The First 15 Minutes

I’ve been asked a lot of questions recently about how I set up for games and prepare for the opposition that I am facing. So I thought I’d write a bit about how I set up and how I decide what to do. Those of you who have followed my articles might remember a similar topic from years ago but sadly, the screenshots for that no longer exist, so I have decided to revisit it in this article.

What is it about the first 15 minutes?

For me and the way I play the game, the first fifteen minutes of the game is probably the most important period of the entire match. In this time I will have identified the main issues I’m likely to face. In my opinion games are won and lost during this period. By that I don’t mean scoring goals, I mean in the way we’ve set up and the tone of the match. Most of the changes I do are actually done in this period of time, I still change things throughout the game if I feel its need but the actual way I’ll set up and play is done in the first fifteen minutes.

A lot of people like to plan how they’ll play before a game and if that works for them, then fair enough. However for me it’s no good doing all the prep for a game before the actual kick off as all your preparation could be all for nothing as the opposition might not play how you envisaged. Or other factors might play a part. The only way you can tell how you need to play and set up is from viewing the game itself.

For me context is everything and this is why watching the first fifteen minutes are vital. You don’t always have to do this but I do this an awful lot. I guess it comes down to how comfortable you are with what you’ve created and how much you actually understand how it really works. People might think this is time-consuming and it can be, but the way I play isn’t and it’s actually fast. You can play it on any speed you like. At first doing it on a slow speed might be better until you become more familiar with the method, then increase the speed to a faster one as you start to become more comfortable.

Before we start it’s always worth remembering you don’t need to rush and can take your time with things. You can pause the game and rewind and also use the stats if needs be. Just find a way that suits you and how you play, that’s the most important thing to remember. My ways might not suit others but it might give you a different view or give you ideas for you yourself to use in your own game.

Widgets

Widgets are probably one of the most important things available to use for relaying what’s going on during a game. How you set these up totally depends on what you are focusing on and why. You should spend some time sorting these out to suit your needs. Here is my current screen.

It looks awful messy doesn’t it? You can minimise the boxes though and don’t always need them open so you can still view the game and see what’s going on.

The most important widget on the screen above is the opposition formation one. Regardless of how you set up your own widgets, this one is a must have because it allows you to see any formation changes the opposition makes. This becomes more vital and allows you to quickly react to changes late in games too as the AI will likely go chasing a game or look to defend a lead at some point. So always keep an eye on this one.

The other ones I use are;

• Team ratings for both sides
  
• Team performances for both sides
  
• Match stats
  

These are the only ones I use as they tell me all I need to know. Other people’s like to use the body language widgets too but I don’t really need that one. But is it a useful one to use because it allows you to see which players are nervous etc.

The widgets I use above allow me to keep an eye on the game’s stats. This means I have a quick overview of how the game might be going and if I’m being aggressive enough or not.

The team ratings let me see who is having a good or bad game. Depending on what type of save I am playing or tactic I use, you can then use this information to your advantage. You can target the players having a bad game and try to overload them by either role changes or by using team instructions. There are many different ways you could do this though, that is just one example.

The performance tab lets me see who is having a good or bad game via descriptions rather than the team ratings above. This allows for better judgement when used with the ratings one above. The performance tab updates every four minutes in-game, so will always be changing based on what’s happened .

So spend a few minutes setting this screen up and configure it, to show you all the information you think you need to know.

*NOTE – For the purpose of the screenshots and to get the information across, I’ll be minimising the widgets just so the screenshots are clear and easy to follow. I do advise though that if you minimise them on your own save, to always leave the opposition formation widget always open. Or you could miss a shape change that could potentially cost you the game.

The Opening 15 Minutes

Now we’ve sorted the widgets out, we can now look at how I approach the actual game. It’s worth pointing out again, that I only focus on what my side is doing and now what the opposition is doing. This simplifies things for me. It doesn’t matter if I concede possession or give shots away. What is important is my team are playing how I’ve instructed them to play, that is the only thing that matters. If I start worrying about the opposition then my side could actually be playing how I want, yet I’d be looking at changing that just because I gave possession or shots away.

As long as my side do the things I need them to do, the rest doesn’t matter. If my side play how I expect them to and how I’ve instructed them, then we will get a result. If I start adapting and changing for the opposition then I abandon my philosophy that I’ve created at the club. I’m a reactive manager but that doesn’t mean I compromise in my approach. It doesn’t matter if you are the worst team in the world or the best, I’ll set out to play the same way.

Immediately I see my team is lined up and keeping shape how I’d expect. However they seem a bit deep especially the central midfield duo. There are lots of uncovered space in the centre and Manchester City don’t have anyone in this area either. I can leave things how they are or I can try to dominate them by controlling the centre. I’ll need to see if it’s still like this in the next few minutes though, there is no need to make a change based on one isolated screenshot so far. But if I was to change anything these would be the options;

• Use player instructions
  
• Use team instructions
  
• Change roles
  

All three of these would be viable and make a difference if I decided to change things. Which you select though is down to personal preference. Myself I am leaning more towards using a team instruction (pushing the defensive line higher up)because it looks like my defenders can afford to be pushed up. I’m also using a very specific tactic (The Invincibles one) so role changes aren’t really an option for me and neither are adding player instructions. But I just wanted to highlight the other options you could use.

The above screenshot shows the same issue again but this time it’s moment after the first example. My defence is deep and so is the midfield. Now considering I play counter attacking, the defensive line is naturally deep. So this confirms that I can be more aggressive and push up without any real negative effect for now. I’d like my right back and the central midfielders to be more where the X is on the screenshot. This will allow players to be closer together and this will make it harder for Manchester City and give them less time on the ball as well as reducing the space. With this now showing the first example wasn’t an isolated one, I now decide to make the change and push the defensive line up by using the team instructions.

I don’t feel like the fullbacks are making the most of the space available. I feel they can and should be much more aggressive than this screenshot suggest. Now there are a number of ways I can do this and how I do this again comes down to personal preference. My choices are;

• Use the look for overlap team instructions.
  
• Use the play wider team instructions.
  
• Use individual player instructions and ask them to play wider
  

Those are the options I have and will make the player do what I want. Each option has plus points and negatives. If I use the look for overlap shout this will instruct the wide midfield players to hold up the ball which will allow the fullbacks to overlap. However I’m happy with how my wide players are playing and I don’t really want them to hold the ball up.

If I use the team instruction to play wider, then the team as a whole, when in possession of the ball will be wider. Again I’m not sure I need everyone to be wider, especially as my two wide midfielders are set up to play narrow.

This leaves me with one realistic choice and that’s use individual player instructions. This will make the fullbacks play wider and take up the positions I need them to. Hopefully this will stretch Manchester City and even if it doesn’t, it means the full backs will always be in free space. So it’s a win-win situation.

I’m approaching the first five minutes of the game so far and it’s not really been that eventful, as the stats suggest. They don’t really tell us much at this point as the game is still developing but it’s still worth taking a quick glance at them just for piece of mind.

After almost ten minutes of the match gone so far, things are pretty even and nothing much to note. All the changes I mentioned above have now all been made and I’m happy with how I’m playing and what I’ve seen so far. The widgets haven’t really got much to say yet although one of my centre backs Souza, seems to be losing condition faster than my other players in these early stages of the game. So I know I’ll have to keep monitoring this and if it carries on into the second half, then he might need to be substituted. I also noticed Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City is also dropping condition fast. So he is a player worth keeping an eye on too.

For the next five minutes I also see much of the same and don’t see any real issues and the side seems to be playing how I instructed them to be. This now means I can revert back to how I watch matches which is key highlights only. You can play and watch in whichever highlights suits you best. It all comes down to experience and how well you know your system though. If you aren’t fully aware of how it works and why then you’ll likely struggle if you don’t pay more attention to begin with. So take that into account. Things do become faster though once you get a better understanding. So while it might seem a pain in the arse in the short-term, long-term it should make things faster for you.

I wrote this as I was actually playing the game, so I might write an additional part explaining what I do for the other 75 minutes of the game at some stage.

Good article. Widgets set-up similar to myself, only other thing I have is customised match stats, I add in 'Long Shots' as I find it puts my mind at rest. I worry if I see the opponent have 10 shots, don't worry quiet some much when I see 6 of them were long shots.

In terms of watching the game, this is something I need to improve on. I don't think I would have picked up on the defensive line so quickly or the width. I supposed it's just getting used to what you are looing for. Is there anything particular you pay attention too? Like a quick list to begin?

Look forward to reading the other 75minutes.

Good article. Widgets set-up similar to myself, only other thing I have is customised match stats, I add in 'Long Shots' as I find it puts my mind at rest. I worry if I see the opponent have 10 shots, don't worry quiet some much when I see 6 of them were long shots.

In terms of watching the game, this is something I need to improve on. I don't think I would have picked up on the defensive line so quickly or the width. I supposed it's just getting used to what you are looing for. Is there anything particular you pay attention too? Like a quick list to begin?

Look forward to reading the other 75minutes.

No there is no 'check list' of things because its all about the context of what is happening and there are just far too many variables to consider to even attempt doing a list. I split it between with and without the ball when viewing though, that's the easiest thing to do.

I did write another thread a few months back though with tips in;

I get asked an awful lot on how I identify issues while watching games and how I fix them. Firstly identifying the issues is of the most importance because if you haven’t or can’t identify issues then you’ll never have an idea of how it might be possible to fix them. People often say I don’t know how to identify issues because of their lack of understanding of the game but in all honesty you don’t need an understanding really. You just need to watch a game it really is that simple. Hopefully what follows below will show you how simple it can be and doesn’t need to be as daunting as people think it is.

When I am trying to spot issues I keep it very simple and split it into two categories;

• With the ball
  
• Without the ball
  

That’s it, nothing more. I don’t even pay attention to what the opposition is doing which is what people seem to get hung upon and confuses the situation. The reasons for not paying attention to the opposition is simple, it will always be different in every match so instead of focusing on an area that is always changing I’d rather focus on my own style and philosophy that I am creating at the club. This then allows me to focus on what my players are or aren’t doing during a game which is a lot more helpful that focusing on the opposition. By also doing it this way it allows me to focus on my team as a unit and see how all the roles, personal instructions, team instructions and the general shape all work together to provide the defensive cover and attacking threat that I need.

The reason for splitting what I am looking at during a match into with and without the ball is because it shows us what’s happening during different phases of the game. Just because you defend solid or cause the opposition a massive threat in the final third, doesn’t mean you have balance and can do both simultaneous. It also makes it very quickly to identify issues because you have a lot less going on.

Without The Ball

When viewing games and looking for what my players are doing without the ball this includes both defensive and attacking phases. So immediately you can see the positions the players take up when defending as well as seeing how they move off the ball when attacking. I’ve banged on about this for the past 10 years but the most important aspect of trying to identify these issue is using the pause button. Pause the game at random stages throughout, to see what positions the players have taken up and to enable you to see what is happening around them. Not only that but also use different camera angles to view things as it gives you a much better picture of what’s going on seeing incidents from a different view.

That’s a little example of what I am talking about, after randomly pausing the game to have a look around. You can see my back four just in front of the white line and the three circled players are my midfielders. As you can see my three midfielders are quite narrow leaving the flanks exposed. I could panic here and see this as an issue or I could remember that the formation I use is a 4-3-1-2 so the midfield being narrow isn’t a bad thing. This is just one angle though, what does it look like from a different one?!

That’s the exact same as the first screenshot just from a different angle. In the first one, it looks like I’m more stretched than I actually am and that the opposition could really exploit the flank if they wanted. But the second screenshot shows it in a different light and shows that while the flanks might be uncovered, I’m anything but stretched and players are in a position to be able to deal with any kind of threat down my left hand side. There really isn’t a point to this example, it was more showing you how pausing the game and viewing from different angles can be beneficial and show you things in a different light.

Let’s take a look at some examples now that show how we can try to identify issues.

This is again another random time in the game were I paused it when we didn’t have possession of the ball. You can see my midfield and how they are position as well as seeing the defence and how they line up. As I use a flat three in the centre of the park, the space between defence and midfield will be an issue as I don’t play with a particularly high line. So the opposition will at times be unmarked and free in these kinds of areas. It’s not ideal but it’s the downside of using a flat midfield. The most central midfielder who is on a defensive duty will drop back deep and track though. It’s just initially he won’t be as deep as someone who plays in the defensive midfield position.

My ball winning midfielder should be able to deal with the oppositions wide player in this screenshot as he’s facing the correct way and already running back. Plus my wingback is in a good position and is also retreating to a deeper position meaning my defensive players are all playing as a unit and staying tight rather than pushing higher up and causing gaps to appear. If my wingback did push up a bit higher you can see that the opposition player who is circled would have lots of space to run into in the little channel between wingback and central defender. I’d be surprised or very unlucky if the opposition could hurt me from here. I have the numbers advantage and have players able to deal with the threat. It would take something rather special to cost me here (or an individual error I suppose).

If you do this with your own systems then you should try to remember how you’ve set up, what roles you’ve used and even personal instructions and then check to see if you have players positioned where possible danger areas from the opposition could be. In fact, I’ll use the same screenshot as above but this time I’ll just focus on the areas the opposition could possibly use against me, as that might help a few people out who are struggling with identifying issues.

The screenshot looks a bit messy but hopefully I can explain the reasoning’s behind it correctly so it makes sense.

1 – This player can hurt me by running from deep especially as my own wingback is facing away from him and moving back. My ball winning midfielder is also facing towards my own goal, so he is blind-sided by the opposition here. This means that the oppositions wide man has free run unless something changes here. Deep runners are always hard to pick up for anyone. This isn’t a worry for me though because do you remember me saying I ignore the opposition at the beginning of the article? Well I do so because my side are set up to play a specific way and I want them to play as a cohesive unit rather than trying to deal with things themselves. This means at times that I will easily give up space like this because to deal with it would mean straying from what I am creating and how I’ve set up to play. I do have players positioned to deal with him as highlighted in the part above though. It’s just I don’t need to rush to deal with the issue.

2 – Although the opposition’s player who is marked number three in the above screenshot is facing away from this player and heading the opposite way, he is still a threat for the same reasons as the example above. He’s a late runner and he might not be an immediate threat but if he drives forward then he could be problematic later in the move. So when looking if something is a threat or an issue, be aware that players making late runs can be very problematic later in the move. So not only are you looking for immediate threats, you are looking for possible threats too.

3 – Everything that will or won’t happen in this move all starts here as he’s the player on the ball. This player can either dwell on the ball and pick a pass to either the number four and make a forward run or pass to the number one. Another option here is he could drive forward with the ball himself, he has the space initially to do this. He can run with the ball in two different directions though and both would cause different kind of issues. One is he drives towards the touch-line which could potentially cause an overlap if the opposition’s player who is marked number one, carries on his run. I think this option is unlikely but we still need to identify that it is possible. The other option is he runs between the wingback and central defender and if he did do that then space would open up elsewhere on the pitch because my wingback would become more narrow and come across to deal with it. While at the same time this would mean the player with the number one on the pitch, would be totally free for a simple sideways pass.

4 – This is the problematic player because he’s the runner and he could go whichever way he wanted, so you can’t really plan for that type of movement. Even if he makes a run and doesn’t receive the ball his movement will still have caused some kind of damage because movement creates space appearing.

So those are the types of things you should be looking for. It’s not complicated and when trying to identify issues just remember not to over think it and keep it to simple terms and be as basic as possible. Is someone a runner? If so they’ll cause movement and what happens if someone goes across to cover, does this then leave a gap that the opposition could use?! Those are the kind of basic questions you should be asking. You don’t need any knowledge of football to really understand the simple things, you should be able to identify stuff easy.

I know the above is just two short examples but it still should be more than enough to show you the basics and how you should be viewing games when looking to find possible issues or trying to discover why something might have happened.

With The Ball

This is just as easy as the above but remember you want to look at the positions of the players not on the ball too as everyone who is currently on the ball needs support.

This is just a typical move started by my left wingback. It’s important here that I can gauge the kind of areas my players are taking up. If my attackers and midfield are too advanced then how do I get the ball from the wingback to the attacking players? It would be a very hard task and would likely result in me giving possession away. So it’s important I have options and players who are capable of linking play up, it means the move can flow if everyone is staggered. As you can see my two strikers are positioned high which is their job and the attacking midfielder is hanging back in space the same as my advanced playmaker. The strikers are already being a nuisance due to their movement and looking to run in behind already. Gilberto is the player currently on the ball, so now he can either move forward if he wishes and tries to take his man on (this option would be a waste though seeing how I have control over the middle) or he could easily pass it inside to the advanced playmaker. He could technically drive forward a bit and still pass sideways.

That’s the exact same move but just from a different angle. The aerial view shows how much space the advanced playmaker and attacking midfielder have to play in. They have space and time so if they did receive the ball they should be able to dictate the play. You’ll also notice that there is three triangles too that the players create between each other which also allows for link up play.

Advanced Playmaker – He is a creator so it’s highly unlikely he’ll get into the box that often or be a direct goal threat. So if he picks the ball up he will be looking to make something happen in terms of a pass or some kind of through ball. He might dribble forward but if he does he is still likely to release the ball to someone else at some stage because he is a creator above all else. He has plenty of options though for a pass or through ball so this is good and shows he is taking up the positions he should be taking up.

Attacking Midfielder – This lad does a bit of everything but he is a runner and a direct goal threat because he will look to make those run in behind the defence and get into the oppositions box. he’s basically central to everything in attack and is an option for the advanced playmaker to so he isn’t crowded out.

Deep-Lying Forward – Not only is he a goal threat but he is a creative striker. But in this move he is both a direct goal threat and also a decoy. He’s a decoy because he is occupying one of the two centre backs which means if the attacking midfielder makes a run forward the opposition have a choice to make. Do they step up and deal with him or leave him be to carry on marking the deep-lying forward? Either decision they make is the wrong one as it means I have a free man. For me it’s win win.

Advanced Forward – The exact same as above, he is occupying the second opposition central defender. Again he is both a decoy and goal threat because he is making a run and can be available for a pass if needs be. So he has a dual role in this move.

All of the above are what working as a team and having roles and duties that compliment each other is all about. So pausing the game has allowed me to see that they are indeed functioning as a unit rather than individuals, which I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t watched games back and paused at random times.

I know I’ve only really used one example of each but if I keep showing more examples I would be here all day long just repeating what I’ve wrote above so rather than waffle on I thought I’d keep it rather short to just give you an idea of how you can simplify things for yourself and spot potential issues or to see if your side is working both in attacking and defensive phases of play.

If I get the time I might do a follow-up which focuses on fixing issues once you’ve identified a problem and show how simple it can be and no need to make things overcomplicated.

Top stuff as always.

I think breaking things down into two parts like this is important - Part a) identifying issues by watching the match and then Part b) assessing options to address those issues.

u're the one,and u know this

Great stuff. I'm finding this immensely helpful. Quick question. What would be the best way to exploit a defender that picks up an early yellow card?

Really interested in this.

Embarrassing question time - how do I get more than one widget on the screen at the same time?

Really interested in this.

Embarrassing question time - how do I get more than one widget on the screen at the same time?

Bottom right hand corner of the match screen, click on the little arrow gizmo thingy (technical term) and you can select which widgets to display.

Great stuff. I'm finding this immensely helpful. Quick question. What would be the best way to exploit a defender that picks up an early yellow card?

If he picks up a yellow early on, then why change anything? You might already be exploiting him hence the card early on. But one quick way would be run at defence shout.

Really interested in this.

Embarrassing question time - how do I get more than one widget on the screen at the same time?

Click the button marked in yellow on this;

Cleon are you sure you are not Pep or Jose in disguise. I do not know how you sit there and play a game and put so much effort into it. The fact that you are also a working parent really makes me take my hat off to you mate. I would just like to ask a question. If you watched the game and saw that the opposition was pushing up and leaving space in behind what TI or player roles would you have changed. Once game a give you credit. With me working long hours and being a father to two kids I do not think I have the time to put so much detail and concentration into the game like you. Well done

Great tread

I think the most interesting thing is how you fix the issues. What would you do for example when you identity a player with bad condition like de Bruyne above? Close down? Tackling harder?

Cleon are you sure you are not Pep or Jose in disguise. I do not know how you sit there and play a game and put so much effort into it. The fact that you are also a working parent really makes me take my hat off to you mate. I would just like to ask a question. If you watched the game and saw that the opposition was pushing up and leaving space in behind what TI or player roles would you have changed. Once game a give you credit. With me working long hours and being a father to two kids I do not think I have the time to put so much detail and concentration into the game like you. Well done

I don't put this much effort into the same, my approach is simple and very fast. The threads are more detailed because their aimed at showing users the basics or how stuff works so they can learn. Watching the first 15 minutes of a game literally takes me 1-2 minutes on the fastest speed. I bet a full match doesn;t last more than 3 or 4 minutes on key highlights. I probably play the game much faster than most on here, about 5-6 hours for a full season

I don't put this much effort into the same, my approach is simple and very fast. The threads are more detailed because their aimed at showing users the basics or how stuff works so they can learn. Watching the first 15 minutes of a game literally takes me 1-2 minutes on the fastest speed. I bet a full match doesn;t last more than 3 or 4 minutes on key highlights. I probably play the game much faster than most on here, about 5-6 hours for a full season

I dream to one day be like you Cleon in terms of understanding the ins and out of this very complex game. I find all the help threads from THOG. WWFAN and yourself very helpful sometimes I get confused I think I just do not understand how this complex world of football works. I think I know how I want to play the game but I just do not seem to be able to translate what is in my head to the the game. Do you do any streaming sessions on how to play the game for IDIOTS like me. I would pay to have watch your videos.

Top stuff as always!

Somehow, in my mind comes a clip from the movie Analyze This.....

I dream to one day be like you Cleon in terms of understanding the ins and out of this very complex game. I find all the help threads from THOG. WWFAN and yourself very helpful sometimes I get confused I think I just do not understand how this complex world of football works. I think I know how I want to play the game but I just do not seem to be able to translate what is in my head to the the game. Do you do any streaming sessions on how to play the game for IDIOTS like me. I would pay to have watch your videos.

I think that if anything, Cleon shows that the game is actually simple. It's the fools like us that complicate it!

Great tread

I think the most interesting thing is how you fix the issues. What would you do for example when you identity a player with bad condition like de Bruyne above? Close down? Tackling harder?

Either of those could work and either of those might not make a difference. Honestly it all comes down to trial and error. Not every single change I do works, sometimes it might backfire. More often than not I get it right though but I still get it wrong at times too. Just experiment when you have a few different options you can potentially use.

I dream to one day be like you Cleon in terms of understanding the ins and out of this very complex game. I find all the help threads from THOG. WWFAN and yourself very helpful sometimes I get confused I think I just do not understand how this complex world of football works. I think I know how I want to play the game but I just do not seem to be able to translate what is in my head to the the game. Do you do any streaming sessions on how to play the game for IDIOTS like me. I would pay to have watch your videos.

Streaming when I have kids running around the house? I don't think it would make good viewing or that people would be able to hear me

The game itself is really simple. Always think of FM in a basic form, don't over complicate things. That probably seems a bit rich coming from me but my topics always go the extra mile to showcase information because they're aimed at those struggling or aimed at those who want to learn the ins and outs of how the game works on a much deeper level. But if you strip all that away it isn't complex, only use the user makes the game complicated for ourselves.

If you have an idea of how you want to play then choose a formation that allows what you want. Next, take time reading the descriptions of the roles and duties and use the ones that actually sound like they can create the style of play you're creating. Ignore that some people think the descriptions aren't enough because as a basic overview, they tell you the gist of a role without over complicating things. Next just watch games and see if the side if playing like you want and that the roles all link together like they're supposed to. If not just adjust.

Top stuff as always!

Somehow, in my mind comes a clip from the movie Analyze This.....

haha thanks

I think that if anything, Cleon shows that the game is actually simple. It's the fools like us that complicate it!

This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo true

Either of those could work and either of those might not make a difference. Honestly it all comes down to trial and error. Not every single change I do works, sometimes it might backfire. More often than not I get it right though but I still get it wrong at times too. Just experiment when you have a few different options you can potentially use.

Streaming when I have kids running around the house? I don't think it would make good viewing or that people would be able to hear me

The game itself is really simple. Always think of FM in a basic form, don't over complicate things. That probably seems a bit rich coming from me but my topics always go the extra mile to showcase information because they're aimed at those struggling or aimed at those who want to learn the ins and outs of how the game works on a much deeper level. But if you strip all that away it isn't complex, only use the user makes the game complicated for ourselves.

If you have an idea of how you want to play then choose a formation that allows what you want. Next, take time reading the descriptions of the roles and duties and use the ones that actually sound like they can create the style of play you're creating. Ignore that some people think the descriptions aren't enough because as a basic overview, they tell you the gist of a role without over complicating things. Next just watch games and see if the side if playing like you want and that the roles all link together like they're supposed to. If not just adjust.

haha thanks

This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo true

Well Cleon I made up my mind that I want to play 4231 wide as my main formation. My best player is probably the best number 10 in the world at the moment so I need a formation that he will fit. I guess I am trying to build my team around him. I have read threads on 4231from yourself and others. I like your post on the 4231 midfield set up. After reading your post I decided that having two central midfielders holding position is the best way to go. So I opted for CMD and DLP Defend.

I know that I want to play possession football but I need to have a end product. I have been trying to read and understand your thread on possession football. From what I can understand from what you wrote it seems that to play possession football I will need to more players on support duty. So I opted to put my front 4 players all on support duty. So I have two inside forward on support duty and my AMC on support duty. Not sure what role to give the striker. I do not want him linking play because my AMC is the link player. I just want him to score goals and harass the central defenders. Also my full backs are WB support.

I plan to play Control and Flexible because I think this will help me to control possession but also make me lethal in attack and get goals. I am thinking that retain possession and slower tempo shouts will help with the possession based game I am looking for.

I am not pushing my D-LINE up because control should give me a high D LINE.

Now Cleon you seen my ideas. This is what makes me feel like an IDIOT. Whenever I read your post you seem to have understand what you want to do and make it work. When I have an idea I struggle to translate it into FM. This is why I feel like an IDIOT.

Do you do any Tutorials via email for people like me.

You don't need a tutorial now, what you need to do is to get your idea to function. This comes from watching games like I highlighted in the Arsenal thread. Once you have your idea you just do the next part based on visuals. You can see if the players are doing what you want or not. Fixing them might be harder but spotting if the players/team are doing what you need should be easy because you already know your idea and how it should function.

Hi Cleon I know this is might be the wrong place to ask. But you mentioned that you use Ozil as a FALSE 9 in one of your saves. Do you mind telling me what tactic or formation you used him as a FALSE 9 and how long did it take you to train him to play as FALSE 9

Cleon, I swear you and THOG are practically the only reason I still persist at this game, (with a polite nod and thankyou to a couple of others) and can't thank you enough for that and yet another fantastic, informative thread. Can I just ask...what camera view/angle do you use in your screenshots, or recommend as the best for giving an overall view? Thanks

Yes, I also would like to know what camera views you use. I can't for the life of me get mine to zoom out that far.

Its the prozone camera in the screenshots that I've mainly used (side view ones). I use a whole host of different camera angles though. The prozone one shows more of the pitch than any other.

Cleon I read an article on your blog and you said, "I watch the first three competitive matches and make changes in those." Paraphrasing there but I think it was the brazilian box one. Does that mean you don't move anything in your friendlies? Are they just for fitness and tactical familiarity?

Cleon I read an article on your blog and you said, "I watch the first three competitive matches and make changes in those." Paraphrasing there but I think it was the brazilian box one. Does that mean you don't move anything in your friendlies? Are they just for fitness and tactical familiarity?

I don't change anything in the first three games. The articles you mention even shows you and explains I didn't make any changes until the 4th game. Preseason is just for fitness and tactical familiarity yeah.

I don't change anything in the first three games. The articles you mention even shows you and explains I didn't make any changes until the 4th game. Preseason is just for fitness and tactical familiarity yeah.

Yeah I had another read after I posted. You were just having a think about what you could change in the first three that's right.

I think this might be my favourite thread I've read ever. It actually made me realise I was getting too worked up on things and probably trying to change too much throughout the game based on what the opposition was doing, instead of just looking at what my team was doing and how they could cope with threats. Also it has made me feel like I could play the game without finding it a chore at times.

Thank you.

After reading this I decided to load my game which I hadn't actually played for a couple of weeks due to a holiday and I felt much more comfortable.

All in the first 15/20 minutes I had made seen the following and adapted and then felt comfortable moving to key highlights. (something I haven't done since the old sliders days!)

First I lined up in my Ipswich flat 442 and came up against Rotherham in a 442 narrow diamond. Immediately I knew, I had more space out wide, they had more numbers in the middle. First thing I noticed instantly was the 2 CM's and even the AMC were actually a lot deeper than their strikers. So my usual CM/D had all the space in the world to work with and I wanted to encourage him to receive the ball so moved him to a DLP/D.

The next thing I noticed was their LB was really happy to get forward and although the player hadn't received the ball, all it would take is one diagonal ball and he would have space as my RB was tucking in narrower to help the CB's, I had two options in my opinion, ask my RM to mark him, or maybe just use an OI, I opted for telling the RM to mark him, that way he would always have someone tracking those runs.

The last thing I noticed was my team felt really far apart, my defence to midfield or midfield to attack (I use Flexible as the team shape normally), I know because I have flat banks then they would be separated a bit, but because they had a very layered formation, it was frustrating my players as I could already see them becoming easily isolated. So I went to Very Fluid, the result was a 2-1 win. Both goals felt like results of the issues I had seen, my RM tracked their LB as I instructed which caused the LB to lose the ball to him, he passed back to my RB and then charged forward (a result of him being a WM/A) he had all the space in the world to use as their CB's were occupied by both my strikers, he got the assist on one goal, while the other was controlled by my DLF who passed it through to the Poacher.

The goal we conceded was annoyingly a defensive error when a CB stepped forward and left my defence in a pickle trying to cover for him so near to the area. Overall though all these changes made me feel like we were fully in control!

So again thank you Cleon, this has really helped with looking out for issues or dangers so to speak!

Thanks Cleon, using that prozone view really does help see the team as a whole. I'd read 2 different things about a certain position and it enabled me to see exactly which one was correct.

Cleon how you analyze the first three matches. Do you still watch the first 15 minutes in full match or the whole match in full.

Cleon, I've returned to FM after a four year hiatus (last played FM12). I'm impressed with the increased sophistication in the game as a whole, particularly tactics and dealing with players. For years, I longed to be able to translate my coaching reactions into FM instructions. Still not there, quite, but getting there (I'm still not quite sure what, exactly, is going on "under the hood", but I'm increasingly inclining toward the belief that, when in doubt, dealing with a tactical issue in the way closest to real life is probably the best way to go).

That said, I have three questions for you. 1) Does the ability of players to execute tactical instructions (ie. do what they're told, not necessarily succeed in the tactical aim) vary with the level of ability of the players? 2) You mentioned addressing the issue of too much of a gap between your back line and your midfield by taking up a higher line. Does doing so in any way affect the placement of your midfielders? 3) I'm currently managing Burton Albion in League 1. I've got a very solid center mid who nevertheless drives me crazy by persistently holding the ball too long and the losing it. How can I get him to react more quickly? Is there a tactical fix, or is it down to training?

Many thanks.

Cleon, I'm currently reading your "Art of Possession" article, and I think you've already answered my third question. I think the key is "dribble less". I also think that the slower tempo (which I haven't used before) may help. It seems counter-intuitive at first. Back when I was coaching youth soccer, one of the things I was always trying to do was to get them to make their decisions sooner (I actually had a controlled scrimmage that worked on this - the kids hated it!). But if I read your article correctly, the slower tempo is allowing for the decision-making process to take place, to take the pressure to do something RIGHTNOW off the player with the ball. My scrimmage wasn't intended to have the decision made within a shorter period of time, but rather to use the time they had when they knew they were getting the ball but didn't have it yet to decide what they were going to do with it, rather than waiting unitl the ball actually got there.

Does any of this make sense?

1 - Well yeah, the better the attributes the better the player will be able to do the things you ask him.

2 - Pushing up the d-line will just make the defensive players closer to the midfield really.

3 - It could be what you mentioned in the post above but it could also be many other things that is making him do it. It could be attribute related, it could be PPM's or it could be the tactical instructions that come with his role.

1 - Well yeah, the better the attributes the better the player will be able to do the things you ask him.

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. What I mean is, will the player always attempt to follow the tactical instruction, regardless of his ability to carry it out? Or at some point might he just shrug it off? (Or am I carrying this notion of "close to real life" a bit too far?)

3 - It could be what you mentioned in the post above but it could also be many other things that is making him do it. It could be attribute related, it could be PPM's or it could be the tactical instructions that come with his role.

I've adapted some of your Art of Possession concepts to my tactic. I didn't use "dribble less" as a TI but I did use it for a PI for the player in question, and it definitely helped.

Ah now I understand. In FM it's the teamwork attribute that determines if someone follows tactical instructions or not. So it's more about how selfish he is. If that is low then he'll be less likely to stick to what you've instructed him to do. So it's this attribute you would focus on.

Okay, thanks.

Just wanna say bravo to Cleon for this thread. Watching the first 15 minutes of a game has pretty much reveloutionised how i play FM. I normally watch on extended or comprehensive but they are still just snippets of the game. Watching a continuous 15 mins really highlights areas that might need addressing. Sometimes i even watch the first 15 minutes of the second half just to see how the oppostitions half time team talk for example might have changed things.

This is really a grreat thread.

I am now trying to create my own tactic based on yr possession football thread but fail to do meaningful change to make my tactic better. This is really one of best thread in this forum. looking foward to seeing the thread for how to fix problem found in match.

Good Job!!