How long can you make a tactic last?

I am in my 5th season now and still using the same 4-4-2 tactic that I started with. I have only made some very minor changes to the tactic during that time and I'm still finishing in the top 6 every season.

How long do your tactics last before changing to something else?

I'm 8 seasons in with Man Utd using the same tactic as I started with even though I have bought and sold players over the years. I have won the Premiership 8 times, CL 6 times, FA Cup and Super Cup 5 times. I am currently enjoying a 274 unbeaten run in the Premiership as well.

i seem to have a good season then a really bad one

If you can create a solid balanced tactic then you can keep it for as long as you want. With FM10 I played something like 70+ seasons using the same tactic, right the from the BSS to the very top.

I'm still using essentially the same 4-4-2 tactic I used on FM 09 and only really change the player roles and duties according to my players abilities and the oppositions sterngth or weakness relative to my team.

I also have a very defensive 4-5-1 set up on my match prep screen just in case I come up against a very strong team in the C.L and an ultra attacking 4-3-3 'last ditch' system in the 3rd match prep slot for use late on in games if I'm desperate for a goal (or in games where I'm holding a single goal lead very late in the game, attack being the beest form of defence as they say).

The 2nd and third option hardly ever get used though unless I feel the opposition are starting to counter my usual 4-4-2 then I'll switch to one of the other two for a while to keep the ai on it's toes.

Usually my tactics last untill next patch...

Usually my tactics last untill next patch...

Often (but not always) tactics that are based on weaknesses in the ME are rendered useless after a patch since the weaknesses have been addressed.

I've used the same 4-3-3 system to get me through 4 successive promotions, although I change my starting strategy each game depending on the opposition.

Always use the same tactic, which ever team i am or what ever league im in. It works so why change?.

Don't get obsessed with tactics, keep them simple, attack at home and defend away, don't have any fantasy or philosophy on how the game should be played, just fit the formation and the way you play around the kind of players you have in your squad.

How do you know it's your tactics and not just some predetermined run in the game? Does anyone actually have any concrete proof that tactics make any sort of beneficial difference? What would your reaction be if SI (or whatever) went out of business and later admitted that tactics made no beneficial difference in a win?

I would laugh actually

I pretty much always play a 4-4-2 standard tactic with direct passing and lots of closing down and harsh tackling. Sometimes I swap to 4-3-3 attacking, especially late in a game where I'm struggling to score.

my god, again....

Anyway, i have used pretty much the same 4-4-2 tactic for the past 3 versions of FM, did play about with a 4-3-1-2 for a number of seasons which was also good, but i like the standard set up, never had the need to change except when i wanted too. You can do so much with a 4-4-2 if things are not going well to try and solidify your team.

my god, again....

Are you that much of a fanboy that you can't even take a joke

I usually change every season which is probably why I never win very much.

How do you know it's your tactics and not just some predetermined run in the game?

This is usually the case, a lot of people haven't really caught on to how the whole strategy theory works in the ME. There are 7 different strategies and they all actually have a purpose, a time when one strategy works better for the situation then some of the other options. Every tactic you decide to use will fall into a category (overall 'value' that determines the type of strategy where Mentatlity has a huge influence), so if you play only one type of strategy it will naturally not 'fit' into every match scenario - thus causing problems to actually 'overpower' the AI settings in certain instances.

When you do discover what type of strategy 'fits' for your next opponent then the game actaully becomes a lot easier and you realise that you can actually work around the AI constantly overpowering the settings that you use. Knowing what to change and when (of course) will prove that the AI cannot constantly break your tactical outlook. The game of football is all about attacking and defending, in FM there is also an element of 'degrees' of how much emphasis you can use to attack or defend (Mentality) compared to the strength of your next opponent. There are several scenarios when assessing your opponent, and things like playing at home, away or on neutral pitches actually create a difference in the degree of Mentality that you use. On top you also can take pitch sizes and weather into account, when you have all these aspects under control then it becomes a lot easier to know which strategy to start with and what you might change during the match in accordance with scorelines or other instances.

Not many people play like this, and it is still apparent when you glance over in the T&T where most people are still trying to make one hit wonders...

I play the same tactic everygame, every season, home and away. Only the first season of a new save do I tinker with it. Once I'm happy with it it stays that way. I buy players to suit the tactic not change my tactics to suit the player..

The AI definately dont learn your tactic and eventually it becomes useless like what you sometimes read from posters on the forums

Yeah, sometimes when a new patch comes along it can break your tactics but this year it didnt. It seemed to slightly improve it as most my goals were conceded from freekicks and corners but that didnt happen so much after the patch

Mr Hough's tactic last forever because the AI can't beat them.

Once i've designed my formation i normally keep it the same, i'll just change my strategy from game to game.

If i'm a newly promoted team i normally just use counter/standard most of the time, when i start to get better players and be one of the strongest teams in the league, it's time to use more offensive strategies, increase the closing down and take the game to the AI.

I use counter wether I'm underdogs or the better team. All the best teams in the world counter attack.

I play with the same tactic both home and away, against any type of opponent. I try to design my tactics so that they are able to score goals in at least three ways: outplaying the opponent against an established defense, counterattacking when under pressure, and set-pieces.

When I feel there is a need to change the nature of the match (this is usually when I don't create satisfactory chances - not necessarily when I am under pressure), I have a few different tactical changes handy that I have tested before and which I know works. These are saved and I put them in the match preparation brackets. The reason I don't use shouts even though I don't bother with classical, is that I have no idea what the effect of a shout will be - they are all blind shots in the dark. E.g Just dropping lower when the players have certain Mentality and Closing Down settings could make things worse...

Essentially, I have an attacking tactic, which is the one I am starting with always, an attacking tactic with minor changes - and an ultradefensive tactic which is designed to kill the match.

Once I have a working trio of tactics, I have trouble motivating myself to find another or even tune the existing ones to perfection, so I keep them indefinitely.

Using the same old 4-4-2 tactic as I always have. Started up the game and immediately set the tactics to "classic" style, then finalized my player instructions following roster registration. Never change stategies/play style/formation- winning, losing, favorite, underdog, etc. it doesn't matter.

I find that I have to change every 3 or so games because the team starts to do rubbish. It's a bit annoying.

But it also depends on the team I'm playing. I'm United and 4-4-2 is the default but change to 4-3-3 for relegation teams and 4-2-3-1 does me pretty well against the big boys.

274 unbeaten run? Ever thought of sharing your tactic in T&T forum? Surely its a very, very good one.

274 unbeaten run? Ever thought of sharing your tactic in T&T forum? Surely its a very, very good one.

I have added my tactic to the T&T forum under 4-3-1-2 Man Utd tactic - 279 unbeaten run in PL and counting...

I am currently playing the same tactic for the 3rd season. I am over 100 games unbeaten domestically, I play in Iceland so Europe is hard but I hit the groups and 1st knockouts most season. 3-5-2 <3