yonko

Yeah his attributes look fine for False9 role. Have you tried it to see how it works in FM24? What do you mean by the False9 underperformed in FM23? How did it underperform? I've been testing the role in my Barca save (2nd season) with Roam From Position PI. Ansu Fati plays well in that role - scores and gets good ratings. Vitor Roque gets low ratings and doesn't score. I just bought Pafundi in January 2025 transfer window and he plays the role well too. Fati and Roque both lack a little bit in Passing and Vision (both 13s), while Pafundi lacks in Anticipation, Composure and Decisions (12-13). But that's ok because I don't want the role to play that many through passes. I have AP-S and DLP-S as CMs for that. Also, IW-S at AMR to play progressive passes behind the defense. I find the F9 role by dropping deeper offers better option for ball circulation and passing combinations. Then when the ball goes wide to the AMR (IW-S), AML (IF-S) or DR/L (WB-S), the F9 darts into the penalty box to score cutbacks and squared passes. Sometimes I also see passes from wide areas behind the defense for the F9 to run into.

@cmonreds Have you tried a variation of the tactic using False9 instead of DLF or CF? The player in that role should be dropping deeper than DLF, interacting with the CMs, creating more space for them and the IWs.

I still need help with this. Anyone who can help? Thanks

@cmonreds Nice stats considering the caliber of team you are using. As I said this style of play requires top players with good attributes, IRL and in FM. With improved quality of players the tactic will improve also. You are already doing a great job. Personally I don't have the patience or much interest to play with anyone else but Barcelona, especially rebuilding the team without Messi and with huge financial debt. I have the same books about Pep, Barca and Tiki Taka style, very informative and help to understand the concept. I agree, Pep has adapted and modified his tactic since the Barca days to now at City and still maintained a very high level and success rate. That's why keeps winning and winning trebles. I forgot to address something previously. On the last page you asked about training your DM on individual schedule. I personally always train my DMs individually set to DM-S role training. And I have noticed that there is very little penalty in role familiarity when switched to HB role in the tactic. I've been thinking to alternate on monthly basis role training for every player between two roles though. Speaking of training, what kind of training schedules have you been using?

Sorry, I must've missed the part where you mention the PIs on the IWs. Btw, what are all the PIs the current versions of the tactics use? I think in the 2-2 rest defense version, you can make the IW in front of the WB more attacking, almost like a second ST (maybe even try IF on Attack Duty?). Also change the MEZ to CM or AP role. On the other side, the IW can have Stay Wider or switch to Winger role. I think this is something Xavi likes to use with Barca. Balde is the WB, Cancelo is the IWB, Felix tucks in from the AML position, the MCR is more advanced, MCL drops almost to form a 3 with the DM and IWB, AMR stays wide. Last season without Cancelo, it was Kounde at RB who was playing more like IFB though. Personally I prefer more the Classic Barca version of Pep from 2010-11 season. That is my benchmark IRL and FM terms. Regarding benchmarking possession numbers, that team IRL averaged around 67.4% possession for the season in La Liga and 67.9% possession in the CL. So if you average 65% in FM then that is a good achievement. How is your team in Chances Created, Expected Goals and Shots on Target %, overall and per game? If your team is also in the top 2 in those stats, then you have a good balance of controlling possession while also having enough attacking edge. How is your Rennes team doing vs PSG and teams of that caliber?

@cmonreds Nice testing and analysis. I admire your dedication and work on this. Let me share some thoughts and observations. Have you tested the tactic with IWs on Support Duty with PI Get Further Forward? This should give you some more punch in creating chances, while also allowing you to give an Attack duty to the ST or one of the MEZs. I think which one gets the Attack duty also depends on what formation the opposition uses too. The idea of Very Fluid structure is nice but in order to really pull it off you need players with very good attributes and even some attack minded Player Traits to give you some punch in attack in terms of chance creation and goal scoring to compliment the possession dominance. The idea behind Pep's tactical concepts at Barca (classic version) and City (modern version) is that many support duties require one special attacking player (Messi, Haaland/KDB) to provide that cutting edge. In FM you either need that player with the attributes & traits or you need the Attacking role. You also need that secondary attacking threat too - at Barca that was Villa, Messi was the primary. Currently at City in the absence of both Haaland and KDB, Alvarez is the primary while Foden is the secondary attacking threat. The rest of the roles were creators, recyclers and recoverers. To use classic example of Pep's Barca: Pique, Puyol and Abidal - recoverers and your rest defense Busquets - recycler Xavi and Dani Alves - both recyclers and creators Iniesta - creator Pedro - creator and scorer Villa - secondary scorer Messi - primary scorer and main man, special player Modern example at Man City currently: Walker, Dias and Gvardiol - recoverers/rest defense Rodri and Stones - recyclers and creators Kovacic - recycler and creator Bernardo and Grealish - creators (& occasional scorers) Foden - secondary scorer Alvarez - primary scorer If Pep doesn't use Stones or Akanji as Libero, then he allows Walker to play more as WB rather than IFB. Thus Walker becomes "recycler" and "creator". I think Pep is set on using 3-2 rest defense in any form to protect against counter attacks. The difference between his Barca version and his City version is who is providing the width in attack - at Barca it was Dani Alves and Villa or Alves and Abidal when Busquets would drop between the CBs as HB. While at City the width comes from the wide creators Bernardo and Grealish (or Foden and Doku). Another difference is the defensive shape. At Barca it was 4-1-4-1 while at City it is 4-4-1-1

Great work on the skin as always @TCSSkin. I enjoy using your skin in every FM edition. I have a few questions to help me edit a few bits. I hope you or anyone else can help. I would like to remove the player faces from the player profile (all 3 versions with the kits), from the tactics pitch and from the bottom of the match screen. I need help figuring out which lines and in which files I need to remove. Also if I need to adjust anything else in those files to center the remaining kits after I remove the player faces, specifically on the tactics pitch and bottom of the match screen. Also, I was wondering how can I replace the kits with the club logos on the match screen? Thanks for making the skin and providing help!

Hi, Can anyone please help me locate and edit this purple button on the In Possession Team Instructions screen? TIA

@cmonreds Have you tried using the Rest tab where you can set players to train with Half Intensity or Rest based on their physical condition after match? Alternatively, you can also manually select your whole starting eleven and give them a day off, while the rest of your squad practices based on your schedule. I find either option very useful, especially in the second half of the season when I need my best 11 for most matches as I challenge for trophies.

Is the RPM moving from DM to CM and from CM to AM? Also, are there any positional rotations between AMR/L and STC roles? For example IF-A and F9 or AF-A. Also, SS-A and F9?

I think the problem is that your RPM has the player trait "Gets Forward Whenever Possible". Your tactic uses short passing game with building from the back. You also use HB that drops deep between the CBs. In this case it would be better to use a RPM with "Comes Deep to Get Ball" player trait. The "Gets Forward" trait would be better for the MEZ role. Also another problem for your RPM is that he has low Teamwork and Off The Ball attributes.

I have to agree that the ME will take a while and maybe never catch up to replicating what Pep and other modern coaches do in real life. Pep specifically is always thinking of ways to explore player movement in and out of possession to dominate the play. Only in recent years FM finally caught up to what he was doing at Barca and Bayern around 10 years ago with players roles which in FM terms are HB and IWBs. Pep has been excellent at taking some older concepts and give them a modern twists. Lately I have observed that Pep has moved away from IWB and has started using Stones as CB that moves into midfield along side Rodri. While Gundogan pushes into more advanced positions along side KDB. The Belgian has more free role now to move around Haaland. The wingers, Grealish and Bernardo Silva, stay high and wide but they can both work hard to track back and help defend wide positions when needed. At the moment we don't have a CB role that acts like Stones plays unless the Libero role is made available for Back 4. But then the other CB and the two FBs will need to play as Back 3 when the Stones role moves into Midfield. It's too much shifting and movement for the ME and AI to handle/cope with. I agree that we will have to pick and choose which elements we want to replicate. But in general we can take inspiration and work with what we currently have in FM with the ME. Kinda like how real life coaches take inspirations from one another and work with what they currently have in their teams.

I like using DLP-S with VOL-S as the double pivot.

Does anyone know where I can locate and edit the color of this button? Which xml panel controls it?

Can anyone help me edit couple of things on the tactics screen? I want to edit the color of the button on the top left and also the color of the boxes with the players names on the pitch. Also during match the top bar on the tactics screen hasn't changed to "bg darker" like on the regular tactics screen. And here I also want to change the color of the top left button as well the color of the boxes with the players names on the pitch. Thanks in advance

No, it's still not possession for possession sake. It's possession to dominate and control the game. It's simultaneously attacking and defensive strategy. Dominating the possession limits the opposition from having the ball and creating their own chances. That's purpose too. Creating chances and scoring goals is not the only purpose and if those are low then it doesn't mean it's for possession sake or there is no purpose. That is what I've come to realize thinking about it and discussing it with other people. There is a scale range of how much you want to dominate possession and how much you want to focus on creating scoring chances and scoring goals. Hence why I said for me if the tactic averages less than 60% possession then I wouldn't call it possession tactic. Of course in some games you may get 55% and other games you get 75% depending on the opposition's quality and their tactic setup. But I'm talking about average possession for the season.

@phnompenhandyquoted me and referenced the Spain vs Morocco game. Then you made a post and used a term that I disagree with. Therefore I replied to both of you. I can state my opinion just as much as you can. It doesn't matter what you don't care for. I'm chiming in on the topic by calling it wrong to use a term like "possession for the sake of it" as there is no such thing. Possession always has a purpose. And it is not a possession tactic unless you dominate possession with high percentage. Facts, buddy.

I will disagree with the "for sake of it" part. That term will never make sense to me. High possession is kept to dominate and control the game. Keeping the ball is simultaneously attacking and defensive strategy. You dictate terms while limiting what the opposition can do due to them not having the ball. There is a lot more to it than just "passing the ball for the sake of it". It's always a means to an end and never "for the sake of it".

That may be your personal interpretation but it doesn't mean Spain's possession didn't have a purpose. The lack of end product is more to do with the individual players rather than style of play. Spain currently lack players like David Villa and Fernando Torres in attack. I don't think people realize how much difference they made for Spain 2008-2012 era. Also, let's not forget that Morocco played very well organized and did great job at denying space. But that doesn't make there was lack of purpose on Spain's part. It's games like this that people tend to justify using terms that are nonsense. But just because a team lack end product or lost a game, it doesn't mean that possession didn't have purpose or whatever.

And what is your point?

I respect your opinion and efforts. But for me a possession tactic should average 60% even at lower level with weak teams. Toothless possession, sure. Your players can struggle sometimes to score goals, it happens in FM as it does in real life. Players miss chances, GKs have great games, opponents stay deep and limit space, etc. But that doesn't justify the term "possession for the sake of it". Possession always has a purpose and aims for more than just for the sake of it. My post from 2020 is irrelevant to this discussion because FM23 is different than the FM version that post was about. I think it comes down to matter of personal preference and standards. I'm pretty sure that if the MEZ is changed to Support duty and the RPM was changed to DLP-S, then your tactic will average 60% possession or more. But you prefer something more sharp in attack to create and score more than have higher possession averages. I think you mentioned that in future parts of the article you will introduce how different roles impact the tactic and the outcome.

Actually I find it easier now to get high possession averages with the way it has been reworked in FM23. I agree with you that lower average percentage in your example/article could be because you are playing with lower level team and you don't actually use attributes cause you play attributeless. And there are certain attributes that are important to dominate and achieve average high percentage possession. Also, there is no doubt I've had my struggles in the past, as many others, to recreate real life possession tactics in FM with the tools we are given. And I hold myself to the same standard for possession tactic as I said in my previous post. I aim to average at least 60% average possession to be satisfied with the tactic and call it a "possession tactic". Yes I want to be successful, score goals, etc. but the standard for me is minimum of 60% average possession for the season. And I find myself getting even greedier and aiming for average of 65% and above. Pep's Barca is my real life example and inspiration for possession tactic and his team averaged around 65% - 67%. Lastly, the term "possession for the sake of it" is nonsense actually. There is no such thing. I think this is a term created in the media by pundits who don't really understand that style of play.

Great informative article. However, for me personally, it is not possession tactic if it averages less than 60% possession. Also, I dislike terms like "possession with a purpose" and "possession for the sake of it". The purpose of possession tactic is to dominate and control the game through dominating the ball and not allowing the opposition to have it. In this case the possession is used to attack and defend at the same time.

All passing is with a purpose. There is no passing without purpose. I always laugh when people use terms like "passing for the sake of it" and "passing with a purpose". Dembele was Winger imo. Kounde was FB-S, he will still overlap with the TI ticked.

I see Neymar from the AMLC position.