FM26: Using Data and Analytics
Data is changing football — here's how to use FM26's analytics to gain an edge over the opposition.
FM26 has extensive analytics, but most of it is noise until you know what question you are asking. The numbers worth acting on are chance quality, where chances are created and conceded, and how individual players compare to their position's benchmarks.
The key data sources
| Source | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Match stats | Who performed, and whether the result matched the performance |
| Player reports | Individual strengths and weaknesses against positional benchmarks |
| Opposition reports | How the next opponent plays and who makes them work |
| Team comparison | Where you sit against the division on the metrics you care about |
| Performance analysis | Whether your tactic is producing the football you designed |
Start with expected goals
The single most useful number in the game is expected goals. It tells you whether you are creating good chances or merely a lot of shots, and whether the chances you concede are dangerous or harmless.
Compare your xG with your actual goals over ten matches, not one. Consistently outperforming it means finishing that will regress; consistently underperforming it usually means a striker problem or a chance-quality problem. The full explainer: what expected goals actually measures.
How to use match data
After each match, look past the scoreline. Who created, who wasted, where did the chances come from, and where were you opened up?
Use it to make substitutions, adjust the next match's plan, set training focus and, when a pattern repeats across several games, change the tactic. One match is an anecdote; five is evidence.
How to use opposition reports
Before each match the report tells you the opponent's likely shape, key players, strengths and weaknesses, and recent form. The useful application is narrow and specific:
- Pick the shape that outnumbers them where they are strongest
- Set opposition instructions on the one or two players who actually make them play
- Attack the flank their weakest defender occupies
- Adjust your defensive line for their pace, not their reputation
Data traps to avoid
Small samples
Three matches of anything is noise. Wait for ten before concluding a player or a tactic is broken.
Average rating as a verdict
Ratings reward visible actions. A defender who positions well enough to never make a tackle is not underperforming.
Totals instead of rates
Compare per-90 numbers. Season totals mostly measure who played the most minutes.
Common questions
How do you use xG in Football Manager?
Compare your expected goals with your actual goals over roughly ten matches. A large gap either way points at finishing or chance quality rather than luck.
What data matters most in FM26?
Chance quality for and against, where chances are created and conceded, and per-90 comparisons against positional benchmarks. Most other numbers describe rather than decide.
Are opposition instructions worth setting?
Yes, but narrowly. Targeting the one or two players who genuinely make an opponent play is far more effective than blanket instructions across the whole team.
Is average match rating a good measure of a player?
Only partly. Ratings favour visible actions like goals, assists and tackles, and undervalue positioning and decision-making that prevents problems from ever happening.
How many matches before you judge a tactic on data?
About ten. Anything shorter is dominated by variance, especially in a league where results swing on single chances.
Try it yourself
Gaffa is a free browser football manager — pick a club, set your tactics and play a full season. No download, no account, nothing to install.
What is xG? → · FM26 best tactics → · Getting into football analytics →