Does 'Overload' work?

I use it when I'm chasing a game late on. It only ever serves to see me lose another goal. Unless I'm playing a far weaker team I don't think I've had any success with it.

you shouldnt use overload against a similar strength/stronger team. It basically has all you players playing high, against a stonger team you should use attacking with 'get ball forward' shout

I saw it as a last ditch attempt to get an equaliser. However, as you say, it doesn't work against a similar strength/stronger team. I need a rethink on how to go about getting that late equaliser.

I use classic so don't really have an overload although 3-0 down with 10 minutes left against Man Utd I went all out attack with my West Ham side with a long ball and pushing every player bar my centre backs forward with farrows and grabbed a 3-3 draw. Never managed it again though!!

I use classic so don't really have an overload although 3-0 down with 10 minutes left against Man Utd I went all out attack with my West Ham side with a long ball and pushing every player bar my centre backs forward with farrows and grabbed a 3-3 draw. Never managed it again though!!

it is effective especially if the other team decides to try and defend the lead and are not really concerned about going forward, but alot of the times they will come back at you and take one while you are short at the back

I had a really sweet example last week. FA Cup Round 2 against a team 5 levels higher. I was parking the bus, looking for one killer break until in the 81st minute I went 0-1 down. I immediately went into overdrive since with 10 mins left, against heavy odds, I had nothing to lose. We burst up the field and withing a couple of minutes equalised. Feeling I had the momentum, I notched down just slightly to attack, and in the 89th minute grabbed a winner. Lovely-jubbbly!

I gave up on that lol I just use control and attacking when i need to press to get a result. Also the "Get Ball Forward" and "Get Stuck In" shouts seem to get my team going throughout the course of the match. When im comfortable its always nice to see my team play attractive football through the old "work the ball into box" shout

i only watch key highlights on my games. whenever i set tactics to overload the game flies through to the final whistle, as if nothing had happened in the last 20 minutes.

i have to say that ive had some great success with overdrive in my latest save as west ham as i went 15 games unbeaten an beat the likes of arsenal an linerpool an got draws against man u an chelsea, by going overload in the last twenty minutes got lots of late goals.

Overload when chasing a game in the last 15 mins works for me more than it fails. But obviously, sometimes it fails, and fails spectacularly, as it does IRL too.

I only ever use Overload! The good ol' "score one more than them" mentality

I'll use overload with 'get ball forward' and 'take more risks' and occasionally get a goal back, occasionally concede. It's worth the risk.

i only watch key highlights on my games. whenever i set tactics to overload the game flies through to the final whistle, as if nothing had happened in the last 20 minutes.

Noticed that as well, countless times.

Overload does work, but just Overload carries a lot of risk of conceding a goal. I use it with a touchline instructions like 'Get stuck in', 'exploit the flanks', 'work ball into box', 'drop deeper' and Tacking set on 'More Aggressive'. It allows me to get more ball possession, so there's a higher chance of scoring plus opponent has lesser chances in front of goal.

Of course, it may work better if at least one of your match prep tactics use Control/Attacking/Overload mentality. My default tactic uses Control as a mentality so switching on overload works fine too.

As others have said, overload can work but there's a big risk of conceding a goal if the other team are any good and an even bigger risk of burning up your last 10 minutes in about two seconds.

All three of which have happened to me.

Shouts like "get stuck in" are more likely to do what you're looking for.

I used to notice a difference in 10 but haven't noticed much in my afc wimbledon save,will look to use get ball forward instead.

quick question

what is classic tactic view??

Yes, it does work, but you have to use take more risks also. Playing as Spurs came back from 2 down to draw 2-2 with Man Utd after using such shouts for all of the 2nd half.

quick question

what is classic tactic view??

Sliders - you see them when you click the 'advanced' button in 'team instructions' screen.

I didn't use them in FM10, but now my staff tell me to use narrower width, slower tempo, higher D-line etc. so I use the sliders to follow their advice. I don't do the 'one-click' thing any more.

Sliders - you see them when you click the 'advanced' button in 'team instructions' screen.

I didn't use them in FM10, but now my staff tell me to use narrower width, slower tempo, higher D-line etc. so I use the sliders to follow their advice. I don't do the 'one-click' thing any more.

Is it a permanent change? because the warning states it is!

Definitely works for me. Playing as Bristol Rovers (League 1, very tight so no team is that inferior/superior) and whenever I am am trailing past the 80th minute, Will go for overload and maybe 1 out of 3 times, Ill get a goal, of course though sometimes it goes against me and I will concede.

Attacking is my standard play style so I do tend to use Overload towards the end of games where I need a goal, or once I go 3 goals up.

My style of play suits overload though - there are a number of routes for the team to take - wide, forward wingers etc.

If you're not that good a team, then it's never going to work. It's not a free pass to a late goal and can in fact be the last thing your team needs... Players spend far more energy getting forward (and slow coming back), sometimes if you're a team of smallish, technical type guys lumping the ball forward isn't the best choice.. If the opposition is good at counters (think Germany at the World Cup).

There is a time and a place though - there are games you completely dominate but can't get that goal. Doesn't even have to be last minute, could be any time of the game where you feel the momentum is heavily in your favour and the opposition are backs to the wall.

It is the worst feeling in the world though when you are chasing a goal and on the 80th minute switch to "overload" and "get ball forward" only for FM to decide that nothing is going to happen in this game, and the minute just teleports to 93rd. So deflating.

Doesn't even have to be last minute, could be any time of the game where you feel the momentum is heavily in your favour and the opposition are backs to the wall..

That's a good point. At one time my match tactics were to chuck everything at the enemy until I got a goal, then ease back on the throttle a bit. Much weaker teams don't really have a plan B.

(It didn't actually work very well.)

Haha, I think I did go through that phase of "all out attack" from the off to grab a goal or two. The other perceived benefit was my players ratings would go up (thanks to goals, assists, successsful attacking moves).

Of course in practice it's easier for a well organised team to defend than a reckless team to attack, so this tactic was unsurprisingly unsuccessful.

Overload works but contrary to some beliefs, it is not an instant win or score button.

Yes is dose work but use with caution as its gone against me more then for me

Tried it against Man City in FM2010 and won 2-0 away.

In FM13 I found Attacking, Get Ball Forward, Shoot on Sight & Get Stuck In more effective.

Not for me. With everything set to attack (like go route one, pump ball into box, take more risks, etc) I still see my defenders casually strolling to take a free throw or pass the ball back and forth with the keeper.

In order for overload to be effective, your players should be familiar with the mentality. If you never prepare a tactic with at least an 'Attacking' mentality, then your players will be unfamiliar with the 'Overload' mentality when you set it during a match.

In order for overload to be effective, your players should be familiar with the mentality. If you never prepare a tactic with at least an 'Attacking' mentality, then your players will be unfamiliar with the 'Overload' mentality when you set it during a match.

Indeed. Tactical Familiarity might be at 100% on all the bars on most of the strategies yet drop to virtually zero on Overload if you haven't trained in it.

There is a misconception (fueled by the in-game text) that strategies/mentalities in isolation would alter like everything. The same goes for many instructions applied in isolation. Simply going "overload" doesn't even have to be very risky at all, if you have a ton of holding players and a single forward and nobody running from deep and penetrating the area, and if you don't adjust that alongside applying an "overload" mentality, then I'd hardly call that "overloading" an opponent. Clicking "overload" won't do that for you, in very broad terms it makes your players more eager to play forward passes, win back the ball higher up the pitch, up the tempo , widen up (all can be further tweaked via team instructions) and make players with roles/duties that encourage such run forward from their position earlier. However, there is little more to it in isolation.

Even then, going all risk doesn't necessarily equate to increasing the chances of scoring. You're certainly more eagier to get the ball forward into the final third and into the box, but that is a huge difference. The difference is: Just because a team is more eager to penetrate the area, that doesn't mean that it's going to manage such. There's a reason why teams in real football push players forward in huge numbers and pump the ball in their general direction in the last minutes only, when there is a desperate need for a goal. The key word being desperate here. Sometimes it works, and in theory on lower levels defenses should be more prone to being unsettled by this. But a good defense would mop up most of it easily, that is why it is wrong to expect there suddenly being more highlights shown in your favor every time you apply "overload". It might well be that all your balls pumped up the pitch are cleared up even more easily by the opposition in the remaining minutes you apply such. If you didn't focus solely on highlights and watch a bit of match play, you'd always notice the difference in play though, in particular if you switched to overload from one of the less aggressive mentalities.

This all reminds me of a fairly interesting thread. http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/361388-Is-FM-a-simulator-or-an-illusion

Overload is what FC Barcelona do in real life, I know many of you think its a solution to chasing the game if behind, but I totally disagree its playing in the opponents half its pushing up all your players so your

central defenders will be at the line in the middle. I play overload in all my matches with ofcourse FC Barcelona 2 ball playing defenders, 2 wingbacks with auto duty, 1 deep playmaker support, 1 mc support,

1 advanced playmaker support, sc poacher, scl advanced forward, and scr deep laying forward "the messi", this system gives me 60+ possession and opponent have hardly any chances, I see the wingbacks become very dangerous in Roberto Carlos/Cafu type of players, many goals being scored and not conceeding many. Beating Real sociedad 9-0 in a league game when not fluid, Athletico Madrid 6-0. Overload is playing in the opponents half its not a solution to a quick goal in my opinion, but with class players you will probably benefit against all teams, but you need to have a tactic that is symetrical, like me who attacks with 8 players. just my 2 cents,

cheers

Overload is not even close to what Barcelona does in real life. They're closer to Counter than Overload.

Central defenders being high up the pitch also has nothing to do with overload. You can push them up regardless of strategy.

Overload is what FC Barcelona do in real life,

Not even close.

Barcelona? Counter? Are talking about the same club here?

Barcelona? Counter? Are talking about the same club here?

He didn't say they were a 'counter' team, read it again.

Possibly even Defensive, but personally I'd put them on Counter.

Overload is on the extreme side of attacking when you're desperate for a goal. People swarming forward and getting the ball into the box as soon as possible.

He didn't say they were a 'counter' team, read it again.

He said they're CLOSER to counter than to overload. Maybe he said this to point out how far Barcelona is from overload style of play and I misunderstood, or he actually believes that Barcelona has some part of "Counter" mentality. Which they don't. At all. Maybe if they pick up the ball near the line that marks middle of the pitch, and they are overpowering the opponents 5 to 3 men or 6 to 4, but otherwise they're nowhere near a counter mentality. Not even close.

He said they're CLOSER to counter than to overload. Maybe he said this to point out how far Barcelona is from overload style of play and I misunderstood, or he actually believes that Barcelona has some part of "Counter" mentality. Which they don't. At all. Maybe if they pick up the ball near the line that marks middle of the pitch, and they are overpowering the opponents 5 to 3 men or 6 to 4, but otherwise they're nowhere near a counter mentality. Not even close.

What does Mentality mean to you? I'd be interested to hear your explanation.

What does Mentality mean to you? I'd be interested to hear your explanation.

To talk about the team in "question", I would say that Barcelona are in Control and at times Attacking mentality. I agree with you that they're not playing "Overload" type of football, but they're also surely not playing Counter.

I did a search and found something interesting. It's a little old, but still valid. It's also from someone who knows his way around the tactics creator.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/275877-The-Barcelona-Style-My-Interpretation

In short: Barcelona = Counter Mentality

Counter: My own take on the Barcelona style is that is closest to the Counter Strategy in Football Manager than any other. When Barcelona get the ball, the first thing that happens is the defence drop deeper, opening up passing space between the defence and the playmaking midfield. The Counter Strategy enables this deep move. As mentioned above, they attack in two ways, the slow probe or the fast counter. Again, the Counter strategy allows this.

Okay, it's a valid point that if you want to create Barcelona's style of play, in FM you should choose "Counter". Because as explained here, that is the mentality that would make the tactic resemble Barcelona's play the most. But we talked a million times on this forum, how FM is not real life football, and the translation between what you want, and what the ME actually does can be different than one would expect.

But I'm still 110% behind the statement, that Barcelona players are in no type of Counter mentality in RL. No one can convince me of that.

Overload is what FC Barcelona do in real life, I know many of you think its a solution to chasing the game if behind, but I totally disagree its playing in the opponents half its pushing up all your players so your

central defenders will be at the line in the middle. I play overload in all my matches with ofcourse FC Barcelona 2 ball playing defenders, 2 wingbacks with auto duty, 1 deep playmaker support, 1 mc support,

1 advanced playmaker support, sc poacher, scl advanced forward, and scr deep laying forward "the messi", this system gives me 60+ possession and opponent have hardly any chances, I see the wingbacks become very dangerous in Roberto Carlos/Cafu type of players, many goals being scored and not conceeding many. Beating Real sociedad 9-0 in a league game when not fluid, Athletico Madrid 6-0. Overload is playing in the opponents half its not a solution to a quick goal in my opinion, but with class players you will probably benefit against all teams, but you need to have a tactic that is symetrical, like me who attacks with 8 players. just my 2 cents,

cheers

I am hoping that as this was your first post that you are just introducing yourself as someone with a sense of humour. I fear not though.

Overload is a rubbish name for the set-up and it is absolutely nothing even remotely like Barca have ever played for as long as I can remember.

A better name for this set-up would be Fast-Direct-Freedom, because that's exactly what it is.

Ultra fast tempo, ultra direct, attack orientated passing. I must admit that I don't quite understand how the defensive mentality fits in with this though. Defensive in your mentality while getting more players forward into space and using fast-direct-attacking passes? Does defensive mentality in this case simply mean that you press high up the pitch and work hard to close down and win the ball back early?

I have used this tactic with reasonable success late on in games, but it really only seemed to work against the bigger teams who underestimated us, (San Marino). As our own reputation has grown so the effectiveness of this tactic has lessened as people show us respect and sit deep and defend properly against us when needed.

I notice that the description of Overload has changed with the recent patch. There used to be a description confirming the additional creative freedom, but this part has now been removed.

But I'm still 110% behind the statement, that Barcelona players are in no type of Counter mentality in RL. No one can convince me of that.

Their style is best approached by going the lower/medium side of the "mentality" scale as per FM because they don't aggressively penetrate the box but pass and pass and pass it around. Some of this may be unintuitive in FM, however, if you rank the mentalities in their natural order, from contain to overload, you simply speaking get the rank that dictates how penetrating/forward pushing a team is going to be. Therefore Barca with their tons of sideways and backwards passes in deep territory without aggressively penetrating the box really aren't in any kind of way a highly aggressively playing team, and whether you could call them an "attacking" team in real football is up for debate too. Ask English football fan in particular, someone who's used to end to end stuff week in week out, and you'd likely find someone who would roll his eyes when he thinks of Barcelona. And the thinking behind their play is to a big extent defensive: their means of keeping the ball is a tactics to keep the opposition out of the game for as much as possible. If they don't have the ball, they cannot score a goal. This is a semantic issue therefore as well, even outside of FM.

Be aware that playing more aggressively doesn't guarantee more goal scoring opportunities for you. Barca's attacking play is based around patient probing and opening spaces by passing the ball around like barely any other team, which can be more effective than just throwing men forward and playing forward balls all the time (but mustn't be, on occasion their lack of penetration proves a burden, in particular if they go behind against good opposition, which they usually don't do often). Translated to FM clicking onto "attack" or "overload" is no short-key for lots of goal scoring opportunity for your team by definition. This is an encouragement to get things going, and on the ball you will see it in terms of passing decisions and runs. But play could equally just break down, and the opportunity might actually be able to defend your attempts and at worst recognize it and be good enough to play keep ball and keep you off the ball you so readily give away. Not that the AI in FM would be clever to recognize (I don't think it does), just saying.

As Svenc says, Counter will make them play as patiently as they do in real life. It will also allow them to break forward if there's the chance to do so.

Attacking and Overload is fast and direct with players making risky forward runs. Definitely not Barcelona. Far from it.

I'd still like to hear your definition of mentality, Dedinho.

I find it a good gamble if with 15 mins to go and your chasing a game. What difference does it really make losing 3-0 instead of 1-0

It still remains by last hail-mary move. Go to overload, take more risks, and hope the spirit of the great Allardici shines through.

Possibly even Defensive, but personally I'd put them on Counter.

Overload is on the extreme side of attacking when you're desperate for a goal. People swarming forward and getting the ball into the box as soon as possible.

Not in fm13 it means exactly what I said, it might be intended to be a last resort for a goal, but certainly doesn't work like that in terms of the game engine. I play 90 minutes overload and its very entertaining , tried it and overload means playing in the opponents half most of the time, has nothing to do with counter attacking either, it means you win the ball as fast as possible as high up the opponent half as possible, thats how Barcelona plays in 97% of their matches real life.

Overload seems an odd one for me. Sometimes if I'm feeling particularly bored, I'll take a match and play it out with several different tactics to see what kind of results I get. Basically trying to create an absolute abortion of a defensive tactic which will work for my terrible team against the bigger teams. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. One time, I thought "what the hell" and put out a fairly average formation (specifics escape me) but with overload as a strategy. I should have got battered. Instead, I won.

A few other times I've used Overload in tests, I've managed positive results. Of course, there's far more to a tactic than what strategy you're using, but I would have thought going overload from minute one against a far stronger team would be tantamount to suicide. It just doesn't seem that way.