Manager X will be wondering why he couldn't win this match?.

We have all had this post game message. You are on a roll playing well and beating everyone in sight when you get a game against lesser opposition, you pick your best team, give an invigorating green filled teamtalk at KO and also half time, you have by far the most of the possession, tackling, heading, loads of shots and lots of ccc's, outplayed the opposition completely but you still can only manage a draw. It is at times like these you find yourself imagining that the game is cheating you!. As in real life football these games do happen. I have experienced this in every version of FM since I started playing CM01 many years ago and just took it on the chin but started thinking maybe the game is telling me something and in my ire I am not seeing it?. Has anyone ever found a solution or are you like me and just call it one of those days and go on to the next match?.

I actually found that playing conservative against these kind of teams can help quite a lot. Be patient, don't try to crush them into their own half. Try to produce a handful of good chances rather then two dozen of mediocre chances. We are always inclined to go attacking against the weakest teams but they usually park the buss and make it very difficult for your team to get a good shot off and then bang hit you on the counter or score some fluke goal.

In essence what I do is switch to counter against those teams and maybe even play a slower tempo depending how how aggressive they are in terms of closing down. I also use "drop deeper" and "play wider" in order to stretch the playing field as much as possible. Even though I feel I'm not "dominating" these games as much anymore I feel I have a much better success rate against the low end of the table teams this way.

I actually found that playing conservative against these kind of teams can help quite a lot. Be patient, don't try to crush them into their own half.

Amping up the pressure on their backline can really help out however. Poor teams with backline players that have poor first touch, passing, composure, decisions, etc. can lead to some turnovers and a quick 1-2 punch to the goal.

It doesn't require much more than some OIs at the start of the match.

It really comes down to your team's accuracy on shots IME. Games when I am getting 14 shots with 2 on target....need to sub out and hopefully get someone on better form.

I was going to post about exactly the same thing.

http://i.imgur.com/DSsli0C.jpg

This happens to me maybe 6-10 times per season, every team in the Prem is parking the bus against me except Man City, Arsenal, United and Chelsea.

This season I have gone with a Fluid Counter, playing a narrow 4-1-3-2, in a bid to cut down on crossing and create space in behind deep opposition D-lines.

Closer analysis of these "Bus Status: Parked" games shows a United-esque crossing bombardment of the box, too many speculative longshots and many shots blocked and almost always zero runs into the box. I am not short on runners either, playing a CF(s) or TM(s) next to an AF, plus a CM(A) on the support striker's side on the left of central midfield, a AP(A) in the middle and a B2B on the right. Their keeper usually has an unusually high rating in these games too.

This is with retain possession, work ball into box, play wider, lower tempo added in. Often it's to no effect.

Here's my second CL group stage game against Leverkusen:

Crossing:

Note the lack of crosses from deep and the sheer number of them. My team cannot find a way through the middle so resorts to going to the periphery despite not even having wingers in the formation.

Passing:

Note how there are no passes made inside their 18 and how they are all blocked/intercepted when they do get in there.

Movement:

Note the lack of runs into the box.

Initial Team Instructions/Tactic:

What I will usually do vs Bus Parkers

Frequently these alterations do have a positive effect. I will not always pick all of these at once, but when I do I like to switch to Rigid to make sure they are doing what I tell them to do instead of playing it by ear roughly to the beat of my drum a la "Fluid". It is very frustrating when they do not work and I get very angry!!!

In this game against Leverkusen a couple of the players did not play in their normal positions to increase the aerial threat in midfield. Right-footed Smyris has 20 jumping and is a very creative target man. He normally plays in STCL. Left-footed Lidington also normally plays in STCL and is a supreme all-around player with 16 pace/acceleration, 16 jumping 18 finishing 19 strength - he can play as target man, box to box, CM(a), AF, or CF(s). Ozan normally plays MCL, but I decided to play him up front so that we have that aerial threat in midfield and still have him as a threat up front. He was naturally a winger who I turned into a centre mid and has 15 jumping, unusual for a natural wide player. Anyway i could say playing them in unnatural positions in only Accomplished could've been why I only drew, but I switched them around at half time to no effect.

I will let you guys know how the rest of my season goes because it's November and I have decided to copy my original tactic and get them fully familiar with 4-1-3-2 Rigid Counter with

as my instructions

As always I will appreciate any constructive criticism. I don't know whether this will work but I think it's generally the right idea so I wanted to contribute my take on how to handle the Bus Parkers.

If you find the images difficult to look at, try clicking the description above each one. I set up links on the image descriptors so you can view the images in a separate window in your browser.

Come on don't say that was for nothing!

This is a really big issue in FM for a lot of people!

Come on don't say that was for nothing!

This is a really big issue in FM for a lot of people!

You posted it late last night, and most people are currently at work! Have some patience man!

You posted it late last night, and most people are currently at work! Have some patience man!

Well you're here, so what's your excuse?

Well you're here, so what's your excuse?

I work 54-60 hours a week and travel 3 hours per day - so I'm entitled to skim through the threads.

Domus Clamantium - Must apologise, as I have only skimmed through it, but doesn't your first image say 2 clear cut chances to their 1, yet you had 23 shots on goal??

Also, one other thing I noticed, you are using Retain possession from the start? This means they wont make many riskier passes, meaning it will be Bayern Munich Tikka Takka, without creating many chances...

I've actually found 'work ball into box' and 'pass into space' work well together. Helps build up play, then release a pass at the right time to create a goal scoring opportunity. I toggle them off and on, depending on whether I am playing against a team that is sitting deep, so balls over the top/into space will end up in me giving the ball away, but teams who play a higher line, I leave both shouts on (unless I am playing on the counter, then I tend to just use pass into space).

Just a though, may be worth trying. I would certainly recommend, 2-3 shouts at KO though, not the amount you have currently.

Domus Clamantium - Must apologise, as I have only skimmed through it, but doesn't your first image say 2 clear cut chances to their 1, yet you had 23 shots on goal??

Also, one other thing I noticed, you are using Retain possession from the start? This means they wont make many riskier passes, meaning it will be Bayern Munich Tikka Takka, without creating many chances...

I've actually found 'work ball into box' and 'pass into space' work well together. Helps build up play, then release a pass at the right time to create a goal scoring opportunity. I toggle them off and on, depending on whether I am playing against a team that is sitting deep, so balls over the top/into space will end up in me giving the ball away, but teams who play a higher line, I leave both shouts on (unless I am playing on the counter, then I tend to just use pass into space).

Just a though, may be worth trying. I would certainly recommend, 2-3 shouts at KO though, not the amount you have currently.

Oh retain possession and not creating CCC aren't (necessarily the same). For me actually retain possession improved the amount of great chances vs. rushed shots/crosses/through balls an awful lot. And don't mix up Bayern's poor run of form with a general failing of their tactics. They would probably not create a lot more chances right now even if they tried to play through ball after through ball. Their problem is a lack of movement and some key players are completely out of form.

Not long ago their patient, precise passing opened many holes in opp defenses and they outright destroyed a lot of teams, which is what you can achieve on FM as well if you make sure that possession is kept while making the defense make choices by having players move around.

I never got the 4-1-3-2 to work, I just seem to be unable to play with a wingerless formation, but what I always noticed is that playing a wingerless formation without having both full backs/wing backs provide width will only work against teas hat commit enough people forward to all good counter opportunities.that may leave you a bit exposed on the defensive end tough unless you press one of you centre mids into a defensive role....

Very interesting post Domus Clemantium. I will try out some of your theories and see how I get on.

That has also been my experience in regard to Keep Possession Bieritarier, I have also found that it reduces the amount of wasteful shots.