Delicate Dave

I can't see Si wanting to move too far ahead with the specs needed to run FM24, it's all about taking existing customers with you with any updates. But of course, all this depends on what setting and configuration the game player wants to us. FM24 will run almost all machines made in the last 10 years. My own is 2018 with just 1gb video card. I think the best thing any buyer can do is to get familiar with the CPU, Video, and memory speeds on these laptops because, as we've seen already in this thread, not all are the same, there are a lot of cut down components used to make a regular model cheaper for large retail outlets to sell at discount. So although someone might want to buy from Currys for example, always make sure the model number you want to buy is the same model number of the manufacturer's website. If it's not find out why by comparing the specs.

Keysi, if you are planning an update would you consider making changes to the screen that shows when the manager goes on "holiday" please? This screen contains little information if you are sitting watching it. I know at least one skin that shows the results & the table as the weeks pass but I think this screen could be very much better. I'm think something like a teleprinter of goals even only for your team. I think a lot of people "holiday" at least parts of the season, I know I do.

Thanks, it looks better to me in white but might try a few more colours before I settle, I'll be sure to drop you a coffee if I do settle on this one.

Thanks for the skin, I'm giving it a try today. One thing I wondered is am I able to make changes - don't have a clue about editing skins - All I want to do is change the Orange text, I think it's many the headers.

I've played Fm for years and in each version before FM24 I would try to use the MATCH PLANS setup in the TACTICS section. Each time it seemed to do nothing or I didn't understand how to use it. But recently in these forums, someone said they used them all the time in FM24 so I gave it another go and this is what happened; I think I set up a match plan to play BALANCED for the first 25 mins if the game is a drawing. My main tactic is set to POSITIVE, I was expecting the game would go 25 minutes or till the first goal on BALANCED then change to POSITIVE. What I saw was the game starting in BALANCED which was fine, but then staying on BALANCED while messages came up saying things like "changed to structured" and formation and even worse 3 subs took place in the first 15 minutes. Clearly, a staff member was managing the game but I don't have any setting on that would allow that. I checked this, in 4 games with the MATCH PLAN on in 2 of them, the other two games were fine. Has anyone else experienced this? is it a bug or am I just an idiot?

Don't see many Gigabyte laptops around. I'm not up to date but is their 2 year warrantee unique? Mind you don't see too many 16in ones either ;-)

I don't think it's a case of specific attributes that matter unless you are assigning that staff member to a specific task or advice. For example, if you want a staff member to employ your staff you look for the SA attribute and if you want them to do the contracts you look at the negotiations attribute. But apart from that I tend to want high numbers across the board but look for the bare minimum in fitness, and discipline. I used to look for the motivation attribute but after years of playing I think that does very little in training - don't know why. I certainly think when it comes to training your players to reach their potential then all the coaches are lumped together to get a total "push" attribute for the whole team. But in general, the only way players get much better is by playing them and even that depends on the position & role to get the best. A potential world-class right winger won't become world-class if you play them at right-wing back. That's why the star rating (your best players rating) gets misunderstood. First of all, it's not just how well the staff member can rate potential, it's also the staff member's discipline and the player's attribute scores. For example, if the player is a great header but can't jump his current star rating might be *** but if you teach him to jump he has the potential to be ***** this I think is what the staff member is telling you, you just need to find it. So knowing your player's weakness is as important as knowing their strengths. And I would say, maybe wrong, you don't change players in the general training but do it in the traits section. The traits section is a very underused part of the game. I think it has the most effect.

At that price anyone any latest Laptops. As an old git I've seen CPU advance but today each advancement is small compared to 5 years ago it's more about energy. It's like new cars, you simply can't buy a bad one today although you can buy one with poor build quality. If you really want to spend that much think about the features you need, the size, the storage and design. My own laptop loads all the leagues without a problem and it was made in 2006. All I've done is add some ram.

No problem I don't think you are "having go". I may be wrong, odds are I am but I get concerned when relatively recently released items are reduced in price. You can see this every day in supermarkets when you buy something discounted and find out it's got a fault or develops a fault quickly. Then again it could be that the model was just not selling and it's holding up a new version because they have a stockpile they won't be able to sell if the new version is released. I used to buy IT for a major utility, we had 30,000 desktops and a few 1000 laptops, printers etc. I was always being offered stock dumps that's why I know about them and probably why I'm paranoid about them. You see it's not the fact they might go wrong, they'll be under warranty but the labour involved cost the company far more than the saving we made buying these it. BTW That does look at good price. You can sign up for their newsletter and get £5 off :-) But does make me wonder how much memory is now because the 8gb version is over £100 less

Be very careful buying IT stuff from Amazon, you maybe won't get the latest or even what the details say it is. Much better to go to major retail like Scan or if you don't want the latest choose a eBay seller with good rep. This model is no longer available on the Lenovo site. That could mean they pulled it for a reason or it's out of date but I don't think it's out of date. Looks like an Amazon stock dump to me.

Well if you did one a dedicated FM laptop find and coupon to save 10% on the price of the Mac and use that 10% to buy a second-hand HP Envy i7 of eBay (£150 ish) or a MSI i7 (£250 ish) :-)

If you are planing to buy that just for FM you are wasting your money. FM doesn't need anything like that to run. Min FM CPU benmarke 566 The benchmark of your intended CPU 4000+

Suspect others with more knowledge of FM will have a better answer but if you are waiting you could try copying your saved file to an sd-card. Then install FM on your new laptop and select the saved game.

Yes that's fine, in fact MSi are my own preferred brand. Not that they don't have "build" problems but in general the parts that matter are high standard and easy to replace. If you don't intend to knock them around they are by far the best value on the market IMO.

Well after yet more problems with Steam I've reinstalled FM23. I'll never buy again from these sorts of places, it's a proper package for me from now on.

WOULD RATHER HAVE STAYED ON THE BENCH Does anyone know the reasoning behind this mood when you sub a player?

Of course, they are. I don't use a Mac but I understand FM runs seamless on them just like the PC. Not surprising at the new Mac have Intel processors. But not a Mac expert so take anything I say with pinch of salt. DYOR

Not the best - If you are going for an older machine I would keep to an i7 and avoid anything that ends in a U. It will run but ... is the answer. FM is not really that intensive just depends on how you want it to run. Here's a way of seeing the speeds on these, the other CPU is what I run FM24 on. I run in high quality, you can see it's about 9 times faster then the i3 in the Lenovo & 4 times the i5 in the Dell. All you need to do to run these tests is to put the model number followed by the word spec to find the CPU model. Then use the link to compare, you can use my CPU as min if you want a lot of leagues loaded but there are also other things that impact that like SSD drives rather than HD and type of video card.

Well, I got some flak about this when I posted. But for me, it was the almost predictability of the game flow. Far too often you know the other team has to score first before you can score. Just missing a few easy chances in the first ten minutes you know they'll have their first attack and score. I guess some people then fall into the trap of making changes but I just wait because I know I'll be in the lead by halftime, esp if they score an own goal or penalty. I guess this is the way the game scores you as a manager. The same with being behind at halftime - have had those games when the first highlight the other team scores 2 goals and you know you have to do a Fergie on the players at half-time so you can go out and win the game. These are the things for me that are repetitive and so boring. I don't see speed as a problem you can adjust that.

If you have basic knowledge of computers and brands you can get second-hand laptops to run Football Manager for around £50-£100 and in today's world the thought of paying £100 every year for the next 3 years or more is far better than paying £500 for a new item. My own latest purchase is an HP Envy dv6-7200sa. This thing has a fast CPU and 2 GB video card. Manufactured in 2013 it's more than ten years old but lucky for me it had been well looked after. If cost £54 plus £6 postage. So what I'm saying is look after your money here. When buying second hand laptop always research for faults that are common on the model or brand. For example, Dell is great but their power adapters give a lot of problems and also the sockets they push into are also troublesome. Although easy to find parts expect to buy them often. My partner paid £1700 for an XPS and within 4 years I had to replace 3 sockets, 2 batteries, and no less than 4 power adaptors. Where as my son at the same time went for cheap but powerful MSI for £900 and the only thing that let him down were the plastics. We managed to replace the whole case of that for £100. if you are looking for a secondhand laptop feel free to run any links past me and I'll be happy to offer my advice on my experience. I've worked in IT for a very long time and built systems, servers, etc for a living before retiring.

This is a very simple request - When a assistant manager recommends a first-team selection can they please put the players in the right positions when the are two similar positions to fill? Ie if there is a BWM and AP in a two man midfield please put the BWM in the BWM position and not the AP. This happens too with 2 strikers and the CBS. The system seems to like putting them the wrong way around just to see if you are paying attention. Makes me wonder what goes on when I go on holiday :-)

I seem to think if you did well in the Championship you could find a prem club come sniffing or even apply and get one. In 2024 I've done 4 seasons with Cambridge winning Div 1 and getting into the playoffs in the championship twice but this has not been good enough for a job offer from a prem club. Although I've had a few offers from Scottish clubs. How are others getting on in the career mode?

Has anyone ever done a challenge where they can only sign players under the height of 5ft 9ins?

Yes I understand what you are saying. I would say my tactic is not aggressive as I've got the discipline instruction on and the tempo is not high. Although pressing is high I do not prevent the keeper from passing to the defenders - I want them to have the ball and I cut off their route to pass it. ut, it wasn't that with pass in to pass on the static was failing. The problem was shipping goals after dominating the first half and even going 3-0 could end in 3-3, 4-3 or at one time 3-5. I don't know what was happening here but if I was to guess it would be that the pass-into-space instruction controls the amount of running some players do. Losing just half of their energy meant in this situation the one defensive midfield could not cope - I do have him in mid not as a dm, some might scoff at that in FM24 but find the right players and this works well - So as soon as that ball winner can't win the ball the tactic fails. Pass to player means he does less running to recover the ball. That's what I think anyway. Interesting my passion stats have not improved and I still win some games on very low possession but my defence & keeper are very good at this level. And I seem to convert chances.

I think I might well have solved this :-) Well since I made the changed I've played 10 games and not once conceded after taking the lead. That change was removing the PASS INTO SPACE instruction. I thought that was a good option for my formation. But never liked using it as I've not had great success with it in the past.