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Hi there, Is there any resource that thoroughly details different player roles based on formations or strategies? I'm looking for a complete resource or various partial resources to see how players in different positions operate under different player roles in different formations/strategies. Example: A striker with "False 9" role does (movements, defensive duties etc.) X, Y, Z if he's playing in a 4-4-2 formation A winger with "defensive winger" role does (movements, defensive duties etc.) X, Y, Z if he's playing in a 4-1-4-1 formation in a team that's playing attacking, direct, high pressing football A defender with "limited defender" role does (movements, defensive duties etc.) X, Y, Z if he's playing in a 4-3-3 formation in a team that's playing control, short passing, creative football Also, I would like to learn more about how a player operates in conjunction with other players in the team with different roles. Example: A central midfielder (with ball winning midfielder role with defense duties, who's the middle person in a three man midfield) does (movements, defensive duties etc.) X, Y, Z in a 4-3-3 narrow formation with short passing when the other two midfielders have an "Advanced Playmaker" role A striker with "Target Man" role does (movements, defensive duties etc.) X, Y, Z in a 4-1-2-2-1 wide formation with direct passing when the wingers have an "Inside Forward" role I'm aware of pairs and combinations & the Football Manager's guide to Football management (Also, if someone can give me a review of this book, the 6 reviews on Amazon not helping much) - but before diving deeper into them, I want to make sure these are covered in details and if there are other better/updated resources. Thanks

Hi Everyone, I apologize for the long post in advance. In FM16, I started lower league management in Belgium 3rd division and was managing Portuguese Premier league in about 9 seasons. I really loved the rise up. Although I was using my own tactics and ideas, I was never paying attention to the depth in it (so just creating tactics around player skills, hoping something would happen). I never even watched any match beyond "Key", let alone analyzing games on Prozone. Once I saw the rise, I realized I wasn't being a true manager - I mean, I only know how to move around things, just not the things that work in conjunction with each other. So basically, for example, I knew what short pass vs long pass was, but didn't know how to effectively use it. I knew if I go to fluid from flexible, what it would do, just not how it will affect individual players or my team's shape (whatever that means). Prior to buying FM17, I tried to read up on a lot on tactics, watch videos etc. I just can't seem to focus enough or pay enough attention to details. In FM17, I started an unemployment challenge for about 90 times, only to not go through with it after a couple of in-game months. I started to watch the matches in full detail to get the hang of it, but I'm either not understanding it, not doing it right, or paying enough attention to details. I know lower level managements can be tough, but still, after a few defeats, I'm just giving up and starting a new game. I really want to understand this game, want to go deep and figure it out - the way those awesome people on SIGames forum are doing in unemployment challenges. I just can't seem to be focused enough to go through it. At this point, I have some questions/concerns and would really love your input/inspirations in the matter. My goal: start as an unemployed Sunday league badgeless manager and end up managing my favorite club, Real Madrid. I want to climb up the ladders mostly based on my results (don't want to focus on youth developments or long-term visions in other clubs) and playing style (I want to play nice short passing games with possession, but willing to adapt at the other clubs as they are not in my long term goal). Once I reach Madrid, I want to focus on youth development and play beautiful games for eternity. The only thing I will use is no attribute masking and genie scout - because even if I was a real life manager, I would've used them. So I'm trying to keep everything as realistic as possible here. Questions - these are all going to be related to lower league management as I'll focus on the big-boy things once I make it there. Tactics and Strategy - seriously, what do you guys do around this area? How can I best work on this? How can I be focused, more attention to detail oriented and consistent? Mindset - I have a ridiculous mindset - if I lose, draw I just keep giving up. I cannot seem to stick to it at all. Any suggestions? Training - I don't even know how I can optimize this ideally. Details details details: I tried to read lines and diamonds, pairs and combinations etc. I understand everything at the time, but I forget everything later in the game - How do you keep track of all the combinations, ideas etc.? How can I improve in these areas? Substitutions: How do you keep players energy level up? My players usually have 100% match fitness, but their conditions go up and down. How do you work with below 80% condition back to back matches? When do you substitute? What do you look into it? More tactics: What do you do under different conditions in the game? Winning? Losing? Drawing need to score/defend? What drives you and how do you make those changes in a match to alter the results? Stats/prozone - I know this is an incredibly helpful tool - I don't know what changes to make based on the numbers. I watched the videos on prozone, I still don't get it. For example, x is making too many key passes to the right, I try to stop that it messes up my formation - how do you work around those? Basically, how do you just utilize it? Players - how do you analyze your team? There are players that have good attributes, but they still perform **** and some have poor attributes, but perform well. How do you get around that? How do you assess that? How do you optimize their performance? Are you afraid to move them around even if it's a drop in positional ability? What do you do when a tactic doesn't support that? How do I do it? How do I measure my progress if I'm losing constantly by playing well? How do I keep my spirits up, how do I keep myself from quitting that save and starting over? Seriously guys, how do you do what you do and how do I do it? I know I'm sounding like one of those people who want to achieve something but doesn't want to work for it. The problem is, it is incredibly difficult to keep your head held high in this game because something that works fantastically if I'm taking a lot of shots, playing the way I want etc. - I might still lose. That will make me doubtful about my abilities and I'll just give up. I'll give up because I'll feel like I'm not making any progress at all and I'm just not good enough. Please help me get over this, please help me get better.

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Hi FMers So I'm in my first season with Saint-Ettiene and I've seen an old pattern emerge with strange heavy defeats where the opposition literally scores every highlight, got so bad I had to sub my keeper, but then the next game the team plays well and wins with a clean sheet. I lost 5-1 to Bastia and 7-0 to Lyon. My tactic is conservative on top of it as it is ultra possession focused. The tactic is a 4-1DM-1-3-1. Is it the asymmetrical formation doing this or is this the worst case simulation just happening at an unfortunate time?

When simming medium to long amounts of time in a season, I'd like a way to dictate the player rotation strategy. Right now, I don't have anyway of dictating this and so it feels like the assistant manager (for the most part) only start my best players, thereby running them into the ground and neglecting other players, particularly young players I'm trying to develop. This could be managed through instructions to the assistant manager. If you aren't simming, perhaps this specified strategy could be manifested by how assistant suggests lineups and/or when receiving advice from the assistant. Regardless, I think the key is to capture the logic than managers in real life would use. Here are some concrete examples that I've noticed in real life and so I think should be captured by any implementation: dropping out-of-form starters. If the player is a star of the team or is very highly paid, he is much harder to drop though (just like real life). play primarily backups and/or youth players in cup games. rotating players who are tired. Again, star players will be more likely to start regardless. play more offensive at home and/or rotate more at home (or away, you can choose). Conversely, playing a certain strategy or certain players away from home. Perhaps counter attack or more defensive players, whatever you want. Playing certain players in certain competitions. This is important because I have seen Real Madrid, Barca, and Arsenal at various times play two keepers, with one playing primarily in the league and the other in european competition. I emphasize not dropping stars because IRL, star players do play almost every game. Many stars would in fact complain and be unhappy if they were dropped without a really good reason. I don't feel like this is really captured very well in FM at this point. Perhaps the implementation could be a list of ranked rules similar to (but not exactly like) the current scouting search tool, where you can specify things such as competition, the quality of opponent, etc. with a corresponding rule such as minimum form, training level, age, conditioning, fitness, jadeness, degree of rotation (low, medium, high or starters, backups, youth, etc.), etc. These rules could also compound together with and/or/except conditions. Since this might get pretty complicated, perhaps there could be some template or pre-existing structure to the rules. If that's too complicated or unfeasible, then perhaps it could be some menu with various sliders, check boxes, etc. to dictate the team selection strategy. Also, the added benefit of implementing some player rotation system is that it would give the AI a framework for selecting the team, which IMO could really use an upgrade. Anyway, I know this is all a bit convoluted, and so perhaps the comments can flesh out a more concrete implementation to suggest. What do you guys think of all this?

OK - so I'm new to FM - decided to give Sheffield United a try because I hadn't tried a lower league. I was promoted after my first season - ended up doing well thanks to some luck and the squad being decent before I took over. But I was easily overmatched in the championship, players simply not good enough and even with ManU as a feeder team, I just did the talent. Plus, my tactics need work. I wasn't scoring a lot and I was giving up a lot of through balls for goals. That's a really bad combo. I had tried 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1(2DM and 3 CM), 4-3-3 and I just kept coming up with the same problems. Lots of losing 1-0 or 2-0 while losing possession 52/48 and being completely outshot (both total and on target). So I'm trying something new a 3-5-2 without wingbacks. It's worked for the first 4 games and gotten me out of the relgation zone, but the more i read here the more I don't think it should be working. So please tell me how badly I'm setting myself up for failure. Goalie - normal 3 CD's - 2 set to defend, one set to stopper NO DMS or WINGBACKS defensive winger/support - DLP/support - attacking playmaker (SM)/attack - BWM/defend- defensive winger/support False9/support - Target Man/attack In the 4 games I've won possession and total shots. i've had 3 wins and a draw. The reason I did this was to attempt to gum up the midfield, recycle possession a lot, use the wingers for depth, have the BWM be the 4th defender in a way. False9 is the connection in the attack and the target man is the finisher. The AM is my best player by far, so my putting him front and center I thought it would get him the ball the most in decision-making positions. So tell me why is suck and help me get better so I can avoid relegation and move to mid-table next season as I let dead weight go and sign some championship level players.