rothordegilian
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INTRODUCTION - A few weeks ago, I posted a tactic hoping to recreate a version of Brazil 1970 that kinda worked and was evolving into a handy little 3-4-3 formation. I intended to update it 2 weeks ago but the latest patch basically killed it stone dead. So..back to the drawing board!
BASIC PHILOSOPHY - To play quick, short passing football designed to move the ball speedily from defence to attack. Possession is important but the team should be allowed to take risks in order to take advantage of attacking opportunities.
THE FORMATION - The formation is a 4-2-2-2 based liberally on the Brazilian World Cup team of 1982, a side that was famous for winning possession and turning defense into attack in an instant. The 4-2-2-2 system was used to take advantage of the excess of midfield play-makers in Brazilian football at the time and the development of a box midfield system allowed these players to be deployed in central attacking positions with support via the wings coming in the form of overlapping full backs.
View attachment 447729
Positioning - Essentially, all the players are required to hold position in the central midfield corridor but with a freedom to roam within that confine. They should only really ever leave this corridor to apply pressure in defence. With a few exceptions; one defensive midfielder must always remain to cover the defence and there should always be a striker in position to take advantage of attacking passes. The obvious exceptions are the attacking full-backs who are given reign to attack at will down each wing, even at the expense of defensive cover. These players effectively act as a ball shuttling service, offering a wide outlet for the creative central players who will then carry or pass the ball to forward attackers and occasionally offering an attacking outlet themselves.
In a normal 4-2-2-2, the attacking play-makers normally sit a little deeper than in the formation used here and push forward in possession, but this proved a little tricky to implement in FM 2014, with the defensive areas becoming overly crowded and the front players isolated, so here they are pushed further forward to stretch the play. When sitting deeper, the players tended to run at the defense more, losing the ball or running past the forwards if successful. The formation uses and highly fluid mentality and so the players need space to move around in.
Another potential problem is in implementing the cover system used in the traditional formation. Essentially, each 'pairing' on the field would work on the principle that if one attacks, the other will cover and this proved very difficult to accurately recreate (unless you have a team of geniuses). It was necessary therefore to give each pairing a supportive player and an attacking player.
Organization - The strategy consists of two units of four players each arranged in box formations, with both formations supported by mobile wide players on each side. Each unit is simply charged with it's relevant duties - attacking or defending - with the wide players acting in accordance with their position on the pitch. One player from each unit is seen as the main outlet for that unit - a deep play maker for the defense and an advanced forward to finish off attacking moves. Other players are naturally encouraged to link play forward or finish off moves, but these two players should always be in position to capitalize on the team's play.
The team consists simply of two central defenders, two holding midfielders, two attacking midfielders, two forwards and two wing-backs.
Central Defense - This is probably the most straightforward part of the strategy. Use two, big, strong, uncompromising central defenders. It's that easy. These two will do nothing but defend. They push high up the field as the attack moves forward so often in a Brazilian 4-2-2-2, both of them act as cover defenders. If your players have enough Anticipation and speed, feel free to do the same. Otherwise you may wish to use a Stopper/Cover combination although this may negate any offside decisions in your favour (not that the strategy is specifically set up for offside). My team is simply set up as two Central Defenders set to Defend. It's worth noting that the back 2 becomes a back 3 at times...more later. Each defender is instructed to Pass Shorter to prevent them lumping balls aimlessly forward.
Wing Backs - The key to this formation is these two. They are set to Complete Wing Backs in order to force them forward as much as possible. CWB is more attacking than even Wing Back/Attack. They need to be technically strong with attacking skills in particular Dribbling/Crossing/Passing being of more importance than defensive skills. If they can defend as well, all to the good with Tackling being more relevant than marking - they aren't there to mark players out of the game! Stamina is vital for these players asthey will regular cover in excess of 9-10 miles each game and good CWBs are like gold dust so you are unlikely to have two more on the bench to replace them. I sometimes find it easier to retrain a good, strong winger to defend than make a limited wide defender an attacker. If you can find players with Flair and Creativity then even better.
These players have to be adaptable. They will often find themselves making last ditch, goal saving tackles one moment and then one-on-one with the goalkeeper at the other end a few seconds later. Expect both of them to contribute with goals. But the principle job of these two is not really to act like wingers, beating players and carrying the ball forward, but to support the units out wide, acting like relays between the units by passing the ball back to midfield and then advancing or retreating to find more space.
They are instructed to Close Down More in order to instantly put pressure on attacking moves out wide and allow the defensive unit time to get into cover positions. This also naturally draws the central midfielder towards them in order to support, often leaving the opposite CWB free in space on the other flank, so the ability to switch play quickly is useful. They are told to Get Further Forward to further encourage their forays down the pitch and Stay Wider in order to stretch the opposition defense across the field and allow channels for the forwards to run into.
Half Back - Of the two holding midfielders, this is the one who acts as cover for the defense. The half back is basically a sweeper that sits in front of, rather than behind the central defense. His presence naturally encourages the central defense to push higher up the field. He will rarely move more than 10 yards ahead of the defense and will always look to pass to a more creative player when in possession. When defending, he will drop back into the defensive line to become the centre of a 3 man defense although he will freely push forward again to make tackles rather than try and 'shepherd' players into less dangerous areas.
The ideal player here is someone who is equally comfortable in central defence as he is at defensive midfielder. He really only needs the same attributes as a central defender, although Acceleration is very useful and Passing is always a bonus.
Regista - The ball winning, play making, hard tackling heart of the team. He's as a happy kicking lumps out of the opposition as he is with the ball at his feet. He needs to be creative, quick and strong. The Regista is the outlet for the defensive unit and is given reign to push further up the pitch in order to shut down attacks. He is rather like a defensive version of the Trequartista, floating around looking for opportunities to be creative and set up attacks. He will often be found lurking just outside the opposition area as the attacking players push forward in attack.
He naturally finds himself in position to close down opposition players, so I never set him to Close Down More or he tends to almost get in other team mate's way. He's also the only player in the team not given a Shorter Passing instruction. The opposite, in fact, being instructed to use More Direct Passes to allow him to pick out killer passes to players in attacking positions and to discourage him from needlessly passing the ball backwards. Because of the positions he finds himself in, you may find that the Regista takes an large number of long shots. I'm lucky in that my player has great Long Shots so I let him try, but instruct him to Shoot Less Often if it's a problem. Look for someone with great Passing, Tackling, Decisions and Off The Ball.
Attacking Midfielder - The support element of the attacking midfielders. His job is to play his team mates into attacking positions and to contribute with goals of his own. He is required to play through balls for the striker to run on to. Good First Touch is essential as he will often find himself in crowded situations as team mates around him drift into space. He's given a Support role to encourage him to sit in the hole rather than needlessly squander possession attacking. If he cannot find a decent attack opportunity, he is happy to pass the ball out wide or back to a defensive player.
Trequartista - Although outwardly given the same task as his partner, the Treq has more license to roam and thence drag defensive players out of position. In possession he can then play through balls into the relevant space for the forwards to exploit, lay the ball out wide to advancing CWBs to create further mayhem in the opposition defence or to take on his opposite number himself. He is the most likely of all the midfielders to score so relevant attacking attributes are useful. His instructions are simple - Pass It Shorter.
False Nine - The simple job of the F9 in this setup is to create space for his partner and to play him into attacking positions. He drops into midfield with the intention of dragging defenders with him allowing space for the attacking midfielders and the striker to rush on to. If his marker doesn't follow him, he finds himself in space in central attacking midfield where he is then free to set up attacks. Ironically, he has been given a Hold Position instruction which may seem counter-intuitive at first but with the high pressing team instruction, he tended to wander too deep into midfield in search of the ball, often making interceptions in our own area. I need him to stay further forward, so that takes care of that.
Any type of striker can play in this position as the principle job is to feed his partner. I originally had this position as Target Man/Attack but found that he was being picked out with long passes far too much. You can do this if you want, naturally, but the basic philosophy of this tactic was to use quick, short passing and the Target Man spoiled that dynamic. Likewise, an Advanced Forward worked here too but I preferred F9.
Poacher - The main goalscorer of the team. In my first season using this tactic, this guy broke the club season scoring record, the league scoring record and scored 5 hat-tricks. All of the attacking focus of the team is to get this guy on to the end of through balls. His job is simple - to hang on the shoulder of the last defender, wait for the through ball to be played in and then score. He contributes little in attacking set up, preferring to lay the ball off if he finds himself out of position, and nothing at all in defense. That's for others. As such, he is given Hold Position to force him to stay put. He needs to move into the space vacated by or created by others so he is told to Move Into Channel.
He has to be quick to outpace the defense, to have great Composure and Finishing to take advantage and a good First Touch is vital. But equally important for this player is a good set of PPMs. I spend as long training the PPMs on the poacher as I do on his attributes. Take your pick from any of the following - Runs with ball through centre, Moves into channels, Shoots with power, Places shots, Curls Ball, Likes to round keeper, Likes to try to beat offside trap and Likes to lob keeper. As the opposition keeper will often rush out to meet his advances, the keeper PPMs are vital - he'll score a fair number of goals from lobs.
Finally, if you have a really good poacher - and I mean REALLY good poacher, one with high Finishing, Technique, Anticipation, Composure and Flair you can train the PPM Tries First Time Shots. It can effectively turn your striker into Romario but try it on someone without the required skills and you turn him into Emile Heskey.
TEAM INSTRUCTIONS -
Mentality - Control. Actually a slightly more attacking mentality than it suggests, allowing good, patient attacking without doing anything silly and leaving yourself exposed at the back. Perfect for the philosophy of this tactic.
Fluidity - Very Fluid. How could I even attempt to recreate something even vaguely Brazil 1982 without setting this to Very Fluid? The players need to be able to contribute everywhere and the ones that don't have been firmly nailed into position via their player instructions.
Look For Overlap - To compel the midfielders to utilise the onrushing CWBS
Exploit The Flanks - No point having the CWBs set to Play Wider and then not use that space.
Play Narrower - But only the CWBS! Everyone else has to stay central.
Roam From Position - Players in the central corridor that haven't been given specific holding instructions really need to generate lots of movement.
Much Higher Tempo - It's Brazil. That ball has move through the transition phase as quickly as possible.
Shorter Passing - But it's not England. Lumping the ball forward is not acceptable
You'll note that there is no Retain Possession instruction, something that in modern football is increasingly popular. This is deliberate. With such a naturally strong defense and attack and a well balanced formation, possession comes naturally, particularly against weaker opponents. All the Retain Possession instruction does is force the team to reign in it's attacking freedom and that is not the philosophy here.
Opposition Instructions - None. The player roles, player and team instructions should take care of everything.
Team Talk - As you see fit.
Red Card / 10 men - Take off the F9 and maintain the integrity of the defensive unit at all costs. You may want to reign in the CWBs slightly depending on the situation but I normally just let the players carry on as before.
Training/Transfers - Once we hit 'fluid' I normally just leave team training on attacking movement. Individual training is normally just set according to the position of the player. It's important to pay attention to the player roles and play the right players there. Don't play a Target Man as the Poacher for example. So I often use individual attribute training to mold players as I want them. Young players with high Determination and Professionalism with good PA can almost always be molded into good players if you're patient.
Unless you intend to retrain them to the CWB roles, sell any players that can ONLY play wide. They have no place here and the income can be spent strengthening the team elsewhere.
Set Pieces - I used the examples from Jassar's tactical thread so props to him
THE SEASON - I decided to use Nottingham Forest as the team for this because...well, I'm a Forest fan! But they also have a handy squad and a decent pot of money to spend. Plus I never like to use the big teams to test tactics as a good tactic should not be masked simply by the quality of the players. Choosing Barcelona is fine, but are the players making you tactic look good or vice-versa? Also, choosing a lower league team gives your players a chance to grow, to train, to get used to the tactics and then you can try them against better opposition next year!
Immediately, the team hit the ground running with a series of crushing wins over inferior opposition. Our first setback came with a defeat in the League Cup against West Ham when I played the reserves and was quite pleased to be knocked out. A couple of draws whilst I fine tuned the tactics were the only minus points.
The team just got better and better through the season. The biggest win was a 7-0 thumping of Wigan. We took Man Utd to a replay in the FA cup, losing 3-2aet away (Van Persie scored in the 120th min). But apart from the odd draw (mostly caused by stupid penalties which appears to be a match engine issue) the season went by without a single loss in the league. We finished with 38 wins, 8 draws, 0 losses. 121 goals for, 22 against and 122 points. The Poacher finished with 50 goals in all competitions including 6 for Wales.
I restarted after a few games in the Premier League with Forest in 3rd as I decided to try again but without spending big on players (relatively), just to check that results weren't being effected by the quality of players before anything else. That season is ongoing.
Notes on Editing - Ever since FM first shipped with an editor, I have edited my kids into the game. I can't bear to play it without them because I'm a sentimental old goat. The unknown names you see in the screenshots are them. But I always simply use an existing young player at the club and change the name and the nationality. I choose players with high PA and who can play in roughly the right position and then expose them to a vigorous and dictatorial training regime. Much like I do in real life! They advance quickly due mainly to careful management and continued 1st team exposure. If some people consider this cheating, fair enough so be it. But I don't - it's my game and I'll play it how it pleases me.
No other editing was done either pre or save game.
I started the game with the Brazil leagues loaded which allowed me to start the game in December 2012. I always do this. I simply set up the training regimes and then go on holiday. It gives me 6 free months of training. Sue me!
Download Here
View attachment 447724
BASIC PHILOSOPHY - To play quick, short passing football designed to move the ball speedily from defence to attack. Possession is important but the team should be allowed to take risks in order to take advantage of attacking opportunities.
THE FORMATION - The formation is a 4-2-2-2 based liberally on the Brazilian World Cup team of 1982, a side that was famous for winning possession and turning defense into attack in an instant. The 4-2-2-2 system was used to take advantage of the excess of midfield play-makers in Brazilian football at the time and the development of a box midfield system allowed these players to be deployed in central attacking positions with support via the wings coming in the form of overlapping full backs.
View attachment 447729
Positioning - Essentially, all the players are required to hold position in the central midfield corridor but with a freedom to roam within that confine. They should only really ever leave this corridor to apply pressure in defence. With a few exceptions; one defensive midfielder must always remain to cover the defence and there should always be a striker in position to take advantage of attacking passes. The obvious exceptions are the attacking full-backs who are given reign to attack at will down each wing, even at the expense of defensive cover. These players effectively act as a ball shuttling service, offering a wide outlet for the creative central players who will then carry or pass the ball to forward attackers and occasionally offering an attacking outlet themselves.
In a normal 4-2-2-2, the attacking play-makers normally sit a little deeper than in the formation used here and push forward in possession, but this proved a little tricky to implement in FM 2014, with the defensive areas becoming overly crowded and the front players isolated, so here they are pushed further forward to stretch the play. When sitting deeper, the players tended to run at the defense more, losing the ball or running past the forwards if successful. The formation uses and highly fluid mentality and so the players need space to move around in.
Another potential problem is in implementing the cover system used in the traditional formation. Essentially, each 'pairing' on the field would work on the principle that if one attacks, the other will cover and this proved very difficult to accurately recreate (unless you have a team of geniuses). It was necessary therefore to give each pairing a supportive player and an attacking player.
Organization - The strategy consists of two units of four players each arranged in box formations, with both formations supported by mobile wide players on each side. Each unit is simply charged with it's relevant duties - attacking or defending - with the wide players acting in accordance with their position on the pitch. One player from each unit is seen as the main outlet for that unit - a deep play maker for the defense and an advanced forward to finish off attacking moves. Other players are naturally encouraged to link play forward or finish off moves, but these two players should always be in position to capitalize on the team's play.
The team consists simply of two central defenders, two holding midfielders, two attacking midfielders, two forwards and two wing-backs.
Central Defense - This is probably the most straightforward part of the strategy. Use two, big, strong, uncompromising central defenders. It's that easy. These two will do nothing but defend. They push high up the field as the attack moves forward so often in a Brazilian 4-2-2-2, both of them act as cover defenders. If your players have enough Anticipation and speed, feel free to do the same. Otherwise you may wish to use a Stopper/Cover combination although this may negate any offside decisions in your favour (not that the strategy is specifically set up for offside). My team is simply set up as two Central Defenders set to Defend. It's worth noting that the back 2 becomes a back 3 at times...more later. Each defender is instructed to Pass Shorter to prevent them lumping balls aimlessly forward.
Wing Backs - The key to this formation is these two. They are set to Complete Wing Backs in order to force them forward as much as possible. CWB is more attacking than even Wing Back/Attack. They need to be technically strong with attacking skills in particular Dribbling/Crossing/Passing being of more importance than defensive skills. If they can defend as well, all to the good with Tackling being more relevant than marking - they aren't there to mark players out of the game! Stamina is vital for these players asthey will regular cover in excess of 9-10 miles each game and good CWBs are like gold dust so you are unlikely to have two more on the bench to replace them. I sometimes find it easier to retrain a good, strong winger to defend than make a limited wide defender an attacker. If you can find players with Flair and Creativity then even better.
These players have to be adaptable. They will often find themselves making last ditch, goal saving tackles one moment and then one-on-one with the goalkeeper at the other end a few seconds later. Expect both of them to contribute with goals. But the principle job of these two is not really to act like wingers, beating players and carrying the ball forward, but to support the units out wide, acting like relays between the units by passing the ball back to midfield and then advancing or retreating to find more space.
They are instructed to Close Down More in order to instantly put pressure on attacking moves out wide and allow the defensive unit time to get into cover positions. This also naturally draws the central midfielder towards them in order to support, often leaving the opposite CWB free in space on the other flank, so the ability to switch play quickly is useful. They are told to Get Further Forward to further encourage their forays down the pitch and Stay Wider in order to stretch the opposition defense across the field and allow channels for the forwards to run into.
Half Back - Of the two holding midfielders, this is the one who acts as cover for the defense. The half back is basically a sweeper that sits in front of, rather than behind the central defense. His presence naturally encourages the central defense to push higher up the field. He will rarely move more than 10 yards ahead of the defense and will always look to pass to a more creative player when in possession. When defending, he will drop back into the defensive line to become the centre of a 3 man defense although he will freely push forward again to make tackles rather than try and 'shepherd' players into less dangerous areas.
The ideal player here is someone who is equally comfortable in central defence as he is at defensive midfielder. He really only needs the same attributes as a central defender, although Acceleration is very useful and Passing is always a bonus.
Regista - The ball winning, play making, hard tackling heart of the team. He's as a happy kicking lumps out of the opposition as he is with the ball at his feet. He needs to be creative, quick and strong. The Regista is the outlet for the defensive unit and is given reign to push further up the pitch in order to shut down attacks. He is rather like a defensive version of the Trequartista, floating around looking for opportunities to be creative and set up attacks. He will often be found lurking just outside the opposition area as the attacking players push forward in attack.
He naturally finds himself in position to close down opposition players, so I never set him to Close Down More or he tends to almost get in other team mate's way. He's also the only player in the team not given a Shorter Passing instruction. The opposite, in fact, being instructed to use More Direct Passes to allow him to pick out killer passes to players in attacking positions and to discourage him from needlessly passing the ball backwards. Because of the positions he finds himself in, you may find that the Regista takes an large number of long shots. I'm lucky in that my player has great Long Shots so I let him try, but instruct him to Shoot Less Often if it's a problem. Look for someone with great Passing, Tackling, Decisions and Off The Ball.
Attacking Midfielder - The support element of the attacking midfielders. His job is to play his team mates into attacking positions and to contribute with goals of his own. He is required to play through balls for the striker to run on to. Good First Touch is essential as he will often find himself in crowded situations as team mates around him drift into space. He's given a Support role to encourage him to sit in the hole rather than needlessly squander possession attacking. If he cannot find a decent attack opportunity, he is happy to pass the ball out wide or back to a defensive player.
Trequartista - Although outwardly given the same task as his partner, the Treq has more license to roam and thence drag defensive players out of position. In possession he can then play through balls into the relevant space for the forwards to exploit, lay the ball out wide to advancing CWBs to create further mayhem in the opposition defence or to take on his opposite number himself. He is the most likely of all the midfielders to score so relevant attacking attributes are useful. His instructions are simple - Pass It Shorter.
False Nine - The simple job of the F9 in this setup is to create space for his partner and to play him into attacking positions. He drops into midfield with the intention of dragging defenders with him allowing space for the attacking midfielders and the striker to rush on to. If his marker doesn't follow him, he finds himself in space in central attacking midfield where he is then free to set up attacks. Ironically, he has been given a Hold Position instruction which may seem counter-intuitive at first but with the high pressing team instruction, he tended to wander too deep into midfield in search of the ball, often making interceptions in our own area. I need him to stay further forward, so that takes care of that.
Any type of striker can play in this position as the principle job is to feed his partner. I originally had this position as Target Man/Attack but found that he was being picked out with long passes far too much. You can do this if you want, naturally, but the basic philosophy of this tactic was to use quick, short passing and the Target Man spoiled that dynamic. Likewise, an Advanced Forward worked here too but I preferred F9.
Poacher - The main goalscorer of the team. In my first season using this tactic, this guy broke the club season scoring record, the league scoring record and scored 5 hat-tricks. All of the attacking focus of the team is to get this guy on to the end of through balls. His job is simple - to hang on the shoulder of the last defender, wait for the through ball to be played in and then score. He contributes little in attacking set up, preferring to lay the ball off if he finds himself out of position, and nothing at all in defense. That's for others. As such, he is given Hold Position to force him to stay put. He needs to move into the space vacated by or created by others so he is told to Move Into Channel.
He has to be quick to outpace the defense, to have great Composure and Finishing to take advantage and a good First Touch is vital. But equally important for this player is a good set of PPMs. I spend as long training the PPMs on the poacher as I do on his attributes. Take your pick from any of the following - Runs with ball through centre, Moves into channels, Shoots with power, Places shots, Curls Ball, Likes to round keeper, Likes to try to beat offside trap and Likes to lob keeper. As the opposition keeper will often rush out to meet his advances, the keeper PPMs are vital - he'll score a fair number of goals from lobs.
Finally, if you have a really good poacher - and I mean REALLY good poacher, one with high Finishing, Technique, Anticipation, Composure and Flair you can train the PPM Tries First Time Shots. It can effectively turn your striker into Romario but try it on someone without the required skills and you turn him into Emile Heskey.
TEAM INSTRUCTIONS -
Mentality - Control. Actually a slightly more attacking mentality than it suggests, allowing good, patient attacking without doing anything silly and leaving yourself exposed at the back. Perfect for the philosophy of this tactic.
Fluidity - Very Fluid. How could I even attempt to recreate something even vaguely Brazil 1982 without setting this to Very Fluid? The players need to be able to contribute everywhere and the ones that don't have been firmly nailed into position via their player instructions.
Look For Overlap - To compel the midfielders to utilise the onrushing CWBS
Exploit The Flanks - No point having the CWBs set to Play Wider and then not use that space.
Play Narrower - But only the CWBS! Everyone else has to stay central.
Roam From Position - Players in the central corridor that haven't been given specific holding instructions really need to generate lots of movement.
Much Higher Tempo - It's Brazil. That ball has move through the transition phase as quickly as possible.
Shorter Passing - But it's not England. Lumping the ball forward is not acceptable
You'll note that there is no Retain Possession instruction, something that in modern football is increasingly popular. This is deliberate. With such a naturally strong defense and attack and a well balanced formation, possession comes naturally, particularly against weaker opponents. All the Retain Possession instruction does is force the team to reign in it's attacking freedom and that is not the philosophy here.
Opposition Instructions - None. The player roles, player and team instructions should take care of everything.
Team Talk - As you see fit.
Red Card / 10 men - Take off the F9 and maintain the integrity of the defensive unit at all costs. You may want to reign in the CWBs slightly depending on the situation but I normally just let the players carry on as before.
Training/Transfers - Once we hit 'fluid' I normally just leave team training on attacking movement. Individual training is normally just set according to the position of the player. It's important to pay attention to the player roles and play the right players there. Don't play a Target Man as the Poacher for example. So I often use individual attribute training to mold players as I want them. Young players with high Determination and Professionalism with good PA can almost always be molded into good players if you're patient.
Unless you intend to retrain them to the CWB roles, sell any players that can ONLY play wide. They have no place here and the income can be spent strengthening the team elsewhere.
Set Pieces - I used the examples from Jassar's tactical thread so props to him
THE SEASON - I decided to use Nottingham Forest as the team for this because...well, I'm a Forest fan! But they also have a handy squad and a decent pot of money to spend. Plus I never like to use the big teams to test tactics as a good tactic should not be masked simply by the quality of the players. Choosing Barcelona is fine, but are the players making you tactic look good or vice-versa? Also, choosing a lower league team gives your players a chance to grow, to train, to get used to the tactics and then you can try them against better opposition next year!
Immediately, the team hit the ground running with a series of crushing wins over inferior opposition. Our first setback came with a defeat in the League Cup against West Ham when I played the reserves and was quite pleased to be knocked out. A couple of draws whilst I fine tuned the tactics were the only minus points.
The team just got better and better through the season. The biggest win was a 7-0 thumping of Wigan. We took Man Utd to a replay in the FA cup, losing 3-2aet away (Van Persie scored in the 120th min). But apart from the odd draw (mostly caused by stupid penalties which appears to be a match engine issue) the season went by without a single loss in the league. We finished with 38 wins, 8 draws, 0 losses. 121 goals for, 22 against and 122 points. The Poacher finished with 50 goals in all competitions including 6 for Wales.
I restarted after a few games in the Premier League with Forest in 3rd as I decided to try again but without spending big on players (relatively), just to check that results weren't being effected by the quality of players before anything else. That season is ongoing.
Notes on Editing - Ever since FM first shipped with an editor, I have edited my kids into the game. I can't bear to play it without them because I'm a sentimental old goat. The unknown names you see in the screenshots are them. But I always simply use an existing young player at the club and change the name and the nationality. I choose players with high PA and who can play in roughly the right position and then expose them to a vigorous and dictatorial training regime. Much like I do in real life! They advance quickly due mainly to careful management and continued 1st team exposure. If some people consider this cheating, fair enough so be it. But I don't - it's my game and I'll play it how it pleases me.
No other editing was done either pre or save game.
I started the game with the Brazil leagues loaded which allowed me to start the game in December 2012. I always do this. I simply set up the training regimes and then go on holiday. It gives me 6 free months of training. Sue me!
Download Here
View attachment 447724
