Help get my world class regens firing

[t_474381]

Hi everyone, 

I am currently in my 7th season at Liverpool and I believe I have quite a strong squad at the moment. However, with most teams starting to park the bus against us, I am beginning to struggle with getting free flowing attacking moves going as I'm sure most others are as well. The problem I have is that play seems a bit too rushed but when I drop the tempo or mentality, I lose the penetration. It ends up with pointless and one dimensional crossing and shots from outside the box. I am winning consistently but the chances created are often not clear cut and the play is getting stale. I have tinkered around with various formations and trying to fit my best players but would now like to reach out to the community for ideas on how you would set up a tactic with all my best players (Mostly regens at this point). 

 

I definitely want to build the team around both Berard and Fernandes. Along with a peak Joe Gomez, TAA and Geubbels, I have quite a strong spine but just having trouble getting them to click. Any tips are appreciated!

 

 

 

 

[s0ni42]

Good looking squad. Positional familiarity appears to be one carrier you’ll need time to work through. Assume training focus matches playing position listed above.

could get a little more central creativity by changing DLF to F9. Additionally if you are already dominating possession and team is parking bus, you could change BWM to something more balanced, maybe CM support?

[Experienced Defender]

First on the tactic:

- if you want to use a RMD, besides the fact that you need a suitable player (Tavera looks good for the role, btw), it tends to work better with the striker on support (DLFsu or F9 would be my preferrence), because that way he will not have to "compete" for space with another teammate

- put Manuel as a winger on support on the left (a more logical choice than Fernandes)

- Why Becker as a standard GK? He can comfortably play as a SK on support (unless his attributes have deteriorated too much in the meantime)

- I would play Fabinho as a DLP on defend but would change Arnold to a WB on support on the right flank, and even use the "Overlap right" TI to make him get more closely in support to the RMD in the final third

- Robertson would become a FB on support and told to sit narrower, both in order to cover for the attacking mezzala and be better available for passes during the build-up phase. Underlap left can also be an option sometimes

- Remove "Pass into space", because most opposition will defend deep and tight against you, so there won't be much space to play passes into most of the time (except perhaps on the flanks). With a MEZ on attack and F9 or DLF on support, there are already two players who play risky passes by default, and if you have another player with good passing, vision, decisions, first touch, anticipation... - you can also ask him to take more risks in his PIs

So this is how I would set it up:

F9/DLFsu

Wsu                                     RMD

MEZat    DLPde

DMsu

FBsu     BPDde    CDde      WBsu

SKsu

Team instructions I would start with (and then see if some tweaking is needed):

Positive mentality / shorter passing, play out of defence, higher tempo, be more expressive, overlap right (and sometimes underlap left) / counter, distribute quickly to CBs and FBs (and sometimes counter-press against weak opposition) / higher DL, much higher LOE, use tighter marking, use offside trap, prevent short GKD

Player instructions:

GK/SKsu - Becker - no PIs

DL/FBsu - Robertson - no PIs

DR/WBsu - Arnold - no PIs

DCL/BPDde - Van Dijk - dribble less

DCR/CDde - Gomez - stay wider

DM/DMsu - Garcia - more direct passing, mark tighter

MCL/MEZat - Berard - mark tighter, more urgent pressing (max level)

MCR/DLPde - Fabinho - mark tighter

AML/Wsu - Manuel - cross from byline

AMR/RMD - Tavera - no PIs

ST/F9 or DLFsu - Geubbels - roam from position, more urgent pressing (max level)

That's a sort of tactic I would prefer with this particular bunch of lads. If you have any questions - just go ahead 

P.S: Given that you are already in the 7th season, I don't know what the attributes of older guys look like now (VVD, Gomez, Robertson, TAA and Fabinho). Can you post their screenshots?

 

 

 

[Experienced Defender]

Just one correction... I would actually play Fabinho as a HB in DM and move Garcia in MCR as a DLP on support.

[t_474381]

20 hours ago, s0ni42 said:

Good looking squad. Positional familiarity appears to be one carrier you’ll need time to work through. Assume training focus matches playing position listed above.

could get a little more central creativity by changing DLF to F9. Additionally if you are already dominating possession and team is parking bus, you could change BWM to something more balanced, maybe CM support?

Thanks for the response! I did try out F9 and I certainly see more link up and my RMD getting into much better positions and chances. Would this reduce central penetration? I see that a little with the few games I tried F9. Or it could be the sheer number of opp players packed tightly that prevents this anyway 

[t_474381]

19 hours ago, Experienced Defender said:

First on the tactic:

- if you want to use a RMD, besides the fact that you need a suitable player (Tavera looks good for the role, btw), it tends to work better with the striker on support (DLFsu or F9 would be my preferrence), because that way he will not have to "compete" for space with another teammate

- put Manuel as a winger on support on the left (a more logical choice than Fernandes)

- Why Becker as a standard GK? He can comfortably play as a SK on support (unless his attributes have deteriorated too much in the meantime)

- I would play Fabinho as a DLP on defend but would change Arnold to a WB on support on the right flank, and even use the "Overlap right" TI to make him get more closely in support to the RMD in the final third

- Robertson would become a FB on support and told to sit narrower, both in order to cover for the attacking mezzala and be better available for passes during the build-up phase. Underlap left can also be an option sometimes

- Remove "Pass into space", because most opposition will defend deep and tight against you, so there won't be much space to play passes into most of the time (except perhaps on the flanks). With a MEZ on attack and F9 or DLF on support, there are already two players who play risky passes by default, and if you have another player with good passing, vision, decisions, first touch, anticipation... - you can also ask him to take more risks in his PIs

So this is how I would set it up:

F9/DLFsu

Wsu                                     RMD

MEZat    DLPde

DMsu

FBsu     BPDde    CDde      WBsu

SKsu

Team instructions I would start with (and then see if some tweaking is needed):

Positive mentality / shorter passing, play out of defence, higher tempo, be more expressive, overlap right (and sometimes underlap left) / counter, distribute quickly to CBs and FBs (and sometimes counter-press against weak opposition) / higher DL, much higher LOE, use tighter marking, use offside trap, prevent short GKD

Player instructions:

GK/SKsu - Becker - no PIs

DL/FBsu - Robertson - no PIs

DR/WBsu - Arnold - no PIs

DCL/BPDde - Van Dijk - dribble less

DCR/CDde - Gomez - stay wider

DM/DMsu - Garcia - more direct passing, mark tighter

MCL/MEZat - Berard - mark tighter, more urgent pressing (max level)

MCR/DLPde - Fabinho - mark tighter

AML/Wsu - Manuel - cross from byline

AMR/RMD - Tavera - no PIs

ST/F9 or DLFsu - Geubbels - roam from position, more urgent pressing (max level)

That's a sort of tactic I would prefer with this particular bunch of lads. If you have any questions - just go ahead 

P.S: Given that you are already in the 7th season, I don't know what the attributes of older guys look like now (VVD, Gomez, Robertson, TAA and Fabinho). Can you post their screenshots?

 

 

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

I did try this out for a couple of games and did see much better chances. I added work ball into box as too many shots were taken and wasted and that helped. 

Was wondering why you would set the DCR as stay wider though? Is this solely to provide more cover for the WB? It's an interesting option and tbh I did not know you could set that as I usually leave CBs as they are. 

I would also be really interested in how you would utilize a player like Fernandes. I have played him mostly as the RMD along with Tavera but was considering him as an option for the striker role perhaps? 

Or as a wide creative option considering he has high flair and vision and passing. 

 

As for the older players, only TAA and possibly Alisson will really play a part next season as their attributes are still stable. VVD has lost his pace so I might play him as the HB next season. 

[Experienced Defender]

51 minutes ago, t_474381 said:

Was wondering why you would set the DCR as stay wider though? Is this solely to provide more cover for the WB?

Yep 

 

55 minutes ago, t_474381 said:

I would also be really interested in how you would utilize a player like Fernandes. I have played him mostly as the RMD along with Tavera but was considering him as an option for the striker role perhaps?

If we are talking about this specific tactic I suggested to you, there are basically 3 ways how I would utilize him. As an IF on attack on the right flank (my first choice), as a RMD also on the right (rotating with Tavera) or as an F9 (when played as the lone striker). Of course, he can be used as a right winger as well, but that would require some tweaking to the tactic.

 

1 hour ago, t_474381 said:

Or as a wide creative option considering he has high flair and vision and passing. 

An AP on attack duty in the AMR position is also something I believe would suit him nicely. Or even a wide trequartista. 

 

1 hour ago, t_474381 said:

VVD has lost his pace so I might play him as the HB next season. 

I guess that's not a bad idea at all 

[mp_87]

I think there is an argument to be had to settle on one tactic and allow the team to gel rather than to keep chopping and changing looking for the magic formula. Against teams that have parked the bus there will be many games where it is "pointless" possession and you aren't going to cut through them at will, but you should start to see better play/understanding the more games you play which will overcome these teams in more efficient fashion.

I'd also say that, whilst we shouldn't take stock in just one or two attributes out of the whole package, most of those players, despite on first glance looking super and having good Decisions for instance, lack in Teamwork and Concentration. Against a packed defence that could possibly influence them losing patience and trying to force the play.