10 Things You Did Not Know About Football Manager 26

Before kicking things off and getting to the details of this cool list of unknown Football Manager 26 hidden secrets, we have to credit @Zealand on YouTube who came up with this great list, and do check out his video on this topic! Without further ado here are the 10 things you did not know about FM 26:

Improved Squad Registration Screen

The squad registration screen now features a significant quality-of-life improvement. On the left side, you can now click on categories like “foreign players,” “under-21 players,” or “homegrown players” to narrow your selections. This replaces the old and often confusing system of hidden and stacked player statuses, making the registration process much clearer and easier to manage.

Visualising Player Positioning in Tactics

On the tactics screen, under “in possession” and “out of possession,” a new feature helps visualise player movement. Instead of just a regular old heat map, clicking a button will show you where players are likely to pop up on the field based on your in and out of possession tactics. Different colors indicate the consistency of their positioning, for example green means a player will very consistently occupy an area, while yellow means they will pop up there sometimes. This is particularly helpful for diagnosing coverage gaps or confirming pressing intensity when setting your “out of possession” tactics.

Detailed Discipline Screen

The Discipline section, accessible via the “main Squad” screen, has been overhauled into a nicely detailed one-stop shop. It provides an incredibly detailed list of all disciplinary infractions on your team based on the code of conduct. Crucially, it lists active and potential bans, helping you track players on the border of suspension across all competitions, as well as giving a history of recent offenders, tackles, and fouls.

Organised Opposition Report in the Portal

The new “Opposition Report” found in the portal, is a highly organised data presentation on the team you are about to play. It is designed to mimic real-life preparation, offering information on the manager, most notable players, expected tactic, and tactical style with a visual aid. It even includes a formations faced tab to assess how your opponent fares against different tactical setups, making match prep much more accessible.

Integrated Calendar, Training, and Fixtures View

The “Calendar” feature now has a new level of integration. From the main calendar view, you can easily switch to a “training view” and make all necessary adjustments to your team’s training without having to navigate to the separate training section. This saves time and groups related planning activities, and there is also a readily available “fixtures” section.

Supporter Performance Feedback on Players

Within the Club section, under “Performance Feedback”, there is a Squad tab where you can view your supporters’ general opinion of every single player on your team. This isn’t just a direct reflection of match rating; it’s more reactive and based on what the fans expected of that player. For instance, a star player underperforming will result in a “very disappointed” opinion, even if their match rating isn’t the absolute lowest.

Easily Accessible Match Rules

A new feature called Match Rules lays out the rules of the competition you are about to play in in plain English. This easily accessible section will tell you key information like whether there is extra time, if it goes to penalties, and the number of substitutions you are allowed to make. It is synced up with your next match, which is an improvement over previous versions where this information was harder to locate.

General Manager Recommendation in the Transfer Room

The new “Transfer Room” system, designed to mimic real-life transfer markets, has a helpful hidden feature. When you click on a team’s request for a player (e.g., “Cologne needing a striker”), your General Manager will tell you which players in your squad match that requirement. You also get a quick release button to offer those recommended players out to the interested club, which streamlines the previously over-complicated and boring “offering out” process previously used.

Wage Bill Percentage in Contracts Screen

The “Contracts” section, found under “Recruitment”, now lets you to sort your players by the percentage of your total wage bill that they occupy. This information was not easily accessible before and saves you the trouble of manually calculating it. It facilitates a “moneyball” approach to the game by quickly helping you assess the financial impact of each player, allowing you to manage your budget across the squad and different position groups.

On-Demand Staff Advice

Your staff advice is now always super accessible through the” Messages” section in the portal. By clicking a star icon (star button), you can instantly ask for your staff’s advice at any time. This means you don’t have to wait for weekly updates or have the advice notifications turned on permanently; you can check your recruiting, staffing, or development advice on demand, which is a more realistic and convenient feature for players.

 

 

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