How can you confirm that a tactical change is working or not ?

[ImmoralWombat]

Hello everyone,

I've just picked up FM22 recently, am a beginner player (have put only 400 hrs into it), and my biggest gripe at the moment with the game is the feedback loop when operating tactical changes.

I've started by researching a tactic that I would like to implement (in this case a countering 3-5-2), and got a basic grasp of most of the hypothesis around what TIs to use, what mentality to use, balance of the formation etc.

Great, implemented it.

Looks like this:

---------------SK(D)---------------

------CB(D)--L(S)--CB(D)------

-WB(S)------------------WB(A)-

--MEZ(S)--DLP(S)--CAR(S)---

------DLF(S)---------AF(A)------

The tactic works fine, I've just been promoted to the Spanish 3rd league from the 4th, and I am 3-0-1 after 4 matches. But then comes the first question: why is this tactic working? I am freshly promoted, haven't upgraded my squad much, but it counterintuitively just works. And I feel that I don't know where to look in order to confirm what I am doing right, except at number of wins and during the game seeing that I create quality chances.

This leads to other questions as well:

I would maybe like to have my MEZ(S) as MEZ(A) (the hypothesis being that this would be both balanced on the right side of the pitch - 1 support duty from the WB and 1 attack duty from the MEZ, but also be balanced in midfield - 2 support duties from the DLP and CAR and 1 attack duty from the MEZ). This seems like a good idea to test out, but what are the metrics that I should be looking at that this actually is working (apart from wins and e.g. my or my opposition's quality chances) ?

Maybe I want a defensive variation of this with CAR(S) instead of the MEZ(S), both WBs as S, and the DLP set to D instead of S. Again, might be a good idea, can research the theory behind it on the internet, but how do I actually see in game that my change is good or not ?

Not only that, maybe I want to change my tempo to higher than the neutral that I am using now. How do I test that that actually is again working ?

Maybe I want to use "Pass Into Space" and test that. The list can go on and on, it's not about the theory of it - which again can be researched on the internet -, but rather the confirmation / infirmation that what I am trying to change works.

I can't think of anything else to gather feedback from other than wins (this is too broad of a metric so hard to draw conclusions from it), my / opposition quality chances (less broad, but still too broad), using Extended Highlights (I sometimes can draw conclusions from this like when I compared my 2 AFs, the more pacey one definitely was better on the counter - by a lot, but hard to draw a lot of conclusions from what I am seeing regardless) and player ratings (I do not know how to use the Data Hub properly unfortunately). And I also use the strategy of changing just 1 variable at a time (not enable Pass into Space and change 2 roles and change tempo at the same time) in order to have a more meaningful experiment from which to draw conclusions.

So basically that is the question, how do you test things out in FM22, how do you know that they're working or not, what are some key things / metrics you are looking out for when experimenting tactically ?

Thank you!

Edited June 27, 2022 by ImmoralWombat

[chewbaccaloveaddiction]

I've used this database in the past: https://beta.fm-base.co.uk/resources/testing-database-fm22/

 

Just holiday an entire season without the tactic locked to get a benchmark, then try again with your tactics.

 

But I don't do that anymore, it's more fun to just change tactics in your save, or make another save for testing. Just watch matches in 2d on comprehensive highlights (you can use higher speeds if you want) sometimes I shortly switch to full match because I want to see things like the build up, or the passing in midfield that's often not highlight worthy but important for tactics. This way you will learn how roles move and play and don't just get some numbers after holidaying without understanding what that change did. 

[De Nile]

1 hour ago, ImmoralWombat said:

So basically that is the question, how do you test things out in FM22, how do you know that they're working or not, what are some key things / metrics you are looking out for when experimenting tactically ?

Friendlies help since especially during the off-season I only care if the tactic works from there I like to make sure my wins are convincing and dominant, however friendlies are less competitive imo then league games so if the win isn't really reassuring then it may not hold up in the league.

Looking out for key passes and how well the team transitions from defence to attack and vice verse and there is a good YT called BTN (Bustthenet) which touches on these aspects and recently him and some other content creators have created the Tactic Tester which is helpful for experimenting with tactics. I would link it but I don't really do those things nor do I have fm22.

1 hour ago, ImmoralWombat said:

This leads to other questions as well:

I would maybe like to have my MEZ(S) as MEZ(A) (the hypothesis being that this would be both balanced on the right side of the pitch - 1 support duty from the WB and 1 attack duty from the MEZ, but also be balanced in midfield - 2 support duties from the DLP and CAR and 1 attack duty from the MEZ). This seems like a good idea to test out, but what are the metrics that I should be looking at that this actually is working (apart from wins and e.g. my or my opposition's quality chances) ?

Maybe I want a defensive variation of this with CAR(S) instead of the MEZ(S), both WBs as S, and the DLP set to D instead of S. Again, might be a good idea, can research the theory behind it on the internet, but how do I actually see in game that my change is good or not ?

Not only that, maybe I want to change my tempo to higher than the neutral that I am using now. How do I test that that actually is again working ?

Maybe I want to use "Pass Into Space" and test that. The list can go on and on, it's not about the theory of it - which again can be researched on the internet -, but rather the confirmation / infirmation that what I am trying to change works.

Your 352 does remind me of this thread which explains how he took an idea from real life and translated to the game and how he changes his setup when facing opposition tactics , what I would say is that you are thinking very logically (which is good) but you don't really say/know how your tactic is creating the chances from an in game point of view.  Although it is FM21, a lot still applies today. 

 

[glengarry224]

15 hours ago, ImmoralWombat said:

o basically that is the question, how do you test things out in FM22, how do you know that they're working or not, what are some key things / metrics you are looking out for when experimenting tactically ?

It is tough.  As you know, a few matches can be misleading because, as in real life, there is too much variance in soccer over the short run.  I use a combination of data and, for a time, watching the matches.  If you want to use more easily accessible data, you can focus on Xg (generated and allowed), player ratings, key passes/90, passes attempted/90, touches, etc.  More advanced, you can look at heat maps, where passes are received and lost, average positions, etc.

The more accurate, but much slower way, is to watch stretches of matches in 'full match' mode.  Otherwise, even in 'comprehensive highlights', you will not see basic, boring, but important action where you simply lose the ball in transition.  Faster speed helps. 

For example, if you're concerned about whether a switch to Mez(a) works, pause the action after you take possession and at various points in transition and as you move in the final third.  If your RB or DLP don't have enough passing options in transition because the Mez(a) has charged into the final third, you know why.  Also, pause after you lose possession and in defensive transition.  If your right flank is completely unprotected - even if your opponent fails to take advantage -- look where the Mez(a) and WB are, because they both get forward and the Mez roams.  If your DLP is too far upfield to cover for the WB, or just leaves the center unprotected, you might put him on DLP(d).  Or maybe your back-3 are well enough positioned to cover.