Communication. Goalkeeper Shot Stopping This reflects their ability to coach a goalkeeper’s ability to stop all types of shots. A better coach will see improvements in a goalkeeper’s Reflexes and One on Ones in particular. Mental The ability of the individual to provide the right help (particularly in backroom advice) when working closely with players. It also determines their skill at coaching mental attributes. Tactical This reflects how tactically astute they are. More tactically astute coaches are not only able to coach the tactical side of the game more effectively but any advice they offer is likely to be more accurate and informative. Technical This reflects the ability of the coach to teach the technical side of the game, i.e. their work with the ball. It plays a part in the recommendations given concerning the individual attribute focus for player training, as well as the intensity of the training sessions they run. Working with Youngsters This reflects how successful a coach is at working with younger players – those aged 19 and under in particular. A non-player with a high rating here will improve the players they work with if given a youth team training assignment, while the quality of an annual youth intake is affected by the rating of the person responsible for bringing them through. It is also used to determine an individual’s interest in young footballers overall, such as the Chairperson when asking the Board for improved youth facilities. Mental Attributes Adaptability Adaptability refers to how well the non-player adapts to living in a country that is not their own. It affects their interest in moving to another country and their ability to learn a new language. Determination The mental desire of the coach to succeed. This isn’t a coaching attribute in terms of coaching a player’s mental approach – this is the coach as an individual and their own innate drive to better themselves and the players they work with. Level of Discipline This reflects the level of discipline the coach is likely to take in their approach. A higher attribute means that the coach takes a harder line in their approach and keeps things strict (which in turn discourages players from raising complaints in private chats and other similar aspects of managing players). A lower attribute means the coach is a little more relaxed but also easier for players to exert a little more power and influence over. People Management How well the member of staff can deal with those around them, and particularly below them. This is a mental aspect; a high attribute indicates a coach who can organise and keeping people happy, with special regard to interaction, morale, coach reports and backroom advice, as well as scheduling appropriate rest periods during training. Motivating The mental ability of a coach to motivate their players. This has an impact in player interactions, team meetings, team talks and training. Medical Attributes Physiotherapy This attribute is predominantly for use with Physiotherapists. In general, a high attribute here indicates a more accomplished Physiotherapist, but the rating is also used for fitness tests, player transfer medicals, and assessing injury proneness. Sports Science This attribute is also predominantly used by members of the medical team and governs the competency of the individual to accurately manage every player’s fitness level and injury risk in such a way that they are able to keep them in condition to play regular football. Knowledge Attributes Judging Player Ability and Potential When employing a scout, these two attributes are the first things you should look at, but it remains valuable for all non-players, particularly coaches too. High attribute ratings in these two areas will most likely result in more accurate scouting reports and player evaluations. Judging Ability is important if you have assigned a scout to watch players you intend to bring in, are scouting upcoming opponents, or ask a coach to provide reports or advice on players in your squad. Judging Potential does much the same, but concerning the player’s long-term outlook, rather than the current situation. Negotiating This attribute simply comments on how successfully they negotiate transfer and contract deals. A higher rating represents strong dealings; a lower one less so. How does each attribute impact a player’s performance or development? A high attribute typically delivers success more often, and more consistently, than a lower one. That means a scout with 20 for Judging Player Ability and Judging Player Potential submits top quality reports on players that can be relied upon wholly; it means a coach with 20 for Tactical Knowledge provides the best tactical advice, and it means a Physiotherapist with 20 for Physiotherapy is proactive and responsive in their treatment of injuries. That much should be relatively clear from the outset, but what about staff who score, say, 10 in these areas? How does that affect the players? In short, they become less reliable, but with that comes a few caveats. For example, if you have a Physiotherapist with 10 for Physiotherapy but the league average for staff employed in that role is 7, you have a significant advantage. The advice and treatment dispensed might not be the best it can be, but it could be the best it can be for your club, for your level and at this current time. Numbers are relative to the standard you’re playing at. A top-quality coach working with players below the coach’s ability is worth their weight in gold. The effect they can have on your squad is more tangible and obvious than someone working at the level suitable for their ability. You’ll be able to see it in the development of your own players as well as in the insight you’ll have into other teams and players if it’s a quality scout. Conversely, if you have a sub-par member of staff working at a level they’re not qualified for, and is below the average for your club, for your level and at this current time, then you’ll be somewhat handicapped by their work until you’re able to upgrade that job.

Overview The Staff Overview screen displays the senior staff in charge of running each department of your backroom team, and provides quick-access links to customise the remit of their day-to-day activities. Staff Attributes The following details describe how the ratings model for non-players works in Football Manager™ Touch 2023. All attributes work on the 1-20 scale, where 20 is the very best while 1 is the lowest possible value, in the same way as Player Attributes do. Coaching Attributes Attacking This reflects their competency and interest in coaching attacking football. This is used to determine how likely a coach is to adopt a suitable attacking approach from game to game, how likely certain Player Traits are to be successful under their coaching, and a general attacking bias towards training, backroom advice and player evaluations. Defending This reflects their competency and interest in coaching defensive football. Higher ratings indicate an interest and a proficiency in working well on the defensive side of the game. If the non-player in question has a higher Defending rating than Attacking, their bias when undertaking match preparation will be skewed towards the defensive side of the game, for example. Fitness This reflects a coach’s ability to work on the fitness side of the game, and to recognise potential issues before they arise during matches. Goalkeeper Distribution This reflects an ability to competently coach a goalkeeper in the quality and effectiveness of their distribution. A goalkeeper’s technical attributes – Kicking and Throwing in particular – govern the success of their delivery. This attribute primarily deals with identifying the right player to distribute to, and developing the method of delivery. Goalkeeper Handling This reflects their ability to coach a goalkeeper’s Handling attribute as well as impacting upon their Aerial Reach, Command of Area and Communication. Goalkeeper Shot Stopping This reflects their ability to coach a goalkeeper’s ability to stop all types of shots. A better coach will see improvements in a goalkeeper’s Reflexes and One on Ones in particular. Mental The ability of the individual to provide the right help (particularly in backroom advice) when working closely with players. It also determines their skill at coaching mental attributes. Tactical This reflects how tactically astute they are. More tactically astute coaches are not only able to coach the tactical side of the game more effectively but any advice they offer is likely to be more accurate and informative. Technical This reflects the ability of the coach to teach the technical side of the game, i.e. their work with the ball. It plays a part in the recommendations given concerning the individual attribute focus for player training, as well as the intensity of the training sessions they run. Working with Youngsters This reflects how successful a coach is at working with younger players – those aged 19 and under in particular. A non-player with a high rating here will improve the players they work with if given a youth team training assignment, while the quality of an annual youth intake is affected by the rating of the person responsible for bringing them through. It is also used to determine an individual’s interest in young footballers overall, such as the Chairperson when asking the Board for improved youth facilities. Mental Attributes Adaptability Adaptability refers to how well the non-player adapts to living in a country that is not their own. It affects their interest in moving to another country and their ability to learn a new language. Determination The mental desire of the coach to succeed. This isn’t a coaching attribute in terms of coaching a player’s mental approach – this is the coach as an individual and their own innate drive to better themselves and the players they work with. Level of Discipline This reflects the level of discipline the coach is likely to take in their approach. A higher attribute means that the coach takes a harder line in their approach and keeps things strict (which in turn discourages players from raising complaints in private chats and other similar aspects of managing players). A lower attribute means the coach is a little more relaxed but also easier for players to exert a little more power and influence over. People Management How well the member of staff can deal with those around them, and particularly below them. This is a mental aspect; a high attribute indicates a coach who can organise and keeping people happy, with special regard to interaction, morale, coach reports and backroom advice, as well as scheduling appropriate rest periods during training. Motivating The mental ability of a coach to motivate their players. This has an impact in player interactions, team meetings, team talks and training. Medical Attributes Physiotherapy This attribute is predominantly for use with Physiotherapists. In general, a high attribute here indicates a more accomplished Physiotherapist, but the rating is also used for fitness tests, player transfer medicals, and assessing injury proneness. Sports Science This attribute is also predominantly used by members of the medical team and governs the competency of the individual to accurately manage every player’s fitness level and injury risk in such a way that they are able to keep them in condition to play regular football. Knowledge Attributes Judging Player Ability and Potential When employing a scout, these two attributes are the first things you should look at, but it remains valuable for all non-players, particularly coaches too. High attribute ratings in these two areas will most likely result in more accurate scouting reports and player evaluations. Judging Ability is important if you have assigned a scout to watch players you intend to bring in, are scouting upcoming opponents, or ask a coach to provide reports or advice on players in your squad. Judging Potential does much the same, but concerning the player’s long-term outlook, rather than the current situation. Negotiating This attribute simply comments on how successfully they negotiate transfer and contract deals. A higher rating represents strong dealings; a lower one less so. How does each attribute impact a player’s performance or development? A high attribute typically delivers success more often, and more consistently, than a lower one. That means a scout with 20 for Judging Player Ability and Judging Player Potential submits top quality reports on players that can be relied upon wholly; it means a coach with 20 for Tactical Knowledge provides the best tactical advice, and it means a Physiotherapist with 20 for Physiotherapy is proactive and responsive in their treatment of injuries. That much should be relatively clear from the outset, but what about staff who score, say, 10 in these areas? How does that affect the players? In short, they become less reliable, but with that comes a few caveats. For example, if you have a Physiotherapist with 10 for Physiotherapy but the league average for staff employed in that role is 7, you have a significant advantage. The advice and treatment dispensed might not be the best it can be, but it could be the best it can be for your club, for your level and at this current time. Numbers are relative to the standard you’re playing at. A top-quality coach working with players below the coach’s ability is worth their weight in gold. The effect they can have on your squad is more tangible and obvious than someone working at the level suitable for their ability. You’ll be able to see it in the development of your own players as well as in the insight you’ll have into other teams and players if it’s a quality scout. Conversely, if you have a sub-par member of staff working at a level they’re not qualified for, and is below the average for your club, for your level and at this current time, then you’ll be somewhat handicapped by their work until you’re able to upgrade that job.

Overview and Status Flags It’s a simple fact that to be successful, you need the right players. That’s not to say you need the best players, but identifying the necessary players to suit your plans is of paramount importance. Whenever a person – player or non-player – appears in a list, they have a small circle with a silhouette or a profile photo. This is the ‘Information’ pop-up. Selecting it (or hovering over it, depending on your Preferences selection) displays a small box with their most useful biographical information and their attributes. You can also select the player’s name to access the ‘Actions’ menu, allowing you to interact with the individual without having to access their full player profile. A player may also have one or many status flags attached to them on the Squad screen. Hold the cursor over (or long-press on Tablet) to enable them to cascade into full view. Bring up the tooltip for more information on what each of them means; further detail is available from the Overview screen for each player as well. Playing Time Playing time is at the heart of a player’s happiness. Give it to them and they’re satisfied; take it away from them and problems will almost certainly arise. For Football Manager™ Touch 2023, Playing Time replaces Squad Status to provide a clearer and more descriptive understanding of how a player fits into a squad. It allows for better rotation of players between matches, keeping players happier for longer, while drawing closer parallels to expected behaviour on a contract-to-contract basis as players move through their careers. The tiers of Playing Time are as follows: Star Player: The main player at the club. There can be more than one Star Player but, as a rule of thumb, this is the top dog and they expect the playing time and salary that comes with it. Important Player: The first names on the team sheet and, in teams where a Star Player isn’t found, the most important members of the squad. Regular Starter: Someone you can expect to feature in most matches in the starting eleven but who doesn’t quite command the star power of the more illustrious players. Squad Player: A genuine rotation option who can be brought into the team throughout the season and keep pace with the more important players. Fringe Player: Someone who gets the occasional opportunity to play in the first team, and earn more minutes if they impress enough, but largely accepts their place at the bottom end of the squad. B Team Regular: Exclusively for use at clubs with a B Team, this is a player aged 24 or older who is a B Team stalwart with no aspirations to play for the top club. Hot Prospect: A highly talented young with a first-team future. Youngster: A good young player with varying degrees of chance of eventually playing for the first team. Surplus to Requirements: A player who is no longer needed at the club. There are also some goalkeeper-specific options: First Choice Goalkeeper: Almost self-explanatory, this goalkeeper is the clear first choice in their position. A goalkeeper can be a Star Player where suitable but most of the time they fall into this category. Backup: The regular deputy goalkeeper in all competitions. Cup Goalkeeper: The nominated goalkeeper for all cup competitions; someone different from the First-Choice goalkeeper. How you distribute these Playing Time options around your squad, and act upon them over the course of the season, goes a long way towards determining your overall success. Positions A complete breakdown of a player’s positional ability is found on the Positional Abilities panel of a player’s Information screen. The graphical pitch displayed in this panel indicates the positions the individual can play and each is colour-coded to represent a level competence in that position. Six levels of competence in a position are considered in addition to the player’s ‘Natural’ position: Accomplished – The player isn’t naturally at their best in this position but will perform in an accomplished and successful manner more often than not. Competent – The player has enough experience and ability to put in convincing performances here on a regular basis. Unconvincing – The player is playing out of position but will be able to do a decent job for a short period. Awkward – The player isn’t likely to be particularly successful playing in this position. They may fill in for emergencies but will be struggling. Ineffectual – The player cannot play in this position. You are free to play them there, but they will not perform well. Makeshift – The player is not remotely suitable for this position and will likely be a liability there. Naturally, there might be occasions where you simply have to put someone there, but it should only be as a last resort. The panel also displays the competence of a player with both feet at the bottom of the pitch display. It also displays the number of games they have played in various positions throughout the current season. For example, a versatile player who is predominantly a Defensive Midfielder but can play at Defender (Right) may have 30 appearances in their primary position but 15 as a Defender (Right). This allows you to see potential reasons for a player’s good or bad performances and indeed their ability to play in various roles. A player’s main position and their best role are printed in full in the title bar (presuming you have the Preferences set accordingly). Any particular traits the player favours are listed on this screen and can be altered or added to through the player’s Individual training screen. Does it matter if I use a player out of position? Yes and no. In an ideal world, you’d have a player Accomplished or better in each position. They’ll be more comfortable, they’ll perform to a higher and a more consistent standard, and will be less likely to be targeted as a weakness by the opposition. This isn’t to say that you can’t play someone out of position though, either on a regular basis or in times of need. For the latter, you can often plug someone in to ‘do a job’ and they’ll typically perform well enough to get by, particularly if the rest of the team is strong and the tactical structure helps to support them. Playing someone out of position longer-term, on the other hand, can work if the player’s attributes lend themselves well to the position and role assigned to them, and they’ll gradually learn and improve in that position the more they play there. This ties into the overall concept of footballing ‘universality’: the idea that any player can play in any position as long as they’re well-trained and has a certain number of fundamental attributes in place. This is much harder to commit to and make work in practice than it is in theory, but the concept of a player being used in an unfamiliar or entirely different position isn’t a new one, and it isn’t something you should necessarily shy away from if you feel it can work within the framework of your tactics. What is the tangible difference between each level of positional ability and how does that manifest itself in the match engine? Essentially, the position rating system works the same as most attributes. It operates on a 1-20 scale: the higher the number, the more competent the player in their execution of their duties. Natural: 18-20 Accomplished: 13-17 Competent: 10-12 Unconvincing: 6-9 Awkward: 5-8 Makeshift: 1-4 The player’s comfort in a position acts as a direct modifier to their ability in that position. A player with 20 for any position is able to play there without any adverse impact. The lower the rating for a position, the more the player will struggle – particularly with their Positioning and Decisions – but their versatility can help them adapt if they have a high rating for that attribute. An Introduction to Attributes It is vital to understand the importance of player attributes in Football Manager™ Touch and how they affect various parts of the game and the match engine. Attributes are divided into three main areas – Physical, Mental, and Technical – with Goalkeepers having their own Technical ratings. The attributes, how they react in certain situations, in combination with others as well as on a stand-alone basis, are detailed below, but it’s important first of all to outline how attributes work. Each player is rated on a scale of 1-20, 1 being absolutely terrible, and 20 being elite. Some attributes are defined as ‘Absolute’, and some as ‘Relative’. Absolute attributes are those that are locked to an individual and can’t be trained quite as easily, such as Determination and Work Rate. These are generally innate attributes specific to individuals and typically only develop as the player matures off the field. Relative attributes are those that can be compared to other players in the football world and can be improved through training and player development. Physical and Technical skill sets are the main areas in which you’ll find relative attributes. For players that aren’t at your club and who haven’t been comprehensively scouted, attributes appear as a range to indicate a rough idea of their ability in that area. Continued scouting reduces the range until the attribute is clearly identified. How are attributes and player ability linked? The distribution of attributes across a player’s profile effectively determines their Current Ability. A player with 20 in all positive areas would be as close to the maximum ability score as possible; it wouldn’t be 100% certain because the number of positions they can play, as well as their competence with either foot, can affect the final number. Some attributes have a higher ‘weighting’ towards a player’s overall ability as they are fundamentally important to succeeding in any position. Most Physical attributes, as well as Anticipation, Decisions and Positioning are the most heavily rated for any position, while each position carries appropriate weightings for attributes crucial to performing to a high standard in that area of the pitch. The ‘Highlight Key Attributes’ button on a player’s profile offers an insight into what each of these attributes are per position. How does a one-number difference in an attribute make a difference in the match engine? The easiest way to answer this question is to state that it produces a more consistent and high-quality outcome with every increase up the attribute scale. A pass is more likely to find its target, a shot is more likely to be on target, a tackle more often wins the ball, etc. The combination and distribution of attributes, combined with the player’s position, also directly correlate with their ability as described above. Players with higher attributes, typically, also have a higher ability. It applies to attributes several numbers apart as well as a single digit in difference, 11 to 12 for example. The differences are more easily noticeable when the difference is increased, but there are subtler tells when it’s reduced. Consider two identical players, but with their Decisions attributes a single digit apart. The player with the higher rating is more likely to make a better choice with every decision they make. It’s a very basic example that doesn’t include the nuance of how game situations and other attributes affect it, but that isolated marginal gain is important over the course of ninety minutes. It could be the difference between a pass that successfully unlocks a defence that another player might not have chosen. The small margins, the slight advantages, add up to a much bigger advantage when applied across the entire team, and that’s how the attribute model works. How do attributes combine with each other and with external factors on a game-by-game basis? Every player has almost 40 visible playing attributes. They often work in conjunction with each other, either with another single attribute, or in combination with many, and the total number of combinations of attributes working in a synchronised fashion is stupendous. It would be impossible to list every single possible combination, but it’s more important to understand the environment the players operate in, and how the decision-making process works. Take one small example. A winger who has a high attribute value for crossing, on average, delivers consistently dangerous crosses into attacking positions in perfect circumstances, i.e. with the ball fully under control and without significant pressure around them. But what happens if you then start to add in other factors? Introduce a defender closing them down, introduce a defender in the penalty area waiting to clear it, introduce a poor playing surface due to unfavourable weather. Everything changes. If that player has high attributes in other areas, like pace and acceleration, dribbling and technique, for example, they have more ways to succeed. Players make thousands of mental calculations in every match based around the best option available to them at any given moment, and those are based off their attributes and their all-round competency. They aren’t always right in their decision (the specific Decisions attribute itself plays a big role here), nor is the right decision always the successful one. It’s easiest to think of attribute combinations ‘creating’ templates of players: athletic players, intelligent players, creative players, leaders etc. Much of this can be deciphered by using the role selector on the player’s profile, which highlight the appropriate attributes for that role. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, but at the same time, it should be simple to understand which attributes do not work well together, or at all, by a combination of common sense and a process of elimination. Strength, for example, has nothing to do with Crossing. Positioning, as a purely defensive attribute, does not work with Finishing. Vision and Tackling are not associated as Vision refers to the opportunities a player can see opening up when in possession. All of these attributes are explained in more detail in the following section: Technical Attributes Corners How well the player takes a corner kick. Crossing How well the player can cross the ball, predominantly but not exclusively from wide areas, into goalscoring positions. Dribbling How well the player can run with the ball and manipulate it under close control. This is purely their proficiency at moving with the ball at their feet: Pace, Acceleration, Agility, and Balance all aid dribbling in different circumstances. A player with higher ratings here is also able to move in more directions more fluidly with the ball than someone with a lower rating. Finishing How well the player can put the ball in the back of the net when presented with a chance. A high Finishing attribute puts the shot on target a majority of the time as a bare minimum and, compared to a player with poorer Finishing, finds the places where the goalkeeper can’t save it. This is purely the ability of the player to perform an accurate shot – Composure and Decisions also influence a player’s ability to score consistently. First Touch How good a player’s first touch is when receiving the ball. A higher rating ensures that the player can control the ball quicker and put it in a useful position to then act upon. Players with lower ratings here struggle to control the ball as adeptly and may be prone to losing the ball if closed down quickly. Free Kick Taking How good at taking free kicks the player is. It solely applies to direct shots at goal; indirect free kicks are governed by other technical attributes like Crossing. Heading How competent a player is in aerial situations. Heading applies to all situations with the ball in the air and is only about the player’s ability to use their head well. Jumping Reach, Height, and to a lesser extent Strength all play a part in combination with heading to utilise the attribute to greater effect. Long Shots How good the player is at shooting from distance, i.e. from outside the penalty area. It is largely a stand-alone attribute but pay attention to any PPMs the player may have that complement their Long Shots rating. Long Throws How well the player to perform a long throw, which can be taken advantage of in attacking situations, or to help move the ball forward from defensive areas. Marking How well players, mainly but not exclusively defensive types, defend an opponent. Marking alone sees them do a good job of identifying, tracking, reacting to and denying opponents if the attribute is high, but remember that other attributes – Strength, Positioning, Anticipation –plays a part in the effectiveness of the marking, as well as the comparable physical statures of the two players. Passing How good the player is at passing the ball to a teammate. Vision dictates whether or not they see different types of passing opportunity. Technique affects the quality of their execution (for example, whether the pass lands perfectly for a player to collect in stride). Passing itself, in isolation, determines how successful the player is at producing consistent success over different types of passing opportunities. Penalty Taking How well the player does from the penalty spot. Composure is also factored into whether a player is successful with the penalty, but the Penalty Taking attribute itself governs whether or not a penalty is likely to be scored or missed. Tackling How successful the player is at winning tackles and not conceding fouls from such situations. Players with a high Tackling rating consistently win the ball cleanly and are more capable defensive players. Technique A player with high Technique is more likely to pull off a tricky pass or a cross-field ball with greater ease than someone less technically able, or to use their preferred foot in situations where their weaker one would appear to be easier. This in turn affects technical attributes – poorer Technique will let a player down. Mental Attributes Aggression A player’s attitude in terms of playing mentality but is not necessarily a ‘dirtiness’ indicator. A more aggressive player looks to involve himself in every incident, press more often, tackle harder, foul more often, and engage in the ‘darker arts’ of football such as dissent towards officials and foul play. Anticipation How well a player can predict and react to an event. If a player has a high attribute here, they can read the game well and react to situations more quickly than others. It also has a significant effect on a player’s awareness and whether they identify space for themselves to play in, as well as whether they react to signs of danger created by the opponent. Bravery How brave a player is. Braver players risk injury more in situations a more cautious player may shy away from. They compete more often in the air, contest more 50/50 or low-percentage challenges, both on the ground and in the air, and look to put their body on the line with blocks and last-ditch challenges. Composure The player’s steadiness of mind and ability, particularly with the ball. When faced with a big goalscoring chance, or heavy pressure defensively, a player with high Composure is able to keep their head and more often than not get the opportunity to make a good decision that is beneficial to the team. In general play, they appear to have more time on the ball, make smarter and more successful decisions with it, and are generally more aware of their surroundings in all phases of play. Concentration How well the player can focus mentally and pay attention to detail on an event-by-event basis. A high rating here means that the player is more consistent on a move-by-move basis during a match. They also react better under pressure, position themselves correctly in all phases of play, and make better judgment calls in tight situations, while players with lower concentration struggle more in these areas. Decisions How often the player makes a correct choice the majority of the time. This attribute is important in every position and works with Composure to decide how likely a player is to feel under pressure at any given moment, and to make the best choice accordingly. Determination A commitment to succeed both on and off the pitch. A determined player gives everything in order to win. This ties in with Bravery – players with a high number in one of these attributes may also be high in the other as the traits necessary are similar. Flair A natural talent for the creative and occasional unpredictability. Flair governs whether a player is likely to choose to dribble, to take on long-range shooting opportunities or spectacular overhead kick efforts, or generally to take risks with the ball. Leadership The player’s ability to affect other players. Players with high Leadership are influential on the pitch and teammates perform better when playing with them. Off the Ball A player’s movement without the ball. Similar to Anticipation, this is how well players, particularly attacking ones, can assess a situation and then move off the ball, making themselves available to perform another action after making a pass themselves, or to move into a position to receive the ball from a teammate. Positioning How well the player reads a situation and manoeuvres themselves into the best possible location to deal with the unfolding events in defensive situations. It is not used in attacking situations; rather, it is used to determine how well a player identifies who to mark, when and how and where to mark them, and whether or not they’re in the best position within their current tactical setup. Teamwork How well the player follows tactical instructions and works for and alongside their teammates. A team full of players with a high rating here works better as a unit. Players with lower ratings slack off and do not ‘buy in’ to the team ethos, becoming more individual, and not providing adequate support for their teammates. It is also used to help decide whether or not a player opts to use one of their Player Traits ahead of a tactical instruction. Vision The player’s ability to see a potential opportunity, but not necessarily their ability to exploit it. A player might be able to see something to take advantage of, but they also require the technical proficiency to pull it off; this attribute governs how likely they are to visualise something developing or, in the case of a higher rating here, spot something that another player might not. Work Rate The player’s mental drive to work to their full capacities. A high rating ensures a player wants to work their socks off from start to finish, but needs the necessary physical attributes to actually be able to pull it off. It does not merely represent a willingness to run – something that would be inappropriate in many positions – but rather the urgency with which a player gets to where they’re supposed to be in all situations. Physical Attributes Acceleration How quickly a player can reach top speed (pace) from a standing start. It therefore ties in very closely with the Pace attribute. Agility How well a player can start, stop, and move in different directions at varying levels of speed (pace). It ties in with the Pace, Acceleration and Balance attributes as they work together in the match engine, especially when a player is Dribbling. Balance How well a player can keep their balance in situations both with and without the ball. With the ball, it refers to how balanced they are when running and evading opponents; without it, it refers to balance when facing a player running at them, or stability when turning/jumping. Jumping Reach How good a player is at reaching the ball in the air. It indicates the highest point an outfield player can reach with their head. It is not necessarily reflective of how tall a player is, but when considering jumping ability, it makes sense to consider the player’s height. For example, a player of 200+cm still possesses a high reach even if a poor jumper, and a player who measures in at 170cm struggles to compete at the same height due to the 30cm difference in height between the two. Natural Fitness How fit a player will stay fit when injured or not training. This helps to determine how quickly players recover from injury, how well they retain their physical attributes as they go past their peak, and how fast they recover between matches. Pace The player’s top speed. Whereas Acceleration reflects how quickly a player can attain their top speed, Pace is that top speed and, together with Stamina and Natural Fitness, controls how long they are able to maintain it, both in short bursts and over the course of a match. A player is naturally a shade quicker without the ball than with it. Stamina The player’s ability to endure high-level physical activity for a long period of time. With the demands placed on a player over a full season, players with high attribute ratings for Stamina are able to perform at their top levels for longer. A player with less Stamina not only tires more quickly, but the quality of execution in all phases of play decreases the more tired they become. It also ties in directly with Natural Fitness. Strength The player’s ability to exert their physical force on an opponent to gain an advantage. Goalkeeping Attributes Aerial Reach The goalkeeper’s physical ability in aerial situations. Taller goalkeepers typically have a higher rating here as they are naturally pre-disposed to being able to reach areas shorter goalkeepers cannot, but there are exceptions. This attribute works in connection with several other goalkeeping attributes in order to determine proficiency in dealing with the numerous aerial situations they encounter during a match. Command of Area How well the goalkeeper takes charge of the penalty area and works with their defensive line. A goalkeeper who commands the entire box (i.e. has a high rating) is instinctive and looks to take charge of situations, especially coming for crosses (therefore working in tandem with Aerial Reach) or coming out for interceptions. Do note, however, that a high rating only determines whether or not they try, not that they succeed. Communication How well a goalkeeper communicates with the defensive line and organises the defensive side of the team. A higher rating is reflected in a defender’s comfort in possession near their own goal and whether or not they correctly leave the ball for the goalkeeper rather than trying to play it themselves. Eccentricity The likelihood of the goalkeeper doing the unexpected and typically acting completely unlike a goalkeeper – things like dribbling out of their area, coming for the ball outside of the area, and generally being more involved in outfield play when losing will be commonplace if the Eccentricity attribute is high. Handling How securely the goalkeeper holds onto the ball when making a save or coming for a loose ball. Better Handling is beneficial in unfavourable weather conditions, but in general a goalkeeper who doesn’t give up rebounds is useful. Kicking The capability of a goalkeeper to kick the ball – this defines the distance and accuracy with which they can kick from hand or from dead-ball restarts. Passing governs the goalkeeper’s ability to move the ball in open play. One on Ones The ability of the goalkeeper to do well when faced with an opponent in a one-on-one situation. Higher attributes see goalkeepers make better judgments of the opponent’s speed and likely decision and result in them being more likely to make a successful decision. Reflexes How good the goalkeeper is at reacting to unpredictable events. If they have a high Reflexes rating, they have a quicker reaction time to make more difficult saves. Rushing Out (Tendency) How frequently the goalkeeper comes off the line to react to through balls and to narrow the angle for various shooting opportunities. Goalkeepers also benefit from having high Pace and Acceleration attributes in combination with Rushing Out. Punching (Tendency) This determines whether a goalkeeper catches the ball when possible, or whether they prefer to punch it clear. A higher rating reflects a tendency to punch most things clear, even when it may be possible to hold onto the ball. Throwing How likely a goalkeeper is to start moves, often counter-attacks, with quick throws from the ball in their hands. Some technical attributes, like First Touch and Passing, are also applicable to goalkeepers. Attribute Changes The player overview screen shows you when an attribute has either increased or decreased. The Attribute Changes screen then takes this to another level, allowing you to comprehensively track the short and long-term development of every single attribute. Select the desired attribute(s) and the timespan you want to review, and those changes are displayed in both a line graph at the top of the screen, and with exact numerical differences placed next to the attribute name below. A summary of the overall Technical, Mental and Physical trends completes the screen at the bottom. Player Traits Every attribute plays a part in whether a Player Trait can be learned and, once it is learned, whether it is successfully used. The full list of traits and a very brief explanation of what they do are below: Runs With Ball Down Left Increases the frequency with which a player decides to run with the ball down the left. Runs With Ball Down Right Increases the frequency with which a player decides to run with the ball down the right. Runs With Ball Through Centre Increases the frequency with which a player decides to run with the ball in central areas. Gets Into Opposition Area Mostly governs how often a player makes forward runs but can be overridden by Player Instructions. Moves Into Channels Increases the frequency with which central players move into the space between their position and a wide attacking position; also allows wide players in certain roles to move inside into that space. Gets Forward Whenever Possible Increases the frequency with which a player makes forward runs, adjusting for team mentality. Plays Short Simple Passes Reduces the directness of a player’s passing. Tries Killer Balls Often Increases the frequency with which a player attempts through balls. Shoots From Distance Increases the likelihood of a player attempting long-range shots, particularly where the Flair attribute is greater than the Decisions attribute. Shoots With Power Increases the chances of a player opting to shoot with power over placement. Places Shots Increases the chances of a player opting to place shots with accuracy rather than power them. Curls Ball Improves the player’s ability to curl the ball above and beyond their ability as already determined by their attributes. Likes To Round Keeper Increases the likelihood of a player looking to go around the goalkeeper in one-on-one situations. Makes Runs In Behind Increases the frequency with which a player looks to make runs in behind. The success is determined by their overall attribute profile. Marks Opponent Tightly Ensures that a player is set to tight marking by AI teams; improves the chances of them being successful at it if set in any team, but the overall success is still controlled by their attributes. Argues With Officials Increases the chances of a player showing dissent to match officials. Plays With Back To Goal The player looks to hold up the ball in attacking areas. Comes Deep To Get Ball Increases the frequency of a forward player dropping into midfield to get possession against a team playing with a deep defensive line. Plays One-Twos Increases the frequency with which a player makes a pass and immediately wants to receive the ball again, having moved into an advantageous position. Likes To Lob Keeper Increases the likelihood of a player looking to loft the ball over the goalkeeper when presented with a chance at goal. Dictates Tempo Increases the chances of the player taking charge of midfield situations and using their attributes to influence the team’s performance. Attempts Overhead Kicks Increases the chances of a player attempting a spectacular overhead kick rather than a header at goal or a pass to a teammate when in an attacking situation. Looks For Pass Rather Than Attempting To Score Increases the chances of a player opting to give a scoring chance to a teammate rather than take it on themself. The success of the decision is based on the player’s attributes. Plays No Through Balls Decreases the frequency of a player looking to play through balls, adjusted for team mentality. Stops Play Increases the chances of a player simply coming to a stop in possession, primarily to assess their options. Knocks Ball Past Opponent Increases the chances of a player looking to beat the immediate opponent for sheer pace and athleticism and get into a more advantageous position. Dwells On Ball The player takes longer to make a decision when in possession. Arrives Late In Opponents’ Area Increases the frequency with which a player makes forward runs, adjusting for team mentality. Tries To Play Way Out Of Trouble Increases the chances of a player looking to pass or dribble when under pressure in a defensive position, rather than opting for the safety-first approach of clearing the ball. Stays Back At All Times The player does not make forward runs, adjusted for team mentality. Avoids Using Weaker Foot The player always looks to use their preferred foot where possible, even if the situation would benefit from them using their weaker foot. Tries Long Range Free Kicks Increases the chances of a player taking a direct shot from a free kick 35 metres or more from goal. Dives Into Tackles Increases the frequency with which a player engages in a tackle. It does not simply mean the player ‘goes to ground’ when challenging for the ball. Does Not Dive Into Tackles Decreases the frequency with which a player engages in a tackle. It does not simply mean the player stays on their feet when challenging for the ball. Cuts Inside From Both Wings Increases the frequency with which a player looks to attack central areas from a nominal wider starting position. Hugs Line Ensures the player remains in wide areas of the pitch whenever possible. Hits Free Kicks With Power Increases the chances of a free kick being struck with a lower, harder trajectory. Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank Increases the frequency of a player looking to move the ball from one half of the pitch to the other. Possesses Long Flat Throw Allows the player to deliver a long throw with a low and flat trajectory, akin to a cross, in attacking areas only. Runs With Ball Often Increases the chances of a player choosing to run with the ball rather than pass it. Runs With Ball Rarely Decreases the chances of a player choosing to run with the ball, instead looking to make a pass at every turn. Uses Long Throw To Start Counter Attacks Goalkeepers only; increases the chances of them looking to make a quick throw to launch a counter attack. Refrains From Taking Long Shots The player does not attempt shots at goal from outside the penalty area. Does not Move Into Channels The player does not move from central areas into space between them and the wide positions; wide players similarly do not look to come inside to operate in that same space. Cuts Inside From Left Wing Increases the chances of a player looking to move inside from the left wing and attack in central areas. Cuts Inside From Right Wing Increases the chances of a player looking to move inside from the right wing and attack in central areas. Crosses Early Increases the chances of a player crossing from a deeper position rather than seeking to find a better opportunity higher up the pitch. Brings Ball Out of Defence Increases the likelihood of a defender running with the ball into midfield positions. Moves Ball To Right Foot Before Dribble Attempt This increases the likelihood of a player adjusting their body shape to play on their right foot when looking to dribble. Moves Ball To Left Foot Before Dribble Attempt This increases the likelihood of a player adjusting their body shape to play on their left foot when looking to dribble. Likes Ball Played Into Feet This increases the likelihood of a player showing and asking for passes to feet rather than into space or a different part of the body. Tries Tricks This increases the chances of a player displaying more flair during matches and can result in a greater array of skills being used. Winds Up Opponents This increases the likelihood of a player trying to improve the morale of the team by attempting to impair that of an opponent in attempting to distract them from giving full focus. Likes To Beat Man Repeatedly This increases the likelihood of a player opting to dribble with the ball regardless of how many opponents are trying to dispossess them. Develops Weaker Foot This indicates the player is attempting to improve the quality of their weaker foot. Gets Crowd Going This increases the likelihood of a player seeking a positive reaction from the crowd in appropriate moments when the ball is not in play. If successful, the team’s morale is improved slightly and they may display a more positive body language. Tries First Time Shots This increases the likelihood of a player taking a shot before considering a touch to settle down, unless one on one, at which point they take the best course of action for that situation. Tries Long Range Passes This increases the chances of a player attempting to pass the ball over longer distances. Plays Ball With Feet This is goalkeeper-specific and increases the chances of a goalkeeper playing an active part in the build-up phase in possession. Medical Centre This section, which can be found from the tabs within your squad section, is dedicated to all things concerning the physical well-being of your players, from injury prevention to rehabilitation, and everything in between. It mainly provides a breakdown of players in the squad who are at risk of injury. The Head Physio details the workload and injury susceptibility of each at-risk individual and summarises how likely they are to pick up an injury in the immediate future. The risks are colour-coded, with players in the ‘red zone’ highly likely to encounter problems unless immediate preventative action is taken. Player Overview Each player also has an injury overview page accessible via their player profile from the ‘Reports’ menu, under ‘Medical Centre’. This report provides a visual overview of their current injury status, risk assessment and injury history. Development This section primarily allows you to check up on and configure individual training details for the player. These details range from their schedule through to attribute changes to new positions and player traits or affiliate loans. You can also perform various interactions such as moving players between squads and requesting player advice, as well as viewing the player’s overall tactical familiarity from the ‘Tactics’ section. This displays positional versatility as indications of how integrated they have become into your tactical approach. Familiarity grows with each player’s experience at playing with various facets of the team’s instructions, as displayed on the Tactical Familiarity Levels overlay. The more often they play under these instructions – at your club or elsewhere – the more familiar they become, and the higher the overall levels become for both the individual and the team. If the tactics or team and player instructions change dramatically on a regular basis, those familiarity levels take a hit (for example, short passing to shorter passing doesn’t impact things, but short passing to more direct passing does). The full range of familiarity, on the same theoretical 1-20 scale as player attributes (although in reality the scale between each level is considerably bigger) is as follows: Awkward: 1-5 Competent: 6-11 Accomplished: 12-18 Fluid: 19-20 How can I improve my player’s attributes and ability? A player’s development is an inexact science but there are plenty of ways you can improve your chances of helping their progress: - Improved coaching staff The better the coach, the more impactful their attributes are on improving a player. In general, the better the coaching attribute, the more effective it is on the player’s attribute development. - Improved training facilities - The standard of training facilities has an impact on determining the chances of a player’s attributes developing, how close to their potential they can get, and how likely they are to continue developing overall. Better facilities encourage a greater chance of a player realising their true potential.. It can also have the knock-on effect of helping the coaching staff develop, too. - Playing time A player with greater exposure to meaningful playing time will develop better than someone who isn’t playing quite as often. Playing first-team minutes is more valuable than playing reserve or youth team football, and a young player who stagnates from their teenage years into their 20s without starting to play regular football stands a higher chance of not being able to reach their potential. - Training A player develops most through day-to-day training; their overall development is affected by the quality of the facilities and coaches, the teammates they are training with, the appropriateness of the schedules given, whether they train with the first team or any of the club’s sub-teams, and whether they are tasked with additional individual work outside of the team’s sessions. The more of these that are met to as high a standard as possible, the quicker a player develops towards full potential. - Mentoring Young players can develop by working closely, during training, with a more experienced teammate or teammates within their squad. Their mental attributes and Player Traits are the only areas affected, and the entire concept is detailed more in the Training section of the manual. Misc – Player Comparison Take two players, similar positions; maybe they differ in age, height and weight. They’re comparable. Football Manager™ Touch allows you to take two players and compare every facet of their game. The default behaviour for the Comparison section is to offer a comparison to a player you have recently viewed, so if you are intending to compare two players, go to the first player’s profile screen, then the second, then choose ‘Compare With’. The comparison has different views available but by default the ‘Overview’ view is set. Here, their biographical information is compared, then their attributes matched off against each other in the form of attribute polygons. The comparison feature allows you to make well-informed judgment calls between players for places in your squad or when deciding on potential new signings. Misc - Find Similar Players This scans the database in your saved game for players with a similar attribute profile to the selected player. It returns players who play in the same position and role, giving you a range of options that might include retraining a potential new signing to play in a new position. You can also Set a Nickname for a player and Follow them for news about them to appear in the Social Feed. Contracts The contracts section allows you to ask for the Director of Football, if one is employed, to negotiate a contract renewal on your behalf, or you can opt to Release on a Free or strike a Mutual Termination if you no longer want a player’s services. The ‘Purchase Lifetime Contract’ unlockable does what it says; it contracts the player to your team until the end of their playing career. Transfer - Offer to Clubs If you no longer want the services of a player or your hand is forced into selling, you can offer the player out to teams your Assistant feels are most suited to the player’s ability and reputation. You can configure the terms of any potential sale in as much or little detail as you like and can exclude any rival clubs should you not want to strengthen a hated opponent. If any team decides to take you up on your offer, you will receive a formal bid from them in your Inbox. Transfer – Add to Unwanted/Development List If you no longer have a use for a player, you can add them to an Unwanted List from this section. You can determine whether you want to move them on for any price, for their value, or just to get rid of them in this initial stage. Then, from the ‘Unwanted List’ panel in the ‘Director of Football’ menu within the ‘Transfers’ screen, you can configure the particulars of any deal you’re looking for. This makes it easier to manage, maintain and keep track of the player you’re trying to get rid of. The Development List equivalent instructs the responsible person to find a loan move for the player to continue their development. Squad - Move to Senior/Reserve Squad This option allows you to assign players to your Reserve squad. As manager, you have the ultimate say in the development of a player and it’s up to you to decide when a player needs to be tested further, when they’re not ready or performing at a higher level. You can also assign a player to a team for a period while they recover from injury in order to allow them to regain fitness at a lower level where performances and development can be considered more important than the result. If a player is in the Reserve Squad, the reverse applies: they can be promoted to the Senior squad. You can also make a player Available for the Reserve team if part of your senior squad. Often you may want a youngster to be part of the first team and to be training with them even if you don’t have room in your match day team right now. To keep their fitness up, happiness in order, and development continuing, you should allow them to play for the reserves. Squad - Move to Affiliate If your team has an affiliation and the terms allow players to be loaned between clubs, you can designate a loan to such a team from this option. It acts as a suggestion to the player, who has the final call on whether or not to move. The decision will arrive in your Inbox usually inside 24 hours of asking about a move. You can also apply a series of Training options here, which are described in more detail in the Training section of this guide.

Overview and Status Flags It’s a simple fact that to be successful, you need the right players. That’s not to say you need the best players, but identifying the necessary players to suit your plans is of paramount importance. Whenever a person – player or non-player – appears in a list, they have a small circle with a silhouette or a profile photo. This is the ‘Information’ pop-up. Selecting it (or hovering over it, depending on your Preferences selection) displays a small box with their most useful biographical information and their attributes. You can also select the player’s name to access the ‘Actions’ menu, allowing you to interact with the individual without having to access their full player profile. A player may also have one or many status flags attached to them on the Squad screen. Hold the cursor over (or long-press on Tablet) to enable them to cascade into full view. Bring up the tooltip for more information on what each of them means; further detail is available from the Overview screen for each player as well. Playing Time Playing time is at the heart of a player’s happiness. Give it to them and they’re satisfied; take it away from them and problems will almost certainly arise. For Football Manager™ Touch 2023, Playing Time replaces Squad Status to provide a clearer and more descriptive understanding of how a player fits into a squad. It allows for better rotation of players between matches, keeping players happier for longer, while drawing closer parallels to expected behaviour on a contract-to-contract basis as players move through their careers. The tiers of Playing Time are as follows: Star Player: The main player at the club. There can be more than one Star Player but, as a rule of thumb, this is the top dog and they expect the playing time and salary that comes with it. Important Player: The first names on the team sheet and, in teams where a Star Player isn’t found, the most important members of the squad. Regular Starter: Someone you can expect to feature in most matches in the starting eleven but who doesn’t quite command the star power of the more illustrious players. Squad Player: A genuine rotation option who can be brought into the team throughout the season and keep pace with the more important players. Fringe Player: Someone who gets the occasional opportunity to play in the first team, and earn more minutes if they impress enough, but largely accepts their place at the bottom end of the squad. B Team Regular: Exclusively for use at clubs with a B Team, this is a player aged 24 or older who is a B Team stalwart with no aspirations to play for the top club. Hot Prospect: A highly talented young with a first-team future. Youngster: A good young player with varying degrees of chance of eventually playing for the first team. Surplus to Requirements: A player who is no longer needed at the club. There are also some goalkeeper-specific options: First Choice Goalkeeper: Almost self-explanatory, this goalkeeper is the clear first choice in their position. A goalkeeper can be a Star Player where suitable but most of the time they fall into this category. Backup: The regular deputy goalkeeper in all competitions. Cup Goalkeeper: The nominated goalkeeper for all cup competitions; someone different from the First-Choice goalkeeper. How you distribute these Playing Time options around your squad, and act upon them over the course of the season, goes a long way towards determining your overall success. Positions A complete breakdown of a player’s positional ability is found on the Positional Abilities panel of a player’s Information screen. The graphical pitch displayed in this panel indicates the positions the individual can play and each is colour-coded to represent a level competence in that position. Six levels of competence in a position are considered in addition to the player’s ‘Natural’ position: Accomplished – The player isn’t naturally at their best in this position but will perform in an accomplished and successful manner more often than not. Competent – The player has enough experience and ability to put in convincing performances here on a regular basis. Unconvincing – The player is playing out of position but will be able to do a decent job for a short period. Awkward – The player isn’t likely to be particularly successful playing in this position. They may fill in for emergencies but will be struggling. Ineffectual – The player cannot play in this position. You are free to play them there, but they will not perform well. Makeshift – The player is not remotely suitable for this position and will likely be a liability there. Naturally, there might be occasions where you simply have to put someone there, but it should only be as a last resort. The panel also displays the competence of a player with both feet at the bottom of the pitch display. It also displays the number of games they have played in various positions throughout the current season. For example, a versatile player who is predominantly a Defensive Midfielder but can play at Defender (Right) may have 30 appearances in their primary position but 15 as a Defender (Right). This allows you to see potential reasons for a player’s good or bad performances and indeed their ability to play in various roles. A player’s main position and their best role are printed in full in the title bar (presuming you have the Preferences set accordingly). Any particular traits the player favours are listed on this screen and can be altered or added to through the player’s Individual training screen. Does it matter if I use a player out of position? Yes and no. In an ideal world, you’d have a player Accomplished or better in each position. They’ll be more comfortable, they’ll perform to a higher and a more consistent standard, and will be less likely to be targeted as a weakness by the opposition. This isn’t to say that you can’t play someone out of position though, either on a regular basis or in times of need. For the latter, you can often plug someone in to ‘do a job’ and they’ll typically perform well enough to get by, particularly if the rest of the team is strong and the tactical structure helps to support them. Playing someone out of position longer-term, on the other hand, can work if the player’s attributes lend themselves well to the position and role assigned to them, and they’ll gradually learn and improve in that position the more they play there. This ties into the overall concept of footballing ‘universality’: the idea that any player can play in any position as long as they’re well-trained and has a certain number of fundamental attributes in place. This is much harder to commit to and make work in practice than it is in theory, but the concept of a player being used in an unfamiliar or entirely different position isn’t a new one, and it isn’t something you should necessarily shy away from if you feel it can work within the framework of your tactics. What is the tangible difference between each level of positional ability and how does that manifest itself in the match engine? Essentially, the position rating system works the same as most attributes. It operates on a 1-20 scale: the higher the number, the more competent the player in their execution of their duties. Natural: 18-20 Accomplished: 13-17 Competent: 10-12 Unconvincing: 6-9 Awkward: 5-8 Makeshift: 1-4 The player’s comfort in a position acts as a direct modifier to their ability in that position. A player with 20 for any position is able to play there without any adverse impact. The lower the rating for a position, the more the player will struggle – particularly with their Positioning and Decisions – but their versatility can help them adapt if they have a high rating for that attribute. An Introduction to Attributes It is vital to understand the importance of player attributes in Football Manager™ Touch and how they affect various parts of the game and the match engine. Attributes are divided into three main areas – Physical, Mental, and Technical – with Goalkeepers having their own Technical ratings. The attributes, how they react in certain situations, in combination with others as well as on a stand-alone basis, are detailed below, but it’s important first of all to outline how attributes work. Each player is rated on a scale of 1-20, 1 being absolutely terrible, and 20 being elite. Some attributes are defined as ‘Absolute’, and some as ‘Relative’. Absolute attributes are those that are locked to an individual and can’t be trained quite as easily, such as Determination and Work Rate. These are generally innate attributes specific to individuals and typically only develop as the player matures off the field. Relative attributes are those that can be compared to other players in the football world and can be improved through training and player development. Physical and Technical skill sets are the main areas in which you’ll find relative attributes. For players that aren’t at your club and who haven’t been comprehensively scouted, attributes appear as a range to indicate a rough idea of their ability in that area. Continued scouting reduces the range until the attribute is clearly identified. How are attributes and player ability linked? The distribution of attributes across a player’s profile effectively determines their Current Ability. A player with 20 in all positive areas would be as close to the maximum ability score as possible; it wouldn’t be 100% certain because the number of positions they can play, as well as their competence with either foot, can affect the final number. Some attributes have a higher ‘weighting’ towards a player’s overall ability as they are fundamentally important to succeeding in any position. Most Physical attributes, as well as Anticipation, Decisions and Positioning are the most heavily rated for any position, while each position carries appropriate weightings for attributes crucial to performing to a high standard in that area of the pitch. The ‘Highlight Key Attributes’ button on a player’s profile offers an insight into what each of these attributes are per position. How does a one-number difference in an attribute make a difference in the match engine? The easiest way to answer this question is to state that it produces a more consistent and high-quality outcome with every increase up the attribute scale. A pass is more likely to find its target, a shot is more likely to be on target, a tackle more often wins the ball, etc. The combination and distribution of attributes, combined with the player’s position, also directly correlate with their ability as described above. Players with higher attributes, typically, also have a higher ability. It applies to attributes several numbers apart as well as a single digit in difference, 11 to 12 for example. The differences are more easily noticeable when the difference is increased, but there are subtler tells when it’s reduced. Consider two identical players, but with their Decisions attributes a single digit apart. The player with the higher rating is more likely to make a better choice with every decision they make. It’s a very basic example that doesn’t include the nuance of how game situations and other attributes affect it, but that isolated marginal gain is important over the course of ninety minutes. It could be the difference between a pass that successfully unlocks a defence that another player might not have chosen. The small margins, the slight advantages, add up to a much bigger advantage when applied across the entire team, and that’s how the attribute model works. How do attributes combine with each other and with external factors on a game-by-game basis? Every player has almost 40 visible playing attributes. They often work in conjunction with each other, either with another single attribute, or in combination with many, and the total number of combinations of attributes working in a synchronised fashion is stupendous. It would be impossible to list every single possible combination, but it’s more important to understand the environment the players operate in, and how the decision-making process works. Take one small example. A winger who has a high attribute value for crossing, on average, delivers consistently dangerous crosses into attacking positions in perfect circumstances, i.e. with the ball fully under control and without significant pressure around them. But what happens if you then start to add in other factors? Introduce a defender closing them down, introduce a defender in the penalty area waiting to clear it, introduce a poor playing surface due to unfavourable weather. Everything changes. If that player has high attributes in other areas, like pace and acceleration, dribbling and technique, for example, they have more ways to succeed. Players make thousands of mental calculations in every match based around the best option available to them at any given moment, and those are based off their attributes and their all-round competency. They aren’t always right in their decision (the specific Decisions attribute itself plays a big role here), nor is the right decision always the successful one. It’s easiest to think of attribute combinations ‘creating’ templates of players: athletic players, intelligent players, creative players, leaders etc. Much of this can be deciphered by using the role selector on the player’s profile, which highlight the appropriate attributes for that role. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, but at the same time, it should be simple to understand which attributes do not work well together, or at all, by a combination of common sense and a process of elimination. Strength, for example, has nothing to do with Crossing. Positioning, as a purely defensive attribute, does not work with Finishing. Vision and Tackling are not associated as Vision refers to the opportunities a player can see opening up when in possession. All of these attributes are explained in more detail in the following section: Technical Attributes Corners How well the player takes a corner kick. Crossing How well the player can cross the ball, predominantly but not exclusively from wide areas, into goalscoring positions. Dribbling How well the player can run with the ball and manipulate it under close control. This is purely their proficiency at moving with the ball at their feet: Pace, Acceleration, Agility, and Balance all aid dribbling in different circumstances. A player with higher ratings here is also able to move in more directions more fluidly with the ball than someone with a lower rating. Finishing How well the player can put the ball in the back of the net when presented with a chance. A high Finishing attribute puts the shot on target a majority of the time as a bare minimum and, compared to a player with poorer Finishing, finds the places where the goalkeeper can’t save it. This is purely the ability of the player to perform an accurate shot – Composure and Decisions also influence a player’s ability to score consistently. First Touch How good a player’s first touch is when receiving the ball. A higher rating ensures that the player can control the ball quicker and put it in a useful position to then act upon. Players with lower ratings here struggle to control the ball as adeptly and may be prone to losing the ball if closed down quickly. Free Kick Taking How good at taking free kicks the player is. It solely applies to direct shots at goal; indirect free kicks are governed by other technical attributes like Crossing. Heading How competent a player is in aerial situations. Heading applies to all situations with the ball in the air and is only about the player’s ability to use their head well. Jumping Reach, Height, and to a lesser extent Strength all play a part in combination with heading to utilise the attribute to greater effect. Long Shots How good the player is at shooting from distance, i.e. from outside the penalty area. It is largely a stand-alone attribute but pay attention to any PPMs the player may have that complement their Long Shots rating. Long Throws How well the player to perform a long throw, which can be taken advantage of in attacking situations, or to help move the ball forward from defensive areas. Marking How well players, mainly but not exclusively defensive types, defend an opponent. Marking alone sees them do a good job of identifying, tracking, reacting to and denying opponents if the attribute is high, but remember that other attributes – Strength, Positioning, Anticipation –plays a part in the effectiveness of the marking, as well as the comparable physical statures of the two players. Passing How good the player is at passing the ball to a teammate. Vision dictates whether or not they see different types of passing opportunity. Technique affects the quality of their execution (for example, whether the pass lands perfectly for a player to collect in stride). Passing itself, in isolation, determines how successful the player is at producing consistent success over different types of passing opportunities. Penalty Taking How well the player does from the penalty spot. Composure is also factored into whether a player is successful with the penalty, but the Penalty Taking attribute itself governs whether or not a penalty is likely to be scored or missed. Tackling How successful the player is at winning tackles and not conceding fouls from such situations. Players with a high Tackling rating consistently win the ball cleanly and are more capable defensive players. Technique A player with high Technique is more likely to pull off a tricky pass or a cross-field ball with greater ease than someone less technically able, or to use their preferred foot in situations where their weaker one would appear to be easier. This in turn affects technical attributes – poorer Technique will let a player down. Mental Attributes Aggression A player’s attitude in terms of playing mentality but is not necessarily a ‘dirtiness’ indicator. A more aggressive player looks to involve himself in every incident, press more often, tackle harder, foul more often, and engage in the ‘darker arts’ of football such as dissent towards officials and foul play. Anticipation How well a player can predict and react to an event. If a player has a high attribute here, they can read the game well and react to situations more quickly than others. It also has a significant effect on a player’s awareness and whether they identify space for themselves to play in, as well as whether they react to signs of danger created by the opponent. Bravery How brave a player is. Braver players risk injury more in situations a more cautious player may shy away from. They compete more often in the air, contest more 50/50 or low-percentage challenges, both on the ground and in the air, and look to put their body on the line with blocks and last-ditch challenges. Composure The player’s steadiness of mind and ability, particularly with the ball. When faced with a big goalscoring chance, or heavy pressure defensively, a player with high Composure is able to keep their head and more often than not get the opportunity to make a good decision that is beneficial to the team. In general play, they appear to have more time on the ball, make smarter and more successful decisions with it, and are generally more aware of their surroundings in all phases of play. Concentration How well the player can focus mentally and pay attention to detail on an event-by-event basis. A high rating here means that the player is more consistent on a move-by-move basis during a match. They also react better under pressure, position themselves correctly in all phases of play, and make better judgment calls in tight situations, while players with lower concentration struggle more in these areas. Decisions How often the player makes a correct choice the majority of the time. This attribute is important in every position and works with Composure to decide how likely a player is to feel under pressure at any given moment, and to make the best choice accordingly. Determination A commitment to succeed both on and off the pitch. A determined player gives everything in order to win. This ties in with Bravery – players with a high number in one of these attributes may also be high in the other as the traits necessary are similar. Flair A natural talent for the creative and occasional unpredictability. Flair governs whether a player is likely to choose to dribble, to take on long-range shooting opportunities or spectacular overhead kick efforts, or generally to take risks with the ball. Leadership The player’s ability to affect other players. Players with high Leadership are influential on the pitch and teammates perform better when playing with them. Off the Ball A player’s movement without the ball. Similar to Anticipation, this is how well players, particularly attacking ones, can assess a situation and then move off the ball, making themselves available to perform another action after making a pass themselves, or to move into a position to receive the ball from a teammate. Positioning How well the player reads a situation and manoeuvres themselves into the best possible location to deal with the unfolding events in defensive situations. It is not used in attacking situations; rather, it is used to determine how well a player identifies who to mark, when and how and where to mark them, and whether or not they’re in the best position within their current tactical setup. Teamwork How well the player follows tactical instructions and works for and alongside their teammates. A team full of players with a high rating here works better as a unit. Players with lower ratings slack off and do not ‘buy in’ to the team ethos, becoming more individual, and not providing adequate support for their teammates. It is also used to help decide whether or not a player opts to use one of their Player Traits ahead of a tactical instruction. Vision The player’s ability to see a potential opportunity, but not necessarily their ability to exploit it. A player might be able to see something to take advantage of, but they also require the technical proficiency to pull it off; this attribute governs how likely they are to visualise something developing or, in the case of a higher rating here, spot something that another player might not. Work Rate The player’s mental drive to work to their full capacities. A high rating ensures a player wants to work their socks off from start to finish, but needs the necessary physical attributes to actually be able to pull it off. It does not merely represent a willingness to run – something that would be inappropriate in many positions – but rather the urgency with which a player gets to where they’re supposed to be in all situations. Physical Attributes Acceleration How quickly a player can reach top speed (pace) from a standing start. It therefore ties in very closely with the Pace attribute. Agility How well a player can start, stop, and move in different directions at varying levels of speed (pace). It ties in with the Pace, Acceleration and Balance attributes as they work together in the match engine, especially when a player is Dribbling. Balance How well a player can keep their balance in situations both with and without the ball. With the ball, it refers to how balanced they are when running and evading opponents; without it, it refers to balance when facing a player running at them, or stability when turning/jumping. Jumping Reach How good a player is at reaching the ball in the air. It indicates the highest point an outfield player can reach with their head. It is not necessarily reflective of how tall a player is, but when considering jumping ability, it makes sense to consider the player’s height. For example, a player of 200+cm still possesses a high reach even if a poor jumper, and a player who measures in at 170cm struggles to compete at the same height due to the 30cm difference in height between the two. Natural Fitness How fit a player will stay fit when injured or not training. This helps to determine how quickly players recover from injury, how well they retain their physical attributes as they go past their peak, and how fast they recover between matches. Pace The player’s top speed. Whereas Acceleration reflects how quickly a player can attain their top speed, Pace is that top speed and, together with Stamina and Natural Fitness, controls how long they are able to maintain it, both in short bursts and over the course of a match. A player is naturally a shade quicker without the ball than with it. Stamina The player’s ability to endure high-level physical activity for a long period of time. With the demands placed on a player over a full season, players with high attribute ratings for Stamina are able to perform at their top levels for longer. A player with less Stamina not only tires more quickly, but the quality of execution in all phases of play decreases the more tired they become. It also ties in directly with Natural Fitness. Strength The player’s ability to exert their physical force on an opponent to gain an advantage. Goalkeeping Attributes Aerial Reach The goalkeeper’s physical ability in aerial situations. Taller goalkeepers typically have a higher rating here as they are naturally pre-disposed to being able to reach areas shorter goalkeepers cannot, but there are exceptions. This attribute works in connection with several other goalkeeping attributes in order to determine proficiency in dealing with the numerous aerial situations they encounter during a match. Command of Area How well the goalkeeper takes charge of the penalty area and works with their defensive line. A goalkeeper who commands the entire box (i.e. has a high rating) is instinctive and looks to take charge of situations, especially coming for crosses (therefore working in tandem with Aerial Reach) or coming out for interceptions. Do note, however, that a high rating only determines whether or not they try, not that they succeed. Communication How well a goalkeeper communicates with the defensive line and organises the defensive side of the team. A higher rating is reflected in a defender’s comfort in possession near their own goal and whether or not they correctly leave the ball for the goalkeeper rather than trying to play it themselves. Eccentricity The likelihood of the goalkeeper doing the unexpected and typically acting completely unlike a goalkeeper – things like dribbling out of their area, coming for the ball outside of the area, and generally being more involved in outfield play when losing will be commonplace if the Eccentricity attribute is high. Handling How securely the goalkeeper holds onto the ball when making a save or coming for a loose ball. Better Handling is beneficial in unfavourable weather conditions, but in general a goalkeeper who doesn’t give up rebounds is useful. Kicking The capability of a goalkeeper to kick the ball – this defines the distance and accuracy with which they can kick from hand or from dead-ball restarts. Passing governs the goalkeeper’s ability to move the ball in open play. One on Ones The ability of the goalkeeper to do well when faced with an opponent in a one-on-one situation. Higher attributes see goalkeepers make better judgments of the opponent’s speed and likely decision and result in them being more likely to make a successful decision. Reflexes How good the goalkeeper is at reacting to unpredictable events. If they have a high Reflexes rating, they have a quicker reaction time to make more difficult saves. Rushing Out (Tendency) How frequently the goalkeeper comes off the line to react to through balls and to narrow the angle for various shooting opportunities. Goalkeepers also benefit from having high Pace and Acceleration attributes in combination with Rushing Out. Punching (Tendency) This determines whether a goalkeeper catches the ball when possible, or whether they prefer to punch it clear. A higher rating reflects a tendency to punch most things clear, even when it may be possible to hold onto the ball. Throwing How likely a goalkeeper is to start moves, often counter-attacks, with quick throws from the ball in their hands. Some technical attributes, like First Touch and Passing, are also applicable to goalkeepers. Attribute Changes The player overview screen shows you when an attribute has either increased or decreased. The Attribute Changes screen then takes this to another level, allowing you to comprehensively track the short and long-term development of every single attribute. Select the desired attribute(s) and the timespan you want to review, and those changes are displayed in both a line graph at the top of the screen, and with exact numerical differences placed next to the attribute name below. A summary of the overall Technical, Mental and Physical trends completes the screen at the bottom. Player Traits Every attribute plays a part in whether a Player Trait can be learned and, once it is learned, whether it is successfully used. The full list of traits and a very brief explanation of what they do are below: Runs With Ball Down Left Increases the frequency with which a player decides to run with the ball down the left. Runs With Ball Down Right Increases the frequency with which a player decides to run with the ball down the right. Runs With Ball Through Centre Increases the frequency with which a player decides to run with the ball in central areas. Gets Into Opposition Area Mostly governs how often a player makes forward runs but can be overridden by Player Instructions. Moves Into Channels Increases the frequency with which central players move into the space between their position and a wide attacking position; also allows wide players in certain roles to move inside into that space. Gets Forward Whenever Possible Increases the frequency with which a player makes forward runs, adjusting for team mentality. Plays Short Simple Passes Reduces the directness of a player’s passing. Tries Killer Balls Often Increases the frequency with which a player attempts through balls. Shoots From Distance Increases the likelihood of a player attempting long-range shots, particularly where the Flair attribute is greater than the Decisions attribute. Shoots With Power Increases the chances of a player opting to shoot with power over placement. Places Shots Increases the chances of a player opting to place shots with accuracy rather than power them. Curls Ball Improves the player’s ability to curl the ball above and beyond their ability as already determined by their attributes. Likes To Round Keeper Increases the likelihood of a player looking to go around the goalkeeper in one-on-one situations. Makes Runs In Behind Increases the frequency with which a player looks to make runs in behind. The success is determined by their overall attribute profile. Marks Opponent Tightly Ensures that a player is set to tight marking by AI teams; improves the chances of them being successful at it if set in any team, but the overall success is still controlled by their attributes. Argues With Officials Increases the chances of a player showing dissent to match officials. Plays With Back To Goal The player looks to hold up the ball in attacking areas. Comes Deep To Get Ball Increases the frequency of a forward player dropping into midfield to get possession against a team playing with a deep defensive line. Plays One-Twos Increases the frequency with which a player makes a pass and immediately wants to receive the ball again, having moved into an advantageous position. Likes To Lob Keeper Increases the likelihood of a player looking to loft the ball over the goalkeeper when presented with a chance at goal. Dictates Tempo Increases the chances of the player taking charge of midfield situations and using their attributes to influence the team’s performance. Attempts Overhead Kicks Increases the chances of a player attempting a spectacular overhead kick rather than a header at goal or a pass to a teammate when in an attacking situation. Looks For Pass Rather Than Attempting To Score Increases the chances of a player opting to give a scoring chance to a teammate rather than take it on themself. The success of the decision is based on the player’s attributes. Plays No Through Balls Decreases the frequency of a player looking to play through balls, adjusted for team mentality. Stops Play Increases the chances of a player simply coming to a stop in possession, primarily to assess their options. Knocks Ball Past Opponent Increases the chances of a player looking to beat the immediate opponent for sheer pace and athleticism and get into a more advantageous position. Dwells On Ball The player takes longer to make a decision when in possession. Arrives Late In Opponents’ Area Increases the frequency with which a player makes forward runs, adjusting for team mentality. Tries To Play Way Out Of Trouble Increases the chances of a player looking to pass or dribble when under pressure in a defensive position, rather than opting for the safety-first approach of clearing the ball. Stays Back At All Times The player does not make forward runs, adjusted for team mentality. Avoids Using Weaker Foot The player always looks to use their preferred foot where possible, even if the situation would benefit from them using their weaker foot. Tries Long Range Free Kicks Increases the chances of a player taking a direct shot from a free kick 35 metres or more from goal. Dives Into Tackles Increases the frequency with which a player engages in a tackle. It does not simply mean the player ‘goes to ground’ when challenging for the ball. Does Not Dive Into Tackles Decreases the frequency with which a player engages in a tackle. It does not simply mean the player stays on their feet when challenging for the ball. Cuts Inside From Both Wings Increases the frequency with which a player looks to attack central areas from a nominal wider starting position. Hugs Line Ensures the player remains in wide areas of the pitch whenever possible. Hits Free Kicks With Power Increases the chances of a free kick being struck with a lower, harder trajectory. Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank Increases the frequency of a player looking to move the ball from one half of the pitch to the other. Possesses Long Flat Throw Allows the player to deliver a long throw with a low and flat trajectory, akin to a cross, in attacking areas only. Runs With Ball Often Increases the chances of a player choosing to run with the ball rather than pass it. Runs With Ball Rarely Decreases the chances of a player choosing to run with the ball, instead looking to make a pass at every turn. Uses Long Throw To Start Counter Attacks Goalkeepers only; increases the chances of them looking to make a quick throw to launch a counter attack. Refrains From Taking Long Shots The player does not attempt shots at goal from outside the penalty area. Does not Move Into Channels The player does not move from central areas into space between them and the wide positions; wide players similarly do not look to come inside to operate in that same space. Cuts Inside From Left Wing Increases the chances of a player looking to move inside from the left wing and attack in central areas. Cuts Inside From Right Wing Increases the chances of a player looking to move inside from the right wing and attack in central areas. Crosses Early Increases the chances of a player crossing from a deeper position rather than seeking to find a better opportunity higher up the pitch. Brings Ball Out of Defence Increases the likelihood of a defender running with the ball into midfield positions. Moves Ball To Right Foot Before Dribble Attempt This increases the likelihood of a player adjusting their body shape to play on their right foot when looking to dribble. Moves Ball To Left Foot Before Dribble Attempt This increases the likelihood of a player adjusting their body shape to play on their left foot when looking to dribble. Likes Ball Played Into Feet This increases the likelihood of a player showing and asking for passes to feet rather than into space or a different part of the body. Tries Tricks This increases the chances of a player displaying more flair during matches and can result in a greater array of skills being used. Winds Up Opponents This increases the likelihood of a player trying to improve the morale of the team by attempting to impair that of an opponent in attempting to distract them from giving full focus. Likes To Beat Man Repeatedly This increases the likelihood of a player opting to dribble with the ball regardless of how many opponents are trying to dispossess them. Develops Weaker Foot This indicates the player is attempting to improve the quality of their weaker foot. Gets Crowd Going This increases the likelihood of a player seeking a positive reaction from the crowd in appropriate moments when the ball is not in play. If successful, the team’s morale is improved slightly and they may display a more positive body language. Tries First Time Shots This increases the likelihood of a player taking a shot before considering a touch to settle down, unless one on one, at which point they take the best course of action for that situation. Tries Long Range Passes This increases the chances of a player attempting to pass the ball over longer distances. Plays Ball With Feet This is goalkeeper-specific and increases the chances of a goalkeeper playing an active part in the build-up phase in possession. Medical Centre This section, which can be found from the tabs within your squad section, is dedicated to all things concerning the physical well-being of your players, from injury prevention to rehabilitation, and everything in between. It mainly provides a breakdown of players in the squad who are at risk of injury. The Head Physio details the workload and injury susceptibility of each at-risk individual and summarises how likely they are to pick up an injury in the immediate future. The risks are colour-coded, with players in the ‘red zone’ highly likely to encounter problems unless immediate preventative action is taken. Player Overview Each player also has an injury overview page accessible via their player profile from the ‘Reports’ menu, under ‘Medical Centre’. This report provides a visual overview of their current injury status, risk assessment and injury history. Development This section primarily allows you to check up on and configure individual training details for the player. These details range from their schedule through to attribute changes to new positions and player traits or affiliate loans. You can also perform various interactions such as moving players between squads and requesting player advice, as well as viewing the player’s overall tactical familiarity from the ‘Tactics’ section. This displays positional versatility as indications of how integrated they have become into your tactical approach. Familiarity grows with each player’s experience at playing with various facets of the team’s instructions, as displayed on the Tactical Familiarity Levels overlay. The more often they play under these instructions – at your club or elsewhere – the more familiar they become, and the higher the overall levels become for both the individual and the team. If the tactics or team and player instructions change dramatically on a regular basis, those familiarity levels take a hit (for example, short passing to shorter passing doesn’t impact things, but short passing to more direct passing does). The full range of familiarity, on the same theoretical 1-20 scale as player attributes (although in reality the scale between each level is considerably bigger) is as follows: Awkward: 1-5 Competent: 6-11 Accomplished: 12-18 Fluid: 19-20 How can I improve my player’s attributes and ability? A player’s development is an inexact science but there are plenty of ways you can improve your chances of helping their progress: - Improved coaching staff The better the coach, the more impactful their attributes are on improving a player. In general, the better the coaching attribute, the more effective it is on the player’s attribute development. - Improved training facilities - The standard of training facilities has an impact on determining the chances of a player’s attributes developing, how close to their potential they can get, and how likely they are to continue developing overall. Better facilities encourage a greater chance of a player realising their true potential.. It can also have the knock-on effect of helping the coaching staff develop, too. - Playing time A player with greater exposure to meaningful playing time will develop better than someone who isn’t playing quite as often. Playing first-team minutes is more valuable than playing reserve or youth team football, and a young player who stagnates from their teenage years into their 20s without starting to play regular football stands a higher chance of not being able to reach their potential. - Training A player develops most through day-to-day training; their overall development is affected by the quality of the facilities and coaches, the teammates they are training with, the appropriateness of the schedules given, whether they train with the first team or any of the club’s sub-teams, and whether they are tasked with additional individual work outside of the team’s sessions. The more of these that are met to as high a standard as possible, the quicker a player develops towards full potential. - Mentoring Young players can develop by working closely, during training, with a more experienced teammate or teammates within their squad. Their mental attributes and Player Traits are the only areas affected, and the entire concept is detailed more in the Training section of the manual. Misc – Player Comparison Take two players, similar positions; maybe they differ in age, height and weight. They’re comparable. Football Manager™ Touch allows you to take two players and compare every facet of their game. The default behaviour for the Comparison section is to offer a comparison to a player you have recently viewed, so if you are intending to compare two players, go to the first player’s profile screen, then the second, then choose ‘Compare With’. The comparison has different views available but by default the ‘Overview’ view is set. Here, their biographical information is compared, then their attributes matched off against each other in the form of attribute polygons. The comparison feature allows you to make well-informed judgment calls between players for places in your squad or when deciding on potential new signings. Misc - Find Similar Players This scans the database in your saved game for players with a similar attribute profile to the selected player. It returns players who play in the same position and role, giving you a range of options that might include retraining a potential new signing to play in a new position. You can also Set a Nickname for a player and Follow them for news about them to appear in the Social Feed. Contracts The contracts section allows you to ask for the Director of Football, if one is employed, to negotiate a contract renewal on your behalf, or you can opt to Release on a Free or strike a Mutual Termination if you no longer want a player’s services. The ‘Purchase Lifetime Contract’ unlockable does what it says; it contracts the player to your team until the end of their playing career. Transfer - Offer to Clubs If you no longer want the services of a player or your hand is forced into selling, you can offer the player out to teams your Assistant feels are most suited to the player’s ability and reputation. You can configure the terms of any potential sale in as much or little detail as you like and can exclude any rival clubs should you not want to strengthen a hated opponent. If any team decides to take you up on your offer, you will receive a formal bid from them in your Inbox. Transfer – Add to Unwanted/Development List If you no longer have a use for a player, you can add them to an Unwanted List from this section. You can determine whether you want to move them on for any price, for their value, or just to get rid of them in this initial stage. Then, from the ‘Unwanted List’ panel in the ‘Director of Football’ menu within the ‘Transfers’ screen, you can configure the particulars of any deal you’re looking for. This makes it easier to manage, maintain and keep track of the player you’re trying to get rid of. The Development List equivalent instructs the responsible person to find a loan move for the player to continue their development. Squad - Move to Senior/Reserve Squad This option allows you to assign players to your Reserve squad. As manager, you have the ultimate say in the development of a player and it’s up to you to decide when a player needs to be tested further, when they’re not ready or performing at a higher level. You can also assign a player to a team for a period while they recover from injury in order to allow them to regain fitness at a lower level where performances and development can be considered more important than the result. If a player is in the Reserve Squad, the reverse applies: they can be promoted to the Senior squad. You can also make a player Available for the Reserve team if part of your senior squad. Often you may want a youngster to be part of the first team and to be training with them even if you don’t have room in your match day team right now. To keep their fitness up, happiness in order, and development continuing, you should allow them to play for the reserves. Squad - Move to Affiliate If your team has an affiliation and the terms allow players to be loaned between clubs, you can designate a loan to such a team from this option. It acts as a suggestion to the player, who has the final call on whether or not to move. The decision will arrive in your Inbox usually inside 24 hours of asking about a move. You can also apply a series of Training options here, which are described in more detail in the Training section of this guide.

The Development Centre is your one-stop shop for making sure you’re fully informed about the playing future of your club. It is a hub of activity that lets you know exactly how the youngsters at your club are developing and leaves you wanting for nothing in your efforts to develop the next star player for the first team. Overview The Overview screen brings together all the most important information and distils it into one easily accessible package. The headline section is given over to covering any players out on loan, as well as the overall health of the development squads at your club, while the main screen area is dominated by the most suitable first-team candidates. These players are the ones to keep a very close eye on in the here and now; if they’re not quite ready to play a role in your squad yet, they’re normally not very far away. The remainder of the Overview screen is handed over to players who either Need Attention or who are Ones to Watch. These players typically require further development and the advice offered by your coaching staff should be closely considered if you are to maximise the chances of reaching their potential. Loans Loaning players out to further their development is an increasingly important part of life at many football clubs. To keep track of them, the Loans tab collates everyone currently loaned out and feeds back on their statistics and general satisfaction with their current spell away from the club. Members of staff also chime in with suggestions as to who else might benefit from a loan among players who are not currently elsewhere. Reserves The Reserves tab provides tactical insight, training information, fixture lists and match analysis. It is essentially the very same as the link that formerly lived on the Side Bar, and it continues to do so only if you have taken charge of the team. If not, the member of staff charged with managing the team also presents a preliminary squad ahead of each fixture and gives you the opportunity to get involved in team selection. From the inclusion of senior players where eligible, to wanting to use a certain player in a particular position or role, to dictating their style of play, these teams live to serve the club and you as the first-team manager. The Overview page for each team lists the full squad, details any progress towards their potential ability, and provides development advice where appropriate. Youth Candidates When your annual youth candidate class prepares to take on your Youth Team to earn contracts with the club, they turn up on this screen, with a comprehensive breakdown of who they are, what they do best, and – before they arrive – a preview of what to expect from the group. This provides you with more information than before and should hopefully lead to you making more informed decisions on the next generation of young talent at your club.

The Development Centre is your one-stop shop for making sure you’re fully informed about the playing future of your club. It is a hub of activity that lets you know exactly how the youngsters at your club are developing and leaves you wanting for nothing in your efforts to develop the next star player for the first team. Overview The Overview screen brings together all the most important information and distils it into one easily accessible package. The headline section is given over to covering any players out on loan, as well as the overall health of the development squads at your club, while the main screen area is dominated by the most suitable first-team candidates. These players are the ones to keep a very close eye on in the here and now; if they’re not quite ready to play a role in your squad yet, they’re normally not very far away. The remainder of the Overview screen is handed over to players who either Need Attention or who are Ones to Watch. These players typically require further development and the advice offered by your coaching staff should be closely considered if you are to maximise the chances of reaching their potential. Loans Loaning players out to further their development is an increasingly important part of life at many football clubs. To keep track of them, the Loans tab collates everyone currently loaned out and feeds back on their statistics and general satisfaction with their current spell away from the club. Members of staff also chime in with suggestions as to who else might benefit from a loan among players who are not currently elsewhere. Reserves The Reserves tab provides tactical insight, training information, fixture lists and match analysis. It is essentially the very same as the link that formerly lived on the Side Bar, and it continues to do so only if you have taken charge of the team. If not, the member of staff charged with managing the team also presents a preliminary squad ahead of each fixture and gives you the opportunity to get involved in team selection. From the inclusion of senior players where eligible, to wanting to use a certain player in a particular position or role, to dictating their style of play, these teams live to serve the club and you as the first-team manager. The Overview page for each team lists the full squad, details any progress towards their potential ability, and provides development advice where appropriate. Youth Candidates When your annual youth candidate class prepares to take on your Youth Team to earn contracts with the club, they turn up on this screen, with a comprehensive breakdown of who they are, what they do best, and – before they arrive – a preview of what to expect from the group. This provides you with more information than before and should hopefully lead to you making more informed decisions on the next generation of young talent at your club.

Part of successful team-building is ensuring that your squad comes together in the right way, developing inter-personal relationships and having the right characters to pick the team up when they’re doing badly and to keep things ticking over nicely when doing well. How important is it to maintain a happy squad It cannot be stated strongly enough that the morale and happiness of your players is one of the biggest factors in whether you succeed as a manager. You can have the most talented players at your disposal, playing in a rock-solid tactic, but if they’re unhappy and/or have lost trust in you, they simply will not perform to their full abilities. There are few things more important to work on than the morale of your players in the game. How do I fix an unhappy squad? This, on the other hand, is far from simple. If you suffer through a few negative results in succession, players may begin to question your judgment, and the morale of the team is likely to sink deeper and deeper with every disappointment. Before you know it, you’re left with an unhappy squad and seemingly no way out of the hole you collectively find yourselves in. It isn’t easy to turn things around, but there are a few ways for you to get started. Changing your starting eleven to include players who aren’t quite as unhappy as others in the squad can have a tangible effect. That isn’t to say that a happy youth team player is a better choice than an unhappy first-team key player, but a finer balance of players who have better morale can help move the needle in your favour, and it’s often the case that small changes are the catalyst for long-term improvement. If one player in particular is the cause for team-wide unhappiness, especially if it’s on more than one occasion, selling them is often the best course of action, as the team is mostly stronger than any one individual.

Part of successful team-building is ensuring that your squad comes together in the right way, developing inter-personal relationships and having the right characters to pick the team up when they’re doing badly and to keep things ticking over nicely when doing well. How important is it to maintain a happy squad It cannot be stated strongly enough that the morale and happiness of your players is one of the biggest factors in whether you succeed as a manager. You can have the most talented players at your disposal, playing in a rock-solid tactic, but if they’re unhappy and/or have lost trust in you, they simply will not perform to their full abilities. There are few things more important to work on than the morale of your players in the game. How do I fix an unhappy squad? This, on the other hand, is far from simple. If you suffer through a few negative results in succession, players may begin to question your judgment, and the morale of the team is likely to sink deeper and deeper with every disappointment. Before you know it, you’re left with an unhappy squad and seemingly no way out of the hole you collectively find yourselves in. It isn’t easy to turn things around, but there are a few ways for you to get started. Changing your starting eleven to include players who aren’t quite as unhappy as others in the squad can have a tangible effect. That isn’t to say that a happy youth team player is a better choice than an unhappy first-team key player, but a finer balance of players who have better morale can help move the needle in your favour, and it’s often the case that small changes are the catalyst for long-term improvement. If one player in particular is the cause for team-wide unhappiness, especially if it’s on more than one occasion, selling them is often the best course of action, as the team is mostly stronger than any one individual.

Squad and Team Report You’ll spend much of your time poring over the Squad screen as you look to develop and mould a group of individual players into a finely tuned machine capable of success. Overview The Overview screen presents an immediate and detailed look at the team. Report The Report tab is the best way to take both an at-a-glance look and a detailed study of the players available to you. Stats This section presents a breakdown of team statistics across a wide range of areas and also highlights the best and worst performers accordingly. Comparison This section takes a number of statistics from your squad and compares them across the rest of the league to see how your players stack up. The ‘General’ tab takes miscellaneous information such as height and weight, whereas the positional breakdowns take an average of relevant attributes to show strengths and weaknesses in your squad. Assistant Report The Assistant report presents key players, positional depth and quality from the squad as a whole and suggests a Best XI based on the chosen tactic. Squad Depth Your squad is broken down into formation and position, with each position box then displaying every player who can feature there with, plus their competency in that position represented in the form of a star rating. Scroll up and down the page to view the full length of the pitch and the depth available in every position. Select on the numbered person icon to the top right of each positional box to bring up a dialog presenting the information in more detail. Each position has a hierarchy of capability and suitability as well as any information regarding players you are currently scouting to play there, for ease of comparison. Should you not already be scouting, a handily placed button exists at the top right of this pop-up dialog to enable you to do just that. The ‘Filters’ button allows you to streamline or increase the number of players who appear in these lists (for example, you can include youth and reserve team players). The ‘Customisations’ toggle allows you to manually remove players from a position (if you would rather not consider a player in a certain area of the team, for example) while the ‘Roles’ menu has four different options for the information being presented to you. To change the member of staff who compiles this part of the report, navigate to the ‘Opinion of’ drop-down menu and select accordingly from the list of available staff. How can I make best use of the information available to me? With such a deluge of information at your disposal, it might be easy to feel overwhelmed, and to not know how best to identify the real strengths and weaknesses of your squad. - The Overview screen is by far the best place to start, as it distils everything into a succinct Strength or Weakness. The words used in each item are also instructive of what, if any, action you should take next; the scale below is used to display just how good a player is: Star, Excellent, Superb, Very Good, Good, Fairly Good, Decent, Useful, Low, Unsuitable - Tailor the Squad Depth view to your own circumstances. Ensure it’s based off your primary tactic and defined roles, and that the filters are set to include or exclude players in your youth teams and/or out on loan. It then displays the most pertinent ratings to you (be it Current Ability, Best XI, etc.). If you configure this part of the report to your own specific needs, you’ll find it serves you a lot better. - Use all of the screens frequently. Players develop and teams change over time, and whenever something new happens, the data you’ve previously reviewed runs the risk of becoming outdated. Make a check of the Team Report a regular part of your managerial planning to reap long-term rewards. Data Hub The Data Hub is where you can find a dedicated and comprehensive suite of analytic tools designed to help you find that winning edge. It is entirely customisable, available on-demand once a small handful of matches have been played, and comes with a wide range of information, stats, data visualisations and more that will really leave you with no excuse not to be prepared ahead of every match. Overview The customisable Overview screen is broken into three main sections: Team Report, Team Performance (Attacking and Defending) and Key Findings, which summarises the latest data into a brief report. The ‘Ask For’ button in the ‘Reports and Visuals’ panel to the side then allows you to ask your Analytics team for a dataviz (data visualisation) based on keyword input. Team The Team section focuses on all things to do with team stats in your main league competition. The ‘Team Performance’ screen is entirely on demand; you can use the same ‘Ask For’ functionality to generate reports and then tick the ‘Display in Team Analytics’ section to pin it to that page. Toggling the Edit Mode on/off then allows you to rearrange and pin these dataviz objects in exactly the way you want. The ‘Report’ tab presents a report on scoring, conceding and general formation trends, and the ‘Shots’ tab shows a breakdown of shot accuracy and where each shot landed in and around the goal frame itself. Player Similarly, the Player section works like the Team section, with a focus on individual players within your league. For example, you can use the ‘Ask For’ section to show a dataviz for goalscoring among midfielders in your league, pin it using the ‘Display in Player Analytics’ option, and build your own dashboard. Matches The Matches section has two tabs: ‘Last Match’ and ‘Recent Matches Analysis’. The former shows you a Summary and Key Findings from your last outing, the latter takes in your previous five matches and breaks down Positives and Negatives around a visual representation of events, plotted on a pitch. Next Opponent The last section contains everything to do with your next opponent. The ‘Overview’ provides a high-level summary of what to expect, while ‘Next Opposition Performance’, and ‘Past Meetings’ all build on functionality already outlined within the Data Hub to leave you thoroughly prepared for whatever they might throw at you.

Squad and Team Report You’ll spend much of your time poring over the Squad screen as you look to develop and mould a group of individual players into a finely tuned machine capable of success. Overview The Overview screen presents an immediate and detailed look at the team. Report The Report tab is the best way to take both an at-a-glance look and a detailed study of the players available to you. Stats This section presents a breakdown of team statistics across a wide range of areas and also highlights the best and worst performers accordingly. Comparison This section takes a number of statistics from your squad and compares them across the rest of the league to see how your players stack up. The ‘General’ tab takes miscellaneous information such as height and weight, whereas the positional breakdowns take an average of relevant attributes to show strengths and weaknesses in your squad. Assistant Report The Assistant report presents key players, positional depth and quality from the squad as a whole and suggests a Best XI based on the chosen tactic. Squad Depth Your squad is broken down into formation and position, with each position box then displaying every player who can feature there with, plus their competency in that position represented in the form of a star rating. Scroll up and down the page to view the full length of the pitch and the depth available in every position. Select on the numbered person icon to the top right of each positional box to bring up a dialog presenting the information in more detail. Each position has a hierarchy of capability and suitability as well as any information regarding players you are currently scouting to play there, for ease of comparison. Should you not already be scouting, a handily placed button exists at the top right of this pop-up dialog to enable you to do just that. The ‘Filters’ button allows you to streamline or increase the number of players who appear in these lists (for example, you can include youth and reserve team players). The ‘Customisations’ toggle allows you to manually remove players from a position (if you would rather not consider a player in a certain area of the team, for example) while the ‘Roles’ menu has four different options for the information being presented to you. To change the member of staff who compiles this part of the report, navigate to the ‘Opinion of’ drop-down menu and select accordingly from the list of available staff. How can I make best use of the information available to me? With such a deluge of information at your disposal, it might be easy to feel overwhelmed, and to not know how best to identify the real strengths and weaknesses of your squad. - The Overview screen is by far the best place to start, as it distils everything into a succinct Strength or Weakness. The words used in each item are also instructive of what, if any, action you should take next; the scale below is used to display just how good a player is: Star, Excellent, Superb, Very Good, Good, Fairly Good, Decent, Useful, Low, Unsuitable - Tailor the Squad Depth view to your own circumstances. Ensure it’s based off your primary tactic and defined roles, and that the filters are set to include or exclude players in your youth teams and/or out on loan. It then displays the most pertinent ratings to you (be it Current Ability, Best XI, etc.). If you configure this part of the report to your own specific needs, you’ll find it serves you a lot better. - Use all of the screens frequently. Players develop and teams change over time, and whenever something new happens, the data you’ve previously reviewed runs the risk of becoming outdated. Make a check of the Team Report a regular part of your managerial planning to reap long-term rewards. Data Hub The Data Hub is where you can find a dedicated and comprehensive suite of analytic tools designed to help you find that winning edge. It is entirely customisable, available on-demand once a small handful of matches have been played, and comes with a wide range of information, stats, data visualisations and more that will really leave you with no excuse not to be prepared ahead of every match. Overview The customisable Overview screen is broken into three main sections: Team Report, Team Performance (Attacking and Defending) and Key Findings, which summarises the latest data into a brief report. The ‘Ask For’ button in the ‘Reports and Visuals’ panel to the side then allows you to ask your Analytics team for a dataviz (data visualisation) based on keyword input. Team The Team section focuses on all things to do with team stats in your main league competition. The ‘Team Performance’ screen is entirely on demand; you can use the same ‘Ask For’ functionality to generate reports and then tick the ‘Display in Team Analytics’ section to pin it to that page. Toggling the Edit Mode on/off then allows you to rearrange and pin these dataviz objects in exactly the way you want. The ‘Report’ tab presents a report on scoring, conceding and general formation trends, and the ‘Shots’ tab shows a breakdown of shot accuracy and where each shot landed in and around the goal frame itself. Player Similarly, the Player section works like the Team section, with a focus on individual players within your league. For example, you can use the ‘Ask For’ section to show a dataviz for goalscoring among midfielders in your league, pin it using the ‘Display in Player Analytics’ option, and build your own dashboard. Matches The Matches section has two tabs: ‘Last Match’ and ‘Recent Matches Analysis’. The former shows you a Summary and Key Findings from your last outing, the latter takes in your previous five matches and breaks down Positives and Negatives around a visual representation of events, plotted on a pitch. Next Opponent The last section contains everything to do with your next opponent. The ‘Overview’ provides a high-level summary of what to expect, while ‘Next Opposition Performance’, and ‘Past Meetings’ all build on functionality already outlined within the Data Hub to leave you thoroughly prepared for whatever they might throw at you.

Inbox Your Inbox is the main ‘hub’ of your game world. All important information relating directly to you, or any part of your club arrives here in the form of a news item. How do I know what’s important and what isn’t? It is open to a degree of interpretation. You might consider anything that comes to your Inbox should be classed as being important, as it’s always going to concern you or your job as manager in some form or another. However, there are some items that are classed as being more important, and these are indicated to you with a red accent colour and a ‘Must Respond’ label replacing the ‘Continue’ button. This means that the game cannot be advanced until you have responded to that news item; there is always an action for you to perform on items such as these, which could be confirming a transfer, submitting a squad for a competition, or attending a meeting with the Board. News and Social Media The Social Feed enables you to keep fully abreast of everything going on in the footballing world. Any game object (player, competition, team etc.) you choose to ‘Follow’ results in you receiving content about them in the form of a short message in the feed. Content is delivered by a range of sources: teams, competitions, media sources, journalists, and supporters. A range of supporter reactions to events is delivered to you by way of the club’s supporter spokesperson and adds a distinct layer of colour to the feed, ensuring you know exactly how the fans feel about the news of the day. The News tab displays a broader range of stories from around the world of football. Choose a story from the left side of the screen to view it in full in a pop-out panel. How can I make sure I only see news and social media that’s relevant to me and my interests? Following an object allows you to see what you want when you want, and perhaps more importantly, ignore what you don't want. At the start of every season, your Personal Assistant will ask you to review the topics you’re currently following and sometimes suggest new ones to add and old ones to discard. Each object has a ‘Social Content’ and a ‘News’ tick-box; tick/check the former to receive social content and the latter to have appropriate news stories delivered as a part of this feed. Select both to have the best of both worlds, with social being generated alongside each story. The adjacent drop-down menu allows you to further configure the frequency with which this is delivered; choose from Minimal, Normal and Extensive. Lastly, the ‘pen’ icon allows you to dig deeper into the specific types of news you want to receive. It is divided into sections by subject and within each is a comprehensive list of the sort of news items you can expect to receive. This extra level of management enables managers to really control their content. Each social message contains a ‘settings’ icon which, when selected, indicates why you’re receiving it, and gives you the option to revise your settings should you wish to do so.

Inbox Your Inbox is the main ‘hub’ of your game world. All important information relating directly to you, or any part of your club arrives here in the form of a news item. How do I know what’s important and what isn’t? It is open to a degree of interpretation. You might consider anything that comes to your Inbox should be classed as being important, as it’s always going to concern you or your job as manager in some form or another. However, there are some items that are classed as being more important, and these are indicated to you with a red accent colour and a ‘Must Respond’ label replacing the ‘Continue’ button. This means that the game cannot be advanced until you have responded to that news item; there is always an action for you to perform on items such as these, which could be confirming a transfer, submitting a squad for a competition, or attending a meeting with the Board. News and Social Media The Social Feed enables you to keep fully abreast of everything going on in the footballing world. Any game object (player, competition, team etc.) you choose to ‘Follow’ results in you receiving content about them in the form of a short message in the feed. Content is delivered by a range of sources: teams, competitions, media sources, journalists, and supporters. A range of supporter reactions to events is delivered to you by way of the club’s supporter spokesperson and adds a distinct layer of colour to the feed, ensuring you know exactly how the fans feel about the news of the day. The News tab displays a broader range of stories from around the world of football. Choose a story from the left side of the screen to view it in full in a pop-out panel. How can I make sure I only see news and social media that’s relevant to me and my interests? Following an object allows you to see what you want when you want, and perhaps more importantly, ignore what you don't want. At the start of every season, your Personal Assistant will ask you to review the topics you’re currently following and sometimes suggest new ones to add and old ones to discard. Each object has a ‘Social Content’ and a ‘News’ tick-box; tick/check the former to receive social content and the latter to have appropriate news stories delivered as a part of this feed. Select both to have the best of both worlds, with social being generated alongside each story. The adjacent drop-down menu allows you to further configure the frequency with which this is delivered; choose from Minimal, Normal and Extensive. Lastly, the ‘pen’ icon allows you to dig deeper into the specific types of news you want to receive. It is divided into sections by subject and within each is a comprehensive list of the sort of news items you can expect to receive. This extra level of management enables managers to really control their content. Each social message contains a ‘settings’ icon which, when selected, indicates why you’re receiving it, and gives you the option to revise your settings should you wish to do so.

Profile As a manager, you have a profile in the same way as all players and staff have a profile. Your managerial attributes are displayed on the ‘Manager Profile’ section from the Home screen. The ‘Manager Profile’ section also details your personal biographical information. Your profile is directly impacted by the decisions you make as manager. It also features seven characteristics, in addition to the coaching attributes found on every non-player. Those characteristics are as follows: Reputation The higher the rating, the more you’re known in the footballing world. A higher reputation has a huge effect on your career. It attracts interest in your services from bigger teams, it attracts better players to your club, players already at the club are more inclined to work harder and more professionally for a manager of greater repute, and many, many more situations you’ll encounter as you progress. Tactical Consistency If you’re the sort of manager who plays with one tactic no matter what, you’ll have a high Tactical Consistency rating. If you change between tactics on a regular basis, that bar will drop. Changes are mostly determined by whether the team’s formation is different from one tactic to the next, rather than subtler changes within a formation that remains the same over several matches. Unlike other attributes, there isn’t a number or medium to aim for, as it’s purely about finding the approach(es) that work for you and your team. Hands On Approach This number is mostly reflective of three key areas of the club and whether you retain control over them yourself or delegate them out to your backroom staff: team talks, scouting and training. If you take control of these and maintain an active role – particularly with regards to the number of scouting reports requested and the frequency of changes made to the training schedule – your Hands On Approach rating will increase considerably. Again, it’s about finding the right balance for you and how in-depth you want your control over the club to be. Managing Finances This is mostly reflective of the club’s financial state and the relative health of the wage budget under your stewardship of the club. If both of those are trending upwards, so will the attribute and vice-versa. Handling Team Discipline This number is indicative of the number of unhappy players at the club at any given time. A cohort of unhappy players results in a lower number, while keeping a squad full of players with no cause for complaints sees the number increase. The attribute remains static for the first ninety days of your tenure at any club to ensure that any situations you inherit are not judged against you. The way you handle fines and individual player discipline will also impact this. Before each season, a formal code of conduct can be implemented, outlining punishments for different transgressions. You can either implement this and have it automatically trigger when players fall foul of the code, or you can deal with each incident on its own merit. Loyalty to Players This number is governed primarily by the average length of time each of your players has spent at the club under your management. If the average tenure of all players exceeds four seasons, the number increases, but if you tend to move players on within two seasons, the number decreases. Domestic Player Bias This number reflects the balance of domestic players in your squad against the total number of foreign players. The number is considerably higher if the squad is mainly comprised of domestic players. Your profile also details your tactical preferences, career statistics and milestones. My Contract You can find details of your current contract here. Promises Throughout the course of your career, you will find yourself making promises to both your players and to the Board regarding your intentions on handling things. The Promises screen provides an ongoing look at how things are progressing on each one, including those added as part of contract negotiations, which helps to take out some of the guesswork on what you need to do and when you need to do it by to ensure the promises are kept. My History The ‘My History’ section keeps a record of your key information and achievements throughout your career while also covering your managerial movements and activity in both conversations and in press conferences, as outlined below: Questions from the Media From time to time, you will find yourself fielding an individual question straight into your Inbox, as the media seek your thoughts on a range of matters. Your response often elicits a reaction, be it from your own players, the opposition, another manager, or the journalist themselves. Interaction Due to your enviable position as manager of a football club, the media will want their say on your performance. Managing the biggest clubs will see your actions come under constant scrutiny as the pressure on you builds from day one. Even managing smaller clubs is only just a little less forgiving – in short, you’re going to face the good and the bad sides of the media. Visions and Objectives At the very heart of every job you’ll have over the course of your career are the visions and objectives outlined by your employers. Most teams have a long-term vision they want to realise; it could be as simple as winning a particular competition, or it could be as grandiose as wanting to achieve several promotions to reach the top flight by a particular date. Clubs can operate with five-year plans as the longest period of time to meet objectives, with the overall vision underpinned by several seasonal objectives. It is your job as manager to ensure the club remains on course to make the vision a reality by ensuring steady progression towards those objectives as a bare minimum requirement. You will be judged on all facets of the blueprint; if the Board think you’re not making sufficient progress, for example, they might change the short-term objectives to be more challenging in order to make up for lost time, or in extreme cases, they might well decide to cut ties with you altogether in favour of someone new who they feel can take them to where they want to be. You will get to have a say on the vision and the individual objectives during contract negotiations. The longer you stay at a club and the better you do, the more likely you are to have your voice heard, but there is scope early on in your time at a club for a bit of give and take. Some clubs appreciate a more optimistic outlook – certainly, during the interview stage, it might be worth your while setting the bar high if you want to see off your competition for the job – while others will adopt a more patient approach and find the best fit rather than the boldest candidate. The road ahead is clearly mapped out for you in any case. You will, like never before in Football Manager™ Touch 2023, have the tools at your disposal to not just know where you’re going, but how you’re going to get there, and the opportunity to leave your own mark on proceedings too.