I need some help

[Bearded Shrimper]

I've played CM/FM since about 98 but I seriously need some help here. I started up a nomad game and got appointed Man City manager on 3/July/2024.

On paper I have an amazing team and squad. But I seriously underachieve. I'm not nearly as good as I should be. I need some help. Anyone up for helping me out here?

[FMunderachiever]

1 hour ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

I've played CM/FM since about 98 but I seriously need some help here. I started up a nomad game and got appointed Man City manager on 3/July/2024.

On paper I have an amazing team and squad. But I seriously underachieve. I'm not nearly as good as I should be. I need some help. Anyone up for helping me out here?

So have you managed other teams prior to Man City? or is this your first job?

can you post the tactic so we can see it?

[Bearded Shrimper]

3 minutes ago, FMunderachiever said:

So have you managed other teams prior to Man City? or is this your first job?

can you post the tactic so we can see it?

 

I started with Arsenal, went to Real Madrid, got sacked and went to Sporting Lisbon. I've always played roughly this  - 4231, attacking, passing. I won the league and Europa League with both Arsenal and Sporting so I'm the 8th most successful English manager of all time. But my City team play like strangers. I'm in the midst of the English christmas programme so have to make a load of changes game to game. I try to stick to the same XI as much as possible. Did  that early in the season to try to get familiarity but that hasn't happened. I'm 3rd, so not bad, but I should be much better and I don't want to get sacked

[FMunderachiever]

3 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

 

I started with Arsenal, went to Real Madrid, got sacked and went to Sporting Lisbon. I've always played roughly this  - 4231, attacking, passing. I won the league and Europa League with both Arsenal and Sporting so I'm the 8th most successful English manager of all time. But my City team play like strangers. I'm in the midst of the English christmas programme so have to make a load of changes game to game. I try to stick to the same XI as much as possible. Did  that early in the season to try to get familiarity but that hasn't happened. I'm 3rd, so not bad, but I should be much better and I don't want to get sacked

I think the fact all of your forward players are set to attack is causing a big disconnect in your team. they are all trying to run into non existant space, so your passing options are going to be limited. You have a lack of varied movement, all of your forward players are running forwards into space, no one comes short for the ball, there is no interchange of position or rotation there.

You then operate with a deep lying playmaker and an advanced playmaker which doesnt really make sense. Youd normally operate with only the one playmaking role, whether this be deep or as a number 10.

Lots of instructions i think are not helping. The high press is compressing the opposition into a small space in front of the goal, meaning you have to play through them all the time. Setting your width to wide yet passing to short doesnt seem very complimentary for example, nor does trying to work the ball into the box which is a patient approach, but playing high tempo which sees fast transitions.

i think generally as a starting point you need to be less extreme.....with everything. your pressing, your lines, your roles, your tempo

 

[Hilly1979]

Fully agree with @FMunderachiever attacking mentality with 6 attacking duties is never going to end well mixed with so many instructions.

What are you trying to achieve? I would suggest refining your roles and duties and losing some instructions.

Putting it bluntly it seems to me your going full Keegan/Ardiles and saying go out and fill your boots lads sod defending.

[Bearded Shrimper]

Thanks guys, that's really helpful. I actually ended up winning that game 5-0 away to Southampton.

This is my first XI when everyone is available

I started a more balanced and conservative system at Arsenal but developed into something the attacking rather than positive. I like to play with a CM(D) to balance everything out but couldn't find one given the really unbalanced squad I took over so I'm making do with a deep playmaker (D) to stay back there.

Any thoughts on that?

 

In big games, where I have struggled a fair bit, I play the 433 below. Any tips?

 

[Hilly1979]

I would look to balance your attacking duties across the pitch, maybe lose an attacking duty on a winger and gain one on a full back.

With your 4-3-3 I would use the striker on a support duty so he don’t get isolated.

I would look at your team instructions though as you are bumping your mentality up even more.

 

[FMunderachiever]

12 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

Thanks guys, that's really helpful. I actually ended up winning that game 5-0 away to Southampton.

This is my first XI when everyone is available

I started a more balanced and conservative system at Arsenal but developed into something the attacking rather than positive. I like to play with a CM(D) to balance everything out but couldn't find one given the really unbalanced squad I took over so I'm making do with a deep playmaker (D) to stay back there.

Any thoughts on that?

 

In big games, where I have struggled a fair bit, I play the 433 below. Any tips?

 

Your "first choice" tactic for me is a problem for you.

Having three playmakers all in close proximity wont work. they all want the ball to their feet, they dont move a lot, and theyll probably just have a game of keep ball amongst themselves.

And i do think the point remains that, you are contradicting your instructions in places. Playing wide but short passing, trying to play high tempo but carefully working into the box, its a contradiction to be doing these things.

Your second tactic could be improved with some tweaks, but again, playing 2 deep lying playmakers next to each other isnt needed, and youre also using a counterpress but setting your lines much deeper in this tactic.

I think you need to think how to develop relationships in your team.

For example, if you have an inverted winger or inside forward, you might want to use a wing back to provide an overload. this gives the freedom to your inside forward to come inside.

Then think about if you lose the ball, you would perhaps want a player to cover that flank, so maybe thats where youd put your deep lying playmaker on defend. he wont occupy the space the inside forward wants to use, whilst linking the play between the players on that side.

Then for the quick switch of play, you might use an attack minded player on the other flank for example. You could then train some PPM's perhaps to the DLP to switch ball to the other flank etc

Then youve got some different channels of attack with cover to back them up.

I think your 2nd tactic CAN be improved with some attention to the roles and instructions, but right now its quite similar to your first tactic except youve swapped your number 10 for a DM

[Bearded Shrimper]

28 minutes ago, Hilly1979 said:

I would look to balance your attacking duties across the pitch, maybe lose an attacking duty on a winger and gain one on a full back.

With your 4-3-3 I would use the striker on a support duty so he don’t get isolated.

I would look at your team instructions though as you are bumping your mentality up even more.

 

So if I make my left AM and striker to support and my left back to attack, how about that? Coz then I have FB attacking, mezzala (A) going wide around there, and my striker coming back a bit

like this?

[Bearded Shrimper]

50 minutes ago, FMunderachiever said:

its quite similar to your first tactic except youve swapped your number 10 for a DM

I'll spend some time on my first choice tactic, but yes, this is essentially the point. I have moved my AMC to CML and my CML to DMC.

 

You are right about the 3 play makers. I am a bit uncertain because I don't want it like this, but I don't know how much to change because I have just taken over and options are limited. KdB and Foden have been unreal for me. Braganca was unreal for me at Sporting. I bought him mainly because I needed leadership. I'm looking for a world class CM(D) who can also play DMC. At the moment I might have to play Kimmich there because I can do without him at right back on balance (probably could have lived without signing him, but too late now).

[FMunderachiever]

4 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

So if I make my left AM and striker to support and my left back to attack, how about that? Coz then I have FB attacking, mezzala (A) going wide around there, and my striker coming back a bit

like this?

Its an example of a relationship you can develop.

Personally, i would use a wing back rather than full back, and id use in the central midfield slot probably a carrilero for cover.

no problems with letting the DLP create from deep, he could move into central midfield IN possession with De Bruyne in the mezzala position, Sterling IF/A to me looks to have better balance

[Bearded Shrimper]

Thanks. I've done some of that. I have Frank Kessie as my next player in centre mid who is usually a box to box, but he could do a job as carrilero

[Bearded Shrimper]

I've got Bournemouth in the FA cup. Still lots of injuries and players too tired to play. Given all you've said I'm trying this

[FMunderachiever]

12 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

I've got Bournemouth in the FA cup. Still lots of injuries and players too tired to play. Given all you've said I'm trying this

Your left flank is going to be extremely open, whilst your right flank is going to be extremely conservative.

Can i just ask, why are all of your tactics so extreme with the use of instructions and pressing, lines etc?

[Bearded Shrimper]

tactics have developed like that. it worked at Arsenal, pretty well at Madrid and well at Sporting. I was sacked from Real for coming second and being a missed pen in the shoot out away from the champions league final after having hitting the woodwork 3 times and having Hazard and Vinicius Jr miss a load of sitters. So it's all things that have worked for me. It surprised me to be honest.

I started out playing control possession, I got more attacking because that seemed to work. Now i've got into a situation where what has worked before isn't working as well.

Ordinarily I'd have the two centre mids the other way around, so the CM(D) on the left to counter the more open flank but Foden is left footed and likes to play on the left so I've tried him there.

 

What specifically should I be changing to get the better balance?

[just_joe]

58 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

Thanks. I've done some of that. I have Frank Kessie as my next player in centre mid who is usually a box to box, but he could do a job as carrilero

2 Ball-Playing Defenders just don't work; switch one of them to a central defender. Switch Kimmich to a support duty so he helps out creating chances on that side and switch De Bruyne to a CM-su so that someone is working with the deep lying playmaker to keep things tight in the middle (although whether De Bruyne should be fulfilling that role is for you to decide!).

I'd also Dribble Less, not press and then move the defensive line up to standard to compact your team better and allow your shorting passing to work better.

 

21 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

I've got Bournemouth in the FA cup. Still lots of injuries and players too tired to play. Given all you've said I'm trying this

Ball-Playing Defenders again! Also nobody is stretching play in the middle; try going with a DLP-Su and a CM-su to fix that. Otherwise looks okay 

[Bearded Shrimper]

my next game is against Arsenal, so I'm going 433. Really want to win this to get to the League Cup final and, hopefully, get some silverware.

This is probably my first XI for big games

[Bearded Shrimper]

initially I started with dribble more at Arsenal, but they were just dribbling from everywhere all the time! DROVE ME MAD! so I took that one off and made it dribble less. I've removed that as part of my tweaks this season.

Kimmich fair, I'll try that.

KdB has been absolute class, I don't think I can take him away from deep play maker. I will try to find some other changes to make around him

[just_joe]

17 minutes ago, Bearded Shrimper said:

KdB has been absolute class, I don't think I can take him away from deep play maker. I will try to find some other changes to make around him

Then leave it and make Foden a MEZ-su and it will have the same effect. Otherwise it looks like you built a pretty decent tactic here!

[Bearded Shrimper]

Thanks. I'll do that with Foden. I made him attack coz I was worried otherwise no one would get forward. But maybe I just crowded the area too much. Let's see how my tweaks go with Arsenal coming up