[Days To Gain Nationality data in Squad Screen in FM22?]

This would absolutely be useful if it existed

[Overwhelmed by formation and role choices]

On 17/04/2021 at 10:22, Leccy said:

Perhaps i’m being harsh but my RB bravery, positioning, marking concerns me

my left back is ok but poor concentration 

 

 

I wouldn't worry too much. In the German leagues, defensively strong full backs are rare.

But in both cases you have players who are good as wingbacks. Generally I'd want to replace Celozzi though because he is losing his speed and 13 stamina is not enough for a wingback.

[How can I recreate the CAR (S) role in older games that don't have it?]

On FM18 best you can do off the ball is run wide with ball on a low to medium mentality, but close down more does the trick off the ball.

Stay wider can't be done in 2 man midfields but might be able to be done in a flat 3 man.

I play FM18 these days as I find the later ones too much hassle/bad match engine. FM21 is great but it all seems far too much work!

[How do I make my 4-2-4 more attacking?]

You're already extremely attacking just by picking that formation. With those TIs it's even more. To me it seems way too much as it is.

IMO the main reason you are doing well defensively and not doing well offensively is because you are playing too offensively by pushing all your players up and heavily pressing, strangling the opposition of any possession, whilst denying yourself space to attack. Gegenpressing may be all the rage but for me, it makes very little tactical sense.

It may seem counterintuitive but against weaker opposition you want them to have the ball so that when they make a mistake, which they will, it will usually be made in midfield. When that turnover happens there's a load of space in behind to attack in transition. Pushed up like this, you have no transition. It's just camp and ping crosses and long shots and hope to break through a parked bus. It's inefficient. Against stronger opposition, it can be effective to gegenpress to try to prevent them from taking advantage of their superior quality on the ball, but using a 4-2-4 for it is unlikely to be successful because they will break your press and score and you won't have enough men back or who even want to get back to defend. And to expect Tottenham's squad to play this way is asking a lot. They just don't have the stamina or work rate generally to do it for 90 mins or consistently throughout the season.

IMO managing Tottenham you need to work out how to tone everything down to a tactic you use for most matches that is designed to beat weaker teams in a way that takes risks on the ball and gets men moving off the ball around the park to create chances but doesn't strangle the opposition or fail to cover adequately for counter attacks. Start with a 4-4-1-1, 4-1-4-1 or wide 4-3-3 or use a 4-4-2 narrow diamond which are all formations your squad is suited to. The fact you have Son Min Heung, an inside forward, should tell you that playing 2 strikers is not going to be a thing unless you make him one of them, because using wide men who cut in doesn't make sense in space already occupied by 2 strikers. By not using wide attacking midfielders you make yourself more solid defensively and also give yourself more space to attack in transition, while your shape in the final third ends up being that of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 anyway.

[Not marking posts when defending corners]

Defending corners, how successful would marking far post combined with zonally marking near post be?

My usual go to was to put my centre backs on mark near and far post zonally and mark both posts usually with full backs. But I noticed that sometimes when the ball went into the centre of the penalty area or the edge that the opposition would have an advantage in numbers and shots from that region would often result in a goal.

So I wondered if maybe that was overkill on the posts and it might be more efficient to put my best aerial duellist on mark near zonally and tell the other centre back to mark tall in the box given that the ball seldom reaches the far post on corners. This has the additional benefit of not feeling as though I have to tell one striker to go back, not doing which leads to some explosive counters.

I also used to put a player in the centre of the 6 yard box but I think that may also be unnecessary given that my keeper (18 aerial reach, 17 command of area, 18 strength, 18 bravery, 16 handling) should be able to come for those crosses.

Take a look at my FM18 set up for a 442 diamond and tell me what you'd do differently. I wish I could be more particular about who stood where, like the STL standing on the left instead of right, the DR standing on the far right rather than far left, the 2 MCs swapped.

[So i had this idea.. can it work ?]

If you really wanted to force it to the right and force fast transitions to the STCL you could also try putting the left wingback on defend duty. To compensate for little width on the left, you'd then tell the striker to run wide with ball and also maybe try playing a mezzala on support in the MCL slot. The mezzala would be a bit more risky though.

In such a set up it wouldn't be surprising to see the STCR score a lot of goals particularly if he wasn't a target man.

Run wide with ball is very good in creating chances when playing with 2 strikers and no wingers because it drags the opposition wide to close down, creating space that is attacked by the other striker.

[Long balls from defender]

7 minutes ago, soft tofu said:

@Domus Clamantiumif all team play like that then I can fathom that. But other team can get a goal every time they do that while mine mostly lost possession. Not to mention CB pressing the striker and leaving gap behind

That could be down to a difference in the types of movements their strikers make. A Poacher doesn't try to pick up the ball in wide areas which a player that moves into channels like an Advanced Forward, Trequartista or DLF(A) might. So the opposition might get the ball in the channels and then create a goal from there.

If your defenders are stepping out to press in undesirable ways / times then you might benefit from using a higher defensive line or telling them individually to close down less and having your midfield close down more. That's something I've been doing for my full backs and it really helps them stay in line. I also find that defenders with a low teamwork attribute tend to step out of position more often.

[Why Dribble More/Run At Defence?]

In recent times I've become a fan of Dribble Less. It started when I had players who weren't good dribblers (Gillingham, FM18) and I found it led to higher ball possession. It tired them out more than normal but it led to more instances of through balls and looked wonderful because the opposition had so little time to close down and we passed the ball around them. Since then I've kept it and last season we won the Euro Cup. So I think Dribble Less is suited to a pass through the middle style of play and can also be used in counter attacking play because if players are not holding on to the ball there's a good chance transitions back to front will be faster as long as there's runners.

My question is what types of styles of play and situations are you looking to employ a dribble more instruction, both on individual and teamwide levels? When is it beneficial to tell your team to run at defence?

[Long balls from defender]

Could be down to low composure, vision and decisions. Whenever I've managed in the National League North/South I noticed my defenders like to play long balls more than when I've managed in higher divisions even if I use the same tactic and instructions in both cases.

[4231 - Poor ratings for AMC]

Stick the FB players on FB roles and put your AMC on attack. Maybe also winger on support.

[Do goalkeepers ever get injured or sent off in a match?]

On the one hand it would be a lot more realistic of GKs got sent off in FM. On the other, we'd probably be waiting a fair few iterations, based on prior history of the series' development, for the frequency of the event to be tuned to an appropriate level.

You know one of the bug threads would be "GKs getting sent off too often" and there's so much other stuff to tinker with and experience in the game that I'm glad GKs aren't getting sent off.

That said, I have had a GK sent off a few times in FM, back when the ME had a bug (FM15 or 16 or 17 I think) where the GK would be holding the ball and leaving the 18. It happened once or twice a season, but it got removed because it was a bug even though it was probably a fair representation of frequency for GKs getting sent off. It just looked bad in the 3D engine so people complained.

If GKs were to get sent off in FM I would prefer it mostly came from GKs coming off their line to slide their body along the ground facing the feet of an opposition player.

[Composure for Goalkeepers]

What purpose does composure serve for a goalkeeper?

[Composure for Goalkeepers]

How highly do you rate it?

I got a young keeper called Tom Moody in my u23s who is coming along very nicely in most of his goalkeeping  technical attributes and has a nice 14 for positioning (i think positioning is more important than quite a lot of the technical attributes) but the lad has 6 composure along with the same give or take one for decisions, concentration and anticipation.

Obviously at this stage I have a lot of freedom to direct his development. I could keep ignoring the composure and continue to beef up his technicals and agility. If I do that, I can see most of them getting up into the 14s and 15s and some higher, but the bloke will end up technically gifted to Championship/Decent Prem level with the mental capacity of a Vanarama National South man.

On the other hand if I put on individual focus Composure he may only get to Champ level at best but at least he won't be a wet noodle.

Hence the question. How highly do you rate it, should its improvement be prioritised in this situation over more orthodox goalkeeping attributes, and what purpose do you think it serves goalkeepers?

[Thoughts on this tactic as an underdog team]

Your title says for an underdog team? But your tactic says for a dominant team. Badly.

[Players do not develop at all]

Show your training schedule. It could be a scheduling issue.

[Enganche, anyone had any success]

The problem with it is the lack of movement means he can get marked out of the game.  It usually only works well when the opposition don't use a DM. And that will be inconsistent in itself.

[Traits for Trequartista]

Moves Into Channels
Runs With Ball Often
Tries Killer Balls Often
Gets Forward Whenever Possible

Basically look at the role's instructions and that would give you those, anything else is probably just flavour.

[Overwhelmed by formation and role choices]

I don't know your squad but what struck me was the question of "what should be done about full backs who are not good defensively?"

My immediate reaction is that you should play 3 centre backs, 2 wing backs and either 3 midfielders and 2 strikers or 2 midfielders and 3 strikers(2 hybrids as wide men cutting in), and of those, I'd say using the wide forwards should be more beneficial to cover the flanks better, and you end up with a sort of 3-4-3 or 5-2-3 or 5-4-1, whichever way you want to look at it.

Based on your description I'd want one of the AML/R to be an advanced playmaker and the wingback on his side to be regularly overlapping. On the opposite flank, an inside forward. The centre forward would be on attack duty to give the AP(S) or even Trequartista and IF(S) space to operate and he would be the main source of goals. I don't think a target man works in this setup though. Pressing Forward or Poacher. With 2 wide attackers plus wingbacks creating and maybe getting into the box with a high enough mentality, Poacher should work better than  you'd think.

The centre mids would be relatively conservative, one holding and one runner. Something like CM(D) and BBM(S) would work.

[Want to play with three at the back - obstacles and challenges]

19 hours ago, flauta kicma said:

Thank for great advices. But particularly I am interested about this. You think this only because about my tactic or in general? Because I noticed many tactics work better with higher tempo.

And about midfield- I was playing with two WB-S and DLP with BWM. It was much struggling. After I tweaked it into this on screenshot it was much better altough I know too that mezzala is not ideal for this role. So now I tweaked it again... This is first season, ideal for experimenting.

 

You think narrow width is fine?

I do think it's generally the case that a lower tempo style of play draws opponents towards the ball. Another advantage is that your players will maintain higher ball possession due to being more considered with their play which is beneficial defensively but will also lead to a lower amount of shots but of the shots released, more shots will be on target. A major disadvantage to a low tempo style of play is that when all of the opposition is in their own half they have a great deal of time to be organised into their strongest defensive position and when the opposition is in your team's half, if they elect to regroup rather than counterpress, your team will be less likely to be able to exploit space in behind the opposition.

Therefore when the opponent is playing a defensive manner, not closing down much, sticking to their positions, regrouping when they lose the ball, it is better to play medium or high tempo.

As for width I think it's best as the default to go for a narrow approach against most opponents. The reason is that it leads to a higher amount of entries into the opposition 18 yard box and more shots on target because your attackers will be closer to the goal because the goal is in the centre of either end of the pitch! It's more efficient, but note, with efficiency comes less quantity.

However against defensive teams, using the full width of the pitch and playing more direct will be most beneficial as that approach will cause them to vacate central areas more often, opening spaces to attack.

Appropriate width also depends on formation and the roles you're using. If you're playing a 442 narrow diamond and using roles that focus the ball through and behind the opposition defensive line, then it makes no sense to play wide. Instead you can use player instructions to generate particular movements like Run Wide With Ball, Move Into Channels, Roam from Position and Stay Wider. But if you're using a wide formation then it obviously makes sense to use a wide width and then tell the players individually to attack central space with different player instructions or use the Focus Play Through The Middle TI.

[Training: Iron out kinks or focus on strengths?]

Something I've often wondered when it comes to player development is whether it is better to get strong attributes to be even stronger, letting weak attributes stay as they are or decline or to make players more well rounded by training their weaknesses.

Obviously it depends on a lot of things like how you want your team to play. Do you want your striker to be pressing and coming deep? Maybe he should work on passing, tackling or positioning sometimes, at the cost of improving finishing or first touch. Do you want your striker to just focus on goals? Train him on being a Poacher and forget any attributes which bring others into play.

Sometimes I work on defensive attributes for central midfielders but I wonder if I had let them just focus on passing, moving, shooting and their physical attributes, how much higher could I have taken them?  Maybe they could have been exceptional rather than just well rounded and above average. Say he starts off on 8 or 9 marking, tackling, positioning, maybe the defensive part of his game would improve enough to be an acceptable 11 or 12 in the end anyway? Do I want a good but not great at everything Jordan Henderson or do I want world class at some things but awful at others players like Juan Mata?

How do you approach this decision? What do you think is best?

[Want to play with three at the back - obstacles and challenges]

I'd be worried that you don't have anyone to shield your defence. While you do have 3 at the back, what have you got that stops opposition transitions? If 1 centre back steps out, that space behind him will be exploited by anyone moving into channels. In this tactic I can see that on the left in particular, you will face that predicament due to Gaya being so high up the park. So I believe playing with someone that shields the defence,  whether it's a CM(D), Anchor Man, DLP(D), or at the very least one or two midfielders on support with a hold position PI added, is essential to having a defensively solid foundation.

Other than that:

-Pass Into Space is something that should be only used situationally mid-match. If your objective is to have the ball played in behind towards the direction of your attack duty forwards, if there is space to attack that will happen anyway.

-How can you generate that space? For a start, tone done the tempo. If your guys take a little more time on the ball they will draw the opposition towards them, opening spaces behind. High Tempo can be effective against a stubborn opponent particularly when it comes to switching flanks quickly but using it all game tires your guys out and without perfect composure they will make more mistakes.

-You already have the AML/R, STC, WBL/R getting forward, why do you need your MCR getting forward too? If you are so sure you want that, mezzala cannot be the right role because that is designed to be a midfielder that moves into channels and out wide at times whilst you already have an IF(A) and WB(S) occupying those spaces. This further supports the notion that actually you'd benefit from a more conservative role here, probably one that has a hold position PI hardcoded or otherwise.

-Counterintuitively, playing with less adventurous midfield roles can end up creating more goals created by other players on the team. Players who are focused on playing short simple passes, taking few risks and keeping possession ticking over will draw the opposition towards them because by having them there the ball moves forward less quickly and less frequently which means it stays in your half more often which means the opposition defensive line will naturally be higher. 

Long story short, reel in a couple of instructuions and make your CMs far less adventurous. Something like CM(D)+BWM(S), BWM(D)+DLP(S) or DLP(D)+CM(S) with hold position will be sufficient. I really don't think you need someone focused on getting into the box or to the edge (BBM/Mez/CM(A)) considering you've got 4 wide players and a striker doing that.

[Creating 'Plan B']

CM(A)

[Days To Gain Nationality Column in Squad Screen]

Currently and in prior versions of the game Days To Gain Nationality has been something which is only visible if one clicks on Information having clicked on any one player's name. More clicks for the player than necessary. This is particularly important for users managing in the UK after Brexit because of course the sooner players gain a British nationality the better and it's always nice to be able to monitor that for multiple players at once.

Therefore it would be wonderful if Days To Gain Nationality was visible from the Squad Screen as one of the possible additions to Views.

[Right back keeps randomly charging out of position]

14 hours ago, Experienced Defender said:

This is a very good observation  

Thanks. Couldn't have said all that without experiencing exactly the same problem myself.

[Right back keeps randomly charging out of position]

IMO there's two main things going on here which affect the decision of your right back, whoever is selected to play there, to charge out.

One is that as already mentioned you have a high pressing system.

But the other is that the other nearby players have roles and or duties which are not inclined towards defence, therefore leading the full back to act as if he is on his own. A roaming playmaker doesn't have much interest in defending and neither does a winger on attack. Furthermore I'd wager the players you deploy here are unlikely to have good positioning or tackling, although I'd hope otherwise particularly for the MCR. If you look at the opposite flank, your IF is on support so he will track back, and your DLP is on defend so he will shield the defence somewhat and mop up the left from time to time so it makes sense that side is more solid. By the way, the right back being on support also makes him more likely to close down to support his teammates.

Naturally the solutions are that you need to change the way your team closes down and/or at the very least alter your right flank to be of more assistance without the ball to your right back.

For example you could put your winger on support and you could change your roaming playmaker to be a deep lying playmaker on support and then switch the other CM to a CM(D) or BWM(D).

Personally I'm of the view that the 4231 is designed to press high up the pitch and be used by a dominant team in the league so you'll want to maintain your pressing if you are in fact a dominant side, but that comes at the price of your central midfielders being assigned conservative roles and duties. The idea is that the central two hold position to temper any counter attacks and allow your front 4 and possibly full backs to get forward. If you are not a dominant team you would likely benefit from using a 4-4-1-1 which is almost the same formation but more solid defensively due to the wingers being closer to the full backs out of possession at the cost of not being able to specify a role like Raumdeuter, Wide Target Man or IF(A). Wide midfielder roles offer very little preset instructions so offer a lot of versatility and customisation to counter that cost.

When it comes to closing down my view is that teamwide instructions are more of a hindrance than a help. I prefer to go with individual instructions. In your case if you really want to persist with the roaming playmaker and winger on attack, set your full back to defend duty or possibly even set him to Limited Full Back to highly encourage that he stays in line with his defensive teammates. If you're interested in doing closing down on an individual level, scrap the teamwide instruction and then it makes sense for your full backs to be set to close down less and have your midfielders close down more.

I have been experiencing the exact same problem you have except in FM18, and telling the full backs to close down much  less and making my midfielders more defensive in roles and duties (changed from DLPs and MEZs to 2x CARs) and also in terms of the personnel I employ there helped greatly. The leakiness of my team's defence was particularly laid bare this season in my save where I went from having expectations of finishing in the top half of the Prem and for the first third of the season I was fighting relegation losing heavily even to the bottom teams and we went out of the league cup against a L1 team. Having made the above changes and signing a better centre back, we are now in 7th place in March, meeting expectations.