How to read an AI managers set up based on their profile

[Sly419]

With the way the ME has evolved, can we still look at an AI managers profile and assume certain things for the most part? For instance, if the AI manager has a 19 for his “attacking” attribute you could previously assume he will play attacking fluid football for the most part. Has that changed much?

 

 

 

[johnnyyakuza78]

I think you probably mean by looking at their playing style can you tell how they will set up their team? Personally I went through a period of considering this when setting up my side but it was pretty fruitless if I'm honest. 

Usually the best indicators of how a team will set up is from your scout report, who now give you an idea of what mentality and shape they will use too (*FM18). 

Even then I'm not sure that is very reliable as a side will play differently based on the match odds, how the match is going etc. I guess you could look at the formation and their players and take a guess as to how that formation will do against yours (where is the space etc..) but really find that it creates too many questions in my head when I'm playing and it becomes very difficult to know how to change your team if you spend too much time on this method. 

I normally just watch a bit of the match, look for things like whether their fullbacks are racing forward, are they hitting lots of long balls, where are they starting to press me.

[Experienced Defender]

I'm a bit of fanatic when it comes to analyzing the opposition. First I look at the scout report in detail. Then at their manager's playing style and preferred formation(s). Then I go to their schedule and find a game they played against a team that is similar to mine at the same venue (home/away) as they will play against me and analyze comprehensive Match Stats, watch highlights of all the goals (both for and against them), clear-cut chances, half chances. Then I look at their passing combinations to see who is/are their main creator(s), to which side (area) of the pitch most passes tend to be made, action zones, focus of attacks, where are they making interceptions and which of their players did most of them, and so on... And I have to say that the man I learned most from about analyzing the OP is @Rashidi, ie. his YT channel BustTheNet, which I strongly recommend to all of you guys 

[Robson 07]

Their preferred formations and styles are actually a reasonable indicator of how they'll play & adapt.  The trouble is you become a very reactive micro manager to what they are doing, plus you have to know how to react and overcome what's being thrown at you.

Being a reactive manager is a fun and rewarding style of playing FM if you can pull it off.  Maybe if your aim is to play a handful of intense seasons per versions it might be ideal.  However if you want a quick style and//or you want a long save, or just lots of saves then it might be tedious, or worse, frustrating in the extreme if you don't know what you are doing.

[Snorks]

Manger profile - preferred style and formation is my general go-to, followed by the scout and analyst reports. Depending on team I'm playing, match odds and importance, I delve a bit deeper and look at previous games, which players performed etc.