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#WeAreHSV – Hamburger SV in Football Manager (pt 6)
In the last update, we’d reached the World Cup break in an impressive 10th position. Despite this, I wasn’t happy with the disjointed performance of either of the two formations I’d used. The 5-3-2 lacked penetration and capable runners from midfield. A switch to a 4-2-3-1 occurred which looked better, with more attacking variety, but still needed tweaks. The adjustments I made were: The AMC on his attacking duty wasn’t dropping deep to help out enough so I knocked it… Read More Read More
#WeAreHSV – Hamburger SV in Football Manager (pt 5)
Settling back in to Bundesliga life I entered pre-season still in two, or even three minds about which formation to start with. Should I stick with the 5-2-1-2 which served us well last season and won us promotion? Should I stick with my head and adopt a 5-3-2 with an anchor in the DM slot to give us extra protection? Or should I go for it with a 4-2-3-1. I decided to give them all a chance in friendlies but… Read More Read More
Football Manager: Teams to Manage in North America
North America is a continent that I think is undervalued on Football Manager in terms of management. It is a continent that can produce some of football’s top talents with countries like America, Mexico, and Canada amongst others that have seen players like Landon Donovan, Hirving Lozano, Clint Dempsey, Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and many others. Granted, in some nations the registration rules are complicated but that makes for a worthy challenge on Football Manager. Below we’ll provide a list… Read More Read More
Football Manager Challenges – The Journeyman
Once you get immersed into playing Football Manager, the mind starts to wander, or wonder perhaps. Creative people have come up with many creative ideas playing the game and shared them with the wider community via the forums and social media. I thought I should try to bring to light the many challenge ideas that players have come up with over the years and feature them in a series of articles here at Dictate the Game. What better way to… Read More Read More
#WeAreHSV – Hamburger SV in Football Manager (Part 4)
Restart the clock. We’re back in the Bundesliga Hamburger SV were in the Bundesliga for a very long time. So long, that they installed a huge digital clock showing everyone exactly how long they’d been there for. To the very second! A massive fifty four years! They were so proud that a miniature version was even installed on the team coach. Of course, all good things come to an end. After three years of narrowly avoiding relegation they finally lost… Read More Read More
#WeAreHSV – Hamburger SV in Football Manager (pt 3)
Intro In part two of my debut season with Hamburger SV, we found ourselves in 2nd place in 2.Bundesliga. Whilst the season was going well I felt the team were only operating at around 85% so made some tactical tweaks. When I left off I was just about to navigate the perilous waters of Transfer Deadline Day before setting sail for the second half of our first season in a bid for automatic promotion. Bids were coming in for Jatta,… Read More Read More
Total Football Journeyman: Breaking The Parked Bus in FM22
There are two things in Football Manager that can pose a challenge to even the most seasoned FM players. They are 1) setting up a low block tactic that’s actually successful, and 2) breaking an opponent’s low block, aka “parked bus”. Realistically, these two tactical concepts are also not easy to execute in real life. Very few teams can actually pull off a good parked bus against superior opposition. Facing a parked bus is similarly dreaded by real-life managers. Experience… Read More Read More
Football Manager tactics for Hamburger SV (Pt 2)
The story so far… In the Part 1 of this series, I created Football Manager tactics for Hamburger SV, based on the strengths and weaknesses of the players. The formation settled on was a 5-2-3 with the following strategy. Use short passing to control possession in the opponents half. Use attacking wingbacks to pin back opposition fullbacks and create room centrally. Reduce the amount of space our “not very mobile” central midfielders have to operate in. Convert Bakery Jatta to… Read More Read More
Different Ways to Play – The Head Coach
Playing Football Manager is a wonderfully unique and personable way of escaping the pressures of real life. You have the opportunity to sculpt a trophy winning behemoth out of your local non-league side or to continue the dynasty of your favourite La Liga galácticos. Players can adopt a ‘Journeyman’ approach, jumping from job to job in different nations or they could look to emulate the career path of a managerial icon such as Sir Alex Ferguson. These different ways to… Read More Read More
Guide to the 4-2-4 Tactic in Football Manager 2022
A big reason for this guide is the feeling the 4-2-4 tactic is unappreciated, certainly when compared to the more popular tactics in Football Manager 2022. Yes, the 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress and 4-3-3’s will always be the people’s choice, but there are certain merits to a tactic which provides attacking overloads. As this is my first tactical guide, I wish to show you the very tactic that has brought me success so far in FM22. Let’s dive in! 4-2-4: The Preset… Read More Read More
Implementing a wage structure & transfer policy in Football Manager
Assessing the situation A wage structure is a great way to start getting a tough financial situation in order. When I first took over HSV I was aware their financial situation wasn’t great. So, when I clicked on the finances screen it wasn’t too much of a shock to read about the £42 million debt. It’s a big debt and it’s being paid back at £875k per week. However, it’s not one I’m panicking about just yet. We have one… Read More Read More
Football Manager: Youth Development Saves
Football Manager allows players to live out their own fantasy of being the manager of any football team. If, like me, you like not only developing players, but developing players through the club’s academy then below are a few teams where you can prioritise youth development.
Creating a tactic for Hamburg in Football Manager 22 (Part 1)
When it comes to tactics in Football Manager I used to take over a team (in this case Hamburg in Football Manager 22), and force the players into my favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. And why not? It’s a system I know inside-out. This approach usually ends up working eventually (after some transfer activity). However, there’s always one pretty good player that gets left out because they don’t fit in with exactly how I want to set up. That player then… Read More Read More
Done Deal – Contract Negotiation in Football Manager
Whenever we hear about a new signing to be made in real life or when we’re looking for players to add to our team in FM, the focus of the matter is always on the transfer fee. However, the amount of money interchanged between clubs is hardly the only economic part of the deal; clubs also have to settle on a contract with the player. That’s why it’s every bit as important to secure a good deal on both negotiation… Read More Read More
Football Manager: The Wonderkids That Never Were
Football manager is know for creating wonderkids. Here are some wonderkids that, in real life, never became as FM predicted.
Motivation in Football Manager
An interesting subject in Football Manager, that can really negatively and positively affect performances is motivation and people management. You have to be able to read the personalities in your squad and figure out ways to get the best performances out of your players, beyond tactical familiarity and training methods. The ways you talk to your players are vitally important. Assessing the personalities in your squad Right off the bat, every team will be a different soup of personalities and… Read More Read More
Total Football Journeyman: Story of One Bulgarian in Spain
Almost 30 years to this day, on May 20, 1992, Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona Dream Team won its first Champions League title (European Cup at the time). In 1990s they went on to win 4 consecutive LaLiga titles, an achievement that previously only belonged to Real Madrid. The Dream Team was one of the best collections of footballers to ever wear Barcelona’s kit. And every single one of these players was handpicked by Cruyff based on their ability to play by… Read More Read More
Total Football Journeyman: Creating My 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 Hybrid
The following tactical experiment drew inspiration from many sources. It would not be Total Football without its tactical holy grail of course. Ajax’ original 4-3-3 with Johan Cruyff centering the attack and controlling the whole formation from his iconic False 9 position. Then came the next natural evolution of this formula with Pep Guardiola’s Barca and the talismanic rise of its young Argentinian star. Finally, recently we witnessed an emergence of a renewed Total Football system at Ajax under it’s… Read More Read More
Scoring Tips for Struggling Teams in Football Manager
A lot of teams go through dry spells during a season, some teams never get scoring at all to start a campaign. I’ve found a few ways to help this situation during my current journeyman save in Singapore. (Follow me on Twitter for updates 😉 These are scoring tips for struggling teams in Football Manager. Tactics Starting off we’re going to take a look at your tactics. Many managers play in many different ways, and there is always a way… Read More Read More
Guide to Player Interactions on Football Manager
FM21 replaced the classic “voice tone” system with the gestures, an improved, more humane new mechanic for interactions. They say around 70% of human communication is non-verbal, so it only made sense that we were no longer simply being “assertive” or “passionate”, but pointing fingers and flinging bottles at people… or, you know, less aggressive tactics. However, how can we make the best of this new system, and best communicate with our players? It’s now been over a year, so… Read More Read More
Pragmatic Football: Mid-Block Your Way To Victory in FM22
That is right. This article won’t be about my usual subject, Total Football. Instead I will be joining the Dark Side and discussing Pragmatic Football. And at the same time offering praise to Pragmatic Football’s grandmaster and high priest, Jose Mourinho. In that light another possible title for this article could have been “Understanding The Misunderstood Genius of Jose Mourinho”. My long-delayed tribute to the Special One.
The TOUGHEST teams to manage in FM22
These might be the toughest teams to manage in the fully licensed leagues in Football Manager 22. If you want a real challenge, I think taking on one of these clubs could be a great challenge for any self-proclaimed FM expert! Derby County – England You are in for quite the task to turn Derby County into a force again in the EFL. The club is in administration, and they are under a transfer embargo. They have been docked 21… Read More Read More
FM 22: Hidden Gems in Wales
Read along as I unearth the hidden gems in Wales. Fire up your laptop and set your destination for Cardiff as we jump through time 5 years into the future to see how our aspiring Gareth Bale’s have developed. Deuparth gwaith yw ei ddechrau. Starting the work is two thirds of it… Traditional Welsh Proverb Yes, this old proverb lends itself nicely to our article which will hopefully make your time managing a side in Wales a lot more enjoyable…. Read More Read More
FM22: What Type of Tactical Manager Are You?
Football Manager allows you to approach the game in many ways. What type of manager are you on Football Manager?
Ernst Happel’s 433 and The Invention of Total Football
From time to time my readers will ask me one particular question. Or a variation of it. Basically it goes like this. What is the absolute essence of Total Football? If I want my team to play Total Football, where do I start? How do I build it into a Total Football powerhouse? What foundation stones, in tactics, training and personnel, do I implement? The following article will hopefully answer some of these questions. To do so we might as… Read More Read More
Data Analysis at half time: Win the Second Half!
You’re down 1-0 at half-time, the team is not performing well at all. In the past we had to rely on the eyeball test. Who looks like their struggling out there? Who’s getting beaten to the punch? Where were the gaps? Let’s look at the Data Analysis.
Football Manager – Tactical Style – Gegenpress
Football Manager comes with a set of pre-set tactical styles. These styles were first introduced in FM19 and they support both the tactical novice as well as the tactical veterans out there. In this article, we’ll go through the creation of Gegenpress tactical style, its roots and its use in the modern game.
Asymmetrical Tactics; Tremendous or Trouble?
A look at asymmetrical tactics and their use in real-life and Football Manager
Total Football Journeyman: Basque Christmas
Guide to FM22 “Hard Mode” My advice to any new Football Manager player, don’t be afraid of change. If your tactical approach isn’t working, don’t keep doing the same thing hoping for different results. That’s madness. Sometimes even the most logical tactics don’t work. You might feel compelled to stick with the tactic to the bitter end. After-all, you’ve invested valuable time coming up with the formation and recruiting suitable players. And most of the time it’s not your fault…. Read More Read More
Football Manager 2022: National League South Guide
As a follow up to my guide covering the National League North in Football Manager 2022, we have the sister league, National League South. Featuring teams in the south and up to the lower midlands of England, we guide you through the league itself and a few select clubs you want to have a look at for your save in FM22.
Best Assistant Managers | FM22
Looking for the perfect assistant manager? That would make sense considering you’re reading an article about the best assistant managers in FM22! Of course, you’re the gaffer but the increased staff interaction and re-designed responsibilities screen in FM22 means getting the right assistant manager is more important than ever. Imagine this… you’ve made your dream move to the Big Apple and are the manager of the New York Red Bulls – okay, this may just be my dream job!… Read More Read More
Asymmetrical Tactics; Amazing or Abomination?
Football tactics come in a variety of shapes. But, when it comes to looking at symmetrical and asymmetrical tactics one has to understand the difference between both symmetry and asymmetry. In this selection of articles, I’ll discuss the use of asymmetrical formations, their use in real-life football as well as their use in Football Manager.
Football Manager 2022: National League North Guide
When it comes to a league guide in Football Manager 2022, the National League North and South is a popular starting place. Whether it’s a “Road to Glory” or “Journeyman” save, starting in the lower leagues of England is common among players. Whether you have started in one of these leagues, or are considering doing so, a look around this lower league slice of England can give you an advantage. We will look around the league itself and its rules,… Read More Read More
Using different formations in FM22 to get the edge
The manager of the 1978 World Cup-winning Argentina side, César Luis Menotti, once famously said: “4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 5-3-2… football has three mysteries, space, time and guile; the rest are phone numbers”. Menotti is, in many ways, a romantic; however, it seems that in his thinking he failed to realise (or to properly acknowledge) that one of those mysteries is very much tied to what he calls “phone numbers”. Tactics (more specifically, formations) are the tools a manager has to manipulate… Read More Read More
Total Football Journeyman: Total Football Mentality Ladder
When I first decided to create a Total Football tactic for FM22, I did not have 3-4-3 Diamond in mind. That came later. I only settled on Cruyff’s historic “Dream Team” formation after realizing that it possessed all the elements needed to achieve the objectives that I set out for myself at the start of this project. The goal was to recreate Total Football within FM22 as accurately as possible. In order to achieve this, the following will be my… Read More Read More
Youth Development – The Plan, The Procedure, The Delivery
Bringing through the next generation of world-class stars is one of Football Manager’s most appealing features – youth development is a journey that takes time to get right. Each year, the FM community spends countless hours improving every part of their youth setup to get the best youth intakes, but it can still be a tricky thing to master. Youth development is a key part of the game for many players. However, because Football Manager is a game in which… Read More Read More
All New Fantasy Draft Guide in FM22
We are all aware that Fantasy Draft in Football Manager often gets overlooked by users, but this year there are so many new changes and features that have been added. I am going to have a look at the main ones that stand out, and really give you a reason to dive into a fantasy draft in FM22. It has been amazing to watch the streamer showdown and all the other head-to-head draft communities that are being set up. This… Read More Read More
Five Great Bits of Advice from Staff Meetings on FM22
The introduction of the Staff Meetings has been one of Football Manager 2022’s key new features. It’s a total revamp of the way in which your staff helps you run your club, ditching the sometimes tiresome cascade of emails; instead, you get a concentrated, short order of business, that you can go through at any rate you want. With the release of the full game now just around the corner, we’ve all had a good chance to try out all… Read More Read More
The Lighthouse Chronicle
Part One. I was happy living in my lighthouse, tending to my garden of vegetables and walking down by the seafront. I was happy being away from football for the first time in 52 years. On March 22, 2021, I had been out of the game for less than two years after being dismissed by Delia bloody Smith at Norwich. Not even in the kitchens. Or the canteen. In the back of her limousine. “Mr. Storm,” a voice accustomed to… Read More Read More
Improving your FM22 tactic using the Data Hub
So if you’ve already got your hands on FM22 you will have noticed that one of the prominent features of this release is the shiny new Data Hub – a panel that allows you to digest a wealth of statistical information about your team’s performance with a broad range of segmentation and visualization options. Apart from proving to be a delightful step forward in aligning us as FM players with the modern realities of an ever data-driven footballing world this… Read More Read More
Your New Save: Day One on Football Manager 2022
Another cycle has come and gone, but the release of Football Manager 2022 has unleashed many a fans excitement for the new game release. If you’re a newbie to the Football Manager scene, first things first: Welcome! Dive in and start your new save for your managerial career… but you might not know what to do next! Let’s take things easy and start with the basics. This article will guide you through Day One in your new save on Football Manager… Read More Read More
Don’t Let Your Dreams Be Memes
Everything you need to know to manage in the greatest league in the world, the Polish Ekstraklasa.
Canadian Premier League in Football Manager
I’ve seen a few people wax lyrical about having great saves in the Canadian Premier League in FM21 (or CanPL as it’s known to the locals). Have you taken FC Edmonton to the promise land and won the League title? How did the Island Games go? Have you conquered the mighty MLS teams in the Canadian Championship yet? All this awaits you in the fledgling competition fully licensed since Football Manager 2021. Past Struggles, Roots of Canadian Soccer Canadian soccer… Read More Read More
Football Manager Primer: Playing on The Edge with Wide Centreback
Part 2. Using Cruyff’s 3-4-3 Diamond to Highlight New Wide-CB Role Now that we established that Football Manager is a simple game, let me show you an example of how simple it is to recreate a seemingly complicated historic tactic. We will do it step by step. So it might take a few articles to lay out the tactic completely. In this first step we’ll only take a general look at the newest FM role that inspired my FM22. Specifically… Read More Read More
How to Manage in MLS | FM22 Guide
FM22 Early Access is out. It’s time for your first FM22 save. Do you fancy a Football Manager 2022 journey to America? Don’t know how to manage in the MLS? Don’t worry, this FM22 Guide will show you how to manage in the MLS to make your Football Manager 2022 save perfect! Let’s get the wagons rolling! What drafts do the MLS have? The MLS have followed other American sports in acquiring players – this starts with the drafts. There… Read More Read More
Leave The Memories Alone – Football Manager 2021
With the impending arrival of Football Manager 2022 and the will-it-won’t-it nature of the beta release occupying most of our minds, it’s a good time to ask some of our favourite writers here at Dictate The Game about their experiences on FM21. JohnnyGamesFM Number of hours: 1103Favourite Save: FC StockholmFavourite Signing: Vilmer Persson AhstedtMost Used Tactic: 4-3-3 DM WideBiggest Success: Promotion in our first season at Stockholm, defying all expectationsFM22 Beta Plans: Probably AtalantaOverall FM21 Thoughts: this was the best… Read More Read More
Tactical Tinkering: Wide Centre-Back
A new position has been added to FM22, the Wide Centre Back (WCB). In this article, we look at what the position is and how it will make you think about your tactics on Football Manager.
Everything We Know About the new Data Hub in FM22
The new FM22 sneak peek revealed a new tab for the upcoming Football Manager, the Data Hub. In this article, we’ll let you know everything we know so far about this new and most interesting feature. The Data Hub will play a huge part in making FM22 even better. xG was introduced on FM21 which added more depth to data on the game. Statistics in sports form a massive part of analysis within Football Manager. Data Analysts where added to… Read More Read More
Football Manager Primer – Part 1, Simple Football
Guide to Playing Football Manager the Simple Way, from FM2014 to FM20?? There exist many different ways to play the beautiful game of football. As many as clubs and managers, past and present, that ever existed. And throughout the sport’s long history, there were thousands of amateur and professional managers. Each with their own unique vision of organizing players on the pitch. But there are some things that don’t change. This brings me to the reason for this guide. It’s… Read More Read More
Football Manager 22 – Feature Requests from the DtG Team
With a new Football Manager cycle on the horizon, members of the Dictate the Game team discuss new and expanded features they hope to see included.