Football Manager 08

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21 Feb 2006
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330
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Stoke on Trent
Well its managed to grab me again....... as frustrating as the game is I cant help myself!

Is anyone else playing this if so what do you think and how are you getting on?

My main question is..... has anyone else got this same problem as me which is I started the season and went 12 games un-beaten with 11 wins..... then all of a sudden I cant score and cant beat the bottom of the league team, no reason for this sudden slump and not matter what I try nothing cures it, I seem to remember this used to happen in FM07, one thing I must point out is I'm playing with Championship side Stoke City so I dont expect to do overly well but why have an amazing run and then turn crap for no reason and cant do anything to improve it?

Has anyone else experienced this? and do you have any tips?
 
Yes I am playing this, and enjoying it better than the previous version. The new additions have been welcomed and make the game that little better. The non pausing of matches when making tactical changes and substitutions is warranted and also the ability to choose your own type of feeder club after a bringing success to the club is also a big improvement.

As for the game play. I can understand your concerns about winning 11 on the trot then struggling to score, and over on the SI Games forums this has been discussed. Basically, it is a lot more realistic, if you continue to pay the same XI for every game their morale and fitness starts to play a factor and they start losing games and struggling to score. Also, just like real life, players have a dip in form, and it is down to you to use the player interation options more, and individual match tactics to counteract them. Apparently the player interaction tool has a major overhaul and now actually has a baring on players performance more than it did in 07.

For example, in my game, Berbatov was on a record of 22 goals in 18 games and then couldn't score, basically he has lost his form after an International Break he wasnt playing in. So I used the player interaction tool and advised him that I had faith in his abilities (not the exact wording, but if you look, you'll see it) and then when I played him, I set his individual pre match tactic to I have faith in your ability. He took a couple of games, but then started scoring again, and he praised my man management skills for his return to form.

Just a tip, but try it, and let me know how you get on.
 
I'm also playing this and I quite like it. I think this version is one with really pretty subtle changes such as the match engine. The players seem to "jolt" and "jive" about when dribbling the ball, as if replicating what players do in real life.

I play as Manchester United and I've not yet installed the beta patch. I want to see how the game works out of the box before I patch it; mainly so I know what its patching. After 4 games I had won 4 matches and conceded no goals at all. Then against Bolton Tevez scores a hattrick. I take him and Rio off to rest them after about 65 minutes. Between 65 minutes and 90 minutes the score goes from 3-0 to 3-3. So 5 games played after that, 4 wins and 1 draw with 3 conceded. I think it was me taking Rio off that caused the problem, my defence just fell to pieces.

As for your scoring problem I can imagine that the opposition have "sussed" your tactics and can react to them. It might help to make some subtle little changes to your tactics every 4-5 matches, just to give the game something to think about. ;)
 
I am loving it. My GF is getting so annoyed with me playing it.

I did my first season as Olympique Lyonnais and won the French league, then resigned as the French league was boring. Got the job at Birmingham (who had been relegated to the championship) but that was boring as well so I started a new game as Chelsea (I support them) and I am loving it again now.

One thing that annoys me though. The stupid disallowed goals. They happen WAY too often for my liking, and it can be so frustrating.

Does anyone have any idea how you stop a player who wants a new challenge from leaving?

Petr Cech is unahppy and wants to leave for this reason and obviously I don't want to lose him as he is awesome and still fairly young.

As for your scoring problem I can imagine that the opposition have "sussed" your tactics and can react to them. It might help to make some subtle little changes to your tactics every 4-5 matches, just to give the game something to think about. ;)

Whenever I make little changes, I lose. it's very weird. The fans then get on my back for changing the formation.

As Chelsea I started using 4-5-1 and I was doing really well. I bought David Villa, so to accomodate him I switched to 4-4-2 and I lost 2 games on the trot and the fans weren't happy.

Now I played the age old tried and tested 4-1-2-1-2
 
Im loving it too, far too addictive though. Im also experiencing the crash in form, its odd as in old games i could hold losses to draws unless its a big team. Now, as liverpool i have 10points clear after 22games and just crashed in form, bet united away 3-0 then draw at home with portsmouth (who are dire in my game.)

I've stopped playing for a minute for assignments and as i have united in the league cup and cant face losing to them!
 
One thing that annoys me though. The stupid disallowed goals. They happen WAY too often for my liking, and it can be so frustrating.
That is a bug. SI Games have released a beta patch for that. http://community.sigames.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/521102691/m/2622077453/p/1

Does anyone have any idea how you stop a player who wants a new challenge from leaving?

Petr Cech is unahppy and wants to leave for this reason and obviously I don't want to lose him as he is awesome and still fairly young.
If you've won several titles fairly easily and on a regular basis then your players will feel they have achieved all the want to in that country and will seek to move to another league to try again. You can either offer them new contracts with stupid terms such as mega appearance fees, win bonuses etc but most likely the players who want a challenge have a high ambition score and money won't sway them. Cash in on them while they are still young and worth a lot of money on the market.

Saha scored 30 goals and didn't get injured at all in my first season...

So much for realism :p
Lol. :D I haven't played him much yet. Rooney/Tevez just working wonders. Might give Saha a go in the cup games to give him some match time and see if he can justify keeping Rooney or Tevez out of the lineup.
 
Ive got the bug again. Im spending far too much time in front of the laptop now after work :p

Just completed my first season as Man Utd. I thought I would start with a team I love and know the best.

Great first season, even though it ended with a defeat to Pompy in the FA Cup final but you cant win everything I suppose. Premiership Title and Champions League was good enough for me.

Strange thing though even though for winning them, the board are still a little disapointed in me by getting knocked out of the Carling Cup in the 4th round to Newcastle 1-0. Fair play I did'nt field the strongest team but if I knew the board would get so upset about it, I would have played the first team with maybe a couple of changes thats all. Atleast I know for the second season anyway.

Before I went off it last night, I completed the signing of Eto'o :D Most of the squad depsite Tevez having a decent first season did like him so I was really thinking of sending him on his way, hence why I purchased Eto'o. Now most of the squad have changed thier minds and its back to 'normal'.

Im going to have some head scratchers throughout the second season trying to pick my forward line from Rooney, Tevez, Owen and Eto'o :p

What formation are people playing here?

Im currently just playing a simple 4-4-2 with normal attacking, counter attacking and tight marking. With the team more attacking focused, I found my self scoring shed loads of goals but conceeding quite a few too.
 
Tottenham Hotpsur are my team of choice. 4-4-2 diamond attacking is my formation.
Highly recommend picking up Bojan from Barcelona's C team.

The disallowed goals is uber annoying but will be patched soon enough.

The other annoying thing is the board intervention. As soon as some one offers a few quid for all my young stars the board claim "the offer was too good to refuse" and let them go :( They sold Gareth Bale to portsmouth for £4m three weeks into the season. I mean wtf? we paid £10m to get him lol
 
Does anyone have any idea how you stop a player who wants a new challenge from leaving?

Petr Cech is unahppy and wants to leave for this reason and obviously I don't want to lose him as he is awesome and still fairly young.


ehe same thing happened with my keeper at Dortmund. So i made him club captain! every player got happy and was glad he was captain, apart from the ex captain, Lars Ricken, who went on a paddy not happy about losing his captain status¬!

it worked for like 5 months (in the season gone i won eufa cup and league cup) and now he "may want a new challenge in the future" again... rgrggrgrgrr

i think when that happens its time to sell up and bring in a young brazilian keeper...

edit: as for strikers; hardly no-namers but;

Jimmy Briand - cost me £11m in 2nd season scored like 14 in 17 now, really good player
Antonio Fluo Flores - got him for £7m
 
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I suck at this game. As Arsenal i struggle to score goals and seem to let in a few. I don't know where i'm going wrong :o

I set up as 4-4-2 with gilberto moving back and being defensive and fabregas moving forward and being more attack minded. I play slightly attacking style with a fairly quick tempo but it just does not seem to work.

Any tips?
 
I suck at this game. As Arsenal i struggle to score goals and seem to let in a few. I don't know where i'm going wrong :o

I set up as 4-4-2 with gilberto moving back and being defensive and fabregas moving forward and being more attack minded. I play slightly attacking style with a fairly quick tempo but it just does not seem to work.

Any tips?

I have just started a game as Arsenal, I didn't intend to, but decided to load all the usual leagues and have the first random team that came out, and it ended up being Arsenal. (Wouldn't normally be a problem, apart from the fact that I am a Spurs fan). So have taken the challenge on, and have decided no matter what, as soon as a manager in the top flight is sacked, and I am experienced enough to get the job, I will jump ship.

Anyway, I am doing rather too well with Arsenal, using a nice 4-1-4-1 formation that is scoring goals and not conceeding many. I have only conceeded 5 goals in 11 games, and 4 of them came away to Chelsea when I had the keeper sent off, and no substitutions left.

I usually play with Lehmann in goal (Fabianski is good, but he is out with a broken leg atm) and Clichy, Toure, Gallas and Eboue at the back. I have signed Alberto Zapater from Valencia for £7m to play the holding role and the board are pleased with his signature. In the middle I have Merida and Aaritalo (a young Finn I have signed who is awesome, and only £70,000) for the left wing, and 2 of Diaby, Denilson, Fabregas and Makin (a guy I signed from a German club for £500,000) with RvP and Walcott on the right wing. Rosicky will come in at some point when he is fit. In the loan striker role I usually use Eduardo, but rotate him with Rodrigo Palacio who I signed for £6m and he is class, took a few weeks to settle in, but very good.

As for good future players, take a look at Henri Saivet, Breno, Bruno Meg..(cannot remember the rest of his surname).

As for the board intervention thing, it is a good idea that its been implemented into the game, but a little too much I feel. Levy would never sell (well, not sure after the recent fiasco) a player because of the loyalty he supposedly has with the club on the game.

What I do if the board accepts, and usually works 75% of the time is offer the player a new deal with a little more cash and a better squad status and they usually resign.
 
I suck at this game. As Arsenal i struggle to score goals and seem to let in a few. I don't know where i'm going wrong :o

I set up as 4-4-2 with gilberto moving back and being defensive and fabregas moving forward and being more attack minded. I play slightly attacking style with a fairly quick tempo but it just does not seem to work.

Any tips?

Being Arsenal is a bit tougher this year without our lovely Henry. I play a 442
with the wingers pushed forward in an attacking position.

I leave fab and gil in cen with gil moving an arrow back to infront of defence and fab the opposite way to attack.

I keep the wbs on normal and cb's on high defence.

Might be worth getting a new striker until bendtner and walcott come of age.

Ive only just started but like you i am finding it harder but still clinging onto 2nd place at the moment.

Midfielder seem to score on as well as persie but my other striker just doesnt know where the net it lol
 
Well, I had a great start to the seaon. First Premiership game, played West Ham at Upton park and got beat 1-0. I was all over them all game. 16 chances I had, even with Rooney and Eto'o upfront, they just could'nt get the ball in the back of the net. Typical of the other team, they have one chance and Carlton Cole scores :p

You just got to love how unpredictable it is :D
 
Second season, £12M up front, £26M over 12 months.

Tevez was hated by pretty much all my first team, during the second part of my first season. I dropped him to the bench and started Owen along side of Rooney. In the Permiership, Owen was doing the business for me. 22 goals he scored. Europe, Rooney was unstoppable. With these two playing the team was fine. Everyone got along. Then Tevez started to get unhappy. I fitted him into the team, he was happy but then the team was'nt. Everyone on thier personal profile, disliked him.

At the end of the first season, I was looking for a new striker. Eto'o was intrested. The board gave me £45M to spend so I had the cash to replace Tevez with someone good. So I got Eto'o.

I had a couple of friendly's, played my first team pretty much, rested Rooney and played Eto'o / Tevez upfront. It worked. They played well together and all the team started to like Tevez saying they value him as a key member of the team.

So now the team likes Tevez, I have Eto'o now and still cant beat West Ham :p

Giggs left us at the end of the season, I would'nt renew his contract. He could'nt really hack over 60 mins of a match. His performances were pretty poor. I let him go, but hes back now in the reserves. Bloody Quieroz offered him a contract. He was set to do my reserve contracts. Not anymore :p

To replace Giggs and give me some width in midfield I bought Kranjcar from Pompy for £9.75M. Hes been a great signing, I really like how hes been playing.
 
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