Football Manager 2020 & FM Touch

[Orikoru]

I got bored of my AZ game as we kept drawing or losing to stupid teams, then we lost to Ajax twice in a week. I started a new game, you'll laugh as it's Spurs again, but I wanted to test a few tactical bits and bobs on a quick game that I didn't have to invest too much interest in. Basically it's this:



As usual with Spurs we have all the injuries, but in fact I've had even more than my previous Spurs games, so the starting line-up has literally just been whoever is fit enough to play. Son has just gone down for 3 months now. Anyway, I wanted to test the higher line and pressing than I normally use, plus I'm trying the 'stopper' duty on Sanchez - I've not used a stopper before, but this formation is a little prone to long range goals due to the lack of DM I think, so I wanted him to really get out to them and stop those if possible.

It's started reasonably well I suppose. Six games played:
Southampton(H) 2-0
Palace(A) 1-2
Newcastle(H) 1-0
West Ham(A) 0-0
Watford(H) 1-0
PSG(A) 2-0

So the Palace result was terrible, but clean sheets in all the other games, including a big scalp against PSG. We're not scoring as many goals as I'd like, but that's mostly down to Harry Kane being absolutely shocking just like he was in my previous saves. Every game I seem to be taking him off as he's on a 6.4. Can't work out why he's so crap. I'm giving Parrott plenty of games and I'm going to try and buy Edouard in Jan I think. We had 22 shots against West Ham, 23 against Newcastle, and 1 goal combined to show for it - a Ben Davies injury time screamer. I'm hoping it's just inconsistency due to the injuries we've had and having to chop and change, not able to build partnerships etc.

 

[Hackers76]

The board confuse me on this game. Into 2022 and I have just sold Moura for £46m and Sissoko for £26m and they are unhappy. Neither were in the first team and struggled to get on the bench, at 29 and 32 I thought they were acceptable deals but the board are disappointed by the finances involved in the deals.

 

[Orikoru]

The board confuse me on this game. Into 2022 and I have just sold Moura for £46m and Sissoko for £26m and they are unhappy. Neither were in the first team and struggled to get on the bench, at 29 and 32 I thought they were acceptable deals but the board are disappointed by the finances involved in the deals.

They always say that. And it overlooks the fact that it's damn near impossible to sell most players for much above their value. I just ignore 99% of the board feedback because it's all bollocks. I swear they were disappointed in the finances when I loaned somebody out once. When I was Norwich we beat Man City and they were only 'satisfied'. Jog on!

 

[Dan2501]

They always say that. And it overlooks the fact that it's damn near impossible to sell most players for much above their value. I just ignore 99% of the board feedback because it's all bollocks. I swear they were disappointed in the finances when I loaned somebody out once. When I was Norwich we beat Man City and they were only 'satisfied'. Jog on!

Board confidence and reactions to certain things definitely need adjusting in the next version of the game, but not sure how much they affect your overall job security in the grand scheme of things.

If you're struggling to sell players for as much as you'd expect for them - watch this:

Few little tips in there that will help get the maximum for every player you try and sell. Love Zealand's content, one of the few FM content creators worth watching.

 

[Orikoru]

Board confidence and reactions to certain things definitely need adjusting in the next version of the game, but not sure how much they affect your overall job security in the grand scheme of things.

If you're struggling to sell players for as much as you'd expect for them - watch this:

Few little tips in there that will help get the maximum for every player you try and sell. Love Zealand's content, one of the few FM content creators worth watching.

I did watch that and it doesn't work, he's talking rubbish. When I offer to clubs over their value it just comes back that nobody made any offers. I think he just had good players in a poor league hence they were easier to sell.

I do like Zealand though, I subscribed after the last video of his that you posted. Have watched a fair few of his vids.

 

[Dan2501]

You tried offering out with the value unspecified? I had a few bites doing that with a couple of Everton players that had no interested clubs and seemed to work nicely. Think it helps if you already have significant interest in the players though.

 

[Orikoru]

You tried offering out with the value unspecified? I had a few bites doing that with a couple of Everton players that had no interested clubs and seemed to work nicely. Think it helps if you already have significant interest in the players though.

If you get an offer that way it's always miles below their value.

Anyway, this game is bloody stupid chapter 101 - my team were doing really well, we had suffered a couple of defeats, but every win we'd had produced a clean sheet as well so I figured I was onto something. Sod that though, because the traditional November/December slump was back with a vengeance. Lost three straight league games to Everton, Wolves and Bournemouth - still found time to beat PSG in Europe in between them though. Then we managed two late goals to drew 2-2 with Man Utd, smashed Villa to finally notch a win. I thought, I could use a run of easy fixtures now. Who have we got? City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. Great. City smashed us 4-0, but we beat Chelsea thanks to 3 goals in the first 15 minutes, and their 2 second half goals weren't enough. So we're 7th now anyway, but top four looks a long way off at the moment.

The board randomly boosted my budget to £68 million - maybe because I topped the Champs League group, beating PSG and RBL twice each. I've spent it all on Leon Bailey (has to be better than Bergwijn) and Ruben Dias (need to phase out Toby really as he's not going to improve). If I can flog Lamela and Sissoko I'll probably look to bring in another striker, but no emergency as Dele Alli has done surprisingly well up top.

 

[Orikoru]

Weird season with Spurs. After that shocking league form in December we found it hard to recover, very patchy for most of the season and found ourselves in 9th place for a lot of it. The only reason I wasn't sacked was top performances in the cup. I've got us to two cup finals, the Champs League and FA Cup. We face Liverpool in both of them, obviously. Had a good spell in the league though winning 6 in a row, so we've crept into 5th place with one game remaining. No chance of 4th because the gap to Wolves is 4 points, but beat Watford and 5th is ours. Would be quite pleased with that overall.

Hoping I get decent money in the summer. Need to pack Sissoko and Son off as well, but I could use a right winger to challenge Lucas Moura, and a new keeper since Lloris is old, and I already sold Gazzaniga so I don't actually have a back up. I didn't mention before but as well as Bailey and Dias I managed to bring Tonali in on deadline day, and he's been incredible until he broke his ankle a while back. I also signed Fabio Silva from Porto, he arrived already injured but when he eventually got fit he scored 4 in first 5 games or so, but then slowed right down (young strikers never have consistency on this game to be fair). But with him and Parrott improving to rotate with Kane, I should be set in attack really.

Edit: Lost all three. Am currently bringing in Onana and Coman.

 

[Orikoru]

This game winds me up so much. Somehow I've developed a team/tactics that do brilliantly against good teams and poorly against rubbish ones! Into October now, we've beaten Arsenal 3-0, City 1-0, got a 0-0 with Liverpool where we were the better side as well. But we've lost 1-0 to West Brom (we had 27 shots, 12 SOT, 59% pos); drew 2-2 with Norwich where we were 2-0 up absolutely cruising and they scored in the 81st and 83rd minutes; and drew 0-0 with Sheff Utd who were down to ten men after 25 minutes (20 shots, 7 SOT, 57%). That West Brom game is our only defeat, but we're 7th thanks to all the crappy draws! I'm finding Fabio Silva and Parrott inconsistent so I've done a deal for Moussa Dembele to arrive from Lyon in January. Consequently my squad is pretty damn good:

Kane, F.Silva, Parrott, Dembele
L.Bailey, Coman, Moura, Bergwijn, Son(tried to sell him but failed)
Tonali, Lo Celso, Gedson, Ndombele, Dele, Winks
R.Sessegnon, Davies, Tomiyasu, Vagnoman
R.Dias, Ajer, Sanchez, Alderweireld
Onana, Lloris.

Bold is who'll usually start, but I still don't know who my best box-to-box is really. My tactic is this now, with loads of high pressing and kicking lumps out of the oppo:

AFa - CFa
IWs - DLPd - BBMs - Wa
WBa - BPDco - BPDst - FBs
SKs
​

Obviously the WBa is to make best use of Sessegnon now that he's improving.

 

[jmf1488]

I got bored of my AZ game as we kept drawing or losing to stupid teams, then we lost to Ajax twice in a week. I started a new game, you'll laugh as it's Spurs again, but I wanted to test a few tactical bits and bobs on a quick game that I didn't have to invest too much interest in. Basically it's this:

View attachment 31641

As usual with Spurs we have all the injuries, but in fact I've had even more than my previous Spurs games, so the starting line-up has literally just been whoever is fit enough to play. Son has just gone down for 3 months now. Anyway, I wanted to test the higher line and pressing than I normally use, plus I'm trying the 'stopper' duty on Sanchez - I've not used a stopper before, but this formation is a little prone to long range goals due to the lack of DM I think, so I wanted him to really get out to them and stop those if possible.

It's started reasonably well I suppose. Six games played:
Southampton(H) 2-0
Palace(A) 1-2
Newcastle(H) 1-0
West Ham(A) 0-0
Watford(H) 1-0
PSG(A) 2-0

So the Palace result was terrible, but clean sheets in all the other games, including a big scalp against PSG. We're not scoring as many goals as I'd like, but that's mostly down to Harry Kane being absolutely shocking just like he was in my previous saves. Every game I seem to be taking him off as he's on a 6.4. Can't work out why he's so crap. I'm giving Parrott plenty of games and I'm going to try and buy Edouard in Jan I think. We had 22 shots against West Ham, 23 against Newcastle, and 1 goal combined to show for it - a Ben Davies injury time screamer. I'm hoping it's just inconsistency due to the injuries we've had and having to chop and change, not able to build partnerships etc.

Tactic is never going to work.

Drop Ali to AMC support.

Move your wingers forward. You can keep them as wingers or inside forwards or inverted wingers depending on what roles suit them the best. You can have 1 winger and 1 inside forward, it will work.

Don't have both your wingers on attach. Put one side attack and 1 side support.

Do the opposite for full backs. If your LW is attack then put your RB as attack then LB support and RW support. This way its balanced and you have attacking options on both sides of the pitch.

Put your DLP to defend to help connect the back 4 with the midfield.

If you are playing with wingers set them to shoot less. It doesn't mean they wont shoot but they will stop running into the side netting as much.

Put the CB to cover on the side the full back attacks. Put the other CB on support.

Tactics needs balance. A good balance of player roles and duties always. It is very important that the players you put in the role suit the role. You could have a 5* player who is playing at a 2* level cause he is in the wrong role.

 

[Orikoru]

Tactic is never going to work.

Drop Ali to AMC support.

Move your wingers forward. You can keep them as wingers or inside forwards or inverted wingers depending on what roles suit them the best. You can have 1 winger and 1 inside forward, it will work.

Don't have both your wingers on attach. Put one side attack and 1 side support.

Do the opposite for full backs. If your LW is attack then put your RB as attack then LB support and RW support. This way its balanced and you have attacking options on both sides of the pitch.

Put your DLP to defend to help connect the back 4 with the midfield.

If you are playing with wingers set them to shoot less. It doesn't mean they wont shoot but they will stop running into the side netting as much.

Put the CB to cover on the side the full back attacks. Put the other CB on support.

Tactics needs balance. A good balance of player roles and duties always. It is very important that the players you put in the role suit the role. You could have a 5* player who is playing at a 2* level cause he is in the wrong role.

A tactic pretty much the same as that one won me everything with Roma. But I have changed it now anyway to the one two posts above this. Coincidentally enough a lot of it is exactly what you said. And it has worked very well, we went 37 games unbeaten in all competitions, until finally losing a crazy FA Cup quarter final against Liverpool (3-0 down.. got it back to 3-3 but lost in extra time). We are three points ahead of them in the league with about 8 games left though. Our only league defeat is still that stupid early one against West Brom. I managed to add Goretzka for 62mil release clause in January, as well as Jude Bellingham for not very much at all as a squad player / future legend.

To be fair the amount of money I've been able to spend is ridiculous considering I'm playing as Spurs, but it is what it is. Hopefully I'll do the league and Europa double then one more season to have a go at the Champions League then I'll probably move onto a new save.

 

[jmf1488]

A tactic pretty much the same as that one won me everything with Roma. But I have changed it now anyway to the one two posts above this. Coincidentally enough a lot of it is exactly what you said. And it has worked very well, we went 37 games unbeaten in all competitions, until finally losing a crazy FA Cup quarter final against Liverpool (3-0 down.. got it back to 3-3 but lost in extra time). We are three points ahead of them in the league with about 8 games left though. Our only league defeat is still that stupid early one against West Brom. I managed to add Goretzka for 62mil release clause in January, as well as Jude Bellingham for not very much at all as a squad player / future legend.

To be fair the amount of money I've been able to spend is ridiculous considering I'm playing as Spurs, but it is what it is. Hopefully I'll do the league and Europa double then one more season to have a go at the Champions League then I'll probably move onto a new save.

I play the full game on my phone using Google stadia. You cant download tactics because its remote play basically. I researched how to create tactics. Main things were balanced the tactic. Player roles must suit the style of play and player duties must also be balanced. Dont attack all down the same side of the pitch. Have a good mix of balance support and defend. Make sure your players suit the role you are asking them to play. The roles must suit the style of play too. You can basically make any tactic work based on any set of players following them principles.

I always found in fm it doesn't really matter what players you have if the tactics aren't good. You don't win then you don't have good morale and a team with poor morale and tactics struggle big time.

I am playing as Newcastle. Got them to europa league and won it and finished 6th but got CL and won it too. My team was nowhere near the best team in the league but the tactics were spot on and the dynamics and morale was good. Took me 5 years to win CL but didn't win it again for another 4 years. Won the league in year 6.

I like to find a tactic that works then replace every player one by one with better ones when i have money and they are available.

 

[Wolf]

Games getting on my tits at the minute, this save I started as Ajax was thoroughly enjoying it and won everything every year for 4 years straight, took the Arsenal job mid season went the next 2 & half years unbeaten in all competitions so literally won everything again. Got bored took the Villa job for a challenge as the board criteria was avoid relegation and improve squad, ended up winning the PL in the first season, 2nd season board expect league win & run in Europe with a 20m budget ? opening 5 games I played Liverpool, Utd, City, Spurs & Barcelona. Won 3, drew 1 lost 1 got sacked for underperformance?.

So took the Dortmund job am currently top of the league after 22 games in the CL quarters and the board have told me they're unimpressed with current form and jobs basically hanging on a thread.. I swear sometimes the game just crap itself for the sake of it.

 

[Orikoru]

I play the full game on my phone using Google stadia. You cant download tactics because its remote play basically. I researched how to create tactics. Main things were balanced the tactic. Player roles must suit the style of play and player duties must also be balanced. Dont attack all down the same side of the pitch. Have a good mix of balance support and defend. Make sure your players suit the role you are asking them to play. The roles must suit the style of play too. You can basically make any tactic work based on any set of players following them principles.

I always found in fm it doesn't really matter what players you have if the tactics aren't good. You don't win then you don't have good morale and a team with poor morale and tactics struggle big time.

I am playing as Newcastle. Got them to europa league and won it and finished 6th but got CL and won it too. My team was nowhere near the best team in the league but the tactics were spot on and the dynamics and morale was good. Took me 5 years to win CL but didn't win it again for another 4 years. Won the league in year 6.

I like to find a tactic that works then replace every player one by one with better ones when i have money and they are available.

I've heard all that and obviously there is truth there, but also if you go and look at all the best-rated downloadable tactics, they all have all the forwards on Attack, or both strikers using the same role rather than a partnership, etc. So I figure there's more than one way to skin the cat.

My Spurs side are currently bottling the title like a good Spurs team should do. From 2-0 up at Man Utd, Coman got sent off and we conceded four goals, then we went and lost to bloody West Brom for the second time this season. Absolute farce.

 

[Orikoru]

Games getting on my tits at the minute, this save I started as Ajax was thoroughly enjoying it and won everything every year for 4 years straight, took the Arsenal job mid season went the next 2 & half years unbeaten in all competitions so literally won everything again. Got bored took the Villa job for a challenge as the board criteria was avoid relegation and improve squad, ended up winning the PL in the first season, 2nd season board expect league win & run in Europe with a 20m budget ? opening 5 games I played Liverpool, Utd, City, Spurs & Barcelona. Won 3, drew 1 lost 1 got sacked for underperformance?.

So took the Dortmund job am currently top of the league after 22 games in the CL quarters and the board have told me they're unimpressed with current form and jobs basically hanging on a thread.. I swear sometimes the game just crap itself for the sake of it.

Damn, your game sounds even more broken than mine.

 

[Wolf]

Damn, your game sounds even more broken than mine.

Absolute joke of a game sometimes. The exact wording in board confidence is "The recent awful form of the team is a major cause for concern"

We're literally top of the table unbeaten ahead of Hannover & Bayern. Literally couldn't make it up. Am considering a new save with some random lower league team with naff all expectations and see where it takes me.

 

[jmf1488]

I've heard all that and obviously there is truth there, but also if you go and look at all the best-rated downloadable tactics, they all have all the forwards on Attack, or both strikers using the same role rather than a partnership, etc. So I figure there's more than one way to skin the cat.

My Spurs side are currently bottling the title like a good Spurs team should do. From 2-0 up at Man Utd, Coman got sent off and we conceded four goals, then we went and lost to bloody West Brom for the second time this season. Absolute farce.

I have watched a few videos with the downloadable tactics. They go against the principles I follow but I find they have a lot of individual player instructions which probably plays a big part in them tactics. I tend not to alter the individual instructions too much cause you'd be there all day trying to tweak that.

Its sickening when that happens. I was 3-0 up against Real Madrid in CL semi final. I was winning 3-0 and they scored 2 goals. One of there goals was a 93rd min away goal to put them through on away goals. Gutted. Ever since then if I was 2 up or more against a team that was better than me I changed tactics mid game. My AMC goes to DMC put both my full backs on defend and changed my mentality to balanced. I havent bottled a 2 goal lead since.

 

[Wolf]

Scrap that above, as I was typing it out of nowhere I've just been hammered 5-0 by none other than bottom of the league Freiburg ?

Subsequently I've just been sacked for 2nd time in as many seasons despite being top of the table ??

Still i have the England job as well, gonna finish after this seasons WC and retire my manager.

 

[Orikoru]

Well we certainly bottled the league, finishing 4 points behind Liverpool - didn't even take it to the final day which is bitterly disappointing. We finish on 89 points. But I did at least win a trophy as we dominated Lazio in the Europa Cup final. Now I'm wondering what I have to do with this squad to topple Liverpool next season.