[[Suggestion/Discussion] - Offside rule]

As florin mentioned, it would be neat if it was in the editor...

 

Who knows it may be in the game. Wenger is really pushing hard for it.

[[suggestion] implementation of some career modes into default game]

On 01/07/2023 at 13:12, myfunnygame said:

 

I was thinking about choosing one mode (which would be defined by the players and consulted with the SI programmers) or the possibility of choosing several elements that would not appear during the game.
For example, we have the possibility to hide attributes. It could also be possible to employ staff only by the technical director or not showing footballers without full knowledge about them in raports

Ohh... this makes sense.

Yea that would be a cool idea. It seems like right now the only way to do that is download external skins which don't use numerical values for attributes, select the hide attributes in startup, or join a club where the board has complete control over things.

[[Suggestion/Discussion] - Offside rule]

SI will only make the change if IFAB implement it.

 

If FIFA and IFAB tests it in certain tournaments, SI will implement it in those specific tournaments.

[[suggestion] implementation of some career modes into default game]

I can't see a difficulty slider happening.

There's already ways to make your save more difficult, SI just doesn't display it well.

I do think we should have challenges though, I believe there's something similar in FM Mobile.

[New Shout Feature]

I agree, a good idea. We already have interactions and relationships with the media.

But especially when it comes to suspensions and interactions with our fans, players and the board - how we trest the refs and our influence with them can be massive!

[[Suggestion] Players Not for Sale]

One of the frustrations that I see with the community and in game is when we bid/enquire about a player and the club comes back with a stupidly high number.

If I'm not mistsken, the Online Manual explains that this means that the player is not for sale.

 

However, I feel there should be an alternate interaction to make this more visually appealing to the player. I believe we need to move to a clearer way of communication.

We already have flat out rejections with a "red" rejection notice and the club saying the player is not for sale.

In real life, almost every club out there does not have that ability to flat out reject every bid. If the price is high enough or there is a reasonable replacement, then it's logical that while the club say the player is not for sale... reasonably they might be.

This leads me to the point of having some sort of spectrum of negotiations. Yes a club can still flat out reject...but rather then coming back with a $300M price tag, put an inbox notice or in that neogtiation screen an orange box which says the club are hesitant and need a big bid to consider.

I'd like the possibility of a spectrum, I've touched on this before of a better way to display information before going into negotiations and how the selling club feels... but maybe a color-coded text box response, similar to the red rejection one should be displayed.

Red = Rejected

Dark Orange = Not Willing

Orange = Tough but Possible

Yellow = Possibly Reasonable

Etc...

I'm sure there's a more efficient way, but in essence we need more then just the agent interaction in my opinion... and that's to expand thr club-to-club negotiations.

After all, agent information may not always be accurate.

[Why does FM not have a map in the game?]

I completely agree with this, having some interaction with a regional, national or global level map would be really cool.

Kind of an idea which I believe came from FIFA, but when selecting a club, showing the geographical location of their stadium via a map... even if it's far zoomed out would be neat. 

[(Suggestion) Expanding Available Leagues at Game Startup]

Hey All,

Just an idea to revisit the topic of available leagues at the base game, I know there's the massive list pinned to the top but just thought I'd post somewhere else. After the latest news release from Miles it looks like Women's football is going to be released in FM25 which is cool. I figured I'd touch on those leagues another time. 

As for the main game I thought there'd be a few other leagues to cover and research first... especially as with recent events with money in the Middle East, Confederation revamps and competitions (CONCACAF) amongst other things means that more focus should be given in my opinion outside of UEFA. 

I also understand that none of this is easy, between research and development, logistics and legalities it is very difficult to continuously update and add leagues. However, with the landscape of football as it stands, I feel for FM to grow even more and try new adventures (especially outside Europe), it's important to expand the base games available.

 

Complete CONMEBOL

To me this is an obvious one, but CONMEBOL should be completed at minimum. Having six of the ten confederations is a good start, but Venezuela, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia should be added in my opinion. I would also consider the step afterwards to add the additional tiers to each system if possible.

 

Expand in Africa

Look, the fact that only South Africa is a playable association is a bit silly considering the popularity of the sport within Africa and the powerhouse clubs which also reign in CAF. Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia should at minimum all be in the base game. 

Expanding in Africa would be tricky, but there are plenty of decent clubs in other leagues which could possibly be explored: DR. Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and so on are all good ideas to suggest.

 

Middle East is a Must

I know most recent events have shed the spot light on Saudi Arabia but them and Iran are two nations who at a minimum should be in the base game. Other nations such as Qatar and UAE could also be added in as both nations have flaunted their wealth in football. 

 

Japan, Japan, Japan

Japan is a must. I don't really think I need to explain any more. 

 

Representing Central America

CONCACAF'S revamped competition structure means that more clubs are now in the spotlight. To be fair, Central America has always been a joyful hotbed of football and it stands to reason that at least Costa Rica should be added into the base game. While Honduras, Guatemala and Panama are all really good leagues, Costa Rica is historically CONCACAF's 3rd best Association and has an excellent league.

 

Completing the Confederation Family

New Zealand, the giants of OFC. While it would be quite fun to have many of OFC's small nations within the game it's simply not reasonable. But, with an expanded FIFA World Cup awarding a minimum of one slot, and arguably the greatest semi-professional club in the world with Auckland City FC... it's not too crazy to suggest putting New Zealand in the base game. Especially with the interesting league system being a neat idea for a game save.

 

Summary

- North African giants are a must: Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

- Saudi Arabia and Iran are no brainers.

- Japan!

- Costa Rica to represent Central America.

- New Zealand to represent OFC.

- Complete CONMEBOL: Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela.

 

Short and sweet little blurb on several leagues which I think SI should look to add to the base game. 

[[Suggestion] Financial Implications in Football Manager]

2 minutes ago, dℍaisa said:

Nice suggestions,  as long as they update the financial tab's UI/UX such that the player can easily understand and enjoy these new complications, I bet it'll be a great improvement. 

Yea, the whole finances tab needs to be revamped and presented in a much more user-friendly manner.

[[Suggestion] Financial Implications in Football Manager]

Hey all, thought I would write down another idea I have for Football Manager. This applies to the impact of finances on clubs.

Football Manager seems to be built in a way where it is near impossible to bankrupt a club, or spiral them into massive amounts of debt. There's always a massive financial deal which comes in to save the day for a club - meaning that it is feasible in game to spend hundreds of millions if not billions in back-to-back windows or over the span of just a few seasons. I'm sorry but this to me is complete and utter bs - there is no way that a club should continue to operate at such a high level and be "saved" by these financial deals which could even get them out of sanctions and financial implications like FFP. FM should not be run in a way where the game corrects itself over time.

Therefore I would like to see a more realistic approach to how our decisions on buying and selling players - even the AI - can impact clubs finances both in the short and long term.

We have seen it recently with Barcelona, there leverages save them short term but cause massive cuts for the future by selling future rights for a large period of time. Juventus and Real Madrid along with other clubs have been slammed with the COVID-19 situation which has caused an increase pressure to pursue a Super League so finances can be guaranteed so they can continue to operate and cover mass losses.

 

In FM, we need to see the impact of financial decisions especially by us, but also the AI. This does not mean creating rogue competitions for money, but rather clubs getting impacted for making large transfer decisions (relative to the club) on a regular basis - being unable to compete in future windows. Especially if performances dwindle, it can cause huge implications and clubs may go through phases of raising funds in order to comply with regulations which can see great transfer deals for other clubs.

Get the Board Involved More: If I remember correctly, there are already hidden attributes of directors and how they perform which I believe impacts how a club is run, investments they make, and negotiating future financial deals for the clubs (sponsors). While this is good, we need to get them involved more and be realistic. If we are in control of transfers and are going to drop a large amount of money, we should be notified of the financial impact in the future.

• The first impact which is felt to an extent is with our grading system with the Board and Fans. We should really feel the heat though, if we continue to spend copious sums of money - even if we've raised the funs through transfer sales, we should have our expectations change and more pressure on us as managers to perform. This reasoning is natural by fans, spending more money relative to the club stature = an increased expectations from fans and rivals. However, there should be greater concern and expectation from the board. If the player flops, the board could look poorly on you and your staff and trust you less with future transfer dealings, bringing in a greater dynamic between you, the fans and board. If you spend big, the risk is greater if you do not meet expectations, fail to qualify or finish above a certain point which has a financial impact in future seasons at your club.
• Elaborate further on the club directors and who negotiates financial dealings for the club. Let's expand the backroom staff - I remember seeing hidden attributes for Director's and other backroom staff members whom we cannot touch, I would like to see that visible in FM. Some clubs are run well even if they are not successful on the pitch while other clubs are run very poorly. When at a club, I should see attributes and/or ratings of the overlords of a club and see how good they are at their job. The reason being is that I can then see what sort of financial impacts the club will or will not take when negotiations for sponsorship details occur, increasing staff wages, affiliations or even upgrading a stadium or other facilities. Some owners are reckless, others are not.
  • This brings in a new dynamic I would like to introduce. Take Leicester City as an example, they used the money earned from Harry Maguire to build their new training facility. During the process of communicating with the board and requesting upgrades or increases in transfers, let's have the possibility of a board taking under consideration the ability to raise funds for a future goal. As an example, let's say the board has a goal of developing the best facilities in your country, that costs money and while the board are willing to contribute towards it and the club's bank balance can afford a portion of it in the short term, more finances are needed. Therefore you as the manager are now financially impacted as you are unable to spend as much as you normally would, or have to sell a few players in order to raise funds over a period of time to achieve the goal of developing your facilities. 
  • Another approach can be made to the above point. I've sat before at clubs with plenty of money in my transfer budget - when requesting things with the board, one of the first things that should be impacted is your transfer and wage budgets. So okay, you want to expand the stadium or relay the pitch - in order to help with the costs we're taking 60% of your transfer budget and have a much more restricted wage budget in order to finance such a deal. Then you work with the board to see if a solution is available and you take on that new challenge.

 

Receive Financial Reports: Okay look, this is Football Manager and not Director of Football Simulator. However, we as managers have financial impacts towards a club and are involved in the financial running of a football club. We cost money, so does our staff and the players we sign. I've already commented on the Finances screen before, but I would like to see financial reports that the club gives us and how it applies to our role as managers.

• One avenue this can be done is pre-season friendly tournaments and building reputation. You as a manager may be forced by your club board to tour a certain part of the World in order to fulfill affiliation obligations, build and create affiliations and partnerships, and increase shirt sales while possibly developing new sponsorship deals. We may not like it, but we may be forced to play three or four matches on tour which can impact the squad for example.
• I would like to see the impact of financial decisions at the club that the board make. This is where a sub-tab could be created under the Finances section, and there is more elaboration on the message we receive at the end of every season which shows our sponsorships and if they've moved up or down and the prize money we've earned. Maybe there is a minimum expectation of money to be earned by competitions, which can add pressure on us to compete at a certain level. We can receive reports that the board are currently under negotiations for a new sponsorship deal and learn how it will affect us; maybe we get a small transfer or wage budget boost, are possibly able to afford an upgrade somewhere or new staff, or maybe there are new expectations to sign certain players or develop affiliations in a new part of the world. Likewise it could work the other way, where if a club is performing at an equal or lesser standing then when the previous negotiations took place there is an impact on losing money and the board notifies us of such an impact.
• Having an analytical breakdown of finances compared to other clubs of similar standing or within a competition I believe would be a good thing. We already see bits and parts of this spread throughout FM via club details, top transfer spenders news articles, wage bill in club details and so on. This to me should all be centralized in one area under finances, how we compare - even out sponsorship deals - with other clubs in the league, a competition, by reputation or heck even globally. From there we can get a grading report by the board and see what their goals are. Are they underperforming in sponsorship deals or are they at a good spot and are satisfied with our finances? Do we have too big a wage bill compared to the level we are competing at and the board suggests we should be in a certain bracket instead?

 

Be Punished for Financial Mismanagement: This is it for me, the big one. I'm sorry, stop trying to fix the game by giving clubs ludicrous sponsorship deals, taking out massive loans or wealthy consortiums randomly taking over and investing huge sums of money into a club so they stay afloat. The real world does not work that way, if you financially screw yourselves - you can be feeling that impact for YEARS. Even to the point of being kicked out of leagues, falling into administration and so on.

• The first point to make is, let's feel the impact as managers. Even if you are successful and win trophies, you should still get sacked or in a lot of trouble if you are financially decimating a club. The board would most likely take over some of your responsibilities, lock you out of making several decisions and start selling players, releasing staff and re-negotiating contracts in order to become more financially stable. You will also probably get sacked regardless. So let's actually see this!
• Make panic and financial regulations actually applicable in FM. I guarantee that if you are about to breach FFP or some other financial governance, the board will come to your rescue in FM. This is not always the case! Money doesn't suddenly come from owners and injected into the club - at least not always. So let's elaborate on what circumstances we should see when issues like this arise;
  • Emergency Bank Loans - This is huge. A club and their owners may suddenly take out a loan which can impact future income as the loan will have to be paid back.
  • Negotiating Contracts - As we've seen in the past and recently with Barcelona lately, the board will start negotiating pay-cuts with players and/or deferring payments which means you'll pay them the cut wage at a later date over a period of time. This can go either good or bad which leads onto the next point.
  • Selling Players - Again another and more common avenue as this is one of the best ways to raise a large amount of funds quickly - it's to sell players. Many clubs have done this where in order to comply with FFP and other financial laws they've had to sell players AND ALL WITHIN A DEADLINE. 
• Get kicked out of competitions, banned and points deductions. Seriously, this still occurs! It's actually a lot more frequent then one might imagine where clubs who fail to meet financial standards or break the laws get punished. It's not uncommon to see clubs negotiate deals with regulatory bodies in order to comply with financial regulation and/or get banned for a period of time from competitions for failing to comply with financial laws. This happened lately to Panathinaikos for example.
  • As managers we need to feel these restrictions. The board could have negotiated with representatives from UEFA or FIFA for example and we are on a tight three year budget in order to comply with financial standards. Or we could possibly banned from European competitions for a period of time! It happens! So in FM let's see it happen!

 

Administration & Liquidation: Look, this is the sad part of football, no club should go under - but unfortunately it is very common and we see that plenty of clubs up and down pyramids across the globe enter administration or liquidate and a Phoenix club is formed.

• Getting Kicked out of Leagues: This may not specifically apply to us, but it is possible with the AI - clubs may be unable to pay wages and other things, defaulting on debts and because of this inability to comply - will be kicked out of the league by the Association and sent down to the lower divisions. THIS SHOULD HAPPEN IN FM. It happens more often then it should, and while clubs shouldn't be dropping like stones - the threat of such a circumstance should be felt for clubs who are poor and financially mismanaged.
  • Liquidation: I do not believe legally that you can liquidate a club. If you are able to then this is a possibility that we could see happen in FM (just look at Italy). If not there still is an avenue to explore which is the possibility of when such dire circumstances occur and are kicked down to the lower leagues, a club could be gutted and essentially "liquidated" starting afresh.
• Administration: I only ever see this in FM at the start of a save when real life punishments (points deductions) are applied in game but then are gone after the end of the season. Maybe it's just me, but I've never seen a club go into Administration. Again this is more common then one might think and the threat of it should be more profound. Also, we should see this happen!

 

I understand that delving into the financial side of things can possibly breach on legal issues. However what is a guarantee for me is that there needs to be a way to actually feel the impact of financial mismanagement in Football Manager. The game should never be simulated in a way where it "fixes" itself over time and clubs are able to continue to function with unrealistic scenarios.

[Upgrading Transfer & Contract Negotiations [Suggestion]]

Hey All,

If this has already been mentioned than I apologize. 

 

I would like to see an upgrade when it comes to negotiating contracts and transfers with clubs, staff and players. Right now the overall process is good and has improved over the last few editions, but what annoys me is when in negotiations - I forget sometimes what clauses or bonuses I've excluded during the negotiation process. 

I therefore have a solution - even though it is tedious, could we have every clause and bonus laid out before hand? For me this is a simpler way to lay out the offers made and see what was offered previously. I also at this point can then remove clauses and/or bonuses and it be very visible that I've done so.

There are a few extra points I would like to add;

• Can we see some sort of visual cue for "favorable", "important" or "preferred" bonuses, clauses and other components that the club, staff or player prefer to negotiate on or favor?
• If we do exclude something from negotiations - do not remove it, rather can it be "greyed out" and possible be brought back after a few more rounds of negotiations?
• I would like some live feedback for the negotiation process. If I have a DoF or other members of the Transfer Committee - can they give me live feedback before submitting a bid? Maybe I add a clause, or bid a bit too high - can one of my staff members help guide me or make a suggestion?
• In negotiations and someone counter-proposes a contract or transfer - can I see exactly what the differences are? I know we are able to see the previous offer, but right on the same screen - in brackets off to the side with the original "bid" then a negative or positive number which tells me the difference, then the new number next to the clause or component of the bid would be MUCH better in my personal opinion.
• Can we have a more thorough but simpler explanation of how clauses and bonuses will impact us OR the other club, staff member and player? Some clauses are pretty straightforward, but it is easy to forget and sometimes we do not think about the financial impact of a transfer. It can get a bit confusing at times as well what certain clauses and bonuses mean. We already have notes on the left hand side when entering negotiations or bidding, but can we elaborate with this further or change how that information is presented? Jot-notes would be preferable.

 

To add onto the financial point of this topic - a re-vamp of the financial screen would be nice. While it is possible to understand, it feels very overwhelming and can be quite confusing. Having detailed, chartered and tabalized information is nice - however much like the Datahub, there should be a simple and clean way to present the information.

 

This is what I have for now, if I think of more I will add onto this post. 

 

Thanks.

[[Suggestion] Organizing Competition Statistics]

I completely agree on this as well. It's very difficult trying to organize data and information per position. Especially when trying to train players or try out new positions based off attributes and roles that they can perform, I would love to see how they do specifically in that one area.

[[Suggestion] Organizing Competition Statistics]

Hello all, before I begin if this has been mentioned before I do apologize. I have brought this up before and I would like to bring this up again, if it does exist in some form in the game, please let me know because I’m clearly an idiot then.

 

FM is a plethora of information and statistics, but sometimes it can be presented in a “bulk” like manner rather than sorted or refined. For example; both Player and Club statistics when viewing a competition (whether domestic league, cup, confederation or international tournaments).

·         The first point here is I want to divide the competition statistics that is given to us. For example, when viewing either the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League – the player statistics include matches from the qualifying rounds. Now this information is of course important, however it should be divided in my opinion. I believe there should be a little side menu which will divide the stats across several fazes of a competition.

o   Per Phase Division - “Overall”, “Qualifying Stages”, “Finals Stages”. We should be able to separate between the different “phases” of a competition, because when I look at player statistics in the champions league – there are players whom don’t even make it to the group stages who top the charts for goals scored and clean sheets kept. Of course the rewards don’t go to them at the end of the season, but still, I want to flush out those who have been knocked out or did not qualify.

o   Per Round Division While the first point covers an entire phase, why not get specific. What if I just want the top goalscorers from the group stages of the World Cup? Or maybe scout top scorers from just the Preliminary, First and Second Qualifying Round of the Champions League? This to me is very important, especially when I want to see how shortlisted players or even my own players are doing in a competition.

o   Per Reputation Division – I will touch on this in more detail in the next point as it is more applicable to a “league scenario”, but could I divide my statistics on whom I have faced? I see three areas but for more clarity, really it should be five; “Less Reputable” “Equal Reputable” “More Reputable”. So essentially, bigger clubs, lesser clubs or clubs of an equal standing. This would be fantastic to find out as I take a look at chances created for example – and all of them have come from facing smaller teams while a player doesn’t produce well verses equal or greater teams.

 

·         So, the first point was coming across cup competitions – the second point tackles League statistics. This avenue can be approached in several manners, but generically there should be some form of division when it comes to looking at player and/or club stats.

o   Time Basis – Rather then a “phase division” which with some leagues is actually applicable; “Promotion/Relegation Playoffs”, “Champions Phase”, “Confederational Qualification Phase” (see Belgium), “Opening and Closing” (see South America and Mexico in general) so it should be added – can we divide statistics for a course of a season? First half and second half for example, this can be helpful to see the impact of a congested winter and the impact of the mid-season transfer window if applicable. What about quarterly or third phases? Or heck, why not on a monthly basis?

o   Versus Basis – In my personal opinion this is my favorite option. I would like to categorize both club and player statistics on whom they face. Now we could get very specific and select specific clubs – sort of how you are able to compare club positions over a season already in the game. The more realistic option in my opinion could be dividing a league into “top half” and “lower half”, how one’s fare against clubs competing in confederational competitions, or maybe a specific collective based on in-game reputation “Top 6 in England” for example. For scouting and seeing how your own players perform, you can gain a better understanding of how to approach and whom to select for certain matches.

 

That's all I have for now, I'm sure more could be explored on this topic. But in general, I believe competition-based statistics can be divided and organized in a better manner.

[[Suggestion] Manager Speculation]

4 hours ago, Maaka said:

Great read!

This is how a feature request should be like, most of us (myself included) normally just writes "Feature X should be in the game", and that's it. Here you've stated what you'd like to see, and then described in detail how it should work, and how it would enhance the playing experience. Superb work, @seabas3. I wish I could upvote it twice, once for the idea, and another for how well-written it is.

And, of course, I'd love for this to be implemented, this would greatly improve the "personal feeling" of the in-game character we create. I wholeheartedly second this.

Thank you for the comment @Maaka. Just trying to do my best haha!

[[Suggestion] Manager Speculation]

One thing that's always been a pet-peeve of mine when playing FM is the lack of speculation when it comes to managers. This has improved slightly over the years but it is still nowhere near the levels of real life. First off before I continue, if this has been brought up - I apologize, this is simply something I really want to see in FM in the future.

The Managerial Circus needs an overhaul at all levels of the game, both at the lower level and the upper level. Let me jot down several points where this can be expanded upon:

 

• The sack race. Even from before the first match has kicked off or even the transfer window opened, bookies and the media are already talking about who is the first to be let go. A bad first two or three games and your odds sky-rocket. Now I already know there is an inbox email entitled "Sack Race" but it needs to be put in our faces more. More items in the inbox is not really the way to go in my opinion - rather can we have this under "My Profile" or somewhere in our own section - maybe this means having an extra section on the side bar. Updates can come via text messages from our own Personal Assistant - while also messages from backroom staff in regards to our managerial position can also be sent there. Social Media updates, news articles, personal interviews and even a similar "Personal Inbox" could be sent there to track your position in the FM universe. A few bad results or underperforming and we should literally feel that we are in the hot seat... all it is right now is the board confidence may drop a grade or two. That simply isn't good enough, we don't need flashing red screens or blaring horns (though that does sound pretty cool as our managerial careers could melt down) but we need some essence of "panic stations". That comes thick and fast at ALL levels even if the board is extremely patient and slow to act. Social Media and Inbox Messages just doesn't seem to cut it - we should have something like a "Live" feed in our personal section which takes the drama of losing one game or drawing a match we should have won and shoving it in our face (Talksport and other Radio callers for a case in point). Especially if we are underperforming or things are going badly. Even a simple text message from our PA could suffice.

 

• Your Manager Section. This is a necessity in my opinion. We need to expand upon the Home Screen and add an additional section which is solely dedicated to us and only us - and rearrange/combine the sub-sections that already exist. As mentioned in the previous bullet-point - there's speculation that would be under here, however far more can be done as well. I want to feel more involved in the game and while small touches like the end of season reviews are nice - I want to get to know more about myself and how I'm perceived in the FM universe. So, can we expand on our stats as seen under "My Profile" - can we even hold on to older "End of Season Reviews" - can we have a CV section where it displays our achievements and that's what clubs/nations would take a look at (expand upon what we currently have). 
  • If we are actively looking for a new job, I want to see what the chances are of myself getting appointed. Or how other clubs who may be sniffing around may perceive me. This is where our Personal Assistant comes in - I feel we can receive updates if we're job hunting on how clubs feel about hiring us. Rather then percentages, we could use color-coded words or sentences on how certain clubs perceive us managers and how desperate they are. 
  • Before taking on a job, I'd like to see information before even going into an interview on what the board is like, information on the club, recent history of the said club, and from the outside looking in provided by my Personal Assistant - what the board, squad and fans are looking for and expecting when going to hire me. We already have a good format available in Player Cards that we see in the scouting department and how fans and the board perceive signings, why not have something similar for us managers and have similar "scouting like" cards that our PA draws up for us managers?
  • Keep Track of Interests. I really want to see a section where on a yearly basis, we are able to see what clubs we've applied for or what clubs have approached us. The main reason is to build grudges and rivalries but another is to keep track of the failures and what can we learn from them. As noted in the above bullet points and will be seen in later points - we should learn from why clubs have turned us down, almost like old reports or scouting reports on players. They should be "filed away" so that's why we can learn how to better ourselves and of course grow to love or hate certain clubs. I can look back and see that I applied to club x a few times and they rejected me for whatever reason... well their rival club y is on the market for a new manager and has an interest in me... you see where I'm going with this? Plus when we are trying to move up in the managerial world and try to manage a "massive club", we can learn why they rejected us from these reports and why they rejected us in the past - learning what the other manager has on his CV that I don't.

 

• Your Personal Assistant Should Act like an Agent. We are already used to dealing with agents as they look for what's best for their clients. Why not our PA's do the same? Now I don't mean taking over contract negotiations - but what I would say is they can "help us" by frequently updating us on managerial vacancies and speculation. They also can give their feedback onto what they feel would be best for us. For example: if the board is giving us a difficult time and rejecting our proposals constantly, not giving us transfer funds, etc... despite delivering on expectations - our PA's could voice their concern, saying that we deserve better and could raise concerns to the board about how we feel, and secretly by our permission - leak information to the media. They could also recommend other clubs and say that we would be better off exploring different options and "these positions" may become available in the future. They can also guide us. Say things are going wrong, or we're being too negative in the media - our PA's could help guide us by notifying that the players, board and fans are starting to lose their confidence in us and how the outside world media perceive us.
  • Adding a Data Analyst Spin - With the introduction of the datahub and football being as analytical as ever, let's have a similar approach for when we are choosing clubs to submit our applications for. Now this can be attached to having a "CV" as mentioned in a point earlier, but let's see what clubs may suit us - or why according to the board of a club/nation they may not want to select us. This could be due to a multitude of reasons rather then just "Reputation"; we may play too much defensive football, we may not perform well in cup competitions or our continental record is not good enough. We may not sign enough youngsters, we may be too feisty, or our allegiances may stop us from signing for a particular club (DYNAMIC RIVALRIES). All of this information can be brought to our attention as board members AND ESPECIALLY FANS AS WE ARE ALL SO PETTY, HYPOCRITICAL AND EMOTIONAL will give feedback (or information that is gathered by our PA) and displayed to us for us to digest. This can give a whole new meaning to management and the importance of not just getting results but also how we are perceived... "Death By Media" is an appropriate term to use here.
    • A subpoint to this. In scout reports we have "Pro's" and "Con's". Let's have similar for us, so we have our own report but then the Pro's and Con's of how clubs view us as managerial candidates.

 

• Continuously on the Look. Managerial talk always... and I mean ALWAYS occurs. Day-to-day the mood around managers fluctuates constantly from board members to fans and players. Now under "Staff" we already have Job Centre and Job Security - these two subsections should be moved to our own personal section. Here, we can have our PA's give regular updates (or updates according to how often we want) on positions that soon may become available or new open positions. However rather than a "blanket-all" approach (though that is an option), we could set out our PA to update us on managerial positions in particular leagues, clubs, certain nations, home/nation leagues, clubs of a certain stature, etc... Essentially, just like detailing out an assignment for a scout, let's have the ability to set an "assignment" for our PA's on managerial vacancies.
  • There's one avenue which can be expanded upon when it comes to speculation - social media. When you follow certain leagues, players, clubs, have a favorite, say something in a press-conference, and competitions, that alone is enough for rumors to swirl. We already know how the media react when one player "unfollows" or "follows" or "likes" a post, likewise it could be the same for us. When we slip up, say something and then it's twisted or misinterpreted or we start following something - speculation should follow suit.

 

• Increase the Speculation on Your Future. The one thing FM lacks for me is the amount of talk and speculation about managers, especially yourself. We get sick of it when it comes to our players, likewise we should also be sick of speculation surrounding ourselves. It also doesn't matter what situation we are in, managers have been the target of speculation across all levels - whether that's speculation about the current season, start of the next, at the end of your contract or far into the future. All managers, including ourselves have ambitions and future goals - so let's tug at those heart strings. Have allegiances? TARGET. Want to manage your home nation? TARGET. Feel you're good enough to manage a big club or in a league? TARGET. Even managers who are set to be at a club for a long period of time, there is always speculation of moving clubs, moving into international management or returning to a former club. This is especially the case if you are overachieving or being "successful" at your current club - when you start to be successful... EVERYONE takes note, so let's actually see that people ARE taking note of you.
  • This should particularly be noted when you draw closer to the end of your contract. Two years left? Well you may have completed all your goals by that time and want to move onto to somewhere else. Down to your final year? Clubs are eyeing you up as they look to possibly bring you in. You know how we target players with a year left on their contracts or even six months? Clubs do the same with managers, and if we are also looking for a new challenge - why can't our PA's bring to our attention manager's who are near the end of their contract and clubs maybe looking to move on to new leadership. The media should be on us when it comes to our future and our ambitions.
  • Also on this topic, why not take advantage of the speculation that is upon other managers? A manager at another club that you would like to manage is seemingly about to move on, your PA can give you a list of possible soon to be vacancies or again, managers who are in trouble and you can jump on that chance.

 

• When New Owners Arrive. We've already talked about speculation, and again this needs to be dialed up far more when there's speculation of new owners - which happens A LOT MORE than you think. As well as when official owners take over club whether fully, majority or have a minor stake (or even a gradual full ownership) - there needs to be questions over your future constantly. EVEN IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL. So the speculation is one thing, but the other is you being targeted by new owners. Let's say you have the same nationality as the corporation, consortium or new owner of the club - even if you have no chance you should be linked to the job. Your PA should be all over the chance, sending you updates of wealthy new owners that are buying clubs so you can put your name in the hat. How often have we seen managers join clubs who have countless amounts of money (or a lot more then you are used too) to spend? 
  • Ambitions of the New Owners. The media speculation is one thing, in Newcastle's case in point you have mentions of Mbappe and Haaland. But the owner's also do the same for managers too. Especially wealthy owners will come in wanting star managers or enquire into managers who are above their level. Or there may be a new philosophy of the owners that come in, you may fit that bill and even if in retrospect it's a "Step Down", the owners will still enquire or call your PA to see where you stand. So let's make it happen more!

 

• Clubs Need to be More Ambitious. There is hardly any approach (unless you're unemployed but even then) by clubs to take a look at you, especially if you are "successful". This absolutely needs to be expanded upon. We already know that there are constant and continuous private conversations that take place between clubs and managers - EVEN THOSE STILL IN LONG CONTRACTS - over jumping ship to manage a new club. So let's have it in FM. The only time you talk to a club is majority of the time when you are the one to make a move (which is seldom at best), or when there is a vacancy open and a club approaches you. Clubs talk with coaches EVEN WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE A MANAGER IN CHARGE. Let's be tempted, no matter what level it is! Make it difficult to turn down a club. Doing well in a particular country? Well of course the biggest clubs in the nation are going to come calling. Overachieving in a promotion charge? Well someone who is expected to get promoted or in a division above may be impressed with you and believe you are the new manager to achieve their ambitious. Winning everything at the top of the game - OF COURSE REAL MADRID ARE GOING TO COME CALLING. You have a way higher reputation then a club that you're currently managing at or an old club you used to manage comes calling? It happens and can be difficult to turn down (Ancelotti from Everton to Real Madrid for example). After all, who can say no to all that money, all that eagerness from a club who ACTUALLY WANTS YOU, who feel that YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE, and even if you are above a "bigger" club in the table but at a "smaller name" - it must be so difficult to turn down such a big name with that much more resources and a bigger stadium and more fans. 
  • Allow talks to take place between managers and clubs. We've seen this constantly throughout the footballing world. Clubs agree deals with managers whom are already at their current club and then an announcement comes out that you are leaving at the end of the season. (Bundesliga anyone?). Sometimes the media doesn't catch a whiff of it and the announcement isn't made till the end of the season, sometimes the manager or one of the club's talks, or the announcement is made immediately. This could destroy the dressing room (again... Bundesliga anyone) or there could be a tearful goodbye as your players, fans and current club pine at you to stay. (Mourinho from Inter to Real Madrid for example). Pre-agreements do not just apply to players, the apply to managers too - let's make that happen.
    • Let me expand a bit further. Talks can happen a year or two in advance. It doesn't need to be a full blown interview. How about a director calls your PA and has a question or two, maybe "hypothetically" asking how you would feel of managing the club in question. Talks and little conversations here and there over long periods of time could eventually lead to more proper discussions, eventually a club lining you up to take the job as another manager leaves or is sacked. A call could occur in the early part of a season, then again in a few months time, or in a few weeks, maybe a text message or two from a director who is trying to test the waters and where you stand at your current club. By the way not all of this is picked up the media, quite a lot of this is private - so let's take the risk and try and keep these conversations private too.

 

• The Managerial Transfers Need to Occur ALL YEAR ROUND. This point is straight forward, but managers get sacked literally at all points in a calendar year. There have been cases of several hours or days, some managers barely last 3 or 4 games and clubs will target anyone and everyone. It doesn't matter if you are in a title charge in another country, another club will see you and want you and therefore make a bid. (Brendan Rodgers from Celtic to Leicester for example). So let's make it happen, some clubs are more trigger happy then others (Watford and Serie A for example), therefore the managerial market should CONSTANTLY be on the go as it feels quite systematic in FM.

 

• We Need more than Just Interviews. When being interviewed by a club, there are some good questions - but that's not all there is to it. Quite often, a position is open and clubs accept multiple applications - so if that's the case rather than being head-hunted, we need to convince the club/nation that we are the right person for the job. For me, we need to expand on the interview. In real life, managers have come up with reports, used data analytics to support their management and done presentations to the Board of Directors to convince them that they are the right manager. They layout their ambitions, their needs, who needs to come in and go, how you appeal and "fit the bill" at the ethos of the club and ACTUALLY BACK IT UP. (You see where the CV and Data Analytical points from above are coming in here ya?) While the interviews are good, we should expand the interviews more. One or two interviews may not be enough at times, sometimes there's three or four. Clubs need to grill us on more then what we promise for the club - they should drill us personally, on our philosophies, raise issues and scenarios of "what would happen if" and raise issues on our style of play and future goals. More then what is now. 
  • We may not be able to do presentations or reports in FM (nor would we want to), but we have to have more than just an interview. The CV's can help in this regard and presenting a "Managerial Data Analysis" which proves how you are the right person for the job. Expansion is needed here but for me more needs to be done. 
  • Likewise, our trophy cabinet may simply be good enough. At times there are clubs who are simply just looking for the best of the best. Won a few Champions Leagues? EVERY BIG CLUB should be after you. Won the World Cup? Well it looks like another nation wants you to have that glory. In short, your success and trophy cabinet should have a great influence on clubs wanting you as well.
  • Start to Build Grudges and Rivalries When Clubs Turn You Down. This is a big one for me. Quite often clubs interview managers and it seems like they are the one to take over... and then they board go with someone else. This has occurred countless times and quite often we don't figure it out till years later. So let's build rivalries between you the manager and a club. You could turn down an offer to join a rival, or you could feel hurt by the board and leave to a different club and compete, or you could hold a grudge and never join that club even if they want you later in your career. 

 

• Bring More Dynamics to Long Term Saves. As mentioned in the subpoint above when building grudges and rivalries, we often don't find out who was interviewed or nearly sacked till years later in the future. So one thing I thought would be cool for saves that occur over long periods of time is having the opportunity to release "Books" or "Documentaries" on yourself (Just any form of media really besides a press-conference or that text-question thing). Now what influences this and the reach of these things is your reputation of course but this could totally shake up your save as you go beyond a decade or two. You could expose former clubs, interviews that you've had, talk about retired players, staff or even ones that are still playing/coaching currently and that can destroy or build up relationships. This can also bring a new level to dynamic rivalries as you can even talk bad about rival clubs, fans and players or share the "soft spots" that you have. You can also reveal your future endeavors in such things, where you'd like to manage near your retirement, where you want to retire, maybe international management interests you. 
  • I figure this could be done through your PA. Either the media approach you to do it or your PA suggests maybe doing a book/documentary to increase your reputation (and maybe a bit of income) and then you can decide from there.

 

• Managing Youth Teams. This is my final point and it has been brought up before, but can we PLEASE MANAGE YOUTH TEAMS. It's almost constant that managers work their way up from managing youth sides to senior sides. We need to have the opportunity to create our own story in this way, we simply don't right now. This can vary in so many ways too, we may not always get the top job like Pep Guardiola or Zidane - but it's very common for managers to build their philosophies at certain clubs, develop their tactical ideologies as they learn from brilliant coaches and managers in charge of first teams as they try to apply them at youth level. (This is where CV's and Personal Philosophies can be expanded upon). Especially with the women's game coming into FM soon the managerial world can explode open as we hope from the men's side to women's side and vice-versa, we should also have the opportunity to raise our ranks at youth level. The expansion on story telling and building you FM universe and managerial career can be so much more detailed then simply starting as unemployed and work our way up. I know this is a difficult task but this for me is one thing I really want to see come into FM soon.
  • A subpoint on this. Can we elaborate further on our Manager Profile? If we select being a former player - I actually want to be able to dictate my career a bit. More than just a "former international", maybe what position I played or what my traits were? How popular was I globally? (for example did I have Zidane's career, Gerrard's or Klopp's? This can also tie into rivalries and dynamics.) This can have a great influence on your career and even where you start out. After all - bigger names means more media coverage and ticket sales which means more income for a club.

 

That's all for now. If I have more ideas I'll jot them out below.

[[Discussion] Revamp Transfer Listings]

Hello @Michael Sant. Apologies for the extremely late reply - I don't come on here much. 

With the transfer revamp that we've seen this year, a lot of my ideas have been scratched off as they are now in the game. I still however feel like the transfer circus could be expanded upon more - especially at the highest level.

• Players need to talk more. I still feel that players aren't talking enough in FM22 nor are making enough actions when it comes to either testing the waters for a transfer or genuinely wanting to move out of a club. This could deepen the dynamics when it comes to morale and relationships with your players and squad happiness. Agents talk enough now, but imo more is needed in this regard - even if there are more messages from your Personal Assistant or Director of Football giving you a heads up or telling you how some players or agents of players feel about the upcoming window.
• Speaking of Directors and Transfer Committee's. It's been well documented the amount of communication which goes on in regards to transfers and loans but which amounts to absolutely nothing. Now I don't want to be overwhelmed with a million messages - but what we see in the Transfer Deadline Day section with players and agents testing the waters or are interested in moving, I feel can be expanded upon.
  • The first point on this is more variables when it comes to an interest in moving. I feel like there are really only 2 if not 3 stages of a player/agent which is not interested - somewhat interested - and very interested/desperate. Varying the eagerness/desire of a player and/or their agent for me is a must and the dynamism of the game.
  • We have the transfer/squad improvement meeting before every window and at the start of seasons. Expanding on this, can we have a "Transfer Committee". Clubs vary in structure but there is a general outline now where there is some form of a "committee" which involves multiple members of backroom staff that come together to select targets. In this you can also add a new dynamic in regards to connections that ones have with players - whether that's staff members who are close with former players and clubs or directors who have connections and like I mentioned from my previous point - call other directors to shoot out interest and test the waters in regards to the availability of players. From this you can also have these staff members (particularly the directors who work with the recruitment team) to give you reports (on a timely basis chosen by you) on players who may be available. This fluctuates as club circumstances change, injuries, transfers, coaching preferences, etc...
• Transfer Deadline Day. Just a note - but transfer deadline day doesn't always seem to work for me. I've managed in Canada, Colombia, Denmark and England so far for FM22 and only in England has it worked for me. Anyways just a side point I thought I'd bring up.
• "Potential Transfer Reports" - One thing I'd like to see is a report within my inbox which talks about shortlisted players or players whom my Recruitment Team that has identified as potential transfers - and how they feel about a transfer. We see this in deadline day where players are "testing the waters" and this is what I posted about above. I would like to see (only for players that have been made available to you, players that have been scouted, and through media speculation) players and how they feel on a scale about a transfer. I refer to this point that I made above:
  • "Word descriptions which are color coded.   "Definitely" "Publicly Unhappy at Club" "Rumored" "Not Interested" are just a few examples of the 'word descriptions' which then would be color coded from Bright Green or Gold to Red/Black.
    • I feel that this could be another avenue rather than being the defined "transfer status" of a player. This could have something to do with a player's Dynamics, Future Plans or Transfer Status."

 

That's all I really have for now. As I play more I will note down more ideas.

[[Discussion] Revamp Transfer Listings]

Hello,

I thought I would throw out there an idea I have had for a while to make FM more realistic. In real life (at least that I am aware of), there is not one major database or mainframe where clubs transfer list there players. Rather there are multiple factors which could indicate if a player is for sale or not. It could be made public, the agent is searching for a new club for their client to 'see what clubs are interested', players themselves will sometimes make noise on wanting to leave, rumors and media speculation along with a host of other scenarios dictate if a player is more available for a transfer.

We already have 'Agent Availability' which is a good indication of how a player might feel (more of what they want) about a transfer AND what to possibly expect when dealing with a club. Now originally I was thinking a percentage of "possibility of being up for sale" or something of the like which could work but FM have already backed away from percentages with Conditioning and Match Sharpness so this is where I am a bit stumped and listed a few more ideas below: 

• Word descriptions which are color coded.   "Definitely" "Publicly Unhappy at Club" "Rumored" "Not Interested" are just a few examples of the 'word descriptions' which then would be color coded from Bright Green or Gold to Red/Black.
  • I feel that this could be another avenue rather than being the defined "transfer status" of a player. This could have something to do with a player's Dynamics, Future Plans or Transfer Status.
• Percentages. I mentioned this earlier and this does seem viable but more for "Rumors" that social media and reporters would use. This could be applied to being asked of you by a reporter; "How likely are you to sign player x in the coming days?" Response: "100%". 
  • Or I find that this could fix a common inbox message which is "transfer story has been leaked". I feel that this is a key area which could be expanded upon by SI - rather than having "transfer story leaked" there could be a weekly/monthly report which could be sent to your inbox on what the media believe to be key transfers not just about your club but, but your league and global big transfers with a high reputation or high amount of money. 
  • This is also applied to the start of transfer windows when you get that one message which talks about the transfer window being opened and a rumored transfer. 
• Thumbs Up or Face Emoji. The same idea - color coded but have multiple different options on a player's availability for transfer.

I'm sure I've missed other ideas so please let me know what you all think. Again I apologize if this has been discussed before.

 

LOANS

This could also be applied to loans in my opinion, seeing what players are directly available and actively being sent out by their clubs and whom are not.

 

This is just a small sample, I have a lot more I want to add to this but I don't feel I can communicate that appropriately just via this post. 

[[Discussion] The 'darker side' of football: diving, shirt tugging, pushing, confrontations]

On 08/04/2021 at 18:14, UKFA said:

This topic will be controversial, so it requires some discussion, maybe a poll, to gauge what people think. But how would you feel about including some of the less pleasant aspects of football? This example isn't relevant because you don't see players in enough detail, but when you watch real games you'll see at least a couple of instances of players spitting on the ground. Understandably this isn't the kind of thing they use in FIFA preset cutscenes however. Other things like purposeful diving are obviously excluded. How would you feel about an option to allow this kind of stuff (maybe limited to steam buyers over 18). Obviously there's a limit to it, I would personally say there should never be fights, pitch invasions, fans fighting, racism, objects being thrown etc. But some of the more inconsequential things like players separating others, going to the referee to argue, maybe if you use too many aggressive shouts your manager figure is seen gesturing at officials, they could all add to a tense atmosphere and the inter personal relationships of players in the game, possible even team and fan rivalries becoming more dynamic and influenced by high importance games.

Anyway no offense intended, I'd just like to hear people's thoughts, especially from SI.

Hey, excellent post! I've personally thought about this too - unfortunately with stuff like this there is the issue of legal actions taking place, similar to how there are no real negative traits with real life players but only with newgens or players coming out as gay in FM. I think one target FM could explore is what you've mentioned with your players arguing either with the ref or with each other and your disposition towards the referee and other managers could be further explored by SI. The rivalry portion you mentioned I also feel could be improved further by SI to make it more tense in some instances and definitely your actions and responses could greatly influence that upcoming match. 

For legal reasons I wouldn't see traits or negative playmaking ideas such as "going down easily" being implemented into the game. However I would like to see SI add that as a point of conversation in your interviews with the media. Especially after a match. There are already some highlights of it with the text commentary where it says that "it seems a bit soft" and other quotes which give that indication for a foul - and expanding on that in the media could add an extra spice to rivalries and your persona as a manager. Arguing with the referee I would like to see better presented by FM. There is already some form of "swarming" and such when a VAR decision is being talked about but I don't feel it doesn't show nearly as much 'emotion' compared to IRL and the complaining by both parties AND the bench.

As for fighting, I don't think that will happen - but when there is a high-fouling match or plenty of cards, I want there to be some "coming-togethers" with the players on the pitch. Similar to the VAR swarming which happens already, maybe after a couple fouls committed by one player and then another challenge happens, two or three nearby teammates will run to the referee and complain for a card. Or after a bad tackle which gets a yellow or red, maybe a quick revenge tackle which leads to a small flash point of arguing. This isn't a fight nor should it lead to a full on brawl - but FM to me currently lacks that edge or fight which in my opinion should be brought in. 

[[Discussion] Separate stats from qualifying to main part of competitions.]

Hello,

I'm not sure if this has changed yet... but I do remember this being in FM where when you look at the overall stats for players and clubs in certain competitions like the Champions League - ALL clubs (even in the first round of qualifying) are there. I feel that it should be reset when you reach the group stage of the competition to give a more accurate indication of how clubs perform when they are in the competition proper. If this has been implemented I would like to consider subdividing this possibly further - so subdividing stats between the group stages and knockout rounds.

I also would consider this for leagues. In England you have stat's against your 'big six' if there even is a big six anymore - but especially from a scouting perspective or as a manager trying to change tactics, zoning in on these stats can be helpful and even for buying players.

Let me know what you guys think.

[[Discussion] Improving International Management]

Hello,

This for sure is one area I feel like SI could improve for a while now. If you don't mind I would like to elaborate a bit further on this topic. 

One point you make @karanhsingh is that a World Cup should "feel" like a World Cup. I definitely agree. With continental tournaments, in particular the Euro's and Copa America and the World Cup - the media and euphoria should be exceptional even if you do not follow the tournament via your socials. If we do manage an international team and are participating in said tournaments, I feel more could be done to make it really feel like you're participating in one of these tournaments. You know how at the end of the season we have the in-depth review sections now, maybe an opening and closing one for these tournaments? Also, especially as a manager of an international team participating in these tournaments - more media interaction, player interaction, scrutiny and questions within your club press conferences (if you manage both a club and nation) and even more questions and press conferences as an international manager should be implemented to make you really feel as if you were an international manager and have the weight of a nation on your shoulders.

I could be wrong but even when these tournaments are going on, even if you're just a club manager - they almost feel like they are in the background when in truth they should be upfront and center.

[[Suggestion] Physio Attributes]

I like this idea. I feel like especially within the medical side of FM. I feel that with physio's, fitness coaches, etc... we could expand just a bit further not just on more roles but also being more specific with attributes.

[[Suggestion] Newgen PA (weaker nations)]

Is that not the whole challenge though and being the most accurate? Nations, leagues and clubs will either increase or decrease in ability over time and that affects development of youngsters as is the same in real life. The way SI deal with newgens is that each Association has a Youth Rating which varies between 0-200 - the better it is the more frequent that a country produces "raw talent". However so many factors lead to the development of those youngsters or if they reach their potential. There is a reason why the average Newgen potential ability is low in weaker nations - that's because they are in a poor circumstance to develop those players too - and one thing you have to remember is that any nation can have a golden generation or world-class wonderkid. 

Yet again it is a bit rarer in smaller nations and the challenge that much greater because their is not the infrastructure, investment or reputation available to help develop the newgens. Again that is the way football works in real life, if you want to change it then either try your best to take over an Estonian club and develop the players or go to the editor and change the youth rating for a short cut. Or simply wait until your nation improves its standing (if it ever does) or wait for a golden generation.

[Players on Holiday When Season Still Running]

@Luke Hume

Hey, I've attached another save file with (v3) at the end as that is around a week or two earlier leading into the match. 

[Players on Holiday When Season Still Running]

Hey @Luke Hume 

I have uploaded the file, it is named "seabas3 - Forge FC.fm" following that link.  If you need anymore info please let me know.

 

Thanks,

[All players are on vacation during matches]

Hello,

I'm having this exact same issue - and I've tried playing several times and it won't work. What should I do?