Swansea City Tactics

[Meylan1910]

Dear all.

Having spent the last few hours reading and thinking about the way I approach the game I think I know what it is I need help with initially. Please bear with me with the following as I think it might be helpful to explain what it is I want to achieve with this Swansea City save, before I get to the nitty-gritty.

Footballing Philosophy (On the pitch)

I want the team to play fast, attacking football. I want width and short passing. I want a high line and a high press.

I do not want to play like Germany, Spain (since 2012) and anyone else who emphasises possession and a slow tortuous (to me when watching it) build up. Although I hated them, I always appreciated the way Man Utd attacked under Ferguson: Quick movement of the ball, lots of width, unpredictable. I have no problem with building up from the back and being patient in trying to create an opening. What drives me mad when watching Germany (and why I think they did not win Euro 2016) was a seeming inability to really drive at their opponents defensive line, particularly in wide areas. If their constant movement of the ball and recycling and building up from the back again didn't work, they seemed to struggle. I want to avoid that. I want the teams I play against to find it very difficult to defend against me because of the speed of my attack, and the variety of directions from which the ball could threaten their goal.

Priority One: Score goals.

Priority Two: Don't concede too many.

I want to prioritise attacking and scoring goals but I am NOT looking to do that at the expense of defensive work. I will be playing as Swansea so I cannot rely on overpowering the opposition in the mould of Brazil, Real Madrid or Manchester United under Fergie. High tempo attacking play: Yes. Suicidal defending: NO.

I am not certain if this is even possible or practical within the confines of the match engine so if I am living in a fantasy land someone please point that out and explain why.

What I want the players to do

If I had to identify the biggest shortcoming in my FM gameplay it is an inability to translate the sort of football I want into the match engine: Where will goals come from? How will my team defend? Who will create chances? What chances will they create? and so on. This makes it very very difficult for me to work out team instructions and player roles. What roles can/will result in what I want?

So, below is a list of what I want each position to do, in order of importance. If something looks daft or unworkable, again, please somebody identify it and explain why. I am less concerned at the moment with the players and whether they are good for what I want. In the debate about fitting players to a system or a system to players, I am of the former school of thought. I am happy to spend time bringing in the players I want or, if I really have to, I can take this and use it with Arsenal. My priority is having some sort of starting point as to how particular roles produce what I want on the pitch on a positional basis but also how they fit as part of one overall system.

 

Preferred Formation: 4-2-3-1. I think this lends itself to attacking football and ball retrieval based on high pressing.

Goalkeepers

1. Prevent the opposing team from scoring (Yes I know that one is axiomatic).
2. Initiate attacks.

Wide Defenders

1. Prevent the opposing team from scoring.
2. Support attacking moves 
3. Initiate attacks

Central Defenders

1. Prevent the opposing team from scoring,
2. Initiate attacks.

Central Midfielders/Defensive Midfielders

1. Protect the defensive line.
2. Assist in retrieving the ball.
3. Initiate attacks
4. Score goals.

Wide Attacking Midfielders

1. Create chances
2. Score goals 
3. Assist in retrieving the ball.
4. Support the wide defenders in defensive duties.

This is a particular area where I am unsure. Should the wide players have to be predominately goal scorers or goal creators?

Central Attacking Midfielders

1. Create chances
2. Score goals
3. Assist in retrieving the ball.

Another position where I am hopeless when it comes to an appropriate role for the player.

Strikers

1. Score goals
2. Create chances
3. Assist in retrieving the ball.

 

My thanks if you have persevered to this point. As I said earlier, I am less concerned with which players I should be using. If I need to change the players over time I will do so. What I am looking for is:

1: Can this be done/ Are my positional priorities anywhere close to being compatible with the football I want to play?

2: Which roles are a good starting point for this philosophy and the jobs I expect the players to do?

Once I have some idea as to player roles I can turn my attention to team/player instructions.

 

Thanks in advance guys. If you have any questions or need me to try to explain something (better or at all) please ask.

[Frank27]

From what I'm reading the following could work:

Control - structured

GK: Sweeper keeper

FBs: fullback support

CDs: Defend/cover with one of them BPD

CM: CM-D in front of CD-cover

CM: BBM-S

AMC: AP-S

AML/R: Winger-A

ST: DLF-A

TI's: Close down more, higher tempo, higher d-line.

The idea is that your defending players will safely move the ball around the pitch with some speed and that your attacking players will take a lot more risks. When you lose the ball, your BBM should be the only player potentially out of position to press his direct opponent. If that's a problem, switch him to CM-S. Due to the structured philosophy and the width your wingers provide your midfield should have some space to work with.

It's important that everyone in your team has good work rate, stamina and fitness. You'll be relying on the skills of your AM line to break teams down. The striker will mostly be a penalty box specialist.

[summatsupeer]

I wouldn't expect too many goals from your deepest midfielders, at least one if not both should be holding deeper positions to cover your FBs who are getting forward to support attacks.  If you have a more conservative FB then one of the CM's could do more around / in the box, but you'll have to watch out he doesn't congest the area if your AMC, Wide Midfielder and ST are trying to do the same thing.

How do you want your wide midfielders to support the wide defenders?  This will influence heavily on the decision to play them in the AM or M strata.  In AM stata they can pressure higher but will have to track back which they may not do (or do well) depending on how risky they are instructed to be and how well they can do it.  If in the M strata they will recover to a deeper position leaving less space in front of the wide defenders, so more likely to get there body in the way but won't pressure high as well due to starting deeper.

Whilst you've went through each position what you've said is pretty generic.  You should try and put something together that will allow people to suggest changes.  I would just start a tactic with Standard + Flexible and put the roles you think carry out what you want and then have a think how they will combine with the players around them to try and balance it.