Championship Manager Season 02/03 - Strategy Guide
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Championship Manager Season 02/03 - Strategy Guide.
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Championship Manager Season 2002/03- Copyright 2003 Kyle Frazer
Version 1.1
===============
=The Legal Bit=
===============
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or
otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
==============
=Distribution=
==============
The websites that have this FAQ with my permission are as follows:
www.gamefaqs.com
www.thunderbolt.be
www.cheatcc.com
www.neoseeker.com
If you would like this FAQ to be posted on your site, then please email me
first.
==========
=Contents=
==========
1.0- Version History
2.0- Starting Off
2.1- Board Expectation
2.2- First Team
2.3- Staff
2.4- Training
2.5- Training Session
3.0- Strategies
4.0- Formations
4.1- Formation Reviews
5.0- The James2 Academy
6.0- Transfers
6.1- Buying Players
6.2- Selling Players
7.0- Crisis
7.1- Scoring
7.2- Defending
7.3- Injury
7.4- Morale
7.5- Lack of Cash
8.0- Contacts
9.0- Credits
=====================
=1.0 Version History=
=====================
Feb 24th 2003- compiled a list of my finds and thought 'hey, why not write an
FAQ?' This is the start of Version 1.
Feb 25th- basic Sections are labeled.
Feb 28th- first section (first team, board expectations etc) is in
first draft.
March 1st- Strategies explained
March 5th- Buying and selling players section in first draft.
March 12th- Players list uploaded.
March 23rd- Crisis section completed in first draft.
March 24th- first section written up into final draft.
March 25th- added new players to 'best' list.
March 26th- compiled list of 'golden oldies'.
March 28th- Strategies explained in more detail. Buying and selling
tips is now in final form.
April 1st- Ade Akinbiyi is added to 'best players' list.
*APRIL FOOLS JOKE*
April 2nd- Ade Akinbiyi deleted from list.
April 3rd- Find a top players list on GameFAQS. make decision to cut
my players list from final draft. They will now be submitted to
Lukeomac's list.
April 4th- Added Copywrite information.
April 12th- Finished FAQ and submitted to GameFAQS
April 14th- Realised I wrote it up in Word and not Notepad. Threw
tantrum.
April 15th- Began to copy over to Notepad.
April 20th- Changed bits and pieces around, deleted contents, added
my formation. Had a beer cos iv just completed my first FAQ.
April 21st- Started work on V1.1. I tidied up the topic headers by putting
fancy '=' around them. looks better anyway. Added new tips in 'Buying Players'
and have started to experiment with different
formations. Hopefully i can start a new section in which i review
different formations. If you want to submit a review, email it to me (address
at the bottom of this FAQ). Also added a contents page.
April 24th- Removed the training section. I wasn't happy with results, and will
be re-written as i figure out a better routine.
Added Cheatcc.com and Neoseekers.com to the distribution list (thanks guys) as
they emailed me and asked if they could have my FAQ.
For those looking for quality players, you wont find them here. Luke o Mac has
put my list into his guide titled 'top players guide'. so go there for the best
around. Its being updated alot too so ill be contributing many of my 'gems'
there in the future.
April 28th- I have been reviewing my training sessions and have found a great
way to maintain fitness and improve stats. It has been added under the section.
also fiddleded around with a few other tactics although they need more work
before being reviewed.
==================================================================
This FAQ was written with knowledge and information from the
Standard English League. Buying players from England for a club
outside the UK may play differently or stats may have changed.
==================
=2.0 Starting Off=
==================
Once you've chosen your name and nationality, its time to take charge
of a club. For newcomers it might be tempting to take over
Manchester United, but my advice is to take over the club you support.
This way you are much more familiar with the players which will help
you on the field and in the transfer market.
If you decide to delve into the lower depths of the leagues then it
would be wise to spend time looking for a club with the finances and
staff to give you a good start-off. Or, for the ultimate challenge, a
club that hasn't!
Building a squad to your tastes will often cost money, so its best to
start off browsing through out-of-contract players or those near the
end of their current one. Each manager has different views of making
a good side, but my advice is to buy young and cheap with a view to
train up and sell, especially if you are a lower league side.
=======================
=2.1 Board Expectation=
=======================
On the first day of a new season the board will tell you what they
expect the team to achieve.
Improve squad- for teams that have been relegated from the previous
season. Your job here is to gain momentum for a possible push towards
promotion the following season.
Battle bravely against relegation- most common for newly promoted
teams in the premiership, fans and the board expect a rough time and
to spend most of the season in the bottom half of the table. Doing
everything it takes to avoid the drop.
Stay clear of relegation- keeping the club away from a relegation
battle will please the board and fans.
Respectable league position- top half of the table is enough to win
respect but challenging for a play-off place or Europe will make the
board ecstatic. Just be sure to keep away from an un-nerving lower
table battle.
Expect play-offs- the board feel that the club has spent enough on
resources and would know like to see you grabbing a place in the
play-offs. Nothing more is expected, and anything less will be
tolerated. Not career threatening but better results will be expected
sooner or later.
Expect promotion- the board feel that every available resource has
been poured into the club and will become impatient should the club
fail to match the behind-the-scenes effort on the pitch.
Expect European qualification- although Europe can be achieved
through fair play and cup winning, its league position that the
directors want. Europe can generate a lot of cash and they feel that
the club should be competing at this level to proceed successfully.
Serious championship challenge- you have the financial security, the
best players and a big fan base. Only silverware can complete the
collection and the board want it now.
================
=2.2 First Team=
================
These are the men that will do the business on the pitch. My general
rule of thumb is to have two players of each position in the first
team to cover any injuries or suspensions. Then you should drop those
that are ineligible to play in favour of reserve players that are in
good form. First teamers in bad form should be dropped for a few
games to the reserves so it freshens the squad up.
Those in the first team should have roles such as 'squad rotation',
'important first team player' and 'indispensable to the club'.
Players deemed as 'back up' should be in the reserves and are
those that will take the place of members in the first team.
Young talent such as 'hot prospects' and 'good young players'
should have an eye kept on them, although your deputy will
inform you of youngsters playing well. Players 'not wanted'
should be placed on the transfer list unless your coaches
think otherwise.
===========
=2.3 Staff=
===========
To be successful you need the right people behind you to assist in
training and preparation of your squad, as well as giving trust-worthy
opinions on players you wish to buy and sell.
Assistant manager- by far the most important of the crop, this should
be the main man for opinions. He should have well-rounded skills with
high attributes in each area, but especially in scouting, coaching and
man management. It is important to be confident in your deputy because
he runs the reserve team (you can take control though) and its here
where your youngsters on the brink of success will be learning the
trade.
Coaches- these train up your young players and keep your top-earners
in good form. Good attributes in coaching, motivation and tactical
knowledge. Together with your deputy you can request reports on
players. These are done without the player in-questions knowledge and
can guide you to the games many hidden attributes. It's also
essential if you can't decide whether a player has potential or not.
Physio- these are the people that look after the health of your
players. To see if a player is injury prone, these are the people to
see.
==============
=2.4 Training=
==============
Training is one of the most important aspects of football management.
The maintenance and modification of your player's abilities requires
the dedicated services of your coaching staff. Through them you can
prepare and prime each player in order to maximise their playing
attributes, fitness and tactical knowledge.
Ignoring your training schedule will cause the assistant manager to
take over and organise training sessions.
However, to maximise the potential of training you must assign your
coaches to different areas of training. Putting a coach in an area
where he has low attributes will drag down the players in that area,
while putting a specialised coach in a session will cause them to rise.
As a rule of thumb assign coaches to three areas only in reference to
their attributes. This gives them time to give enough in each area.
=======================
=2.5 Training sessions=
=======================
Fitness- various managers put fitness first as the primary training
sessions. They feel that if their team can play fully for the whole
90 minutes they will have the edge over the opposition.
For other managers (including me) fitness is placed on a more general
level on parallel with a more technical approach.
The best way to go about training sessions is to arrange your players
into different groups. For example, defenders, defensive midefielders,
offensive midfielders and strikers should be seperated, as should
keepers.
Tactics should be on medium right the way through the range, as should
fitness and skills. Shooting should be set to light for defensive
players.
To get the best out of your players you need to rotate training
schedules. It is best to place skills and fitness around eachother,
ie fitness on intensive for a week or even a month, then drop back down
to medium and raise skills to intensive.
If you change tactics often, then you really need to give your players
intensive tactics training for about a month to get used to your
new 'killer tactic'!
Keepers should just be kept on intensive goalkeeper training. I have
tried giving them other training routines but it seems to make little
or no difference to their performances.
================
=3.0 Strategies=
================
Strategies determine the way your team plays. For novices, choose as
many of the pre-set ones in team instructions (pressing, counter
attack, offside trap and men behind ball) but experts might want to
choose the view option.
Pressing- makes the players close down the opposition, leaving them
with less time and space to make a pass. Most of the time it leads to
the opposition making a mistake and giving away possession.
This strategy is best used for teams that lack tackling power or if
the opposition are making far too many chances. Downside is your
players will get their stamina zapped.
Offside trap- the advantages of this are to catch the opposition
offside during an attacking move by them. Success kills the attack
instantly and by repeating can frustrate the opposition, meaning the
more aggressive forward will often get booked or sent off. The
obvious disadvantage is if it goes wrong then the striker is through
one-on-one with your keeper. Defenders with high anticipation and
positioning attributes are essential.
Counter Attack- often deployed away from home, this involves your team
getting behind the ball and suddenly breaking forward when gaining
possession. Good points are that it can leave the opposition
out-numbered at the back, but if the opposition are technical wizards
then prepare to defend for the whole game.
Men behind ball- does just what it says on the tin. Everyone defends,
making the opposing teams' chances even smaller. However, this means
no attacking moves at all, so either pair it with the counter attack
to suddenly break away or for the last 10 mins of one of those games
you are unbelievably winning.
For the experts, click on the view button in the tactics screen.
Here you have access to tell each individual player different
instructions.
Passing- if you want the ball to be moved fast up the wings but slow
in the middle, make the centre mids pass short and the wingers direct.
Attributes play a big part here, as a player with poor passing values
wont be able to cut it playing a short intricate balls. Long ball is a
more sensible tactic. Same goes for your best passers, set them to
better passing rather than just hoofing it up the field.
Tackling- assign the best tacklers to normal or hard tackling,
everyone else to normal, full backs to soft. Take note that hard
tacklers get injured easier.
Pressing- get players with high stamina to harass the oppositions'
creative player to minimise attacking chances.
Pass to- as default players will pass anywhere, but you might want
full backs to bang it up the wing to your gifted wingers or attacking
players to pass the ball out wide to get more crosses in the box.
Set pieces (A)- shove those with good finishing, jumping and heading
forward, those not so gifted drag back. Generally use wingbacks to
cover for the big men at the back, but if they have good heading too
then pull back wingers.
Set pieces (D)- same again, only down the other end. Those who go up
for corners should be pulled back, players who can't head to save
their life should be up the field ready to attack.
Free role- players with good influence on the squad should be given
the license to run riot. Your talented one(s) need good flair,
dribbling, creativity, passing, off the ball and technique stats to
pull through successfully. Veron and Beckham of Man U are a great
example.
Forward runs- assign your attacking midfielders and possibly full
backs to get forward to support the attack. Players need to be good
off the ball, have great anticipation and high stamina.
Run with ball- dribbling- everyone loves to see a players run rings
round the opposition. Select a man with great pace and dribbling to
be everyone's hero.
Hold up ball- great for wasting time, but even better for biding your
team with time to switch from defending roles to attacking.
Long shots- set the men with the range to wump a shot at goal. Last
resort of you can't get beyond the defensive line. Also great if the
keeper spills the shot, leaving your forwards with an opportunity to
score. Most of the time the ball will go into row z. you have been
warned.
Marking- self-explanatory. Zonal makes the player guard a particular
distance, say anyone within 10 feet he goes to mark.
Man-to-man makes him follow the opposition around and harass him.
None- best used for defending midfielders when combined with
pressing. The player won't give a damn about following the player and
instead will go for the ball.
Cross ball- reserved for wingers and full backs. Players need good
crossing and dribbling.
Play through balls- can split a defence wide open, but you need a
player with good creativity, passing, decisions and flair. Strikers need good
anticipation and pace to receive the pass.
Of course, not every team has world class players, but look around
the rest of the teams in the league. If you're best midfielder has a
passing stat of nine; he could well be a good player when compared to
the rest in the division. So base these strategies on the quality of
opponents, and not necessarily breaking the bank to bring in Zidane
or Figo.
================
=4.0 Formations=
================
There are many formations pre-set for you but the best bet is to make
your own. First of all, what players do you have? It's no good
playing four up front if you've only got one striker. Next scan
through your coaching staff and pick out what their preferences are.
Playing against these means your team won't receive the best training
available, so hire so new ones if you must.
First of all get a basic shape, like 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. Then go to the
with and without ball screens and place the players in the
appropriate positions. This will then make runs and even move players
on the formation screen to reflect their roles. So if you've got a
flat 4 across the middle and you want one player to sit behind the
forwards, you can either tell him to run to that position or move
him. Its no good putting a player in an attacking position if you
want him to defend everytime the opposition get the ball.
When playing friendlies tweak your tactics to suit your players and
the way they will contain the opposition. The best advice of all is
to keep tweaking your strategies and formation to accommodate new
ideas. Don't be afraid to experiment with it, especially if you are
finding it hard to win games. Finally have confidence in your
tactics. If you are unsure about it then review and change until you
are pretty sure that it's the best you can do.
========================
=5.0 The James2 Acadamy=
========================
There are many formations and many managers have their own preference
in what they consider a 'killer tactic'. for me, i like using a diamond
midfield, often a 4-1-3-2 or even 4-1-2-1-2. I find this very flexible
and i can move players around to new positions comfortably.
my current formation-
======LB----->=======================
====================OM----->=========
======CB=======================F=====
GK===========DM=====OM----->=========
======CB=======================F=====
====================OM----->=========
======RB----->=======================
Team Instructions- Attacking, short passing, normal tackling. Put on
the 'counter attack' away from home and mix with the 'Men behind ball'
in the last 10 mins of a winning game, home or away. Another good
tactic is to put all attacking players onto 'hold up ball'. this way
they time waste and keep possesion.
Full Backs- passing direct, no pressing, pass to left/right
(depending on side), forward runs, cross ball, zonal marking.
Centre Backs- passing direct, no pressing, man marking.
Defensive Midfielder- pressing, hold up ball, no marking.
Offensive Midfielders- pressing, Centre Midfielder to pass down centre,
forward runs, try thru balls, zonal marking.
Forwards- pressing.
set pieces (A or D)- players with good jumping and heading skills
should be sent up, as should good finishers.
for defending bring back those that can jump or header. Keep
wingers set on normal.
free role- a player with outstanding stats should be given a free role.
my best example is Veron from Man U.
dribbling- attacking players with a dribbling skill over 12 should run
on the ball.
long shots- if your DM has good long shots then set him to this.
===============
=6.0 Transfers=
===============
This section focuses on techniques in buying players. Being too rash when
rejecting bids can upset players, and you can lose out on millions if you dont
know how to handle player demands.
====================
=6.1 Buying Players=
====================
Take note that buying many players at a time may unsettle the fans
unless they are world class, in which the fans will be overjoyed.
When buying, try to pay over a period of 6 months or more, as this
allows you to buy many high-profile players at a time and keep the
bank balance in check. Just make sure you are making enough so you
don't go into debt. Failing that, ask to pay a certain amount after
a number of appearances. But make sure you have enough in the bank
when the player makes his final appearance otherwise you may become
overdrawn.
Attempting to buy a player can unsettle them if you pull out, so use
this tactic to cause un-rest in your next opposition if you are a big
club. This way the players wont be focusing on the game and you
should beat them.
=====================
=6.2 Selling Players=
=====================
Clubs wont bid 20 million for a player they've never even heard of,
so the only players you'll sell are the ones they see as prospects
for the future or are playing well for your club.
If you have cover for a player who's been bid for, then sell him.
Take into account though how much he's worth, what you bought him for
and how much profit you will make. Also, if he's under 26 he's still
got potential meaning in a few years he could be worth much more.
If all else fails, then either leave the player to run out of his
contract or release him. Doing the latter will mean you have to pay
compensation but if you need the space it is usually the best option.
If you wish to reject a bid then there's more to it than simply
saying 'no'. If you are a small club and a big club transfer bid for
a player, publicly refusing will probably unsettle the player,
especially if the club and player are foreign. The best way is to
set the 'make public' option to 'no' and then reject. This way its
between the two clubs and not via the media.
Unsettling a player may cause his performances to drop. In the most
extreme of cases he will fall out with members in the team, turn up
late for training or may walk out on the club. If he walks out you
still have to pay his wages.
============
=7.0 Crisis=
============
If, like me, you enjoy being in the media spotlight, then applying
for a job at a team in crisis may well appeal to you.
The fans and board will be more lenient if you go down, but will
expect you to work magic to achieve promotion back into the division.
There are many types of crisis that I have detailed here, but most
will be a cause of a club being near relegation for too long.
The best way to take these on is to remain calm and upbeat about the
situation. Defend your players against the media and take the flack
yourself. Stick to your tactics and training sessions too.
=============
=7.1 Scoring=
=============
If your players just cant seem to put the ball into the onion bag, go
into the tactics screen. Attacking midfielders and forwards with good
dribbling skills (12 and over) should run with the ball. People with
a long shot value over 15 should shoot from range. Make all your
attacking players use forward runs, have your most creative players
play through balls and wingers to cross it. Switch your play to
direct so the ball will get to the strikers quickly and play more
attacking.
If you are still having trouble then look to bring a talented
midfielder or a forward to the club on a bosman or on loan.
===============
=7.2 Defending=
===============
Lack of confidence in a club means they defend like donkeys. Set the
central defenders to long ball and man marking. Full backs should be
playing direct, running forward to support the attack and crossing
the ball. Playing with a defensive midfielder helps out the defence
and releases the full backs. Set the DM to no marking and pressing.
Holding up the ball with him will bide your side some time to get
forward and let the defence recover. Finally have a go in the
'without ball' screen under tactics. Set your defending players to
get back and your attacking players to not be far away. All the squad
except the central defenders should be pressing.
============
=7.3 Injury=
============
Players are more likely to get injured when low on fitness. Only
select players that are 94% and over, or nearest to it. The best bet
is to rotate the squad around. Not drastically like eight players at
a time but just changing two or maybe three. Putting the odd youth
player in will free up a first teamer for rest as well. Also try to
bring in players on loan to act as cover.
============
=7.4 Morale=
============
When a team is consistently playing bad morale will drop. Review your
tactics and defend your players against the media. You need everyone
behind you to pull out of the crisis so don't go blaming players for
bad performances. By all means gives players warnings that got a 3 in
the last match but don't go as far as fining.
By sticking to your guns and staying calm you will pull out of the
slump.
==================
=7.5 Lack of Cash=
==================
I really do think this is where I excel as a manager. The ability to
put together a squad that can stay in the top half of the table and cover for
any mishaps for little money will please the board no doubt. Of course, there
are those times when money has to be spent to ensure the services of a player
(i.e. Landon Donovan) but there are tons of quality players that you can sign
for free.
The disadvantage is when your club goes bankrupt. Any offer for a
player in your squad will be accepted so you will be in a similar
situation as Leeds United. The best way to stay out of financial
trouble is buying young players with a view to selling them on at a
later date. You cant ensure European qualification (take note Leeds fans) so be
prepared to sell.
==============
=8.0 Contacts=
==============
If you think you can contribute to this FAQ then email at:
bluetone76@hotmail.com
full credit will be given.
For the best gaming news and ratings visit:
www.thunderbolt.be
For more Help- during play, press the black button. go down to game options
then web sites. here are many CM-orientated sites with hints 'n' tips.
For a great list of players- view the best players list by lukeomac.
all of my gems should be in there as well as other great finds.
=============
=9.0 Credits=
=============
Thanks to GameFAQS for great gaming reference and news.
Thunderbolt.be for the chance to write about videogames.
SIGames for making the best manager game ever.
Microsoft having the guts to make a better console than the PS2 and
with a built-in hardrive. Together they make the best gaming
experience possible.
Thanks to all in advance for reading this FAQ. Its my first, and if you manage
to accomplish something thanks to this FAQ then at least its allbeen
worthwhile!
