Top 5 Expert Tips for Mastering Football Manager 2015

It's Football Manager week at Bleacher Report, and Day 5 delivers what you've been after all along—tips from a game insider on how to master the game and lead your team to a dynasty of success.

Tom Davidson (@tom_davidson) is a football analyst at Sports Interactive, the guys behind Football Manager.

These are his suggestions for how to master the game.

FM Week Catch-up: Meet the FM Scouts, Transfer Bargains on FM15, The Cult of Football Manager, How FM Cured Me from Depression, FM2015 Reviewed by BR

Concentrate on Player Roles

Sports Interactive

In recent years, soccer has seen a dramatic shift in focus away from team shape and formation towards individual player roles and duties.

This shift in mentality is something that has also evolved in the latest editions of Football Manager. So, when building your team’s tactics, take the time to assess which roles best suit each individual player.

For instance, a wide player with excellent finishing attributes, but less vision and flair, would be more effective playing as an inside forward rather than as an out-and-out winger.

At the same time, make sure you have the right balance of duties set. A team with too many players assigned to the attack duty may be good going forward but will most likely be horribly exposed to counterattacks. Finding the right balance between attack, support and defending duties can be crucial.

Adapt Your Tactics Throughout the Season

Sports Interactive

Think of all the best managers in the modern game—they never stick to a "one-size-fits-all" approach to matches. Likewise, the best Football Manager players pay attention to match preparation and ensure their team is comfortable with a variety of approaches and tactics.

That way, teams can set out differently for each individual opponent, with the players fully prepared to carry out the instructions given to them by their manager.

Use Your Scouting Network

Sports Interactive

In FM15, scouting is more realistic than ever, allowing you to really make the most of your scouting network.

Now when you request a report card on a player, your scouts will give you a top line review of a player but won’t be able to give you the full rundown of his strengths and weaknesses until they’ve seen him play a few times.

Once you’ve found a player you may be interested in signing, assign one of your scouts to watch him play for up to three matches or three months.

This will allow them to completely evaluate the player and more accurately report on his attributes, thereby minimising any risk for you should you decide to sign him.

Pay Attention to Squad Harmony

Sports Interactive

An important—but often overlooked—aspect of management is keeping your players happy and together. Countless managerial regimes have been undermined by splits in the dressing room, so make sure your on-field performances don’t become negatively affected by off-field unhappiness.

For instance, it takes time for players to settle into a new club. Avoid bringing too many new faces in at once—it will only lengthen the time it takes for the squad to become settled.

It’s not just new signings you have to consider, though. However many players you have in your squad, you have to keep them all happy. Failing to keep a promise to a player will almost certainly anger him but may also upset his locker-room allies, leading to a group of unhappy players knocking on your door to complain.

If you let things get really out of hand, you may even find you have a mutiny on your hands with the whole team confronting you about your behaviour.

Don't Try to Do Too Much Too Fast

Sports Interactive

When joining a new club, it can be tempting to try to completely reinvent the wheel and get started straight away on imposing your philosophy and playing style on the team.

However, this can cause some teething problems, dragging out how long it takes you to settle into your new job.

When joining a new club, one of the first things you should do is fully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the current staff.

To begin with, play a style and formation that suits the players. Then, gradually impose your ideals and start to bring in your own personnel. Making these changes steadily will reduce the risk of a slow start to your tenure because players are struggling to understand your methods.