Should you change tactics every match?

Im a veteran of the series but this version (with the latest patch) has me scratching my head and wondering what to do. Can you be successful with 1 tactic which you use home and away or do you need 2 or 3 or more tactics depending on the opposition?

Thanks

I have about 4 different tactics, 1 for home games, 1 for away games, 1 when I play against crap teams, and 1 when I play big teams, doesn't always work but I'm getting there.

I use two tactics one for home and one for away. Initially I only used one with FC Bayern, but when I went on to tougher leagues there was a big difference between home and away so I creatd an away tactic as well. I also have an emergency tactic in case i'm behind with 20 to go.

hat's 3 tactics but I could probably survive with just the one and the emergency tactic is just used when necessary.

PS my home and away tactics are both 4-2-3-1 just that away is a bit more defensive, but my tactical consistency is 18.

Probably best in tactics forum since people are likely to start discussing specifics.

But in answer to your question, no. I frequently have a tactic that I don't change for several games but suddenly will find myself 2-0 down against inferior opposition. In this case, I make a drastic change at half time (usually win 3-2 or 4-2 if I get it right; lose 4-0 if I get it wrong) and change my tactic for the following game.

Any time you are winning at half time it's a good idea to change tactics a little bit, eg, slow the tempo down or close down their best-performing midfielder from the first half, but nothing too drastic.

If you chop and change too often there's no consistency. Pretty much every tactic will be cracked eventually. I've never gone through a whole season without changing. Fewest I can remember is 3 major formation changes (usually start 442, switch to 433 coming up to December, then finish on a short passing 41212).

But each game, you may have to tweak very slightly things like opposition instructions. For example, I set my full backs to "always" close down, but when I'm up against class wingers like Christiano Ronaldo I'll set opposition instructions to "never" close him down, so they are more patient with him and don't dive in.

See? Told you people would end up discussing tactics.

i used to own the other versions tbh however this one is much more of a challenge i have one tactic now and i play some great football and in 26 games i have lost twice even in them ive been robbed tbh you have to keep adjusting as i did and eventually you will find a good system and im sticking to it no matter what after all it got my southampton side predicted to finish 20th into 4th so it cant be bad

hey just thought i'd but in. Keeping your tactics steady and unchanging does help your team to gel better. If you find yourself in a sticky situation you can always swtching WITHIN THE GAME. Incessantly changing your tactics disrupts the rhythm of your team and inhibits creation of a particular style of play

Originally posted by backpackant:

But each game, you may have to tweak very slightly things like opposition instructions.

I think too much emphasis is put on tweaking tactics etc. Personally I have the tactic and I stick to it, I use the same team talk most of the time and I never set opposition instructions, yet i've won 7 leagues and 1 CL with Bayern, Spurs and Barca (without using the corners bug btw).

Sometimes I think coming to these forums is a bad idea because some of the bugs etrc and the notion of needing to tweak tactics would probably never have been an issue if we hadn't read about them here.

Originally posted by Nomis07:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by backpackant:

But each game, you may have to tweak very slightly things like opposition instructions.

I think too much emphasis is put on tweaking tactics etc. Personally I have the tactic and I stick to it, I use the same team talk most of the time and I never set opposition instructions, yet i've won 7 leagues and 1 CL with Bayern, Spurs and Barca (without using the corners bug btw).

Sometimes I think coming to these forums is a bad idea because some of the bugs etrc and the notion of needing to tweak tactics would probably never have been an issue if we hadn't read about them here. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I totally agree, it's completely possible to have success by keeping things simple. You can of course do very well by taking note of every detail of your opposition and tweaking each part of your tactic accordingly, but you don't have to do that.

I've only used two tactics since I started playing FM08. Both took a couple of seasons to perfect and may have been tweaked ever so slightly over a number of seasons as different or better players arrive at my club, but essentially they're pretty much the same as they have been since I first started making them. I then use the same tactic in all home and away games without changing or tweaking at all. If for any reason I hit a bad run of form that lasts quite a long time I may switch to the second of my two tactics that I've created and use that for a couple of seasons.

Doing this I've had no trouble having success with teams as poor as Gateshead, all the way through to teams like Inter.

But tactics aren't everything, you need to have a grasp of the whole managerial package if you want success

no you shouldn't change tactics every match and whats more, you dont have to !

I used one tactic all the time. It worked brillaintly on 8.0.0 and 0.1 but the latest saw that go all pear shaped.

I have a home and an away tactic. My initial tactics at my current team were quite different and I was better away from home. When I made quite a few signings and things started to go wrong I modified my home and away tactics. The new home tactics worked a treat but the away tactic was getting me mixed results so I made it more like the home one, they're pretty similar now, just slightly more defensively minded away from home, and sometimes I'll play a midfield anchor (4-1-2-3/4-1-4-1).

I don't change my FORMATION every natch, but a change my TACTICS for and during every match.

I look closely at my 11 on the pitch, the 11 opposition, the weather, referee and every matter that might effect the game, given that every match is a unique event.

Usually i rotate all my players so different 11 appear in every match but i never change my defensive 4-3-3.

i am lazy, i tend to use one tactic home and away. i tend to introduce variety mainly through substitutions and occasionally minor in game tweeks.

if you dont fiddle with tactics much, other parts of the game come to the fore such as keeping your team motivated, keeping players fresh etc

I have won the champions league more times than real madrid with west ham, and ben nearlly two full seasons unbeaten.

i normally use my own tactics - often simple 442 or 442 diamond.

I use only 1 tactic. Its a simple 442 with no arrows. It does have a lot of player specific instructions. Im too lazy to use opposition player instructions and it works really well for me. I won two consecutive leagues with my weston-super-mare squad and it looks like im gonna win a third one as well.

I stick to a heavily arrowed 4-2-0-3-1 and it does the trick for me.

I haven't changed tactics in 1368 games.

Originally posted by Diego_Werderdona:

I stick to a heavily arrowed 4-2-0-3-1 and it does the trick for me.

The 0 being your midfield playmaker, right?

Originally posted by Neji:

I used one tactic all the time. It worked brillaintly on 8.0.0 and 0.1 but the latest saw that go all pear shaped.

i've basically got a slightly modified tactic from the first FM running on FM08.

i find because the match engine gets updated the tactics dont always work like they did before. so just little tweaks and its fine again.

Originally posted by phnompenhandy:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Diego_Werderdona:

I stick to a heavily arrowed 4-2-0-3-1 and it does the trick for me.

The 0 being your midfield playmaker, right? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's certainly a unique strategy but I have found it very useful over several games. Basically it's a modified 4-4-2 with diamond in midfield. I am still fiddling with it a little and plan to post it in the t&t thread sometime soon

i only use 1 tactic - 442 attacking. i am playing as Liverpool and have good success with this one. i never change the formation unless i an losing and it is near the end of the game.

it actually states in the handbook that you should not chop and change tactics as it has a detrimenatl affect on your team.

Originally posted by Mojby:

i only use 1 tactic - 442 attacking. i am playing as Liverpool and have good success with this one. i never change the formation unless i an losing and it is near the end of the game.

it actually states in the handbook that you should not chop and change tactics as it has a detrimenatl affect on your team.

Sorry about the typo's!

My quick short passing tactics tend to work great against the good teams in my league and not so well against the bad teams so against them I slow down my game to frustrate them.

And my home developed formation, 4-3-2-1 with MR and ML with arrows to AMR and AML, my MC with an arrow back to DM and my AMC's with arrows back to MC works really well, especially against CSKA Moscow's 3-4-1-2 formation

Using same tactic Kimz V2 (42031) for all games Home Away, No change for AI 424 ,no change to tempo width during game, no OIs, Ass Man all team talks, no comments to press

following results

Spurs 9 consecutive title

Arsenal Title

Reading 6th

Leeds promoted

Swansea 1st (undefeated in league)

QPR promoted 5th 7th

Oxford 1st with back to back promotions-Spurs 3rd season Title

Oxford 1st back to back promotions to Championship

Sunderland 6th

Liverpool Title 1st and 2nd Season

Oxford 1st BSP 1st L2 1st L1

I've stuck with a 4-4-2 in all the time I've been at Paris FC, however I have different versions of it for different moments

Since FM 2006, the 1st FM i played, ive always used 4-4-2 with the right and left mids running to the FL and FR spots. So its 4-4-2 attacking.

Ive never changed it, some games ive been successful with and some not so succesful. Ive just used that tactic al l the way through, unless im losing 1-0 at half time i put time watsing down to 0 and go more attacking, but i never change my positions, unless a player is sent off.

Originally posted by Mojby:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mojby:

i only use 1 tactic - 442 attacking. i am playing as Liverpool and have good success with this one. i never change the formation unless i an losing and it is near the end of the game.

it actually states in the handbook that you should not chop and change tactics as it has a detrimenatl affect on your team.

Sorry about the typo's! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I presume this was unintentional but it made me chuckle none the less.