Updated version: Football Manager 2027 News: what we already know
Football Manager is without a doubt the best football manager simulator out there, and the 2019 edition, coming out on 2 November, will deliver the most authentic experience yet.
There's been an overhaul of the game's UI, but it's in the training system and tactical dynamics that the changes will be most noticeable. These changes came about as a result of the need to keep up with recent innovations in football.
More news will be announced in the coming days, but for now here's the first look
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User interface
As we mentioned earlier, the interface has been overhauled.
Not only were the logo's new colours integrated into the game's interface, but a modernised, more accessible look was also implemented, to make gameplay and navigation across all its panels easier.
The changes focused especially on the training and tactical modules, which were redesigned to be more intuitive for potential new players.
The changes also took into account the gamers old guard of gamers. Despite the fresher, more modern feel, FM 2019 will still feel familiar to anyone who played previous editions.
Training
FM2019 will be the edition with the biggest changes to the training systems to date.
In recent years, Sports Interactive has studied the training systems of various teams extensively, and more recently, coaches and fitness trainers have given talks at their studios on different training methodologies, giving them much deeper knowledge of the area.
Through that exchange of information and with help from professional coaches already working at SI's studios, they've developed the most realistic training module of any edition to date, which will allow for better player development and preparation for specific matches or even entire seasons.
From now on, training will be split into 3 daily sessions, which can be customised to each team's needs/challenges throughout the season.
In each session, there will be 10 training areas, each made up of various types of drills to choose from, depending on the focus each player wants to give their team, which breaks away from previous editions, where you could only have a single focus.
For example, when scouting an opponent, if they're noted for constantly using long balls to their forwards, the manager can take that into account when planning the team's weekly microcycle, training their defensive line's aerial game.
When you pick a training session, its impact on players' attributes, form, fitness and potential injury risk will be shown immediately.
There will be pre-set microcycles, but each manager will be able to build their own from scratch, adjusting it to the time of season (pre-season, competition, breaks), the importance of the opponent (big matches or weaker opposition), fixture congestion (there may be periods with more or fewer matches, so training intensity and type shouldn't be the same), and finally, macrocycles that fit our tactical model and its corresponding dynamics. Travel impact will also now be factored into training.
The manager can choose to implement their own long-term philosophy, with a greater focus on their own team and specific dynamics (Guardiola-style), or opt for a short-term strategy to exploit the opponent's weaknesses week by week and improve their own team's weak points (Mourinho-style).
Each team will now work in training units split by position, to which players from the U23 side and youth ranks can be called up.
Each session will have a different impact on players depending on which training unit they're in. For example, if you have certain players doing attacking-organisation drills for creating goalscoring chances against other players doing defensive-organisation drills to try to stop them, the impact will differ for each group.
Pre-season training will carry much more weight compared to previous editions. Good organisation with attention to detail in pre-season can lead not only to a team being in form at the start of the season, but also to the squad's form lasting longer throughout the season.
You'll need to pay attention to the energy players spend in weekly microcycles, since too much intensity can cause excessive fatigue and rule players out of competition. To avoid that, you can alternate rest periods, whether for the whole squad or individual days off, with periods of higher intensity. The medical department will play an active role here, providing recommendations on the intensity level each player should train at.
The training panel will offer valuable information on player performances, such as who stands out positively or negatively, and their training ratings a new feature in this edition that will be very useful for changing individual training, choosing drills according to roles, and finding the best intensity for certain players. We'll now get inbox updates on the performances of our team's different squads.
Of course, we can also delegate this whole process to our coaching staff, and they'll regularly update us on what's happening in training.
Mentoring
Another big change in the game will be in 'mentoring', that is, the educational interaction between older and younger players, which affects the young learners' mental attributes.
Now you can form groups of at least 3 players, where the older ones will try to teach and pass on their values to whoever is put under their guidance. For this reason, you'll need to carefully pick players who match the values you want for your team, otherwise you could end up with a team of ill-disciplined players or bad professionals.
Tactics
Our tactical philosophy is what defines us as managers, so the tactics panel was another area of FM to get a 180-degree makeover with a whole new look.
The first feature we'll all notice is the tactical styles, representing certain eras of football, which will be available (with their corresponding description) for us to select as the focus of our philosophy. Among them Tiki-Taka, Gegenpress, Park the Bus or Catenaccio, but we'll also be able to build our own style from scratch, either alone or with help from the coaching staff.
Once chosen, you'll be shown the wide range of dynamics that can work with that style and the types of tactical systems that will be compatible with it.
Based on all the previous instructions, the game will pick the best roles for players in each position of our system, but these can be changed according to the manager's preference.
Finally, you'll need to set instructions for each phase of play – attacking and defensive organisation, and attacking and defensive transitions.
Let's explain:
We can choose defensive transitions with fast, aggressive pressure on the opposition's ball carrier, or ask the team to regroup more rigidly in defensive organisation, avoiding being caught on the counter.
On the other hand, we can counter-attack more quickly and take advantage of the opposition's defensive disorganisation, or be more patient and play in possession, creating our own chances through the creativity of our more attacking players.
The goalkeeper can now play a key role, depending on the instructions given to him, since in this edition we'll have full control over how quickly he distributes the ball, and which area/player we want him to distribute to/receive from.
In attacking organisation, the goal is to build attacking play, which includes width, approach play and what to do in the final third. There's also a new set-piece instruction, especially effective if you have good free-kick takers or excellent headers of the ball.
In defensive organisation, tackling intensity, marking type and defensive shape are some of the options to consider. New to the tactics board will be your team's pressing lines and defensive lines, which you'll be able to adjust to your liking.
Multiple new player roles have also been added in this new edition, such as pressing forwards, or full-backs and centre-backs who play it simple and rarely leave their defensive areas.
Tactical mentalities have been changed, still seven of them, but now clearly defined so you know when to use each one.
Finally, the pre-match briefing introduced in FM2018, has been improved to make the manager-player connection easier and better, introducing many more options and talking points.
The famous VAR and goal-line technology.
The video assistant refereewill be represented in three ways.
One where the referee can check the monitor by the touchline, another where he communicates via an audio device with the video-assistant referees or a combination of both, all depending on the actual rules of the league they're playing in.
Goal-line technology has also been implemented in this edition.
Both could cause some confusion off the pitch. How efficiently they're used will be questioned in press conferences and will spill over onto social media, just as has been happening in real life.
Tutorial for new players
FM 2019 comes 'equipped' with a more in-depth set of instructions on every aspect of the game, including dedicated tutorials for each panel, which will be very useful given the big changes to the training and tactical modules, but not only that, the scouting and medical departments will also include detailed instructions on how each of them works and how they can affect performance.
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Properly licensed German league
After more than a decade of waiting, Germany's top two divisions return properly licensed to Football Manager in the 2019 edition.
Facepacks, Kits and trophies for every team and player in those divisions will be included in this edition, and not only that, this edition will also feature the game fully translated into German!
In conclusion, we've finally got the long-awaited changes to the training (micro/macrocycles) and tactical (what to do in each phase of play) systems, along with a redesigned instruction system, but don't be fooled into thinking it'll be any easier. Everything will still need to work together to function properly. From mentalities to tactical systems, player roles and so on.
The best and most realistic Football Manager ever is expected.
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