Need tactical advice (Underwhelming results with title favourites)

[CFuller]

Occasional visitor, first-time poster. I hope you can help me out.

I have just started a save managing Wieczysta Kraków in the Polish 4th division. My team is the overwhelming favourites to win the division, as we have a number of quality players who are too good for this league (in real-life, they have a millionaire owner who has brought in several Polish internationals and top-flight players).

I am covering this save on my FM blog, so I don't want to give away too many details... but the season hasn't started well. After 19 games heading into the winter break, we are 4th with 36 points - nine points off the lead. Only the league champions get promoted, so I'm very worried about losing my job if I can't turn it around in the second half of the season.

Our attacking efficiency is not too bad (41 goals, 13% shot conversion). I feel it could be better, especially when it comes to breaking down defensive teams. We started the season quite well, dominating possession and destroying teams 4-0 away from home - but from October onwards, we were struggling to convert chances and were often relying on penalties and set-pieces to secure results.

We have already lost five league games, including two at home to our title rivals - 1-2 vs Orlęta, and 0-2 vs Star Starachowice. While our defence doesn't give up many chances, we concede about 25-30% of our opponents' shots on target - which seems a bit high for a team that's supposedly the strongest in the league.

One big thing I can think of is that Team Cohesion is still Poor (it was Abysmal when I started the save). I've tried to improve cohesion through pre-season friendlies and training, but there's only so much I can do on that front. I am making a few signings in the winter transfer window, but I'm mindful not to bring in too many new faces too soon, in case it undoes all that work.

Morale is pretty good too. I don't have problems with keeping morale high. What I really need is tactical advice.

I have never been confident in my tactic-making abilities, much less explaining how I want (or expect) them to work. I have mainly been using a 4-2-3-1 - occasionally switching to the 4-3-3 for tough away games.

 

MY TACTICS:

 

MY BEST PLAYERS:

Spoiler

I remember Herne79 helped me out when I was struggling with tactics for my Arsenal save on FM22, so I'm happy to come here directly this time.

Feel free to savage my tactics. I want you to be as brutally honest as possible. I can provide more player profiles if needed.

[Cloud9]

13 minutes ago, CFuller said:

Feel free to savage my tactics. I want you to be as brutally honest as possible. I can provide more player profiles if needed.

Trouble is you're playing on a counter attack with a team so good that opponents don't want to bring the game to you anymore. I would look to change your approach or start a different save if you'd like to continue to counter.

• Move your lines up and remove Tis that will see you lose possession more frequently (counter, pass into space).
• The roles are also quite conservative. Letting both fullbacks go forward is an option if you're a strong side and roles like BPD can be nice as well. Alternatively, an IWB or Libero style is very effective with big teams. You can control the middle of the pitch w/ 4 players. 
• If you're playing a SS, I like a F9 over a DLF. One of the best role combinations on FM imo.
• AP on the right might be a role you look to swap out as well. 

Edited March 12 by Cloud9

[CFuller]

24 minutes ago, Cloud9 said:

Trouble is you're playing on a counter attack with a team so good that opponents don't want to bring the game to you anymore. I would look to change your approach or start a different save if you'd like to continue to counter.

• Move your lines up and remove Tis that will see you lose possession more frequently (counter, pass into space).

This is great advice already. Being someone who doesn't usually manage title favourites from the start, counter-attacking football has always come naturally to me. I will turn off Counter and Pass Into Space and see how it goes.

24 minutes ago, Cloud9 said:

The roles are also quite conservative. Letting both fullbacks go forward is an option if you're a strong side and roles like BPD can be nice as well. Alternatively, an IWB or Libero style is very effective with big teams. You can control the middle of the pitch w/ 4 players. 

Another good point. One of my biggest weaknesses as an FMer is that I play it too safe. Pietrzak and Favorov are both very good full-backs, and I would like to encourage them both to go forward, but I'm worried about us being left too exposed to counter-attacks. Like I said, we don't concede many chances, but when we do, we tend to concede goals quite often.

I am tempted to try Pazdan as a BPD (12 Passing, 11 Vision, but his First Touch and Technique are quite low). I'm now in February and have just signed another centre-back who can play in that role too.

24 minutes ago, Cloud9 said:

If you're playing a SS, I like a F9 over a DLF. One of the best role combinations on FM imo.

The AM / striker combination is the one I've had the most headaches about. I really like Jankowski as a DLF (13 goals in 19 league games), but Trąbka is not playing well as a Shadow Striker. Could he be better off as an Attacking Midfielder, or would that not work too well with a DLF? Likewise, I'm open to changing Jankowski's role, but he's not a false 9.

Trąbka is also very inconsistent and hates big games - and seeing as he's on such high wages for this level, selling him isn't really an option right now.

I also don't know how best to fit Knasmüllner into the team. Slavchev is actually my main SV and has been one of our better performers so far.

Edited March 12 by CFuller
Added Slavchev's attributes.

[Cloud9]

1 hour ago, CFuller said:

Another good point. One of my biggest weaknesses as an FMer is that I play it too safe. Pietrzak and Favorov are both very good full-backs, and I would like to encourage them both to go forward, but I'm worried about us being left too exposed to counter-attacks. Like I said, we don't concede many chances, but when we do, we tend to concede goals quite often.

I would try to chose between the 4-3-3 or the 4-2-3-1 first, having a settled style can help.

If you're conceding goals on the counter I notice that Goraliski is quite short in the 6 role. Recruiting a tall player for a 4-3-3 DM will make you a lot less susceptible to long ball counters. IFB x2 + a Libero offers a really solid defensive base to control the game in front of (IWB can leave one side a bit more exposed). 

[Cloud9]

1 hour ago, CFuller said:

The AM / striker combination is the one I've had the most headaches about. I really like Jankowski as a DLF (13 goals in 19 league games), but Trąbka is not playing well as a Shadow Striker. Could he be better off as an Attacking Midfielder, or would that not work too well with a DLF? Likewise, I'm open to changing Jankowski's role, but he's not a false 9.

I mostly play the F9 for the movement to drag the opposition defenders out of position, where as the DLF offers a bit more hold up play. 

If the DLF is firing I wouldn't change that part of the tactic, going to a 4-3-3 would resolve this issue as you wouldn't have a player in the 10. I'm actually running a DLF(a) in a midblock counter attack rn in my own save and am really enjoying his hold up play in combo w movement from the wide attackers. 

Edited March 12 by Cloud9

[CFuller]

14 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

I would try to chose between the 4-3-3 or the 4-2-3-1 first, having a settled style can help.

If you're conceding goals on the counter I notice that Goraliski is quite short in the 6 role. Recruiting a tall player for a 4-3-3 DM will make you a lot less susceptible to long ball counters. IFB x2 + a Libero offers a really solid defensive base to control the game in front of (IWB can leave one side a bit more exposed). 

Góralski is quite short, true, but he's the best we can do right now. I will try to find another DM who's a bit taller to make up for that.

I am slightly more comfortable with the 4-3-3. but that issue with Góralski makes me hesitant about committing fully to it as thing stand.

14 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

I mostly play the F9 for the movement to drag the opposition defenders out of position, where as the DLF offers a bit more hold up play. 

If the DLF is firing I wouldn't change that part of the tactic, going to a 4-3-3 would resolve this issue as you wouldn't have a player in the 10. I'm actually running a DLF(a) in a midblock counter attack rn in my own save and am really enjoying his hold up play in combo w movement from the wide attackers. 

Having thought about it a bit more, I'm going to try out a false 9 in the 4-2-3-1 during our mid-season friendlies. Trąbka looks like he has some good attributes to play there - he's only competent at striker, but he has high Flair, Vision and Off The Ball. Jankowski is the better finisher and can be the shadow striker instead.

[CFuller]

14 minutes ago, CFuller said:

Having thought about it a bit more, I'm going to try out a false 9 in the 4-2-3-1 during our mid-season friendlies. Trąbka looks like he has some good attributes to play there - he's only competent at striker, but he has high Flair, Vision and Off The Ball. Jankowski is the better finisher and can be the shadow striker instead.

Played two friendlies against non-league teams. Drew 0-0 away, won 1-0 at home. I don't think this is helping.

[Skora11]

Your best players that you have posted above don't seem to fit the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 style as none of the best 5 or 6 players are 'wingers'. Your two best players are definitely your two full backs. 

For me it makes most sense to change formation completely to get the absolute best out of these two players by pushing them into the wing back positions and play them in an attacking manner. I would suggest tweaking he formation to have these two players providing the width with maybe 2 players in the AM strata behind a lone striker. You have a few good central players there so definitely have enough to fill the middle of the park. 

[CFuller]

Thanks to both of you for trying to help, but nothing I've tried is working. Results and performances in the mid-season friendlies and after the winter break have not been good, and for the sake of my insanity, I've now decided to abandon the save.

Can a moderator please close this thread? Thank you.

Edited March 13 by CFuller

[Cloud9]

14 minutes ago, CFuller said:

Thanks to both of you for trying to help, but nothing I've tried is working. Results and performances in the mid-season friendlies and after the winter break have not been good, and for the sake of my insanity, I've now decided to abandon the save.

Can a moderator please close this thread? Thank you.

That sounds frustrating, changing styles can be difficult. 

Usually when I'm looking to control the game on FM24, I've utilized the new positional play feature which is quite powerful in controlling/breaking down opposition. There's always "go for it" front foot attempts as well. 

 

[CFuller]

I appreciate it, @Cloud9, but I've quickly come to the realisation that I just cannot enjoy playing FM24 anymore.

Playing this game does my mental health more harm than good, and failing at a team with such high expectations from the start was only making it worse. I've been in very tough situations before and persevered, but this was causing another level of stress that no video game should cause. In truth, I only came on the tactics forum as a last resort - a last chance to save my save before I rage-quitted for the final time.

[bosque]

4 hours ago, CFuller said:

I appreciate it, @Cloud9, but I've quickly come to the realisation that I just cannot enjoy playing FM24 anymore.

Playing this game does my mental health more harm than good, and failing at a team with such high expectations from the start was only making it worse. I've been in very tough situations before and persevered, but this was causing another level of stress that no video game should cause. In truth, I only came on the tactics forum as a last resort - a last chance to save my save before I rage-quitted for the final time.

I can understand the suffering because the game can make you feel like you are bad but remember your players need time for a change of style.

When I feel bad about the game I read this thread again. Is very helpful:

 

Edited March 13 by bosque

[CFuller]

15 minutes ago, bosque said:

I can understand the suffering because the game can make you feel like you are bad but remember your players need time for a change of style.

When I feel bad about the game I read this thread again. Is very helpful:

 

I understand that. I am very much a perfectionist in FM and real-life.

But I'm not talking about making radical changes and expecting instant results. I've tried the tweaks suggested above (taking off Counter and Pass Into Space, using a F9 instead of a DLF) and the results have just been utter tripe.

• Hardly creating anything (less than 0.05 xG per shot)
• Hardly hitting the target (1 shot on target out of every 10)
• And a horrible nagging feeling that the opposition will score whenever they get near our goal.

I don't want to sound that guy in the Bug Tracker who posts a bug report every time his opponents score 1 goal from 0.04 xG, but this is the first save I've ever had where anything I've tried just feels utterly futile. I'm completely out of my depth, and I'm exhausted.

Edited March 13 by CFuller