Guide to Player Interactions on Football Manager

February 11, 2022 Dictate The Game Comments 6 Comments

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 I’ll let you in into what I’ve learned about Player Interactions on Football Manager.

Table of Contents

Introduction

For starters, what do I mean when I say “player interactions”? I refer to any instance when you approach a single player, alone, for a quick chat over chat. Other types of interactions, like those that happen when a player asks to meet you and their agent is present, or those that put you in front of a number of players (like team meetings or when a group of players wishes to discuss a given topic) are not the main objective of this guide.

They operate in similar ways to quick chats and you could translate some of my points from this guide into them; however, always be aware that they differ in two fundamental ways. On the one hand, they include the mechanic of “Promises”, which vastly change the effect of interactions. Players will remember promises that you make them, so words carry a lot more weight than for regular interactions.

Promises are a double-edged sword, be careful when using them.

Secondly, they include more than one listener, meaning different outcomes may come of them. For example, a group of players might react differently to an ambitious pre-season objective, or disagree over your reasons for benching a given teammate; much in the same way, a player may only leave “downcast” at the lack of a promise for a new contract, while their agent (who’s probably thinking of their juicy cut) could leave furious.

As such, they’re harder to pinpoint and take a lot more work to finesse around. Always tread carefully when applying the same kind of logic to these types of interactions than to quick chats, as they’re also much more destructive if wrongly managed.

With that out of the way, let’s look at how we can make the best of our Player Interactions on Football Manager…

The Message

It may seem obvious, but what you say is an important part of what you’re trying to communicate, and therefore, of how you should approach any player. Different topics will require different interactions. Much in the same way, in some instances, you’ll get different options for any given topic you’d like to address, and these will carry different meanings and show different intentions. Be mindful of your words and think of how you’d approach them in real life.

Filip Bundgaard, a young player in my Vejle save, has been training well and appreciates me as a manager. I’m therefore inclined to be warm in my greeting.

For example, congratulating a senior player on a good week’s training with a hug might seem a bit excessive. In turn, if you’re praising a young player on learning a new position or developing well, it might better show them your appreciation.

The Situation

Much like you should choose your words carefully, you’ll want to think over the situation you’ll be in whenever approaching a player. Over time, you’ll develop a second nature for understanding this, but a trick that can really help is to imagine how any interaction would go about in real life.

For example, if you’re congratulating a player on a good performance; that would probably happen in the team bus or at training the next day. A handshake perhaps would be too cold. On the other hand, imagine you’re asking a player to introduce a new signing to their teammates. They’d probably be asked to come to your office before training, and you’d be asking something of them; a hug might be a bit unprofessional.

Asking one of the team leaders to welcome a new signing, I prefer going for a more business-like approach

In the same vein, consider what has been happening game-wise. Has your striker just scored after a lengthy dry spell? Perhaps they’ll be more open to a heartfelt approach. Has a youngster just made their debut? Once again, a colder, more professional style may do you no favours. Putting yourself in those positions will help you approach them better.

The Player

Once again, it may seem too obvious, but never forget the player you’re talking to. Different players will react differently to any number of conversations and how you interact with them. Some players will appreciate you keeping a close eye on them, allowing for easier and more fluent communication, and others will fight you for every inch.

For example, Professionals are sensitive to any issue regarding performance, and Slack or Fickle players won’t enjoy you berating them on bad training issues. Much in the same way, younger players will be more receptive, as they look up to you and are eager to impress, whilst first-teamers won’t have such inclinations.

Youngster Mathias Andersen has the personality Unambitious, meaning every time I criticise him over lack of development, he pushes back. If he had a Professional, I could convince him he needs to work harder to improve, but with his mentality that’s unlikely to resonate. I can only tell him his efforts aren’t up to standard.

Keeping a mental note on how each player reacts to your interactions will allow you to know how to approach each player, and when to push forwards or back down when your comments aren’t well received.

The Relationship

As you spend time with your players and you get to know them (both in-game and in your knowledge of them), a relationship will start to form. This is yet another factor to include in your decision making when considering which gesture you utilize in your interactions.

Players you have a longer, better relationship with will be more open to your words and will (in general) react better to more caring gestures. On the contrary, players who hold no opinion of you will express no interest in your ways and may prefer more professional approaches.

Keep in mind what’s your relationship with each of your players. Players who are close to you will be more open to criticism and will treasure praising. Players who aren’t yet close to you (or who are distant) you’ll have to be more careful with

Be mindful of these relationships as they can change your interactions a lot, and it can help build better support for you as a manager or even have deeper implications like a player rejecting a move because they enjoy playing for you. Whatever the ramifications, it’s will always improve your game to keep those in mind.

Closing comments

As Julian Nagelsmann once famously said, “30% of coaching is tactics, 70% social competence”. Of course, FM is different; we’re not dealing with real people but a simulation. Still, the game is clever and there are many benefits to be had from competent man-management. Hopefully, this guide will help you so the next time you approach one of your players you’ll have a clearer idea of how to utilize Player Interactions on Football Manager to best get to them.