Steps for Success - A guide to FMM 20

Good Evening Football Manager Fans,

This guide follows on from one I created a year back(of which 88% of viewers found it helpful).

A lot of the information is extremely similar. If you are interested to read this or it may be of some help, it is available below:

So..my 14 Steps for success are:

1) ASK THE BOARD TO EXPAND THE STADIUM EVERY SEASON

This stems from Alex Ferguson's 8 steps to success(http://www.businessinsider.com/sir-alex-ferguson-reveals-8-secrets-to-success-2013-9?IR=T). His first point is you should start with the foundations and build a club rather than purely being results driven. Expanding the stadium is one way of improving the foundations of a club.

2) ASK THE BOARD TO IMPROVE THE TRAINING FACILITIES

This is similar to the point above and also important. The Clubs who get relegated from the premiership and wonder how to spend the money they have, often opt for players rather than buildings.This being said, training facilities have a longer lifespan than players & will help build up the players you already have, leading to a win-win situation.

3) ASK THE BOARD TO IMPROVE THE YOUTH FACILITIES

Finally, I like to ask the board to improve the Youth training facilities. If you get it right like Manchester city, your club can effectively run itself through the youth players comming through & the first team players and the senior players leading from the front. A world class youth centre therefore is essential!

4)SET HOLIDAY TO REJECT ALL OFFERS AND DO NOT BUY PLAYERS

I think with these two options that firstly, whoever you are with, you do not want to be a selling team.

As soon as I start with a club, I am putting a stamp down that we are holding onto our best players and building to be the best.

Also, I do not like anyone else buying players for my team but me. Its a waste of the transfer/wage budget & the computer normally does not choose the players you need the most.

5)ASSISTANT CONTROLS FRIENDLIES/YOUTH PROMOTIONS AND LOANS OUT UNDER 21S

My thinking here comes from Sir Alex Ferguson, who learnt as time went by that he needed to delegate his work load. This is the way i do it. Friendlies are mostly for fitness and if i choose the staff members, they should hold my vision of the youth players I want at the club. I think under 21 is a suitable age to make that judgement on whether they will cut it at the big club or not.

6)ALWAYS GET THE BEST STAFF AROUND YOU

This step is quite self explanatory but taken greatly from Louis Van Gaal - he stresses in the presentation how he has a lot of staff who in his eyes are more important than the team. They control the day to day running of the club, from the assistant picking youth players, the scouts finding new talent to pyshios who can keep your best players playing, they are vital.

For Example: Best Staff on the market in my career is a High Quality Silver Coach/Physio...

Ensure you match this with the staff you have. There are even a few World Class gold trained staff members in my career which is excellent.

7)MAKE SURE FINANCES STAY IN THE GREEN

Self explanatory but keep finances in the green. For examples of bad management, take Portsmouth, Leeds etc who spent a bit extra money looking for quick progress and instead found relegation and suffering. For good management, take Arsenal who take the balance book seriously and still manage to find themselves winning cups etc.

8)USE THE RIGHT TACTIC FOR THE SQUAD

So with this one, I use my own tactic.

I love the Tiki Taka system and think with the right players and management, it can be massively successful.

Of course, there are plenty of tactics on this website and if not a tactic on here, please model it on the players already in the squad.

9)WORK OUT THE PLAYERS REQUIRED 

This step involves getting more connected with the formation and tactic to build a philosophy of the way you want to play - for example: Some managers might have had Messi as a target man or inside forward but the False 9 was chosen for a reason and to amazing effect.

My tactic incorporates the following as taken from this book.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coaching-Tiki-Taka-Style-Play/dp/0957670540 

10)WORK OUT WHICH PLAYERS ARE GOOD ENOUGH

I take this information from https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://mrdaniels.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/fm_handheld_hints_and_tips.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi8pvaJkLPZAhVMKVAKHSiVAZIQFjAAegQIExAB&usg=AOvVaw1vk4Fscag3BOVYdUqvCR4D and https://community.sigames.com/manual/football-manager-mobile-2018/your-team-r315

Marc Vaughan in a previous game has marked out that world class teams can work by ths system of assessing players attributes:

• 10- Good Attribute
• 14- Very Good Attribute
• 16-Excellent Attribute

I use this for every team because I always want to build them to a world class level.

This information, along with the Key Atributes for each position outlined in the below, makes for a good general standard for where players are at or if they are good enough.

For example - a Left back with 14 for tackling and 15 stamina suggests in general he is a very good player.  In Contrary, if a centre back with heading 10 tackling 9 and positioning 15, i would look to offload them. Tackling is a key attribute and that player was not even classed as 'good' for it.

IF they fall below 10 attribute, offload them.

I MUST stress - This is not an exact art form but a guide.

11) WHAT TO DO WITH PLAYERS WHO ARENT GOOD ENOUGH?

I normally weigh up whether it is best to transfer list and demote a player or release.

Your club may need the money, in which case releasing the player to open space and wage budget makes sense.

12)TRANSFER MARKET

I like to be savy in the transfer market so i normally use this guide https://community.sigames.com/manual/football-manager-mobile-2018/your-team-r315 and check for players, first with 10 ratings, then move up the list until you narrow it down to 1 or 2 players, choosing the best of these & most affordable.

I have also started to search for players through Nationality(Home grown talent) & Age(19-25). 

I am trying to be smarter in the market to suit my team by getting treqartistas with AMC attributes and Inside forwards with Forwards attributes.

13) SETTING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

Soo, I am quite strict on myself as the manager in order to set the highest standards at the club.

In the book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Soccer-Coach-2014-Dimensional/dp/1909125326 it states that Man Utd once had a team goal not to go through the season losing two games in a row.

• I set myself a goal to never lose 3 games in a row -If i do, i ask the board to allow me extra time.

This one is the most optional on this list but means im aiming high and wanting to be the best. Plus, if you dont lose 3 games in a row, you are normally by the top of the table and if you do lose 3 games in a row, its a strong lesson that the team needs changing ASAP!

14)MATCH MANAGEMENT

I play matches a bit like Louis Van Gaal with little tinkering and happy to watch the match as a student, seing the trends and themes.

I make my changes at half time and they include:

☆ Substitute any players who have their fitness in 60% or lower( below the level of fitness to perform at their best in the 2nd half)

☆ Substitue any players who have their rating at 5 or lower( below the level of performance i demand of the players)

i hope you have enjoyed this and feel free to comment etc on it.

Edited August 2, 2020 by SSolas
update

[BatiGoal]

I used to sub the same way as you. Now I tend to go with:

1. Players with low fitness levels
2. Key players in need of a rest
3. Direct subs that need gametime
4. Players on yellow
5. Low ratings

Low rating players has fallen down the pecking order over the years. One reason is that I give them a chance to up their rating before the final whistle. In many cases they do, which helps their morale (and final AvR). The other reason, #2 and 3 are very important to me. #2 only if there's a crucial game days away and #3 to ensure subs don't stagnate their development and to maintain a strong bench. 

Some good tips here. Well done!

Edited November 21, 2019 by BatiGoal

[Scratch]

1 hour ago, BatiGoal said:

Low rating players has fallen down the pecking order over the years. One reason is that I give them a chance to up their rating before the final whistle.

Exactly what I do. 

[AndersJ]

Good guide, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts! exactly how i tried to do with my first great save in this years game with the not so mighty "De Hviiiie" from Aarhus AGF in Denmark

[mustafa58]

smells of labor. bravo man!

[Vick]

How can I download d game it self

[SophiaFM]

I take off players who are tired but also if I’m winning I take off players for making subs sake lol, usually a young player or if I’m out for a big scoreline, I’ll go mad and put wingers at full back for extra attackers. I don’t really care about some players game time though, no emotions business lol. I spent 60M on Ruben Neves but I’ve basically frozen him out now, he’s shit for some reason 🤔 I’ll try him more next season

[RobNemoo]

10 hours ago, SophiaFM said:

I take off players who are tired but also if I’m winning I take off players for making subs sake lol, usually a young player or if I’m out for a big scoreline, I’ll go mad and put wingers at full back for extra attackers. I don’t really care about some players game time though, no emotions business lol. I spent 60M on Ruben Neves but I’ve basically frozen him out now, he’s shit for some reason 🤔 I’ll try him more next season

You're one fierce manager  

I tend to get emotional when a young guy is on the verge of breaking into the first-11. They get to come of the bench every match, no matter the score. 

[SophiaFM]

2 hours ago, RobNemoo said:

You're one fierce manager  

I tend to get emotional when a young guy is on the verge of breaking into the first-11. They get to come of the bench every match, no matter the score. 

I like young players, I said I bring them on but I’d more ruthless with ‘established’ players like I mentioned Neves, he’s more established even though he’s only 22 but he’s been awful so far for some reason so I’ve frozen him out until next season he gets a fresh start 😆

[RobNemoo]

I see your point. An established player should be able to deliver the goods from the get go. We're on the same page.  

[Dazinho11]

Glad I’m not the only other OCD manager to structures the club like this!

Started to use your tactic as I’ve struggled to establish anything and it’s beginning to pay off, although I’m having more joy since I switched the striker to an Advanced Forward 👍

[Njbreakspear]

I find when a player has a 5 or lower rating at HT they often jump to 6 or 7 by 55-60 minutes, I don't take them off until then if they are still playing bad. Also I try to build enough depth so I dont ever have someone on 60% at HT cause I like to rotate constantly. If you have a good enough team this won't effect results and you will always have your best players on 100% when you need them and you can give more game time to youth players. 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Njbreakspear

[MichaelJMorris]

Hi guys I’ve been playing football manager for awhile now but I want to play it more realistically and in-depth. One feature I’ve always overlooked is the match previews. Have you guys got any tips and advice how I can choose my starting 11 and set my team up based on the match preview section. Where it shows the oppositions predicted xi and their team report! 
 

many thanks.