Football Manager 2019 Feature Blogs: Revamped Tactics Module

[Neil Brock]

Your footballing philosophy defines who you are as a manager and in Football Manager 2019 the tactics system has been revamped. We’ve added so many things to this area in the last few years and player roles in particular have become more important to both FM and the real world, but we felt that with all these additions and other things we wanted to add, we hadn’t successfully presented them to you, the managers, in a cohesive manner so you could get the best out the power at your fingertips and cope with the new additions we wanted to make for this year.

The first thing you’ll notice when using the tactics creator in FM19 is the addition of tactical styles which reflect some of the most famous tactical systems in football such as ‘Gegenpress’, ‘Tiki-taka’, ‘Catenaccio’ and many more. When you first click on the tactics screen, you’re presented with the full list of available styles with descriptions, as well as the option to create your own style or to ask your assistant to select a style for you. Once a style is selected, you’re shown an overview of the team instructions associated with that style and the formations that it works best with; you can then select a formation and complete the tactics set-up. You’ll notice that player roles have been pre-selected to suit the tactical style that you’ve chosen to use although, of course, you’re still able to tweak these – as well as the formation if you want to try to mesh a style with your own formation.

You can now also set specific team instructions for three different phases of play - when you have possession, when you are transitioning between attack and defence and when you don’t have possession. This means there are also lots of new instructions that are now part of the tactics module to make this all possible.

So, let’s look at a few of these new options now.

When your side have lost possession, you can ask them to be more aggressive in their approach and ‘counter-press’ the opposition to try and recover the ball quickly. Alternatively, you can prioritise maintaining your team’s defensive shape by using the ‘regroup’ option which aims to prevent your side being hit quickly on the counter. You can mirror these instructions when your side have won possession too, opting to either counter to take advantage quickly of the gaps left in your opponent’s defence or choose the ‘hold shape’ option to take a more patient approach that could suit a possession-orientated tactical style.

There are also a number of goalkeeper distribution options contained within the ‘in transition’ menu. You now have complete control of how quickly your goalkeeper distributes the ball, what area of the pitch or player that they target and the method that they employ to distribute the ball.

The ‘in possession’ options focus on your attacking intent, including: attacking width, approach play and what you do with the ball in the final third. There’s a new instruction included in here called ‘play for set pieces’ which can be useful if your team is especially effective from dead-ball situations.

The ‘out of possession’ options focus on the defensive aspect of the game including your defensive shape as well as marking and tackling options. New additions include the ability to set your line of engagement and defensive line by dragging the relevant arrows on the tactics pitch. There are also similar sliders to set your pressing intensity and defensive width.

In addition, there are a few new player roles that have been added this year such as the Pressing Forward, which is a role that is designed to put pressure on your opponent’s defensive line by having your striker press them and restrict their time on the ball. Defensively, there are now No-Nonsense Full-Backs and No-Nonsense Centre-Back who focus predominantly on basic defensive duties and very rarely move forward into attacking areas.

We’ve also tweaked the mentality terms to make it clearer what each mentality does. There are still seven different mentalities to choose from but it’s goodbye to Contain, Counter (as you can set that in the transition instructions now), Control and Overload and hello to Very Defensive, Cautious, Positive and Very Attacking. These are all clearly explained in-game, so you can easily learn which mentality should be used in each situation.

The way that your tactical style, team and player instructions and player roles work together is crucial to success in FM19. It’s important to consider how all of your tactical options fit together and, in particular, whether your instructions, mentality and player roles are representative of the tactical style you’ve elected to play.

Last year we introduced the pre-match briefing and we have built upon this for FM19. Firstly, you’ll notice that the briefing has been redesigned make it easier to navigate through and clearer on how you can talk to your team, with more options available. Your assistant manager will also provide recommended topics for discussion.

The new tactical implementations in FM19 marks a real step forward in the way that you are able to instruct your players and put your footballing vision into practice. With the integration of Tactical Styles alongside new instructions, new player roles and a revamped pre-match briefing you have more tools at your disposal to create your footballing philosophy.

[Guest]

Gegenpressing, if this & other taglines for tactical concepts work as they should I will be very, very happy.

WibWoble is back

[ferrarinseb]

I really like what we will have. More Options particularly interesting to see engaging line of Defense TI. Also a Pressing forward and NCB seems to be new roles 

Edit: PF is DF with Attack role addition and NCB is DCB  

Edited September 27, 2018 by ferrarinseb

[noikeee]

12 minutes ago, Barside said:

WibWoble is back 

Nope, from what I see in the screens you set your formation once and that's it, those two formations are just for a visual indication of which players are gonna press or not, or what happens in transition.

And I'm glad wibble-wobble isn't back (if I'm understanding this correctly!), this is much more sophisticated and simple.

These changes look great, it's exactly what we've needed for a long time IMO, they even got rid of team shape, yes!  Can't wait to get FM19 now.

[zigaliro]

3 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Nope, from what I see in the screens you set your formation once and that's it, those two formations are just for a visual indication of which players are gonna press or not, or what happens in transition.

And I'm glad wibble-wobble isn't back (if I'm understanding this correctly!), this is much more sophisticated and simple.

These changes look great, it's exactly what we've needed for a long time IMO, they even got rid of team shape, yes!  Can't wait to get FM19 now.

I don`t think they got rid of the team shape. In the 6th picture you can see at the bottom TEAM FLUIDITY: FLUID. Isn`t that team shape?

Edited September 27, 2018 by zigaliro

[ferrarinseb]

Thanks for Splitting the Over lap/Under lap options for both wings instead of both doing the same. 

[kandersson]

Some very good ideas and new features that look excellent on paper, not thrilled to see that team fluidity/team shape thing still in the game though.

[XaW]

I'm really liking this! Transitional instructions are more than welcome, and something I've missed in FM so far! Going to be fun to experiment and try to see if I can really replicate Klopp now!

[Armistice]

Looks great, I'll be honest.

[zigaliro]

7 minutes ago, kandersson said:

Some very good ideas and new features that look excellent on paper, not thrilled to see that team fluidity/team shape thing still in the game though.

Agreed. If they removed team shape it would have been perfect.

[Lucas]

Looks so much nicer now splitting out the team instructions into logical areas. With the styles too this should really help with building tactics generally.

[Guest]

I do have concerns with how the AI managers will cope & if we will end up simply looking to beat the tactical mind of someone at SI who created links for the AI to use when trying to create a cohesive & workable tactical gameplan. Fingers are firmly crossed that my skeptical thinking is unfounded.

[kandersson]

Might be just a matter of semantics but can anyone suggest me a real life example of vertical tiki-taka? It sounds like it could be my go-to style btw...

[noikeee]

18 minutes ago, zigaliro said:

I don`t think they got rid of the team shape. In the 6th picture you can see at the bottom TEAM FLUIDITY: FLUID. Isn`t that team shape?

Damnit, you're right. I don't see where's the button for setting it though... bit weird they'd put it separate somewhere else. 

[KingCanary]

This looks really positive.

[XaW]

I'm also excited to see if my Klopp-esque tactic will still work great for the 3rd game in a row. And now I can even incorporate gegenpress!

[GerdMuller]

I like that option to define changing the tactis automatic in different situations, that being said it would be awesome to be able to also do that for different match situations like defining in the tactics screen if that result, being behind being aheaf etc. gets you automatic to that tactic etc would be awesome. Ohn and everytime i see the new game i think it loks so bland and unintersting until i relize we are just spoiled by all the custom badges, backgrounds and skins that will coem for this game too :-)

[XaW]

Just now, GerdMuller said:

I like that option to define changing the tactis automatic in different situations, that being said it would be awesome to be able to also do that for different match situations like defining in the tactics screen if that result, being behind being aheaf etc. gets you automatic to that tactic etc would be awesome. Ohn and everytime i see the new game i think it loks so bland and unintersting until i relize we are just spoiled by all the custom badges, backgrounds and skins that will coem for this game too :-)

Isn't this available as match plans?

[CFuller]

At first when I saw that In Possession/Out of Possession/In Transition screen, I was very worried that WIB-WOB was coming back. But no, having read through it all, I can understand what it all means now.

Everything looks a bit clearer (from tactical styles to mentalities and instructions), and though I suspect the new screens will take a while to get used to, there's plenty of reason to be encouraged. 

[irish kopite]

These tactical changes alone are worth buying FM2019. Also, should the proposed link work between your tactical style and the new training module, which in itself is long overdue, I believe this edition will go down as revolutionary. A small thing for me would be a more intuitive DOF in terms of transfers and contract renewals and with the possibility of tactics, training and DoF working together, I believe SI will have made huge strides in creating a realistic simulation of modern football management

[GerdMuller]

Maybe its even already in there, i just meant this looks a lot more streamline and would be nice to have it like that in a makro like way, like if this then dropdown like tactic menu

[GerdMuller]

vor 1 Minute schrieb irish kopite:

 I believe SI will have made huge strides in creating a realistic simulation of modern football management

..and tjat judgement i always reserve to how it looks on the pitch then and how the AI can work and react with and to those tools.

[llDracoll]

I see the Defensive Forward role was renamed to Pressing Forward. Well, it's more descriptive, I presume.

Looking forward to these changes. I've had the feeling during the last entries that your tactic couldn't adapt to the different phases of possession. Like they always played the same way.

Edited September 27, 2018 by llDracoll

[Rikulec]

Great idea to split everything into phases of play, now the module looks much more similar to how tactics are actually built. I love it.

[chokes]

15 minutes ago, kandersson said:

Might be just a matter of semantics but can anyone suggest me a real life example of vertical tiki-taka? It sounds like it could be my go-to style btw...

Real Madrid? They play fantastic passing football but are more direct than the likes of Barcelona.

[GerdMuller]

..talking about player roles names...i am so split right now if i should play it in German or English , if the Meistertrainer Forums are involved it surely will be a great localization, but somehow the roles will look strange still and all in all it just isnt FM somehow if it isnt english ;-) Maybe i play with the language i am just playing the league of, my Italian never was better than basic anyway :-)

[GerdMuller]

Gerade eben schrieb chokes:

Real Madrid? They play fantastic passing football but are more direct than the likes of Barcelona.

I thought the Real Madrid tactic always was inspired by : keep it as far apart and as fsat as possible away from our defending players. :-D Was more true in the past until Iker Casillas becoming a great keeper after being horrible in his teens. :-D

[SlobaFMB]

I like new roles.

Also great to see and other new things. Great job, well done SI!

[TokyoWanderer]

This looks absolutely great. Freedom to set up the line of engagement when in defense and more control over how the team responds in transition should be really helpful for anyone looking to set up effective counter-attacking tactics.

[themadsheep2001]

25 minutes ago, kandersson said:

Might be just a matter of semantics but can anyone suggest me a real life example of vertical tiki-taka? It sounds like it could be my go-to style btw...

Be interesting to see what the detailed instructions are, but chatting to someone else we think it's Sarri-ball.

[Alex Hall]

Glad to see this is largely going down well, guys, keep the first impressions coming.

Addressing the Team Fluidity/Shape issue, yes it is still present in-game but is now altered indirectly by other factors rather than being a direct choice the manager makes themselves. If instructions you give your team and players give your team a fluid style, you'll be told, likewise if your instructions combine to form a structured shape, that will be represented too.

Hope that clarifies things!

[themadsheep2001]

1 minute ago, Alex Hall said:

Glad to see this is largely going down well, guys, keep the first impressions coming.

Addressing the Team Fluidity/Shape issue, yes it is still present in-game but is now altered indirectly by other factors rather than being a direct choice the manager makes themselves. If instructions you give your team and players give your team a fluid style, you'll be told, likewise if your instructions combine to form a structured shape, that will be represented too.

Hope that clarifies things!

Always wondered how you would keep shape, while making it less abstract at the same time. Kudos

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Alex Hall said:

Glad to see this is largely going down well, guys, keep the first impressions coming.

Addressing the Team Fluidity/Shape issue, yes it is still present in-game but is now altered indirectly by other factors rather than being a direct choice the manager makes themselves. If instructions you give your team and players give your team a fluid style, you'll be told, likewise if your instructions combine to form a structured shape, that will be represented too.

Hope that clarifies things!

That's an excellent change. 

Interest is slowly building for this release & a possible return to regular FM'ing

[noikeee]

I thought "vertical tiki-taka" was Barça under Guardiola (keep the ball but attack) and "tiki-taka" Spain under del Bosque WC2010 (keep the ball forever to be sure not concede any, and hope a goal eventually happens somehow and you win 1-0).

[Lucas]

Just now, Barside said:

Interest is slowly building for this release & a possible return to regular FM'ing

Yes, looks like it could be that way for me as well potentially, will give full FM a go this year.

[enigmatic]

39 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Damnit, you're right. I don't see where's the button for setting it though... bit weird they'd put it separate somewhere else. 

I think (alex confirmed whilst I was writing this post!) the idea is fluidity is set by default with the new 'tactical system', which is probably an improvement as it's never been a very intuitive function. Hopefully the work done on this and especially on a transitions phase means that tweaking fluidity (often in a counter-intuitive  manner) is also less important for things like compact defensive shapes or high presses.

 

Overall sounds like a positive set of changes delivering what a lot of the game's tactics-focused critics have asked for. And my expectation for the inevitable unintended ME imbalance is that it'll reward counter pressing in transition very highly (which should please a lot of people, especially those sick of seeing AI mourinho overachieve and AI guardiola underachieve)

 

Edited September 27, 2018 by enigmatic

[themadsheep2001]

Just now, noikeee said:

I thought "vertical tiki-taka" was Barça under Guardiola (keep the ball but attack) and "tiki-taka" Spain under del Bosque WC2010 (keep the ball forever to be sure not concede any, and hope a goal eventually happens somehow and you win 1-0).

Barca didn't seek to move it vertically quickly.

I think we'd have to see what the suggested details instructions our though to be sure on SArri

[johnnyyakuza78]

Are the new roles any different to the current roles (outside of adding an attack duty to defensive forwards?)

Otherwise I'm pretty optimistic about the tactics changes, the 'create a style' section looks great for those who find tactics too complex, and the transitions bit seems to fix some of the legacy issues around trying to get your team to behave the way you want to in different sections of play.

[ferrarinseb]

4 minutes ago, noikeee said:

I thought "vertical tiki-taka" was Barça under Guardiola (keep the ball but attack) and "tiki-taka" Spain under del Bosque WC2010 (keep the ball forever to be sure not concede any, and hope a goal eventually happens somehow and you win 1-0).

No Barca under guardiola is pure Control with slow tempo, keep the ball and make an opening.

[kpsia518]

pressing forward = DF

DCB,DFB = NFB,NCB

just change the name ?

 

[noikeee]

13 minutes ago, Alex Hall said:

Glad to see this is largely going down well, guys, keep the first impressions coming.

Addressing the Team Fluidity/Shape issue, yes it is still present in-game but is now altered indirectly by other factors rather than being a direct choice the manager makes themselves. If instructions you give your team and players give your team a fluid style, you'll be told, likewise if your instructions combine to form a structured shape, that will be represented too.

Hope that clarifies things!

Interesting, I guess it's definitely better this way, but if this is how it works, I wonder if showing team shape at all is worth it, can't it become a bit confusing for the user?

I mean I guess it's probably a result of line engagement, defensive line etc, and I wonder if this might result in things like, people setting a deep line engagement and a slightly higher defensive line, to simulate a very rigid, defensive, compact playing style, and the game telling them their team is "fluid".

Also I'm a bit worried, if that's a sign that how line engagement works under the hood is to just set mentalities according to how team shape worked in the past. Because if that's how it works, won't it ultimately have repercussions when in possession, when the TI is meant to only affect out of possession settings? But I'll wait a bit to see how it plays out in game.

Edited September 27, 2018 by noikeee

[llDracoll]

11 minutes ago, Alex Hall said:

Glad to see this is largely going down well, guys, keep the first impressions coming.

Addressing the Team Fluidity/Shape issue, yes it is still present in-game but is now altered indirectly by other factors rather than being a direct choice the manager makes themselves. If instructions you give your team and players give your team a fluid style, you'll be told, likewise if your instructions combine to form a structured shape, that will be represented too.

Hope that clarifies things!

Makes sense to me. It can sometimes be too easy to make contradictory tactics (say, defensive with a lot of Attack roles, or Fluid with a defensive setup).

[ferrarinseb]

13 minutes ago, Alex Hall said:

Glad to see this is largely going down well, guys, keep the first impressions coming.

Addressing the Team Fluidity/Shape issue, yes it is still present in-game but is now altered indirectly by other factors rather than being a direct choice the manager makes themselves. If instructions you give your team and players give your team a fluid style, you'll be told, likewise if your instructions combine to form a structured shape, that will be represented too.

Hope that clarifies things!

Step in right direction for me. 

[shirajzl]

@Neil Brock Will this revamp be included in FMT 19 as well?

[Neil Brock]

3 minutes ago, shirajzl said:

@Neil Brock Will this revamp be included in FMT 19 as well?

More news on FMT 19 coming soon...

[GunmaN1905]

Hype level suddenly reached maximum.

I've been waiting for seperate instructions for attacking/defending phases for years.
FM19 can't come soon enough!

[Lucas]

3 minutes ago, Neil Brock said:

More news on FMT 19 coming soon...

Can't wait 

[johnnyyakuza78]

Now I've looked at it all in a little bit more detail, I think I am actually quite disappointed. 

These changes really seem to just be UI and UX changes to the interface, very little actual change or thinking into how tactics work or what you do. I was hoping for more change.

These 'style' changes are really just moving around functionality that already exists, making it a touch clearer what settings are doing. Fine, thats a positive change, but it feels like its the only change that tends to happen from year to year. We are still mainly working with the same sliders under the hood, they are just glossed up with new definitions and moved about. Just feels like a nod to get new players in more than anything, which is understandable, especially when so many people find the current system confusing. I guess I was hoping for something more... innovative.

[ferrarinseb]

Wondering whether retain possession option taken out from TI's. 

[zigaliro]

8 minutes ago, johnnyyakuza78 said:

Now I've looked at it all in a little bit more detail, I think I am actually quite disappointed. 

These changes really seem to just be UI and UX changes to the interface, very little actual change or thinking into how tactics work or what you do. I was hoping for more change.

These 'style' changes are really just moving around functionality that already exists, making it a touch clearer what settings are doing. Fine, thats a positive change, but it feels like its the only change that tends to happen from year to year. We are still mainly working with the same sliders under the hood, they are just glossed up with new definitions and moved about. Just feels like a nod to get new players in more than anything, which is understandable, especially when so many people find the current system confusing. I guess I was hoping for something more... innovative.

 

Well you just decreased my hype.