Help needed for away games as an underdog

[trueblue9877]

I have been playing as Burgos who are a team predicted to finish just above the relegation zone however, I have been able to get upper mid table finishes for the last two seasons.

 

What can I change in this tactic to help win away more as that is my biggest struggle.

[vrig]

If you're conceding a lot in transition, possibly use FBs instead of WBs?

If you find you're getting dispossessed in you're own third, maybe knock off Play out of defence.

And if you've got the players for it, playing for set pieces can be good for a smash and grab, although I can't remember when that instruction was introduced. 

[CARRERA]

8 hours ago, trueblue9877 said:

What can I change in this tactic to help win away more as that is my biggest struggle.

I would start with removing "play out of defence". Teams at home tend to press higher up the pitch. The pressure could be simply too high for your defensive line to play out from the back safely, especially if theyre the underdog team.

[Cloud9]

12 hours ago, trueblue9877 said:

I have been playing as Burgos who are a team predicted to finish just above the relegation zone however, I have been able to get upper mid table finishes for the last two seasons.

 

What can I change in this tactic to help win away more as that is my biggest struggle.

 You're set up to punch down instead of up w 3 forwards, two roamers and two wingbacks.

The AF is ticking the box of running into the space behind, but then you've got two additional forwards hanging out and not really participating. IF + WB combos make your flanks defensively weak, and the IF are finishers who won't get involved in the buildup.

On the front foot the tactic can work because your offensive players are already in position, but your setup looks like it'll struggle in transitioning from defence to attack, which is a huge problem since you're counter attacking. No one is capable of moving the ball out of your defensive third outside of the wingbacks. Also you've got no attack roles outside of the AF which can be a bit of a problem in a counter-attack setup. Stick a player on attack and you know exactly what he's going to do when you win the ball back. 

Advice: Get more distinct roles on your players, decide who you want defending, who you want creating, and who you want finishing the chances. Lots of redundancies in the player roles at at the moment. 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Cloud9

[trueblue9877]

On 12/03/2023 at 02:06, Cloud9 said:

 You're set up to punch down instead of up w 3 forwards, two roamers and two wingbacks.

The AF is ticking the box of running into the space behind, but then you've got two additional forwards hanging out and not really participating. IF + WB combos make your flanks defensively weak, and the IF are finishers who won't get involved in the buildup.

On the front foot the tactic can work because your offensive players are already in position, but your setup looks like it'll struggle in transitioning from defence to attack, which is a huge problem since you're counter attacking. No one is capable of moving the ball out of your defensive third outside of the wingbacks. Also you've got no attack roles outside of the AF which can be a bit of a problem in a counter-attack setup. Stick a player on attack and you know exactly what he's going to do when you win the ball back. 

Advice: Get more distinct roles on your players, decide who you want defending, who you want creating, and who you want finishing the chances. Lots of redundancies in the player roles at at the moment. 

Well originally I had a CM on attack in midfield but that created some problems defensively, when I moved that player to BBM  it worked more effectively, the main thing is that I'd like to know what combo you would use on the flanks, would you use a combo IF (S) and FB (S), the main problems aren't defensive they're attacking.

[Cloud9]

13 hours ago, trueblue9877 said:

Well originally I had a CM on attack in midfield but that created some problems defensively, when I moved that player to BBM  it worked more effectively, the main thing is that I'd like to know what combo you would use on the flanks, would you use a combo IF (S) and FB (S), the main problems aren't defensive they're attacking.

Hm, I would guess you don't have enough creative players vs the players attempting to finish chances then. 

FB(s) can work behind an IF(s), I'd prioritize the opposite FB/WB in a more attacking role. Since the IF will cut inside, asking the FB(s) to run wide with the ball can be a great help on that side. 

Using the data hub could be quite useful for you here, it'll let you see if your strikers aren't finishing their chances or if you aren't creating enough of them.

Edited March 18, 2023 by Cloud9

[trueblue9877]

On 18/03/2023 at 03:19, Cloud9 said:

Hm, I would guess you don't have enough creative players vs the players attempting to finish chances then. 

FB(s) can work behind an IF(s), I'd prioritize the opposite FB/WB in a more attacking role. Since the IF will cut inside, asking the FB(s) to run wide with the ball can be a great help on that side. 

Using the data hub could be quite useful for you here, it'll let you see if your strikers aren't finishing their chances or if you aren't creating enough of them.

Thanks for your reply, the thing I've noticed is that results are heavily dependent on pre season media predictions, for example when my team is at 100-1 or 50-1 I can usually get a good season but when it's at like 200-1 even if you're using the same tactic it becomes impossible to win, is there anything I can do to help with this because even though I have signed a few players on loan and signed some free agents but this doesn't change anything.

I do understand that when you have a stronger team you're more likely to win but I'm just not sure about how you know when your team is at a good level relative to the competition around you.

[Johnny Ace]

I think you're alright with Wingbacks providing some width with two IFs. I'd mix it up though, just one BBM and one IF

You could even go a bit more direct or up the mentality if you're struggling attacking wise vs stronger teams 

 

[Cloud9]

1 hour ago, trueblue9877 said:

Thanks for your reply, the thing I've noticed is that results are heavily dependent on pre season media predictions, for example when my team is at 100-1 or 50-1 I can usually get a good season but when it's at like 200-1 even if you're using the same tactic it becomes impossible to win, is there anything I can do to help with this because even though I have signed a few players on loan and signed some free agents but this doesn't change anything.

I do understand that when you have a stronger team you're more likely to win but I'm just not sure about how you know when your team is at a good level relative to the competition around you.

Really ignore the media prediction, I'm 900-1 to go down this year lol. You can go to squad planner and then "compare squad" to see how you actually line up against your opposition attribute wise (not on reputation). 

Focus on good moral and team cohesion, it's like 90% of your teams performance.

The other huge factor is good recruitment, if you're a small team I'd recommend looking for u23 players who can do a job now for you and that you can develop in the first team. Set up your scouting networks so you a start to pick up high potential youngsters to take you to the next level. Also, even after a great transfer window for you your media prediction is still going to look pretty grim. 

Agree on what @Johnny Ace said about going more direct against stronger teams. "Play out from defence" may also be landing you in trouble against the big sides.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Cloud9

[trueblue9877]

On 20/03/2023 at 19:00, Cloud9 said:

Really ignore the media prediction, I'm 900-1 to go down this year lol. You can go to squad planner and then "compare squad" to see how you actually line up against your opposition attribute wise (not on reputation). 

Focus on good moral and team cohesion, it's like 90% of your teams performance.

The other huge factor is good recruitment, if you're a small team I'd recommend looking for u23 players who can do a job now for you and that you can develop in the first team. Set up your scouting networks so you a start to pick up high potential youngsters to take you to the next level. Also, even after a great transfer window for you your media prediction is still going to look pretty grim. 

Agree on what @Johnny Ace said about going more direct against stronger teams. "Play out from defence" may also be landing you in trouble against the big sides.

Hey, I have made some changes to the tactic and it now looks like this, thoughts?

Edited March 22, 2023 by trueblue9877
Changed picture.