Sunderland AFC

[lee_cotterill]

Hello everyone,  

so I started I game with Sunderland and I am normally pretty good with teams and building teams up or getting results.  However, I’ve found this a little bit of a struggle.  I was wondering if people have any good tactic ideas for a team in league one who have potential to get promoted or have even started one as Sunderland and to see what ideas and styles you’ve went for?

[Experienced Defender]

Hard to share any ideas with so little info. Have you analyzed your players to see what style of football could optimally suit them? What are strengths and weaknesses of your team compared to the rest of the league? Do you at least have an idea about the potential formation (not tactic) you believe would suit the players? 

[lee_cotterill]

Looking at the team they have a fair few central midfielders and wingers so 4-2-3-1 was the shape I was looking at.   I read that Gengen-press was suited for the league.  Advised defenders to stay on their feet and play a direct approach.  Struggle with a decent Gk so that’s something I’d need to address and probably another striker as Wyke, Grigg and Graham really won’t cut it and rotation isn’t going to solve anything in terms of gelling with the rest of the squad.

[Experienced Defender]

Okay, can you post a screenshot of that gegenpress tactic you tried?

I personally never play gegenpress, even with top teams, let alone in lower league, so probably am not the right person to offer advice if you insist on gegenpress. But I may at least provide some advice on roles, duties and potential contradictions in the tactic.

[lee_cotterill]

Please see below what I have set up, I’ve placed my ‘better’ players in the starting lineup. Stanley upfront is a youngster on a free who scores a fair few for an 18 year old

[dcaine100]

Wow so many players set to attack, your tactic is far too aggressive, only your CBs and BWM will be doing any defending.

All of your front 4 are going to be aggressively pushing forward, followed by your WBs and BBM leaving you very open to a counter attack.

Try a 4-2-3-1 with more balanced roles e.g CM support instead of a BBM.

Edited December 17, 2020 by dcaine100

[Experienced Defender]

The tactic is extremely risky defense-wise (probably even for a top team). Not just because of team instructions - which are inherently overly aggressive in gegenpress anyway - but also in terms of roles and duties, the setup of which is fairly unbalanced. 

If you don't want to abandon the gegenpress in terms of instructions, then at least consider tweaking roles and duties so as to make them more balanced.

[lee_cotterill]

Any suggestions on what team instructions I should add/remove?

4-2-3-1 is my normal formation but I wasn’t getting a lot of joy with one striker hence the change on that picture.

[tomator440]

Hey mate,

I have Sunderland in the Champions League in 2024, I got promoted two years in a row playing a 4-3-3 DM gegenpress (outright winner first season, second on goal difference in championship) 

I don't recall needing to make too many changes to the default instructions.

Nartey is a good get, he will be useful for you for some time and I had him too. I used some loans to assist fill out my team (Michael Obafemi from Southhampton was awesome for me, scored 30 goals) 

I also signed Jackson Irvine and Michael Duffy on free transfers.

I ditched the tactic and can't find it exactly but it could be this:




Looking at your team I would play Dobson, Scowen and Power as your 3 midfielders as they are some of your stronger players.

Hopefully this helps a bit, I did play a lot of friendlies with this to build up familiarity.

 

[lee_cotterill]

Cheers mate I’ll have a look at this. You could save my season haha 

[lee_cotterill]

I’ve made some changes, got rid of McGeady and Grigg and Wyke (wages) brought in will nightingale and a free called Nartey (both CBs). Got a keeper from West Ham (Martin) and loaned Joe Garner from Wigan. 

[s0ni42]

Don’t want to clutter feedback, but as a starter you have two strikers playing exact position, Advanced Forward, with the ball.

 

 

[ryanstevo]

On 19/12/2020 at 14:44, lee_cotterill said:

I’ve made some changes, got rid of McGeady and Grigg and Wyke (wages) brought in will nightingale and a free called Nartey (both CBs). Got a keeper from West Ham (Martin) and loaned Joe Garner from Wigan. 

how you getting on mate? Just won the league with my own formation i cant send you it over if you like