Achieving High Possesion

[gwo]

Does anyone know how to achieve possession in the 70s or 80s consistently? I feel like I don’t know how to press well as it always seems ineffectual. Opposition teams always have ridiculous composure even if I’m playing a second division side. No matter what, they always find an option to pass to regardless of how I press and just knock the ball around with ease. In possession my teams always attempt to switch play when it isn’t on or try risky passes under minimal pressure regardless of mentality. 

[CFuller]

To put what you're asking for into context, Manchester City's average possession in the real-life Premier League was 66.4% last season according to Whoscored (currently 63.8% this season). Barcelona have kept 62.2% of possession in La Liga so far this season.

You can ask for advice in the tactics forum if you want, but realistically, consistently achieving 70-80% of possession in matches is just not going to happen. If you average around 60%, you're probably doing pretty well on that front.

[HUNT3R]

I think that's an unrealistic number to be aiming for. Look for high 60s instead.

[gwo]

Consistently wasn’t the right word as I don’t want to average in the 70s but I’d like to hit that number occasionally. I don’t expect to hold the ball the entire match against top sides but I’m confused as to why I can employ a possesion/pressing based tactic against bottom sides and the opposition will show the type of passing I want from my team. 

[The Dude]

4 hours ago, gwo said:

Consistently wasn’t the right word as I don’t want to average in the 70s but I’d like to hit that number occasionally. I don’t expect to hold the ball the entire match against top sides but I’m confused as to why I can employ a possesion/pressing based tactic against bottom sides and the opposition will show the type of passing I want from my team. 

There are a few different ways of achieving a possession based style, but they're all based on similar principles.  The differences are minor, really; the core principles tend to be the same:  

Basically, you want (1) your passes to be accurate so one player consistently gets the ball to another player, (2) to minimise the opposition getting the ball off you, and (3) get the ball back quickly and effectively when you do lose it. 

Let's take them one at a time. 

1. Accurate passing. 

• You need players with decent passing attributes.  Mental attributes such as vision, anticipation and decisions should help. 
• Longer passes are more prone to going astray, so set your passing style to short. 
• To make short passing work, you have to:
  • Make sure your players are close enough to each other for short passing to be an option.  So choose a compact formation.  Use all the options on the tactics screen to so this: think about your playing width, how deep or high your defensive line is, and how high you press up the pitch. It usually requires flooding the midfield. 
  • Have players correctly instructed to play a short passing game - in other words, plenty of support duties.  In my primary system, my GK, central defenders and BWM are set to defend; everyone else is set to support.  I have no one on attack duty. 

2. Minimise opponents getting the ball off you.

Many people think a lot of dribbling is great for possession, but it's only great for meaningful possession if your dribblers never get tackled (unlikely). So think carefully about this aspect of your game.  Some of your players will be more likely to want to dribble, some less so - every squad is different.  Once you understand your players' tendencies in this area, you can decide what instructions to give regarding dribbling more or less.  Usually, for a good possession system, you actually need to dribble less rather than more, although many will disagree on this.  Keep the ball moving, with accurate passing.  

3. Get the ball back

• You'll find some people advocating aggressive tackling for this, but getting people sent off is not conducive to possession play. 
• Pressing is key.  If you don't press, you're going to have to get lucky to win back the ball.  The question is - how much do you press?  The answer will depend on your players: Their stamina and aggression should play a part in your decision making.  Also, your formation.  And how you intend to transition to attack when you do get the ball back.  Everything is linked.  Try to think how you'd want it to work in real life, and then find the tactical instructions to emulate that.
  • Some of this will depend on how the opposition are trying to use the ball.  Personally, I can't abide the idea of issuing different pressing instructions for every opponent, so I rely on having players who are well rounded.  This means they have the stamina etc to press well, and the anticipations, decision making and positioning to be good in defensive positions.
  • For me, I always have my forward line press oppo defenders, regardless of their style of play.  Even if the oppo don't play out from the back, making defenders panic on the ball is good for getting the ball back.  I always try to have defenders with great positioning, anticipation and decisions, so they're prepared for any counter attack, and can respond well. I flood midfield, and have a BWM to deal with passing teams.  
  • Your formation, roles and duties will affect your ability to win the ball back quickly.  If you're flooding midfield (see point 1), it helps in getting the ball back.  Some would say this is easily counteracted by oppo playing long ball, but think of the big picture: You're playing a possession game, and flooding midfield; the oppo are going to have to work hard to get the ball off you; they're going to have to come close.  If they don't, you keep the ball.  When they do come close, who are they going to launch the ball to? You can just mop it up.  

Hope that's been some help.  Good luck!

 

     

 

[Svenc]

On Prior Releases it was well doable, in particular if the opposition sit Deep.

 

Chose a Formation that packs the middle of the park.

Avoid any formation packing the Frontline.

Chose a less aggressive mentality not moving the ball forward as quickly (no matter if short or direct or anything).

Keep the pitch compact. Reduze the width and depth. It's far easier to drop the ball if Players spread out (Team Sports common sense #1)

Have at least one Player absolutely Holding the centre of the park, rather than venturing Forward. 

Generally, keep more players behind the ball in deeper positioins, where there is far less pressure on any ball carrier than high up the pitch (Team Sports Basic common sense #2). On FM that means defend/hold Position duties.

Tweak the keeper to roll it out to the FBs.

Encourage the Team to Play out the back / hold Possession.

Don't field Players with "runs with the ball / gets Forward at every opportunity / thries through ball" traits, PPMs.



All of those measures may dramatically increase possession stats. However, also decrease the likelyhood of scoring. Even if shots may go off, they may be lower probability ones. Historically, loads of FM Players think upping Possession means being Guardiola. Have fun, as you'll turn into LvG instead.  

[tacticalthoughts]

Key instructions
Short / Very short passing
Low / Very Low tempo
Cautious Mentality
High Pressing
Build out from the back
Distribute to Centre Backs

Key attributes
First Touch
Passing
Decisions
Vision
Composure
Technique

That should put you on the right path. Like others have said though, you can set a team up to have as much possession as possible but you also reduce your goal threat. There needs to be a balance. One thing i would like to see put into the tactics engine is the ability to change team mentality dependant on position in the pitch. 

I want a cautious build up with no risks taken, short passing from the centre backs and up through midfield. When the team gets up to outside the opposition box or into the final third. Increase the mentality and allow some of the more creative players to attempt through balls or more risky passes that may not come off and end up losing possession.

Right now you get stuck on a cautious mentality and usually what happens if you camp outside the oppositions box passing it back and forth and eventually one of the centre midfields take a long shot and you lose possession when there could have been a ball played through the defence for either the wingers to cut around the back of the defensive line or for the striker to run onto beating the markers.