How To Play FM07: Tactical Design and Management Strategy

[Kandinsky]

This wwfan's tactical set is fantastic, because you can also apply it to any tactic, just needing to do slight modifications.

I've applied it into a 4-1-3-1-1 and in 3 seasons at Derby County I won the Champions League. Curiously, never won a single title in England, but always kept myself at top.

In my 3rd season (Where I won the Champions league) I finished 2nd, which was my best position. Man City won the league. They have a powerful team now with Sven.

Now I am at 2nd season with Chelsea at 2010/2011.

1st season EPL title + Uefa Cup.

2nd season (still running) 1st place, out of carling cup, still on Champ League and FA Cup.

This tactical set, as I already said many months before, makes FM much more easier.

I made 2 more tactics by the way. An ultra defensive and an ultra ofensive In case I'm desperating for a goal.

This is how I use the tactical set:

Home games:

Check the odds + position of the team on the table + check the team starting 11 (because sometimes the table position/odds might get us wrong)

Will have no chance odds: Defensive/Ultra Defensive

Hard to get result odds: Counter/Defensive

Possible to have result odds: Counter/Possesion

Close odds: Counter/Possesion

Good Odds: Possesion/Control

Superb Odds: Control/Attack

Depending the team value, I will switch the system to use.

Away Games: Same thing, but drop 1 level of mentality

Will have no chance odds: Ultra Defensive

Hard to get result odds: Defensive

Possible to have result odds: Counter/Defensive

Close odds: Counter

Good Odds: Possesion

Superb Odds: Possesion/Control

Very important: Pre-match instructions

Do it yourself. I always do it.

Slow strikers: Mark + Pressure

Fast Strikers: Mark + Pressure = never

"Normal" Strikers: Mark

Players with low bravery: Hard tackle

Players with 14+ long shots: Pressure

Players with 15+ crossing: Pressure

Players with 16+ passing: Pressure

Center backs: Don't worry about them

Opponent using strikers on the wings: Mark them

Be careful not to press players with high speed and techinical atributes, because your player might be dribled. In this case you might choose to mark those players, instead of using the pressure.

In Game changes:

Advantadge on the score:

Frame 1: 0 to 15 mins

Keep the same tactic until the 35 mins, but in case I'm getting trouble I change before. In case you don't get major troubles, just drop a level.

Frame 2: 15 - 30 mins

Same thing as before.

Frame 3: 30 - 45 mins

Same as Frame 1 (in case you passed the 35 mins, do the same)

Frame 4: 45 - 60

Keep the tactic (unless they start causing you main trouble)

Frame 5: 60 - 75

at 65 mins drop a level.

Frame 6: 75 - 90

Drop another level between 75 and 80 (depending on the oposition reaction)

Case 4-2-4: Use the defend/ultra defend if they start causing you many trouble. In playoff games I sometimes use the ultra-defensive in the last 10 mins.

Disadvantadge on the score:

Most of the players fall into mistake of going up all the way on tactical levels imediatly. The result of that is usually not good.

Frame 1: 0 - 15 mins

Keep the same tactic until the 15 mins. Go up a level.

Frame 2: 15 - 30 mins

Keep the tactic.

Frame 3: 30 - 45 mins

On the minute 35, go up a level

Frame 4: 45 - 60 mins

Go up a level at HT. Keep that level.

Frame 5: 60 - 75 mins

Go up a level at 60 mins.

Frame 6: 75 - 90 mins

Choose attack at 75 mins. In case there's no goal, choose the ultra attack at minute 85. Off course, if you suffer a goal on a counter, it's not that surprising. But you have to risk everything if you really desire to at least make a draw.

Note: when you score the drawing goal, you can go back to the original plan or continue with the current tactic to see if you can push a little bit more. It depends on your team quality vs opponent team quality

Hope it helps some players, because this helps me a lot, even if you're not using wwfan's tactics, this might give you a hand.

[Mark.]

That helps a lot thanks Kandinsky. For your 4-1-3-1-1 did you change any of the players instructions? Or does the player behind the Striker just have the other Strikers instructions?

[Rashidi]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wwfan:

Contrary to popular opinion, I haven't actually played FM for circa a month, and hardly at all for the last two months. I can look at your tactics if you want though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hope the Macs worked out well for ya

[Kandinsky]

Mark. Sorry about the late answer, but I wasn't at home. I did some slight changes, but just a couple of things. All I did was change a couple of notches in the mentalities. The major changes I made was made the 334 Ultra ofensive and the 5131 Ultra defensive. But all I did was put the AM C as sweeper and assume the same instructions as the other center backs, except the man marking. The ultra ofensive one, I put the Side backs as center backs and keepe the same instructions, so they can go forward a lot, and use a defender miedfielder. It's more a 3-1-2-4.

[Mark.]

Kandinsky, Thats sweet man, so how would I go about implementing it with a 4-1-5-1 Basically 1 DM 2 MC 2 AMRL Outwide and 1 Striker. Im not too sure wether I treat the 2 AMRLs as strikers?

BTW do you have MSN id like to rack your Brain for some ideas

[Mark.]

Actually I was just thinking of somethign I was still unsure of; When assigning free roles wwfan reccomends the Wings having free roles, however if the wings and striker have free roles shouldnt I be giving a free role to the play maker MCr?

[Aquaplex]

Hey there Kandinsky. Could u explain couple things about ur setup?

1. Could you draw out or show a picture of your 4-1-3-1-1? I'm assuming this type of formation is 4 at the back, 1DM, 1AMC, 1FC but i'm confused to the 3 in the midfield. I dont know if it's 1 MC and LM and RM or just 3 midfielders.

2. Could you possibly give more information about those 2 extra tactics u made, as to what changes you made going from attacking to ultra attacking and going from defensive to ultra defensive.

I apologize for hijacking this fantastic thread but i tried emailing you but it came back as bad email address.

[Kandinsky]

Sorry again for the late post mates. But I'm back to work at October the 1st and I'm trying to take the maximum out of the last days of vacations.

Mark.

A 4-1-5-1 you would play with an extra player. Don't cheat

But seriously, I think you wanted to say 4-1-4-1. Basically I would keep the Side miedfielders instructions for the wingers. Than one of the 2 center miedf of wwfan's tactic is a more defensive one. I would put that one as def miedf and make 1 or 2 changes on the player instructions. Than I would push one of the strikers behind and make him a bit more ofensive than the side miedfielders with tons of creativity. ABout the free role, if you are using an excelent player for that position, I recommend it, so he have more freedom to put his skill into action.

About the AM RL issue: If you want an upredictable position swap system (3 hybrid wingers who can also play as strikers and a striker who can play as winger) you might want to give them similar instructions. In case you want to use a more fix striker, I recommend to treat your wingers for that porpouse. But that's my opinion, doing your own way is usually more fun.

Aquaplex

The 4-1-3-1-1 system uses 3 miedf in the center, but the MC R and MC L open wide, so AM R or AM L perfectly adapt to that function.

The 2 extra tactics:

Ultra Defensive:

Just picking the defensive tactic, pull one of the strikers back to sweeper position (in my case the AM C), and give them same instructions to the other center backs, except the man mark, since he's there to cover those kind of "holes". If you wish, change some team settings so it becomes more defensive.

Ultra offensive:

I just pick the attacking tactic, take one of the center backs off and put a striker in. Than I put the side backs on the center, but they open wide when in ball possesion and become side backs again. Yes it is very very risky, because only the center back and the def miedf will stay down, but as the name sugests, it's a tactic to use in despair. It worked a lot of times, but as any other ofensive tactic you might get caught in the counter.

[Kandinsky]

Can't edit.

Aquaplex

In case you are using the 442, to build the ultra offensive one, just take a center back out and put a defender miedf in (In case one of your center backs can play as def miedf, better). Than give them similar instructions(not equal), so they can stay down all the time. It's a small insurance having only 2 at the back, but there are times that it's the only thing you can do.

[Mark.]

Thanks Kandinsky, Yeah i meant a 4-5-1 looks like this:

WB---DC---DC---WB

-------DM--------

----MC----MC-----

AM-------------AM

-------FC--------

Is that what you thought I meant? Im playing with Arsenal now, and am still tossing up with either keeping a 4-4-2 pretty much the same as the tactics made by wwfan, or I was thinking of using the above 4-5-1 tactic for or a 4-2-2-2:

WB---DC---DC---WB

-----------------

----MC----MC-----

AM-------------AM

-----FC--ST------

Perhaps a combination of all three formations could work, with the 4-2-2-2 for more attacking tactics the 4-5-1 for for intermediate tactics and the 4-4-2 for defensive, or would that be too many formations?

[Kandinsky]

Mark.

In the beggining I thought you wanted a 4-1-4-1, but now I see you mainly want a 4-3-3. Is a good and balanced tactic, because it can be effectively used as a counter attack tactic or an ofensive tactic.

The doubts I have are:

1 - How do you intend to play on the front? 1 fix striker and 2 wingers or 2 wingers/strikers swaping between them? Or probably you can use both, since the option of using 3 players rotating between them is a bit more offensive.

Swaping from 4-5-1 to 4-2-2-2 or 4-4-2 might get a bit of trouble, since you change from a formation who uses 2 srtikers to a formation with 1 striker. What will you do to the extra-striker? If he can play in another position, cool. If not, you got a trouble there. When I made the 4-1-3-1-1 formation, the only formations with 2 strikers are the attacking, which I use the same as wwfan attacking formation, and the ultra ofensive.

Take my mail from msn:

w_kandinsky@yahoo.com

[korzy]

what do you mean by "go up a level", i didnt get it!

[Kandinsky]

Korzy, what I mean to go up a level is:

There are various tactics:

Defend

Counter

Possesion

Control

Atack

For example, imagine you are using the Counter. If you go up a level, you will choose Possesion.

Cheers.

[korzy]

i see ! thanks!!

[Doctor Who]

Where has the downloadable tactic set gone? I don't get it from the link on page 1.

Is it too early to judge if this approach is succesful in FM08?

[wwfan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Doctor Who:

Where has the downloadable tactic set gone? I don't get it from the link on page 1.

Is it too early to judge if this approach is succesful in FM08? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

FM-Downloads was corrupted. It is on the opening page but you'll have to search for it.

It looks like it will be successful with a degree of rewriting, but picking the correct tactic seems a little random right now.

[Saumyajit]

I am doing ok with the previous tactics in FM08. With Arsenal won league and league cup, CL semi final, FA semi final. Don't seem to find a problem yet.

[Wayne\'o]

at the bigining of your post you talk about mentalities etc, it doesnt have listed passing style or weather it be a good idea to use a target man. can all of the mentalities be used with a target man etc.?

[Millie]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Wayne'o:

at the bigining of your post you talk about mentalities etc, it doesnt have listed passing style or weather it be a good idea to use a target man. can all of the mentalities be used with a target man etc.? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Usually, if you decide to use a target man using a TT&F/RoO style you would make the less offensive, more static striker the target man and lump balls to his head. This certainly worked well in '06 and '07. Not tried using a target man in '08 myself, though.

As for passing styles, that's something best left to the individual. Personally, I like everyone on the same setting, some have the defenders on longer passing, progressively getting shorter as they go through the side.

[Guest]

fm-downloads appears to have expired. IS there an alternate link that the tactics can be downloaded from?

[Chenzo]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by imjustsomeguy:

fm-downloads appears to have expired. IS there an alternate link that the tactics can be downloaded from? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try this link

[jascko]

I was wandering, are you planning to realese new tactics for 08 wwfan?