Issues with FM15 I'd like to see resolved in FM16

Okay, I admit I've played a fair amount since FM13. At present, according to Steam I've had 1846 hours in FM15 alone.

I adore the game, and the idea. It's great. But there are some important niggling issues that I think need attention.

One of my biggest bug bears with the game is how the board handles your expectations. This is pretty fundamental. As soon as you start to make any progress in the game the expectations of the board become unrealistic, and all this happens too quickly. I've seen this time and time again, no matter whom I manage, and where I end up and it sort of ruins the experience. I can see how it works, but it is handled wrong in my opinion.

For example, I am currently playing as Brighton, in 2019. I started out with little experience, and got a job with Ayr in the Scottish League in 2014. I was poached by Brighton after 2 successful seasons and thought I'd take it on. I have since risen through the English leagues and am at a point now where I am rather fortunately competing for the top spot in the Barclays Premier League. I have lots going for my club. I am rich, and have a wealth of backroom staff from all over the world. I also have some incredible first team players and some excellent youth. I pride myself in bringing in young players to nurture into first team members. In my opinion by the end of the season I am comfortable 5th place, or maybe as high as 3rd if I get lucky. But I am no winner, not yet. I am working towards that end of course. Now this is where the board set highly unrealistic targets.

Just because I have played a fairly consistent game, and have a number of high quality players, they expect me to win the league. No top 5 finish, top 3, or competing for the win. Just the win. Even though I've not been anywhere near a win in the past.They also expect me to reach the final of the Champions League, and win almost everything else. Please. Apart from this being unrealistic it has consequences further into the season. My highest finish in the league has been 3rd, but I was a good 15 points off the eventual winner and I have won the Capital One twice. But I got knocked out the CL in the first playoff this season. Yet I was expected to reach the final. The media say that I am 'struggling' in the league yet I am comfortably in second place, just 1 point behind the leaders. How is that struggling? As a result of this, some of my players are now showing signs of becoming unsettled. For instance, a 20 year old winger whom I bought in as a 17 year old and trained him up before moving into his first season is asking for more first team matches. Yet his is only a rotation option and has already played a large proportion of the games. It is only October for heavens sake. This is all related to the board expectation throughout the season. This leads on to bad morale of course. As soon as I draw a game - not lose, draw, it kills my morale. After a single draw, my players are less happy. I mean, go figure. Just because they haven't won every game by 20 goals. It's pretty bonkers really don't you think?

So how could it be improved?

I agree the board expectations aren't perfect, however the scenario you describe isn't all that far-fetched. In real life the cover for that would simply board wanting to replace you with a higher profile manager, a cheaper manager, a manager with less influence, whatever. FM needs to pad that kind of thing out, what we're really lacking is some justification. Such justification should come directly from the board or from some speculation in the media.

Its the same with the players, are their agents forcing moves? is the player just wanting to kick up a fuss to get a new deal? is the player just a total mong?

FM can be very, very frustrating. For the most part you just have to take it on the chin and accept the limitations in place. One thing I've wanted for years is for the Chairman and Board Members to have actual profiles with stats, personality descriptions, etc. This would help add a bit of character and depth to board interactions and decisions.

Yes that's a really good idea. If they had stats it would help a lot to understand where the decisions were made. I took another look at this particular young player and I believe it was his agent interfering The player himself was a loyal and well liked guy, so his behaviour was out of character.. I've actually stopped playing as Brighton for a while and moved on to another save so I will have to get back to it one day.. Maybe all this will resolve itself in FM16..

The agents can totally screw you over, I renewed one of my players deals last year and I couldn't get the deal done unless I gave the agent a £5m fee. When a new contract request comes in you can thankfully ask the player to sack his agent and sometimes when buying a player if you can't agree negotiations the player will sack his agent after the failure and you can just rebid and renegotiate.

It happened to me a few years ago and after sacking an agent a players wage demands went down from 50kish to right under 30k