My Tactical headache

[bdixon]

Every version of FM I always use the same tactic, the 4-1-2-3 or 4-3-3, which is fine and I'm happy with that, I tend to get some good results. But now I'm wanting to create a brand of football which is also pleasing on the eye, so what are my inspirations:

• 
  [li]One touch football, a lot one-twos being played.[/li]
  [li]Possession based football, not high possession for the sake of it.[/li]
  [li]High pressing, I want the relentless terrier like pressing, we lose the ball I want it back straight away.[/li]
  

Now I know some of these aren't going to be visual like real life, but I would like something pretty close.

So here's the tactic

Team Instructions

Shorter Passing - For me it is an obvious choice for the one-twos I'm wanting to see.

Higher Tempo - I chose this because by selecting shorting passing that reduces the tempo, I don't want players holding onto the ball for long periods of the time.

Play Out Of Defence - Simply because I want to build from the back.

Close Down Much More - The terrier pressing I want.

Now after watching a few games, I'm not really seeing the style of football I so desire. Am I barking up the wrong tree, am I expecting too much of the ME. Common problems I am seeing are players too far away to attempt one-twos, is Fluid the wrong Team Shape? Would Roam From Position be a better option?

Would love to open up a discussion about this style of play and whether people have had much success replicating it in-game.

Thanks for your time.

[summatsupeer]

Pictures of what is happening with comments on where/what you want them do do instead would help.

Do your players have the ability to play this style? Do they have PPMs that help or hinder the style?

[gunnerfan]

One thing to consider when you use Close Down Much More as a TI - it tends to pull your players out of position, so that they may not be able to readily resume their preferred attacking roles.

[bdixon]

Well I'm playing as Ajax so I'd imagine most players having the ability to play this way.

I've started adding some PPMs to help enable the style on play I'm after, my wing backs and and CM(A) have been giving play one-twos. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Conflictinbanno]

One thing to mention, as I've tried and failed to create this before in terms of the with the ball style. It will be hard to get lots of 1-2's I'd imagine without the PPM's on the players, however to encourage quick 1 or 2 touch football, you need to limit the dribbling at the same time and also potentially even players holding onto the ball. Now the higher tempo will probably help with the latter, but I don't think it would discourage a player from dribbling, I think an IF has the dribble more PI attached to it, so this might hamper it if they get the ball as they will look to run at the players, not sure if it would be better to maybe move the players to a say 4141 formation and use the wide midfielder role or maybe just adding the TI dribble less and see if it would help it a bit?

[bdixon]

I don't really want to change the formation as I'm playing as Ajax and I want to keep the essence of the 'Ajax way' which is 4123DM. I even hire all my staff with the same preferred formation. But yes the Inside Forwards do have the PIs which is dribble more but it is a risk I'm willing to take as I don't want to be too conservative, the extra dribbling may come in handy vs stubborn defences.

I have changed my Team Shape to Highly Structured after reading Cleons 'Art of Possession Football' my thinking is with this team shape the players will work together more passing it around, no prima-donas trying the stupid Hollywood passes.

Still waiting the PPMs to be learnt, how long does it take.

[bdixon]

I think I may have a little bit of a eureka moment while reading Lines and Diamond part 4.1 Mentality, there is a very useful table which highlights a lot about each mentality, now for me wanting to create a quick passing based style I naturally assumed control would be the best selection, but according to this table Control has build of style of 'transition quickly' and a tempo of move ball quickly, now I want one of these 'move ball quickly' but I don't want the quick transition. So reduce mentality.

Standard which is a mentality I never would think of using. Seems to be the best option, if has a build up style of 'judiciously' and a tempo of 'balanced' but I want to move the ball quickly so I have selected 'higher tempo'.

Hopefully this will help with my search for the style I want.