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Old timer returns to beat his brother!

Southern Buddie

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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Well I've been away from the game for a while and it has changed somewhat. My brother has just bought the game also. He has challenged me to compete with him. He is taking over Manchester United and I am to do the same. The challenge is to win as much as possible and him challenging me makes me think he has a few tricks up his sleeve. The only rule is - NO TRANFERS IN THE FIRST WINDOW.

I think I might be able to set up a simple base tactic, but as I've learned, there are no plug and play tactics for this version. That is for the better IMO and tinkering is the key.

The main issues to get my head around:

What shape to use? (And do I keep this the same no matter what opponent)

Strategy and more importantly what level of fluidity?

How to play Rooney, RVP and Mata in one system?

I'm thinking with the players available my shap should probably be a 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. Defensively I think I could set my team up, but attacking space is vital, which I find hard to apply on the game. And team instructions and player instructions boggle my mind. I'm worried about overkill in this area.

The others areas of the game, I have covered. Transfers, squad building, training, the financial side of things etc.

Any starting tips you could give me and/or along the way would be priceless.

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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Well for the majority of my league games, at least, I will be favourite. So I'm assuming that the best way for me to play would to use controlling possession football, using the technical qualities of my forward players to create passing moves and chances. Then for those games that I am facing teams of similar or greater quality, especially away from home, I guess a counter attacking style would be better.

Rooney, RVP and Mata would be starters in either style as I see them as my 3 star/key players. I could probably add Carrick to that list, as he is the only central midfielder with good passing and creativity and that I can rely on. I see him starting moves from deep. He has no real back up if injured though. So there might even have to be a plan C.

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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I am between a 442 with Rooney and RVP up front and Mata out wide or a 4411/4231 with Rooney behind RVP. Carrick would be a DLP in the middle, probably defensive duty and the other role may have to change depending on who his partner is. Valencia can provide width when he is playing and the full backs when he is not.

The plan would be to build a balanced squad, able to play in the one system with the 2 tactical strategies mentioned above.

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llama3

llama3

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The biggest tactical balancing to work out for me, is how to balance van Persie & Rooney & Mata all in the same team. If you want to play a lone forward, how do you accomodate the missing player? Who do you play up front? - I like your idea of van Persie up front and Rooney behind. So if you go 4-2-3-1 for example, how do you plan to play them so they don't get in each other's way? I don't see Rooney as a playmaker, he is too involved, rather than sitting waiting for the ball to come to him. Which would, in my opinion limit you to either Shadow Striker or Attacking Midfielder roles. A Shadow Striker may play a little extreme with regard to goalscoring. So if you want just a goalscorer, then a SS fits best, or, if you want a more all-round performance an AM(A) will achieve this. Then, this leads on to the following; if Rooney plays as an AM(A), how does van Persie accomodate this? He either needs to stay high and move across the line, or, drop deeper (or roam too) to create space for Rooney. Then, you need to consider the wider midfielders/attacking midfielders - if you have van Persie and Rooney - you don't want to get in their way too. So, I would look to have a winger on 1 side, then Mata on the other as an AP(S) (or WM(S) with player instructions for riskier passes and coming inside). I would then consider how the full backs will interact. You need width always, the question is who provides it. If you have an AP(S) then, you need an attack duty behind him to create a natural overlap. I would decide which side you want the winger, and factor in which side has the better attacking full back. Mata could be effective either way. I personally avoid having wing back behind a winger situation, it could see them get in each other's way (but if you feel it will work, then feel free to give it a go). I would look at which side is your attacking full back(or wing back) and play the defensive duty in midfield on the same side, with the support duty on the other, this provides cover for the advancing full back. Regarding central midfield, I think you have several different options, i look at Fletcher and see a CM(D) or BWM (D/S), Carrick a CM(D) or DLP (D/S), Fellaini a BBM(S) or DLP (D/S) or CM(D), Cleverly maybe a CM(S) or BBM(S). Consider your number of specialist roles when considering your philosophy. Finally, your team instructions, I tend to stick with 3-4 key instructions - you can then adapt your team easily. I would just use things like "more direct passing" or "shorter passing", maybe a naturally "high line" or "deeper line". I find it dangerous to limit your side to 1 style only, unless it is a key philosophy of yours. Sometimes you need to sit deeper, sometimes you need to press higher, sometimes hassling exposes gaps, sometimes it is essential to cause mistakes.

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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One of the areas where I don't even know where to start. Along with strategy.

I think i need one strategy for teams who sit back against me and another for teams who push up against me. But I'm not knowledgable enough to set out these two ways of playing. This is why I need the help.

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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Well Man Utd traditionally attack the flanks, so perhaps something like Play Wider, Exploit the flanks, Higher Temp and defensive line?

And then in those matches where I'm going to sit deeper and counter, something like play narrower, be more disciplined, stick to positions, lower tempo and defensive line?

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llama3

llama3

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Exploit the flanks is the kind of instruction that seriously hinders you if your opponents shape negates your strength in the flanks. You also have 3 midfielders, so I would be careful about exploiting the flanks. Although play wider would still help maintain that traditional style of play.

Play narrower will funnel your play centrally when you counter, not sure if you will want to do that, considering Man Utd's traditional philosophy. A low tempo could stop you transitioning quickly on the counter too.

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Flohrinho

Flohrinho

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As a big team I usually have two main formations which are 4-2-3-1 Denmark and 4-4-1-1. The 4-2-3-1 is more attacking and more pressing orientated while the 4-4-1-1 is in general a bit more conservative and used against other teams as well as when I want to see out a game. I also have a 5-3-2 Conte style in case I need to shut up shop against another strong team or play a narrow formation with two strikers.

Roles and duties I strictly distribute like it's advised in the "pairs & combinations" thread as well as in WWFan's "twelve step guide". I consider those two guides absolutely essential to finding the right setup for your team.

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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So what about something like.....

DE GEA GK(D)

RAFAEL FB(S)

FERDINAND CB(D)

VIDIC CB(D)

EVRA WB(A)

VALENCIA W(A)

CARRICK DLP(D)

FELLAINI CM(S)

MATA WM(S) - cut inside, riskier passes

ROONEY AM(A)

RVP CF(S)

What do people think of this set up? What strategies and shouts would be best to use?

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Southern Buddie

Southern Buddie

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This is what I was thinking of. It's rough and feel free to make suggestions or changes...,

Gk (d)

FB (s)

Cb (d)

Cb (d)

Wb(a)

W (a)

Cm (s)

DLP (d)

Wm (s)

Am (a)

Cf (s)

4-4-1-1 formation - fluid - counter

Hassle opponents

Push higher

Short passing

Possibly higher tempo

Win the ball back as quick as possible, then punish them. I was thinking about using PI on the WM to get Kagawa/Mata/ januzaj playing more like a playmaker/ inside forward. I would have to make adjustments elsewhere depending on team selection though.

Would it be worth putting the wide midfielders up into the AM strata to aid winning the ball back quicker, or can it work how I have it set up anyway?

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llama3

llama3

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You aren't far off at all. Roles and duties are excellent. Your sharp is versatile - you can press or stand off. Just be cautious about what defensive strategy you want - hassling and countering are generally opposites - it can work, but you'll need to judge it really carefully.

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CamillePunk

CamillePunk

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your TIs tell me you want to play a high pressing, possession game so I think you'd rather go control over counter mentality, again based purely on what you have in the thread so far. in that case you could abandon the push higher and high tempo shouts as control plays higher and faster by default.

also, don't fall into the trap of thinking only the counter mentality counters. all mentalities counter. I often score on the counter with my control tactic.

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