retired_lolindir

What does it all mean:

(1) 'they like to play possession football, and they would look to get ball down and play it.'

(2) 'they don't play passing football, they like to mix it up a little.'

(3) 'they look to draw their opposition before launching a counter attack.'


what do these reports tell us, and how to make the most of them?

the following are my explanations; please correct me and/or enlighten me.

(1) this should mean they play short passing and slow (I think). now, if my team's better my understanding is we should match them, i.e. play short-passing and slow, attacking. if, on the other hand, my team's weaker i play fast, direct, deep, and deffensive, with CM switched on.

(2) i don't know what to make of this one. i know it means their passing is mixed (neither short nor direct), but how do we counter it?

(3) here it means they play fast, direct, defensive, with CA turned on. if my team's better i take it to them: fast, direct, attacking with no CM, if it's weaker i play it kinda neutral, not ofensive nor defensive with (here i'm in dillema) CM turned off.

please guys tell me how you do it, and what success you've had with it. and, while you're at it, tell me how you use one man advantage.

retired_lolindir

Anyone?

wingchunjohn

Well I can only tell you how I like to play the game, not neccessarily other peoples views.

(1) There is no rule that you have to match them by playing short passing, that's entirely down to you. If you are the weaker team you could approach it from two sides no matter what the opposition's passing is like: go direct and go straight for goal or get the ball down and hold on to the possesion, if you've got the ball they can't do anything. There's also nothing to suggest they are playing slow because they like to pass it, it could be a high tempo passing game they play. Anyway, the best way to counter this is by closing the opposition down, get your players close to them and possibly use hard tackling to break up the attack at the earliest oppertunity.

(2) There is no really set way to counter this, it just means the oppositions passing system is unpredictable and they dont have a set view on how they play the ball. As for countering it, there isn't really much to counter in my view, just play your normal game unless you are an inferior team where again closing down would be the best option.

(3) I'm not sure what you mean by CM turned off. The way I would counter this however is to either have my defence playing deep or by keeping my right and left defenders back for extra cover by increasing the slider towards the defensive side.

Hope that's a help.

retired_fanito

Here's how I try to play when these scenarious come up:

1. If I'm the better team then I'll just play my game or match them and play a possession-type game. I'm not the better team then I'll try playing a defensive game with quick direct passing and counter-attack option clicked.

2. I'll play my game, which is possession football. Very narrow, short passing, slow tempo. Pass through middle. If it's not working then try quick, direct, and wide.

3. I will also play with a deep defensive line. If I notice their strikers getting too often behind my line then I'll put barrows on my fullbacks. I will also play a possession game here.