Help Second Half of Season Woes

[lchisholm]

I'm after some help and advice.

Pretty much every save I've had so far in FM23, the second half of the season is a slugger where I struggle to play even 2 games without defeat. Here is my Venezia save which highlights just how drastic it is. My players aren't injured, the team seems to be fine without any real issues (one or two grumble about something but on the whole the team is fine).

I haven't changed anything, there's been no new signings so I'm just confused why all of a sudden I literally be winning the league to finishing mid table...

Has anyone else experienced this? It's becoming so frustrating I can't even be bothered playing anymore.

[rabi3]

Hi, I think the game becomes harder over the time specially if you are overachieving.

 

[DanEnglish]

So I think it’s a combination of two things.

[A] How much do you rotate your teams? For example - if your first team play on a Sunday, if you have another game 3 days later, do you:

1. play the same first team - even if they’re 85-95% fit / condition,
2. or rotate in 2nd team players - to replace anyone who is less than <90% fit / condition,
3. or rotate completely to a 2nd team - do the entire 2nd team play, while the 1st team rest.

[B] How much do you manage morale? For example - after a defeat, do you speak to every player individually to raise their morale? Do you resign players to new / longer contracts in early Jan to boost morale? 

——

Why? Look at your matches here …

In your 1st screenshot - half of the time you are playing 1 game per week -

• red - FOUR times you’ve played a match 3 days after the past match.
• orange - THREE times you’ve played a match 4 days after the past match.

Of the red games (3 days after the past match) you have two wins, one draw, one loss … averaging 1.75 points per red game.

 

Now look at your 2nd screenshot - you are playing TWO games / week EVERY WEEK.

… mostly with just 3 days rest inbetween games … 

… now you have four losses, two draws (inc. the penalty shootout) and zero wins … averaging 0.33 points per red game.

 
How you manage your squad and morale through these times dictates your team’s performances 👍 thoughts?

[lchisholm]

2 hours ago, DanEnglish said:

So I think it’s a combination of two things.

[A] How much do you rotate your teams? For example - if your first team play on a Sunday, if you have another game 3 days later, do you:

1. play the same first team - even if they’re 85-95% fit / condition,
2. or rotate in 2nd team players - to replace anyone who is less than <90% fit / condition,
3. or rotate completely to a 2nd team - do the entire 2nd team play, while the 1st team rest.

[B] How much do you manage morale? For example - after a defeat, do you speak to every player individually to raise their morale? Do you resign players to new / longer contracts in early Jan to boost morale? 

——

Why? Look at your matches here …

In your 1st screenshot - half of the time you are playing 1 game per week -

• red - FOUR times you’ve played a match 3 days after the past match.
• orange - THREE times you’ve played a match 4 days after the past match.

Of the red games (3 days after the past match) you have two wins, one draw, one loss … averaging 1.75 points per red game.

 

Now look at your 2nd screenshot - you are playing TWO games / week EVERY WEEK.

… mostly with just 3 days rest inbetween games … 

… now you have four losses, two draws (inc. the penalty shootout) and zero wins … averaging 0.33 points per red game.

 
How you manage your squad and morale through these times dictates your team’s performances 👍 thoughts?

This is really a fantastic reply. Before I begin to even answer your questions, thank you for the thorough reply, it's exceptional.

 

A - 2. I usually replace anyone who is <90% fit. I do like to play with a small squad so there are moments when I have to field someone who is 80-90% fit. 

Do you recommend keeping the team at 100%? What's your preference here?

 

B - I do indeed usually do around of contracts in January. Anyone with less than 2 years, I usually renew, so that's one tick there ✅

I'll be the first to admit, I could spend more time bringing moral up. I tend to only talk to players

• when they've scored a hattrick or got man of the match and
• When they have a subpar (5) game and I need to tell them that wasn't good enough.

Do you recommend more engaging with the players, or what do you recommend?

 

By the questions you've asked I need to:

• Get a bigger squad and rotate more to at least 95%+
• Talk to my players more, especially after a defeat

Let me know what you think, and thank you again!

 

 

 

[DanEnglish]

@lchisholm am glad that was helpful 👍

You’ve taken away / summarized the exact 2 recommendations which I suggest 👍 

1 hour ago, lchisholm said:

Do you recommend keeping the team at 100%? What's your preference here?

Personally I have TWO teams - rotating between the two teams. I use the 1st team for most matches, especially the big games. Then I use the 2nd team for weaker opposition / cup games. The exception could be the DCs + GK, who typically don’t get as tired.

Alterbatives include:

• subbing off the same 4-5 players each match, in the mid-2nd half, to ensure they are fit for the next game.
• picking roles which are less fitness intensive (DFB / CM vs WB / B2B), or tactics which are less fitness intensive (mid-press, lower mentalities, not a fast tempo) - to conserve your 1st teams fitness / condition.
• < Something else I missed? >

2 hours ago, lchisholm said:

Do you recommend more engaging with the players, or what do you recommend?

Yeah. Sometimes this game has been called ‘Morale Manager’. Talking to players about recent games, recent form, and training helps raise morale. So - while I don’t do it much - yes it helps.

🙂 

[lchisholm]

Nice one, thank you. Here is what I'll do based on your recommendations.

• I'll expand my squad
• I'll possibly switch my B2B, WB roles to DFB, CM roles based on how the game is going. If I'm 2-0 up at half time, I'll go defence / slow the pace down.
• Talk more with the players. Boost their moral at any given opportunity.

 

I'm just about to jump into a new season with this Venezia save so will let you know how it all goes. Fingers crossed the second half slump doesn't continue!

[rseven]

Sometime like irl, team will go bad after one unlucky game. 

And in the game, keep same tactics do not mean to have same result. 

You may do sth not wait.

[Cootesatosser]

This is all sensible talk and I suffer with the same challenges and it winds me up that I can batter a big side like Chelsea early in the season only to be knocked out by that same team in a semi final or final of a domestic cup because by April time my squad are blowing out of their backsides or have no bottle.

One thing which worked in my second season was dropping a lot of my younger players in favour of more experienced squad members, even if their attributes are worse. It saved my season which was at risk of going off the rails at that stage.