Football Manager 2014.

First topic message reminder :

Has anybody preordered this? This years looks to have improved on last years version, and if you have preordered then you get two week early access which is cool.

Hopefully I can repeat my success in getting Wrexham to the premier league.

Costs about £3 this year. Cheap money making scam, wouldn't have paid for it if the money wasn't sat my steam account never to be used.

It is still free to download but you can now buy one so you can edit anything mid game as opposed to before you start your save on the free editor

Cheeky swines!

It's quite good having this money in the BSP, except very few players want to join the club. Matt Derbyshire was on the tranfer list for £60k so I put an offer in that got accepted, when discussing terms with his agent he wanted £70k a week!

Mercenary!

DP wrote: 

Don't envy you pal!

I actually recommend Coventry, it's a real challenge.

I expect almost everyone else will do better than me and keep them up though. I took far too long to find the right system for my team and when I did it was too late to claw back out of the ditch I was mired in. They have an average squad age of like 21 though, lots of talent to build on.

Obviously I hope I'm allowed the time to do that...

Alright chaps,

Toying with the idea of writing an article about Football Manager and just why it's become a staple in so many people's lives.

So if you have any anecdotes, horror stories or just have stuff to contribute from your experience, I'd love to hear it!

Cheers.

Picked up Football Manager 2014 in the Black Friday sale last weekend.

I've searched everywhere but I can't seem to find the English Premier League Logo's as a single download, they're normally as apart of a MEGAPACK. Anybody let me know where they got their's from?

I got mine from the Steam workshop. No downloads or anything, just subscribe to them on steam, load up the game, click the options tab and go to downloads, then click instal on it and it's done.

Started a new game on Saturday while watching the boxing, began as unemployed and got offered the Stoke job before the season began, my target was survival. I made two signings, Yossi Benayoun on a free and Robbie Keane for £700k.

I've decided to play counter attacking football, using a formation of 4-1-1-3-1. I've just entered December and I'm 8th in the league, and in the semi finals of the league cup. So far Stephen Ireland has been my best player and has an average rating of 7.85, Robbie Keane has been in good form with 8 goals and 9 assists as well.

hampo171 wrote:I got mine from the Steam workshop. No downloads or anything, just subscribe to them on steam, load up the game, click the options tab and go to downloads, then click instal on it and it's done.

Cheers for the info on this, will have to get this later

Has anyone found that there centre backs score a ridiculous amount per season!?? Even though is good for me I found it irritating when Caulker bagged 19 in 36 games in the Prem on my Leicester season and on Man Utd season Phil Jones ended top scorer with 26 even though he played at CB every game

Cass1234 wrote:Has anyone found that there centre backs score a ridiculous amount per season!?? Even though is good for me I found it irritating when Caulker bagged 19 in 36 games in the Prem on my Leicester season and on Man Utd season Phil Jones ended top scorer with 26 even though he played at CB every game

I've only just begun a Manchester United save and already I can see what you're talking about. Both Jonny Evans & Vidic scored regularly in Pre-Season and after 3 games, Evans is my joint-top goalscorer on 3 goals! Reminds me of FM2010, when you do the old 'Corner Tactic'   

il be honest, they do score a few but not many!! 10 or so ive found..

I change my corner routines so it depends who in my squad is the best header of the ball

best crosser whipping them in to the near post and my best header of the ball attacking the near post, usually guarentess goals

Wonder if anyone could help with this. I was playing this Wednesday and all was working fine, then I went to load it yesterday and Steam said the game can't load as there is a "missing executable." All the other FM's I have on Steam work fine and it seems to be because the FM.Exe file for 14 has been replaced with a Temp file that can't be opened. Anyone know how to solve this problem?

Sounds like an uninstall job that one mate.

Will I lose my save if I do that? I hope not, I'd just got Coventry firing as well! Was up to mid-table after the 10 point deduction with an outside chance of the play-offs.

Erm....I'm not sure because the actual save files might still be there.

I can't remember from the last time I had to uninstall a game, I think there might be an option of backing up the files though. Hope so anyway!

Good news it loads again, I had to re-verify the game cache or something. Bad news, I think I'm going to lose my save Can't be bothered to go as Coventry again, might go for a team where I can actually sign players!

Actually double good news. The saved game is now back! Boom. Play offs here we come.

I got sacked from Spurs after going from 4th to 9th in the last 10 games of the season, then within a week of the season ending I get named Arsenal manager   

I haven't touched FM in a while, however with the wife being ill, and a good day of football ahead I'm going to start a game with Pompey and see just how far I can take them.

gazzyD wrote:I change my corner routines so it depends who in my squad is the best header of the ball

best crosser whipping them in to the near post and my best header of the ball attacking the near post, usually guarentess goals

    

Yep thats the tactic that works for me and has done for years.

I had a save where my CB was my top goal scorer with around 20+ goals

I was have my other CB challenging the GK to put him off aswell

Booted up FM14 for the first time in two months on Saturday and found that I had started a Liverpool game and only done the first meeting. Finished my first season at the weekend, I signed Tom Ince and Jordan Ayew and finished 5th.

I've kust started my second season, the board gave me £40m to spend so I splashed it all on El Shaarway, gives me the option to rotate the wingers between Coutinho, Ince, Ayew, and El Shaarway.

I sold Reina to At. Madrid for £8m, Kelly to Newcastle for £6m, Assaidi went to Stoke for £2.5m I also sold Sahko in the January transfer window of the first season due to him moaning after I fined him for his 3rd red card

Don't know about anybody else but I struggle to stick with a game using the bigger teams.

I started one as Wrexham, begain by Signing Ibrahim Farah on a free, and anoter two young CMs whose names escape me at present. Battled through to January when the owners gave me a decent budget to spend, so brought in a new LW from Forest Green, a right winger, right back, and center back, plus another keeper on a free, also managed to snap up two strikers who were both being sold for £0 by their clubs.

By the end of the season I'd finished second behind Barnet, won the playoff final 4-0. also won the Fa Trophy final 7-0 against Eastligh. The two new strikers I'd seen both ended up scoring 20 plus goals and one of them got 18 assists

So far I've only made one signing for the second season which is Alan Smith from MK Dons on a free to give some experience to the midfield.

Got it.

Bu, whenever I try to continue with my recent Sunderland game (started today) then my PC just shuts down. It has happened 3 times. Thankfully, my game automatically saved 9 days before my 1st game of the season, Arsenal at home. I'm going to try that tomorrow again, if it doesn't work, I'll use my Hudl's FM14 handheld instead.

Managed to get Derby County promoted in my first season. Went right down to the wire with the top 4 teams all within one point of each other with two games left to run, although I did have a game in hand! Managed to pip Brighton & QPR into second spot with both myself & Burnley winning promotion on the final day...

Now, I need to ask. Formation Recommendations for playing away games against the bigger sides in the Premier League? I'm thinking something like a 4-4-1-1 and just trying hard to break us down. Likewise, I really need some recommendations on what players I need to sign? Pretty much looking to strengthen in every position expect Centre Midfield!

I had a game previously with Stoke, started unemployed and got offered the job, away at the big sides I went 5-4-1 with wing backs. Played route one football, either lost 1-0 or won 1-0. Quite a handy tactic.

I really don't have the full-backs or Wing-Backs to employ that kind of tactic yet, although that along with 4-4-1-1 might be what I consider when playing away from home.

Any recommendations on what players to bring in? Or perhaps loaning in some players from the bigger sides then cherry-pick out some players from the sides that were relegated...

Not sure mate, I tend to try and sign younger players. That way I can keep a settled side rather signing older/experienced players who'll retire in a few years.

May be worth bringing in a decent striker from Europe though.

DOn't have the game but agree with Hampo. I prefer to go obscure teams and build them in to a big club. Many a time i've gone a second division Hungarian team, or division 2 chinese team etc. Something a bit more challenging and fun having to actually scout and find good players cheaply rather than getting £40+ million to spend etc

Enjoyed this year's so much more than 13, not sure why. Played a normal game as West Ham manager, managing Man United at the same time. The Man United one went awful and I got sacked when I was 8th at Christmas. So I re-hired myself and gave myself about £1billion transfers to see what I could do. I look set to scrape top four with a Europa League final. Money guarantees a small bump.

West Ham have scraped by, top four till December then sank to about 11th.

To spice things up, I hired myself as Cambridge manager too. Gave myself anyone who is still on there who was once good and over about 35. Veron and Del Piero smashed it up and won enough games to steal the title on the last day. The team will soon die from my financial battering, especially when they all retire. But Veron at Cambridge was too funny to imagine

Hi, new member here.

I haven't got FM14 yet. I love FM13 and the juve team is awesome on it, especially Vidal and Pogba.

Is it worth upgrading to FM14

With every penny I'd say pal

Definitely, I think 14 is a lot better than 13.

Agreed, I got bored of 13 very quickly, 2014 has felt so much more playable than any for a few years

Cheers all.

I think I'll get that then.

I like going with a small team too. My favourite is making Novara big, as this is where my family come from

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Enjoyed this year's so much more than 13, not sure why. Played a normal game as West Ham manager, managing Man United at the same time. The Man United one went awful and I got sacked when I was 8th at Christmas. So I re-hired myself and gave myself about £1billion transfers to see what I could do. I look set to scrape top four with a Europa League final. Money guarantees a small bump.

West Ham have scraped by, top four till December then sank to about 11th.

To spice things up, I hired myself as Cambridge manager too. Gave myself anyone who is still on there who was once good and over about 35. Veron and Del Piero smashed it up and won enough games to steal the title on the last day. The team will soon die from my financial battering, especially when they all retire. But Veron at Cambridge was too funny to imagine

What is the point in playing the game when all you do is in-game edit?

i agree @gcblues....no point to it at all..

Wow, Football Manager snobs. Get on my level boys, I've been playing since CM1.

I have always taken West Ham serious and no edits. I wanted to then play the Man United one with this apparent "windfall" that is coming. Cambridge is just a laugh really, they're in League Two with what is now a team of promising youngsters.

Gives the game different scope. At the end of the day, it is all reasonably unrealistic, as Newcastle being second till the last 4 games proved.

The end plan with Man United is to win the league then leave and try my hand at a normal club but with a reputation that means I can live with being sacked. I've been playing this game for ruddy years, I run a few managers at once and try different things at either my lesser serious club or the two. West Ham remain on a consistent level of normal.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Wow, Football Manager snobs. Get on my level boys, I've been playing since CM1.

"Get on my level"? What level is that? A (apparently) 24 year old who has a username dedicated to a wwe wrestler? It seems i've already passed your level mate, when i was at the age of 16 it seems.

And CM1 came out in 1993...if you're 24 you would have been incredibly young to be cognitively understanding a football manager game. Maybe you should have put this early development in to use rather than bragging about it on a message board?

gcBlues wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Wow, Football Manager snobs. Get on my level boys, I've been playing since CM1.

"Get on my level"? What level is that? A (apparently) 24 year old who has a username dedicated to a wwe wrestler? It seems i've already passed your level mate, when i was at the age of 16 it seems.

All the founders and most of the administrators of the board are wrestling fans, bold move. Also considering Ziggler is a relatively unknown wrestler who has only debuted in the last couple of years, you seem to know more than you let on.   

Crimey wrote:

gcBlues wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Wow, Football Manager snobs. Get on my level boys, I've been playing since CM1.

"Get on my level"? What level is that? A (apparently) 24 year old who has a username dedicated to a wwe wrestler? It seems i've already passed your level mate, when i was at the age of 16 it seems.

All the founders and most of the administrators of the board are wrestling fans, bold move. Also considering Ziggler is a relatively unknown wrestler who has only debuted in the last couple of years, you seem to know more than you let on.   

It was also a joke, the sensitive dear.

And never did I state I played it at 3, merely just from the first game when I was about 7. Progressed through em all as back then I had quite a lot of time spare.

Get off the high horse, it was meant in jest, tone is often lost in a forum so I understand.

But the rest is valid, the reasons I stated are clear and should be what you argue rather than anything "personal"

Even that sounds barbed, although I admit it had a little just to get a jab back in, but really what I meant was - the level thing was a joke, obviously you being a rugby fan and me using this site mainly for football and wrestling we havent crossed paths so my tone isnt so clear to thee. I don't particularly appreciate the tone of the reply but if you thought I was being a Tinkywinky then I suppose it makes sense.

Secondly, as before, as I've been playing the game yearly for a long time, I like to mix up some of the other sides whilst playing West Ham seriously. It makes the game last longer to manage multiple sides too, plus adds variety. Means that whilst ive put quite a bit of time into the game, I've only gone through one season. I get a bit bored when it gets years and years in, then I have to start again. This way it can mix up and take a long time. Plus it means no game ever has much of the same feel to it

i have no issue with having various different game saves and clubs, but i find it strange to 'cheat' and yourself extra cash...surely the point of managing different clubs is to experience the different pitfalls etc each club has to go through...particuarly cash-flow wise..

And I have, I have gone through the pitfall, dare i say developing hill, of a bucketload of cash. It was, again, based on reports that United were going to go mad with money. Just thought i'd play like the papers only wrote truths. I'm still playing normal as West Ham.

What it does do is make the landscape different. Suddenly teams have big money to replace these people.

The Cambridge stuff is just a laugh, I don't pay attention to the lower leagues unless I'm playing in them and just wanted to see how a team progresses full of potential stars. And how the players progress playing week in week out.

I know what you mean, but its still a game and one I now have different shades within. I have my West Ham game, where my budget remains the same and I merely have to react to the world around me, and then United throwing money away like they actually probably could.

At the end of the day, I only really care massively about the West Ham part, and a team where I have to deal with Carroll being injured a lot and Eduardo (of ex-Arsenal fame) as my on loan back-up.

Crimey wrote:All the founders and most of the administrators of the board are wrestling fans, bold move. Also considering Ziggler is a relatively unknown wrestler who has only debuted in the last couple of years, you seem to know more than you let on.   

He's a poor mans Billy Gunn

Just finished my first season as Liverpool, finished 9th and somehow managed to keep my job. Started the season superbly, scoring for fun and keeping clean sheets but after Christmas my strikers forgot how to score, in fact Suarez only scored 5 all season.

I've cashed in Suarez for £29m, Kelly for £3.2m and signed Valdes on a free and Leawondowski on a free as well, also signed Ben Davies for £9m to replace Enrique. Hoping for a better second season.