SI. Can you change Opposition Instructions from player to position please?!!

I think the way that you put Opposition Team Instructions (certainly for us Classic Managers) needs to be changed as I think the way they are presently set up costs far too many goals. At present those instructions apply to "the player" rather than "the position" so if the AI makes a substitution then the instructions revert to default.

Let me explain with the latest example that has cost me in a 1-2 defeat v Liverpool. At the start of the match I ask the Assistant to set up opposition instructions as he sees fit. I then change those instructions if I think they need to be changed and in this example I put full whack on Torres. IE Tight Marking, Closing Down, Weaker Foot and Hard Tackling. Ok he got away a couple of times but on the whole we dealt with him well. So well that Liverpool (who didn't change formation) made a straight swap and Landon Donovan came on. So because Donovan's Instructions now go back to default I go back to my tactics screen and have to change them manually. I do so but before they click in in the game a pass goes to Donovan who is in acres of space and he runs into the area and scores. Then after the event my tactic changes occur and Donovan doesn't get a sniff for the rest of the game.

I can understand that with the Creator you could probably do this by shouts but it would make things far easier for us Classic Managers if that when Donovan came on Torres Instructions applied to Donovan because he was playing in the same position. Then at least you have some cover even if you want to change those instructions personally for Donovan. Hence why I say that the Instructions should apply regardless to that position IE Centre Forward rather than Torres or Donovan personally. Certainly this would help because in FM the AI makes some odd substitutions, often making changes early in the first half for no logical reason. If they change formations then fine, that's something you then have to understandably change but if it's a straight swap why do you have to lose precious seconds because the instructions revert to default?

Also (whilst I am ranting!!!) surely if an Assistant at Half Time suggests doing X,Y,Z why can you not apply those instructions by pressing the assistant button? If he suggests something you need to apply those changes manually which is silly and I think on last years FM you could just update by pressing the Assistant button.

I agree with you, the OI's are crap...

if the AI team move their winger - tight marking, close down, hard tackling, weaker foot - into the middle of the park (where some or all would be removed) and put the centre-mid (weaker foot and *maybe* closing down/hard tackling) on the wing the new winger suddenly gets space to cross...

as it is, I rarely bother with OI's pre-match and only use them if we're having a problem with any particular player during the match...

as it is, I rarely bother with OI's pre-match and only use them if we're having a problem with any particular player during the match...

I agree that this is how OIs are best used. I also think this is how they were intended to be used - sparingly, and against particular players. Using OIs against half the opposition team, every single match, doesn't make any sense to me, no matter what a lot of people do and what my stupid assistant says...

Although I see your point, I have to say, I don't completely agree. I'm used to setting OIs only for specific players on the field, so as to exploit their weaknesses, or subdue their strengths. So, setting them corresponding to positions doesn't make any sense really. Players with low bravery will crumble down under hard tackling, and those with low concentration, composure, decisions and passing will make mistake when always closed down. So, while it is normal to set "Show onto weaker foot" for wing players, all the other instructions should be set after looking at the specific player's attributes. It's always worthwhile to keep an eye out for AI substitutions and formation changes, by keeping open widgets like "Opponent Team Rating" & "Opponent team formation".

Just my two cents...

I think both of what OP is saying and what clonerohin1 is saying is applicable. So make the OI screen flexible.

Simply put in a checkbox where you set the OI instructions. If checked, the OI is personal, and moves with the player, if he is repositioned .. or if substituted then default is used for the new guy. If not ticked, then it is positional, and applies to anyone in that particular position. If no one plays there, then it has no effect.

I think both of what OP is saying and what clonerohin1 is saying is applicable. So make the OI screen flexible.

Simply put in a checkbox where you set the OI instructions. If checked, the OI is personal, and moves with the player, if he is repositioned .. or if substituted then default is used for the new guy. If not ticked, then it is positional, and applies to anyone in that particular position. If no one plays there, then it has no effect.

This is a very good suggestion

I don't agree with the OP either. What if the AI has set players to swap positions? For example The AI team has Forlan and Walcott as strikers. You close down Forlan to limit the threat of his long shots and passes, but you know Walcott is not a big threat at those so you set his closing down to never. If the OI's were positional, the AI manager could set his strikers to swap positions and sit back and relax as your keeper gets to practice his highlight reel saves. It would make your OI's obsolete in an instant.

In short: It's fine as it is.

Although I see your point, I have to say, I don't completely agree. I'm used to setting OIs only for specific players on the field, so as to exploit their weaknesses, or subdue their strengths. So, setting them corresponding to positions doesn't make any sense really. Players with low bravery will crumble down under hard tackling, and those with low concentration, composure, decisions and passing will make mistake when always closed down. So, while it is normal to set "Show onto weaker foot" for wing players, all the other instructions should be set after looking at the specific player's attributes. It's always worthwhile to keep an eye out for AI substitutions and formation changes, by keeping open widgets like "Opponent Team Rating" & "Opponent team formation".

Just my two cents...

Yes I do agree with you but what I am basically saying is (and I use the example I gave when Donovan replaced Torres at Forward). Donovan isn't as good a player as Torres but he is still a good player. I may well have changed his individual instructions to what I had given Torres but and this is the thing as soon as Donovan came on those instructions reset to default. Before I had any chance to change those instructions he had found space and scored because of that slight delay between changing your tactics and those tactic changes kicking in. So what I am saying is that if those instructions had been set to "position" or an option to set to position rather than "Torres" for that brief moment Donovan would have been covered by the instructions set for that position so he may have been tight marked or shown on to the weaker foot and may or may not still have scored that goal. But it would have given me more cover than him being left totally free of any individual instructions.

I don't agree with the OP either. What if the AI has set players to swap positions? For example The AI team has Forlan and Walcott as strikers. You close down Forlan to limit the threat of his long shots and passes, but you know Walcott is not a big threat at those so you set his closing down to never. If the OI's were positional, the AI manager could set his strikers to swap positions and sit back and relax as your keeper gets to practice his highlight reel saves. It would make your OI's obsolete in an instant.

In short: It's fine as it is.

Yes but the way it is means any opposition instructions for an oncoming sub are obsolete in an instant, until you change them. I am not neccessarily saying my idea is the one required but you need something maybe like StormenDK suggests to allow you to make swift changes for any oncoming substitute because as we all know with Classic tactics there can be a delay in making your changes and tghose changes kicking in.

Why didn't you just set Donovan's OI when you set them for Torres before kick-off? I usually do that, when I see good (attacking) players on the bench.

If properly implemented, StormenDK's suggestion could be a good idea.

This is a very good suggestion

You could even make it more flexible ... and add two check boxes .. one for Personal and one for Positional. If both are ticked, that means that the OI is both personal and positional. meaning that if you f.x. set an OI for the opposition right winger, then if he is then moved to right back or left wing or striker or whatever, the OI still stands in his new position, but the new guy in his position is now also susceptible to the OI as it is also positional.

I can imagine doing it like this might present some issues with how it should work if a guy with a Personal OI moves to a position that has a different Positional OI. But I am sure something could be worked out on that

Why didn't you just set Donovan's OI when you set them for Torres before kick-off? I usually do that, when I see good (attacking) players on the bench.

If properly implemented, StormenDK's suggestion could be a good idea.

It also depends on where he plays. If Gerrard plays central midfield I don't always put many instructions on him - but if he plays attacking midfield I want to put all 4 instructions on him. So you can't decide beforehand.

Why didn't you just set Donovan's OI when you set them for Torres before kick-off? I usually do that, when I see good (attacking) players on the bench.

If properly implemented, StormenDK's suggestion could be a good idea.

I didn't know where Donovan would play. Liverpool played a 4-2-3-1 and Donovan could quite easily have played as an AM or a striker. Didn't know until he came on which.