How do you decide on why playing style to use?

Ok, so if you've read some of my other threads you will know that I have been struggling on FM this year. I have been playing FM since around FM12, but I have never been a massive guru at it (I've always played it on and off).

Anyway, I have been reading quite a lot about the different mentalities, different TI's, etc, and have learnt some things.

There is still one thing I am unsure though, and I suppose this is the thing that is confusing me most.

How do you decide, when you start a save, which playing style to use?

Are you somebody who has a specific style that they like to use on ALL saves? Or is it better to judge what style would be best based on the team you are, and the players you have?

If it is the latter option, how do you decide? When you have started a save with team, whether it be with a 'big' club like Man City, a 'lesser' team like Sunderland, or even a lower league team, HOW do you decide on what style to use?

How do you know whether a tiki taka, retain possession style would be better? Or maybe a direct, pass in to space, high tempo style? Or maybe a counter style? Or a hoof ball style?

I think I am now pretty clued up on what instructions to use based on the style. But I am just unsure how to know what style to settle on, based on my team?

It all depends on your player attributes, thats where everything starts from.

I look at my players, then I see what tactic they can use, finally I create a system where they can play the same tactic in a variety of ways from going defensive to offensive. Always play the style of football you like. '

You can sit back, soak up and hit on the counter by playing defensive football. You can also take the same defensive mentality and turn it into a tiki taka system. Then you can use the same tactic with the same team and turn it into a direct attacking tactic. It really all depends on you.

For years people have been overcomplicating the game, people come in and they go. You need a different tactic for different kinds of teams. That's totally wrong. You can create one tactic, choose the right roles and duties and then play the same system in 3 different ways. So your tactical familiarity takes a hit, so what, tactical familiarity is over-rated. The most important thing is that you as a manager understand why you do what you do when you do it.

Funny,

i'm on the opposite side of Rashidi1.

i don't analyse my players attributes at the start of a save game. I decide the way i want to play, set my tactic and players roles to allow that style, and then (if i need it) go find players with the right attributes.

I usually like to play with a 4123 DM Wide formation, and usually like to play Control/attacking football. So i start from there.

In some quarters people don't even look at attributes but look at stats, look at Chris Darwens blog for proof of this.

I think the game seems almost random at times, I just go for what the game says is needed for each role and try use that.

I tried a DNA etc but it's quite tenuous at times.

I guess I'm somewhere between rashidi & Keyzer and a lot will depend on the club you are managing.

At a bigger club with money you have more freedom to mould the squad while with a smaller one you have to work with whats there.

Generally the first step is to work out what you have which a quick look at the overall stars for the squad give you an idea. The main questions I ask myself are: Are there any wingers? How many strikers? How many DCs?

From that you can decide if you want a more defensive, top heavy or balanced shape. Then it comes down to 1, 2 or 3 strikers? 3, 4 or 5 defenders? then fill in the midfield with the rest.

I aim for a shape that can fit in most of the better players in the squad especially at smaller clubs.

As for style a lot will come down to how you are viewed by other clubs which the media prediction can help you with. Expected to finish towards the top of the league then most teams will set up more defensively against you, expected to struggle against relegation then teams will come to attack.

The first step regardless of what anyone says will always be to look at your players to see if they fit into your preferred tactic. We all start with a preferred tactic, then we look at player attributes to see if they fit into our style of play. I like to look at attributes because this tells me how many different tactics I can actually play, and once I develop my DNA i go into my flavor of the month tactic.

The beauty of the game is that it fits different styles of play for different people. If I feel like a 4231 I whip one up, if i feel like a 51222WB I toss one into the pot. Others like to have 3 tactics and they fit the players into the system. I just happen to like the "one ring to rule all rings" strategy.

Funny,

i'm on the opposite side of Rashidi1.

i don't analyse my players attributes at the start of a save game. I decide the way i want to play, set my tactic and players roles to allow that style, and then (if i need it) go find players with the right attributes.

I usually like to play with a 4123 DM Wide formation, and usually like to play Control/attacking football. So i start from there.

I'm with this guy. I don't care about what my players can do at all. They'll learn to play as I want them to play. Never had a problem, not even when I was managing Basingstoke Town. I trust myself enough to pull off the style of football I want to see, even if it means having a frustrating season.

Obviously there are multiple ways of doing things. I think basing your tactic on your player is a good approach to trying to win in the short term, because it's probably the most efficient use of your resources. After all, it's easier to change your tactic than it is to do a squad overhaul.

However, there are those of us who play the game to realize a football vision, or trying to role-play, then the player be damn!

I create a tactic around my players, every single time. To me that means that I can make use of their strengths and also cover any weaknesses.

I don't do anything 'out of the box' very often, so it's a very standard decision making process for me.

One of the better clubs: Standard tactic #1, Standard tactic #2 that has a different shape in case I come across a formation that mine #1 tactic is weak against, defensive tactic. Most of the time it'll be just the 1 tactic I use, unless a specific situation calls for 1 of the other 2.

One of the weaker teams: Cautious Tactic that will be used the most, "normal" tactic against equals. I might throw in a 3rd tactic later, that is also a different formation for if I spot a specific weakness against another formation.

Everything else is decided based on the players I have.

What can be done with a team that has insufficient numbers of defensive MF-ers, a massive amount of competent attacking midfielders/playmakers, and 3 strikers, but 2 of which are big, lump Target Men? Central defenders are not great, especially at mental attributess. Figuriing out the abilities of players in a team is really hard.

What can be done with a team that has insufficient numbers of defensive MF-ers, a massive amount of competent attacking midfielders/playmakers, and 3 strikers, but 2 of which are big, lump Target Men? Central defenders are not great, especially at mental attributess. Figuriing out the abilities of players in a team is really hard.

Do you have full backs or wing backs? Who are you managing?

You could look to loan in a few players but perhaps something like a 352 system with wing backs (if you have them)

With no DMC's I would advise a flat back 4 or a 3 man centre back system.

Do you have full backs or wing backs? Who are you managing?

You could look to loan in a few players but perhaps something like a 352 system with wing backs (if you have them)

With no DMC's I would advise a flat back 4 or a 3 man centre back system.

I have good side defenders. I am managing the strongest team in Scotland, Celtic. I have 2 ball winners/defensive midfielders, but only one has a clue about tackling, in the midfield section of the team- I try to get the other one sold and replaced. I often quit because a slump in form happens domestically- I cannot reverse it. Despite my supposed status of favorite to win, I am struggling to actually be miles ahead of the opposition.

My main issue is: I do not know what sort of style can the team play?

Now I am utterly baffled, you said you had no defensive midfielders but now you have two?

Now I am utterly baffled, you said you had no defensive midfielders but now you have two?

I said insufficient numbers of defensively oriented MF-s.

get some in on loan then and play 442 with two dm's, that's what I play and I man mark any formation with wingers

Pretty much every year I have the same pattern:

I start a save with a team I like, that I have no intention of having as my long-term save, but it becomes it due to the time investment and subsequent attachment to it.

In these, I feel my way to a tactical system that works, though is rarely that adventurous - usually a 4-1-2-3 wide or 4-2-3-1, mostly standard and prior to this year, flexible, but fluid this year. The idea would be that I have a logical, tried and tested setup I decide on via the players at my disposal, with roles that provide a balance of suiting my players and being balanced as a system with movement in between the lines.

I basically stumbled across my 4-1-2-3 (standard, fluid) in '16, intending to play a steady, solid possession-orientated system but, despite that, it actually ended up being an effective counter attacking system, commonly having less than 50% possession but a lot more chances than the opposition.

I then start other saves to try out, for me, more adventurous tactical systems, and rarely do I get so much out of them, mostly because I don't have enough time in my life to again go through the process of tweaking to improve and getting dispirited by early failures.