Sliders

[mrdorf]

Just about getting the hang of them and have a decent idea of how they work. I was just wondering what the difference between one CB being two clicks up from normal mentality or closing down (doesn't really matter as I'm just wondering about slider numbers) and the other being one click up from normal? Why isn't there just a simple function to choose whether you want your defender to be defensive minded, ultra defensive, normal or attacking and have it left at that, with the computer just adjusting things under the bonnett, so to speak. I'm sure SAF doesn't say I want you [Rio] to play defensive by number 12 defensive not number 14 defensive.

[furiousuk]

Despite what you might here a 1 click difference makes almost NO difference, and, like you say, it's totally unrealistic anyway.

If you use the TC you wouldn't have to worry about the sliders if you didn't want to. You can set their duty to Attack, Support or Defend which is basically the same as what you're after (albeit slightly more simplistic).

I'm not sure what you mean by 'normal mentality'.

[mrdorf]

I actually do use TC but tweak things with the sliders but only a little. Say I have CB defending from own half then I'll have the DM defend a few clicks up so during the game he's near enough defending with the CB (really sorry if it's confusing). I wouldn't know whether to have a player 14 clicks on attacking or 16 I just guess.

What I mean by normal mentality is you have normal defensive and attacking mentalities on the players sliders. So he'll either play defensive, normal or attacking.

One other thing I'd like to add. In terms of closing down. I decide where I want my players to start closing down by having their slider in the middle and pretend that's the middle of the pitch so if I move the slider left the defend further up the pitch and right to defend further down the pitch.

[ham_aka_stam]

When I first set up my tactics I mentally set an "average mentality" that I want the team to play with, and then, like you, build that to suit the team based on who I want where. My CMs are either side of the average, the defensive one being a couple of notches above the CBs and the same as the FBs etc. etc.

As for closing down, I actually use the verbal descriptions to start with, top of "In Own Area" for Gks and CBs. FBs in the middle of "Own Half", CMs higher in that section, and everyone else spread out through "Whole Pitch". I then play a few games watching lots of the game to see whether that's right and tinker a bit until I'm happy. The same applies to mentality too.

What I would say in reference to the SAF and Rio comment, is that whilst he won't say, "Rio, you're at 12, Vida, you're at 10", he may say, "Rio you play a couple of steps forward of Vida, but Vida, you close the ball down slightly quicker."

He might also say. "Rio, you're doing well, but I want you to play one step further forward than you are at the moment. And Vida, you're closing down just a tiny bit too early". Obviously they're more likely to do that in training than a match, but that's beside the point.

That, in my opinion, is the reason for having 20 notches, not because you need that many when setting the team up initially, but to allow fine tuning of players after that.

[mrdorf]

I understand. Just seems that someone that isn't sure what they are doing might find it confusing. Really glad they put the TC in as it was really hard to understand how to set up a team without it.