Blackpool FC - Help & Tips

[wraith of vern]

Blackpool FC - Help & Tips​

I am in the middle of my first season with Blackpool FC (the team I support) and it is currently March 2014. My target at the start of the season was a top half finish and push for promotion, except with a few minor additions to the side (Jason Holt from Hearts) I managed to start the season 16 matches unbeaten in the league which quickly made me change my aims to going for promotion to the Premier League and eyeing the top 2 spots.

In December I made a few minor additions to the side but most of these will arrive in the summer my main signing was Frimpong from Arsenal which will go through in like July. That transfer as well as Holt pretty much took my entire transfer budget as I had to ask good old Karl Oyston to do some negotiations for 1 Frimpong. But all looked well.

The January transfer window closes and then things go downhill with my current form being L-L-L-W-L-W-L-L. I brought in Craig Davis from Bolton to try to add to things up front since I have reached my limit of youth loans. But he can't seem to find the back of the net even when I play him, but in general I am really starting to struggle for goals.

I have attached my squad and current tactics and I am open to any advice that people can provide me with. At this point in time I am probably going to have to work with what I have though. In the summer I need to sign a goal scorer for sure though. Since my current strikers are pretty bad:

Berahino (loan) - 9
Ince - 8
Chopra - 2
Steve Davis - 1
Craig Davis - 0

 

[WJ]

What are the issues you're having?

How is the tactic supposed to work? I don't understand the need for some of the TIs, like look for overlap and retain possession. You also have 2 playmakers in the middle, but exploiting the flanks? The reason for a Counter mentality?

Not saying anything is wrong yet, but trying to understand the thinking behind the instructions.

 

[wraith of vern]

What I've actually done here is screenshot and post the wrong tactics. Most of the time I am playing a 4-3-3.I've included my 4-3-3 tactics and squad below.

But the thinking behind that 4-2-3-1 was to try and utilize that I have Ince and Berahino playing wide who are my two best players. That was why I was trying to exploit the flanks and look for the overlap with my full backs to try and also get some crosses into the box. Looking at this particular tactic though, I will probably scrap it and try something else for 4-2-3-1. But I was trying to play a possession game, keep the ball and then break with pace which is why I went for a counter mentality.

 

[WJ]

You're over-doing it on TIs again. Again, I don't see how the tactic is supposed to "work".

What's the idea behind the tactic? Who will be the main scorer(s)? The main provider(s)? Defensively, what are you trying to do?

I can point out quite a few things in both tactics that are wrong. Once I get answers to these questions on your 4-5-1, I'll give you my opinion on where you're going wrong.

 

[wraith of vern]

The idea behind it was mainly to keep possession, not gifting the ball away cheaply and exploit the wings. Main providers would be the wingers I'm guessing. At the moment the main scorers are the wingers though. Defensively the idea of hassling opponents was to try and stop crosses and not give them space.

Obviously though I'm getting it wrong with this formation.

For 4-2-3-1 I went and downloaded this tactic and kind of turned things around with that but I'd really prefer to get a solid 4-3-3.

Steaton's 'Invincible' 4-2-3-1 - Consistency - Balanced - 14.3.0 - Plug and Play

 

[WJ]

I'll try and cover a few points.

- Duties. Defend duties stay behind play. Support duties keep up with play, to support, , obviously. Attack duties make runs and stay ahead of play, trequartistas excluded. That means you have one isolated striker being a goal threat and that's it. You'd benefit from a few more. A CM, Winger and fullback (opposite side to winger) will help a lot. At the moment, you have a purely counter attacking tactic with nothing happening if there isn't a counter on.

- Look for overlap. Based on your duty selections, I don't see why you selected this. Look for overlap asks your wingers to play narrower, drop a littlw deeper and hold up the ball. It also asks your fullbacks to push up a little more. You have all of them on support duties, so you're slowing play down, without getting much of an overlap out of it.

- Retain possession will also hurt more than help your pure counter attacking tactic. It asks players to prioritise keeping possession. When the obvious balls are on, they aren't always going to take it. It allows the opposition defence time to set and you don't have the movement to pull them apart. Coupled with pass into space, it's a little confusing.

 

[thalen]

What you are doing wrong is still playing this crappy game of randomness where nothing and i mean NOTHING!!!!! makes any sense.

 

[ahok19]

Good tips,,,!!! I have not used the Blackpool FC, with these tips I would give it a try

 

[stourbridge]

IMO any tactic with any team will go through a 'rough' spot in the season. Poor form, injuries, too many games played, complacency...
Have you tried giving Team Meetings a go? Unbeaten start to the season I would've gone in telling them 'how pleased I was'... When I saw that the form was slipping I might have given two maybe three games depending on the results(d-d-l) and then gone in and told them that 'we have been playing okay but we need to push on', or if things were really bad say three or four loses in a row 'not to let our heads drop' ...
As I say you may have already done this, if so then I hope you can turn things around if not give it go, not saying it is a sure way but anythings worth a try right?