Rainmaker 17 - Counter Attacking Man City to the Treble + Hull 8th - Season 1

[Mr U Rosler]

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Greetings all,

Having abandoned FM16 after the final patch failed to fix some critical ME issues I was set on avoiding FM17 until the final patch had been delivered and we all knew where we stood, however after a few furtive glances at the forum the seed was planted and I found myself absent mindedly considering various tactical approaches and how I might implement them into the Match Engine…… so I caved, it’s taken me a week or so to figure things out and arrive at a tactic I’m happy with.

However, as indicated in the title, I will be taking a fresh approach to my tactics this year. Having seen possession focused tactics done to death over the last few years I’m finding the pattern of play that emerges from that very boring to watch (both in real life & in FM).

So I’m committed to producing a counter attacking tactic. NO possession orientated TI’s (short passing, retain possession, play out of defence, work ball into box, low tempo etc). This will be a Counter/Structured, High Tempo, Mixed Passing tactic where we are brave enough to allow opponents to have the ball. This may not be the optimal approach on this year’s FM, however if I can meet the modest objectives below, season 1 with default squads I will be satisfied that with good team building I can go on to achieve all the success I require whilst playing the football I enjoy.

Comfortably win the League with the best rated team in the Division (Man City) - Done
Comfortably avoid relegation with worst rated team in the Division (Hull) – Done

The ‘in game’ visuals are so good now I look forward to kicking back and watching each game as a piece of entertainment in its own right, I could not ruin this by making my team adopt the turgid, slow, safe ‘keep ball’ approach adopted by so many teams these days. This seems to result in relentlessly attempting to break down deeply entrenched 10 men defenses as shot after shot clatters into the arms, legs, back and heads of our opponents (and often our own players)……dull stuff indeed.

I like to watch quick, direct combination play and are not averse to seeing my attackers chase down a ball over the top. To my eyes at least, this is the beautiful game.     

Additionally I try keep all the nonsense out of my tactics (strikerless formations, playmakers all over the place, TI’s that don’t make sense etc) and present something coherent and ‘real world’ where possible.

Having set the tone, now to the tactic!

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NO OPPOSITION INSTRUCTIONS

SET WINGBACKS TO TAKE CORNERS

I eventually settled on my old favourite the 4132, I was very close to going with a flat 352 which showed great potential however 3 at the back seems problematical this year and there are too many times when you are badly exposed so we need a back 4. The 4132 is a nice set up for Counter Attacking and also standard build up play, with our Anchor Man holding we can allow our 3 central midfielders to contribute to attacking play, the Box to Box role is very well implemented making the whole tactic tick.

Whilst we have some fairly intricate play through the middle we require a balanced and varied attack with goals from all sources, crossing remains effective and we encourage play down the flanks where we have Wingbacks pushing on aggressively. The stats below are testament to the effectiveness of this approach.

We are looking for a fairly compact shape back to front so I’m happy with 2 support strikers, the Match Engine is sophisticated enough to ensure that while one comes deep the other will often be placed to run in behind. Again as you can also see below, Strikers were not short of goals.  

There is a lot of movement in this set up and some very nice football is played and we create a good volume of the high quality chances required to beat the Goalkeepers in this game who are very good.

There is a tendency toward longshots in this ME and you soon find out if you have an imbalanced tactic as you will have a lot of them. Here we are looking at approx. 40% of our shots being long shots which is fine by me as we cannot use ‘work ball into box’ under this philosophy.

Defensively we are pretty solid, this match engine suits a 3 across the middle and unless our opponent overloads the flanks they are largely reduced to taking on long shots which are rarely successful. (apart from with Hull!)
 

[Mr U Rosler]

General Advice & Player Roles

 

Tactics aside, this is a multifaceted game and each component part can undermine the rest if mistakes are made. I have put some ideas down below as to how I handle some of these areas.

 

Team Talks

Pre-game I generally follow my Assistants recommendation, although I ALWAYS do the team talk myself. I use assertive tone, exceptions to this are Derbies or big games where I use passionate. If I my assistant keeps recommending the same team talk I will vary it at some point to avoid repetition.

Half-Time I follow my own emotion, if we should be winning and are not I’ll use ‘far from happy’ or similar, at home I use aggressive tone, away I use assertive. Winning by 1 or 2 goals against weaker opposition I’d use ‘avoid complacency’. Only if 3 goals up will I say I’m happy. 1 or 2 goals up against strong opponent I’ll tend to use, ‘playing well but capable of better’.

I have noticed a pattern of fairly lethargic first half performances no matter the team talk, don’t be shy in giving them the ‘hairdryer’ treatment at half time, it always seems to work.

The general principle is the better you are doing & the higher the morale the more demanding you can be, if you are in poor form and suffering low morale you must back off and encourage the team/take pressure off.

 

Training

Pre – season general training will be 3 weeks of fitness, a month of team cohesion then I leave it on balanced all season.

 

Match training will be on tactical familiarity until its 100% percent, after that I would suggest the following approach.

If you can’t be bothered – As a strong team leave it on attacking movement, as a weak team leave it on defensive positioning

If you are happy to micro-manage  - do this game by game, tough opponent = defensive positioning, easy opponent = attacking movement 
Team Building

 

General Tips

NEVER sign more than 3 players in any transfer window (max 2 if possible), it will ruin team cohesion and is not worth it.

Player Selection 

Pick the players who consistently perform for you. At City, Silva & Sterling are very inconsistent, I couldn’t get a performance out of Nolito and sold him, Sane & Iheanacho are superb. Delph is also consistently good despite being one of the lower rated midfielders. Don’t pick solely on ‘star ratings’.

Set Pieces
Direct free-kicks are decent if you have a highly rated player.
In-direct are not as effective as in real life, I rarely score from them and never concede, I’m currently favouring a short routine as you can at least be set up for some good build up play.
Corners, I have squeezed a few goals out of them but they are not a reliable source of goals, by the same token I rarely concede from one.
Penalties – If your striker misses one, substitute him immediately, he will likely be utterly useless for the rest of the game, Aguero generally ended up with a 5.8 – 5.9 after missing a pen (and he missed 7 from 12!). Daft, but it is what it is.
Set your Full Backs to take Corners.

 

Player Roles
Some ideas on team building to help bring the best out in the tactic.

 

DLF – Different types of players can bring something different to this role, obviously someone highly technical will prosper but so can a physical striker as those attributes are reflected well in the Match Engine (Jumping Reach, Heading, Strength etc). Any Striker in your roster should have an opportunity to express themselves here. All 4 first choice Strikers across the Hull/Man City saves got 20+ goals each.
 
Central Midfield/Attack – I played Silva here for City (when he was fit) but he was outperformed by De Bruyne in the Box to Box role, if I ran the season again I’d play De Bruyne here and see if we could get him 20 goals. My suspicions are that Silva is a bit light-weight for the central midfield position and we would be better served by a more powerful player who could impose himself on the game more, having said that Silva still made a decent contribution here with 10 goals 10 assists.

Box to Box’s – This is your main support from midfield, they are fairly offensive even though they are restricted to support duty. They arrive late into attacks which is good and are ideally positioned to link up with our Wingbacks. They also cover lot of ground and help our defense enormously, very much the engine of our team.

You are looking for ‘all rounder’ types of players here, good athletes with a balance of defensive and offensive attributes, situated on the edge of the box during sustained build up play longshots are a nice to have, good passing & vision is essential but perhaps the mental attributes work rate & determination are the most vital as they will be up and down the pitch all day.

Anchor Man – This guy will hold centrally and we have the luxury of selecting a specialized defender here. Fernando gets none of the plaudits of his team mates but he’s strong, good in the air and disciplined so there is no one better for this job. Huddlestone, though not ideal, did ok at Hull.

 
Despite his seemingly restricted role he will still be involved in instigating attacks, recycling possession and will be a threat from set pieces.

 

WB/A – Whilst their attacking qualities will come to prominence they remain 2 of our back 4 and as such have a considerable defensive burden. They need to be our best athletes with high stamina and work rate, only then can we indulge our need for crossing, dribbling & passing.

With their array of talent the Wingback options at City remain at a level below the rest of the team with Clichy, Zabaleta, Kolarov & Sagna all past their best. Moving on to season 2 my priority would be the recruitment of a top fullback for each flank, following this I would expect to see considerable improvement from the team. Having said that Zabaleta got the highest rating in my team of the season with 6 goals and 20 assists.
 
CB/D – No special requirements here, they’re all good tacklers and good in the air (apart from non-league), we really don’t need loads of pace although it’s always nice, until you have money to burn I’d strengthen other areas of the team, bog standard Centre Backs for your division will be fine in the meantime.

Goalkeepers – Again, it’s likely a case a of diminishing returns here, I couldn’t tell the difference when I needed to bring in back up keepers, they can all seem to handle anything that isn’t right in the corners. As long as you have someone competent for your division, spend your cash elsewhere. Revision, after playing with Hull a good keeper is a priority!

 

Squad improvement priorities, in order of most important with top desired attributes.

DLF – Technical Build – Passing, Vision, Technique, Finishing
           Power Build – Jumping Reach, Strength, Aggression, Passing

Wingbacks – Stamina, Marking, Tackling, Work Rate (advanced – Crossing, Dribbling)
Central Midfield/A – Off the ball, Work Rate, Passing, Vision
Box to Box’s – Work Rate, Passing, Positioning, Determination
Anchor Man – Positioning, Marking, Tackling, Determination
Goalkeeper – Aerial Ability, Reflexes, Handling, Concentration
Centre Backs – Jumping Reach, Marking, Tackling, Positioning

[Mr U Rosler]

Man City Results & Analysis - League Cup Winners, Premier League Winners, Champions League Winners, FA Cup Runners Up inc. 42 game unbeaten run.

Squad overview
Although rated as favourites to win the division I would say both the Tottenham & Manchester United teams are just as strong and possibly better balanced, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool not too far behind.

Central Defenders and out and out Strikers are in short supply at City, we have an abundance of ‘silky’ wide players (Nolito, Sterling, Silva, Navas, Sane) which are not needed in this tactic other than as cover for our main Strikers Aguero & Iheanacho. Don’t be afraid to rely on Iheanacho as he was outscoring Aguero for much of the season although he got tired by January and then disappeared to the Cup of Nations.

I found Sane to be the best back up Striker, Gabriel Jesus arrives in January and never really settled in my save although he got a good run of games. I would play with Aguero & Iheanacho for as many games as possible.

Good news is Kompany gets fit in September and although he picked up some knocks he managed to get a lot of games in for me, he is your leader and still the best defender at the Club.

Claudio Bravo is very highly rated in this game, a lot better rated than Joe Hart! Wasn’t expecting that and a bit of bonus.

I favoured Kolarov on the left, partly for his dead ball prowess.

Moving forward I’d move on Nolito, Silva, Navas, Clichy, Sagna, Toure get a new ‘Star’ Striker and Left Back. Zabaleta’s good for another season, I started re-training Sterling as a right Wingback and he put in some good performances there so I’d like to see how he progresses over the next season.    

 

Results
After a good start we suffered back to back Premier League defeats in October, normally with a team like City and with my high standards that would be enough to write off the tactic, however I found Spurs away to be the toughest fixture in season 1, we dominated them and were unlucky, I figured the following defeat was a result of our morale taking a knock so I gave myself the benefit of the doubt and decided to take a view at the halfway point of the season.
I’m glad I did as after that we went unbeaten for 42 games.

 

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Champions League Results

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Premier League Results

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So overall, delighted with the City results. It wasn’t all plain sailing, during second half of the season just about everyone parked the bus against us home & away (see below) but we were still able to break down teams, still averaged over 2 goals a game and no one really threatened our goal and we were able to rack up a massive unbeaten run.

So the Second half of the season wasn’t quite as exciting to watch as the first but not much you can do when no one wants to take you on!   

 

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Iheanacho & Aguero competing for top goal scorer (Look at Aguero's assists), Zabaleta killing it from right back. 

[Mr U Rosler]

A Season of 2 halves?

Quite a contrast in the way games played out over the season. First half of the season we scored & conceded a lot more goals then we did in the second half of the season.

It is well documented that a ‘re-appraisal’ takes place mid-season and teams may alter their approach to playing you, however as I was playing with the highest rated team in the division I assumed that teams would already be setting up defensively to play us but following a strong first half of the season it seems that they really went into their shells and set up EVEN MORE defensively.

However, I am satisfied we were still able to break teams down and it was notable how little threat these teams now presented towards our own goal and our points tally for the 2nd half of the season was even higher.

First half of season results, teams prepared to take us on.

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Second half of season, teams shutting up shop.

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[Mr U Rosler]

Hull City Results - Season 1 - Original Squad

Analysis to follow.

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[kirky.66]

welcome back mr r,you have been missed.great  and really interesting read.

ive been all over with my tactics this fm but when you said the slow build ups,ten man defences shots

clatterinig off various body parts.hell I thought you had been watching my matches!!!!

joking aside I coudnt agree more with your points.maybe ive just got bogged down with how

the beautiful game should be played.many thanks mr r

[theeyeofthetiger]

Gonna give this a try with my Hull team, will keep you updated

[rmills2000]

Mr Rosler, you have single handedly saved FM15, FM16 and now FM17 for me - you are an FM GOD!

2nd successive promotion with Gillingham, predicted 8th last season in League One and came 2nd, predicted 23rd this season in Championship and came 1st  

Couple of things I've noticed over the two seasons;

1) My strikers consistently score low ratings and and seem very hit or miss - this may well be down to the players I have though. Have you experimented with any other striker roles at all?

2) My MC(A) was my top scorer both seasons

3) I found that when I want to see a 1-0 out, I switch one of the strikers out for an extra DC(D) and slot him him to the left of the DC(C) - has worked well for me, may not for others but worth a mention.

Here's to next season - keep up the good work  

 

[Mr U Rosler]

Hi rmills,

Glad it's going well.

Agree about the striker ratings, if they haven't scored or assisted by half time their rating will often go down which seems to impact their finishing in the second half. Its a FM 'thing' not a tactic 'thing'.

I'm pretty liberal with my subs and will often replace one or both strikers on the 55 minute mark if nothing is happening, suprising how often your sub then scores.

I've not been able to get the same great goal return as you from the CM/A position, he's not even a good finisher but likely that his high technique + player traits is getting it done for him.

Yep, protecting a 1-0, an extra centre back is the way to go I think.

I'm in conference North now doing an academy challenge with Leamington, team is garbage but we are doing well enough.

Thanks for the feedback!

  

[Leeboy]

I cant get this tactic to show up?

 

Ive tried DL straight in the tactics folder with everyother one ive got but its not showing up

[Mr U Rosler]

17 hours ago, Leeboy said:

I cant get this tactic to show up?

 

Ive tried DL straight in the tactics folder with everyother one ive got but its not showing up

Bit fiddidly but think you just need to go into manage tactics, locate folder where you downloaded it to, click load and it should appear as an option for you.

[Walrus]

Very excited about this. Not only is my favourite tactic maker back, he's espousing the ethos in football I like! Say no to tika taka!!!!

my only concern with this tactic is how I fit in Hazard, Cesc and Kante all in the same Chelsea midfield. I guess I'll try Hazard in the De Bryne role. 

[Nozzer]

@Mr U Rosler

Just wondering what your thought are on changing one of the DLF(S) to DF(S) or even DF(D)?

I'm using your tactic with Burton Albion in first season and things are going well, only early in the season but 4 wins and a loss in 5 games.  I have first transfer window turned off so have only been able to bring in Jordan Williams on loan from Liverpool and Bobby Zamora on a free transfer.  I'm struggling with the CM(A) position currently but that is due to the players available to me rather than anything to do with the tactic itself

Great tactic mate, really enjoying using it.  I used 2 of your tactics (slightly amended) on the last version to great success and I'm loving this one. 

[shirajzl]

Nice to see you back, Mr U.

You haven't mentioned any tweaks for keeping the lead or searching for goal. Have you used it completely as plug and play in both tests?

[Mr U Rosler]

Hi Guys,

Been plug and playing it, probably a good idea to protect 1 goals leads etc by dropping a striker and bringing on an extra defender or something along those lines. (last 10 minutes etc)

Nozzer, CM/A's can be a bit hit & miss, but they can get on great goalscoring runs, lower down I put an older head here, experienced pro. I've had a few young 'stars' struggle here, think they bottle the goalscoring chances. Probably most of the support striker roles are interchangeable but i'd avoid the False 9, Defensive forward is a good bet, if you try it let me know how you get on, especially if he defends properly when out of possession and drops into midfield to defend.

Walrus, nice problems to have. Cesc should fit the Anchor Role well enough, he'll see plenty of the ball and be able to dictate play to an extent. Hazard i'd try CM/A and Kante should be a great box to box guy.

Quick update, on defensive corners I think there is a defender on each post, you don't need them there, even if the ball is inches away from them they don't move to block shots etc. I've moved one to stay forward (ensure its a striker) and added the other to man mark.

 

 

 

 

[johangod]

Hey Mr Rosler. Don't know if you remember me, but ever since FM14 I think I've used your tactics after being a purist who never used other peoples tactics - always liked them and enjoy they way they are setup in a way you can focus on getting the right player and little to no tinkering needed, only thing I keep getting sort of flustered by is not having like a set way of either chasing a goal or holding a lead but usually just do something that's logical.

 

I've played two seasons now with Everton, as always in the past I've used the tactics on the classic mode and now I'm playing FM Touch - just a disclaimer.

 

So the first season I managed to grab a top4, semi finals of the FA Cup and won the EFL - the team ticked pretty solidly and it looked good and I rarely had games where I felt like something was completely off, biggest loss was a 1-4 to Chelsea.

 

However in the 2nd season now the tactic seems to be working pretty much the same except spurts of games where it just seems to be completely off, and more importantly - I'll go down like 3 goals in the 1st half ...

Here are some examples.

https://gyazo.com/e80c29a7ee59d89dc2dcfb4b024ef9d3 - I did play a backup side because I was in the process of playing the CL qualifiers and really wanted to get CL football and got it, still it's the same thing I started to notice where we get THRASHED early in the game

https://gyazo.com/d08ab38aed5003e7a11075c6d3747575 - again, 0-4 in the 1st half, the two goals from Belotti just make it look better.

https://gyazo.com/3784c42f6b130c383b9c93b101ef2e23 - 0-4 first half

https://gyazo.com/b8fc739f036ba61f405127289a89e02d - 0-4 first half.

 

I have no idea if this is just a one off this season, but it's just like so weird, because like you advice is to not tinker in games, and I wouldn't really ever do it in the 1st half to let the tactic do it's job but this was just so weird, 4 games where I just completely fall apart.

 

Also I have noticed you seem to go on great runs, but then follow it up with a pretty bad one - but the good ones last longer.

https://gyazo.com/8321bfd568fb8692a8a3355503caad63 - 1st half of season

https://gyazo.com/6387a5c3ecc1a5fbf6c890dedaa71ce9 - 2nd half of season

https://gyazo.com/c227662595c9cc002885c04d56f92580 - last 3 games of season.

 

Pretty annoying because that AWFUL form in the end cost me the CL spot, because Chelsea and Spurs also played like **** but I just couldn't capitalize for the life of me.

 

Anyways, just wanted to show you something from the tactic, if you want more I'll be more than willing to post something - again love the tactics always, you make me play FM again because I just can't be bothered with figuring out tactics on my own anymore and like the plug and play aspect. Keep at it and any advice welcomed.

[Mr U Rosler]

Hi Johan,

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Something looks a little off there.

Did you bring in a lot of players in the off season?

Certainly noticed very strong patterns of good/bad form, when in bad form you can literally see poor touches from your players all over the pitch.

The game is on a knife edge, balancing complacency and morale.

As mentioned in my opening post I've noticed some lethargic first half performances, not fully figured this out yet. Probably need to be tougher in pre-game team talks and use 'expect a win' more often.

The only other things I've seen effect a whole season is the 'talk' you give your squad at the end of each season before they go on holiday regarding your expectations for the next season, getting this wrong can have dire consequences (i.e. too ambitious or not ambitious enough) can send morale spiralling and seems to effect performances for much of the following season.

Re end of season form, if your are in the run in for Title or Champions League players can bottle it, probably best to back off a little for the last few games, take the pressure of etc.

 

Anyway, keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nozzer]

I usually have a save on my PC for when I'm at home and a save on my laptop for when I'm at my girlfriends.  Started a new laptop save last night with Crewe in League 2, plan is to use only players who have graduated from the academy previously whether at the club currently or not as well as any players who come through in Youth Intakes

I'm currently using any non Crewe graduates in the current squad as well until either another club makes a bid or their contracts expire

Anyway I'm using this tactic with 2 minor changes (one of the forwards changed to DF(D) and both wing backs changed to WB(S) and I'm top of the league after 20 games with just 1 defeat, best goal difference, most goals scored and least goals conceded.  It's even more impressive as I'm playing 3 or 4 players out of position while they are being re-trained

The WB(S) change does offer a little more solidity but does sometimes mean they are a little behind the play when attacking but it's been successful so far with both wing backs assisting quite a bit.  The DF(D) change has been more successful though and I've scored a few goals already coming from him pinching the ball from the oppositions midfield players. 

Goals are quite spread out between the 2 forwards and the 3 midfielders who go forward

[Mr U Rosler]

Great post Nozzer.

Been thinking about the Wingbacks, i've been testing non league and you're certainly vulnerable in behind your Wingbacks although I like the slide rule passes they put across the 6 yard box.

I think Wingback/support still has the 'get further forward' instruction so i'm not sure whether Fullback/support might be a better test.

Will also try the DF/d to see how differently they behave compared to DLF/s

 

[Nozzer]

I was considering using FB(A) on both sides rather than CWB's or WB's but I don't want to change too much from the core formation as there is no real need to as it is a very impressive set up.  For example on my Burton Albion save I haven't changed a thing and have started with 4 wins (plus 2 in the cup) and 1 defeat and even then in the defeat I really should have gotten something

I've only tinkered with the initial tactic in my Crewe save due to the players available to me and the rules I have set myself for the save where I have to make do with what I've got / what comes through the intake

This is the 3rd @Mr U Rosler tactic I have used on FM16 and FM17 and have found I have only ever needed to amend a role here and there or 1 or 2 TI's

[Mr U Rosler]

Had a look at the Defensive Forward/d and the Wingback/Support.

To be honest, I can't really tell much difference in behaviours, the Wingbacks still push on, and the defensive forward doesn't seem to do anymore defensive work than the deep lying forward.

I've sticking with the existing set up for now.

On the plus side, I've improved the attacking corner routine, i'll put a screenshot up later.

[Guest]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 09:32, Mr U Rosler said:

DLF – Different types of players can bring something different to this role, obviously someone highly technical will prosper but so can a physical striker as those attributes are reflected well in the Match Engine (Jumping Reach, Heading, Strength etc). Any Striker in your roster should have an opportunity to express themselves here. All 4 first choice Strikers across the Hull/Man City saves got 20+ goals each.

DLF – Technical Build – Passing, Vision, Technique, Finishing
           Power Build – Jumping Reach, Strength, Aggression, Passing

Do both strikers have to be technical/power? Or can I mix and match depending on the players in my squad?

[Mr U Rosler]

Hi Stonewall,

Nothing has to be anything, just go with what you have or get the best strikers you can get.

These were ideas based on what i'd seen in my testing, in a perfect world i'd like 2 slightly contrasting forwards for variety but its nothing to get too hung up on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[johangod]

Alright - so I've had a little break from using the tactic on my Everton side, as shortly after writing the other post I got offered the job at Roma and being a real life fan I took it and decided to play it a little different and used my own tactics for the first season before swapping to other submitted here but 451 variations as it fit my side.  A side not is that using my own tactic in the first season I actually had a 70% win rate so that was good to know I can still do it on my own. 

Anyways, I still saved my Everton game when they offered the job so I could continue it later as it was a fun game I had, I played 2 and a half seasons with Roma before I got pretty bored and decided to go back to Everton and use the tactic as I've built a squad for it - bulking up on centre mids and having literally no wingers at all.

 

So it's the 3rd season, in the league we started off with some pretty rough fixtures, going against Chelsea, United and City in the first 7 games. We drew United and lost the other two with wins in the rest but right after the City loss we also drew at Newcastle. At this point we go pretty nuts.

Here are some screenshots.

Tactic screen with stats at the end of the season. : https://gyazo.com/e101111922fa36b3b6d22405f1e9de02

League Table: https://gyazo.com/52abffbc763d4e24fbaa4ccf342482f1

Fixtures1: https://gyazo.com/5241252357e9ebd18ab877f73607827c

Fixtures2: https://gyazo.com/cf86b3064988700704dd2fca35def2b3

 

As you can see I went absolutely off in the middle part of the season and that is something I have done in the past as well, December is often our best month - despite the hectic schedule in the EPL

The most annoying part is that two game streak against Leeds and Bournemouth, we actually were just worse than Leeds but Bournemouth was just a pretty normal loss, we had the better but couldn't convert.

 

The 2nd leg vs Chelsea in the Europa League however was ****ing annoying as hell - https://gyazo.com/fc6171c578268c88c05e3ebd6af8e321

 

Anyways, the tactic is great as always - it is a little weird/annoying to not really have a way to either chase a game or hold onto a lead after having played with my own tactic where I would just alter it a lot after goals either way and it seemed to work more and I did notice that when playing with Roma on my own tactic that there were more highlights going on, at Everton most of the highlights are goals either way.

 

Also, not sure if it's the tactic or the way the game works with confidence but it seemed like Lukaku and Belotti would either grab at least a goal, often more than one per game - or go almost missing, having only like a 6.2 rating - they seemed to either go nuts or just be off, they both scored two hat-tricks each but sometimes when I struggled they seemed to really be out of the game - might have something to do with the highlights thing I mentioned, the tactic might employ the game to be rather dull and shut down not in highlights but then when the highlights come they are goals, which fits with the counter attacking nature.

 

Anyways, hopefully I can take the next step now, truly challenge for the title and get a run going in the CL - despite getting twice into the CL from the league I've really just been barely getting it and challenging all the way through, there was a very short period this season where it could have been a true title challenge as when I beat City before that run of 3 losses in 4 games vs Newcastle, Leeds and Bournemouth I actually tied them at the top, but the form after that quickly killed any hopes of a true title race.

 

[johangod]

https://gyazo.com/657a28dabd73a107ee975165e21ed462

RIP Title challenge after 5 games.... yay

[Mr U Rosler]

OK,

Started an Academy challenge with Dulwich Hamlet, despite being newly promoted to conference south they are predicted 4th with the board expecting play-offs.

A good team then, but with pressure to perform from the get go.

Nice to get the job done.

 

image post

 

I ran 27 games as plug & play and was 4th, it became evident that I really needed a Hold/Chase version as the situation dictates.

HOLD VERSION - PROTECT LEAD - https://www.mediafire.com/?r015ep5dzgtpd5s

imageupload

 

Used this a lot from 13th January onwards to protect 1 goal leads, a lot of those 2-0 wins were games where I was one nil up after 70 mins and switched to this and as well as not conceding we scored ourselves. I've yet to concede a goal whilst using the HOLD version of the tactic. Same formation, more conservative duties.

image ru  

 

CHASE VERSION - RECOVER DEFICIT - https://www.mediafire.com/?9ks5r3prak29876

image upload

I didn't get to use this much as we were mostly playing well and by definition we employ this when things are going wrong. It has the disadvantage of being used when we are playing poorly, I chased a couple of games unsuccessfully but also employed it when we were winning 3-0 at half time and went on to win 6-1.

No doubt after my promotion i'll get to use this much more this season. Use sparingly at present.

Start every game with the default tactic.

 

 These tactics employ a new corner routine, managed 10 league goals from corners, best in division. Set your central midfielders to take corners. Suggest you tweak the exiting tactic, its only one change moving a striker 'short' as below.

  gif hosting

 

 

[Gareth Winter]

Yay you're back

Long time fan of your tactics as you well know

Will give these a go with my Annan Athletic side!

[johangod]

oh **** love the fact you made some chase/hold tactics !

[Mr U Rosler]

I've been enjoying my Dulwich Hamlet Academy save so much I've put it up as challenge.

 

If you fancy a change of pace why not follow or give it a go?

[El NiNo]

I started to use this tactic after about 10 games in to the season as Leeds united. In the first season I finished 2nd in the league behind Newcastle United. My top goal scorer was kemar roofe scoring over 20+ goals for me and haidara had the most assists from me playing at left back.

 

I'll let you know how my first season in the prem goes.

 

nearly forgot to add that I also knocked Arsenal out of the league cup using this tactic.

[sims3]

Decent for me too. 4th in EFL with Blackburn, promoted via the playoffs. Now everyone wants a superwage!!!!

Great addition with the hold tactic

[efrumttr]

I've been using this tactic in the Chinese second division (I always do journeyman saves). I was getting really tired of trying to set up possession tactics, nothing was clicking. This is really good. We were predicted to finish 13/17 and we're currently in a three-way challenge for the title with about a third of the season left to play.

[rmills2000]

Quick update on  my Gillingham save from earlier;

First season in the Prem, predicted 20th (by a country mile with a squad that is largely the same as the one predicted 8th in League 1 two seasons before) - finished 16th and 4 points above the danger zone which, in my mind, is one hell of a result!)

Made some decent signings in the summer, still predicted 20th again this season (I have 1 'Good Premier' player, 5 'Decent Premier' players - the rest are all still Championship level) but so far the season has started quite brightly!

 

Couple of things that have worked for me;

1) OI's - 

2) Changing the central MC's role to Advanced Playmaker (A)

3) Morale is everything - have been praising everyone who get's an 8.0 match rating or better and warning anyone under 6.4 after every game.

 

The board have just announced that we're getting a new stadium in 2 years time, so let's see where we are when that happens

[Mr U Rosler]

Good job RMILLS,

 

Keep us posted!

[GJHowell]

Hi Mr R, how does this work with instant result?

[Mr U Rosler]

Hi, I've never used instant result, same match engine though. Should be fine.

[karl b]

Hello Mr R

Downloaded FM17 about an hour ago and the first thing i had too do was check out what you were doing tactically.

i noticed Middlesbrough in the bottom 3 of both saves, so i am tempted too start there. i usually start lower league unemployed but the game just never recognises the achievements i make over time.

Hopefully i can keep the Boro up with your tactic.

[karl b]

i was going too post my results so far but my laptop wont play ball when i try and screenshot, then crashed FM after my last win and now i am currently battling too put things right and win the last game i played. not a good afternoon

 

positive note - not lost a game in pre-season or first 3 league games (won all 3)

[Mr U Rosler]

Alt f9 should pick up the screenshot.

If you get bored at 'boro, check out the academy challenge I've got going on!

[efrumttr]

Got a job offer from Wigan who were struggling in the Championship, so left the Chinese second division for cloudy England. 

Preseason odds:

Almost to Christmas:

Needless to say, going pretty well. We also beat Manchester United 1-0 in the EFL Cup. 

[karl b]

loss too Man Utd a 92nd minute penalty and West Brom scred in 88th after we played an hour with 10 men, so going well...

[GJHowell]

Working well for me. 

Took on Barnsley in the Championship. Made a few signings, but these have mainly been young prospects from lower divisions. 

Currently, after 36 games, sitting in 2nd place having been one of the preseason favourites for relegation, and had a good run to the 6th round of the FA Cup, having knocked out West Brom on the way. 

[Walrus]

Think alt f12 does screenshots in Steam as well. 

[DJ Sir Matthew]

Hey Mr Rosler, nice to see you going strong  

I never got to buying FM17 and won't (there seem to be too many bugs still in Belgian leagues), so I'll stick to FM16 for now. I've picked what I could from the screenshots to set the team instructions. If there are any other instructions not visible on the screenshots, please let me know so I can implement them. 

[Walrus]

Can't get it going with this tactic as Chelsea. To be fair that's the same on this version with any tactic! Can't score goals with Rainmaker. 47 shots against Wycombe and scored one penalty. 36 shots against Swansea, no goals!

[Walrus]

Can't get it going with this tactic as Chelsea. To be fair that's the same on this version with any tactic! Can't score goals with Rainmaker. 47 shots against Wycombe and scored one penalty. 36 shots against Swansea, no goals!

[Mr U Rosler]

15 hours ago, DJ Sir Matthew said:

Hey Mr Rosler, nice to see you going strong  

I never got to buying FM17 and won't (there seem to be too many bugs still in Belgian leagues), so I'll stick to FM16 for now. I've picked what I could from the screenshots to set the team instructions. If there are any other instructions not visible on the screenshots, please let me know so I can implement them. 

Hi DJ,

Thanks for the comments, I don't think the 4132 translated well into FM16, I ended up with this

If you still want the player instructions for this let me know

[DJ Sir Matthew]

Yes please give me the player instructions, I'll reproduce it. I don't care if it doesn't work to the fullest from the start in FM16. I like the philosophy behind it and might make the necessary adjustments. I'll keep you updated on the results

[karl b]

heres how things are at the half way stage

[Mr U Rosler]

Ok,

 

Here you go;

 

GK - Distribute to fullbacks (long kicks, over defence on chase version only)

Full Backs - All the default instructions + shoot less often

Centre Backs - Default instructions only

Anchor - Default instructions only

Box to Box - Default + shoot less often & close down more

CM/a - Default + shoot less often & close down more

DLF - Default + shoot less often & close down more