LMA Manager 2003 FAQ- copyright 2003 Kyle Frazer LLLLL MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM AAAAAAAAAA LLLLL MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 2222 LLLLL MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 2 LLLLL MMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 2 LLLLL MMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 2 LLLLL MMMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMM AAAAAA AAAAAA 2 LLLLL MMMMM MMMMM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 222222 LLLLL MMMMM MMMMM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LLLLL MMMMM MMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 000 LLLLLLLLLLLLL MMMMM MMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 0 0 LLLLLLLLLLLLL MMMMM MMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 0 0 LLLLLLLLLLLLL MMMMM MMMMM AAAAA AAAAA 0 0 000 MM MM AA NN N AA GGGG EEEE RRRR 000 M M M A A N N N A A G E R R 0 0 M M AAAA N N N AAAA G GG EEE RRRR 0 0 M M A A N NN A A G G E R R 0 0 M M A A N N A A GGGG EEEE R R 000 33333 3 3 33333 3 3 33333 =============== =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 www.cheatcc.com www.cheats.de 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 ;) 0.6- Basic information is submitted, with the training and match sections left out for further updates. I added a list of players that I know are good, and hope to have some submissions soon. 0.7- Quite a big update, but still a few sections waiting for completion. Note the artwork at the top. Had a submission from Matt Walker, and hope to review players being placed in the essentials section. Contact info has been updated and a player template for submissions has been drawn out. 0.9- Match section is at last complete, but as with all the others it doesn't mean it will remain untouched. More players reviewed, with thanks to Rory Oldroyd. Also had an email from cheats.de requesting permission to post this FAQ. Please, use this as a good example. All it takes is a simple polite email. If this FAQ is found at any site other than those listed then be prepared to make dates for court action! ================== =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. Before starting thegame the first port of call should be the shoulder action buttons. Assign shouts that will not only be useful but things that your tactics do not offer. For example, what is the point in shouting to play direct when you already do? For best results use two defensive and two offensive strategies in case your team need to keep hold of a lead or have to push up for an equaliser. Next is choosing the side. I prefer to line up the best availiable (by that I mean not injured or banned) and then flick across to fitness. Now try to replace those on low fitness so your squad is both strong and fit. Now flick across to your scouting screen to view information about the opposition. Using this you should be tinkering in the tactics menu, for example if they (the opposition) are playing long ball then set your defence to deep. That way they shouldn't get caught out. A team that focuses on attacking play should be vulnerable to the counter attack, so either play it from the start or assign it to a shoulder button. Now this may seem silly but before I start the match I look at the selected squad and carefully look over the tactics. This is to make sure I haven't forgotten anything as the worst thing you can do is rush through the build-up and leave your team weakened. Once in the match it is important to keep calm. Sure, do what i do and march up and down the room swearing at the ref for every poor decision but you must let the team do the work. Shouting instructions (using the shoulder buttons) every five minuted will confuse the players and they will make mistakes. Limit yourself to one every 15 mins (that's three a half) to ensure the team can have a go at the opposition. If you've survived at half time, then it's time to get down to business. look at the stats screen, and most importantly the possession rating. If you have low possession and have not had many chances on goal then consider a new approach, maybe more patient passing or a more attacking mentallity. Next view the player ratings. I must stress the fact that I never take off a player at half time. I like to give them 10/15 mins of the second half to prove themselves, and if they don't then haul them off at the expense of someone else. I usually find that if a forward with a high rating at half time hasn't scored yet then he usually does just after. When the match is over, resist the temptation of drowning your sorrows or throwing a celebration party and look at the stats instead. Highlights don't prove anything so I prefer to gather my information here. Do exactly the same as half time, only take notes over the course of about five games. This way you can be sure of a problem in the team rather than jumping to conclusions too early- remember that players have off days. ============= =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) UPDATE- If you are submitting players then can you please copy and paste this template- it makes it so much easier to include into the FAQ! Name- Position(s)- Age- Value- Club- Rating- Comments- Goal Keepers Name- Isaksson Position(s)- GK Age- 21 Value- £1.9m Club- Djurgardens, Sweden Rating- 4 Comments- Fantastic prospect for the future. Offers in the region of £3m will tempt him away, and he is very cheap on wages and loyal. A great keeper to backup first teamers for bigger clubs (Real, Man U) and consistent enough to hold down the no.1 shirt at smaller teams. Name- Van der Sar Position(s)- GK Age- 31 Value- £11.750m Club- Fulham Rating- 5 Comments- Although getting old, Edwin is a brilliant keeper. His handling skill might let him down at key moments but he's the most prolific across the board. Not the cheapest in wages but performs great in big matches. Left Backs Name- Wome Position(s)- LB, LM Age- 23 Value- £4.2m Club- Fulham Rating- 4 Comments- The cheaper alternative to Carlos, this guy is electric. Great stats at only 23yo means much room and time for improvement. Only fools would look over him. Name- Carlos Position(s)- LB Age- 29 Value- £15m Club- Real Madrid Rating- 5 Comments- If Robo was a desert he would be strawberries and cream. Expensive but delicious. And that's exactly how he is. Will cost a ton to buy but can play up front if you wish (thanks to a high shooting stat). 'nuff said Name- Chivu Position(s)-LB, CB Age- 21 Value- £14.750m Club- Ajax Rating- 5 Comments- Young but not cheap, Chivu can compete at the highest level. best played at CB with the satisfaction knwoing he'll cover pretty good for LB. Centre Backs Name- Mexes Position(s)- CB Age- 20 Value- £14m Club- AJ Auxerre Rating- 5 Comments- BUY HIM! Very young and great player, he will double in price by the time he's matured. Quite cheap in wages and very loyal. Name- Goma Position(s)- CB Age- 30 Value- £4m Club- Fulham Rating- 4 Comments- Fantastic stats means he can play at the highest level. Great for teams looking for a good defender on a low budget. Name- Lescott Position(s)- CB Age- 20 Value- £6.1m Club- Wolves Rating- 3 Comments- Needs time to develop but a great back-up player. Name- Nesta Position(s)- CB Age- 26 Value- £22m Club- AC Milan Rating- 5 Comments- Ultimate defender. Great marking, tackling and heading skills and good captain too. very intelligent is basically everything you could look for. Name- Cannavaro Position(s)- CB Age- 29 Value-£15m Club- Inter Milan Rating- 5 Comments- Great pairing with Nesta, cheaper too. With time running out on his career the price should drop considerably in the next few seasons, leaving him an open target. Name- Hofland Position(s)- CB, LB Age- 23 Value- £13.750m Club- PSV Rating- 4 Comments- A good prospect who should be given many sub appearences in his first season to boost morale and stats. For smaller teams shove him straight in and he should do the job fine. Right Backs Name- Belozyorov Position(s)- LB, CB, RB Age- 17 Value- £4.7m Club- Spartak Moscow Rating- 5 Comments- Quite fussy when choosing a club to move to, but cheap on wages and agreat player. many years to improve but has the quality to compete at thehighest level. Defensive Midfielders Name- Davis Position(s)- CM Age- 23 Value- £10m Club- Fulham Rating- 4 Comments- Needs time to compete but great back-up player. Good tackling and passing with the ability to captain the side. Left Midfielders Name- Montano Position(s)- LM Age- 19 Value- £6.3m Club- Piacenza Rating- 4 Comments- If you are willing to wait a while for him to improve then this is a great purchase. Good overall stats and good wages too. Name- Rochemback Position(s)- LM, CM, RM Age- 20 Value- £7.7m Club- Barcelona Rating- 5 Comments- Fantastic passing and versatility make this an essential purchase. Attacking Midfielders Name- Malbranque Position(s)- CM, RM, CF, RF Age- 22 Value- £4.5m Club- Fulham Rating- 4 Comments- Bargain. Stats will improve greatly and is a consistent performer. Corner and free kick taking icons make him a great addition to any team. Name- Quaresma Position(s)- CM, CF Age- 19 Value- £4.6m Club- Sporting CP Rating- 4 Comments- Great passing and shooting make this youngster irresistable. Only negative feature is a lack of pace, meaning a position in the centre of midfield more applicable. Name- Karadeniz Position(s)- CM, CF Age- 22 Value- £22.5m Club- Trabzonspor, Turkey Rating- 5 Comments- Essential. Passing, shooting and technique are a notch away from the likes of Zidane. Fussy about who he'll move to but worthwhile. Right Midfielders Name- Ishizaki Position(s)- RM, RF Age- 20 Value- £10m Club- AIK, Sweden Rating- 5 Comments- Great prospect and will improve greatly. Fantastic pace, accurate passing and good shooting make him the ultimate buy for this position. Forwards Name- Saha Position(s)- CF Age- 24 Value- £8.5m Club- Fulham Rating- 3 Comments- Good buy for lower teams looking for goals, but won't improve much. best used as a sub. Name- Marlet Position(s)- CF, CM Age- 28 Value- £11.5m Club- Fulham Rating- 3 Comments- A good player but there is much more out there worth your time for less money. Name- Boa Morte Position(s)- CF, CM Age- 25 Value- £6.7m Club- Fulham Rating- 3 Comments- Good buy for high first division teams. Great pace lets him glide past defenders but is not good enough to compete at the highest level. Name- Robben Position(s)- CF Age- 18 Value- £4.2m Club- PSV Rating- 4 Comments- Nees time to improve but great is used as a sub. Low value should mean you can snap him early. Name- Protti Position(s)- CF, RF Age- 35 Value- £1.6m Club- Livorno Rating- 4 Comments- (thanks to Matt Walker) Trying to find a good cheap forward for my Fulham team proved difficult until Matt told me of a 35yo called Protti. Looking at his age might tempt some off but this guy is amazing! Great shooting, technique and passing make him a great buy for any team, especially at that price! Name- D. Tristan Position(s)- CF Age- 26 Value- £40,000,000 Club- Deportivo Rating- 1 Comments- (Thanks to Rory Oldroyd) Biggest flop signing I ever made. Biggest waste of £57,000,000 I ever spent. Scored 3 goals in 16 matches. Name- P. Kluivert Position(s)- CF Age- 27 Value- £40,000,000 Club- Barcelona Rating- 4 Comments- (Thanks to Rory Oldroyd) Superb Heading, Shooting and scores almost every other game at worst. Shame he wont improve much cos of his age and costs an absolute bomb. Mabye worth buying after he's gone 30 though. ============= =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= ============== I have tons of email every day so to make sure yours is read please please follow the guidelines below. Email- bluetonejornada@yahoo.co.uk Yahoo! Messenger handle: bluetonejornada Recommending players- Please put 'recommended players' in the title box before copy and pasting the template located in section 8.0. Correcting errors- Please put 'error correct' in the title box. And if you have any feedback then just send 'lma 2003 faq' Thanks for reading! If this guide has helped you then please could you click the 'YES' button at the bottom of this FAQ. Thanks!