Plug and Play...RIP

[Preveza]

I was a big fan of the P&P tactics. But in FM11 these days are long gone. In the beginning, I was disappointed and kept blaming the ME being poor etc.

I decided to start a new game and use the TC to make a flat 442. I started with Horsham in the Ryman Premier Division. I was predicted to come 21st. I finished 2nd and got promoted during playoffs. I was astonished.

Its basically common sense. I used a rigid philosophy and usually started on Standard mentality, but changed that based on what I thought during the game. If i was getting dominated, Id change to counter, and used a few shouts.

If I couldnt penetrate the defence, I would use ' work ball into box' for example. I am now in love with the game again, and despite a few ME bugs, I am loving it.

IRL, Sir Alex wouldnt use a 4123 for a whole season without making tweaks. For example, If Man Utd was up 2-0 in the 60th min, Sir Alex would most likely slow play down and retain possession, instead of continuing with the original game plan. I feel FM is trying to become more and more realistic, therefore the Plug and play days are more or less over IMO.

I hated this idea, but now enjoying this game more then ever. I never tweak player instructions. I simply change the player role If i need to, based on their attributes. I was promoted to the Blue Square North, and now am sitting in 1st position after 21 games.

[J.T]

I completely agree mate, all about judging the situation and adjusting your tactics accordingly

[lewis999]

So much better this way I agree, at least now you have to have some idea about tactics to be able to be successful.

[J.T]

Can't decide whether I like it or not :confused: Did plug and play tactics work on FM10?

[heathxxx]

Good to see someone else getting into the Tactics Creator and exploring the possibilities.

Much of it really is common sense stuff, which was always the aim of the Tactics Creator, in order to overcome the apathy and lack of any real idea for the vast majority of people, what they should do with the sliders. Of course "under the hood", the sliders are still there for anyone who wants to make more finite choices.

I love the Tactics Creator interface, along with the shouts. It's easier to understand, much more visual and is presented in football terminology. Although I was always comfortable using the sliders, it was always extremely difficult trying to translate what I was doing, if ever someone asked. Nowadays, I can easily explain the positions and roles I'm using, along with any other tactical instructions, because they're there in black and white for everyone else to see in their own game.

All we need now, is a "Training Creator" interface

[knap]

Tactics for Dummies is simply another form of plug and play tactic. However, the way it was setup is very restricting to tactical development because of the way it locks into mentality systems, and this insane tactic changing every few minutes.

[wwfan]

Tactics for Dummies is simply another form of plug and play tactic. However, the way it was setup is very restricting to tactical development because of the way it locks into mentality systems, and this insane tactic changing every few minutes.

Anyone who thinks the TC produces Plug N Play tactics hasn't understood it at all. It interlinks with the dynamic elements of match play, the strategies and shouts. It is not supposed to produce a static one tactic beats all outcome, rather a base system that can be adapted to many elements, such as pitch condition, match scoreline, the weather, opposition formation, opposition strength etc. It is as far from Plug N Play as you can get.

Can you expand on the other elements of your criticism? What insane tactic changing? What evidence do you have for it? What don't you like about the mentality systems? What is missing from the options? How has it restricted tactical development?

These type of generic criticisms are very unhelpful as they neither aid understanding nor supply any information about what could be included in the TC that it fails to capture right now.

[Preveza]

Tactics for Dummies is simply another form of plug and play tactic. However, the way it was setup is very restricting to tactical development because of the way it locks into mentality systems, and this insane tactic changing every few minutes.

Knap im not too sure what your trying to explain here.

IMO, the TC is the realistic way to go. I loved P&P tactics, but I believe SI is trying to 'weed out' this sort of idea.

[mibsweden]

I would love to be able to use the tactic creator, but it is hard to get it to play for example a very short passing play (3-6 notches) and no crossing, no run with ball in general, creative midfield + offense and less creative defensive players. Just a few examples.

At the moment I am using a tactic made with huge inspiration from Realmadrid_2007, and I feel that his tactics would be very hard to implement with standard tactics + shouts. When I try it, I still see players crossing too often for example.

I still use sliders during match though, for example defensive line, tempo, time wasting, but it feels a little too inaccurate with the shouts. How deep will my defensive line be if I have 10 standard defensive line and use the shout drop deeper? Will it become 6 or 8?

[knap]

Preveza

The TC is like painting by numbers and you will never create a masterpiece, it is not an original.

I do not keep changing tactics because I have a single philsophy system which is how I would approach tactics in real life. SI would be very misguided to take a "weed out" approach, as IMO Mangers such as Wenger have a style of play. mibsweden has actually provided a very good example of style of play.

[foolier]

Plug and play has been dead for a while, you cannot use one tactic and never change its settings anymore and expect to do well, it all depends on what players are at the club and if you have enough funds to get players to fit into a formation you know does well or create something new(ish) with the players you have...Your great tactic might utilise 2 good AMC's but if you don't have the funds to buy two good ones you have to change it, and you're not going to play same way you do with Madrid then with West Brom for example.

So many things need to change game by game now and in game that its impossible to have a tactic that works for every team without doing any work yourself, those days are gone.

Personally I'm not too good at FM, still don't understand some of it or when I take over a team what style to play or with quick or slow etc, pot luck whether I get it right, and I also have trouble with changing something when the Al changes how it plays against me, again i find its pot luck for me whether the thing I change will work, but thats just me being rubbish.

imo the TC should be used as a base and alterations made to it depending on what players you have, the TC doesn't know the players you have, does it? e.g, I normally put long shots to rarely for most my players unles playing on wet pitch, the TC isn't going to do everything for you but you can play any style you wish or however you wish with it with some more changes.

[Kawee]

Plug and Play is most definitely not dead at the top level.

I've always dominated with P&P, and I still do in FM11. The reason it still works at the top level is because circumstances do not change for the top teams. Especially once you've become the best team in the world, you'll deal with the same type of AI behaviours week in week out, with the odd big match against the likes of Barcelona. So your winning recipe works forever.

However, for lower teams, your circumstances changes. A counter-attacking tactic may get you to overachieve in one season, but as your reputation grows, team defend more against you and you struggle to counter-attack. Now you have to create a tactic that will allow you to unlock that defense.

With top teams, teams will come to park the bus and looking to nick a goal, every week, so you just need a tactic that will take care of that. Then you can make the smallest changes against the big gun.

If you play a long-term game, you won't even have to do this since the AI is incapable of building a squad anywhere near as good as yours so in a long term game, your squad will simply be heads and shoulders above the AI team, allowing your P&P tactic to be even more established.

At least, that is how it's been with me.

[foolier]

True, that makes sense too I suppose, I like to play with a variety of teams so for me, least in first few seasons, lots of changes need to be made.

[melogroovy]

I don't know, it seems to me if plug and play tactics were supposed to be viable, instead of being manager one would be the DOF.

[higgins]

I would love to be able to use the tactic creator, but it is hard to get it to play for example a very short passing play (3-6 notches) and no crossing, no run with ball in general, creative midfield + offense and less creative defensive players. Just a few examples.

At the moment I am using a tactic made with huge inspiration from Realmadrid_2007, and I feel that his tactics would be very hard to implement with standard tactics + shouts. When I try it, I still see players crossing too often for example.

I still use sliders during match though, for example defensive line, tempo, time wasting, but it feels a little too inaccurate with the shouts. How deep will my defensive line be if I have 10 standard defensive line and use the shout drop deeper? Will it become 6 or 8?

This is why we'd need custom shouts.

[knap]

I would agree with Custom Shouts and very disappointed in avoiding this aspect.

This is a brief overview from a match I played tonight out of very few.

Spurs start with 343 which I consider a cheat tactic to start trying a ME exploit, but as always after going a goal down this changes to 523 with No7 Lennon at full back. Cheat tactics and playing players out of position straight away and made even worse by the TC indicating correct roles..

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The only time I can check AI tactic changes is from formation screen.

Now a man down a formation with 1 in Midfield (?) but note position.

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Every 5 mins there is a postion change indicating a tactic change

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I have the screenshots to show this and not the worst example.

The AI are rapid tactic changing and if using mentality changes as well will produce a similar effect to arrows from FM08 and therefore a cheat.

I await a sensible explantion.

[warm]

@Knap: I'm glad you posted this. I've had two season where we've been productive for 3 months and then couldn't buy a win. I've tried attacking more and lost, controling more and lost, countering more and lost.

The AI will always have an attack in injury time. Watching the ME is horrible. At one point, 1-0 up and in control, the AI heads a corner clear to a breaking player. My fullbacks (on defend), both rush the breaking player and he hits an awesome pass to his all alone team mate. The team mate races forward and lashes a shot in off the post. Fair play, the team involved were Carlisle.

On the other hand, I've done well in this FM and I think motiviation is harder to get right, but with a bigger reward.

Is the AI incredibly nasty; no. Does it cheat; I hope not. Is the game frustrating; yes.

[DirtyJoe]

I don think the ME cheats, what I have noticed that does a number of things in quick succession -

If a man down and trailing 1 nil, it will often look to constantly change formation and mentality to grab an equaliser - as any manager would, with the exception of that it can do it quicker than we can through the match controls.

[ricardomac]

I don think the ME cheats, what I have noticed that does a number of things in quick succession -

If a man down and trailing 1 nil, it will often look to constantly change formation and mentality to grab an equaliser - as any manager would, with the exception of that it can do it quicker than we can through the match controls.

I agree with your last sentence. I don't understand why we have to wait for the game to stop (for a throw in or something like that) for the shouts to make an effect. In real life when you shout to the field, players move or apply what you say instantly. That should be fixed.

[wwfan]

Preveza

The TC is like painting by numbers and you will never create a masterpiece, it is not an original.

I do not keep changing tactics because I have a single philsophy system which is how I would approach tactics in real life. SI would be very misguided to take a "weed out" approach, as IMO Mangers such as Wenger have a style of play. mibsweden has actually provided a very good example of style of play.

Again, there's a misundersanding of how the TC works here.

It is perfectly possible to create a 'style' of play through the TC. The philosophy, adjusmtents, roles and duties determine the style. What the TC then adds is dynamic strategies throught the shouts. Playing on a skiddy, fast pitch, then 'Get Ball Forward'; wanting to impose your greater technical strength, then 'Play Wider, Drop Deeper, Retain Possession, Play Ball into Space, Work Ball into Box' to open up space and passing angles and encourage dangerous passes; struggling to defend, then tighten up and clear the ball away from danger etc, etc.

Everything I've ever understood about sport relates to understanding your own strengths (developing a playing style) and then determinig strategies to make best use of the conditions/opposition strengths/weaknesses (strategies, shouts). No football manager ever plays the same way against everyone. They all prepare meticulously. Read any summary of Ferguson, Wenger, Dalglish, Guardiola, Mourinho and they will all talk about their focused preparation for all opposition. Thay all produce teams that play in a distinct way, but they also adapt for each opponent.

Not that I am saying the TC is perfect. I'd really like far more control over the style elements as I don't think they are sophisticated enough. I also think other elements should be more customisable.

Another argument I struggle with is the focus on not having enough control over the d-line / width etc. The slider numbers are so abstract that not knowing whether it is set at 6, 8 or 10 is irrelevant. I also have no idea why the 343 is a 'cheat' tactic. It is easy to overcome. Simply overpower it on the flanks and compress play around the forwards. Some of these perspectives really make me scratch my head in puzzlement.

[iolodavanki]

I plug and play a tactic called "4-2-2-2 il devasto standard modern".

It works a treat, just make sure you play a big guy as the target man and good wingers, preferaby left-footed on the right and vice versa on the left.

[knap]

with the exception of that it can do it quicker than we can through the match controls.

This makes the AI use of tactics unrealistic.

Diablo, which was before my time overloaded the CBs, with 3 forwards, there is no reason for the AI to try to exploit this weak area let alone pushing Lennon to FB rather than go 442. I don't think I've ever lost to 343 just find it unrealistic that once you score the AI go to 523.

The problem I have with tactic changing is that it creates a dynamic element in the ME similar to arrows. It is not a clever change of tactics that provide an edge but a ME expoit, an example is the AI change to 424 score immediately and change to 451. I actual use a different base tactic for closing out and often score when I change which supports this dynamic change as it is a defencive possession tactic.

Can you confirm the maximum number of times the AI can change tactics during a match?

Changing the way a team plays often results in failure as its not a tried and tested system (seen this many times) and as such changing is a risk. Every FM Manage has there own philosphy on how to play games and both mibsweden and Higgins have indicated a lack of vision with the TC, but there is not a right or wrong way to use the tactical systems available. I actually stopped making these tactical adjustments such as drop deeper or play wider way back in FM07, as its not my preferred way of playing the game and probably only really used 442 since FM09.

I struggle and headscratch over your comments re D/line because you cannot accept that other players have their own ideas and the TC and your appoach is the only way. My recollection of rule of 1 and 2 was that these numbers were highly critical and players like Lovesleeper has another interesting view on tactics.

[knap]

AI trying to make a back 4 into 5, again insane unrealistic tactic changing, and gives me major concerns about how the AI are set up.

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[lucatonix]

But these position changes make next to no effect on the game, or player positioning. The MC if moved to MCl just moves around looking for any space on the MC line. He will not only stick to the left half of the pitch.

The 2 CBs in your screenshot will not line up with a big hole during play. Only during set pieces when the teams actually line up as they do on the formation screen is the hole apparent.

Yes this minor bug should be fixed but it is not a game breaker. In fact unless you had your formation screen on, do you realise these positional changes are occuring? If not then, it isn't resulting in the arrows of FM 08.

[wwfan]

with the exception of that it can do it quicker than we can through the match controls.

This makes the AI use of tactics unrealistic.

How? If you watch a full match, you can change things just as quickly as the AI. You don't need to do that though. Extended highlights give you plenty enough opportunity to make proactive changes.

Diablo, which was before my time overloaded the CBs, with 3 forwards, there is no reason for the AI to try to exploit this weak area let alone pushing Lennon to FB rather than go 442. I don't think I've ever lost to 343 just find it unrealistic that once you score the AI go to 523.

Mes prior to 11.3 definitely had some overpowering issues down the centyre. 11.3 doesn't so the 3-4-3, or any 3 narrow forward formations, no longer have any inate advantage.

The problem I have with tactic changing is that it creates a dynamic element in the ME similar to arrows. It is not a clever change of tactics that provide an edge but a ME expoit, an example is the AI change to 424 score immediately and change to 451. I actual use a different base tactic for closing out and often score when I change which supports this dynamic change as it is a defencive possession tactic.

I rarely see major formation shifts. I certainly don't think they are as prevalant as you are making out. However, I would agree that major formation shifts shouldn't be happening much and the AI should mainly be using strategies and shouts.

Can you confirm the maximum number of times the AI can change tactics during a match?

Doubt there is a limit. The AI reacts to match situations / conditions and responds to them.

Changing the way a team plays often results in failure as its not a tried and tested system (seen this many times) and as such changing is a risk. Every FM Manage has there own philosphy on how to play games and both mibsweden and Higgins have indicated a lack of vision with the TC, but there is not a right or wrong way to use the tactical systems available. I actually stopped making these tactical adjustments such as drop deeper or play wider way back in FM07, as its not my preferred way of playing the game and probably only really used 442 since FM09.

This is the argument I really struggle with. Minor tactical switches (as with the shouts) do not often result in failure if you know what you are trying to achieve. Really big switches (such as dropping the d-line from 18 to 2) might as they can completely change the balance of your side's play.

I struggle and headscratch over your comments re D/line because you cannot accept that other players have their own ideas and the TC and your appoach is the only way. My recollection of rule of 1 and 2 was that these numbers were highly critical and players like Lovesleeper has another interesting view on tactics.

There have been some major step forwards in thinking since we wrote about the Rule of One. I don't see any need to refer to sliders or slider numbers any more. They are only tools. The TC allows you to work with concepts. As long as you understand and trust them, you can do pretty much anything. The TC settings are all relative to each other and ensure you can't break things when making conceptual tactical changes. As I said previously, it is not perfect and does need extra sophistication in a number of areas. However, to dismiss it as Tactics for Dummies or a Plug N Play tactic creator misses the entire point of what it does.

[Noel Gallagher]

I disagree about 'Plug and Play' being dead.

In all of my saves for FM2011 I have played the same formation and tactics with each team I have managed and it has brought me success. The key for me is not to make alterations all the time and to let your team blend together.

I tend to purchase the players capable of playing in the roles I have specified and buy players who are up to standard for the particular division I am in at the time. I have gone on some long unbeaten runs using just the same tactics within the TC. I only tend to make changes if I have had a man sent off.

For me, it's all about having the correct players for the formation / roles you have specified.

[DirtyJoe]

I disagree about 'Plug and Play' being dead.

In all of my saves for FM2011 I have played the same formation and tactics with each team I have managed and it has brought me success. The key for me is not to make alterations all the time and to let your team blend together.

I tend to purchase the players capable of playing in the roles I have specified and buy players who are up to standard for the particular division I am in at the time. I have gone on some long unbeaten runs using just the same tactics within the TC. I only tend to make changes if I have had a man sent off.

For me, it's all about having the correct players for the formation / roles you have specified.

Could agree more - I do exactly the same.

[wwfan]

I disagree about 'Plug and Play' being dead.

In all of my saves for FM2011 I have played the same formation and tactics with each team I have managed and it has brought me success. The key for me is not to make alterations all the time and to let your team blend together.

I tend to purchase the players capable of playing in the roles I have specified and buy players who are up to standard for the particular division I am in at the time. I have gone on some long unbeaten runs using just the same tactics within the TC. I only tend to make changes if I have had a man sent off.

For me, it's all about having the correct players for the formation / roles you have specified.

Once I have the players I want, I play in a very similar manner. I do have a set of regularly used shout strategies (Pass Ball into Space, Work Ball into Box for a perfect pitch, Get Ball Forward for a wet pitch, Exploit the Flanks for a chewed up pitch / against a narrow formation being three such examples), but I rarely make major strategic changes, starting every match with a Control strategy and stickigng with it a good 90% of the time.

However, I am a lot more strategically proactive when I have a weaker team or the player mix isn't what I want. I'll then toggle through the strategies at a much higher rate to see out tight matches or try and snatch late wins. I don't change formation shape though, only strategies, roles, duties and shouts, depending on which players I have on the pitch and the match situation.

[knap]

I play in a very similar manner.- Plug and play then.

I have gone on some long unbeaten runs using just the same tactics within the TC.- Plug and play

I've seen the AI change about every minute their formation let alone undelying instructions and its just nuts. No limt confirmed

3 narrow forward formations, no longer have any inate advantage - Mr Hough 4123

[crouchaldinho]

Once I have the players I want, I play in a very similar manner. I do have a set of regularly used shout strategies (Pass Ball into Space, Work Ball into Box for a perfect pitch, Get Ball Forward for a wet pitch, Exploit the Flanks for a chewed up pitch / against a narrow formation being three such examples), but I rarely make major strategic changes, starting every match with a Control strategy and stickigng with it a good 90% of the time.

However, I am a lot more strategically proactive when I have a weaker team or the player mix isn't what I want. I'll then toggle through the strategies at a much higher rate to see out tight matches or try and snatch late wins. I don't change formation shape though, only strategies, roles, duties and shouts, depending on which players I have on the pitch and the match situation.

I play in pretty much the same way, except I have preferences for different shouts in different situations. However, the basics are there.

I'm more likely to start in a different strategy but I'm generally quite consistent with my strategies, rarely changing and only if I have seen evidence that my current 'plan' for the match isn't working, which is usually reasonably rare anyway. I'm more likely to use a combination of shouts to try something different. Overall I tend to avoid making major changes. I very rarely change the formation unless player availability dictates that I must.

[knap]

Mr C

Overall I tend to avoid making major changes. I very rarely change the formation unless player availability dictates that I must.

My guess is most of FM Managers end up playing this way and it does not matter if its from a download tactic or TC tactic.

[knap]

I would prefer Barcelona to play like Barcelona and not resort to these knee jerk 523 tactics.

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[knap]

I thought this was sorted out in 10.2 but yet again I can win a game without a defence for 90mins.

These sort of issues need to be sorted rather than subtle tactic changes

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[phnompenhandy]

In the OP, preveza made a very astute observation. What he's saying is that thanks to the TC we can play employ our FOOTBALL intelligence to play FM. No more thinking about exploits, sliders, notches etc, just realistic football. He's absolutely correct and I fully endorse his point.

What this thread is doing is showing that there are still many die-hards who just cannot play FM as a FOOTBALL simulation. They are still trying to outsmart binary code. If thinking and playing that way floats your boat, good luck to you, but along with the OP and wwfan, I'm mightily grateful that the TC has enabled us to simulate football management better than ever before.

[knap]

If you take this to be the Barcelona passing set up then its way off.

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[knap]

phnompenhandy

Its all us we play properly against them using exploits. This is all wrong- look at lovesleepers ideas or TBH ideas from the TC.

The TC is basic schoolboy football, painting by numbers, because it lacks the vision and style of custom tactics with shouts to enable development. You need to use your imagination more and not just plug in a TC tactic and say hey I'm now a football manager.

[knap]

From the TC have a look at the closing down setting for the Trequartista and its set at own goal line as closing down is where on pitch. Even the basic foundation of the TC is poor and not explained.

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[Preveza]

In the OP, preveza made a very astute observation. What he's saying is that thanks to the TC we can play employ our FOOTBALL intelligence to play FM. No more thinking about exploits, sliders, notches etc, just realistic football. He's absolutely correct and I fully endorse his point.

What this thread is doing is showing that there are still many die-hards who just cannot play FM as a FOOTBALL simulation. They are still trying to outsmart binary code. If thinking and playing that way floats your boat, good luck to you, but along with the OP and wwfan, I'm mightily grateful that the TC has enabled us to simulate football management better than ever before.

This. Its a game. And the TC makes it feel like real football. I dont need sliders. Put it that way.

[wwfan]

From the TC have a look at the closing down setting for the Trequartista and its set at own goal line as closing down is where on pitch. Even the basic foundation of the TC is poor and not explained.

[[/url]

As always with the TC, there is a conceptual reason for this. Everything we read about a TQ suggested that he performed no defensive duties and instead drifted around the 3/4 space looking for opportunies to receive the ball. The best way to stop a player from doing anythigng defensive is to reduce his CD to zero and have him on light tackling and loose marking. To get him to roam and play like a TQ, he is given a free role and maximum CF.

[knap]

The best way to stop a player from doing anythigng defensive is to reduce his CD to zero

Does this mean that the CD slider has the function of both where and how much to close down or is there an off setting at zero.

[crouchaldinho]

The TC is basic schoolboy football, painting by numbers, because it lacks the vision and style of custom tactics with shouts to enable development. You need to use your imagination more and not just plug in a TC tactic and say hey I'm now a football manager.

So what, start fiddling with sliders and then you're a football manager? :confused:

Honestly, I think the TC and shouts are much closer to what being a football manager is about. I'd rather use the concepts of roles, duties and strategies, which I can name, instead of slider numbers.

You think a manager goes into a dressing room and says to a player, 'hey, you, mentality 17 and through balls often'?

More likely, he goes into the dressing room and says to a player, 'right, I want you to play the typical number 9 poacher role' etc.

I know what seems better to me, anyway.

[knap]

If you just wish to be childish and rude its end of discussion.

[crouchaldinho]

:confused:

[wwfan]

The best way to stop a player from doing anythigng defensive is to reduce his CD to zero

Does this mean that the CD slider has the function of both where and how much to close down or is there an off setting at zero.

It means he won't close down unless he's very deep on the pitch, which, generally, he won't be because of his positioning. Thus, he won't contribute to defending and will tend to stay in space most of the time.

Note that this doesn't hold true to all positions. Low CD does not turn off defensive duties. Rather, it helps attacking players avoid them.

[Marsupian]

And if a player is close to an opponent on the ball low CD won't stop him from putting on some pressure. It's just that the player won't feel obliged to ever close someone down but if he comes in a situation where he might be able to get the ball off an opponent or put some pressure on to help the team he will. He just won't actively look for those opportunities. It's also dependent on the players stats off course. You can't stop a highly aggressive hard working player with a lot of teamwork to not close down players. I'd imagine Dirk Kuyt would just ignore you all together and run around the pitch like a madman because that's just how he rolls you see .

[Karnage94]

Can I just mention one thing regarding Closing Down and defensive duties. Note I did this small test during FM10 so the results may not apply to FM11 although I think my point will still stand.

I was fiddling about with a tactic for the Chile national side creating their 3-3-1-3 formation they used in the World Cup (which changed to 4-2-1-3 depending on the opposition formation). The "1" was a Trequartista with the standard settings (freedom to roam, no defensive responsibility etc.)

So when it came to checking the analysis to see if my Trequartista was playing as he should I was surprised to find that he attempted 11 tackles and succeeded in 9. I looked back at the match to find this and while in defence he didn't do much in the way of tracking back, his natural position meant that he was always in a close proximity to the opposition DM regardless of how much he was roaming, so when the opposition DM got the ball the Trequartista locked onto him and tackled.

He won't go chasing the ball but if the opportunity is there to take then he won't pass it up. So no matter how much you reduce closing down and tackling, the player will in some form engage defensive duties