Quickfire Questions and Answers Thread (Tactic and Training Questions Only)

Is there any difference to TI/PI "tighter marking" and PPM "marks opponent tightly"?

In regards to youth development... If I want to use youth players in an occasional senior match is it better to keep them on the senior team squad and make them available to the U21/U18 teams or is better to move them back down to the U21 squad when I'm not using them? I don't want to clutter my senior squad screen with a bunch of youth players but I also don't want to hurt the morale/development of the youth players by shuttling them back and forth.

In regards to youth development... If I want to use youth players in an occasional senior match is it better to keep them on the senior team squad and make them available to the U21/U18 teams or is better to move them back down to the U21 squad when I'm not using them? I don't want to clutter my senior squad screen with a bunch of youth players but I also don't want to hurt the morale/development of the youth players by shuttling them back and forth.

If they are in the senior squad then they would get the better coaching - just make them available for the U18/21 games.

I've never seen a youngster complain about this.

In a 4-2-3-1 would a dlp (d) with dlp(s) work or would I better using a bbm or cm(s) with the dlp(d)?

In a 4-2-3-1 would a dlp (d) with dlp(s) work or would I better using a bbm or cm(s) with the dlp(d)?

Why would you think it wouldn't work, and why would you think a BBM or CM (S) would work "better"? It all depends on how you want to play. The BBM and CM (S) will advance up the field in a different way to the DLP (S), and won't have the playmaker focus. Watch a match using a player in one Role for the first half, and another for the second. Spot the difference - see which best fits the way you want to play.

Why would you think it wouldn't work, and why would you think a BBM or CM (S) would work "better"? It all depends on how you want to play. The BBM and CM (S) will advance up the field in a different way to the DLP (S), and won't have the playmaker focus. Watch a match using a player in one Role for the first half, and another for the second. Spot the difference - see which best fits the way you want to play.

I thought it might be better with a link player between the deeper midfielders and the attacking ones. I'll give that a go, cheers mate.

Hello guys,

I'm playing as Valencia with this tactic: (Sorry but I can't upload screeshot I get an "undefined error")

4-5-1

Gk

CWB a - CD d - CD d - CWB a

DM s

AP s - CM a

IF a - IF s

CF a

('a' means attack role, 's' for support and 'd' for defend as you may already know)

Control mentality and fluid

TI are:

Shorter passing

Work ball into box

Play out of defence

Hit early cross (Only because Negredo is too strooong in the air)

Play Narrower

Much Higher Defensive Line

Close Down Much More

Stay on feet

Higher Tempo;

The problem is upfront. When I have the ball near the opponent's box, I've 3 or 4 players on the same line as the defender. I tried to change IF to support and change the CM to support duty but then I don't have enough power upfront. I don't know what to do. And what I wanted is a possession game based with some fast movement upfront when the opportunitie comes but must of my goals came from cross on Negredo. I tried to remove 'Hit early cross' but it doesn't improve my attack. If you have any advice on this or on other things, let me hear them.

Hi.

Something like this happens a lot for me. First-team players suddenly having red arrows all over the place. Two examples:

Lorenzo Crisetig - http://i.imgur.com/dzPJ2Gf.png

Jeronimo Rulli - http://i.imgur.com/iH1ytFu.png

Is there any way to counter this, or should I simply not pay attention to it at all? Is it something that just happens, regardless of what I do?

My general training is og Balanced - Low, and I have all my players on role training with high intensity.

Worth remembering that the red arrows dont actually mean the attribute has decreased - behind the scenes the training impacts the attributes in "increments" - So i suppose you might think of it as 14.1 to 14.9 rather than 14 and 15 (NB - That is for illustration only, i have no knowledge as to whether its decimal / 0.1 based).

Quite often you will see some red arrows but not notice a decrease. Its part of the natural training cycle.

IN the 2 examples you show, i suspect both players are likely to be at, or very near their PA. Both are at prime age and from my knowledge of them in game, are unlikely to get any better. This means that any gains to attributes, must come from taking away from other attributes. In both cases, there are a couple of green arrows which probably point to that being the case

Hi.

Something like this happens a lot for me. First-team players suddenly having red arrows all over the place. Two examples:

Lorenzo Crisetig - http://i.imgur.com/dzPJ2Gf.png

Jeronimo Rulli - http://i.imgur.com/iH1ytFu.png

Is there any way to counter this, or should I simply not pay attention to it at all? Is it something that just happens, regardless of what I do?

My general training is og Balanced - Low, and I have all my players on role training with high intensity.

It's normal, and a great time to warn the player that they're not training hard enough.

You should only get concerned if the darker red arrows start appearing.

I've looked through the options menu but I can't find how to highlight the players names during the matches. Anyone know how to turn them on ? Better still, is there a way to only show a specific players name ? ( it would make it easier for me to follow who is doing what).

Ps : I'm on classic mode, don't know if that makes a difference or not.

I've looked through the options menu but I can't find how to highlight the players names during the matches. Anyone know how to turn them on ? Better still, is there a way to only show a specific players name ? ( it would make it easier for me to follow who is doing what).

Ps : I'm on classic mode, don't know if that makes a difference or not.

There isn't an actual option to do this. What you need to do is pause a match, hold down Control and click all the players one by one. Sometimes I manage to unintentionally select loads of players at one, but I've no idea how I do that.

usually pressing shift then click will give you loads at once

It's good enough for me. Awesome, thanks!

a great impact when IF AML has a strong left foot and a right poor ?? Therefore I ask because I have a lot of players left foot

Sorry for my English

a great impact when IF AML has a strong left foot and a right poor ?? Therefore I ask because I have a lot of players left foot

Sorry for my English

If you have an AML with a strong left foot and a poor right foot, then he should prolly be a classic Winger instead of an IF. IF's cuts inside often and with a poor right foot, he will be useless at that. This can change if you train his weaker foot, of course.

If you have an AML with a strong left foot and a poor right foot, then he should prolly be a classic Winger instead of an IF. IF's cuts inside often and with a poor right foot, he will be useless at that. This can change if you train his weaker foot, of course.

Thank you. So the role to be cut inside the AP, RMD and IF will not use.

Another question here. I was looking at random player stats from big european teams controlled by the AI and I noticed that most of their players played a huge amount of matches in the season ( even players with rather low physicals).

With any team I control I feel as if I need to rotate the squad almost every match even though I never go beyond medium workload on training, and I don't play some insane high tempo, ultra pressing style.

I'm obviously missing something here. It would be great to not lose games due to having to field my <18s

Another question here. I was looking at random player stats from big european teams controlled by the AI and I noticed that most of their players played a huge amount of matches in the season ( even players with rather low physicals).

With any team I control I feel as if I need to rotate the squad almost every match even though I never go beyond medium workload on training, and I don't play some insane high tempo, ultra pressing style.

I'm obviously missing something here. It would be great to not lose games due to having to field my <18s

You should have a rest day after matches. You will be ok to use players at 89% condition and up.

If your team has lots of players who play International fixtures and your team has lots of mid-week fixtures, you should look into giving you're squad an extra rest day here and there.

I'm already doing the day off after a game and I also rest them every now and then but still I can't get my players to play the 50 or so games that Messi plays each season :O

Stupid Question thread seems like a good place to start...

Pretty much a football neophyte (as in folks 'round here call it soccer ), and the descriptions given simply do not really translate well into my "mind's eye" on what should be happening on the pitch spatially when roles are assigned. Some of them basically say the same thing, and without investing much time (which I really don't have) and frustration into learning by watching a control set in game (like using editor to give all players identical stats, no training allowed, and then muck with the ME using different roles, etc.) I figured it might be a tad easier to have those of you with real experience both in FM and real world football to give some spatial context.

Going to start my "Roles 101" questionnaire with the back four.

Found a way to show a pitch with some folks on it, can draw lines and such on it as well.

So what is the "roaming" aspect differences between the CD and the BPD? Does the BPD press further into the attacking versus the CD? (I actually understand the duties Stopper, Cover, Defend fairly well, relativity speaking)

Fullbacks versus Wingbacks, once again, how does the space they cover differ? Here the duties (Attack, Defend, Support) move the players around on the pitch a tad giving an indication that they will "hover" further forward or back in the space, but not really to what degree. How much more space does a Complete Wingback cover? (I'll be honest, the descriptions on the "Limited" positions makes me reluctant to even use them, my basic reading of them is "get the ball, kick it as far as you can in any direction not towards one's own goal", which works great at kid ball, but seems to be less useful in the professional world.

I can follow up with the midfield and attacking roles later, there is even more overlap/ambiguity in the descriptions there, figure baby steps...

End of the day, would like to know WHY certain tactics work and others don't, versus just using "best" players and tactics to get W's, roles seem a good place to start...

Thanks in advance

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/423054-Lines-and-Diamonds-The-Tactician-s-Handbook-for-Football-Manager-2015-%28Part-3-Updated%29?p=10256030&viewfull=1#post10256030

If you scroll down to 4.4 Roles you'll get a detailed description of all the different roles/duties, their movement and and how they work.

Pedroig, if you care to handle a decent chunk of reading, the post Leoforos linked above will set you right on a lot of questions about FM mechanics and such. The simple answer to your meta question about why some tactics work and others don't is space. It all comes to down to using it or denying it effectively. The complexity comes in when deciding how best to achieve that. Then you are into formations, shape, roles, tempo etc. as well as individual player skills. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to space.

Thanks Leoforos.

I will admit that though it seems like all the relative terms even in your link do not relate well to what I was looking for (terms like deeper, deeper than what? Normal isn't really explained anywhere and that's the baseline I do not have) it on first glance seems to have done the work. Having just finished up reading up on Bielsa, a reading of the linked thread (and a printing), and a dual tactic which pretty much is founded on the principle of "the best defense is a good offense" I fired up Barnsley, did a little shuffling of folks (including sending Cranie to Ipswich to get some salary room), arranged a friendly with Arsenal at home and well 4-0... Will see if it holds up, since Arsenal was expected to play a 4-4-2, so went with the following:

Played Standard, Fluid, with TI's: More Direct, Close Down More, Push Higher, Express More, Clear to Flanks, Mark Tighter, Higher Tempo, Don't Let GK distribute.

Dr. Hook, I think you nailed my problem, I understand space is vital, but that "complexity of deciding how to achieve it" is where my ignorance (hopefully diminishing ignorance) is causing me issues. In previous go's I would find all my attackers basically within the confines of the penalty box, even with Get Wider selected to try creating space instead of basically gifting the defense a virtual wall in front of the goal.

Now to make sure this stays on the stupid question topic:

When your coaches tell you they don't think a player (especially a youth) is not capable of performing a PPM, do they know what they are talking about? I know that 15 year kid might not be great at one-two, but can't the attributes "grow" into the PPM?

Oh and do you have to have a GK? (as in play a 3-3-3-2)

When your coaches tell you they don't think a player (especially a youth) is not capable of performing a PPM, do they know what they are talking about? I know that 15 year kid might not be great at one-two, but can't the attributes "grow" into the PPM?

Oh and do you have to have a GK? (as in play a 3-3-3-2)

To your first point, the baseline for positioning you want to see can be simply established by a test match with generic roles and standard mentality, no Team or Personal Instructions. Look where your defensive line sets up when you have the ball, and watch where they retreat to if the ball is turned over. Then you'll know what the median is and can go from there.

Ignore your coaches, they give crap advice constantly. If you want a player to learn a certain PPM, then train him on it. Sometimes they are right, but (more) often they aren't. If he fails, get him back at it.

To be honest I have never tried to not have a keeper (why would you ever do that in pro soccer??). I think FM makes you have one, based on how the tactics screen sets up, but you can always try it out and see.

This post contains a table that lists the different striker roles relative to how high they stay up the field. You can also just look at heatmaps and watch matches to see the impact of "deep" and "deeper" roles : http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/423246-What-Makes-A-Goalscorer-!

Edit : also, here's another question. I'm halfway into my fourth season, and I've noticed that I consistently struggle to score against teams due to their goalkeeper stoping most if not all of my shots. I've actually looked through match history and realised that most opposing goalkeepers finish their games with a 7x rating minimum.

My first though was that my strikers weren't performing or that opposing teams played more defensively but it really isn't. I'm creating quality chances, my strikers have very good ratings and opposition defenders poor ones, however most goalkeepers behave as if the ******* child of Tim Howard and Ochoa during the world cup ( stoping penalties, making outrageous saves over and over again, ect)

Any ideas on how to deal with this ? Again, my tactics are working fine, I'm playing as I'm supposed to, creating good chances and taking quality shots. Could it be complacency ? It would be strange as my striker usually have very good ratings.

Honestly what do you guys do against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool away from home? No problem at all getting a result at home against them or at least make a game of it but as soon as you go to Anfield or Stamford Bridge Cuarado sprints down the wing like Usain Bolt and picks out Diego Costa every time. Azpil, whatshisname continuously throws throw in's direct to Costas head and as for Balotelli, it's like facing Superman on steroids!!

You can honestly hardly concede in most games, have the best passing outfit in the League and get absolutely walloped at those venues where all your players forget how to pass the ball and look like they are running through syrup! Push up, drop deep, get stuck in, stand off I think I have exhausted all routes and am baffled! Baffled as to how I can beat Chelsea 5-1 at home and then be 4-0 down away after 20 minutes only weeks later. That's what it was when I hit exit!!!!!

I tend to just reel in a few Duties to keep things a bit tighter, and go in with the mentality that a draw is a good result, and anything else is better. Definitely wouldn't quit a match just because I was losing to a team which was equal / superior on paper. It's just a computer game.

I tend to just reel in a few Duties to keep things a bit tighter, and go in with the mentality that a draw is a good result, and anything else is better. Definitely wouldn't quit a match just because I was losing to a team which was equal / superior on paper. It's just a computer game.

Ha ha, in my defence the dinner was burning! It's an interesting one for me as lowering in a few duties doesn't work to well for me. Certainly with Chelsea and Liverpool away the problem seems to be the pace that they play. Cuadrado especially has fantastic pace and acceleration and it's very difficult for a wing back/full back to stop him. I mean what do you do, get tight? stand off? With a quick striker it seems a bit easier as you can use the defensive line to an extent but with a lightning fast winger with top dribbling skills it's tough to stop players like that.

I have tried using my strikers to man mark the opposition full backs but this only serves to give the centre backs the freedom on the ball. Maybe my only option is a change of formation and more security on the wings I dunno. The AI 4231 wide seems to be what Chelsea use but I beat Spurs a few games ago 4-1 away and they play a 4231 wide so it's baffling doing well away against one top team that uses it but awfully badly against another.

Well made an interesting discovery. Played Chelsea again and lost 3-0 in the Cup. Once again Cuarado and Hazard ran the show which considering I am using a 4312 isn't a major surprise. Played them again a few games later and had a think. Thought about man marking their wide midfielders with my full backs but decided against it as that still left my full backs two against one. So decided to man mark Cuarado and Hazard with Kouyate and Song my two BWM's the outside players our middle three. It seemed to work and I managed to scrape a 2-1 win. Both were a lot quieter with a much lower cross rate and that also allowed Cresswell and Peruzzi to concentrate on Chelsea's full backs. Left both mine as CWB's A which gave me an attacking threat and Peruzzi scored one of the goals. Thought I may be over run in the middle but that didn't seem to be the case and it got those midfielders closing down wider as well. So food for thought.

Ha ha, in my defence the dinner was burning! It's an interesting one for me as lowering in a few duties doesn't work to well for me.

Last night I faced Chelsea in the CL Quarter Finals and lost 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in a match where we held a 1-0 lead but ultimately got overpowered at set pieces so it was a result to take on the chin. Like you, I'm using a 4-3-1-2 and really the flanks weren't an issue, as I find the 4-3-1-2 has great defensive strength out wide with the outer MCs. In the return leg, we just switched full backs from CWB (S) to WB (A) and this happened:

A real pasting - look at their pass completion; we just completely stifled their midfield. In the first leg, things were more even but away from home, they were far too cautious and that suits the way my system is set up.

Hi, I was just wondering is there something you have to do beforehand before you can teach a player the PPM, Plays one-twos, as I can't find the option to teach any of my players such move :/

I have 100% familiarity on my 3 tactics, what shall I change my match training to now and should I reduce the intensity from 50%?

Thanks

I have 100% familiarity on my 3 tactics, what shall I change my match training to now and should I reduce the intensity from 50%?

Thanks

I generally train defensive positioning, but it's really a matter of preference. Depends on what you want to focus on for the upcoming match.

As far a percentage, I usually go with 30%

This is a stupid question because I severely doubt anyone can help, but..... Do any of you guys have Mr Houghs working 10.3 tactic from FM10. It was a 4-1-2-3 tactic. Just bought FM10 again in a bid to re-capture my youth and I really loved that tactic.

Not having a go here but why don't you create your own?

I generally train defensive positioning, but it's really a matter of preference. Depends on what you want to focus on for the upcoming match.

As far a percentage, I usually go with 30%

Thanks mate

Not entirely sure where to ask this, but I'm wondering if anyone has any links or sites that analyze really old soccer formations? I would like to see if I can create a working 2-3-5 or 3-2-2-3 type formation but would like to use an old team to base it off of. Does anyone have any clue?

If I quite often get a message that a certain player is not used to playing at tempo we are employing - and if that is the tempo we play 85% of our games - does it mean he will get used to it over time, or I have to do something to change it?

If I quite often get a message that a certain player is not used to playing at tempo we are employing - and if that is the tempo we play 85% of our games - does it mean he will get used to it over time, or I have to do something to change it?

He'll get used to it. Is this a player who's joined your team recently?

Not entirely sure where to ask this, but I'm wondering if anyone has any links or sites that analyze really old soccer formations? I would like to see if I can create a working 2-3-5 or 3-2-2-3 type formation but would like to use an old team to base it off of. Does anyone have any clue?

I've been doing some research online for a couple of FM systems I tried out, and Google really is your friend. If you just type in "2-3-5 formation", things like this immediately appear:

http://www.football-bible.com/soccer-info/old-football-formations.html

If I quite often get a message that a certain player is not used to playing at tempo we are employing - and if that is the tempo we play 85% of our games - does it mean he will get used to it over time, or I have to do something to change it?

I'd just ignore it. It's just another bit of in-match advice that you don't need to be too bothered about.

Have somebody try to emulate Tuchel tactic from game with 2:0 win against Juve last week?

Hi all, I expect this question has been answered before already but I'm not reading through 69 pages of convo on here to find the answer! What are people's best advice for tactics with a mid-table conference side seeking to get a promotion place and improve (without funds as I'm sure you can imagine!). I'm new and stuipd (go easy on me!).

Hi all, I expect this question has been answered before already but I'm not reading through 69 pages of convo on here to find the answer! What are people's best advice for tactics with a mid-table conference side seeking to get a promotion place and improve (without funds as I'm sure you can imagine!). I'm new and stuipd (go easy on me!).

The best tactic is one that suits your players (and possibly your board expectations). No one can advise you on tactics if there is no idea what you are working with in terms of players. The best thing to do in this case, if you want help or advice here, is to start a thread following the guidelines and be much more specific and detailed about what you have and what you want to try and do. And I'll add this, there are a lots of great threads posted that are level generic. The principles of sound tactics are the same whether in the Conference or Serie A.

Thanks so much

Hello guys.

If i have for example a CM on defend but with roaming from position, this means that he will do vertical movements and occupy the same space of players ahead or those movements will be more lateral?

Thank you.

Hello guys.

If i have for example a CM on defend but with roaming from position, this means that he will do vertical movements and occupy the same space of players ahead or those movements will be more lateral?

Thank you.

Roaming can be vertical and horizontal.

Thank you.

I asked because since a midfield player with a defend duty does not have forward runs, i thought that, with roaming, those movements would be mainly horizontal.

Thank you.

I asked because since a midfield player with a defend duty does not have forward runs, i thought that, with roaming, those movements would be mainly horizontal.

Roaming isn't running though, it can just be walking/drifting from his normal position.

wlil have to check that out

Hi guys, I've read that if you play on a controlled mentality then your team will automatically look to retain possession and pass shorter, so if you also select those two specific instructions in your Team Instructions then it could be detrimental to your team, is this true?