Topic: Football Manager 2018

@NaviAndMii Perfect, thank you!
Will be taking the mighty Weston-Super-mare fc all the way to glory!
How long did it take you guys to get used to the interface?

@Datasun_7 No problem! ..and best of luck with Weston-Super-Mare (when you get around to starting your save) - should be quite a ride! (..keep us posted!)

Having grown quite accustomed to the PC version of Football Manager over the years, adapting to a different style interface took me a bit of time - but after a couple of hours, things started to feel quite natural ..it's nice that the game has full controller and touchscreen support - if you initially can't figure out how to do something using the Joy-Con, touchscreen offers a nice alternative - but, over time, the intuitive controls become second nature and the hidden/collapsible menu's (which help to keep the uncluttered) become a breeze to navigate - overall, I'm pretty impressed

This was the absolute madness I was talking about in all it's glory....

Might start a game with my beloved Barca, just to calm my beans a bit haha!

It’s getting towards the end of my debut season and thing’s are starting to look up. Currently 8th in the league and things are now starting to look up as I get use to the game more.

@Farmboy74 Niiiiice! I'm liking the look of your side, there ..no Mahrez (sold?) - big fan of Demarai Gray though - and is that Celtic's Dembele I see partnering Vardy up-front? - not bad, not bad at all!

@NaviAndMii I still have Mahrez but the little so and so got himself a three match ban for a straight red card!! I have indeed brought Celtic's Demblee and Scot Sinclair, Demblee has so far scored 15 goals i think, Vardy like some of the other older players have spent quite a bit of time on the injury bench which has been quite a nightmare and Gray has not been playing to badly at all if i'm honest.

I have 5 games left in my first season 8th in the league 11 points behind 7th place (Liverpool) and six points ahead of 9th place (Southampton) and the board have showed confidence in me and renewed my contract.

For a first time player like myself it has been a bit of a steep learning curve, but if you put the time in this game will pay you back.

Since this game is doing so well, I've kind of decided to wait for the '19 version. Hopefully they'll make a Switch specific version, with the little annoyances referred to in this site's review polished out.

I hope not too many people act this way, because if the game doesn't do well enough they won't bring '19 at all If '19 doesn't come, I'll still pick up '18 in a sale next season.

@toiletduck Yep, I'm intending to do the same. Either wait for '19 or buy this version at discount. Looking forward to getting stuck in but in the meantime FIFA 18 Manager Mode has me hooked. Won the League Cup with my Premiership debutants Northampton Town. Stitting 4th in the League and about to play leaders Chelsea in an FA Cup 5th round replay. Been an amazing 3 years at the club.

Amazing how well this has sold. SI must be well happy with switch performance.

So how well has this game sold then? 8...maybe 9 copies? Strange decision by the Big N bringing a a sport like football (which only Brits really bother with) to a console that Brits don’t even buy.

Yet we Americans (people who actually care about Nintendo) can’t even get Madden.

Not gonna lie I’m pretty salty right now, you English don’t deserve Nintendo so you better at least acknowledge all they’ve done for you. Yikes.

@TheMONADO36 Your profile says you are from South Yorkshire, England?!

Being UK based I'm surprised you seem so ignorant to the fact Europe is far bigger than just 'Brits' and that Football is the 'World's Game'. I've not seen a comparison of the sales figures for say Madden vs. FIFA but I'd be amazed if Madden was a bigger global seller than FIFA.

As for FOOTBALL MANAGER, it has been number 1 in the UK eShop since release and a fair few other European region eShop I'd imagine. Why not just be happy that some people have found a game they enjoy and direct your displeasure with a lack of Madden at Nintendo of America or EA (America?).

@Farmboy74 Nice! Sounds like you've had a more-than-solid debut season - great depth and potential in your squad too! ..glad to hear that the club have rewarded your push for European qualification by offering you a new contract - with any luck, your Leicester side might be able to 'do a Leicester' and win the title in a season or two's time! Best of luck with your remaining games!

@toiletduck @Lroy @kobashi100 I'm pretty confident that the Switch will get FM19 Touch - '18 has been riding high in the charts since it launched, even though it released at a less-than-ideal time (when most European seasons were drawing to a close) ..it just makes the sales seem all-the-more impressive to me!

Personally, as a long time follower of the series, I've kind of got in to the habit of only buying a Football Manager game every other year - aside from updated squad rosters, a few QoL improvements and perhaps a flagship addition or two, FM games don't tend to change all that much from game-to-game, so I'm usually happy to keep my career(s) going for a couple of years before 'upgrading' ..the Switch release has firmly converted me to the 'Touch' experience - and it'll likely be my 'go to' version (over PC) going forward - but, unless FM19 comes with something major (like online multiplayer, for example) this one will probably tide me over until FM20

I've actually (inspired by @SuperJoon's comment that he was going to start an 'easier' save with Barca) just started a couple more saves - I have my Ipswich career, a new save as England manager and a lower-league save in which I created my own team! ..the Ipswich one is my 'main' save, the England one is a little 'easier' and faster-paced and the lower-league save is a different kind of challenge and offers a nice change of pace - and I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep all 3 on rotation for the next year-and-a-half or so ..that's the idea anyway - if they bring multiplayer to FM19 Touch, I'll probably ditch FM18 a year earlier than planned!

@NaviAndMii thanks for the encouragement, my debut season has now ended and in the end I could only manage 8th. There is no denying that the defence was super leaky at times and defiantly will need replacements. The board have shown their confidence in me and initially given me £58 million but I imagine this will change when we talk about objectives for the coming season. You never know I might be able to “do a Leicester” but that comment still seams strange even though the title win and massive city wide celebration was now two years ago!!

How are the mighty tractor boys faring??

If the Switch does get FM 19 I won’t be purchasing it at this moment in time as I am not into buying sports games year after year.

I'm so happy that Football Manager got a North American release. I started unemployed and got a job at Cambridge. My first team is fantastic, although its mostly made up of out of contract and loan signings; but they won league 2 by 11 points and are sitting in 3rd in league 1 after 12 games. The only problem will be loan recalls or long term injuries as I have no depth in my squad and I blew my transfer budget on wages for the out of contract players. Hoping to stay in the playoffs or at least out of relegation and then get a better job offer before everything comes crashing down.

@NaviAndMii Nice! I did start my Barca game, something that's going to be a little less taxing and frustrating than my Boro game. Ideal when I don't want to be stressed out haha!

@Farmboy74 I've actually been playing more of my 'Create A Club' save recently, which has been good fun!

It's a bit of a strange mode, really - instead of 'creating' a club (from scratch) what you actually do is overwrite an existing club, essentially deleting them from existence! ()

I quite fancied the challenge of starting off in the lower leagues, so I selected a mid-sized National League North team that I wasn't overly familiar with - AFC Telford - and built my club in its place. After selecting the name, badge, kit etc for my new club, I was tasked with assembling a 'dream team' using Telford's net squad budget (roughly £480k) ..so, with only really £20k-or-so to spend per-player, I had to trawl through the bargain basement as best I could and stretch those limited finances out as far as possible! (..quite fun really, but took me ages to settle on a squad that I liked the balance of!)

...and I seem to have done a pretty good job - we've started the campaign with an unbeaten run of 15 games (13 wins, 2 draws) and have surpassed expectations by cruising through FA Cup qualification, setting up a first round tie with League 2 high-flyers Lincoln! ..my long term goal is to try to lead this team all the way from Non-League to the Champions League - that dream is, of course, a long way off - but we've made a pretty solid start at least!

...sounds like you've got good attacking options in your squad (Mahrez, Sinclair, Gray, Vardy, Dembele - Iheanacho?) - I've struggled a bit defensively with my Ipswich team too (should've maybe invested a bit more heavily in that area of the pitch, in hindsight) ..but, with a couple of solid additions at the back and you could have yourself a pretty formidable team there - hope you spend more wisely than I did, haha!

@SuperJoon Yeah, definitely - with 3 save slots available, I thought it was a great idea! My new England save is essentially a bit like that - for the most part, it's generally just playing friendly matches or qualifiers against lower ranked nations - pretty chilled! ..nice to have that option if your 'main' save is getting a bit stressful! Haha!

@CaPPa Nice! Sounds like you had a great first season! ..definitely sympathise with you regarding loans/contracts/injuries - had the exact same problem with my Ipswich team at the end of season 1 (not helped by feeling quite a lot of 'buyers remorse' with a couple of my signings as well!) - keep us posted!

I'm a big fan of Football Manager. Is this a comparable experience to FM on PC?
I think I would hate it, if it ended up being a dumbed down version of Football Manager that I love.

@NaviAndMii
So far my highlights, they say that they'll build a statue of me in Cambridge! I play a 5-2-1-2 WB system.

League 2 - Won, with an unbeaten run of 18 games (11 wins, 7 draws).
League 1 - finished 3rd, promoted over Rotherham , semi final of checkatrade cup lost over two legs 7-5 to Arsenal.
Championship - currently in 3rd, won 6 , lost 2, drawn 2. Still in FA Cup.

The best job offer so far was from Blackburn but I'm holding out for Tottenham, West Ham or an international job. My strikers got wrecked this season though with all but one injured, so had to loan two more. My one big signing was Eoghan Oconnell from Crewe for £2 million, the rest were free transfers. I only have one striker (Ikpeazu) on my books, the rest are all loans! Star player has been continual loan Rekell Pyke, he scored 48 goals in my first season and has been top scorer in the second and third seasons (Although injured now).

While there isn't much depth in my squad (I don't think the reserves have ever won a game) there is a good base to build on as my first team is very young, the average age is about 24 and a good number are under 21 internationals.

Continued with my Boro game, seemed that there was an error when I saved and quit and had to replay the hull game. Drew the game this time.

Which means I am currently unbeaten. Feel bad about that game, was an epic match. Onwards with the season anyway! I love this game

Edit: Just played my League Cup Quarter Final.... Was against Man City.... Thought the End of the Road was nigh...

Footballs a crazy game! Man Utd in the Semi Final Boro March On

Edit 2: And march on we did.... Beat Man Yoo 4-3 on Agg in Semi Final, Arsenal in the final, won 2-1... I am beside myself.... Still top of the league but results have suffered, only 3 points ahead, need to get another run going and stay top. Promotion and Europe next season would be ideal

@SuperJoon Wow, well played. Any tips on how you managed such a feat in the League Cup and your strong push for promotion?

I'm now very, very close to cracking and buying this game despite previously convincing myself to wait for a discount or for next seasons' version to be released.

Out of interest, if there were to be a FOOTBALL MANAGER 19 TOUCH on Switch when would it launch? September?