How would you translate this team comparison report into tactical instructions?

For all positions:

Decisions 1st

First Touch 1st

Passing 3rd

Strength 5th

Work Rate 1st

Teamwork 17th

Leadership 3rd

Aggression 6th

Goalkeepers:

Kicking 1st

Reflexes 1st

Handling 8th

Aerial Ability 10th

Command of Area 9th

One on Ones 1st

Throwing 1st

Agility 4th

Defence:

Tackling 1st

Heading 1st

Jumping Reach 15th

Marking 1st

Positioning 2nd

Strength 8th

Pace 1st

Acceleration 4th

Midfield:

Passing 2nd

Long Shots 1st

Creativity 2nd

Stamina 11th

Teamwork 9th

Tackling 9th

Technique

Decisions 1st

Attack:

Finishing 2nd

Long Shots 6th

Heading 1st

Jumping Reach 3rd

Anticipation 4th

Movement 4th

Pace 8th

Acceleration 16th

I am playing a 4-3-1-2 with 3 CM's. My interpretation of this would be that I should be able to push up, be more expressive, mark tighter and tackle harder. I haven't employed any of these things for fear of getting it wrong and losing my job. The only thing I have done is started using a higher tempo because it appears we play better that way. I'm not sure how I should proceed though. We seem to have a good passing team with excellent decisions. Should I play with the higher tempo and shorter passing with the formation I am choosing? Any thoughts on how I can get my team playing better?

GK (D)

WB (S) LD (D) LD (D) WB(S/A)

AP (S/A) CM (D) BBM (S)

EN (A)

DLF (A) AF (A)

Is it possible I have too many attack roles up front? I'm also playing Standard and Fluid.

Is there anymore information I can provide to get this discussion started? Sorry I don't know how to do screen shots.

For me the thing that really stands out is that your defence are absolutely tiny and therefore a highline is a must because they are quick enough to recover but are not good enough in the air to fend off crosses for tall strikers. Personally I would invest in a taller defender because that really isn't good because unless you have some seriously tall players elsewhere you will get killed on set pieces.

My defenders are actually 6', 6'1" and 6'2". I am working in training on their jumping reach. But I hear what you are saying.

I think the higher tempo and more expressive is working. Not sure about the high defensive line and the tight marking. With the high line Man U got in behind my LB and scored. And I'm just not sure about the tight marking. Should I just have the back 4 and my CM (D) tight mark?

Any thoughts from the Big Guns or anyone else?

I'm not expert but, having had a more detailed look I've also noticed that you appear to be largely set up to play through the middle with through balls to run onto. However, your attack finish well and are good in the air but are rubbish at pace and acceleration. This will be slightly mitigated by the fact they have good movement and anticipation but their lack of pace will really hamper the through ball game which is a shame because your midfield is well suited to it. Remember if your playing a highline you need to have the midfield press the ball to make the ball over the top more difficult. To do this you either need to give your midfield PIs or use hassle opponents.

With those, I'd play a high pressing, aggressive and direct game like Dortmund. Control/Attack mentality with maybe Get Stuck In/Play Wider/Expressive/Run at Defence/Pass Into Space. That's just off the top of my head, I don't know your squad/players to give a further detailed opinion .

I'm curious why you would play wider and run at defence. Is it because of my formation?

I'm curious why you would play wider and run at defence. Is it because of my formation?

Primarily yes. With those stats your clearly one of (if not thee) best teams in the division. You need some width in the formation to break down the deep defences you'll play against, run at defence will help displace them .

I have a young team that is predicted to finish 4th. We had hit a rough patch for a month or 2 but we are starting to pull it back together.

I would play -

High line (Good pace, rubbish at jumping & Keeper is good with one on ones if they break through)

Lots of crosses (Attackers are good at heading, and shooting for knock downs)

TM S and Poacher for the reasons above.

Get your keeping kicking long to your target man.

Offside trap

High Attacking full backs

High closing down.

Maybe a

2 CD Defend

1 Wing back A

1 Wing Back S

1 DM (Halfback)

2 CMs- Both Support

1 Winger

1 Inside forward (depending which side you have support and attack wing backs and which side you have TM)

1TM Support

1 Poacher

Attacking

Fluid

That's a good 4-5-2 formation, i think we could all do with one of those!

That's a good 4-5-2 formation, i think we could all do with one of those!

Ahhhh I meant one CM

For all positions:

Decisions 1st

First Touch 1st

Passing 3rd

Strength 5th

Work Rate 1st

Teamwork 17th

Leadership 3rd

Aggression 6th

First impression: Intelligent, hard working and technically skilled side. Seems well suited for a attacking, possession based, high pressing game plan, so control or attacking mentality. Fluidity not very fluid because of the low teamwork, probably best to simply keep it on standard.

Goalkeepers:

Kicking 1st

Reflexes 1st

Handling 8th

Aerial Ability 10th

Command of Area 9th

One on Ones 1st

Throwing 1st

Agility 4th

Good distribution, not great in the air, but good reflexes and one-on-ones. Will struggle with crosses, excels in head to head with a single player on to go: definitely high defensive line, as we won't mind some players breaking though on goal, and we rather not force/allow our opposition to cross from the byline.

Defence:

Tackling 1st

Heading 1st

Jumping Reach 15th

Marking 1st

Positioning 2nd

Strength 8th

Pace 1st

Acceleration 4th

First impression: Fast but not very strong and abit vulnerable in the air, so a high or very high defensive line.

Midfield:

Passing 2nd

Long Shots 1st

Creativity 2nd

Stamina 11th

Teamwork 9th

Tackling 9th

Technique

Decisions 1st

First impression, flamboyant, clearly good players in possession, not the most useful ones without it. Definitely in favour of a possession based game plan.

Attack:

Finishing 2nd

Long Shots 6th

Heading 1st

Jumping Reach 3rd

Anticipation 4th

Movement 4th

Pace 8th

Acceleration 16th

Strong in the air, but slow and long shots not that impressive. Clearly best if they can play in or near the opposition penalty area, a target man, poacher combination would allow for that.

Overall: The good news is that the whole bunch seems quite coherent, all in favour of playing a possession game at the opponents side of the pitch. Since your midfielder are not such great tacklers, I would try make them press harder, but tackle lighter. Formation depends on individual players, if I'm not sure I tend to first select my 11 best players, and then find a formation that allows me to fit them all in.

First impression: Intelligent, hard working and technically skilled side. Seems well suited for a attacking, possession based, high pressing game plan, so control or attacking mentality. Fluidity not very fluid because of the low teamwork, probably best to simply keep it on standard.

Good distribution, not great in the air, but good reflexes and one-on-ones. Will struggle with crosses, excels in head to head with a single player on to go: definitely high defensive line, as we won't mind some players breaking though on goal, and we rather not force/allow our opposition to cross from the byline.

First impression: Fast but not very strong and abit vulnerable in the air, so a high or very high defensive line.

First impression, flamboyant, clearly good players in possession, not the most useful ones without it. Definitely in favour of a possession based game plan.

Strong in the air, but slow and long shots not that impressive. Clearly best if they can play in or near the opposition penalty area, a target man, poacher combination would allow for that.

Overall: The good news is that the whole bunch seems quite coherent, all in favour of playing a possession game at the opponents side of the pitch. Since your midfielder are not such great tacklers, I would try make them press harder, but tackle lighter. Formation depends on individual players, if I'm not sure I tend to first select my 11 best players, and then find a formation that allows me to fit them all in.

Thank you for that interpretation. I am working on training my jumping reach for the defenders but it makes a lot of sense what you're saying about having a high line and pressing so I don't even have to worry much about crosses. I would like to stick with my formation for now. Would you play a shorter passing game to accomplish possession with a control mentality? I'm playing fluid and standard right now. I'm also playing a higher tempo. I would think I need that for a high pressing game but what will that tempo do to having possession?

Thank you for that interpretation. I am working on training my jumping reach for the defenders but it makes a lot of sense what you're saying about having a high line and pressing so I don't even have to worry much about crosses. I would like to stick with my formation for now. Would you play a shorter passing game to accomplish possession with a control mentality? I'm playing fluid and standard right now. I'm also playing a higher tempo. I would think I need that for a high pressing game but what will that tempo do to having possession?

I don't think tempo has much of a relation with pressing and is more about passing style. Lower tempo encourages a patient approach when in possession, focussed on maintaining possession, carefully probing for a soft spot to exploit some where. A bit like Barcelona. Higher tempo encourages getting the ball forward quickly, taking a bit more risk but also allowing the opposition little time to regroup and organise their defence if they possession. A bit like Bayern. Both can work well with with pressing based possession game in my experience.

Pressing seems mostly effected by mentality (more attacking=more pressing), fluidity(higher fluidity ask to contribute to more phases of play is more pressing for attacking players in defensive phase), the TI hassle opponents and the settings in player roles and duties. (The fluidity one I'm not sure off to be honest, but that's how I feel it should work.)

I think control/fluid should already encourage quite some pressing. You should note that the Enganche (and Trequartista) role don't ask a player to do a lot of pressing. So you might want to consider another role there. Hassle Opponents apparently sets pressing to maximum for all players, it could lead to some unnecessary fouls as well though, especially since your midfield are such a poor tacklers.

For a possession based tactic I always tick Shorter Passing and Play Out Of Defence. The idea is too slowly build from the back, and in general players should pass to a nearby player in their triangle. I like to have a low and high tempo variant. Higher tempo seems to create more chances, while low tempo seems a bit better in maintaining possession. I prefer to use the high tempo variant against weaker opponents, home games or if I want to force a goal. I play the low tempo variant against strong opposition (especially if they're dangerous on the counter) and to consolidate.

I feel when I play low tempo when I'm ahead the other team presses me and wins the ball back. I have my Enganche set to close down more. Everyone besides my back four and CM (D) have individual instructions to closed down more to hopefully win the ball high up the pitch.