retired_kellyk

We have been..the faq up top is a good example. and the last few threads I've opened as well. I'm trying to balance as much as I can within the time that I have, which at this time of the year is usually not a lot....and one other thing, its tough with closing down the way it is right now, but its still possible.

retired_Cat1123

We have been..the faq up top is a good example. and the last few threads I've opened as well. I'm trying to balance as much as I can within the time that I have, which at this time of the year is usually not a lot....and one other thing, its tough with closing down the way it is right now, but its still possible. </BLOCKQUOTE>

I can manage to put together the tactic as is explained above, but have noticed you mention different formations and wondered how exactly i should tweak when going a goal up/a goal down/defending a lead late in a game/looking for an equaliser or late winner etc?.

RisingTide

Again some great input / sharing of your ideas Rashidi. KUTGW!

Though I'll wait to play the game until I have the full version (with a closing down patch) because the game is just a bit too irritating for me now

retired_heslinger

Try Through Balls. :thup: </BLOCKQUOTE>

Cheers :thup:

retired_kumarc

Rashadi - Thanks a lot for this detailed insight into the theories of tactics. Reading yours and Cleon's recent threads has really haelped me to understand the game and how to impletment real life footballing knowledge into the game. Once I get the patched game im now quite confident that I can make at least a half decent tactic that I can understand and tweak when needed.

Cheers Mate

retired_Hurky

rash

could you answered me to my question

yours DCs-ment is 10
Yours FBs-ment. ?
yours dmc-ment.? and what is your cd for dmc? and amc?
and what is your d-line seetings?

sorry for english, best regards

retired_kellyk

One thing about the way I set up my tactics...I just follow a simple method.

Defenders stay defensive(but with closing down like now it's set to normal).

Midfielders are neutral that is normal. This means that this group will work by supporting the defense and attack. They operate within this mentality

Attacking mids and strikers work in the attacking range of mentalities.

That's my simple method of approaching making any tactic. The reason I do this is simple: remember mentality also acts as a risk tool. So the higher the mentality the greater the risks he's willing to take. I want attackers to concentrate on attacking, defenders on defending and midfielders to support the two.

Now that's not to say that one mentality won't work. It will, but to do that requires you to understand that you need to use the mentality/defensive line as a tweak. If you want to attack and go for goals you need to push mentality up and also push up the dline.

Personally that's too much work for me to do, so what I usually do is to split my team up into 3 parts..the defensive group where mentalities are individual and the midfielders who are on team and one lone striker who plays off the shoulder of the last defender. In this kind of set-up its easier for me to manage the defensive line/mentality tweak. Granted the risks are slightly greater because as I increase the mentality/dline I also increase the gap between defense and midfield. To mitigate against this I usually only play within the normal line of dline for now at least. I sometimes push up and this is where I have to make sure my defenders are pacey and have anticipation.

Hammer1000 I use different formations for different reasons..

1. My ego..I want to create tactics whenever I feel like throwing something new at the AI, sometimes it works other times it doesn't. The ability of making a new tactic on the fly feeds my ego and I enjoy doing it. It continually puts the AI on the losing end imho. Much like when I play online.

2. I also look at the pitches I play on...narrow pitches force me to take the battle through the middle..so i have a 4231 or a 4132 to punch through..wider pitches allow me to use a 343 or a 433 to take advantage of my pace and the wingers..I have to say the Hammers have an excellent team, one that should easily finish in the top four, with one or two additions.

3. I really look at the game..by this I refer to actionzones to tell me where I need to concentrate my attention if I'm chasing a game. That's usually enough. If I find my formation is not doing enough to win the ball in midfield, I may increase my dline or switch to a formation like a 451 which can control the midfield, and then I punch through the centre. My tweaks are based largely on the game itself, where the threats are coming from and where I'm not doing a good enough job. Personally speaking I use Action Zones a lot. Perhaps more than any others. I rarely see anyone on the forums talk about their use, which surprises me a lot since they do more to help one tweak a tactic than anything else. Action zones define possession won. My goal is always to ensure I don't lose out in midfield

2.

retired_Hurky

rash

so if you have def.ment for defenders normal to midf. attack for attackers, what is ypur d-line seetings?

retired_kellyk

While this is still fresh...

Ok..my next match is against Chelsea. Using the same formation that i listed out above the 4132..I enter the match as overwhelming favorites to LOSE.

So my teamtalk is going to be simple...wish the team luck and there are 2 players who are Good on morale so I tell them that I will keep faith with them.

I avoid the media as they already have their minds made up.

Tightmarking has been bugging me for the last couple of matches as I notice my fullbacks sometimes picking up the players too high up the pitch leaving the flanks empty. So this time I want to fundamentally stay more tighter.

Fullbacks
These boys are set on normal mentality last notch along with the defenders. The DMC is also in this family of players. The fullbacks are told to FWR mixed. I still need them to move into midfield or I won't get any balls in dangerous positions. If they stay back all the time I might as well give the Blues 3 points. In terms of closing down yeah they are on something like 8 and the DCs are on 5 or 6...looks that way.

The reasons for these settings are simple..I don't want them to track players I just want them to stay a bit deeper. Tightmarking does seem to draw them out too much at times.

Midfielders
This group needs to do enough closing down so I don't get myself hammered. Closing down for the outer mids is not going to be on max. They will not be dragged all over the pitch, they should be around 15 and with tightmarking on...hopefully this allows them to make it harder for chelsea to develop easy attacks FWR is mixed for the whole lot of them. I'm playing chelsea and I don't want too much adventurism. Creative freedom has also been brought down big time for the whole team. They are all on 5 with only the MC on max.

The DM is also on tight marking and his mentality is set to match the DCs.

The mentality of the MC and the striker are set to 12 and one striker is on 17. Team is now 12 and I make the 2 team. So if there is any mentality tweaking I know I will drop to around 10 since the majority of the team are sitting around there.

Defensive line for all my tactics for now since Close down is bugged slightly is going to stay in the normal range. In all my tactics the default is one notch below dead centre.
ActionZones from 12min

The match kicks off and we are really under a swell of Chelsea pressure, I expect them to have most of the possession in midfield. I quickly make a change to my tactic and set the whole team on highest notch of short passing. Those on 1 notch I change to shortest direct passing.

One of the strikers has been set as TM and he does a good job of winning a header and setting up a goal.

The formation does allow Chelsea to apply pressure in midfield, but I'm making some quality chances in front of their goal despite not seeing much of the ball and true enough some of this pressure does yield a goal from a horrid backpass in chelsea's defense. We too concede a silly goal as Drogba and then Pandev are left unmarked. In an amazing stetch of 6 minutes 3 goals are scored as my TM sets up another goal.


By the 59th min we are 3-2 ahead and the match becomes a tense affair. I decide to make some changes. One of my dcs is generating a 6 and I sub him. The keeper is also not playing well. A goal was directly caused by his decision to go to "no mans land". I also decide to remove the Farrow from the central MC.

I then bring the team mentality down to 10, and this draws my team into a more compact shape. I reduce tempo from normal to slow and increase timewasting.

The defensive posture works though looking at the action zones shows I am basically playing with a bus in front of my goal

The final stats.. I don't think Grant is too happy and i don't think I could repeat this again. This was totally played from the hip.

retired_kellyk

Another London derby is my next match, this time Arsenal come travelling. At home I tend to be more adventurous. The last formation was a decent one to use away from home, its more defensive. At home against Arsenal, I have width on my side and I can utilise some pace up front. So I pull up my 433.

The 433 has the same defensive setup as the 4132. I've learned some things about tightmarking, so I'll deploy them on the 2 MCs in midfield and make sure the central one plays more as a DMC, while the one on the left and right have forward runs. Even the central MC is on mixed. The fullbacks are on often and the wingers are on often too..i don't want dribblers I just want players to get behind the defensive line quickly and put the other team under pressure quickly. Passing will be short in defense with one DC on direct...the rest of the team is on direct.

Tempo will be normal..I don't really see the need of having to make it quick. Though I should with the passing as such.

Teamtalks are straightforward..home game derby...tell the players to do it for the fans.

After the first half hour we are literally parking ourselves in front of Arsenal as we register 5 shots on target, have one legit goal disallowed. Its all happening at Upton Park. Arsenal have no shots on target. Possession in midfield and Attack is ours. We have overwhelming superiority in midfield and attack.

The pressure is relentless but somehow or another we can't break through. Towards the end of the second half. Arsenal begin to put us under pressure and the possession becomes 50-50 in midfield and while we do keep them in check we can't convert in front of goal and this has to be very disappointing.

I manage to walk away with a point...but our unbeaten record still stays strong. A win over chelsea, followed by a point against Arsenal.