Tactics help with Roma

[thedrdrive]

Hi everyone - I've just picked up a new save with Roma, and am hoping to lead their young core to a Serie A title within the next few years. 

Evaluating the team and its players' attributes, I decided to build a custom tactic. I have a team that's highly technically skilled and creative, but without the strong work rate needed to pull off a high-press style. 

I built the attached tactic, with the following idea - slow pace with short passing, working the ball in the box, lots of overlap (with Florenzi especially bombing down the right hand side), to create opportunities.

A few games with the tactic reveals I am not conceding too much, but struggle to score. Lots of long shots, as per the second screenshot. How can I help this? I figured with the low tempo, overlap, BBMs, and offensive wingbacks I'd still see a lot of movement towards the box, but more often than not it seems my players are hanging back and not supporting the offence.

Any help would be super appreciated! Thanks

[Mitja]

Where's Dzeko?

[DoubleDenimSuccess]

I would suggest removing 'Play through middle' you have WB's overlapping so let them contribute out wide and work the ball into the box. Should hopefully eradicate a few of the long shots. You could also instruct some of your more creative players to try risky passes in that attempt to thread inch perfect balls through.

[Keyzer Soze]

I would remove the overlap instruction. 

You have two attacking inside forwards, that in your setup ate expecting to be the two main threats to the opponent defense, but with the overlap instruction they will wait for your wing backs to come forward, and by the time they will attack the box the opponent will have the defense well placed. 

In fact I think your role choice are more suited for a quick transition football style, but then your team instructions are more suited to a possession football style. 

[Experienced Defender]

First, try to be more creative (i.e. less one-dimensional) with roles and duties. And think about how different roles interact with each other within your tactical system.

Second, bear in mind that TIs such as overlap, underlap and focus play increase the mentalities of defenders - overlaps, underlaps and focus down the flanks of the fullbacks, and focus through the middle of CBs, DMs and defend-duty CMs - which can make you vulnerable to counter-attacks if you don't have appropriate defensive cover (and in this setup you don't have it). If you don't concede a lot with these instructions (plus counter-press and more urgent pressing), then you either have top-class defenders or opposition have poor forwards.

Third, using shorter passing, lower tempo, slow pace down (along with work ball into box) all at the same time seems like a sort of overkill, especially when you have technically good and creative players, because playing so slowly helps opposition to consolidate when they lose the ball and thus defend more easily against your team. And on top of that you don't even use the counter TI in transition, but hold shape instead.

You can play a patient possession game without slowing things up to extremes.

[thedrdrive]

Thanks @Experienced Defender @Keyzer Soze @DoubleDenimSuccess @Mitja for the help! Those comments make sense, especially that I may be trying to overkill my team instructions in this tactic. Okay so a few changes I'm gathering are:

1. Reconsider my roles to satisfy the possession football I'm looking for, as I agree the attacking inside forwards and BBMs may better suit a style of bombastic counter-attack. I'm thinking of switching the AMC to attack, one of the IFs to Support,and one of the BBMs to CM-support. What do you think?

2. Simplify my TIs, as shorter passing, lower tempo, pace, etc. are too punitive and are compounding each other.

3. Reconsider my overlap instructions or my attacking roles of the wingbacks to protect my defense

Unfortunately I sold Dzeko! Am building for the future and thought cashing him in at 32 years was the best option.

Cheers, and thanks again for the help! I'll give these changes ago and see if I can improve.

[Experienced Defender]

7 hours ago, thedrdrive said:

Reconsider my roles to satisfy the possession football I'm looking for, as I agree the attacking inside forwards and BBMs may better suit a style of bombastic counter-attack. I'm thinking of switching the AMC to attack, one of the IFs to Support,and one of the BBMs to CM-support. What do you think?

Whatever changes/tweaks you make to any roles and duties, always look at your players' attributes and traits to make sure each of them can perform well in the role you give him. Because you can set up an "ideal" balance of roles and duties, but if you assign them to wrong players, the tactic is likely to fail. I can give you a number of examples on how you can set up roles across the formation, but that means nothing if you don't have the right players for those roles.

 

7 hours ago, thedrdrive said:

Simplify my TIs, as shorter passing, lower tempo, pace, etc. are too punitive and are compounding each other.

3. Reconsider my overlap instructions or my attacking roles of the wingbacks to protect my defense

Yes 

[mihaiz79]

This is the tactic I used in the first season with Roma, got me Serie A and Coppa Italia with ease, maybe it helps.

[nonEUglitch]

On 05/03/2019 at 21:31, thedrdrive said:

Thanks @Experienced Defender @Keyzer Soze @DoubleDenimSuccess @Mitja for the help! Those comments make sense, especially that I may be trying to overkill my team instructions in this tactic. Okay so a few changes I'm gathering are:

1. Reconsider my roles to satisfy the possession football I'm looking for, as I agree the attacking inside forwards and BBMs may better suit a style of bombastic counter-attack. I'm thinking of switching the AMC to attack, one of the IFs to Support,and one of the BBMs to CM-support. What do you think?

2. Simplify my TIs, as shorter passing, lower tempo, pace, etc. are too punitive and are compounding each other.

3. Reconsider my overlap instructions or my attacking roles of the wingbacks to protect my defense

Unfortunately I sold Dzeko! Am building for the future and thought cashing him in at 32 years was the best option.

Cheers, and thanks again for the help! I'll give these changes ago and see if I can improve.

My thoughts (having seen a deep Roma save).

 

1. I would switch the AMC to an AP (A), the advanced playmaker looks for space to make the risky key pass and will slow down the play and provide an outlet high up the pitch (Zaniolo and Pastore are perfect). A BBM will work better when paired with something with different movement, e.g. Mezzala on Support or Attack (probably the opposite duty of your AMC). I'd use Pellegrini as a Mezzala before Cristante. IMO Under is better as an IF(S) than SES, who should stay on Attack duty. Kluivert is young and can do either.

 

2. Remove unnecessary TIs like overlap, play thru middle, etc. Change your DLP(D) who has no striker or true wingers high up the field to use as an outlet to a HB, this will increase the mentality of your wing-backs without slowing down your play like the Overlap TI does. HB introduces wider-splitting CBs which will present some risk but it will help you attack the flanks to make up for your lack of striker, suck in the opposition's press, and increase defensive solidity, because HB has a low mentality, cautious running and short passing style, but by default can switch the play when needed.