>>2357925
The age-old question: Why buy new FM when old FM still do trick

So am I retarded or is there literally no way to make money in 24 to at least break even in shitty leagues nobody cares about?

Is the idea that you just play youths with no staff and hope for the best until you build enough of a reputation (if you can get results) and/or hope for a deep cup run if there are financial rewards.

Currently in the Azeri 2nd league and after one season I'm 1 million euros in debt.

>>2357930
The world is filled with retards who absolutely positively must have the latest thing. Even when it's demonstrably shittier than last years thing.

>>2357940
friendlies and selling is basically the only way i'm aware of

>>2357940
It's all about friendlies and wheeling and dealing until you can reach European spots, then it gets much easier. The good thing about playing in shit leagues is the other teams are shit too, but they aren't controlled by a human.

>>2358028
More people are playing FM24 than 26 though

>>2357940
not to give the Official SI Seal of Approval but I wouldn't expect normal behavior from a league like that that has been edited in. Though a lot of the lower league financial stuff does seem to be abstracted down to "you lose money, you can't keep your top players just by paying them more, but you won't go into administration just from playing the game"

oh cool SI just fucked something up with the update and starting new games with editor files. I got worried it was something specific to my own gay autistic file

>>2358669
FM26 has twice as many players on Steamstats and 24 is no longer included in Game Pass, so this is definitely not true.

>>2358738
is it the 0-100 attribute ratings? lol

File: 53434.png (109 KB, 892x504)

109 KB PNG

>>2358749
>FM26 has twice as many players on Steamstats
That's even worse than the reddit chart kek

>43,033 24-hour peak
>84,909 all-time peak 4 months ago
oof

>>2359070
FM24
>19,068 24-hour peak
>89,478 all-time peak 2.2 years ago

File: steam-statistics-active-s(...).png (154 KB, 882x504)

154 KB PNG

>>2359070

Can they just fucking make this for nfl please? American football manager when?? Franchise mode is always ass and clunky. I want to moneyball

File: Screenshot 2026-03-10 163404.png (172 KB, 1916x941)

172 KB PNG

Why don't we just make our own football manager?

Got banned from the sports interactive forums again this time for saying that I hope a gay rapist with aids rapes Miles Jacobsen

>>2359110
NFL rights probably cost a few billion dollars, I swear there's a college football one tho. Someone just needs to make a good foundation and let players mod in the real life teams. It's crazy how into fantasy football people are andthere's still no decent football video game

>>2359110
NFL Head Coach 09 if you want a 3D one, Football Coach: College Dynasty if you want a college text based one.

>>2359851
Can you appeal?

>>2359890
Ea would have to make it. Nfl doesnt want more than one company making games going back to 05.
>>2359933
I would be fine with text but i dont like college nearly as much. And HC09 was cool at the time but a lot of it doesnt feel good to play now.

>>2359951
Well if you can wait a few years, the "sequel" to College Dynasty is in the works and will be pro focused.

>>2357925
IT'S STILL FUCKING SHIT!

>>2359982
Didnt know that was in the works. Neat

https://www.reddit.com/r/footballmanagergames/comments/1rr0nw7/340_year_save_hit_with_the_lesser_seen_newgen_bug/

340 season save without holidaying ruined by a bug in FM24.

>>2360185
That's what happens when you release a partially complete AI vibe coded tech demo as a full game.

>>2360185
>>2360282
Are you really going to whine about not being able to play past 340 years?

Hate the 'Back Down' option. Makes me feel like I'm bitching out to computer generated people. Sometimes it doesn't even match a 'Back Down'.

>>2360185
It’s over they were gonna win the quadruple in year three hundred and forty one

>>2360185
not a bad little science fiction story

how to get players in low leagues when no one will even trial or entertain offers?
is it just moving U19s up until you get a good group?

>>2360630
just call the best players up and ditch the rest, quickness training double intensity and then sell when they turn 19 lmao its that easy

>starting a save in southern ireland
>save name: Britain
xD

>>2360672
>sell
release*

File: 1276333005046.gif (3.34 MB, 360x203)

3.34 MB GIF

>conceded an equalizer in 90+3 to a GK assist
the only reason the entire club isn't seeing my wrath is because I need to focus it all on my retard of a captain who two-footed a defender by their goal line

File: 1749946475650081.png (846 KB, 1002x521)

846 KB PNG

Amazing game

Anyone here using any of the new skins for FM26?

Every time I think I got over save scumming the game just goes way over the top with the obvious scripted losses. Like extreme underperformance for 5 matches straight or a champions league winning team just passing to the opponent, then leaving 3 players completely open while defending with more men than they're attacking with for 90 minutes and losing 6-0.

>>2362833
t. karma

>>2362867
Karma for what?

>>2362869
Joking :p

>>2359946
He doesn't need to, 3 points are in the bag

File: 1773928771248.jpg (155 KB, 640x800)

155 KB JPG

For me it's vampire

>>2358749
Shut the fuck Miles, you little gimp.

Another evening of child trafficking on football manager. Signed a bunch of u18's to fund my future endevours. My recent batch of child slaves are valued around 100 million total, maybe slightly less actual selling price. That would net me 1 genuine proven wonderkid. The yearly grind for mid table quality children to sell in the future is grinding on me. I may have to revert to more ethical fund raising measures.

If your team is already good relative to your division you can make easy money by farming the full-back position. Sign an FB for cheap and give him a lot of minutes with the rest of your first team, since the FB is not that important and as I said if your team already does well in your league he will get a lot of high ratings regardless of his ability(as long as he's not atrocious) which will inflate his price and attract interest from clubs. Once he's sold for profit just repeat the process the next season.

>>2359110
Front Office Football has been around forever.

File: league of knockoff teams.png (370 KB, 1017x749)

370 KB PNG

>>2359110
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3219190/Axis_Football_2026/

>arizona redbirds
lel

Does anyone know off the top of their head if the Northern Irish league has 3D kits in the base game?

7 months away from FM27

any hopes?

>>2370714
Depends on the international management update imo. If they pull it off they'll gain back a lot of goodwill.

>>2370714
Is Miles still in charge? Then no. He's doubling down in the UI changes.

>>2370714
>FM27
lol

File: Screenshot 2026-03-29 175054.jpg (6 KB, 662x51)

6 KB JPG

I am having fun and thats all that matters.

Any good database for FM25 that focus on past years? I tried one from the late 90s or early 00s and it was shit because every known player was like 4.5 to 5 stars.

>>2371827
>FM25

>>2371827
>stars

>>2370759
International management is a good example of like, there's not really much of a "mode" here, you're just sticking your dick in the weighted outcome generator. What they need to do is generate some kind of emotion or ambience for the big moments, which they either hate doing or can't do. I figure they'll just bring it back exactly as it was and stamp some more licensing on it.

Would also be a nice place to finally add something new to the squad dynamics, which I believe was a good idea ten years ago and has not been iterated on once?

>>2372345
>What they need to do is generate some kind of emotion or ambience for the big moments, which they either hate doing or can't do
No, it's because international football irl is all about the casual viewer's experience which is anathema to the proper FM experience. Trying to appeal to casuals is what brought us this unity shitshow and muh graphics.
Just accept that international football is shit in-game because it's also shit irl and leave it as it is.

just
>high press
>high tempo
>accel/jump/pace
and win

>>2372747
or
>rp as a real manager
>tweak formations and tactics without regard to meta
>be willing to make mistakes on players
>take press conferences
and everything feels 10x better

>>2372988
>>take press conferences
>and everything feels 10x better
hahaha! haha!

>>2372988
tweak formations and tactics without regard to meta
>lose to script
be willing to make mistakes on players
>lose to script

>>2373079
Press conferences genuinely aren't that bad. Granted, I only do the pre/post-match ones, but it adds a bit of flavour to the save. You can create rivalries and shape the save differently compared to letting your assman handle everything.

File: Catania S.S.D._ Overview.png (2.44 MB, 3830x2054)

2.44 MB PNG

still on fm24.

been using a 3 CB/2WB formation to get away from wingers and CAMs but it's so tempting seeing the wonderkids available for cheap.

still, it's defensively solid. wrecked serie C, struggled to score in serie B, but eventually got promoted.

all my playmaking comes from the WBs and those are so damn hard to find at cheap prices since Italy has no money.

>90% pass accuracy, 65% possession
>attacking with high directness
>CL team vs relegation opponent
>every highlight is my guys passing the ball to the opponents and them flawlessly connecting 20 passes, then shooting on my goal
What do you do in this situation?

>>2376042
reload

>There are people who actually play this game
PLEASE EXPLAIN
This is one of those games that are an enigma to me. I always thought the brazilian obsession with soccer and enjoying management games would be a slim intersection. I have never met anyone who plays this.
Do you play it for the roleplay? For the challenge?
I thought if you liked soccer but couldn't play it you'd play a game about playing soccer. Is it that you find the institutions/processes/industry built around it more interesting than the sport itself?

>>2376291
It's about spreadsheets emails and tactics (Unfortunately there are also casualfags who care about graphics and "immersion")

>>2376291
Team-building is why I play it. I used to love franchise mode in Madden and nba 20 years ago, taking the worst teams and making them powerhouses.

In FM, you can do that and get the same itch on crack. Some bum fuck team in Liechtenstein can become the best in the world if you put in the time and effort. It's not so much a challenge once you get past like 500 hours and understand when the game tries to fuck you. And when you're done with one save you can start again in a other country and self impose rules to make it harder.

The game is quite popular in England and employs many fan "scouts" to help build ratings of the database. It's how you get certain players overrated when they play for like Manchester united and then become garbage when they leave.

The most addicting part is the "one more day/turn" just like Civ. Always something to look at, some deadline, some goal, something to develop. And before you know it you've spent 6 hours on the game and not feel tired.

>>2376294
>>2376298
Like a soccer themed 4x. I get it, I think. But you people are aliens.

>>2376298
>The game is quite popular in England and employs many fan "scouts" to help build ratings of the database
This doesn't even scratch the surface. The scale and depth of FM's database research network is genuinely insane to the point where it has a reputation in irl football as well.

>>2376299
> But you people are aliens
When it comes to American sports people have been obsessing with numbers and analytics and managing their own 'fantasy' teams since forever, but it's a relatively new phenomenon in soccer, autists have always existed but this side of the game has only gone mainstream in the last decade or two, so I totally understand your confusion, even if you grew up in a soccer country there's a good chance you were never exposed to this kind of culture.
Think about this way, have you ever been frustrated watching your team and thought: "I could do a better job managing and signing players than these idiots"? That's usually what prompts me to go on a binge

>>2376331
>"I could do a better job managing and signing players than these idiots"
I just hope you realize FM is not a hard game and pretty much never has been. It's too easy to make a shitty team become dominant

>>2376331
>have you ever been frustrated watching your team and thought: "I could do a better job managing and signing players than these idiots"?
Never ever felt that as I only know how to use meta tactics that the ai is too stupid to counter, allowing me to dominate leagues with teams that should be relegation fodder.
Don't act like this game is realistic.

I'm now around 300 hours in 26 and I still struggle to find things with this ridiculous downgrade of a UI

>>2376703
I didn't bother, but friend who pirated it said the engine is actually fine but the UI makes the whole thing unplayable so he dropped it

>>2376703
Also 300h in. Are you using bookmarks?

if i promise more playing time, will that be satisfied by friendlies? or is it only competitive matches?

>>2378741
competitive only

File: hours.png (412 KB, 837x388)

412 KB PNG

Anyone higher?

>>2379952
Why did you uninstall?

>>2380014
I'm on 26 now, silly billy.

>fm26 full game available until Monday 4/20

Couldn't pay me to try it

>>2357940
You’re supposed to gamble your future and go deep in the red in a desperate attempt to reach European slots fast. If you aren’t bold and taking heavy risks you will always be a poor bottom-feeder or the bigger clubs bitch

>>2380636
This is true irl but you're talking as if reaching Europe is as a mediocre team is hard in FM lol

File: backheelgoal.webm (3.94 MB, 1920x1080)

3.94 MB WEBM

I like this match engine because I feel I see a wider variety of goals scored but jfc does it suck when you want to find something in the UI and you have to scratch your head for 10 minutes trying to figure out where it is.

I tried fm 26 expecting the worst but it was mostly fine? I guess most of the truly horrible was already patched out.
I can find things through the UI just fine so I don't get that criticism, but it's really messy and cramped and just plainly ugly.
The engine feels the same as other games. Granted, I only ever play using 2D so I don't get see all the goofy shit, but I don't feel much difference from precious editions

There's some stinkers though. Not being able to automatically see the matchups and results of competitions you are in is the thing that really breaks my immersion.
The back button sometimes sending you back like 3 pages back is annoying
And most importantly the search bar is a steaming piece of shit. Like how do you even fail so badly at a fucking search functionality is unbelievable.

But all in all I'm having fun™. It really scratches that fm itch I had. My last save was back in fm 16 or 18 so maybe I'm overly starved to play the game and that's why is see it with less objectivity. Also the fact that I didn't pay for what feels like an unfinished game at parts helps.

>>2376714
Thanks for the heads up that is was possible to pirate it.

>>2381636
> 2D

Try 3D and you'll see it's wildly different to all previous versions, it's a huge upgrade.

Is 26 worth it from 21? Did my first proper play through after short 5-6 year playthroughs. After years of playing. Goal is to get arsenal 15 titles and I'm about to achieve it. Might then move to another team but the feel of wanting to move to a newer game is alluring but obviously 26 seems to have it's issues and I can't get 24, nor can I find a cracked version otherwise I'd gladly play that.

Should I go to 26 or is it still unfinished mess? Also have they made the game more simplistic as people describe? Because I want MORE immersion from a newer version. I've seen a few things like set pieces are more in depth but that's a slither of it.

>>2381636
Interesting read. What site did you get it from? I feel the UI is perfect on 21 and it would really piss me off if it's much worse. I've seen some screen shots and it looks shit but I've heard you can get a UI mod now. Really wish you could pirate 24 because I'd just play that. People have made current databases for that. Finally the last of the real players have left my 15 year save so I'm happy that it's a different universe if that makes sense.

>>2383592
IMO the graphics and matches feel so much better than ever before it'd be impossible for me to go back to 24, but I do think the immersion in 24 beats 26, specifically the ability to easily look up and view things happening around your save. Try the 26 demo for free and see if you like it, if not look for Epic accounts with FM24, you can usually buy them for a few dollars since the game has been free on there multiple times.

>>2364617
LORD Miles to you

File: 1490393575903.png (256 KB, 963x1024)

256 KB PNG

Accidentally opened the /vst/ catalog and this is how I find that /trb/ is on this board now, wtf happened?

>>2386323
Whether it's /sp/ being too fast or SI killing interest in the series. Probably a bit of both

>>2386323
/sp/ too fast
/trb/ too slow

File: rel.png (22 KB, 356x179)

22 KB PNG

Incredible relegation battle about to happen.

>>2386323
besides what others have said, almost all the regulars from 10 years ago have moved on

File: apu3.png (365 KB, 1014x819)

365 KB PNG

Listening to depressing music as my team starts to fall apart over the past few seasons, almost 20 years at the helm. Players are turning against me. Rough patches over the past 3 seasons, getting longer each time. Winning the league by few points. Scraping by on an 87pt season. Losing out on the cups. Failing in europe. Seeing the old guard get old and decrepit. My golden age almost entirely gone. Struggling to hold onto my players. My OG backroom staff all retiring. Board losing confidence. Every day I grow older and more distant to my club. My club. Not just the end of the era in my football manager save. It's the end of an era in my life. I'll remember these players for the rest of my life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk

>>2388550
certain saves I keep extra copies of at key points. like before job changes or like major milestones like 10 years into a save just in case i want to go back in.

File: 1761792922306502.png (660 KB, 2500x1024)

660 KB PNG

>>2386323

>>2386517
>/sp/ being too fast
definitely not this one
autists drove a lot of people from that board

>>2388714
oldest thread on /sp/ was 45 days ago vs this being 51
last bump was 18 hours ago so this thread woulda died between these two >>2387085
>>2388550

Clock is ticking for the international management "module" update in FM26..

>>2388691
it really says something when fm15 had the last good regen faces. fucking Miles man.

even had that one guy do hairpacks for the regens.

>>2389719
7 months until the 27 shitshow. Was going to wait for that. Will now wait until it's play tested by the customers. If that's also shit we might see the beginning of the end of this game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ep9lo9dPh4

FM07....home

>>2390060
aw damn, that guy, o'leary trainee or whatever? A normal company just hires him, or if he had a real big boy job, gets a college kid to copy his work

File: RM_vs_ELCH.png (2.57 MB, 1919x1079)

2.57 MB PNG

>22 shots saved
WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY FEEDING GOALKEEPERS AT ELCHE? This was supposed to be a simple laliga match where I win with 6-0, not fucking attack a brick of wall, this motherfucker saved a penaltie, saved 2 dozen strikes by Pino and Vini and literally every other striker, what pains me the most even thou we won was that they put 7 in the defence and were still shit, like cutting through their defefnces was liking slicing a hot knofe through butter, and their gk is literally a 2 star nobody lmfaooo, even Courtois couldnt have done these saves

>>2357925
>it's still shit
When was the last GOOD one anyway? I think the last one I actually bought was 2012 or something, around my peak enthusiasm for the Prem.

>>2392133
This was a standard stat in FM15.

>>2391445
looked at my backups, it was debski for the hairpack

>>2392133
>mason mount to real madrid

Fired!

bros i won the conference league

>>2396005
Campeones, campeones!

File: file.png (87 KB, 450x613)

87 KB PNG

My latest form of autism has been managing nothing but teams from Vila Real in an attempt to fill the Portuguese first tier with teams from that region.
So far got 6 teams there, currently managing Vila Real.
>Chaves
>Mirandela
>Montalegre
>Pedras Salgadas
>Valpaços
>Vidago

File: 3554543.png (219 KB, 732x501)

219 KB PNG

>international management back on may 26
Miles doubters in shambles
https://www.footballmanager.com/news/return-international-management-and-review-fm26

guidetofm.com has been taken over and replaced with "facilities management".
F

>>2399923
This is genuinely an extraordinary statement from SI/Miles.

>>2399923
it's gonna be a disaster lmao

File: conference winners.png (267 KB, 775x1014)

267 KB PNG

>>2396005
>>2397798
here's the tactic

File: conference schedule.png (632 KB, 1875x799)

632 KB PNG

>>2400092
and the almost perfect run

>>2399923
>we're sorry some of you had expectations for fm26, this was the first step in a new line

File: 192269770_494072068682378(...).jpg (101 KB, 1200x1200)

101 KB JPG

>>2386517
Keep forgetting >we got pushed here from /sp/, many anons who stopped playing but would want to be back probably don't even know it still exists here
I still play FM24 from time to time when I get some random idea for a new challenge but FM26 looks like complete ass so I won't even bother with it for now

>>2400198
i genuinely think FM will go bunk
there won't be an FM27, or it'll be the same as 26 with like 2 "new features" but still a buggy mess.
then they won't have enough money to justify FM28

>>2400295
I think they will just continue making FM look more like a mobile/console game instead of a proper PC title. And I think most people will adapt anyway but some will stay on older titles like those people who still play updated PES 6 instead of newer games.
I, for one, have been playing FM24 with the FM26 update for the last several saves and it's actually quite enjoyable even if the values of some players are fucked up at times

>>2400092
Any player specific instructions you used? Did you have a more offensive tactic for weak opponents?

>>2400329
The dumbification of society, bring down the level to the lowest common dominator. Funny how close capitalism has become to communism. Except they're doing it for profit... oh wait.

>>2400447
Most people will try to adapt to not stay out of the loop. So they will gonsoom even if they know deep down they're eating shit.
I'm afraid I might be one of those people who will keep playing FM24 a few years from now just with squad/relegation/promotion updates.

>>2400476
That is exactly what I fear. That the protests of the true fans that have bought for the past 20 years are left behind because people just accept this shit. Angers me because everything is becoming shit because of that mentality. Values mean absolutely nothing anymore. Starts with the individual.

>>2400444
when i had jack clarke i put shoots more often but that's it
and no other tactic, barely ever adjusted this one. some role changes occasionally, mezzala to CM

>final day of season
>need win to win title
>2-1 up
>90+5
>concede
>goalscorer is playing his first game of the season
of fucking course

>>2400447
It's the natural cycle of hobbies. They either stay closed and niche (and eventually wither out) or they get popular and then hijacked to appeal to casuals (and eventually implode or settle into a diluted version that lack any of the bite or depth of the original hobby)

>>2402443
where was the depth? Certain tactics have always been overpowered, pace/acceleration/strength have always been overpowered, it was like that for decades, you didn't need chinese guys on reddit running tests to know that. The AI's decision making in the transfer market is based on player reputation and those wage/value tables in the editor. They never got squad rotation to operate at a level that any bad human player would operate at.

The community did not have significant issues with the long-term problems in the game, the core gameplay loop is ~the same, and the problems new to 26 where the UI looks like shit and the "feeling" is gone can probably be undone

>better results from instant resulting matches than managing them myself
Am I retarded?

>>2372345
its really hard irl so much more stuff comes down to seemingly random chance, its for very experienced managers who are facing the end of their careers really

File: image_2026-05-14_144243763.png (530 KB, 1035x1311)

530 KB PNG

Can someone give me a dirty defensive tactic to use? I've experimented a bit. Generally I'm low press, standard defensive line, low engagement. Using 2 DM's, two on the wide midfielder positions. 1 SS and one AF. WB's and BPD because they're technical and have vision. Standard passing with higher tempo for fast but controlled counters.

Anything I can add? It does pretty well, I find it a little better that high press meme personally and I have big UCL games coming up I desperately want to win and draw. I'm already lowest conceded in the prem but borussia dortmund are very very strong and I desperately want to get through to the quater finals. Signing some strong DM and a back up SS in january. Anything else I can do? I have the best LW in the world, very solid strikers, decent SS, WB's are very good (considering FB's for the tough games). DM's are good premier league players but I'm getting a stronger player in jan, already confirmed. GK is decent and concedes few but I am not planning on getting a new one just yet because I moneyballed the last due to wage concerns.

>>2402697
>Certain tactics have always been overpowered, pace/acceleration/strength have always been overpowered, it was like that for decades
Well generally in football the best players tend to be faster, only very recently in FM every other attribute has been disregarded. In FM15 Adama Traore would not have been as good as Neymar.

File: file.png (596 KB, 1730x1008)

596 KB PNG

>First after Match 30
>Second after Match 40
>Doesn't even make playoffs

>>2403700
how the fuck did they get relegated in 2026
lmao

File: file.png (183 KB, 1721x316)

183 KB PNG

>>2403729
They were good in the first season of the save and then decided that being mid as fuck was a good idea

>>2403731
FM is healing

File: file.png (61 KB, 551x593)

61 KB PNG

>>2403732
Eh
Liverpool and Arsenal each have two titles in the five season

>>2403739
FM is healing

File: Che Arteta.png (2.34 MB, 1122x1402)

2.34 MB PNG

>Happy with the impact the Park the Bus style has had in recent matches. They are particularly pleased with the number of goals scored when this style is in use.

I'm playing as arsenal with over 15 titles btw :^)

Beat Dortmund in the first leg away 2-0 using terrorist ball. Aggressive marking, hard tackles, pressing specific players. About 1/4 of their squad are my ex players they bullied away from me, so it is personal. Playing next leg tomorrow. Found my meta finally. It's standard passing directness with higher tempo and low block, no press. Never got gaygenpress to work consistently, always hit on counters. It's actually my favourite style the counters and low blocks IRL.

>>2403833
What formation?

File: image_2026-05-15_141911580.png (184 KB, 2111x1247)

184 KB PNG

>>2404080
>>2403256
This formation. The DM's are tackle harder and one of them is get further forward, I find DM's arrive late into the final 3rd unmarked and if they have long shot abilities, they get loads of space. Or can lay off a nice pass. Other DM is for solidity so he stays back to stop counters. I put the full backs on full back instead of wing back because they play the wings a lot, but they still contributed to attack fairly well and I was surprised, because I usually run CWB's with psychotic attacking full backs or sometimes even put wingers in those positions.

Wingers are put on a support and an attack, because my LW is very dangerous with goals. Both on cross to centre. Might change the SS though, but they do get goals.

I beat them in the second leg too. 3-0, 5-0 on aggregate. 18-5 shots, 2.19xG-0.2xG with 33% possession. That was home. But then I lost 2-0 with this tactic to real madrid first leg, 2-0 at home on the second leg with my more aggressive tactic where they scored two in extra time. I am gutted because the seed for the semi's was good and the final I think I'd beat man city or juve which are the likely finalists from the other seed. Would have got valencia in the semi's for fuck sake.

Second leg at home against madrid, I failed because my game management. I should have switched at extra time to the defensive tactic because they were more aggressive, meaning I needed to defend more and catch those counter chances. And if it went to penalties, I'd win because my team has great takers. I fucked up but idk why my defensive tactic fucked me so bad first leg, but I was too aggressive on the opposition instructions so it might be that, creating disorder in my structure. Whatever, at least they're out.

It's a decent tactic, I'd give it a try. Beats small and big teams. But my team is in a weird inconsistent patch the past 3 seasons so I cannot definitively say yes, it works.

File: heatmap.png (502 KB, 2340x1252)

502 KB PNG

>>2404080
You can see the heatmap too, my LDM was get further forward. He's a tad higher, and the opposition shot map shows majority of their shots from that side. So it's risky and in games you need to shut off I'm going to drop that back to stay back and allow my wingers, SS and striker to do their thing. I think also having the ball out to the wings during the build up with get further forward for the DM';s when you're still chasing the game is a good idea, I've not tried by they could potentially hold up the ball on occasions even though you can't tell them to, and that gives those DM's time to get in late for some long shots. You'd have to fiddle with the instructions a lot I think but I might try it. DM''s I find are brilliant roles. Of course they do defensive duties but I find they're under rated in attack. Good DM with good long shots will get a lot of goals, same with DLP in midfield in my experience. Come in late like a box to box, but seems they come even later which is more advantageous.

File: file.png (346 KB, 963x559)

346 KB PNG

>>2403749
>I'm playing as arsenal with over 15 titles btw
are you ghost managing my save

>try to sign player
>his club want him back on loan
>i say yes
>deal falls through because they couldnt finda replacement
wtf retards im literally giving him back to you what do you need a replacement for?

>>2404354
How's your team looking? B. Silva.

Can Hearts do it? 13 minutes left in this kino!

>>2404949
Enjoying this. Hopefully we'll get pens.

File: file.png (51 KB, 983x608)

51 KB PNG

Every player who got competitive minutes for me in 26/27, plotted by minutes played vs. base weekly wage. Adarabioyo was sold before the first transfer window closed and Al-Dali was sold in January.

File: 1750959783903307.png (11 KB, 232x86)

11 KB PNG

>>2402697
The statement is more general and does not apply perfectly 1:1 to FM. Still, you may interpret the 'dilution' as changes implemented solely to appeal to a wider audience ("casuals"), of which there are many examples.

>>2405047
Cool idea, I might try that for my save

File: New Stadium.png (225 KB, 1668x736)

225 KB PNG

New stadium. Brings a tear to my eye. Long time coming, asked many times, and it's finally approved. It'll be interesting to see the revenue it brings with another 20,000 fans a game.

>>2407250
nice job mate. i always enjoy doing it at small clubs

>>2407293
About 20 years it took which I read online was generally the time it takes for arsenal. I wanted to get the stadium built earlier because I want to do a wenger larp where I oversee the financial damage the stadium does. Then it'll make me head and shoulders the best arsenal manager in every circumstance. Wanted to leave the club for a while and once I've won a champions league in the new stadium, I'm done.

File: file.png (205 KB, 506x994)

205 KB PNG

Has an Irish team ever made the group/league stage irl?

File: file.png (154 KB, 666x561)

154 KB PNG

Hey man, do you think you can stop managing Arsenal in my save, too? Literally haven't conceded a goal and I'm still in second.

What FM would you recommend?
I can pirate any.

>>2408732
How've you got it working? IIRC you have to fuck around in the bios for the cracks to work. 24 is meant to be the best, I missed out unfortunately. Seem the deepest version of the game without the 26 fuckery.

>>2408745
you just disable the driver signature enforcement in the bios and you can use all the cracks you want.

>>2408732
I'll paste the answer I gave to >>2353317
cm 01/02 is the contrarian autist answer
fm12 is the boomer /trb/ answer
fm24 is the most normal answer
almost every version after 12 besides 26 has arguments for it

it depends on how recent you want the rosters to be, basically

>>2408732
Have you played FM before?

File: iiuyuyiu.jpg (55 KB, 418x472)

55 KB JPG

interdasting

>>2408835
oh baby, that's juicy

>>2408835
shillposter won't like this one

>>2408835
Committed devs need to start considering a break away company to build a new football manager. Same happened with kerbal space program devs. They're making a very good looking game that's built with original values and for the community. If FM dies then it'll take a while to get an alternative on track bceause licences and scouting but the autistic community can handle that. As they did through FM's history.

Dismissing the die hards is a laughably bad idea. Want to take the fifa career mode crowd? Never going to happen. Games need to be gatekept from normies. SI should make a dumbed down edition for the small normie crowd of casuals.

Building the new stadium has been an interesting experience. Went into 150 million debt instantly which I expected, stadium loans are fairly expensive but managable. Cleared out backroom staff for the most part and replaced them with younger staff on lower wages. Reduced the wage bill by around 1 million in anticipation. Sold a bunch of player, went to +100m bank balance at the start of the year. All looked good, had a transfer budget to spend for a decent player, wasn't going to use it all.

Now we're -25m by december, and the board have just wiped my transfer budget. I literally have nothing, not even enough for contract negotiations. So I have to sell another few players in Jan which will be interesting. They'll be replaced with my youth who have developed pretty well. Quite precarious right now, enjoying the challenge. I just hope the extra 20,000 seats bring in decent amount of revenue. Assuming it's a flat 33% increase in matchday, ticket, and season ticket revenue, that's fuck all. Maybe 2 million extra a month. Wage bill is 6m a week which I feel is reasonable because I've won the CL, league, cups fairly often. CL at least 2 a decade.

>>2409430
>Wage bill is 6m a week which I feel is reasonable
Do you have a handful of outlier players on like 800k/w or are you just paying your third choice benchwarmers 250k/w, too

>Went into 150 million debt instantly
How much did you have saved up before you started the new stadium process?

>>2409593
I use a small squad and rotate a lot, so I'vegot first team tier players only, then bring in u23's when we're in an injury crisis. I'm content with the wage bill, but I think I'll be forced to sell some of the players and get actual squad players on 80k a week through this period. I'm looking forward to that challenge, will probably prematurely promote a few youngsters but give them U23 games too.

I was 150m, I didn't expect them to accept because the council never agreed, for the past 15 years.

Made my yearly request, and accepted. I wasn't fully ready for it, but tried to offload a few players. Raised 120 mil, plus a huge drop in wage expenditure through loans and high paid players leading. I thought I could get by like this but clearly not. Another 2 seasons until it's built so we'll see how bad it gets. Started trying a few defensive tactics and I'm getting solid 1-0 wins with no threat of conceding. That will probably be the play for the next few seasons of poverty.

Still playing FM17, local shop has FM20 for £20 and FM26 for double that , which one should I grab?

>>2409408
No FM competitor will get a sniff without matching the scale of FM's database and research networks.

>>2409743
You can try the FM26 demo on Steam and see if you like it

>>2409743
Stick with 17, paying money for 20 at this point isn't worth abandoning an existing save and 26 is not worth touching.

>>2409609
I'm genuinely confused as to where your money is going, then, if you've got a small squad. If you've won 15 league titles and multiple CLs, how on earth did you only have 150m in the bank? How are you spending 6m/w *after* offloading several players *with* a small squad?

>>2410424
Looked again, monthly expenditure is 21m wages, ~8-10m a month BONUSES (fucked myself), 3.5m staff wages, 2.8m loyalty bonuses. With stadium, loans are 2m a month. Income is usually around 900m a year, expenditure was around 800-850 a year so I was stable for the whole of the save, transfers were a big part of the income obviously buying low loaning and then selling for massive profit. I think the stadium cost + loans + struggle to sell a few players in jan has sent me into crisis.

No one offered for my players in jan despite a lot of interest. One club bid 90m for one, but player declined the move I guess on wage demands. I'd be back in green ready for end of season payments if it was a successful jan window. But now it's woken me up a bit, pretty unsustainable finance structure I've built. Too many bonuses, high staff wages and I'll have to accept the squad wages cannot be so high, so rotation players are necessary instead of a full squad of first teams rotating. Already promoted 2 youth players. Managed a second season CL final so hopefully that brings in a big chunk. But it's all come crumbing down. Impending take over now so hopefully a) I don't get fired and b) they don't cancel MY stadium.

>>2410123
you don't need to, just make it all fake. every league in every country and every player and staff just randomly generated.

>>2410453
Exactly, like FM used to with 'fake' teams and players. Generic team names, badges and players. As long as there's a framework for the community to then create the database. Game needs to be good. The rest of the content is community built until the game gets big enough to get some of the licencing. This is very common for video games. But it's only really necessary if FM is pulled entirely and there's no alternative, or they go down the path of casual gamers entirely..

Would be cool if you could use your career earning to buy a club or a stake in a club. Sponsor deals, staff signings, DoF role. Everything the board does in FM with more financial and management control of the club.

>>2408833
Yes I am a FM24 veteran.
The thing is that after some time you'll find out the game and then make the same shit everytime because it's the most effective which makes the game very boring/predictable.

>>2357930
You can't buy the old fm anymore its delisted

>>2410545
*FM23
That's what I wanted to say.

Should I attempt FM24? Is there any real difference?

>>2410549
The last real difference was the tactics overhaul that happened between 13 and 15

>>2410453
>>2410464
>Fake players and staff
This is the way.

Make the actual simulation work, build a framework of systems that interact with one another in meaningful and logical ways, and give the player the information he needs to identify where things are working and where they are not. Simple but solid mechanics that make sense will allow depth and complexity to emerge organically.

The truth nobody seems to mention is that FM has never been a great simulator, it's always been a mediocre game with much fakery carried by the impressive database. It;s the fixation on the database that killed the franchise, but all strategy gamers know a database does not make a great strategy game. Solid mechanics and underlying complexity with a friendly UI that feeds the player the right information and gives the player the tools to influence events, and plausible AI that offers a challenge will turn any dataset into a fun experience.

If the player feels like he's managing a team he won't care a jot whether his star striker, or even the team he's managing exists irl.

>>2410566
Do you think Mods can make the game interesting again for me?

>>2410702
What mods even exist? With things like custom databases, only you can answer how interested you would be, and I don't know what else would even exist.

>>2410566
>tactics overhaul
It was a UI overhaul, the engine was the same engine, they just replaced the sliders with buttons.

>>2410411
Reporting back, this shit looks like ass. 2D view unironically looks worse than it does in FM17 and the menus are slow as fuck.
Should I grab FM24 before it gets too expensive with key resellers?

>>2411926
You can find Epic accounts with FM24 for like $5, since they've given it out for free on there like 3 times now

>>2411160
You're correct, but that still makes it the most recent significant change because it did actually change how the player did things.

three games in a row:
first game: 1.05 - 3.41 xg in my favor. their goalkeeper gets a 7.2. final score: 1-1
second game: 1.43 - 1.45 xg in my favor. their goalkeeper gets an 8.0. final score: 4-0
third game: 0.74 - 4.69 xg in my favor. their goalkeeper gets an 8.4. final score: 1-1

sometimes this game is just endlessly annoying to play. their goalkeeper making one miraculous save after another, and then as soon as my opponent gets a tiny chance it's a goal

still /playan/ my Leyton Orient save in FM23

File: file.png (26 KB, 406x134)

26 KB PNG

God I love high natural fitness star players

I'm kind of excited for tomorrow's international management update. I think I'll start a World Cup mode save with England and win the thing.

>last game of the season
>3 points clear
>7 or 8 goals ahead on goal difference
>striker sent off immediately
>they score
>2nd place scores 3 in 20 minutes
>another player sent off
>opponent goes on to win 6-0, lose 1-0
>lose the title with 2 players sent off

My first time getting PROPERLY FM'd. Half a mind to replay that match. Utterly disgraceful. Feels far, far too obvious that the game fucked me there. End's a massive title streak over over 12 years.

Sunday league football, and you still get professional fouls.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab1M6maBFhE

>>2412298
IIRC they wanted to cap how much you could bend the AI over a barrel with the sliders by limiting what you could do to the sliders. 14 was really mid in that regard until they added the extra roles in 15 ; most of which still didn't do jack shit. I'm thinking especially about SK and IWB, completely useless those were. IWB didn't do squat until 17.

Thoughts on my terrorball tactic? Currently managing urugauy because I needed a bit of a change over the off season. Won all WC qualifying games so far. Including Argentina which is the best national team in SA right now. 2-0, 2-1, 1-0. At club level we have consistently drawn Borussia Dortmund and consistently beaten them, despite being the strongest team in the save over the past 20 seasons. I use this when I'm needing to win close games or an underdog and it's often come through well, except 1 club who beats it every time, as they do most my other tactics (fuck leeds).

Is it a decent tactic or am I getting lucky? Direct counter terrorball was my aim. I'm nooby to tactics despite a fair amount of hours.

File: Terrortactic.png (184 KB, 1264x968)

184 KB PNG

>>2413956
Actual file

File: terrorist ball.png (1.14 MB, 2304x1176)

1.14 MB PNG

>>2413956
>>2413958
Fuck sake, wrong file again

>international update is live for fm26

>>2413961
For me as long as shots are limited by the opposition it's a good defense.

>go 0-5 up in the CL knockouts
>they score 1-5 in the last second before half time
>they score 2-5 with a blooter two minutes into the second half
I'm not winning this, am I

>>2414512
Pretty sure the game is fixed. Been having many odd seasons recently. The first half of the season I get fucking smashed to bits, then I catch up with the leading team in the league and it goes down to the last day. It's been consistent. Knocked out of all the cups that's I'd win at least 1 a year. Team is strong, nothing has really changed but it's all falling apart. As I said in >>2413742 it was a perfect storm of 2 players sent off, striker hitting the post endlessly and then they scored a fuck load of goals. All down to the final day, where we draw on GD but I lose on whatever stat remained important. Can't trust this game. This weird shit happens too often to just be a coincidence. Apparently it's down to morale or whatever bollocks but if the morale system is that broken, only conclusion is it's fixed for the 'drama'. So we're not actually entirely in control, just playing through a loose story mode.

>>2414453
>>international update is live for fm26
What's the verdict?

What do you do when your team suddenly stops performing? All my tactics are completely dead, they can't keep posession, they keep scoring own goals, strikers keep hitting the most and missing good chances. Went from winning 4-0 most games to conceding multiple goals a game with practically no ability to score. Team is still very strong. At a complete loss on what to do.

They need to add a feature where you crucify players, hand draw and quarter them. I fucking despise some of my current players.

>>2415515
It's called "send to reserves"

>>2415595
Oh I know, I just feel it's not quite impactful enough. Somehow the little cunt has access to the rest of my team. He's bitched to them and lowered their morale. This is a thick cunt who got sent off in 5 minutes in a vital match. Scored zero goals as a striker in the league despite getting 8 appearances, my boomer striker has been revived to take his place and scored a goal a game for 8 matches with 9 pace.

If I could, I'd murder the little cunts entire bloodline. But I can't. I can only send him into the u18's which tanks my squad morale, an acceptable pay off.

>>2415151
the opposite of what your current tactic is
if gegenpress, do counter attack
if control possession, do gegenpress

File: cunt.png (484 KB, 1464x772)

484 KB PNG

Stipe Anic was playing his first game of the season. So of course this happens.

Newfag question, what does "knap tactic" mean?

>>2416687
He's a big member of the community, he knows a lot about the game. He creates very good tactics. If you're new then give them a try. My biggest tip for a noob is probably to watch the games with a good tactic, note the movement, the passing style, the speed of play, the pressing etc. Then make a similar tactic to the one you picked with roles and instructions you think would work. Then you do the same and note down observations from your tactic.

The tactic system is confusing and sometimes conflict or isn't entirely clear what the instruction actually does. Learning the match mechanics is worthwhile because you can eventually make your own tactics which is fun, but most importantly you can make tactical adjustments in games where you're not doing as well as you could. Generally though, you'll be winning a lot with his tactics because they're just really good as long as your players are suited to it.