Some general tactical questions and musings...

[Avelives]

I have started to watch matches in full game mode and have noticed an annoying quirk of the match engine.

HEADER TENNIS!!

I realise this happens a fair amount in real football but seriously try watching a game in full mode and whole 5 to 10 min periods can elapse with defenders heading it back and forth to each other, only for it eventually to be put out, then a throw in which gets back passed and the header tennis starts again.

It tends to happen most playing against inferior sides at home as they are obviously just trying to launch high balls forward CONSTANTLY but its almost impossible to stop if the computer decides it wants to do it and more annoyingly they wil tend to target their big men for headers, where as my team (man city) seem intent on launching high balls and headered balls toward robinho which is obviously utterly pointless despite me selecting my tall forward as target man and getting them to target him and despite fiddling endlessly with my passing sliders.

Basically my question is this, how do people here best go about breaking down tedious stubborn sides when they are playing at your home and have no intention of doing anything except chopping you down and launching high balls for 90 mins?

I have played some of my best football against superior sides weirdly (like chelsea we lost 2-0 but could easily have won, beat Liverpool 3-0 and a narrow 1-0 loss to arsenal) where as breaking down west brom was like pulling teeth, we managed it eventually in the 90th minute but more luck than judgement.

Also when the computer breaks its always clinical and concise with its passing regardless of the skill of the team where as when i break we often squander easy chances to cross or shoot with bizzare back passes...

Not sure what the ultimate point in this is, just whinging i guess to see if others here have this problem

Oh and btw before anyone says it i have read the TT&F guide and have some decent tactics for most occasions except these annoying bottom/mid range teams playing away at my ground.

[macdyne73]

Ahh, this problem..

I'm not sure if this is the same or not but I did notice something just now while I was playing. I was home and my opponent was doing that thing where they waste time and no highlights appear for a long, long time.

So I widen, turn the heat on (high tempo), went more direct etc ie the usual attacking settings. A little better on possesion but still no shots.

On a hunch I paused the game and looked at the match stats to see who on the opponent's team is seeing most of the ball. One of their midfielders have made much more passes than everyone else. I decided to close this guy down and bully him.

Apparently it worked because some highlights began appearing. A few mins later somebody dispossessed somebody in midfield, a quick break and goal.

I guess it does make sense to target the guy with the most passes when you think about it. I'm curious about what the resident tactics gurus will make of this.

Obviously, this isn't going to work 100% of the time but so far it's ok for me. At least it makes me feel better about playing against packed defenses and it doesn't give so much time for the opposition to waste. Which they do very well in this new FM as I'm sure you notice.

The new match engine is both a boon and a curse. Tricky game isn't it?