Reactive Positional OIs - A Guide

EDIT: Please check the edit at the end of the OP before reading.

Reacting to an opponent's change in formation during a match by changing your own doesn't sit well with me. In my experience, these changes mostly occur when the opposition are behind, and shows that the opposing manager feels you have the upper hand. I am not willing to throw away my advantage, so I have developed this alternative, to combat, not so much the change of formation, but, the swapping of players to different and sometimes bizarre positions within their different formations, and generally throughout the match within the same formation, particularly with the introduction of a sub, and most notably in the last few minutes of a match.

I do think, however, this approach can also work if you employ formation changes.

This developed along side my Tactic, so I consider it to be a part of that Tactic. I am still playing FM10, but unless there have been massive changes in FM11 that render this obsolete, (and I'm sure someone will tell me if there have) then I see no reason why it can't work in FM11.

The idea is to set and keep 'Opposition Instructions' to 'Positions' rather than individuals, then add any necessary instructions for 'Either Footed' and certain 'PPMs' when combined with complimentary attributes.

Positional O.I.s

Ask your Assman* first, this can save some button clicking, then fill in or remove instructions according to the following:

Weaker Foot = All Midfielders and Attackers.

Additions = If you trust them, players named by Assman and/or Backroom staff.

Exceptions = All 'Either Footed' players.

#1

You will no doubt have noticed that I have set OIs to the subs as well, and they have no position!

How many times have you found out too late that a Sub you didn't notice coming on has just scored? For me it was exactly two, early on when learning to play the game, and it hasn't happened to me since.

I set OIs to fit the 'worst possible scenario' a sub's positions might present should he be brought on, and the number of OIs tends to increase the higher up the pitch the position is. eg AMC/Forward gets the OIs of a striker. If he comes on as an AMC then I remove an OI.(in this case Hard Tackling)

Note:Macheda's Instructions (Sub) on the right half of this screen (#1) is my base setting for Strikers.

Believe me this is miles easier to implement than it is to to explain or follow, and it has become second nature to me, though sadly without relieving the tedium of having to set them before every match.

Tight Marking = All Midfielders and Strikers.

Additions = Central Defenders you consider an aerial threat from corners. I don't know the height/jumping situation in FM11, but in FM10 DCs 6'1" and up, with a jumping attribute 15 and over I would set tight marking with tallest players. Plus, anyone Named by Assman/BR Staff.

Exceptions = Any Player (not including DCs) with Pace/Acceleration 18/18 and over must be set to Never. eg Theo Walcott.

#2

Closing Down = All Goalkeepers, All Midfielders and Strikers.

Additions = Any player with PPMs 'Shoots with power/from distance' and a good Long Shot attribute, and players Named by Assman/BR Staff.

Exceptions = Any player with Pace/Acceleration 18/18 and over should be set to 'No Specific Instructions'. (18/18 represents my 'discomfort' level, choose your own, if you wish, based on your players capabilities)

#3

Vidic was Named by BR Staff.

Note:Park Ji-Sung's Instructions (MR) on the right half of this screen #3 is my base setting for All Midfielders.

Tackling = All Strikers Hard, All others None.

Additions = Any player with Pace/Acceleration 18/18 and over, Hard.

Exceptions = None.

#4

Bear The Following In Mind

In my tactic I set:

Zonal Marking, except Fullbacks>Man Mark.

Closing Down = All outfield players>Own Half, centre notch. GK>First notch of Own Half (Reason; Rushing Out-12, Acc/Pace-12/11). If they were better he would get the same as everyone else.

Tackling = All Normal.

All my defenders had PPM 'Does Not Dive Into Tackles' and All bar one fullback had PPM 'Marks Opponents Tightly'.

I also set the team instruction 'Closing Down' to 'Stand-Off More'.

In-game: Although my Strategy is Attacking, I begin the match with Standard, and pause as soon as the match starts, then I select Shout>'Stay On Feet', and 'Attacking' strategy. (this is the quickest way I know of to get Shouts to take effect)

**Try to ignore, for now, any thoughts screaming at you about the use of a shout to modify something that has been edited in the tactic, and the 'stand-off more' team instruction versus the edited individual 'closing down' settings. I will explain at the end.

During The Match

To help me explain this I will split the team into three bands:

A = Defence

B = Midfield

C = Attack

It is only necessary to change an instruction when a player moves from a position in one band to a position in another. AND to a substitute who takes up a position other than that for which you set him before the match.

I advise that you have the opposition Formation open throughout each match, and keep an eye on it, as it is easy to miss a substitution mentioned in the commentary, extremely hard to know exactly what formation the opposition have adopted, based on the commentary, and nigh on impossible to learn of a player changing position, from the commentary.

#5

(yes I know, but Man Utd didn't change their formation and the matches themselves are irrelevant)

The opposition started this match with the 4-4-2 formation shown on right of this screen, (#5) nothing has changed to this point and they have just gone 4-0 down.

#6

Finally, a reaction. It looks drastic but as far as I am concerned I only need to look at numbers 10, 2, and 3.

Numbers 10 and 2 are substitutes, but don't assume they have been placed in the positions that you set them up for pre-match. Check their instructions: 'Touchline Instructions' > 'Shortcuts' > 'Target Opposition Player' and if necessary adjust OIs to suit the position they are in.

Number 3 has moved from Fullback to Defensive Midfielder but takes his Defender OIs with him. (screen #6)

As he has moved from band A to band B, change his OIs to suit. (screen #7)

#7

(as opposed to number 23 who has changed his position but within the same band C and therefore requires no changes)

Reaction to going 5-0 down.

#8

Substitutes 8 for 22 and moves 4 & 28.

As you can see number 8 has pre-match settings that suit his position, so no action is necessary.

Numbers 4 & 28 are still in the midfield band B, so no action is necessary.

You have to keep an eye on the opposition formation and be prepared to check the OIs on the drop down menu. Even if you suspect a change in positions, check the OIs. And I mean the whole team.

At half time check the OIs and adjust if necessary.

In the unlikely event that an outfield player swaps with a GK set as you would for any player in that position.

*Regarding Assistant Managers. They vary greatly and this is reflected in their suggested OIs. They will at some point set an instruction for a player that you wouldn't normally set by following this guide. How much do you trust him? It's your call.

What I do is keep his OIs for players he mentions By Name in his feedback (but take care to check if it is Hard Tackling). The OIs he selects without naming the players in his feedback I will consider after checking the player's Attributes, PPMs and Positions.

Hopefully you won't have a thug for an assman as I once did, it got mighty tedious changing the 'hard tackling' he gave to every player before every match.

I use my own tactic, a Fluid, Attacking 4-1-2-1-2 that naturally morphs into 3-4-3 then 2-3-5 whilst attacking (once everyone has learned their PPMs that is). My front five have free roaming and lots of creative freedom and whilst developing this tactic and OIs I didn't have a team full of superstars. I always play matches in full. I have never had more than one red card in a season and only ever had one ban due to yellow cards.

Except for Tip 2 below, I NEVER change my tactic.

Tips:

1) Never leave the match screen after pausing when the opposition have the ball.

2) Always reduce a player's tackling to 'easy' when they receive a yellow card. Do it as soon as you can BUT don't forget TIP 1.

I apologise if this comes across as a bit of a mess but it is the first time I've tried this, so be gentle with me. Hopefully I can make up for any lack of clarity or omissions by answering your questions.

Cheers

xxx

**As I developed my tactic, some settings stayed as they were, when, after tweaking a different part of the tactic there was improvement generally in the way the team played. If someone provides me with proof that changes to Strategy, Philosophy, Role, Duty, applying Shouts, etc, affects nothing we can't see, then I will be more than happy to change my approach.

EDIT: Now Positional OIs are an option in FM12 (well done SI) this guide is mostly redundant. The actual instructions are still usable however. Looking forward to SI introducing a way to save Positional OIs so they can be used on the same Formation in future matches, saving tons of clicks!

Hey, firstly, well done, this is a good contribution, I have a couple of observations though:

If all your defenders tight mark naturally, why bother with the tight marking OI's?

I used to set tight marking OI's but I now have my central core of players on tight mark in the tactics so the OI won't do anything. I occasionally tight mark an opposing AMC (I normally play a DM) or creative striker but this is through habit, I don't think it actually does anything.

Why do you always use the weaker foot OI?

If the opposing wingers aren't great at crossing and their strikers can't match my defenders in the air I'd happily show the wingers onto their stronger foot if it meant they had to cross all day.

Beware AssMan advice

Now, admittedly, my AssMan is a weapon and always sets hard tackling which used to suit my team, it doesn't anymore, but, tactically I don't think ANY AssMan in the game has much of a clue. I use a zonal/man hybrid as well and the last thing I would want is to follow some crazy closing down/tight marking advice that throws my whole defensive system out of alignment.

Thanks furiousuk. I would prefer my defenders to apply their tight marking skills to the opposition players of my choice.

Weaker foot, I often wonder myself, mostly when I see the comical way this is executed in the match. But seriously I prefer my defenders to approach their oppo on their strongest side, to discourage them from playing a good early ball and send them in the direction of my choice, putting them at a disadvantage and gaining a few seconds of extra time for the rest of my team to take up the best positions they can.

Most of what assmen say during a match is junk, but I have had two who I trusted enough to at least look at their suggestions. As I said in the guide: "Ask your Assman* first, then fill in or remove instructions according to the following(guide) My good two assmen's suggestions happened to roughly match what I wanted, but hardly ever tackling for some reason, and I've yet to meet one who suggested closing down a GK.

I could only find this thread through my profile? I wasn't intending to bump it, but as it wasn't showing on either page(?), and OIs can be set to position in FM12, I have.

EDIT: See OP.