[Various Tactical Questions]

Thanks Carrera - this is actually just one of the reasons I wanted to switch the role from IWB so that's perfect. My IWB has excellent vision and passing so i was hoping I could get him to stay back and recycle possession/carve out direct opportunities from deep + occasionally fill the midfield when my CM attacks the box. I'll try out a custom FB role for it.

Same with changing my standard (non-inverted) wingback into a fullback. Looks like I have found a way to tell him to get to the byline and cross when the opportunity presents itself rather than making that opportunity happen. Because my team see a lot of the ball we've been bombing down and crossing far too regularly.

I guess with other roles I'll continue to experiment and watch their movement. Some of those scripted moves I love, but often I'm finding that it can make play one-dimensional if everyone has a "special sauce" type role assigned.

Thanks for your reply!

[Various Tactical Questions]

Hi tactics forum. I thought I'd post as I've seen mixed messages about this.

Are player roles just sets of instructions?

I've heard from a few sources that all selecting a player role does is use a new set of instructions. This seems untrue for some roles - for instance a half-back seems to have certain positonal differences hard-coded to it? Less obvious than half back - it seems like roaming playmaker behaves differently to if I just set roam from position and take more risks on a central mid? The reason I ask this is that I'm considering using the vanilla "Full Back" role on my inverted Wing Back to be able to customize his instructions a bit more - is it enough to tell him to cut inside with the ball and play narrow or is there some other "special sauce" to the IWB role? Is there a definitive list of which roles, if any, are just a set of instructions - and which have specific positioning coded in?

[Throw-ins being thrown directly to the opposition..]

This is probably the most glaring hole in the match engine for me - I'm watching full matches for the first time and it really seems the majority of throws are broken. The AI's too. I only watch the Prem League but modern football throws seem more like a formality these days - surely can't be hard to model mostly low-risk throws with a reasonably high chance of success. Wonder if there is some underlying issue with the AI defending out wide because they also seem to ignore full-backs a lot.

[When would you want the trait 'likes ball played into feet'?]

Yeah absolutely it is a liability for a player who is good in the air - I believe it makes players more likely to pass to his feet than his head, which is of course counterproductive. For similar players who are otherwise good target men/DLFs but lack prowess in the air compared to technique it is a great trait.

[When would you want the trait 'likes ball played into feet'?]

Can be good on certain target men and deep lying forwards - ones who are maybe less about headers but still good at receiving possession under pressure and holding up play. Strikers who like it played to feet and then turn with their first or second touch to beat their man are pretty common and it can be really deadly in an agile, well balanced, strong forward.

[[FM21][WIP] Match Screen Mods]

This looks awesome! I'm on a 32" monitor 2560x1440 100% Zoom. Was looking forward to FM on a big monitor but it feels wasted with the default.

[Why we don't have this option in the game?]

Yeah they should add a "do not track back" individual instruction. Quite a few individual instructions and PPMs could be added to really allow people to flavour their tactics and give the engine some variety imo...

What I do to achieve what you want is play the winger as a striker on the side of a 3 and tell them to sit wider. Usually with DLF attack. But that is a poor solution which likely has it's own unintended consequences and there really ought to be an individual instruction.

[Does pass into space make players play more defensive splitting through balls.]

Telling individual players to "Take more risks" with passing is the best way. Preferred move "likes playing killer balls" also good. If you want long through balls it can be good to designate someone as a "Quarterback" by giving them combined "Take More Risks" and "More Direct" in passing instructions. Should be used sparingly though if you like possession.

[BVB Bielsa inspired tactics help me!!!]

Hey,

I've also been working on a Bielsa style setup. I think it is hard to enter into the engine since it has no template - but I seem to be getting results playing with pressing and marking instructions. I'm using more urgent/extremely urgent pressing as my general team tactic, definitely use counter-press and counter too.

Individual instructions are more complex than I usually like to do, but I guess that fits Bielsa's style too. I have two loose units of players. Players who are more attacking and have higher workrate I'm asking to press more if the option is available. Often that means one or two of them press at a time - starting with 1-2 forwards counter-pressing quite high up. Players with high marking, concentration, positioning I am asking to "mark opponent tightly" and expressly tell them to press as little as possible (These are the 8 who track back and regroup when we watch Leeds). Who gets assigned to what depends on opposition shape and tactics - but CBs and DM almost always mark, Fullbacks (I'm 4-4-2) usually mark, strikers always press. Each match I tweak the markers so that the specific threats are dealt with.

Haven't perfected it yet but I feel like that is the loose setup to get the combination of a few players pressing really hard while the rest hang back in a shape and wait for the desperate, direct balls that result from the pressure.