FAQ
Quick Answers
Common questions from new and returning managers.
What is the best formation to start with?
There is no universal best shape — pick a formation that fits your strongest players in their natural roles. If you are unsure, mirror a balanced shape (four at the back, numbers in midfield) until you learn which positions your squad lacks.
What do the different play styles do?
They are team mentalities, not hard counters. Pass to Feet / Tiki-Taka favour short build-up and technical midfielders; Direct and Long Ball go forward faster (Long Ball leans on aerials and set pieces); Counter-Attack breaks with pace after absorbing; Sit Back is a deep block to protect a lead or grind a point. Match the style to your squad on Team → Tactical Hub — full guide in the Game Guide under Formations and styles.
Why does squad morale drop?
Morale moves with results, playing time, wages versus expectation, injuries, and board pressure. Long losing runs or benching unhappy stars without rotation will drag it faster than a single bad result.
How does scouting work?
You request reports on non-squad players; delivery takes about one week (same-week on deadline weeks) and quality depends on scout specialisms — especially Current ability and Potential ability judging. Cap is max 5 × scout count per week. Squad players already show a written scout conclusion on their profile without waiting.
How do transfers and wages interact?
Fees and weekly wages both hit your budget. Deadlines spike AI activity — finish or park deals before advancing the week if you do not want to lose a bid.
Why can’t I start a match?
Your starting XI is likely incomplete. Fill all 11 starting slots first.
Why do some players show no match rating?
Only players who appeared in the match receive ratings. Bench players who never came on stay blank.
Why is transfer data limited for some targets?
Scout quality controls report confidence and detail depth. Run a scout report on external players when prompted.
Why did board confidence drop after a draw?
Board confidence tracks league position versus your target, with nudges from cup results, wage-bill stress, and fan mood — not a single match result alone. Strong seasons earn job-security credit; a four-win streak can pause sack pressure.
How does Assistant mode change behavior?
Full mode adapts ordering using accept/skip and match outcomes; Suggestions shows similar tips without that ranking; Off hides assistant panels and in-match assistant blocks.
What do OK and Back do on in-match assistant prompts?
OK records that you used the tip (counts as accepted for learning). Back dismisses without applying. Both feed the same outcome tallies that soften over seasons; in Full mode, accepted tips also influence shout ordering.
Why did I get a different match shout than last time at the same minute?
When several shouts qualify, the game ranks them using your assistant settings. If the same title was just shown at an earlier shout window (e.g. 30′ then 62′), it tries to pick a different title when another option exists.
Can I turn off certain in-match assistant shouts?
Yes. Settings → Assistant → In-match shout types lists each family (fitness/subs, poor form, pressing, see-out, midfield reads, shape reads, general check-ins). All default to on; disabling one removes it from the 30′ / 62′ / 75′ rotation. Assistant Off hides the whole in-match strip.
What does Subs do on an in-match assistant prompt?
For fatigue or poor-performance tips, Subs pauses and opens the Personnel tab with the suggested starter selected so your next bench tap completes the swap. Tactics still opens the overlay on the pitch tab for other adjustments.
What are the half-time Assistant buttons?
On the half-time overlay, tips like First half read or Form watch can include Tactical Review — it opens the same in-match tactics panel as the header button and records that you acted on the tip.
What does Apply all do on the pre-match Opponent report?
It merges every pending tactical suggestion in one go: play style and formation first, then match instructions (toggles), then Apply Best XI so players slot into the chosen shape, then — if needed — it opens the tactics overlay for review (for example Danger man). Rows that only ask for review are still marked accepted when you use Apply all.
How can I improve long-term squad quality?
Invest in staff and campus academy projects, set intake focus on Campus when you need a line (GK/Def/Mid/Att), and avoid wage structure instability. Wonderkids need games and good coaching to reach potential.
How does youth intake work?
Each summer you get 1–3 academy graduates. Quality affects potential at intake; output affects how many arrive. A mid-season academy outlook memo in News is an early signal; the full list appears after Commence next season on the season wrap-up.
Where do stadium and academy upgrades live?
Stadium projects (capacity, roofs, seating upgrades, hospitality, pitch) are on Club → Stadium. Training ground and youth academy campus projects are on Club → Campus. Only one construction job runs at a time across both screens.
Where is my save stored?
Steam retail: 3 local save slots on this device (Commit Save before quitting). Web/PWA: browser localStorage first, IndexedDB if large — clearing site data deletes the career. Neither build uses Steam Cloud for careers today.
Can I keep playing after being sacked?
Yes. When confidence hits 15% or below you are sacked — Enter Job Market and apply for vacant clubs from Office → Manager Profile. Taking a new job continues the career with a morale bounce.
Why are OVR and Pot hidden on Market players?
Other clubs hide numeric OVR/Pot until you get a scout report. Hire a Scout in Office → Staff Management, request a report from Market or the player profile, and wait about one week for News delivery (max 5 × scout count per week). Your own squad always shows full attributes.
Why is attendance changing?
Form, fan mood, rivalry context (derbies), and stadium quality all affect gate receipts — not a fixed weekly number.
Can I install the game like an app?
Yes — it is a PWA. Use your browser’s install / Add to Home Screen option when prompted (see the landing page install hints).
Why can’t I sign a player?
Check the transfer window (summer/winter), your budget and wages, and whether the player is suspended or cup-tied where relevant.
What happens in transfer deadline week?
Around summer week 4 and winter week 26 the window is especially busy: more AI moves, bids, and loan chatter. The Market shows a banner; advancing past the window while you still have open deals may prompt a confirmation so you do not lose them by mistake.
Can I change the stadium picture behind the menus?
Yes. Club → Settings → Appearance picks a full-screen canvas background, or upload your own (PNG/JPEG/WebP; large images are resized). Device-local only — your career save does not store it.
What do half-time team talks actually do?
Encourage, Calm, Attack, and Defend tweak how strong your side looks in each third (defence / midfield / attack) on the live match bars for a while after the restart. The mix depends on whether you are behind, level, or ahead at the break; it is strongest from about 46′ to 60′ and then fades. You get the same picker at half time whether you are home or away.
What do yellows and reds do?
Yellows accumulate toward bans; reds suspend a player for several league weeks. Suspended players cannot be selected until the ban ends.
What is the difference between Realistic and Arcade engine?
In OS Settings you can pick a match engine preset: Realistic aims for calibrated goals and cards; Arcade pushes higher scoring and more cards. It affects new matches going forward.
How do I see cup or continental fixtures?
Use the World / cup views from the game shell — fixtures are grouped by competition. Advancing the week shows results across league, cup, and friendlies.