Sussex Hammer

In the Beta patch I devised a 4-4-2 for West Ham that worked wonders. Sadly in 8.01 I couldn't score for toffee, but a few tweaks in Friendlies I have come up with something that seems to be working quite well although it's only been 13 games.

At the moment I stand 4th in Premier League with the Hammers.

P W D L F A PTS
11 7 3 1 18 8 24

Results are as follows.

H V BOL W 1-0
A V VILLA D 1-1
H V ARS D 1-1
A V EVER D 1-1
A V SWAN W 5-0 CUP
H V MIDD W 2-0
A V PORT W 2-1
H V SUND W 3-1
H V BOL W 1-0 CUP
A V FUL L 0-1
H V MAN U W 3-1
A V WIG W 2-1
H V BIRM W 2-0

How I lost at Fulham I'll never know I murdered them. Most of the goals conceded have been set pieces. Corners/Free kicks or a penalty or two that the Al slips in when desperate!!

My team is.

GK GREEN
RB NEILL/GABBIDON
LB McCARTNEY
CB FERDINAND
CB UPSON
RM DYER/LJUNGBERG
LM PIRES/ETHERINGTON
DM MALDONADO/PARKER/MULLINS
CM DYER/NOBLE/BANEGA/PARKER
F BELLAMY/DEFOE
TM ASHTON

As I say it's a 4-4-2.

Mentality Just over Normal.
CF Little
Passing Short
Tempo Slow
Width Narrow
Time Wast Rarely
C. Down Own Half
Def Line Normal
Tackling Normal
Focus Pass Mixed
Zonal Marking
TM Supply Mixed
Use Target Man
Play Offside

Farrows on the wide midfielders
Barrow on CM leading to DM position for left sided CM

Creative Freedom/Passing/Tempo/Width/Time Wasting are all mirrored.

I then also mirror Mentality/Closing down/Defensive line.

The whole team has the same sliders for Mentality/CF/Passing/Closing Down/Tackling except for the keeper who is on mixed passing.

Forward Runs, RWB, Through balls and cross ball vary player to player.

By mirroring the sliders the way I have seems to make the side play more as a unit and by playing narrow the team seems to play balls wide at the right moment rather than all the time.

If I am a gaol down I will just put 5 clicks more offensive on Mentality/Closing Down and Defensive line which again keeps the sliders mirrored. I may if getting desperate place Farrows on Full Backs and the other central midfielder.

I tried to upload on FMDOWNLOADS.NET but it seems it has gone??

Not sure how to upload anywhere else so if anyone can tell me how I will.

Law_Man

Go to filefront.com or a similar site and upload it

Sussex Hammer

Thanks Law Man. There you go link below. Any feedback would be appreciated.


http://hosted.filefront.com/SussexHammer/

Law_Man

No worries

I'll give it ago for you as your original tactic worked really well for me for all of about a day as the new patch was released a couple of days after I started using it! lol.


How are you finding the target man option generally?

Cheers.

Sussex Hammer

I think that you could probably tinker about with the target man option. I've just left it on with Ashton holding up the ball because he has been doing well. Good ratings and about 8 goals in 11 games.

He lies deeper than the other striker holding up the ball. If he gets injured I'll put Bellamy there with Run onto ball ticked.

I did make an away tactic but found in friendlies that didn't really work. It was exact bar obviously more defensive based. I find in FM if you try and shut up shop you are asking for trouble.

If I play away at Arsenal etc with this I just generally turn off the Farrows on the wide men to start with.

Law_Man

Yeh it seems that this year attack is definitely the best form of defense.

Is Ashton winning most of his headers? In my experience the supply 'mixed setting' means like 75% to head and then the rest to feet/run on to ball. If he's not winning many headers I'd be tempted to set his supply to feet. Have you tried this?

Sussex Hammer

He isn't that great winning headers and supplys some great through balls but at the same time he will win the odd flick on that gets through and I score.

Be interested to see how you get on with supply to feet.

Law_Man

I'm going to try the supply to feet option with Blackburn and the tactic as is with Aston Villa/Man City (as they've got decent target men) and I'll let you know how I get on.

On a completely unrelated note: have you ever seen one of the in game hints and tips about a left footed player sometimes scoring more goals if played in the right SC slot??? I've just seen it briefly now but didn't catch it quick enough to read the rest of it!

Sussex Hammer

I havwnt seen it but it makes sense IRL. It's easier to score firing across the keeper so you may curl it round them easier if you are on your stronger foot???

Law_Man

Well it's pretty much swings and round about in my opinion, there's plus points both ways round, and there aren't that many left footed forwards either. But the message just struck me coz I'd never seen one like that before. There was more to the message too but I didn't get time to read it. Hopefully it will come up again!