jefflackey Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I decided to try to create my own tactic in FM11 after using other folks' for years. My goal: I like playing a fluid, offensive game, my strategy is the best defense is a good offense. I'd rather win with a 4-1 score than a 1-0 score - but I want to win! I always start unemployed, and see what team will take me as their head coach, and since I'm a "YanK" I include the MLS in addition to all of the UK leagues. Normally I start in the lower English leagues, but this time a weak San Jose team in the MLS hired me. Not a great team at all, picked to finish rather low, and the board will not allow me to hire any decent coaches. So a real challenge. I did have a couple of good wingers, so I wanted a formation that would let me use them. I had decent but not great strikers, and managed to pick up a good but not quite great striker in the transfer market. I also shored up my defensive line a bit, but again, not world class at all. I tried a few tactics from here to get a "feel" for the best formation, and I liked Knapps 4-2-2-2 because of the wide attacking midfielders. However, I was getting killed by even average teams - leaking goals and I seem to be back on my heels defending a lot (to be fair, Knapp let me use an early version he was just testing.) I also wanted to make a Wizard version of a tactic, as I like using the sideline instructions, and the simplicity of reassigning roles for each position. So I started with the tactics creator, started with a 4-2-2-2 formation, and started tweaking: (ignore the tactic name on the screenshot, I had misnamed it before saving, obviously not a 4224! LOL!) I played a lot with trying to be strong on defense, with mediocre results. Then, just for fun, I decided to try something targeted at keeping my opponents so busy trying to keep me out of their goal that they wouldn't have time to attack me! So these are the player roles I used: Keeper: Defend Both Center Backs: Defend Both Full Backs: Automatic MCL: Deep Lying Playmaker - Support MCR: Central Midfielder: Support AML: Advanced Playmaker: Attack AMR: Advanced Playmaker: Attack STRCL: Poacher:Attack STRCR: Advanced Forward: Attack I started out with a fairly balanced to rigid strategy, starting games in Standard mode to feel out the opponent, etc. After all, my team was only average to mediocre, and I didn't want to fall behind 4 - nil in the first 20 minutes! But the results were pretty "eh" - not so great. Then I decided to let my guys have some fun and just go for it. So I moved the philosophy to fluid, the strategy to attacking, moved my defensive line up a bit and told the defense to play hard and tough (more closing down, man marking, and for the defenders who can handle it, tackling harder.) I then set individual instructions for my two AMs and Strikers to let them roam a bit and be fairly creative. In essence, telling them to have fun and make some magic, and don't worry if you try something special and it doesn't work. I also routinely set the OI to closing down and tight marking on the opponent's strikers. That seemed to reduce the number of easy goals they were getting. The results: An immediate enormous increase in results. We won the first 3 of 4 matches, and had quite a few more shots and on target shots. We beat teams that were better than us 3-1, 4-1, and 5-2, and lost one to the league leader 2-3 with both of their goals coming on corners (need to work on set pieces!) and my strikers had several CCCs that they just weren't good enough to put in the net. After the team adjusted to the tactic the fun began. Suddenly, a rival Houston team that crushed us in two previous matches was put on their heels for the entire match, and we beat them 5-0. I play with Key Highlights in 3D, and the entire match the vast majority of the action was in front of their goal. We ended up with shots being 15-4 in our favor. Still in the first season, but we've climbed from bottom of the heap to leading the league, and both of my strikers are leading the league in goals. What is really fun, for me, is the flowing, creative action in front of the opponent's goal. We seem to be keeping the action in their 3rd for most of the game. If my strikers were better we'd be winning even more - I pull my hair out at all of the one on one's my strikers get and then shoot the ball right into the opposing keeper (though my AMs often score on the rebounds.) Added: Here is a typical results screen - LA is a higher rated, better talented team. The odds were in their favor before the match, we won 4-0, and my strikers missed 5 one on ones with the keeper. While possession looks mixed, the game was played in front of the LA goal for the entire match: Anyway, this is my first attempt, and I decided to share it with anyone interested. Again, I have a mediocre club, so I don't know if a top club would do better or worse with this (I would imagine a club with superb AMs/Wingers and Strikers would be fun to watch!) Feedback is welcome - remember it takes some games for the team to "learn" the tactic. If it works for you or you find some tweaks to make it better, please share! If you try it and it sucks for you, well, I'll give you a refund for triple of what you paid! Cheers! Docdaddy Tactic Download: http://www.filefront.com/17532730/docdaddy 4-2-2-2 V2.tac UPDATED: Version 4 with tweaks, and change in AM roles - results have been 13 games without a loss so far: http://www.filefront.com/17538400/docdaddy 4-2-2-2 V4.tac Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 One additional comment: Instead of the normal "Team Blend" for match preparation, I have set it to "Attacking Movement." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 OK, final result for the first season, we were in last in the league when we started with this tactic, predicted to finish low, and with no additional transfers we've won the league (MLS.) Our average goals for changed from 1 per game to an average of 3.7 per game. Amazingly, for a tactic that is targeted at being overwhelming in the attack, our goals allowed dropped from an average of 3.2 per game to an average of 1.1 per game. On average we out shot our opponents 16 - 6. What is most fun is that, even when we don't score, the pressure is unrelenting. The play is in the opponents third for most of the game, and the attacks are free flowing and coming from all sides. Not perfect, we did lose the occasional game to teams with much higher talent, but only a very few times, and even then it was often a result of my strikers just not converting numerous chances. I need to determine how to improve my strikers percentages when they get a 1 on 1, as they get several per game and usually just shoot it directly into the keeper's hands. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 Just an addition: in the second season, managed to get a pretty good AML and set the two AM roles to Inside Forward: Attack, and we're winning even more convincingly. In the second season with a decidedly midrange at best team, talent wise, we're 10-1-1 and outshooting the opposition by an average of 14-5. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumars Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Going to give this tactic a run will keep you up to date if you wish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 20, 2010 Author Share Posted November 20, 2010 I would appreciate the feedback. I've been extremely surprised at how successful it has been for me - normally, I only get results like this when using someone like Knapp's or Mr. Hough's tactics. I simply expect to win every match now, and I am constantly getting comments from other managers in the game talking about how impressed they are at our success with "such limited resources." The key is to have a couple of strong, creative AMs for those wide positions, and putting them at Inside Forward: Attack roles and giving them the freedom to make things happen. I'm hurt with injuries right now (and hurting due to the MLS salary cap!) and having to play subs in at the DM and central defense roles, and even had to sub for my main striker due to his being suspended, yet we continue to win with scores of 4-0, etc. It does take time for your team to adjust - we didn't start getting the amazing and fun results until the match prep screen showed that the team had learned the tactic pretty well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 21, 2010 Author Share Posted November 21, 2010 Updated OP with tweaked tactic. So far with this version we're on a 13 game streak with zero losses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieman Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Im 6 month in with las palmas in season 1. Im in 5th spot atm. Predicted 16th. Did not buy or sell any players. So good start. But im getting fed up with those crosses and gooaaall ... I dont know if im gonna continue to play fm, i just wanted you to know its a great tactic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 21, 2010 Author Share Posted November 21, 2010 Thanks for the feedback. The only way I've somewhat handled the crosses is to tight mark and close down the strikers in OI every game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
villevari Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 i realy like the tactic the only problem is that i get a very big amount of yellow cards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 i realy like the tactic the only problem is that i get a very big amount of yellow cards I do have the closing down set to harder than average, as I recall. You can back that off to try to lower the cards (and of course, it also depends on the temperament of your players.) I've been experimenting with pulling the defensive line back a bit, lowering the overall closing down, but then always tight marking and closing down the opposition's strikers in the OI's before every match, and have some great results (we're still scoring about 4 a game, but now only giving up about 0-1 per game on average.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted November 24, 2010 Author Share Posted November 24, 2010 Just an update - we've won the league two years in a row, and in the second year we went 20 matches without a loss. We even had a match that was predicted to be a draw, and I had 2 players out with injury and 3 players called up for internationals, so I had to play two players in positions in which they were incompetent, and we still won 3-0! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieman Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 How is it going with your tweaked tactic..? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted December 8, 2010 Author Share Posted December 8, 2010 Still using the second one posted in the OP, and doing very well. Started a new season with Hereford, League 2, and we just beat two Premiership teams in the Carlton Cup (3-0, 2-1.) I did have to go find a better AML - you have to have good AMLs for this to work. I have also found that giving private chats and preferred move to "cut inside" for the AMs helps even more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony1885mfc Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Start a couple of new saves after downloading version 4 of your tactic. Start off with Liverpool to see how it panned out and was impressed so decided to start a new save game with my beloved Millwall side. I've finished the first season and here are the results. final league table media prediction 23rd transfers top scorer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefflackey Posted December 11, 2010 Author Share Posted December 11, 2010 Very nice! Glad to see others have been able to achieve some success with it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.