[FM14] Danilo Stankic - A Tactical Career

Monthly Review Links:

2013 - August / September / October / November

2014 - February / March / April / May / August / September / October / November

2015 - February / March / April / May

Tactical Design

Squad Strength: Strong striker. Good across the attacking midfield line. Good central midfielders and defensive midfielders

Weak Strength: Weak central defence. Lack of quality in goals.

It seems to me we have a good core to build a strong 4-1-2-2-1.

Srdjan Vujiklija looks like a dominating target man with strength and speed.

Darko Boskovic looks like he could prove to be excellent central midfielder making attacking runs into the box.

With this is mind, I want to get the ball from the back to the front pretty quickly.

I will start adding player instructions as the friendlies unwind.

My transfer targets will definitely include a central defender and probably a more experienced goal keeper.

Signings

Aleksander Bajat - Gives me depth in the centre and left side of defence.

Aleksandar Ruzicic - Does add depth the the right side of defence, but he is a project player who I think can be a great anchor man in the future.

Friendlies

A truckload of games played. Didn't care about results. Lots of rotations and working on familiarizing ourselves with the tactic.

Tactical Summary

Some tweaks to the roles and instructions.

14/08/2013 - Serbian Cup 2nd Qualifying Round: Zeleznik v Proleter

The first game of my full match career. It is a little annoying that this cup game is scheduled just three days before the league opening. With that in mind, I will be resting some of my key players.

Prediction: "I fully expect Proleter to record an easy victory over Zeleznik"

Result

With them holding such a narrow formation, I decided to play wider and exploit the flanks after about 25 minutes. This seemed to be rewarded instantly thanks to good build up play down the right wing. I also noticed that their 3 attacking midfielders were dropping behind my midfield seriously outnumbering my anchor man. I decided to change my CM (S) to a CM (D). This seemed to give us more control at the back. In the end I was happy with the result, but our ball control was poor.

17/08/2013 - Serbian First League MD01: Teleoptik v Proleter

A bit short out on the attacking wings due to injuries meant I have had some selection issues. I still think the team I will send out should be able to do a job.

Prediction: "Sorry fans. I just can't separate these sides. This goes down as a draw in my book."

Result

A first half we controlled, but we only held a 1-0 lead thanks to a corner. Teleoptik did not get one shot away in the first half. The second half came alive in the 52nd minute with a fine move finishing with Dragojevic scoring. One minute later it was Vujaklija who headed in a nice cross. At 3-0 it was looking very good. Again, within one minute it was 3-1. It really just looked like my defender lost concentration and did not close down the player standing on the penalty spot. We then looked really comfortable for the last 40 minutes. When Teleoptik made their charge at about the 75th minute we just slew down the tempo and retained possession. Very pleased with the overall effort.

24/08/2013 - Serbian First League MD02: Proleter v BSK Borca

No real problems in the lead up to this game. I am able to field a near full strength team.

Prediction: "Both teams are evenly matched and I predict a draw."

Result

The game went according to plan. One of those matches all managers enjoy. I left things alone in the first half until about the 35 minute mark. This was made easier because Vujaklija had got on the end of a cross in the 6th minute. I did start to notice that my two central midfielders were just hoofing the ball a lot looking for the target man or the wingers. I decided to make the CM(S) into a BBM just to see if I could open up another passing option. The second half went well. Babic scored a total fluke that bounced over the keeper in the 49th minute. A scare as Vujaklija had to be taken off but his replacement Vukelja scored a great solo goal in the 71st. As the game wound down I dropped my tempo and brought my defensive line back.

I got the bad news after the game that Srdjan Vujaklija had a badly twisted ankle and would be out for 2 months. It always seems to happen to your most important players!!

31/08/13 - Serbian First League MD03: Metalac v Proleter

After having a look of the analysis from the last couple of Metalac's matches they appear to play the same formation as us. It also looks like a counter attacking setup. They definitely drop deeper but their wingers get higher up the pitch. They also get a lot of crosses in, so I imagine they play wide or try to exploit the flanks. I will have to keep a close on how they approach this match.

Prediction: "There is not much between these two teams. Metalac to scrape it 1-0."

Result

Within two minutes, I could see their wingers getting up high would be a problem for us. I asked my fullbacks to specific man mark them. Metalac seemed to be in a defensive frame of mind. I asked my AP (Boskovic) to roam in the hope he could find some space. By the 35 minute mark we were still hanging in there, but we looked toothless going forward. Our passes couldn't hit the side of a barn. I asked the lads to stop the direct passing and try to exploit the flanks. I removed the roaming from Boskovic as he was just making errors with the ball. While waiting for those changes (10 minutes???), Boskovic walked over the ball gifting away possession and "bang" we were one down. At the half I tried to make some changes to get us to use the ball better. Shorter passing, slow the tempo down a notch, and move from rigid to balanced. It was all to no avail as we played exactly the same. We nearly scored late when I had thrown everyone and the dog forward but it would have been an injustice if we had of got a point.

Pet peeve of the day: How long do some of these changes take?? You really notice it when you are watching the full match. Some changes take 8-10 minutes. Very, very frustrating!

I am happy with our defence. We were not easy to break down, and I thought the players showed a desire to work hard. The anchorman was important and really shut down a lot of attacks. The target man was doing a great job up until the last game. The issue is from the midfield. I think the two central midfielders are giving the ball away too early. This is what I need to address at the moment.

I appreciate that perhaps I am a bit light on with my attacking roles. The AP being a playmaker is generally a support player, so I to add more attacking thrust I will make the AP(A) a CM(A) and the CM(S) a AP(A).

Now I have a look at some passing statistics. Boskovic has hit 74% of his passes, and Babic 79%. These seems good numbers to me. Looking back at the last two games Boskovic does seem to look for a forward pass as does Babic. Therefore, I don't think the passing is the issue. It must be movement. Boskovic does attempt to take the ball past players but no one else really does. My wingers don't seem interested.

I do not see any need to change the team instructions at this point. I will look at some player instructions, however.

• Advanced Playmaker (S) - Pass it shorter
  
• Inside Forward (A) - Sit narrower, Dribble more
  
• Winger (S) - Stay wider, Cross aim target man
  
• Target Man (S) - Pass it shorter
  

The hope here is that I will have more movement and crisper passing once the ball moves forward.

The one thing I am considering over the next few games is whether or not to change counter to standard. My team instructions can pretty much set a counter attacking style in a standard mentality.

Good start to the league, mate.

04/09/13 - Serbian Cup - 3rd Qualifying Round: Sindjelic Nis v Proleter

Put out a rotated team as we had a league game in three games time.

Prediction: "I anticipate a nervy game that may go down to penalties."

Result

Boskovic had to come off in the 30th. We got a free and opened the scoring with a cracking free kick but then conceded straight away. This was a case of the midfielders being drawn to one side of the pitch and leaving my full back one on one with a winger. They scored a second in the 45th minute. This happened because Zigic moved away from the striker due to his defend (cover) role. Zigic seemed to be assuming a through ball was coming so headed back into the box leaving the striker unmarked.

At the half I felt it was time to get more on the right side. My IF has been largely unsighted. I decided to make my FB(S) a WB(A) to get up and support the IF more. I changed my FBA(A) on the left to a FB(S). I also removed the cover role from Zigic. Finally, i made my TM(S) a TM(A). For my team instructions, I removed the higher tempo. I had also noticed that we were only making 62% of our passes in defence, so I decided to add play out of defence. I told the lads I expected better in the 2nd half.

The second half was poor and very boring to watch. We can't make simple passes and our first touch is terrible. I am having to control myself as I want to make sweeping tactical changes. I will refrain for now.

My fans were quick to point out how devastated they were by our exit form the cup. They thought we could win it! On top of that, Boskovic sprained his ankle and is out for 7 to 8 weeks. Two long term injuries to my two best players. How quickly things can change.

Okay. I couldn't help myself. I see real issues that I think will derail my season if I do not address them now.

First, I need more of the ball. The goals we have been scoring have all come from solo brilliance. At some point this will dry up. I need the team to be more involved. I have therefore focused on trying to become more possession orientated. i have removed the counter and replaced it with standard. I also changed from rigid to fluid. Why? The counter in itself was not doing what I thought it may do. I believe that having a standard that pushes higher up will be more effective in closing down the opponents space but also allowing us to spring forward. I changed the fluidity because we simple looked unimaginative.

My team instructions have been altered. No more direct passing as we just did not seem to be able to pick out a pass. Time to switch to shorter passing. I removed the high tempo as it may well have been a reason for the poor passing.

I made quite a few role changes. The target man is gone and replaced with a complete forward. It does not help that my best striker is out, but I think the lone target man was on a hiding to nothing. As a complete forward he may offer more movement. The attacking central midfielder has gone to be replaced with a box to box midfielder. Again, I am looking for more dynamism up the middle of the pitch. I have also made both full backs attacking.

The following player instructions have been used.

• Goal keeper - Distribute to defenders
  
• Full backs - Fewer risky passes
  
• Anchor man - More direct passes, More risky passes
  
• Box to Box midfielder - Get further forward
  
• Inside forward - Cross less often
  

I have added some arrows to the chalkboard to give an idea of what I hope to see.

I have created a 4-1-4-1 as well, but that is there solely to get the players used to it, as it is what I want for next season.

Good start to the league, mate.

Cheers Kriliion. Not playing very good football but getting results.

07/09/13 - Serbian First Division MD04: Proleter v Sindjelic

Not the same Sindjelic that we faced in the cup. From their last couple of matches I can see they sit very deep when away from home. I hope that by us pushing up the pitch we will force turnovers in some very awkward spots for them. The goals that were scored against them have been from having numbers in the box.

Prediction: "A draw is on the cards here."

Result

I was a little surprised to see their formation and as the first half continued it was obvious Sindjelic had come for a draw. I was lot happier with our movement and passing. Once or twice I noticed that Vukelja passed the ball from what I would have thought were shooting opportunities. I told him to shoot more often. The next thing that stood out was that Babic as an advanced playmaker was often sitting right next to my anchor man Tomcic. Because we were pressing higher Tomcic was often well in the opponents half. I asked Babic to roam more in an attempt to have him look for space away from Tomcic. Eventually our pressure paid off and we got a free kick right on the edge of the box. Vukelja converted. I switched to control for the last few minutes of the half as I was wary of the opposition coming at us.

Straight away Sindjelic came out attacking with a 4-2-3-1. They were finding space between my midfield and defence. I removed the push higher up instruction. I felt we were looking comfortable but gave away a corner from a long shot. The cross came in and Babic got called for holding his opponent. Penalty and 1-1. Good as time as any to put the push higher up instruction back. Stancetic was not doing enough as an IF, so I changed his role to an AP. I then changed Svonja from an AP (S) to a CM(S). Disaster struck while I was waiting for those changes. They moved the ball to the front of my box. My CD© came charging out allowing the pass in behind to their right winger who charged past my stationary left back. I shouldn't have asked us to push up again! At 70 minutes I switched to control. Sindjelic had take over at this point, I couldn't get the ball. The last ten minutes I went attacking with push higher up, be more expressive, look for overlap, and higher tempo. 82nd minute we conceded a third when a cross was floated to our far post. We got one back in the 88th minute. A wonderful cross all the way over their area and Dragojevic hit a first time volley into the net.

A bad loss. I couldn't deal with their aggressive second half play. Disappointing. I now have the problems that three losses in a row can do to squad morale.

14/09/2013 - Serbian First Division MD05: Proleter v Timok

Made some tactical changes.

• Changed IF to AP(A)
  
• Changed CF(S) to CF(A)
  
• Changed AP(S) to BWM(S)
  
• Changed right FB(A) to WB(S)
  
• Removed Push Higher Up from team instructions
  

An injury to Tanasin at the end of the last match took another starter out of my lineup.

Prediction: "It will be a close encounter, but I think Timok will come out victorious."

Result

As soon as I saw Timok's Christmas tree, I added exploit the flanks. Timok had the better of the first 20 minutes. They should have scored at least once. I added lower tempo, drop deeper, and retain possession. Finally, some good ball movement resulted in Stancetic (AP) finding some space, receiving a lovely ball from Vukelja, and scoring. CF(A) and AF(A) looked a far better fit than CF(S) and IF(A). The longer the half went the better we looked.

We were getting pressed back at the start of the 2nd half. They seemed to be getting some space on the edge of my box so I removed the drop deeper instruction. As we crossed the 70 minute mark, I changed my BWM(S) to (D). In the 80th minute we won a corner. The ball bounced around in their box before Vukelja smashed it into the net...get in! As we went past 85 mins I switched to defensive.

I gave a big sigh of relief when the whistle blew. Very pleased to get back to winning ways and especially pleased to keep a clean sheet.

Interesting thread, nice to see some tactical analysis. Seems like it's working well for you so far!

21/09/2013 - Serbian First Division MD06: Sloga v Proleter

No real problems leading into this game. Tanusev spoke to me about first team football. I have been training him to become a left winger. I will give him a try.

Prediction: "Not the easiest game to predict. Proleter have been struggling away, but I fancy them to just about win this one."

Result

The first 15 minutes was even. We were giving the ball away too much for my liking. Added retain possession. Retain possession seemed to make it worse!! Added lower tempo. I couldn't really see how either team was going to get a goal, but I didn't want to concede cheaply. At the 40th minute I added play narrower to try and get a more compact game in the middle of the park. I was relieved when the first half came to an end. Horrible match to watch.

I decided to take a risk at half time. I choose to go attacking, more direct, higher tempo, push higher up, run at defence, and be more expressive. I just wanted to see if we could take them by surprise in the first 10 minutes after the break. I was ecstatic when Tanusev finished off a great attacking move. Now I had to decide whether I would keep up the attacking football. I decided not to. I went to control, drop deeper, retain possession, pass it shorter, but kept run at defence. At the 60th minute mark it was apparent Slogo had lifted the pace. I needed to respond I switched from control to counter and selected drop deeper, direct passing, higher tempo, run at defence and stay on feet. I hoped I may be able to hit them on a break. By the 73rd minute that was all to tense. They hit the post, and I went defensive!

In the end I am happy to leave here with a point. It would be difficult to say why we won. We took a risk after half time and then held on by our fingernails.

Defensive Instructions Used

Interesting thread, nice to see some tactical analysis. Seems like it's working well for you so far!

Thanks King Costly. I decided I had to do something to get my head around my tactical mess. It seemed a good idea to document exactly what I was doing. It has helped me keep focused so far.....so far.

27/09/2013 - Serbian First Division MD07: FK Bezinaja v Proleter

We lost Tomcic for the next couple of weeks. The central defender had been solid for us. Beznija have used a 4-4-2 and are undefeated on top of the table with a +10 goal difference. They will be tough to stop. I added lower tempo to my team instructions.

Prediction: "It will be a tight game, but I think Proleter will lose this one."

Result

After controlling the first 5 minutes in their half, we turned the ball over allowing Bezinaja a chance to come forward. They put up a harmless looking cross over the front of the box, but Tanasin ran straight under it. The ball landed at their strikers feet and in it went. Shocking error. After 15 minutes, i removed the lower tempo and added push higher up. I thought we could deal with their midfield four better. I again felt things were going fine until they added a second. The right midfielder just cruised down the line being checked by my full back but he whipped a cross into the near post and their striker got ahead of Zigic to make it 2. At that point, I was unsure what to do. I decided to specific man mark their wide midfielders with my full backs. We were hanging there and made a great counter after a fine save by Drinic. We bought the ball through the middle before finding Vukelja who slotted it home. Game on! At the 37 min mark we won a freekick on the edge of the box. Dragojevic hit it perfectly 2-2.

I made no changes at half time despite my assistant manager having a fit about using my full backs to mark the wide midfielders. We kept working hard and it was a good match. We earned a corner which was headed back across goal and Bajat drilled in home. Amazingly we had a 3-2 lead. I had a feeling that Bezinaja would come at us. I switched to counter without changing any instructions. I also changed the BWM from (S) to (D). At the 75 min mark I enacted my defensive instructions. I changed my winger to a defensive winger and took the man marking away from my fullbacks. In the end, I was very impressed by the way we handled the last 20 minutes. One or two scary moments but in general we kept a good control of the situation. Really pleased by this result.

Like this thread! You very rarely get to see exactly what people are doing tactically. I imagine it's made you think a little more than you normally would about your tactical changes and why!

Like this thread! You very rarely get to see exactly what people are doing tactically. I imagine it's made you think a little more than you normally would about your tactical changes and why!

Cheers Pezza. I am really enjoying it myself. Playing through the full match really lets you see the flow of the game. Makes every game feel so important and tense Feel more like a manager now and not just a Football Director.

05/10/2013 - Serbian First League MD08: Proleter v Jedinstvo Putevi

Gorn Djulic is suspended for this game. Vujaklija has just started training again. In their last start Jedinstvo seemed to use a 4-3-3 which was pushed high up the pitch. Last time they played away it looked more like a normal 4-2-3-1.

Prediction: "I think the teams will cancel each other out. A draw is on the cards."

Result

Once again, the formation used by Jedinstvo is begging to have exploit the flanks checked. I also added clear the ball to flanks. After 12 minutes I removed lower tempo as we needed to move the ball quicker. By the 25th minute Jedinstvo had had 64% of the possession. I wasn't bothered though as they were just passing it around the middle of the pitch. We had created 5 shots to their 3, so I was still confident we could break them down. I did decide to push higher up just to see if we could close down their space a little. We cruised into half time. No real threat on our goal and we had slowly turned up the heat at their end of the pitch. At the break I decided to try to squeeze them some more. I added play wider, look for overlap, run at defence, and went to a higher tempo. I added a player instruction to my CF; move into channels.

As the hour mark approached, the game had developed into a bit of a stalemate. I decided to remove the exploit flanks and clear to flanks call as well as the run at defence. I also decided it was time to go from standard to attack keeping a close eye on their counter ability. By the 72nd minute I started to feel uncomfortable with how we were playing. I removed higher tempo, play wider, and look for overlap and switched to control. In the 73rd minute we got a penalty. Drinic (yes, my keeper) slotted it home nicely. I have to say it felt like the only way we would have scored. I decided not to change anything just yet. As we hit the 83rd minute I switched to my defensive setup. Some more frustration as I had to wait 6 minutes for those changes to register.

We held on to win. Defensively I felt comfortable the whole game, but I did not think we would break through and score. A burst of pressure in their box forced a mistake, so I guess we will take the win and move on.

12/09/2013 - Serbian First Division MD09: Proleter v Dolina

This week I put my two BBMs on some ppm training. I am training them to get forward whenever possible. I believe this will tighten the gap between my lone striker and the midfield. I also tried to get my BWM to work on playing one - twos but only Babic seems capable of achieving this. It appears that Dolina (11th) also like the Christmas tree formation. I will be hoping we can break it down better than our last match.

Prediction: "Proleter should be good enough to get a win today"

Result

After 10 minutes I added exploit the flanks but play narrower. I wanted to keep compact and the when we attacked throw the ball out wide. At 28 minutes I asked us to push higher up. On 30 minutes we received a free kick. The kick was taken and the keeper could only palm it to Zigic who calmly slotted it home. We had had 73% possession! Dolina responded straight away from the kick off swinging the ball out to the left side and finishing off a cutting run into the box. Very frustrating. I removed push higher up.

At the half, I felt that I wanted to see something different. I changed to attack, but kept retain possession and shorter passing. I added higher tempo, push higher up, and be more expressive but also added stick to position. I removed play narrower and exploit the flanks. My half time talk was assertive. I wanted to see a better performance. The majority of the team got very nervous.

We were playing well, but Dolina were defending well. Eventually all their tackling came undone as they got a red card in the 60th minute and then again at 61 minutes. They removed their striker playing a 3-3-2. I decided to go control player wider, exploit the flanks, push higher up, pass shorter, and retain possession. I also moved my fullbacks up to wingbacks. They cracked in the 71st minute. Tanusev hit the post but Dragojevic pounced on the rebound. Two minutes later Vukelja found Tanusev to make it 3. I brought on Vujaklija for 10 minutes and he scored in the 87th.

Very hard to say what this result means. If they had not have lost those two players, I wonder if we would have broken them down, but it was our pressure they forced their terrible challenges.

19/10/2013 - Serbian First Division MD10: Sloga (P) v Proleter

Darko Boskovic returned to training this week. Sloga have not had a great start to the season. It again looks like they use the Christmas tree formation. I will remove lower tempo from instructions.

Prediction: "Victory for Proleter"

Result

The opening 15 minutes had been comfortable. Sloga had had a bit of the ball but we did miss a good chance to take the lead. It was a shock when Sloga drilled a shot from well outside the box to take the lead. I switched to control and lower tempo at 25 minutes. There wan't much else to discuss in the first half. Sloga were probably the better team. Just before the end of the half, I added exploit the flanks. At half time I decided to take a risk. I removed my anchor man and brought on Vukaklija as a second striker. He would be TM(S) next to a DLF(A). I kept the same instructions.

We took over early in the half. Plenty of the ball high up the pitch. In the 56th minute Dragojevic received a through ball in space and put the ball in the back of the net. I decided to keep the same formation in search of a winner. As the clocked ticked past 80 minutes, I had a decision to make. Should I be happy with a point or push on for the win. I decided to attack as 3 points is better than 1. No sooner had I made the changes when Sloga got a free kick well outside the box. You guessed it....bang. We tried to equalize, hitting the post twice, but in the end we couldn't get the job done.

It was disappointing to lose, and perhaps in hindsight I should have settled for a point. Still, as you can see from their shots analysis, there was not much we could do to stop two cracking shots like these!.

Tactical Tweaking

I returned to the drawing board because I felt I was drifting away from the style I wanted to play. It was apparent that I was having trouble breaking defences down. I originally wanted a quick passing, fast moving style.

My first change was to give up on the complete forward and switch to a DLF(A). I am hoping this will bring my striker into the play more and make him more dangerous. I then switch my W(S) to a W(A) and my AP(A) to an AP(S). The main reason for this is that play makers are more support players anyway even with an attack duty. I wanted my winger to give me more attacking options. I then swapped my BBM and BWM around to get balance. I did the same with my FB and WB. Lastly, I changed my goalkeeper to a sweeper keeper.

Team instructions took a lot of thought.

I believe the game treats counter as a slow build up play. To me counter should be fast. So, it seems to me I would be better off using an attacking mentality but use drop much deeper to keep the defensive line more normal. The other instructions I think are pretty self explanatory as to what I am trying to achieve. I also decided I would focus on attacking movement for most games. I am not changing player instructions except for asking the AP to sit narrower. This setup is risky, but it is how I want to play.

26/10/13 - Serbian First League MD11:

One thing I learned from last weeks loss is not to think we are better than we are. I should have settled for a point away from home! Not to much to report during the week other than the tactical changes and training tweaks. Indjija have won their last two and seem in good form winning their last game 4-1.

Formation:

Result

We got off to a great start thanks to a terrible defensive error. From a throw in near the halfway line that missed his man and Vujaklija pounced on it ran into the box and scored. I felt my FB and WB were sitting to wide so I asked them to sit narrower. We got to half time holding onto that lead. They had had 10 shots but none of them had been on target and had been from long range. I was willing to keep things the same.

Early in the secong half they opened us up. A pass to the edge of the box and they had a man with too much space. He placed it nicely into the corner of the net. It was a simple marking error by Bajat. I went into player instructions and asked both central defenders to mark tighter. At 52 minutes I switched from attack to control and removed pass into space. Indjija had switched to a 4-4-2 and were starting to push on and I think we needed to keep the ball a little more without sacrificing our attacking intent. This also meant I needed to change much deeper to just drop deeper. At 65 minutes I asked my full backs to get further forward. At 71 minutes I removed be more disciplined. 77 minutes switched from control to standard and balanced to fluid. We still never looked like creating any real chance.

As can be seen, they had lots of shots but they were just about all from poor area. More worrying was our inability to create chances. Something to ponder this week.

30/10/14 - Serbian First Division MD12

Before kick off I removed be more disciplined and drill crosses hoping to fashion more chances.

Formation:

Result

Maybe playing at home was doing the trick but we were moving the ball forward a lot better. In the 8th minute our continued pressure paid off. Vukelja found Tanusev in the box and hit the ball delightfully into the back of the net. Once again our fouling near the edge of our box cost us as Mladost equalised from a free kick in the 16th minute. As we got to the half an hour mark I got quite angry with the lack of crossing and stupid decision making by my wide players. I changed my full backs to cross more which meant they lost the fewer risky passes instruction. I also told them to shoot less often. I asked my AP to cross more and I asked my winger to get further forward and shoot less often. The last 20 minutes were all Mladost.

At half time I had to give up on the way we were approaching the game. I changed to standard/balanced. I changed the anchor man to a DLP(D). I changed my AP(S) to (A). I changed my W(A) to DW(S)

Team Instructions: Retain Possession/Shorter Passing/Play Wider/Drop Deeper/Stay on Feet/Lower Tempo

Player Instructions: DLF-Dribble More/DW-Shoot Less Often/DLP-Close Down More/BWM-Get Further Forward. All other player instructions stayed the same.

We were still being outplayed in the second half. At the hour mark I changed my DLP(D) to (S). I also changed both fullbacks to CWB(A). By the 73rd minute it looked like we were starting to get some control over the game. I changed my wide players to IF(A) and my DLF(A) to (S). I removed the lower tempo instruction. I got screwed over just 2 minutes later. As soon as I made my final substitution Lekic had to go off. This meant finishing with 10 men.

In the 88th minute I noticed their keeper taking forever to take the goal kick. Thinking they were in a defensive mindset I switched to attack. In the 91st minute they hit on a the break and scored. I was so angry with myself. Thankfully straight from the kickoff we streamed forward, finally got a good cross in, and Vujaklija got his head on it to equalize. Now, it was time to go defensive and take a draw!

My Ten Man Formation

Tactical Tweaking

This is it. The last tweak for the at least a month. Promise. I am probably changing things to much but the last changes just didn't work. Basically I have decided to go back to how we were playing and set things up like we had against Jedenisto.

I am making changes to the wide players from the tactic back then though as I felt they were not being very productive.

The AP was getting a lot of the ball but did not really seem to be doing very much dangerous with it. The winger on the other just wasn't getting the ball.

So this is my final setup and the one I will attempt to stick with for a few weeks. You may notice that I changed the anchor man to a defensive midfielder as well. Just want a little more pressure a little higher up the pitch.

09/11/2103 - Serbian First Division MD13

We have nearly got a full squad to pick from. I had the players working on the tactic since we had a reasonable break since our last game.

Formation

We got to 35 minutes with a lot of possession. We had 10 shots but only one on target. I added work ball into box. I made no further changes and we got to half time. We had control of the ball and had created some chances but most were shots from distance. I changed my CF(S) to (A). I asked my BBM to try more direct passes. I also asked my IF(S) to run more with the ball. Finally I asked my BWM to run more with the ball and get further forward.

We kept playing pretty well. I decided to just leave them to it. The reward came in the 58th minute. The two IFs combined and Tanusev scored. I decided to switch to control at this point and changed my DM back to an Anchorman. We gave away a free kick in the 71st minute and they scored. I was again angry because I had tried to get a substitution done in the 64th minute but it took so long which meant I didn't get a chance to change my approach. By the 83rd minute we continued to play well but could not score. I changed to attack as we deserved to win this. It was not to be.

This was the first time I was really angry with the result. We played well but made a silly mistake to concede. I was also very annoyed by the crazy amount of time it can take for your instructions to get transferred to your players. I guess I can't blame that for the result though.

16/11/2013 - Serbian First Division MD14

Anyone want to bet against a draw? The only change for todays game is my CF(S) becoming a CF(A) + shoot more often, roam from position, move into channels, and close down less. Tanusev is out as he is traveling back from international duty.

Formation

Result

The game had settled into an even contest of cut and thrust. They had more of the ball but we had the better chances. Unfortunately in the 34th minute Djuric missed a tackle in the box and they scored. In the 44th minute I switched to rigid as I felt we were starting to get a little loose. I breathed a sigh of relief when the half time whistle sounded as they had started to boss the game.

I switched to counter and changed my DM to an Anchorman. I added drop deeper and also exploit the middle. I decided to see if we could run some passes through them. This meant it was time to ditch the short passing game and go to direct passes.

We definitely had enough of the ball at the start of the second half though we were blazing a bit. Time to add work ball into box. The breakthrough came in the 62 minute. It was a clearance from a corner which Lekic got a hold off. He charged down the pitch and coolly slotted it past the keeper. I decided not to change anything at the moment. In the 71st minute I dropped exploit the middle and drop deeper and switched to play wider. I wanted to see if I could catch them out. 83rd minute I removed lower tempo and added be more expressive. I was trying to be more aggressive without shifting my shape too much. I changed my anchorman to a DLP(D). I brought on a fresh FB and gave him an attack duty. In the end we again couldn't get that perfect pass that would unlock their defence. We got close but no cigar.

30/11/13 - Serbian First Division MD15

A nice 14 day break meant we approached this match fighting fit. I really really wanted a win to round out the month and get back into winning ways. This is the last game before the winter break. The one tactical change made was returning my defensive midfielder to an anchorman. I just feel we are more solid with this role.

Formation:

Result

The game started well and after 17 minutes I switched to control. We had a lot of the ball but I wanted us to use it better, so at 23 minutes I added work ball into box. I decided to experiment a little at the 35 minute mark. I allowed wide players to swap to see what effect that would have. After 38 minutes of continued pressure, Dragojevic scored from the right side after getting into space in the box. It was a first half of near dominance but only a one goal lead. I made no changes at the half.

I could see by the 55th minute that Smederevo were pushing. I switched back to standard and changed from a lower tempo to higher tempo hoping to expose them. We responded and the second was scored when some good ball movement found Tanusin with space in the box. They got a red in the 70th minute, so I switched to counter just in case they went attack. In the 80th minute, I went to my defensive set up as 2-0 was good enough for me. However, in the 84th minute Tanusev scored a beautiful goal from the edge of the box to give me a justified 3-0 win.

While I am pleased to finally get a win on the board, it has to be recognised that Smederevo are terribly out of form. They sacked their manager after this loss. Still I now have the winter break to get this tactic working even better.

Released Brunsevic and Makaric from loan. They were costing me around €600 per week!

Signed on loan for the rest of the season: Nikola Radojicic (22 year old fullback)

Signed Vladimir Ilic for free from Borac. The 25 year old center back becomes my equal best central defender.

26/02/2014 - Serbian First Division MD16

Formation

A bit of a nerve-racking start as both teams seemed up for the game. I left things alone and felt we got rewarded for some adventurous play when Boskovic flicked the ball over defenders heads to find Tanusev inside the right hand side of the box. A lovely strike gave us the lead. I decided to switch from standard to counter for a bit to see how Teleoptik would react. There was no doubt they were pushing on, but we seemed to just be blazing it away and giving them possession. I switched back to standard and crossed my fingers. I felt we got control of the match back and hoped we could keep playing well after the break.

I made no changes at the break. Their continual fouling got them in trouble and a 49th minute red card helped us on our way. They went to a 3-4-2 so I asked us to play a bit wider. Things were cruising along. We had some chances but could not add a second which was a bit worrying. Then we nearly self exploded in the 80th minute when my keeper missed the ball completely and kicked it into our post. Thankfully we were still in the lead. I decided to switch to our defensive outlook. I made my last sub in the 85th minute and you guessed it; we got an injury. Boskovic had to go off. I switched to a 4-1-3-1 and we held on until the end of the game.

Maybe not a great performance, but a win is a win.

01/03/2014 - Serbian First Division MD17

A very tired group of players. I was forced to do quite a large rotation. I have a feeling this is going to be a tough match.

Formation

Result

I may have had some reservations about playing Balabanovic in the central midfielder but he took his chance to score in the 7th minute like a veteran striker. As the game rolled on I was never confident we would hold them out. They were creating chances and so were we. They were the first to make one of those chances count in the 24th minute. There was too much space for their wingers, so I decided to specific man mark them with my full backs. This was a cracking game and Lekic made it even more enjoyable for me in the 31st minute with a great strike from outside the box. I decided to sit on counter for a bit. We couldn't hold out there attacking intent and they equalized again in the 38th minute. I went back to standard and the half brought a welcome break.

I decided we didn't need to change anything at the half. We had more of the ball and had more shots but were not really threatening. I changed my CF(A) to a DLF(S). We really took over the game. I am sure that Metalac had gone defensive. In the 68th minute Vukelja fed a great ball into Stancetic who made it 3-2. I decided to go defensive/rigid and bring on two fresh defenders. We continued to dominate but could not get a fourth. At the 85th minute I switched to our defensive setup. A tense last minute but we got the three points.

In the end this was perhaps our best win of the season. It was a tight exciting first half, but I was very pleased we how we took hold off the second half.

08/03/2014 - Serbian First Division MD18

No real issues leading into this game. i decided to start with Vukelja as Vujaklija was just a little out of touch.

Formation:

Result

We were poor today. Looked like we had never played together before. When I switched to attacking for the last 20 minutes we couldn't make a simple pass. Another thing I noticed was nearly all crosses went behind for a goal kick. My left back got skinned twice which led to crosses that were goal assists. Overall Borca were far better on the day.

15/03/2014 - Serbian First Division MD19

I made two role changes. CF(A) became a DLF(A) and the IF(A) on the right became a W(A). I am still a bit weak in the center of the park as I wait for some injuries to heal.

Formation:

Result

I began this game by setting my fullbacks to specifically man mark their wingers. We started well and were managing to keep the ball but looked a bit toothless up front. We were hot on a counter in the 25th minute and went one down. One minute later they scored again. We seemed to have lost the ability to pass the pall forward. We were turning it over at every opportunity. I switched to our defensive setup but changed to counter. I was so glad the first half ended. It was terrible to watch. I needed to do something, but what?

In the end, I decided to use my attacking set up with a defensive outlook. I adjusted the roles a little. I have to say I was not confident I would see a turn around. I switched to standard at the 57th minute. By the 66th minute, I felt I had to do something more radical.

I switched to attack in the 80th minute, but we just could not threaten their goal enough.

Back to back losses and now the season teeters on a knifes edge., We need to find a way to win.

I know it can be very dangerous to change a formation with just 11 games to go. I also kow that the old tactic has been doing well, but there just seems to be something missing right now. I am not impressed by my full backs or my striker. I really want 2 strikers on the pitch and as I have no wide midfielders, I am a little limited with options. Bearing all of that in mind, I have decided to try a change for at least 3 matches. It may be a foolish mistake, but I will give it a shot.

22/03/2014 - Serbian First Division MD20

Top of the table clash. I was a little nervous about switching tactics but I hoped the players would respond positively.

Formation:

Result

The first half was looking okay for us. We didn't have as much of the ball but we looked good going forward. After 40 minutes I removed the lower tempo and drop deeper instructions. At half time I made no changes. After 64 minutes I changed my TM(S) to a DLF(S). In general I was disappointed by my strikers performances. In the 71st minute I changes my right side DW to a W(A). We had been creating chances but couldn't break them down. In the 83rd minute I switched to attack. Finally, after 92 excruciating minutes we broke through with a nice cross from the left side finding Svonja for the winner.

Top of the table but only 2 points ahead of 5th!

Really like this thread. Keep them coming...

Cheers Dokara

29/03/2014 - Serbian First Division MD21

Our away form had been slipping. I was hoping we would turn that around today with a strong win against a good Timok side.

Formation:

Result

I felt that our formation should stand up okay against the Christmas tree. The game was going okay. We had one or two great chances but could not make them pay. At 26 minutes I switched to play wider in an attempt to stretch their midfield. On the 35 minute mark I removed that instruction as my defence seemed to be stretched. I also removed drop deeper as I wanted more a more attacking presence. In the 40th minute I changed my W(S) to W(A). Half time came I was happy with our defender but again disappointed with my two strikers.

Again at the beginning of the 2nd half we spurned a great chance, but Timok were now starting to respond and were getting into dangerous positions. At the hour mark I removed lower tempo. I kept trying to find ways to score and was incredibly annoyed when they opened us up on the 80th minute with a hard ball to their striker on the edge of the box. I had just substituted the covering defender and that may have been a mistake. At 1-0 down I switched to attack. The change did not happen until the 91st minute!! (11 minutes to make the change)...arghhhh. Anyway, another away loss.

Not the greatest bunch. I will wait until near the deadline to determine my signings.

Always going to stay, but the €300 extra per week is appreciated.

02/04/2014 - Serbian First Division MD22

At home, I decided to switch from counter to standard from the very start.

Formation:

Result

Another solid start. We again looked good going forward without being very threatening. I changed my BWM(D) to (S) at the 17th minute. After 30 minutes I switched to attack, and in the 40th minute removed drop deeper. It was to no avail as we could not finish off the chances we did create. I left things alone at half time and told the lads the result would take care of itself if we kept playing this way.

After the half there was immediate success as Bajat converted a corner. Bezanija changed formation and then responded with a corner goal of their own in the 53rd minute. I was getting frustrated with our movement and passing, so I switched back to our 4-5-1 and went with control. I was relieved when Svonja got on the end of some good passing to restore the lead. We then went a little more defensive, until the 88th minute when I went fully defensive. My heart was ripped out in the 92nd minute when they scored a thunderous long distance strike to take away a much deserved win from my lads.

That result hurts us a lot.