retired_venomm

Mathematical Sliders Tactics

I recently created a thread with a method that was designed to give players individual instructions to allow them to play to their strengths, and discard areas of their game where they weren’t as effective. If you want to do some reading on the background of this approach and how things were calculated (in detail), the original thread is here. I had consistent success with my method with both large and small clubs, however it has a rather annoying flaw: It takes ages to set up!

So, in an attempt to make this method more accessible to people that don’t want to spend a long time setting up, I went about creating a downloadable version using the same approach, but generalised from my findings over several seasons with different clubs. So finally, after having played around with this approach for around a month, I finally have something to upload for you to mess about with, pick flies and completely rip apart should it fail

Downloads
MST – Standard Tactic Set Download Here
MST – Target Man Tactic Set Download Here

These two tactic sets are identical in every single way, except the target man version is naturally created for people who wish to use a target man. The only differences are that Use Target Man is selected and crosses are aimed towards him, other than that, both tactics sets are the same.


Theory and Tactical Usage Guidelines

I wanted to include a bit of basic information to help people understand what the purpose of each tactic is. If you have a good understanding of shapes, you will probably already have a good idea of which of the formations to play in certain situations. If that is the case, delve straight in, ignore all of this and enjoy. If you would like some further explanations, or have limited knowledge, this may be of some use to you. However I must stress that there are many threads in this forum that will do a damn site better with the details than I will, and I suggest you read those first, I will link my main source of knowledge at the bottom of this thread.

I have created three different formations, each with a defensive and attacking version. The differences between them are very minimal – shape and mentality are the only things that really change.

The three formations: Standard (4-4-2) Back (4-1-4-1) Forward (3-1-4-2)

Using A Target Man – You need strong and tall man for this role. Work rate, pace and positioning are also important, as are jumping and heading. I have balls to target man set as varied, so they aren’t necessarily going to be aimed at his head, so anticipation will also come into it. If you don’t have a forward that has this sort of attribute layout – I suggest using the tactic set that isn’t made to utilize a target man.

Defensive Midfielders – I think most people know the basic outline of a good defensive midfielder. Makelele, Keane, Gattuso, Vieira and Mascherano are/were all good examples. I personally like to use Cambiasso or Gattuso, mainly because of their ‘Winds Up Opponents’ preferred move.

The DL/R In Forward (3-1-4-2) Formation – I would try not to use out and out right or left sided defenders here, as they are supporting the DC. If Manchester United were the team I was playing as, I would play Heinze (DLC) on the left, Neville (DRC/WBR) on the right, and Ferdinand in the middle. The reason for this is that they are both naturals playing as full backs, with accomplished centre back ratings, which they will need when they tuck in. Players like Evra wouldn’t be as effective to play in this style as he is more of an out and out wingback.

Strikers – Both strikers are always holding up the ball in my formations, so you will need strong skilful strikers. This is just to give more people a chance to get into forward positions. If you don’t like to play in this style simply untick it.


When To Use The Formations

All of the tactics in these sets work in same way. The attacking variation will give you varied passing and plenty of possession. The defensive version is a counter attack version of the same tactic that wastes time more frequently, closes down faster and clears the ball further up field from the defence.

Standard 442 Set – I would use these as often as possible in matches where you are playing sides you expect to beat, even if you know it will be a close game

Forward 3142 Set – This is made for playing against teams a lot poorer than you, such as random sides you’ve never heard of in Europe, low league sides in cup competitions and maybe even against reasonable sides that have had a man sent off (but having 3 at the back, it is a risk against any big clubs). The reason for creating this tactic is the amount of ridiculous draws I have had against small clubs in the League Cup, forcing me into a replay – which isn’t really what you want if you are challenging in many competitions.

Back 4141 Set – This formation is to be used against teams that play tricky formations against you, no matter what their standard is. Such as this , this and this. The defensive midfielder is there to try and break up the extra man in those midfields, which often causes the AI to have alot of the ball in your half around the edge of the box. The front man will have to be a strong skilful one in this set though as he is a lone striker trying to get the ball and hold it up while get forward to support


Summary

Many thanks to everyone on the T&T forum for so many great posts and ideas – that I have learnt so much from and put to use in these tactics, wwfan in particular for all the amazing threads on theory (especially this one which helped me solve so many problems that I was having at the time), everyone who responded to my original thread with so many great suggestions and ideas, especially kolobok for going out or your way to make the spreadsheet. There are so many hints towards other tactical styles that I have picked up from other threads in here that I can't list them all, one of the obvious ones in the Rule Of One. If there is something in here that you believe to be yours and I are upset that I haven't credited you for it, I'm really sorry for that, and feel free to link to your post about it in a reply.

Hopefully I have covered most things there. One note is that some smaller teams may require the forward arrows removing from the defensive tactics to be able to play it well, but in my experience larger teams seem to cope well with them still there. If you still have any questions please feel free to ask. I haven’t tried these out over a long spell of around 5 seasons yet, but they seem reasonable for me at the moment in short term runs. I’d be very interested to hear any feedback, no matter how good or bad it is. Suggestions, ideas, where it’s all gone wrong, I want to hear all that - anything that could help me improve.

Thanks for looking, paulsgruff

retired_mcarroll45

Get a job

retired_anemoskkk

Didn.t tried it yet, but I checked the team + players instructions. Please correct the set pieces, but if you dont want, I can send you a version of your tactics with a decent set pieces instructions. Unless you found some gr8 set piece and are using it on the tac

retired_anemoskkk

Just teasted it with Reading on a 3 EPL games run. Agains equal or weaker sides it does ok. But agains Major clubs as Chelsea, you get ripped apart. Maybe i used wrong tactics, dunno.

Now my doubts:
1- As I said, the set pieces seem confused. Why is one of the center miedfilders nicking at the near post and why is one of the center backs forimng wall on free kicks instead of man-marking?

2 - Why does the throw-in instructions are so strange? I can't see the logic.

3 - Why does the left miedfielder does man marking on set pieces?

I used the standard version, since Doyle is not tall enough to use the target man version

retired_venomm

Hey Kandinsky, thanks for pointing this out! From what you have said it seems that I may have uploaded the tactics I saved after setting the team/player instructions, which I always do before I sort my set pieces out and then save again, so they are probably all on the default settings by the sounds of it. I will upload the corrected versions shortly, sorry about that.

retired_venomm

New Download Link - Fixed Set Pieces

The above link directs to the version of the tactics where the set pieces are as intended. Sorry about uploading the wrong version first - I really should organise my folders better so I know which is which. I can't seem to be able to shut off the links in the first post to prevent downloads, so I just hope people scroll down a bit to find these, hehe.

Both target man and none target man versions are in that zip, not 2 seperate downloads like the first.

retired_Honemaster

Hello Paulsgruff,

can you post your tactics in rapidshare???? I got a lot of errors in File Front.....

Thaks a lot

retired_venomm

Hey Gustavo, here's a rapid share link to the fixed set piece tactic set. I think I did this right, I've never hosted anything on rapidshare before.

Rapidshare Link

retired_FaultyFate

Kandinsky,

Give the tactics more time. Your team needs to adopt to them, and it usually takes time. I would not expect to beat Chelsea (or have even game) with Reading at the second or third game with new tactic (though it could happen in real life ). Besides, if you check Paulsgruff's original thread, you will see that this tactic set is not "unbeatable, magic, super (you name it)" and is not intended to be such. However it gives good results with average or even weak teams, especially over time.

Paulsgruff, great work. :thup:

retired_venomm

As kolobok said, allow time for your team to adjust to the methods. It was my aim to give a team the best chance of winning that it had in the original thread and I've tried to just generalise it to make a downloadable version so people don't have to go through all the effort my other thread required.

Obviously I can't physically test it witch each and every team, but I am currently playing with this tactic set with Stalybridge in the Conference North. I decided to start umployed with automatic repuations and take the first job offered to me, knowing that it would be for a very low ranking poor side. My original thread didn't really cater for being used by low league small sides by how everything was calculated, but I'm having pretty good success with this tactic at the moment in this save. I will upload some screenshots later on to show progress achieved, I'm coming towards the end of the first season now.