Teh Noob Alert!

[Back Door Skip]

So as I said in the screenshots thread, I picked up the game and tried my luck with the Mexican NT.

I picked it up in the summer of 2011, and the first few friendlies were painful to watch. The team conceded many goals and I couldn't get a consistent attack.


Thanks to the qualifiers, I got my team on a winning mentality and things have looked good just in time.


This is what I'm preparing for:

But before that, I need to take care of some things.

After dominating team after mediocre team, I finally got to play against the US after getting embarrassed 3-0 by them on the last friendly.



These are the records prior to the match.

Line ups and formations:

Edit: these pics are terrible quality. Any idea how to make them higher resolution?

 

[ShiftyPowers]

If you have windows, use the snipping tool to take screenshots, also play in windowed mode to facilitate it. Flat 442 huh? Not sure about that with mexico.

 

[Back Door Skip]

I started out with my favorite formation, which is the 4231, but it just didn't seem to work. I kept giving goals and my attack wasn't really working.

I tried 433 and it was more of the same. I got my ass handed to me by the US with the 433 formation.

Then I tried a 4411 with Cubo Torres, and I won 5-2. He scored four of them. I've been toying with different variations of 442 ever since.

Also, Cubo is unstoppable, but I can't put him as a replacement for Chicharo. So I decided to pair them up. Has worked so far although not the best of competition.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Attacking trident of Gio, Cubo, and Chicharito sounds amazing to me. Also, the Mexican regens are ridiculous in this game, so always be on the lookout. I even posted a thread in an FM forum called "Super Mexicans" because it was getting so ridiculous.

EDIT: Oh, and like 85% of them come from Chivas. Hope you're a fan.

 

[Back Door Skip]

So after starting the Confederations Cup with this team:

I get a message saying I need to submit 22 players for the Gold Cup, which will be played in July. So I pick these players:

The problem now is that those players are on my Confederations roster, and I seem to be stuck with them. WTF?

 

[Back Door Skip]

Lawl

Despite getting completely and utterly dominated, a heroic effort by Ochoa saves me from an ass kicking, and on top of that Mier heads one in from a corner late securing a draw. Scrubs and all. Take that, Uruguay.

 

[yoyo913]

Dude get rid of the Right Wing Back and put him in a flat back four. More often than not stuff like that doesn't work well in FM.

 

[Back Door Skip]

Yeah, it was serviceable with a decent RB, but when I put in an inexperienced WB I ended up getting exploited. Playing flat back four for now unless I'm playing weak teams.

So I didn't feel like keeping on with my Mexico save since I lost my good squad and decided to try a new team. I went with PSG, and I had no real problems until I lost Gameiro for 3 months with with a ruptured ligament.

After that I went on a huge slide. I was eliminated from Europa League because Birmingham just needed a draw, so they parked the bus.

In the winter transfer window I got a few reinforcements.

The third one is Riccardo Montolivo... for some reason I cut out the name. He has been pretty ****ty. A few games after acquiring him he went out injured for two months.

I was knocked out of both French cups by the same team.

These assholes have my number. In the league I drew to them, in Coupe de Ligue I sent my reserves and lost on an own goal. In the Coupe de France I decided to play all my starters... the game was back and forth until they beat me in the last minute.


Anyway, after being top 3 for almost the duration of the save, I've been on a huge slide and I can't seem to do any good no matter what I do. I even got back all my players from injury, but they're just not doing well. I dropped to 4th place and I'm six points from 3rd, and unless I do something drastic, I think I'm gonna keep sliding since nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Well, part of FM is that just like in real life you can't get hung up on individual results. With that said, the best beginner formation IMO (and especially if you have a lot of money) is 4-3-3 with a DM. Flat 4-4-2 is not nearly as easy as you think, and that is evidenced by the fact that aside from ManU, no other top club actually plays it.

Also, at PSG I assume you have money, so what's with the underwhelming signings? Don't make a signing for the sake of it, make a signing because the player can improve your team! Salgado and Nilo aren't good enough to play for a European Champ, and they can't develop into that type of player either. Cheap old players are fine for a temporary stop-gap solution, but ideally your signings should be under 23.

EDIT: And failing that ask Fili for a tactic, because he seems like the best tactician that posts here.

 

[Back Door Skip]

Yeah, I'm honestly still trying to figure out how to make successful transfers. Those players were basically whored to me by their agents, so I picked them. Any player I targeted asked for astronomical wages, and I couldn't pay them.

I attempted to sign Jan Vertonghen for about 15 million, and he was asking for for 150k a week, so that fell through.

I also tried to purchase Cavani, and the same thing happened.

Guiseppe Rossi... same thing. Among others.

I really could have used an elite striker, but it seemed they were out of my price range.

I thought PSG would have more money, but I was given about 30 million to play with, and that didn't seem good enough to attract better talent.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Yeah, well realistically those players (aside from Vantonghen, I'm surprised he turned you down) aren't going to sign for PSG. If you want to even the playing field add stuff like signing bonuses, agent fees, and minimum fee release clauses which the agents and boards usually don't get too involved with.

Anyway, the "filter unrealistic players" box in the player search is usually accurate. Occasionally there's a player who "might" sign with you who gets filtered out, but for the most part just rely on your assistant to filter out players who won't come to your team. After that, just grab the best players available. Also, if you go to the boardroom screen you can convert transfer fees into wages, and vice versa, so if a player is cheap, but wants astronomical wages, you can adjust what you will spend on transfers and add that money to your wage budget, which can be useful.

But again, if this is your first game I would suggest Barca, Real, or City.

 

[Back Door Skip]

Good to know.

Yeah, I thought PSG would be backed by loads and loads of Arab money, but it doesn't seem to be the case. I think I'm gonna try Barça next and see what I can do.

 

[Filipower]

Well, you won't have as much money as PSG. You'll have the team though, which is amazing. If a bit lacking in depth...

 

[Back Door Skip]

Forgot to mention Chelsea were after Sakho and I told them to **** off. The problem is that Sakho didn't like that. Now he's playing like **** to pay me back. Last two games he conceded a penalty in each game. My team is in shambles.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Best way to keep teams away from your best players is to set huge Asking prices for them.

 

[Back Door Skip]

Began a new save with Manchester City... and it was a frustrating start. I drew my first three PL matches. I lost the Community Shield in penalties and I got completely embarrassed by Genk (yes ******* team I've barely ever heard of!) 4-0.

This game is where I feel I turned the corner. I just played a straight 4-3-3 and finally had some success.

After that I went on a nice unbeaten streak, which kept me in the top three in the Premier League. In Champions League I beat Inter as well, then I had my chance for revenge...

And these mother****ers snapped my almost two month unbeaten streak!

 

[Back Door Skip]

I had to get over it, because I had a rough stretch where I had to play Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea. I ended up doing well enough.



This is the table close to the winter break:

I ended up losing to Inter pretty bad in San Siro. I thought I was gonna go into one of those slides, because I then lost 2-0 to a 10 men Tottenham, which was frustrating as ****.

I then had to play Zenit for my CL life. I won by the minimal although Tevez could have easily gotten a hat-trick, but I was happy because I was pretty sure Inter would let Genk beat them to **** me.

I qualified by the skin of my teeth, and it was a good feeling to know I qualified to the round of 16 despite getting embarrassed by Genk.

 

[Back Door Skip]

This is the formation I use the most. I altered it a bit, since Aguero has been huge, but seems to be too selfish for a winger.

I also have already signed reinforcements for after the winter break.

Not too sure about the last one. Santos approved it, but I haven't been prompted to set a contract with him. Weird.

 

[Juventino]

Not too sure about the last one. Santos approved it, but I haven't been prompted to set a contract with him. Weird.

I've had this happen to me too. When they negotiate and I accept their counter-offer, I don't get the news to offer the player a contract either. Usually I click 'change the bid' in the player's profile, add a little money, and they'll accept and I can offer the player a contract. It must be a bug.

 

[yoyo913]

Skip, stop trying to play those weird formations man. I'm telling you that's why your team is under-performing. Play something symmetrical and normal like a 4-5-1.