retired_HAdvocate

First of all you haven´t mentioned how you play your games away from home (which tactics you used). Apart from that you are scoring quite a few and are in an OK position in the la Liga. Bilbao is definatly one of the big chalanges in this game as you can only sign Basque Nationality. For another thing I hope you do not Tick the Target Man option or the Play Maker option, as it limits your playing posibilities (easier for opponents to mark your play-maker and when he loses the ball they are counter-attacking). You are playing attacking football so you of course will concede some, and trust me when I tell you this: your defense is not as strong as you think and it will take time for them to also to get used to the system (at least 15 games) as the rest of the team. In a month or two if your team are in a good position you will "scare" your opponents into playing more defensively so you will automatically concede less goals. Your opponents right now believe they have a chance against you, so you just have to battle it out until you get on top of things. Give it some time is the best answer I can give you....

retired_HAdvocate

Sorry I didn´t notice you did mention away games and I can see your problem. First of all looking at your opponents I would have played Tactic#5 in all of those games. You are not strong enough to play tactic#3 or tactic#4 yet or have the reputation. I would start out by using tactic#5 and only switch to tactic#4 if you go down by two goals in the first-half. Otherwise if you are down by one goal and the game-clock hits 60 minutes then change to tactic#4, and if that does not work change to tactic#1 in the last 10 minutes if you are stronger than opponent. Against stronger opponents try tactic#3 with long farrows in the last ten minutes. If the score line is 0-0 after 60 minutes I change nothing. If I need or believe I should win (not satisfied with a draw) and it stands 0-0 at 80 minutes then I change to tactic#3 with long farrows.

Nemesis

erm, yes I did


The tactics of choice when I'm away are #5 and #6 against a similar or better team, #3 (with some adjustements to make it a bit more defensive and with CA on) against worse teams than Athletic.


Athletic is blessed with exceptional quality midfielders such as Javi Martinez, Yeste, Orbaiz, Ibon Gutierrez (after he comes back from his loan), even Tiko, and very good forwards (Urzaiz, F. Llorente and Aduriz). The basque market offers very good players for the forward and midfield line.

The problem is the central defence, other than Ocio there aren't any worthwile central defenders to purchase from other teams within Athletic's economic possibilities.

But yah, it's a challenge...I'm loving it so far

Target Man I usually turn on when the opposition has no good defenders in the air. Fernando Llorente is wonderful in such matches with targetman (to head) on.

In other matches I do the same as I do with playmaker: I switch it on and off several times during the match. As soon as I notice Yeste (my playmaker of choice) is being put under heavy pressure I change the playmaker to the other MC for some minutes, or directly switch the option off, and increase one notch of mentality to Yeste (so he does more runs from behind, he scores a lot coing from second line. When he's playmaker I put it on the usual mentality so he can play as the reference)

Some 10-15 minutes later if I notice Yeste is left mostly alone again, I set it on once again.

With targetman I start the matches with it turned off. If I notice I'm having problems with the transition towards the strikers, I make sure Llorente is facing the weakest defender in the air, and turn the targetman on for some minutes, to turn it down after some time to keep the AI guessing.




Hope it is true. Truth to be told is not as bad as the first season...then again I have much better DCs now... anyway I'm enjoying a lot tinkering with your tactics. They have given me some ideas .

retired_HAdvocate

I hope you did notice I made some remarks on away-games and if you have any other senarios would be happy to answer them.

Regarding the play-maker and target man option: the reason I don´t apply them is because I´m usally trying to play with long farrows when possible and you want to get the ball down the wings to the byline as you will create much more(trust me on that one) chances, and applying those options will give less oppertunities for your wingers with the free roles. These tactics are also wide based so with the settings I´ve made in these tactics offer most options as I really have been testing things out, and I feel even small changes are actually huge ones as I feel it´s the best balance. But you are the manager and it´s, of course your choice. But thanks for your kind words....

retired_shawna428

Hi Loversleaper,

I really like the look of tactics i will give them a go with my liverpool team.

Im currently at the start of the 2nd season, having just finished 4th the previous season.

I will let you know how i get on!!!

retired_HAdvocate

I spoke to a friend the other day and he said he was having some small problems in how and when he should use the different tactics. Since he has been having some problems maybe some of the others that have downloaded the tactic-set were also having similar difficulties. I sat live with him and showed him how I implemented the different tactics, so since I can't do that with every one I've decided to give some different examples.

Examples: (my team is with bold text)

Aston Villa - Portsmouth
Start with tactic#2 as is.
Scenarios: 1-0 change nothing untill ca. 60 minutes in the game then change 1: short farrow on winger with crossing from mixed. 2: remove fee roles from wingers 3: give free-role to forward not holding up on ball. Change to tactic#6 if the opponent switches to a 4-2-4 (always late in the game).

2-0 make tweak change as explained above with tactic#2. After ca 60-70 minutes on game clock I would recomend you change to tactic#4 and ride the game out. Change to tactic#6 if the opponent switches to a 4-2-4.

0-1 wouldn't change tactic before 70-80 minutes then change to tactic#1 and place wingers in the Forward right/left positions making a 4-2-4.

0-2 change to tactic#1 in first half. In second half change to tactic#1 and tweak to the 4-2-4 formation.

Real Sociedad - Real Madrid
Start with tactic#4.
Scenarios: 0-1 change nothing if you are still in control in the following Match Machine instances. If you come under-pressure change to tactic#5.

0-2 change to tactic#5.

1-0 change to tactic#3 untill second half then give long farrows to wingers with crossing from byline. Give the forward not holding up ball a free role.

2-0 as above up untill ca 60 minutes then change to tactic#1 and tweak to make the 4-2-4 tactic.

Everton - Watford
Start with tactic#5.
Scenarios: 0-1 change nothing untill ca 80 minutes then change to tactic#6. If opponent goes to a 4-2-4 then change to tactic#6.

0-2 take away free roles on wingers and give them to the forward not holding up on ball untill late in the game then change to tactic#6.

1-0 change nothing untill ca. 60 minutes then change to tactic#4. On 80 minutes change to tactic#1 and tweak to the 4-2-4 tactic.

2-0 change to tactic#4 in first half. Second half change to tactic#3 and give long farrows on wingers with crossing from byline. ca. 70 minutes change to tactic#1 and tweak to the 4-2-4 formation.

Sampdoria - Milan
Start with tactic#3.
Scenarios: 1-0 change to tactic#4 untill ca. 80 minutes or when opponent changes to a 4-2-4 then change to tactic#6.

2-0 change to tactic#5 in second half and take away free roles on wingers and give it to the forward not holding up on ball. Then ca. 80 minutes change to tactic#6.

0-1 change to tactic#2 with short farrows on wingers crossing from mixed untill ca. 60 minutes then change to tactic#2 with long farrows on wingers crossing from byline. ca.80 minutes then change to tactic#1 and tweak to the 4-2-4 formation.

0-2 change to tactic#2 as is untill ca. 6o-70 minutes then change to tactic#1 tweaking to the 4-2-4 formation.

Arsenal - Fulham
Start with tactic#2.
Change to tactic#1 as soon as opponent changes to a 5-4-1 tactic (or some similar defensive tactic that produces no chances for your team) which will usually occur between ca.15 and 30 minutes.
Scenarios: 1-0 tactic#2 and after 80 minutes switch to tactic#4 with Full Backs mixed forward runs and mixed run with ball crossing from deep.

2-0 tactic#2 with short farrows on wingers with crossing from mixed and change to tactic#6 after ca 80 minutes or when the opponent changes to a 4-2-4.

0-1 change to tactic#1 untill ca. 70 minutes then change to 4-2-4 formation.

0-2 second half change to 4-2-4 tactic (and change timewasting to minimum which I should have mentioned earlier)

You just need to know which tactic to use and when, and with a few tweaks here and there, you should be able to succeed as it doesn't take a lot of time. If there are other scenarios, I wouldn't mind helping out as there is still 4-5 months before we see the new FM game (2008)...

retired_HAdvocate

As I have just learnt how to make screen shots I've decided to join in on the West Ham challenge.

Manager Profile:


And this is how I set up my pre-season training which will expire 01-August-2006:


After that I will go with individual training for each position. I could post screen shots but they are very similar to the ones floating around here in the forums.

retired_HAdvocate

I have 15 million pounds to shop for so this is what I came up with:


I sold Zamora to Portsmouth 1.7 mil, Dailly to Hearts for 200k, Quashie to Reading 1k, Walker to West Brom 1k and Newton to Leeds 20k.

I wasn't totally happy with the staff so I brought in Armstong (Fitness coach from Cardiff) and Nanni (Pysio from Bologna).

retired_HAdvocate

So I have my players, training schedules and assigned coaches, so far so good. In all of the friendlies I started out with tactic#3 long farrows on wingers crossing from byline except for the home match against Inter wich I used tactic#2 with short farrows on wingers crossing from mixed. In all of these games I had Easy Tackling.

Now, on to my first league fixture against Liverpool on home ground. Pre-match question was "Stiles faces first real test". Reply "no comment" and that is basically because I am slight underdogs and I don't want to effect anything going into this match. Dry weather 25c. Start out with tactic#2 short farrow version.
(34<match minutes&gt 1-0 Aston.
(60) changed to tactic#4.
(71) 1-1 Sissoko. Changed back to tactic#2 short farrow version.

Result 1-1. Possession 53%-47%. I should have won the match which is illustrated in the media after the match:


Looking back on the match I should maybe not have switched to tactic#4 in the 60th minute.

I would also like to point out that when I use two defensive orientated central midfielders I always tweak the more attacking one(right center) so I change his run with ball to mixed. I do this as a more defensive outlook and will do this during a match (substitutions) or from start away from home against the big teams. If I have Delgado-Tevez in attack then target man supply to feet in team instructons.
Sometime when I use similar players I will have them swap positions in team instructions.

retired_HAdvocate

Next fixture West-Ham vrs. Man.City. To my surprise I was "up against it" on home field. And there was no pre-match question so being in this situation I decided to make a next opponent comment: "I wouldn't begrudge Pearce the victory". Dry weather 23c. Start with tactic#2 short farrow version.
(18) 1-0 Tevez
(42) 2-0 Aston
(62) changed to tactic#4.
Possession 55%-45%. Dominant win and here is the media comment after the match:


After the match Pearce says "better team won" and I gave him a "don't be to down-hearted by defeat" which is good because in the long run I would like to get my hands on Micah Richards...