Posted on November 13, 2020 | ⌚ 3 min read
Fm21 Brentford Guide
Brentford have been the leaders in this field, revolutionising their recruitment set up and using Expected Goals to identify and sign undervalued talents. FM21 also introduces xG match stories. The first week of FM21 was spent experimenting and working out how best to combine these ideas. Attempt 1 – Brentford The first dip into the game was essentially taking my FM19 system and applying it to Brentford to see if the basic ideas still worked in the game. 29% of Norwich attacks this season have happened centrally, and only two other league teams have a higher percentage (Wycombe and Brentford). Todd Cantwell and Emi Buendia often tuck into central areas aiding the central play, leaving only the two wing-backs offering width. And it's the two (Cantwell and Buendia) who provide the team with.
It has been three days since the release of the FM2021 beta, and I have clocked 20 hours already on it, taking Brentford to the top of the championship winning streak all the way till December, while learning my way through the massive changes SI applied to the series.
Football Manager 2021 is by far THE BEST iteration of the game so far. While some changes are hard to accept, but its final effect makes the simulation of a football manager much more immersive. Here I will discuss my verdict of the game:
FM21 is very much more quicker than FM20
The game is much more optimized and snappy. Saving in particular is much more quicker. On average, my game saves in around 4 seconds as compared to 10+ seconds on FM20. Loading new careers, switching between panels, processing breaks and matches are all much more responsive and quicker.
A complete remake of (almost) the entire UI
The UI has seen much makeover. The whole game looks futuristic, and data is being churned in visuals and fuzzy logic rather than numbers. The match sharpness and condition numbers are gone, and is instead indicated with coloured hearts indicating Peak, Good, Fair etc. condition. At first it may seem annoying, but it is more realistic, and helps avoid the OCD of many players.
Match view have been completely overhauled. More information are available to you at a glance, allowing you gauge your players' performance, and condition. On the downside, the match panels are removed, and are new available between highlights, or by clicking the small white box in the bottom right.
While it allows for less clutter, it hides some info behind a click or two, which can be a bit bothersome.
The biggest negative of the entire UI changes is removal of the analysis and stats tabs from during the match. You can only view stats and analysis during the halftime, or at full time. While I admit it is much more realistic that way, but it removes a lot of insight from you during the match. On the plus side, it forces you to pay more attention to what is happening on the pitch.
xG and a host of new data analysis
My favourite new addition is xG. Expected goals work just like in real life, giving you a real indication of teams' performance, which can be misleading if based on CCCs only. Another sweet analysis is defensive and attacking efficiency of a team, which is presented to you in the pre match opposition report (and own team analysis). It shows you a matrix of how your defensive and attacking play is in comparison with the rest of the league, which is a great indicator of how well you are doing, and where you need to improve.
Overhauled press conferences and conversations generally
The old boring press conferences are history now. In FM21, there is a new gesture system that works in a similar way to the old tones system (in addition to throwing water bottles and kicking chairs!). The choices are, however, almost the same, but are grouped according to their effect, (positive, negative, promises, convincing, etc.). You can also chat with player agents to gauge the availability of their clients.
Tactical animations of player roles
Tactics has not seen much change, although one important addition happened in the tactics creator. Similar to the animations of the preset styles, there are now small animations of how each role plays out. It is incredibly handy to highlight the differences between the roles, and assist in creating a better tactic.
Massive improvement in Match Engine
Graphics wise, the ME is much more polished and appear more modern compared to FM21. Animations are 'blended' more, and appears smooth and natural.
Performance wise, games are more 'natural'. You see players lobbing keepers in one-on-ones, wingers (finally!) crossing without shooting in the side netting or the defenders, players realizing they are offside, better through balls and a much better ability to create passing triangles. Rarely players miss point blank headers and shooting from impossible angles. I personally enjoy watching matches in this ME, without raging every other highlight.
There are a host of improvements, but these are what caught my eye most. I am quite satisfied with FM21 and it is definitely the best FM to date.
Did you thing there is any more critical improvements I missed? Remote pc connection. Feel free to share it in the comments!
The Championship, in my opinion, is the most competitive and entertaining league in world football. Every year it's jam-packed with shock results, unpredictable relegation scraps, guaranteed dark horses and surprise packages, and so much more.
There's nothing not to love! So here's a guide to the top 5 best teams to manage in the Championship on Football Manager 2021.
1. Brentford
Brentford were very unlucky not to get promoted in the 2019/20 season and are likely to lose a lot of key players this transfer window, with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Saïd Benrahma inevitably attracting interest from Premier League clubs. So it will certainly be an interesting challenge managing the Bees.
They will however make a substantial amount of profit on those two sales should the pair leave the West London side, which will allow for you to make a number of signings to make the promotion push again this season.
Brentford are currently being linked with moves for the likes of Ivan Toney who for sure would be a delight to use in the their set up. Brentford also have an impeccable scouting system, which in real life has seen them pick up gems for minimal amounts of spend. In previews saves, I've seen Brentford's scouts be poached by Premier League sides, so that's certainly something you could use to your advantage.
2. Wycombe Wanderers
A Wycombe save has the potential to be an interesting one, to say the least. Many Football League fans were blown away when Gareth Ainsworth's men defeated Oxford United under the arch of Wembley to gain promotion to the Championship.
After finishing 8th in League 1, two places outside the play off positions, the season was concluded early due to COVID-19 concerns and the final league table was decided based on a points-per-game system. Due to Wycombe having games in hand, this meant they were awarded a finish in the play offs, which was certainly met with some questions being asked of the method.
Remarkably, Wycombe are now a Championship club and would be an exciting and interesting challenge to see if you could take them one step further, to the promised land. With a small budget, and being seen as a ‘small club' compared to some teams in the Championship, Wycombe would certainly be a challenge, but who doesn't love an underdog story?
Fm21 Brentford Story
3. Millwall
No one likes them, and they really don't care. Can you take Millwall to the top flight once again and become a legend at the Den? For me, Millwall could prove to be dark horses in the Championship promotion race this season.
With one of the smaller budgets in the league, Neil Harris made the Londoners a defensively solid team who were very difficult to beat, especially at home. That's no surprise with an atmosphere like Millwall have, intimidating like no other ground.
Gary Rowett has taken over and introduced a more attacking style to the Lions and mounted a late play off push towards the later stages of the previous campaign. So with a few signings, to add to the likes of Troy Parrott who has joined on a season-long loan from Tottenham, Millwall could be a decent option to go with next year.
4. Preston North End
Preston are always the side who seem to challenge all season long and just fall away at the few final hurdles, but can you take them that one step further?
It's been 60 years since the Lilywhites have experienced top-flight football, but after recent seasons, you get the feeling the next appearance in the top division isn't too far away. They have some top-quality players such as Ben Pearson, Ben Davies, Alan Browne, and Scott Sinclair, who are all more than impressive on Football Manager.
The only position they really lack is an out-and-out goalscorer. So get that choice of forward right, and you could earn Preston that hugely desired promotion. But with one of the smallest budgets in the Championship and a very specific transfer policy, Preston would no doubt be a difficult save.
5. AFC Bournemouth
Finally, I've chosen a team that's been relegated from the Premier League in Bournemouth. Remote pc control free. I can see the Cherries losing a number of key players in this window and whilst making a lot of profit from those sales, buying the right targets that fit the Championship is never an easy job.
I believe there is going to be a much-needed rebuilding job at the club and that's why it could be the ideal Football Manager project. If they hold on to players such as Callum Wilson, promotion straight back to the Premier League could be on the cards, but if they don't get it right in the market, we could be seeing a Sunderland-style back to back relegation into League 1.
So certainly an interesting task at hand, all dependent on Bournemouth's activity in the window.
Tactical animations of player roles
Tactics has not seen much change, although one important addition happened in the tactics creator. Similar to the animations of the preset styles, there are now small animations of how each role plays out. It is incredibly handy to highlight the differences between the roles, and assist in creating a better tactic.
Massive improvement in Match Engine
Graphics wise, the ME is much more polished and appear more modern compared to FM21. Animations are 'blended' more, and appears smooth and natural.
Performance wise, games are more 'natural'. You see players lobbing keepers in one-on-ones, wingers (finally!) crossing without shooting in the side netting or the defenders, players realizing they are offside, better through balls and a much better ability to create passing triangles. Rarely players miss point blank headers and shooting from impossible angles. I personally enjoy watching matches in this ME, without raging every other highlight.
There are a host of improvements, but these are what caught my eye most. I am quite satisfied with FM21 and it is definitely the best FM to date.
Did you thing there is any more critical improvements I missed? Remote pc connection. Feel free to share it in the comments!
The Championship, in my opinion, is the most competitive and entertaining league in world football. Every year it's jam-packed with shock results, unpredictable relegation scraps, guaranteed dark horses and surprise packages, and so much more.
There's nothing not to love! So here's a guide to the top 5 best teams to manage in the Championship on Football Manager 2021.
1. Brentford
Brentford were very unlucky not to get promoted in the 2019/20 season and are likely to lose a lot of key players this transfer window, with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Saïd Benrahma inevitably attracting interest from Premier League clubs. So it will certainly be an interesting challenge managing the Bees.
They will however make a substantial amount of profit on those two sales should the pair leave the West London side, which will allow for you to make a number of signings to make the promotion push again this season.
Brentford are currently being linked with moves for the likes of Ivan Toney who for sure would be a delight to use in the their set up. Brentford also have an impeccable scouting system, which in real life has seen them pick up gems for minimal amounts of spend. In previews saves, I've seen Brentford's scouts be poached by Premier League sides, so that's certainly something you could use to your advantage.
2. Wycombe Wanderers
A Wycombe save has the potential to be an interesting one, to say the least. Many Football League fans were blown away when Gareth Ainsworth's men defeated Oxford United under the arch of Wembley to gain promotion to the Championship.
After finishing 8th in League 1, two places outside the play off positions, the season was concluded early due to COVID-19 concerns and the final league table was decided based on a points-per-game system. Due to Wycombe having games in hand, this meant they were awarded a finish in the play offs, which was certainly met with some questions being asked of the method.
Remarkably, Wycombe are now a Championship club and would be an exciting and interesting challenge to see if you could take them one step further, to the promised land. With a small budget, and being seen as a ‘small club' compared to some teams in the Championship, Wycombe would certainly be a challenge, but who doesn't love an underdog story?
Fm21 Brentford Story
3. Millwall
No one likes them, and they really don't care. Can you take Millwall to the top flight once again and become a legend at the Den? For me, Millwall could prove to be dark horses in the Championship promotion race this season.
With one of the smaller budgets in the league, Neil Harris made the Londoners a defensively solid team who were very difficult to beat, especially at home. That's no surprise with an atmosphere like Millwall have, intimidating like no other ground.
Gary Rowett has taken over and introduced a more attacking style to the Lions and mounted a late play off push towards the later stages of the previous campaign. So with a few signings, to add to the likes of Troy Parrott who has joined on a season-long loan from Tottenham, Millwall could be a decent option to go with next year.
4. Preston North End
Preston are always the side who seem to challenge all season long and just fall away at the few final hurdles, but can you take them that one step further?
It's been 60 years since the Lilywhites have experienced top-flight football, but after recent seasons, you get the feeling the next appearance in the top division isn't too far away. They have some top-quality players such as Ben Pearson, Ben Davies, Alan Browne, and Scott Sinclair, who are all more than impressive on Football Manager.
The only position they really lack is an out-and-out goalscorer. So get that choice of forward right, and you could earn Preston that hugely desired promotion. But with one of the smallest budgets in the Championship and a very specific transfer policy, Preston would no doubt be a difficult save.
5. AFC Bournemouth
Finally, I've chosen a team that's been relegated from the Premier League in Bournemouth. Remote pc control free. I can see the Cherries losing a number of key players in this window and whilst making a lot of profit from those sales, buying the right targets that fit the Championship is never an easy job.
I believe there is going to be a much-needed rebuilding job at the club and that's why it could be the ideal Football Manager project. If they hold on to players such as Callum Wilson, promotion straight back to the Premier League could be on the cards, but if they don't get it right in the market, we could be seeing a Sunderland-style back to back relegation into League 1.
So certainly an interesting task at hand, all dependent on Bournemouth's activity in the window.
In conclusion, we know the Championship is a league where anyone can beat anyone, which means any team can realistically mount a promotion push should they make some smart choices in the windows. So these are the 5 teams I'd suggest would be an interesting ride in the Championship. Good luck!
