Football Manager advanced tips from top players that will revolutionise your saves

By now, everyone knows the basic Football Manager tips. Sign wonderkids from Argentina or other obscure nations. Use gegenpress. Delegate press conferences. But what if you’re looking for something next level? Those expert tips that completely transform how you see the game? The little tricks that make you wonder how you ever played without them?

Hopefully, these will become staples of how you play Football Manager—and something you can smugly pass on to your friends, making them wonder if you secretly work for Sports Interactive.

I’ve scoured the deepest corners of the internet to find the best advanced Football Manager tips. And if you’re already using some of them? Well, congratulations—you might already be an elite manager.

Don’t employ scouts based just on their stats – do it on the countries they have knowledge of

This tip comes from a Reddit veteran with thousands of hours of FM experience, and I have to agree with them 100%.

Scouting in Football Manager is not just about hiring scouts with perfect Judging Player Ability (JPA) and Judging Player Potential (JPP). While those stats are useful, a scout’s knowledge of different countries is just as—if not more—important.

Expanding your scouting network means you’ll find more hidden gems, identify homegrown talent, and snap up players on expiring contracts before anyone else. Instead of hoarding 20 JPA, 20 JPP, 20 Adaptability (ADA) scouts who only know England, prioritise those with wider regional expertise.

A 15 JPA, 15 JPP, 15 ADA scout who knows ten different countries will uncover far more talent than an elite scout confined to a single nation. The broader your scouting coverage, the more quality players you’ll find.

Use the data hub to find high-performing players

If you’re looking for one of the best Twitter accounts for FM tips, follow FM Stag. He’s compiled an archive of gems, and one of the best is how to use the Data Hub to quickly identify top performers in your division.

The Data Hub > Player screen is an underrated scouting tool. In seconds, you can find:

• Strikers with the highest non-penalty xG per 90
• Midfielders with the best tackling volume and success rate

Even if you’re not a stats person, this is a fast and effective way to highlight potential signings before traditional scouting. Once you’ve found some promising names, check their attributes, scout reports, consistency, potential, big-match mentality, injury proneness, and personality to make proper, well-rounded recruitment decisions.

Create A More Disciplined Defense

One of the best FM videos you can watch is “THIS is what 50,000 hours of FM teaches YOU”, where The Manager’s Seat interviews Football Manager experts to share their best advice.

I won’t spoil all the tips (seriously, go watch it here) but one game-changing defensive insight is about reducing aggressive pressing in defensive areas.

Instead of using Close Down More and Tackle Harder, try:

• Close Down Less
• Ease Off Tackles

Why? Because it keeps your defensive midfielders in position, blocks passing lanes, and stops them recklessly pressing and leaving gaps behind. This small tweak reduces dangerous fouls, cuts out cheap set-pieces, and improves defensive stability.

Set Up Effective Pressing Traps

If we’re talking Football Manager masterminds, you can’t ignore Zealand/

Tips To Maximise Individual Development

There are several hacks you can use to boost your players’ development:

• Train wingers on their weaker foot – This can improve a “Fairly Strong” weak foot to “Strong”, making them far more unpredictable in attack.
• For strikers, use a combination of “Shooting” individual training + “Composure” focus – This sharpens their finishing under pressure.
• Pair young players with veterans who have Resolute or Model Citizen personalities – This helps develop hidden attributes like Ambition and Professionalism, giving them a better long-term trajectory.

Search by media description for ‘wonderkid’

Now for a personal favourite—one that feels so easy it’s almost cheating.

A ridiculously effective way to find elite young talent is to:

1. Go into scouting
2. Add “Media Description” as a filter
3. Look for players with the description “Wonderkid”

There are usually 5-10 of them at any time, and while it doesn’t guarantee world-class potential, any player labeled a Wonderkid has a Current Ability (CA) of at least 135.

That’s a pretty strong bet that they’ll be fantastic for their age.

Put relegation release clause of £0 in any contract offer

Here’s one that feels like a glitch—but isn’t.

When negotiating contracts, if you add a relegation release clause of £0, players will accept a lower wage.

Why? Because they assume they’ll be leaving if you go down. But let’s be real—if you get relegated, you’re probably getting sacked anyway. So why not save some wage budget in the meantime?

It works in 90% of cases, and unless you’re planning a spectacular relegation battle, there’s very little downside.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few of the best expert-level Football Manager tips out there.

But the real way to find game-changing strategies? Play the game. Football Manager is so deep that you’ll constantly stumble across new techniques and small exploits that gradually become second nature.

And now over to you—what are your best FM tips that can take someone’s game to the next level? Drop them in the comments!