We’ve all shouted at our players at some point when playing Football Manager. Well, actually, it’s not so much “shouting at our players” as it is “screaming profanities at a computer screen as our significant other enters the room and wonders what the hell we’re getting so worked up about”.
Of course, I’m not discussing actual shouting in this post. I’m talking about those in-game ‘shouts’, which you can use as motivational tools to give your team the mental edge over the competition.
At various points, you may need to deal with players who are looking anxious, aggressive or arrogant, and use appropriate shouts to raise their confidence, calm them down, or refocus their minds. You can also criticise your team when they’re underperforming, and even drop some praise when they deserve it.
You have eight shouts at your disposal on Football Manager 2021. Some of you probably only use two or three, but every option has its merits and drawbacks, which I will explain below.
WHAT ARE SHOUTS?
Before I begin, I should state what shouts actually do in Football Manager – and what they don’t. They DO NOT make changes to how your tactics work. Clicking ‘Demand More’ does not suddenly make your team attack more, for example.
In previous FMs, there were shouts like ‘Push Forward’ and ‘Tighten Up’ which appeared to make your team play more offensively or defensively – or with more flair, in the case of ‘Get Creative’. Nobody was quite sure how they were meant to work, though, and they were removed for FM21.
These days, shouts are easier to explain: they affect your players’ morale and body language. Each player has their own levels of confidence and motivation, and you’ll want those to be at a high level to get the best out of them.
It’s a tricky balancing act, though, particularly when it comes to confidence. You obviously don’t want anxious players, but you also don’t want them to be so confident that they become cocky. That’s usually why upsets happen.
Motivation is clearly important too; you don’t want your captain to be slacking in a big game. Players who have high determination and professionalism shouldn’t find it too hard to motivate themselves, but those who don’t will likely need your assistance.
Players with different personalities may have different reactions to the same shouts. It may take some trial and error to figure out which players respond better to particular shouts, though this guide should help you avoid the obvious no-nos.
You can give shouts to your entire team, or just to specific players. Every shout you give will change the selected players’ morale and body language – for better or worse – for around 10 minutes, which should be enough time to change a game.
I will now give a summary of each of the eight shouts, with suggestions on when best to use them (and when NOT to use them). Remember that my guide isn’t 100% perfect; these are just my views on how the shouts work.
ENCOURAGE
Along with ‘Demand More’, this is one of two shouts that many FMers always turn to. This shout can be very effective at inspiring your players, just as long as you don’t spam it every 10 minutes.
Encouragement is most effective when your players have low morale, and/or when the match is so close that it can still swing either way. If you can perk up your team, you could inspire them to turn a narrow loss into a draw, or even a draw into a precious win.
So, when shouldn’t you encourage? If you’re wondering why your lower-league players become overwhelmed after you encourage them when they’re beating a bigger team 2-0 in the cup, what are you doing?! They’re already playing well and are in high spirits, aren’t they? They don’t need more encouragement!
CALM DOWN
“Calm down, dear!” is probably not a good thing to say if you’re a Prime Minister. On the other hand, if you’re a Football Manager, it can help simmer down any tensions in your team before they boil over and cost you dear.
If any of your players are feeling aggressive, angry or frustrated, especially if they’re already on a booking, a few calming words can help stop them from getting into even more trouble. This many not work with everyone; sometimes there’s just no way to stop Roy Keane from snapping some Norwegian wood.
Because this shout is only for such specific circumstances, I would use it only on individuals. I wouldn’t tell my entire team to calm down at the same time – unless they’re on the verge of a total meltdown. Your more level-headed players might think, “What’s their problem?” and become confused.
I also wouldn’t tell a nervous player to calm down. They’re likely nervous either because they’re low on confidence (in which case, use ‘Encourage’) or they’re feeling the pressure (there’s a different shout for that, which I’ll get to later).
FOCUS
This shout was named ‘Concentrate’ on previous FMs and does pretty much the same thing – just with a snappier name that makes me think of 70s Dutch prog rock. Basically, it reminds your players to stay switched on and focused on the match when their minds might be starting to wander.
This should mainly be used for anyone who looks either complacent or uninterested. That should get their minds back on the task at hand, though anyone who struggles to handle pressure might go too far and become crippled with nerves, so be wary.
As a general team shout, many FMers make the mistake of using this immediately after their team concedes a goal after being comfortably ahead. Your players will naturally be more switched on after conceding anyway. The only thing that shout is likely to do is make them needlessly tense – and put them at a greater risk of letting another goal in.
FIRE UP
This is similar to ‘Focus’ but serves a slightly different purpose. It’s best used on players who are complacent or uninterested, particularly in matches where you’re expected to win but are struggling to do so.
You could also say it’s a more assertive version of ‘Demand More’, effectively replacing the ‘Show Some Passion’ shout from previous FMs. If you’re playing a big derby match but your players don’t look up for the fight, this shout could ignite the fires in their stomachs.
As you can probably gather, the ‘Fire Up’ shout is more likely to have a positive effect on the more determined and aggressive characters in your side. Think Vinnie Jones, Alfredo Morelos, or Gary ‘Wacko’ Wackett from the 2001 film ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’.
For those players who aren’t the fearless destroyer type, you might want to simply use either ‘Focus’ or ‘Demand More’ instead, depending on the situation.
NO PRESSURE
Many FMers would probably use this shout for those matches where their side is the underdog against a much stronger opponent and basically has nothing to lose. While that might be a decent strategy, it’s not something I would use for the whole team.
Instead, I would use this specifically for individuals who are showing nervous, anxious or even apprehensive body language. If your players are feeling the pressure, this can get them to play with a bit less fear – at least for a few minutes.
Conversely, if you’re giving ‘no pressure’ shouts to any players who are feeling more positive, you’re just asking for trouble. Used in the wrong circumstances, doing this can make them complacent – or worse, uninterested.
This was one of my least-used shouts on my beta save with Rennes. To be honest, when you’re beating every team in France and are making strong progress in Europe, you don’t really have many opportunities to take the pressure off.
DEMAND MORE
You’ve probably seen all the memes, and there’s a good reason why they exist. As motivational tools go, the ‘Demand More’ button seems to be the one thing on Football Manager that instantly – and consistently – turns your team of wallflowers into a team of warriors.
If your team needs a result but is drawing or losing with not long to go, this shout can focus and motivate your players’ minds. In that sense, it’s not too different from ‘Encourage’, except that you’ll want to use this when morale isn’t a problem you need to fix.
Of course, you can’t keep telling your players, “I want more,” like you’re Nina Simone on a Faithless dance remix. Demanding more makes no sense when it’s the second minute, or when your team is 5-0 up in second-half stoppage time. Do it when you have to, but don’t go overboard.
PRAISE
The best managers give their players credit where it’s due. Okay, maybe not José Mourinho, who’d probably just throw Dele Alli under the bus he parked in front of Hugo Lloris. But what I’m trying to say is that there is nothing wrong with showing your players how you feel when they’re producing some good football!
If your team is winning a tricky match and performing well, maybe think about dropping some praise. When used at the right time, this shout can fire up your players and perhaps spur them on to score again and kill the game off. Again, just be careful not to overdo it.
Some FMers recommend giving your team the thumbs-up after they score a goal. I’d be a bit more careful about showering too much praise on them too soon, as this can make some players a bit cocky and/or less focused.
Of course, it’s not a good idea to praise your team when you have a narrow lead in the closing stages, and neither is praising anyone who looks complacent. It goes without saying that you also shouldn’t do it when your title-chasing Rennes team is losing to rock-bottom Brest in Ligue 1… but when ‘Praise’ is directly above ‘Berate’ in the menu, it’s very easy to misclick!
BERATE
It’s all gone spectacularly wrong. You’re 3-0 down at home to the worst team in the division, your captain’s been sent off, your star striker has missed two penalties, and your wife’s just announced that she’s leaving you and moving in with Laurence Fox. Thankfully, in FM21, there’s a shout for that.
Yes, this is for those situations when simply demanding ‘more’ is not enough. If your team is playing very poorly against a side that they really should be outclassing, berating them could be exactly the kick up the backside they need.
Of course, you do have to pay some attention to your players’ body language before turning into Mike Bassett. Yelling expletives at any players who are showing nerves or anxiety probably won’t make them feel better about life; if anything, it might make them even worse.
Thank you for reading this guide. If you’ve found it useful, or you would like to add your own points about Football Manager shouts, you can leave a comment below. You can also find me on Twitter @Fuller_FM.
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