Please look at the Frequently Asked Questions Section as your question might have already been answered
Anyone can suggest a new tactic for me to try and recreate and if it is interesting and unique enough, then I will give it a go. No promises
I talk a lot about how I made the tactic and why I made some decisions, test results etc but if all you want to do is just download the tactic :'( then just skip to the end. Download link is at the bottom.
Will be constantly updating the opening post with more information as time goes on :wub:.
WALL OF ACHIEVEMENT
In this section I will post comments and results of users and testers who have tried the tactic out and were kind enough to share their results with me. :wubAnyone can suggest a new tactic for me to try and recreate and if it is interesting and unique enough, then I will give it a go. No promises
I talk a lot about how I made the tactic and why I made some decisions, test results etc but if all you want to do is just download the tactic :'( then just skip to the end. Download link is at the bottom.
Will be constantly updating the opening post with more information as time goes on :wub:.
WALL OF ACHIEVEMENT
K). Detailed Posts
Posted by Redempt0r (Liverpool Test)
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One off Screenshots
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One off Comments
I took over Valencia when they were in 16th position
INTRODUCTION
My last posts were on the recreation of Diego Simeone’s very successful tactical setup and Brendan Rogers 3-4-2-1. If you missed them, here they are;
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...nter-attacking-pressing-artisan-15-3-0-a.html
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...gh-intensity-fluid-motion-artisan-15-3-a.html
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...gh-intensity-fluid-motion-artisan-15-3-a.html
I recreated this tactic back in FM14 and most people seemed to be quite pleased with the results they were getting. A few people have messaged me to try and recreate the tactic again for this year’s game and I obliged. But enough jibber jabber…on to the tactic.
One more thing before we look at the tactic. Lets see the juicy stuff. The part most people are usually interested in. The test results!!!
MY TEST RESULTS
I tested the formation with Hull. The team had the players to fit the tactical setup and offered a fair representation of the tactics suitability with a weaker team. Unfortunately though, I could not test for too long as I don’t have as much time to play this game as I used to. More test results can be seen on the wall of achievementHull Test
Did a brief test with Hull and was very happy with the results I got. The limitations of this team were apparent though as they did not have enough squad depth in some areas. Injuries became a problem. Still good results though. NDoye kept banging in goals and my wingbacks were playing like Carlos on steroids.Important to note that I found that teams that have very skillfull, pacey wide players can cause this formation a whole lot of stress. Hence why the team struggled in the test against Tottenham and Chelsea. Also teams that pack the midfield were tough to break down. West Ham and Liverpool fall into that category.
All in all, beautiful football was played in the true vain and style of the Brazilian Samba boys
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TACTICAL INSPIRATION
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The Magic Box/Rectangle as it is fondly called comprises of two boxes. One mainly defensive, and the other attacking. These are supported by the wingbacks who will mainly occupy wide positions and support both boxes. The overload of players in the centre of the pitch makes it difficult for opposition players to contend with.
The Brazilian tactical philosophy whilst being expressive and free flowing is also very organised. As contradictory as this sounds, that is the secret behind the tactic’s success. Organised defensively and free flowing in attack
Brazilian Tactical Philosophy
1. Attacking Wingbacks
Without attacking wingbacks, no formation can claim to be Brazilian-esque. The overlapping wingback was perfected by the Brazilians and used by them to devastating effect. Players like Cafu and Roberto Carlos were so effective because they often came darting from the back unmarked, receiving the ball in space and wreaking havoc.
Using regular wingbacks or complete wingbacks with attacking duties will help your players in emulating Roberto Carlos.
2. Zonal Marking
The Brazilian teams have never been known for their defensive abilities and because of this try to defend as unit instead of relying on the abilities of individual players. Hence why they use zonal marking.
- Simply not selecting tight marking and not instructing any players to man mark will help achieve zonal marking in FM15
3. Compactness
Carrying on from the previous point, the team usually stays narrow and short in order to reduce the amount of space the opposition has on the ball. This reduces the defensive strain on players and improves the ability of the team to defend as a unit
- In FM, two instructions are needed to modify the compactness of a tactic. The defensive line will determine how short your formation. A higher defensive line means a shorter player spread. The width will obviously affect how far apart each player stays from their closest team mate in the horizontal axis. Narrower instruction keeps the team compact.
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4. Quick Short Passing
The team generally likes to play the ball on the floor and prefer a short passing game. They also don’t dwell too long on the ball and like to move it around the pitch to create space and goal scoring opportunities. Only a few players, usually the attacking midfielders and wingbacks are instructed to run at opposition players.
- In FM using instructions like shorter passing, retain possession, exploit the middle, higher tempo and be more disciplined are useful for making your team adopt this philosophy.
5. Central Location of the Midfielders
This is not necessarily a universal principle, but with most Brazilian teams, you will find that their midfielders are positioned centrally. Most of their 4-4-2 sets are ran with box or diamond midfields without outside midfielders or wingers. Brazilian 3-5-2 formations are actually more like a 5-3-2 with advancing wingbacks. The reason their midfielders are centrally positioned is so the flanks are there are for midfielders and fullbacks to make runs into. These runs are intended to help these players lose their marks and unbalance the defence.
- In FM: Simply position midfielders centrally. This encourages your fullbacks and midfielders to move into the open space.
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TACTICAL ADAPTATION IN FOOTBALL MANAGER ENGINE
As I have mentioned in previous posts, being able to completely recreate a real life tactic in FM is almost impossible. The first major problem with recreating the magic box is the space between the four strata’s of the formation. In an ideal situation, the space would be equal but in FM there must be a gap.
Another issue is the difficulty in re-creating the support and cover principles that result in the “see-saw” movements of the formation. Generally speaking, when the attack focuses on one side of the pitch, the other side of the formation falls back to cover.
Despite the limitations, I feel I have created a tactic that is very successful and true to the nature of the Brazilian style of play. The tactical setup is seen below.
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THE PLAYERS
We’ve seen the system, we’ve seen the principles, now let’s look at the type of players we employ at each position. Thanks to Uncle Sam for these descriptions1. Goleiros (Goalkeepers)
While not known for their goalkeepers, they have produced some good ones. When looking for a keeper for the 4-2-2-2, you’re really not looking for anything different than in any other system. Ideally you not only want a shot stopper, but a sweeper as well, someone who can clean up any balls that get through.
Modern Example: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Manuel Neur (Bayern)
2. Zagueiros (Central Defenders)
In the 4-2-2-2, the fullbacks will be bombing forward often. This will mean that the centre backs will need to act as dual sweepers, sometimes even being asked to pressure out on the flanks. You want them to be good tacklers and headers, as they will have to deal with crosses into the area. The demands on the centre backs in this system are not dissimilar from others, but a little pace will help.
Modern Examples David Luiz (PSG), Vertonghen (Tottenham)
3. Laterais (Wingbacks)
With the absence of true wingers, the fullbacks will act as the wingers in the attack. They will be asked to penetrate deeply into the opposition half and provide width in the formation. They will need to have a good work rate and have good pace to go with dribbling and crossing ability. And since they are back line players, the more defensive prowess the better.
Modern Examples: Dani Alves (Barcelona), David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
4. Volantes (Defensive Midfielders)
With both fullbacks overlapping liberally, there needs to be cover and support. The holding midfielders provide this. They destroy attacks down the middle and will also drop back for the centre backs when they cover the flanks. In the attack, they link play to the attacking players and offer support. They are essential players in this system and need to have good defensive capabilities while also be good passers. For the purposes of Football Manager, it’s good to have two players who complement each other. In the tactics set provided the left volante is more defensive while the right is more attacking.
Modern Examples: Nemanja Matic (Chelsea), Arturo Vidal (Juventus)
5. Meias (Attacking Midfielders)
Now we start to get into the players whose names everyone knows. These are the number ten type players who can work magic with the ball. They know how to penetrate and create chances for themselves and others. They should possess attacking skills, flair, creativity, and be good passers. They will take on defenders one-on-one and pick out the strikers in open space. They will also be asked to cross the ball at times. They are wingers, playmakers, and central midfielders wrapped up into one.
Modern Examples: Oscar (Chelsea), David Silva (Manchester City)
6. Atacantes (Forwards)
These players are the goal scorers. They need to be good finishers. There are several ways to set them up, but typically you will see one advanced forward and one deep lying forward with complementary attributes. One is the big target striker type and the other more of the quick dribbler. The classic example would be Romario and Bebeto from the mid-nineties that won the World Cup in the USA. In this tactic, the left side Atacantes is more advanced and should be better in the air while the right one is deeper lying.
Modern Examples: Diego Costa (Chelsea), Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Player Filters
I have added filters for the roles specifed above. Just unzip the file and add them to the filters folder which is in the Sports interactive Folder. The filter results for each role my contain players that play in different posittions. This ia not a mistake as these players could be trained to play in your desired choice of position.
I leave match preparation to my assistant manager and individual training should be specific to players. Click on the spoiler in the next section for more information on this
Opposition instructions are very important for this tactic. The instructions are set up in a way to force the opposition back into the congested centre of the pitch where the ball can be more easily won back by the team
Player Preferred Moves
I have not fully tested the importance of these PPMs but based on how I expect the team to play these are the ones I would reccommend.
Wingbacks: Run with the Ball Down Right/Left, Gets Forward Whenever Possible, Shoots with Power, Knocks Ball Past Opponent (If he ihas good acceleration, pace and agility), Hugs Line
Centre Backs: Plays Short Simple Passes
Support Defensive Midfielder: Nothing Specific to have.
Defensive DM : Dictates Tempo. Avoid Gets Forward Whenwver Possible, Dwells on the Ball
Attacking Midfielder: Nothing Specific
Deep Lying Forward: Comes Deep to get ball, Runs With Ball Through Centre, Plays one Twos
Complete Forward: Runs With Ball Through Centre Plays one Twos
HOW TO START A SUCCESFUL NEW SEASON AND MAINTAIN MOMENTUM
1. Starting Early
When you start a game, you usually have about 6 weeks to prepare for a season. This, a lot of the time is fine when trying to get a team fluid with just one formation or for a team that has not made too many transfers. If your case is different, it is a good idea to have a longer pre season.
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In order to have a longer pre season, you need to select a league that has an earlier start date than the league you wish to manage. So for the premiere league, you would also load up the Welsh league. If you have no wish to manage in this league then set it to view only. This extra month will give your players more time to prepare for the new season.
2. Starting Well
A lot of the preseason friendlies that your assistant manager will pick sometimes can be very difficult. There is no problem with this other than the fact that he will tend to organise these friendlies close to the start of the season. The potential loss could have an effect on the start of your season.
What I usually do is cancel most friendlies and organise much easier games where I can be expected to score about 5 goals. If you really want to play tougher opposition, play them close to the middle of your preseason. I usually like to organise at least 10 very easy friendlies.
Doing this improves players confidence, fitness, familiarity with tactics etc.
3. Having Experts in Required Positions
When you create a formation, you might not have enough players to fill up all positions or you might have players
that are not completely suited to a particular position. What I do is I train the players specifically for the position and role I want them to play till they are completely accomplished. You know they are accomplished when you see a full circle around a green star next to you players name. See image below. Even if they are capable of playing the position, I still train them.
If I have players that don’t fit into my tactic, I retrain them. So with the Magic box tactic where there are no wingers, I retrain all my wingers to play either AMC or Strike position. If you have a team of experts in their positions, you are well on your way to a great season
4. Player Incentives and Expectations
There are different incentives and motivational things you can do keep your team morale high. Things like offering them a high collective bonuses and ensuring that you have competition for places keeps them motivated. I will always offer the highest bonus for the competitions I want to take serious. Also rotate the team every now and then.
You also have the opportunity to hold a team meeting at the start of the season to set expectations. I am usually ambitious but realistic with my expectations.
5. Keeping Players Happy
One of the first reasons why squad morale might begin to drop even when you are winning games is due to the complaints of a single rebellious player. This is usually down to lack of first team football for the player.
What I usually do is try to player rotation and weaker players in cup games similar to what Arsene Wenger does with the League cup.
When you start a game, you usually have about 6 weeks to prepare for a season. This, a lot of the time is fine when trying to get a team fluid with just one formation or for a team that has not made too many transfers. If your case is different, it is a good idea to have a longer pre season.
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In order to have a longer pre season, you need to select a league that has an earlier start date than the league you wish to manage. So for the premiere league, you would also load up the Welsh league. If you have no wish to manage in this league then set it to view only. This extra month will give your players more time to prepare for the new season.
2. Starting Well
A lot of the preseason friendlies that your assistant manager will pick sometimes can be very difficult. There is no problem with this other than the fact that he will tend to organise these friendlies close to the start of the season. The potential loss could have an effect on the start of your season.
What I usually do is cancel most friendlies and organise much easier games where I can be expected to score about 5 goals. If you really want to play tougher opposition, play them close to the middle of your preseason. I usually like to organise at least 10 very easy friendlies.
Doing this improves players confidence, fitness, familiarity with tactics etc.
3. Having Experts in Required Positions
When you create a formation, you might not have enough players to fill up all positions or you might have players
that are not completely suited to a particular position. What I do is I train the players specifically for the position and role I want them to play till they are completely accomplished. You know they are accomplished when you see a full circle around a green star next to you players name. See image below. Even if they are capable of playing the position, I still train them.
If I have players that don’t fit into my tactic, I retrain them. So with the Magic box tactic where there are no wingers, I retrain all my wingers to play either AMC or Strike position. If you have a team of experts in their positions, you are well on your way to a great season
4. Player Incentives and Expectations
There are different incentives and motivational things you can do keep your team morale high. Things like offering them a high collective bonuses and ensuring that you have competition for places keeps them motivated. I will always offer the highest bonus for the competitions I want to take serious. Also rotate the team every now and then.
You also have the opportunity to hold a team meeting at the start of the season to set expectations. I am usually ambitious but realistic with my expectations.
5. Keeping Players Happy
One of the first reasons why squad morale might begin to drop even when you are winning games is due to the complaints of a single rebellious player. This is usually down to lack of first team football for the player.
What I usually do is try to player rotation and weaker players in cup games similar to what Arsene Wenger does with the League cup.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Who do I use to take my corners/freekicks/throwins?
In my test I did not use anyone specific and kept it as default. Don't want the tactic to rely on setpieces entirely. It kills the game for me. Other threads have loads of information a set pieces.
2. Will you provide recommended attributes for players?
I have included player filters that can be imported into your games. They are only guidelines and are not set in stone. Use them at your discretion
3. What do I do when I have a red card?
I remove a striker and keep everything else the same. I usually remove the complete forward and move the DLF to the centre forward position.
4. I concede too many penalties. How do I stop this?
You can remove hard tackling from the centrebacks or if you have the money, simply get a defender with better Tackling, Decision and Concentration.
5. I am not getting the results I expected. What is up with that?
You need to ask yourself a few questions. Did I follow instructions and tips in the post? Do I have the right players? Do those players have good morale? Was I expected to win the match I lost? Did I play the match myself instead of going on holiday or using instant result?
If you answered NO to one or more of these questions, then any of those reasons could be why you lost the match. You could have also lost because that is how football is. Based on tests done by myself and other people, I can guarantee you its not the tactics fault (H)
6. What tactic will you recreate next?
Still have not decided yet and I am open to suggestions. The best place to contact me is via this post and not private message as sometimes by inbox gets full.
In conclusion this tactic worked great for me and I think it will work for you as well. It is still a work in progress and will need to test a bit more but probably won't have the time to do it. Enjoy
Last year there were a lot of tweaks from other users and if some people do the same with good results this year then I would add to OP.
DOWNLOAD
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