Football Manager 2022: 13 Essential Pointers for Rookies

The learning curve in Football Manager 22 is steep. How new players may improve quickly and lead their squad to victory. As of its release on November 9, 2021, Football Manager 22 has received mostly good reviews from gaming publications. One of the most well regarded management games of the last decade, the game has a Metascore of 86 right now.

The introduction of Football Manager 22 for Xbox One and PC through Game Pass on launch day attracted a large number of new gamers to the franchise. Players new to the Football Manager series may find the onslaught of choices, data, and statistics overwhelming in the game’s early going. Here, therefore, are a few pointers for newcomers to Football Manager 2022. Though it faces great competition from the more popular and officially licensed FIFA series, the Football Manager game has managed to flourish year after year due in large part to its unequaled depth in the sports field.

Many sports games, including the Football Manager series, have been criticized for a lack of substantial updates between annual releases. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of incremental updates and additions over the years has made Football Manager 22 one of the most comprehensive management games available. However, as was previously said, this might be a nightmare for inexperienced players. The original list was updated to include a few extra FM 22 pointers to further assist newbies.

Make Sure Your Tactical Instructions Aren’t Too Confusing

Many new players will be daunted by the sheer number of tactical options available when they first start up a Football Manager game. Because of this, some newcomers will choose specific instructions from every category that is offered, thinking that they are required to do so.

The team’s playing style can be seriously harmed if specific instructions are chosen from each Team and Individual category, as they are not only unnecessary but also harmful. The players’ creativity can be seriously harmed by receiving too many tactical instructions, which can also make them too rigid and predictable in attack and limit their ability to adapt to the opposition.

Observe the workload of each player.

In Football Manager 22, it’s crucial to manage each player’s workload, despite the fact that it might seem obvious. New managers frequently overlook this crucial aspect of management because they are either overly concerned with trying to win their first games and consequently overwork their key players, or they underestimate how much individualized care each player requires in comparison to most other sporting events.

Therefore, managers should constantly monitor their players’ levels of fitness, make sure they manage their game time appropriately, and adjust their training schedule and intensity in order to avoid an injury crisis.

Randomly modify Set-Piece Routines

Set-piece routines are one of the many crucial components of Football Manager 22 that rookie managers won’t notice during their initial playthrough because they are concealed behind one of the game’s numerous tabs. Instead, they will be too busy trying to understand the game and other pressing matters to notice.

Every save file will have a default set of set-piece routines, but these should still be modified to match the individual players on the team’s strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the team’s manager shouldn’t just set and forget their set-piece routines because the opposition will soon notice that the team uses the same set-piece routine each game and will adjust.

On your first day at a new job, assign staff roles.

Assigning roles to employees is one of the first tasks that new managers should complete. Football Manager 22 allows managers to assign a variety of tasks to their team members, which is very helpful for new players who need to familiarize themselves with the game’s basic mechanics before moving on to more advanced features.

The coaching staff of the manager can make decisions regarding recruiting, press conferences, contract extensions, and even some tactical ones. Managers should first click on the Staff tab so they can see exactly what needs to be done and what their staff will be responsible for.

Watch Out For Dynamics

The Dynamics tab provides thorough details on the hierarchy, social circles, and morale of first-team players. At first glance, the manager might think this is something they can ignore. However, it might be the factor that makes or breaks their club career. A manager may be fired immediately if a group of disgruntled players begins to act out on the field.

The manager should carefully review the players’ Dynamics tab, especially the hierarchy section, before making any important player-related decisions. Disagreements with Team Leaders have the potential to be disastrous.

Honor commitments

In keeping with the previous point, the manager has one option that will instantly alter the players’ attitude: breaking a promise. Players will approach the manager throughout the course of a season seeking assurances on a variety of matters, including their playing time, transfers, pay increases, and more. The manager must keep their word if they make a commitment.

This may seem obvious, but in some sports games, such as the FIFA series, breaking a promise has only minor repercussions, so new players might believe they can do the same in Football Manager 22. This is undoubtedly not the case in this instance, as keeping a promise to a player can frequently lead to a breakdown in the level of trust between the manager and the entire team.

Be tactically adaptable.

Football Manager 22 newcomer managers frequently make the mistake of entering the match with a predetermined tactic and style of play in mind before even choosing their team. This is particularly problematic for managers who intend to enter the match without a job or who are in charge of an unfamiliar bottom-tier club.

The likelihood is that the tactic won’t work for their group of players, which is obviously crucial to winning games. Implementing a well-known style of play is a good idea, but the tactic must work with the players at hand. Otherwise, they risk losing the manager before their plans have a chance to materialize.

Be Aware Of The Board’s Vision

Ignoring the board’s vision is a further rookie error. When the manager begins a new position, the board will clearly outline their vision, though many people are unaware of the potential impact it can have.

A manager might have great success, for instance, by adopting a strong defensive stance. The manager might be fired, regardless of any success they may have had, if the board insists on an attacking style of play to entertain the crowd.

In The Transfer Market, Exercise Patience

One of the most exciting times in any Football Manager game is the transfer window, which gives the manager the chance to offload any unsatisfied or underwhelming players. Better players who fit the manager’s style can be purchased in the interim.

As a result, many new managers have a propensity to enter the transfer market quickly. A poor transfer window can seriously hinder a team’s advancement for years to come, making this a fatal mistake. Managers should make sure that any signings are thoroughly vetted and that they don’t overspend to prevent this.

Observe the Extended Highlights

Football Manager 22 gives managers access to a wealth of statistics and data, which for some makes it all too tempting to rush through games and only watch goal replays. It’s still worthwhile to watch a significant portion of each game even though the data available in the game can give a good picture of each match.

Managers will frequently notice positives and negatives about their team that the data doesn’t reveal. It’s also important to note how constrained the default camera angle can be. It might be advantageous to switch it to Sideline, which provides a better tactical perspective.

Put individual training to use

Working with the players in practice is crucial when joining a team for the first time or attempting to teach an existing group of players a new style of play. Fortunately, Football Manager 22 makes this simple because it has a separate page with instructions for each player.

The manager can train their players into a new position, change the intensity of their training, or even give them specific skills to work on by using the individual training tab.

Stay away from teams with financial problems

The thrill of leading a struggling team to trophy-winning glory is one element that the Football Manager series shares. Although achieving something like this is one of the game’s most satisfying experiences, beginners frequently find it to be too difficult, and attempting it runs the risk of turning them off the game if things get too challenging.

This is especially true when new managers take over a team that is having financial difficulties, as the team may quickly find itself dealing with a number of problems that frequently are not the manager’s fault. Football Manager 22’s equivalent of a “hard mode” is selecting a team that is in financial trouble, so first-time managers should postpone the challenge until they have more experience with the title.

Avoid Rushing the Seasons

Once new coaches are up and running, they will begin to see success with a potent style of play that is being successfully implemented by a contented group of players. New managers might feel pressured at this point to quicken the pace and finish the season. Rushing through a season, however, is likely to have only one outcome. When tactical adjustments, player morale, and club improvements are neglected, problems frequently go undetected until it is too late.

Additionally, managers should steer clear of the tempting “Go On Vacation” option as much as they can because doing so could cause them to miss crucial points in the season. When they return from a sunny vacation, they frequently find a plethora of issues that can take hours to resolve.