1. "Live Football"
The best project among online managers, which presents all real-life clubs, leagues and tournaments. Hundreds of thousands of football players, whose characteristics are close to real ones, real referees and existing stadiums, as well as many other persons, events and phenomena from modern football life presented in Live Football. Moreover, all significant changes and events in modern football are immediately reflected in "Live Football" thanks to active players and sensitive administration.
The user base of this project is also the largest, so the competition is very high here, and you definitely won't have to languish with boredom and loneliness. The player is free to determine not only the style and tactics of his team, but also to influence the policy of the entire club in terms of finance, infrastructure and selection. In general, the scope for work here is virtually unlimited.
2. World League: Football Manager
Very high quality manager football team with licensed clubs and players, addictive gameplay and a huge number of interconnected mechanics.
Here you have to train your team, develop your business (doing transfers and football-related matters like improving stadiums and creating fan shops), as well as participate in sports matches, where you can use different tactics and change them on the fly right during the game.
World League is a multiplayer game, which means that PvP competitions are indispensable. And unlike many network projects important role it is not the number of nested ones that plays here real money, and the personal skills of the coach and the competent selection of the team. In general, the game leaves the impression of a well-thought-out manager, in which you can stay for more than one month.
3. "InetBol"
Continues our browser list football manager, which offers, in addition to the standard set of possibilities for this direction, several very interesting things.
Firstly, all matches are held in real time, and anyone can follow their progress online. Players, however, can make tactical adjustments to the actions of their players at any time. Secondly, the winners receive virtual currency at the end of each season, which can be spent on the further development of the club (building a new training base or sports school, equipping the stadium, hiring the best specialists, and so on). That is, "InetBol" is clearly aimed at a long-term perspective in relation to the players. Thirdly, in addition to the virtual currency, victories here also bring quite real money, although the amounts are quite insignificant.
Otherwise, "InetBol" offers players the same list of opportunities as the above managers, including the ability to communicate with other football fans in Russian.
4. "Virtual Football League"
5.11 × 11
6. Football Territory
Another good free soccer manager that allows you to play online right in your browser window. As in previous projects, Football Territory has a well-formed base of players who constantly communicate with each other and participate in various events.
In terms of gameplay, the game's functionality is quite "complete": it is possible to choose a league and a team, recruit and train players, select tactical schemes and give out personal instructions, look for sponsors, and so on. In general, the management is not limited to just one team - the player must also develop the infrastructure associated with the club in every possible way.
7. "Football Legion"
Free soccer manager designed for online game with other users. At the moment, the project has more than 7 thousand subscribers, and most of them have been in the project for more than one year (the date of foundation of "FL" - 2006).
Despite this, the threshold for joining the Football Legion is not high for beginners: there is a very detailed FAQ, various guides and even auxiliary software (!) From the creators of the project, allowing you to master all the intricacies of managing your favorite club. And if something happens, an extensive community and friendly project management will always come to the aid of their new friend. Among the other features of the Football Legion, I would like to draw your attention to the realistic emulation of matches, the course of which can be displayed in 2D or 3D. You can also play on mobile devices using a special application.
8. AGIVEO
AGIVEO is a free browser-based soccer manager game. There are three modes available in the game (including the traditional career with the uncomplicated name MAIN). Other players act as opponents (managers of the rest of the teams in the selected league), and here there is one significant drawback - the online game of this game is very low. In total, AGIVEO has a little over two thousand registered users, and even less plays. However, given the specifics of the genre (nevertheless, this is not an action game, and the presence or absence of other players is not so noticeable), such a minus is very conditional.
The game has a very simple and straightforward menu, and the same easy to understand game process, despite the fact that it contains all the functions required for a serious manager. I am also very pleased with the friendly attitude of the administration towards the players, the constant holding of various events, the regular release of updates and improvements. Of course, all the clubs, championships and football players represented in AGIVEO (and there are more than 40 thousand of them) are absolutely real.
Single player games
1. Football Manager Series
In our humble opinion, Football Manager can be considered the best single-player football simulator that exists at the moment. And in particular, the last part of the series at the moment is Football Manager 2018.
The game received an updated engine, while retaining extensive content borrowed from real football, and numerous functions of a real manager that are not always clear to ordinary players - hence the appearance of a simplified version of Football Manager Touch. There is also a mobile version of this game.
2. FIFA Manager Series
Electronic Arts' soccer manager series, currently closed. The last installment, FIFA Manager 14, was released in October 2013. And her, and all the previous FIFA games It's quite problematic to get the Manager today, unless you download it from torrents or ask your friends. And it's a pity, because the series was original and very curious: with traditional Electronic Arts innovations in each new part, friendly towards users, but at the same time not devoid of realism.
At the same time, fans have not forgotten the series and continue to release mods for it in the form of new unofficial parts with all the current lineups and even some changes in terms of graphics and gameplay. For example, at the moment the base for the season 18-19 is in development, and very soon it will be available for download on the PC.
Where can I buy: the game could not be found in official digital services.
3. Football, Tactics & Glory
A funny football simulator that combines elements of strategy and RPG, and which we have already written about in another football collection. Along with step by step football matches, in Football, Tactics & Glory, a lot of attention is paid to team management, which together gives a very interesting and versatile gameplay. Quite possibly the funniest soccer simulator ever.
4. Soccer Manager Series
A series of football managers from the studio Soccer manager, which causes conflicting feelings for many. But we could not ignore it, if only because, unlike other similar games, it is absolutely free and has a version for mobile platforms!
6. Club Manager Series
A popular series of football managers for PC, which, unfortunately, does not support the Russian language (but no one canceled the ability to download the crack). The player can choose any team he likes from several presented leagues and lead it to the heights of football Olympus.
Let's start a series of small guides to help you get up to speed with Football Manager 2017. In the second article, we'll show you how to do your pre-season preparation and not screw it up.
The preseason is essential in Football Manager. Key moment pre-season workouts - training for strength, endurance and physical condition teams. At the same time, this is a period of signing new players and playing tactics. On the one hand, your players must sweat properly during the training camp, on the other hand, keep their strength for the entire season. remember, that how more intense workout, the more likely the risk of injury.
Step 1: Choosing a preparation date
At the end of the season, you are asked to choose the duration of your training camp. You can choose a very meek preseason or a very long one. The optimal, in our opinion, is the pre-season training duration six to eight weeks ... From this time on, we will dance in our guide.
Step 2: Start fees
As soon as the players returned from the holidays, the active part of the preparation for the new season begins. During the first week, we recommend installing average level training intensity. From the second to the fourth week, we advise you to set a hard or very hard training level. Players must reach their physical maximum. Over the past two to three weeks, it is wise to shift the focus of training to learning (tactics, team building, etc.) plus individual instruction.
Standard training schedule:
1 week: physics (intermediate)
Week 2: physics (high)
3 week: physics (high)
4 week: physics (high)
Week 5: Teamwork (High)
Week 6: tactics / actions in attack / actions in defense (high)
7 week: action in attack (high)
Week 8: Defensive Action (High)
Friendly matches
Don't neglect freight trains. Friendly games help increase teamwork (this is especially important after signing newcomers), get acquainted with tactics and even increase team spirit (all Copa del Sol, guys!). On the one hand, the outcome of such games is not important. On the other hand, you can significantly lift the team's mood or spoil it.
Friendlies scheduling
Don't plan these games in the first week of the preseason. Players have just returned from vacation, intense exercise will increase the risk of injury.
Number of friendly matches
You can play matches every day, but then the players will not be able to concentrate on training (plus, again, the risk of injury). It is optimal to run two freight trains a week, then there will be enough time both for training and for the game itself. Plan your last friendly match at least seven days before the first match of the season. Players need to recover and get some rest.
Choosing an opponent
Make no mistake when choosing your opponent. By inviting a team like Real Madrid you will make good money on tickets, but your players are unlikely to like it if they will be rolled around the field for 90 minutes. Just as the demobilization in the film "DMB" is afraid of germs, so your players are afraid of being defeated in a friendly match. Choose your opponent wisely. Players must both keep fighting spirit and show their skills against a good opponent.
Choosing tactics during friendlies
Skillfully manage tactics during such matches. If you play with an attacking or ultra attacking mindset, the likelihood of increased injuries will increase as players will have to be more active throughout the match. Try playing with a standard mindset or testing the team's defensive skills.
Selection of squad for matches
The players who get playing time during friendly matches will determine their mood and readiness for the matches of the season. In the first friendly matches, carry out a deep rotation of the roster, it is permissible even to release 22 players or more for the game. In the last matches, you must decide on which personalities your game will be based. Outline the approximate main squad with substitutions and play as if the season has already begun, and you can make only three substitutions per match.
To maximize the preparation of all players in the club, divide the players into two conventional teams. In this case, you can alternate line-ups from match to match, giving your players a rest.
Free translation of the article " Pre-season Training " from the siteFMInside.net .
If you like my translations of articles about Football Manager, do not regret a plus :) With suggestions for translating materials about your favorite game, feel free to write to the mail:
Making quick adjustments to the strategy using command instructions
In this article, we will try to understand each team instruction separately and understand exactly what effect it has on the mechanics of the match.
The choice of specific command instructions in the game determines how your game will look, given the chosen play style and philosophy. Will your team stick to attacking football with a forward line of defense and high pressure from opposing players, or will it be wiser to try to maintain the result by tightly closing the defense and responding with sharp counterattacks.
In this article, we will take a close look at all the command instructions, we will understand how they work individually and in combination with each other. If you get to grips with this Football Manager tool, you can take one more step towards becoming a successful virtual coach.
Are command instructions important?
For the first time, we encountered “sideways shouts” in Football Manager 2013, which was released last year. The new version not only completely revised the tactical system, but also updated the engine responsible for visualizing matches, which now looks much more modern.
The changed tactical system brought the players and 8 new roles, which also appeared in the game for the first time. These roles were introduced to compensate for the complete rejection of the "sliders" used in previous versions of the game to adjust tactics. Big changes have also been made to the tool with which we now customize command instructions, formerly known as sidelines.
The FM command instructions system allows you to control the team directly during the match, making changes depending on what is happening on the field. Such sidelines not only help to make operational changes in team tactics and convey to your players your vision of how they should play, but also in a great way surprise the enemy by taking advantage of the weaknesses of his team.
Team instructions will become your main toolkit for building your own football style and game philosophy, so in order to create successful Football Manager tactics, you need to master these tools to perfection. After all, it is with the help of team instructions that you have to determine how your team will react to certain events in the match.
It is also important to remember that the player's individual instructions, her favorite moves, and the chosen mentality will influence the team instructions you choose, in addition, some team instructions may contradict each other.
Footbal Manager 2014 Command Instructions
Since the previous version of FM, we have become accustomed to the fact that good tactics are not limited solely to the choice of the tactical scheme and game pattern. In order for the tactics to work to the full, it was necessary to adjust the style of play both for each next opponent, and directly during the meeting, depending on how events developed.
The instructions not only help you change your playing style or make minor adjustments that slightly change the way your players act, but also completely change your playing style, depending on the score on the scoreboard or events developing on the field. Curb shouts can also exploit your opponents' weaknesses by adapting your own play to what the opposing team is demonstrating on the field.
Team instructions determine the overall behavior of the team based on its most strengths, while personal instructions only affect a specific player, helping, for example, change the behavior of your Trequartista or Attacking playmaker.
There are about 40 instructions in the game, divided into 5 main categories. We will consider each of them separately and give our own recommendations on how and when to use them, as well as, importantly, what qualities your team's players should have in order to fully implement each of the instructions.
As you master the game, you will notice that some instructions are perfectly complemented by others, but it also happens vice versa - when one instruction contradicts another (in this case, such an instruction will be indicated in red). You can change the instructions in the "Tactics" tab or directly in the interface of the match itself.
Command instructions: General
General command instructions are mainly focused on the physical and mental components of the team's tactics and are the basis for other instructions. Let's take a closer look at them.
"Take a breather"
The Take a Break instruction helps to restore the physical condition of the players by reducing the overall pace of the game. By giving such instructions, you will force the players to drastically slow down and try to hold the ball when it goes to your team. In moments when the ball is in your opponents' possession, the players of your team will not put pressure on them, and will try to maintain the chosen game pattern with the minimum possible movement. This instruction is often used at the end of the game, when it is important to keep the lead or give a few players a chance to catch their breath, who are too tired for the game. However, sometimes these instructions can be effectively applied after an intense playing period in order to allow the team to recuperate before the next attack.
This game instruction works well with instructions such as "Do not rush at the opponent", "Play more disciplined" and "Hold the ball." The instructions can be used regardless of the chosen tactical scheme or the quality of the team. This instruction can often be requested by teams with low Stamina or Natural ability of players who will get tired much more, especially in situations where the match is played at high speeds or with a tight schedule of games.
"Play for time"
This instruction is only available if the “Counterattack” or “Defensive” mentality is selected. Its name speaks for itself - players will try to play for time in every possible way, trying to keep the lead. Players will take their time, try to keep the ball as long as possible, and spend as much time as possible before the set pieces are executed.
"Play more disciplined"
From time to time, it is important that the team play in a more disciplined manner. For example, you have a meeting with a team whose class and matchmaking significantly exceed your own, or you have players who are not able to accurately follow your instructions and make the wrong decisions over and over again in game situations.
In fact, the instruction requires the players to strictly follow the general command instructions, as well as observe the construction of the chosen tactical scheme. This will force your players to act collectively, sacrificing the individual talents of individual players. The instruction goes well with many other instructions, but two of them should be singled out separately - "Strictly according to positions" and "Play narrowly". By applying the "Strict" or "Very Strict" play philosophy, you can further enhance the effect of this instruction.
The instruction "Play more disciplined" will make your team play more defensive, as the sacrifice will primarily involve the creativity of the individual players. It is also advisable to apply the instructions when you see that the players of your team are tired, for example, in a match against a better opponent, in order to prevent your players from losing position and to ensure that the chosen tactical formation is maintained.
Important characteristics of the players: Team play.
Playing more risky
This instruction is available only if the “All Attack” mentality is selected. It requires players to go to any lengths to try to score a goal. The “All Attack” mentality itself will push your line of defense as high as possible, which increases the risk of getting a sharp counterattack to the enemy. The use of this instruction will force the players to use their own creativity to the maximum, give more risky passes (vertical), shoot on goal more often (as soon as possible) and also, as soon as possible, try to make a cut pass. Players will more often engage in attacks, more often run with the ball, and more often try to strike at goal, even in situations where tactical instructions and their position on the field do not suggest this, in an attempt to catch an opponent on such an unexpected move.
It is more reasonable to apply the instructions at the end of the match, when you only need one ball in order to level the score. Everyone Attack and Play Risky should be used with caution as in the event that your players do not have the required characteristics, such instructions can do more harm than good. Simply put, these instructions lead to complete rejection from team play and attempts to change the course of the meeting due to the individual skill of individual players.
Play more carefully
This instruction requires players to play with the utmost discipline and caution, minimizing risk. The instruction lowers the individual creativity of the players, and also reduces the length of the pass to the shortest possible, which means there will be fewer vertical and through passes in the game. This is a defensive instruction used when trying to maintain a minimal lead advantage. General characteristics players such as "Team play" and "Intuition" will be more important in this case than other individual characteristics.
Game Pace Control
Pace has the most significant impact on the instructions located in the Possession category, and also depends on your team's playing strategy. By choosing one or another pace of the game, depending on what is happening on the field, you can more accurately adjust the pace of the passes performed by your players. You can apply these instructions to whatever mentality you choose, but different paces of play may be better or worse for your chosen mentality. In total, the game provides four tempos that determine the movement and passes of the players:
- "Slow down the pace even more".
At this rate, your players won't be in a rush to line up their own attacks. The game will be played at low speeds, and players will become more disciplined in passing, trying to maintain possession of the ball, sometimes by simply rolling it among themselves. This game guide is a great tool for maintaining control over a match, for example when your team has a 2-goal lead over an opponent.
This instruction is a good countermeasure in situations where the opposing team is trying to organize a "bulk" on your gates or seeks to dictate a higher pace of the game that is inconvenient for your team's players. “Slow down even more” can be a great addition to instructions such as “Take a breather,” “Hold the ball,” and “Play short pass”.
- "Slow down the pace" also requires your teammates to try to keep the ball, and to make balanced and calm decisions when building their own attacks. The game pace will be slightly higher than the previous instruction, but at the same time it will be low enough to maintain the advantage in ball possession, which can be useful when choosing the appropriate game strategies.
Important player characteristics: Positioning, First touch
- "Raise the pace of the game" requires players to part with the ball faster, trying to undermine the opponent's defense through more intense play. The players in possession of the ball will be more decisive and will tend to spend less time deciding and handling the ball. The team will try to operate at high speeds. The instruction is useful in meetings with "closed" teams, as well as in situations where you need to try to get a goal. In addition, the instruction can be very useful in situations where your team gains a numerical advantage over the opposing team. “Raise the Pace of the Game” works well with instructions such as “Play Wide” and “Offset”.
Important characteristics of the players: Playing without the ball, Improvisation, Passing, Technique.
- "Increase the pace even more" will require the players to take even more decisive action in the attack, and also require the players to have the fastest passes and extremely high speeds. It is advisable to use it in attempts to exhaust the opponent with a quick game and a lot of passes, in attempts to "shake" the opponent's defense or break through to the goal at the expense of quick game"In the wall". This instruction will be a good choice when playing against obvious outsiders or teams whose players' physical condition is significantly inferior to that of your players. Because "Increase the pace even more" is an extreme team instruction, its use will lead to the most risky passes. , aimed at the maximum aggravation of attacking actions, which can have an extremely negative effect on the possession of the ball. The team's play will become similar to that of Borussia Dortmund - you will lose the ball very quickly, but at the same time you can exhaust any opponent in the hope of gaining an advantage in the later sections of the game. The instruction may be supplemented with instructions such as “Pass to free zones” and “More vertical passes”.
Important characteristics of the players: Playing off the ball, Acceleration, Speed, Technique.
Command Instructions: Possession
The instructions in this section do not affect the behavior of your players when they are in possession of the ball. There are a total of 14 different possession instructions that affect the style of passing, cross and team movement. For ease of understanding, we will divide these instructions into several subcategories - instructions that determine the behavior when handling the ball; instructions defining the style of passes and instructions defining the style of cross / lumbago.
Ball control instructions:
"Hold the ball"
This instruction, as the name suggests, encourages players to conserve the ball in situations where they manage to gain possession. As in a situation with a slower pace of the game, the players will not part with the ball for a long time, and during passes they will choose the closest teammates as the main addressees. The instruction will not only shorten the length of the passes, but also reduce the overall pace of the game.
Instruction is often used in possession-based play styles. In addition, it is advisable to use this instruction to keep the minimum advantage in the account or to try to minimize the risk of the opponent intercepting the pass and organizing the subsequent counterattack.
The instruction works well with the "Play tight" and "Play short pass" instructions.
"To go the straight path"
The “Take a Straight Path” instruction requires players to try to pass the pass to the forward, bypassing the midfield players. Thus, the players will try to give as direct and risky passes as possible, preferring long passes to short ones and trying to carry out crossings from the depth of the field into the opponent's penalty area as soon as possible.
The instruction is advisable to use in situations when you need to get a goal at any cost (especially at the end of the game). In addition, the instructions can be useful in meetings with a team that has a stronger match-up of players in the center of the field than yours (so you can try to deliver the ball to your forwards, bypassing the opponent's midfield without having to first pass them).
The instruction can be greatly enhanced with the “Hang in the box” and “Hang from any position” instructions, and it also works well with the “Play wide” and / or “Use the flanks” instructions.
Important characteristics of the players: Crossing, Heading, Passing, Technique.
More vertical gears
By activating this instruction, you will force players to aim for more risky passes, use a longer pass or try to give more passes per move to a partner, and also play at a higher playing pace. The More Vertical Assists instruction is more suitable for playstyles that involve a quick transition from defense to attack. With this instruction, your players will tend to pass forward faster, trying to throw the ball on the move to a partner, instead of giving an accurate pass to their feet. Thus, the instruction is applicable in a counter-attacking style of play or in situations where you are trying to more actively use free zones in the opponent's lines. If it is necessary to stretch the opponent's formations both in width and in length of the field, this instruction can be supplemented with instructions such as “Pass to free zones” and “Play wide”.
Important characteristics of the players: Passing, Technique, Playing without the ball, Making decisions.
Instructions defining the gear style:
"Play short pass"
Short-passing play requires, as the name suggests, players to use more short passes, aiming to reproduce a Barcelona-style (tiki-taka) playstyle, in which most of the passes are given not on the move, but directly at the partner's feet. For a successful short passing game, it is wise to play tight and use multiple triangles with double or triangular centers.
This instruction is often accompanied by a “Take a break” instruction as well as a “Use center of field” recommendation. Because possession of the ball will be significantly better and the game will be played at slower speeds, the instruction is useful to ensure dominance of the opposing team through many short passes.
Important characteristics of the players: Passing, Intuition, First touch, Decision making.
"Pass to free zones"
This instruction allows you to use more direct passes to the clear areas between your opponent's line-ups (the ball will be directed in front of one of your partners running towards the opponent's goal). Since the length of the pass in this case will be increased, it will be useful to play wider and lower your line of defense lower.
The “Pass to Free Zones” instruction works well with the “Play Short Pass” and “More Vertical Pass” instructions. This instruction helps to slightly increase the tempo of the game and improve the use of free zones between the opponent's lines, both horizontally and vertically. The players, in this case, it would be advisable to give the freedom to move from positions - so it will be easier for them to choose a position to make a pass to the move. With good team movement, the team will be able to have the best ball possession.
Important characteristics of the players: Intuition, Playing off the ball, Decision making, Technique.
"Enter the penalty area with the ball"
This guide is suitable for teams who prefer to develop their own attacks at a leisurely pace. Players will open up more intensely to pass, trying to maintain possession until the moment is right for a sharpening pass. The team will give preference to short passes and through passes, long passes and casts will be significantly less.
The “Enter the box with the ball” recommendation is useful if your teammates take too many inaccurate shots from outside the box. However, in the event that the opposing team is playing tight and it is not possible to break into its defensive ranks, it is better to refuse to use this instruction.
"Strike at every opportunity"
When this instruction is enabled, players will try to hit the opponent's goal at the first successful opportunity. These instructions can be compared to a player's favorite action, “Trying to hit the ball with the first touch.” With a good position, the player, instead of trying to create a one-hundred-percent goal-scoring chance, will strike towards the goal. This instruction can be used to suddenly increase the pressure on the opponent's goal, after putting him to sleep with a long segment of measured play. The use of this instruction often leads to a decrease in the number of passes made per move to a partner. The “Shoot whenever possible” recommendation is useful in situations where you need to score a goal at any cost, or when you have a stronger midfield matchmaking, or in situations where you are unable to enter the penalty area due to high concentration alien players in it ("bus in the penalty area"). The instruction is compatible with the instructions "Increase the tempo even more" and "Play more expressively".
Important characteristics of the players: Long shots, Completion of the attack, Technique, Decision making.
"Get out of defense through a pass"
With this guide, you will instruct defensive players (defenders and defensive midfielders) to try to get the ball out of defense not with long passes, shots and clearances, but with a series of short passes.
This guide is useful when it is important for you to maintain a high ball possession. For example, in situations where you are trying to maintain a score advantage, or your playing style is based on overwhelming possession of the ball. Provided that you have a selection of players with suitable playing characteristics for this. The accompanying instructions can be "Play the short pass" and "Go deeper". In situations where the opponent is actively pressing your defensive players, it is better to refuse this instruction.
Important characteristics of the players: Intuition, Passing, Technique.
"Hang in the penalty area"
This instruction will require players to try to get the ball into the opponent's box with a long overhang more often. Players will use long riding gears more often and try to pull more canopies from depth of field. Accordingly, there will be fewer lumbago and passes made per move to a partner, so this instruction is useful in the final phases of matches when your team has a clear advantage in the fight for riding balls.
To create additional opportunities for your forwards to score goals with a head kick, the instructions can be supplemented with instructions "Hang from any position", "Play wide", "Walk a straight path" and "Cross".
Important Player Stats: Crossing, Heading, Off-Ball, Intuition.
"Take the ball to the flanks"
When throwing the ball out to the flanks, your players will strive to maintain control of the ball by taking advantage of your flank players. This instruction will not only help you oppose something to an opponent who is superior in strength in the center of the field, but will also help to stretch his formations. This instruction is often used by counterattacking teams in situations where the wingers and wing midfielders have sufficient space to move forward, such as in a 3-5-2 tactical formation. With this instruction, the defensive players will try to make a long pass to the flank, where the attacking group will have to ensure that it continues to advance.
The instruction works well with instructions such as "Use flanks" and "Pass passes to free zones", and in case your tactical scheme is too vertical, it is useful to supplement it with the instruction "Attach whenever possible."
Guidelines for defining the style of awnings and crossovers:
"Hang up whenever possible"
This guide is useful when you plan to take advantage of both your advantage on the flanks and your advantage in the fight on the second floor. Players will aim to throw the ball into the box at the first convenient opportunity. After reinforcing this instruction with a higher playing rhythm, you can try to surprise your opponents' not-too-organized line of defense by throwing the ball "by the collar" at your oncoming striker.
The instruction is useful in situations when you need to level the score or snatch a victory in the last minutes. In addition, with the help of this instruction, you can play against teams that use the flanks poorly, in order to increase the game speed to bring chaos into the opponent's tactical formations. It goes well with the instructions "Crossing", "Hanging in the penalty area" and "Walk the straight path".
Approx. translator: Here I will allow myself to slightly disagree with the author of the article. In my experience, the main difference between this instruction and the Crossing instruction is that without it, flanking players often try to reach the opponent's endline and make a cross from the ribbon. Sometimes there are situations when, on the one hand, most of these crossings are blocked by the opponent's full backs, and on the other hand, in the central part of the edge, the pressure on your midfield players is not so noticeable. By turning on the “Hang whenever possible” instruction, you will instruct your players to give earlier than usual crosses in situations where they are less covered by opponents. In addition, it is reasonable to accompany such instructions with a change in the mentality of your full-backs to a more attacking one ("support" or "attack") - then they will also join attacks, cross the center of the field and, after taking a few more steps, will try to send the ball into the penalty area on horseback ...
Important Player Stats: Crossing, Heading, Off-Ball, Intuition, First Touch.
"Sheds"
This guide will help when you have tall but not too fast attackers. A gliding pass into the penalty area (often done with an eye on the far post) gives such an attacker plenty of time to adjust to the flying ball and deliver an accurate header on target. With this instruction, you are asking your flanking midfielders to send the ball at a higher altitude and at a slower speed.
It is advisable to use the instructions when the opponent's defenders are not very good at heading or are significantly inferior in height to your attackers. The instructions can be supplemented with the help of the commands "Hang at any opportunity" and "Hang in the penalty area", however, it can be used independently for any selected type of gear.
"Backache"
If you have fast hitters, good positioning and excellent movement, it makes sense to use backholes as sharpening passes. In this case, your players will try to give a fast and powerful pass (most often aimed at the near post or center of the penalty area), in the hope that the oncoming forward will have time to get ahead of the opponent's defense and complete such a pass. This instruction can be used as an element of surprise by using it in conjunction with the "Hang at Every Opportunity" and "Raise the Pace" instructions to try to catch your opponent's defenders out of position with active team movement, and wear them down with faster game speeds. Most often, these shots will be executed almost from the opponent's goal line.
Important Player Stats: Crossing, Heading, Off-Ball, Intuition.
Instructions defining a team movement:
"Beat the defenders"
One of the main tools for hacking opponents' defenses is player movement. This team instruction encourages players to move further with the ball than is prescribed by tactical guidelines (attitude and personal instructions player). With this instruction, players will try to move deeper towards the opponent's goal, trying to beat their defenders by dribbling in situations where they have the ball, or trying to get rid of tight custody in situations where they are playing without the ball, but the ball is still from one of their teammates.
Such instruction can be useful in counter-attacking style of play, in situations where opponents have significantly lower Tackling performance or leave huge free zones through which you can try to build a game. With this command instruction, you can stretch your opponents' defenses, trying to catch their players on individual or positioning errors, as well as exhaust the opposing players with heavy movement across the field. With the additional instructions “Pass to free zones,” “More vertical passes,” and “Shoot whenever possible,” you can achieve an even higher pace and breadth of play.
Important characteristics of the players: Playing off the ball, Dribbling, Intuition, Creation, Improvisation.
Command instructions: Protection
The team instructions in this group largely determine how the team should act in attempting to gain possession of the ball by putting pressure on the opposing players in possession, and how players' actions such as guarding, tackling and covering opponents will be determined. In total, the "Defense" group contains six command instructions.
"Use an offside trap"
This instruction encourages your players to move closer to the middle of the field, trying to keep the opposing attackers offside. This instruction is suitable for teams with a defender with good Acceleration, Speed, Positioning and Intuition. The instruction can be useful for the chosen style of play with a "very high line of defense", but it can turn into dangerous breakthroughs of the opposing attackers if they have excellent off-the-ball performance, Intuition and good speed qualities. By bullying your own line of defense during an opponent's sharpening passes, you gain the ability to intercept such passes, thereby preventing your opponent's attackers from using their power and accuracy advantages if they are not fast enough.
To skillfully organize offside traps, your defenders must be well organized and disciplined. This command instruction works wonderfully in tandem with the other one, "Move away from the gate."
Approx. translator: It seems to me that the author was a little mistaken here, since the entire previous paragraph he discusses, in fact, the instruction "Very high line of defense", and as a recommendation gives its less aggressive analogue - "Move away from the gate."
Important characteristics of players: Intuition, Decision making, Positioning.
"Use tight wardship"
With this instruction, you are asking players to use mixed warding (personal zonal). Players will tend to play closer to opponents in possession of the ball in order to prevent them from continuing to attack. The instruction can be useful for the purpose of constraining the creative abilities of the opposing players and their ability to play without the ball, and also helps to recover the ball faster in the game against teams whose players are weaker than your players in their physical characteristics and ball handling ("First Touch").
The use of tight guarding works well with the “Push Opponent” and “Move Out of the Gates” instructions if your defensive players are strong enough in Positioning, Guarding, and Tackling.
Important characteristics of the players: Guardianship, Tackling, Strength, Positioning.
"Go tackle"
This command instruction requires players on your team to cover more opponents, put even more pressure on them, and go into combat with more aggression and toughness. Of course, this increases the risks of players receiving cards, so you need to use this instruction with caution. The instruction works great against the opponent's midfield in cases where its players have weak indicators of Courage, Coordination and Determination, since by your actions you will force them to play more nervous and part with the ball faster, without risking to go back to back with your players. I would not recommend using this instruction against teams with technical, speedy players who have good dribbling and excellent physical abilities (primarily coordination). Also, do not use this instruction when your meeting is judged by a demanding arbiter who does not hesitate to hand out cards as soon as possible.
The instruction works great in conjunction with the instructions "Push the opponent", "Use tight guarding" and "Play more disciplined." In addition, this instruction can be used to exhaust the opposing players, but it is important to remember that with prolonged use of this instruction, the physical condition of your own players is significantly sagging. If you need to exhaust a specific opponent player, it is better to use the instructions for this specific opponent player “Play harder in tackling” instead of this instruction.
Important characteristics of the players: Selection, Aggressiveness, Courage, Endurance.
"Stay on your feet"
As mentioned above, an aggressive approach to martial arts is not always appropriate. The “stay on your feet” instruction encourages your players to close the distance with the player being guarded, but not to throw the tackles. This is the approach that would make sense when playing against more trained opponents who can beat your players through more skillful dribbling or pure physics (i.e. advantage in terms of Coordination, Dexterity and Strength).
This instruction will require your players to act more discreetly, with more emphasis in the selection on the right moment, rather than harshness and aggression. Accordingly, the instruction works well with options such as "Play more disciplined" and "Move away from the opponent", as well as the right choice depth of the defensive line, at which the opponent could, receiving the ball, bump into a compact defense and would be forced to rely not on his own strengths, but on the contrary - to expose his vulnerabilities (for example, being forced to strike at the goal from afar or to a greater extent use flanks in the event that the opponent is more inclined to play through the center). It is reasonable to use the "Stay on your feet" instruction when your team is a clear outsider, for whom a draw will be happy results, as well as with strict refereeing of the match to reduce the risk of receiving unwanted cards.
Important characteristics of players: Selection, Concentration, Positioning, Decision Making.
"Push the opponent"
With this instruction, you can force your players to try to cover the player in possession as quickly as possible. This will result in your opponent having less time to handle the ball, and you have a chance to take possession of the ball again, forcing the opponent to make a mistake in handling, passing or intercepting the ball from under his uncomfortable leg. Thus, your players who are close to the opposing player in possession of the ball will begin to cover and put pressure on him.
With the help of this instruction, you can from time to time during the match try to get the opponent out, first of all, from calm state however, it is important to remember that by applying high pressure, your players will physically fatigue faster. It is logical to use these instructions in the final part of the match, trying to score a goal when your team is in better condition than the opponents.
The pressure instruction reduces the distance between your players and the opponents, so it is logical to combine it with the requests “Move away from the goal”, “Go tackle” and “Use tight guarding”. It is also useful to use this guide in situations where you are confronted by players who are good with the ball, who are good at passing, who have most of the assists from depth of field, but who have low concentration.
Important characteristics of the players: Endurance, Aggressiveness, Guardianship, Intuition.
"Do not rush to the opponent"
This instruction is similar to the “Stay on your feet” instruction and will reduce the distance between your players and your opponents, but it is less aggressive than other guardianship instructions. The instruction requires players to cover the opponent less actively. Since the players will not be tasked with high pressure, they will be able to maintain the pattern of the defensive line more clearly, making it difficult for an opponent to pass it, and forcing the other team's players to work hard to crack such defenses. The flip side of the coin is that the opposing players have more time to handle the ball and make a decision.
It is wise to apply this instruction against a faster and more technical opponent, forcing him to wade through the redoubts of your defenders, try to beat them in a narrow space or shoot at the goal from a distance. This instruction reduces the likelihood of failures in defense, which is useful, say, when trying to maintain a minimal advantage in the score in the last 10 minutes of a meeting or in those matches where you are completely satisfied with a draw. It is better to supplement this instruction with the requests "Stay on your feet", "Go deeper", "Strictly positioned" and "Play more disciplined."
Important characteristics of players: Concentration, Intuition, Decision making, Team play
Command Instructions: Build
The team instructions in this group are more focused on determining the width of the game, the depth of the defensive line, and the team movement of the players. I decided to divide the instructions in this group into three appropriate subcategories, in which I will summarize all 8 team instructions available in Football Manager under the Build category.
Instructions affecting team movement and player positioning
"Strictly by position"
The Strictly Positioned instruction requires players not to leave the position prescribed by their role and position within the tactical formation. On the one hand, such an instruction restricts the freedom of movement of the players, but on the other hand, it will be more difficult to pull them out of their position. The mentality of the players will be reduced to “strict”, just like in the case of the instruction “Do not rush at the opponent”.
This manual is suitable for teams that prefer to build a game from a solid defense, in which a strict game pattern is observed. The instruction can be supplemented with instructions such as "Do not rush at the opponent", "Go lower" and "Play more disciplined", but it can also be used as an independent instruction, regardless of the chosen playing style. The requirement to play “Strictly Positioned” can be a good counter-argument when facing counter-attacking teams that rely on excellent speed, creativity and off-the-ball skills of their own players.
Important characteristics of the players: Concentration, Teamwork, Positioning, Composure.
"Offset from positions"
Conversely, this instruction will allow players to have more freedom in choosing their own position on the field. The mentality of the players will be changed to "flexible" and they will independently choose a position within a radius relative to their point of placement within the tactical formation in order to better open up or have a better opportunity to pass in the attacking actions of the team. Of course, such an instruction places much higher demands on the players - they are required not only good physical indicators, since they have to do a much larger amount of work, but also excellent creative and improvisational indicators in order for the team's attack to acquire additional depth, and additional players could be connected to the attacking actions due to the greater team movement. In addition, this instruction complicates the defensive actions of the opposing players, since they will have to decide whether in a particular game situation they should move after the guarded opponent, exposing the zone, or stay in their own position, losing the guarded player.
The “Move out of position” requirement can be used in conjunction with the instructions “Play more relaxed”, “Increase the pace” and “Pass to free zones”. Such a combination can be a formidable weapon against the layered defense itself, but it places special demands on the tactical armament of your players and an understanding of where to move to heal a partner leaving his play area.
Important characteristics of the players: Creation, Improvisation, Decision Making, Teamwork, Positioning, Intuition.
"Allow the winger to swap positions"
This instruction is only applicable in winger formations. With its help, it is possible to allow the attacking flank players to change places during the match, allowing the extreme left midfielders in a specific game episode to move to the right flank, and the right flank players to take a position on the left for this time.
The instruction is useful when tightly guarding the flanking players in order to disrupt the order in the defensive lines and tactical instructions of the opposing team. It will be more difficult for the opponent to defend against midfielders who are constantly changing places. Playing on the flank with a “comfortable” foot, such a winger will try to give up a twisted overhang, while playing on an “uncomfortable” flank, he will try to break into the center and give a pass, shoot on target or make a simpler cross.
Instruction can be a good choice in situations where there is no way you can hack your opponent's defenses and you would like to add some unpredictability to your attacking moves.
Instructions affecting the width of the game
The width of the game allows you to increase or decrease the area of free zones. This is one of the fundamental tactical quantities that must be determined regardless of the type of football you preach. We have a choice of two possible settings.
- "Play wide" instruction increases the free zones between your players by stretching the tactical pattern in width. Such instructions will increase the free zones in the center of the field, which means that it may be the right choice when your midfielders are stronger than their counterparts from the opposing team, or you are trying to "stretch" the opponent's defense, forcing them to play against you more widely and resist passes and crosses with flanks. This guide helps you take advantage of your attacking advantage, both through your flank players (midfielders and full-backs) and through your midfield players.
- "Play tight" instruction on the contrary, it shortens the distance between players, narrowing the breadth of the tactical formation, and making it difficult to penetrate your defensive formations. By playing already, you can help your weaker central players (eg central midfielders). However, by doing so, you leave more free zones on the flanks, inviting opponents to play through the flanks, which can be a smart choice if you have stronger full-backs and midfielders.
Defensive Line Depth Instructions
The depth of the defensive line is as important a tactical element as the width of the game. Of course, the choice of the depth of defense should be approached responsibly, weighing all the pros and cons. However, it is one of the key tools for determining the distance between your line of defense and your opponents' line of attack, and it will depend on it if you can fully counter their strengths and take advantage of their vulnerabilities. The depth of the line of defense is also determined by the chosen attitude and, to some extent, by the philosophy of the game. In total, the game offers four instructions for defining the depth of the line of defense.
- "Very deep line of defense"... This instruction requires players to position themselves in their own half of the field, as close to the penalty area as possible, in an effort to minimize the distance left behind their backs to the penalty area. This most defensive instruction requires players to play as compactly as possible and force the attackers to return to defense in the event of a loss of the ball. It is this instruction that is used when building a "deep defense" when you need to "park the bus" in your own penalty area. Players will be forced to try to build their own attacks with long passes ("Go the Straight Path") or hope for rapid counterattacks in the hope of getting their own chance.
- "Go Down Below"... This less extreme instruction will also require all of your players to return to their own half of the field if they lose the ball, but the defensive line will be farther from the penalty line than in the previous case. I recommend using this instruction regardless of your playing style in situations where you are trying to defend against sharp counterattacks from your opponent. In addition, with the help of this instruction, you can lure out an opponent who is tightly closed in defense, creating free zones for their own canopies or penetrating passes. Your team, as in the previous case, will be well protected, and the compact placement of players will create good conditions for intercepting other people's passes (depending on other selected command instructions).
- "Move away from the gate"... This instruction encourages the line of defense to move closer to the center line, thus pushing the opposing players away from your goal in situations where your team is in possession of the ball. This instruction will not only bring some of your players closer to the center of the field, but, as in the case of the instruction "Very high line of defense", will force more players to participate in the attacking actions of the team. Depending on what free zones remain, both in front of the opponent's defenders and behind their backs, it may be reasonable to supplement this instruction with a higher tempo of the game.
- "Very high line of defense"... Another extreme instruction that will require your defensive players to be positioned near center of the field when your teammates have the ball. This results in a very compact vertical positioning of your players, reducing the opportunity for passing between opponents and forcing them to build their own game through long passes. The instruction, as already mentioned, will force your center and full-backs to move to the center of the field and actually act as playmakers, as your in-house playmakers will move closer to the opponent's box.
Command Instructions: Penetration
The instructions in this group determine which zones to attack through when your team is in possession of the ball. These instructions are often closely tied to your choice of widths, crossings and passes, and aim to maximize your team's strengths or, conversely, take advantage of your opponent's weaknesses. There are five instructions of this type in the game.
"Use the flanks"
This instruction encourages players to play wider to take advantage of opportunities on the flanks. The advantage of this instruction is that when it is used, the opponent is often forced to narrow his own play in order to be able to resist the passes from the flank. Also, the instruction is often chosen when using 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 tactical formations, as both tactical formations suggest that the center midfielders are too compact.
This instruction will require players on the flank to move more around the field without the ball, trying to open up for the pass of partners. With this instruction, the wingers become your main force in the attack, whose frequent crossings from the flanks will have to be closed by the striker who plays well on the "second floor". I recommend using this guide in conjunction with narrow play widths or as a stand-alone guide in situations where your full-backs and midfielders are stronger than your opponents.
If we talk about what instructions could be supplemented with “Use flanks”, then I would recommend “Wait for partners to connect” and “Hang from any position”.
"Use the left flank"
Actually, the instruction is very similar to the previous one, with the only difference that it specifies through which particular flank the attacks should be built. Such specifics, as a rule, are based on the vulnerability of the opponent in this area or a more free zone on the left flank. With this instruction, your players will tend to saturate the left flank with passes, and the opponents will steal more strength to this flank, as a result, by reducing the concentration of your own players on the right flank, which, in turn, can be used in the final segment of the match, trying to aim their players' crossings at the far post.
The instructions will force the players on the left flank to join attacks more often and carry out crossings more often, and the central midfielders will hold the ball, waiting for the opportunity to pass the pass to the left.
"Use the right flank"
The instruction is the exact opposite of the previous instruction and is aimed at taking advantage of your advantage (or your opponent's vulnerability) on the right flank. Otherwise, the influence on the team's play and the mentality of the players is exactly the same as when the instruction “Use the left flank” already described is included.
"Use center"
This instruction requires players to try to develop attacks through the center. It is advisable to use it in situations where you have a numerical or qualitative advantage in the center of the field. Team play will be narrower and players will prefer cutting passes. However, if you have a ball control style of play, it may be more appropriate to use this instruction in conjunction with a request to play wider to provide more space for creative midfield players.
This instruction is also useful in situations where your central midfielders are better than the opposing central midfielders, when your tactical scheme does not imply the presence of extreme midfielders, or in situations where there is too much space between the opponent's defense and midfield lines. The latter situation often arises, for example, in the case of a 4-4-2 formation with a deep line of defense.
"Wait for partners to connect"
This instruction will require players to wait for a striker, full-back or midfielder to connect to further development attacks. Often times, this instruction will help you achieve a 2-on-1 or 3-on-2 situation on the flanks, as well as get a better position for a cross or lumbago. Wingbacks and midfielders will often switch places, which will create certain problems for opposing defenders, especially in situations where they are trying to play tight or their flank players are inferior to yours.
The instruction can be used as an aid to one of the instructions for using the flanks to make the flank play wider. Asking to wait for your partners to join will certainly slow down the pace of the game a little, but it can be extremely useful in a situation of tight guardianship of your central midfielders, whom you usually used as playmakers. With this instruction, they at least will not lose the ball, taking on the role of dispatchers and holding the ball until they can give it to one of the partners at the edges of the field. The instruction is often used when trying to open layered defenses using flanking players.
Important characteristics of the players: Intuition, Haste, Speed, Play off the ball, Endurance.
Original: Football Manager Team Instructions - Analyzing Shouts
Games series Football manager were repeatedly reproached for the fact that they can achieve outstanding results with weak teams - and this with the declared realism! With all the variety of mechanics and hundreds of nuances affecting the result, an outsider could reach the Champions League final in a couple of seasons. None of the coaching courses teach you to achieve such success in such a short time.
But there is a place for miracles in football, and the recent achievements of Rostov and Leicester in the national championships are proof of this. Both teams have shown that the role of a head coach is not limited to determining the starting lineup, that a well-coordinated team, even without top performers, is capable of solving serious problems. And the jokes about “this is possible only in Football Manager” have lost their relevance.
Actually, thanks to unpredictability, football has become the most popular species sports. Football managers love the same thing. As a result Football Manager 2017 in this regard, it has remained true to traditions.
For everyone and at once
Football Manager has taken a few steps lately towards a wider audience who were watching but afraid to touch the game due to the high barriers to entry. One of the innovations in this release is intended to mitigate the "damage" from acquaintance: on the start screens, recommendations are given on the leagues and the size of the database, depending on the performance of the computer. Managers who have passed more than one season, if desired, can switch to the usual advanced settings.
As for the built-in tips, they, as practice has shown, are useful not only for beginners. Therefore, in the settings, you can determine how often they appear on the screen: experienced fighters will have enough advice on changes in the interface, while beginners will have to read more if they want to get to the bottom of it faster.
Every part of Football Manager suffers from imbalances after release. This year, judging by user feedback and our experience, there has been an overkill with long-range shots on target. Many of them end in goals.
The path to titles traditionally begins with the selection of playable leagues and the creation of a virtual avatar. The local editor still suffers from a lack of tools, but it is possible to give the trainer his own appearance using the scanning system. A trifle that does not give any advantages, but allows you to become intimate with the charges. Beginners will definitely love it.
Apparently, for them, a single mode was added to the originally multiplayer Fantasy Draft. The novelty of last season no longer forces you to search for opponents on the network, offering to replace them with rivals controlled by artificial intelligence. Actually it comes on borrowing the concept of "Career" - with the only difference that the compositions of fictional clubs are formed anew. It is possible to unite under one banner Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer, Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba without special programs for editing the database.
It is here that Football Manager 2017, despite the protests of longtime fans, breaks away from reality and defiantly ignores many football laws. And we must admit that it is not in vain: "Fantasy Draft" brings a bit of confusion and variety to the classic concept - and the series has long needed an influx of fresh blood.
Stats blocks, pre- and post-match summaries, heatmaps - no other sports game has more analytics tools than Football Manager 2017.
Social manager
For Orthodox fans, however, there is no need to worry about the series going downhill. Football Manager 2017 is still a football manager with tables, charts, sliders and an unthinkable number of pages that are easy to get lost in. Even a thorough redesign of the interface did not get rid of wandering through the maze from branched menus. In a word, those who skipped the last parts will have a little easier than beginners.
In some sections, however, everything is the old-fashioned way - take at least "Tactics" and "Training", whose principles have not been revised for a long time. The only noticeable trend is the replacement of digital display of information with a graphic one. For example, if earlier team tactics were established using drop-down menus, now they are finally rammed into a window with a field diagram and buttons.
But where the reforms happened was in the incoming messages. The core of the game, around which further actions of the manager are built, has become more informative and convenient. Specifically, Next Opponent reports provide more insight, from favorite and awkward formations to average possession and preferred pass type.
At the same time coaching staff more willingly gives recommendations on tactics, training, transfers and even recruiting. In order not to clog up the mailbox, the tips are put in one letter, but they are sent at the frequency you set. Importantly, the coaching staff makes suggestions based on the situation in the team.
Such edits may seem insignificant to someone. In fact, they speed up work, simplify the tedious micromanagement when you rush around for hours on different menus to change status or view statistics. Now the necessary information is in sight, important decisions are made with a click of the mouse, and all operations are carried out in one window.
The ability to properly manage a high target man guarantees the team a lot of goals scored by the head.
For a long time, there is no point in communicating with media representatives either. One of Football Manager's biggest mysteries is why the head coach's checklist hasn't been updated since 2012. At the same time, the number of meetings with journalists has only increased during this time. So you have to mechanically click on proven answers that will not offend anyone. Well, or run away from press conferences.
The same deplorable situation in conversations with players before and after matches. By by and large, they are needed only when a promising junior needs to be assigned a teacher, that is, an experienced football player of a similar position. In other cases, including discussion individual training and load, this is the best way to spoil the relationship with the charges.
By the way, about the staff. The already long list of positions was replenished with two more - chief analyst and chief scientist. The first works together with scouts, the second is registered in the medical headquarters. They were added to Football Manager 2017 clearly in a hurry, and do not affect the process, moreover, the key characteristics for these positions are not even known. Until the circumstances are clarified, these responsibilities can be assigned to any scout.
Triple pleasure
If you have to look for innovations in the work menu of Football Manager 2017 with a magnifying glass, then during matches they are immediately noticeable. First of all, the changes affected the 3D engine: according to the authors, there are more than 1,500 improvements in it. We do not vouch for the reliability of the data, but the presentation component is really good: the players move smoother, jumps, feints, and ball handling look more natural. The environment is an order of magnitude more detailed, and you rarely remember the main drawback of the engine - angular objects. Add in new camera angles, luscious sound effects, and treats like vanishing spray, and you get an authentic TV broadcast.
The flank aisles are no longer fraught with as much danger as before.
The footballers themselves not only look better - their mutual understanding has increased. Remember how useless the sidelines were in Football Manager 2016? Now the players are really rebuilding after the instructions of the coach, their style of play during the meeting can radically change. They also make decisions faster, and this is noticeable even on the example of weak teams. This is partly why it was possible to reduce the threat from the flank "runners", who in the previous part gave the defenders a lot of trouble.
* * *
Even in the absence of competition on large platforms, Football Manager has evolved so much over the past four releases that others sports games it is worth taking an example from her. The latest version, in addition, got rid of the ailments of Football Manager 2016 and became much more convenient, while maintaining tactical depth and increasing fun. And something tells us, the fans are enough.
Downloaded it to Steam, installed and launched. What's next? There are two ways out of this problem.
If you've played the streak before FM, then it will not be so difficult for you to figure out the basics and you can glimpse our recommendations.
If you have just discovered the talent of a football manager, then our guide will help you understand the tricks of one of the most difficult sports simulators of our time.
The basics
Before you start, you need to decide which league (or which team) you would like to start your career in. It is clear that football managers do not install from a bunch of flats and you already have little experience in analyzing tactics and strategies, and yet, our advice is not to try to take strong clubs the first time. Of course, we all want to steer Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, or at worst Zenit and CSKA, but for weaker teams that do not set themselves super tasks, it is easier to test the circuits, build a player base: in other words, get acquainted with the game. Even the most skilled trainers FM not the first time they find tactics that break opponents on the knee.
After you select the leagues and fill out the profile, a new feature of the developers awaits you - management style. To put it simply, you, as a coach, also have certain abilities. You can set up skills at your own discretion and change the number of points for a practicing trainer or a tactical trainer, as you like. If you do not use a bias in one of the styles, but create a kind of all-round trainer, then you are given 46 points for the tactical graph and 43 points for the psychological graph.
The following abilities are available in the column with tactics: attacking, defensive, physical, goalkeeping, tactical, technical, psychological, youth work.
The following abilities are available in the column with psychological characteristics: adaptation, determination, knowledge of players, understanding of young players, level of discipline, personnel management, motivation.
After distributing talent points, you start the game.
I am manager!
If you have chosen a little-known club, first of all get to know the wards. You have to live side by side with them for at least half a season, so try to understand their strengths and weaknesses. It is best to ask the assistant for a detailed report. This will help you figure out who should play and who is better to marinate in the reserve youth teams. As a rule, the computer is not wrong about who should play and who should not.
If you ignored our offer to train at non-league clubs - your problem. However, requesting an expanded report still does not hurt.
IMPORTANT : Try to be in public as often as possible, give more interviews and generally respond to comments. You will make a name for yourself, and it will be easier for you to knock out a promotion for yourself.
The first month of your coaching in general should pass under the sign of constant appearances in the press on all sorts of reasons: from transfer news to comments about other managers. You can even educate yourself to be such an evil word of Mourinho, who is not ashamed to express himself in relation to other coaches. Information warfare is a very sensible and effective means of achieving results on the football field, no matter who says anything.
IMPORTANT : during friendly matches, try to play as many players as possible, change all players after the first half to reservists, bring up the youth. Use different tactics, schemes, prepare yourself at least 3 schemes, according to which you will play. Ideally: for a combination game, for playing against outsiders, for playing against tanks.
After you have passed the crucible of friendly matches, you should empirically form a core of players on whom you will bet in the first half of the season.
There will also be a tactic that works in most cases and can be considered the main one. Well, then it is worth starting from the goals for the season. If you are an outsider, then you get beat up by the leaders and hope for your chance at home games. By the way, most middle peasants and outsiders play very strong at home. Make a bet on this when planning the season.
Tactical genius
Creating tactics is one of the most fun and challenging FM activities. IN Football Manager 2015 tactics also play the most important role in achieving victories. The specifics of the new workspace will initially confuse and strain you. Especially if you've played FM before. Fortunately, in addition to the changed interface, you do not need to invent anything else - the instructions remain the same, the settings for the players have not changed much, only the possible roles on the field have expanded. But here, too, not everything is so complicated.
Schemes
For a dozen hours played in FM 15, it can be noted that the 4-2-3-1 formation is still the most balanced and accessible for a combination game based on possession of the ball. No wonder that for the second year now it has been popular among the overwhelming majority of players. If you teach the players to control the ball within the framework of this tactic, then no Bayern, Real Madrid and Chelsea will be afraid of you. Unless, of course, you are playing for conditional Wimbledon from League Two. I also note that it is the 4-2-3-1 tactical system with the command instruction “possession of the ball” that the players learn much faster than any other - this is also important.
If the famous tiki-taka is not the best choice for you, try the standard 4-4-2 or the slightly more defensive 4-4-1-1 with a targetman. And there, and there, the scheme will allow you to play more clearly in defense, but, perhaps, to the detriment of a beautiful, tactically competent game. Quite often your team will "dump" into a primitive heap, but this is not necessarily that bad.
In general, it can be noted that, unlike the previous part of FM, in FM 15 there are no passing tactics. Even the 3-2-4-1 formation, which is considered one of the most unusual and unusual, can give quality results if you teach the players to follow the instructions.
Individual instructions
Instructions in FM- a separate story. For the third year in a row, with the help of individual instructions, it is possible to make circuits from just well-working schemes without weak points... But for this you will have to analyze a lot of material on tactics that can be found on specialized sites.
In our guide, we will not describe all the options for tactics and individual schemes for them, but we will try to give you some tips on how to create your own universal scheme.
Step 1. Decide how you want to play.
In fact, one of the most difficult steps because you need to imagine in practice how your team will operate. The easiest way to imagine how your team rolls into the lawn of opponents through total possession of the ball (but in practice this is not so easy to implement). Everyone else will depend on this step, so try to think through all the little things.
As an example, let's take a counterattack tactic against strong opponents.
Step 2. Choose a scheme that suits your game.
It is much easier to play attack / defense if the setup is right. If you want to bet on ball control - 4 midfield players are the minimum required. Better 5.
In our example, we focus on defense and quick transitions from defense to attack through a long pass. Therefore, our scheme is 4-1-3-1-1, with a defensive midfielder-destroyer and an attacking midfielder-dispatcher.
Step 3. Command instructions.
Let's go back to step 1 and imagine our game. In step 3, we implement the basic idea of how the players should play.
The game will not allow us to select multidirectional instructions, so when we select More Vertical Passing, Play Short Pass and Hold Ball will immediately turn red. But even in these conditions, you can expose instructions that will not complement each other, but exclude each other.
For our tactics, we will have to choose simpler settings without frills: rigid team building (with a minimum of freedom) and instructions: More vertical passes, Pass to free zones, Use flanks, Play deeper, Use tight guarding and Play more disciplined.
Everything, in fact, is simple. In this tactic, we do not allow the players to choose how to act. Even the most skilled players make mistakes when they begin to exercise freedom of action. In our game, we would like to keep mistakes to a minimum.
Step 4. Instructions to the players.
I think this is the most important step, because by putting only team instructions, you still give the players too much freedom. In some matches, this is a definite plus, but in practice I note that the tactics that have been reinforced with individual instructions work better.
Instructions to the players should be issued in addition to and in strengthening the team, so do not try to give a heap of individual instructions "More vertical passes" in the general team tactics of ball possession. You are guaranteed a 0-4 defeat!
In the same section, you will have to think about the team roles of the players. This option is also very important, because it allows you to assign a more convenient role for the player.
In our tactics, players will receive the following instructions and roles:
LZ / PZ - flank defender - Patronize more tightly, Stay on the edges, Disperse the attack wider.
CZ - central defender - To patronize tighter, Less tough in tackles.
OCP is a powerful defensive midfielder - Patronize more tightly, Accelerate the attack wider.
CPU - Central Midfielder (Attack) - Patronize tighter, Accelerate attack wider, Move out of position, Less risky passes.
LP / RR - Wing midfielders - Tighter patronize, Tackle harder, More vertical passes, Stay on edge
AP - More risky passes, Move into free zones, Accelerate the attack wider, Hold the ball, Patronize more tightly.
NP - Targetman - Patronize more tightly, Accelerate the attack wider, Move into free zones, More risky passes.
Step 5. Standards.
Don't forget the Standards section. Sometimes a good corner kick or an accurate long-range free kick will win or draw. Be guided by the skills of the players and try to put the strongest in this position.
Your tactics are practically set. In the individual instructions, the players can be told where and how they should act in set pieces, but this is up to you to decide for yourself.
IMPORTANT : I cannot guarantee that the tactics suggested in the example will work 100% on your team, because all players are different. However, in my club Shrewsbury Town (from English League 2), she allowed to beat Blackpool in a friendly match, as well as play very brightly in the League Cup with Blackburn 2-4, where two last goals opponents were scored from the set. You can always analyze the weaknesses of your team and change tactics for yourself.