EA Sports FC 24′s Manager Career mode is one that is loved by many. Being able to take any team and simulate real-life football is exhilarating, fully immersing yourself in the managerial world. Not only are you able to sign, sell, and loan players, but you can just about control everything to do with your club. With so many factors a successful manager has to consider, we’ve written up this article to aid you on your journey. That being said, this is a complete EA Sports FC 24 Manager Career mode guide.
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EA Sports FC 24 is available on PlayStation, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Getting Started
First, you’ll want to choose the club you’re going to manage. This can be any club that’s on the game, ranging from the best teams in Madrid and Barcelona, all the way down to the underdogs Wrexham and Forest Green. Afterwards, you’ll get to modify your manager’s appearance as well as any relevant information such as name and nationality. Make sure you pick a nation that you’d like to get managerial offers for in the future as it definitely helps a lot.
After that is all dealt with, you’ll be presented with a setting screen with a few options such as game difficulty and currency. You’ll find that there is an option called ‘negotiation strictness’. Setting it as loose allows for easier transfers while setting it as strict does just as the name suggests. Treat this as your ‘transfer’ difficulty option and choose accordingly.
Tactical Visions
This year, EA FC 24‘s Manager mode has gotten an overhaul in terms of strategy. After choosing (or creating) your club, setting up your game and creating your manager, you’ll be able to pick a specific ‘tactical vision’ that represents the squad’s playstyle. These tactics include: Standard, Wing Play, Tiki-Taka, Counter-Attack, Gegenpressing, Kick & Rush, and Park the Bus.
At the end of the day, whichever tactical vision you choose depends on your preferred style of play and the players that you have. If you’ve got plenty of midfielders with solid passing, you might want to opt for a ‘Tiki Taka’ system. However, if you’ve got pace in abundance but are missing a holding midfield to control play, maybe you’d be better off going for ‘Wing Play’.
Tactical Vision selection screen in Manager mode.
Tactical Visions Breakdown
If you’re unsure about what each tactical vision focuses on, you can check out the list below as we briefly explain their uses.
- Standard: A balanced approach to both attacking and defending, not leaning too heavily on one specific play pattern.
- Wing Play: Playing out-wide, using full-backs to their full effectiveness by letting them overlap. This means a lot of through balls, crosses, and spriting. You would need quick wingers and fast-paced fullbacks with decent dribbling and okay passing attributes.
- Tiki-Taka: Slow build-up play, focused on maintain possession and quick, one-two passes to get the ball behind the defence. Again, short passing is key.
- Counter-Attack: Mainly defensive, attempting to quickly begin a counter-attack once in possession. You’ll need some good midfielders, preferably agile ones that can turn quicky.
- Gegenpressing: Fast build-up play, with high press. Defending from the front and capitalizing on your opponent’s mistakes is the goal. You’ll need players with great stamina in order to use this tactic effectively. Also, it is vulnerable to counter attacks.
- Kick & Rush: Focuses on long balls behind the defensive line targeted at your strikers. You’ll need a Haaland-esq type of player with fantastic strength and decent pace in order to outpace and outstrength defenders.
- Park the Bus: Fully defensive, focused on maintaining possession and slow build-up play. Usually best with quality defenders and defensive midfielders. Players’ attributes that are best suited for this playstyle are interceptions, short passing, and strength.
Tactical Visions and coaches tutorial in Manager mode.
Worry not if you do not know which playstyle you want go for just yet. We’re still in September/October, meaning there’s plenty of time for you to experiment and play around with your squad. In fact, pre-season tournaments are a great way to do so whilst also earning a cash prize after winning. If things are rough in pre-season, you’ll be able to change your squad before facing your next opponent in order to see what works best.
Coaches
In Manager mode, players are divided into groups based on their position and a coach will need to be assigned to each sector. Players then are able to get boosts depending on the coach’s Player Development and Tactical Knowledge skills. Of course, you are granted the freedom of choice when picking a coach, being able to hire and fire as the season progresses. Each coach has their own specific rating in different criteria, making it easier for you to filter out the ones you do not need.
Coach selection screen in Manager mode.
How to Pick the Best Coach
First of all, you’ll need to turn your attention to the star rating regarding the relevant position of your choice. If you’re looking for a coach to improve your front 3, makes no sense to pick a coach with 5-star Goalkeepers skills but only 2-star in Attacking. Therefore, make sure you keep a look out on their rating. Afterwards, you’ll want to check their tactical vision and make sure it aligns with your team’s playstyle. If all is good until now, then you should focus on their ‘Knowledge‘ and make sure they are either Accomplished or Expert. Finally, in order to guarantee quality, you’d be best signing a coach that costs between 4,000 and 9,000 per week.
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- Tactical Visions and coaches tutorial in Manager mode.
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- Tactical Visions and coaches effects on the pitch explanation in Manager mode.
As your coach progresses with you and your squad, he will be able to receive upgrades and gain XP. As a result, he’ll boost your players even further!
Tactical Vision Scouting
Scouting is an essential part of Career mode as it helps you locate upcoming promising players with loads of potential. If you’re looking to sign some talent but do not know where to start, make sure to check out our guide on the best young players in EA Sports FC 24 Career mode. Regardless, you’ll want to be on the look out for young players making a name for themselves. Luckily, you won’t have to do this alone. With the help of coaches and scouting agents, you’ll be able to identify the next Cristiano Ronaldo pretty easily.
This year, they’ve introduced a new feature called ‘Tactical Vision Scouting’ which focuses on scouting players that fit best in your chosen tactical vision system of play. For example, if you’re going to play Wing Play, then tactical vision scouting will recommend players similar to that of Jeremy Doku and Alphonso Davies. Of course, you’re going to be likely dealing with new players that are young and inexperienced, so it’s great to have experienced scouts on the ready.
Trainings and Pre-Match Preparations
A lot of preparation and planning happens when there are big games or actually, any games at all. Football is all about the three points, the trophies, the glory, the success stories, and more. However, it’s a must that one’s squad is not only morally capable of handling the psychological aspect of things, but also physically able to put their bodies on the lines. This is why both training and pre-match prep are essential.
Manager Career mode main menu screen.
Pre-Match Preparations
Before important matches, you are able to gain access to pre-match reports that highlight probable line-ups and important information regarding your oppositions squad. Afterwards, you can initiate ‘Match Ready Training’ sessions that provide temporary playstyles for specific players just for that match. By doing so, you’ll be able to emulate real life managing by exploiting weaknesses and studying your opposition.
Trainings
There are two main stats you need to keep an eye on. These are ‘Fitness‘ and ‘Sharpness‘. Your main goal should always be to keep these meters as full as possible, guaranteeing that your players stay fit and focused. Fitness naturally goes down as a result of playing excessive matches without breaks while Sharpness is more correlated to their form itself. By setting up training plans, you can select ones that focus more on fitness or sharpness, depending on what you need.
Fitness, Sharpness, and Morale icons in EA Sports FC 24.
Training sessions are often usually simulated by most players but the results aren’t always great. If you’re looking to increase your players’ outputs during training, then maybe play a few sessions here and there. Otherwise, just keep an eye out on your Fitness and Sharpness levels and plan your squad rotation plans accordingly. Overall, for a smooth career experience, good planning is definitely needed.
Manager Rating and Squad Morale
Manager rating is without a doubt one of the most important features in Manager mode as it determines your overall level as a manager. Be wary that if it drops too low, you’ll get fired. The main way to ensure that you stay appointed at your chosen (or created) club is to fulfil the board’s expectations. These generally include targets such as winning the league, reaching the quarter finals in the Champions League, and so on.
If your rating drops below 40, there chance of you getting fired is extremely likely. Therefore, always try to stay on top of everything, winning as many games as you can. Of course, if you fail to meet the requirements of an objective it won’t be the end of the world. However, keep consistently underperforming and the board might just call Thomas Tuchel to come fill your shoes. A final thing to note is there are new dynamic moments available that mimic real life events such as the Ballon d’Or ceremony and bus parade celebrations.
That being said, this was a complete guide for EA Sports FC 24‘s Manager Career mode. For more relevant content, make sure to check out our articles on KeenGamer.
