How do you know if your tactics are above/below standard?

I`m not talking about some super-tactic where you win every match, but if you create a decent set of tactics, how do you know if they are good or not?

For example, you take over a team supposed to finish 20th... but make some good signings.

Now, if you finish 10th, could you have won the league with a standard tactic? or would you have come 15th?

With morale, team-gelling issues etc, how do you judge if your tactic is okay or not, or would benefit from playing round with the sliders.

I`m assuming here that there`s no "gap between x and y" messages....

I'm totally confused. Tactics can differ from club to club, so what works for one might not work for the other i.e. if you're winning or achieving your expectations then your tactic is good, for that club. If you're losing or underachieving, then your tactic is weak, for that club.

Taking an example, I was managing a Czech league 2 team.. bought some astounding young players but could never quite achieve promotion until about 7 years in. Trouble is, most of my squad was permenantly unsettled or ungelled due to players wanting to move to bigger teams, or moving on meaning I had to replace my squad... so it was really hard to know was my tactic at fault, or was that the best I could do with an unsettled squad etc....

is there a way to judge whether your tactic is above/below par when there are so many otehr factors, or do people use a gut feel? (unless its obviouis and you win 100%

Well, regardless of unsettled players etc were you achieving your expectations? If so, then it's safe to say that had the team gelled you would have exceeded expectations, so the tactic must have been doing it's job well.

I don't think there is any other way of finding out whether a different tactic would have won you promotion, or sent you into a slump other than experimenting. I also wonder whether i could have done things differently in a season. Pick a formation which your players fit into and go with it.

Hard to tell.

First, your record shows how well you manage your team. But aside from tactics, other factors such as morale, quality of players and so forth can also count.

If I am winning then my tactics are working. If I'm losing then they're not working.

Generally I watch the game and see where they're getting in. Then I plug the hole.

I find it beneficial to set up corner takers, free kick takers, throw in takers etc.