Tactics; defence and the art of confidence.

Hi

I always pick NUFC as my starter team.

This year I had the fortunate experience of getting them promoted from the fizzy pop into the premiership. That was relatively easy and very enjoyable. Mainly they had a better team, training facilities, and backroom staff than most championship sides.

I used my favourite 442 tactic, tweaked the wizard and touchline shouts as appropriate and coupled this with the 451 tactic depending on whom I was playing, this did the job, and we won the league.

1st Season

Of course I realised that moving up into the premiership was not going to be easy. But I was given decent finances that enabled me to buy in reasonable to good players, upgrade and increase my backroom staff. I still used the above tactics and my first season finished well in that I gained a European place.

2nd Season

Again with increased funding I continued to improve. However, I noticed that each game I played took on a much more fraught attitude and experience.

Tweaking 442 and using 451 less the games became harder and the results harder to come by. I also noticed that the scoring was not as free flowing and that I conceded more goals and late goals being scored against me.

I therefore started to read and digest the FM10 Bible “Tactical Theorems” and was lucky enough to find a ProZone FM10 Squad Analysis Tool thread in T&T forum that calculated your players’ best positions.

Suitably armed and reinforced with all this knowledge I embarked on putting all that theory and information to the test. However, it became apparent to me that I am no tactician and even with all this information, assman advice and backroom advice, my team was not flowing. Each game became a torture. Whilst I would generally win at home the results tended to be 1-0/2-1/ 3-2. Away I either drew 1-1 or won 2-1 or lost 2-1.

So my defence was holding up but not in the latter stages of the game and my attack were stuttering most of the time. I was getting messages saying that so and so striker was in a goal drought and lots of my goals were thankfully being scored by the midfielders with the odd defender chipping in.

I even downloaded the “explanation to the touchline shouts”, which I found did actually help but not all the time as I was still left standing too many times on the touchline pulling my hair out as we give lead after lead away. Just as well there’s no expletive/depletive shouts!

Before I go off to the T&T forums I thought that I would share this experience with you as I am in the final stages of the league games and my team in unravelling.

To cap each game is a fraught, traumatic experience. I cannot get a consistent striker and my defence seem to go walkies in the final stages of the game.

What to do? Anyone out there that may be able to nudge me to happier times, where games are a joy and not an event that I need to take counselling before I can stand in the dugout.

K 

First of all, loved the post. You seem to have a good mindset going into this game with, so, being not that great a tactician myself, I cant give you much help, unfortunately. What I have noticed though, are the following things, which I am sure you have realized already as well; Having a good mixture of old and young players help a lot. Also having players who like each other and who like the club is a very important contribution. If you have swapped your team a bit recently (bought new players, selling old ones), you will get into a period with weak results, it does hardly mean anything the quality of the playuers you have bought. So in terms of team stability, having 3-4 new players in the team is a huge setback in the short run (which is why using your youthteam is a winner ;-) ). Also have a look at each players weaknesses/strenghts, and try to make them act out their strong skills (it may not always mean playing the beautiful game, but maybe simple passing/long ball could help you a bit?) Try to see where you loose the ball. Is it the defenders trying too complicated passes being picked up? Cant your midfielders regain the famous second ball? Are your strikers too deep positioned in the build up play? I usually field a good ball winning midfielder, not necessarily with great technical skills, but to be sure you have someone in the middle to regain possession. Make him play simple balls. Speed and acceleration is also extremly important. Id pick wingers/CD/fw/fullbacks with at least 15 speed/acceleration in these positions, also if the other options seem to be better technically, when im in trouble. Outrun them if you cant outplay them. Try to set your players to more strict positioning to avoid the embarrasing countered in goals against you. Discipline is always an important part, and good luck :-)

must congratulate the intelligent mindset, knwoing your abilities, and the challenges the game is meant to throw at you. i find fm10 noticably harder than fm08 and about a par with fm09, it makes you work harder for wins. i find that the team talks have been crucial. i have adapted mine in recent weeks. now i tell my players i expect them to win all home games, and away games are dependent on the situation. furthermore i NEVER change formation, only the style i use dependent on who i am playing etc. rarely i change a player role, i.e. late in the game i still control the match, but use a defensive winger instead of winger, bringing eboué on maybe to shore up the flank, adding some pace to get back and defend yet still support retaining the ball in possession

First of all, loved the post.

You seem to have a good mindset going into this game with, so, being not that great a tactician myself, I cant give you much help, unfortunately. What I have noticed though, are the following things, which I am sure you have realized already as well;

Having a good mixture of old and young players help a lot.

Also having players who like each other and who like the club is a very important contribution. If you have swapped your team a bit recently (bought new players, selling old ones), you will get into a period with weak results, it does hardly mean anything the quality of the playuers you have bought. So in terms of team stability, having 3-4 new players in the team is a huge setback in the short run (which is why using your youthteam is a winner ;-) ).

Also have a look at each players weaknesses/strenghts, and try to make them act out their strong skills (it may not always mean playing the beautiful game, but maybe simple passing/long ball could help you a bit?) Try to see where you loose the ball. Is it the defenders trying too complicated passes being picked up? Cant your midfielders regain the famous second ball? Are your strikers too deep positioned in the build up play?

I usually field a good ball winning midfielder, not necessarily with great technical skills, but to be sure you have someone in the middle to regain possession. Make him play simple balls. Speed and acceleration is also extremly important.

Id pick wingers/CD/fw/fullbacks with at least 15 speed/acceleration in these positions, also if the other options seem to be better technically, when im in trouble. Outrun them if you cant outplay them. Try to set your players to more strict positioning to avoid the embarrasing countered in goals against you. Discipline is always an important part, and good luck :-)

Inserted a few paragraphs

much appreciated :-)

Hate to use sarcasm, but play narrow with 3 strikers and all your pain will go away.

I was in the same boat as you, working hard for victories but still enjoying the game...then the downfall of the match engine killed the enjoyment when I accidentally created a game breaking "cheat" tactic - 4-1-2-0-3.

I too read all the guides and even played 100+ test matches to learn how the tactics work.

Hopefully when 10.3 comes out using 4-4-2 and wide tactics will be a lot more rewarding.

Kazza, your experience should in parts be due to the growing reputation of your team. After you were just promoted, your opponents had a different view on the team than now after it qualifying for Europe and being strengthened further.

Thus, they are likely to field a more defensive formation against you than before. This means that now your team and most notably your tactic faces different challenges too. In the CCC it may have been irrelevant as your team was just too superior, but now you meet brick walls on counter attack, not mere Japanese walls with no teeth. (what a colourful comparison )

Accordingly, you should think of tweaking your tactic a bit. If the opposition sits deep, then long passes and counter attack will work worse. Instead you need to concentrate on possession more than before. Thus shorter passing may be a good call.

I would also recommend higher width, wouldn't I know that the match engine prefers narrow formations so much that you can call it a bug. Thus, on FM10 play always narrow (unless the next patch changes that).

Depending on where your d-line is at so far, you may consider to push that up as well.

But now I start guessing, as you see. Without knowing your tactic it's more than difficult to help. (and for an in-depth discussion the TTT forum might be the better/right place).

Borkna's advice was good as well

hth

Thanks guys - food for thought.

jayahr - thanks, I see straight away that it appears that my wide play is probably not helping my game. I will try narrower width and forgo my wingers for tighter midfielder setup. If this is a bug then hopefully patch3 will resolve it. I do like old fashioned 442 wide play but I am of the old school..

Borkna - thanks will look at my player positioning and role. I do have a mix of ages that blends and understand that adding 3/4 new players can make the team not as coherent until they gell but will check on the oveerall team harmony.

Ezequeil - thanks - umm novel approach I will for the sake of experimentation try that formation but it is not my natural approach, but if it takes away the pain.

K..

Ezequeil - thanks - umm novel approach I will for the sake of experimentation try that formation but it is not my natural approach, but if it takes away the pain.

K..

Be careful.

That formation and approach works so well that the game is no fun anymore at all. You'll win everything without any effort. So be warned and don't come back to complain about the new kind of pain

Such tactics are ready for download in the tactics forum. "Total Domination" or "343 Ajax Style by Mario Zagallo" are threads with links if you want to save yourself the effort of setting up the experiment.

I tried it and reverted to my losing own tactic rather than continuing with this win everything cheat :-/

I always play 4-4-2 wide play, because thats how I like it, and in the long run, I havent had too much of a problem with it :-) Id say play it the way you enjoy it. I only swap to narrow if I get a player sent off, then I go to a 4-3-2 narrow attacking long ball style of play, which is probably abusing the match engine.

Be careful.

That formation and approach works so well that the game is no fun anymore at all. You'll win everything without any effort. So be warned and don't come back to complain about the new kind of pain

Such tactics are ready for download in the tactics forum. "Total Domination" or "343 Ajax Style by Mario Zagallo" are threads with links if you want to save yourself the effort of setting up the experiment.

I tried it and reverted to my losing own tactic rather than continuing with this win everything cheat :-/

Yes your probably right just thought i would give it a go for a few games.!!!

But I tend in the end to find myself always reverting back to 442 wide...

Much prefer the "do it yourself" style coulped with all the useful information out there, even if my hair is turning grey and falling out.

K

this year is the first time i took a tactic from the forums, 4-4-2 with aml and amr (actually a 4-2-4), its called the baboon tactic. and i play a very wide game with lots of creative freedom. seems to work just fine, won the league 2wice with man city in first 2 years, at a canter. ive not tried a narrow formation with no wingers.

is it really that good? is it really a win win situation?

I like bumbling along with my own dumb ideas instead of gaming the game. I also like to change tactics as the situation dictates. Does it always work? He'll no bit it keeps me thinking.

i hear you. it would just amaze me if after all the years of making this game and all the work they put into it, that there was a tactic (a cheat) that made you absolutely unbeatable

Yeah I think like most subscribers to this post that playing your own tactics is the best way to go (even with perceived bugs). After all the useful advice received, (thank you) here is what I will attempt:

I will stick to 442 though what I will do is use the Standard Strategy, then create the corners/throw-ins and free kicks set pieces. After that I will place the players in their best role and save that tactic e.g. 442Standard.

I will then use the general strategies in the wizard to alter either the starting strategy and/or playing style to suit the next opponent e.g. 442 def. This added to the touchline shouts and ability to change tactics on the hoof from the touchline appear to me to be my best option. It means that I can use the Standard 442 tactic and have variations centred around that tactic. maybe this will bring me joy.

Hope that makes sense.

ive never played with ML or MR, its always AML and AMR. if your not scoring id go for that, any winger i play, from beasley, to milner to robinho always get 15+ goals and assissts. anyways good luck, i know how it feels to be in the depths of a bad run

Hi

Thanks for the help guys.

It seems to be working using a combination of the advice given.

k..

onward and upward.

I like bumbling along with my own dumb ideas instead of gaming the game. I also like to change tactics as the situation dictates. Does it always work? He'll no bit it keeps me thinking.

Precisley. However the issue is there is little time for experimentation. I did a practice save with newcastle as to familiarize myself with everything(haven't played since CM 4), and i found i won most games(got battered 5-0 West Brom opening day after 2 players were sent off), and although i was winning(plus the 1-1 draws!) they mostly were really hard fought wins, and quite often against the run of play. Never 5-6-7/ 0's. Mostly because the squad is so much better than other Champ squads. Sometimes a tactic worked, sometimes a player responds, sometimes not. This is what managers go through every week. Sometimes what you do does not work at all, and this makes the game so much more interesting. Couldn't think of anything duller than winning every game 5-0. bleh