Some things..

[Kazuki_Ito]

Some things I've noticed whilst playing ML.

The circular symbols in the mini birds eye pitch when your in a match are sometimes almost identical colours. I think part of the strips you choose determines this but even when you dont have a kit clash they can be very similar colours. It renders them useless but it would be so easy to fix this I think. I do use them occasionally before playing long through passes but if you can't tell your teammates from the opposition at a glance then they are useless.

Also, I think I have this question every year... what effect do the form arrows have on your players? Should I sub out the guys with down arrows?

In the transfer system I recommend using and abusing the loan system. You normally can get some good players that are loan listed and you only pay a small transfer fee and no wages. I've had Leo Ulloa, Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic on loan in my first 2 seasons.

 

[tross840]

Form arrows are massive. For example a player rated 72 might perform like 78/79 on the highest form but like 66-67 on the lowest.

 

[DunkLFC]

Some things I've noticed whilst playing ML.

The circular symbols in the mini birds eye pitch when your in a match are sometimes almost identical colours. I think part of the strips you choose determines this but even when you dont have a kit clash they can be very similar colours. It renders them useless but it would be so easy to fix this I think. I do use them occasionally before playing long through passes but if you can't tell your teammates from the opposition at a glance then they are useless.

Also, I think I have this question every year... what effect do the form arrows have on your players? Should I sub out the guys with down arrows?

In the transfer system I recommend using and abusing the loan system. You normally can get some good players that are loan listed and you only pay a small transfer fee and no wages. I've had Leo Ulloa, Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic on loan in my first 2 seasons.

1) You can change the colours of the players on the mini radar to black and white, to avoid the issue you have mentioned. I can't remember where you set this off hand, but I've definitely seen it as an option. Probably in in the main game settings.

2) I add/subtract 5 points per arrow setting from the OPR as a basic guide. And if they are a striker with a directly down arrow, I never play them as that generally means that they have no hope of hitting the back of the net.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Cheers mate. I found that in the options and have now changed it. Surprising how often I see one of my players in acres of space then fire a long ball to him and within a split second he has defenders up against him challenging him for the ball!

I'll start doing the same and see how it goes with regards to the form arrows, thanks.

I must say I'm finding ML pretty tough going this year on Superstar with default players. Normally I'd get promoted first season and move to the Prem and sign some bigger names. This time round I couldn't get into the playoffs so resigned myself to a second season in the Championship and thought I'd build a strong squad and walk the second season.

Despite having man for man one of the best squads in the league I'm almost doing worse than my first season. I have Falcao and Oumar Niasse (loan) up front, Ousmane Dembele and Pulisic (loan) on the wings and Hernanes (loan) as central AMF and I think I've scored more than 1 goal in about 2 or 3 of 13 games in my second seasons against the likes of Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday. I've had so many draws.

I almost never ever expose the other teams defense, they always have at least 4 defenders across their 18 yard line and almost never get caught up the pitch.

I know team spirit has a fair bit to do with it and I've now got that to about 70. Also I try not to change tactics too much to confuse my players.

I'll just keep plugging away for now!

 

[DunkLFC]

My first season was the similar to yours, except I'm guessing you finished higher than I did, as all my initial wheeling and dealing dropped Team Spirit into the 30s. By the end of the season it was up to 92% It makes such a difference. Even in the 70s your players are painfully sluggish. I treated that season like being in charge of a dysfunctional team and turning them around. Season 2 is going much better after another rocky start, as more transfer dealings dropped Team Spirit to the high 70s and my team of youngsters can now grow in skill without me needing to do wholesale, team spirit killing changes again. I just need a striker, as that part of my team is behind the rest.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Even in the 70s your players are painfully sluggish.

- I guess this is what I need to get my head round.

It doesn't half become frustrating when your players are on average about 10 points better than the opposition but they are late into every loose ball. I swear I lose like 90% of loose balls from contested headers and clearances from corners etc.

It's just so hard to score on superstar. Feels like bashing your head against a brick wall. Mid to long range shots get blocked all the time, crosses always get cleared, if I sprint directly at the defence eventually I'll just get slide tackled straight on, through balls over the top always get cleared by defenders (not to mention my strikers reluctance to run in behind).

I'll keep grinding away and hopefully when I get my team spirit towards 90 things will start to improve. I'll need to resist my natural temptation to go all 'Arry Redknapp when the transfer windows come round so to keep the team spirit up.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Where I'm at in my 2nd ML season on superstar. Far too many draws :no:

My squad (which makes it all the more embarrassing!)

Niasse, Nolito, Hernanes, Saul, Xabi Alonso, Pulisic and Muniain are all on loan - the best way I've found of getting round a tight salary budget

 

[Silver Surfer]

Where I'm at in my 2nd ML season on superstar

Not sure why your Dembele doesn't have a face picture, mine does? I can see you have a wealth of LWF talent - are you training Dembele to play a new position? He would probably learn RWF faster than RMF.

I'm half way trough my 3rd season and he's just 'flourished' to reach 84 OvR - one of the best young players in the game for sure. If you look at my ML Journey thread you can see his stats

 

[DunkLFC]

Yeah, slowly but surely, as your Team Spirit rises and your players gain higher dribbling skills they'll be able to dribble the ball within 5 yards of the opposition without being easily mugged.

I still get little joy from heading crosses though, as my best attackers are not that great with their head. I made it a focus for the January transfer window that I've just entered to get in one young star striker who is good in the air. I tried for the regens : Klose, Toni and Huntelaar. The first two said no and joined other teams, while Huntelaar has agreed a salary that I cannot meet, so I've stuck a few fringe players on the transfer list. In PES 2016 Klose was my super hero striker, so I was hoping for a reunion.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Not sure why your Dembele doesn't have a face picture, mine does? I can see you have a wealth of LWF talent - are you training Dembele to play a new position? He would probably learn RWF faster than RMF.

I think the reason he doesn't have a face picture is something to do with editing I've done. He may be a duplicate of the real one from the licensed Dortmund - I haven't checked yet and didn't hesitate in signing him even though it makes things seem a bit artificial.

Probably a weakness of mine but I like to sign highly rated players when I can rather than when I need to :laugh:

I think I put him at RMF as his OVR was slightly higher than at RWF. That's why Nolito (who has just taken Pulisic's place) is at LWF and I don't have symmetry I sometimes forget to fix everything in my team when I make new signings - hence why Falcao is captain. I'm training Xabi Alonso the captaincy role right now.

Dunk...

I have some decent headers of the ball in my team but don't have much luck with crosses either, especially from corners. I've tried everything; short corners then swinging it in, deep corners with headers back across goal, near post flick ons... none have been very successful.

Yea Klose should be good in the air, I wonder if he still has his frontflip celebration

I just had the same situation as you when Correa (at Atletico) became available on a free as his contract was running out. I couldn't afford his salary and would have had to release like 5 of my squad players. I decided against it as it would probably have disrupted my team spirit.

 

[DunkLFC]

I got baby Huntelaar and baby Buffon, just completing with 1 hour remaining on deadline day, but had to sell two players including Lobato and release another to gain salary budget. Lobato simply didn't fit in enough to justify his salary. Especially since his electric pace is less useful than it would have been in PES 2016. And he can't head a ball for toffee.

 

[valencia5]

Form arrows are massive. For example a player rated 72 might perform like 78/79 on the highest form but like 66-67 on the lowest.

Hey Tross old buddy...I've known about this forever as it's always been a feature but...what I want to know is the mechanism for it...

It seems completely random...Doesn't seem very often people can go through hot streaks or slumps of form...

I would expect if my false 9 is getting crushed on the attack trying to dribble and create for a few games his form might suffer from taking a beating physically...

Or if someone's confidence is up...he plays better and keeps playing better...

Seems like someone can be UP one game, three days later DOWN, and then UP again...don't get it...any insight?

 

[DunkLFC]

Hey Tross old buddy...I've known about this forever as it's always been a feature but...what I want to know is the mechanism for it...

It seems completely random...Doesn't seem very often people can go through hot streaks or slumps of form...

I would expect if my false 9 is getting crushed on the attack trying to dribble and create for a few games his form might suffer from taking a beating physically...

Or if someone's confidence is up...he plays better and keeps playing better...

Seems like someone can be UP one game, three days later DOWN, and then UP again...don't get it...any insight?

I know I'm not Tross but ... it's exactly as you suspect it is, with three exceptions.

Firstly, each player has a Form stat, so those with a low rating will more likely be a down arrow and vice versa. I don't buy anyone with lower than a 4 out of 8 and even then they have to be very good in other areas.

Secondly, there's the "Bad Boy" Team Role. If you play well with him and he gets a good match rating, the arrow is up for the next match and vice versa. If you bench the player when his arrow is down, it never rises. I had one of these players and he lasted half a season before being transferred.

Lastly, your young players will periodically go through a few months of being in tip top form where they are learning from every match played. This is indicated by the throbbing up arrow. Your coaching staff will tell you this and also the commentary will mention this player at the start of some matches, stating he's one to watch at the moment as he seems to be going from strength to strength.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

Approaching January window in my third season now. I squeezed into the Championship playoffs in 6th position last season but romped the playoff matches beating Burnley 3-0 and 4-1 then Newcastle 3-0 in the final to go up. Early in the season I was a draw specialist but as my team spirit grew and Niasse found a vein of form I managed to string some wins together.

In the the Prem I've actually started very strongly to my surprise, as I didn't make too many big signings over the summer from Championship to Prem. I put it down to team spirit and some players having growth spurts at a good time.

 

[Kru23]

I had to switch from superstar to top player, superstar I could hardly get any shots. I think I scored once in 7 games and it was a fluke goal.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

I had to switch from superstar to top player, superstar I could hardly get any shots. I think I scored once in 7 games and it was a fluke goal.

Yea I remember battling through this for just about my whole first season. Then there are the games where I'd get 7 or 8 shots on targets and have their keeper scrambling all over the place then someone like Anthony Knockaert or Will Grigg would score a screamer from 25 yards and I'd lose 1-0 with that being their only shot on target in the whole game.

Once I got the basis of a stronger 11 and my team spirit up to the 70's or 80's it became possible to win games much more easily. If I had to go through that again I would, it makes it all the more rewarding when you get things together and start to climb the league table.

 

[Kazuki_Ito]

I'm now in the middle of the off season after my 3rd ML season. I came 5th in the Prem last season, reasonably happy to miss out on CL places so I can try my luck in the Europa League.

Here are some pics...

I play with classic players on so I had Claudio Lopez on a season long loan from Bayern Munich. He probably didn't do as well as his stats would have suggested.

Correa from Atletico has slotted in very nicely, he's just the kind of player I wanted to play as my SS.

Witsel was a good loan signing for a season too but he's getting to be past his best so probably a good time to hand him back to Spurs who had signed him.

I signed Moussa Sissoko, K. Iwao and a couple of others on frees or cut price deals cos they were transfer listed. I'm going to try and move them on just to make a bit of profit.

I promoted Maxwell from the youth team basically because he was the best player (by OVR) in there. I don't play with fullbacks but he does a pretty good job in CM when called upon - a good utility player.

De Sanctis is turning into a really good keeper with stats of 85+ in most of the GK areas.