retired_curly123

After having so much success on previous versions of FM and CM before it, I've now come to FM08 and am simply rubbish at this game now. I've been playing it for about a couple of months but it seems like I just keep getting worse and worse. I mean my Rangers team lost 7-0 vs Hibs just now and I'm getting really frustrated.

Please note - this is not a rant at SI - I accept my rubbishness at this game is due to my own crap tactics.

What I would like is some advice on how to better improve my tactics.

Typically I opt for a balanced set of mentalities - 1 for GK, 1 for DC's, 10 for DR/L, 10 for MC's, 15 for MR/L and 15 for FC's. Am I on the right track?

I link defensive line to mentality by setting my d-line to the same setting as my MC's mentality - so that my MC's are close together to close any gaps in front of the defence. Am I on the right track here?

I figured I would just start with the mentality and d-line settings as they appear to be the most important when developing a tactic.

So can anyone give my any advice on how to improve my mentality and d-line settings?

I aspire to be one of those managers that is brilliant at this game (like I was in the past) so I would be interested in knowing what is regarded as the 'better' approach towards mentality settings - ie. global, spread or close together.

Any advice would be much appreciated as I am getting extremely frustrated at how poor I am at this current version of the game, its quite upsetting considering I've played the game for about 15 years now.

Thanks.

Agruso

WEll for mentality i would say you have split it too big, i would try...

DC 3
FB 7/8
Cm 10
Ml/R 10
Striker13/15

I jst use the D/Line as another slider to determine how attacking i am

retired_curly123

Cheers for your advice mate.

Would it be far to say, according to your mentality settings, that it would be wise the split mentality like this:

A) all players within the defensive - normal range

OR

B) all players within the normal - attacking range

OR

C) all players within the same mentality range - either all on defensive OR all on normal OR all on attacking.

In other words - not as heavily split as I have been using - players can be split in mentality but should be reasonably close together, yeah? Am I understanding this correctly?

As for defensive line - does that mean, even I am I using a normal - attacking mentality split, I can still use a deep defensive line? In other words they don't really need to be linked, in your own personal experience?

Thanks again for your advice, I'll give your settings/theories I derived from them a try.

retired_curly123

Been trying out the new mentality settings:

My team certainly attacks a lot better now and have noticed a marked improvement in the amount of goals scored and also better amounts of possession for my team.

Was just wondering too if anybody had any further tips regarding the defensive line and whether or not it should be in some way linked with mentality? Any help would be appreciated as a I strive to improve my somewhat dire defence.

retired_lanebo

The thing with defensive line (from what I`ve seen) is that it should be linked to some extent to mentality and closing down. Why? Because if you play attacking and deep defensive line, this mean that when you are in possession and loose the ball, your defense will track back to sit deep to start to defend. Since you playing attacking, and higher up the pitch, the oppostion will launch a counter attack, your defenders will not defend until their reach the defensive line (wich is set to deep) and the rest of your team won`t have the time to track back because they were too advanced in their positions, so will leave a huge gap in midfield.

retired_onuvolleyball26

I made a thread on something like this, no response from anyone so here goes.

I suck like you do most of the time, I am able though to go on very good runs but invariably I will collapse in mid season and lose the title, and then I will never get started in season2. I will constantly have games where I can score and the opponents score from their single chance.

Play as Milan, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool so they are big teams, now I play as Barca, following settings.

4-1-2-3, attacking full backs.

Global settings, Defensive (half way to ultra def), Closing down 15, d-line 15, all players on forward run often, tight marking, and hard tackling for the back line and DMC.

Creativity on much for the entire team, and free roles for the front 3.

I can alter things to ultra def, low CF and pressing when I want but always have all players forward runs set to the same level.

Result:league title in season 1 and the cup, with 94 points.

Season 2, conceded 2 goals from 18 games, 10 points clear.

2 defeats in total.

So was wondering what exactly the point of mentality is? It certainly means little for the attack, and I am playing attractive attacking football, I just concede far fewer.

retired_curly123

Ok so now I'm going to attempt a system like this for my home attacking tactic:

Mentality

GK - 7
DC - 9
DR/L - 11
MCd - 13
MCa - 15
MR/L - 17
FC - 19

Defensive Line = 15

With such a system as outlined above - what kind of closing down should I employ? I have all my backline on closing down of 6 (highest notch of own area) and the goalkeeper on closing down of 1. However, I'm undecided on how much closing down I should allocate the rest of the side?

Any suggestions?