jaycar

Thanks for the response, are you no longer a fan of high closing down for fullbacks?

I haven't yet tried the split mentalities with the 433, I'll try it and let you know how it goes...

RE the PKM i don't have a specific game in mind I'll have a look see if i can spot it happening and upload it

Quinten

Hi all , as i said i'm working on (or at least i'm trying) a Barcelona-style tactic using a 4-1-2-2-1 as my basic formation.

Now i'm not quite happy with the early testings. Don't get me wrong , winning isn't the problem (i'm Barcelona after all) but i'm not happy with what i see in the 2D-view. I just can get them to play a slow possession-minded game as they mostly do in real life.

I'll usually float around 55% possession and 80% completion , i know that isn't bad but i just want to get them "to play right" if you know what i mean.

But then again i'm in the middle of my end of period university exams and i haven't had the time or the energy to put in a real decent effort. So above is based on a few friendlies only , it could be a matter of the players adapting to me tactic.

Nonetheless here are my very early and premature observations:

*On overall attacking mentality (16) seems to result in too many sloppy balls forward , and as my attackers aren't the strongest ones they usually loose the duel for the ball.Lowering mentality should result in more decent, 'safe' passes luring the oppont out of their organisation.

Using the rule of one in one friendly gave a better exchanges of passes , especially on my left side. No offense to the spirit of this thread Rashidi =)

Anyway i'd better hit the books again , one more to go. I'll be back with some decent feedback something you guys can work with because this is practically useless but i wanted to share it anyway =)

rashidi1

Sounds like you need to make a tactic which has slow tempo, plays short passing and perhaps doesn't have as many people making forward runs..My team mentality tends to be 13 usually.

rashidi1

Jarzinho424

I like this tactic, finished a season with Merthyr Tydfil (2017/18) and were crowned League and ECL champions. At home the tactic rocks, away you need to pay a bit more attention knowing when to push up your dline and when not to. Player selection is also important.

The semifinals against United are a good case in point.

ECL Semis first leg
We were at home in the first leg, and this was one cagey affair, I kept my dline at 8 and had counter attacks on. Our first goal only came because of a freekick in a dangerous area which United fail to clear well, the ball was brought wide before it was headed home.

At that point United was still foraging in midfield, my indecisiveness proved crucial as their constant ballwinning, pressure and our inability to clear gifted them with a blinder from 30 yards out. Our lead had lasted only 4 minutes.

In the dressing room 6 of my players were either "superb or very good". The rest were either good or ok. I got angry with the Superb lot and encouraged the rest.

Start of the second half..I make a change, this time I pushed my dline to 12 and turned on offside, we were going to take the game to them.

Our ball winning antics in midfield allow us to carve out a 3-1 win.

Second leg Away
United are unbeaten at home in all competitions. This was not going to be an easy game. Allowing them the chance to come at me would not be a good move, but if I attack them too much that would be risky as well.

This game was played for most parts in our half as we sat deep, United did score one goal. So throughout the course of the match I made sure that I would sit deep and click counter during some stages of the game I would push the dl only as far as 10. We managed to hold on and prevent them from scoring a second. Constant timewasting helped too.

rashidi1

OK I just tried doing this in my first home game of the season...these were my settings...I used the 424 as a template.

1. Kept the mentalities the same, with the exception of the DMC who has been set on team mentality with the rest. The defenders have their split...the rest of the team is on 13 I think definitely less than 15.

2. The tempo, since you want it slow has been set to 8. The width is wide.

3. Closing down instructions for the team in general are the same, the fullbacks have been asked to close down a bit more, since there is the security of the DMC..i think the fullbacks are on 9 and the rest of the team is on max.

4. Creative freedom...does more than what's in the manual..In FM, CF is like a radius of behaviour, the higher the more latitude he's given. Now because my team has an average of 12 for decisions the whole team including the keeper is on 10. The AMCs and FC are on 17? Why?
These players have also been given a freerole.

5. Defensive Line. Now this is the pressure gauge. With a DM this formation is tough to crack so you can afford to take risks. In my match I started deep with CA, by halftime I realised 2 things, 1. The AMs were hardly getting in on the action, when we won the ball they would be too far away. So I pushed the DLine up...they got involved.
The second thing I realised is that formations with a DM don't necessarily have to play too deep. Yes its good insurance but if you find you need to score, then push the DLine up...but if you do push it up...doesn't it get harder?

Yes it does which is why you need to have fwr and ttb. These instructions work in tandem, the one has players moving around the other finds them. With a slow tempo you will got a lot of movement especially from the front three. The challenge is the fullbacks, they can be dangerous too. Depending on how good your squad is you could increase their mentality. In my formation I know that 10 is enough but some others may want to go as 15.

I hate talking like these are numbers but it all makes sense. Simply.. a deep defensive line in a formation with a dmc can be good and bad. The danger is you get too much hoofing.

To win games you need to win the battle in midfield and if your DM is too far behind then you are only winning the war in your third. You could sit back, play deep, turn on counter and hope that the AI leaves gaps ALL THE TIME. But then again, I'm the kind of guy who has been playing attacking styled football since AMIGA, nothing changes.

jaycar

Rash, could you explain more about how CF works? Is it fact how far a player can stray from Their position?

I ask because...

Played Everton last night, McFadden(sp) created chaos due to him dropping into space and throughballing to johnson, I'm convinced that johnson was on a higher mentality, (as abramovichs thread shows us the AI likes to do) but I'm finding it hard to suss out why players drop deeper.

wwfan suggests no forward runs..i don't think it's that, i'm sure its a free role with high creative freedom..yet if you look at moyes in the editor..he dont do free roles..any suggestions? I do love that forward dropping back..

these have always been my moans with the game, we're not given the information to play how we see the AI play

(sorry about all that drivel)

rashidi1

Free role coupled with high CF will make the player do all sorts of things. If he has high decisions, good, if he has high teamwork, brilliant. But if not he becomes a liability.

LorDJm

Rash, I was wondering if you could create a topic something like Creating Trainings - A Reasoned Approach perhaps? I would really like to see how you go into creating training schedules as I think training is a very important aspect in the game but its not looked into by many people.

Taunton

Rashidi. This thread is exellent, and you explain so many things in an understandable and good way.
As I said before, you get a deeper understanding of things without it being to complicated.
But, is it possible to give a few more advices on away games?

And I also experience that when the opponent has decided to have a go at me in the end of games, they usually nick a couple of goals, no matter what I do.
Do you have some advice to this?

I use your 424 now, it's really good.

rashidi1

I have to be honest here LorDJm training threads will take a whole lot of time..I don't know if I have all that time. But I will try when I do.

Taunton If opponents are having a go at you. This is what I'd do depending on the situation

1. If I'm leading comfortably, but the AI has begun winning the ball in midfield, I'd push up, tick off counterattacks and on with offsides, and perhaps even go narrow. If I'm into the last 5 mins, I may even go to timewasting and take off the "flair" players and put in the workhorses.

2. If the AI and it has done this often goes into a 424, I get excited. I honestly do mate. Its like 2 prizefighters slugging it out. Before you can enjoy though...do you have the right defenders..pace and anticipation (tops priority)..teamwork and workrate (rest of the team)..if you do..pull your dline down..invite it and stay tight. If you find that they are making too much inroads..and that they are having a free rein, immediately stop what you're doing...and push up and do the reverse.


There are times when I just play with defensive lines..i remember a match against Liverpool. On paper they were the defensive side..we attacked...scored the early goal...went defensive..they equalised...I pushed up we scored 2 more...by halftime my strikers were 57 for condition. It was amazing.

By the way TontonI like the 424 so much because of the simplicity of use. Its not the tactic per se..its the basics.. For any tactic you need to make sure the tactic works first ie. that the players close down in the right places..defensively its solid. Once these are right just focus on those things that make sense in football. Push up to score a goal...keep your shape to deny them..bla bla bla.