Am I playing FM to its full potential

[LI4MP]

So I was wondering last night whilst playing FM whether I am playing the game to its full potential.

I usually start off playing as Stockport County in the Conference North. I set my tactics up first and then shop around for players. Once I've got that out of the way I usually get through the rest of the season as quickly as possible, leaving the press and other aspects of the game to my assistant.

So my question is am I playing the game to the full potential or can I get more out of it?

 

[Sean Taylor]

Well during the course of the season, you could look for future purchases, unsettling players by declaring interest, upgrading facilities via board request, training preferred moves on players, tutoring youngsters. Also about the press conferences, i tend to do them because if the questions are about the opposition manager and you praise him then it will improve your relationship with that manager and could potentially in the long term help you out if you come to try and sign one of their players.

Okay fair enough you could do all this at the start pretty much if you wanted to but its best to spread it out because half way through a season a player could become available but by the end of the season could become unavailable again as he has turned happy again.

 

[DoubleR]

I would say you are missing the 'youth' aspect.. for me one of the most interesting and amazing aspects is to find that one great young player that turns out to be a star.. especially when its a 100k or so bargain.. So therefore i'm almost always searching for new youngster to bring to the club.. or decide which youngsters could or should make the move to my first or u21 teams.. should be loaned out etc.

However when finding the next big player of the future it does not stop there; you can see it grow, change it, shape it to what you want (to the role or tactic you have in mind).. and there is nothing better than bringing in a youngster at 15/16 years of age and having him be the main man in your first team squad because of what you did as a manager, see him break through the national team or sell him with a huge profit.

For example one of my best memories of the game is that in either 2012 or 2013 I had a youngster move through my own academy at Feyenoord (in the Netherlands).. he really was one of the best midfielders there was out there.. so after loaning him out.. I decided to put him on my bench.. makign his minutes.. the third and fourth year though.. he was really my main player.. nothing really could beat him.. and then Barcelona came for him.. he obviously wanted it.. he did not really wanted to renew his contract.. so I sold him for 30 or 40 million (pure profit) to barcelona..

Later in the season I meet Barcelona in the Champions League (I think semi-final or so) and obviously he is there.. on the one hand it felt terrible to see him in another squad.. in the team of the enemy.. but I was also very proud that the player I 'discovered'.. I trained.. I made who he is .. is now playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world.. however in the end I did lose to Barcelona!

 

[Revolve]

Well during the course of the season, you could look for future purchases, unsettling players by declaring interest, upgrading facilities via board request, training preferred moves on players, tutoring youngsters. Also about the press conferences, i tend to do them because if the questions are about the opposition manager and you praise him then it will improve your relationship with that manager and could potentially in the long term help you out if you come to try and sign one of their players.

Okay fair enough you could do all this at the start pretty much if you wanted to but its best to spread it out because half way through a season a player could become available but by the end of the season could become unavailable again as he has turned happy again.

Actually, upgrading facilities is probably not advised. Something I found out at Stockport myself. The sheer amount of money you get (I had about 2 mil at once point before I upgraded) is more valuable to you in the lower leagues as a financial buffer and for any other board requests (and transfer and wage budgets) than facilities. Better off waiting till championship and above before you start doing your facilities imo.