The rise of Football Manager games and the affect it has....

[flammableBen]

..... on people's judgments on real football mangers.

I was 50/50 on posting this in the other footy section, but I think with the current Malpas judging it fits in here quite nicely.

It's not completely recent, in fact it's been building up for a couple of years. Everybody seems to think that they're a genius football manager/coach because of their own genius tactics on the most recent Football Manager game.

Andy King was a classic. "Why are you putting [Heywood / Van der Linden] up front", or on the other end "Why are you putting Miglioranzi in defence".

The answer to the first question isn't as stupid as it sounds. Both Heywood and Van der Linden had played as strikers in their youth careers; and to be honest, whatever you say about Linden, with the exception of Ian Woan, he was by far the most technically gifted player we had (it's a shame him and king didn't get on). And he scored in the classic draw away to Wrexham. That was a coach journey and a half.

He played Migz in defense, when he was by miles the best player we had, and he was awesome.

But making a point wise, I'm saying that picking a team and telling them what to do isn't like setting tactics in the most recent version of FM. It's real people you're dealing with. Maybe STFC #11 doesn't like playing on the left wing and wants to play in the centre. What can you actually do to Rockey him up for the game?

I just think that too often we get loads of tactic criticism without taking into account it's actually real people that the manger has to organise.

[SwindonStevo]

i dont think its football manager that makes people see a manager isnt right to play a right winger in centre midfield and then complain about quality of crosses, leave one of your best defender out of the team for months when hes fit and your leaking goals or drop an imense slovakian goalkeeper when hes done nothing wrong.

its common sense. but i can see your point when people judge players. David Bellion used to bang thirty goals in the premiership in CM 03/04 if you bought him as a lower prem team and keep you up, but you shouldnt expect it in real life.

[Don Rogers Shop]

i dont think its football manager that makes people see a manager isnt right to play a right winger in centre midfield and then complain about quality of crosses, leave one of your best defender out of the team for months when hes fit and your leaking goals or drop an imense slovakian goalkeeper when hes done nothing wrong.

its common sense. but i can see your point when people judge players. David Bellion used to bang thirty goals in the premiership in CM 03/04 if you bought him as a lower prem team and keep you up, but you shouldnt expect it in real life.

Who was that then?

[SwindonStevo]

jack smith

[Bogus Dave]

hahahaha

[Nemo]

Oh dear.

Jack Smith's not bad yes, but I don't think that's terribly accurate to say he's our best defender.

McGovern in the middle and Easton right is baffling yes, but coming off the best game we've played in a while, give it a chance.

[pauld]

Smith's done well since he came back but I think he was being kept out of the side by Miguel who's had a great season, so you can see the sense in that. Seems like some people are just looking for reasons to bash Malpas

[SwindonStevo]

i said one of the best. Miguel has done really wel but he will never be smith, who in my opinion is superior. at the moment he is fitting them both in the team, great. i also think Miguel could be used as a right winger in some cases when were stuck as oposed to sticking Easton wide when he clearly is not at ease in that position.

[Bogus Dave]

smith isn't even that good

[BANGKOK RED]

Didn't Easton score two goals from that very position the other week?

[pauld]

Didn't Easton score two goals from that very position the other week?

Yes and he had a very good game on the right of midfield on Saturday too. However Stevo's right in that he would prefer to play centre mid

[SwindonStevo]

i dont think its out of the question when your really stuck playing Easton there  but i think we have better options. i think Miguel would make a very good right midfield player.

[RobertT]

and Easton isn't being played as a winger FFS.  Ardiles' team never had wingers and they weren't bad, not that you can compare now and then as we were quite literally in a different league.  It's just that people to criticise a formation without really knowing what it is.  I guess Malpas could help a little by explaining it, but then again, why does he have to?

[Samdy Gray]

If it was like Football Manager we'd all be screaming for Malpas to sign Chris James on a free and get Frazier Campbell in on loan  

[SwindonStevo]

based on that formation though we are completely lopsided because we have a natural winger on the other side.