Help With My 442

I'm managing Stockport in the Skrill Premier League. I got promotion first season but have been stuck in the Skrill Premier for the last three seasons. Flirting with the playoffs every year before faltering near the end of the season.

I have been having some success with this tactic. Was fighting for a playoff spot most of this past year until a late season 8 game losing streak dropped me out of contention. Managed to end up in sixth. When I went to check the stats at the end of the year I noticed I conceded far too many goals(71). So I really want to tighten it up a bit so I'm not leaking so many goals. It also doesn't seem to do well in Cups against lesser/similar competition.

It's Attacking Mentality with Rigid Fluidity.

...........CF(a) P(a)

W(a) DLP(d) BWM(d) W(a)

FB(s) CD(d) CD(d) FB(a)

.............. G(d)

Team Instructions: Shorter Passing, Roam From Positions, Drill Crosses, Run at Defense, Exploit the Flanks, Play Narrower, Hassle Opponents, Higher Tempo, Retain Possession, Drop Deeper, Use Tighter Marking

On paper, it looks like you'll have cavernous amounts of space in a few areas of your team: in front of your deep sitting midfielders and behind the high sitting forwards, and especially down both flanks. Your right side seems particularly open.

In addition, you are playing with a lot of TIs, and they don't all seem to fit in my eyes.

1. You're Attacking, which has very high Tempo, and then increasing that more.

2. Rigid Philosophy, but encouraging everyone to Roam - what is the thinking here?

3. Exploit The Flanks and Play Narrower sounds contradictory but can suit a specific purpose. I'm keen to understand what you know of these instructions, because they aren't coupled together very often.

4. High Tempo plus Hassle plus Roaming plus Retain Possession plus Shorter Passing plus Attacking Mentality is hugely demanding. Does it suit Skrill Premier players?

To concede 71 goals is excessive, so you do need to make some changes. What is your desired playing style? How do you want to score goals?

I'd recommend looking at the stickied Pairs and Combinations thread, because on top of the issues above, you have possibly got to have a look at the Roles / Duties you have selected.

I was thinking of dropping Roam and Hassle Opponents. Also if you think I should drop high tempo, I'll drop it as well.

I was also thinking of changing the CF(a) to TM(s).

Would that be enough?

I wanted to be a high scoring team but I'm giving up too much defensively.

The best way to find out is to try. I'd be inclined to drop both, as your shape doesn't lend itself well to Pressing.

Up front, your Poacher does nothing of use apart from wait for a through ball - he won't be involved in build up play.

Centrally, you have no link between midfield and attack. As such, I'd suggest using a mobile Support player alongside the Poacher.

So changing the Complete Foward to a Target Man on support duty would accomplish that?

So changing the Complete Foward to a Target Man on support duty would accomplish that?

Not really, because that's also a pretty static Role.

Consider looking at a DLF or CF on Support to start with.

Also when using a flat 4-4-2 consider using fluid. It tends to tighten up the lines more in that formation. Been using it myself.

If only I can get the right ##%@# players to perform in it.

I switched to fluid and got rid of Play Narrower as well.

Here is my save. Pass is 11Star33

http://www.mediafire.com/download/lc2bl7ika59n29u/Stockport+Take+Two+%28Back+Up%29.fm

The ones I'm using are Legendary and Defensive. I usually use the Legendary one, I use the defensive when I'm heavily favoured or think the other team is playing defensive.

My Attacking Tactic

My Defensive Tactic

Taking the advice I was given I managed to go on a good run at the end of the season to win the league title by a point.

I would start out with the Attacking tactic and if I felt they were just parking the bus and waiting to counter I would switch to the defensive one. Now hopefully I can resign some of my key players. There is one that doesn't want to talk at the moment and the rest want double what they were making previously. Next season will probably just be about consolidation.

Does anybody see any reason why these tactics shouldn't work all the way on my quest to get to the Premier League?

So a quick up date. I got promoted to Skybet 1.

I'm thinking about tinkering with my tactics and would appreciate a bit of feedback.

The first change I'm thinking about are changing the DLF to a False 9. It seems easier to find False 9's. The second change is to change the poacher to an advanced forward.