Match preparation training | Match preparations Football Manager 2016 Guide

Your calendar shows you how training has been scheduled, with match preparation training and aspects trained specified.

One of the elements of the training drill is time devoted to the match preparation training. The goal of such a training is to focus on improving the aspect that is especially important for the incoming match (e.g. defensive game before a match away, against a stronger and offensively predisposed opponent).

Using the "Planning" slider, you balance out general training and match preparation training. Also, you can define when players can rest (it is important that they rest after the match and not necessarily before the match). Differences between training and match preparation training concern time, for which given attributes are being improved - in the case of the latter, the improvement is temporary and it only concerns the forthcoming match. This means that you can (and you should) modify time devoted to match preparation training and double efforts towards that aspect, e.g. in the case of an important Cup match, for which you want to prepare yourself, as well as possible.

Aspects of match preparation training

During the match preparation training, you can focus on six individual aspects:

Match Tactics - players spend time on perfecting tactic. This type of training increases their knowledge about tactic (up to three tactics at any given moment) and this effect accumulates with the one provided by the general training. It is recommended that you get prepared in this respect, up until you attain maximum familiarity with the tactic.

Teamwork - players spend time on perfecting teamwork, which ensures better communication between players in the field. Training this aspect accumulates, at the same time, with teamwork general training. Just like in the case of tactic, it is recommended that you train this aspect up until you attain maximum familiarity with it.

Defensive Positioning - improves on defensive skills, a temporary effect.

Attacking Movement - improves on offensive skills, a temporary effect.

Defending set pieces - allows your players to take better actions during game's set pieces. It is useful in situations in which you, e.g. lose many goals after corner kicks an the opponent has players with strong head play.

Attacking Set Pieces - allows your players to train actions during set pieces in attack.

While selecting the aspect to train, you can use suggestions made by your staff and report prepared by the club's scout.

How to divide time?

There is no point in overdoing with the match preparation training, so that you do not distort the general training that provides you with long-term effects. However, you cannot ignore this aspect, because it lets you work on select attributes of the players and improve on their play before individual matches. If your teamwork and tactic familiarity are low, you should devote the match preparation training to those aspects. After they reach their maximum, focus on offensive, or defensive preparations, which depends on the type of the opponent that you are going to play against. You can then decrease amount of time devoted to match preparation training, e.g. to one half of the day. Also, it is possible to skip match preparation training, in situation in which you believe you do not need additional preparing for the match. Thanks to this, you will be able to allot more time to general training.