Brainstorming

[kolas79]

I was wondering about various combinations in the instructions that we pick when we build a tactic. For example when you choose attacking mentality most of the time (at least in my save) the players start to shoot from long range the minute they get the ball to their feet. Will the combination of attacking mentality with work the ball into box have te desirable result (they team to play with more attacking mentality but without all these annoying long range shoots)?
Another thing is when you want to play fast. Your assistant advices you to try direct passing in order to unsettle your opponent. When I use direct passing my players never see the teamate who is near to them but allways try long range passes and most of the time the opponents win the ball easily. So using higher tempo plus short passing and pass into space will do the trick or not ?
And last but not least. I read that some people use the "get stuck in" instruction. Most of the time that I have use it I ended up finishing the game with ten or nine players because my DLP decided to do a hars tackle in the 11th minute of the game !!!

Would love to hear your thoughts !!!

 

[Bigpapa42]

I mostly ignore my assistant's advice. I think most of us do.

Those aimless long shots can happen for a few reasons. One is players getting isolated and they have no other option. It can also be relative isolation - they don't have passing options within the passing range you gave them, notably if you have used short passing. It could also be a combination of high creative freedom, attacking mentality, and not necessarily having the best decision attributes. It rather makes sense with an attacking mentality - you are asking the players to push forward, gung-ho, and not be patient.... so why would they slow down and make a good decision, bring other players into it? Just bash it goal.

Higher tempo and shorter passing is a tough combo to make work. It takes a pretty good standard of player. You are asking players to make the right decision very quickly but limiting their options by making their option circle smaller. If you are on an attacking mentality, they are mostly going to look forward. You need a formation that ensures players are available as options. You need roles and duties that ensure movement, you need players with good Off the Ball, etc.

Honestly, I tend to go easy on Team Instructions. They are universal modifiers, and it often seems like people go overkill and stack them, or have contradictory ones. You need a clear idea of how you want to play, know how your base tactic works, and use them mainly to mold the base tactic into a particular style of play (possession, pressing, etc).

 

[kolas79]

First of all thank you for the answer !! You have a point there where you talking about isolation. If your opponent for example closes down a lot is not easy for the players to try short passes since they will have limited options. Perhaps in this case someone would try to use direct passing in combination with roam from position. I also agree with limited team instructions. The maximum for me is seven. I see here some people use a lot of instruction and it makes me wonder how easy for the players to fulfill them !

 

[Bigpapa42]

Having tons of TIs and PIs can work. Its not impossible. If someone really understands what each instruction does and has a clear idea of what they are trying to do, a lot of TIs and PIs can be to mold the tactic. And since every change made brings other dynamics into play, sometimes one TI is added for one effect and another added to counter some of the things the first TI did lol. And in some cases, its just people adding TIs for the sake of adding them, without really thinking what impact they are having or being logical about it.

One thing that helps to realize, I find, is that there is rarely ONE solution to a problem with tactics. There are often multiple ways to approach things. Each solution comes with its own potential knockon problems. And whether or not a solution will work depends on a lot of factors.

Pressing can be passed around. Think about what happens when a team presses - their players move out of position, leaving gaps and space. Its not a tight formation anymore with players moving around to press you. You just need to patient, slow things down, stop trying to be as outright attacking, and pass into space rather than to the player. its not so much about the range of the passing you are telling your players to use but making sure they have options and don't have to rush to pick the best option. The pressing can already do that, so if you tell them to play at a high pace and/or very attacking, it compounds that aspect that the pressing is already doing. I wouldn't necessarily use roam from position but rather make sure I have a formation and player roles that allow for good passing options to be available and allow for movement.

A lot of common problems with tactics are some questionable logical in the decisions at the base of the tactic. People just not stopping to think about what they are selecting.