Who uses Opposition Instructions?

[Andrew_Goats_Gruff]

I've always used them, but i've not won anything on an FM since the FM08 days lol apart from promotions... I started using Opposition Instructions on my current save, first 6 games was a struggle. I conceded for fun, however now i've disabled all of them, i'm performing much better. Defenders making their own decisions seems more beneficial for me, how bout you guys?

[permanentquandary]

Yeah they seem to be a liability. I don't touch them anymore.

[qwerty22]

Never liked it, I don't need to tell a seasoned professional full back that he needs to put his opponent on the wrong foot.



 

[Jakob8b]

I sometimes use it as a reaction to something I see during a game. Mostly, it's when I'm the clear favourite in a game and my opponent is trying to clear the ball to their striker and then counter attack.

In these situations I find that pressing, closing down and tackling hard on the isolated striker can be very beneficial.

[Cometdude]

I usually show wide players onto their weaker foot if I use any. Just depends on the opposition and the circumstances.

[TokyoWanderer]

If the opposition plays an isolated striker (no AMs), then tight marking and closing him down can be effective, in my opinion.

[Cougar2010]

On 10/11/2016 at 13:57, qwerty22 said:

Never liked it, I don't need to tell a seasoned professional full back that he needs to put his opponent on the wrong foot.

Why would you want to always put an opponent on his wrong foot?

Under what conditions would you want him to?

& under what conditions would you not want him to?

[nasipepes]

On 10/11/2016 at 20:57, qwerty22 said:

Never liked it, I don't need to tell a seasoned professional full back that he needs to put his opponent on the wrong foot.



 

it isn't downright useless IMO; in my case, sometimes by closing down a player who had low concentration, decision, dribbling, first touch, flair or passing, makes it easier for me to regain possession directly (by dispossessing him) or indirectly (by forcing him to resort to poor clearances or erratic passes). most of the teams out there must've had at least one weak link in their squad, surely.

[phnompenhandy]

9 hours ago, Cougar2010 said:

Why would you want to always put an opponent on his wrong foot?

Under what conditions would you want him to?

& under what conditions would you not want him to?

Get him on his weak shooting, crossing or passing foot. In the lower leagues where players are very one-footed it's very noticable in the ME when a player can't shoot or pass and is forced to wander vertically with the ball.

When an oppo player is on a yellow card and looking fired up, tight mark/hard tackle him to lure him into a red.

[Ji-Sung Park]

On my current save I use them 95% of the time, but I leave it to my assistant to set them as he has the right attributes.

If you're not a Shape Nazi you absolutely should use them if you think it will help.

[Cougar2010]

5 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

Get him on his weak shooting, crossing or passing foot. In the lower leagues where players are very one-footed it's very noticable in the ME when a player can't shoot or pass and is forced to wander vertically with the ball.

When an oppo player is on a yellow card and looking fired up, tight mark/hard tackle him to lure him into a red.

That wasn't the point I was making.

qwerty22 said " I don't need to tell a seasoned professional full back that he needs to put his opponent on the wrong foot ."

Presuming that you always want to show any player onto their wrong foot is at best naive and at worst poor decision making.

When making the decision as to whether to show a player onto his wrong foot or not simply by looking at his feet is the wrong way to go about it and shows a lack of tactical understanding.

[herne79]

OIs are one of those marmite things - some people love them, others hate them.

Just be aware that if you do use them they will over write other relevant tactical settings and can force your players out of position.

[EnzoAmata]

20 hours ago, nasipepes said:

it isn't downright useless IMO; in my case, sometimes by closing down a player who had low concentration, decision, dribbling, first touch, flair or passing, makes it easier for me to regain possession directly (by dispossessing him) or indirectly (by forcing him to resort to poor clearances or erratic passes). most of the teams out there must've had at least one weak link in their squad, surely.

I agree. I find even when the opposition have small players, with no jumping or heading abilities. I've said for my my player to not tightly mark them, so from corners they can concentrate on the more arial threats.

[jimbobBRFC]

Big fan of man marking an opposition AMC, I don't like the idea of a man having a lot of time and space in a central attacking area. Aside from that dont usually bother too much.

[Franky.]

I leave them to the assistant manager. He'll assess the opposition players and assign OIs accordingly. In my opinion they are quite beneficial if done this way.

[superdave]

On 11/11/2016 at 12:42, kidd_05_u2 said:

If the opposition plays an isolated striker (no AMs), then tight marking and closing him down can be effective, in my opinion.

I was having horrible, horrible problems against all one striker formations.  I play 4 in the back.  I stopped getting killed when I tightly marked the striker, and also closed him down if he gets a lot of assists.  Then i man mark him with 1 centerback, and set that player's instructions to tightly mark, close down less.  Finally, the other CB is set to cover.

I also tend to close down AMR and AML.  I won't if I look at his stats and he doesn't produce.

[Auqakuh]

I use it to force an opponent into a particular non-useful attacking shape sometimes. For example, I'll play a high pressing game with specific foot instructions; the idea being, for example, to restrict the opponent to mostly playing down the left flank instead of down the right where they are more dangerous. If they do go down the right, they find more resistance. Likewise, if they go through the centre - more resistance. It's easier down the left - so they do that. 

Then my LB eats them.

It works OK most of the time but it has issues, like sometimes a CB might roam forwards and your defender will just go "hey sure shoot on your right foot, good goal fella well done I'd be proud of that!" so I'm increasingly leaning towards getting rid of all OIs again. They are MUCH more useful in the lower leagues or in quite rigid playing styles. In my current playstyle which depends on a combination of slow buildup and fast breaks, it's not beneficial to be pulled out of shape too much, so OIs aren't really great for me right now.

I wish that instead of OIs, we had things like:

Restrict Opposition To Flanks - used when your opponent has poor wide technical players and prefers to play through the middle, this would reorganise closing down accordingly, making players more likely to press in the middle of the pitch and more likely to seek to retain their shape when the ball goes wide

Allow Inside Passes - used when your opponent has poor technical players in the middle of the pitch and prefers to play wide, this would do the opposite

Show Runners Outside - specifically used to press dribblers (as opposed to shaping passing play with spatial pressure, as with the preceding two instruction ideas) so that they must run wide, IE anticipate cutting inside

Show Runners Inside - specifically used to force dribblers into tightly congested central areas, IE when the opponent has poor technical IFs

Transitional Pressure - only close down during transition; by specific criteria (such as: once 5/10 outfield players are "in position" OR the ball enters the midfield, whichever occurs first, as a fair approximation of the common 6 second/3 pass IRL approach), the players stop pressing and retain shape instead

there are others but these would pretty much revolutionise the match engine.

 

[herne79]

@Auqakuh If you have ideas on how to improve the game, please raise them in the Feature Requests forum.

[westy8chimp]

I only use OIs when playing against a managed side in multiplayer... HARD tackling on their star signing. Nothing better than putting their star signing on the stretcher early doors and giving it the neeee nawww watsapp voice notes.

[Archkangel]

I normally make sure to tell my FBs to make their opponents find making passes or crosses difficult by going RW - make them play ball with LF and in general just push the ball to the wings where it's least dangerous for how I set up myself tactically. I find doing this stymies and slows the opponents play down my flank normally long enough for me to recover my dangerously overstretched shape and compress again XD Cause I now only play on Overload! 

[Ugeine]

Usually use it, and I've had no problems with it.  Generally if my assistant has good tactical knowledge then I'll let them handle it.  I've got Ian Cathro who's got a fifteen for that stat at the moment, and I go with what he says every game.