After playing FM08 for some time now, with rather limited success. I do now belive I have understood an important issue. For many games I have experienced the same as many others in here. 30 shots on goal, the opponent had 2/3 and I'd loose 0-1 or worse.

But I had a little eye-opener some games ago. I played away against one of the best teams in my league. They had an offencive midfielder who were the key to their success with his smooth passing and creativity. Needless to say I was 2 goals behind at half time. I realized I needed to stop him somehow and since I had nothing to loose now was the perfect time to try something new.

For some of you this seems obvious and I do so to now, but I have been reluctant to make to much changes I'm not sure of the outcome of. I put full closing down on their offencive midfielder as well as hard tackling. I also put in a central midfielder with high agression and tackling. This totally changed the game. It seemed he couldn't handle the pressure and the issue of getting hammered at every touch. My player got a yellow card after just 10 mins, but after that their player was out of the game entirely.

They still had quite a lot of chances, but most where shots from way outside the box. Most went wide, the rest were easy for my keeper. The match ended 3-2 to me, and their vital player got a rating of 5(after having 8 by half time). He had 8 shots and 0 on goal after half time. In total they had 28 shots 6 on goal, I had 10 shots 6 on goal. Finally it was my turn to be on the winning side of a game of this kind!

Setting the opposition instructions correctly is an often forgotten tool to winning in this game

Well done! :thup:
Did your assman congratulated you after the game?
I had him once congratulate me when i turned a 2-0 loss into a 4-2 win, but that was more because of my team talk i think.

Nope, no grats from the assman, but the media called it a "superb tactical victory" or something like that!

The best thing is I now have moved from a 17th place up to a 7th in the league since my "discovery". I still lose some and draw some(especially against lower teams in cups ), but all in all, I'm understanding more and more and it's getting better and better! :thup:

The OP and the second poster are both right.

Yes opposition instructions I often forget or even ignored them, they are now are very important tool of the management game for me now, and helps me changes games when I watch the game when it isn't going my way.

Just played against a side that had a very talented AM did just what XaW mentions tweaked my formation to CM --> DM with hard takle and close down on their AM helped loads.

If I don't do this I'm normally on the receiving end of a right old thumping.

But the team talks play a factor, normally I say the same thing over and over again, the time I switch normally has the opposite effect though.