Football Manager press conferences add realism to the game, simulating media interactions real managers face. These virtual press rooms let managers talk to players, fans, and the media, just like in professional football.

Let’s look at the good and bad parts of this feature to help you handle the virtual press room well and use it to your advantage.

Good Things About Football Manager Press Conferences

1. Making Your Team Feel Better

One of the best things about press conferences is that you can make your team feel good. Saying nice things can make players happier, especially after a hard game or during a tough season.

When you praise your team’s work or say you believe in them, it can help them play better. This can help during important times in the season, like before big games or when you’re trying to win the league. If you keep saying positive things in press conferences, it can create a good feeling in the club that lasts a long time, helping your team feel like winners and stay strong.

2. Changing How People See Your Team

Press conferences let you control the story about your team. By choosing your words carefully, you can make your club look good, which can make fans support you more and the board trust you. This is really helpful when dealing with tough times or when you’re trying to rebuild the team.

Good media handling managers can use press conferences to defend against criticism, talk about the team’s strengths, and show everyone that the club is united. Over time, this can make fans more supportive, sell more tickets, and even attract sponsors or investors to the club.

3. Playing Mind Games

Just like in real football, press conferences in Football Manager 24 let you play mind games. You can use what you say to put pressure on other teams, take attention away from your team’s problems, or even upset players on other teams. This adds another layer of strategy to how you manage.

For example, you might say your team isn’t likely to win before a big game to take the pressure off, or you might praise a key player on another team to try and mess up their team’s focus. These mind games can make your opponents unsure and give your team a mental advantage before the game even starts.

4. Managing Relationships with Players

Press conferences give you a chance to publicly support your players, which can make them feel more confident and like you better. This works well when dealing with rumors about players moving to other teams or when players are worried about something. By always backing your players in the media, you can make them feel loyal to the team and united.

This public support can also help keep important players during transfer windows because they feel valued by the club. Also, praising young or improving players can help them get better faster and fit into the first team quicker, which might save the club money on buying new players.

Bad Things About Football Manager Press Conferences

1. People Might Misunderstand You

One of the biggest problems with press conferences is that people might get the wrong idea from what you say. Something you meant to be encouraging might sound like criticism, which could make your team feel bad or upset players.

This is like the real problems managers face when talking to the media. The game’s computer understands what you say based on things like player personalities, how well the team is doing, and recent events. Something that works well for one player might offend another, leading to unexpected problems.

This means managers need to always think about how the team is feeling and what individual players are sensitive about when talking to the media.

2. It Takes Up Time – Delegate Assistant

Going to press conferences regularly can take a lot of time, especially when you’re trying to manage many parts of the club.

You can ask your assistant manager to do these for you, but then you can’t control exactly what’s said, which can be risky. The time you spend getting ready for and going to press conferences could be used for planning tactics, looking for new players, or working on training.

Leaving press conferences, tunnel interviews and brief journalist Q & A becomes important when you have lots of games close together or when you’re playing in multiple competitions.

3. It Can Be Stressful

Dealing with tough questions or facing the media after a bad game can be stressful, even in a game. This extra pressure can affect how you make decisions and how much you enjoy the game, especially if you’re new and still learning how to play.

The stress of trying to always look good in public while dealing with hard times in the game can be tough on your mind.

Some players might think too much about what to say or be too careful, which can take away from other parts of the game. Also, the pressure to do well in press conferences adds another complicated thing to manage in an already complex game.

4. Things Might Not Go As Planned

Sometimes, what you say in press conferences can cause problems you didn’t expect. A comment meant to motivate one player might make another feel bad, or talking about buying new players could mess up deals you’re working on. These effects make the game more realistic but can also create unexpected challenges in your career as a manager.

For example, praising a young player too much might make them ask for more money or attract attention from bigger clubs. Also, saying a match isn’t very important to reduce pressure might make the board or key players think you’re not ambitious enough. The way these consequences are all connected means that managers always need to think about how their words might affect everything, not just the immediate situation.

Handling the Virtual Press Room

Football Manager press conferences can be both good and bad. They’re a powerful tool for managing your team and public image, but they can also cause problems if you’re not careful. To use this feature well:

• Get ready for possible questions by looking at pre-match analysis and team reports
• Think about players’ personalities and how they’re playing when deciding what to say
• Try to say similar things across different press conferences
• Use press conferences to help with your overall goals as a manager
• Balance the time you spend on press duties with other important manager tasks
• Learn from what works and what doesn’t to get better at handling the media over time
• Pay attention to what’s happening in the club, including what fans expect and what the board wants
• Use press conferences to talk about your tactics and long-term plans for the club

Being able to handle media interactions well can be the difference between a good manager and a great one, affecting everything from how players perform to negotiating transfers and getting support from the board. As you get better at this, you’ll find that press conferences become not just a part of the game, but a powerful tool in your manager toolkit.