QPR - 532 - Direct

[westy8chimp]

When writing my Leverkusen series I slipped in a season of 532 but didn't do much analysis...I'd hit writers block by then, so it was a footnote in the possession thread, juxtaposed to the previous seasons keep ball tactic, the idea was anti-possession.

Since then there was a couple of threads about 532. I just thought I'd do a bit more on the subject as I love both the 532 and 442 for direct crossing play. I find it fascinating as it highlights most how different people can play the game.

I take a formation that has attacking wide men (in the 442 it's wingers, in the 532 it's wing backs) and two strikers... and I emphasise it by playing direct and crossing style.

Others use the formation but like to compensate for the lack of midfielders by then using the roles to balance the team i.e. DLF upfront or F9... wm, iw, iwb out wide.

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Here's the brief notes from my Leverkusen 532.

What next?

I'm sure by now the interest in this series is as low as my energy is to keep writing threads  

I'm jumping straight into next season with a  532. I've just proven to myself I can win with possession... now I'm going the other way, I will win with 45-50%

I won't create a separate thread ... series complete (or on hold pending further interesting challenge)

Here's a very quick look at my formation, window and early form. No point analysing - I think it will play very similar to my 442, reliance on WB putting crosses in, Hernandez and Monaco partnership to carry on winning me titles. Nothing fancy.

Window was mostly a clear out. I bought in a wonderkid with tackling, determination and work rate as backup Carilero. I let go an unhappy ageing Tierney for a better younger Costa.

Early form.. the defeat to Chelsea is because I had 3 of 4 strikers injured!! had to rely on an 18 year old poacher and a 17 year old CB played the CF role  

Discussion on either possession or 532 welcome.

5-3-2 end of season update

Cracking season... the aim was simple, play with less possession (45-50%) supply from wing backs, goals from strikers.

We won the league with just two defeats (9 seasons of getting close to unbeaten!)



We did it with average under 50% possession.



But still kept tradition of most chances created and most shots on goal - with a very high number of crosses.

The best part of this formation as contrast to the possession tactic of season 8 was the WBs. Last season they were wide outlets to keep possession, and I think each WB got 2-3 assists over the season.

This year, still as WB but with attack duty instead of support, they were the main attacking threat. Lopera (RWB) was player of the season as a result. Costa (LWB) came third placed.

CL final (again) 

Scout report is interesting... looks like my LWB (Novy, Costa suspended for a straight red in the semi) will have free reign down the left vs aggressive roles from Madrid.

Again Isco could be a problem as playmaker in the hole, due to my lack of DM. But last time he had inside forwards and a complete forward around him. I don't see the TM or wingers as quite such a threat in terms of Isco having great options.

Costa is my only absentee ... and I'm sticking with my backup keeper as he has played the whole tournament. Madrid look bare bones with no striker on the bench... and copying me by playing Savic as TM

The first goal is a Lopera cross to Hernandez, who is taken down for a penalty

2-0 and as expected Novy enjoying bags of space

Monaco (CF-S) playing like his TM days, knocks down for Hernandez to bag his brace.

We scored a flukey third with a Lopera cross finding the keeper missing... straight in off the post reminiscent of FM15 days

Our fourth was typical of many goals this season... classic Lopera with a powerful run and cross. Hernandez has another CL final hatrick! What a player...

And just like the league stats show, the FT match stats again, very indicative of the season as a whole. We had less of the ball but did far more with it.

It was a real cross fest - Novy with the most space made the most crosses. I probably could have had a lot more joy from crosses if I'd signed traditional aerial threats. The players I had were good enough though.

Here's the squad view by goalscorer... dominated by the 4 strikers... then not a lot else

The assists a bit wider spread, but alongside the strikers, the wing backs came out really strong. (I probably could have managed the season without playing a midfield)

We managed our best year yet, finally breaking the curse of the German cup

[westy8chimp]

In Brief - QPR 532

I loved that Leverkusen season, it went swimmingly and the 532 in simple motion, like the 442 is a great thing to watch. Get it out wide and cross it, or play it direct over the top. The opposition can never rest.

I wanted to try it with a weaker team however, to see it if it was just because at that point I'd built one of the best teams in the world or whether the formation can work for the underdog.

Enter QPR. I was a season ticket holder for over a decade, front row ...saw (and heard) players like Vinnie Jones and Razor Ruddock. I was there for the Sinclair OHEAD kick (still haven't had that elusive moment in FM18). My favourite times were down in Division 2 under Holloway with some of my favourite players; Gallen, Shittu, Lee Cook, Gareth Ainsworth...

I stopped attending after all the fiasco with Italian takeovers and ludicrous deals like Samba!

The team has since fallen on hard times - the squad is in disarray, the players are either young, old or mercenaries (not much of a core at all). There is little pace, little ability and little depth to the squad (Jan Update).

We start with a number of players on long term injury, negative wage budget and just £100k transfer budget.

Media Expectation is 20th (there's someone worse out there?)

Tactic

Transfers

No tweaks, no in game shifts!

We had a huge blip in form early doors in Sep...and again later in Feb... but always recovered and won plenty of games. We finished 3rd after final day drama saw me in 2nd, on GD, for long periods. Fulham, our rivals, winning away at Boro to secure 2nd place late on!

As seen above though, we came past Ipswich in the semis, just, and then in tight final we got promoted!

Playoff Final

No fear, they don't outnumber me in the middle which is a usual concern. Pretty much man vs man when we attack.

 

30 seconds in and we should have scored! They kicked off and a sloppy pass was intercepted and punted forward to TM Smith.

He has options, should really try a pass or at least a shot to the back post, but tamely misses at the near post.

the goal was terrible! 1-0 OG (and subsequently the winner... what a way to get promoted!)

A bit of pinball from a corner - Smith with a good knock back, Cousins hits a powerful low shot and the defender goes full donkey and turns a wide effort into a lethal finish.

Washington was injured, and usually good RB Furlong was having a bit of a stinker, so subs are made

A few mins later disaster stuck, Bidwell with a lunatic challenge reminiscent of Ben Thatcher. Red card! no change in mentality, just drop in a DM and push the WBs back.

We held on.

Here was another piece of typical build up play from the game.

Long ball from BPD - knock down by TM, pass into space outwide, cross this time misses the TM and the AF makes a hash of a simple finish. Moments later we scramble it out wide right and put another dangerous ball in, for the AF to squander again. He was injured at the time... so he was shortly after hooked off.

End of season squad view... Like with Leverkusen, the story is similar. WBs and forwards get the assists... strikers get the goals.

 

 

[westy8chimp]

The typical goals

Rather than analysis over the season and screenshots of pass maps... i'll leave all that to the imagination. I'm on a new laptop and can finally upload videos (still working out how.. it crashed my game several times in my Bournemouth save... so learned to Save after every match then go to review the replays). Also, unfortunately too late, I realise my upload packages were only actually saving one highlight. So any game Smith got a brace or hatty, until I noticed the error, wasn't captured  

Whilst he wasn't top scorer. Smith was the main man. Won most headers in the league

And was involved in pretty much everything.

So here are some classic TM goals, from the beast Matt Smith.

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[Deego619]

As a fellow QPR fan this is a very realistic setup of how we played last season under Holloway, three at the back and manic pressing high up the pitch. Got us some good results against both Wolves and Cardiff. 

I see you included an example of common build ups, but what weaknesses did you find in the shape, and how would you set up differently now you have been promoted?

[westy8chimp]

1 hour ago, JDeeguain said:

As a fellow QPR fan this is a very realistic setup of how we played last season under Holloway, three at the back and manic pressing high up the pitch. Got us some good results against both Wolves and Cardiff. 

I see you included an example of common build ups, but what weaknesses did you find in the shape, and how would you set up differently now you have been promoted?

Im not sure ill have time to play the next season... If i was id probably rethink a little bit with a counter mentality, id bring the dline back as most prem teams will blitz this mob for pace... E: but id still try to play wide and direct! The budget was minute and the squad paper thin. Reckon itd be a relegation job... Case of promoted too quickly! 

The main weakness was mostly quality of player... Teams with a good dlp or ap could tear me up. The high line was costly against the pacier teams like wolves and fulham

[johnnyyakuza78]

Matt Smith is my favourite targetman! What a giant! Him and Dan Burn in my sides mean people need to stand on ladders to do press conferences with my team.

Anyway, great posts. One question to do with your QPR tactic, is how you cope with the gaps between your strikers and midfield. With both strikers on attack and no central mids busting lungs to get forward, do you find they are disconnected? Does it matter if your side is concentrating on such a direct style of football.

[westy8chimp]

31 minutes ago, johnnyyakuza78 said:

Does it matter if your side is concentrating on such a direct style of football

You answered it there... Same with my leverkusen 532...the midfield are just there to pass out to the wing backs. Its unashamedly one dimensional... Get it wide and put the ball in the box. I love a good old fashioned target man heading home from 8 yards off a cross. 

Dan Burn and Matt Smith frequently feature in my championship and league 1 saves over the last few FMs

[johnnyyakuza78]

1 minute ago, westy8chimp said:

You answered it there... Same with my leverkusen 532...the midfield are just there to pass out to the wing backs. Its unashamedly one dimensional... Get it wide and put the ball in the box. I love a good old fashioned target man heading home from 8 yards off a cross. 

Dan Burn and Matt Smith frequently feature in my championship and league 1 saves over the last few FMs

Thats what I thought. But then what happens when you come up against a packed defence or 3 at the back and your strikers are crowded out? Don't things break down quite quickly?

[westy8chimp]

Just now, johnnyyakuza78 said:

Thats what I thought. But then what happens when you come up against a packed defence or 3 at the back and your strikers are crowded out? Don't things break down quite quickly?

Yeh but i was seeing very little possesion in most games. And when you just launch balls in the box... Very hard for defenders to crowd out someone like smith...he doesnt need a free header to score. With 3cbs and quite a conservative midfield it was ugly football making it difficult for the opponent. AF is an underrated role too...it doesnt come deep to link with midfield via short passes...but rather runs the channels, looking constantly for space outwide or over the top...washington ended up with 30plus goals and did a lot of legwork to get the ball to furlong or smith for the cross/header. 

We were battered by a couple of sides that had good playmakers and quick wingers working in tandem

That season showed one of my issues with FM tho... That its very form based. That formation wasnt very good... Squad was poor and expected to come 20th...but i hit a vein of form and got promoted!! I didnt want premier league football... I wanted 10 seasons of midtable championship footy watching smith score 100 headers. 

[Experienced Defender]

57 minutes ago, westy8chimp said:

AF is an underrated role

And poacher is even more underrated. Earlier today, I played a match in which my lone striker Fletcher began as a DLF on attack. He played pretty well, even scored, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside. In the half-time I changed him to a poacher (also made a couple more tactical tweaks, but nothing special). The 2nd half starts, and after just some 10-15 seconds - Fletcher scores with a nice header following a deep cross from Oviedo (ML) to the near post 

[iloveyouknap]

Any pi in both tactics? I love direct style, great job!

[westy8chimp]

20 minutes ago, iloveyouknap said:

Any pi in both tactics? I love direct style, great job!

No PI. I would say two things really helped me in this season tho... Being one of the worst teams meant quite a lot of opposition overplayed their hand and let me have too much space when attacking. And... Matt Smith... A great TM. The tactic is just basic, nothing too clever... Give the wbs freedom to attack and have someone capable of scoring the resulting crosses. Thats what i love about 532.