Roma under Don Fabio Capello

[Cholo991]

Okay, so I'm playing some legends patch and I decided to recreate Don Fabio's tactic under his Roma spell back in the early 2000's or die trying. The latest try is doing so so, but I feel it can be more productive and better.

Here are some screenshots of the tactic. I won't post results, as they are not that relevant because this is not the only tactic I use and also because I tried some minor (?) tweaks along the way.
 

Okay, so, the goalkeeper role was pretty plain and simple. Nothing fancy.

Back three: I contemplated between classic back three (Defend - Cover - Defend) and the sweeper role. I decided to use the sweeper and so far I don't have any specific concerns about that role.

Defenders are acting as stoppers as wingbacks go further forward.

Now the juicy part. Midfield. I decided to use Dm Dlp on defend duty as I felt Emerson was exactly that. Stable, but more creative of the two in the midfield. Another one is BWM.

And the three in the attack, Trequartista Totti was the obvious choice. Batistuta I felt acted as a poacher (or maybe advanced forward?), and I had no idea what was Delvecchio role. Maybe target man, maybe dlf , maybe defensive forward, I really really don't know.

Here are team instructions.  


Deep or normal defensive line, the question was then. I decided to use normal . Closing down left on sometimes. 

There are no specific player instructions.

I used this and some other games I found on yt as a guide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0TVy3eVgNU

So, do you have any advice? How can I make this tactic more efficient but solid?

Edited June 20, 2017 by Cholo991

[Jean0987654321]

There's an older here that tries to play this way

 

[Cholo991]

I know. I read it weeks ago and then again a few days ago, but I didn't quite found the answers I was looking for. I hope it's okay to leave this thread so we can find some other opinions? 

[Valtte]

For what it's worth, 

"base" formation

Quote

-------------------Antonioli 
------Zebina-----Samuel-----Zago 
Cafu----Tommasi----Zanetti----Candela 
--------------------Totti 
-------------Batistuta---Delvecchio 
 

defend

Quote

-------------------Antonioli 
Zebina----Samuel----Zago----Candela 
Cafu----Tommasi----Zanetti--Delvecchio 
--------------------Totti 
------------------Batistuta 

attack

Quote

-------------------Antonioli 
------Zebina-----Samuel----Zago 
-------Tommasi------Zanetti---Candela 
Cafu-----Batistuta----Totti-----Delvecchio

or

-------------------Antonioli 
------Zebina-----Samuel----Zago 
-------Tommasi------Zanetti---Candela

-----------------------Totti----------------------- 
Cafu-----Batistuta--------------Delvecchio

and when they get a lead and wanted to close out game

Quote

Cafu--Zebina--Samuel--Zago--Candela 

----Tommasi---Zanetti---Delvecchio---- 

------------------Totti----------------------- 

----------------Batistuta-------------------- 

It was a really flexible system. Capello loved Zebina because he was basically RB/CB hybrid so he could change 4-back to 3-back. Couple years later did same with Juve (Zebina-Thuram-Cannavaro, Zambrotta attacked like maniac etc.).

Edited June 20, 2017 by Valtte

[Cholo991]

Exactly. The only problem is I have no idea how to make them play like that. For example, how to make a player on Delvecchio role to cover wide areas and sit so deep while defending? Maybe giving him PI to mark oppositions fullback/wingback or something, but I'm not sure.

[ajsr1982]

1 hour ago, Cholo991 said:

Exactly. The only problem is I have no idea how to make them play like that. For example, how to make a player on Delvecchio role to cover wide areas and sit so deep while defending? Maybe giving him PI to mark oppositions fullback/wingback or something, but I'm not sure.

Completely agree with this. I have a smiliar issue trying to replicate the Kuyt role he used to play for Liverpool, which was part Raumdeuter, part Wide Target Man and part Defensive Winger.

The DW in the AMR/L slot was a reasonable proxy, but it's not available in FM17.

WM/A with IF-type PIs looks your best bet.

[Cholo991]

Ok, after few days of trying and failing, I think I'm on the right track. 

I changed formation to something like this.

Some of the roles are custom for some players.  For example, the role of the left holding midfielder is different when I use more creative player (for example Pirlo type player, or Franco Sensi - Pirlo for the poor).

For the role of the left striker or Delvecchio role, I decided to use Target man with some PI, but if you don't have the right player for the role, you can use dlf s. I alternate between those roles depending on the player I use.

 

These are the player instructions:

GK - Distribute to centre backs

Centre backs (Left and right ) - Mark tighter

Centre back (Center) - No instructions. But, if you have someone who is good with the ball, suitable for bpd role, great. I have one player on my team who can easily play libero, bpd, dm, cm, so when I play him, which is almost every game, he is a bpd on cover duty.

Right wingback - complete wingback attack with no additional instructions

Left wingback is on support duty with stay wider instruction. I want my wingbacks to stretch the pitch so that my holding mids, and especially trequartista can have enough space.

CM d - /

Bwm - / (this is for Zanetti role. if you play "Emerson" or have someone capable of playing dlp successfully you may want to give him more freedom, for example, more risky passes or something like that, but that is optional)

Treq - lol, if you have to assign any pi to your trequartista, I'm afraid you don't have a trequartista.

Target man or Delvecchio role - Close down more, Tackle harder, Move into channels.  I'm even thinking of maybe giving him the instruction to mark opponent fullback/wingback and maybe even roam from position, but I'm not sure.

Batistuta role - Still not sure whether I should use advanced forward or poacher.   I decided to go with a poacher for now. Player instruction - Move into channels.

 

That is all for now. This isn't by any means the final version of the tactic. I'm still using two other tactics, and I have only played half of the season using this one, so I'll post some results when I properly test it. For now, the results are Roma like in 2001. I don't concede too many goals, but I rarely score a lot as well. Except, of course, when my players go crazy, then I win 3 or 4:0.

 

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Cholo991

[duca015]

On 6/20/2017 at 11:55, Valtte said:

For what it's worth, 

"base" formation

defend

attack

and when they get a lead and wanted to close out game

It was a really flexible system. Capello loved Zebina because he was basically RB/CB hybrid so he could change 4-back to 3-back. Couple years later did same with Juve (Zebina-Thuram-Cannavaro, Zambrotta attacked like maniac etc.).

If I remember correctly, and I think I do, Emerson was starter, wasn't he?

 

I think Delvecchio and Zanneti were rotating in and out of first team, and it would change the way Roma played. 

Emerson was regista, someone who had free role to move, even to come in opponents box and finish moves, but not always. Zanneti (when he played) was BWM positioned on left side when he played, and during attack, he would move centrally and free up space for Candela to move in. When he played, Roma usually fielded in 3-1-4-1-1 formation. Tomassi sometimes acted like siting midfielder, and sometimes he was running from deep to finish off the moves. When Delvecchio played, this would become 4-4-1-1, where Tomassi and Emerson would be much more cautious to move forward comparing to previous version. In both formation, however, they defended in 4-4-1-1 shape. Delveccio was striker, but in this system, he played more like winger then striker.

Also, when they would chase results, they would change formation to 3-4-1-2, buy inserting Montela as second striker, and changing Totti with Nakata, who was more defensively active player then Totti was, and at the same time, he still provided enough creativity in attack. 

Also, worth mentioning is that Samuel was not always playing as sweeper, but in some modifications of system, they used him as central back.

I agree that this is impossible to implement all in one tactic, as there is so many variations of system they played in.  Even with three tactical slots, it is hard to cover all systems they played in during this period of time... 

[craigd84]

@duca015 you are correct, Emerson was very much a starter, and very much a regista. Zannetti for ME was more of a CM with a defend setting.

[Cholo991]

On 7/13/2017 at 15:30, duca015 said:

If I remember correctly, and I think I do, Emerson was starter, wasn't he?

 

I think Delvecchio and Zanneti were rotating in and out of first team, and it would change the way Roma played. 

Emerson was regista, someone who had free role to move, even to come in opponents box and finish moves, but not always. Zanneti (when he played) was BWM positioned on left side when he played, and during attack, he would move centrally and free up space for Candela to move in. When he played, Roma usually fielded in 3-1-4-1-1 formation. Tomassi sometimes acted like siting midfielder, and sometimes he was running from deep to finish off the moves. When Delvecchio played, this would become 4-4-1-1, where Tomassi and Emerson would be much more cautious to move forward comparing to previous version. In both formation, however, they defended in 4-4-1-1 shape. Delveccio was striker, but in this system, he played more like winger then striker.

Also, when they would chase results, they would change formation to 3-4-1-2, buy inserting Montela as second striker, and changing Totti with Nakata, who was more defensively active player then Totti was, and at the same time, he still provided enough creativity in attack. 

Also, worth mentioning is that Samuel was not always playing as sweeper, but in some modifications of system, they used him as central back.

I agree that this is impossible to implement all in one tactic, as there is so many variations of system they played in.  Even with three tactical slots, it is hard to cover all systems they played in during this period of time...

23

That was, sort of, what I was hoping for. I love using all three slots. But for now, I decided to make one and tweak it depending on the opposition and the squad I have available to me for the next match.

[soupe-miso15]

Hi guys, I'm actually trying to recreate this tactic on FM21, if someone is interessed, I will share it because it's really fun !

[JoOSTAR]

1 hour ago, soupe-miso15 said:

Hi guys, I'm actually trying to recreate this tactic on FM21, if someone is interessed, I will share it because it's really fun !

Go ahead

[jckmlscrwly]

2 hours ago, soupe-miso15 said:

Hi guys, I'm actually trying to recreate this tactic on FM21, if someone is interessed, I will share it because it's really fun !

Would absolutely read! Big fan of the shape and that historic Roma side.

[keysea]

I would too love to see what you've gone for in order to recreate this great roma side... 

[soupe-miso15]

ahah! I wasn't except for responses so fast !

I never share a tactic anywhere and I'm not english speaker, so I will make some errors, but it's ok.

Apparently the ME is broken with the ball playing defenders and the goalkeepers distribution. I can relate it because my guys don't respect my instructions, they don't keep the ball, they clear it.

I made a save with Fiorentina, the season is almost over and it left 5 games, but I made a lot of errors and approximations the firsts months, that's why I prefer to restart a new fresh game with another team for my test.

Because it will take time, here is a screen of the last version of my interpretation :

 

Spoiler

 

Hope you enjoy it, can't wait to talk about this one !

 

 

 

[Justified]

My favourite Italian team of all time. If I was to re-create THAT Roma team I would probably modernize it slightly but still keep Il Capitano as a Treq but use roles around him to get the ball back. Something like:

Antonioli - SKde

Cafu - CWBat (What else?  )

Zebina - CDde

Samuel - BPDde

Zago - CDde

Candela - WBsu

Emerson - DLPsu

Tommasi - BBMsu

Totti  - TRQat

Batigol - PFat

Delvecchio - PFsu

 

Not 100% accurate however that's how I'd set up as a base formation and then you could tweak it for different situations. If you need more defensively solidity then Emerson could go to the DM strata with the same role, Zanetti could come in on the right MC spot as a CARsu and Tommasi could be a MEZat which would then give you a Totti/Batigol attack.

[soupe-miso15]

22 minutes ago, Justified said:

My favourite Italian team of all time. If I was to re-create THAT Roma team I would probably modernize it slightly but still keep Il Capitano as a Treq but use roles around him to get the ball back. Something like:

Antonioli - SKde

Cafu - CWBat (What else?  )

Zebina - CDde

Samuel - BPDde

Zago - CDde

Candela - WBsu

Emerson - DLPsu

Tommasi - BBMsu

Totti  - TRQat

Batigol - PFat

Delvecchio - PFsu

 

Not 100% accurate however that's how I'd set up as a base formation and then you could tweak it for different situations. If you need more defensively solidity then Emerson could go to the DM strata with the same role, Zanetti could come in on the right MC spot as a CARsu and Tommasi could be a MEZat which would then give you a Totti/Batigol attack.

my lack of knowledge and the misconceptions I had about the players used. For example, I was convinced that a player as complete as Batistuta was used as a complete striker in this formation, when in reality he was an outright scorer, very mobile but who did not participate in the game at all. .

I was convinced that Cafu was ultra offensive, because we know how spectacular he was, but in reality, Roma's attack leaned on the left wing, towards Candela (right-handed, by the way).

Here is the transcript of my very first attempt:

Antoniolli : GK sup

Zebina & Zago : CDde

Samuel : CDsto

Cafu : WB att

Candela : CWBsu

Emerson : DLPDe

Tommasi : MezSu

Totti : TreqAtt

Montella : F9Su (I don't know why many people considers Delvecchio as a starter, Montella was the most efficient player of the league during this season...)

Battistuta : CFAtt

After watching videos of Roma's games, I literally changed my mind on the matter. I made errors of appreciation because I stayed on my convictions and the fantasized memories that I had of that time.

[Valtte]

Roma 2000-01

Emerson 10 starts, 1007min. 

Tommasi 31 starts, 2755min. 

Zanetti 20 starts, 1666min.

Montella 13 starts, 1461min.

Delvecchio 28 starts, 2034min | "I don't know why many people considers Delvecchio as a starter" yeah, thats funny.

MCs were really disciplined, maybe DLP-D and CM-S/BBM-S.