retired_honeybear7

Ok, so having played through a seven season games and enjoyed moderate success without ever winning anything (bar the odd play-off final) I have started a new game at the helm of Sheffield Wednesday. I found previously that (at Stockport County and then Real Sociedad) a solid, ugly, counter-attacking 4-5-1 saw me right. Nothing spectacular, but I was difficult to beat. However, this time I am determined to create an attractive 4-4-2 (at least for home games).

So I am about 2/3 of the way through my first season, and have a set of formations that I think are fairly coherently worked out. My squad has a good level of understanding (I've only brought in 4 loans and a couple of 17 year olds), and although my training regimes are nowhere near as successful as in previous incarnations, I'm still managing to just about stave off an influx of red arrows. My results, however, are bizarre. I kicked off the season with my new 4-4-2 (home and away versions) enjoying 5-1 and 4-0 wins. A seven or eight game unbeaten run ensued. However, one unlucky reverse at home then saw me lose the next six in a row. This pattern has continued throughout the season.. . I win or draw 6-8 games, then I lose five or so (sometimes taking a pounding).

So, I come before you seeking advice. I pay attention to how aggressively the AI plays, and adjust accordingly, and I have ultra-defensive and ultra-attacking formations to go with the two I've listed below. Basically, I'm looking for help in obtaining some level of consistency... my formations have so far yielded either dominating and exciting football or abject and humiliating surrender, with very little in between. I either win by a few, or lose like a few, and I'm at a loss to explain why.

I'll start with my home formation, the one I really need to sort. This is the really inconsistent one.

4-4-2 home

GK: mentality of 10, default settings otherwise
fullbacks: mentality of 8, frequent forward runs, frequent crossing, passing of 8
DCs: mentality of 8, direct passing
MC: one attacking, with frequent forward runs & through balls, passing of about 6. and mentality of about 12. One defending, with mentality at about 10, hold up ball ticked, and passing around 6.
wingers: as you'd expect (running with ball, crossing etc), passing about 8, mentality around 14
St: one with high creative freedom, low closing down, the other reversed and holding up the ball. Both with mentality around 15-16 (one slightly lower than other), and passing around 5-6.

The midfield are all on high closing down (15-17), the defence on low (1-5). The defence employ zonal tight marking, as does the MCd. I focus passing down both flanks, and play a wide (13-14) slow tempo (7-8). No hard tackling (which really helps avoid injuries, I've found), and the defensive line is set reasonably deep (about 7-8). I play with a target man, and use two on loan strikers with high strength and decent heading.

The idea is to play possession football in midfield, but not to spurn the opportunity to launch a quick through ball (all the back 4 have through balls set to medium). I want to cut off my opponents supply at the source, so I close down quickly with my midfield and one forward, and I want my defence to not get dragged out of position so they have low closing down and zonal marking. The key to my attacks comes from the flanks, with my wingers consistently my best players. My strikers also can cause havoc, and possession in the middle of the park is usually good.

It is designed for use against the moderately defensive AI formations... ie: an equal team playing you away from home on the break or a weak team playing you at their home ground... ie: I'll field it at least 50% of the time. I want to keep the ball, and when I loose it I want to stop them launching counter attacks with easy long / direct balls. Sometimes it works beautifully, sometimes it fails abysmally.

Any pointers that would help me achieve my objectives and, more importantly, find a better level of consistency would be greatly appreciated. I have read the few excellent lengthy tactical summary threads here, and taken on board bits and pieces in this tactic... I'm just hoping I've applied what I've picked up correctly.

retired_honeybear7

edit: thought the post was long enough for starters so I've only listed the one tactic.

retired_kellyk

I have a 442 that I use, which has 2 versions, one is created to mimic Arsenals style of play and another that is meant to play at a slower pace with rapid counters. I'll describe a bit of the latter one and use it to apply to yours

Looking at your 442 there are various ways you can do this:

I noticed you did not give RWB instructions, and you have plenty of forward runs. You could get the fullbacks to use direct passing, this way you don't need to tick counter attacking. Furthermore you can increase the mentality of your fullbacks. I'm not too sure what your closing down/tightmarking is at the back, but i normally have my fullbacks on =closing to the wingers. The mids and fullbacks will double up on a player coming down the flanks. There are obvious risks to this, but if the fullback has direct passing, sometimes the winger will drop the ball off to the fullback who will either play a through ball to the winger again or go for the strikers. You have one target man, set the other striker on cross ball often this will allow the striker to drop back to pick up and make crosses which will give you added thrust

retired_honeybear7

Excellent, cheers

I like the sound of the direct passing on the fullbacks, and although I am wary of using high closing down for defenders (always taught never to dive into tackles when I was a kid) I can see your argument and will give it a go. I do empoy tight marking already, but this doesn't seem to have as much success as I want.

Isn't there a problem if you have a difference in mentality between your fullbacks and your centre halves? I've always tried to have the back four as a line and as a single unit, and would worry about leaving space through the inside left and inside right channels if my fullbacks pushed on too much?

Any clues as to why this tactic is so wildly incosistent? I almost never have a close game, it's always a thrashing or a triumph.

My away version sets the mentality down a bit and limits forward runs, while shifting the short passing midfield and fullbacks onto mixed or direct. I up the tempo (a lot) and use counter attacking.

retired_kellyk

Could be your defensive line...if you are defending high up on the pitch, you may in effect reduce the amount of areas you can pass the ball. Sometimes you need to drop your dline. Use the possession as a guide or watch for things like losing out on the midfield battle becos you're missing a player..if its the latter push up the dline.

retired_Sophie335

Think about your teamtalks and pre-match instructions and use the opposition instructions to make other players use the weaker foot etc

retired_honeybear7

I plat with a d-line of 7 or 8 or so to create space for passing, although I honestly haven't noticed that much effect from pushing it up and down, even in extreme examples. I'll keep an eye on the midle of the pitch, though. Cheers.