Jaw Knee Rot Tin

How much influence do your pre-match media comments have over the outcome of a game?
Example:
I recently played Espanyol in the final of the Copa Del Rey. I was prompted to comment pre-match upon their AMR and suggested Espanyol had more to worry about my team (Real Sociedad) than we did about their AMR (my AMR is Arshavin). Their guy had reasonable stats, but nothing special, and his season performance average was just that – average.
The reaction of my own team to my comments was positive. Their AMR was determined to do well against us.
Sure enough he played really well and scored their first goal (the first he’d scored all season ). My entire team, back to front, were crap for the first 45 minutes – all sixes except one DC who had a 5!! It was the worst 45 minutes all season despite my team having a pre-match positive attitude and high morale (we’re lying 3rd in La Liga with only Barca and Valencia ahead of us and had only lost 4 games all season).
We went in 2 nil down at half-time with their AML getting the second – it was also his first goal of the season
We did rally in the second half but it was hard work and eventually lost (undeservedly of course ) 1-2.
I have attributed the defeat largely to my pre-match comments but I’m not entirely sure of the effect of pre-match comments. Undoubtedly some will say “it’s your tactics”. All I can say is I beat them 3-0 in the league only a fortnight before the cup final so I felt I had a pretty good handle on how the game would play out. And my pre-match team talk reflected the match odds (marginally in my favour) and my half-time team talk reflected the dire first-half performance.
Insight appreciated.

Fino

im presuming they do work and have a influence on the game, what i tend to do is in big games/finals select "do it for the fans" which seems to boost the players, and also ive noticed when ive been losing a game and select a half time team talk, my players come in the media after the match saying "the managers words at half time inspired them to victory", so yeah i suppose they do have an effect on the match outcome.

Chris Ritchie

He's talking about media, not team talks.

I still can't really get my head round either. I think team talks probably effect the game a bit too much.

Fino

so he is , yeah im not too sure if they effect much ot be honest, i think its just the team talk what has the effects, the media comments however could effect it as if u say for instance "we will beat your team easily" it would make the other team want it more, suppose it depends on the level of opposition.

stevie_G_32201

its your tactics....nah jut messin

this happens to me so now i just ignore the pre-match media interactions as they usualy make me lose. ive won a lot more games since ive stopped doing them. i dont comment on the other players before a game either.

TheWeem

Yeah i raerly answer pre-match to the media ...
1. It's a bit repetititve: " X team comes to town"
" X get ready for away day"

and i find that not answreing normally is a better idea and IMO actually affects the result of the game
Especially when some of your player's morale drop

brookie1402

There's a few explanations for this. Maybe the AI noticied how you played and beat them a fortnight before the final and amended their tactics to deal with you. Did you edit your tactics at all so they were different to when you beat them. Or it could be that their pleyers were more able to cope with the pressure of a big game.

sirdez24

I'm waiting for SI to intorduce a window that comes up after you start the second half which says: "Unfortunately you got your half time team talk wrong. Would you like to take the loss and quit now?"

DietSpam

I just ignore the media. Like real life, they are nothing but trouble.

pelicanstuff

I generally focus on countering complacency in games which I am the favourite for. This seems to work rather well for me.