stevecummins78

I’m going with 4-1-4-1 / 4-2-3-1 control possession but not doing very well - lost 3 out of first 6 games. Most of the squad hate me!

Your thinking mirrors much of mine with this United side. First window I signed Skriniar and De Ligt as my long term CBs but Lindelof can do a job and can fill in really well at RB. I also brought in Tierney who will compete for LB right away. My long term back four of Tierney-Skriniar-DeLigt-Dalot is now in place. Long term I want to replace Matic at DM and am also thinking one (or both) of Dier and Neves. I am not at all convinced by Fred IRL but I will give him a try, but I like a genuine box to box player alongside Pogba. Herrera fits the bill at the moment. Up front I’m open minded but I need to address RW in the future. My long term target at Leon Bailey and Federico Chiesa. Lukaku might be sold if he doesn’t deliver as a line forward. Oh, and I signed Gary Neville as assistant manager on a five year deal!

I like Neves as well, he was my DLP for any fantastic Roma side in FM18. Lindelof is ok as a ball playing defender, though not as good as De Ligt will be. Smalling lacks pace and intelligence, his only strength is heading. Plus, he only likes to play on the right, which is where De Ligt will be. I’m thinking of this: DCL (CD): Skriniar (5) / Bailey (3) DCR (BPD): De Ligt (4) / Lindelof (2) Smalling can stay for a season as back up, will then be replaced in the squad by Axel Tunazabe.

Have you thought about Dier for the DM role? Might be available in summer 2019. I have just started a new United save. Sold Jones and Darmain. Signed Tierney, De Ligt. Also thinking about spending big on Milan Skriniar.

Not a bad double!!

Totally dominant in my fifth season at Roma - going for a third title in a row. 15 points clear after just 15 games!!!

Fourth season.... I have had worst starts to campaigns....

My transfer business, summer of 2020 - Vinicius looks like a steal!!

I signed Barella for Roma in summer 2018 and I also had Renato Sanchez on loan who can play in that role. To be honest though I find that Lorenzo Pellegrini is an excellent option in that role in a 4123 with a DLP behind him.

39M Euro - club record fee

We were struggling to get a goal at Fiorentina in our last match, despite being totally dominant. So I made a tactical tweak but stayed within the 4123 shape. I had two wingers stretching the play with two mezzalas inside each of them making runs in the spaces created inside in the channels. I then had a deep lying playmaker supporting with instructions to play direct passes to the five players ahead of him. The result was the game got stretched and Fiorentina were tempted to come on to us a bit, but that made them vulnerable to being caught out during the transitions when my solid defence won the ball back. This led to one of my wingers crossing for one of the mezzalas to score with a header on 88 minutes. The deep playmaker then scored from distance in stoppage time. Satisfying.

You are quite right! In fact we needed penalties to beat Sampdoria at home in the quarter finals of the cup, then needed a penalty to beat Genoa 1-0 at home then drew at home as well to Palermo. We seem better suited tactically to getting results away from home and against better sides. We are still top after 20 games, 3 points clear of Napoli and 5 ahead of Juventus. I’m trying to fine tune my attack to maximise the movement I need in transitions. I have just agreed a deal to sign Federico Chiesa from Fiorentina in January. He will balance the attack a bit more as I will have him as an out and out winger on the right ahead of a regular full back and a mezzala tucked inside, and then on the left an inside forward with an attacking full back overlapping. I’m also using a box to box midfielder in the middle with the DLP holding it all together.

Results since Napoli defeat...think I have this worked out now!

Here are my home and away tactics now, after a few games spent closely following the patterns of play. I've just enjoyed a spectacular victory at Juventus to go top of the table.

I just think Martinez had a stinker playing as a poacher. He missed some very good chances at 0-0. I brought on Under for him and moved Schick to centre forward as he had been in form. Sanchez came on as a BTB to give me another runner from midfield. Didn’t work.