Match plan in the football manager – guide
This guide explains the “Match plan” screen in Gaffer's Desk, the free football manager in your browser. The match is simulated in the daily calculation - here you decide in advance what should happen during it.

Terms
- If
- The condition: always, we are behind, we are ahead, the score is level, or we are a man down.
- from minute
- The earliest minute the instruction may fire (1-120, extra time included).
- goals apart
- Only for "behind"/"ahead": the minimum gap required.
- Change tactics
- Sets the five tactical sliders to the preset of the chosen play style.
- Make a substitution
- Swaps a player on the pitch for one from the squad who is not in the line-up.
Good to know
- Each instruction fires at most once per match - "we are behind" does not trigger again every minute.
- A maximum of 3 substitutions per match.
- Substitutions only happen while play is stopped: whoever is on the ball or being passed to stays on until the situation is over.
- A player sent off is not replaced - you play on a man down.
- Substitutes lose fitness only in proportion to their time on the pitch.
- How well your setup fits the opponent is decided at kick-off - switching mid-match no longer changes that.
Try it yourself: found your club for free in your browser.
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