FM 19 Time 424, 442 Beowulf 4420 Knap

[Heywood JaBlowme]

Wow, 108 points?! 

[knap]

Did well with Spurs as well.

[Chief Scout]

I'm ready to start the season in EPL.

Today I scouted for players and bought them to suit 4411, as I intend to play MIDSOMER 4411.

The board gave me 25 mil for transfers and +300k /w for wages available. A lot of TF went for agents and players fees which is annoying.

After transfers I have left 600k for transfers and 10k/w for wages.

I have squad of 32 players of which 4 are loans.

Now as TIME 4411 P108 came out I am also tempted to play it as well.

Preseason went well, I played 6 matches with MIDSOMER 4411, then the TIME 4411 came out so I played 2 matches with TIME.

Maybe I will use both, as I like that one has DLP and other BWM role for more defensive emphasis.

I know I am a huge underdog, but for those extra money for wages I promised the board not to get relegated by avoiding relegation battle.

I would be satisfied with under or happy with mid table finish.

[matsk89]

i just lost 0 - 7 at dortmunt... D line seems way too high for my squad

getting crushed in counter

Edited December 23, 2018 by matsk89

[KuD]

hey knap whats the best tactic so far ?

[Chief Scout]

7 hours ago, matsk89 said:

i just lost 0 - 7 at dortmunt... D line seems way too high for my squad

getting crushed in counter

What team do you play with?

[matsk89]

2 minutes ago, Chief Scout said:

What team do you play with?

a team that got lucky in CL group stage :-D

FC Utrecht

[Chief Scout]

First game in EPL with TIME 4411.

[Chief Scout]

Well, how about that!

Just beat Liverpool 6-1 with TIME 4411.

[Chief Scout]

4 wins in first 4 EPL games.

[knap]

Tested with MU no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap424p107.fmf

[Chief Scout]

Maybe I might try 424 next season when I strengthen the squad. So far Time tactic with no PI's seems to work well with my underdog team.

[acura]

first match with 4411

Edited December 23, 2018 by acura

[Chief Scout]

It was after 4 wins in first 4 matches that my player realized they were actually playing and winning against the odds in famous EPL so they decided it was time to stop as they literally froze.

After that I won 3 rounds of Carabao cup, but in following 8 EPL matches I won 0, drew 3 and lost 5. There were also some injuries, rotations...

I observed matches, and I have to say that I don't give any blame to the tactics which is superb.

Actually the play and the chances created with it were beyond my teams capability to finish the attack or counter. The play and the chances it was fun to watch.

Every game I drew or lost, I had the same or even more shots on target. In so many opportunities my players had 100%  chance to score. It was amazing.

I may try your other 4411 / 442 tactics and have fun.

[Chief Scout]

Darkside 4411 is also good, as I like winger and dlp roles. Also sSTD line for mor stability.

Some nice football to watch. Many chances created. Won vs. Leeds 4-0 but unfortunately lost to Leicester 1-2 away with10 men. Could have won easily with chances created.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Chief Scout

[knap]

Tested with MU no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap442P110.fmf

Edited December 30, 2018 by knap

[knap]

Happy New Year

FM 19.2.1

Tested with Lpool in FMT no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap4411P110.fmf

 

[igorlc10]

On 31/12/2018 at 19:05, knap said:

Happy New Year

FM 19.2.1

Tested with Lpool in FMT no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap4411P110.fmf

 

GREAT TACTIC, MAKE MERTENS WINS BALLON D'OR IN THE FIRST SEASON WITH NAPOLI

[evillol]

On 01.01.2019 at 00:05, knap said:

Happy New Year

FM 19.2.1

Tested with Lpool in FMT no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap4411P110.fmf

 

hi, who takes corners?

[knap]

Normally full backs.

[evillol]

1 dakika önce, knap said:

Normally full backs.

thanks.

[Spizzle]

What does (NO OLS MEAN) ??

[skintsaint]

3 hours ago, Spizzle said:

What does (NO OLS MEAN) ??

No 'Opposition Instructions'.

[knap]

FM 19.2.1

Tested with MU no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1MIDSOMER442KnapPressP104ALLCUPS.fmf

 

[optimusprimal82]

Anyone lower league-ing on the lookout for a tactic should seriously hit up the TIME 4411. Played around with a lot of different styles, roles, formations and full tactics (self and downloaded) and whilst I was still having a 'good' season I didn't have that lovely 'confidence' going into a game where you know roughly what the result should/will be, felt very much like a lottery. I avoided 442/variants like the plague as I had no suitable MR/ML players (seriously struggle to believe how few natural wingers are even competent there?) but just sucked it up & changed individual training and voila!

I did make a few tiny tweaks (removed passing focus in possession, disabled offside trap, changed default mentality to cautious & increased attacking width by 1 notch) for anyone interested, and for SUS I change all backline to no-nonsense, move the MCL to DM as an anchor, set time-wasting to full, goalie in possession to slow pace, when possession has been lost to regroup & won to hold shape and then move both defensive line and LOE down two notches.

One thing to note is that it's often not 'pick tactic and win' even then, so for anyone struggling my general rule of thumb when playing with this team/tactic is;

1.) Start game with 'Cautious' mentality. Ass man often told me differently. Ass man was being true to his name (and is now sacked). Conceded first far too many times when going with attacking.

2.) After about 12 in-game minutes, monitor possession, if you're not >5% then drop mentality (that should be rare on cautious early on unless playing team from higher division). Monitor shots. If you're outshooting opp by a large number then change mentality up. If close/even change down, if being outshot then drastic change needed as you WILL concede. Don't go more attacking unless you need to - you can and will score goals with cautious, balanced and positive!

I usually don't need to change mentality after the original assessment (deciding if cautious is the sweet spot or change up etc) until the second half unless i score a lot of goals and 'poke the bear'. Some teams a re a bit more aggressive but generally i won't need to change too much until 60-75 minutes; If i'm playing badly i'll change/make subs early 60's, otherwise i'll wait until early 70's and take off anyone tired/on a yellow. If a close game i'll SUS if needed from 82-85 minutes. 

3.) Only ass man instructions i listen to is reducing tackling for anyone carded.

 

Won the Vanarama North in Season 1 along with the FA Trophy (the latter of which was against a team that finished 2nd in the league above!) and going gangbusters again in Season 2 with a vastly reinforced team!

Season 1;

 

 

Season 2 (so far);

 

Thanks Knap!

[Dreambuilder]

Gonna try !FM19.2.1TIMEKnap442P110. The WM's tho, what kind of player are optimal to scout for on those positions, ML/R or AML/R? Is it advisable for them to have good defensive skills like tackling or just attacking skills?

Edited January 3, 2019 by Dreambuilder

[knap]

Optimum is green for mr/l position

[QuickZombie]

7 hours ago, optimusprimal82 said:

Anyone lower league-ing on the lookout for a tactic should seriously hit up the TIME 4411. Played around with a lot of different styles, roles, formations and full tactics (self and downloaded) and whilst I was still having a 'good' season I didn't have that lovely 'confidence' going into a game where you know roughly what the result should/will be, felt very much like a lottery. I avoided 442/variants like the plague as I had no suitable MR/ML players (seriously struggle to believe how few natural wingers are even competent there?) but just sucked it up & changed individual training and voila!

I did make a few tiny tweaks (removed passing focus in possession, disabled offside trap, changed default mentality to cautious & increased attacking width by 1 notch) for anyone interested, and for SUS I change all backline to no-nonsense, move the MCL to DM as an anchor, set time-wasting to full, goalie in possession to slow pace, when possession has been lost to regroup & won to hold shape and then move both defensive line and LOE down two notches.

One thing to note is that it's often not 'pick tactic and win' even then, so for anyone struggling my general rule of thumb when playing with this team/tactic is;

1.) Start game with 'Cautious' mentality. Ass man often told me differently. Ass man was being true to his name (and is now sacked). Conceded first far too many times when going with attacking.

2.) After about 12 in-game minutes, monitor possession, if you're not >5% then drop mentality (that should be rare on cautious early on unless playing team from higher division). Monitor shots. If you're outshooting opp by a large number then change mentality up. If close/even change down, if being outshot then drastic change needed as you WILL concede. Don't go more attacking unless you need to - you can and will score goals with cautious, balanced and positive!

I usually don't need to change mentality after the original assessment (deciding if cautious is the sweet spot or change up etc) until the second half unless i score a lot of goals and 'poke the bear'. Some teams a re a bit more aggressive but generally i won't need to change too much until 60-75 minutes; If i'm playing badly i'll change/make subs early 60's, otherwise i'll wait until early 70's and take off anyone tired/on a yellow. If a close game i'll SUS if needed from 82-85 minutes. 

3.) Only ass man instructions i listen to is reducing tackling for anyone carded.

 

Won the Vanarama North in Season 1 along with the FA Trophy (the latter of which was against a team that finished 2nd in the league above!) and going gangbusters again in Season 2 with a vastly reinforced team!

Season 1;

 

 

Season 2 (so far);

 

Thanks Knap!

This is genius!! Been following this advice and doing scandalously good

[Dreambuilder]

2 hours ago, knap said:

Optimum is green for mr/l position

Thanks @knap!

 

Would you recommend assigning "handle opposition instructions" to AM or not? =)

Edited January 3, 2019 by Dreambuilder

[knap]

For Me Not,

[optimusprimal82]

4 hours ago, QuickZombie said:

This is genius!! Been following this advice and doing scandalously good

 

Glad it's helping - principle applies to any team/division really, just obviously adjust the starting/other mentalities for ones that better suit the standard of your team - I'd be much less likely to start games on 'cautious' as United, Barca etc.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that there are occasions where being bold pays off - had an game last night where I took the lead and started being penned in (possession dropped, opposition starting shooting more frequently), but it was way too early/the other team were not so superior that I felt defensive was an option. First thing I check in that situation is passing accuracy - if lower than (finger in the air) 78-80% then I'll maybe enable/disable passing into space/check passing focus/see if a player is having a particularly bad game/giving lots of passes away, otherwise I'll increase mentality a notch to try and relieve the pressure and play more in the oppositions half.

The 3D match being played can be maddening with how little feedback it offers, paying attention to the numbers underneath saves a lot of frustration, although even watching them like a hawk I still often concede from the other teams first shot on goal etc, but sometimes there's nothing you can do, you are always going to concede some time!

Edited January 4, 2019 by optimusprimal82

[priority76]

On 04/01/2019 at 00:51, optimusprimal82 said:

 

Glad it's helping - principle applies to any team/division really, just obviously adjust the starting/other mentalities for ones that better suit the standard of your team - I'd be much less likely to start games on 'cautious' as United, Barca etc.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that there are occasions where being bold pays off - had an game last night where I took the lead and started being penned in (possession dropped, opposition starting shooting more frequently), but it was way too early/the other team were not so superior that I felt defensive was an option. First thing I check in that situation is passing accuracy - if lower than (finger in the air) 78-80% then I'll maybe enable/disable passing into space/check passing focus/see if a player is having a particularly bad game/giving lots of passes away, otherwise I'll increase mentality a notch to try and relieve the pressure and play more in the oppositions half.

The 3D match being played can be maddening with how little feedback it offers, paying attention to the numbers underneath saves a lot of frustration, although even watching them like a hawk I still often concede from the other teams first shot on goal etc, but sometimes there's nothing you can do, you are always going to concede some time!

Hi optimus,  I've been trying to use your 'system' and so far some improvement in results but some games the opposition just hammer us no matter what.  You say if the opponent is outshooting you then you need to make 'drastic changes', what sort of thing do you suggest?

[optimusprimal82]

2 hours ago, priority76 said:

Hi optimus,  I've been trying to use your 'system' and so far some improvement in results but some games the opposition just hammer us no matter what.  You say if the opponent is outshooting you then you need to make 'drastic changes', what sort of thing do you suggest?

Hard to say for sure without knowing what team/level you're playing at, but if you're getting that outplayed then two places I'd start;

1.) What's the possession? What's your passing stat? What formation are the opposition playing? Is anyone having a stinker on your team (poor left back against a mini-ronaldo etc)? Check your ass mans in-game analysis/feedback - don't react to everything he says but can be a good hint as to where to start looking. If possession is high but passing low then is 'pass into space' enabled? Are your crosses working ? If playing on a small pitch or against a very defensive team, it might be that there is little space to pass into so your guys just keep giving it away? Are you crossing and no-one is in the box? I don't advocate changing passing settings often, but if a poor performance is a one-off, they can/do make the difference. 

2.) If you're struggling more consistently then my main question would be "Is the tactic/formation the right tool for the current job"? Not just talking about does it fit the players/system, but does it fit the nature of what you're trying to do? Playing a defensive 4-5-1 as Man United is a bad fit (take notice Jose!), likewise, playing an expansive 4-2-3-1 as Maidstone away is likewise looking for trouble. I was using this 4-4-1-1 to great effect until the AI times started seeing me as a threat, brought the proverbial bus into their starting 11 and my goals dried up as I kept getting hit by late game long ball counters as i pressed more and more for the win; consequently I changed my main formation to a 4-3-2-1 and started overwhelming teams more easily. The one issue with this is occasionally you'll come across teams that don't fear you, possibly because of a higher reputation (or in my most recent case, it was a cup game) and will come out to play - this happened to me in a recent cup semi-final; I wasn't expecting it, was maybe a bit complacent and went with my 4-3-2-1. After being 2-0 down and being outplayed everywhere I realised that my formation/tactic was overall far too attacking and changed down to my 4-4-1-1 and instantly retook control. I pulled the game back to 2-2, but still got stung irritatingly late on which was more my own fault for chasing a winner (leaving higher mentality) rather than going more cautious, settling for a draw - notice the possession, passing and shot stats for both sides are pretty similar, meaning the game could - as it did - have gone either way in the end;

 

Contrast that to the second leg; having seen that Leyton obviously don't rate me and will attack, I went with the 4-4-1-1 and as you can see from the stats I had a MUCH better time of it. Unsurprisingly, they still scored first, typically with their first shot of them game, but I bossed it after that and actually brought the tie level - as you may spot though, the FM gods bizarrely decided to hit me with 2 red cards in the same game so despite a valiant ET effort we couldn't hold out;

 

Hope that helps - otherwise tell us a bit more about who you are/what style you're playing and i'm sure me/someone can help you out a bit!

[priority76]

35 minutes ago, optimusprimal82 said:

Hope that helps - otherwise tell us a bit more about who you are/what style you're playing and i'm sure me/someone can help you out a bit! 

Thanks very much for your help.  I'm playing as Sheffield in the league below Vanarama north.  I'm using the TIME 4411 with some tweaks to it lower defensive lines, no offside trap and a couple of others.  Here are my recent results since trying your method.

First game against Whitby I dropped mentality to cautious and we dominated the game, I thought I was onto something here.  The next three games went well or as good as expected.  We were unlucky to not beat Matlock and comfortably beat Witton.  The game we lost against Workington (they were top of the league) fair enough we put up a good fight but lost by the odd goal.  Then the game against Nantwich I lost and it pissed my off as they were bottom of the league so I felt we should be beating them comfortably.  I replayed the game again trying different mentalities defence line etc on about the fifth atempt after they kept beating us I went attacking the whole match, although we conceided three goals we managed to outscore them.  The next game against Ossett I went back to cautious, we scored then they dominated us and only a heroic performance from my keeper meant we just held on for the win:

 

Now the last three games have been pure frustration fests.  I went 2-0 up against Stalybridge only for my team to bottle it and go down 3-2.  I put it to attack and managed to scrape an equaliser. 

The game against Colne was just dire.  It felt like we could have played for a week and not scored against them .  The painful thing was in the return game earlier in the season we trounced them 7-0.  

Maybe I am doing as well as can be expected the season preview has us finishing bottom but this is my third season in this division and it doesn't feel like any progress is being made, the inconsistency is pissing me off big time.

Edited January 6, 2019 by priority76

[optimusprimal82]

Oh wow, you're really down in the lower league doldrums - anyone with finishing over 8 is a god!

I think creating a save point and then replaying the same game is a great idea - you can learn a lot from doing that!

Are you keeping your mentality the same for the entire game? You need to change/adjust as you go through the game else the AI WILL adjust accordingly? 15, 60, 72 and 82 minutes are my most common 'checkpoints' for when to change, so maybe start with cautious and go from there? Check the stats as you've posted above at each of those time markers, and also keep an eye on the opposition formation and watch for your AM telling you "they look like they're playing more cautiously" or "they look like they're attacking a bit more". Golden rule is not to fix it if it isn't broken - too often when things are going well I think it can be tempting to change things, however at the FIRST sign of trouble then be pro-active! 

 

I'd be loathe to change the defensive line  from what Knap had them set to if i'm honest - it affects the whole tactic if you do that? Maybe try the default tactic with the tweaks I made () and see how you go for a few games?

Also take note of the mentality your ass man suggests - doesn't mean you have to listen to him (am curious to see if the recommendations become more accurate as my staff get better), but may give a good indication of how the game/opposition view your team.

 

Failing that, happy to take a quick/stab look at your game if you wanna upload it etc!

[knap]

Why are you playing below VN?

[Dreambuilder]

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap442P110.fmf 

Would have been a clean season if I havent lost the last game of the season vs worst rivals and after selling my best central defenders lol. Wasn't able to replace them good enough in time..

[priority76]

On 07/01/2019 at 13:36, knap said:

Why are you playing below VN?

Cause I love it......

[knap]

Do you take the club up the leagues, like the Dafuge challenge?

[priority76]

6 minutes ago, knap said:

Do you take the club up the leagues, like the Dafuge challenge?

Well that's the idea, but so far it's not working out that way!   What tactic would you recommend for a lower league team?

Edited January 9, 2019 by priority76

[knap]

At the start Lower League is about trials to find good players, usually you can use almost any tactic as with any other league. I've played about level 10 wit Frimley Green with same tactics as I use with Spurs, so more about quality of team rather than tactic.

 

[Chief Scout]

About trials, if you have attribute masking, its the best way to get to know about players attributes and ability without putting your scouts on overtime.

However I hate the fact that you can bring 1000 of trialists into club at once. Just doesn't seem right. I don't know if there is a limit?

[knap]

Realistically when you take over at a Club the scouts will have a long list of transfer targets, so you should not need trials. If you appoint a Scout they will have a number of potentially good players to look at. When a Scout watches a game to scout a plaer they are not going to ignore the other players. With FM you have a blank piece of paper.

 

[priority76]

Just now, knap said:

usually you can use almost any tactic as with any other league

I'll just keep plodding on then.  I'm using your TIME4411 at the mo and one thing that frustrates me is I'm conceding a lot of goals from balls hoofed over my defence due to the high line.  Has this been a problem for you and do you think dropping it deeper is the answer?  Doing this also seems to invite the pressure on so maybe not the best solution.

Edited January 9, 2019 by priority76

[knap]

Less efficient but you can drop DL and LOE to std.

[optimusprimal82]

1 hour ago, priority76 said:

I'll just keep plodding on then.  I'm using your TIME4411 at the mo and one thing that frustrates me is I'm conceiding a lot of goals from balls hoofed over my defence due to the high line.  Has this been a problem for you and do you think dropping it deaper is the answer?  Doing this also seems to invite the pressure on so maybe not the best solution.

 

I conceded a lot of those in the Vanarama too (using TIME 4411) - not a lot of solid, pacy defenders around, but an irritating amount of pacy forwards. I found turning offside trap off helped (as my back 4 kept messing it up), but otherwise I went for a ‘Man Utd-esque we’ll score more than you’ to overcome it which was made easier by everyone having written us off as relegation candidates! 

 

Have you noticed if there’s a pattern as to when you concede these types of goals? Anytime? Late on in games? Only after you take the lead?

 

Only other tip I have for the lower leagues is I always put a lot of focus on mental stats - determination especially, but also work rate for high pressing tactics. You can still get a lot of players in the lower leagues with high determination and - just my opinion - i think it takes you a heck of a long way. I avoid anyone lower than 14 determination if I can, although also can’t be too fussy down there and will still take someone with a lower stat but throw them into a mentoring group surrounded by higher determination players if necessary. That and abuse loans. Stupid good players available around that level.

 

[optimusprimal82]

@priority76 Very very early days, but i've started testing Knap's new Beowulf tactics - specifically the 424 P112 - and so far so good;

Yep, it's only four games, but the most interesting thing so far is that I haven't had to tweak anything. Having watched the Colchester and Vale games I definitely need to switch to cautious after 70 miutes and SUS after 80 (which i did to Plymouth) but despite giving up a few too many chances (which on attacking is to be expected?) I'm controlling games very well, equally as good as with my usual 4411 where I manually move between mentalities a lot.

Note that the Vale equaliser was in the last 4 minutes and due to a defensive issue with the attacking corner setup (I've posted about it in Knap's two most popular tactic threads and is something which you can negate in the SUS) so should really be 4 wins out of 4. 4 games is hardly a great test, I'm well aware, but considering my 4 best players are unhappy and consequently playing/training like chimps (that'll teach me for not selling them) the signs are still so encouraging that I'd be surprised if it goes too far south, I'll surely tweak it a little as I go too.

The other thing in it's favour is passing is a little more direct (suits lower league) and the striker roles are pressing forwards which also suits lower league strikers a bit better. My defence is much weaker in this season as I only had limited funds so had to focus on a specific area (midfield) so i'm surprised still how well i'm holding my own, especially as mentioned with my 4 best guys effectively downing tools (why can't you criticise poor training on unhappy players btw? Seems ridiculous).

Cautious about giving you fifty different things to try as it can tempt you to keep swapping things which also doesn't help but it might be your guys suit this better.

 

EDIT: Forgot to add that I also had a guy sent off against Vale which no doubt helped contribute to the result!

Edited January 10, 2019 by optimusprimal82

[priority76]

15 hours ago, optimusprimal82 said:

 Very very early days, but i've started testing Knap's new Beowulf tactics - specifically the 424 P112 - and so far so good;

I will give it a go.  The 424 might actually suit my players better though currently in pre season scouring for any signs of talent especially with good work rate and determination.

[knap]

Tested with MU no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap424P110.fmf

 

Edited January 13, 2019 by knap

[MrGizMo]

10 minutes ago, knap said:

Tested with MU no OIs Training AM

!FM19.2.1TIMEKnap424P110.fmf

 

Screenshot formation plz?