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When you are playing football manager, one of the aspects of the game you need to get to grips with quickly is the tactical side of the game. I have found in the latest versions of football manager having a good understanding of the different player roles, how you can use them to get the best out of players and how you can link them together to get a tactic that works is vital. You will find when you play football manager the match engine allows for a 2d view, which is pretty much a birds eye view. There is also a 3d view, which depending on your computer, it can be a good idea to watch games in 3d. With the number of different camera angels available, it can be confusing to know which one is the best to use.
Watching matches in 2d match engine view
If you decide to watch the matches in a 2d view, this can have a number of benefits. Personally if I am trying out a new tactic for my team or I want to check on the movement of players, then I will watch games in 2d mode. For example if you have an inside forward and you would like to check how often he is making diagonal runs or if you have enough players finding the runs your inside forward is making, then watching the match in 2d view can help with this. I also like the simplicity of the 2d match engine on football manager, sometimes when watching the games in 3d view, there can be a lot going on and it can be easy to start watching the ball, rather than the tactics you are trying to create and checking up on the player movement and how the players are passing and linking together. If you have the 2d match engine on a slower pace, especially when you are testing out a new tactic, this can help you to understand your tactics better, see what is working or not working.
Watching matches in 3d view
Although I do like watching games in 3d view, there are lots of different camera angles so it can be difficult to know which one to use. Introduced into FM 2016 is the Prozone 3d match view, this is the one that I use the most as it is a wider view, so you can see more of the pitch. It also follows the pitch from a side on view, so you can check the shape of your defenders, if your midfield are tracking back etc. I mentioned earlier that watching games in 3d mode can lead to you watching the ball rather than the actual tactics their self. As a general rule, I will watch games in 2d mode when I am creating a new tactic to watch the shape and the movement of the players. I will then watch the matches in 3d mode with extended highlights when I am a bit happier with the tactics and the way my team is playing. When I am happy with the shape of the team and how everyone is performing, when I will switch to just show the key highlights. It is important every so often to have a check on how the tactics are working and if there is anything you can improve upon, so every so often I will again go back to watching a full match in 2d mode and then with extended 3d highlights again for a different angle.
How do you watch matches on Football Manager? Tweet me @fmyouthdev
