Manager Career Mode has always been a favorite among fans of the franchise. There’s just something special about being in charge of the success of a football club, handling matters such as formations, tactics, transfer negotiations, press conferences, man management, and the like. But the journey isn’t straightforward, and every player will go about it at their own pace and style. That being said, this FIFA 23 Manager Career Mode Guide should certainly accelerate the process, so make sure to follow the tips up ahead!
Start Small
While it’s tempting to start your career off at your dream club, it’s not the wisest of decisions; I say this because the expectations for winning trophies will be much higher at these iconic clubs than at, say, mid-table teams. And when you are inevitably unable to fulfill these expectations due to lack of experience, you might get sacked! This makes sense in terms of real-world football as well. Look at Andrea Pirlo, former manager of Juventus, who had minimal experience in coaching teams. He was sacked in under a year due to not being able to meet the huge expectations at Juventus.
So my advice, start small. Start at mid-table teams where the pressure to win isn’t that high, and once you have the hang of Manager Career Mode, move on to bigger clubs with heftier contracts.
Improve Negotiations with Transfer Analyst
EA Sports has added Transfer Analysis to FIFA 23 Manager Career Mode. This essentially allows you to rate your transfer business in terms of fees and relevance to your squad. It’s a good way for you to learn how to handle negotiations better and whether you are overspending on deals you could have gotten for cheap.
Grading your transfer business
Transfer negotiations take place in a video sequence whereby you first meet the player’s coach to discuss the transfer fees, and if you reach an agreement, you then meet the player and his agent to discuss wages and squad roles.
If you are signing a player reaching the end of his contract, you shouldn’t need to spend too much on transfer fees. Furthermore, remember you also have the option to swap players, so there may even be occasions when you don’t need to spend a penny! So the key is to be well prepared before negotiating; study the market price of your target, consider potential swap deals, and consider the wages the player is currently on and the ones he would be willing to accept. The Transfer Analyst tool will grade your business which you can use to improve the next negotiation you take part in.
Transfer negotiation cutscene
Manage your finances sensibly, and use the new Budget Breakdown graphic to make better decisions in this regard to ensure you don’t go bankrupt. Remember that it will take some time to master the art of transfer negotiation, so be patient. Whether you are looking for experienced veterans or dazzling wonderkids to strengthen your squad, transfer analysis can take you a long way in getting a better deal.
Adjust your Tactics
Now something more general to boost your manager career: formation and tactics. As we all know, a game of football is not just won on the pitch but also on the tactics board. As a manager, this may be one of your most pivotal duties to ensure the success of your football club. Based on the quality of your squad and their preferred positions, you must first choose a formation that complements your players. It’s important not to play players out of position, as this could burden your gameplay and significantly hamper their development. Also, consider the custom tactics menu to adjust items such as depth, width, and playstyle. Refer to this article for more insight on formation and tactics.
Use Scouting Effectively
Scouting is a great way to identify young talented footballers such as Youssoufa Moukoko, who you can get for cheap and then develop into superstars in the future. You can ask your scouts to keep an eye on certain players, and after a while, they will provide you with a report detailing their current stats and overall potential ratings in the future. The scout will also give his viewpoint on the player in question, and if it’s a positive one, such as “An exciting prospect,” it’s safe to say you should look to make him your new signing.
Send out your scouts!
Remember to scout players wisely; you don’t want to send your scouting agents after players for whom you don’t even have space in the squad. Look for positions where you need starters or depth; for example, if you already have 5 quality midfielders in your squad, there’s little point in looking for more. Also, keep in mind that scouting for young players means you are not looking for immediate impact; instead, you are looking to develop their game over time.
Training Sessions
Like the FIFA 23 Player Career Mode, training is an integral part of Manager Career Mode. Here, training is important in two dimensions; sharpness and fitness. Essentially, the more training sessions you conduct, the greater the player’s sharpness but, the lower the player’s fitness. As the manager, it’s up to you to find the perfect balance to ensure your players perform well but don’t get fatigued or injured during matches.
A handy tip would be not to waste time manually playing the training sessions every time; instead, get a good grade in them once and then simulate them the next time. This will save a lot of your time and prevent the training process from becoming monotonous. You can also follow different training plans for different players. For instance, younger players can be asked to participate in training sessions far more often than, say, veterans near the end of their careers.
How can I make Manager Career Mode easier?
One way is to reduce the match difficulty from the settings. If you want to simplify the experience further, you can set Transfer Negotiations to not be as strict before starting up your career. This should allow you to get the best young players on your transfer list much more easily.
Conclusion
That’s about it for this FIFA 23 Manager Career Mode Guide. These tips should hopefully jumpstart your career as a manager and provide you with the shortest route to success. As you gain experience and win trophies, offers from bigger clubs such as Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich will start to roll in. Be patient, and you will eventually get to manage your dream club! Then you’ll be all set to make it one of the giants of the game, if it isn’t already!
