Team Structure vs Individual Player Roles?

[eastley]

Hey All..

When editing a tactic, is it more important to have team structure, or alter the player roles to suit the player more?

So if you use 2 inside forwards, but one player, like Mane, is a better winger, do you change his role to winger or stick to your tactics structure?
Of cause if you change the role, you better have your Wing Back right on support otherwise he will create to much overlap with Mane, which will leave a hole, so you change your DR to WB-S..

Or your central defenders? Tactic is for CD- De, but Matip is better at DCB - De.. Do you change his role to suit him?

Or Milner, a B2B midfielder, but you use a Playmaker, do you change tactic structure to suit Milner, or leave it and hope he goes well?

And so on...

 

[Cleon]

It’s very rarely that building a tactic with roles that suit the player actually works. You end up with a collection of players working as individuals. It’s always better to build a tactic that functions together as a proper cohesive unit.If not you don’t have a strategy, you just hope players do a bit of magic and hope for the best.

The Milner example you posted, just because he isn’t a playmaker doesn’t mean he can’t play the role. It just means he will play it differently which isn’t a bad thing.

If you change a role to suit one player then you need to understand how the impacts everything else. It’s like a domino effect, changing a role will have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the team and tactic.

[Draakon]

Excellent question.

I play with "no signings" policy and have to use whatever I get from my youth system. I also play with lone striker, and his role is usually CFs or F9s. It means I often have very talented youngsters who are not perfect in these roles even when trained for it since 16-17 years old. But giving attacking roles to this lone striker usually makes him isolated and halves your attack, so structure above individual preferences.

Same in midfield - B2B role doesn't suit for anyone, but it's vital to offer defensive cover without ball.

 

First suggestion, of course, is to test things out in friendlies and when you're leading by 2 goals or more. Experimenting might work in attacking roles like winger/IF or different striker options (one player can be good in many roles), but in defense and controlling midfield team structure is more important.

[Gorstak]

You should simply focus on duties and pick a fluidity or team shape if you wish, that suits that style, like flexible. Flexible will allow players to deviate from assigned roles, but not from duty.

[herne79]

3 hours ago, Gorstak said:

Flexible will allow players to deviate from assigned roles, but not from duty.

Nothing allows players to deviate from an assigned role.  Regardless of Mentality (or anything else), a Fullback is a Fullback, a Trequartista is a Trequartista, a Ball Winning Midfielder is a Ball Winning Midfielder and so on.