Low or Mid intensity tactic

[DeepThought]

I'm loving the FM24 beta, but I'm finding myself in a tactical quandary. I just can't settle on anything. Reading about for inspiration, I notice many tactics are high intensity (with the usual counter/counter-press/more or much more pressing combination ramping the intensity up) so I thought I might try to build a lower or mid intensity tactic to see if I could and give me some direction. I'd love to know if anyone has had any success/tips to help my starting point. 

I'm not committed to a team, I'll find and build one to fit once I've got some direction. 

Thanks

[craiigman]

1 hour ago, DeepThought said:

I'm loving the FM24 beta, but I'm finding myself in a tactical quandary. I just can't settle on anything. Reading about for inspiration, I notice many tactics are high intensity (with the usual counter/counter-press/more or much more pressing combination ramping the intensity up) so I thought I might try to build a lower or mid intensity tactic to see if I could and give me some direction. I'd love to know if anyone has had any success/tips to help my starting point. 

I'm not committed to a team, I'll find and build one to fit once I've got some direction. 

Thanks

I tried in previous games (when they first introduced gegenpress and since) but it did seem like shooting yourself in the foot at the time. Not sure if the current ME will make it any better, but would be interested to know.

[Cloud9]

On 27/10/2023 at 23:31, DeepThought said:

I'm loving the FM24 beta, but I'm finding myself in a tactical quandary. I just can't settle on anything. Reading about for inspiration, I notice many tactics are high intensity (with the usual counter/counter-press/more or much more pressing combination ramping the intensity up) so I thought I might try to build a lower or mid intensity tactic to see if I could and give me some direction. I'd love to know if anyone has had any success/tips to help my starting point. 

I'm not committed to a team, I'll find and build one to fit once I've got some direction. 

Thanks

Okay yea you don't have to use high intensity. 

High intensity is one approach to the game but in general on FM it's a bit of a noob trap. I use it on my counter attacking systems but rarely in a high press. It mistakes effectiveness for just having a tactic that's trying to make something happen. If you're going to drop the tempo, you still need to try to make things happen which is the big error people often make. 

• Playing w/out counterpress will prevent your boys from getting beat so often.You probably want to use it as a in match TI, not as a permanent staple of your tactic. 
• If you are going for a high press, don't use counter and drop your tempo (both these things will see your boys keep the ball). One approach on a low tempo system is to use the width of the pitch, pinning the fullbacks wide to create space for inside runners who can unlock the defense(CM(a), SS, SV etc). That's an extremely effective approach against low block, compact sides. TI's like Hit Crosses Early combined with a low tempo/high width work very well.
• In general just chilling out and lowering the tempo can help the boys create more chances. 

High pressing and even gegenpressing teams IRL don't actually press all the time, they pick their moments. These high press tactics were rebalanced in FM23, when they reworked the fatigue system. Yea they can work, but they do so with diminishing impact over the course of a season as you run your boys into the ground. Your form is likely to go off a cliff mid season with a high tempo + counter press + counter tactic.

• Find sections of the game you can ramp up the tempo. 
• As opposition teams start to defend compactly/deep and don't come out to play, these flat out styles will simply fail to break them down (see Liverpool reinventing their style + Newcastle's current struggles). 

But what high press systems do, do well is that they ensure you're a threat to the opposition and put a lot of pressure on them. If you're going to build your own tactic, making sure you have ways of applying pressure/scoring goals should be boxes you check along the way. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Cloud9

[dannyfc]

4 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

High pressing and even gegenpressing teams IRL don't actually press all the time, they pick their moments. These high press tactics were rebalanced in FM23, when they reworked the fatigue system. Yea they can work, but they do so with diminishing impact over the course of a season as you run your boys into the ground.

I don't buy that, I still think it's far too easy to maintain and ultra higher pressing style over the course of the season without being penalised by jadedness or injuries. I would like to see SI make the effectiveness of pressing much more dependent on player attributes and training sessions that specifically practice the traps in-week. It should be a style you can impress over time, rather than simply slap on to any team at any level and get results from.

As a tangent to that I feel tactical familiarity itself is far too easy to build and maintain and should be largely governed by the focus of your training sessions. (i.e. set-pieces, defensive organisation, transitions, pressing, etc) 

[DeepThought]

Thanks for the reply @Cloud9. I know you don't have to use high intensity systems to succeed, it was just more that it's all I've been coming across shared so far. I've used them successfully in previous years I'm just lacking inspiration!

Some useful points in your reply I'll definitely take on board: I liked the point about lower tempo/hitting early crosses so I might use that one as a starting point to build an idea off. 

 

 

[Cloud9]

On 29/10/2023 at 12:03, DeepThought said:

Thanks for the reply @Cloud9. I know you don't have to use high intensity systems to succeed, it was just more that it's all I've been coming across shared so far. I've used them successfully in previous years I'm just lacking inspiration!

Some useful points in your reply I'll definitely take on board: I liked the point about lower tempo/hitting early crosses so I might use that one as a starting point to build an idea off. 

 

 

Nice, I feel like half the advice on the forum ends up being "take counter press off" or "lower the tempo" so I thought I would explain a little for anyone else as well 

Maybe a 3-4-2-1 or 4-3-3 for a lower tempo tactic this year could be nice? Both systems let you utilize the new positional play additions on 24 quite a bit. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Cloud9

[Delial]

Le 29/10/2023 à 14:41, dannyfc a dit :

I don't buy that, I still think it's far too easy to maintain and ultra higher pressing style over the course of the season without being penalised by jadedness or injuries. I would like to see SI make the effectiveness of pressing much more dependent on player attributes and training sessions that specifically practice the traps in-week. It should be a style you can impress over time, rather than simply slap on to any team at any level and get results from.

As a tangent to that I feel tactical familiarity itself is far too easy to build and maintain and should be largely governed by the focus of your training sessions. (i.e. set-pieces, defensive organisation, transitions, pressing, etc) 

I agree with that.

I have a friend who is building tactics that don't make any sense, but he always push everything at maximum, pressing, counter press, tempo etc... And he always have better results than I do. Most of them are unreallistic. I'm not jealous, but it's a bit discouraging when you try to replicate more nuanced realistic football.
But thanks @Cloud9, I will try to apply some of your advice.

[bosque]

3 hours ago, Delial said:

I agree with that.

I have a friend who is building tactics that don't make any sense, but he always push everything at maximum, pressing, counter press, tempo etc... And he always have better results than I do. Most of them are unreallistic. I'm not jealous, but it's a bit discouraging when you try to replicate more nuanced realistic football.
But thanks @Cloud9, I will try to apply some of your advice.

I understand this. Sadly, he is "gaming the game" and you are playing more like the AI. Playing it like the game was supposed to be played.

[Rowingkid]

I'm trying to play a different way too but it's frustrating as in some games literally nothing happens and then i concede the only chance the opposition get.

On 29/10/2023 at 08:47, Cloud9 said:

Okay yea you don't have to use high intensity. 

High intensity is one approach to the game but in general on FM it's a bit of a noob trap. I use it on my counter attacking systems but rarely in a high press. It mistakes effectiveness for just having a tactic that's trying to make something happen. If you're going to drop the tempo, you still need to try to make things happen which is the big error people often make. 

• Playing w/out counterpress will prevent your boys from getting beat so often.You probably want to use it as a in match TI, not as a permanent staple of your tactic. 
• If you are going for a high press, don't use counter and drop your tempo (both these things will see your boys keep the ball). One approach on a low tempo system is to use the width of the pitch, pinning the fullbacks wide to create space for inside runners who can unlock the defense(CM(a), SS, SV etc). That's an extremely effective approach against low block, compact sides. TI's like Hit Crosses Early combined with a low tempo/high width work very well.
• In general just chilling out and lowering the tempo can help the boys create more chances. 

High pressing and even gegenpressing teams IRL don't actually press all the time, they pick their moments. These high press tactics were rebalanced in FM23, when they reworked the fatigue system. Yea they can work, but they do so with diminishing impact over the course of a season as you run your boys into the ground. Your form is likely to go off a cliff mid season with a high tempo + counter press + counter tactic.

• Find sections of the game you can ramp up the tempo. 
• As opposition teams start to defend compactly/deep and don't come out to play, these flat out styles will simply fail to break them down (see Liverpool reinventing their style + Newcastle's current struggles). 

But what high press systems do, do well is that they ensure you're a threat to the opposition and put a lot of pressure on them. If you're going to build your own tactic, making sure you have ways of applying pressure/scoring goals should be boxes you check along the way. 

Thanks for the info in this post. Just wondering if you can confirm a few things as i've not played FM for about 10 years until this year so obviously a lot of it is new to me and i;m feeling like knowing the ME or the game is a big part of creating these "super" tactics.

Playing w/out counterpress will prevent your boys from getting beat so often.You probably want to use it as a in match TI, not as a permanent staple of your tactic. - is this the PI trigger press option and you mean to leave it off or low for all players?

• If you are going for a high press, don't use counter and drop your tempo (both these things will see your boys keep the ball). One approach on a low tempo system is to use the width of the pitch, pinning the fullbacks wide to create space for inside runners who can unlock the defense(CM(a), SS, SV etc). That's an extremely effective approach against low block, compact sides. TI's like Hit Crosses Early combined with a low tempo/high width work very well.  I've got my WBs wide as they can be when we have the ball and low tempo & short passing but whenever i put early crossing on my assistant says it isn't work and to remove it? should i ignore them or are they usually right about what to add and remove?

 

I'm finding the creating a tactic the most interesting part and also the most frustrating. Some games i'm 70% possession 3/4 nil and other games i create nothing and concede the only chance against me. The temptation to just click 433 gegenpress looms large but i think i'd rather not even play the game really haha. 

 

 

 

[Aoyao]

High tempo is high intensity.

[Cloud9]

On 01/11/2023 at 05:20, Rowingkid said:

I'm trying to play a different way too but it's frustrating as in some games literally nothing happens and then i concede the only chance the opposition get.

Thanks for the info in this post. Just wondering if you can confirm a few things as i've not played FM for about 10 years until this year so obviously a lot of it is new to me and i;m feeling like knowing the ME or the game is a big part of creating these "super" tactics.

Playing w/out counterpress will prevent your boys from getting beat so often.You probably want to use it as a in match TI, not as a permanent staple of your tactic. - is this the PI trigger press option and you mean to leave it off or low for all players?

• If you are going for a high press, don't use counter and drop your tempo (both these things will see your boys keep the ball). One approach on a low tempo system is to use the width of the pitch, pinning the fullbacks wide to create space for inside runners who can unlock the defense(CM(a), SS, SV etc). That's an extremely effective approach against low block, compact sides. TI's like Hit Crosses Early combined with a low tempo/high width work very well.  I've got my WBs wide as they can be when we have the ball and low tempo & short passing but whenever i put early crossing on my assistant says it isn't work and to remove it? should i ignore them or are they usually right about what to add and remove?

 

I'm finding the creating a tactic the most interesting part and also the most frustrating. Some games i'm 70% possession 3/4 nil and other games i create nothing and concede the only chance against me. The temptation to just click 433 gegenpress looms large but i think i'd rather not even play the game really haha. 

 

 

 

If you're just getting back into things the sticky topic at the top of the forum has links on different approaches to setup your tactic.

• Counter-press is separate to trigger pressing, although both are TIs. Trigger press influences how often your players initiate the press, where as counter press has your players constantly looking to win the ball back on turnovers. 
• I would ignore advice from your assistant most of the time. 
  • If it's in match advice, it can be a decent indicator to check if what he's saying is actually happening. Hit crosses early will help you hit the cross before the opposition defense sets up properly, so I really like using it when breaking down opposition. If the opposition is particularly good at dealing with crosses compared to your ability to convert from them, you might need to try a different approach.

You can also post the tactic you're creating on the forum and get feedback on how to make it tick. You might try playing around with a formation like a 3-4-2-1 if you'd like to get away from high pressing 4-3-3's. The biggest thing you can do to influence form is morale management, so I would make sure you keep that topped up to keep the variables down in your tactical tinkering  

Edited November 5, 2023 by Cloud9

[mikcheck]

Everyone plays the game as they want, obviously. But I'm a bit tired to constantly see tactics with maximized lines and pressing, that it's kinda refreshing when I see subjects discussed in threads like this. That's also because I try to play like that.

Edited November 5, 2023 by mikcheck

[daniel700]

On 29/10/2023 at 09:47, Cloud9 said:

Okay yea you don't have to use high intensity. 

High intensity is one approach to the game but in general on FM it's a bit of a noob trap. I use it on my counter attacking systems but rarely in a high press. It mistakes effectiveness for just having a tactic that's trying to make something happen. If you're going to drop the tempo, you still need to try to make things happen which is the big error people often make. 

• Playing w/out counterpress will prevent your boys from getting beat so often.You probably want to use it as a in match TI, not as a permanent staple of your tactic. 
• If you are going for a high press, don't use counter and drop your tempo (both these things will see your boys keep the ball). One approach on a low tempo system is to use the width of the pitch, pinning the fullbacks wide to create space for inside runners who can unlock the defense(CM(a), SS, SV etc). That's an extremely effective approach against low block, compact sides. TI's like Hit Crosses Early combined with a low tempo/high width work very well.
• In general just chilling out and lowering the tempo can help the boys create more chances. 

High pressing and even gegenpressing teams IRL don't actually press all the time, they pick their moments. These high press tactics were rebalanced in FM23, when they reworked the fatigue system. Yea they can work, but they do so with diminishing impact over the course of a season as you run your boys into the ground. Your form is likely to go off a cliff mid season with a high tempo + counter press + counter tactic.

• Find sections of the game you can ramp up the tempo. 
• As opposition teams start to defend compactly/deep and don't come out to play, these flat out styles will simply fail to break them down (see Liverpool reinventing their style + Newcastle's current struggles). 

But what high press systems do, do well is that they ensure you're a threat to the opposition and put a lot of pressure on them. If you're going to build your own tactic, making sure you have ways of applying pressure/scoring goals should be boxes you check along the way. 

Hi

I am playing as Man Utd and trying to build a tactic. I have tried a few times this year already but ended up both times almost got sacked and therefore I have started over. I tried a 4-5-1 in my former save but I would like to use a 4-2-3-1 despite the other might be more solid. I would like the team to be fairly solid in defence and not giving too many chances away. When in possession I would like to hold on to the ball and not rush forward. Move the ball around but still look for space up fromt to explore and hopefully create some chances. I dont wanna sit back and just kick long balls forward. I tried to implement some of your ideas, but theres is obviously still something wrong :-) Started up winning home against Bournemouth 4-1 and did not give away too many ccc and while I had quite a few. Next match was Chelsea away and I managed to draw 1-1. Then Tottenham came and pulled me apart. Lost 5-2.. They were playing fast and ran through my defensive lines. I tried to change to a more direct play, lowered the lines, let the fromt 5 press harder etc but I think I just made everything even worse and in the end I did not even know if any of the changes did anything good and which did not :-) This is also the most challenging part for me when creating tactics.. I can see what seems to be wrong (e.g. cant keep possession, long balls behind my defensive lines,  not enough forward movement etc.) but I dont know exactly what to change. My tactic is in danish, but I have translated the roles and TI´s. 

Positive mentality

Ti´s:

Pass into space, Play out of defence, slightly lower tempo, fairly wide

Short kicks (form keeper), Distribute to CD and FB

Middle LOE, More urgent

 

Roles:

                   DLF (a)

IF (s).          AM (s).        W (a)

             DLP (s), SV (s)

WB (s), CD (d), CD (d), WB (d)

                    SK (s)

 

I guess my question is how do I make the team more solid defensive without just sitting back? I would like the team to build up slowly but still with attacking in mind so to speak. But I would like the attacking part left to the front 4 with some support from the LWB and the SV in moments. I noticed that even when my Def line is standard the defenders went far up when in possession which left the team open behind and everybody had to rush back instead of staying back. I dont want everyone to move forward. I hope it all makes sense :-) 

Edited as I missed something:

I would like us to be more solid in defence especially when up against the big teams or away from home. If the opponent are sitting back or if everything seems fine I would like to be more attacking. So guess what I missed was, asking what to change if I need to be more solid and if I need to be more attacking without changing mentality and tweak too many things? As I understand mentality should not be changed if possible and to make good tactical knowledge you should not change too many instructions during games either? 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by daniel700
Missed something

[Ronnieekelund]

26 minutes ago, daniel700 said:

Hi

I am playing as Man Utd and trying to build a tactic. I have tried a few times this year already but ended up both times almost got sacked and therefore I have started over. I tried a 4-5-1 in my former save but I would like to use a 4-2-3-1 despite the other might be more solid. I would like the team to be fairly solid in defence and not giving too many chances away. When in possession I would like to hold on to the ball and not rush forward. Move the ball around but still look for space up fromt to explore and hopefully create some chances. I dont wanna sit back and just kick long balls forward. I tried to implement some of your ideas, but theres is obviously still something wrong :-) Started up winning home against Bournemouth 4-1 and did not give away too many ccc and while I had quite a few. Next match was Chelsea away and I managed to draw 1-1. Then Tottenham came and pulled me apart. Lost 5-2.. They were playing fast and ran through my defensive lines. I tried to change to a more direct play, lowered the lines, let the fromt 5 press harder etc but I think I just made everything even worse and in the end I did not even know if any of the changes did anything good and which did not :-) This is also the most challenging part for me when creating tactics.. I can see what seems to be wrong (e.g. cant keep possession, long balls behind my defensive lines,  not enough forward movement etc.) but I dont know exactly what to change. My tactic is in danish, but I have translated the roles and TI´s. 

Positive mentality

Ti´s:

Pass into space, Play out of defence, slightly lower tempo, fairly wide

Short kicks (form keeper), Distribute to CD and FB

Middle LOE, More urgent

 

Roles:

                   DLF (a)

IF (s).          AM (s).        W (a)

             DLP (s), SV (s)

WB (s), CD (d), CD (d), WB (d)

                    SK (s)

 

I guess my question is how do I make the team more solid defensive without just sitting back? I would like the team to build up slowly but still with attacking in mind so to speak. But I would like the attacking part left to the front 4 with some support from the LWB and the SV in moments. I noticed that even when my Def line is standard the defenders went far up when in possession which left the team open behind and everybody had to rush back instead of staying back. I dont want everyone to move forward. I hope it all makes sense :-) 

Edited as I missed something:

I would like us to be more solid in defence especially when up against the big teams or away from home. If the opponent are sitting back or if everything seems fine I would like to be more attacking. So guess what I missed was, asking what to change if I need to be more solid and if I need to be more attacking without changing mentality and tweak too many things? As I understand mentality should not be changed if possible and to make good tactical knowledge you should not change too many instructions during games either? 

 

 

I'm playing a 4231 with fbs and fba defensively only conceded twice in 6 games.

Also dmd and a dlps.

[daniel700]

23 minutes ago, Ronnieekelund said:

I'm playing a 4231 with fbs and fba defensively only conceded twice in 6 games.

Also dmd and a dlps.

Thanks.

which side do you use the roles?

Is it:

        DM (d).  DLP (s)

FB (s).                      FB (a)

What about passing directness and tempo?

And the lines (Defensive and LOE)

 

 

[daniel700]

2 hours ago, Ronnieekelund said:

I'm playing a 4231 with fbs and fba defensively only conceded twice in 6 games.

Also dmd and a dlps.

I tried the FB´s and changed the DM to defence. 

It started up as a nightmare as Man C just penetrated at will but slowly I came back and ended up winning.. did only change mid second half when ass manager suggested to add early crosses and floating crosses.. 

I will happily translate PI´s and roles if necessary.. 

Dont know if I were just lucky.. they came close a few times as they pushed forward i the end.. It did not seem like I was so solid that I could hold them off.. 

[Cloud9]

6 hours ago, daniel700 said:

Hi

I am playing as Man Utd and trying to build a tactic. I have tried a few times this year already but ended up both times almost got sacked and therefore I have started over. I tried a 4-5-1 in my former save but I would like to use a 4-2-3-1 despite the other might be more solid. I would like the team to be fairly solid in defence and not giving too many chances away. When in possession I would like to hold on to the ball and not rush forward. Move the ball around but still look for space up fromt to explore and hopefully create some chances. I dont wanna sit back and just kick long balls forward. I tried to implement some of your ideas, but theres is obviously still something wrong :-) Started up winning home against Bournemouth 4-1 and did not give away too many ccc and while I had quite a few. Next match was Chelsea away and I managed to draw 1-1. Then Tottenham came and pulled me apart. Lost 5-2.. They were playing fast and ran through my defensive lines. I tried to change to a more direct play, lowered the lines, let the fromt 5 press harder etc but I think I just made everything even worse and in the end I did not even know if any of the changes did anything good and which did not :-) This is also the most challenging part for me when creating tactics.. I can see what seems to be wrong (e.g. cant keep possession, long balls behind my defensive lines,  not enough forward movement etc.) but I dont know exactly what to change. My tactic is in danish, but I have translated the roles and TI´s. 

Positive mentality

Ti´s:

Pass into space, Play out of defence, slightly lower tempo, fairly wide

Short kicks (form keeper), Distribute to CD and FB

Middle LOE, More urgent

 

Roles:

                   DLF (a)

IF (s).          AM (s).        W (a)

             DLP (s), SV (s)

WB (s), CD (d), CD (d), WB (d)

                    SK (s)

 

I guess my question is how do I make the team more solid defensive without just sitting back? I would like the team to build up slowly but still with attacking in mind so to speak. But I would like the attacking part left to the front 4 with some support from the LWB and the SV in moments. I noticed that even when my Def line is standard the defenders went far up when in possession which left the team open behind and everybody had to rush back instead of staying back. I dont want everyone to move forward. I hope it all makes sense :-) 

Edited as I missed something:

I would like us to be more solid in defence especially when up against the big teams or away from home. If the opponent are sitting back or if everything seems fine I would like to be more attacking. So guess what I missed was, asking what to change if I need to be more solid and if I need to be more attacking without changing mentality and tweak too many things? As I understand mentality should not be changed if possible and to make good tactical knowledge you should not change too many instructions during games either? 

 

 

I would recommend moving your lines up when you're playing as Man United. I don't mind the SV in your pivot, I think that plays nicely in into the new match engine and as a big team you can take more risks. However defensively, leaving Eriksen to clean up is probably a role better suited to Casemiro. I'd throw Mctominay in as the SV instead.

You could take a look at this thread on how to utilize the new mechanics  Two fullbacks is quite conservative for Man United as well an IFB + IWB could be nice combo with the SV or you could with a simple FB + WB combo. With a giant like Man United, if you're controlling the game a lot of the defense will take care of itself. 

If you feel like you're getting played through too easily on turnovers, reducing your width can help. For difficult games (like vs Man city) dropping to a mid block and playing a more conservative pivot should be fine.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Cloud9

[daniel700]

2 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

I would recommend moving your lines up when you're playing as Man United. I don't mind the SV in your pivot, I think that plays nicely in into the new match engine and as a big team you can take more risks. However defensively, leaving Eriksen to clean up is probably a role better suited to Casemiro. I'd throw Mctominay in as the SV instead.

You could take a look at this thread on how to utilize the new mechanics  Two fullbacks is quite conservative for Man United as well an IFB + IWB could be nice combo with the SV or you could with a simple FB + WB combo. With a giant like Man United, if you're controlling the game a lot of the defense will take care of itself. 

If you feel like you're getting played through too easily on turnovers, reducing your width can help. For difficult games (like vs Man city) dropping to a mid block and playing a more conservative pivot should be fine.

Thank you very much for taking your time. I will read through the thread as well. I do just have a few questions for now. 

I agree with it being risky leaving the defensive clean up to Eriksen, but I use him as a Deep laying playmaker (s). I dont consider Casimiro as an playmaker (even thou his attributes are fine actually) so would you change the role as well? Like DM (s), DM (d) or even anchor?

I received an offer for McT so he is already off, but could use Amrabat, Mount or Mainoo as SV instead i guess.. 

Edit: Forgot to ask.. If I change the two DM´s as written above (e.g. DM (d) and SV (s) )would you advice making the AM into playmaker instead? 

And another question is regarding tempo and directness.. for now I have much shorter passing and slightly lower tempo.. I am having trouble finding out theese but as I understand tempo is the urgency of moving the ball forward? I translate that into that very low tempo wont create many chances as combined with shorter passing, the team will hold on to the ball but not necessary playing it forward.. thats the reason I choose slightly lower tempo as I wont rush but I will still want the players in possession to look for opportunities ahead.. could I raise the tempo to normal and still keep passing very short or would that be wrong? This only if I feel in control and want the team to take slightly more risks and attack more? Hope it makes sense.. 

 

And this:

If you feel like you're getting played through too easily on turnovers, reducing your width can help. For difficult games (like vs Man city) dropping to a mid block and playing a more conservative pivot should be fine.

Is it attacking or defensive width? or both?? If its defensive does it mean using force opponent outside? 

 

Again, thanks and I will look into the thread and the advices you have already provided.

Edited November 14, 2023 by daniel700
forgot something..

[Cloud9]

2 hours ago, daniel700 said:

Thank you very much for taking your time. I will read through the thread as well. I do just have a few questions for now. 

I agree with it being risky leaving the defensive clean up to Eriksen, but I use him as a Deep laying playmaker (s). I dont consider Casimiro as an playmaker (even thou his attributes are fine actually) so would you change the role as well? Like DM (s), DM (d) or even anchor?

I received an offer for McT so he is already off, but could use Amrabat, Mount or Mainoo as SV instead i guess.. 

Edit: Forgot to ask.. If I change the two DM´s as written above (e.g. DM (d) and SV (s) )would you advice making the AM into playmaker instead? 

And another question is regarding tempo and directness.. for now I have much shorter passing and slightly lower tempo.. I am having trouble finding out theese but as I understand tempo is the urgency of moving the ball forward? I translate that into that very low tempo wont create many chances as combined with shorter passing, the team will hold on to the ball but not necessary playing it forward.. thats the reason I choose slightly lower tempo as I wont rush but I will still want the players in possession to look for opportunities ahead.. could I raise the tempo to normal and still keep passing very short or would that be wrong? This only if I feel in control and want the team to take slightly more risks and attack more? Hope it makes sense.. 

 

And this:

If you feel like you're getting played through too easily on turnovers, reducing your width can help. For difficult games (like vs Man city) dropping to a mid block and playing a more conservative pivot should be fine.

Is it attacking or defensive width? or both?? If its defensive does it mean using force opponent outside? 

 

Again, thanks and I will look into the thread and the advices you have already provided.

 I would try something like this as a starting point for tactic/best 11 for a low tempo attack. 

 

On attacking width:

• It specifically applies for when you're in possession, but it impacts both since it's the space apart the players will be when the ball is turned over. A narrow width is compact and therefore harder to play through. A high tempo counter press is then very effective in narrow, as your players can press in coordination a lot easier. Wider lets you take advantage of pace on players in outside areas.

On Casemiro's role:

• I think a DM(s) w/hold position could be quite nice, it'll give a higher starting position than a DM(d) so he will help out with build up play. I would recommend switching Mount to an SV(a) in sections of the game (they've given Mount crazy off the ball which I recommend you take advantage of). It will leave Casemiro with a lot to do (you might move him to a DM(d) in these moments), but the opposition will really struggle to deal with that surging run.

On the AMC role:

• This is personal preference (AP or AMC). I think the AP gives you an extra element to the attack and will play to your strengths a bit better. Basically he's a lock pick in the 10 who can play in the roles around him (including Mount).
• "Work the ball into the box" is a TI I'd consider using in portions of the match as well. 

Goalkeeper:

• Any sweeper keeper will do, SK(a) looked fun if you've got Onana. Just as long as he can help bridge the gap from a rather slow backline. On the CB's I'm still not sure sure on a Stopper/Cover + IFB combo, but it's also fun. Going double defend duty will work if they're too exposed.

On Tempo/Passing:

• Both are influenced by the mentality you play on, but tempo is how quickly the ball is progressed up the pitch and passing directness impacts the length of passes attempted. Low/medium on both bars will prevent you from wasting possession and help you to break down compact opposition. The off footed winger's help to pull the opposition wide while offering 1v1 threats, the box controls the center of pitch, and Hojland sits around in the penalty area eating his lunch. He's a much better option to Martial as he's got height, which is key on a solo poacher. 

You'll inevitably want to up the tempo/use counterpress in portions of the match regardless of the low tempo approach. If it feels a little too passive as is, you can always flick up the trigger press a notch. "Focus play" I would use frequently with a tactic like this.

Anyways I think that looks like a good base for a mix of fun/functional, feel free to chop it up as it suits you and your playstyle

Edited November 14, 2023 by Cloud9

[daniel700]

1 hour ago, Cloud9 said:

 I would try something like this as a starting point for tactic/best 11 for a low tempo attack. 

 

On attacking width:

• It specifically applies for when you're in possession, but it impacts both since it's the space apart the players will be when the ball is turned over. A narrow width is compact and therefore harder to play through. A high tempo counter press is then very effective in narrow, as your players can press in coordination a lot easier. Wider lets you take advantage of pace on players in outside areas.

On Casemiro's role:

• I think a DM(s) w/hold position could be quite nice, it'll give a higher starting position than a DM(d) so he will help out with build up play. I would recommend switching Mount to an SV(a) in sections of the game (they've given Mount crazy off the ball which I recommend you take advantage of). It will leave Casemiro with a lot to do (you might move him to a DM(d) in these moments), but the opposition will really struggle to deal with that surging run.

On the AMC role:

• This is personal preference (AP or AMC). I think the AP gives you an extra element to the attack and will play to your strengths a bit better. Basically he's a lock pick in the 10 who can play in the roles around him (including Mount).
• "Work the ball into the box" is a TI I'd consider using in portions of the match as well. 

Goalkeeper:

• Any sweeper keeper will do, SK(a) looked fun if you've got Onana. Just as long as he can help bridge the gap from a rather slow backline. On the CB's I'm still not sure sure on a Stopper/Cover + IFB combo, but it's also fun. Going double defend duty will work if they're too exposed.

On Tempo/Passing:

• Both are influenced by the mentality you play on, but tempo is how quickly the ball is progressed up the pitch and passing directness impacts the length of passes attempted. Low/medium on both bars will prevent you from wasting possession and help you to break down compact opposition. The off footed winger's help to pull the opposition wide while offering 1v1 threats, the box controls the center of pitch, and Hojland sits around in the penalty area eating his lunch. He's a much better option to Martial as he's got height, which is key on a solo poacher. 

You'll inevitably want to up the tempo/use counterpress in portions of the match regardless of the low tempo approach. If it feels a little too passive as is, you can always flick up the trigger press a notch. "Focus play" I would use frequently with a tactic like this.

Anyways I think that looks like a good base for a mix of fun/functional, feel free to chop it up as it suits you and your playstyle

Wow.. thank you ever so much for all the time you took to answer me :-)

I was getting mixed results and still trying to implement some of the former suggestions. I would really like to understand why and when to use specific instructions rather than just try and error without understand why. This and your former answers gives me that. It makes sense (on paper at least) so now I will see how it plays out :-) The learning curve is quite steep as I am already in season with tough games coming up. 

About width:

As I understand what you write, defensive width is actually the attacking width option which should be set to narrow if you want to be more compact in defence as well. The option to force opponents outside is another thing? Just to be sure. I my case with Man Utd I have relatively fast players I could utilize using width in attack but if I would like to stay compact in defence I rather choose narrow or fairly narrow? Depending on the situation of course but I cant do both.. 

About Shaw:

I like the IFB role but his traits seems to be countering the point of the role:

Run with ball along left flank, goes forward as soon as opportunity arrives and avoid using his weak leg.. Will his role (IFB) or his player traits dominate if it makes sense? Or will it just make him even more mobile? His best suited role in the game is also IWB so I am just wondering..

Thanks again :-)

 

[Cloud9]

6 hours ago, daniel700 said:

Wow.. thank you ever so much for all the time you took to answer me :-)

I was getting mixed results and still trying to implement some of the former suggestions. I would really like to understand why and when to use specific instructions rather than just try and error without understand why. This and your former answers gives me that. It makes sense (on paper at least) so now I will see how it plays out :-) The learning curve is quite steep as I am already in season with tough games coming up. 

About width:

As I understand what you write, defensive width is actually the attacking width option which should be set to narrow if you want to be more compact in defence as well. The option to force opponents outside is another thing? Just to be sure. I my case with Man Utd I have relatively fast players I could utilize using width in attack but if I would like to stay compact in defence I rather choose narrow or fairly narrow? Depending on the situation of course but I cant do both.. 

About Shaw:

I like the IFB role but his traits seems to be countering the point of the role:

Run with ball along left flank, goes forward as soon as opportunity arrives and avoid using his weak leg.. Will his role (IFB) or his player traits dominate if it makes sense? Or will it just make him even more mobile? His best suited role in the game is also IWB so I am just wondering..

Thanks again :-)

 

No problem   Width is a little tricky to get a hang of at first. It's a double edged sword, so there are pros/cons for going either narrow or wide. As Man United I'd only consider dropping the width back if the match momentum is really going against you or the opposition is quite a bit stronger than you. Otherwise, make the opposition play your game (which on the above tactic is fairly wide) and dominate possession. The three center backs (2 + IFB) + Casemiro should provide a capable defensive base even on the higher width settings to deal with counter attacks. Width is really important to unlocking a few of the roles we've built around (like the SV) and it'll also let you get the best out of Rashford on the left.

On forcing opponents outside, that is another thing but I would ignore it for now. Tactics will work just fine w/out the force inside/outside Tis and I'd recommend using them when you're a bit more comfortable with the tactical creator. I usually show the opposition into an area of the pitch where I have the numerical advantage in my counter attacks, but in those situations I've built the tactic and squad specifically to execute those pressing traps. 

On Shaw, the traits are alright. If he ends up going on a little adventure up the pitch, he can create an overload which you can afford. He's going to sit at left back w/hold position before tucking in as a third CB in possession. The most important thing is that he's got the physical distribution (height/pace) to play FB and CB, which makes him superb for the IFB role. Mostly we're prioritizing the IWB inverting into the SVs space, and then the SV going forward on the same side. Speaking of the right IWB, Dalot is the one player that's a bit weak in the starting 11. If you've got the cash, finding an upgrade in that particular position will make the system a lot stronger. I might suggest Aaron Hickey from Brentford. I'm not sure on the attributes he's been given this year, but he's a two footed, ball playing wingback which is huge for a player who will be playing centrally alongside Casemiro in possession. 

Hope that helps. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Cloud9

[daniel700]

9 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

No problem   Width is a little tricky to get a hang of at first. It's a double edged sword, so there are pros/cons for going either narrow or wide. As Man United I'd only consider dropping the width back if the match momentum is really going against you or the opposition is quite a bit stronger than you. Otherwise, make the opposition play your game (which on the above tactic is fairly wide) and dominate possession. The three center backs (2 + IFB) + Casemiro should provide a capable defensive base even on the higher width settings to deal with counter attacks. Width is really important to unlocking a few of the roles we've built around (like the SV) and it'll also let you get the best out of Rashford on the left.

On forcing opponents outside, that is another thing but I would ignore it for now. Tactics will work just fine w/out the force inside/outside Tis and I'd recommend using them when you're a bit more comfortable with the tactical creator. I usually show the opposition into an area of the pitch where I have the numerical advantage in my counter attacks, but in those situations I've built the tactic and squad specifically to execute those pressing traps. 

On Shaw, the traits are alright. If he ends up going on a little adventure up the pitch, he can create an overload which you can afford. He's going to sit at left back w/hold position before tucking in as a third CB in possession. The most important thing is that he's got the physical distribution (height/pace) to play FB and CB, which makes him superb for the IFB role. Mostly we're prioritizing the IWB inverting into the SVs space, and then the SV going forward on the same side. Speaking of the right IWB, Dalot is the one player that's a bit weak in the starting 11. If you've got the cash, finding an upgrade in that particular position will make the system a lot stronger. I might suggest Aaron Hickey from Brentford. I'm not sure on the attributes he's been given this year, but he's a two footed, ball playing wingback which is huge for a player who will be playing centrally alongside Casemiro in possession. 

Hope that helps. 

Thanks again for another great explanation and for you taking your time.

It all makes sense and the tactic seems really good. Just the way I imagined it but what I could not figure out myself. So thanks for that again. 

There are some minor tweaks I will try out and of course changes during different matches. I have won and lost already but I am satisfied with what I have been seeing. I am not being pulled apart and I am not on the edge throughout the entire match as I were before. I had a feeling that it all could collapse at any moment even if I were ahead. I will rather lose or draw a match which I feel I should have won rather than being dominated and then get a lucky shot and steal the victory like that. The latter might feel great in the moment but on long term that wont stand. This tactic seems to be more solid and as the players get more use to it I guess it will only be even better.

The players does not seems to be worn out as much either which I guess is due to the lower overall intensity. Hopefully that as well will be beneficial in the long run as well.

Not any questions for now, but just an update and a thank.

[Cloud9]

12 hours ago, daniel700 said:

Thanks again for another great explanation and for you taking your time.

It all makes sense and the tactic seems really good. Just the way I imagined it but what I could not figure out myself. So thanks for that again. 

There are some minor tweaks I will try out and of course changes during different matches. I have won and lost already but I am satisfied with what I have been seeing. I am not being pulled apart and I am not on the edge throughout the entire match as I were before. I had a feeling that it all could collapse at any moment even if I were ahead. I will rather lose or draw a match which I feel I should have won rather than being dominated and then get a lucky shot and steal the victory like that. The latter might feel great in the moment but on long term that wont stand. This tactic seems to be more solid and as the players get more use to it I guess it will only be even better.

The players does not seems to be worn out as much either which I guess is due to the lower overall intensity. Hopefully that as well will be beneficial in the long run as well.

Not any questions for now, but just an update and a thank.

Happy to help and glad you're enjoying the style of play! Hope those changes continue to serve you well.

[klaasjan]

Because the RW is  stretching the opposition wide by playing in a Winger role it might be worth considering the left side of the tactical setup to do something different in order to exploit this and Manchester United's best attacking player.

So, because neither Rashford neither Garnacho are at their best as wingers and because of their **** workrate, I'd highly suggest  "unlocking" the Shaw-Rashford partnership by having them as a WB s- IFa combo as this would also offer something different on their side specially with this approach which gives you lot of spaces to exploit.
You might also consider moving the AMC a bit left in the centre and let him on support to further help the left side overload while the VOL will be also pushing forward in the right side of the ST. Basically an asymetrical 4-2-4 or a 2-2-3-3 in the last phase of the attacks:

               CB CB
           IWB(s)    DMs
W                         AMC   WB
           VOL    AF    IF

[daniel700]

On 20/11/2023 at 11:36, klaasjan said:

Because the RW is  stretching the opposition wide by playing in a Winger role it might be worth considering the left side of the tactical setup to do something different in order to exploit this and Manchester United's best attacking player.

So, because neither Rashford neither Garnacho are at their best as wingers and because of their **** workrate, I'd highly suggest  "unlocking" the Shaw-Rashford partnership by having them as a WB s- IFa combo as this would also offer something different on their side specially with this approach which gives you lot of spaces to exploit.
You might also consider moving the AMC a bit left in the centre and let him on support to further help the left side overload while the VOL will be also pushing forward in the right side of the ST. Basically an asymetrical 4-2-4 or a 2-2-3-3 in the last phase of the attacks:

               CB CB
           IWB(s)    DMs
W                         AMC   WB
           VOL    AF    IF

Thanks a lot, but I had to abandon the above approach again after some time.. The team went from playing well the next 4-5 matches or so, to not being able to perform the easiest passes and playing like they had never met each other before.. that, and the fact that the ME/AI or whatever started to pull me apart.. low as top team, home and away.. This is perhaps the biggest reason creating my own tactics (with help from others of course) is really frustrating.. I appreciate every single advice and the fact that other people like you and cloud9 takes time to answer and guide. I just find it hard and frustrating that I always have to tweak and tweak and tweak the tactics to maintain just some stability.. but thats just me.. I went on with another tactic which again worked very well.. for some time.. and now I am using another which again had been fine but again seems to be losing its strength.. I am sure that theres is an explanation to everything, but is it not as funny constant looking through threads, guides and forums to figure out what to do next, as it is playing the game itself.. hopefully my next tweak will do the trick :-) or the next one.. 

[Cloud9]

On 20/11/2023 at 02:36, klaasjan said:

Because the RW is  stretching the opposition wide by playing in a Winger role it might be worth considering the left side of the tactical setup to do something different in order to exploit this and Manchester United's best attacking player.

So, because neither Rashford neither Garnacho are at their best as wingers and because of their **** workrate, I'd highly suggest  "unlocking" the Shaw-Rashford partnership by having them as a WB s- IFa combo as this would also offer something different on their side specially with this approach which gives you lot of spaces to exploit.
You might also consider moving the AMC a bit left in the centre and let him on support to further help the left side overload while the VOL will be also pushing forward in the right side of the ST. Basically an asymetrical 4-2-4 or a 2-2-3-3 in the last phase of the attacks:

               CB CB
           IWB(s)    DMs
W                         AMC   WB
           VOL    AF    IF

They're not true wingers, but on their off foot which is the whole point. Basically we've ignored the IF/IW roles because the Winger w/an off foot gives much better movement imo, but it's filling that niche in the tactic. When you play an off footed winger they'll naturally make their runs less wide (usually in line with the edge of the area instead of the touchline), take on their man, and provide a lot of end product. 

Ignore the stars and highlighted attributes, those are just suggestions the game provides. The game will tell you the player isn't "suited" to do it based on his stars, but literally it doesn't mean anything.

1 hour ago, daniel700 said:

Thanks a lot, but I had to abandon the above approach again after some time.. The team went from playing well the next 4-5 matches or so, to not being able to perform the easiest passes and playing like they had never met each other before.. that, and the fact that the ME/AI or whatever started to pull me apart.. low as top team, home and away.. This is perhaps the biggest reason creating my own tactics (with help from others of course) is really frustrating.. I appreciate every single advice and the fact that other people like you and cloud9 takes time to answer and guide. I just find it hard and frustrating that I always have to tweak and tweak and tweak the tactics to maintain just some stability.. but thats just me.. I went on with another tactic which again worked very well.. for some time.. and now I am using another which again had been fine but again seems to be losing its strength.. I am sure that theres is an explanation to everything, but is it not as funny constant looking through threads, guides and forums to figure out what to do next, as it is playing the game itself.. hopefully my next tweak will do the trick :-) or the next one.. 

A tactic takes a lot of time for the players to get used to it. Having a toned down version for away games can help, but I'd get my three variations of the same tactic blooded in during preseason and just make minor changes after this. Over tinkering during a season will prevent the players from ever truly learning a system of play. 

If you're still struggling with form, it'll be off the field stuff holding you back. The biggest thing you can do in the game is morale management, but there's tons of factors like squad rotation/dynamics that are also super important. 

The game is complicated but as a big team like Man United it's made a lot more simple. You've got players who if you manage correctly off the pitch, should always be able to perform for you. This is actually super helpful in learning how things work in the ME, because with a lower league team the problem can be the players being a liability instead. 

if you're really struggling I would recommend starting fresh. Making sure you get your pre-season right is important both for the fitness of the boys over the course of the season but also in getting your squad dynamics to a place where you're ready to roll as a team. Push the players to the max in preseason and make sure you get some extra friendlies in there against easy teams so you can boost your team dynamics. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Cloud9

[daniel700]

14 minutes ago, Cloud9 said:

A tactic takes a lot of time for the players to get used to it. Having a toned down version for away games can help, but I'd get my three variations of the same tactic blooded in during preseason and just make minor changes after this. Over tinkering during a season will prevent the players from ever truly learning a system of play. 

If you're still struggling with form, it'll be off the field stuff holding you back. The biggest thing you can do in the game is morale management, but there's tons of factors like squad rotation/dynamics that are also super important. 

The game is complicated but as a big team like Man United it's made a lot more simple. You've got players who if you manage correctly off the pitch, should always be able to perform for you. This is actually super helpful in learning how things work in the ME, because with a lower league team the problem can be the players being a liability instead. 

if you're really struggling I would recommend starting fresh. Making sure you get your pre-season right is important both for the fitness of the boys over the course of the season but also in getting your squad dynamics to a place where you're ready to roll as a team. Push the players to the max in preseason and make sure you get some extra friendlies in there against easy teams so you can boost your team dynamics. 

Thanks again. I have no doubt that it is me who struggle to fully understand everything. The tactic you helped me with worked well right away, but when problems arrive, they seems to arrive quickly and hard.. meaning that the team can go from playing fine or even good against a top team away from home to being dominated at home by the button team.. As i mentioned I was hitting a bad form and were facing Bayern away.. I went online once again and found a thread about beating Liverpool (ended there as I searched for advice to beat/survive high tempo pressing teams) and I adopted a lot of the advices even thou it meant changing my entire tactic.. But desperate times.. It was a high tempo, high pressure, counter press, counter, wide attacking etc.. I was not the way I wanted to play as we discussed in earlier posts, but again, I was getting desperate.. That gave me a 4-1 victory and after that, 4-0 against Man City, 3-0 agains Villa and then the "magic" wore off again.. It is NOT that I would like to win everything or even almost everything.. I just dont get that changing tactic suddenly can have that effect if the tactic is far from what the players use to play.. To me it feels like they get worse week by week when I change tactic.. Just to clarify, I dont claim that changing tactic like I have done is the right way and I am sure you are right.. The problem is that when I go from playing really well for some time to suddenly being in matches without being able to create a single chance while the opponent create chance after chance and perhaps getting 1 or 2 goals I have no idea what to do.. 

The off field stuff I agree is really important and I try to rotate and dont use players in poor form.. I praise them and in this save everyone actually seems fine. But that is excatly the reason I am afraid of hitting a long losing streak as this alone can lead to poor morale.. 

[Cloud9]

2 hours ago, daniel700 said:

Thanks again. I have no doubt that it is me who struggle to fully understand everything. The tactic you helped me with worked well right away, but when problems arrive, they seems to arrive quickly and hard.. meaning that the team can go from playing fine or even good against a top team away from home to being dominated at home by the button team.. As i mentioned I was hitting a bad form and were facing Bayern away.. I went online once again and found a thread about beating Liverpool (ended there as I searched for advice to beat/survive high tempo pressing teams) and I adopted a lot of the advices even thou it meant changing my entire tactic.. But desperate times.. It was a high tempo, high pressure, counter press, counter, wide attacking etc.. I was not the way I wanted to play as we discussed in earlier posts, but again, I was getting desperate.. That gave me a 4-1 victory and after that, 4-0 against Man City, 3-0 agains Villa and then the "magic" wore off again.. It is NOT that I would like to win everything or even almost everything.. I just dont get that changing tactic suddenly can have that effect if the tactic is far from what the players use to play.. To me it feels like they get worse week by week when I change tactic.. Just to clarify, I dont claim that changing tactic like I have done is the right way and I am sure you are right.. The problem is that when I go from playing really well for some time to suddenly being in matches without being able to create a single chance while the opponent create chance after chance and perhaps getting 1 or 2 goals I have no idea what to do.. 

The off field stuff I agree is really important and I try to rotate and dont use players in poor form.. I praise them and in this save everyone actually seems fine. But that is excatly the reason I am afraid of hitting a long losing streak as this alone can lead to poor morale.. 

That does sound frustrating, swapping strategies drastically will always result in a period where your form is poor (even if you get a bounce, the dice roll & there's luck for each match) since there's no tactical familiarity. Usually it takes till after Christmas and really end of season for them to be fully comfortable with your setups. 

I think creating three versions of your tactic is the best fix to what you're experiencing. The one I I provided is a control possession tactic. You might want to add a mid block/away from home setup vs strong teams and a 3rd "go for it" strategy where the tempo is upped. If you've done that from preseason the boys will be tactically adept when you do need to make to make big changes and you won't get these flip flops in form that happen when you tear up the tactical plan. Usually my tactical tinkering comes down to small things like taking the width down a notch or focusing play down a flank I think the opposition are exposed on. You can then continue to make little tweaks in game as you watch things play out. 

• This will give you a base to build from with tactical tweaks instead of repeatedly having to start from 0 midseason. 
• Once you have a base it's also easier to identify impactful in match changes to swing a match that's going against you.

On Rotation:

• Form is a good way to do this, but more importantly add "fatigue, match load, and injury risk" to your selection view. Don't play players when they go into the Red and you'll be on the right track to a good rotation. If a player ever gets jaded that a fairly big warning that your hampering their ability to play/their development.

On Morale:

• It can be just a bit of a grind but even on a losing streak you can get the morale up with a bit of work. Basically praise everyone conduct, criticize anyone with a card on their history, praise criticize training over/under 7, and same w/form. Keeping it topped up when your tinkering is important since it's another (and key) variable that you're keeping stable.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Cloud9

[daniel700]

14 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

That does sound frustrating, swapping strategies drastically will always result in a period where your form is poor (even if you get a bounce, the dice roll & there's luck for each match) since there's no tactical familiarity. Usually it takes till after Christmas and really end of season for them to be fully comfortable with your setups. 

I think creating three versions of your tactic is the best fix to what you're experiencing. The one I I provided is a control possession tactic. You might want to add a mid block/away from home setup vs strong teams and a 3rd "go for it" strategy where the tempo is upped. If you've done that from preseason the boys will be tactically adept when you do need to make to make big changes and you won't get these flip flops in form that happen when you tear up the tactical plan. Usually my tactical tinkering comes down to small things like taking the width down a notch or focusing play down a flank I think the opposition are exposed on. You can then continue to make little tweaks in game as you watch things play out. 

• This will give you a base to build from with tactical tweaks instead of repeatedly having to start from 0 midseason. 
• Once you have a base it's also easier to identify impactful in match changes to swing a match that's going against you.

On Rotation:

• Form is a good way to do this, but more importantly add "fatigue, match load, and injury risk" to your selection view. Don't play players when they go into the Red and you'll be on the right track to a good rotation. If a player ever gets jaded that a fairly big warning that your hampering their ability to play/their development.

On Morale:

• It can be just a bit of a grind but even on a losing streak you can get the morale up with a bit of work. Basically praise everyone conduct, criticize anyone with a card on their history, praise criticize training over/under 7, and same w/form. Keeping it topped up when your tinkering is important since it's another (and key) variable that you're keeping stable.

Thanks again

Regarding rotating tactics:

I prefer playing 4-2-3-1 (as the one you helped create) but the one working really fine right now is 4-5-1 (much more intense and fast). Is it "possible" to have different formations in the 3 tactics you are using? And does it matter (in the longer run) which tactic is trained most (number one slot)? I mean if the team over longer time will be familiar with all three version regardless which one is in which slot.. if it makes sense??

 

Regarding fatigue:

I have it in in danish but there only seem to be either "Fresh" and "low" but both are green.. can this be "red" as well and what will it say then?

I have "reds" in both match load (hard) and injury risk (high) but that also makes sense.. I dont understand fatigue when it is fresh and low.. 

I rest players in red of course..

 

The morale seems fine, but I can do more regarding praise training.. and maybe a little more and good match stats.. the "rule" over/below 7 seems as a good starting point.. 

I will look into that..

 

 

 

[Cloud9]

3 hours ago, daniel700 said:

Thanks again

Regarding rotating tactics:

I prefer playing 4-2-3-1 (as the one you helped create) but the one working really fine right now is 4-5-1 (much more intense and fast). Is it "possible" to have different formations in the 3 tactics you are using? And does it matter (in the longer run) which tactic is trained most (number one slot)? I mean if the team over longer time will be familiar with all three version regardless which one is in which slot.. if it makes sense??

 

Regarding fatigue:

I have it in in danish but there only seem to be either "Fresh" and "low" but both are green.. can this be "red" as well and what will it say then?

I have "reds" in both match load (hard) and injury risk (high) but that also makes sense.. I dont understand fatigue when it is fresh and low.. 

I rest players in red of course..

 

The morale seems fine, but I can do more regarding praise training.. and maybe a little more and good match stats.. the "rule" over/below 7 seems as a good starting point.. 

I will look into that..

 

 

 

On tactical familiarity:

• That will work fine, up to you as a manager which three tactics you will train them in.
• You can select which tactic you're training in a drop down menu in the "training" tab, which can help you focus on tactical familiarity for a specific tactic
• Whatever tactic your team plays on match day will gain significantly more familiarity

Rotation:

• Fatigue is a modifier that you should keep an eye on, Fresh or low is good. Players with higher level fatigue will basically get more tired in the match itself (compared to fresh ones).
• Injury risk: Don't play anyone who is in the Red. This mimics IRL too which is nice.
• Match Load: Another one that I use an indicator when I'm trying to figure out who to rotate that week.
• Form and keeping to your strongest starting 11 is important during the season. Figuring out where/how to rotate is key to development and consistent form. 

 

[daniel700]

9 minutes ago, Cloud9 said:

On tactical familiarity:

• That will work fine, up to you as a manager which three tactics you will train them in.
• You can select which tactic you're training in a drop down menu in the "training" tab, which can help you focus on tactical familiarity for a specific tactic
• Whatever tactic your team plays on match day will gain significantly more familiarity

Rotation:

• Fatigue is a modifier that you should keep an eye on, Fresh or low is good. Players with higher level fatigue will basically get more tired in the match itself (compared to fresh ones).
• Injury risk: Don't play anyone who is in the Red. This mimics IRL too which is nice.
• Match Load: Another one that I use an indicator when I'm trying to figure out who to rotate that week.
• Form and keeping to your strongest starting 11 is important during the season. Figuring out where/how to rotate is key to development and consistent form. 

 

Thanks

I just haven´t seen fatigue status other than "fresh" and "low" (yet) so I was unsure if low was as bad as it could be.. 

And thank you for the answers about different formations... Right now I have both two versions of 4-2-3-1 and a 4-5-1 so I will continue to rotate between these. 

[bosque]

1 hour ago, Cloud9 said:

On tactical familiarity:

• That will work fine, up to you as a manager which three tactics you will train them in.
• You can select which tactic you're training in a drop down menu in the "training" tab, which can help you focus on tactical familiarity for a specific tactic
• Whatever tactic your team plays on match day will gain significantly more familiarity

Rotation:

• Fatigue is a modifier that you should keep an eye on, Fresh or low is good. Players with higher level fatigue will basically get more tired in the match itself (compared to fresh ones).
• Injury risk: Don't play anyone who is in the Red. This mimics IRL too which is nice.
• Match Load: Another one that I use an indicator when I'm trying to figure out who to rotate that week.
• Form and keeping to your strongest starting 11 is important during the season. Figuring out where/how to rotate is key to development and consistent form. 

 

Do you care about a not-full-green-heart if the player is not in the red in fatigue, injury risk and match load?

[Cloud9]

2 hours ago, bosque said:

Do you care about a not-full-green-heart if the player is not in the red in fatigue, injury risk and match load?

In that situation, I would only consider starting them if there's no better option.

It's also highly dependent on the position they play and how much running they need to do (a Rodrigo De Paul style player needs his legs for example). They will likely need to be dragged by 60 minutes regardless.