Handling Promotion

[Connelldo]

As Crewe I won promotion comfortably in my first full season in charge playing an attractive attacking passing game. I played a 4-4-2 system whereby one full back tucked in with the other overlapping a support wide midfielder, one winger running at the defence and one striker dropping off the front and another getting in behind. I played with fluid philosophy, with mostly either control or standard tactic (everything else default although I use the shouts during matches to tweak) which lead me to walk towards promotion, comfortably finished 2nd behind Notts County.

However, this season my success has started to unravel. I was confident I had the quality of players to carry on playing the same way but now I find myself down the bottom of the table. I'm conceding quite a lot despite strengthening the personel I have at the back, often late on. I need to tighten up my side but I'm not exactly sure how to do it without completely changing my tactics (remember the majority of my players are flair players who are comfortable on the ball, I don't have the players to play an agricultural long ball/pressing style).

I've tried switching to 4-5-1/4-3-3 playing on the counter with an anchor man and making my full backs more defensive but it doesn't seem to help. Any ideas?

[Connelldo]

*Update. I just changed my shape to a more conventional English game ie 4-4-2 Target Man/Poacher combo up front, two attacking wingers and playing more direct, more disciplined and a high pressing game (I had to loan another midfielder to be able to do this). I won comfortably, but I feel a bit dirty doing it. What I'm looking for from the posters on here is a way to still keep the ball on the ground with a bit of flair but to still be solid defensively.

[Cleon]

http://www.community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=181444 This might help you, especially the season 2 section I did.