What's that coming over the hill, is it destruction is it destructiooooooooon!!
Superb passing movements from the back to attack, a joy to watch and importantly very good in possession. There’s something very appealing about this tactic. Now maybe it works well for me because i have good passers of the ball in my team but seeing them knock the ball about effortlessly inspires some confidence. Also, good through the middle and on the wings and an abundance of shots on goal.
What’s so impressive is how effortless the players seem to be playing in this system and additionally how strong the team appear to be in defence. maybe its down to the system working so well in attack (and thus not allowing the opposition to get a sniff in my own penalty area).
Playing as Tottenham Hotspur.
Without tweaking:
H v Pompey (champ) W 7-0 (FA Cup 3rd round)
4 players F/T Rat: 10/10
Striker scored a hattrick. central midfielders shared 3 goals and central defender also got onto the score sheet.
Shots on goal: 19
On target: 14
Pompey only claimed 6 shots, 1 on target.
58% Possession
Passes completed: 75%
Crosses Completed: 15%
H V Southend United (14th in the Prem) W 1-0
Both my first choice central midfielders were missing in this game due to minor injuries.
Now, dont think for a second that a 1-0 win is due to the tactic being ineffective here. TBH, this game was quite simply a joy to behold, if only because of the utter dominance and the sheet brilliance of the Southend's keeper in keeping the score down to the one goal. Much like the Pompey game, it was a shower of chances, but my players just couldn’t stick them away.
23 shots on goal, 16 on target. 54% possession. 78% passes and 32% crosses.
Southend had 3 shots, none of them on target.
H V Bolton (8th in the Prem) W 5-0
The first 'test' in that the opposition is a tad stronger than the previous ones. Exceptional opening 15 mins, going 2 up and having one disallowed. Teasing football, running Bolton ragged.
18 shots on goal - 11 on target. Bolton managed just 2 shots on target.
54% and 77% of all passes completed.
Exhibition football
IMO.
A V Everton (8th in the Prem) W 1-0
Another test, as this is the first away game the tactic has been used in.
Very scrappy, with Everton having more of the ball than the previous teams played. Scrappiness probably more down to Everton’s style of play than mine. Passing nowhere near as fluent as the home games due to Everton’s players constantly biting into mine (85% win tackle ratio for the toffeemen).
But some brilliant wing play resulted in a rebound falling to my forward player to slot home in the 80th. Hard days work - but if anything, proving this tactic works with the dirty (as well as the pretty).
Probably had 2 real scares in the game, and if anything, do feel that a stronger team with stronger midfielders may have caused me some real problems - but this test will come in the near future.
H V Man City (13th in the Prem) D 3-3
First goal conceded under the new tactic, and it’s a wayward backpass at fault, out of nothing. I’ll put this down to the player in question having a ‘moment’.
Also – worth mentioning that I still don’t have my two first choice central midfielders since they picked up minor injuries.
Which may explain the ‘soft centre’ and the ease with how City scored their second from a counter-attack.
The first real piece of attacking play from my side ended with a goal. Team got a ‘b*llocking’ from me at half-time and came out up for it in the second half. Shown by dominance in possession and taking a 3-2 lead.
This just proves that no matter what the tactic, a lot depends on you as a manager with selection and the players you have at your disposal.
But sadly, an unlucky deflection resulted in another city goal in the last few minutes of the match.
12 shots, 8 on target and 61% possession compared to city’s 3 shots on target.
Just from general FM experience, I’m gonna commit myself to the ideal that not having a fully strength team may have something to do with the lack of cohesiveness in my teams play. Totally dominated, without really carving open City and conceded goals that on any other day would have been defended with ease.
H V Middlesbro (FA Cup 4th round) W 2-1
Full strength team.
57% possession, 21 shots on goal 10 on target. Boro managed just 2 on target. Again, a good win but not so much of the swagger of early games.
So, thus far:
W 7-0 Home v Pompey (cup)
W 1-0 Home V Southend
W 5-0 Home v Bolton
W 1-0 Away v Everton
D 3-3 Home v Man City
H 2-1 Home v Boro (cup)
I’m going to continue to use this tactic ‘untweaked’ in order to test against better opposition and in more away games before I set out to tweak it and change it a little to suit my players and my own personal philosophies.
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