Ask any fan about which modern coach plays the best defensive football. 99% of experts will confidently answer - Jose Mourinho.

Many consider him one of the best trainers in the history of football.

Surprisingly, he is now at the helm "Manchester United"- one of the main competitors of Chelsea.

It was at the head of the aristocrats that Special One in all its glory demonstrated the "bus" tactics that he began to use back in Milan "Inter" in the winning season in the Champions League.

Today we will tell you how in virtual manager Football manager, apply tactics and strategy "bus" on the example of Chelsea.

The genius of Mourinho, in his formation, maximized the load on the middle lane, which made it possible to create a balance between defense and attack. Now in more detail: Jose played with 4 defenders, 2 defenders, 2 extreme midfielders, 1 central midfielder (who, by the way, also took on the functions of a playmaker and a second forward, in a positional attack) and 1- them as a ramming center forward.

In FM 2016, the most adapted for the bus is the 4-2-3-1 scheme.

Each player must fulfill the following roles on the field:

• Flank defenders - "defensive flank defender"
• Centerbacks - "defensive central defenders"
• Left defensive midfielder - defensive anchormen
• Right defensive midfielder - "a powerful defensive midfielder"
• Wingers - "winger supporting the defense"
• Centerback is a "free playmaker supporting the defense"
• The striker is a “ramming forward focused on attack”.

Best tactics settings for Football Manager 2016 and 2017

It is logical that main goal strategy bus is a quality defense game maximum number players.

In the case of tackling the ball, at the expense of fast midfielders, a "dagger" counterattack is deployed using free zones.

Using the bus tactics, two defensive lines should be formed on the field. The first consists of two wingers, a center-back and a right defensive player - their goal is to tackle the ball by pressing. While the second line (left defensive midfielder and all defenders) hedges the first line players and covers the empty zones.

The main highlight of this tactic is the permanent triangle on its part of the field.
What is this triangle? Any attacking opponent player is always met by three of your players.
It is worth remembering that the moment of constant pressure is very important here. Due to which it is possible to tackle the ball in another's half of the field.

Directly in the settings, you must select the "Defensive" style of the team's play. This option regulates the number of players in the defense and in this case it will be the maximum.
In the construction parameters, you need to stop at "Very Hard". This will allow you to achieve the necessary discipline in performing tasks for the game.

The instructions to the team should be as follows:

1. Game pace "Normal"
2. Time Killing "Frequent"
3. Deep defensive line
4. Width "Balance"
5. Close care
6. Play strictly by position
7. Passes to free zones
8. Crossing into the box and shots on goal at the earliest opportunity

Optimal composition

At the beginning of his career for Chelsea in FM2016, with a bus strategy, the starting lineup should be as follows:

• Goalkeeper - Thibaut Courtois: a young, experienced goalkeeper and, most importantly, a reliable one. Supplanted veteran Cech from the roster in the 14/15 season.
• Right back - Branislav Ivanovic: An experienced Serbian defender, one of the Chelsea veterans. Differs in reliable play in defense and high-quality connections to the attack.
• Left back - Cesar Azpilicueta: Spanish defender, currently at the peak of his career. Very tenacious and fast.
• Left centerback - Kurt Zuma: a young French prodigy who ousted the legend of aristocrats - John Terry.
• Right centerback - Gary Cahill: one of the best English defenders. Strong in playing on the second floor.
• Left defensive midfielder - John Obi Mikel: Nigerian defensive midfielder, team veteran. Tenacious in tackling the ball and has a powerful delivered blow.
• Right defensive midfielder - Nemanja Matic: Serbia national team player. A graduate of the Chelsea Academy. Strong in playing on the second floor and in tackling the ball.
• Centbek - Cesc Fabregas: Spanish playmaker, Barcelona graduate, master of the pass. Chief dispatcher of the team.
• Left wing midfielder - Pedro: former Barça player, fast winger with incredible dribbling.
• Right wing midfielder - Eden Hazard: talented midfielder, captain of the Belgian national team. Command motor. Possesses great speed, excellent ball control and strong delivered blow.
• Center Forward - Diego Costa: Spanish ramming forward with incredible scoring flair, dribbling and punching power. Successfully replaced blue legend Didier Drogba, who left Chelsea.

After Ramirez left, it became necessary to replace him. Mikel is not very suitable for playing with bus tactics. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a new defensive midfielder.

Correct selection of players and tactics for Football Manager

To apply the bus strategy, a special selection of players is required. For example, midfielders need to be hardworking, good tackling, tight-guarded, fit into team play, and be resilient.

It is important to have a strong right defensive player in the lineup. He is the "skeleton of the team". The main requirements for it: power and endurance.

Do not forget about the attacker with the required qualities such as high speed, and the completion of the attack.

Wingers, ideally, should be fast and have the skills of accurate crosses into the box.
Playing with standards

When setting a standard in favor of an opponent, it is necessary to concentrate as many players as possible in his own penalty area, while one fast player remains on the rebound, and the attacker is waiting for a pass in the center of the field.
When fulfilling your own standards, it is most rational to send only tall players, while one player is on the rebound, and all the rest are on the defensive.

To the question How to play football manager? given by the author Andrey Smirnov the best answer is Clicking on a country's flag on any screen will take you to that country's national team page.
The players whose name is highlighted in red are on your shortlist.
Players whose name is highlighted in blue are on loan from the club.
The players whose names are highlighted in dark yellow are currently co-owned by another club.
Players whose name is highlighted in blue are on loan from another club.
Going to the "Settings", you can save the game automatically after a certain time using the "Auto Save" option.
A "Wnt" icon on a team screen or player list indicates a club's interest in that player.
A "Bid" icon on a team screen or player list indicates that a club has made an offer to acquire that player.
A "Trn" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that a player has a transfer agreement.
The "Req" icon on the team screen or in the player list indicates that the player was voluntarily placed on transfer.
The "Unh" icon on the team screen or player list indicates that the player is currently unhappy.
A "Fut" icon on a team screen or player list indicates that a player is unsure of his future.
A "Ctr" icon on the team screen or on the player list indicates that the player does not have a contract with the club.
The "Ine" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that a player cannot be included in the squad for the next match.
The "Loa" icon on the team screen or on the player list indicates that the club is ready to consider loan offers for a player.
The "Int" icon on the team screen or player list indicates that the player is currently at the disposal of the national team.
The "Lst" icon on the team screen or in the player list indicates that the player has been put up for transfer.
On the team or player roster screen, the 'Lmp' icon indicates a player's lack of playing practice.
On the team or player roster screen, the 'Fgn' icon indicates foreigners.
On the team or player roster screen, the ‘Inj’ icon indicates injured.
On the team or player roster screen, the 'Frt' icon denotes players who leave the team on a free transfer after the end of their contract.
On a team or player roster screen, a ‘PR’ icon indicates that a player has reacted to a comment in the press.
On a team or player roster screen, the ‘Cup’ icon indicates that a player has played for another team in that cup and is not available to play in a cup match.
The "Rst" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that a player needs some rest.
A "Sus" icon on a team screen or player list indicates that a player has been disqualified.
A "Yel" icon on the team screen or player list indicates that another yellow card will result in a player being disqualified.
The "Yth" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that a player has a youth contract.
The "Hol" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that a player is on vacation.
The "Wdn" icon on the team screen or player list indicates that the player has been recalled by the club manager from the national team.
An "Unf" icon on a team screen or player list indicates that a player is out of shape.
The "Wp" icon on the team screen or in the player list indicates that a player must obtain a work permit before being able to play.
The "Slt" icon on the team screen or in the player list indicates that the player is slightly worried about something.
The "Tut" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that this player is the mentor of a young teammate.
The "Lrn" icon on the team screen or player roster indicates that this player is learning from a more experienced teammate.
Now you can get the trainer's report individually for each position in which the game is

First things first.

You have launched the game. You will be offered a choice of two options for a manager's career:
The top one is the traditional option. Little money, a lot of problems, it is VERY interesting to play.
The bottom one is a cheating, in my opinion, option. It is remarkable that there is an opportunity
buy here on STIM for real money all sorts of nishtyaki there. Plus, the game is pretty simplistic. It's easy to play, but also uninteresting (for me). We will not consider this option for a manager's career here.

Setting up the game.

Assess the performance of your computer correctly. Try to maintain a balance that suits you personally between the player base and the expected speed
games. Everything is very simple here: the more players, the more interesting the transvers, and therefore
and the game itself. On the other hand, you have to wait a long time while the computer is all good
will process.

For me personally, the performance of 3 1/2 "stars" is acceptable. But all people are different, so
see for yourself. Decide immediately here and now. Basically, the game makes it possible to add countries / leagues later. But from my bitter experience I will try to warn you against this. After such additions, most often the game starts to "fool". And this
do we need?

Do as I advise. If the processing speed is too slow, you can subtract leagues / countries with little or no risk. At least I got this number a couple of times "with a bang." And meanwhile I have a computer, though a game, but not to say that heaped up. Far from it.

Consider that in the long term, by 2025-35. due to the accumulation of data, mainly statistics, the speed will drop. Decide for yourself what to turn off. A matter of taste.

For God's sake, don't take top clubs right away. Too many players and staff. Brains will get cancer. Try your hand at smaller clubs. Type Torpedo Moscow / SKA Khabarovsk. They are easier to manage.

When setting up your profile, know that citizenship (second citizenship) opens up to you
a fairly substantial database for the countries where you come from.

Ideally, a Brazilian / Argentinean - some kind of black man from Africa (second citizenship). Not that I love them that much, it's just that they have great players at very reasonable prices. In addition, according to my observations, the same Brazilians become much more agreeable in negotiations, as soon as you are their compatriot. Yes, and in the team they get accustomed faster, therefore, they will bring you more crawls. Something like this....

Got it, right? If you are originally from Uganda or Nigeria there, then purposefully send a scout there as soon as the Board gives permission to do so (worldwide search). Not a bad option - China (huge database). A matter of taste. But Brazil is a must.

You don't have to go far. The first swallow. A clear, so to speak, confirmation of my words. Gyyy less than a year))) Details in a nutshell. They gave it for free as part of the spring set of juniors. As usual, the guy has two citizenships. Ours, Russian and, of course, Brazilian. And what do we have from this? And we have with you here the freedom of managerial maneuver. If you don’t screw up the guy ahead of time (and this must be done VERY hard), if he goes right with you, soon there will be a question for which junior to declare him. In principle, competently for Brazil. But not a fact. In general, wait and see. Maybe it would be better to declare for Russia, not to flirt with Brazil right away. Do you understand, yes?

I love those moments in the game. Intriguing, you know)))

IMPORTANT!!!

In any game there is a setting for the difficulty of the game. Everywhere it is slightly different, but the principle is the same everywhere: Easy (very easy) => Very difficult (impossible). So that's it. This is also there. In an implicit, however, form. I decided to mention this all the same (suddenly, who does not know). Here it is hidden in the manager's profile settings.

In short, do not worry and take immediately that you used to be an INTERNATIONAL CLASS PLAYER. This is good advice, honestly.

Foreword.

First, remember the most important thing. Do not forget that this is a computer
game, not real life. As well as the fact that if you learn to communicate with a computer, find mutual understanding, then you will quickly learn how to benefit from it.

Understand the motivation of the program, which initially considers you, sorry, a short-sighted simpleton and does not allow an unpromising player to be driven into transfer. Close this position first. Buy a promising, young, at a press conference confidently say that you believe in him, that you do not care, that he was kicked out of the top club, that he will certainly "play" with you. And you can confidently put him in the starting lineup. Most likely this is how it will be. There are nuances, but not all at once. Please note that those who are not promising will immediately be found. If not for a transfer, then at least 100% of the salary rent, as a rule, with the right to revoke and subsequent redemption. Which is very good.

The computer is your friend, not your enemy. Remember this. Learn to cooperate with him. Try to make him understand you. Then a lot can be achieved. Does he stop you from selling your 40-year-old protector fart? Talk to this defender, suddenly it turns out that he only dreams of a career Sports Director Your club, and you just need this one, because the old SD is no good and you need to drive it in three necks for a long time.

And of course, in order to be understood, you need to understand yourself where you are, who you are, etc. What will be discussed below.

Where to begin?

We have a long and difficult path ahead of us, but not everything is so bad and scary. Let's immediately try to ease our difficult life... So let's start with the staff.

First things first, improve the staff. Why? I think the answer is obvious.
If the scout misleads you, giving his incorrect assessment of the player, then write it was gone. You certainly won't go far with such a scout. The fool assistant is unlikely to advise anything sensible. And the indecisive, with undeveloped motivation, the manager, perhaps not
it is worth fully delegating the authority to manage the youth team. There will be no sense, believe me.

So first the games, until more or less professional staff have been selected, take
most of the functions are self. It was much better that way.

Now let's talk specifically. So the first thing is:

Everything is very simple here. From a scout, you only need two characteristics.

Player Ability Assessment
- Assessment of potential opportunities

In addition, it makes sense to sign a scout - a foreigner. Thus, we will instantly expand our database. In this case, look at the characteristic

Adaptation

If his adaptation is too small, he will not be able to quickly get used to (adapt) with us. In short, there will be little sense from this and reports too. The Chief Scout, among other things, must have some stat value.

Control

I think this is clear to everyone. It is unnecessary to argue.

Personnel characteristics.

I just thought that it would be better to decide on this right away. Let it be a bunch. I do not want to smear on different sections this very important information.

Why is the emphasis on this particular group of characteristics? Only then, since we are talking about personnel, it is precisely these characteristics that will determine our professional suitability for us. With the players, everything is a little different. We'll deal with them later. Yes, everything is there
as if simpler. It’s clear that the defender needs a high selection rate, and the forward needs to complete the attack)))

So let's figure it out in order.

Adaptation

I have already mentioned about foreigners. Without sufficient adaptation skills, foreigners will work badly, and they will practically stop progressing. It will be so, neither fish nor meat. Consider this when signing up for foreign personnel. Yes, to progress, you heard right. The staff, like the players, is also progressing. Rounding off the topic about Adaptation, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that if you appoint, for example, a promising coach to the position of an administrator, then the higher the Adaptation for that person, the faster he will get up to speed and master a new profession. Something like this...

Determination

This is a very important characteristic for players, underestimated by many, for a persona it is simply defining. Not only is this one of the main professional
characteristics of managers / directors, after all, in fact, an indecisive manager does not
it is worth trusting the management of the team, and the indecisive director you such contracts with the player and prolongs, signs, grab your head! Let it be too late ...

Assistant high Determination, it would seem, is useless, but take my word for it, it is unlikely that a normal manager will ever come out of an indecisive assistant, and even more so a director.

Scouts with doctors. This is what Determination is really uncritical, but it is from which side to look. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Everything has its time. And without that, there is enough material. I'm afraid you won't master everything right away. anyway. What's next? Oh yes,

Motivation

What is a zafik need? It's very simple. Proceed from common human logic. Here is the same coach. Attack - 15 Defense -20 Motivation - 1. Cool special? But not really, you guessed it. The midfielder from him was probably wonderful, but no teacher. Got it, right? Assign a person to train the squad, do not forget about it. For everyone else, including doctors, without going into long details, this is not so critical, but desirable. The only exception is the scout. Scout does not need motivation.

Youth work

fm 2014, like any other program, analyzes and calculates. Let's talk about youth. Let's not take purely Wunderkinds. Just younger, players are 14-24 years old. Numerous UK forums have detailed research on this issue. With mathematical calculations. Very cumbersome, too much, in my opinion. In order not to overload this manual, please take my word for it, and I, your humble servant, will try to summarize the very essence.

The bottom line is that players starting from the age of 14 have special youth bonuses that decrease in descending order until the age of 24 years. It is these bonuses that give a quick increase in characteristics at a young / young age. So that these bonuses are effectively implemented and our pets develop faster, the same Trainer or Assistant, any personnel conducting training youth teams, as you might guess, should have this characteristic (Work with youth). The bigger, the better. If you do not provide this, do not expect a steep growth of your wards.

For everyone else. Physician (youth, youth) bonus for duration of treatment and prevention of injuries. Scout is a bonus to the efficiency of finding talented youth. Etc.

Discipline level

This is for everyone, except for the scouts. I will not fool you, just try to remember that for a doctor the level of this characteristic is the most important, because the effectiveness of preventing injuries is calculated by its value. And since we are talking about doctors (I have not forgotten yet), if you do not have a therapist with a level of Determination sufficient for an injured player, there is a certain probability that a seriously injured player will lose half a star of his Learned Potential. This is all honestly calculated by the computer. There are studies, there are calculation formulas. I will not cite here, so as not to tire the audience.

Physiotherapy

Everyone knows that. The larger it is, the faster the doctor heals those who drop out. This attribute is intended solely for physical therapists.

Personnel Management

For God's sake, do not think that I think you are for, but at least something needs to be said)))
For all personnel with subordinates, including trainers, this parameter gives a bonus when calculating any action of a subordinate. These bonuses, as I suspect, are not as steep as those of the youth, but you and I are not very rich people either. Everything will fit in the farm.

Here's another thing. This attribute is defining for both Directors. What is athletic, what is youthful. If they do not "catch up" with you, do not trust them to work with players' contracts. Take it upon yourself.

Psychological

Whatever you think, this is purely one of the coaching attributes (such as attack, defense, goalkeepers, technique and tactics), which determines the effectiveness of training a group of player parameters BALL CONTROL and nothing more. If the personnel are not involved in the training process, this parameter is not needed. Exactly as well as the purely coaching attributes, which I mentioned here in passing.

Tactical knowledge

Here everything is exactly the opposite. Neither the coaches nor everyone else needs this at all. But for your assistant, this is an important attribute. The higher it is, the more timely and good advice You will receive from him before the match, and during it. Pay this Special attention choosing an assistant.

There is an opinion that this parameter is important for those to whom you have entrusted to hold the matches of the youth squads. I think so. If a youth manager has this characteristic developed - well, great! If not really, well, okay, figs with him. On this occasion, personally, I have never bothered.

Staff progress.

I already mentioned this above. Now let's get back to this, as they say, in depth and in detail. The fact is that after analyzing the characteristics of personnel in the previous section, we have largely revealed the very topic of "personnel". I'm not sure that I need to give examples, create another section and chew something in detail. Therefore, with this section I want to close the topic of personnel in order to quickly move on to other important issues.

Everyone knows about the players. As for the staff, I doubt it. It is not by chance that I draw a parallel. Like the players, the staff are also able to delight us with their progress.

What is it, how and why is it needed at all? It's a good question. There is such a thing - staff turnover.
In the game, it is reflected in the section Information of any staff - KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CLUB PLAYERS.
If this KNOWLEDGE is 100%, then the penalty is not calculated. This is when a person has been working for you for a long time. How long ago? Each is individually. It is clear that, ideally, it will be good to keep staff turnover to a minimum. The salary of the staff is also an important point. Often times you will not be able to hire whoever you want. As always, we take those who agree)))

Taking into account the above, it is better to take the young, with the prospect of growth PERSONNEL CHARACTERISTICS. Is not it? Below we will talk about exactly how to weed out promising personnel from the whole heap of Mr.

Personnel, in addition to the attributes (characteristics) of personnel, as you know, is also characterized by two important features, namely:

Reputation (unclear, local, regional, national, continental, global)
- Qualification (Continental license B, A and Pro)

I think you have already started to cut through this feature. Young professionals usually have neither reputation nor qualifications. A simple example for clarity. Here is our club with you.
The reputation of the club is NATIONAL. We take a boy, for 30-40 years, no more, with a specialist reputation UNCLEAR. It would be logical to expect that after working in our club Nth number for years, this young man will already enjoy an equal reputation with us, namely NATIONAL. I am silent about the fact that in N number of years, with your, of course, a wise and balanced approach to the management of the club, our club reputation will grow somewhat. With all, as they say, arising ... It is clear, yes, why are highly qualified specialists with a high reputation reluctant to come to us? Probably they are also not fools and are afraid to degrade?

Enough jokes, back to our rams. Here's the thing. Not every ram will suit us, not everyone will work up fat. Here again, just like with young players, you also need to think about who to feed, send to coaching courses, renew contracts, etc.

After many years of research, foreign scientists came to the conclusion that personnel with
high level the DECISION parameter progresses faster, all other things being equal.
In addition, to a much lesser extent than Determination, the parameter Adaptation (all personnel, not only) foreigners still affects the progress of personnel. Bigger => better.

First day.

Conversation with management.

Here is what is important. We must make sure that you are not fired at the end of the season. Let me put it this way. If you do not toil with foolishness, then this does not threaten you. My deep conviction. I believe in you guys! Don’t disappoint there.

But seriously, the task is this. You will be told like we are expecting a place from you at the middle level standings(depending on the chosen club, options are possible).
This is the same default. Agree. Having significantly exceeded this setting, and
this is quite realistic, provided you follow my recommendations, you will receive not only an increase in your manager's reputation but also a huge bunch of all sorts of bonuses. Explicit and hidden.

In short, NEVER take on more than what the club management expects from you. Money will not be given as much as they will ask strictly for all this. Add only STRAIGHT LINE FOOTBALL as an additional criterion. Everything! Now to the assistant.

Whether you replaced it or not is your business, the beloved will have to give him some of the functions. You can't do without it. What do we give him in mandatory? And just a bunch of ALL workouts. Especially individual ones. See what he assigns to whom. Learn. Analyze. Understand. Subsequently, having already entered the course of the matter, you can do it yourself, but only an assistant is not such a bad option, especially for a "young" manager. I myself actively use a training assistant, for that matter. Something like this...

Individual training. (Important). If your assistant has not assigned something to someone in the section individual training does not mean that the assistant is a worthless fool. This means one of two things:
- The player in the preseason needs physical training and he is engaged in the general team program
- The dude plays a lot and if you do not reduce the load, injury is very likely

Slowly get involved in the process yourself.

1. Analyze the players. Surely there will be those who have an outs of 12 or even more. Choose a heavier trainer, whose "technical" parameter is higher than the rest. Tell him the following:
- I want you to teach Vasya to throw out far. (this is in the section training technique)
Most likely, the coach will deny. Lazy zhyvotnoe))) Insist on your own. Do the same with the rest. It's worth it. If it rolls, the guys will throw almost into the goalkeeper's room, which is very good for you and me. You will like it)))

To do this, add your friend to the list and do not forget to "show interest" more often. As you can see, the guy reacts to this quite adequately. ** He wants to impress Dima Vasiliev with his next performance.

And who we certainly don't need is weak-willed, unsportsmanlike, unambitious, indecisive, etc. I think everyone understands this, so enough about that.

Grenadier type.

Height is about 190, weight with this height is somewhere under 90. To dominate. Also understandable. If a dude is elementary frail, it is not a good idea to take this for fattening. All the same, feed is not in the horse and there will be no sense.

Parameters.

Do not read bourgeois sites. Moreover, with auto-translation, all one will be clumsy. No, no, I'm not at all opposed to concentration + self-control + decision-making. All this is good, but it costs too much money. Don't forget our concept of Straight Line Football. We take the most that neither is necessary, necessary.

So, in addition to guardianship-selection, we especially note the choice of position + jump height + head play.
In Perdiva, my central defenders not only dominated on the second floor of their penalty area, but also constantly running for corner kicks to the opponent's goal, regularly scored. This is ideal. This is a celebration of the doctrine of Straightforward Football. This is exactly what we will strive for in every possible way.

Flank.

Made in a separate section. But do not forget that these are also defenders. First of all, defenders. And if I miss three goals per match, then something is wrong with me, then I need to
rethink tactics, since these wonderful and often unique sideline players are capable of a lot. We only need them as the Lord - to strengthen and direct us.

See what happens. If everything is good and we score more than we concede, then okay - we put them tactical roles on attack-support, and the general attitude of attacking / ball control. And if everything is bad, then forget about what they can, put them dully in defense.
In this case, the general attitude in tactics is defensive / counterattacking. It will be more reliable this way.
But this is my case, and I hope your situation is more favorable.

If so, then use them to the fullest. By giving them support / attack roles, you do not exclude them from defense circuits at all. If the ball is lost, according to the disposition, the flankers run back and participate in the destruction. Just be aware that by adjusting these two positions, you can
Significantly strengthen both the line of defense and the two lines following it, depending on what you need more at the moment. Something like this.

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 amount of real money invested that plays here, but 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"

Our list is continued by a browser-based football manager, which offers, in addition to the standard set of features 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. Both it and all the previous FIFA Manager games are quite problematic to get today, except to download from torrents or ask 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 of football simulators ever existed in the world.

4. Soccer Manager Series

A series of football managers from the Soccer Manager studio, 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.

Therefore, get ready to plunge into the world of football. First of all, choose the leagues you need, because this decision will be final, and you will no longer be able to add new divisions. If you are not sure if you need a league or not, select it available for viewing, then you can, if anything, activate it after the end of the regular season.

Next, create your profile and enter all the data. Here, too, you need to take everything responsibly. Nationality, language proficiency and gaming experience affect how you are treated. So, if you put that an ordinary guy from Russia and does not know foreign languages, then the top clubs will not be interested in you for several years, and even if you choose them under management, the players will not listen to you.

First steps, distribution of roles

You have just started your journey to coaching triumph and greatness, but it is already necessary to determine what you will do in your club.

Preseason preparation

Preparing for the season is one of the most important parts of the training process in FM 14... As soon as you fail the physical and moral preparation of the team for the season and disastrous results will not be long in coming. Don't be afraid to put pressure on your players. If you like to keep everything under control, try to expose as much as possible. hard training- players will swear and get tired, however, in the middle of the season, when the team from a recorded outsider turns into a candidate for medals or advancement to the next division, the players will carry you in their arms. Literally!

If you are an advocate of divide and conquer, assign your deputy to do all the work of the training. Using this option, you completely turn off your head for training and do not worry about how much tactical skill or physical training the player corresponds to the team level. The assistant also provides you with periodic training reports so you can monitor training process from afar and after the fact.

Also in the preseason, it is better to load on full composition and matches. Try to play 2 matches per week. You will both play out the tactical scheme and bring the physics of the players to the optimal level.

Engage double and junior players in friendly matches. Try to give all players the opportunity to play preseason matches. And improve the morale of the players, and young players will strive to show themselves in order to get into the first team.

Company's secret: Don't be afraid to divide responsibilities between assistants, scouts and other technical staff. IN FM 14 the work of the coaching staff is so great that it creates a full sense of the reality of everything that happens.

Tactics

Special part FM 14- this is a tactical setting for the match. Don't expect the game to have one or two tactics that will work 100%. Sometimes even good managers spend months looking for the “right” tactics that will allow them to win not only against weak and equal clubs, but also against the powerful. More often than not, good managers have three or four tactics, which they vary depending on the opponent. Adapting to the opponent's playing style, neutralizing his strengths and putting pressure on his weaknesses is one of the most interesting and exciting tasks. FM 14... The game has a dozen standard tactics that players are ordered to change according to their preferences and discretion. However, even in such an aspect as tactics, you need to adhere to a number of small conditions.

• Game scheme... First of all, the placement of the players. Try to play 2-3 tactics right from the preseason matches. First you can choose in any order according to your preferences. Use different variations: try 4-4-2, 4-3-3 (with insiders), 4-5-1 (with two attacking midfielders), 4-1-2-1-2, etc. This will allow you to vary your lineup depending on the match and your opponent's playing style. The richer the center of the opponent's field, the more defenders and midfielders need to be set up. Keep in mind that defense plays a huge role in FM 14. Try to use four-defenders as you are less likely to lose sight of your attackers and concede a goal.
• Team tactics... Play style, attitude and instructions are very important for the start of a match. This tactics tab determines the settings with which your team will go to the match.
  • Play style... The stricter your mindset, the less the team will deviate from the match plan and use intricate combinations. Accordingly, the more flexible the setup, the more often players will be creative in attack.
  • Mood... Everything is simple here: defensive installations will force the team to close, the attackers will untie the hands of the attacking and flanking midfield players. If you need to play very carefully in defense and to hack the enemy's defense on counterattacks, feel free to use defensive and counterattacking styles. If you are confidently stronger than your opponent, play holding the ball or attacking, strong attacking players should bring you victory through individual and team actions.
  • Instructions... This is a separate story in your tactical scheme. Try to provide your team with instructions that are precise enough to fit the chosen playstyle and mood. Otherwise, your players will follow two mutually exclusive instructions and the result will be disastrous. IN FM 14 By the way, exclusionary instructions are now unavailable for selection, making your life and setting choices easier.
  • Company's secret: Don't offer players too much free action in the attack (just like don't clamp down on their ambitions in tactics). Find balance in team action empirically with preseason matches.

• Installations for players. In order for your players to correctly understand their functions on the field, in the "Player" tab you need to assign each role, tasks and instructions. This is a rather tedious part of the coaching process, but finding a comfortable playing environment can sometimes turn into an exciting process. Here's a paradox.
• Standards, Penalties and Captain. In this part of the game tactics, nothing has changed over the years. In the appropriate tabs, you list performers, guided by certain skills. By the way, it is also an important part of the process, because the number of penalties in FM 14 increased significantly (as, indeed, corners), so their rally became an integral headache for coaches in FM 14.

Company's secret. Do not leave to the mercy team results in pre-season games and championship matches (cup, European Cup).

First, you need to keep track of how your players are playing. Captaincy - you say. A thoughtful move - we will answer. If your team misses more often from set pieces, instruct the assistants to train the skill of defense on set positions a couple of days before the match. You will see, not in the first, because in the second match the team will not concede from a corner or free kick.

Second, change / upgrade tactics more often during the match. It has been noticed for several years that opponents are beginning to get ADDICTED to the same scheme used by your club. At some point, your team will simply stop winning and roll down like an intellectual down a hill in a cold winter. And the players will find fault, and the journalists will tease with uncomfortable questions.

Third, look out for players who lose morale after matches. This may be due to his poor play (then support him through a conversation), or it may happen that your excellent tactics simply do not suit him and the poor man is not satisfied with the installation for the match. Then you need to either talk to him, suggesting to be patient, or listen to him and, possibly, let him go to the transfer.

Match

The match is an integral part of the club management process and the right tactics do not always determine the outcome of the match. Most often it happens that by offering the team defensive tactics for testing, you find yourself mentally ready to win. The players strive forward and try to bring three points to the club's piggy bank ... That's when such an option comes into effect as changing the settings during the match. If you notice that your players are attacking dangerously, add speed or pressure to the enemy. This will allow you to have more possession of the ball and take it as far away from your goal as possible.

Communication with the team before and after the match, of course, plays an important role in raising morale. How you conduct the pre-match dialogue determines the mood with which the team will enter the match. But do not get carried away by fiery speeches and constant demand for results. Vary your comments depending on the predictions, the standings of your opponents and other factors.

Company's secret: during the matches, your assistant will constantly inform you about the successful and unsuccessful actions of your players and the team play in general, but do not rush to follow his advice. Try to analyze the situation yourself, because abrupt and drastic changes in the game can upset the balance of your tactics.

Transfers

Another important aspect is the transfer policy. If you start your career in a top-level club and a participant in European competitions, then you will not have problems with funding. This is especially true for clubs from the five largest championships (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France). The money in these championships is spinning huge and tidbits from the common pie will always get. And the depth of the bench in the top clubs is a sight for sore eyes. In the same Chelsea or Manchester City, the squad allows not only to score on transfers, but also to shuffle players from match to match, forgetting about the junior and reserve teams. Unfortunately, this is what happens in reality ...

Another thing is a minor league club, a first division middle peasant or an outsider. In some championships (like the 2,3,4 divisions of the English championship) you will be obliged to follow financial fair-play. First of all, you will not be allowed to raise the salary bar above a certain amount. The sanctions here are tough and ultimatum, right up to the removal of glasses (oh yes, in FM 14 this is harsh truth life). Secondly, the number of players to sign for one transfer cannot exceed 5 people. You will also not be allowed to change the gender of the squad at the end of the season. It became even more interesting to follow the transfer policy. The rest of the game has undergone little changes in the new installation. If you have enough money, you can buy and sell with little or no restrictions, but try to invest wisely. This is not a FIFA 14 simulator, where you can throw 50 million pounds to buy Wayne Rooney and not choke. Shopping in excess of the amount in FM 14 will force you to tighten your belt for a couple of seasons.

Finance

The game uses the model of the classic English head coach-manager. So, you have to superficially control the financial well-being of your club.

Basically you are responsible for 2 things - balance between salary and transfer budget, overall balance. When signing contracts with players, you need to take into account absolutely every nuance, otherwise your club will go into debt. They can also lead to dismissal and even bankruptcy of the club.

Try not to overpay for a player once again if you are not sure that he will bring real benefit to the team. If you have players that you don't really need, rent them out right away. Thus, you will pay less salary and there will be fewer problems. After all, a low-level player very often undermines the collective spirit.

Communication

Communication with your clients and journalists plays a very important role. Therefore, we will analyze several types of dialogues in the game.

1) Team communication - usually this type is relevant before the season and after. Then you bring all the players together, share your opinion with them, as a result of which the players gain or lose additional motivation. This version of conversations is also relevant for personnel, only with it you have to solve tactical moments and they are shown in the form of a proposal-solution. You can bring up this or that topic, the entire coaching staff will offer you advice, and it is up to you to accept it or not.

2) Personal communication - sometimes, players need a personal approach. In this type of interaction, you must have enough of your ward, criticize or raise important question(renegotiation of the contract, advice in choosing another club).

3) Talking to Journalists - Members of the media are very fond of asking compromising questions, so be careful. You will have to communicate with journalists before the games, after the games, discuss rumors and represent the players. It would seem that everything is simple, but in reality it is not. All negative emotions just go through the media. Therefore, generally speaking, journalists benefit from about 20 percent and 80 percent harm. If you do not want to communicate with them, you can send your assistant, but then he can say too much. If you avoid questions from journalists, then your reputation can fall, because bad reviews will go about you.

4) Coaching communication - above we wrote about interactions with our coaching staff, sometimes you have to talk with your rivals. Very often, your answers at press conferences can anger outside specialists and experts like Bubnov. Then they start a public conversation with you and it cannot be avoided. You will have to argue, insult and sometimes even praise your communication rivals. Sometimes, by giving your comment, you can put pressure on the management of another club and its owner will fire the coach. You can also support other coaches, then they can become high friends and give small advice before matches. who is more dangerous to your team.