How often do you adjust tactics during a match?

I am just curious. With the assistant manager giving you advice and thoughts on how the game is progressing, it seems that the game almost encourages you to adjust the tactics on-the-fly.

Having only played FM 08, I was under the impression that altering your tactics frequently was NOT a good idea. However, after drawing and losing a couple of games where I was the favourite, I started altering the tactics frequently - using what I saw and the assman's advice to make decisions. I was sending in new instructions pretty much every 10 - 15 minutes.

Result: Pulled a crushing 5-0 victory on one side then won my next two 3-1, controlling much of the play.

Just wanted to know if this is the 'new' (and more realistic, IMO) way of playing or if that was just coincidence.

Thanks,

werkz

I tend to let the game play itself out until the last 10-20 minutes when I may make a couple of adjustments to hold/chase a result if I think there's a chance of either team scoring.

I pause around every 15 and make adjustments based on assistant manager.

I make adjustments quite frequently - I change it when the opposition are controlling the game more, If I concede a goal or a man gets sent off for either team. If I am doing well and controlling, I will not adjust tactics until at the earliest at the 70th minute.

I'll let the first half go unless it's obvious I've missed the initial tactic completely or there's an injury. Anytime the AI subs, I stop to make adjustments to my OIs. At half, I do a major change of some kind, then wait for someone's fitness to drop below 80%. One at a time or in a group, the first three less than 80% get subbed, and I still stop to adjust OIs with any AI sub. If the AI goes uber-attack toward the end, I"ll adjust to that, too.

I make tons of adjustments. Its the benefit of watching games in full. You actualy see whats going on.

Most people that make lots of adjustments will be watching full games or at least extended highlights.

Most that do not make lots of changes will not be doing either of those things.

*disclaimer* There will be exceptions.

Good to know I'm on the right track. I follow the 80% sub-rule too.

Thanks for the replies.

Edit: I assume the better 'Tactical Knowledge' my assman has, the more thorough and accurate match reports I will receive?

With my FC United game I've just started I've started watching games on Full Detail for the first time. Hence if I see something's not working quite right I'll change it as fast as possible. I never used to tinker much as I'd only ever bother to watch Key highlights - this way is MUCH more satisfying I find, as you can actually see what the changes you make do to change the way the team is playing and (often) the result of the game.

During the match i only make small tweaks when i fell it's needed, such as slowing down the tempo and making passes shorter when i see my team is being attacked to much and is having trouble mantaining possesion, or make my defensive line play deeper when i see my defenders are struggling against fast opposition strikers breaking through. Or sometimes i completely change my tactics in the last minutes of game to hold a result or play more direct and attacking football when i have to score a latter winning/equaliser goal.

I tend to spend quite a long time working on one tactic which i use the whole season. I only make changes if i really feel its necessary. I never try to shut up shop or go more aggressive as when i do the other team normally score whatever i change ha ha

Interesting question. I have six base "saved" tactics which I use per base formation, e.g.:

4-4-2 Control

4-4-2 Attack

4-4-2 Standard (Aggressive)

4-4-2 Standard (Conservative)

4-4-2 Defend and Counter

4-4-2 Park The Bus

The difference between "Aggressive" and "Conservative" is typically in the set-piece instructions.

I'll typically start out in one or the other of the 4-4-2 Standard formations, Aggressive at home or when favored, Conservative when on the road or facing superior opposition. I might do Control if I'm heavily favored, or Defend and Counter when heavy underdog .. only once or twice have I started out in Park the Bus. I'll spend a few minutes before each match making sure I have the right set pieces setups for my chosen lineup, and setting Opposition Instructions as advised to by my AM.

In the first half, I switch to Aggressive or Conservative after the first goal is scored, depending on whether I'm leading or trailing - though I might give it five minutes of Attack if we score very early, because if we score again that'll usually break a team's heart.

At 22 minutes, I stop, check the AM's Report, and make any adjustments I see fit off of it - usually Opposition Instructions, possibly one or two other things if any of my players are having trouble. If I'm facing a defensive opponent and not getting chances, I'll go to the Control formation for the rest of the half.

At 35-38 minutes gone, I might switch to the Attack formation to take advantage of tired defensive legs if I'm feeling like the opposition is starting to crumble.

At halftime, I check the AM's report again. I may pick a new base tactic depending how the match is going - switching to Control, Aggressive, or Conservative, usually. I may also make minor tweaks based on what I'm seeing, e.g., increasing a fullback's forward runs, etc. I'll usually make some changes to set-piece instructions as well. I tend to make up my mind who my second-half subs are likely to be - the players who I intend to sub off, I'm more likely to give higher forward runs and higher closing down, as well as a rousing halftime team talk to. "Go run your heart out, lad, you've only got to last twenty minutes."

From the 55th-70th minute, I'm typically the most active, paying attention to condition, making subs, etc., trying a "burst" of five or ten minutes high-tempo Attacking play when trailing, shifting to Control, etc.

Between 70-75 minutes, I'm likely to go to Defend&Counter when leading by one goal, or to Control when trailing.

Between 80-83 minutes, I'm likely to go to Park The Bus when leading by one goal.

Around 85 minutes, if I'm not getting chances under Control, I'll try Attack; if I'm happy with our chances, I'll leave it in Control.

Heh - looking at it written out like that, though I like to think I'm "reacting to the match", what I do is actually fairly scripted!

I only tend to change it when/if I go a goal down (more attacking), or when there's not much time left and i'm winning (more defensive) and when I make substitutions that force a change in tactics.

Otherwise, no.

The only time I alter my tactics is when I'm trailing in a must-win game. I'll then push the mentality slider up to "attacking," and that's it.

Interesting question. I have six base "saved" tactics which I use per base formation, e.g.:

4-4-2 Control

4-4-2 Attack

4-4-2 Standard (Aggressive)

4-4-2 Standard (Conservative)

4-4-2 Defend and Counter

4-4-2 Park The Bus

The difference between "Aggressive" and "Conservative" is typically in the set-piece instructions.

I'll typically start out in one or the other of the 4-4-2 Standard formations, Aggressive at home or when favored, Conservative when on the road or facing superior opposition. I might do Control if I'm heavily favored, or Defend and Counter when heavy underdog .. only once or twice have I started out in Park the Bus. I'll spend a few minutes before each match making sure I have the right set pieces setups for my chosen lineup, and setting Opposition Instructions as advised to by my AM.

Good lord, man. That is quite the way to play. For FM 08 I had similar tactics, only I named them Home (Favoured/Underdog), Away (Favoured/Underdog), Control & Protect (your version of Park the Bus).

Never altered it like you did at regular intervals. As I mentioned it before, I read a great deal about how it was a poor idea to alter your tactics too frequently - so I usually just paid attention to what was written in the Scout reports and chose my tactic accordingly with minor adjustments to the Player instructions. Rarely changing what I had chosen.

I might actually print your post as a reference for my games.

If I may know, what do you change in the Aggressive/Conservative Set pieces that alters your approach so much?

I prefer not to use pre-arranged tactics. I'm normally quite a cagey manager so I usually start the game cautiously (mainly because my team sucks) and set out with a fairly basic 4-4-2 and make adjustments according to how the game is progressing. If the team is doing well then little changes but if we are struggling then I have a few favourite tricks to try and change the game. Normally I can tell in the first 15-20 minutes if I need to change things but of course it all depends on who scores first.

If I may know, what do you change in the Aggressive/Conservative Set pieces that alters your approach so much?

Sure thing - in the Aggressive I am focused on scoring a goal from set pieces. This usually means one centre back is on

FK - Mark Keeper

CK - Challenge Keeper

TI - Near Post

I'm likely to have only one player set to "Stay Back", with another "Back If Needed" and a "Lurk Outside Area" as well .. the second centre back may well have a forward assignment, such as "Disrupt Wall" or "Stand on Far Post", or he might be my "Back If Needed" player.

When I go Conservative, my first priority is not to concede on the counter-attack, and I mainly use my attacking players in set pieces. Thus, I always have one centre-back on "Stay Back", usually both, and am using a Target Man striker (or, in my current set up, an MC with 17 Jumping) as my big target for the Keeper/Near Post combo. I'll probably have two "Stay Back" players and two "Back If Needed" players.

Also, I'm likely to have subtle differences defensively, e.g., two strikers "Forward" in Aggressive, and only one forward in Conservative, but you're less likely to notice big changes from that.

There are also slight Mentality, Creative Freedom, Time Wasting, Width, Defensive Line and Forward Runs adjustments between the two .. not much, we're talking no more than two ticks much of anywhere, but .. enough that I think of them as "different".