If you register for free, you will be able to post threads, vote on polls and lots more. If you have problems with the registration or logging in, please contact the administrator.
Before i start this thread i would like to just say that I in no way intend this to be a "Floodgate" tactic - that is; i don't want loads of people going off, trying the tactic and coming back saying "Your tactic is S**T mate! I just got hammered 8-0 by Muddlecome-on-slush" or whomever..
This is as the title implies: An Experiment. It could fall flat on it's face, i could lose horribly, i don't know what is going to happen.
INFORMATION
What I want to do is try to recreate the Liverpool playing style of the 70's and 80's, for those who know their football inside-out (and most football lovers in general) they will know the playing style instilled in Liverpool back then by firstly the late great Bill Shankly and then Bob Paisley was an extremely effective and ultimately massively successful possession-based playing style.
I have tried to implement this playing style before on FM05 (I never had 06) with unsuccessful results, but in truth i had never really thought about what i was doing.
You see, i used to be a big LMA Manager fan on Playstation and had always used the "Liverpool 70's" tactic available in that game to devastating effect (after a couple of seasons i would make a clean sweep of all available trophies while practically dozing) and when i first picked up Football Manager 2005 (my first) i though "S**t, this is, like, HARD!"
Anyway, I've been on the forums for a few months now and read a lot of wwfan's and Rashid1's threads on how to implement tactics in at least a realistic way. I realized i had been burying my head in the sand when things went wrong, either that or i assumed that the AI was "Cheating" when really, and i'm quoting wwfan "I myself had failed to adapt" to a change in circumstances.
THE TACTIC
My team of choice is, obviously, Liverpool and again obviously, the formation of choice is a flat 4-4-2 with short farrows on the R/LMF.
*for the purists out there with eagle eyes, i have slightly modified the database in order to have a larger transfer budget (i feel the £25m is too low) in order to afford David Villa - this is my only crime against purity*
Aside from the afore mentioned Villa, i will only be interested in players with attributes high in the following;
PASSING. TEAMWORK. WORK RATE. OFF THE BALL. POSITIONING. CONCENTRATION.
Only the Defenders' passing is direct to avoid the "Oh-my-God-he's-passed-to-the-keeper-who's-fallen-over-his-own-feet-and-gifted-a-stupid-goal" syndrome.
Creative freedom is "little" across the board (1 notch below "normal") except for the striker and the Defensive (yes) Midfielder (as this is Xabi Alonso in Liverpool) is "much."
The team has a blanket mentality just on the defensive side as you can see in the screenie.
AIMS
What i'm hoping for is to create a team which is both free-scoring and defensively solid, I have tried to create simple tactics of my own before, you know; Defensive/Counter/Attack etc.. But i'd never tried to create a "playing style."
You CAN say i never INVENTED the playing stlye so it's not mine but i don't think that really matters - if i was a Football Manager IRL then i'm certain I would try to get my RL team playing like this, possession football should theoretically be successful because as long as you have the ball, the other team can't score and that was the original theory of Shanks and Paisley which worked a treat, I only hope (and i'm assuming) that as the game is a simulation, it should be possible.
FINALLY(!)
I will post match stat screens after each match, eventually (if it's working) my team should start to dominate possession in every match regardless of the opposition, our pass completion should be very high as this is purely a passing-based strategy and i'm hoping that we have a good disciplinary record (as we don't harry the opposition when they are in possession - just let them play across us).
I think that's all i have to say so far, i think i've covered the basics, i'll post the first (I hope successful!) match screenie soon. (Away versus FC Basel, friendly)
So the first match was a success.
A friendly away versus Basel, we had slightly more possession (I would hope to have at least 55% at home) more shots at goal etc...
That match, granted it being a friendly, still isn't a convincing win for your Liverpool side. Not enough chances and possession as your tactic wants to achieve. Still I will be following up on this thread though.
Originally posted by ubos:
That match, granted it being a friendly, still isn't a convincing win for your Liverpool side. Not enough chances and possession as your tactic wants to achieve. Still I will be following up on this thread though.
Yeah, i agree there ubos, we just played another match there against Wrexham away and won 3-0 which is hardly inspiring but we did dominate the match (again, hardly inspiring considering the oppo) and created plenty of chances etc.
I didn't feel the need to bother with a screenie as the result couldn't possibly have been in doubt and i don't feel anything can be learned from it, though i can upload one on request if you like...
Our next few matches should be a little more challenging, I've got Brugges, AS Roma and damned if i can remember the other... could be Bordeaux or Auxerre or something like that.
@vasilli07 - yeah mate, i know, it's not convincing on all fronts at the minute but i'm two matches into it, only about a week of training and what not - this sort of thing takes years to perfect, i don't expect to instantly start pummeling teams, my players will take a long time to adapt to this sort of playing style.
Again, hardly setting the world on fire but like i said it's only the second match of hopefully hundreds.
The next matches are against Benfica, AS Roma and Club Brugges, we'll see how they go...
* also; i'm actually quite glad my possession, passing, shots etc are pretty average at the minute, gives me a chance to improve things and see it happening. If it all went perfectly from the off it would render this thread totally pointless...
PS note the lurvly black away colours - an edit, yes but makes no difference to the game, in the same way as the LUXOR skin and badge sets..
Yea currently using that skin as well and loving it
The win against Wrexham is more convincing than the 1 against Basel but as you said, it hardly sets the world alight.
On the other hand, friendlies don't mean a lot, and I don't think you have to take the trouble to upload every single 1 of your friendlies since the league matches are more reflective of your tactic's capability.
LIVERPOOL 70's-80's experiment. 
so far.
Linear Mode
