Managing a national team | Other elements FM 2014 Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

In Football Manager 2014 you can also manage any national team you want. You can either manage both the club and the national team if you want. You can also skip choosing a national team in the beginning, hoping that you'll become one thanks to your reputation as a club manager. You will get offers but mainly from exotic countries - nobody will leave managing English or German national team to an inexperienced manager.

Some advice for a future Roy Hodgson:

1. Check the available players

If you manage a team you know, there won't be a problem because you'll recognize most names. Search through all available players and look for promising ones in junior teams. If you find someone you want, let him play as soon as possible so he can gain experience in international matches. If you get a job in Ghana or Turkey, it will be a bit more difficult because you probably won't know the players. In that case, you'll have to see all profiles, check your players' attributes, strengths and weaknesses, then decide who you want in your team.

2. Choose a proper strategy

Just like in a club, you'll have to choose strategy. You'll have more freedom because there's much more players. Experiment in friendly matches, let your young players gain experience, prepare your team for tournaments.

3. Breaks between matches

If you've chosen to manage only a national team, keep in mind that there can be months between matches. You should monitor your best players, check their fitness and search for new players worth recruiting. It's a good idea to go to some matches that your assistant recommends to see your players do their job. Choose opponents for friendly matches carefully because they can be arranged only on precise dates.

4. Choosing 26 players

After a long period of waiting your players will finally test their abilities. First you have to choose the best players who will get to play in the colours of the national team. You should pay attention to injuries and current fitness of the players. It may turn out that some players that you didn't select six months ago are now really good and are worth giving them a chance.

5. The match day

Match preparations, choosing strategy and the match itself are quite similar to the ones in the league. There will be a conference before the match, coaches and former players' speeches, pep talk and, finally, the match. You should be prepared, know the strengths and weaknesses of both your and opponent's teams and use your strong points to the max. Remember that the matches are quite rare so you can't ignore friendlies, let alone the competitive matches.