Need help for some tweaks since the last update

[Vault-Tec]

Hi everyone,

Since the last ME update, my tactic doesn't work anymore. I've got a lot of difficulties to score, a lot of goals are caused by set pieces... This really impacts my save, and takes out a lot of fun that I used to have. I think it's a shame that things can change so quickly, but well that's another debate.

My tactic is a kind of 3-5-2 when attack, and 5-3-2 for defence.

Maybe some translation is needed : team instructions are pass into spaces, play out of defence and play on higher tempo

counter attack and couter pressing, defense is told to move the ball to defenders and wingbacks, goal is told to move the ball quickly

defensive line is higher.

Mentality is sometimes "balanced", sometimes "positive".

Unfortunately I don't know all the translations for positions : my left striker is a "pivot" one, the right one is advanced forward.

Advanced midfielders : box to box and mezzala.

Defensive midfielder : playmaker.

Offensive wingback on the right with defensive duty, to cover the mezzala. Offensive wingback on the left with "supportive" duty.

Central defender is a "covert" one, the two others are classic central backs.

Since the update and the appearance of such difficulties, I delete the instruction for "more pressing", as I thought it could be too dangerous in defence. However i ask the mezzala and both strickers for more pressing.

Finally, when the opponent team scores, I choose an offensive mentality, and ask to make longer passes.

On the 2nd screen, here are my results for the current season, the first match I played with the new update was against Cagliari, we can notice that opponent teams score much goals against me that before...

Every advice is welcomed !

Thanks !

Edited February 7, 2020 by Vault-Tec

[Experienced Defender]

30 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

Since the last ME update, my tactic doesn't work anymore

Which probably means that the tactic was not balanced and sensible in the first place. Because really good tactics are almost never affected by any ME updates/patches. 

 

31 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

I'd like to help, but I cannot understand the language. Can you post the screenshot in English, please?

[Vault-Tec]

Here it is !

Sorry, I thought my own translations were sufficient, but sure it's easier for you to do not read all of these.

[Experienced Defender]

2 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

As I supposed, it's not optimally balanced (albeit less so than I feared).

First some suggestions:

- In this particular formation, it would make more sense to play the mezzala on support than attack duty, whereas the RWB should also be WB on support (rather than defend). That would give you better balance, both in attack and defense.

- Another tweak I would make is - change the MCL from BBM into either a carrilero or BWM on support and then change the LWB into either a WB on attack duty or CWB on support. The reason is again - better balance.

Given that you use a bottom-heavy formation, maybe you could set your DLP to support duty, so as to make his passing a bit more progressive. This may not be necessary though, so just take it as an idea to think about.

Now the question:

What's the idea with instructions such as: focus through the middle, play for set pieces, pass into space and higher tempo? 

Which style of football do you want to play and why that particular style? - that's the most important question.

 

[Vault-Tec]

Thank you very much, i will apply your advice and see the outcome !

" What's the idea with instructions such as: focus through the middle, play for set pieces, pass into space and higher tempo? " --> great question when I think about it... 

Play for set pieces is because Stefano Sensi was on the fire at the beginning of the season, delivering 7 assists on free kicks, thought it may be interesting to have more set pieces, but well, is it a sufficient reason to have this instruction ?

Pass into space and higher tempo because I don't that the opponent team can have enough time to take breath when my guys are having the ball. I want them to go straight to the target in a few number of passes, so I think that these instructions are fit for this purpose, maybe I'm wrong.

With this style I don't want a possession style with 70-30 in my favor or a huge number of passes... I don't bother if the opponent team has the ball, but when I get i back I want my players to come very quickly in the other half, and then to hit the target... My lack of english vocabulary does not allow me to put a word on this style, but I would call it, Idk, "lightning offences" or something like that...

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help and the time you take for advising !

[Experienced Defender]

52 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

Play for set pieces is because Stefano Sensi was on the fire at the beginning of the season, delivering 7 assists on free kicks, thought it may be interesting to have more set pieces, but well, is it a sufficient reason to have this instruction ?

If your team can score a good number of goals from set pieces, then yes - the instruction does make sense  

 

53 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

Pass into space and higher tempo because I don't that the opponent team can have enough time to take breath when my guys are having the ball. I want them to go straight to the target in a few number of passes, so I think that these instructions are fit for this purpose, maybe I'm wrong

Such approach makes sense if you want your primary style of play to be counter-attacking. Or fast attacking football like Liverpool, but that would require top-class players in all lines of your team and a different formation as well. Anyway, both these approaches would require tweaking some other things. 

On this score, how fast and technical are your strikers? 

[Vault-Tec]

Yes that's pretty much what I want. At least I'm not interested in possession and making a lot of passes, I prefer efficiency.

I think the strikers fit to this style of play : Lukaku plays "pivot" and Zirkzee "complete forward", they almost never play together.

I always use them in a support duty, with an advanced forward, Salcedo or Esposito, this last one being my best player.

I'm looking forward for tweaks that you may suggest to me, thanks !

[Experienced Defender]

5 hours ago, Vault-Tec said:

These screenshots are not in English. I can understand the meaning of some words (attributes), but not all. If you could post them in English, that would be very helpful  

 

5 hours ago, Vault-Tec said:

Yes that's pretty much what I want. At least I'm not interested in possession and making a lot of passes, I prefer efficiency

Okay, I understand that you want a fast style of play. But you still did not specify which one - counter-attacking or fast attacking football (similar to Klopp)? 

[Vault-Tec]

Sorry, I did the same mistake again.

I'd rather say fast attacking football.

Thanks !

[Experienced Defender]

14 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

I'd rather say fast attacking football.

These 4 strikers really look good. If your other players are on the same or similar level of quality, you should be able to play a fast attacking style of football.

Now, here is an example of how you could set up such type of tactic using your 5122 formation:

F9/CFsu     AF/TMat

 

CAR        MEZsu

WBat             DMde              WBsu

CDde   CDco   BPDde

SKsu

Team instructions:

Mentality - Attacking

In possession - play out of defence, slightly shorter passing, run at defence, slightly narrower width and hit early crosses

In transition - counter and counter-press

Out of possession - higher DL

Player instructions:

Both strikers and mezzala - close down more 

Potential tweaks (depending on what you observe):

- remove hit early crosses

- set the tempo to slightly lower

Don't make both these tweaks at once, but gradually (one by one).

NOTE: This is not a plug'n'play tactic, so you need to watch the matches and make occasional adjustments (tweaks) as you see fit.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me 

[Vault-Tec]

Thanks !

Three small questions (take all your time to respond) :

- I think that your advice regarding pressing is what you call "split block". Why not asking to all my players to close down more ? For balance ?

- Not all my midfielders seem to me really really fit for carillero ? Box to box would be really too dangerous ? What about central midfielder with a support duty ?

- Last but not least, against maybe weaker teams, is using  a defender as a libero could be a good idea ? Some of my players could be good for that position.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it !

[craigcwwe]

Not to hijack the thread but just a query really @Experienced Defender. You've instructed there to play more narrow yet have a set up there with two WBs, what's the thinking there? Try and play through the middle and 'pull' the opposition inside to open up the flanks? 

[Experienced Defender]

35 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

I think that your advice regarding pressing is what you call "split block". Why not asking to all my players to close down more ? For balance ?

Because it would entail a needless defensive risk without any logical reason. And even more so given that you play on a high-risk mentality, which already makes your players proportionally more aggressive when defending. 

 

37 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

Not all my midfielders seem to me really really fit for carillero ?

How do you know that - based on their attributes or the role suitability circle? Because if a player has the necessary set of attributes for BBM, then he should definitely be able to play as a carrilero as well, The opposite is not always the case though.

 

38 minutes ago, Vault-Tec said:

Box to box would be really too dangerous ?

It would not be dangerous if you played BBM instead of the mezzala in MCR. But in MCL you need a more holding or covering type of role in this particular setup. 

 

1 hour ago, Vault-Tec said:

Last but not least, against maybe weaker teams, is using  a defender as a libero could be a good idea ? Some of my players could be good for that position

I personally haven't used the libero role thus far, but I guess it should be okay in this particular setup. 

[Experienced Defender]

25 minutes ago, craigcwwe said:

Not to hijack the thread but just a query really @Experienced Defender. You've instructed there to play more narrow yet have a set up there with two WBs, what's the thinking there? Try and play through the middle and 'pull' the opposition inside to open up the flanks? 

No. In this particular case, the slightly narrower width is related to the team mentality. Because on the attacking mentality, the slightly narrower is actually standard width. It's therefore not about playing through the middle, but getting players a bit closer together so that they could better support one another when attacking (in part also related to the Run at defence instruction).