Understanding the tactics & making sensible changes during the match

[slajer]

I am new to this forum, so hello, everyone!

I started my save for the first time since FM 08, and I have a short question. 
Can you guys recommend any YT channel or guide that could help me understand what is going on on the pitch during the match? 

I don’t understand/don’t see what AI is doing. I also don’t know how to counteract it. I feel my tactical changes during matches are made blindly. Sometimes they work, but more often, they don’t. And the frustration appears. I assume this game is not about trying to guess as something will work or not and then reloading the last match and repeating the whole guessing process…

I tried to watch Rashidi’s YT channel, and it’s brilliant, but some videos are 3.5-hour long, which is too long for me.

Would like to buy the full version as I reach the midseason of the demo version. But required time to understand all of the nuances, especially understanding the ME and how to counteract the AI during matches, discourages me from playing. 
I hope I’m wrong, but I see no comprehensive, condensed and practical guide regarding this (ME and adjusting the tactics during matches). 

I appreciate any help from you!
Thanks

 

[Tsuru]

Hi slajer. @Cleon once wrote an excellent guide about how he manages the changes in matches when things are not working well. It is a very simple way, much more than micromanaging and understanding what the IA is doing and trying an instruction to react.

I for example prefer his method, as I like to play with very specific designed tactics - so any change would disbalance everything. And also because I never guess well what IA is doing.

You can find the guide here:

 

[DIESEL.be]

2 hours ago, Tsuru said:

Hi slajer. @Cleon once wrote an excellent guide about how he manages the changes in matches when things are not working well. It is a very simple way, much more than micromanaging and understanding what the IA is doing and trying an instruction to react.

I for example prefer his method, as I like to play with very specific designed tactics - so any change would disbalance everything. And also because I never guess well what IA is doing.

You can find the guide here:

 

Thanks for this

[facman]

Rashidi is great, but can tend to ramble a bit in his videos, which is why they can be long  I watch Zealand's videos quite a lot and this one might be of use to you (it's for FM20 but the basic ideas are relevant)

Out of interest, how much time do you spend watching real life football and analysing the tactics during a match? The BBC runs a tactical camera view live on its website for major tournaments, and it can be fascinating to watch. In the world cup in 2018 I spent the first half of the Germany v Korea game watching the tactical camera, and it was brilliant to look at Korea's defensive organisation and the movement of the players in transition. At half time I went into the room where my workmates (all German!) were watching on the big screen, and nobody watching the normal feed had been able to pick up just how organised the Korean defence was because they weren't able to from the normal camera view.

Similarly, how many games have you ever played in FM on full match with sideline or top-down view? Many people run games on Extended or Key highlights on the Director camera and I personally find it very difficult to work out what might be going wrong from the few snippets of clips that you see in that mode. I tend to run most games on comprehensive, and if its a new tactic then on full game for the first 20 minutes, to get an idea of what is going on. If you watch on full or comprehensive, you can quickly get a feel for how the opposition is trying to play... is one of their fullbacks overloading a flank? Is there a number imbalance in the middle? etc, and can then try things to counteract that...

Example: In a game last night the opposition (Leeds) had 3 players in central midfield, and after half time had made some changes to their play and were overwhelming my 2 MCs, giving my guys no time on the ball to thread passes to the more advanced players (most balls from my central midfield were going sideways or backwards, or were being intercepted). The game was 3-2 to me, and they were starting to generate a lot of chances from the pressure they were exerting. Rather than change my formation, I decided to try to focus play down the left and right flanks, so that my possession avoided the congested areas of the pitch, and I was able to move the ball in areas they weren't covering in as much depth. I was able to reduce the pressure by retaining possession more, and even extended my lead. That was done not by having a plan B or C in advance, but by simply watching the match engine play the game on comprehensive mode, so I could see most of the play happening. I actually think the game has got to a good enough state that you can just watch the game as if it was a real match, and make changes on the fly from what you are seeing, but you must watch most of the game, and not just Key highlights, for that to work.

With regard to the Cleon article linked above, it is very good and well worth a read. I tend to group things slightly differently to him though. I look at whether or not a player is struggling, or the whole team is struggling. I'll use Team instructions first if I feel that the opposition is just getting the better of me.. such as focusing the play down the flanks in the example above... a couple of clicks and problem solved. Player struggles can be down to a number of factors, and shouts can help, as can substitutions (although I use that as the last resort rather than the first). Role and duty changes I tend not to do very often, as the effects can be unpredictable.

[slajer]

Thanks, Tsuru and facman. If you are in Warsaw/Poland sometime, I owe you a big beer...
Those contents are fascinating. I will have a look at it. I didn’t know about the BBC broadcasts, that's super exciting!
I tend to watch matches on Extended Highlights. Full-match is a simple no go for me - consuming too much time.
The example you brought is fantastic - for such practical examples, I am looking for!
 
So for now, I will digest it and assess if to buy a full version ;-) Or perhaps another good soul will have mercy on me...
Cheers mates

Edited June 25, 2021 by slajer

[Tsuru]

Em 25/06/2021 em 19:54, slajer disse:

Thanks, Tsuru and facman. If you are in Warsaw/Poland sometime, I owe you a big beer...
Those contents are fascinating. I will have a look at it. I didn’t know about the BBC broadcasts, that's super exciting!
I tend to watch matches on Extended Highlights. Full-match is a simple no go for me - consuming too much time.
The example you brought is fantastic - for such practical examples, I am looking for!
 
So for now, I will digest it and assess if to buy a full version ;-) Or perhaps another good soul will have mercy on me...
Cheers mates

FM 21 is very good, I really think it deserves a full version