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Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)?
Scrolling down the page, I see a total of four theory threads (mine, Cleon's, Abramovic's and kristianhnohr's) and five decently explained specific tactic threads (FuSS's, Socks's, Wicked Wilson's, BobbyBamber's and jep's).
Most of the recent stuff on this forum has focused around:
a: how difficult the game is (boo hoo)
b: how the AI cheats (boo hoo x2)
c: how rubbish/unenjoyable FM07 is
d: how the gurus cheat and contradict themselves thus proving they do
I realise I have ironically added to the useless threads by writing this, but for ...'. sake, by reading and acting upon the information around (it's called research!) it is not difficult to work out how and why you are failing and doing something about it. The other option is to work it out for yourself but that seems to be proving difficult. If you like FM, want to win, but are struggling, wouldn't it be better to add value to the boards and ask/answer tactical questions rather than discussing your opinion on the rubbishness of the AI, the comebacks, the 4-2-4, the injury problems etc. All these arguments add up to is 'I can't play this game very well, therefore there's something wrong with it as it can't possibly be me. I've always been good at FM' and 'those who say they don't have these problems cheat'. If someone gives a decent answer in defence of FM a common comeback is 'well, I can win but should be winning more, I'm Chelsea/Man Utd and it should be easier. I should never lose to Fulham/Sheff Utd etc)' or 'Man Utd never change their tactics in real life so it's unrealistic I should have to'. Apart from showing yourself up as knowing next to nothing about football, sport in general, or FM, you alienate anyone likely to give you advice in the first place. That can hardly be your goal, or have we all become such narcissitic merchants that we actually don't care and just want our opinion to be heard and given fawning appreciation. I sometimes wonder.
If you can't win with consistency the first thing to do is to look at yourselves, your tactical sophistication and your match-by-match strategy. Blaming the game is pointless. As a playwright once said 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.' Probably well worth paying some attention to, not just in playing FM but in general inter-personal communication. Especially in relation to the security of anonymity of forum activity, which some seem to regard as an open invitation to be insulting rather than a place for civil discussion. Oh, you're so hard, your macho antagonistic swearing really put me in my place! Really worthwhile.
Bearing in mind that another common complaint is 'I cannae be bothered to read (anything?)' here's a simple step by step guide, thus adding some value to this thread and giving me a better reason for having spent 15 minutes of my day writing it.
Tackling
Heavy for attacking systems, normal for possession, light for defensive
Closing Down
Often for attacking systems, mixed for possession, rarely for defensive
Marking
Loose for attacking systems, mixture between loose and tight for possession, tight for defensive
FWRs
Often except DCs for attacking, mixed for posssion, rarely for defensive
Width
Wide for attacking, normal for possession, narrow for defensive
D-Line
Highish for attacking, normal for possession, low for defensive (relates to mentality, you see)
Free Roles
The more you have, the more attacking you will be
Creative Freedom
See free roles
Hold Up Ball
The more you do it, the more players can get involved in attacking moves, and the greater chance you'll have breaking down a massed defence. If you are relying on counter attacks, a couple of players will suffice.
Tempo
Pontless if everyone is slow, useful if everyone is fast
Try Through Balls
Often for attacking, mixed for possession, rarely for defensive (because they increase the likelihood of losing the ball)
Run with Ball
(see Try Through Balls)
Mentality
I'm not even going to suggest how mentality should be used. If you haven't worked it out yet then there's no hope
Right, rant over. I've had a tough and stressful week at work and the FM boards are usually a source of mind-relaxation, but currently they are frustrating the hell out of me. Please try to add some value to the TACTICAL or TRAINING debates, as that is what this forum should be about. Value can be questions, tests, answers. At the moment everytime I visit the TT&T forum I arm myself with bags of cheddar to go with all the whine. Whine has no value after a while. It just turns to vinegar.
This does not apply to everyone. Those who do sterling work know who you are.
05-10-2007, 08:45 AM
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? Post #2
I see what you mean with a lot of the threads. I have tried to sort of start a discussion with my Cleansweep with AC Milan thread but it is similiar to what Cleon has been saying with a few of my own ideas added in on how i change things in a game at times.
I agree that there are too many threads moaning about luck and how the AI cheats. It just comes down to whether you are going to play the game as a simulation game and sort out your team or you are just going to throw some tactic and team together and expect to win which just does not work
05-10-2007, 08:50 AM
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? Post #3
ahaa I was just about to ask how best to implement closing down settings. So judging from what you said wwfan, that means when you're chasing a game you should close down more right? and vice versa when you're defending a lead?
to be honest, FM07 is a tad too difficult for my liking, however I've had some success in a game with Arsenal. Am currently struggling with smaller sides, but I'm not ready to give up yet! moreso when I come accross threads such as this one. thanks wwfan!
05-10-2007, 09:14 AM
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? Post #4
ROFL, I was just about to post such a rant myself Great thread as always wwfan!
About closing down, I would say often/mixed can work in a defensive system if you have physically strong players, I myself never go below mixed in closing down and it seems to work ok, (won league cup uefa cup and runners up in fa cup and league first season with west ham for instance). Though I agree wholeheartedly that if you have significally worse players and playing defensively closing down is not your friend.
05-10-2007, 09:21 AM
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? Post #5
here here well said wwfan, (wwfan what does it mean) im a new user to fm never played it before 07 (played some CM some years ago), ive been using the rule of one theory and some common sense and have not struggled to bad at all and when i lose i try and work out why and use that in the future, i understand people getting frustrated its hard for a new user i agree but its all about trial and error, and realising that when AI "susses out my formation or "last season i won the league this year im pants" that you do not have to change your whole formation, just adjust the mentalities or style a little. no the game is not easy but if it were i would be bored by now.
05-10-2007, 08:39 PM
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? Post #8
I think many people just don't understand that this game is not Doom ("jump left, turn right - yeah baby, I killed all of them"). The beauty of football (btw, irl too) is that you cannot always win! After all, even the best team may have a bad day. Be realistic. The thing is if you loose, you have to find a way to win again. Personally, I have learned a lot from this forum (thanks everybody), but have never ever tried to apply tactics/tips exactly the same way other people do. The reason is that I have different players and I play against different teams than others. What's the point to give my player hard tackling instruction, if he has 1 in this area? (no offence wwfan, just an example). Another example. I signed Eddie Jhonson (sp?) my second season with Sampdoria and he was brilliant (won best signing etc.). Now I am in third season and his ratings dropped, even though i did not change his instruction. As in real life, AI found a way to stop him. Now it is my turn to change his instruction (or may be team style) to beat AI.
Sometimes I find how to beat AI right away, sometimes it takes longer. But that's exactly what keeps me playing this game. The moment I find really ubeatable tactic (thanks SI, I have not found it yet and hope never will), I will srop playing. But it is sad that in order to find usefull idea in this forum now I need to go through 1000 tread and finally end up at one of the well known (Cleon's, wwfan, and a few others).
P.S. sorry for English.
05-10-2007, 10:47 PM
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? Post #10
Where have all the good threads gone (long time passing)? 
Great thread as always wwfan!
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