[Replicating Arsenals pressing]

In the game against ManYoo when I watched, it was a bit of a hybrid press at times. High Press on occasion, retreating to a low block press

[Use the Preset Tactics! (Seriously)]

Watching a Rashidi Vid on Bust the net, the positioning of all your players depending on where you set your defensive line has changed a bit as well, all that factors into how presets play, but sure there are other differences this season, from last, considering how my last years tactic worked this year.

I do change roles from the presets to suit my players but as an LLM I try not to tack on tons of personal instructions. I keep it simple for them. Works for me. FA Trophy final to play today

Part of me wonders if vertical tikatak is OP this year, cause I ain't any great shakes

[Parting Comments to Transferred Players]

Disappointed there is no "You are dead to me, get out of my office" option. That's a free idea for you SI  

[Use the Preset Tactics! (Seriously)]

I agree, my 2022 tactic was not working in 23 shipping goals left and right, used a vertical tikatac preset next season with a little bit of tinkering, cautious low block, and won the League . There is definitely some changes under the hood  in 23 that benefits using a preset as a base  to start from.

There are other ways of winning instead of defaulting to a OP high press, embrace the Burnley way  

[Best Approach for Beating the Gegenpress?]

His games must resemble a medieval battlefield with bodies strewn around a muddy section, specifically in each others narrow engagement box in the middle of the pitch

Draw them on, drop deeper so there is even more space in behind them so your wingers can frolic in the open space beyond

[Best Approach for Beating the Gegenpress?]

As above, slightly more vertical is the aim, dribble less, especially guys in the middle, play down wings, pass into space, as most of the time they are condensing the space and hit early  crosses. Make sure your wingers are nippy, I have a pretty crap winger in most respects but he has 17 acc and 15 speed, lob a ball in front of him and watch him fly, and also, make sure the central midfield have good first touch, otherwise they will get mullered.

[Help needed: Defense]

I concur, low block, low line of engagement works for me. As mentioned it needs some sort of pressure on the ball rather than being passive. I noticed Arteta has stolen most of my ideas judging by the ManYoo game last night

I posted a reply to a thread in this forum "Defensive football" where I had similar problems with long balls down the middle.

Reworked my whole tactic and as shown in the thread it was going quite well...Still is, all  stats way above the league average defensively

I take a while to finish my seasons, I like to luxuriate in all the detail. The latest update,10 games left, 10 points ahead, lost 3 games all season have a dominant defense, semi finals of the FA Trophy, beaten a few teams from divisions above me, which is a good sign. This despite having a scattershot strike force.

I have used the Cautious tactic shown in the thread most of the time, though modified a little, with opposition tactics changes which channel guys into the middle where the pack jumps on them and with stop crosses added. Though I will play positive dependent on how the game is going and sometimes use a slightly more attacking version of the tactic. Teams still try to punt it down the middle (thats non league football for you) but I have great CD and a DM who seem to have become wise to it. I think teams are scared of us anyway.

Seem to have more problems with bottom 5 teams TBH, 2 of the losses against them. Batter them, but the old 1-0 loss on a breakaway/Super Keeper/Multiple woodwork story.

Formation plays compact, we pass people to death which helps with defensive stats, we have an above 60% possession stat for the season, and as an added bonus we don't use as much energy as a squad as we sit in our defensive shell, as soon as we lose the ball we gegenpress them to death, and retreat back into our shell if we don't win the ball, break if we do win it.

At least at this lowly level teams can't handle it  If I go up I will finally need to spend some of the Chairman's money on  transfers and buy forwards who are able to hit water falling out of boat.

[Defensive Football]

Roles and duties - aiming for compactness more than anything, If you kept most of them all at support it would be even more compact, but you  need a bit of adventure somewhere  My best player is the IF,  want him getting in the box, so on attack, just got the attacking CM, he much better than most of my players, so want him to create going forward. Before I got him that CM was on support with further forward. Might actually change it back. The IW gets in the box but also crosses for the IF at the back post who is ok on the air. I force that in the PPI's if their RB is vertically challenged, sometimes even swap the beanpole TM with the IF to really get an advantage on the back post

Special attention - By that I mean spot the their most creative/dangerous player (via the overload of data SI provides) and either deny him the ball by pressuring the players that most often pass it to him, or pressure the player himself, or both. Especially if any of them have low first touch/determination , I do that via the opposition instructions. Try to do it without disrupting your own defensive shape too much though.

More attacking - is still Lower Defensive line but with a midblock and one of the FB on attack. But to be honest I have hardly used it.

Park the bus- Defensive mentality, Low def line Low block, two DM's and one CM. Everyone on support apart from DM's and CD on Def, slightly lower pressing all round to remain even more compact, play out to the wings, I needed that as the AI tended to hunt in packs and force turnovers in the middle where one pass and they are in behind. Use with a lead around 85mins. And more disciplined ticked

But sometimes when all else fails (like the last match) get desperate and chuck everyone forward and press like crazy

PS

Still early days with this tactic, I have tons of possession and way above average for shots, but my guys can't hit a barn door with a banjo. Though just got someone on loan that might change things  

Don't forget, these are lower league players so I limit the personal player instructions as much as possible, Maybe for upper tier pro teams you can give them more to think about as they are more capable. My guys are all butchers and bakers.

I love that, when we lose the ball they will tackle back like crazy, Klopp would be proud, even the forwards, that's with everyone on balanced pressing. 

Oh one last thing, watch a chunk of match on full every now and again. You will see how they are playing, and where the problems are. That is not something you get from highlights

Shout out to SI, know there are some grumblings about the match engine but I am loving this years. Especially when being much less hectic and attacking with my team. Actually looks like real football. Maybe people are trying to use last years tactics with this years game like I did. My heart can't take 5-5 draws.

[Defensive Football]

 

I struggled with my 2022 tactic in this years game, absolutely leaked goals, getting battered in my first season, finished 15th, not far off the relegation zone

 

So I set out to create a vice like defensive tactic in my lower league save 2nd season, and it's going quite well, 25 games undefeated streak going ,Farnsley invincibles, legends in the making  (in the last match equalised with the last kick, so the streak is getting wobbly )

 

Plays some nice counter attacking football, I like a 1-0 win, so it might not be for you as it has an aggressive press from a low block, and I pay "special" attention to the opposition best players. Nearly always play cautious, though I have a slightly more attacking version trained up and a (even more) park the bus version

 

The FBs have further forward dependent on the oppositions strength down that flank, so there is some nice wing play. I actually, did not change much of the base vertical TikaTac setup TBH, tinkered, but kept it simple where possible.

 

It is nice and compact and tough to break down, but lethal on the break.

 

I also have house rules where I can only buy players who my scouts find or I have spotted in a match. No trolling through list of players or hanging out on best players forums

Not spent a penny on buying any players yet!

 

 

 

[Football Manager 2017 Pre-Release Beta Feedback Thread]

Loving the beta, best version yet for me.

A couple of points Re the 3D match engine

Tackles, I know with the limited animation frames you are using it must be difficult portray the various moves fully, but in general tackles, are there some frames not working? I say this because there is occasionally a point where two players are challenging , but the just stand there, face to face, as if they are having a quick discussion on who should have the ball. Very polite I'm sure but not the game as we know it.

 

Is this going to be cleaned up in the release,?

Unfortunately, with this engine you don't really get the impression of the  physicality of football, an improvement in this aspect one year would take brilliant game up several levels. Seriously, just do a deal with Konami and use the PES engine