Higher tempo

[Ciderarmy]

Hi everyone is it possible to play control,fluid team shape on higher tempo as I read somewhere that if you play this way you're players will rush there passes and hit more long balls is this true?

Im asking as when I played it was all about quick build up play one touch passing and when the opponents had the ball you close them down very quickly and I'm wondering if this can work in football manager 

[Jorsin]

I've read that it can work - but I think you need to have players with the right attributes to be able to pull it off. I would guess (though no doubt someone will point out if I'm wrong) that you'd be looking at passing, composure, first touch and technique...and this would need to be throughout the team if that's the style of play you want.

[herne79]

The Control mentality sets a high tempo by default, as well as a high amount of team pressing.

[Ciderarmy]

Thanks herne 79 when you say hi pressing does this mean my team will then create lots of space for the opposition to exploit on a control mentality 

[westy8chimp]

the higher mentality you choose the higher the default setting for tempo and press is...

if you play a high line... and press more you will put their ball carrier under pressure... but concede a lot of space in your own half (your D Line will be around the half way line) so you are susceptible to the long ball ... or if they beat the first press (i.e. pass it around your players) then the through ball will be on. This can be offset with quicker CBs who have good positioning agility balance and pace etc... or using a cover duty to act as a sweeper as added protection to the high ball. Or you can accept the risk and 'use offside trap' and just hope that the benefits of the strategy outweigh the risk.

higher tempo encourages your players to make decisions quicker and play with higher intensity ... and control/attacking mentality tells them to take more risk and in essence when possible keep the passing going forwards as often as possible. so you need a tactic with good movement so there is always options ahead of your ball carrier... they need good touch and off the ball movement (with other creative/vision/technical abilities) so it's quite a lot to ask your players.... if a pass isn't on immediately... you run more risk of the player making a bad judgement (long shot, long risky pass etc) because you are asking them to quickly get the ball forward

the benefit is you can stretch packed defences quicker... not allowing lots of time for them to set themselves between transitions... you encourage constant attacks from your team.

with a lower tempo you benefit from better decisions, more possession ... a lot of the time better chances but fewer of them. but you are allowing the opposition to get into their shape.

[Ciderarmy]

Thanks westychimp yep I agree watching matches in more detail passes do seem to go longer on a higher tempo even with short passing on pi but it's catch 22 as on a lower tempo the opposition do retain there shape better 

[westy8chimp]

59 minutes ago, Ciderarmy said:

Thanks westychimp yep I agree watching matches in more detail passes do seem to go longer on a higher tempo even with short passing on pi but it's catch 22 as on a lower tempo the opposition do retain there shape better 

that's where sensible use of your 2nd and 3rd tactical slots come in handy... or minor tweaks during the game.

in my arsenal save id start with low tempo, short passing, normal line, standard mentality, roam from position ... and because my players have great technical and mental stats... I'd given them a tactic in which they would dominate the ball and they then had the decision making skills to use their own creativity to fashion attacks.

if it wasn't working ... i.e. 60 mins in and im still 0-0 at home to Burnley ... then I go to tactic 2 which is attacking mentality and mixed passing normal tempo.. ping it a bit quicker but still hold the ball and look for options if there is nothing immediately on

then if its 75 mins and still 0-0 tactic 3 would be higher tempo, attacking, and id have changed some duties to attacking such as IF s to Wg attack and a bbm s to CM attack for instance.