Football Manager 2013

[Fox92]

In a bit of a financial crises with Watford. Got rid of a few players and I've asked my best player to 'reduce wage demands' but he won't. Hate players like that.

[Simmo86]

Got this last night.

 

Going to start a Leicester save this evening.

[BstarFox]

Has anyone got a good 4231, 4321 or 41221 tactic that will work in the lower leagues? (Belgium 2nd Div)

[Carl the Llama]

Has anyone got a good 4231, 4321 or 41221 tactic that will work in the lower leagues? (Belgium 2nd Div)

My preferred setup is:

------gk-----

rb-cb-cb-lb

---cm-cm---

rw--am---lw

-----st-------

With the wingers as inside forwards and the am as an advanced playmaker OR the wingers as wingers and the am as an inside forward.  If your players' passing levels are good enough relative to the rest of the league I'd then make them play it out of defence (but leave the passing style as "default" - too many times have I been buggered for trying to play short, tiki-taka football), using the "standard" gameplan, changing it to more offensive/defensive as necessary.  And don't forget to set passing to long when the weather's shitty.

 

If that don't work you're on your own fella.

[Simmo86]

I'm trying a 3 at the back formation with Leicester. Only got to play preseason last night by it seems to be ok at the moment. Has need a fair bit of tweaking so far and with probably need a lot more when I start playing league games.

 

   cb-cb-cb

 

rm-cm-cm-lm

 

       am

 

     st---st

 

Struggling with strikers, as Nugent is out for 3 months and Wood just seems shit.

 

Depending on how the league goes, I might change it to 3 cm, 1 am and 1 st. Whether that will be a bit to defensive I don't know.

[BstarFox]

My preferred setup is:

------gk-----

rb-cb-cb-lb

---cm-cm---

rw--am---lw

-----st-------

With the wingers as inside forwards and the am as an advanced playmaker OR the wingers as wingers and the am as an inside forward. If your players' passing levels are good enough relative to the rest of the league I'd then make them play it out of defence (but leave the passing style as "default" - too many times have I been buggered for trying to play short, tiki-taka football), using the "standard" gameplan, changing it to more offensive/defensive as necessary. And don't forget to set passing to long when the weather's shitty.

If that don't work you're on your own fella.

Which ones Support and Attack?

[Carl the Llama]

Which ones Support and Attack?

I tend towards attack, but it depends on the player.  If a player's only good for crossing, have him as a supporting winger for instance.

[Dan]

I'm trying a 3 at the back formation with Leicester. Only got to play preseason last night by it seems to be ok at the moment. Has need a fair bit of tweaking so far and with probably need a lot more when I start playing league games.

 

   cb-cb-cb

 

rm-cm-cm-lm

 

       am

 

     st---st

 

Struggling with strikers, as Nugent is out for 3 months and Wood just seems shit.

 

Depending on how the league goes, I might change it to 3 cm, 1 am and 1 st. Whether that will be a bit to defensive I don't know.

 

That one works a treat for me although I use the wide midfielders there as wing backs.

 

I tend to find it gives me shit loads of goals from a striker as well.

 

Yet I go to Napoli, play the exact same formation and put Cavani in that forward role and he's not even hit his 10th goal, we're in February, he's playing well but I was expecting him to have literally about 25 by now given the rate Henriquez & Watt had scored in that role.

 

Napoli are far too generous. Gave me £3mil at first but topped it up with £25mil, and then another £22mil in January. Signed Belhanda, Astori, Munoz & Digne.

[shen]

DR(d/s) ---- DC ---- DL(d/s)

          DM(d) - DM(d/s)

                  DLP

IF/AP(a) -- AP(a) -- IF/AP(a)

                  P/AF

 

This has worked very well for me. Have used this for five seasons now interchangeably with a regular 4-4-1-1, both to devastating effect. The obvious defensive weakness in the channels is often offset by the strong presence in midfield and constant playable options for the ball holder. Good teams will create chances down your channels, particularly if your DMs are subpar, so it's essential that you have a strong DC and a keeper with good positioning and handling.

 

Feel free to experiment with one of the DMs supporting (only one!) or giving the wingers different roles depending on your striker/winger quality. At a push you can even set them as wingers, but I find that crosses are mostly a wasteful way of creating chances, so getting them to cut in and cut back to onrushing midfielders is the best option. The formation works equally well with defensive and supporting fullbacks.

 

So far I've had the AMC as the playmaker and the MC as the target man (yes, you read that correctly) receiving the ball to feet. It works so haven't tinkered with other options.

Currently trying a variation of this formation with two AMCs and two strikers, but still to early to draw any conclusions from it.

[Finnegan]

CB, CB

WB, DM, DLP, WB

IF, AMC, IF

ST

Fast, direct, countering, width, breaking offsides and running in to channels. Essentially Germany circa WC2010.

I'd upload but I'm on my phone, love attacking systems, never brave enough to try just one CB though.

[Dan]

Came 2nd with Napoli, Juventus pissed the league as expected. They also beat me with a 93rd min penalty in the cup final too, the bastards.

 

Not looking forward to this season. Did qualify for the 'Champions' League but don't expect anything - unless Cavani starts scoring the silly amount he's capable of we'll do no better than last year. We only got £2.47mil, and whilst I do expect that to be topped up, it'll be too late IMO. I'd already let a few go thinking I'd get like £20mil.

 

My main starting side will be;

 

De Sanctis

Munoz - Cannavaro - Astori

Maggio - Hamsik - Inler - Digne

Belhanda

Cavani - Pandev

[Fox92]

Got into the play offs. First leg, drew 3-3 away at Burnley. Second leg, lost 0-3 at home.

 

Another season in the Championship  Really needed to go up though, my finances are so poor. I've already sold three or four of my best players but I'm still in the red.

[indierich06]

I don't know why but I never seem to get into FM until the football season's over. Anyway, I started unemployed and got the Wolves job in November, with them languishing near the foot of the table. They've got such a decent squad and they gave me about 10 mill to spend! Cue about a 20 match unbeaten run and the signing of Jelle Vossen in January and we finished as Champions! Although I think the board are getting slightly pissed off that I apply for any top 10 PL job.

Just managed to sign a few decent players for my first season in the PL, including Ivanovic (steal at 6 million) and Scott Sinclair and Maraouane Chamakh on loan, among others.

[Finnegan]

Gotta be honest, I'm only just messing around with this occasionally at the moment. Have my annual Betis save on the go over the summer but only dabbing in and out.

 

But Carlos Fierro and Erick Torres have both just popped up as available for frees at the end of the second season. 

[BstarFox]

Enjoyed fm12 much more, just was much more enjoyable IMO

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

2019 with Newcastle now. Going to win my seventh title in a row. Such a young team still, its how i always play fm.

Liverpool are 19th with like nine games left so want them to go down.

Most my team are regens except Krul, Caulker, Jones, Lukaku, Destro and Rode.

[The Horse's Mouth]

Started a season with Vitesse, suffering from mass injuries straight off the bat. Looks like Lazio have me beat in the Europa qualification. It's kind of win win situation with that. If I don't go through, I can focus on the league. If I do go through, then it's European football at the end of the day.

[Fox92]

So, I've now lost in the play offs for two years running. Anyway, started the new season and can't seem to win now. Sitting 21st after about 9 games. Yes, I am going to get sacked if this continues, but I generally thought I could get Watford promoted. Play off defeats just ruin me

[Your Are My Leicester]

Started a career with Liverpool, at the end of November at the minute.

 

3rd after 12 games 6 wins and 6 draws with a 2-1 win away at Man United. Qualified from the group stages of Europa League with a game left, still in the league cup at home to Norwich in the quarter finals.

 

Got given no transfer budget at the start kept the same squad and didn't sell anyone, then when our finances improve the board gave me £13.25 million to spend.  

 

My team is like this:

 

GK: Reina

RB: Kelly

CB: Skrtel

CB: Agger

LB: Enrique

CM: Gerrard

CM: Lucas Leiva

AMR: Sturridge

AMC: Coutinho 

AML: Downing

ST: Suarez

[The Horse's Mouth]

So, I've now lost in the play offs for two years running. Anyway, started the new season and can't seem to win now. Sitting 21st after about 9 games. Yes, I am going to get sacked if this continues, but I generally thought I could get Watford promoted. Play off defeats just ruin me

Had the exact same thing at Blackpool, My second season/my first full season. Was the golden era made the semi finals of the FA Cup and a Wolves penalty knocked me out of the play-off semi finals. I just couldn't revive it. It looked like I could just keep them afloat in the championship. The board decide to wait 5 games until the season ends when we're above the relegation zone to sack me. Holloway comes in and Blackpool get relegated to the third tier.

[Fox92]

Had the exact same thing at Blackpool, My second season/my first full season. Was the golden era made the semi finals of the FA Cup and a Wolves penalty knocked me out of the play-off semi finals. I just couldn't revive it. It looked like I could just keep them afloat in the championship. The board decide to wait 5 games until the season ends when we're above the relegation zone to sack me. Holloway comes in and Blackpool get relegated to the third tier.

 

Exactly... I've somewhat turned it around now. The 'pressure was on me' apparently, but I managed four wins in a row. Climbed from 21st to 7th. Lost to QPR 0-1 (despite hammering them), then got a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth. Currently 7th still, so not to bad. Come off it now though, will continue tomorrow.

[Far Post Gerry]

Has anyone had a problem with training camps? I've got one organised to China (without my asking), now I can't cancel it. But the problem is, more than half my squad is unavailable for it (despite the fact I included them in the squad). It's ridiculous. Complete waste of a pre-season.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

[Finnegan]

Has anyone had a problem with training camps? I've got one organised to China (without my asking), now I can't cancel it. But the problem is, more than half my squad is unavailable for it (despite the fact I included them in the squad). It's ridiculous. Complete waste of a pre-season.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Can you arrange friendlies still? If you can, try arranging friendlies domestically and seeing if your players can get fit in those if they aren't at the camp?

I had something similar happen to me and I threw in three last minute friendlies after the camp to get my left-at-home players fit.

[Far Post Gerry]

Can you arrange friendlies still? If you can, try arranging friendlies domestically and seeing if your players can get fit in those if they aren't at the camp?

I had something similar happen to me and I threw in three last minute friendlies after the camp to get my left-at-home players fit.

 

 Good idea, ta - I'll give it a bash. Still a bit confused as to why my players aren't available for the training camp though. Maybe they can't get Chinese visas.......

[Finnegan]

 Good idea, ta - I'll give it a bash. Still a bit confused as to why my players aren't available for the training camp though. Maybe they can't get Chinese visas.......

 

Are they on international duty?