January 12, 2010

Football Manager gamers are some of the best to ask about conspiracy theories, many will swear to you that the Football Manager match engine and AI are out to get them and that it is their simply to stop and frustrate. The major complaints that I have found this year is that the game scores too many last minute goals. Frustrating as it is anytime this happens when a match is on a knife edge there a few simple changes that will help you counter the problem.

Understanding why you are losing in the final minutes

It is a good idea at any point in your analysis of the game to first look at where you are conceding goals. Looking at where the supply to the goalscorers is arriving from be that the wings or through the middle of the park, it will allow you to concentrate and eliminate that supply, helping you throughout the match and not just in the final 10 minutes.

Like any good team would do, the last 10 minutes consists of direct football trying to put as much pressure on force mistakes and score goals. Throwing everything at a side in order to find a dramatic late winner, a strategy for many sides, if I am ever losing by a small margin at the end of the game, I will  switch to an attacking or even overload philosophy,  this will help you grab your own late goals scraping a point or even three. It is also something you should expect the computer to do also.

How do you combat the added pressure on your side?

Reactive Management

The opposition will constantly change strategy throughout the game, reacting to changes made from substitutes and changes in position will reduce the chance of complacency as the new player slips from your radar to score. Opposition instructions can help in reducing the supply to strikers, or making it difficult for players to get too far. The opposition may move to a 4-2-4 and in that case using the instructions you can deal with the extra forwards they have put in place. Having the ability to adapt will make you are more likely to succeed in the longer run.

Philosophy

Having your players with a more defensive outlook can shut up any holes in your defense and you will have players in shape at the back to deal with the added attacks from the opposition, doing this for the final 10 minutes will help keep your player focused to close the game off, doing it for much longer could invite too much pressure from the opposition. Philosophies such as contain, defensive and counter will help keep your teams defensive shape and that they are looking to join the attack and sacrifice you defense.

Touchline Instructions

On the pitch you will often see players are moving into the corner flag with the ball, passing it around the midfield with no real penetration in the final minutes. This is because with the ball in your possession the opposition can’t score. The retain possession shout will do what it says on the tin, keep the ball no matter what. You may also choose to pass to feet. This does rely on the weather conditions though when the pitch is muddy or wet then the ball won’t travel as well and instead keeping the ball could become a struggle. You could also use other shouts such as hassle opponents to attempt to reduce their time on the ball and reducing supply and chances.

So I hope that has helped those that are losing out to many late goals. Late goals will happen, its a fact of football that luck good as well as bad has a lot to do with the game, you can dominate all match but in the final minutes the opposition may nip one as they go for broke. But you will be able to better reduce any bad luck happening if you are able to prepare and react to the oppositions own strategy and then hopefully you will be free to score you own last minute goals, there is no better feeling.