Basic formation for lower league?

[Torquay United]

Hi there, im new to these forums and was wondering how many of you lower league managers keep it simple with your tactics.

I am currently playing as Torquay and have a 4 4 2 formations with only my wingers pushing forward.

Have any of you guys had good results in the non league ranks with similar set ups?

M Poke
Mansell Todd Chester(manU loan) Nicholson

Francis Suarez L Hodges Duran Carayol
Dickson Sills

 

[boozemonster]

i preffer a little more attack minded with my wingers and an MC going forward, but with a DM too, and punt the ball down the wings, if you can get a cross in from deep the MC pushing forwards means there is always a free man in the box, so your lads have a good chance of getting on the end of it.

 

[steaua bucharest]

well u should try to play with ur wingers crossing to your target man, ur target man should be your best forward and make sure everything goes to him

 

[Torquay United]

Thanks for the reply's, i have just finished my first season and went up through the playoffs.Good job really as my Finances were in the red.I will post some pics of formation and team later.

 

[Torquay United]

The end of my first season.Torquay are not a bad side to start with in the BSP.James Chester, Leon Mckenzie, Francis Suarez and Miguel Mostto were my best new players(Chester was only on Loan from Man Utd though)

 

[readingfcboi]

James Chester

I'm struggling with Woking and currently 16th but must say James Chester is well worth loaning from Man Utd

 

[Torquay United]

Yeah, Chester is a good find, I managed to get him on a free for the start of my second season.Also joined on a free was Man Utd's young keeper, Heaton.

 

[Nick1611]

I got Wrexham promoted after 1 season by paying 442 with the wingers and the central mid pushing forward as had holding midfielder. Make the most of players on loan by getting them in for the season. I got ruddy and a a forward from Everton, right mid from Bolton and Freddy Spears from West Ham.

 

[torquaylad]

how the **** did u buy all of them?, the board cancell my transfers with them because i dont have sufficient funds, there all like 100k+ and you only get transfer budget of 20k ??

 

[Zebedee]

You loan them torquaylad and if you really like them, pick them up on a free if/when they are released by their original club

 

[henaz999]

Torquay advice

I've also kept the simple 4-4-2 with an attacking approach and with a little bit more luck I would have been promoted this season.

I did change the squad a lot, getting rid of Hargreaves, Carlisle, Ellis, the keepers, Hodges, Thompson, Wroe and bringing in players such as:

• Dave Brammer £0 (getting on a bit but a solid DM with a powerful long shot on him)
• Stuart Fleetwood £4k (Brought him back to the conference - was one of the top scorers in the 07/08 season, scores lots and has good pace
• Dobson £0 (not amazing attributes, but good down the flanks)
• Alejandro Rocamora £0 (amazing buy - attacking midfielder, great presence on the pitch - a must buy)
• Jean-Francois Christophe loan (solid centre back, got him on a free transfer at the end of the season after he was released by his club)
• John Ovenstone £0 (another solid centre back)
• Callum Bissett £0 (another solid centre/right back!)
• Steven Reilly £0 (can play both left and right back, but usually right coz Kevin Nicholson is great in that role anyway)
• Owen Price £0 (another good winger, can cross a ball and scores a few as well)
• Daniel Philliskirk loan (from Chelsea - parent club, so don't know if he would come otherwise, but he's a great centre midfielder)
• Steven Masterton £0 (another good attacking/defensive midfielder)

I made a mistake and bought about 5 strikers though :S, including Malcolm Christie and Carl Cort who are good, but are too old now. Not enough pace on Christie, but still a clinical striker who I didn't want to see go.

Started with arsenal football (H) which didn't work, so resorted to direct, quick, down the flanks football with the wingers getting in the cross to target man Sills with another striker there to apply the finish . Worked well, but because of injurys all over the place meant I finished a point outside the playoffs :'( but only about 5 off the top - was very tight this season.

But, WON THE FA TROPHY!! Wohooo!!! lol

 

[Zebedee]

FA Trophy is a fine achievement in your first season with that much transfer activity and a change of tactics part of the way into the season.

 

[arsenal]

good tactic but you could of just screen shot your tactic

 

[flamindamon]

Torquay United can you upload ur tactic ?

Might help me with stevenage

---------- Post added at 08:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:02 PM ----------

Or screenshot ur team instructions.

---------- Post added at 08:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 PM ----------

Or boozemonster, can you upload urs?

 

[henaz999]

good tactic but you could of just screen shot your tactic

I realised this half way through, thought I better just carry on with it!

By the way - Claudio Lombardelli, WHAT A PLAYER!! Everyone go and buy him, he's an amazing AMC, requires about 1k in wages but he's amazing.

Oh, just to warn you fellow LLMs, I lost my 1st game of 2nd season 4-0 at home and got sacked! Talk about managers not gettin enough time eh?! What an absolute joke, must have been something wrong with the game. So I've had to start all over again! I better win the FA Trophy again...

 

[MavsWorld]

I go with a very attacking 442 which seems to work really well. I haven't lost a game this season though I think my next game is going to be hard as I'm playing a loan heavy side and 3 of my best players are injured. I try to play it along the flanks, but I've also got one of my strikers acting as a poacher which works really well. Most of my goals are a mixture of crosses or long balls that my target man runs onto.

Some good BSS signings I've found are Michael Nardiello, Noone and Grace (forgot their first names). Got all of them on £30pw, Nardiello scores 1/2 goals a game and is acting as my poacher, but he's also good in the air. Noone is really good at free kicks, corners penalties and reasonable at passing. Grace is pretty fast central defender and has been dominating the air for me this season and keeping fast forwards out of the game.

If you haven't already I advise reading TT&F as it's really handy for basic strategy and tactics and low level teams can't handle anything more complicated.

One last tactic I've stolen from the computer is if they have a particularly good midfielder or winger set opponent instructions so that you hard tackle him and then set your other options so the ball tends to goto him. This way you'll tire him out as the ball will continually be going to him and also your players will be making a lot of hard tackles on him increasing the chance of him getting an injury. Don't do this to strikers though as you risk giving away penalties and if you mess up the tackle you can leave a strong striker free on goal.

 

[sprattley]

i started with york played basic 442 and got promoted and then got james chester on a free also got tomi ameobi on free and hes got 9 goals in 9 in league 2