LMA Manager 2003 FAQ- copyright 2003 Kyle Frazer =============== =The Legal Bit= =============== This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. ============== =Distribution= ============== Websites that are allowed this FAQ are as follows: www.thunderbolt.be www.gamefaqs.com If you would like to put this FAQ on your site then you must email me first. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again. Simple. ========== =Contents= ========== 1.0 version history 2.0 introduction 3.0 starting off -3.1 friendlies --3.2 shake up ---3.3 staff ----3.4 finances 4.0 formations -4.1 tactics --4.2 training 5.0 stadium 6.0 info 7.0 match 8.0 players 9.0 contact 10.0 credits ===================== =1.1 Version History= ===================== 4th June 2003- Finally I have my hands on the game! It's now that I start to see the changes from 2002 and create my super team in Fulham! Oh, I started an FAQ too ;) ================== =2.0 Introduction= ================== Ok, before we start I just want to say a few things. First off, this is written with knowledge from the English leagues. Perhaps Scotland may benefit but other countries like Spain and France have different styles of play and so my tactics might not be suited to that area. Second of all there will be no 'final edition'. I'm learning different tactics, scouting new players etc all the time so sections will be changed and/or updated when needed. All you need do now is grab a beer, relax and enjoy! ================== =3.0 Starting Off= ================== Obviously the first thing we have to do is pick a team to start off with. Most people will start off with the team they support (in my case it's Fulham) whilst those wanting a challenge may go further down into the lower leagues. The advantage to managing your favourite team is you will know which players are good and the areas to work on. However, clubs you aren't familiar with can cause confusion, so to start off with its best to stick to your own territory. When you have the knowledge of relegation scraps, tight budgets and man management then you should start to push for fresh challenges. ================ =3.1 Friendlies= ================ Many people I have spoken to regard friendlies as a waste of time and either skip them or don't watch the team playing. This is probably the worst thing you can do seeing as it's the only time you can view the players in matches without anything at stake. It's also essential for managers at new clubs to find out where players perform best and those to place on the transfer list. Your squad will start off lacking match fitness so plan the first game against very poor opposition, maybe non-league sides. This is so players can slowly build up their fitness without the threat of a beating. The second match should be a mildly better side, but a match you can expect to win easily. The third game should be against a mid-table side a division below you, to give the atmosphere of a cup-tie. Squad selection is key here. Rather than field your best team in the first, reserves in the second and then a mix in the third its best to mix them up all the time. Play your second choice keeper behind your top defence, pair up a reserve striker with your top scorer or shove a young 'un in midfield with the top guns. This is so you can see how well players perform, with good players to help them out. ============== =3.2 Shake Up= ============== Armed with valuable squad knowledge from the friendlies, its time to sell the garbage and bring in new talent as well as sorting out the finances. regardless of form, younger players (those under 28) should always be given time to develop. A second chance, if you will. This because they seem to reach their potential at 25, and a few years after seem to be on high form. after that though the stats start to fade and they get out of place. The other important factor is players on the rise will be worth a lot more than a has-been, so it is better to cash in on old players whilst you can than let them rot away. You have a wage budget you know! So keep old players as back up or sell them, and get those young players either to leave on loan or a place on the bench. =========== =3.3 Staff= =========== These are the guys that look after the players and take a lot of the workload from you. However, seeing as we are on a tight budget you may need to do a lot of this yourself. The key to the team is the head coach. He organises training schedules and keeps your players in tip top condition. Its best to look for one of the best availiable. area coaches train up the players. it is recommended to hire good coaches at first then upgrade to higher levels when you have hired the rest of the staff. the physio looks after your player when they fall ill or get injured. He selects the best option for recovery, and while it may not be the best financial option it will guarantee the faster recovery of the player as well as getting him back to form too. Hire a good physio because as you get stuck into the season players will get injured and you'll need them back quickly. Scouts are needed to report on next opposition and players. Without them you could be bankrupting the club on a clown who thinks he's a forward or leaving yourself open to a thrashing from the next match. As you can see, you don't really need an assistant manager or commercial manager. The deputy only hires staff you don't really need and sorts out the contracts of players, something that only happens once a year. The commercial manager sorts out advertising (piece of piss) and stadium building, all of which you can sort out easily, so it's not worth splashing out much needed wages on these two liabilities. ============== =3.4 Finances= ============== These can determine whether a club exists or not regardless of performance on the pitch, so it's crucial you know what is being spent and setting budgets. As a rule of thumb for smaller clubs, try to get the total wage (players and staff) near enough to the total sponsorship income. Both are paid in and out weekly, so try to get them balancing each other out. That way bonus money from cup runs and league placement can be spent on purchasing new players. For bigger clubs the attendance's should cover a rising wage bill. ================ =4.0 Formations= ================ Each manager has his own preference to which formation is the best. Hell, reputations have been gained and jobs lost due to this belief. bear in mind that whatever formation you pick is useless unless you have the tactics to match it. It's no good playing 4-2-4 if you want to defend and play short passes. You have to be attacking fully with long direct play. for me the 4-3-1-2 (4-4-2 with a diamond midfield) suits my fast attacking play but like I said it is all down to what game you play. ============= =4.1 Tactics= ============= A manager should choose tactics to complement the formation. As I pointed out ealier, its not good playing an attacking formation if you wish to defend, and visa-versa. The counter attack is used mostly on away matches and against teams who are likened to attack. for me it is common sense to pull everyone back, leaving the forwards up front and then break quickly. A deep defense usually tries to contain the opposition until the midfield has recovered. Good if you have a slow midfield but pointless if playing the offside trap. I tend to play a more pressing game, believing that forcing the opposition into making errors and playing for offside benefits the team. Focusing on defence will limit attacking play but ensure a better chance at a clean sheet. Again, I totally disagree and play almost full attacking seeing that the team who scores the most wins. Short passing keeps possession and conserves fitness, whereas hit-and-hope long ball tactics will tire players quickly. Attacking in a patient manner means keeping possession and frustrating the Opponents. this is great against good teams and in the last 10 mins, but I find playing direct increases attacking chances and takes the pressure off the defence. Ball distribution is down to the formation you play. 3-5-2 should require balanced placement but my formation (4-3-1-2) is more central. ============== =4.2 Training= ============== Section forthcoming... ============= =5.0 Stadium= ============= This is where the paying public view you team. Attendances vary on league position and rating, so building an 80,000 capacity all-seater for a third division club isn't wise. Of course, the bigger the stadium the more sponsorship revenue you can gain. but building chairs on concrete ain't cheap and doesn't happen overnight either. Your best bet is to build a new stadium, that way the money comes from a pre-determined budget and doesn't affect the funds for your team. It also doesn't affect attendances for the season, leaving you with a full house for many months. In forthcoming updates I'll share with you my stadiums that I have built. ================= =6.0 Information= ================= Whilst many pass this off as a cosmetic function, learn to treasure it. Here you can view the top scorers (handy if you need to buy one) and also the top team made from all the players in the division. This means you can keep track of players in great form, and possibly make a bid for them. =============== =7.0 The Match= =============== Where all your hard work pays off. Or at least it should. Section forthcoming. ============= =8.0 Players= ============= This is a list of all my greatest finds, as well as other people who have emailed me. This section (as well as many others) is in early days so expect more detailed information in future updates. Note; all player values and clubs are from the start of the game, and players move around a lot so their values fluctuate. The best way to find them is to type in the name in the search menu (found in the transfer section) GK- Isakson Van der sar D- Mexes Goma Wome Djetou Coleman Lescott Thuram Carlos Nesta Cannavaro Smauel Chivu Hofland Belozyorov M- Clark Davis Ishizaki Montano Van persie Goldbaek Inamoto Malbranque Quaresma J.Collins Legwinski Cornelis Bouma Karadeniz Hargreaves Rochemback Wainwright Maddison F- Saha Marlet Boa morte Robben Smith Donovan ============= =9.0 Credits= ============= Thanks for peoples patience on the GameFAQs board, I had trouble getting the game so I couldn't write the FAQ! gamefaqs.com- a brilliant resource for all your gaming needs! www.thunderbolt.be- for giving me this writing 'talent' that I love so much! Codemasters- for having the guts to take on CM ============== =10.0 Contacts= ============== If you think you can contribute to this FAQ then email me at: Jamesfrazer2@hotmail.com Ok, that's it from me. Expect an update within the next week or so, and look out for me on the boards.