Tactic Stopped Working

[marcMCFC1986]

Before I start - I am not complaining! This years FM is much more playable than FM2018, and the tactics are much easier to understand and tweak etc. and I'm loving it.


My save is with my local team - Stockport County. Serial under-achievers considering the stature and fanbase of the club. Even though I'm a Man City fan, I do have a soft spot for County as I did used to go and watch them as a kid, and grew up only a few miles from the ground.


In my first season I got promoted from the National League North through the Play-Offs, and in my second season I won the National League.



Currently in my third season, and despite the pre-season media prediction of finishing bottom - with 10 games to go I was 6 points clear at the top of the league, and in the final of the Checkatrade Trophy. Then, I lost a game. Then I lost another. And another. And another. Then I lost the final of the Checkatrade Trophy...and then lost another league game. I managed to win two more games before the season ended (both of them 1-0 against teams fighting relegation), and just about scraped a play-off place. I decided to save the game, and post on here before beginning the play-offs to see if anybody can suggest what might have happened?


Basically, I had a really good tactic which had secured me back-to-back promotions - and I was virtually there with a third consecutive promotion - then the wheels have completely come off! I understand that these things can happen in football, but we've gone from being the Brazil of the Football League for almost 3 full seasons, to being...well, Stockport County again!


Have the AI Managers figured me out? Or is the game saying "F*** Off mate, you aren't going up again!"? Or are my players just completely knackered (I do have a fairly small squad and tend to have virtually the same Starting 11 every game)?


In reality, I had no right to be top of the league anyway - the media prediction of 24th made me think it was going to be a difficult season, but this has just fell apart overnight!


Anybody else had something like this happen? How did you stop the rot?

 

[WJ]

So you were promoted in consecutive seasons. What is the actual tactical issue here, given that you posted here? "The game" doesn't do anything. Is your squad capable? What is expected? What are the issues, if any, with the current tactic? Did you buy too many new players? Are you really just expecting promotion every season?

 

[Snorks]

The AI will adjust depending on your reputation and your form - so if you are in form and gaining rep, the AI will play with a more cautious approach, or go more defensive against you. This can skupper tactics that rely on space in and behind the defence.

The higher you go, the more 'adaptable' or skillfull. or tactically aware your opponents will be - so harder to beat, coupled with my first paragraph.

You have been overachieving for the first couple of seasons, so I would expect a ceiling to be reached anyway, or at least higher and higher barrier to get over.

Drops in performance towards the end of the season can be due to a number of things, but player jadedness can come into it, morale and motivation etc.

Give them all a rark up and get them fired up for the play-offs.

 

[marcMCFC1986]

So you were promoted in consecutive seasons. What is the actual tactical issue here, given that you posted here? "The game" doesn't do anything. Is your squad capable? What is expected? What are the issues, if any, with the current tactic? Did you buy too many new players? Are you really just expecting promotion every season?

LOL

I remember you from last time I dared to post on this site about tactics - you're still very sarcastic.

My squad is capable as it was for the first 36 games of the season.

It was expected that I'd finish 24th - but three-quarters of the way into the season I was top of the league, so it was expected that I would be continuing this form, not just lose every single game (bar two).

I don't know what the issues are with the current tactic - it has worked perfectly for two and three-quarter seasons before the wheels fell off overnight.

I didn't buy any new players - the transfer window is closed.

No, I'm not really expecting promotion every season. In fact, I even put that in my original post "In reality, I had no right to be top of the league anyway - the media prediction of 24th made me think it was going to be a difficult season, but this has just fell apart overnight!"

My question was "Has anybody else had something like this happen?" and "How did you stop the rot?" I.E. Did you have a team meeting? Did you reduce training intensity? Did you let them rest the day before a game? etc.

Thanks

 

[marcMCFC1986]

The AI will adjust depending on your reputation and your form - so if you are in form and gaining rep, the AI will play with a more cautious approach, or go more defensive against you. This can skupper tactics that rely on space in and behind the defence.

The higher you go, the more 'adaptable' or skillfull. or tactically aware your opponents will be - so harder to beat, coupled with my first paragraph.

You have been overachieving for the first couple of seasons, so I would expect a ceiling to be reached anyway, or at least higher and higher barrier to get over.

Drops in performance towards the end of the season can be due to a number of things, but player jadedness can come into it, morale and motivation etc.

Give them all a rark up and get them fired up for the play-offs.

Thanks - I think a Team Meeting and a bollocking might be in order, along with a rest the day before a game so they aren't fatigued.

 

[WJ]

LOL

I remember you from last time I dared to post on this site about tactics - you're still very sarcastic.

My squad is capable as it was for the first 36 games of the season.

It was expected that I'd finish 24th - but three-quarters of the way into the season I was top of the league, so it was expected that I would be continuing this form, not just lose every single game (bar two).

I don't know what the issues are with the current tactic - it has worked perfectly for two and three-quarter seasons before the wheels fell off overnight.

I didn't buy any new players - the transfer window is closed.

No, I'm not really expecting promotion every season. In fact, I even put that in my original post "In reality, I had no right to be top of the league anyway - the media prediction of 24th made me think it was going to be a difficult season, but this has just fell apart overnight!"

My question was "Has anybody else had something like this happen?" and "How did you stop the rot?" I.E. Did you have a team meeting? Did you reduce training intensity? Did you let them rest the day before a game? etc.

Thanks

So you're doing well! Enjoy it. You were predicted last and you're very, very far from it.

 

[marcMCFC1986]

I think you're still missing the point.

Consider, in real life, how Man City are absolutely flying. Beating teams by 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 regularly - receiving plaudits the world over for the football they are playing, and nobody can get near them. Then, they lose consecutive games against Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton and Watford...everybody would be saying "Huh, whats going on? Whats happened? They are using the same tactics, playing the same style etc. But overnight it has just stopped working!"

This is the League Two equivalent...

 

[Tohammer]

I think you're still missing the point.

Consider, in real life, how Man City are absolutely flying. Beating teams by 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 regularly - receiving plaudits the world over for the football they are playing, and nobody can get near them. Then, they lose consecutive games against Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton and Watford...everybody would be saying "Huh, whats going on? Whats happened? They are using the same tactics, playing the same style etc. But overnight it has just stopped working!"

This is the League Two equivalent...

The team meeting sounds like a good idea but make sure you say the right thing otherwise you'll be for even more frustration.

Your squad "may" have reached their mental zenith, its worth keeping an eye on their mental stats before and during games.

I'd also say don't panic and start making changes, keep doing exactly what you were doing before the blip.

 

[WJ]

I think you're still missing the point.

Consider, in real life, how Man City are absolutely flying. Beating teams by 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 regularly - receiving plaudits the world over for the football they are playing, and nobody can get near them. Then, they lose consecutive games against Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton and Watford...everybody would be saying "Huh, whats going on? Whats happened? They are using the same tactics, playing the same style etc. But overnight it has just stopped working!"

This is the League Two equivalent...

That is an extremely bad comparison though. Man City is predicted to be, what, 1st? So if they fall from 1st to 6th, THAT's an issue. You have the worst team in the league, so it's not out of the realms of possibility that you could start losing at some point. Had Leicester fallen apart at some point instead of winning the league, nobody would have been surprised. You have a team worse than that.

As to what's happened, that's what you need to answer. 1) Could be teams respecting you a bit more and so now your poor squad quality shows. 2) Could be jaded players. 3) could be pressure getting to them, depending on how you handled the team talks etc. 4) Could opponent tactical changes.

Could be all of the above. There isn't a reason to panic yet, because you're completely over achieving. But, pay attention to how teams line up against you and also how you handle your players, because as you said, you have no real right to be flying that high anyway.