The Footy Manager » FM2010

FM10 Facepack Graphics

Niall — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:47:57 +0000

Those lovely people at http://www.sortitoutsi.net/ have got together some amazing looking facepacks for Football Manager 2010 which I thought I’d point you in the direction of.

First things first, before I get bombarded with requests to install them here is how:

Unpack the ZIP/RAR file
Copy its unpacked content to folder “graphics” subfolder of your Football Manager “user data” folder eg C:\…\My Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2010\graphics\ (if “graphics” folder isn’t there create it.)
For being able to see faces from installed facepacks you must have the following settings in FM 2010 Preferences:

Use Skin Cache = Off

Always Reload Skin on Confirm = On

Do that and you should be ready to rock and roll you should be ready to rock and roll.

Right now for the good stuff… You can download the facepacks via the following torrent – FM10-Faces-Megapack It’s 2.7 GB but WELL worth the effort, really adds a bit of razzle dazzle to the game.

If you have any questions post them here.

Football Manager 2008 – Facepacks, Kits, Logos & Skins

FM2010 – Free Transfer Deals & Steals

Niall — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:31:50 +0000

Well Football Manager 2010 (FM2010) is coming and we all know when you start the game one of the first things you do is to have a little look at those free transfer deals to get you going. The pickings maybe are not quite as good as they have been in past years but here is a little list of a few players I think are worth a little punt on the free transfer market in Football Manager 2010 (FM2010). This is a little guesswork at this stage but I’ll amend and update once the game is out on Friday.

Attackers

David Conolly – ST, age 32: Great little signing for League 1 clubs

Rune Lange – ST, age 32: Effective target man at mid to low Championship level and below

Michael Mifsud – ST, 28: Will do a great job at League 1 level

Ebi Smolarek - ST, age 28: Very effective in the Championship and lower end Premiership sides

Midfielders

Dietmar Hamann – DM/MD, age 35: GREAT signing for Championship sides although might only sign for some of the bigger ones

Ivan Campo – DM/MC, age 35: Like Hamann will do a great job in the Championship

Matty Holland - DM/MC, age 35: Good signing in League 1 and maybe at the lower end of the Championship

David Noble – AMC, age 27: Good for League 1 but probably not higher

Defenders

Sol Campbell – DC, age 36: Won’t cut the mustard in the Premiership but very effective in the Championship.

Lauren – DR , age 32: Good solid right back for Championship sides

Football Manager 2010 – October 30th

Niall — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:22:59 +0000

Just had the following press release for SI/SEGA about Football Manager 2010, it’s coming October 30th. Some great new stuff in there most of which has been mentioned once or twice on this site along with some other slick new stuff. Once again it’s great to see SI listening to what the fans want. I know I’m looking forward to it, what do you guys think?

FOOTBALL MANAGER™ 2010 DATED FOR OCTOBER 30th

Sports Interactive listen to consumer feedback to create the best Football Manager in the series yet

LONDON (August 12^th, 2009) – Sports Interactive & SEGA Europe Ltd. can today announce that Football Manager™ 2010 for PC and Apple Macintosh, and Football Manager™ Handheld 2010 for Sony PSP will be released on October 30^th.

Football Manager 2009 is the most successful in the Football Manager series to date, clocking up 22 weeks at No.1 in the UK (PC charts) and selling in excess of 1 million copies worldwide, as well as being voted the 2^nd best video game of all time in a recent Radio 1 poll. According to data gathered from Football Manager 2009, people played the game for an average of 240 hours each. However, developer Sports Interactive has been made aware via the vibrant Football Manager community that the addition of big new features in the last few releases has come at the expense of attention to existing areas of the game and solving long standing issues.

With this in mind, Sports Interactive has spent the last year working closely with consumers and the Football Manager community to implement key improvements to this year’s game. Football Manager 2010 features new tools and changes across the board including some big additions to improve ease of use, navigation and feedback from the game with the introduction of a brand new match tactics system, the debut of a Match Analysis tool, a completely new look and new User Interface among other features.

“We have worked very hard with the Football Manager community to target not only the areas of the game that needed re-working but also what we could add to improve what’s already there. We’ve also conducted extensive usability studies which has led us to overhaul the whole presentation of the game, which we’re really excited about,” said Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive. “There has been a lot of polish to existing areas of the game but it’s also driven us to introduce changes to answer some of the feedback. We’re very confident that having done that we will deliver the very best Football Manager to date in October.”

The introduction of a Tactics Creator makes it easier to instruct the team to play the way the manager wants, alongside the introduction of touchline ‘shouts’ and quick tactic changes for instantly altering your team’s playing style during the match. Working with coaches from various levels of football, alongside some of the Football Manager communities most respected independent tacticians, the game now has an extensive array of pre-set tactical options allowing the user to select a player’s role in the team (such as ‘Ball winning midfielder’ or ‘Deep lying playmaker’), however the option to use the old ‘slider’ controls remains.

Feedback from matches has been improved to give the user better insight into where their team is going wrong, or right. A new Match Analysis tool lets players see where shots, passes, crosses, headers, tackles, fouls and interceptions have been made on the field for all players on the pitch. Managers can view this analysis both live in-game and post match, allowing them to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of both their team and their opponent’s and adjust their tactics accordingly.

Football Manager 2010 features a brand new User Interface, with a light and a dark skin to choose from as part of a vibrant new look and has undergone a complete navigational overhaul. The side bar navigation of previous years has been replaced by an intuitive tab system at the top of the screen, making Football Manager’s famed depth easier to navigate and will make the game more accessible to new players.

A brand new Data Editor will allow the addition of new divisions to existing leagues and of entirely new leagues as well as making it easier than ever to keep the game up to date, and do so for free. The delivery of information to the manager has been refined with users now able to sign up to the News Centre, an in-game subscription based newspaper that lets you get the news that you want about the football world and filter out the stories that you do not need, making the football world as immersive as you want it to be.

Following the debut of a 3D match view in Football Manager 2009, this year’s release sees a revamp with improved AI, over 100 new animations for the 3D pitch view, new stadiums, crowds, realistic pitch degradation and better lighting, creating an even more realistic match experience.

Further new features will be announced via a series of blogs in the months leading up to the game’s October 30^th release date which will ensure that Football Manager retains its position as the most realistic, most played, highest reviewed and best selling football management simulation in the world.

Football Manager Handheld 2010 also has a host of new features and improvements, including a brand new skin for the game and improved match engine AI.

For further information please go to www.sigames.com or www.footballmanager.com.

Football Manager 2010 Wonderkids & Future Stars

Niall — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:56:46 +0000

Finding the wonderkids in any version of Football Manager is always one of the most popular aspects of the game. So following on from last years column who do you think are going to be the wonderkids and future stars of Football Manager 2010?

I’ll start with a few:

Luc Castaignos (Feyenoord)
Marco Fossati (Inter)
Christopher Buchtmann (Liverpool)
Marc Muniesa (Barcelona)
Janick Kamber (Basel)
Deniz Herber (St. Pauli)

The Wonderkids of Football Manager 2010 (FM2010)

This list will be changing over time and make sure you add any that you discover.

Goalkeepers

Sergio Asenjo – Atletico Madrid
Rui Patricio – Sporting Lisbon
Hugo Lloris – Lyon
Manuel Neuer – Schalke
Alphonse Areola – PSG

Defenders

Mamadou Sakho – PSG
Marcelo – Real Madrid
Raul – Atlético Paranaense
Davide Santon – Inter Milan
Joao Paulo – Fluminese
Breno – Bayern Munich
Cesar Azpilicueta – Osasuna
Dodo – Corinthians
Emiliano Insua – Liverpool
Marc Muniesa – FC Barcelona
Leandro Cabrera – Atletico Madrid
Micah Richards – Manchester City
Neven Subotic – Borussia Dortmund
Nicolas Otamendi – Velez Sarsfield

Midfielders

Francesco Bolzoni (DMC) – Genoa
Nuri Sahin (MC) – Borussia Dortmund
Aaron Ramsey (MC) – Arsenal
Sergio Busquets (MC) – FC Barcelona
Willian (AMC) – Shakhtar
Jack Rodwell (MC) – Everton
Axel Witsel (MC) – Standard
Etienne Capoue (DMC) – Toulouse
Jano Ananidze (AMC) – Spartak Moscow * FREE
Franco Zuculini (MC) – Hoffenheim
Levan Kenia (AMC) – Schalke
Carlos Eduardo (AML) – Hoffenheim
Marko Marin (AMR) – Werder Bremen
Mesut Ozil (AML) – Werder Bremen
Ignacio Camacho (DMC) – Atletico Madrid
Paulo Henrique (AMC) – Santos
Giuliano (AMR) – Internacional
Diego Buonanotte (AMC) – River
Juan Manuel Mata (AML) – Valencia
Moussa Sissoko (DMC) – Toulouse
Henri Saivet (AMR) – Bordeaux
Miralem Pjanic (AMC) – Lyon
Adem Ljajic (AMR) – Manchester United
Stevan Jovetic (AML) – Fiorentina
Jesus Navas (AM RC) – Sevilla
Sofian Feghouli (AM RC) – Grenoble
Eljero Elia (AM RL) – Hamburg SV
Alexis Sanchez (AM RL, F C) – Udinese
Eduardo Salvio (AM R, F C) – Lanus
Toni Kroos (AM C) – Bayern

Forwards

Mario Balotelli (FC) – Inter Milan
Neymar (FC) – Santos
Dentinho (FC) – Corithians
Daniel Villava (FC) – River
Andrej Kramaric (FC) – NK Dinamo
Walter (FC) – Internacional
Alberto Paloschi (FC) – Parma/Milan
David N’Gog (FC) – Liverpool
Tomas Necid (FC) – CSKA Moscow
Abel Hernandez (FC) – Palermo
Edin Dzeko (FC) – Wolfsburg

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What do you want to see from Football Manager 2011? How can they make it better?

Football Manager 2010 – Wishlist

Niall — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:54 +0000

Well last night saw the last of this seasons actual football being played (Confederations Cup) and before we know it the new football season will be upon us. As always the new football season generally means the next installment of our favorite football management game.

Don’t get me wrong I like FM09 but there is room for improvement. Some things I’d like to see in the next version of Football Manager, Football Manager 2010:

I’d like to be able to ’shout’ (you know what I mean) instructions during the game to specific players while they are playing
Maybe be able to start as a youth/reserve team manager and work your way through the ranks of the club
Improve the 3D
Rework the tactics screens

I know Sports Interactive like to know what us fans would like to see in the next installment of Football Manager (Football Manager 2010) so what do you guys think?

Once we get a decent amount of comments I’ll let the guys at Sports Interactive know.

Don’t Underestimate the Need for Good Backroom Staff

Niall — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:00:53 +0000

Behind every successful manager in FM09, is a good backroom coaching team. Good coaching equals good training, which over time improves players and performances. When you first start off on the game, you will inherit the backroom staff of the team you take over. I’ve always found it best to keep this backroom team together at the beginning of a game in FM09, as some of the players you have may have coaches, youth coaches or your assistant as their favored staff. Getting rid might have a negative effect on your team.

Starting with the member of your coaching team I find most important, is the assistant manager. Your assistant manager will know the squad better than any other member of the coaching team and is also vital for finding out important information. Requesting a team report early on (after the one automatically given to you), will find out areas of the team that need cover, improvement and strengthening. You assistant can also offer advice on who they believe you should sign to improve certain areas of your squad. For example, early on in my campaign as Q.P.R boss, my assistant Tim Flowers advised I sign Kevin Doyle from Reading, and he went on to be my leading goalscorer for three seasons in a row (including my first in the Premiership). Try and keep the assistant you start with, but if for some reason you lose them (Tim Flowers was mine for two seasons before being offered the Managers job at Leicester), then make sure you sign the right man for the job. You have to look for an assistant who has attributes that match yourself. For example, if you like to play attacking football, make sure your assistant has a good attacking attribute. Remember, in most cases, people will ask their assistant to give team talks and occasionally pick the team, so they have know what they’re doing. High attributes in ‘Judging Player Ability’, ‘Motivating’ and ‘Tactical Knowledge’ will make sure your assistant can step in for you when needed and do a good job. As the game goes on, your assistant will most likely become a favorite amongst fans and players quicker than you will, which is a good thing because whenever you need to call on them to help, you know they’ll do a stand up job. In past games, my assistant has been liked so much that he usually gets offered my old job when I leave for another team, but they usually always end up joining me again as my assistant at the new club.

1st Team coaches are also important, and I usually find that most teams you take over will either have no 1st team coaches, or just the one. What I like to do is look through my clubs favorite staff/icons/legends and see if any of them are now coaches so I can bring them in as my 1st team coach. This works well as players and fans alike are happy that a club favorite has returned. If you already have a club favorite in your coaching staff, then try offering them a new contract with a promotion to 1st team coach. Good attributes for a first team coach include the style of play you like to play i.e. attacking or defending and ‘Technical’, as they will be working with the team that you will be judged on.

Coaches should already be in place at your team and shouldn’t be worried about too much until further in the game. Having a good coaching team will help your training and a good balance across your first team/youth team and goalkeepers is essential. I always try and sign club favorites and former players of mine as coaches as the game goes on. This is usually because I still have players and staff members at the club who are listed as favored personnel so can be good for moral. This is exactly the same for youth coaches, goalkeeping coaches, physio’s and scouts.

All the previous information was for when you are starting off at a new club at the very beginning of the game. If during the game, you move to a new club, then depending on your status on the game and how long you were at your previous club should determine what you do next.

If you have a world class reputation and won many honors with your previous club, then when you join your new club, always try and take across your old staff. As you may have seen throughout the game via tips, staff at clubs you take over will always agree to a mutual termination of contract, so take advantage of this and save some money, whilst also bringing your old team in. I recommend keeping one or two of the old staff at the new club, as they may be a favorite for some players so them leaving could have a negative effect. Check this out before you start releasing staff from contracts.

If you were fired, or don’t have a high reputation, then the best idea would be keeping all the staff at your new job, as they will be able to give you the same help/guidance/information as you get when you start off at the beginning of the game. Only when you are quite well respected, will you be bigger than the staff at a squad and be able to bring over all your own without having too much of negative response from players.

What do you think?

This was a guest article written by James Mertz so be sure to let him know what you think!