FM26: What to do Before Clicking Continue

Starting a new Football Manager save can feel overwhelming, especially in a new edition with a fresh user interface and unfamiliar layouts. There is a lot to take in the moment you land on your inbox screen, (or should I say Portal?) and it is easy to rush straight into transfers or tactics before your club is properly set up. The good news is that you can make the early stages far smoother by completing a few key tasks before pressing Continue for the first time.

This guide walks you through the essential steps that lay the groundwork for a successful save, helping you understand your squad, organise your staff, and get your club running exactly how you want from day one:

Evaluate and Improve your Staff

Your staff are vital. They influence training quality, scouting accuracy, player development, match preparation, and even how efficiently the club operates behind the scenes.

How to access your staff

Go to:

Club > Staff > Club Staff

Here you will see three main areas:

• Coaching Staff
• Recruitment Staff
• Medical Staff

💡 If any roles appear greyed out, the club does not currently employ anyone in that position.

Placing job adverts

You can quickly fill gaps by clicking:

Actions > Place Advert

Choose whichever roles you need. For example:

• Coach
• Goalkeeping Coach
• Fitness Coach
• Set Piece Coach
• Performance Analyst

Set Staff Responsibilities and Delegations

Football Manager gives you complete freedom over how much control you want. You can micromanage every detail or hand certain duties over to trusted staff.

Where to set responsibilities

Go to:

Club > Responsibilities > Delegation

Here you can assign who handles:

• Training
• Set pieces
• Press conferences
• Match day duties
• Contract talks
• Scouting assignments
• Youth development
• etc.

💡 Choose whether you want full control or prefer to delegate particular areas. When you adjust anything, remember to click Confirm.

Review Budgets and Financial Situation

Before making transfer decisions, you need a clear picture of your financial situation.

Where to check budgets

Go to:

Recruitment > Recruitment Budgets

This shows your:

• Transfer budget
• Wage budget
• Scouting budget

💡 You can shift money between transfer and wage budgets using the Adjust Budget option.

Review and Sell Transfer Clauses

Your club may have ongoing financial commitments from previous transfers. Cleaning these up early helps avoid surprises later in the season.

Where to check clauses

Go to:

Recruitment > Clauses

There are two sections:

• Clauses In (money owed to your club)
• Clauses Out (money you owe other clubs)

💡 If a clause has a blue icon next to it, you can sell that clause immediately. This can generate quick cash for your transfer budget or help remove future financial obligations.

Understand Board and Supporter Expectations

Knowing what your board and fans expect is essential. These expectations shape your goals for the season and the long-term direction of the club.

Where to view expectations

Go to:

Club > Performance Feedback

You will see:

• The club vision and financial expectations
• Short-term and long-term targets
• Fan expectations such as rivalry results or preferred competition finishes

💡 Failing to meet key objectives can put your job at risk, even if your match results are decent.

Create Your First Tactic

Before advancing any days in-game, set up your initial tactic. This immediately highlights which positions are strong and which need improvement.

How to set up a tactic

Go to:

Match Day > Tactics

Use the Tactics Planner to set the foundation for how you want your team to play. For example, start by selecting:

• A tactical style, such as Wing Play
• An In and Out of Possession Formation such as 4-3-3

💡 This gives you a clear overview of your squad’s strengths and weaknesses from day one.

Evaluate Your Squad Using the Squad Planner

The Squad Planner is extremely useful for understanding your player depth across every position.

Where to find it

Go to:

Recruitment > Squad Planner

This view shows:

• Team Ability
• Depth and abilityin each position
• Planning for Next Seasons
• etc.

💡 This information helps you plan your transfer strategy.

Create Recruitment Focuses for Your Scouts

To get high-quality scouting reports early, set recruitment focuses right away.

How to set a focus

Go to:

Recruitment > Recruitment Focuses > Create a New Recruitment Focus

Choose:

• Position (for example, Striker)
• Role
• Similar Player
• Minimum ability and potential level
• Age range
• Scouting region
• Priority level
• Assigned scout

💡 Once confirmed, your scouts will begin searching immediately. You should receive useful recommendations within the first few days of the save.

Final Thoughts

These steps only scratch the surface of what Football Manager has to offer, but they provide a strong starting point, especially when dealing with a new game and a brand-new interface. Setting up your staff, budgets, scouting, and tactical foundations early on gives you structure and clarity as you move deeper into your save. Once you have these basics in place, you can focus fully on building your squad, developing your tactic, and shaping the long-term identity of your club. The real depth of the game reveals itself over time, but with this setup complete, you will be in a much better position to enjoy the journey.