It seems that midway through the life-cycle of every Football Manager game there comes a time for change. It is usually when long-running saves start feeling stale. And a new challenge is needed to keep the game fresh. Sometimes it is a matter of changing up the tactics. The recent major Match Engine update has made me realize that my tactics were not doing what I wanted. We were winning games, but not in the way I wished. So I…
Young Devils Guide Football Manager is a cultural phenomenon because it is a game that is built around numerical statistics and spreadsheets. And at the core of all the stats, are player attributes, representing their technical, mental and physical ability. Which in on themselves are simple collections of numbers. Yet they can make us whoop with joy, when you first see that wonderkid regen with green 16+ values across the board. Or sigh in frustration when confronted with down-pointing red…
The Hammer and Anvil Tactic (download below) FM20 Followup To: My obsession with overloads first started in FM19 with Roma. At that time I fell in love with this simple and effective strategy. The consistent results it led to with the Giallorossi, made me even more respectful of Pep Guardiola’s football philosophy and his achievements. More recently while researching for my current Young Devils series, I started to realize how much of an effect Marcelo Bielsa’s ideas had on Pep’s…
Recreating Bielsa’s 3-3-1-3 tactic has always been my football manager dream. I had some success in previous years but the tactics never worked exactly as planned. Halfbacks not working, wingbacks not advancing enough, too many crosses. In short, I could not recreate Bielsa’s ideas to my satisfaction. With FM20 and an improved match engine, I’m hoping to finally do it in my Man Utd project.
As promised, I start this FM20 series with the comprehensive guide to my chosen club, Manchester United. Although it was started in Beta, I intend to update the player profiles (and injuries) to reflect the full release data. So be sure to check back on Nov 19! I hope you find this guide useful, especially if you are starting your FM20 career at Old Trafford. Red Devils are a great team with a lot of potential which should nevertheless provide…
It is that time again! The next release of our favourite football manager is around the corner. Time when many football fans start thinking about new saves, tactics and challenges. For me its a been a time of tactical introspection and tying up old saves. Looking back at what I achieved last year, I have to say that I mostly enjoyed FM19. It had its share of challenges and triumphs. Although I did not get a taste of success until…
The Mason Bradshaw saga reaches it conclusion – and the ending WILL shock you! He’s certainly lived his dream – but is a reality?
Welcome back to the DtG Writers Cup! Firstly, in this tournament, each person was assigned two letters to build a squad. Secondly they have been pitted against each other with some interesting results! After week one we had 4 games but as its been three weeks we’ve finished EIGHT matches to share with you in this article! Some will be more detailed than others but we’ll try and cover the important bits. Part 1: ( http://dictatethegame.com/2019/08/02/fm19-writers-cup-season-1-introduction/ ) Week 2 Fixtures…
Just as Roma was not built in a day, you cannot create a successful tactic in one season. Especially not without taking into account the input of the innovations that came before. My 4-2-3-1 tactic is no different. It took me a few months of experimenting with various tactical setups and teams to arrive to its current form. In my second season as AS Roma manager I am about to take a brave new step into the future. But first…
Livin’ the Dream is the third and final installment following the journey of Mason Bradshaw. His most recent role was with Braintree Town FC, in the Vanarama South, where he managed to keep them up. He’s now down under managing Sydney FC, living on the harbour with his wife Sophie, and young daughter, Vicki. In this installment, Mason jets back down under after his Christmas break back home. We hear from new signing Dax McCarty and Andrew Smith reflects on…