Cleon

How aggresive to be? Also, its a positioning tool right? Its like if I had and AMC on normal mentality, he'll just stay at his AMC slot whilst a lower mentality brings him backwards. Does this also affects passing options? Like lower mentality, more backpasses? </BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, a defensive mentality seems to see more backward passes, while an attacking one sees more forward passes.

awhec

Cheers for that Cleon.

awhec

Damn, why can't we edit our posts?

Anyway, I'm still quite confused, if you say mentality is a positioning tool and a passing frequency, then what do I do if I want my back four to make more forward passes but keep it tight at the back, in other words, not so far up the pitch. Is this where defensive line comes in?

How about team mentality?

Cleon

Id use direct passing then, as it seems to create more diagnol and forward passes. They might still knock it back if no ones frees, however I always use direct passing all my back 4's

awhec

Ahh, thanks for that Clean, helps!

Kristian

I've gone back to matching the defensive line with my team mentality now, and I'm on 0.3 goals conceded per game in December (with Arsenal mind). </BLOCKQUOTE>

Asmo,

When you talk about team mentality, do you mean that you've gone to strict Slider Apathy (i.e. no players deviating from Team) or have you followed the rule of defenders being on Team Mentality less, say 4 (i.e. Team on 14, defence on 10)?

Just curious? Without intending to, I seem to have been drifting towards Slider apathy. 5 of my team are now on team mentality, that is my AML and AMR along with my MC's. The SC is on Team mentality minus 2, as I am trying to bring him closing to the rest of the team and stop punts up the park to their head (they're short and fast and have to challenge for a dozen headers a game!).

Ans Gulrik

This is intersting. I always thought that this was the way it should be - that DL and CD ought to connected the way you describe. IRL football it is gospel that defenders do not push up unless opponent in possesion is under pressure. Otherwise he gets the chance to make the pass, while the striker is on side, and the defenders pushing up will never catch him.

Does anyone play with off side box ticked, by the way? A high D-line ought to benefit from playing on the off side rule as well. I haven't tried, but I would love it to be possible.

Beerofka

I always do and it works well. Don't know about lower league teams though (have played with Newcastle and Man City).

Karan

Just got the patch and would really appreciate some help with my tactic

my tactic, which won Ipswich the Premiership in their first season back in the big time, has suddenly gone from amazing to absolutely ****

I use a 4-5-1, flat back 4, midfield 4, AMC and FC. I thought my tactic would of been able to adjust to the patch because its pretty balanced, apart from the two center backs and the MCd everyone is on team mentality.

My team instructions are as follows - mentality 8-12 (depending away or home), width 10-12, tempo 6-8, passing 7-9, tight marking usually on, def line 11, closing down 12.

Anyway so I just wanted to ask what are the changes you have made to your tactics post patch. I read through this thread and it seems to give the impression that not much has changed in the patch, but this definitely isnt the case with me. Btw it cant be the reranking thing because Ive started a new game after the patch. I was thinking that it might be my team talks because Ive heard that theyve been tuned in the patch but could they be having such a strong effect? Im especially struggling to get points away from home...

thanks for your help

Beevster

Formost, please understand i already know my spelling is toss, i dont have the brain power to remember all these fancy words, so if you dont like to read some things that might not be spelt how its suppose to be i suggest you turn away now.
Also i am not saying that this is exaclty how the game is played, i would just like to go over a few simple rules on how we should look to play the game.

First of all i would like to say i understand why people are upset and confused why there tactic just suddenly seems to have stopped working, we must remember that there were a confliction between def-line and mentality which has caused some uncertianty among the comunity as to which settings we should apply, as human's we have tryed and tested with the first version of the game and managed to get a happy medium by correcting the mentality hicups with lowering the def line, for those who dont do their own testing, but use information found on fourms to make there tactics work this could give them a faulse understanding on how these settings are seen. Now where into the new patch the mentality bugs have been fixed, but now we must turn our brains back onto the common sence setting and start thinking how we used to think pre mentality bugs.

So what im getting at is, we must now look at our set up with common sence you have to look at your settings and ask yourself why am i making my team use attacking set of mentalitys, you have to think right im making them push up the pitch therefore if im up the pitch we need to be winning the ball as soon as possible other wise why bother pushing up the pitch, if you dont want the ball you might as well sit on your goal line, this is how the game is played this is how si are trying to re-create the game, atfer all its a game of football, and si wont be trying to make up some new game with diffrent logics to please themselfs, So if you want the ball push up closedown more tell your players to be more attacking and get in there faces, on the other hand if you dont want the ball sit back dont close down and go easy on there players.

For sure these are 3 basic aspects of the game really basic logics which can be used, but as every team is diffrent, we have to find what style works along side what other instructions we are giving to the team.

Another point i have picked up, some people are starting up a season playing 6-10 games and then coming back and saying "oh this sucks" "patch didnt fix f all". But really you need to be thinking this, im a new manager most likly to have no reputation, other teams wont know what there going to be coming up against, you wont know what there going to throw at you, so even tho it says in your media prediction you can finish in 1st place, really all you should be expecting to do is not get the sack for the 1st 6 months, i remember when jose took over at chelsea his first few games in the premier league every one is expecting some magical new style of football with these fantastic players, but what we got is a solid ridged flat 4 def solid mid and 1 striker, this is how you go into somthing and not make a tit of yourself, he didnt have overlapping fullbacks and all the fancy stuff, this is what we should be achiveing in our games, solid tactics nothing fancy, not for the first 6 months at least, (and i agree your results wont be anything special, after all where not trying to achive that highly are we? ) id say you should never take your tactic as anything untill you have finished 1 season and possibley started the second, once you have got your self a reputation, have a few players getting to know you and like you ( this is very important) then you can start to work your tactic into somthing special. I remember in 06 i used to hate the first season it was always a get thro process, couldnt wait for season 2 this is when the game starts for me, you will have more control over your team, inhance your tactic in certain areas, and things start to mix & blend, players know you, your tactic, your ambishion ect.... And over the seasons by about season 5 your team should be well established everthing should be ticking over nicly you will know what works and what dont over the corse of a season. So as a rule for people who give it 10 games and then start a fresh, really this isnt going to help your situation, of course there are exceptions like cleon, wwfan, radshi, to name a few who can pick up the game and get straight into it and make a hit in the first season, but i bet for many a version of football manager they have sat there and thought long and hard how to make things work.

So if your having truble getting somthing out of this game, then maybe all you need to do is lower your self expectations, the game will get easyer over time played, its not ment to be "super goal keeper hard" and most importantly always choose common-sence over anything you have taken or read from a fourm, i say this because not everthing you read may help you altho a lot will.