Norwich save, which tactics would you personally use?

Ok, so I have started a Norwich save and, so far, it isn't going well. I am only a few games in but find myself 18th in the league, and have already suffered heavy defeats at Newcastle (4-1) and Swansea (5-0).

I'll show you the team I am using and could you guys just give a brief outline on what tactics you would use, because I just have no clue. One game I will be on control, the next on counter. I've tried retain possession, I've tried direct passing, I've used look for overlap, and also tried hit early crosses. I'm just not sure what's best for the team and cannot settle on something.

Anyway, this is my team (4-2-3-1)

GK: Ruddy

RB: Martin (full back, automatic)

CB: Klose (central defender, defend)

CB: Bassong (central defender, defend)

LB: Olsson (full back, support)

CM: Mulumbu (ball winning midfielder, defend)

CM: Howson (deep lying playmaker, support)

RAM: Redmond (winger, support)

CAM: Hoolahan (advanced playmaker, attack)

LAM: Brady (winger, support)

ST: Mbokani (complete forward, attack)

I know it's difficult to come up with something straight away, but could you guys just advice me on what tactics come to mind that you would use, looking at this team and also knowing the stature of Norwich (one of the 'lesser' teams in the league). Could you also explain why you would pick them particular tactics/instructions, so that I can see how you made the decision.

In my most recent match, which was against Watford, I went for pump ball in to box and also hit early crosses. Now, the only reason I did this was because in that game Watford were playing 2 DM's in front of their back 4, and I thought it would be difficult to try and play through that, hence why I just chose to pump the ball in to the box. Anyway, in this game I won 2-0 and put in my best performance of the season. Both my goals came from early crosses (first one Mbokani knocked it down and Redmond smashed it in, second goal one of their defenders headed the cross in to his own net). Thing is, I'm not sure whether these tactics (pump ball in to box and early crosses) is something I should do every game. Obviously it worked well in the one game against Watford, but was that a one-off?

Any advice on which tactics and instructions to use would be great, thanks.

You'll get told tactics forum again or it will just get moved but in general far too attacking.

No real protection in front of your defence is your main concern while out wide your fullbacks are also isolated when defending. Going forward you have an isolated forward who isn't linking play with no-one giving width ahead of your playmakers. Your AML/AMC/AMR are all relatively static with little to no movement between the lines to move the defence around & create space.

You'll get told tactics forum again or it will just get moved but in general far too attacking.

No real protection in front of your defence is your main concern while out wide your fullbacks are also isolated when defending. Going forward you have an isolated forward who isn't linking play with no-one giving width ahead of your playmakers. Your AML/AMC/AMR are all relatively static with little to no movement between the lines to move the defence around & create space.

The problem is I can't find how to get to the tactics forum. I go to the forum homepage and I can see 'Football Manager General Discussion', 'Football Manager Touch General Discussion', and 'Football Manager Mobile General Discussion'. But then I click on 'Football Manager General Discussion' and I literally cannot see a link to get to the tactics part??

On the tactics, I put Mulumbu as a ball winning midfielder on defend duty as I thought this would give cover. What would you recommend doing? Maybe playing with 2 DM's instead of 2 CM's or something like that? Also I'm not sure what you mean about my players being static with no movements between the lines. I have the flexible tactic on so wouldn't that cause movement? Also why would my striker be isolated? Surely if I have 3 attacking midfielders with 1 on attack duty then he will get plenty of support? I'd understand if I was playing say a 4-1-4-1 formation with no attacking mid's why you would say he is isolated, but I'm can't see how he is in my formation. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that I cannot see what you are saying. This is maybe where I am going wrong (not spotting things that will come obvious to you and others).

Click the SI logo top left of your screen. Then click on the "Tactics, Training and Strategies Discussion". All outlined for you below.

You have posted in this forum before though...

Click the SI logo top left of your screen. Then click on the "Tactics, Training and Strategies Discussion". All outlined for you below.

You have posted in this forum before though...

I have other posts in the tactics forum but I didn't put them there because I didn't know to do that; they were all moved there. To be fair to me it's not really clear that you have to click on the SI logo. Anyway I know now and will do that in future.

Fair enough.

However, before people start spending their own time helping you again, you have made other threads recently asking for help. Lots of advice has been given, and yet here we are again with another new team and new save asking for help.

People give their time and advice freely, but if they start to feel like they are wasting their time when someone keeps binning saves after advice is given, they may become more reluctant to try to help you.

As a starting point I suggest taking a look at the "How to Build a New Tactic" sticky at the top of this forum now that you have found us. There are some excellent guides in there to help you with your initial set up.

Fair enough.

However, before people start spending their own time helping you again, you have made other threads recently asking for help. Lots of advice has been given, and yet here we are again with another new team and new save asking for help.

People give their time and advice freely, but if they start to feel like they are wasting their time when someone keeps binning saves after advice is given, they may become more reluctant to try to help you.

As a starting point I suggest taking a look at the "How to Build a New Tactic" sticky at the top of this forum now that you have found us. There are some excellent guides in there to help you with your initial set up.

I HAVE read through them threads but still don't understand it. I read that 12 step guide that somebody recommended me and I'm still no clearer. I have watched video after video about how to build tactics, how to spot weaknesses in your tactics, etc etc. I've even tried other people's tactics and they haven't worked (as an example I saw a video where a guy showed you a counter attack tactic he had which worked really well with Villa, so I tried it with Norwich, who are a similar standard team, and it was awful. The video had like 70 likes and 1 dislike so obviously the guy wasn't talking rubbish, I must have just done something wrong)

Maybe I'm stupid but I need it REALLY dumbing down because so far I am putting hours and hours in to the game, not just playing it but researching about it, and I'm getting nowhere.

All Im trying to ask you guys is, when you start a team, say whether it's a big team like Arsenal, average team like Stoke, lesser team like Norwich, or even a lower league team, HOW do you decide on which instructions to use. When you are looking through the instructions, how do you decided whether 'retain possession' would be a good idea or not? How do you decide whether to mark tight? What tempo to play at, etc etc.

Like I say, you've started a save with a random team, like my Norwich save. What do you look for and how do you decide which instructions to put on?

Sam, can you please let us know which account you wish to use? I've PM'd you without answer. Forum rules state that only 1 account per person is allowed.

Sam, can you please let us know which account you wish to use? I've PM'd you without answer. Forum rules state that only 1 account per person is allowed.

eh, I didn't even realise I was using 2 accounts. Which is the other one? I'll just keep using this one.

Which is the other one?

The post right above mine? SamL94

The reason I ask is because they used different emails to sign up so your log-in details will be different. If you're happy to use this one, I'll just ban the other.

Maybe I'm stupid but I need it REALLY dumbing down because so far I am putting hours and hours in to the game, not just playing it but researching about it, and I'm getting nowhere.

All Im trying to ask you guys is, when you start a team, say whether it's a big team like Arsenal, average team like Stoke, lesser team like Norwich, or even a lower league team, HOW do you decide on which instructions to use.

ok, basics.

Mentality defines how much risk you are willing to take. The Defensive mentality is very low risk. Attacking mentality is very high risk. Have a quick read of the Mentality section in the FAQs sticky to understand a little more about what risk is. Understanding risk can go some way to help you identifying which mentality to start with for you chosen team. Do you think Norwich would benefit from a risky mentality or a not so risky mentality?

Once you've read that, go into the game, load up the Tactics screen, click on Team Instructions and watch what happens to the TIs as you alter the Mentality. Notice how things like tempo, defensive line, closing down, width and passing all change - and refer those changes to what you now know about risk.

And speaking of Team Instructions, TIs simply help to define the style of football you want to play. For example, perhaps you want to play a classic long ball big man/little man striker combination up front, in which case more direct passing will help you. Maybe something more akin to Barcelona's tiki taka system is more appealing, in which case shorter passing and retain possession are your friends. Or you want to heavily press the opposition in their own half, therefore more closing down and a higher def line can help.

Just remember that the mentality you use will already go some way to defining your style of play, so using the attacking mentality (which comes with a heavy press and high def line by default) and then adding on more pressing and an even higher def line isn't always a good idea.

And finally you get to formation and player roles/duties. Your formation on the tactics screen is your defensive formation. This is important as you can start to see where your players are going to be when defending. Example - how much defending do you think someone in the AML/R position will generally do?

Your player roles and duties will help define your formation when in possession, so a fullback with an attack duty (for example) will tend to get further forward to help your attacks than a fullback with a defend duty. Of course the downside of that is your attacking fullback can get caught up field when you lose possession, so a balance of roles and duties is important to help cover that type of situation.

ok, basics.

Mentality defines how much risk you are willing to take. The Defensive mentality is very low risk. Attacking mentality is very high risk. Have a quick read of the Mentality section in the FAQs sticky to understand a little more about what risk is. Understanding risk can go some way to help you identifying which mentality to start with for you chosen team. Do you think Norwich would benefit from a risky mentality or a not so risky mentality?

Once you've read that, go into the game, load up the Tactics screen, click on Team Instructions and watch what happens to the TIs as you alter the Mentality. Notice how things like tempo, defensive line, closing down, width and passing all change - and refer those changes to what you now know about risk.

And speaking of Team Instructions, TIs simply help to define the style of football you want to play. For example, perhaps you want to play a classic long ball big man/little man striker combination up front, in which case more direct passing will help you. Maybe something more akin to Barcelona's tiki taka system is more appealing, in which case shorter passing and retain possession are your friends. Or you want to heavily press the opposition in their own half, therefore more closing down and a higher def line can help.

Just remember that the mentality you use will already go some way to defining your style of play, so using the attacking mentality (which comes with a heavy press and high def line by default) and then adding on more pressing and an even higher def line isn't always a good idea.

And finally you get to formation and player roles/duties. Your formation on the tactics screen is your defensive formation. This is important as you can start to see where your players are going to be when defending. Example - how much defending do you think someone in the AML/R position will generally do?

Your player roles and duties will help define your formation when in possession, so a fullback with an attack duty (for example) will tend to get further forward to help your attacks than a fullback with a defend duty. Of course the downside of that is your attacking fullback can get caught up field when you lose possession, so a balance of roles and duties is important to help cover that type of situation.

To the OP - this is brilliantly explained in so few paragraphs. Take proper note of what Herne has written as it will make things a lot clearer. Especially the 4th paragraph.

The more you change from game to game, they harder it is to improve a tactic. The more you see of a tactic the more you will get a feel for what your instructions have created rather than what is a player doing something creative or a mistake. Before tweaking for specific opponents I think you need to concentrate on making a solid tactic.

Your formation, instructions, roles and duties all need to work together, you can't just put whatever roles&duties with whatever mentality&style. herne79's explains this really well in more detail.

The post right above mine? SamL94

The reason I ask is because they used different emails to sign up so your log-in details will be different. If you're happy to use this one, I'll just ban the other.

Ooops, I didn't even realise I was using 2 accounts, sorry. I must be logged in to 1 device on one account, and 1 on another (though I'm not sure why I made 2 accounts, maybe I forgot the password for 1...). Are you able to see which emails the accounts are on? If so can you keep the one on the email 'blinky...........' and delete the other? Thanks

ok, basics.

Mentality defines how much risk you are willing to take. The Defensive mentality is very low risk. Attacking mentality is very high risk. Have a quick read of the Mentality section in the FAQs sticky to understand a little more about what risk is. Understanding risk can go some way to help you identifying which mentality to start with for you chosen team. Do you think Norwich would benefit from a risky mentality or a not so risky mentality?

Once you've read that, go into the game, load up the Tactics screen, click on Team Instructions and watch what happens to the TIs as you alter the Mentality. Notice how things like tempo, defensive line, closing down, width and passing all change - and refer those changes to what you now know about risk.

And speaking of Team Instructions, TIs simply help to define the style of football you want to play. For example, perhaps you want to play a classic long ball big man/little man striker combination up front, in which case more direct passing will help you. Maybe something more akin to Barcelona's tiki taka system is more appealing, in which case shorter passing and retain possession are your friends. Or you want to heavily press the opposition in their own half, therefore more closing down and a higher def line can help.

Just remember that the mentality you use will already go some way to defining your style of play, so using the attacking mentality (which comes with a heavy press and high def line by default) and then adding on more pressing and an even higher def line isn't always a good idea.

And finally you get to formation and player roles/duties. Your formation on the tactics screen is your defensive formation. This is important as you can start to see where your players are going to be when defending. Example - how much defending do you think someone in the AML/R position will generally do?

Your player roles and duties will help define your formation when in possession, so a fullback with an attack duty (for example) will tend to get further forward to help your attacks than a fullback with a defend duty. Of course the downside of that is your attacking fullback can get caught up field when you lose possession, so a balance of roles and duties is important to help cover that type of situation.

Hi, thanks for this detailed reply

I have put a certain paragraph though in bold, as this paragraph sums up basically what I am trying to ask. You say that I should base my team instructions on the style of play I am using. But this is the main problem I am having. HOW do I decide, based on the team I have, which style of play I should do? When I look at the team I am, and the players I have, how do I decide what style to use? How do I decide whether a tiki taka, retain possession style would be better, or a faster, attacking style? Or maybe a hoof ball style?

Like I say, I've started a Norwich save. If YOU made this save, what would you look at from the players you have to decide which style is going to get you the best results?

Ooops, I didn't even realise I was using 2 accounts, sorry. I must be logged in to 1 device on one account, and 1 on another (though I'm not sure why I made 2 accounts, maybe I forgot the password for 1...). Are you able to see which emails the accounts are on? If so can you keep the one on the email 'blinky...........' and delete the other? Thanks

Neither use that email. One (SamL) is a SamL hotmail account and the other (SamL94) uses a livers.... BTinternet account. I can always pick one at random, so it'd be good to know which one you want to keep.

Neither use that email. One (SamL) is a SamL hotmail account and the other (SamL94) uses a livers.... BTinternet account. I can always pick one at random, so it'd be good to know which one you want to keep.

Ok, I am really confused. I haven't used that hotmail account in about 2 years, and that livers account is my parents email, so I don't know why I used that.

The only thing I can think is that I might have made an account on blinky651@yahoo.co.uk years ago, and ended up forgetting the password, so when I wanted to post on this site again this year I had to set up a new account..

Anyway, could I keep the one on the livers...BTinternet account? if thats ok? Is it possible to merge the 2 together or will you just delete the other one?

I'll ask. I'm sure merging is possible, with the BT log in details kept.

Unfortunately, deciding the style of play is a decision that you alone need to make. You don't always have to make sure it suits the players at your disposal but taking a look at the attributes should give you a good idea of the type of players you have which will make the decision easier.

For example, say you wanted to play a direct style (with a target man), you would maybe check if your forwards have good Off The Ball, Agility, Balance, First Touch and Strength so they can trap the ball and hold it up for onrushing attackers.

Or if you want to play a counter attacking style you may want to check if you have fast players with good Decisions, Work Rate and technical ability so they can exploit the open space quickly and effectively.

Of course these are just ideas and maybe my own personal take on things, but its the way you should try and think when approaching the creation of a style. Maybe a good place to start would be to ask yourself what sort of football you enjoy to see as you'll probably have a good idea how to implement it.