CKBrahMa

I feel you about the static midfield. What about the IWB on Attack duty ? And the AP on support ?

Thanks for your review, mate ! (As a non-native, is saying « mate » is lame or still ok ? Maybe « buddy » ?) It was my fear too to put too much on the left, especially players trying to go ahead with an attacking task : they push the whole block deeper. Still, good to test ! I think I will Go with something like this : And untick the focus play on the right flank. I might put the F9 as a ST Left to emphasise the overload. The AP will be a ball magnet and help for killer ball. I may lack of width so I’m thinking of putting Martinelli as a W-a. However, his poor crossing bother me. Maybe add « stay wider » PI ? The F9, as he’s dropping deep, will give late run in the box, same for the CM-s. Yes I know I make my life harder haha ! But here is the challenge : can I create a great tactic with some obstacles ? During the Beta, I create a great 442 with Monaco, last year I created a great system around Ødegaard as a F9, this year I try (and failed) to create an Arteta recreation. it’s like I try to create something different each season (or couple of season). I’m kinda breaking my rule of not putting Saka as an IF-a, but the goal was more to make him a potential Ballon d’Or winner rather than an IF-a with success. I will try the tactic I send up there. Another solution : just « reverse » the tactic as the left winger tends to be more involved than the right one haha

I played 3 games today (one against a way weaker team in the FA cup, one PL game at home, one UCL game away against Bayer Leverkusen). All went 3-0 for me, which is nice. What I tweaked : - Untick the low cross - Tempo back to standard instead of higher , - DL down to standard And the IF-a/Saka is still disappointing... (0 goal, 0 assist on these games). I see that I'm facing way more cautious teams now, closing down the space. Saka still got great chances, but miss them, while the F9 (3 goals, 1 assist) and the left IW-a (3 goals, 1 assist). I'm wondering if putting Saka as an IF-a is a waste ? I took a look at Rashidi book of roles and he states this : "While some may say its vital to choose the right player for the right role, what’s more important is understanding how these roles are meant to perform. You can try any role with any player in the game, naturally some perform better at it, and this could be down to how they combine with other players. This is why its important to know what they are capable of doing. Attributes will then help you understand if they are not performing as well as you expect." Maybe I should play him as an IW-a as he's no IF-a ("poor" finishing with 12, "poor" long shot with 13). Especially, when Saka scored in my game, it's more with movement like the IW than the IF...

Update : I untick the Work Ball into box instruction, and our production is much more like what i want. However, the right IF-a (Saka, Pépé) have hard time to perform. On the last 5 games : IF-a (Saka) has 2 goals and 2 assists. 7.54 rating F9 (G. Jesus) has 7 goals and 1 assist. 7.82 rating IW-a (Martinelli) has 1 goal and 3 assists. 7.32 rating Even though it's working wonder (in the last 5 games, 17 goals scored for 2 against, 5 previous was 14 goals for 0 against. The two series has "low level" teams My objective to make Saka the first threat is not working

I think the problem might be "Work Ball into box", as I don't really want the player to stop to find an opening, but to force his way into the box

Problems I saw : - We let too easily the opp playing in the back. However, I can't play a high press or it will decrease the space Saka can have (like here : https://gyazo.com/54fed5422c2f8d27df411d4b2b20db18 ; https://gyazo.com/71d6f8f9f9ae6168c822c63f825e5b4c) - Even if we manage to create an overload for Saka to use, it seems he's not using it (https://gyazo.com/e0bdaacf0d4e4d1c78cf21add71e255f ; - Most of the time, we fin Saka outwide (https://gyazo.com/96af7b55e3895ab3fc2f6a81e20160ce ; https://gyazo.com/175e3d915523f379af5bf4de0fc30fa3) - We often face a lot of people in the box (https://gyazo.com/50e805af314f28274c5683dc78605cb0 ; https://gyazo.com/dbbcf178deceea3ef323b9aa67edbcc6 with Odegaard missing the goal ;https://gyazo.com/f8e27e7017bd7faf661b560042620d79) To be fair, I have no idea how to solve that

Here is the current tactic :

I'm in 0-0 draw for 2 games in a row, the 2 being away. The same according to the xG graphs, we have decent chance (it's not a lot of small chances). I have to look that, I don't know what's wrong (especially since the same tactics seems to work in my U21 team)

Thanks, I will try that. However, several questions 1. does the CM-s won’t be too much of a magnet that kill all the effect of the overload ? 2. Isn’t the left side « too » attacking now and lacking of ways to switch the ball to Saka ? 3. Does the « focus play down the right » works as I said it does ? (« when we read the TI, it states that the play is going to be more agressive than the usual. My understanding is that, if the teams mentality is Positive, the right side is going to play like it is on Attacking or Very Attacking. My aim is to have my IF-a and Mezz-a on attacking, while the rest of the teams is, at tops, on Positive. When I choose Positive, the right side is on very attacking, which is too much. Furthermore, as I don't have the best players for possession, I don't want them to try something too risky during the overload ;«

It is a very high risk game plan, as we have 2 players bombing up the field. Now, to « neutralize » all the movement/keep the things solid behind, I have the BWM (who is still a passing outlet) and my DM-s who, even though he has « hold position » will be a passing outlet. So, we have 2 players bombing forward, the IWB-s who will hold the width by overlapping or, if it is not the occasion, be at the back of the HS, the F9 coming deep and running from deep, BWM trying to nullify all counter attacks and being a passing outlet, like the DM

I see. 1. Putting Martinelli as a W-s, even on his wrong foot could make it. 2. Switching Partey and Ødegaard, with the latest being a Mezz-a to make a threat 3. Martinelli as a W-s should make it.

Oh, ok ! Well, 1. For the AML, I opted for an IW-s as they start wide and comes in the HS. I want him to be a creator (crossing or passing between the opponent). However, as he’s still a IW, he may run in the HS if he thinks it’s the best option (and Martinelli does it sometimes, maybe because of the « pass into space » TI ?) 2. For the CML, I opted for a BWM-s because, as it is the side I want to overload, it is also the side I don’t want to loose the ball. However, it is maybe overkill to add the BWM as it’s already the more crowded side of the pitch. That’s why I was thinking of a B2B to add a runner. writting all of this made me think of this : maybe I can swap Ødegaard and Partey ? - Ødegaard is a fantastic creator, not so much of runner (or, not a finisher as he has the attributes to run). So I could put him as a AP-a on the left side (side I want to overload) - Partey as a BWM on the right as if I loose the ball on the right, I have very few people there to win it back. The Bonus here is that Ødegaard would more easily find Saka with his left foot on the left side of the pitch (rather than on the right side were he forced Saka to go wider ti be found).

Sorry, English is not my first language and I’m not sure I understand what you said there haha

When talking about another runner pinning the other opposition FB and play off each other, you mean the FB on the side opposite to Saka ? If so, we can say that Martinelli does it in a way as an IW-s. However, we can say that’s not enough ? In that case, I could switch the BWM to a B2B but I’m not sure he will attract the FB. Or, I can switch Martinelli to a W-s ? (I can’t put Zinchenko as a WB as it is one of the « rule » I impose myself : play him as a IWB)

Yes, that’s exactly what I want : an overload to the left-side to free up space for Saka on the right. For the frontline, here are the role we can use : - TF-s as he will 1. Occupy the CB by his presence and 2. Be a fixation point for Saka. However, I don’t think Jesus (and Nketiah) are the right players to do that, at least against most of the teams. Furthermore, it appears that, in the ME, that the TF is a ball magnet, which I don’t aim for ; - A trequartista as its role is to create space to support the attacks. However, a Trq does not create space like I want : he drifts on the side and, to my knowledge, I can’t tell him to only drift on the left (maybe by putting him as a ST left ?) - the DLF : he drops deep and help with the build up + he is more generous than the F9 (see below). He does slow down the play which can help attract people (the ball stays longer on the left). However, I feel I already play slow enough on the left side to not slow it more. Furthermore, the DLF drops down less and is less central deep than the F9. So he can drop deep but on the right side… - The F9, my choice. As he drops deep and quite centrally, he may bring a CB with him. However, if he drops to deep, maybe the opp. DM will mark him instead of the CB. Looking at the screens, it feels like it is more the CB that goes on Jesus. I like the F9 as he’s more dangerous than a DLF, he makes more agressive runs but still is a creator. In add, G. Jesus is a gifted player and I feel that the F9 role suits him the best, contrary to DLF-s. That’s why I went for F9 and not DLF. but maybe I’m misunderstanding something ! thanks man for your advice and helping me thinking this through

Here are my tweaks from these 3 first games : Out of possession : we're too often beaten by speed, so I lower the DL. On possession : 1. Odegaard runs to much on Saka's space. I put him on Mezz-s. To create more space, I also ask White to get further forward and run on flank with the ball. 2. Not a tweak atm, but I was thinking of putting Saka as a RMD ? If you have suggestin, I'm open to all ideas

Brentford : how they score against us :

Barcelona : 2-1. Situation 2 : How we scored :

Barcelona : Win 2-1. Situation one : how they scored :

Liverpool, situation 4bis

Liverpool, situation 4 : Great situation and a clear chance to score that we miss

Liverpool, Situation 3 : Odegaard takes the run from Saka, and miss the shot

Game against Liverpool : Situation 2 - Overloading left before realising on the right

Game against Liverpool Situation 1 : countering

Hi ! Sorry I could not update as it was an insane working week ! I finish my first 3 official games (Community Shield : win 1-0 against Liverpool ; UEFA Super cup : win 2-1 against Barcelona ; first game of PL - win 1-2 (A) against Brentford). I have to review these games, but here are my first impression : - Mezz-a and IF-a run in the same space. I thought the Mezz would go wider with a IF cutting inside, but they stick together or put to many times the IF wider. Ødegaard had too many runs I wanted Saka to have - I think I should drop my DL to, at least, higher (instead of Much Higher). Zinchenko is not fast enough and get caught to many times in behind. The same can be said for the other defenders, but they’re a bit faster. - My Data Hub said that Martinelli lost to many balls. I have to take a look (if it’s for risky passes, it’s ok. If he’s getting press 2v1 too often, it’s a problem) - I think Saka still need more space. Maybe dropping the DL will help lowering my block and therefore freeing more space in behind the opponent DL