Basic Guide for Tactical Team Building; Planning & Preparation

[Zico10]

Basic Guide for Tactical Team Building; Planning and Preparation

“It’s not a simple task to structure the tactical team building process in guidelines that make sense, are useful as well organized. However, a coach can formulate ground rules which he can base his teamwork on.

I strongly believe that a coach has to stick to his principles within the team building process, even if there is a chance that a result of a match may not turn out in his favour.”

Rinus Mitchells

This is dedicated to Salvador Cabañas (get well son) for the goals scored and enjoyment, to CREW, SA, and Jonas for providing me with an insight into their saved games and the hurdles they have faced.

Since most manager's focus their believe in tactics and players, or a big team, big players and big money, overlooking the whole approach to Tactical Team building processs, none is a ticket to success. It only gives you a platform to build upon, that most teams lack. But without planning and preparation it will come down crumbling and surprise, surprise, before you know it, the dreadful “vote of confidence” is coming your way, and you will be left wondering after being kicked out, how “your” AC Milan couldn’t beat Siena at home.

So, here is my Basic Guide for Tactical Team Building; Planning and Preparation - Tactics and Training

PHASE 1

GENERAL PLANNING

• Staff meeting / Team report: based in my tactics - identify key areas.

• Budget Administration: Money to spend or “wheeling and dealing”?

• Staff Assessment: Which one is needed? 1st Team coaches, Fitness coaches, Youth coaches, Physio’s?

• Squad Organization:

Basic rule, 22 outfield players, 1 each position, plus 3 GK.

Reserve team: Players over 21 years old, transfer listed unless they have potential.

If they don’t fit the tactic and I want to keep them, “Position Training” to new position.

Youth Team: Same policy as reserve team.

• Team Settings:

Assistant Manager with good Judging Ability and Judging Potential attributes takes control of youth team and renew contracts.

Do not allow Assistant Manager to renew contracts with first Team or Reserves.

Reserve Team and Youth Team play same Tactic as first Team. It will be easy to fit when called upon to the first Team.

PHASE 2

APPROACH TO TACTICAL TEAM BUILDING AND TRAINING

• Staff - Assistant Manager- 5 core attributes: Man Management, Determination, Motivation, Judging Player Potential and Judging Player Ability.
  Other attributes depend on what I want from him and in which areas.

• Coaches: Preferably 1 coach for each assignment and 2 coaches for assignments with most players.
  

• Coaches Job – 1st team coaches only, as they will take charge only of the 1st team training allowing more time with players.
  4 Core Attributes: Minimum of 4 stars in 1 of the 9 coaching schedules, plus Determination, Motivation, and Man Management.
  

• Youth Coaches – 6 Core Attributes: Determination, Motivation, Level of Discipline, Judging Player Potential, Judging Player Ability and Working with Youngsters.
  

• Physio’s – Minimum 2, Core Attributes: Physiotherapy and Determination.
  

• Backroom Staff Meeting – Important regarding player’s development.
  

• Squad – Players not needed offered to other clubs, and automatically transfer listed.
  

• Players with high CONTROVERSY and INJURY PRONE assessed for transfer listed.
  

• Identify the players I need to fit my tactic.
  

• Create a new Shortlist, and De-Activate it to avoid other teams to bid for same player's.
  Move all your potential buy's to this Shortlist you created, after you set it NOT active and clear the Default of all player's.
  It will save you heartache avoiding the dreadful auction for player's when you make a bid, unless the news are spilled to the media
  

.

• First Team, Reserve and Youth Team - all play same Tactic.
  

• Key area- Goal Keeper and Striker!
  

• Goal Keeper - (You may not win a game because of a GK, but you will lose because of him). The Almunia’s Law!

Core Attributes: Positioning, Decision, Concentration, Anticipation, Rushing Out, One on Ones, Reflexes.

• Striker – Core Attributes: Stamina, Pace, Off the Ball, Composure, Determination, Anticipation, Finishing, Technique.
  

• Players - Core Attributes: Determination, Passing, Anticipation, Stamina, Composure, Technique, and Work Rate.
  

• Reserve Team Structure: room for young players to progress, and interact with young players to be tutor by a Star Player.
  

• Investment in Young Players - Core Attributes: Professionalism and Ambition.
  

Fixtures

• A minimum of 10, 15 friendly games (shared between First Team and Reserves) needed for players to adapt to new Tactic. This is Key to mount any challenge.
  

• As the Pre-Season progresses you start to get the picture about the tactic and players.
  

• Choose small Teams to play against so you can win easily and boost Team Morale.
  

• Away games can get some cash if needed. Start friendly games from 2nd week to avoid injury and overload Players on heavy load fitness training.
  

• International break’s play against your U-18’s to keep unused players fit.
  

• Countries without reserve league, create games for the whole season against your U-18’s or small team's.
  Preferably twice a week, Monday and Thursday, so they will always be fit for the weekend.
  

Tactics

• Do I fit my players to Tactic or fit Tactic to players?
  

• My philosophy is “Attacking is the best form of defense”, so I always play an Attacking Tactic and look for players to fit the system.
  

• Home or away, is the same, regardless if it is Barcelona or a Navy & Army XI.
  

• Fluid and Attacking, Short Passing, Slow Tempo, Wide Pitch to allow more space for creative players, Deep Defensive Line to avoid spaces behind, Counter-Attacking, (somehow my defense is harder to beat when Counter-Attack is on).
  

• Take your time organizing your set-piece taker's, after squad is complete. It will make a difference!!
  

CUSTOMISE TEAM VIEW IN TACTICS PANEL TO AVOID PICKING PLAYERS "LACKING MATCH FITNESS"

Assistant Manager

• Asked to take control of the Opposition Instructions, under my supervision, just in case he misses someone.
  

• Team Talks, I gained some insight from Bubbabaytuna and some others but just use my own and common sense.
  

• Some start with “wish luck” but for me it doesn’t work, as my players prefer “you can win this”.
  

• During games be aware of Players getting knocks, as 90% of cases you will concede straight after, if his Fitness level drops significantly.
  

• Below 75% Fitness level, as he turns red, he is a top candidate for substitution, unless the game is not safe and playing around an 8.
  

• Around winter time, check the weather; muddy pitches are difficult to play a short passing game.
  

Training

• General Fitness Training (Strength) for all players for first 2 weeks to increase Stamina (Intensive), with 2 notches heavy overall.
  

• GK’s with their own Schedule.
  

• After 2nd week, start Specific Training, still 1 or 2 notches on overall heavy, for each position and individual players, if need to improve some attributes.
  

• 4th week, as we approach Competition, Training back to medium overall.
  

• I don’t overload players with heavy Training after 2nd week to avoid injury, as I’m about to start playing friendly games.
  

• During the season, I keep an eye for games coming “thick and fast” to avoid “burnout” and injury, and usually I rest players for 1 or 2 days after matches.
  

GENERAL FITNESS TRAINING (STRENGTH=STAMINA) - FIRST 2 WEEKS

Conclusion

After all the hard work have been done, the Team naturally starts to adapt to the Tactic setup and find the right balance within the system, so the rest of the season is just observation, judgement and actions. With careful Tactical Team Building approach, Team Planning and Training Preparation, you can be successful.

Remember when downloading “plug-and-play” tactics, that different Manager’s make different Judgement's, so you have to rely on your Planning, Preparation and Decision Making.

That’s the key.

Take care and be happy.

[jojko]

Great thread!! Can you past your friendlys screen. I want to see how you set this 10-15 matches. And i will try you advise and beggin Roma or Juve save.

[jojko]

And if you have some advice about Juve or Roma tactic i will be very thankful.

[Kawee]

You played 10-15 pre-season friendlies? That seems like such an over-kill. Is it worth it?

[Zico10]

Great thread!! Can you past your friendlys screen. I want to see how you set this 10-15 matches. And i will try you advise and beggin Roma or Juve save.

Just arrange friendlies every 2, 3 days; first team and reserves, play your XI in one match and second XI in next match.

[Zico10]

You played 10-15 pre-season friendlies? That seems like such an over-kill. Is it worth it?

If you want your players to adapt to tactic, it takes time and games. For me it's crucial if I want to start the season in form.

[jojko]

But when i have tired players and some get injury that some players do no fit in tactic.

[CREW]

Great idea this thread Zico mate. Well done. :-)

So friendlies is the main key to getting the tactic itself to a good start? I'll keep that in mind. I usually try to get the friendlies out the way as fast as possible but I suppose if the game is realistic it's best to get a team gelled in order for a tactic to perform best.

Cheers.

[J.Price]

Great threat, I'm going to try this all now, maybe as Stoke. Do you think your tips on tactics will still work with someone like Stoke?

[Cleon]

Good thread

[jim morrow]

Thanks for your guide but Can you tell me how to have fitness in the tactical panel with word like Match Fit, fully fit etc...cause I have only fitness column with number (example 100 or 75 or 62) and not word.....

[Zico10]

Thanks for your guide but Can you tell me how to have fitness in the tactical panel with word like Match Fit, fully fit etc...cause I have only fitness column with number (example 100 or 75 or 62) and not word.....

Go to "View" and choose Customise, look for and add General Fitness to the right screen, and take out the ones you don't need, like age, goals etc. Once it's OK, it should be there, if not try to drag the separation colunm at the top, to increase or decrease the width in between the names, condition, fitness, morale etc. until the Fitness appears.

[Zico10]

Good thread

Thanks Cleon, Jojko, Crew, J.Price, Kawee and Jim Morrow.

[pilsken]

Nice OP.

[Tertziniu]

brilliant thread man ... i will give a shot for my Steaua Bucharest ...i try to bring club in top of Europe ...

[RyanBabel]

Rinus Mitchells ? you mean Rinus Michels