Possession football with Fulham help

[2feet]

1)

How do I get my team to score more goals? 

Stats say I create a lot of chances. But I dont convert enough, says DataHub.

My coaches only have 3.5 stars for the ‘Attacking Finishing’ section, is that why?

What are the training blocks to improve this please, anything else apart from Chance Conversion?

Am I too reliant on the Mezzala?

2) 

Conceding goals. Anyone have any ideas please on how to tweak the formation/instructions so when I go one or two goals up I can hold onto the lead without conceding?

 

3)

I chose my formation from the possession template, then tweaked it to be more attacking.

I noticed its quite a wingy formation, you often end up out wide when youre in your opponents half. 

My wing backs are fast but not the best mentally (decisions) and the ball often seems to end up with them near the corner flag in a rut, being pressed.

Is this where the problem is?

[kingjericho]

The only thing I don't like about your tactic is the mentality. You are attacking but want the players to play short passing and lower tempo. Try a balanced mentality and keep the TI see if works better.

[Tsuru]

Are your players suited for a possession style? You can figure this out looking at your players´ attributes, you can look at the attribute comparison tool, or you can ask your assistant manager what playstyle he suggests. If he suggests for example that your team is good for a gegenpress, vertical tiki taka or control possession, a possession style can be quickly implemented. If he suggests a more direct style, maybe this development will happen on a slower way.

Either way, if you figure it out that the players are not suited for the style but want to implement it anyway, you can choose your players that are more suited for it and focus on them, and then you can go step by step on the market looking for other players that suit that style and hire them, developing that playstyle as time goes by. We tend to think about playstyle much on the tactical side, but I think that team and player management are also very important.

As you are managing Fulham, and I imagine that you are at Premier League, I would look for 14-15 on attributes and would focus in these ones for a possession style:

• First Touch
• Passing
• Technique
• Anticipation
• Composure
• Concentration
• Vision
• Decisions
• Off the ball
• Teamwork
• Agility
• Balance
• Strength

Why I am telling you this? Because I am implementing a possession style and I am doing exactly this - my scouts are looking for players good on these attributes, I filtered players with these attributes and this movement is helping the team not just to build the style but to keep and develop it.

Regarding the tactic itself, I agree with @kingjerichothat Attacking is a very aggressive mentality and you would have to adapt it a lot for a possession style to work. I would maybe change to a Balanced mentality (like Vertical TT or Control Possession templates) or even a Positive one (like Tiki Taka), which needs to be adapted but less than Attacking.

I also think that some defensive aspects of your tactic can improve. I would suggest a more conservative DM and/or left wingback, as you have a really aggressive Mezzala on Attack. And maybe I would suggest that you test your team without Counter-Press and just with a Higher D-Line on the Out of Possession instructions, which I think is one of the most simple defensive strategies to start with. Than you can change and adapt as necessary - if you start with a very risky and aggressive defensive strategy it can be harder to adapt in my point of view.

Regarding the goalscoring issue, there can be many different aspects - a very aggressive mentality, the lines too much up the pitch, counter-press and more urgent pressing (which raises intensity and urgency). I think that when you find the right balance on the different tactical aspects (and maybe players more suited to the playstyle) this goalscoring issue will disappear. 

[kalongtongan]

On 19/04/2022 at 16:06, Tsuru said:

I would look for 14-15 on attributes and would focus in these ones for a possession style:

• First Touch
• Passing
• Technique
• Anticipation
• Composure
• Concentration
• Vision
• Decisions
• Off the ball
• Teamwork
• Agility
• Balance
• Strength

Why I am telling you this? Because I am implementing a possession style and I am doing exactly this - my scouts are looking for players good on these attributes, I filtered players with these attributes and this movement is helping the team not just to build the style but to keep and develop it.

I can't disagree with this. maybe a minimum of 13 is enough for a lower-middle team. i love possession football and solid defense. That's always my consideration at the start of implementing tactics, after that I just tweaked it to get changes and goals for the 4-5 players up front.

On 18/04/2022 at 23:50, 2feet said:

 

As for your tactics, WBL, MEZa, and IF naturally play wide in their respective positions and I don't know if your DM was instructed to hold position. MEZa-DMs-AP they play free when the team gets the ball, no one role is more disciplined to stay in position. can you imagine if the opponent did a quick break? My advice is for FBs in the left position, either DM or MCR give instructions to hold the position or maybe replace one in that position with a more disciplined role. I will remove HDL and force opposition inside, what do you think about these instructions I don't understand. Your team in the EPL is a newcomer with below average quality compared to other teams and wants to play with high defense and force opposing players to enter the penalty box?

 

Edited April 20, 2022 by kalongtongan

[Tsuru]

40 minutos atrás, kalongtongan disse:

Your team in the EPL is a newcomer with below average quality compared to other teams and wants to play with high defense and force opposing players to enter the penalty box?

I think that a newcomer can play an attacking and aggressive football on the EPL, maybe trying to create a surprise effect. But the tactic would need to be really balanced, the players very suited to the system, and the defensive strategy would also need to very balanced (not too much risky), this way IMHO it would be possible to avoid relegation. The ideal situation would be to apply this aggressive tactic after developing it on the lower divisions during the past seasons, so the team would be adapted to it.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Tsuru

[kalongtongan]

@TsuruYes, I agree with the surprise element, but to be honest, his tactics don't surprise the opponent, it just becomes a boomerang. At least if you want to play surprising, don't play defensively. It is enough with a positive mentality to surprise the opponent that we are able and brave to fight, but we must also consider the balance of roles and duties as well as the team's instructions.

[2feet]

Im in the first season in the Championship.

Im halfway through season and am 2nd. 

The players are well suited to possession with great attributes.

But there are times when the opposition has some good chances and fail to take them, which probably wont happen in the premier league.

Some of my data stats were skewed from my early season experiments and are now much better.

Plus I play slightly more direct and faster now.

Attacking football works very well when the players morale is pumped up, if you can achieve that during a game then its great.

When morale returns to normal then its better to switch to Positive mentality.

Any more tips for retaining an attacking style and doing ok with it, once promoted to Premier League, would be VERY welcome.