Blyth

[DavidNeedsTactics]

Hey guys,

I'm new to Fm-Base and I'm new to the game as well. FM11 is the only manager game I've ever played. I have however read a lot of the advice on these forums. I don't like to use downloaded tactics as I feel it ruins the game.

I have, as my main game, chosen to manage Blyth Spartans and I'm in my second season. I have secured promotion in my first season, I think mainly due to my signings. Now I'm in the BSP I'm trying to play a defensive counter attacking style, but I can't stop leaking goals and find it very difficult to score from open play.

Team Instructions:

Philosophy: Rigid
Starting Strategy: Counter
Passing: Default
Creative Freedom: More Diciplined
Closing Down: Stand off more
Tackling: Default
Marking: Default
Crossing: Default
Roaming: Stick to position

I play with a deep defensive line and narrow width. I have my two centre backs one set as a limited defender with defend and the other a ball playing defender with defend, both with passing set to short. I have one of my centre mids as a ball winning midfielder and the other as a deep lying playmaker, full backs have tight marking set to yes and up front I have a poacher and deep lying forward on support. Left mid is set to winger with attack and left mid is set to wide midfielder with defend. Forgot to mention I play with a flat 4-4-2, but have also tried to play with a 4-5-1.

I am currently more or less half way through the season and I'm 13th. I feel like my players are more than capable in the league, but I'm just not getting the results.

Any help and advise is very welcome and apologies if I have posted in the wrong bit.​

 

[noobito]

You seem to have gone into this season with the main goal being to survive in the league, That is the route i would go if i was stepping up to football league standards but BSN/S to BSP standards the gap is so small you should actually be aiming for promotion/playoffs if your signings are good enough.

You're giving teams alot of time on the ball playing counter attacking and at that level defenders and goalkeepers are average at best so sooner or later they will mess up and no matter how poor those strikers are you're against sooner or later you will conceed.

Attacking against these teams cuts down on the ammount of the ball they will see, It tires them out so quickly even more so when you're at home, A direct attacking formation will get you better results than a defencive one, Or a control tactic for the opening 45 mins to tire the team out, Then bring on some fast players and play direct when they will struggle to keep up with the pace more.

Your best bet is:
A solid GK - Try getting one on loan from a higher level team.
A fast CB
A CB who is good in the air, Ofcourse if you can both fast and good in the air in one the that is better.
Two defencive and two attacking fullback, Switch them depending on if you're home/away.
A ball winning midfielder
A box to box midfielder, This is more useful than a playmaker, You're in the BSP not the Premiership, A playmaker at this level is going to give the ball away more than he will find his own team.
Two fast wingers
Two fast strikers or one fast and one target man depends on your taste but both work.

You can play 4-4-2 then, You could also try 4-5-1 and just switch one striker to a DM and set both wingers to inside forwards giving your lone striker the support he needs and giving you more cover at the back.