Why does this happen???? I'm baffled!!

I was 3-0 down against Aston Villa at their place. I'm West Ham. I tinker with my 4-4-2 and win 4-3 with an out of this world second half performance.

I've done it I am thinking, after hours and days trying to come up with a consistent tactic I'm there.

But,, next game I lose 3-0 away at Man City despite domination and having more chances than they have,,,,,again!!

Tinker again, I win 2-0 at Spurs, finally Bellamy and Ashton get on scoresheet!!

But,, next games go,

0-0

0-0

1-0

1-0

1-0

0-0

Now I'm not complaining because now I seem to have sorted my defence out but again despite having my strikers with numerous one on ones that they miss and following up midfielders either kicking it into the stand or when it does go on target it peerolls wide or into the keepers hands I CANNOT SCORE enough.

Then next game I score 3 against Middlesboro. Only problem they score 3 as well!!!

Same team, same tactics, why, why, why!!!???

I know it happens IRL from time to time but how can I score 4 away at Villa, 3 away at Boro but can't score at home to Hull and Stoke!!!???

Please tell me the striker bug is still there?!

Not a bug IMO . Its called 'realism'

If the game was that easy , no wone would want to play it .

Look at Newcastles results draw 0-0 away to chelsea , then the weekend after draw 2-2 at home to stoke (after being 2-0 up) and then winning 3-0 away to portsmouth , 2-1 at home to spurs and then lose 1-5 at home to liverpool.

ok - first off breathe!

This does happen in real life. FM takes it to a slightly higher level in order to highlight the fact that you cannot expect to play the EXACT tactic and team week in week out and survive in the premiership. Whilst I believe it's effects are slightly too negative, the point remains unchanged; you need to tinker. Pay close attention to the "Next Opposition" scouting report. For instance, if it states wide players will struggle, simply change the width slider a bit....if it says that it supports teams with a direct style of play, gear your team around that (perhaps use a target man and play slightly longer than usual).

One little tip I have found is that if you are playing 4-4-2 against a team with one up front, switch one of your CB's to zonal marking to compensate.

All that being said - this should be in the Tactics and Training forum

ok - first off breathe!

This does happen in real life. FM takes it to a slightly higher level in order to highlight the fact that you cannot expect to play the EXACT tactic and team week in week out and survive in the premiership. Whilst I believe it's effects are slightly too negative, the point remains unchanged; you need to tinker. Pay close attention to the "Next Opposition" scouting report. For instance, if it states wide players will struggle, simply change the width slider a bit....if it says that it supports teams with a direct style of play, gear your team around that (perhaps use a target man and play slightly longer than usual).

One little tip I have found is that if you are playing 4-4-2 against a team with one up front, switch one of your CB's to zonal marking to compensate.

All that being said - this should be in the Tactics and Training forum

Nobody responds in the Tactics and Training Forum!!! and not trying to be diffucult but I think this is a general issue rather than a tactics one.

I hear what you are saying but what's happened to the old "Let them worry about us rather than us worry about them" routine?

I do tinker and play wide but my strikers don't get on the end of the crosses or blaze them over. I go more defensive when ahead and concede straight away, I always play zonal anyway because man marking never works. My midfield men don't tackle or control the ball despite having higher stats than the opposition. My full backs go walk about despite being on closing down. Show someone onto the weaker foot and he blasts home a 25 yarder with his weaker foot!!!

I could go on and on.

I hear what you are saying but what's happened to the old "Let them worry about us rather than us worry about them" routine?

I think that saying has it's place in FM still, in lower leagues, but definitely not in the Premier League.

Look at Hull...they played lovely football last season in the Championship, and whilst getting similar results in the Premiership this season, have had to, by their own admission, do it ugly and with tactics. Arsenal were living proof of the "let them worry about us" over the last few seasons (as were United) but both them and United now often rotate their starting 11 to better fit in with the team they are playing against. Toure came back into the centre of defence for Arsenal the other week against Wigan I think it was in order to combat the height and aerial prowess of Heskey. Other teams in the Premiership not only have great technical ability (that's a given in the league) but also have great coordination and tactical awareness...you are trying to rely a bit too much on the former and not enough on the latter.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan - all of these teams over the last 5 years have had GREAT PLAYERS but have not had the coodination or tactical skill collectively to get the results the deserve at times.

As a famous guy once said, "even the sun shines out of a dog's ass some days!"

I think that saying has it's place in FM still, in lower leagues, but definitely not in the Premier League.

Look at Hull...they played lovely football last season in the Championship, and whilst getting similar results in the Premiership this season, have had to, by their own admission, do it ugly and with tactics. Arsenal were living proof of the "let them worry about us" over the last few seasons (as were United) but both them and United now often rotate their starting 11 to better fit in with the team they are playing against. Toure came back into the centre of defence for Arsenal the other week against Wigan I think it was in order to combat the height and aerial prowess of Heskey. Other teams in the Premiership not only have great technical ability (that's a given in the league) but also have great coordination and tactical awareness...you are trying to rely a bit too much on the former and not enough on the latter.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan - all of these teams over the last 5 years have had GREAT PLAYERS but have not had the coodination or tactical skill collectively to get the results the deserve at times.

As a famous guy once said, "even the sun shines out of a dog's ass some days!"

Ok a fair point but you must admit that the game poorly implements what you are trying to do.

I wouldn't mind so much if Bellamy and Ashton scored more one on ones that they miss. Two decent forwards IRL. Or if Ashton with good aerial stats didn't get outjumped by a midget on numerous occasions, Or in the middle of a glorious passing move it bobbled of your midfielders knee and they go and score. Yes, mistakes happen but these are meant to be pro's.

In one game I had to put an under 18 left back in because I had noone else and he gort a higher rating than the rest of the back line. His stats are poor yet he outplayed the likes of Neill, Upson and Behrami. How? I would have accepted it if he had gpt a roasting every time but he didn't.

I really don't think the game implements stats well enough. My quick striker getting outrun by a lumbering defender or my high crossing winger never putting a cross on someones head.

Football is about players not tactics. That's why Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool dominate.

I disagree with that last point heavily. Football is about TACTICALLY organising your best PLAYERS for a given situation. Hence the need for big squads now - it's not only to necessitate any injuries...but to allow teams to cope with any tactical situation.

As for the way the game implements stats, I kind of agree to a point. I think what people have a problem with is when they are watching 3D and see a pacy full back with 20 yards of space simply slow down when running afte the ball allowing a slow midfielder to make up the ground....this seems to happen a lot. I wholeheartedly want to believe that this is simply a problem with the 3D representation of the actual match engine and not a "real" representation of what has just happened. Does that make any sense. the amount of times I see my midfielder not intercept a pass he could have easily in order to stay in formation is laughable...however I believe that the way the game represents that particular pass is not actually how the game engine intends...if that makes things any clearer?