It's one thing to have a tactical plan, it's another thing to have good, but how do you make it all come together on the pitch? Host Iain Macintosh chats to Sports Interactive's CJ Ramson about player traits (these are really important), interlocking player roles (this is where the magic happens) and set pieces (never overlook them!). If you're struggling with FM, you NEED this episode.  

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Can our experts* guide Marine FC to victory over Tottenham Hotspur in a one-off FM Touch clash? Erm...what do you think? Join host Iain Macintosh and his guests Alex Stewart (TIFO) and Andrew Sinclair (Sports Interactive) for the most challenging of challenges. Share in the misery then stick around for Book Club and a bumper selection of your questions. 

Huge thanks to Producer Cornelius Mendez and commentator Matt Davies-Adams for bringing this to life in all its haunting glory.  

* - I mean, I say 'experts' but we might be playing fast and loose with that definition.

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How do YOU play Football Manager? TIFO's Alex Stewart chats to Iain Macintosh about his experiences with the game, his preferred tactics, the way he uses data in recruitment and the importance of not buying anyone in the first transfer window. 

Apologies for sub-par sound quality. Alex sounds great. Iain sounds like he got locked in his toilet. Fortunately, Alex does most of the talking. 

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Football Manager isn't just a solitary battle of man against machine, fought in the early hours of the morning. You can play online against humans too. Sports Interactive's Neil Brock chats to Iain Macintosh about Versus Mode, Fantasy Draft and the dream ticket of diving into a full campaign with friends.

You've had a few weeks with your players now and you've realised something: They're all rubbish. You need to hit the transfer market and fast. Host Iain Macintosh chats to Andrew Sinclair from Sports Interactive about the art of recruitment. Listen now and learn how to use your scouts properly. 

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Enjoying Football Manager? Still squinting at the training page and wondering what it all means? You NEED this episode. Host Iain Macintosh chats to Sports Interactive's Tom Davidson about training, coaches, set pieces and your slim hopes of turning that feckless 17 year old with a positioning of '1' into an England international.

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Football Manager 2021 has been out for a week, long enough for all of our first saves to have crashed and burned. What went wrong? Well, it's probably the tactics. Tactics in FM are so important...and so easy to get wrong. Iain Macintosh speaks to SI's CJ Ramson and Nick Madden to find out more about exploiting space and not getting beaten on the transitions.

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Football Manager 2021 is out now and, for millions of players, it's time to start a new game. So where should you start? With yourself, of course. Host Iain Macintosh chats to Sports Interactive's Dominic Baker about YOU. What sort of manager are you? How does your behaviour impact the game around you? Because the game is always watching....

You can subscribe to The Athletic with the promo code theathletic.com/fmpod and take advantage of a special price of just £1 a week. That's £1 a week for the best sports writing in the world. Support the show, use the promo code.

The beta version of Football Manager 2021 is live, so what's changed? Well, there's no more taking your star player off if he drops under 71%, that's for starters. It's all brightly coloured hearts now. And well, why not? After all, can Jurgen Klopp tell you when his players drop to 71% during the game? No, he cannot. Iain Macintosh chats to SI's features producer Stephen Davidson about all the new stuff and what it all means.

You can subscribe to The Athletic with the promo code theathletic.com/fmpod and take advantage of a special price of just £1 a week. That's £1 a week for the best sports writing in the world. Support the show, use the promo code.

The beta version of Football Manager 2021 is live and there's no better way to start this new series than by sitting down with Miles Jacobson, studio director of Sports Interactive, for a wide-ranging chat about the game, its evolution, its challenges and how seriously certain people in football take their ratings...

You can subscribe to The Athletic with the promo code theathletic.com/fmpod and take advantage of a special price of just £1 a week. That's £1 a week for the best sports writing in the world.