Steam news

Football Manager 2024 news & patch notes

Full Steam announcements and update articles for this title.

Football Manager 26 Out Now Across Platforms

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

266d ago

Football Manager 26 is now live and playable across platforms*.

FM26 (PC/Mac) is ready to download and play on Steam, the Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass**. Those who’ve been playing the FM26 Advanced Access Beta on Steam and Epic can seamlessly continue their saves.

Feel closer to every match-defining moment in Football Manager 26 Console, now available on both Xbox and PS5. FM26 Console is also available via Xbox Game Pass.

Delivering effortless control and swift navigation across Apple devices, from iPhone and iPad through to Mac and Apple TV, Football Manager 26 Touch is now live on Apple Arcade. If you’ve been dominating the competition in FM24 Touch, you can now simply update your game to take full advantage of this season’s game-changing additions.

FM26 is the first of our games made with Unity and you’ll discover that our other editions made with the new engine, FM26 Console and FM26 Touch***, launch with similar features and functionality. Of course, there are still significant differences between each title to optimise the experience for each platform.

Football Manager 26 Mobile, the only edition not yet made with Unity, is available exclusively to Netflix members. FM26 Mobile combines a retro feel with a host of new additions to bring the excitement of football management to your fingertips.

Refer to the table below for a straightforward comparison highlighting the main variations between our games.

For further information on FM26 and this year’s new additions across platforms, visit our dedicated feature pages.

FM26 Touch on Nintendo Switch™ will complete this season’s lineup when it launches digitally from December 4th.

In FM26, football belongs to you. It’s where you change the game, create magical moments and write the stories that live in the mind long after the final whistle.

This version contains information that is still under approval process by right holders and may contain data that does not, at this time, accurately reflect real world data. For context, some club and player assets may be absent during this version.

*Different platforms may go live at different times.

**FM26 (PC) is available via the PC Game Pass service, while FM26 Console is available on Xbox via Xbox Game Pass.

***Visuals may vary depending on user hardware.

Football Manager 2024 News & Patch Notes | SteamScope

Steam news

Football Manager 2024 news & patch notes

Full Steam announcements and update articles for this title.

Football Manager 26 Out Now Across Platforms

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

266d ago

Football Manager 26 is now live and playable across platforms*.

Feel closer to every match-defining moment in Football Manager 26 Console, now available on both Xbox and PS5. FM26 Console is also available via Xbox Game Pass.

Refer to the table below for a straightforward comparison highlighting the main variations between our games.

For further information on FM26 and this year’s new additions across platforms, visit our dedicated feature pages.

FM26 Touch on Nintendo Switch™ will complete this season’s lineup when it launches digitally from December 4th.

In FM26, football belongs to you. It’s where you change the game, create magical moments and write the stories that live in the mind long after the final whistle.

*Different platforms may go live at different times.

**FM26 (PC) is available via the PC Game Pass service, while FM26 Console is available on Xbox via Xbox Game Pass.

***Visuals may vary depending on user hardware.

FM26 Advanced Access Beta Available Now

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

278d ago

It’s finally time to step into the dugout, with FM26 Advanced Access Beta now live and playable across Steam and the Epic Games Store.

If you’ve pre-purchased from a SEGA-approved digital retailer, the FM26 Advanced Access Beta is now fully playable*. You can kick-off a single-player career or battle for bragging rights in an Online Career. As with previous editions, any progress made in Career mode can be carried forward to full release from 4 November.

You can continue to pre-purchase FM26 with a 10% saving and gain entry to the Advanced Access Beta** until the game is fully launched.

FM26 – What to Expect

Made with the Unity engine for the first time, FM26 sets new foundations for you to define your football destiny.

You’ll step into a game that has been rebuilt for the future, where a revamped interface greets you, tailored to streamline exploration for all players - letting you access deeper details and features at your own pace. The UI has been completely reinvented and although it may take some more seasoned players time to become accustomed, we truly believe it will make your experience smoother and more enjoyable as you get used to it.

Immerse yourself fully in richer, more atmospheric match days, craft your footballing philosophy with In and Out of Possession formations and break new ground with the introduction of Women’s Football.

Please note that as this is a Beta version you may encounter some bugs and glitches that our developers will be working tirelessly to address in future updates.

Your feedback is essential to this process – if you find issues, please use the Report Bug button located in the bottom-right corner of every game screen. You can also log them on our community forums.

For a refresher on this year’s new additions, check out our Feature Blogs for a more detailed look.

How to Install

Purchases from Steam

Simply quit and restart Steam and you’ll see that FM26 is available to install.

Purchases from Epic

Quit and restart the Epic Games Launcher and you’ll see that FM26 is available to install.

Purchases from any other participating digital retailer

Your retailer should have sent you a confirmation email with a code, or a link to redeem your code which can be activated on Steam by following the instructions below:

Launch the Steam client software and log into your Steam account or create a new, free account

Click the Games Menu

Choose Activate a Product on Steam

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation process

* The Store, Steam Workshop and both the Pre and In-Game Editor are not available in the Advanced Access Beta but will follow at launch.

**The Advanced Access Beta also contains information that is still under approval process by right holders and may contain data that does not, at this time, accurately reflect real world data. For context, some club and player assets may be absent during Advanced Access.

Football Manager 26 Launches From 4 November

Jimmy Wongsteam_community_announcements

321d ago

Football Manager 26 is the legacy, redefined – and it launches globally from 4 November.

Powered by the Unity engine for the first time, FM26 refreshes the managerial experience and sets the stage for you to define your football destiny.

FM26 Console (Xbox/PS5) and FM26 Mobile* (Netflix) are also set to launch day one, with FM26 Touch (Nintendo Switch) scheduled to release digitally on 4 December. Further information on FM26’s availability on other platforms will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Gameplay Upgrades

FM26 is the next evolution of football storytelling.

As we’ve already revealed, a reimagined user interface that gives you greater control and influence over the make-or-break decisions in every career.

That UI overhaul combines with our most immersive matchday experience yet, delivering greater drama and spectacle in every match thanks to new volumetric animations from real-life matches and gloriously upgraded on-pitch visuals.

The arrival of the Premier League provides the ultimate stage for this redefined era, taking authenticity to new heights with fully-licensed club logos, kits and official player photos.

A new world of possibilities is opened up by the debut of Women’s Football. Seamlessly integrated into the FM ecosystem as one footballing world, its backed by the most comprehensive database of its kind and a host of licensed competitions set to be revealed in the coming weeks.

That’s just the beginning. Despite being on a whole new engine, technology that converts your saved games to the new format means that FM26, FM26 Console and FM26 Touch will all launch with save game compatibility for Football Manager 2024 and Football Manager 2023.

Additionally, FM26 Mobile will be the first edition in our Mobile series with save game compatibility functionality**.

There are further, significant upgrades waiting for you to discover in every career covering everything from transfers and tactics to manager creation and controller integration.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be diving deep into this year’s new additions. Make sure to follow Football Manager on social media and sign up to FMFC to see those drops as soon as they’re released.

Pre-Purchase Information

From 10 September until the game’s release, if you pre-purchase FM26 (PC/Mac) from a SEGA-approved digital retailer you will receive a 10% discount. Pre-orders for FM26 Console (Xbox/PS5) will launch at a later date.

Those pre-purchasing on PC and Mac can kick off their managerial career ahead of schedule with Advanced Access to FM26. Advanced Access will be available on Steam and Epic Games approximately 2 weeks*** before the official street date. Single-player careers started in that period can be continued when the game updates for launch on 4 November.

In FM26, football belongs to you and your vision. It’s almost time to change the game.

*FM26 Mobile is the only title in the suite not switching to Unity at this time.

**Save game compatibility in FM26 Mobile is restricted to FM24 Mobile careers only.

***Early Access may go live at different times on different platforms.

Increase Your Creativity In FM24 With Liberos & Roaming Playmakers

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

768d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/3b7e23756d284ddf0566af777d9958fd406dd024.jpg In recent years, a trend has begun to emerge – the classical No.10 or advanced playmaker isn’t used in the same way anymore. Given the importance of collective pressing and counter-pressing in the modern game, many managers don’t quite feel comfortable deploying a free-floating midfielder behind their leading striker. However, this doesn’t mean that playmakers aren’t important – in fact, they’ve probably got a more important role than ever. The main difference now is that they tend to operate in different places on the pitch. Two of the best roles in Football Manager 2024 showcasing the evolution of the traditional playmaker are the Libero and the Roaming Playmaker. Here, Ihor Crusadertsar uses Manchester City stars John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne to illustrate how to use both roles in your latest FM24 saves.

THE NEW AND IMPROVED LIBERO

Pep Guardiola’s deployment of John Stones as a central defender stepping up into midfield during the 2022/23 season led to the Libero role being significantly overhauled as part of FM24’s positional play changes. Expected to defend against opposition attacks when out of possession and to receive the ball and advance it up in the pitch when your team has possession, a Libero is ideally placed to drive your build-up play from the heart of defence. When identifying a good Libero, you need them to have strong Attribute scores for Passing, Technique, Decisions and Vision – essentially the areas you’d expect a more advanced playmaker to excel in. They also need to be good at the things a traditional centre-back is – namely Jumping Reach, Strength, and Tackling. Unsurprisingly, John Stones is perfect in this role because he also boasts strong Attribute scores for Dribbling, First Touch, Composure, and Balance. Collectively, these will help him to ride out pressure from opposition players and comfortably transition the ball out of defence and into midfield. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/56047bc17cb5ffb8b430da48239f6b8b56693886.png When using the Libero to drive my team’s playmaking, I like to utilise a Sweeper Keeper who is comfortable on the ball and will be more likely to pass the ball short to the central defenders rather than instinctively kicking it long. For the rest of the defence, I pair the Libero with a more traditional central defender like Nathan Aké or Ruben Dias and then make the most of FM24’s new Inverted Full-Back player role with one on each side. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/b558cb1d05aac1a2cd47464dea9fb388f630b51e.png In this set-up, the Libero will step up to the defensive midfield position when we’re in possession and will effectively act as a Deep-Lying Playmaker, regardless of whether you use a Support or Defend duty. With the Libero stepping up, the two Inverted Full-Backs will tuck in and form a solid back three with the other central defender you’ve selected. Further forward, by using a Defensive Midfielder or a Ball-Winning Midfielder at the base of your midfield, the Libero will form a double pivot with them in front of your back three. As such, you’ll have a 3-2 shape at the base of your tactic; an essential component in most progressive possession approaches. Flipping the idea of a traditional playmaker on its head, the Libero allows you to successfully build up from deep without sacrificing any defensive solidity.

TACTICAL VARIATIONS - MOVING YOUR PLAYMAKER DEEPER AND WIDER

Having someone like John Stones at your disposal opens doors for playing with a Libero but you need a pretty specific Attribute profile for that role to work properly. So, how can you find a new home in midfield for your team’s designated playmaker? One of the modern game’s best passers and most creative talents, Kevin De Bruyne is a great playmaker but he’s rarely acted as a traditional Number 10 in recent seasons. Instead, he’s often played a bit deeper and wider, operating in a role that allows him to press, defend, score and create a bunch of high-value chances for his teammates. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/e90fc8664091f209b1838e30145982250aea1a9a.png Here, FM24’s positional play changes once again take centre stage to level up the abilities of the Roaming Playmaker role. In possession, a Roaming Playmaker will now push up from central midfield to take up a position behind your striker, thereby taking on an active role in your build-up play. What’s exciting is the fact that they’ll do this from a starting position in defensive midfield too. If you’ve got a mobile, hard-working player, you can use the role to build your team around someone who will battle hard to win the ball and then push play up the pitch and drive chance creation when you’ve regained possession. The tactic below indicates the kind of ‘total football’ approach you can achieve in FM24 by using the Roaming Playmaker in a deeper position. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/12f1cfe4ef78bafc0f2e1461704882affb089ad0.png Another approach can be to use an Advanced Playmaker in a central midfield position. Whether you go for a Support duty or a more Attacking one, this player will be more involved in pressing when your team is out of possession but will then drive forward when you’ve got the ball back. Kevin De Bruyne is perfect here because it makes the most of his skillset and ensures that he’s involved with all phases of play. Using the Advanced Playmaker role in central midfield also gives opposition defenders a dilemma. They can choose to move forward and try to mark your player but doing so runs the risk of leaving gaps for your attackers to exploit. Alternatively, they can stay back and end up giving someone like De Bruyne loads of space to roam around in and the time to pick the perfect pass to a teammate. In the screenshot below you’ll see that I’ve opted for another aggressive role in the Mezzala next to De Bruyne. Using Phil Foden in this way helps us to get more players forward for De Bruyne to create chances for, while the use of two Wingers and Fairly Wide Tactical Instruction helps us to stretch and overload the opposition defence. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/960655289e3a5ef4f0d92b7d7de501e78b13e3b0.png A final alternative route of using a playmaker is by deploying one on the flank. The Wide Playmaker has been one of my favourite roles in FM for a few years now because it’s a role that increases the player’s time with the ball and decreases the chances of them being marked out of the game by the opposition. To illustrate this with Manchester City, I’ve got a tactic using a 4-4-1-1 formation. Here, Rodri and Bernardo Silva stay fairly central, giving De Bruyne plenty of space out wide. Deploying him on an Attack duty opens up space for penetrative overlapping runs from Kyle Walker at Wing-Back. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/4c7ef9c1234945169fc3002a9f1241743f731e6f.png So, there you have it, four different ways that you can use playmakers in FM24. While the old-fashioned No. 10 playmaker might not be in vogue anymore, the art of playmaking has not been abandoned and you have several options to make your playmakers more versatile and valuable than ever in FM24. Happy managing Ihor Crusadertsar

Power Your FM24 Attacks With The Complete Forward

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

775d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/86e78556408626682ea6e291c9e4fd2270158a7f.jpg Having players who can perform two different jobs at the same time can be an absolute game-changer for your tactics in Football Manager 2024. Few player roles fit that bill better than the Complete Forward. Expected to lead the line but also link up with your team’s other attackers, the Complete Forward could be your top scorer or best playmaker in any given game. This makes them an ideal role to unlock your team’s full potential but also one that needs a special, well-rounded player to do it well. In this guide, Rock’s End FM shows you the skills you need to look for in a Complete Forward and how to make the role fit into your tactics.

A PLAYER FOR ALL SEASONS

Let’s start with the basics: what is a Complete Forward? The Complete Forward can operate across the entire final third of the pitch. They need the strength and anticipation to outmuscle opposition defenders and make late runs into the box, as well as clinical finishing instincts. They also need to be able to drop deeper to create space and contribute to your build-up play, playing passes in behind to teammates in the wide channels. In FM24, the Complete Forward is available with two duties – Attack and Support. Each option has its pros and cons, with the Attack setting pushing their focus more towards goalscoring and Support prioritising collaboration with the rest of the team. Finding such a jack-of-all-trades isn’t easy but there are some key Attributes that you can look for. From a Technical perspective, Dribbling, Finishing, First Touch, Heading, and Technique are key, as are Off The Ball, Composure, Anticipation, and Positioning from a Mental side. Having decent Pace, Acceleration, and Agility aren’t essential but they’re a nice bonus. To round their profile out, the stronger their Passing, Teamwork, Vision, and Determination Attributes, the better. Having taken a look at how the role works work and the key Attributes you need to look for, I’ve taken charge of two Bundesliga clubs to show the role in action in FM24.

EXAMPLE #1: HARRY KANE - COMPLETE FORWARD (SUPPORT)

Few players in the FM24 database are as perfect in a role as Harry Kane is as a Complete Forward. Having initially burst onto the scene as a clinical finisher, Kane has evolved his game over time to become much more than that for club and country. Technically sublime, smart on and off the ball, and incredibly hard-working, Kane has the physical tools to make an impact across the final third. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/933a5008a87ae79ec99c41bc91a35bb21cc811e4.png However, even the best and most well-rounded players in the world will struggle if they’re not backed up suitably by their teammates. I’m using Kane as a Complete Forward on Support and to make that role shine, you need two things: players who can supply balls into him and players who can receive them from him. The below screenshot shows how I’ve set up FC Bayern for this experiment, with Kane leading the line in a fairly traditional 4-3-3. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/085d16fcae3a88ca65e225b0d8faf4de19323b04.png As you can see, we have a good mix of passers and runners that will all work around Kane. The Wing-Backs will provide width and crossing options, while having both wingers inverted will give us both close-range passing options and darting runs that Kane can pick up when he drops deeper. In midfield, the Mezzala and the Box-to-Box Midfielder will both arrive late into the box, giving us more passing options and attacking threats. Now we have our tactic assembled, let’s put it to the test on Matchday. In possession, Kane drops into the pocket and effectively becomes an auxiliary midfielder. In the screenshot below, taken from a game with SV Darmstadt 98, you can see him in line with the other central midfielders. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/259e17d1c49307807f257966b39b1c608686cf63.png However, he will still lead the line. In this second shot, you can see him pushing the defensive line back, thereby creating more space in the box for both him and our onrushing midfielders to drive into. As it happened, he opened the scoring from this passage of play, heading home a Serge Gnabry cross. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/155e90a34b33cba21bc370cb62bfebff96a8f7d8.png In this third example, you see him in full flow having picked up the ball from deep. On this occasion, he dribbled forward from a counter-attack, drawing some of the opposition defenders out of position and opening up a run in behind for Leroy Sané, who doubled our lead. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/c94ae9eccf4292f470c1aceff52dcfce9e772cee.png Kane was man of the match in this game and one of our best performers throughout the entire season. As FC Bayern are a team that typically dominates possession, the Complete Forward on Support is an ideal role. In most games, FC Bayern will have to break down opposition teams who tend to sit deeper and look to play off turnovers. The Complete Forward offers you more flexibility in your tactic as their roving position opens up more avenues for attack, stopping your offence from becoming predictable and giving the opposition defence more to think about.

EXAMPLE #2: SERHOU GUIRASSY - COMPLETE FORWARD (ATTACK)

Some teams, however, will have less of the ball from game to game and will be more reliant on their strikers to shoulder a greater scoring responsibility. In this instance, you need to opt for the Attack duty. The Complete Forward on Attack offers you a striker who can run into space, hit it long, or head it home while also offering a partner for creative midfielders and attacking wingers. Perfect for illustrating this duty is VfB Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy, a sensation during the 2023/24 season. The Guinean forward has a skillset every bit as complete as other strikers but his playing style – based on strength, pace, and smart movement - lends itself better to him being the focal point of the attack. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/5375f95479662b818d163d653a8c6be90e3b78e3.png As boss of VfB Stuttgart, this is how I’ve set up: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/f20f1a91d23e51eeb786a031349a6421e1f2cd08.png Contrasted to the previous example, the Complete Forward sits higher up in the pitch, allowing us to bring in Enzo Millot to sit in behind as a Number 10 who can drive the team’s playmaking efforts. Guirassy will get plenty of service from Silas Katompa Mvumpa and Maximilian Mittelstädt in the wide areas, while Mahmoud Dahoud will offer an on-rushing threat from midfield. Simply put, the Complete Forward in this example opens up room for the rest of the team to operate in, whereas Harry Kane was the cog that the rest of the team centred around. How does it work in practice? Well, the Complete Forward is our furthest forward player while we’re in possession, pinning the opposition central defenders back and opening up space behind. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/ea36f1070a9fb38b9ba36e681955b85f7e36e566.png This high positioning means that Guirassy gets a higher volume of shots per game, as he has less ground to cover to join attacks. The screenshot below shows him about to get on the end of a Woo-Yeong Jeong cross to open the scoring against Eintracht Frankfurt. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/dce6be0f8bbb82186d55e8c35c405b6b380abf4a.png On Attack duty, Guirassy is much more active in both the pressing and counter-pressing aspects of our play. You can see this illustrated by the heat map below - if you’re looking to regain the ball as high up the pitch as possible, this is a role you should be thinking about using. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/3fd200da1b2302d1c7c56eb604242487c370fdfc.png Despite its high quality and ability threshold, the Complete Forward is a role that can adapt to many teams and styles of play. With the right player in it and a suitable tactic supporting, the Complete Forward could be the difference between a title triumph and a near miss in your next save. Happy Managing, Rock’s End FM

Mastering Positional Play In Football Manager 2024

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

781d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/5e0322675cb3d42ecce50676ba51d0d792ac5cf0.jpg Developing tactics and recreating the styles of football’s leading coaches is one of the most enjoyable aspects of playing Football Manager. In Football Manager 2024, you have more creative tools for expressing your tactical philosophy thanks to the player rotation changes that have been added.. These rotations see players take up a different position while in possession than they occupy while defending, such as an Inverted Full-Back tucking in as an additional central defender or Central Midfielders pushing forward to join the attack. Making the most of these rotations will allow you to implement positional play principles in your tactics and become a more dynamic attacking team in every career. In this blog, Dan Gear explains which roles trigger these positional rotations and shows them in action.

WHICH ROLES TRIGGER POSITIONAL ROTATIONS?

Positional rotations are largely reserved for your central midfield players, but there are also a few defensive roles that are crucial for pursuing positional play. These are:

DEFENDERS

Inverted Wing-Back - During the possession phase, a player using this role will move into defensive midfield
Inverted Full-Back – A new role for FM24, this is geared towards those players that tuck in to become an extra central defender while in possession
Libero – Following some upgrades for FM24, a Libero can now play in any of the three centre-back positions, and in each one they will look to move into defensive midfield

MIDFIELDERS

Half-Back – Now usable in both single and double midfield pivots, a player in this role will look to drop back into central defence while you’re in possession
Segundo Volante – An aggressive role, players deployed as Segundo Volantes will push right up as an extra ‘Number 10’ just behind the strikers when your team is attacking
Roaming Playmaker – Whether they’re used in defensive or central midfield, Roaming Playmakers will push up to become attacking midfielders during the possession phase
Box to Box Midfielder/Mezzala/Advanced Playmaker – All of these roles will look to push up from a starting position in central midfield to one just behind the strikers. The same is also true for Central Midfielders used on an Attack duty

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT POSITIONAL SHIFTING

Now, you might be thinking that if all of your central midfield players push up, you’ll have a lot of overcrowding in the same area of the pitch. Well, the players in FM24 are intelligent and aware of the movement of their teammates, meaning that this doesn’t happen. To illustrate this with an example, let’s say you’re using a 4-2-3-1 formation and you’ve chosen to make one of your midfield pairing a Mezzala. As the image below shows, the originally central Advanced Playmaker will acknowledge the Mezzala’s forward runs and will shuffle across to the left to accommodate them. In this instance, your wide player will now stay closer to the touchline in order to accommodate the forward runs of the Mezzala, effectively making your formation a 4-1-4-1. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/36244c9e21668f1da9ee2c8c5ae7cd39c85b5891.png Alternatively, let’s say you chose to play a 4-2-3-1 with a Segundo Volante on the left and a Ball-Winning Midfieder on the right. Here, the Segundo Volante will push up and on this occasion the player behind the striker will move to the right to once again create a strong 4-1-4-1 shape. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/709cfdb155a6bf7640b9db507bd358c0247fdcb9.png

COMBINING ATTACKING AND DEFENSIVE PLAYER MOVEMENT

The same is true when you make use of the defensive player roles that shift their position during the attacking phase. In the example below, we’re playing a 4-3-3 with an Inverted Wing-Back on the left of the defence. In this instance, the Defensive Midfielder will move across to the right to form a double pivot with the Inverted Wing-Back that pushes up. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/355cdd356569e877ef93e942488529e0af46616b.png Now, if you pull it all together in a wider tactical shape, you’ll see that your team’s starting formation will look quite different as your players look to progress possession up the pitch. As the arrows on the screen below show, you’ll effectively have a 3-2-4-1 shape when you’re attacking. This opens up more passing lanes and gives you a greater ability to play through the lines, which in turn means you’re going to be much more effective in exploiting gaps in the opposition defence when you’re counter-attacking. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/53afca467f369353af3f61818c72c2944995294f.png

PUTTING POSITIONAL PLAY INTO PRACTICE

Now we’ve gone through the theory, let’s see how we can implement these player rotations and positional play principles in practice with a real team and tactic. Here, I’ve chosen to use Italian club Bologna. In this first scenario, I’ve opted for a fairly simple 3-4-3 tactic. The formation makes the most of some of our most talented players, namely Victor Kristiansen, central defender Riccardo Calafiori and clinical striker Joshua Zirkzee. I’ve kept it on a Balanced Mentality as the player roles chosen are attacking enough on their own, while I’ve only selected a few simple Team Instructions as I want the players to focus on their natural games and moving around the pitch in the way the roles intend them to. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/849a6e76b8d504ec5df588df1431221ba4f573e4.png As you can see from the screenshot below, Lewis Ferguson, Michael Aebischer and Jhon Lucumí all rotate into more advanced positions when we’re attacking the opposition. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/6810619df39b1fccbe9d160666e49993ff9975a9.png In that instance we failed to score. When play restarted and the opposition were looking to progress possession, they all moved back into their starting positions to give us better defensive cover. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/10df3d2446fa2f600c0ae31b9dbcdb7e6df8c0f9.png In the second example, I’ve used a 4-2-3-1 similar to the one outlined earlier on. From what we know of the positional rotations, the shape I’ve picked should see Aebischer push up and join Ferguson as a second attacking midfielder in a four-man unit behind Zirkzee. Further back, Calafiori is playing as an Inverted Full-Back, meaning that he’ll push across and Lucumí and Sam Beukema will adapt accordingly to form a back three. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/539c8c6c9da6b8b5c4b090d24a37b511e02600e7.png In terms of Mentality and Team Instructions, everything reflects the first example as all rotations and shifts are automatic. You don’t need to add any extra player or team instructions, you only need to understand which roles rotate into which areas and how you can make space for them in your tactic. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/d3f9c35dc372183e916c39d53b01e1e6ee4ad718.png To take the previous example a bit further, you could make Stefan Posch an Inverted Wing-Back rather than a Wing-Back. You’ve got enough ability in the wide areas with Riccardo Orsolini and Jesper Karlsson, so you can instead use Posch in a capacity that makes him an extra ball receiver in midfield and more effective defensive cover should you lose possession. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/7dab782fe9ce39a437d2df58dc74301c168bd563.png As you can see from the screenshot below, Posch has moved up and across to form a defensive midfielder pivot with Nikola Moro, who has moved across into the space that Aebischer has vacated by pushing up. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/e9d0a15e2bbd37480e32f9f49f4805f8ca643aef.png Hopefully the information provided here will have given you a greater insight into how FM24’s positional rotations work in practice and how you can make the most of them to build more fluid tactics in FM24. Happy managing, Dan Gear

Using Different Tactics For Home And Away Matches In FM24

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

785d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/b02fb85c1f30a18f62c77f44e7de810f146eab28.jpg Being tactically flexible is one of the most important characteristics any manager can have. Having the insight to change your approach mid-game when things aren’t working or employing different game plans for different opponents stops you from being predictable and can keep the positive results coming. One of the best ways to do this is by setting up different tactical approaches for home and away matches. Here, Rock’s End FM dives deep to show how you can do it in your latest FM24 careers to gain that extra edge with a newly-promoted team.

THE LOGIC BEHIND HAVING DIFFERENT TACTICS

So, at this point, you’re probably thinking: why should I use different tactical approaches for home and away matches? Surely my team should just focus on one approach in training? Well, the idea between using two separate tactics depending on where your team is playing is that it allows you to make the most of two different situations without giving away too much in any direction. For home matches, you have more of your fans behind you, and on the pitch you’re likely to get more possession than you do away from home. This means your players will have a bit more time on the ball and therefore more space to generate attacks. Conversely, when you’re away from home, you’ll be pressed harder by the opposition. This means that you’ll have less of the ball but when you do regain possession, you’ll likely have more avenues for direct counter-attacks. With this in mind, you can prepare and create different tactical approaches to help your team exploit these gains and cover for any deficiencies in terms of personnel. Doing this will help you to clinch more key points, securing your spot in that league for another season and allowing you to focus your wider efforts on long-term squad-building.

USING HOME AND AWAY TACTICS IN FM24

To put this approach to the test, I’ve started a save with Sky Bet Championship team Plymouth Argyle. They won Sky Bet League One in 2023 but are considered to be one of the higher division's weaker teams when you begin a career in FM24. When reviewing the Plymouth squad, it’s clear that the Pilgrims have a lot of quick attacking players with high Work Rate Attributes. This lends itself fantastically to a counter-pressing approach that will allow us to recover the ball higher up the pitch and take advantage of space when the opposition are in transition. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/7c203a4f74a85b9ae540de872eb722aec61b36d0.png However, adopting such an aggressive approach does mean that we’ll naturally leave a lot of space in behind, which the division’s better teams will be able to exploit. How can we reduce that risk when we’re playing away and at our most fragile? Creating a new tactical slot, we’re going to set up our away game plan. We’ll keep the same defensive structure as the home tactic but we’re going to adapt our formation to a 4-4-2 by making our number 10 a second striker. This will give us a more compact shape for the longer periods of play when we’re out of possession and defending. We’ll also drop our wide players back, which will allow them to start their runs in more space and from deep. It also means that they’re closer to our full-backs, which should give us more defensive cover. In terms of our instructions, we’ll look to defend deeper and invite pressure, as this will create gaps in the opposition's defence that we can take advantage of with quick, direct transitions. To achieve this, we’ll drop our Mentality and Line of Engagement, and also stop Counter-Pressing in favour of regrouping quickly. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/aa6fff530d06e546ba21c209f0931b8403d3edd0.png A key factor to bear in mind is that between our two tactics, we’ve maintained a lot of our original setup instead of opting for a completely different shape. By doing this, we’re making sure that both tactics make the best possible use of our players. It is always worth thinking about the individual skillsets of your players. Different players will play roles differently, so there’s a lot to be gained by shifting who plays in each position from game to game. With that all figured out, let’s put our approach to the test and jump into the season.

HOW IT ALL WORKS IN PRACTICE

Just like in real life, our first game as Plymouth Argyle boss in FM24 is at home against another relegation candidate in Huddersfield. Given that it’s the first game of the campaign and we’re playing at Home Park, we start the match with our home tactic. Our high press kept us in control of the game early on and secured us plenty of key chances in the opening minutes. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/caa79b9e647ef21d324fc9472d7c40ea09e574d0.png We scored midway through the first half thanks to striker Ryan Hardie and had several opportunities to extend our lead. We failed to make the most of them and were ultimately punished by a goal on the counter late in the second half as the match finished 1-1. While it wasn’t the result we wanted, the Shot Map of the game makes for impressive viewing and shows early promise for our home gameplan. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/60c091d88130012ffa54eba78237967b4aa6f293.png Our second game was away against Watford, a leading playoff contender at the beginning of the season. We used our away tactic for this game but made a personnel change. Instead of deploying him out wide, where the Inverted Winger (Support) position would have made him less of a scoring threat, we pushed Morgan Whittaker up as a striker to partner Hardie. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/9ba92ada5028c7b35864c2df96213aab0db81629.png We ultimately end up being unlucky in this game, losing 3-1. Our xG was very similar to that of the Hornets but they ultimately proved more clinical, sealing victory with their third goal in the 89th minute. We never looked particularly outmatched against a stronger team on paper, which was encouraging, and despite sitting deeper we created some decent chances. The positive signs from our first two games are reflected in our next two matches. At home against the highly-fancied Southampton, we create more chances and limit them to just two shots in the entire second half as we won 3-2. That gave us our first win and our we got a second in our fourth match of the season away at Birmingham City. Whittaker scores off a quick transition to put us 1-0 up in the first half and another quick counter proves decisive in the second half, with Whittaker grabbing his second from the penalty spot after we capitalised on them committing too many men forward. That secured us a 2-1 win and put us up to seven points after four matches – far from the form you’d expect of a relegation favourite. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/f522ccfa37e4216b25f457cb65ec41f68cfc7381.png On its own, using differing tactics for home and away matches won’t save you from relegation. However, it is a useful tool to play to your strengths and help keep the opposition guessing. For teams that aren’t blessed with enormous resources, it can earn you a few extra points, which could prove crucial in a tight relegation race, and give you the platform to build from and push ahead. Happy managing, Rock’s End FM

How To Use Wingers In Football Manager 2024

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

807d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/90026dec2c6c9ed3e43185a7f6c8c274374cd92a.jpg The role of the Winger in football has changed dramatically over the years. No longer are they just expected to hug the touchline and whip in lofted deliveries for tall, old-school centre forwards. Now, just like their teammates in other positions, they have to be much more versatile. Modern wingers now serve a variety of roles across the pitch, something reflected in the growth in attacking and defensive outputs delivered by top wingers year after year. Here, SteinkelssonFM uses Brighton & Hove Albion to break down all of the different winger roles in Football Manager 2024 and how you can effectively build your tactics around getting the most from them.

KAORU MITOMA – A TRUE MODERN WINGER

Kaoru Mitoma has been nothing short of sensational for Brighton since joining the south coast club from his native Japan in 2021. What makes him so special? Like most players, it’s a unique combination of skills. His biggest strength, and the thing that’s wowed fans and pundits the most, has been his movement and ability with the ball at his feet; his Dribbling Attribute of 18 is one of the best in the entire FM24 database. He’s also mobile, with Attribute scores of 16 for Pace and 17 for Acceleration, while his rating of 16 for Flair highlights his natural talent for the creative and unpredictable. These scores reflect his natural game, wherein he’s constantly working to create one-on-one situations with opposition defenders. In this way, he very much embodies all of the things that teams need modern wide players to be. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/6c79a08fa059893bd6e1823414e69298960e7ed7.png

TEST CASE #1 – USING MITOMA AS AN INSIDE FORWARD

We’ll start this run-through of the modern winger roles with the one that’s alphabetically first, the Inside Forward. Players used as Inside Forwards are typically those whose strongest foot is the opposite to the flank they’re being used on, allowing them to regularly cut inside from the flanks and run at the opposition defence. This movement can open up space for overlapping Full-Backs/Wing-Backs as well as overloading a retreating defender. For this example, we’ll be using Mitoma as an Inside Forward on a Support duty, as this will encourage him to cut diagonally into the space behind the defence and play through balls or take long shots if the opportunity arises. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/acb2b92bdd102fa7c684d20e3744cc00bd8f77ff.png Mitoma’s strong Off the Ball Attribute (15) is important for him being successful in this role, as it means he’ll be constantly moving while not in possession, scanning for avenues to receive the ball and create attacking opportunities. It also likely means he’ll have more touches in the box when compared to the alternative roles covered in this post. His strong scores for Pace and Acceleration make it easier for you to use a Support duty as he’s still likely to be able to break free beyond the opposition’s defensive line - even if his runs start from deeper positions. With Mitoma in this role on the left, you’ll need something complementary on the right. The best option is using Solly March as a Winger on Attack. In this role, he’ll often look to play balls into Evan Ferguson as the Deep Lying Forward, who can slow the pace of the game with the instruction ‘Hold Up Ball’ as he waits for support. Due to Mitoma’s deeper starting position, he is already at full tilt when Ferguson plays the pass through the defensive line, meaning that he’s got a great shot of goal and João Pedro supporting for any rebound opportunities. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/fca935aebdc28f8f661d8d29d8d2f12d0cc6bfcc.png

TEST CASE #2 – USING MITOMA AS A WINGER

In FM24, the Winger aims to beat their opposite number on the outside, either through technical skill, speed or a combination of the two. Typically, you will see the winger hugging the touchline when their team is going forward, ready to surge into space and attack the byline. When deployed with an Attack duty, the Winger will be much more direct in their runs in the final third, aiming to cause panic and indecision before shooting or attempting to make a through ball/cross to a teammate. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/4628e108a8628f2d9efc3a3ccdadb1fddd1806e4.png Mitoma’s previously outlined strengths make him a great fit for the Winger role but you need to make sure that he gets the requisite space to be able to run at the opposing full-back. To create this within a tactic, Pervis Estupiñán has been deployed as a Full-Back on Support to reduce the number of overlapping runs made. This is a fairly accurate representation of how Brighton plays out from the back in real life, with Mitoma being Brighton’s leader in terms of progressive passes received. You will note the other players' roles highlighted within this tactical set-up all emphasise making runs into the box. Danny Welbeck, operating as the lone complete forward, will be supported through the late runs of Julio Enciso (Attacking Midfielder), and Simon Adingra (Inside Forward), as both roles have the ‘Get Further Forward’ instruction. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/d1f904f9bbdf6a264d4f07494d7cc65e86be7180.png

TEST CASE #3 – USING MITOMA AS AN INVERTED WINGER

Last but not least is the Inverted Winger, whose primary aim is to cut inside to open up space for overlapping full-backs and overload opposition defenders. With an Attack duty, the Inverted Winger will run directly at the defence with the options of shooting, passing or crossing as he moves into the attacking third. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/2b1b53bb0e0a3c9b4ff433ffc148799865c9ce25.png By being a bit more direct and having a naturally wider starting position than the Inside Forward, a player in this role is likely to face more direct resistance in terms of pressing when attempting to progress play. In this role, Mitoma’s Attributes of 14 for Balance and Agility allow him to move between defenders to create a shooting opportunity or draw contact, resulting in a potential free kick or penalty. Mitoma also has 14 for Decisions, enabling him to make the correct choice more often or not in wide areas. Much like in the example above, the roles of your defenders and wingers on the same side should be in tandem. As such, in this example, Estupiñán is deployed as a Wing-Back on Support to take advantage of the space vacated by Mitoma cutting in. Again, I have opted to ensure that Mitoma has two players occupying the defensive line – namely Enciso and Ansu Fati. The Advanced Forward will look to exploit any vacant space behind and also take an opponent away from the defensive block, thereby leaving space for the Attacking Midfielder. March, meanwhile, ensures that width is maintained on the other flank. These simple relationships will potentially help Mitoma’s attacking contribution, improving the likelihood of him playing a key pass into a goalscoring position. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/142ec9fbb6df218c8def28bff754c2599643a222.png

PICKING THE MOST APPROPRIATE PLAYER AND TEAMS INSTRUCTIONS

While the default roles in FM24 will cover most of the things that we want our players to do, it’s sometimes worthwhile to add some additional Player and Team Instructions to give things a helping hand. Regardless of which wide player roles you choose to use him in, Mitoma’s effectiveness is enhanced even further by the Shoot Less Often and Take More Risks Player Instructions. These will encourage him to be patient while in possession, particularly further away from the goal, meaning he has more avenues to pursue either mazy dribbles or lower-percentage passes. To ramp up Brighton’s effectiveness down the left, you could also add in the ‘Focus Play Down the Left’ Team Instruction to create more overloads and opportunities. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/698e4aae5bba55fc64b113ac4bc3cbf53d4e457b.png Wide players are integral to almost every tactic in FM24, and with this guide, you should have a greater insight into whether a Winger, Inverted Winger or Inside Forward is best for your next career. Happy managing, SteinkelssonFM

Mastering The Segundo Volante In Football Manager 2024

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

813d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/c60095e561e9319d10e6744176088fcdb8cea19e.jpg In football, it's about being at the right place at the right time - and few players are better at that than a Segundo Volante. One of several roles to be impacted by Football Manager 2024’s new positional play changes, the Segundo Volante can perform a range of duties, from long-range passes to darting runs and shots from distance. In this guide, we’ll be taking an in-depth look into the role, what makes it so good, and how you can make the most of it in your latest FM24 career.

A DYNAMIC ROLE STEEPED IN HISTORY

Originating from the 4-2-4s that revolutionised football in the 1950s and 60s, the Segundo Volante was a player typically deployed as the more creative outlet in a midfield two alongside a defensive pivot. In modern times, the Segundo Volante is still used as part of a double pivot, often in a 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. Often paired with a pure ball-winner, the Segundo Volante will play a similar game to other defensive midfielders, focusing on recovery, holding their position and seeking to intercept misplaced passes or beat their man on individual duels. However, the Segundo Volante has a more influential role in their team’s offence. Unlike a Regista or a Deep-Lying Playmaker, they don’t just influence games through passing. They also offer dynamic forward runs, attacking the box and offering passing options to their teammates with runs into space.

THE SEGUNDO VOLANTE ON THE TACTICS BOARD

The Segundo Volante is a role that can complement your attacking approach without leaving gaps behind. However, that also means that you need a very complete player for the role to be effective in your tactic. It’s not a specialist role per se but a good Segundo Volante is someone who can recover the ball, pass over a variety of distances, move well with the ball at their feet, and also offer a goal threat. That means you’re looking for a good combination of the following Attributes: Marking, Tackling, Positioning, Teamwork, First Touch, Dribbling, Agility, Passing, Vision, Decisions, Anticipation, Off the Ball, and Stamina. Not every player will excel in all of those but if their strengths lie in a few of them, they’ll be able to influence matches across the whole pitch. To illustrate what a great Segundo Volante looks like in FM24 and how to use one, I’ve started a save with Yokohama F. Marinos. Why them? Well, their defensive midfielder Takuya Kida meets many of the requirements I laid out above. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/35e0f207f5a4c72d94e68a1f30551fca81868114.png As you can see from his profile screenshot above, Kida is a well-rounded midfielder. However, as with all roles in a tactic, it will only be as effective as it’s allowed to be by the supporting roles you’ve chosen in the rest of the team. Given that movement is such a big part of the Segundo Volante’s game, they need to understand how their teammates shuttle around the pitch. For example, with Kida starting his runs from deep and arriving late in the opposition penalty area, you’ll need players on their side of the pitch like Wingers and Wing-Backs that will stretch the game and give them the space to arrive into. With that movement, that also means that you also need to think about the risk of turnovers and opposition counter-attacks. As such, you need Kida’s defensive midfield partner to be someone who will cover the gaps left by him pushing forward and serve as the team’s primary ball-winner – think about using an Anchorman or a Defensive Midfielder on a Defend duty. Further forward, you’ll need an aggressive striker that will keep the defence on their toes. Having a player that stays high up the pitch will occupy the opposition's central defenders, meaning that Kida will have space in behind. To achieve this effect, your best options are to use a Poacher, Advanced Forward, or Complete Forward on an Attack duty. Taking all of those considerations into account, let’s head to the Tactics board to see how we’ve got the Yokohama F. Marinos lining up. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/7a829b74ab551d8d982fdf14513a40fc44c7cc29.png Using a slightly modified version of the Fluid Counter-Attack tactical preset, I’ve got Kida as a Segundo Volante alongside Eduardo as a Defensive Midfielder. On the left, we’re taking advantage of the coverage provided by Kota Watanabe by deploying Katsuya Nagato as an overlapping Full-Back with Yan Matheus as a Winger on a Support duty. However, on the right we’ll use Football Manager 2024’s new positional play features to maximise Kida’s impact as a Segundo Volante. Here, we’ve got Ryuta Koike as an Inverted Wing-Back on Support and Elber as a more attacking Winger. When our team is in possession, Koike will move into defensive midfield alongside Eduardo, meaning that Kida can push up freely without worrying about us losing a player through the middle. Up front, Anderson Lopes will keep the opposition defence on edge as an Advanced Forward, while Kota Mizunuma as an Attacking Midfielder on Support will provide a passing outlet for all our runners.

THE SEGUNDO VOLANTE ON THE PITCH

Everything that we’ve discussed so far is the theory. Now it’s time to see how it all works in practice on a Matchday. Looking at the screenshot below, it’s clear that the tactical shape and role combinations we’re using are working out perfectly. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/9d0afd178fe0254b4165188566e1b4ceffefa398.png Elber is staying wide on the right, keeping his opposition full-back occupied, while Anderson Lopes’ holding of a central position means that the centre-backs are keeping tight to him instead of spreading out more evenly across the pitch. This means that Kida can burst forward into the space created, ready to receive a pass from Mizunuma. Kida’s movement is also, as you can see, being covered by Koike drifting in centrally. In each match, this space allowed Kida to push forward and arrive late at the edge of the box as we were attacking. This puts him in good position to finish off any cutbacks or, as in the screenshot below, take long-range shots with a clear sight of goal. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/b9c6d552a18c2f86adba6a3069ebb9171f25b2a4.png The Pass Map included below from one of our league games shows that the Kida covers a lot of ground in the Segundo Volante role. He consistently keeps the ball moving, using the space around him to open up the play and demonstrate his great range of passing. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/5c78e23955fe5a7e32edce4ab2755f5002f17d26.png The below image, meanwhile, is the converse – it’s a demonstration of Kida’s received passes during a match. Here, you can again see his movement across the pitch and the fact that he’s consistently making himself available as a relief option when his teammates come under pressure in the midfield. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/b02a4fdad4fed40a2c83aa124d22ca291f0216b0.png The Segundo Volante is a special role and one of my favourites in FM24. Starting from deep positions, Segundo Volantes offer a unique blend of defensive coverage, ball-carrying, long passes and a scoring threat. While not all teams will have someone suitably versatile, this example with Takuya Kida and Yokohama F. Marinos shows how they can influence matches. Give it a try in your latest career. Happy managing, Rock’s End FM YFM Squad

Mastering Wing-Backs In Football Manager 2024

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

831d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/f3d3de9602f3b54dc24e2fa6af4ebcdf259f5d5f.jpg In recent years, Brighton & Hove Albion have been widely heralded for their style on the pitch and strategy off it. Many other clubs in Europe have taken note of their innovations and sought to replicate them. What makes the Seagulls’ approach so special is their knack for matching the right players with the right roles to accelerate their development and help the club achieve an exciting playing style. Here, MaddFM dives deep on the Wing-Back role in Football Manager 2024, using Brighton’s stars to showcase how best to deploy the role in your tactics.

BRIGHTON’S EVOLVING USE OF THE WING-BACK

Since being promoted from the Sky Bet Championship in 2017, Brighton have gone from strength to strength; 17th in their second top-flight season (2018) to a sixth-place finish in 2023 that secured them UEFA Europa League football for the first time. One of the most impressive aspects of Brighton’s rise has been how they have, through successive managers, evolved their tactical philosophy. A key theme of their approach has been their developing use of full-backs and later wing-backs as the building blocks for their possession and attacking play. Let's look back over the last five seasons. We can see clear progressive development in terms of the type of roles and players used in wide defensive positions - moving from a more traditional full-back pairing in 2018 through to a slightly more advanced full-back system in 2020 and then shifting towards a much more attacking pair of Wing-Backs in 2022 via the likes of Tariq Lamptey. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/f8e8f649165e1083f8e65004883dc1f363680dbd.png

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A WING-BACK

Since pivoting their approach from traditional Full-Backs to more mobile, technical and attack-minded Wing-Backs, Brighton have had to identify other key characteristics in the players they sign. The three most immediately important criteria are Pace, Crossing and Passing. Pervis Estupiñán ticked all of those boxes and more when he signed in 2022. Not only is the Ecuador international lightning quick, but his combination of great Work Rate and Stamina Attributes, as well as the “Gets Forward Whenever Possible” Trait, make him incredibly well-rounded. The 25-year-old also ranks well for many other important metrics, including his Anticipation, Dribbling, Decisions, Off the Ball and First Touch. As well as being impressive on paper, Estupiñán has delivered in practice. In his first season on England’s south coast, he notched eight assists and ranked among the league’s best for crossing, passing and progressive ball carries. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/01d3de9284cde11571e215f2297ea309f2bbef05.png Still only 25, Estupiñán has continued to impress this season, recording three goals and three assists by February. However, that hasn’t stopped Brighton from futureproofing themselves in this vital position. In January 2024, the club followed in the steps of so many FM fans by signing FM24 Wonderkid Valentín Barco – described by manager Roberto De Zerbi as “an important player” for the club’s future. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/988a7fa3cd09e3cab14ecd0127ccbe50ef9b1c24.png Looking at Barco’s profile, Brighton’s preference for an attack-minded Wing-Back is again clear. Barco has the “Gets Forward Whenever Possible” trait, as well as strong Attribute scores for Stamina, Work Rate, Passing, Vision and Dribbling. At just 19, there’s even more time for him to develop and potentially represent the club’s next evolution in the role.

DEPLOYMENT & PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF WING-BACKS IN FM24

Now we’ve addressed the key elements of what Brighton look for in their Wing-Backs, it’s now time to turn to the other big question – how best to use them in FM24? If we look at the in-game definition, the Wing-Back is described as follows: “Usually playing out wide with no wing support, the Wing-Back must fulfil all the attacking and defensive duties of wingers and full-backs. In attack, he must be prepared to run at his man and put in aggressive crosses, in midfield to help win the possession battle and in defence to close down opponents, block crosses and win back the ball when possible.” That’s quite a lot for one player to do. So, that means that if you’re going to use Wing-Backs, they’ve got to be vital members of your team but they’ll also need some protection from their teammates against the risk of opposition counter-attacks. Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has interchanged frequently between a 4-2-3-1 shape and a 5-4-1 this season. The corresponding duties you’d use your Wing-Backs on in FM24 very much depends on which formation you go for. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/8b754fe6a22b1be7c56c555b384634bf33383ddd.png In the 4-2-3-1, Estupiñán is employed as a Wing-Back on Support. In this role, he will get forward a lot but will hold a slightly deeper position, closer to your central midfielders. Within this tactical approach, you’d be expecting Estupiñán to fashion goal-scoring opportunities from the half-spaces, whether that’s via through balls or deeper crosses. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/df75721907c07bbec76e18800c397f84130ac208.png With the benefit and cover of an additional Central Defender in the 5-4-1 shape, there’s more scope to use your Wing-Back on an Attack duty. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/a98ab294e2ad6ea4b95e5400f82b8555fba889e4.png In this example, Barco comes into the side. His role will be to push further up the pitch and stay wide, overlapping the wide player on his side to help overload the opposition defence and create more direct crossing opportunities closer to the byline. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/55c3cdec975d3ae05e323f59f2fea362611c3d11.png Using the individual player analysis tool, we can take a look at player heatmaps to analyse player movement, space occupied and interceptions made to give ourselves a true insight as to how each wing-back role works. In the first graphic, we can see that Estupiñán playing as a Wing-Back on Support duty occupied slightly deeper and more central areas, cutting inside to join the midfield (blue heatmap) and making most of his interceptions (numbered circles) in his half or the centre of midfield. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/c30da75bd2ec8a577bed35cad1a68af344e60e4b.png Conversely, Barco as a Wing-Back on Attack spent far more time in the opposition half, still making interceptions in similar areas but hugging the touchline more often and getting further forward to offer a greater crossing threat. This shows us where we can expect each role to be more effective and also where we might expect to see gaps and spaces as a result of the defensive positioning and attacking movement of the Wing-Backs. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/504ca83c7b3e7218b2e122c35a2ca3aba34fd789.png These are just a couple of examples of how you can use Wing-Backs in FM24 but they should be effective in helping you to decide how you use them and how to sign them. The important thing to ask yourself when trying to decide which role to play is “What do you want from a wing-back”? This will allow you to make the best decisions and tactical tweaks to get the most from the role. Happy Managing, MaddFM

Why I Love Fm – Jan Paul Van Hecke

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

837d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/de55e9f8e9755ea6a08fec6b85ddecc74ccc1347.jpg The 2023/24 season has been a breakthrough one for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke. The impressive 23-year-old has become a regular starter for Roberto De Zerbi and his performances were recognised with a big Current Ability upgrade in the FM24 Main Data Update. The Dutchman is also a big fan of Football Manager. We recently caught up with Jan Paul at Brighton’s training ground to discuss his love of the game, his best save, and his FM24 star signing.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING FM AND WHY?

Probably about seven years ago. I think it started because my brother already played the game and I kept looking at him play. He told me that we could also play with two teams at the same time, so we gave it a go and after that, I was completely into it.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING A TEAM?

Opportunities. I always go for lower teams and look to take them up to the higher leagues. Take England, for example, I’ll start in Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two, or even the Vanarama National League and try to take them up to the top-flight. Whatever country I start in, my main goal is always to get to the highest league. To me, that’s the best story you can tell in FM.

SO, YOU’VE PICKED YOUR LOWER-DIVISION TEAM. WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU START A SAVE?

I love the transfer market, so I’m normally trying to look for new players! When you’re a lower division team, you don’t have any money so I tend to go to the Scouting system to see where I can find some players that I can scout for less money. Then, I look at the free agents and make a bunch of free transfers as that’s where you get your bargains. Even later in a save, I just love scouting and signing players that I can then sell for loads of money.

WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PLAY FM? IS IT SOMETHING YOU PLAY AT HOME OR DO YOU TRY AND GET SOME GAME TIME IN WHEN YOU AND THE BRIGHTON PLAYERS ARE TRAVELLING TO AWAY GAMES?

I only ever play at home. To be honest, there are always spells when I play FM. When a new version comes out, I’ll play for a few months. I then usually have a break for a bit and then I come back to it again until the next one comes out. Right now, I’m still playing FM24. Quite a few of the staff around the club play FM, so I chat to them about it, and they play when we go on trips. For me though, it’s only something I play at home.

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO TACTIC? WHAT DOES VAN HECKE-BALL LOOK LIKE?

Always a 4-2-3-1 where we play out from the back with short passes. Sometimes, if I have players with good Long Shots, we’ll shoot from range, but usually, I ask my team to be patient for opportunities in and around the box. We always have to use a high line as well, that’s very important.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST MANAGERIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FM?

A few years ago, I had a save with Bradford City. I took them up from Sky Bet League Two to the Premier Division. We finished third in the top division, which got us into Europe and then that season we won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. That’s probably my best-ever save.

HAVE YOU EVER SIGNED ANY OF YOUR BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION TEAMMATES IN FM? OR DID YOU SIGN ANY BEFORE YOU MOVED TO ENGLAND?

Before, I used to always sign myself! I’ve stopped doing that now though because I’m too expensive, so I either use all of my transfer budget on myself or get outbid by another top club. In my current save, I have Brighton’s goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen on loan for me. He’s a mate of mine in real life and he’s doing well for me in the game so I’m very happy.

WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY MANAGING IN FM24?

I’m managing my old team where I started my career, NAC Breda. They are currently in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, the second division in Holland. In real life, they’re struggling to get promoted. In FM24, I got them up and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. We lost in the quarter-finals to Tottenham Hotspur, which was tough, but I’ve just won the Dutch Cup for the second year in a row so I think I’m doing quite well!

WHO IS THE BEST SIGNING YOU’VE MADE IN FM?

I’ve made a lot but at the moment I have a really good player in my save. It’s the son of Robin van Persie, Shaqueel van Persie. I signed him for pretty cheap when he was 16 or 17. Now, four or five seasons in, he’s on fire and is scoring loads of goals for my team. He’s worth a lot of money now too so he’s definitely one of my favourites.

WHAT HAS FM TAUGHT YOU?

I’ve seen stories before about how some FM players then became managers in real life and I can see how that happens. Personally, playing FM has taught me a lot about tactics and how you can and should set your team up.

HAS YOUR LOVE OF FM MADE YOU CONSIDER A CAREER IN MANAGEMENT WHEN YOU FINISH PLAYING?

I’m a young guy, still only 23, so I’m not thinking about it a lot yet. But, I think it says a lot that I enjoy learning about that side of things and I play a game like FM where you have to manage. It’s a bit different in real life, of course, but I think I’ve got a bit of the managerial instinct in me.

WHY DO YOU LOVE FM?

For me, it’s a way to relax. Usually, I’m sitting on the sofa and just playing while doing other things but it gets a bit more serious when I have an important game in my save. It’s also what I said about the transfer market – I love the experience of scouting and buying players, and then selling them for a profit because you’ve trained and developed them. It’s great too for introducing you to players that you don’t know yet. There are so many players that you end up knowing because of Football Manager. When you see them in real life, you recognise them and think ‘Oh, I know him, he’s going to be great’. That’s why I love Football Manager.

Football Manager 2024 Final Data Update Out Now

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

840d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/728533bd66bd7a7ba1dc7e18e8af6716211d0817.jpg The Final Data Update for Football Manager 2024 is now available across all platforms*. Including recent transfer activity in the USA and China, as well as significant non-transfer events, this Update includes more than 400,000 database changes as well as minor gameplay fixes. All gameplay adjustments will be effective immediately in existing careers, although new save games are required for you to play with the latest player and team data. Changes to FM24 (PC/Mac) in the 24.4 update include (but are not limited to):

Crash fixes and general optimisation
Save game compatibility optimisation
Points deductions updated/applied for applicable English, Scottish and Welsh clubs*
Fixed issue where user managers who are over 70 years old and unemployed can’t get a managerial role
Fixed homegrown status not displaying for players that play in certain non-European nations and clubs
Removed 'the match squad cannot have any players aged over 33' rule in the Turkish Cup
Fixed issue regarding the importing of fixture files

A full PC/Mac changelist is available on our community forums. On there you will also find full changelists for FM24 Mobile, FM24 Console and FM24 Touch. Additionally, rosters for certain licensed leagues whose seasons run to the calendar year will only be reflective up until the end of the 2023 season and so will not include incoming and outgoing transfers made for 2024. Most updates of this nature download automatically. If yours doesn’t, please consult our dedicated FAQs page. *The update may go live at different times on different platforms. **"These changes are accurate as of our internal March deadline for this Update. Due to the nature of the submission processes for this Update, we are unable to include any subsequent points deductions imposed in early April."

10 Teams To Manage After The Football Manager 2024 Main Data Update

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

858d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/650bf5e0995ed87741a001d0a3713f3a3e0a289c.jpg The Football Manager 2024 Main Data Update is out now. Whether you’ve been managing since launch or you’re now picking up FM24 for the first time, this is the perfect opportunity to start a new career with updated squads and player attributes at your disposal. There’s an endless realm of stories ready for you to write but with more than 2,500 clubs to choose from, it can be tricky to decide where your managerial journey begins. To assist you, we’ve used our expertise to pick out 10 of the most interesting teams for you to stamp your style on.

FC SEOUL

In a largely quiet transfer window, FC Seoul made the biggest, and most surprising, splash of all when they signed former England international Jesse Lingard on a free transfer. The capital club are six-time K League 1 winners but have struggled for consistency in recent years, finishing in the bottom half of the table on five occasions since their last title win in 2016. The addition of Lingard shows the club’s intention to get back to winning ways, and it’s certainly attracted a lot of attention from fans and the media. Can you get the best out of their new superstar signing, building a tactic that can drive FC Seoul back to the top of Korean football? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/4cd94de958542b3ce51f18eae2d1c58b00f18576.png

BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH

For most of their current Bundesliga run, Borussia Mönchengladbach have been a regular fixture in and around the European qualification places. The last couple of seasons have been tougher though and after losing key figures Jonas Hofmann and Ramy Bensebaini last summer, they currently sit 12th in the table. The club’s Borussia-Park ground has a capacity of more than 50,000 and is a stadium that deserves more big nights under the lights. Can you get Borussia Mönchengladbach back on an upward trajectory, creating a team to be reckoned with at home and abroad? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/6c6137c9507f8de90fe5d46e37c6355dab67c471.png

FIORENTINA

From a couple of clubs that have been trending backwards in the table to one on the rise in Fiorentina. Reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League final last year showed the potential of Fiorentina’s squad and they’ve continued to deliver this season. The Florence club are overflowing with quality in the final third, with striker Lucas Beltrán combining with Nicolás González and Jonathan Ikoné out wide. Fiorentina are in the UEFA Europa Conference League again when you start your career in FM24, so you’ve got the chance to go one step further and deliver European silverware in your first season. Couple that with a good season domestically and you’ll have the platform for a brilliant career in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/fd4024e7cbddf1030af8b11075dcc1e7f95cf6ed.png

IPSWICH TOWN

We know that a fair few of you have achieved back-to-back promotions in your FM24 careers – in real life, Ipswich Town are looking to do the exact same thing. After finishing second in Sky Bet League One last season, the Tractor Boys have taken the Sky Bet Championship by storm and are firmly in the promotion picture. There’s a lot of positivity around Portman Road on and off the pitch and their strong results this season mean that almost their entire squad have had a big Current Ability bump in the Main Data Update. That boost makes them an even more exciting team to manage in FM24, as does the signing of in-form striker Ali Al-Hamadi. Can you replicate Kieran McKenna’s entertaining style of play and guide Ipswich Town back to the big time?

BOLOGNA

Another club where a young coach has been making waves this season is Bologna. Thiago Motta’s expressive style of play has put Bologna fourth in the table and it’s brought out the best in the club’s key players. Captain Lewis Ferguson is now one of the most highly-rated midfielders playing in Italy while teammates Federico Ravaglia, Kacper Urbański and Joshua Zirkzee also got Current Ability increases in FM24’s Main Data Update. Although the top half of Serie A is stacked with talented teams with big reputations, Motta’s work this season has shown that it’s possible for Bologna to fight for a first European finish since 2002. Achieve that in FM24 and you’ll have the tools to further invest in your squad and compete with the Milan clubs for a first Serie A crown in more than 60 years. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/0e8498ed15132996283f2e515bb6e51f4d028645.png

RSC ANDERLECHT

There’s already one club in this list with wonderful purple kits, so why not another? RSC Anderlecht are, without doubt, Belgium’s most successful team. They also boast one of Europe’s best academies, developing many of Belgium’s recent ‘golden generation’. However, the last of RSC Anderlecht’s record 34 Belgian league titles came back in 2017 and last season’s finish of 11th left them behind fierce rivals Standard Liege and Club Brugge. They’ve improved this season and key to that were last summer’s signings, including goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, winger Alexis Flips and attacking midfielder Thorgan Hazard. Putting those players into a squad led by Jan Vertonghen gives you experience and quality and provides the sort of leadership figures you’ll need to develop Anderlecht’s next generation of wonderkids. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/55635f098ad89354d6f8a6d66ea153c312f2df62.png

SV DARMSTADT 98

SV Darmstadt 98 secured a return to the Bundesliga at the end of last season by winning automatic promotion from Germany’s second-tier. Despite having a good spine to their team, Die Lilien entered the 2023/24 season as relegation favourites. Those predictions have been a reality for the Hesse-based club, who currently sit bottom of the Bundesliga. Your immediate goal is to make SV Darmstadt 98 more sturdy defensively, turning their Stadion am Böllenfalltor home into a fortress and nicking enough points to avoid relegation. From there, recruit wisely to establish them as a permanent part of the Bundesliga and start looking up the table rather than down. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/cdec7ed1c0c0b09f7923eb376d132f4fee244388.png

CHARLTON ATHLETIC

Since relegation from England’s top-flight in 2007, Charlton Athletic have had a challenging run on and off the pitch. The 2023/24 campaign started with hopes of promotion, but their attention has instead been pointed towards the other end of the table. By the start of February, The Addicks were onto their third permanent manager of the season and trying to avoid the drop to Sky Bet League Two. What hasn’t changed over the last two decades is that the South London club consistently produce good young players. Your task is to create a stable environment at The Valley, delivering a pathway for those young talents to shine and building a team capable of moving back up the divisions. When you takeover in the dugout, you’ll have three in-game seasons since the 20th anniversary of that 2007 relegation. It’ll be a test of your skills but wouldn’t it be nice to get them back to the top-flight by then and in a position to mix it with their London rivals?

DUNDEE FC

Sticking on the theme of young talent, Dundee FC are an interesting proposition for you to manage following the FM24 Main Data Update. Why? Well, every FM player loves an affiliate club and The Dee signed one of those deals in January with Burnley. They immediately made the most of it, loaning in three of their prospects to bolster a squad already overperforming expectations in their cinch Premiership return. Using that link to build a young, hungry squad will make for a fun career, but when you add in the save narrative of beating local rivals Dundee United and breaking the Glasgow duopoly at the top of Scottish football, it’s almost irresistible. Dundee FC’s last and only cinch Premiership title came in 1962. How long will it take you to add a second to the Dens Park trophy cabinet?

GÓRNIK ZABRZE

We’ll end with a wildcard choice - a trip to Poland to manage Górnik Zabrze. If we’re being honest, Lukas Podolski being one of their star players at the age of 38 is a big part of their appeal. He’s bidding to for title glory in the country of his birth and achieving that milestone will mean the world to Górnik Zabrze’s passionate fans. One of the country’s most successful clubs, they’ve not won the Ekstraklasa since claiming four titles on the bounce in the mid-1980s. It’s worth noting that Podolski isn’t their only older star – the club’s seven highest-rated players in FM24 are all in their 30s. So, while you’ll have the experience and quality to compete in your first season, you’ll have to renew and refresh the squad pretty quickly if you want to claim a 15th Ekstraklasa crown and then turn your attention to competing in the UEFA Club Competitions. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/ca6fbde7f2c3f546b5eba341c82afed124e44569.png This list should give you 10 great options to choose from, from Asian clubs with superstar signings to fallen European giants looking to get back to former glories. Wherever you decide to create the future, let us know how you get on through our forums or on social media @FootballManager.

12 Upgraded Players In The Football Manager 2024 Main Data Update

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

862d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/33c4d4e5799ebb0ae45ad689158bd71f785c3de6.jpg The arrival of the FM24 Main Data Update means it’s time to kick-off your newest career. Squads around the world have been updated, including recent transfer moves and Current Ability changes for thousands of players based on their real-life performances since FM24’s launch. We’ve dived into the data to identify 12 talents whose recent improvements you should be maximising in FM24.

OSCAR BOBB, MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester City’s newest Norwegian superstar has been rewarded for his first team breakthrough with one of the biggest Current Ability boosts in England’s top-flight. Bobb has shown great versatility across the forward line since his league debut in September, leading to improvements to his Flair, Composure and Team Work Attributes. The 20-year-old isn’t the only City star to see their Current Ability rise. Jérémy Doku’s bright start to life in England has been rewarded, as have the performances of Rico Lewis and Phil Foden. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/c145d28d174dac5ee7ea0e955b50a882b93ce260.png

VICTOR BONIFACE, BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have been the talk of the footballing world this season thanks to their incredible unbeaten run and their exciting style of play under Xabi Alonso. Crucial to their success has been striker Victor Boniface, who recorded 10 goals and seven assists in his first 16 Bundesliga appearances. In addition to being an imposing natural finisher, the Nigerian has proved to be a real team player since moving from Belgium. With upgrades to many of his key Attributes, this 23-year-old looks primed to star for many of you in the seasons to come. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/0b4c810e4236830a91156d4a00bc7913f6a7cbf4.png

JACK HINSHELWOOD, BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

Just as they did in FM23, Brighton & Hove Albion have got a breakthrough star with a significant upgrade in the Main Data Update. Jack Hinshelwood made his Seagulls debut at the tail end of last season but has become a regular this campaign, his ability to play as either a full-back or a defensive midfielder proving very useful to Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play. The 18-year-old has also contributed three goals and that combination of technical ability and mental maturity has seen his reputation really grow. Some of Hinshelwood’s teammates are also worth a scout following this update, most notably Jan Paul van Hecke and Billy Gilmour, who have had their best seasons yet in a Brighton shirt. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/82770972f590f75b6e3d8d244d3189bbb00b2cb6.png

JOBE BELLINGHAM, SUNDERLAND

As his brother has smashed all expectations on the game’s biggest stage, Jobe Bellingham has made huge strides himself this season. Despite only turning 18 last September, Jobe has established himself as a regular starter for Sunderland, scoring five goals from midfield. He still has tremendous growth potential but his contributions to Sunderland’s young team have not gone unnoticed and that’s why he’s got big bumps to several Attributes, including his Bravery, Finishing, Off the Ball and Composure. Given what we know about his brother’s development, we suspect a lot more people will be keeping an eye on Jobe moving forward. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/780d7182a8ae8fb63f3d9492cffd06723e2e33f1.png

MICHAEL KAYODE, FIORENTINA

Michael Kayode has already been signed more than 100,000 times in FM24* and it’s no surprise – he’s got all the tools to be an elite Full-Back with great pace, physicality and crossing ability. We expect that transfer tally to rise even further though following the teenager’s breakthrough to Fiorentina’s first team. He’s made 16 Serie A appearances so far, evenly split between starts and substitute cameos, and he’s looked like he could be the world-class defender our researchers are tipping him to be. Now even stronger from the start of your next career, he’s got the potential to be the star of your defence for a long, long time. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/5aa9f6778c65f29561f4eaccae92b6f54269fbff.png

ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIĆ, FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN

Someone else we expect to see even more interest in following the latest update will be young defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović. The teenager was promoted to the FC Bayern first-team squad after impressive in pre-season and he’s made a solid impact so far, recording two goals and two assists in 10 Bundesliga appearances. While he’s still not quite the full package, he’s got enormous potential and looks to have all the makings of another homegrown midfield superstar for the Bavarian giants.

JONNY ROWE, NORWICH CITY

It’s been a somewhat mixed campaign for Norwich City but their brightest spark has been winger Jonny Rowe. Rowe had been on the fringes of the first-team squad for the last couple of seasons, showing flashes of his ability in a handful of substitute appearances. This season he’s really stepped up under David Wagner, getting a lot of starts and showing exactly what he’s capable off. He’s always had great Pace and Dribbling but Rowe has added end product this campaign, firing home 12 goals in 28 Sky Bet Championship games. He’s also made his way into the England Under-21 squad and seems to be a player with a very bright future ahead of him. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/13cfbae315bfcfecf0bdeeb7c7486040fbee564b.png

ALI AL-HAMADI, IPSWICH TOWN

The only player on this list that moved in the January transfer window, striker Ali Al-Hamadi swapped AFC Wimbledon for Sky Bet Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town. Al-Hamadi delighted the Dons fans at the end of last season with his bright start to life at Plough Lane and continued strongly in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 13 times in Sky Bet League Two to put AFC Wimbledon on the outskirts of the play-off places. Those efforts caught the attention of both Ipswich’s recruitment team and our researchers. The Iraq international has had a big upgrade to his Current Ability in FM24 and in real life he’s being tasked with adding more firepower to Ipswich’s bid for back-to-back promotions. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/a633c0403082566e20da2b198833b67af2b30e29.png

CAMERON PUERTAS, UNION SAINT-GILLOISE

Union Saint-Gilloise have been a cut above in Belgium this season and key to their table-topping success has been Cameron Puertas. A hard-working, tough-tackling midfielder, Puertas has proven to be one of the Jupiler Pro League’s most creative players this season. He’s got five goals and 14 assists in 25 league games and a total of 24 goal contributions across all competitions. There’s already reportedly interest from France in Puertas’ services for next season, while in FM24 his Current Ability rise makes him a great value option for your latest career. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/5f1b26dad659065827db50d676fdd5c2aa5690ce.png

SAMMIE SZMODICS, BLACKBURN ROVERS

Not many people would have picked Sammie Szmodics as their Sky Bet Championship top scorer at the start of this season but he has been fantastic for Blackburn Rovers. Szmodics had got into double digits at his previous clubs Colchester United and Peterborough United but he’d never done it in England’s second tier. He has now though and his 17-goal haul is a huge factor in the Rovers being clear of the relegation places. In addition to tweaks to his Finishing and Long Shots Attributes, where you’ll really notice Szmodics’ improvements in this Data Update are in his Natural Fitness, Stamina, and Leadership. A well-rounded attacking midfielder, the Irish international could be a key signing for many of you in the coming months.

MATHIAS KVISTGAARDEN, BRONDBY

While Roony Bardghji has been getting all the headlines this season, it’s another winger from the Danish Superliga that’s had a big jump in the FM24 Main Data Update. Mathias Kvistgaarden caught fire at the end last season and he’s continued that form into this campaign. The 21-year-old, who can play on either wing or up front, has started every league game in 2023/24 for Brondby, racking up five goals and seven assists in the process. He seems to be a player that’s living up to his sizeable potential and we expect that you’ll become big fans of him in your latest careers. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/30e1d9435f2863e29489e8071dabd145cee3a49a.png

APOSTOLOS STAMATELOPOULOS, NEWCASTLE JETS

We’re ending this list with a player you might not have heard of before. Prior to this season, 24-year-old striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had split his career between his native Australia and Greece. He returned to Australia last summer and he’s been a different animal ever since. He’s scored 13 times in 15 A League Men games for the Newcastle Jets, a rate of one goal every 94 minutes and enough to make him the division’s joint top-scorer. Now with 13 Off the Ball and improved Anticipation, Strength and First Touch Attributes, Stamatelopoulos could well be a great signing for many of you in the near future. These 12 talents stood out to us but there are tens of thousands of other players that have earned upgrades across the footballing world in the FM24 Main Data Update. We look forward to seeing you discover them in your latest careers. *Data from FM24 (PC/Mac) users only.

Football Manager 2024 Main Data Update Out Now

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

880d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/faf2a706350e8d10af7867cd5990c27fd86159d4.jpg Football Manager 2024’s Main Data Update* is now live across all platforms**. This initial refresh features more than six million data changes and includes updated squads following the most recent transfer window. It also contains changes to the Current Ability ratings and Attributes to tens of thousands of players based on their real-world performances since FM24’s launch. Rosters for certain licensed leagues whose seasons run to the calendar year will only be reflective up until the end of the 2023 season and will not include incoming and outgoing transfers made for 2024. The Main Data Update also contains fixes and improvements across multiple areas of the game. All gameplay adjustments will take effect in current careers, although you will need to begin a new save game to take advantage of the data changes. Changes to the PC/Mac in the 24.3 update include (but are not limited to):

General stability and crash fixes
Data and competition updates
Fixed exploit where AI clubs accepted human manager’s transfer offers that were substantially lower than the player’s market value
Fixed issue where negative budgets were given to clubs even when they are performing well financially
Tweaks to how players are scouted that will ensure more Recommendations and Near Matches are generated in Recruitment Focuses
Fixed issue to adjust rain and snow particles in matches
Fixed issue where Spanish clubs were registering low squad sizes
Fixed an issue where Turkish clubs weren't registering full squad on registration deadline day
Fixed issue where player transfers would not take effect in Real World mode
Fixed issue where female non-players can't be added to database

A more detailed FM24 (PC/Mac) changelis is available on our community forums. Further changelists for FM24 Console (Xbox/PS5), FM24 Touch (Apple Arcade/Nintendo Switch™) and FM24 Mobile (Netflix) are also available. Most updates of this nature should download automatically. If yours doesn’t, please consult our dedicated FAQs page. *A further data update will follow in the coming weeks, covering transfers and player data changes from later closing transfer windows, including MLS. **Timings of the update’s launch may vary between platforms.

A Guide To MLS In Football Manager 2024

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

886d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42923167/e541c2e54a1e4b7c6f8aaaa70f7b6d35042aa763.jpg Major League Soccer (MLS), North American’s leading football league, was initially formed back in 1994. Their first season began in 1996 with a total of 10 teams. Since then, the league has continued to grow, and following the arrival of St Louis City SC, it currently boasts 29 clubs. MLS is quite a unique league with some rules that may be unfamiliar to those who normally focus their Football Manager careers in the European leagues. Here’s a guide to help familiarise yourself with how MLS works and to give you the tools to lead your team to MLS Cup glory in FM24.

LEAGUE FORMAT

The 2024 MLS season will see 29 teams compete for title glory, with 14 teams calling the Eastern Conference home. The remaining 15 teams are in the Western Conference, with all of the league’s clubs playing 34 games across the regular season. The top seven teams from each conference automatically qualify for the first round of the playoffs, while the eighth and ninth teams from each conference battle it out in a one-off Wild Card match to make it to the first round. Playoff matches from the first round onwards are played in a best-of-three matches format, with it all building to the MLS Cup Final in early December. There are several other knockout competitions your team may feature in whilst managing the other side of the Atlantic, including the US Cup, North American Champions Cup and Leagues Cup.

SQUAD BUILDING

As with all FM24 careers, building your squad is just as important as perfecting your tactics. This is particularly true in MLS. The most important thing to bear in mind when putting your squad together is that you must comply with the league’s salary cap. For the 2024 season, this is $5.7m. By making the most of the varying contract options available to you (yes, there’s more than one…), you should be on track to stay within the cap. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42923167/e61b238fd6d0117c994d3a30105d1457a2fc5adb.png There are two main parts to your roster – ‘On Budget’ applies to any contracts that count towards your salary cap and ‘Off Budget’ are contracts that that don’t. On-budget contract options include:

Senior contracts are the standard professional contracts available in North America
Designated Player (DP) contracts can only be awarded to the highest-paid players in your squad
High-potential younger players can be signed to either Young Designated Player (YDP) or U22 Initiative Contracts – these contracts don’t impact the salary cap as much as a normal Designated Player contract

While off-budget options include:

Generation Adidas (GA) are contracts offered by the league themselves to the best prospects that come through the MLS SuperDraft from college, but these are entry-level contracts and cannot be renewed
MLS Reserve (RES) contracts are for players new to the league, and these can only be given to those under the age of 25
To simplify things a little bit in Football Manager, we have added another type of contract – Senior Minimum Salary (SMS). SMS are the only contract type that can be on either On/Off budget and this is determined based on the available slots
The final type of cap-free players are Homegrown players, who have progressed from your academy. Home-grown players who are on either Full-Time, Senior Minimum Salary, or Reserve contracts and will always be off-budget during their initial contract

You need to submit your initial roster in February just before the first game of the season. You cannot have more than 30 players and, of those, no more than 20 can be ‘Senior’ players (this includes Designated Players). The 20 ‘Senior’ players will contribute towards your Salary Cap, with the other 10 players (maximum of six Reserves plus Generation Adidas and some on Senior Minimum Salary) considered ‘off-budget’. You can amend your roster throughout the season. The advantage of this is that if you have a player who is expected to be out for at least six regular season games, you can put them on the Disabled List. If you have any players who are going to be out of action for the rest of the season, they can be added to the Season Injury List. At the end of September, you will have to submit a final Roster list and at this point, the roster will be frozen and no further changes can be made. The advantage of doing either of these things is freeing up a slot on the roster to sign a replacement for the injured player. However, this does not free up any cap space, so that’s something you will need to consider before signing any replacements. MLS is well-known for its big-name international imports over the years, but how many can you have in your squad in FM24? Well, each club has eight International slots by default. The slots can be traded though (more on trades later), so you can experiment with your strategy. The rules are slightly different for MLS’ three Canadian clubs– Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps, and CF Montreal. Each club has 11 International slots while they also must have a minimum of three Canadians in their squad. Getting this balance right is essential to staying within the rules – do you want a smaller squad with a few more expensive names or a bigger squad with cheaper players that allows you to rotate and experiment more?

TRADES AND TRANSFERS

Trading in MLS is fun. If the players you are trading are of a similar level, then you may be able to trade them without any additional extras. However, it may be the case that one side of the equation needs to offer a little more to secure the trade. In addition to players, you can also trade the following:

General Allocation Money (GAM)
Draft Allocation
Player Rights
International Slots

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42923167/99960afba0e3e9da89023a5199cb7761521c25d0.png Player rights might be a new concept to some but these can be a useful part of the trading process. Essentially, these rights are the contractual abilities for a player to play in the league. In some instances, such as if a player leaves you on a free transfer or they came through your academy, you can hold onto their rights even when they move to another club. Having the ability to add these to a draft proposal could make all the difference to getting what you want, and it can also set up further deals down the line. Another thing worth considering when signing players is using your General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) wisely. GAM can be used to reduce the impact of senior players on the salary cap. TAM can be used to bring down the impact of a designated player on the cap to the point that they will be demoted to a senior contract, and, in turn, free up a designated player slot.

DRAFTS

Drafts are a key element of all major North American sports. MLS has five different drafts across the season for you to get to grips with, but don’t worry, you don’t have to participate in all of them. The MLS SuperDraft, which takes place in January, allows you to recruit up to four players from college or university teams. Before the draft, players eligible for the draft will face off in a showcase match allowing you to do some scouting before draft day. The order of picks is determined by the previous season’s league standings. Designed to promote parity across the league, this means that the first pick will always go to the team who finished bottom, followed by the sides that failed to make the playoffs the previous season. After this, the teams that made the playoffs are then included in the order in which they were eliminated, with the winners of the league having the final pick. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42923167/471dbfc187a9f4e99205691c4256322d7b303f19.png Existing teams get to pick up players previously discarded by other teams in the two Waiver Drafts. There is one that takes place just before the start of the season in February, which can help fill out your roster with some last-minute additions. There is also another one after the conclusion of a season, allowing you to snap up youngsters out of contract with other teams. If a player isn’t picked up in the Waiver Draft, they can choose to enter the Re-Entry Draft. Re-Entry Draft Stage 1 selections will get an automatic contract extension upon joining your team so be wary of the wages and contract type you are selecting. In the Re-Entry Draft Stage 2, you are only acquiring the MLS rights and will need to negotiate a new contract to sign the selection, otherwise they will not join your club.

TOP TIPS TO MASTER MLS

Think strategically – maximise the varying contract types available to you to craft that winning squad. Handing out Reserve deals to every player won't work because you can only have a max of six, for example.
Keep an eye on the salary cap – if you can’t stick within your budget, you won’t be able to get very far. Use GAM to buy down contracts for players on the roster and GAM/TAM when signing new players.
Trade your way to success - having the ability to trade players, player rights, allocation money, and draft picks is a fantastic resource and doing it properly could make all the difference. Don’t lose players for nothing if you can’t fit them in your cap.
Make the most out of the drafts – they can be a great way to bolster your squad without spending a fortune. Scouting can be difficult, but make sure to assign your scouts to the showcase games and after the draft player pool and Generation Adidas selections are announced.

MANAGING IN MLS ON FM24 Console, FM24 Touch or FM24 Mobile

Given the league's complexities, MLS plays slightly differently in FM24 Console, FM24 Touch, and FM24 Mobile. While you’ll still compete for the Supporters Shield and the ultimate goal is to lead your team to MLS

Cup glory, we’ve made the following changes:
Contracts are just normal player contracts you’ll be used to dealing with in your other FM24 saves.
There’s no set wage structure, so you won’t have to worry about not meeting the salary cap.
Transfers between clubs in the league act just like normal transfers with trades removed from the game.
All drafts are removed.

WHO TO MANAGE?

Now you know how to play in MLS, here are some ideas for where your journey stateside should begin.

Inter Miami

Florida’s newest MLS side are entering the 2024 season as league favourites and it’s no surprise considering their star-studded squad. The challenge sells itself. Entering their fourth season in MLS, the Sunshine State team has gone from strength to strength, winning their first major trophy last season. Can you lead their talented squad to MLS Cup?

New York Red Bulls

The Red Bulls were part of the inaugural season of MLS back in 1996, although at that time they were known as the MetroStars. Despite their long history, they’re one of the few original clubs who haven’t lifted MLS Cup yet. They’ve got three Supporters’ Shields to their name, one of the leading stadiums in the league, and a new star player in Emil Forsberg. Can you be the manager that finally breaks the duct and brings MLS Cup to the red side of The Big Apple?

D.C. United

Based in the USA’s capital city, the Black and Reds dominated the early years of MLS but have struggled in more recent history following the expansion of the league. Despite the woes of the last few years, they have an impressive trophy cabinet, including four MLS Cups, four Supporters’ Shield, three US Cups, and even a continental title. They’ve not made the playoffs in nearly five years – are you up to the challenge to revert this trend?

Seattle Sounders

The Sounders have a rich history that goes back to the '70s, although the current team joined the league as an expansion team in 2009. With two MLS Cups and four US Cups to their name in just fifteen years, they’ve enjoyed an impressive start to MLS. Based in the City of Emerald City, their roster includes Peru international, Raul Ruidiaz, Jordan Morris, and El Salvador captain, Alex Roldán. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42923167/3c530cdb42f6473602cdba61bd337067503db13c.png Whoever you decide to take over on your journey managing in MLS, be sure to let us know on our social media channels @FootballManager when you lift that MLS Cup…

Eight Tips For Developing Your Club’s Reputation In Football Manager 2024

Kyle Brownsteam_community_announcements

895d ago

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/619a2bd7c9f7780d750331c5730907f3aa8d69c5.jpg When starting a new career in Football Manager 2024, most of us have the same goal of taking our new club to the very top of the footballing world. Developing their reputation isn’t as simple as results and tactical prowess on Matchday though. To rise up the in-game rankings, you’ll have to show your skills in developing young talents, managing your club’s finances and being a strategic decision-maker. Here, SteinkelssonFM provides eight top tips for shaping your club into a powerhouse in FM24.

Financial Mastery

Let’s start with some of the things that you can do off the pitch to help build your club’s reputation. Maintaining a healthy financial position has always been important but as the real world of football has shown this season, it’s more important than ever if you want to progress. Recruitment is where you’ll need to show some prudent money management. Having a strategy of signing players that you can develop and then sell for a profit is a good way to go, as is working smarter by using Affiliate Clubs and loan deals. Some of your new signings will help to drive more commercial revenue, as will setting up lucrative friendlies and performing well in competitions with good prize money available. Keeping to your budgets and ensuring financial stability at your club goes a long way to developing your reputation in FM24. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/df3cc841b43e88d972e8e7bacf73d2df10cc7052.png

Facilities and Infrastructure Investment

The above isn’t to say that you shouldn’t spend money in your career, far from it. In fact, one of the main areas where you should invest is in your club’s facilities. Upgrading your training and youth facilities, as well as your stadium infrastructure, is more than a cosmetic enhancement – it's a commitment to excellence. Better facilities improve your club’s image, particularly for those new signings that you’re trying to persuade to join your project. If feasible, consider expanding your stadium's capacity. A larger and more impressive stadium not only accommodates a growing fan base but also contributes to higher matchday revenue. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/df3cc841b43e88d972e8e7bacf73d2df10cc7052.png

Youth Development

Another key reason for developing your facilities is to improve your chances of getting a ‘Golden Generation’ when your next Youth Intake rolls round. So much of our love for Football Manager is driven by those memorable wonderkid newgens that have carried us to glory. Building a strong youth system not only strengthens your squad with talented prospects but also helps to generate more revenue during transfer windows. Nurturing your own stars also resonates with the fans, helping to change your supporter base in-game and enhancing the reputations of both you and the club. Taking the plunge and pursuing a career where you only use your own youth prospects can be a challenge, but it’s one of the most rewarding for a reason.

Media Relations

Navigating your media obligations is an underestimated aspect of reputation management and development in FM24. Every press conference and media interaction is an opportunity to shape public perception. Respond positively, praise your players, and maintain composure in the face of criticism and you’ll build strong relations with the outlets covering your club. As much as results on the pitch will determine the club’s success, a manager's conduct off the field has a resounding impact on the overall perception of the club. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/e1fc0ddcc8f3dfde28867b27e6a872eb19f31d07.png

Building Squad Personality

It’s not just the media that you should be looking to build strong relations with. The overall personality of your squad will ultimately determine your club’s trajectory. Cultivating a team with a strong personality goes beyond tactics – it's about fostering unity, determination, and a shared commitment to success. A cohesive and motivated squad not only performs better on the pitch but resonates positively with fans and observers alike, contributing to the overall reputation of the club. As a manager, you can do your bit to enhance this by adding Team Bonding sessions to your Training schedules, setting up Mentoring groups and signing players that fit into your club’s existing social groups. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/69d15d02362e1a0f39aa7fa5419041a4aa7d8b1c.png

On-Field Brilliance

Your squad’s personality, as well as your club’s reputation, will be enhanced significantly by the results that you achieve on Matchday. Football is ultimately a results business and as a manager you’ve got to hit the targets that your board set for you in their Club Vision. Across all competitions, consistency and consistent success should be the aim, whether that’s striving for victories in league matches or making deep runs in cup competitions. Positive results will elevate your team, attracting attention from fans, pundits, and rivals alike. A successful team is more likely to grab headlines, increasing your club's reputation and your managerial standing in the process. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44613940/fc76834d1ec12b68fcdacc3487ad7b639abf58e8.png

Success in Continental Competitions

Once you’ve achieved domestic success, your attention should naturally turn towards continental competition. Participating in these prestigious tournaments not only provides a shot at silverware but also significantly boosts your club's reputation on the international stage. Success in these tournaments amplifies your club's reputation and can attract attention from football fans worldwide. Involvement in these competitions can also help to retain your more ambitious players, providing them with the opportunity to compete on football's biggest stages.

Managerial Achievements

Beyond the success of the team lies the personal journey of the manager. Achieving personal accolades, such as winning Manager of the Year awards or reaching career milestones, contributes to the overall narrative of success surrounding the club. These moments serve as a testament to your managerial prowess and further enhance your club's reputation. In FM24, the journey to elevate your club's reputation never stops. It requires a balance of on-field success, financial acumen, and strategic decision-making. Consistent success both on and off the pitch is the key to climbing the ranks and securing your club's place among the footballing elite. Embrace the journey, make informed choices, and watch as your club's reputation ascends to new heights in the virtual football world. Happy managing, Steinkelsson FM