Football Manager 2008

[all_funkt_up]

Anyone managed to have a look at this yet?

I have my first free Sunday in ages and was considering having a butchers at it. I was going to go to somewhere like www.copyworld.com to download it. Can anyone vouch for the site or possibly recommend a better one?

Ta

[crowie]

I got it on Friday AFU.

Its another wee step forward but there is a couple of things needs to be patched and quickly. The closing down feels like it has been switched off, players simply don't close down well enough or like the did in previous versions. Also the ball shadow is all over the place and very unrealistic.

That aside its worth getting. However I would warn against picking up a hooky copy. Someone on the SI forums posted a supposed "bug" - all the bottom 2 teams from the Euro 2008 qualifying groups qualified for the finals of Euro 2008, not the top 2 teams. Everyone was saying how shocking it was and then one of the head boys from SI said that it was good to see that at least one of the anti piracy "surprises" had been found so soon. Don't know how they have done it but apparently it can detect if you have a pirated game and can throw in little "changes" as the game goes on.

[Jamie]

Regarding the closing down aswell.

Set your defenders to tight marking, marking style: man. Also allow close down often (Not all the way though) and hard tackling. This should sort out the problems with the closing down and shore up your defence.



If your a small club with limited funds, then I suggest taking a look at Diego Bounanotte who improves nicely and scores goals, Pablo Piatti who's just class and Mika Aaritalo who's a goal machine.

Enjoy!

[crowie]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Regarding the closing down aswell.

Set your defenders to tight marking, marking style: man. Also allow close down often (Not all the way though) and hard tackling. This should sort out the problems with the closing down and shore up your defence.

It should Jamie but it doesn't. Players are still able to wander forward unopposed in many cases. I have tight marking, man marking and closing down often for everyone but two centre halves and its still ineffective. SI have acknowledged its a problem and are fixing it in the patch.

[all_funkt_up]

Talking tactics now people - I normally play an attacking formation, maybe 4-4-2 but set to 'attacking'. Now I usually set my centre-backs to 'defensive' or 'ultra defensive' and maybe leave my winbacks/fullbacks as 'normal'.

Does anyone else bother doing this or dont you think it has much impact?

[Doc]

I just call myself Uday Hussein and the lads always seem to give 110%

[crowie]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Talking tactics now people - I normally play an attacking formation, maybe 4-4-2 but set to 'attacking'. Now I usually set my centre-backs to 'defensive' or 'ultra defensive' and maybe leave my winbacks/fullbacks as 'normal'.

Does anyone else bother doing this or dont you think it has much impact?

I am usually a 4-4-2, full backs with runs forward, centre half's never closing down and no forward runs so much the same as yours. Have one central mid as a more defensive mid, drops back to cover the centre half's when I don't have possesion, the other more attacking and creative. Two wingers are usually set to attacking and the forwards are just normal instructions.

Apparently full backs are much more effective this game AFU, you can get them to do a fair bit of overlapping attacking play with the right instructions. Certainly found both mines are constantly up near the opponents box supporting the wingers.

Tempted to see if the AI would act on me calling myself Uday Hussein though

[all_funkt_up]

I go for the same most often Crowie, although sometimes certain teams call for a different style of play. Apparently the best way to go with Liverpool this time round is Gerrard as an attacking mid (behind the strikers) and Mascherano as a defensive mid, just infront of the centrebacks with 2 wide me.

For me that leaves too much space in the centreof midfield. I have always opted for at least 2 men in centre mid.

[all_funkt_up]

My favourite formation was thus: 3 centrebacks, the ones either side of the central defender were set to man mark and he was the spare man who mopped up. Attacking fullbacks or sometimes wingbacks who made runs up to and beyond the midfielders. In the mould of Cafu if you like.

Then in the middle a couple of good passers who had the freedom to roam about. A forward with good creativity would sit in behind two out and out strikers. It looked a bit like this:

-------------Striker----Striker
-----------------Forward
------------Midfield-----Midfield
-Wingback--------------------Wingback
--------Defender-Defender-Defender

--------------------Goalie

[jbgb007uk]

Finally I have got my new computer and the first game I installed was FM08 - going to get it started with Chesterfield. I also downloaded the patch so hopefully the closing down issues will be sorted.

I usually play 442 with attacking fullbacks and wingers with a midfielder set to defensive and with an arrow back to infront of the back 4. I also like playing a big man little man front two, which is effective at direct styles of play.