2015 10 Tips for Lower League Management on FMH2015

[Dec]

Lower League Manager (LLM) in Football Manager Handheld 2015 is regarded as the Golden Goose of management. The hardest of challenges and only for the best managers. If you want to take North Ferriby (or any other club) to the Champions League from the lowest levels then here are 10 tips for you in order to help you reach your aim.

 

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1. Don't try to overplay

In the lower leagues players aren't as good, often you will be going up leagues and against opponents better than your team. Trying to play expansive, beautiful football in this case will not work. In the lowest of leagues too pitches may not be up to the standard to play great passing football either and players may be more physical knocking your amazing playmakers off the ball. Playing it simple is a lot better as it is what your players know best and are capable of.

 

2. Core attributes are the key

What turns a good player into a great player? Often this is versatility. You will rarely see the best players with many orange or red attributes as they are skilled in all parts of the game. You won't have this luxury in the lower leagues so instead of focusing on how many green or blue attributes they have, look at which attributes these relate to in the position and player role you intend to play them. A striker with 15 in shooting is far better than one with 13 shooting no matter what their passing or tackling is.

 

3. Use the Interested Filters

Of course being in the lower league means you aren't going to attract the biggest of names. With no Messi, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic and co to sign you have to choose carefully who you approach. Using the interested filter means you don't have to negotiate with lots of clubs to then be disappointed the player doesn't want to come. This saves both time and effort to avoid that disappointment when your new centre back doesn't want to join you.

 

4. Make the most of the free agent market

With very little cash down at the bottom free agents will be your target. Getting in a few decent players for squad depth can vastly improve your chances of success. As long as you stay within your wage budgets you can identify your weak spots, sell some players and cover all sections to give you options without having to break into your tiny transfer budget.

 

5. Loan players in to make a difference

Similarly as number 4 looking for a few choice loans from the higher divisions can mean you don't have to damage your transfer budget to improve your team. Getting in some very talented youngsters to fit around your starting XI can mean you have some players whom are of a higher quality than your league that can help you reach promotion.

 

6. Rotate heavily to avoid fatigue

With lower league players you will find they get tired easily. At the first sign of fatigue you should think about resting them so your squad is always ready for the next game. While some may be indispensable, even when a bit tired, for major games the rest should be thought about being rested even if that is on the bench to give your squad a fighting chance when the games come thick and fast. This is even more of a worry if you want to go on a long cup run to do some giant killing.

 

7. Build upon Youth

As you move up leagues you want players who can travel with you. Your 30 year old probably won't do this but it is vital to have players who can make the step up as this will save money and bring consistency to your team. The only way to do this is by bringing in youngsters with a good potential and with games; that you are bound to give them if they are good enough, they should develop into a "legend" for your club. While they will certainly not go from the Vanarama North to the Premier League getting 3-4 seasons out of a player is a good turn over if you are getting promoted every season. However saying that...

 

8. Experience is vital

Having the experience of level-headed individuals who know that league is a key component to any success. Without experience the team can crumble under pressure when it comes to crunch time and you are fighting for either promotion or relegation. Experience adds stability into the team and with pressure a big thing in lower leagues this should be one of your main factors of your squad.

 

9. Watch out for over training

As mentioned in number 6 players in lower leagues aren't always up to scratch physically. With this they can be heavily over trained with heavy regimes. These often have to be modified down to accommodate for lower league games and then go up when the players available are more fit. Training just the core functions for the player's position/role with light training for the rest means the player develops his game in the area he needs it most while the other sections are steady or grow slowly. With a balanced team this should provide no problem for your squad on the pitch.

 

10. Never have a big club release clause on contracts (if possible)

It is very easy to get excited over a signing that is head and shoulders above the rest of your team however you need to be careful when offering him that vital contract. Often players will come to a club whom are below their abilities if they are wanting to use it as a springboard to get into a nation so will ask for a "Big Club Release Clause". This means that if an offer comes in that is acceptable from a bigger team the club have to say yes to it and allow him to leave. The problems with this are apparent and it can mean that your best player can be sold mid-way through a season for very little money and it can disrupt club harmony if a replacement isn't signed. If it is possible to sign a player to a contract without this then by all means do, you can then get more money for the player to buy a replacement and sell him on your terms.

[Ashez]

Some great tips Dec

[Juan C]

Yay North Ferriby!

[LostLegend]

Some good tips in there!

I'd also add to take the time to look through some of the more obscure European leagues for players. You can often find some great players at rock bottom prices who are also willing to move to lower league clubs

[Funkee]

Great article, I really enjoy the challenge of taking over a lower league team and making them the best team in the world.

 

The only thing I'd add is on the "use the interested filter", I never really used this as I found a few players who were filtered out who I ended up convincing to sign for me. It takes a lot longer to go through all the players but is probably worth it as you can get some much better players. I'd rather use the maximum value filter when searching for players. 

 

The "no big club release clause" is a must, I have lost some very good players over the years because of this and it can upset teammates and can be very hard to replace them.

[Fozz_Quaker]

Nice Article, well written mate...

[JustM1kePlays]

Just some points I used when doing LLM

Sign some of the greyed out from your reserves or sometimes even your first team. They can be signed for free, on wages of £70-£100 and if you look hard enough, you will be able to find some gems. Be careful thought because once you offer a contract to a player when you go back all the greyed out players will have changed so pick wisely. After signing him, if you want to hold onto him for the long-term, then you need to offer him a contract extension, as most of the time they only sign for your club on a short-term

Select large Database from preferences if your device allows it and load one league. The large database will mean that there will be more players available for you to sign, and loading only the league you are managing in will mean that more players will be at the club when you start.

Hope these few tips will help.

 

[scass]

Brilliant.  I came to lower league management late, and I enjoy it a lot more than the big team stuff. More challenging. I'd underline your point #8 - sign experience. My initial dabbling involved trying to find v. young players with loads of potential who would develop, but it doesn't address the immediate business of taking over a team where you need to sell early on to rid your squad if non-performers - even at a lower level, young players take time to become reliable. For the first few seasons I didn't just go after the free transfers but watched expiring contracts for decent performers who were going out of contract, and stockpiling for the following season.