Sos

[Ypsos]

At first sorry if my english isn't perfect, i'm italian ...i need of all your experience and i need you to be patient...i have this team and i would like advice on how to play...formation, setting, and positions...

Gk: Roma, Cavalieri

FB: Dracena,Helguera,Paulo Ferrari,Emiliano Insua,Vega,Bourillon,Alexandre Song,Paolo Cannavaro

Md: Diego Valeri,Jonas,Buonanotte,Manuel Fernandes, De la Red,Tissone,

Fc:Bendtner,Lavezzi,Keirrison,Trejo,Di santo

I would like to play with 4 3 3, counter attack for the speed and creativity of lavezzi and buonanotte...for the counter attack which is the best setting??

-----------------------------Roma-----------------------------

Ferrari-----------Dracena-------------Helguera-------Insua-----

--------------Fernandes----Buonanotte-----De la red-----------

Lavezzi-------------------Bendtner-------------Keirrison(Jonas)

Counter attack

Target Man: bendtner

I REALLY HOPE IN YOU!!!!!!

[deejay10]

Have quite a deep defensive line. This will bring the opposition onto you, and allow your pacy forwards (Lavezzi and Keirrison) space to exploit behind the AI's higher defensive line. Teach De La Red, try killer balls often, and Lavezzi beat offside trap, and move into channels, same for Keirrison. With Bendtner, id having target man supply set to feat, and lower his mentality a bit, to drop deep for the ball, have him on through balls often, to play in Lavezzi and Keirrison, have them both on free roles too.

[Ypsos]

Have quite a deep defensive line. This will bring the opposition onto you, and allow your pacy forwards (Lavezzi and Keirrison) space to exploit behind the AI's higher defensive line. Teach De La Red, try killer balls often, and Lavezzi beat offside trap, and move into channels, same for Keirrison. With Bendtner, id having target man supply set to feat, and lower his mentality a bit, to drop deep for the ball, have him on through balls often, to play in Lavezzi and Keirrison, have them both on free roles too.

De la red's setting as DMC?idem for fernandes?and Buonanotte'setting as AMC?whith creativity?and team's mentality?normal?team's instructions have to be normal and mix?what do you think??Lavezzi with cross always to target man...i am a disaster:-(

[Smac]

That looks like good advice to me deejay.

As to the formation Ypsos, you can pretty much setup however you want so long as players are playing in position and it is balanced, so De La Red as DMC or MC is o.k. either way.

To play a strict counter-attacking style you may want to go 4-5-1 instead of 4-3-3. This will put more players behind the ball which creates the space for them to run into on the counter attack.

As to mentality, this is I think one of the most difficult things to get right, along with width, for a counter-attack tactic. Try starting out with a global setting of 'defensive' and then explore from there. Like deejay said, it may be important to keep Bendtner slightly more defensively set, but going the other direction (more attacking) can also work, depending on what kind of breakaways you want to create.

I'd also start out playing a quite narrow width, and closing down 'only in your penalty area' or low. This will hopefully draw the opposition onto you to help create space for the break away.

In my experience with FM09 the counter-attack is only effective if you are being pressed and attacked. If a team comes out conservatively against you it will pretty much fizzle out.

Hope that helps, and that is just opinion. I'm no expert!

[DANNY1000000]

You could also lower your closing down to own half only and play direct passing

[Ljuba82]

In my experience with FM09 the counter-attack is only effective if you are being pressed and attacked. If a team comes out conservatively against you it will pretty much fizzle out.

Well it's pretty logic to me that counter wouldn't work if they have 10 man in their area....

[Ypsos]

Setting:i will try two DC ultra defensive mentality, de la red as DMC,Buonanotte perhaps as TC,Fernandes as CC...and then Bendtner as target man Keirrison as FC and lavezzi as winger...what do tyou think??Lavezzi better as TD or as FC at left sight??