The pursuit of developing my perfect tactic

[knownasA]

First things first:

• This won't be a tactic for download (although it may be in the future if anyone wants to test it or tweak it)
  
• This will be work inspired by other managers, developing my own philosophy
  
• I don't expect to win any league or anything for now, I just want do develop my style of play
  
• This won't DEFINITELY be a one-post thread
  
• This is my first thread so don't be too hard on me.
  

My name is Amarino França. Portuguese. I've been playing manager simulator since... let's say, since forever. I grew up watching my cousins play the older versions of CM. Do you remember playing, uh, Championship Manager Italia? Me neither. But I saw other people play and I loved it. My first one was the mythical CM 01/02. Such a perfect game. Since then, I've been playing it year after year and everytime it surprises me, it becomes more intersting and more of a challenge.

Since FM 2011 I started to become obsessed with tactical systems. Never been as much before, but in 2011 the game really started to make me feel like some sort of manager, not only a guy who buys a team full of perfect players and dominate the entire world.

Now, we're on 2014 and the game is challenging like never before. You have to know it all. Tactics, training, player morale, fitness, etc. I still struggle everyday with the problems it presents to me. Every day. I've done a big number of saves, none of them was I successful as before. I've finished 3rd with Southampton; won the league with Benfica; finished 2nd with Napoli and 1st with Arsenal after 3 seasons. It's really hard, but finally makes you understand almost everything there is to know about football.

As you may suppose I've watched a lot of football over the years. I've been interested in a enormous amount of football styles, from Brazil's fast exciting football to Greece's extreme counter-attack. From Guardiola to Mourinho, from South America to Europe.

So, without further a do, here we go... develop my tactical system.

Objectives

To create my own philosophy, to play the football I'd like to watch a team play and what I'd love to watch happening on a field. It may not be original, it may not be different or something new... but it's gonna be mine. My view.

The major objective is to show you my way of playing and developing a tactic and style step by step.

1. Inspiration

Marcelo “El Loco” Bielsa

For his obsession on attacking football. This guy has made any team he managed playing like crazy. Entertaining, beautiful and somewhat crazy football. He has turned my view of football into something completely different.

Diego Simeone

For his recent success, obviously, and for the way his team hassles the opponents. High pressure, physical football. Bulldog style. Plus, I love the way he translates his personality into his style of football.

Jorge Jesus

For his success at Benfica. Although his personality isn't most assuredly one of my favourites, he has done things for SLB that no one has ever done before. He makes the team play a football so beautiful it makes fans crave for more and more. Very attacking, entertaining and fantastic defense-attack transitions. Some creative freedom.

Of course there are a lot more I like to watch and inspire me all the time, such as the gegenpressing from Klupp at Dortmund or the tiki-taka from Barcelona and Spain. The counter-attacking tacticall intelligence from Mourinho. The brazilian free football. The dutch total football and a lot more. But those three are the ones closer to my philosophy, my view of football.

Tomorrow I'll be back with some more, meanwhile...

Tell me what would you do based on the inspiration I presented. What mentality would you play, which team would you pick. Give me feedback!

[pmoli12]

Hello, I think I'm a bit like you, passionate with the tactical system and with all the struggles of the game you seem to like entertaining football, pressure and physicality. You should aim for a bunch of technical players with some workhorse. I'd certainly take an attacking mentality but can tell you the fluidity without picking a team. About the team, the most exciting could be all the EPL top 6, Benfica, Porto, PSG,... There are a lot of team so it depend specifically of what you want.

[knownasA]

Hello, I think I'm a bit like you, passionate with the tactical system and with all the struggles of the game you seem to like entertaining football, pressure and physicality. You should aim for a bunch of technical players with some workhorse. I'd certainly take an attacking mentality but can tell you the fluidity without picking a team. About the team, the most exciting could be all the EPL top 6, Benfica, Porto, PSG,... There are a lot of team so it depend specifically of what you want.

I was actually referring to what would YOU do with what I gave so far. Me, I know what I'll do. And I'll say it tomorrow. Haha.

[pmoli12]

Ahah ok my bad well I'd try some stuff, you know, one touch pass, quick tempo, lots of dribble and so... An Attacking duty for sure... 4-3-3 also... A sweeper keeper, two supporting FB, a DLP/d, with a CM/a (you know the central winger? Amazing) and a AP/s on front of him. On the wings, if I can an W/A on one side, an IF/A on the other side and a CF upfront. Keeping possession why not, high team, high block and high pressure, more creativity, more roaming for certain players,...

It's not really clear but I don't have much idea sorry

[knownasA]

2. (To know) what I want

Since I have my inspiration set already, it's time to start the real stuff. This specific idea of creating a thread started because I wanted to start a new save. After exploring Dortmund and gegenpressing I needed something new, something different. So, time to choose a new team to manage. I came back to my times of glory on FM 2012 and 2013 and decided to manage Everton. No special reason, but I just love their structure on FM, they're a very organized team.

What do I want?

To be honest I want to give the fans something to cheer for. I want magic and attractiveness, as it may appear pretty obvious with my previous post.

Since I'm not as 'loco' as Bielsa, I'll want to play a fluid counter-attacking system. Not your usual rigid counter-attack where you just sit behind the midfield and hoping everything is going to turn out OK. No. I want my team to face the game, even though always keeping the goal as safe as possible. I want high pressure all over the field, especially on my midfield. But I do not definitely want a high defensive line. I just don't like it for Everton... and I'm not a big fan of it. I also don't care about possession. For me it's all about quality, not quantity. And for that I'll go with the 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation.

What I want my players to do

Two wingbacks going up and down the pitch as if it was easy and I also want them cutting inside (just like Bielsa does and sometimes Jesus more often than not with Maxi Pereira), overloading the middle of the pitch with players. They will have to win balls back with their anticipation in the midfield and launch quick, beautiful counter-attacks. As for the defensive midfielder, I want him to be almost a pure half back, a mix of Pirlo with Javi Martínez for Athletic (yes, I do know he played as a sweeper). He has to be able to win balls back, help with the defense being some kind of third central defender and he has to move up the pitch and launch pacey attacks with his passing ability. See the Pirlo in this?

The two central midfielders will have to work their asses off too. Especially one, a box-to-box. The other one I'll go with a deep lying playmaker bombing all kinds of direct passes forward. As for the wingers, nothing fancy: one will be playing more creatively (or defensively on more difficult games) cutting inside and controlling the plays in the final third. The other one will be a pure winger. The forward will have to contribute for the transitions, will have to be able to hold the ball, to score and to put pressure on the opponent's central defenders... and sometimes the keeper. Let's put this into images.

These are the different phases of the tactic. There is the main formation. A regular 4-5-1/4-3-3. Then there is the defensive and the attacking phases.

Attacking Phase

For this phase, I want the team to be as fluid as possible and to play around with the ball until they find some space. I want the ball to be played primarily to the wings, where there are plenty of options (RW, RB, LB and LW sometimes). I want crosses and I want direct passes on the back of the opponent's defensive line. I want the wingbacks to be unpredictable as well as the wingers. The box-to-box here is giving support and will score some goals. Of course this phase will take many different forms but this is the transition. This is how I want my team to be displaced when going for the attack.

Defensive Phase

It's pretty obvious. The three players up front will try to prevent the other team counter-attacks, closing the opponent's defense down. If the other team is able to go for the attack, everyone from the midfield and defense is dropped back and close them down on our own half, trying to win the ball there and launching a quick attack down the wings.

Player Roles

These are the main roles for the team. They may vary depending on the opponents of course and keep in mind this is just one formation. There will be more.

GK - Goalkeeper

DR - Full Back - Attack

DCR - Central Defender - Defend

DCL - Limited Defender - Cover

DL - Complete Wingback - Attack

DM - Half Back - Defend

MCR - Box-to-box - Support

MCL - Deep-lying Playmaker - Support

RW - Winger - Attack

AF - Advanced Forward - Attack

LW - Advanced Playmaker - Support

For now, this is it. Later (or tomorrow) I'll talk deeper about individual player instructions and about the whole philosophy + mentality.

What do you think for now? Would you play this formation? Which mentality would you choose? Would you play counter-attacking football? Rigid? Fluid? Talk to me.