Setting up shop (player naming)

I've just been over in the tactics forum and I want to say to everyone who's struggling, have a good read in there because though I am an experienced player, I've got some useful tips.

Anyway, on to the point of the thread. I thought about making this in the tactics forum but as it's more general, I've decided to post here.

Does any else find that teams who set-up shop really difficult to beat?

I've recently started a new game with Inter Milan and I've set up an impressive counter attacking formation where I have gone through pre-season (playing some big sides) without conceding a goal.

Up comes the Coppa d'Italia against Lazio. I dominated in midfield and defense but my strikers could barely make an impact and I substituted Oscar Cardozo at half time with a 5.1 rating for Diego Milito who was equally as poor. Muslera was superb and stopped Eto'o from getting on the score sheet several times and ended the game with a 8.9 rating. No matter what I tried (that I know of) worked and I went on to lose the game 1 - 0 with Rocchi picking up on a mistake from Lúcio (which was actually my fault as I accidentally put him as ball playing defender instead of limited).

I tried playing wider, my full backs were crossing from the byline which is what I normally do against stubborn sides.

Anyone have any tips or was it just a case of 'super keeper' and bad luck? I dominated the ball with 67% and had 19 shots on target.

Shutting up shop, surely?

Shutting up shop, surely?

Apologies, my lack of colloquial English is terrible...

Cost me another game v Bologna at home. 1 - 1

Anyone?

buy good players.

buy good players.

Fantastic advice. Never would have thought of that.

try it, you'll be amazed

Control, retain possession, play wider, look for overlap, pass to feet.

Control, retain possession, play wider, look for overlap, pass to feet.

Honestly, that's exactly what I do. I'm still amazingly luckless. Bari had all ten players in their own 40 yards against me. lol Finding it really difficult to break them down. Ending up putting Materazzi in there to try and knock them around a bit.

Ah, and before anyone makes the 'It's your tactics' remark, my record isn't bad and it's clearly my home games.

Inter 0 - Lazio 1 (Coppa D'Italia)

Genoa 0 - Inter 3

Fiorentina 0 - Inter 2

Inter 0 - Bari 0

AC Milan 0 - Inter 2

Inter 0 - Palermo 0

Inter 1 - Bologna 1 (My goal was an own goal)

What formation do you use?

4-1-2-1-2 - rigid and control

This allows me to control possession in most matches but also switching to counter attack when up against a good side (got me a nice result at away to Milan).

Against small sides, well, at first I kept the same and it brought out the super keeper in the AI sadly.

It depends if they're counter attacking or they're literally just sitting behind the ball and not even closing me down. So I stick a 4-3-3 in there ala Jose Mourinho and still, they just seem to be able to soak it all up until the ninety minutes are up.

Against Bari, I had 75% possession for the whole match and I actually don't think they came out of their half.

I'll just add, in case you were going to suggest it, I don't use wingers and rely heavily on my full backs to provide width.

Getting your creative midfielders to try the killer ball often helps quite a bit breaking down stubborn teams.

In my experiences of this game, an attacking 4-4-2 (shown in the screenshot below) is the best formation to use for big teams. One central midfielder should be attack minded and the other should be defensive minded (probably Cambiasso at Inter, I would imagine). Inside forwards are usually the most successful players on the game, getting tonnes of goals and assists.

AML and AMR should be set as inside forwards, and you should always have one of the strikers as a pocher (ideally a player who can dribble, has decent flair and good finishing and composure attributes. Maybe Eto'o?). The other should be more deep lying and link the play.

The AMC should be a very creative player, who can also dribble. Set the AMC as a playmaker, and a target man with the ball going into his feet. This way, your players will look to pass it to him and allow him to unlock any defence. Your poacher should be good enough to finish off chances created. The striker I use in the poacher role has 19 for both finishing and composure and 16 and 15 for dribbling and flair respectively. He socred 44 goals in one season iirc, without playing every game.

Your defensive minded midfielder should be set to ball winner, have minimum mentality, low creative freedom and the shortest passing possible