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Championship Manager 4
Frequently Asked Questions and Strategy Guide
Written by: Ivan "SHY" Kuriscak
E-Mail: shylauda69 at centrum.sk
Homepage: http://www.shy.host.sk (slovak)
Version: 0.5
Latest Update: May 17, 2003
Latest Version on: http://www.gamefaqs.com
CHM4 Homepage: http://www.sigames.com
=====================================================================
This FAQ/Strategy Guide is Copyright 2003 by SHY (Ivan Kuriscak).
Championship Manager 4 is Copyright 2003 by SiGames/Eidos.
Reproduction and distribution of any kind is strictly forbidden unless
you have a direct express written permission of the author. You may
not place neither this file nor any of its parts on any website without
direct express written permission of the author. The only webpage that
is permitted to display this file is GameFaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com).
If you see any mistakes within this file or you want to participate in
creating the faq, feel free to write an e-mail on shylauda69 at centrum.sk
In the case that your addition will be published in this faq, you will
be given full credit for your work. You are very encouraged to post
anything USEFUL that you think should be a content of this file.
You will get the best look of this faq using a fixed-width font
such as Courier.
=====================================================================
---------------------
| Table of Contents |
---------------------
Introduction
Requirements
Game
I. Choosing a team to play
II. Know your players
III. Know other's players
IV. Player's Profile
V. Player's Information
VI. Training (NEW!)
VII. Friendly Matches (NEW!)
VIII. Questions and Answers (NEW!)
IX. Credits (Update!)
Version History
=====================================================================
----------------
| Introduction |
----------------
I am a keen admirer of the Championship Manager games for a couple of
years already. Although I have not played all the releases of it,
I have spent a large amount of time playing CHM99/00 and the only
reason why I wasn't playing the next releases, was the fact that this
game was almost impossible to get in my country/city. I played CHM99/00
many times using many tactics and strategies also from other people
(from gamefaqs of course :). Having played demos of the CHM versions
after 99/00 one, I did not make a decision to get another one. But
after I had played this CHM4, I could not sleep until I finally got it
as an earlier birthday present from my father...
OK, so let's talk about this game a little bit before we get to
the point. Championship Manager is a soccer management computer game
that allows you to take a job as a manager of one of awesome number of
world clubs available and proceed looking for fame and fortune. You
can control almost everything as far as the club management is concerned
including staff/players management, communication with club board,
scouting/transfering players and many more. Features of the game should
be a part of this faq somewhere in the future.
=====================================================================
----------------
| Requirements |
----------------
CHM4 requires at least a computer using Windows 98SE/XP with PIII 600MHz
in CPU, 64MB of RAM (128MB on WinXP), 100% DirectX 8.1 Compatible Sound
Card, Quad-Speed (4x) CD-ROM drive, 300MB free space on HDD, 1024x768
16bit color display and of course, 100% Win98-compatible keyboard and
mouse.
The recommended system has PIII 1000MHz in CPU (or higher), 256MB of
RAM (or higher), Eight-Speed (8x) CD-Drive (or faster) and 600MB of
HDD space.
=====================================================================
--------
| Game |
--------
I. Choosing a team to play
--------------------------
Let's assume you have already created a new game what is not a difficult
process and every single player should pass it without any problems.
If there are any questions as far as Create a New Game is concerned,
feel free to email me.
If you don't have a computer that would allow you to play a game with
all the available leagues, don't select them. It will take a large
amount of time to initialize the game and even if you will get through
this, the game speed and performance will be on very low level.
I have a Windows 98SE computer with Celeron 1200MHz and 256MB of RAM
and it seems that one league is enough... OK, I took an English one.
Now it comes to one of the most important decisions you make in the
game. Well, as there is a possibility to change teams whenever you
want (depending on the league you have chosen), let's just say that
this is slightly more important decision than any other you make in
the game. Most people choose the teams they are fans of in real life.
I took Manchester United just because of that. The biggest problem in
this decision is that Man Utd board suppose that their team will get
the most valuable titles (including Premier League one) and if your
progress is not according to what they have supposed (more loses in
a row), you get a sack earlier you ever thought. Therefore if you
are not ready for the pressing from the board or just don't want
to experience the hardest challenges in the game, don't take a control
of the best teams on the world (well, only if you think that the best
team on the world is currently in the third division...).
II. Know Your Players
---------------------
Another very important thing to do before you proceed to the season
games, is to get to know with your players. This is very important in
the cases when you choose a random team or a team from lower leagues
and therefore you probably don't know its qualities from real life.
Very good thing to do is to get a coach information on every single
player of your team. I know, this might be a task for a long time,
but at the end you will probably know who is the Man of your team and
whom you should get rid of before it's too late.
Simply click on the player's name and choose Get Coach Report from
the bottom-right menu on screen. Choose one of your coaches from
the list and then just read the info you get from him. You may also
ask for a report from all of your coaches, but in the most cases you
will get the same report.
Here is the list of reports I got from my coaches (not complete):
<pn> stands for Player Name, <pp> stands for Player Position and
<cn> for Coach Name.
Positive:
- <cn> reckons <pn> is a useful member of our squad.
- In his report <cn> indicated that <pp> <pn> is an established
player who adds depth to the first team squad.
- <cn> thinks we have a talented youngster in <pn>.
He considers the <pp> to be a key player in the team already.
- In his report on <pn>, <cn> feels that the <pp> has his best years
ahead of him and we must strive to keep him at the club.
- In his report, <cn> indicates that <pp> <pn> is showing signs of
developing into a quality player.
- <cn> is a keen admirer of <pn>.
He is confident that the <pp>'s presence in the first team is of
great benefit to the club.
- <cn> reckons <pn> is a useful member of our squad, whose experience
is an asset to the club.
Negative:
- Having been with the club for a reasonable amount of time, <cn>
is concerned that <pn> may never improve beyond his current level.
He believes that the player should be considered as a possible
candidate for the transfer list.
- <cn> is concerned that <pn> has not progressed in the manner that
we expected during his time with the club.
He thinks you should consider placing this player on the transfer
list.
- <cn> indicates in his report that although <pn> is an established
player, he doesn't think he's good enough to hold down a regular
first team place.
- <cn> believes <pn> is overrated and should not be holding down
a regular place in the side.
- <cn> is concerned that <pn> has been a part of the club for
a reasonable period and is not progressing at an acceptable rate.
He believes this player should be placed on the transfer list.
- <cn> does not believe that <pp> <pn> will develop into anything
more than a fringe player at the club.
- <cn> feels that <pn> is an average player who does not add
anything special to the team.
- <cn> feels that <pn> isn't good enough standard to remain at the
club.
He recommends that this player is allowed to pursue his career
at a lower level with another club.
- <cn> does not believe that <pp> <pn> is good enough to remain
at this club.
- <cn> feels <pn> is not showing enough potential ability to be
considered a sound long term investment.
- <cn> does not believe that <pp> <pn> is developing into the
player we had hoped he would become.
He feels that unless <pp> shows signs of improvement in the near
future, it may be time for him to move on.
You can also ask your physios for report simultanously. This reports
will be added to this faq somewhere in near future.
III. Know other's players
-------------------------
You won't keep your team on a high level without new players. At
the beginning of the season you will get a specific amount of money
for transfers (for Man Utd it was 22M). Now it is a right time to
visit your scouts and find some suitable players for your team.
The best thing to do at this stage of game is to assign all your
scouts to a specific part of world you want the players from. This
should depend on the league you are playing in. You can also assign
scouts to youngsters and also on a specific team or coutry. The last
option is to send them to watch your next opponent. Now let's discuss
all the options one by one.
As I am playing for Man Utd, I have sent my scouts to find suitable
players that are based in English leagues. This can have various
advantages and disadvantages depending on the number of leagues you
play, and the league the team you control is from. As I choosed only
English Leagues when Creating the Game, only the scouting of england
based clubs can give you significant results. In other words, there
is no point of scouting the leagues you can't control because there
are no league matches and therefore you will only get the report if
the team will play in some international championship (Champions
League, UEFA Cup ...). Finally, you should not make a decision out
of one report only.
You can assign your scout to a specific division of your league if
needed. Well, if you play for a third division team, it is not a good
idea to scout players from Premier Division and so on. But it is a
good idea to send out more than one scout to one division. You will
get more reports (this is hopefully what you want).
Now when you send your first scout to Premier League, let's send some
more to find suitable young players. Assign two or more scouts for
Youth. This is very imporant as it would take a long time to find a
suitable young player by yourself. If your scout finds a suitable
players you will get a report otherwise not. But the report like this
has two kinds:
- when the report says the player is DECENT, you should better check
and scout the player a little more. Scout him again and look for
skills you want. Some of 'decent' players will improve and adapt
to the team conditions but some of them will not. This is an important
consideration as you probably don't want to spend your transfer money
for a player whose future coach report will say: The Couch does not
believe that The Player is developing into the player we had hoped
he would become.
- when the report says the player would be an EXCELLENT signing, don't
hesitate and do your best to get him. You may scout him again but
you will most probably get the same report again. One problem is
that players that are considered as 'excellent signing' cost a lot
of money and therefore you won't be able to get him as cheap as some
other players at the same age. But if you manage to find an 'excellent
signing' and the price won't be as high, GET HIM before other team does.
You will probably notice that these players are already listed in other
team's shortlists as well, what means that if you really want this player,
you should not wait any longer.
Examples of the 'excellent signings' I got from my Youth-assigned scouts:
- David Dunn (Blackburn) - AM C
- Milan Baros (Liverpool) - F L/C
- John Terry (Chelsea) - D C
- Wayne Bridge (Southampton) - D/M L
- Paul Robinson (Leeds) - GK
- Steed Malbranque (Fulham) - AM R/C
- Scott Parker (Charlton) - M C
- Darius Vassel (Aston Villa) - S C
- El-Hadji Diouf (Liverpool) - F RC
- Alan Smith (Leeds) - S C
Some good/decent signings for consideration:
- Jonathan Fortune (Charlton) - D C
- Jonathan Blondel (Tottenham) - AM C
- Aaron Hughes (Newcastle) - D RLC
- Sean Davis (Fulham) - DM C
- Stuart Taylor (Arsenal) - GK
- Kevin Nolan (Bolton) - DM C
- Matthew Piper (Sunderland) - AM R
- Massimo Maccarone (Middlesbrough) - S C
Quite good thing to scout is your next opponent. You will get a report about
the team you will play next few days before the match. It will say something
about the style of play their manager uses the most, about the key players
and what part of team (defence, midfield, offence) is the strongest. Finally
the scout will say what he thinks about the team generally.
IV. Player's Profile
---------------------
Now when you know how to get some players for your team without knowing
anything specific about them, we should look at the player from other point
of view. Let's talk about player's profile.
Every single player in the game has 31 basic stats that can be divided into
three groups: Technical (Goalkeepers have Goalkeeping), Mental and Physical.
- Technical Stats:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Crossing | This shows how good the player is in crossing the ball. |
| | Good for attacking midfielders and side defenders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Dribbling | How good the player controls the ball. |
| | Good for everyone who is supposed to run with ball. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Finishing | How good he is in finishing attacking moves. |
| | Essential for strikers and useful for attacking midfielders |
| | and all the players who want to score from a close distance.|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Heading | How good he can control the ball in the air. |
| | Useful for all players, especially if the team plays with |
| | long passing. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Long | How good he can send the ball to longer distances. |
| Shots | Essential for any player who is expected to score from a |
| | longer distance. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Long | How good he can throw the ball to longer distances. |
| Throws | Useful only to those players who are supposed to take |
| | the long throws. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Marking | How good he can position himself in defensive moves. |
| | Esential for defenders, useful for defensive midfielders |
| | and good for central midfielders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Passing | How good he can send the ball to another player :) |
| | Essential for every single player. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Penalty | How good he is in taking penalties. |
| Taking | Useful only for those who take penalty kicks. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Set | How good he is in attacking set pieces. |
| Pieces | Essential for those who take attacking set pieces :) and |
| | can be useful for those who aren't good in finishing... |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tackling | How good he can dispossess the ball from another player. |
| | Essential for defenders and defensive midfielders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Technique | How good he moves while running with a ball. |
| | Useful for midfielders and for those who are expected to |
| | run with the ball more often. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Goalkeeping Stats:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Aerial Ability | How good is goalie in removing the ball from the air. |
| | Important against teams who play with a lot of crosses |
| | or long balls. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Command of | How good the goalie controls the area in the front of |
| Area | the net. Very good when the opponent plays accurate |
| | attacking set pieces. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Communication | How good he is in communication with his outfield |
| | players. Helps to build an organized defence. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Eccentricity | How his performance fluctuates as the time progresses. |
| | The importance of this stat rises with the importance |
| | of the league you play [thanks to Tris]. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Handling | How good he is in handling the ball. One of the most |
| | important goalie stats. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Kicking | How good he is in kicking the ball away towards the |
| | outfield players on the opposite side of the pitch. |
| | Important if your team plays with long passes. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Reflexes | How quick he determins where the ball is about to go. |
| | The second most important goalie stat. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rushing Out | How fast he moves away from the net to meet the |
| | incoming opposition attacker who just ran away from |
| | defenders. Important if your team plays the offside |
| | trap or if the enemy has particularly fast attacker. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tendency to | How good he is in punching the ball away from the net. |
| Punch | Useful only if you don't have weak defenders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Throwing | How good he is in throwing the ball towards your |
| | outfield players. Useful if your team plays the |
| | offside trap very often. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Mental Stats:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Aggression | How aggressive the player is in what he is doing. |
| | Good for any player but useful for defenders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Anticipation | How good he knows what is about to happen. |
| | Useful for any player, essential for defenders and |
| | attackers. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bravery | How brave he is in what he is doing. |
| | Good for midfielders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Creativity | How creative he is in what he is doing. |
| | Essential for attackers, useful for midfielders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Decisions | How good decisions he makes. |
| | Useful for central midfielders, essential if you use |
| | mixed style of play. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Determination | How determined the player is in tougher moments. |
| | Important for every first team player. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Flair | How talented he is in what he is doing. |
| | Useful for every player, especially for attackers. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Influence | How good he influences other players in the team. |
| | Essential for captains, good for key players. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Off the Ball | How good he moves without a ball. |
| | Essential for strikers, useful for attacking |
| | midfielders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Positioning | How good he finds a position. |
| | Important for attackers, defenders and goalies. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Teamwork | How good he plays for the team. |
| | Essential for every single player. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Work Rate | How much he puts into the game. |
| | Important for every single player. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Physical Stats:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Acceleration | How fast can he achieve a top speed. |
| | Important for attacking midfielders and useful for |
| | defenders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Agility | How agile he is (dunno what else to say...) |
| | Essential for goalies and useful for defenders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Balance | How good he keeps himself without losing balance. |
| | Essential for the players who are expected to run with |
| | the ball more often. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jumping | How good and high he jumps. |
| | Important for goalies, useful for all players. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Pace | How fast he runs. |
| | Important for strikers and attacking midfielders, useful |
| | for all players. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Stamina | How long he can run. |
| | Important for midfielders and defenders. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Strength | How strong he is. |
| | Important for defenders. Useful for all players. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another part of the profile screen contains Selection Details. These should
inform you why your player can't be selected in the next game(s) or why he
shouldn't be selected.
- Injuries - If your player is injured, this will tell you what happened
to him and how many days/weeks/months (hopefully not years!)
will it take for him to recover.
- Bans - When your player reaches a certain amount of yellow cards or when
he is given a red card, he will be banned for a certain amount of
games (it's one game in the most cases). So this will tell you
how many cards left for getting a ban, what kind of bans does your
player have (international, European, league) and for how many
cards was he given the ban.
- International Instructions - If your player is selected for the match of
his home country, you are sometimes able to give him special
instructions for the match. You can tell him to play only a half
of the match or not to play at all. This can become very useful
when the international match is played only a few days (one or two)
before your team's match.
- Fitness - Finally this tells you about a general fitness of your player.
This is the most important thing from the Selection Details as you
should be most interested in their fitness. Here is a list of the
fitness notes you can get:
- In superb condition (the best you can get)
- Fully Fit
- Match Fit (every player should have at least this one)
- Severely lacking in match fitness (needs some more training)
- Very Unfit. Needs both matches and intensive training to gain
full fitness. (after a long-term injury)
- Very Tired (if he plays in more matches in a row and his
fitness is neither 'Fully Fit' nor 'Match Fit')
The last thing you can see on the Player's Profile screen are the most
important game statistics the player has. You can most probably see six
lines with various numbers that are up to me to explain. No problem.
First, let's explain the rows:
- Non Competitive - These are stats from non-competitive matches (surprised?)
or in other words, from the matches that don't belong to any of the
following match types (i.e. friendly matches)...
- League - I think this is clear as well. You will play those league matches
the most, unless you manage a national team. So, your players should
have the greatest numbers in this row (besides Overall match stats).
- Cup - During the season you sometimes get a chance to play in a cup with
your team. This does not include a cup like Champions Cup or UEFA Cup
but nation-based cups like for example FA Cup in England.
- Continental - This includes all the continent-based leagues and cups such
as UEFA Cup or Champions League (Cup). Lower-league teams won't
probably play these unless you are about to reach the top-league
position with them.
- International - When your player plays for his national team, the stats
contained in this row will be involved. In other words, you as
a manager of a non-national team can't influence these stats.
- Overall - All those stats from match types metioned above will make stats
contained in this row together. I don't think there is something more
necessary to say about this one.
Now let's take a look at those wierd columns:
- Apps - How many games the player has played and how many games he has
substituted (in brackets).
- Gls - How many goals he has scored.
- Asts - How many assists he has made.
- MoM - How many times he has became a Man of the Match.
- Yel - How many yellow cards has he been given.
- Red - How many red cards has he been given.
- Tck - How many tackles has he made per 90 minutes of the game.
- Pass - Percentage of completed passes he has made.
- Sh Tar - Percentage of shots on goal he has made.
- Fouls - How many times has he fouled opposition players (this includes
fouls made to his own players).
- Fls Ag - How many times have players (including his own team) fouled him.
- Av R - Average Match Rating of the player.
V. Player's Information
-----------------------
Player's Information screen contains interesting reading about player's
overview which includes his brief biography, value, availability and
contract offers and interests. In Happiness you will come to player's
concerns, his description and personality. Contract Details contain all
the necessary info the manager should need to know about his current
contract and finally Additional Statistics offer much more player's
game statistics the Player's Profile did. Very interesting screen, isn't it?
Overview:
- Date of Birth and City of Birth are hopefully clear (if not, send me an
email and I will explain these to you).
- Favoured Clubs - Which clubs the player likes the most. This should help
his morale when he happens to play for this team.
- Value - Tranfer value of the player. Should be the minimal amount
of money the team would want to recieve for the player.
- Transfer Offer Options - Special options available during the current
transfer offer (I'm just trying to find some examples).
- Availability - What transfer status was set for this player by his team.
- Languages - What languages can the player speak fluently. Be sure to
get only those players who can speak the language of
the country you are based in, otherwise this can have
very negative impact on player's morale.
- Interested - What teams have this player in their shortlist.
- Offers - What teams have offered this player a contract and how
much money do they want to spend.
- Scout Report - Recent scout notes on this player (with date and names of
the scouts).
Happiness:
- General Happiness - What are the player's feelings towards the club he is
playing for.
- Slight Concerns - ? (looking for examples)
- Major Concerns - Player's concerns towards the club (the serious ones).
- Manager Promises - ?
- Personality - General personality of the player (summary of his mental
statistics from the Player's Profile)
- Description - Overall stats from Player's Profile in a few words
Examples:
- Javier Saviola - Wonderkid
- Ryan Giggs - Flamboyant winger
Contract Details:
- Type - Type of the contract the player has signed with the club.
Can be either Full Time or Part Time.
- Wages - How much money the player earns per week, month or year
(depending on what you set in Game Settings).
- Expires - When the player's contract officially expires.
- Squad Status - Club's relationship towards the player.
- Bonuses - How much extra money does he earn and what for.
Additional Statistics:
- These are very similar to those on the Player's Profile screen but rows are
now columns and vice versa.
- Ncm stands for Non-Competitive, Lge stands for League, Cup for Cup, Cont
for Continental ones, Int for International and finally Ovr for Overall.
- Columns are also very similar to those on the screen mentined above, but
as the subscreen says (Additional Statistics) if you will read carefully,
you could find here some more not-as-important-but-interesting player's
game statistics.
- Apps, Gls, Asts, MoM, Yel, Red, Tck, Fouls, Fls Ag and Av R stand for the
same thing as those on the Player's Screen. Let's have a look at those
that have not been mentioned yet.
- Sub - How many times has the player substituted on the game.
- Conc - How many goals has the player conceded (this is mostly for goalies
and goalie-type attackers, dunno if own goals are counted here).
- Pen/R - Penalty Scoring Ratio - percentage of the successful penalty takes
this player has made.
- Tgls - Team Goals (or how many goals has the team scored while this
player was on the pitch).
- Tcon - Team Conceded (or how many goals has the opposition scored while
this player was playing).
- Gls/90 - How many goals has the player scored per 90 minutes (very nice if
this number is greater than one).
- Con/90 - How many goals has the player conceded per 90 minutes (not very
good if this number is greater than one).
- Drb - How many nice dribbles has the player made per 90 minutes. Most of
the players won't have this number higher than two, but there are
some exception you should look for (like Ryan Giggs - 7.24 in my
case).
- Hdr - How many times has the player touched the ball with his head in
such a special way that it was considered a header (per 90 minutes
of course). If you look for a good header, be sure he has this
value rather positive.
- Pass - How many times has the player made a pass per 90 minutes. This
should be the biggest value for every single player in the game
(if we don't count the stat saying how many minutes has he played).
- Shot - How many times has the player made a shot (does not matter where
has it ended up) per 90 minutes. If you look for a good shooter,
find the values at least greater than one.
- Mins - How many minutes has the player played in all games.
VI. Training
------------
I don't have enough sources and information to make some detailed guide about
this section. If you have anything interesting and USEFUL you would like to
add to this section, feel free to email me at shylauda69 at centrum.sk
I have recently made four separate training schedules for the most important
kinds of player's positions: for Goalies, Defenders (including defensive
midfielders), Midfielders and Forwards (including some of the attacking
midfielders). I will report about the training progress of my players as
soon as I collect some useful information about it.
IMPORTANT: In version 4.0.1, the training report (yellow stars) didn't
seem to change at all. I was wondering if this is a problem in my training
schedules but I found out that this is a problem in the game. Fortunately,
the 4.0.3 patch fixes this, so be sure to get this one as soon as possible!
Training Activities:
Let's have a look at what game says about those little training sessions
you can assign your players, coaches and physios to. The numbers below mean
what is the impact of the given session on the certain aspects of the
player's performance (the higher, the better).
FIT = Fitness, BCT = Ball Control, TMW = Teamwork, TCT = Tactics,
SHT = Shooting, REF = Reflexes, MOV = Movement, SET = Set Pieces,
SHS = Shot Stopping
If one of the aspects above is not mentioned below, it means there is no
impact on that aspect.
- Goalkeeping:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Agility (GK) | Training with goalkeeping coach to improve reflexes and |
| (16) | agility. |
| | FIT=2, TMW=2, REF=7, SHS=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Distribution | Training with your goalkeeping coach to ensure good |
| (21) | recycling of possession and improve distribution from |
| | goalkicks. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=2, TMW=5, TCT=2, REF=5, SHS=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Handling (20)| Training with the goalkeeper coach to practise |
| | positioning and get a feel for the ball. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=2, SHT=2, REF=7, SHS=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Shot | This exercise encourages your goalkeepers to get their |
| Stopping (16)| body behind the ball and stop powerful shots confidently.|
| | FIT=2, REF=7, SHS=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Outfield Players Only:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Agility (9) | Although not fitness intensive, your players will |
| | develop a better fluid motion through running, turning |
| | and shifting thier body weight. This exercise |
| | particularly improves acceleration, balance and |
| | coordination. |
| | FIT=2, TMW=2, REF=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Closing-Down | In this exercise, three small sided teams play within a |
| Session (20) | perimeter. Two teams attempt to keep hold of the ball |
| | whilst the third team endeavours to dispossess them. |
| | Constant movement ensures players will build up their |
| | stamina and also develop their vision, communication and |
| | ball skills. Positional play, tackling and team work |
| | will also be improved. |
| | FIT=5, BCT=5, TMW=5, MOV=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Heading (9) | Heading exercises help your players to strenghten their |
| | neck muscles and get distance on headers. As well as |
| | improving their ability to clear the ball quickly and |
| | efficiently from dangerous situations, your players will |
| | get better at flick-ons, knock-downs and scoring headers.|
| | FIT=2, BCT=5, TMW=2 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Shadow | This low-pace session, best implemented only a couple of |
| Play (19) | days before a match, literally walks the players through |
| | what is expected of them in the next match. As well as |
| | getting the players comfortable on the ball, this |
| | exercise improves teamwork, decisions and movement. |
| | FIT=2, TMW=5, TCT=5, MOV=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Shooting (11)| This exercise increases the awareness of your players in |
| | and around the box and your strikers will gain confidence|
| | from hitting the net regularly in training. As well as |
| | improving their touch and ability to volley, this |
| | session will also encourage your players to practise |
| | shooting with their weaker foot. Other benefits include |
| | increased composure, anticipation and ability to shoot |
| | from distance. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=2, SHT=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outfields and Goalies:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 5-a-side | Small sided games on larger pitches. Though the players |
| (large pitch)| will tire quicker, they will build up stamina, improve |
| (30) | their work rate and develop good passing and movement. |
| | FIT=5, BCT=2, TMW=5, TCT=2, SHT=2, REF=2, MOV=5, SET=2, |
| | SHS=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 5-a-side | Small sided games on smaller pitches. Players will |
| (small pitch)| improve their marking, movement and ability to think |
| (27) | quickly. Outfield players are also encouraged to get |
| | plenty of shots on target, enabling goalkeepers to hone |
| | their reflexes and practise one-on-one situations. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=2, TMW=5, TCT=2, SHT=2, REF=2, MOV=5, SET=2, |
| | SHS=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Cross | Particularly effective during pre-season to get your |
| Country (7) | players fit for the campaign ahead, cross-country running|
| | improves stamina and encourages weight loss. This |
| | exercise is claimed to have a multiplying effect on other|
| | aspects of training. |
| | FIT=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Crosses (27) | This exercise encourages your players to deliver lofted |
| | or driven balls into the box. Your midfield players will |
| | be taught to hit the right areas with their crosses and |
| | your attackers will learn to time their runs to recieve |
| | the ball in the best position. |
| | BCT=2, TMW=2, SHT=2, REF=5, MOV=2, SET=7, SHS=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Overloading | By outnumbering the defence in this exercise, your |
| (attacking) | attackers will be encouraged to make use of the extra men|
| (34) | down the flanks and get the crosses into the box. Your |
| | strikers will improve their movement and get used to |
| | finishing off moves. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=5, TMW=7, TCT=5, SHT=2, REF=2, MOV=7, SET=2 |
| | SHS=2 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Overloading | By using more attackers than defenders, this exercise |
| (defensive) | encourages defenders to hold their defensive live and |
| (34) | learn which parts of the pitch are most vulnerable to |
| | attack. By encouraging tight marking, teamwork and |
| | positional play, overloading will also improve the link |
| | between your goalkeeper and his defence. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=5, TMW=3, TCT=5, SHT=2, REF=5, MOV=2, SHS=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Penalties | Gives your players the opportunity to practise taking |
| (19) | penalties and increase their composure. This sessions is |
| | most useful before those dreaded shoot-outs in cup |
| | competitions. |
| | FIT=2, REF=5, SET=5, SHS=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Pig in the | This moderate session involves several players passing |
| Middle (22) | the ball amongst themselves within a set perimeter whilst|
| | one or two others try to win the ball back. While |
| | creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere, your players will |
| | particularly improve thier anticipation and first touch. |
| | FIT=5, BCT=7, TMW=5, MOV=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Set Pieces | In this routine, your players will work on their |
| (attacking) | attacking set pieces for the big match. By training your |
| (32) | set piece takers to deliver accurate free-kicks, corners,|
| | penalties and long throws, your team will improve its |
| | chances of scoring from these situations. |
| | BCT=5, TMW=3, TCT=5, SHT=2, REF=2, MOV=3, SET=7, SHS=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Set Pieces | In this session, both your goalkeepers and outfield |
| (defensive) | players will practise defending the set piece scenarios |
| (32) | that occur within a game. This will improve their |
| | anticipation, marking and positioning. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=5, TMW=5, TCT=5, SHT=2, REF=2, MOV=2, SET=7 |
| | SHS=2 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sprints (9) | Sprinting over short distances with lots of repetition, |
| | this exercise improves the acceleration, pace and balance|
| | of your players. |
| | FIT=7, REF=2 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tactical | This session is tactics specific and gives the players a |
| Training (10)| chance to analyse the strenghts and weaknesses of the |
| | opposition. This will include watching videos of previous|
| | games, studying tactics and identifying danger men. As a |
| | very important part of preparation for both the team and |
| | individual, players will improve their ability to make |
| | decisions and work as a team. |
| | TMW=5, TCT=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Technique | This exercise encourages your players to improve their |
| (18) | ball control, passing and dribbling. Players will work |
| | mainly on skill, using all parts of the body to improve |
| | first touch and control. |
| | FIT=2, BCT=7, REF=2, SHS=7 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Training | By playing the selected first team against a second |
| Match (21) | string in a full match, this high intensity session will |
| | give your players a chance to play together but is also |
| | guaranteed to tire them out. Amongst other things, this |
| | exercise improves passing, communication and positioning.|
| | FIT=5, BCT=2, TMW=2, TCT=2, SHT=2, REF=2, MOV=2, SET=7 |
| | SHS=2 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Weight | Weight training builds up muscle definition, including |
| Training (5) | the hamstrings, calf, upper body and neck muscles. At low|
| | intensity it can reduce a player's chance of injury, but |
| | too much weight training can result in loss of balance, |
| | mobility and pace. |
| | FIT=5 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rest (2) | Give your players a break. |
| | FIT=2 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now let's talk about these sessions a little bit more and let's create the
ideal training week for all main player's positions (goalie, defenders,
midfield and forwards).
My advice is: Don't put too many sessions that have a main effect on one
specific aspect on one day. This would mean that players are concentrating
on one aspect only one day and they don't pay attention to it whole week.
Not all of the sessions have good effect on all player's positions, so
behave according to this when creating a training week. For example, Shooting
session in defender's training schedule has almost no point (unless the
defender is Roberto Carlos) but Heading is a must.
Now let's make one little bit more intensive schedule for all players
(besides Goalies) and then we will modify it for all the player's positions
I mentioned above. I was using this schedule a couple of weeks and almost
all of the players had three-star training rate (the rest had four stars)
so it does not seem to be the ideal schedule but it should be enough for now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | Early Morning | Late Morning | Afternoon |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sunday | Rest | Rest | Rest |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Monday | Sprints | Overloading (Attack) | Shooting |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tuesday | Shadow Play | 5-a-side (Large) | Agility |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Wednesday| Overloading (Defend)| 5-a-side (Small) | Rest |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Thursday | Closing Down Session| Set Pieces (Defense) | Tactical |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Friday | Cross Country | Pig in the Middle | Set Pieces (Att)|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Saturday | Training Match | Rest | Rest |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you can see, this schedule is mostly based on Team Work, Movement and
Ball Control. It is quite intensive because the total impact number per
day is always more than 55 (Monday = 56, Tuesday = 58, Wednesday = 59,
Thursday = 62, Friday = 61) except for Saturday (25) and Sunday (6).
I wasn't using this one too much because I wanted to try some more options
and therefore I created the following schedule. So, if you would be so kind
and tell me what impact had the above-shown schedule on your team, I would
be very grateful.
Now let's have a look at my next schedule, that is less intensive and does
not contain so many team-based sessions like the one above.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | Early Morning | Late Morning | Afternoon |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sunday | Rest | Rest | Rest |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Monday | Closing Down Session| Crossing | Weight Training |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tuesday | Cross Country | Set Pieces (Attack) | Shadow Play |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Wednesday| Pig in the Middle | Technique | Shooting |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Thursday | Agility | Overloading (Attack) | Heading |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Friday | 5-a-side (Large) | Pig in the Middle | Shadow Play |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Saturday | Training Match | Rest | Rest |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This one is less intensive but not too much (Monday = 52, Tuesday = 58,
Wednesday = 51, Thursday = 52, Friday = 60). It will make your players,
coaches and physios busier but it will affect the players' stats more.
Again, if you find anything interesting about this schedule while using
it with your team, tell me.
VII. Friendly Matches
---------------------
Friendly matches are very good preparation for the upcoming season because
you can try your latest-bought players and also some of the Under-19
youngsters without affecting the board confidence. If you don't want to
bother yourself with picking up the teams you want to play in friendlies,
let your assistant do it. There is also a possibility that other teams
will ask you to play friendly match against them (at the beginning of the
season) and there is no serious reason why you should not accept their
proposal.
If you are even so busy that you can't even handle the friendly match
itself, you can assign this to your hard-working assistant as well. But
as I said above, friendlies are good opportunity to try the power of your
team. You don't need to bother with the players' selection, just ask
assistant to pick the players for the match and go. You can still use
all the available subtitutions anytime during the match, so you don't
need to bother with this either.
You can also test your new-created tactics on some strong team if you
want. Just ask one of the really major clubs to come. Since you will
have enough time to play more friendlies before the season starts, try
to select all the players you plan to use during the season, especially
the ones you have just bought. You will find out if the player found
his way to your team or not. It is much better to find it out before
the season than during some important Champions League match.
VIII. Questions and Answers
---------------------------
If you have any questions as far as this game is concerned, feel free to
email me at shylauda69 at centrum.sk. If you want to answer to any question
added to this section, feel free to email me as well...
Q: While at the beginning of my second season for Manchester Utd, I was
looking for a new players that would be of a great addition to my club.
Guess what I found! I applied the players filter with the Transfer
Listed option and guess what player was on the top of the list!
RONALDO! I could not believe my eyes... I proceeded to his profile and
found out that Real Madrid relegated him to their 'B' Team. I would like
to know if this is a bug in the game (i have 4.0.3 patch installed and
working) or something else. I wasn't paying attention to Real's
progresses, maybe because when I played them in Champions League Phase
One, I won 4:1, but this has really surprised me. The actual value
of this player was 17.500.000 Pounds at that moment and I sent an
enquiry to Real to know how many they want for him: 19.250.000!!!
I have not hesitated a minute and made a transfer offer. Nice (he was
happy to sign a contract with a club like Man Utd) but strange... Now
he is playing for my club for a couple of months already and I must say
it was a worth-buy, because he makes a perfect couple with van Nistelrooy.
Nick Eames adds: "i saw the thing about Ronaldo leavin Real in your faq
and i realised i got that too. He leaves Real on my game (i was playin
as Sheff Wed so i couldn't exactly buy him with 140k) for Juve."
A: ???
Q: Vermieren asks: "I have a huge problem with cm4! I have to play a match
against Dortmund in the champions leaugeu but 18 of the 25 selected
players are unavailable. Can I ask to set the match on a later date
(like you can do in the leaugeu) or what else can I do? I hope you have
an answer at this question. Thanks!!!"
A: Ok, so here is my answer: This thing happened to me as well (also in
champions league) and this is what I did. As most of you there probably
know, you can't select players from your first team and/or reserves team
that weren't selected for playing Champions League. But I realized, that
you can somehow select players from your Under-19 squad. I dunno if this
is a bug in the game and I don't exactly remember if this happened before
I have installed the 4.0.3 patch or after, but I know that it worked and
I could play the match and I have won somehow... If this is fixed with
one of the patches out there, tell me please. The only way this can happen
I know about is when your players go for international callups and you
forget to give them international instructions. If someone knows any other
answer to this problem, write me an email on shylauda69 at centrum.sk
Q: Zach Cruz Holver asks: "Well, i got a problem with my saved game, my
real madrid;( it says 'the save game cannot be loaded' how can i fix it;(?"
A: First answer is from Tris: "My friend had also experienced the same
problem, as my understanding, it may be caused by the collaps of the save
data. You can try to reinstall the game and start a game with least number
of leagues. Also do not try to use a large data base of the data, and
of course goto the official website and download the latest version
patch of the game. My friend tried the step above and then no more problem
appeared, so hopefully it may help. But it may not be the 100% solution to
the question, because sometimes the problem may be caused by the software
or the OS of the user."
Ashwin Siva adds: "Do not save the game into one savegame. Instead make
multiple save instead of over-writting the same over and over again. This
may cause (from what I have come across) the save game file to become
too big for the game to load (in some cases, like me). Just somthing
I found out from my trial and error."
IX. Credits
-----------
Here is the complete list of all the people who have anyhow contributed
to this faq/stategy guide. Thank you, people! You're the best!
- Tris - for his description of the goalie's eccentricity stat that
I could not explain before and for the answer to the save-game
problem in Questions and Answers section.
- Nick Eames - for his contribution to the Questions and Answers section
concerning the strange-thing with Ronaldo.
- Ashwin Siva - for his answer to the save-game problem in Questions and
Answers section.
These are the people whose questions have been added to the Questions
and answers section:
- Vermieren, Zach Cruz Holver
=====================================================================
-------------------
| Version History |
-------------------
v0.1 :: Date - April 27, 2003
- I started to write this faq. Introduction, Requirements, and first three
subsection of the Game section were added.
v0.15 :: Date - May 1, 2003
- Added Player's Profile section informing about player's stats and
their short descriptions. Added a small note into the training section.
v0.2 :: Date - May 5, 2003
- Finished the brief information about the player's stats adding the goalie
stats. Added some more excellent signings to the Know Other's section.
Added Selection Details into the Player's Profile section.
v0.3 :: Date - May 7, 2003
- Finished the Player's Section for now and added new section - Player's
Information. Added some more excellent signings and also some good/decent
ones as well. Player's Information was finished as well. Added Questions
and Answers section.
v0.4 :: Date - May 9, 2003
- Added missing stats to Player's Information section. Added information
about training sessions.
v0.45 :: Date - May 12, 2003
- Added a description of the goalie's Eccentricity stat [thx to Tris].
Added one contribution to the Questions and Answers section and two
other questions [thx to N.Eames, Vermieren, Z.C.Holver]. My email
address was changed. Added impact info into the training sessions
info. Added credits section, filled with appropriate names.
v0.5 :: Date - May 17, 2003
- Added answers to the save-game problem in Questions and Answers section
[thx to Tris and Ashwin Siva]. Added link to the CM4 Homepage. Added
two schedules to Training section and some basic information about
Friendly Matches.
=====================================================================
Copyright (C) 2003 - Ivan Kuriscak
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