How to play with a slow and aging team?

[Hess]

Out of curiosity, how do you guys would handle and build a tactic to play with a slow and aging team?
Specially in the front (AMC/wingers/forwards), I've plenty of players with very good technical and mental attributes, but that don't have good physicals anymore.

My first idea was to lower the ball pressure and sit down a bit, but you can't play counter attack too because you are too slow. It is also hard to keep possession, because counter press is not an option...
Any thoughts or ideas on how you would approach a squad like that? I won't share any tactic because I would like to try to fix it myself base on the comments and recommendations

[Cloud9]

23 minutes ago, Hess said:

Out of curiosity, how do you guys would handle and build a tactic to play with a slow and aging team?
Specially in the front (AMC/wingers/forwards), I've plenty of players with very good technical and mental attributes, but that don't have good physicals anymore.

My first idea was to lower the ball pressure and sit down a bit, but you can't play counter attack too because you are too slow. It is also hard to keep possession, because counter press is not an option...
Any thoughts or ideas on how you would approach a squad like that? I won't share any tactic because I would like to try to fix it myself base on the comments and recommendations

I'd play on a front foot style where the space is behind you. That means quicker players in defense where it's required (in a counter the space is in front so the attacking players require pace).

Also I would not play 3 slow aging players up top. Usually central player's can be less physical (the 10 in a 4-2-3-1 for example) than wide player's which you see as player's age IRL, Mane went from a wide striker to a central one in his later years at Liverpool for example.  

A formation that pairs up player's can work as well. Again, In a 4-2-3-1 you could have a Jorginho esque ball playing pivot member who can control the game supported by a physical, aggressive young player who can act as the enforcer. A striker pairing could support an aging player in a similar approach. 

In general you don't want a team that's slow and old. A couple old player's you can build around but you'll need physicality around them or you'll get overrun. 

Edited March 13 by Cloud9

[GonzaloFlores]

The simple answer is to not have a team full of old players. Buy/promote young players to provide energy around a few old players.

If you are adamant about having an old squad (for some kind of extra challenge) then you need to consider your limitations and try to address them. The biggest limitation obviously is the lack of ability to cover the pitch. Therefore I would create a tactic that uses roles that don't need to run a lot.

- IFB or IWB rather than traditional WB

- 'plain roles' like DM or CM rather than B2B or SV

- Playmaker roles typically drift over the pitch to provide an option to other players so I would avoid those roles personally

- A strike partnership (TF/P maybe) rather than a single striker so they aren't isolated on your own

I've never tried it personally so no idea if these points will actually help but that is the way I would approach it if I was in that position.

[sovy666]

A compact mid block without AM L/R so a 4-4-2 or a 4-14-1 or even a 5-3-2 with Standard or Cautious mentality and shorter passing. No pressing and no counter.

[vrig]

Just keep the ball. Your old fuddy duddies ought to have the mentals to manage that if you set up narrow (so they have less running to do), passing short, and at a lower tempo. Experience often comes to the fore in wars of attrition, and if you set them up so that they're always close together, you might find you can still get away with counter pressing situationally. 

Have 4 or probably 5 players sitting back so that you aren't in immediate danger every time you lose the ball, but Plan A should just be not losing it.

In terms of specific roles, I'd avoid too many that have roaming hard coded or that encourage positional rotations, especially deep. The RPM would be an absolute no-no as they partake in 3 tiers, and I'd avoid the IWB role like the plague if the player has poor acceleration, as every quick winger they face will have the freedom of the flank on the counter while your guy is still dawdling about in midfield.

Some nice roles for older players could include the poacher, the shadow striker, or the ramdeuter, since they're all big on clever movement. Hell, bang em all around a DLF and you might have some fun. In midfield, the DLP has "old man role" written all over it - you just wanna be careful of teams siccing a ball winner or a player with high aggression and acceleration near them.

[toshimitzou1]

Tough one to answer. I ran a self -imposed 'Golden Oldies' challenge a few years back. Take a look:

 

 

Hope this helps.