Im having a tactical nightmare at United at the mo. Rooney and berba seem to be playing to deep, and only seem to get long shots. My crosses are not connecting nothing seems to be working.
To be honest I've not played Football manager for sometime and I'm not very tactically aware at all. I've signed Witsel, Srna, and coentreo and I've sent park out on loan (I wanted to sell him, but bayern loaned him with an option).
How should my team be playing? I usually prefer wing play....like the United team of the 90's but anyway I try its just not working for me at the mo, I don't even know if I have my player roles right :-(
Are you in the first season?
Note that Rafael can be a very consistent performer so you could have bought a better goalkeeper. My first year was a defense nightmare, because usually van der Sar was just average and having a higher level goalkeeper is truly a match winner.
If not, well, here's some advice:
- Man Utd doesn't have a really strong midfiled when it comes to "bite", or defense strengh, so you can't emulate the 90's with those players. Remember that at that time the red devils had **** (a pure DM), Roy Keane (the one that could play as DM and CM with perfection) and a really young but already good Paul Scholes. Suggestion: play narrower.
- With Srna you already have one of the best defense lines for at least 2 to 3 years. The tweaking will be the two central backs: try to set them one a little higher than the other (closind down). Put Vidic a little ahead, as he have better tackling stats and anticipation. Ferdinand stays a little back, because he's faster. Jonny Evans is really consistent, so it would be a good idea to put him to play against faster strikers.
- Valencia and Nani are hardworking kids, but they lack inteligence. Set Scholes as the main playmaker. He's still a monster(but only for this first year). If you need to use Witsel, don't play him as the main playmaker, as he's not that creative. He's a hardwork midfilder... that's all.
- Give Nani and Valencia plenty of freedom to run along the side of the field. Nani will have "best player of the match" and "bigest flop of the game" verey often, so you HAVE to keep him happy and under some positive pressure. Valencia is the most consistent player you have in your squad (aside Rooney), and is a match winner, so, team talk with a positive aproach is always necessary.
- I like Berbatov as a deep~lying playmaker, as he usually have to be the creative guy of the team, because Scholes can't play a whole match or can't play two macthes in a row. Set him as target man and receive the ball to feet.
- Rooney is probably one of the best players in the entire game: bangs 30 goals a season, even if he plays as a lone striker. Set his creativity to really low as he always tries stupid long shots. I like to set him as a Defensive striker, as he's always trying to steal the ball and usually helps in the middle. Forcing him to come back will help the defense and will make him play and fight in the middle for some great assists.
- General tips: wait for 3 to 4 games for your players to get used to the tactic (yes, it really happens this way!); do not play Scholes every game, alternate with Giggs; use your bench(a LOT!); and finally... terminate contracts with some of the physios in the team... they suck big time and try to find at least two guys that have 20 of aerobic in training... they DO make the difference.
