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Now I don’t pretend to be in anyway connected with the decision of the new touchline shouts in Football Manager 2010, but it has been an staring us in the face, a feature I mentioned in an articles a couple of years back. This years face lift of the Football Manager tactical engine has brought with it not only the much easier tactical creator/wizard but also while the game is going you get the chance to shout tactical commands to your players on the pitch.
What makes the shouts so important?
As football manager match engine and the AI improved it has become more important to play your football in the right way, no longer is it possible to just put together a team full of the greatest players and expect them to blinding kick a ball on the pitch. True you gain a major advantage with a solid squad, but in order to take that team the extra mile you need to set your players up correctly in order to get the best out of them. Setup your tactics well before the game then your at least a quarter of the way the desired result.
But to win a game, especially those close matches, it’s all about the little changes that you make during the game that can be the difference and really show your Football tactical ability. Don’t forget that football games are dynamic, forever changing as players get tired, pressure is applied and your players gain confidence or even become over confident. But your opponent will always be changing their own tactics as well trying to gain the advantage on you, so it is important that teams are able to spot those changes and act accordingly, it has been advice given by FM tacticians for years. Setup your tactics and use little changes during the game, this will help adapt within a game without radically asking your players to learn something new in the middle of a game when your 1-0 down.
Possibly the most important feature ever in Football Manager?
Coupled with the the tactical creator it has been the biggest leap in Football Manager to not only appeal to the hardcore FM players, but also to the mass market, getting those with an interest in Football and not a spreadsheet involved in the game. As Miles has already been quoted, real Football Manager don’t work in sliders, but actual real football terminology, which has helped take me from a tactical novice, to a competent Football Manager at any level of the game. The new shouts allow changes to your tactics, radically at moments to be done seamlessly and without having to miss a beat which was sometimes a problem when changing screens to make carefully planned changes to the sliders, but also pre-sets will allow you do have the affect you want on the game without changing the sliders too much to ruin what you were trying to achieve, pausing a game breaks momentum and tension up and in the general enjoyment of the game being able to perform off the cuff changes is huge.
I have found that the shouts have really improved my game, especially when I have been trying to hang onto games it has allowed me to soak up pressure late in games when trying to hang on to 1 goal leads against tough opposition. Therefore to win a game on FM I think that this feature has become the most important to master, because it can make the difference come the end of the season and coupled with added shouts and maybe even the ability to add your own, Football Manager 2010 has become the best management simulation in history.
How have you found the touchline shouts feature? Have they improved your tactical game and are you able to understand what your commands are doing and if they are allowing you to see a marked difference in your game? Discuss on below and make a comment, Tweet me up @fmpundit or visit our facebook fansite.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Totally agree with touchline shouts, I have won games and held onto many a leads by using the system. It has definitely added an extra dimension to the game.
Roomy
Before hand I was setting up my tactics and letting them run, and switching between the control, denfensive or attacking tactics and that was it really if that didnt win me the game I didn’t want to tinker around too much.
But I have found that certain shouts have been really useful, playing wider or hassling oppontents has really made the difference in my lower league games and then at the end of games, retaining possession and passing to feet has meant that I can be patient on the ball and slow the game down towards the end to see the game out.
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