Complete collapse like clockwork....

[mattcapiche]

Hi Guys, first time posting, so hopefully I can manage it in a way that makes sense.

I've been playing FM14 since xmas, and without fail on every career I play, I always run across the same problem- I get to the start of march (usually now days with my team doing fairly well) and then suddenly it all collapses. My form deteriorates, ****, it doesn't even deteriorate, it just stops dead, and I fall slowly down to lower mid table.

To make matters worse, this lack of form then continues into the second season, and I end up getting sacked around October time.

So to try and get around this I boosted my club with a sugar daddy in editor, allowing me to greatly strengthen, making sure that it wasn't simply because of the players I had. Screen shoted bellow are the result...
NOTE- I've highlighted the chesterfield match on the 3rd results shot as I continued losing in similar style (usually 3-1, that became quite common) until that point, at which time I was sacked

View attachment 398966View attachment 398965View attachment 398964View attachment 398963View attachment 398962View attachment 398961

I really have no idea why this keeps happening, or what to do about it. I'm getting to the point of just giving up on the game altogether, as it isn't much fun putting the work in for a solid start to the season (the above one was actually fairly slow in comparison to normal) only for it to all fall apart and there be apparently nothing I can do about it... HELP???

p.s. Happy to provide more screenshots if needed

Matt
Very fed up with FM

 

[JMocks]

I have the exact opposite. I have the most **** start to a season. Dropping to like 14th with Spurs (done it a few times), but I've managed to always finish within the top 4. If I could have a consistent season, I'd win the Prem every year. Can't find that consistency. Don't know if its my players, tactics, etc.

 

[bluebird123]

As I can see by your screens it is evidently a tactical issue. So I'll explain it as best as I can so prepare for a lengthy post.

First off I don't know where Exeter are predicted to finish, I imagine mid-table but forgive my ignorance I don't follow League 2.

So if you're doing well with Exeter in the first season (I must have missed it in the OP but you never said you were before the slump) but I assume you were flirting with the playoffs based on your early results which is good for a (assumed) midtable side - especially in your first season.

So you beat most teams first time around, you do well. You then play them a 2nd time around and teams have snuffed you out, they sit deeper, waiting for you to come at them and you are playing into their hands with your gung-ho tactic. They hit you on the break all game and beat you easily. Then your morale goes down after suffering a defeat then you enter the **** of the slump every FM player will experience at some point, some people think it is hard-coded to happen and they are wrong. It is an issue caused by the player and sometimes ****** AI. But that is another discussion for another day, onto your fixtures.

You have started off the season well, 5 wins out of 6 and a draw is excellent. Then you went on an inconsistent run of form which is to be expected in the lower leagues with a mid-table side. But you never really got out of it. You haven't managed to string 2 wins together since the opening run of form so it is a problem which started earlier than you're letting on. You are taking one step forward and two steps back all the time, which is hard to get out of on FM so I'll go onto your tactics and see how you can solve this.

First off, your shouts and mentality/fluidity;

Wider and Hassle can work but it leaves gaps everywhere. You have players running around but they are very wide and marking players tightly. One decent played ball into space and you are undone. So remove hassle, it isn't a shout you should start off with unless you are a big team with world class players. If you want to press (who doesn't?) then assign it accordingly to attacking players so your defenders stay in their shape without being pulled out everywhere. Also remove tight marking for reasons stated above, it kills your defensive shape.

You don't need to have exploit the flanks if you're already playing wider, it makes you incredibly predictable. Remove ETF seen as it isn't really a shout that should be used every game, just certain games where the opposition is weaker on the flanks or using 1 wide player. Also remove look for overlap as well it slows your play down so badly, wingers are effectively on support when using this and you're using TWO CWB (bad idea) so they'll overlap anyway.

Now this doesn't make sense to me. You're using limited defenders who boot it up the pitch but using play out of defence and shorter passing? You need to think about what you're doing here, are you trying to play direct or short? If direct, change passing to direct and remove POOD, if short change defenders to normal CD-D. Also are your defenders fast enough for a high line? I can imagine with teams sitting back against you all they need to do is hit one ball over the top and it's over if they are slow.

Higher tempo and shorter passing again is a good thought but doesn't work well in this ME unfortunately. Too many rushed and misplaced passes. I am sure someone out there has made it work but I advice against it based off of my experiences. Unless you're playing direct of course and your players are fit enough and have good enough to decisions (which they do not I imagine) then keep it on. But it is too physically straining on League 2 players to play such a high tempo and pressing game.

Are you good enough to control games? If not then put it down to standard. I am not sure why, but it is the best mentality for me on FM14. Perfect balance. Rigid is fine due to your specialist roles and lower ability players.

Roles;

Now here is an issue. Right off I'll go back to the aforementioned bad idea in regards to the CWB. One is fine, if you have no winger in front of him and a DM covering but two is bad. Along with two wingers attacking (I am repeating myself here) all it takes it one nicely played ball down the flanks and game over I am afraid. If you want attacking full backs then you should have a winger/wm/dw/if on support. The theory is your winger drops a little deeper and the full backs bombs past him. It creates a dilemma for the opposing full back. Track the winger or the onrushing full back? It is great for movement which is a 100% must for any successful tactic. So, make your best FB a FB-A with the winger ahead a w/wm/dw-s and on the other side your full back on support with that winger attacking. This creates unpredictable movement and overloads.

Now the midfield is a huge issue as well. No-one is defending, absolutely no-one. I have never played with a Registra because I have no idea how to play one. I do know however he must be the focal point of your team and you need to create space for him to work in. While he goes up the pitch someone MUST cover him. Otherwise your poor CB's are overrun and (again) one nicely placed pass and it is all over for you. The B2B midfielders get in the way of the R. B2B are great roles but two is overkill. You can keep one if you want but the other player has to be a defensive player if you insist on having the R (which I advise against because I doubt you have someone good enough for that role) so make the R a DM-D, and one of the B2B a DLP. It offers a great balance of a defending player, attacking and supporting player.

Poacher for your lone striker is not a good idea. He'll get too isolated, he will do nothing to help your team and with no-one trying to play him through then he'll score hardly any goals. Poacher only works (for me) with a TM next to him and if you want a poacher working on his own then you'll have to go back to the buggiest and easiest game of the series in Fm12 where poachers would score tons of goals because of the buggy ME. Change him to a DLF or CF. He'll link up and get goals.

All for now I will write another post on how to help with slumps in form. I hope my advice is helpful

 

[bluebird123]

When in a slump it is irritating and demoralising. I went on a huge slump with my Uni?o Maderia side in the Primera Liga losing 9 of the 15 games in the second half of the season while only losing 3 in 15 in the first half. As you would guess it ****** me off and wondered what is the point of playing this game if you don't enjoy it? It feels like an actual job instead of a game but once my form returned next season finishing 9th in the Primera Liga (and a nice Europa League run, got in via Fairplay rule) I loved the game again and realised why I went on such a bad run last season.

I noticed that teams figured me out. I had 5 wins, 7 draws, 3 loses at the half way mark in my first year. Which is great for a newly promoted side and I was aware that I was going to work harder to replicate this form in the 2nd half of the season. But I got complacent and thought I had the quality to see myself through comfortably but I was oh so wrong.

Teams sat back against me, I knew this would happen. I lost my first 3 games after the two week break, all to Porto, Benfica and Braga which was no big deal so I knew I must win against Aves otherwise I'd enter that slump. But I didn't, I was aware that they'd sit back as they were 16th so I went attacking myself in a bid to smash them again. How naive I was, this crappy side (who I'd beat 6-0, 3-1 and 2-0 in our last 3 meetings) pummelled me with counter attacks and I lost 4-1. I was shocked and ashamed. It then started this horrific run where I won 0 games in the next 7 drawing 2 but still comfortably above the relegation zone so I kept my job (I am getting onto the point now, sorry if this looks like a post your career comment) the thing is, I was respected by teams now. Sitting in midtable despite predicting to do down was something other managers praised me for. I was ironically beat how I would beat teams earlier on this season, sit back and hit them on the break because I knew they'd attack me but then they did it to me to beat me. Any manager worth his salt doesn't lose to the same team twice playing the same way so they learned and were reactive during the match. Which is a problem a lot of FM players do not see, instead they blame the game while not learning on what is going wrong, so onto how to beat the sides.

Now they are playing more cautious because your reputation has gone higher because you've played well in the early season (this is why I never get excited if I have a good start to the season, the 2nd half is the most important) and because you're higher up in the league or you've beaten them before you naturally think "Oh, I'll just play attacking because I am better than them" Which is normal to think but wrong to implement. You see, the AI is smart. It takes in your reputation and decides that you will play attacking so they'll play counter attacking. So what do you do? Be more cautious yourself. Go to standard or counter and play slower. Bring them up the field then hit them with attacks once they've been drawn up the pitch. Play a direct player on one side and a more intelligent player on the other. Don't go gung-ho unless it is in the last 20/15 minutes. Be patient and take a 1-0 win if you must, the moral is, play them at their own game. It doesn't work all the time (then again, no tactic does) but it'll improve your chances greatly.

Managing morale is a big thing in the past few versions of FM. It isn't as important as some state but it can be detrimental to your hopes of ending your slump if managed incorrectly. If say you go on a 3/4 match winless run then you beat a **** team DO NOT praise them. Assertively congratulate them or tell them to find consistency so they do not get complacent for the next game. Beating relegation fodder is nothing to praise your players for. Instead remind them we must keep this up to end this slump will help.

However you should praise them for wins against teams above you. Do not tell them what they want to hear, don't take green responses as good and red as bad all the time. Of course they indicative of how a player feels but sometimes red reactions can bring much better performances while green can bring complacency and inconsistency.

If a player scores 2/3/4 goals in a game, praise him. If a defender has a great game, praise him, if a winger/midfielder/striker gets a few assists praise him. If a goalkeeper keeps you in the game praise him. If a player gets a MOM praise him. And do the opposite if they miss chances, make mistakes, create nothing. Do not ignore their performances, they love it when you feed their ego so make sure you are fair when giving praise and criticism and be consistent with it.

I am not the best at giving man management advice because it different based on preference. Some prefer not to praise players (for whatever reason) whereas some do. There are many guides if this advice doesn't work which I am sure can help you but this is how I manage my players when going through slumps.

Onto a brief overview of your tactic again;

Your tactic needs to improve first if this advice is going to be of use. You need to stop trying to play like Barcelona with very limited players. In the lower leagues you need to limit yourself in your approach, play more direct, play ugly if you have to. When you move up the leagues then you can evolve your style and play to how you are outlined in the OP.

So that is all I can think of right now. I apologise if some didn't make sense and it didn't help you but I have just given my opinion. None of this is to be taken as a 100% fix for your problems it is just what has worked for me. And if it hasn't worked for yourself then I hope it does for another poster who may be struggling. The thing with FM it isn't as black and white as it appears, some things are not explained correctly and you have to do some digging to find what certain things mean. I am no expert, but I have had relative success at some point with every save I've had that spans over 3 seasons so hopefully my methods which have brought me success can also help you and others.

 

[mattcapiche]

bluebird123, thanks for the long post, its quite helpful (or at least I expect it to be).

I'll start off by saying that I haven't played a desktop version of FM in something like 5 years, so it's hardly a surprise to me that my tactics are the reason. As its probably obvious, i'm not entirely sure when using this (for me) new tactics system, so as you have pointed out a few times, I have probably overcompensated in trying to control the way the game is approached by my team. And obviously, when you have a fairly good start to the season (often I can be top before my slump happens, the season used as example was actually a slow one for me) you don't realize the glaring errors.

RGA and Poacher aren't actually the normal roles for this position, but they do occasionally get used for specific players, usually those roles are TM and Anchor Man.

Haven't read your second post yet, but wanted to reply to this one first. I will however be taking your advice, and putting it into action. Thanks

 

[bluebird123]

It does seem hard for new/returning players who have not played 13 for example. A lot of shouts, roles, mentalities etc are not described properly so it gives a lot of players a false thought on what it actually is. So I hope SI work on that for Fm15.

And no worries, hopefully it works to an extent