Creating a Powerful Attacking, but defensively sound Tactic

[trickydicky17]

Choosing the Centre Midfield...

Centre Midfield

So the main question is how many do i have in central midfield?

a pair gives me the option for 2 men upfront, but a trio allows me to take control of the game, outnumber most midfields and pass the ball around them, either working the ball into the box, or pop it out to the wide men and let them provide the ball for the man upfront to put away for me!

Im leaning towards a duo because playing with WingBacks set up the right way i can use the wide men to cut inside and increase the numbers through the middle of the pitch, help retain possession, keep the ball and outnumber the opposition, while the wide men can be that little more creative while linking up play between the midfield duo and the strikers.

So now the question is, what midfield duo roles and duties to i select. What i would like, before i decide, i guess i have to take into account what I'm going to do with the wide men, if i play them to cut inside and be the playmakers, i guess i don't need a deep lying playmaker, if i use the overlap and keep there duties 'natural' (defence defend, attack attack) I'm going to need that player who has the ability to pick a killer pass, open up the opposition, but who can defend and help out his midfield partner.

From the the Pairs and Combo PDF there is not much info for a midfield duo, the info is obvious if you know anything about football. 1 of the duo is the 'Sitter', and the other is the 'Runner'. The sitter is the guy who can control the game, dictate the tempo and provide the creativity from a deeper position in midfield. Meanwhile, the other guy(Runner) provides the Legs from one end of the pitch to the other. He provides the late arrival into the box and becomes that extra man in attack, another body to provide more options and possibilities while attack. The next moment he is an extra body in his own half, another man that is pressing and putting in that tackle to put a stop to the opponents attack.

So if I'm using a duo then the sitter needs to be creative, so his vision & passing are important(plus others), but he needs to be defensively smart, his decisions and positioning then come into consideration. So he doesn't necessarily need to be fast and naturally fit. It helps, but its not vital. But creative and clever is needed for a Deep Lying Playmaker. His duty for this is typically a 'Defender' duty, this lets him sit back and control the game and dictate the tempo. It means that he won't leave his position to constantly join in with the attack in forward, attacking positions further up the pitch.

So the other guy needs to be the Runner. I have to decide between a Ball Winning Midfielder or a Box-to-Box Midfielder. If the first choice player has great natural fitness, and good stamina, then a Box-to-Box Midfielder can be a great asset. He contributes in both defensive and attack. In attack, he pushes forward arriving late in the box to get on the end of crosses and pullbacks. He can also give the option to be a threat from distance. Defensively, he pressures attacking midfielders and helps protects the defensive line. The main function of a Ball Winning Midfielder is to, obviously, close down the opposition and win back the ball. However, he also needs to be technically sound to help the team keep the ball and retain possession. While also, cutting out chances from opposition players with attacking roles. When a Ball Winning Midfielder duties are Support, he aims to win the ball back high up the pitch which he can then support counter attacking opportunities. But when the duties are set to Defend, the player looks to win the ball back in the centre of midfield and look to quickly lay it to a more creative player.

Goalkeeper	Defend
Wing Back	Support/Attack
Ball Playing Defender	Cover
Central Defender	Stopper
Wing Back	Support/Attack
Advance Playmaker Wider Playmaker Winger	Support/Attack
Deep Lying Playmaker	Defend
Box-to-Box Ball Winning Midfielder	Support
Advance Playmaker Wide Playmaker Winger	Support/Attack

So whats next? Deciding how I'm going to use my last 2 positions...

 

[trickydicky17]

Choosing the final 2 ...

Attack

So in the PDF there is 3 different Pairs/Combo's to use. You have..

• Big-Man - Little-Man
• Creator - Scorer
• False-Nine - False-Ten

Big-Man - Little-Man
Over the years managers have been getting great success from a the Big-Man - Little-Man Partnership. Having that big Powerful striker that can hold up the ball or flick the ball on to the smaller, quicker, more agile striker, that can get in behind the defence, run onto the flick on and attack the goal. The larger player generally plays deeper winning the arial challenges or holding up the ball until more options become available to make the most out of the attack. The larger player tends to create little pockets of space either around him or in just behind the defence which the smaller player looks to take advantage of.

So a big BM-LM setup rely on good wide deliveries from wingers and fullbacks. They are suited to a more direct style of play. They are generally a Target Man and Poacher combo.

An Advanced Forward though, can provide a more rounded version of a Poacher and the bigger forward can still have an effect on games in a more of a creative role. Only if he posses the skills to be creative enough.
E.g Deep Lying Forward or Complete Forward...

Starts with

• Target Man & Poacher

For more well rounded version of poacher ...

• Target Man & Advance Forward

A more Creative Big guy

• Deep Lying Forward & Poacher/Advanced Forward
• Complete Forward & Poacher/Advance Forward

This can still work with Attacking Midfielders to support too. Also A powerful lone Target Man or Complete forward can be supplied by an Inside forward or a Raumdeuter. This is to allow the the quicker goalscorer to attack the box from deeper areas and take full advantage of his pace.

• Inside Forward/Raumdeuter & Target Man/Complete forward.

Creator - Scorer
Probably the most common form of partnership in football. This is simply one forward sitting slightly deeper than another. He would provide his partner with more passes and through-balls to score. Occupy Defenders to allow his partner to gain more time and space off the ball. The Creator can be a forward or even a Midfielder instead, Position to assist the striker effectively.

This system can rely on a number of attributes, not just physical. But technical and mental attributes become more important in a creative partnership. It is a type of football than is fairly versatile, but has a slight tendency to suit a more creative/possession based system. However, its versatility can see it applied to many different systems.

The most balanced roles for this system is ..

• Deep Lying Forward(??) & Advanced Forward(??)
  

But, using a Complete Forward can be an exceptional creator or goalscorer (or both) depending on his duties.
A poachers is going to be a good goalscorer but will be less likely to feed his strike partner a return ball, specially when he has a chance at goal!

• Complete Forward & Complete Forward
• Complete Forward & Advanced Forward
• Deep Lying Forward & Complete Forward

A Trequartista is an superb goal creator and needs a strike partner who is capable of attacking the space and the chances he creates. He can function from AMC to a ST, but an Advance Playmaker or Enganche can also be a superb deeper creative outlet to supply an Advanced Forward ahead of him.

• Trequartista & Poacher/Advanced Forward
• Advanced Playmaker/Enganche & Advanced Forward

A role that offers build up play, as well as goal scoring ability is the Advanced Forward.
The difference between the 3 roles Advanced Forward, Complete Forward, Deep Lying Forward are ..

• Advanced Forward - Stays High, tracks across the line into the channels, looking to create space and if necessary and return the pass.
• Complete Forward - Tends to have a more varied movement compared too Advanced Forward.
• Deep Lying Forward - Will stay more central. Dropping deeper and holding up the ball more than an advanced forward .

The Inside Forward can be an excellent creator while on the Support duty. With angled balls from out wide into the path of an player breaking forward. Whereas on Attack duty, he can attack space left by more of a creative forward in an advanced position ahead of him, and be a prolific goalscorer.

This also applies very specifically for a Raumdeuter. Who will look to provide a goal scoring threat from wider positions, getting into channels and linking up play with a potential creative presence.


Fasle-Nine - False-10
This system is based on the Central Striker dropping deep into the 'hole' attempting to draw the defender with him. Or enough to cause a little space that simply allows his partner( or other team mates) attack the space and unsettle the defence... We all know what a false 9 is made famous by Messi. But the false 10 role is that of the advanced midfielder pushing from deep, into the vacated to emerge as a significant or the main goalscoring threat. One way of achieving this is being set up with a False 9 and a Shadow Striker. There are other roles that can mimic this effect, sometimes by pulling wide instead, or simply gift instead. The Trequartista(Attack) will naturally drift around, creating space by pulling people out of position as no one will know who is marking him. Players can then attack this space. Defenders will not know whether to follow or not, leaving gaps in the defensive line that players can attack or to leave this player drifting around in space. The Trequartist can also drift wide, where as the False 9 will look to just drop deep.

• False 9(??) & Shadow Striker(??)
• Trequartista & Shadow Striker(??)

The Deep Lying Forward and Complete Forward works in a similar way, but are more capable of holding the ball up and also can occupy more space higher up the pitch as apposed to constantly looking to move deep. They are also more disciplined defensively than the Trequartista. Which will be important for me as I'm don't have the best of players.

• Deep Lying Forwad/Complete Forward & Shadow Striker/Enganche/Trequartista

As for alternative False 10 roles, an Inside Forward or Raumdeuter on the flanks can attack the vacated space left by a forward dropping deep, or drifting around such as a Trequartista. This could cause a dilemma for opposing fullbacks. They have to choose to follow the player, opening up space wide or to leave him to the central defenders where he may gain space before he even gets tracked. Then Attacking Midfielders can push forward to support attacking moves. They are just less suited to be prolific goalscorer.

• Inside Forward(Attack) & Shadow Striker/Enganche/Trequartista
• Raumdeuter(Attack) & Shadow Striker/Enganche/Trequartista

Deep Lying Forward - When duties are set to Support, he will look to bring other players into the attack before getting into the box himself. When set to Attack, he will look to take on a shot or 2 in addition to bringing others into play.

If you use a more defensive disciplined team then using DLF and CF(Support) as they have more discipline that a trequartista.

For myself, i want to start with a duo in midfield and with the members in my squad, having Benteke in my squad it would make sense that use his ability to hold up the ball and flick on, so using a Deep Lying Forward or Complete Forward, then my first choice of James wilson, will need to attack the space Benteke can create, while also running in behind the defence.So having him as (naturally) a Poacher offers that player who is out an out looking to score goals...

Goalkeeper	Defend
Wing Back	Support
Ball Playing Defender	Cover
Central Defender	Stopper
Wing Back	Support
Deep-Lying Playmaker	Defend
Box-to-Box Midfielder	Support
Advance Playmaker Wide Playmaker Winger	Support/Attack
Advance Playmaker Wide Playmaker Winger	Support/Attack
Deep Lying Forward	Support
Poacher	Attack

what are your opinions?

 

[WJ]

You still seem undecided on the wide midfielders, but it is a decent start. The roles and duties you have settled on seem balanced, but you have important decisions regarding duties to make on the flanks. It's a matter of deciding Mentality and Shape and then seeing if the players are doing what you expected them to do. Good going so far. I'm interested to see if you've kept in mind who you'll use in these positions and if they're suited to the roles.

 

[trickydicky17]

Just a quick update as I haven't posted all day. (Currently on iPhone)

I started, after reading the PDF, with what the game called a 4-2-4Wide.. I Hadith the players roles and duties in my previous post, I decided on the role for my wide attacking pair as wingers on support, this -allowed the full backs to still be able to get up and down the pitch and offer the overlap, while the winger can attack the opposing fullback, meanwhile still loll to get other in old in the build up play and still be able to get to the byline to cross the ball!

Mentally, I chose to control the game, I wanted to work the ball into space and build up the play looking for the right opportunities to attack! While I tried to play down the wings too, as a midfield duo can be outnumbered by opponents. Writing that down now and reading it back, it doesn't make sense and it shouldn't work, I want to control the game retain possession and work the ball positions to attack, and you can't do that with a duo and wingers!

The shape I went with was to be flexible I wanted the defensive players to know they have to defend and attackers can attack, if I was more fluid, it could cause players to come out of position and leave greater spaces for opponents to take advantage of! But being more rigid would cause players like Delph who can break from midfield and cause problems in attack, if it was rigid he would stay put and I miss an opportunity to number up in the attack.

And at this point I had very little team instructions selected, I had work the ball, pass shorter and expoit the flanks. I did try to adapt to each game and use there tactics to help me decide on instructions ...
And funnily enough it didn't work, I'd now say I got something very wrong, and I have to find out what, I can't provide images yet, but I didn't win in 10 games using this system and tactics.. So I went back and I know I should build my tactics based from players and there abilities, but I also know I wanted to play a certain way, I wanted, as I said before, control the game, retain possession, work the ball into the box, and realised to do this I need to work through the middle. So I went with a 3 man midfield..
Anchor,(Defend) Deep-Lying Playmaker(Support) & a Advanced Playmaker.(Attack) for me I knew I had the 3 players in mid and I could control the game if I keep passes short. I chose these three roles and duties though, to fill the gaps in midfield. I get it may sound odd or strange, but for me, I looked at it as, ok the ancho sits 5 yards in front of defence.. He fills the gap between mid and defence.. I have the DLP that may work around the centre circle, and the AP works from half way to the final 3rd .. It's like they all cross over into each other's 'area' and number up on opponents, but also fill the gaps so in attack I can work the ball up the pitch! I hope that makes sense?

James Wilson got a bit of a lengthy injury in a recent game and is out for a fair few weeks so that helped me decide that I was going with just Benteke up top. So it left me to decide what to do with the last 2 players, do I use wingers or wide midfielders still, put in that cross for Benteke to attack and Delph to arrive late in the box/edge of the box and trouble the defence? And I don't know why, but I thought to use a Raumdeuter! A player that drifts in and out of the defensive line pulling defenders away creating space or, simple create space for himself! I really gave this a thought and it honestly took me about an hour to decide if i genuinely thought it could work.. But if Benteke is strong and powerful and he's not the slowest, he's not the target man now as the ball is being worked up to him!! But he could easily take advantage of any space created for him! And if the balls knocked into that space he has the power to hold up the play and bring in others. Plus it gives another option in attack, it's just he doesn't pull his weight defensively! So I decide to at least try it. I hadn't won in something like 10 and I'm not 12th but the bored see me as still untouchable, so I really want to give it a try! ..I decided that this player role would be for the Right hand side. this leaves the left side, and what to do. I thought I need someone to run at the defenders, make them panic and take a shot once or twice. Meanwhile, use his teammates and look to pass the ball to bring them to be involved in the attack, which works back to controlling the game and keeping possession. And looking back on what I'd read, what the game tells you about each position, and thought an Inside Forward with Support duties, is as close to what I want as I could get!

While im going on, my defence, as much as you'll probably be shouting at the screen right now with what I'll say. I decided to keep my defence the same, I do believe with not using the offside trap this to me, makes the most logical sense, a guy who stops nearly everything by putting his body on the line, and if anything gets pat you have a guy covering, sweeping up things that get through. So the centre duo are kept the same, and I still use the wingback roles for the 2 wide defenders. I prefer this as it offers better attack options but they put that shift in to get back and defend!! They'll push forward and into the gaps left on the wing by the 2 wide attackers as they move inside! Plus the centre pair have more protection from the midfield now.

i stuck with a controlling game and instructions to short passes, work the ball into the box and anything I think that adds to controlling the game, I do have one question though.

Playing a more controlling game, retaining possession and working the ball through the middle into the box. What are you views on the tempo of play? I get people want to see quick passing football pinging it's way from one player to the next working up the pitch! But you can only do that when your players are capable, is it worth using a little slower tempo, build up play slowly and control the ball, make the opposition run around after it, tiring them out. the pick the right decision at the right time, to score?

I just want to leave a few final comments on my decisions and my team selection, i kept Guzan in goal, and to say we hadn't won in about 10 he did play well, even when conceding 4 or 5 goals in a few games. For me my defence chose itself and a Bacuna too the right Wing back role, currently as Ryan Taylor is injured Kieran Richards is filling in as left Wingback and I have a few options for this position. When Taylor returns, my A.M would put Richards as the DLP, but for now, he can stay Left WB. My 'Stopper' defender is the powerful Micah Richards while Okore is the cover, sweeping up at the back starting the attack as we play from the back. So for an Anchor, I have 3 choices and I roared them in my recent games as having a bush fixture schedule, but over the few games Sanchez gave me a more solid performance and opponents had less chances, whether that was down to Sanchez individually or as a team. So I think in the future Sanchez could be the first choice, another option is Westwood, who has been effective as the DLP! As I said my A.M suggest Richardson but Westwoodd contribution was a lot and linked the play between defence and attack well! Dell was my Advanced Playmaker and that was always going to happen, he thrives there! Obviously Benteke was my main guy up top and that too was a easy decision, I would like to see what happens when Wilson comes back and how it effects the way the team plays, a more advanced attacker may bring different options up there but, may cause an imbalance, so we'll have to see when he returns. You'll probably think Sinclair and Agbonlahor would fill the final 2 positions but they are both currently competing for the inside forward role, they are rotating currently and both succeeding as the inside forward! And it will be hard to choose which one will be the number one pick, but if they're both happy with it, I'll keep rotating as changing them doesn't effect the way the team plays as they're very similar.. I have started training them as an inside forward to help adapt there game to be even more successful as a IF, Same with the Raumdeuter! The player I have playing here is currently on a training program to train as a Raumdeuter and this will hope to help his game and help his development. The player I have had the most success from in this position is the young Jack Grealish!! He is having a great affect on games, causing defences problems and creating space consistently.. His link up play with the 3 midfielders and Benteke is great to watch! And it looks like I may have found a gem for such a unique position!!

After my run of appalling results, I just had to change, and instantly the numbers game in midfield help control the game, and Grealsih and Sinclair/Agbonlahor just cause trouble for defences. I wasn't just winning games, I had. Greater possession overall and the number of chances just shot up! See what I did there? SHOT up? Haha funny me! .. But seriously with this way I'm now playing, I've had a good run of results! And I'm slowly climbing back up the league table, before I came to bed, I won the Saturday early fixture which out me 7th I'll probably drop back to 11th but as it stands with my good results, I'm climbing the table again! I will admit, since I started getting good results, I haven't played a really 'big' team'. I have beat teams below and around me, but not one of the teams in the top 6 in the league! I'm due to play one soon I think, and I'm excited to see how I play against them! If i can create that space and if Grealish can stand out when playing 'better' defenders and bigger teams?

** I apologise for such a long lost. I am currently on my iPhone and could only get out the information I remember, I was going to do individual post about specific topics but being in bed and just wanted to get this up I out it all together. I hope it's a good read and useful for someone else to be able to take something from it!

Thanks for your time while reading my posts! And any comments and suggestions/opinions are more than welcome to help me develop my team & my own ability to play the game!
Again,
Thanks

 

[trickydicky17]

You still seem undecided on the wide midfielders, but it is a decent start. The roles and duties you have settled on seem balanced, but you have important decisions regarding duties to make on the flanks. It's a matter of deciding Mentality and Shape and then seeing if the players are doing what you expected them to do. Good going so far. I'm interested to see if you've kept in mind who you'll use in these positions and if they're suited to the roles.

I hope my latest post I just submitted (after taking 2 hours to write when I just wanted to post a quick message!), answers a few of your queries and I hope that I have you convinced that I know what I am doing?! Would still love to hear your opinions though and if any advice, it would be more than welcome!

 

[WJ]

I hope my latest post I just submitted (after taking 2 hours to write when I just wanted to post a quick message!), answers a few of your queries and I hope that I have you convinced that I know what I am doing?! Would still love to hear your opinions though and if any advice, it would be more than welcome!

You don't have to convince me of anything.

You said you've never been good at creating your own tactics. You've put thought into the previous posts and what you want to create. That alone will help you so much already. I'll work through your post and post my thoughts. I'll ask questions too, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I think it's wrong. I like to know the thinking behind decisions, so it's more discussion than anything else.

 

[WJ]

I'm just posting thoughts as I read each paragraph, so you might cover my thoughts/concerns/questions later. Just a warning.

I started, after reading the PDF, with what the game called a 4-2-4Wide.. I Hadith the players roles and duties in my previous post, I decided on the role for my wide attacking pair as wingers on support, this -allowed the full backs to still be able to get up and down the pitch and offer the overlap, while the winger can attack the opposing fullback, meanwhile still loll to get other in old in the build up play and still be able to get to the byline to cross the ball!

Woah! A 4-2-4 is an attacking formation, as I'm sure you know. I won't criticise your choice, but you have to be aware that it's a risky setup.

Mentally, I chose to control the game, I wanted to work the ball into space and build up the play looking for the right opportunities to attack! While I tried to play down the wings too, as a midfield duo can be outnumbered by opponents. Writing that down now and reading it back, it doesn't make sense and it shouldn't work, I want to control the game retain possession and work the ball positions to attack, and you can't do that with a duo and wingers!

I think Control is misunderstood as a mentality. It's not as patient as the name may suggest. It's a higher mentality than Standard and below Attacking, so it's a fairly attacking mentality. Being patient and not taking too many risks in passing requires a lower mentality. Think of mentality as a RISK modifier.

I like using Fullbacks/Wingbacks as an example. Imagine you have a FB/A (or WB/A). That Attack duty will tell him to get forward often. He'll do that in all the mentalities. The big difference is that he'll weigh up the risk/reward factors differently. On a Defensive mentality, he'll make those forward runs when it's very safe to do so, like when you have possession close to their final third. On an Attacking mentality, he'll pretty much bomb forward as soon as you win possession. There are advantages and disadvantages in both scenarios.

The same applies to decision making in tackles, dribbling, shots, passing etc.

The shape I went with was to be flexible I wanted the defensive players to know they have to defend and attackers can attack, if I was more fluid, it could cause players to come out of position and leave greater spaces for opponents to take advantage of! But being more rigid would cause players like Delph who can break from midfield and cause problems in attack, if it was rigid he would stay put and I miss an opportunity to number up in the attack.

Shape is another point of contention. You set the shape through roles and duties. There are slight differences in the mentality structure for the positions, but it doesn't make a huge difference and I largely ignore it. What it also does, is give or restrict the freedom to players to do something outside of their instructions. If you give players specific roles/instructions and expect them to stick to it at all/most times, then you need a more rigid setting. If you want players to have freedom to make their own decisions at times, then pick a more fluid approach.

I tend to stick to Flexible. It places the focus (mentality structure) on duties and you have an average amount of creative freedom.

And at this point I had very little team instructions selected, I had work the ball, pass shorter and expoit the flanks. I did try to adapt to each game and use there tactics to help me decide on instructions ...
And funnily enough it didn't work, I'd now say I got something very wrong, and I have to find out what, I can't provide images yet, but I didn't win in 10 games using this system and tactics.. So I went back and I know I should build my tactics based from players and there abilities, but I also know I wanted to play a certain way, I wanted, as I said before, control the game, retain possession, work the ball into the box, and realised to do this I need to work through the middle. So I went with a 3 man midfield..
Anchor,(Defend) Deep-Lying Playmaker(Support) & a Advanced Playmaker.(Attack) for me I knew I had the 3 players in mid and I could control the game if I keep passes short. I chose these three roles and duties though, to fill the gaps in midfield. I get it may sound odd or strange, but for me, I looked at it as, ok the ancho sits 5 yards in front of defence.. He fills the gap between mid and defence.. I have the DLP that may work around the centre circle, and the AP works from half way to the final 3rd .. It's like they all cross over into each other's 'area' and number up on opponents, but also fill the gaps so in attack I can work the ball up the pitch! I hope that makes sense?

I wouldn't have selected any TIs here. Passing shorter when you have such a spread out formation may not have been the best idea as it restricts passing options. Defensively you probably would have had issues. It's a 4-2-4, so the front 4 won't help out too much, especially not on a fairly attacking mentality.

The central 3 makes sense, yes. For me, there are 3 points of interest with this:

1 - Defensively, you'll be reserved. The Anchor Man will hold position and playmakers aren't known for their closing down and crunching tackles. So it's more of a get into position and keep shape deal. Not an issue, just an observation.

2 - You'd have to keep an eye on your two playmakers to see that they don't get in each other's way. Playmakers tend to be drawn towards to ball. If these two both get drawn to the ball at the same time, you have one passing option less. You might be fine though; just keep an eye on it.

3 - The midfield 3 are also quite reserved on the attacking (getting forward) front. Not an issue, but (assuming you have 3 top) at least 2 roles up front need to be aggressive, goal scoring roles. Players who will be a constant threat with runs into the box for your playmakers to feed them. 1 of the 3 can drop deep and be the link man and/or pull defenders out of position.

James Wilson got a bit of a lengthy injury in a recent game and is out for a fair few weeks so that helped me decide that I was going with just Benteke up top. So it left me to decide what to do with the last 2 players, do I use wingers or wide midfielders still, put in that cross for Benteke to attack and Delph to arrive late in the box/edge of the box and trouble the defence? And I don't know why, but I thought to use a Raumdeuter! A player that drifts in and out of the defensive line pulling defenders away creating space or, simple create space for himself! I really gave this a thought and it honestly took me about an hour to decide if i genuinely thought it could work.. But if Benteke is strong and powerful and he's not the slowest, he's not the target man now as the ball is being worked up to him!! But he could easily take advantage of any space created for him! And if the balls knocked into that space he has the power to hold up the play and bring in others. Plus it gives another option in attack, it's just he doesn't pull his weight defensively! So I decide to at least try it. I hadn't won in something like 10 and I'm not 12th but the bored see me as still untouchable, so I really want to give it a try! ..I decided that this player role would be for the Right hand side. this leaves the left side, and what to do. I thought I need someone to run at the defenders, make them panic and take a shot once or twice. Meanwhile, use his teammates and look to pass the ball to bring them to be involved in the attack, which works back to controlling the game and keeping possession. And looking back on what I'd read, what the game tells you about each position, and thought an Inside Forward with Support duties, is as close to what I want as I could get!

I see you did what I though you should. It's not clear what role Benteke will have, but it's in line with my thoughts above. Again, you put thought into it and that helps.

While im going on, my defence, as much as you'll probably be shouting at the screen right now with what I'll say. I decided to keep my defence the same, I do believe with not using the offside trap this to me, makes the most logical sense, a guy who stops nearly everything by putting his body on the line, and if anything gets pat you have a guy covering, sweeping up things that get through. So the centre duo are kept the same, and I still use the wingback roles for the 2 wide defenders. I prefer this as it offers better attack options but they put that shift in to get back and defend!! They'll push forward and into the gaps left on the wing by the 2 wide attackers as they move inside! Plus the centre pair have more protection from the midfield now.

Not a huge issue here, imo. You have an Anchor Man back to help and a DLP/S who should be able to help out quickly too.

i stuck with a controlling game and instructions to short passes, work the ball into the box and anything I think that adds to controlling the game, I do have one question though.

Playing a more controlling game, retaining possession and working the ball through the middle into the box. What are you views on the tempo of play? I get people want to see quick passing football pinging it's way from one player to the next working up the pitch! But you can only do that when your players are capable, is it worth using a little slower tempo, build up play slowly and control the ball, make the opposition run around after it, tiring them out. the pick the right decision at the right time, to score?

Do you mean you have Retain Possession selected as well? I hate that shout. It lowers tempo and restricts passing into space, so your players will try to pass to feet all the time.

Tempo, by default, on Control is between midway and high. Whether you lower it or raise it will depend on how your tactic plays. If your players have passing options available immediately, you can probably afford to raise the tempo. If not, a lower tempo would be great, so players can assess their options more and wait for players to get open. Of course, it also depends on the opposition. If you choose a much lower than default tempo, to keep possession, the opposition will also have more time to tackle your players in possession.

Lower tempo is 'best' for making calm decisions, but too low can harm your possession and allow defenders to have time to get into position and block shots. Higher tempo needs better mental attributes and can be absolutely devastating too though.

Personally, I leave tempo on default and change it on a match to match basis, if I find I need to.

I just want to leave a few final comments on my decisions and my team selection, i kept Guzan in goal, and to say we hadn't won in about 10 he did play well, even when conceding 4 or 5 goals in a few games. For me my defence chose itself and a Bacuna too the right Wing back role, currently as Ryan Taylor is injured Kieran Richards is filling in as left Wingback and I have a few options for this position. When Taylor returns, my A.M would put Richards as the DLP, but for now, he can stay Left WB. My 'Stopper' defender is the powerful Micah Richards while Okore is the cover, sweeping up at the back starting the attack as we play from the back. So for an Anchor, I have 3 choices and I roared them in my recent games as having a bush fixture schedule, but over the few games Sanchez gave me a more solid performance and opponents had less chances, whether that was down to Sanchez individually or as a team. So I think in the future Sanchez could be the first choice, another option is Westwood, who has been effective as the DLP! As I said my A.M suggest Richardson but Westwoodd contribution was a lot and linked the play between defence and attack well! Dell was my Advanced Playmaker and that was always going to happen, he thrives there! Obviously Benteke was my main guy up top and that too was a easy decision, I would like to see what happens when Wilson comes back and how it effects the way the team plays, a more advanced attacker may bring different options up there but, may cause an imbalance, so we'll have to see when he returns. You'll probably think Sinclair and Agbonlahor would fill the final 2 positions but they are both currently competing for the inside forward role, they are rotating currently and both succeeding as the inside forward! And it will be hard to choose which one will be the number one pick, but if they're both happy with it, I'll keep rotating as changing them doesn't effect the way the team plays as they're very similar.. I have started training them as an inside forward to help adapt there game to be even more successful as a IF, Same with the Raumdeuter! The player I have playing here is currently on a training program to train as a Raumdeuter and this will hope to help his game and help his development. The player I have had the most success from in this position is the young Jack Grealish!! He is having a great affect on games, causing defences problems and creating space consistently.. His link up play with the 3 midfielders and Benteke is great to watch! And it looks like I may have found a gem for such a unique position!!

After my run of appalling results, I just had to change, and instantly the numbers game in midfield help control the game, and Grealsih and Sinclair/Agbonlahor just cause trouble for defences. I wasn't just winning games, I had. Greater possession overall and the number of chances just shot up! See what I did there? SHOT up? Haha funny me! .. But seriously with this way I'm now playing, I've had a good run of results! And I'm slowly climbing back up the league table, before I came to bed, I won the Saturday early fixture which out me 7th I'll probably drop back to 11th but as it stands with my good results, I'm climbing the table again! I will admit, since I started getting good results, I haven't played a really 'big' team'. I have beat teams below and around me, but not one of the teams in the top 6 in the league! I'm due to play one soon I think, and I'm excited to see how I play against them! If i can create that space and if Grealish can stand out when playing 'better' defenders and bigger teams?

** I apologise for such a long lost. I am currently on my iPhone and could only get out the information I remember, I was going to do individual post about specific topics but being in bed and just wanted to get this up I out it all together. I hope it's a good read and useful for someone else to be able to take something from it!

Thanks for your time while reading my posts! And any comments and suggestions/opinions are more than welcome to help me develop my team & my own ability to play the game!
Again,
Thanks

I don't have any thoughts on team selection, but I do like the thought you put into your decisions. You'll find that once this initial setup is done, it's much easier from here on. You'll still need to make the odd decision here and there, but the 'hard work' is done now.

 

[Conflictinbanno]

It sounds like the change of formation benefits your style of play much more. A 4-2-4 is a very high risk gung ho formation. I'd probably only ever consider this if I wanted to play a direct style of play and all my defenders were going to sit back. This is just an idea to cover myself. (I've never tried it however)

I would be interested to see how a DLP and AP work in CM together, I found when I ever used this, the players did as WJ said get in each others way at times. If it works for you however I wouldn't change it! I wouldn't be too disheartened if you lose to a top 6 side however, maybe just watch the game closely to see your formation still works against a side considered much better than yourself. That way you get an idea of when to change your tactics, you may see that against a top 6 side you need a different approach to the game, which isn't always a bad thing.

 

[trickydicky17]

It sounds like the change of formation benefits your style of play much more. A 4-2-4 is a very high risk gung ho formation. I'd probably only ever consider this if I wanted to play a direct style of play and all my defenders were going to sit back. This is just an idea to cover myself. (I've never tried it however)

I would be interested to see how a DLP and AP work in CM together, I found when I ever used this, the players did as WJ said get in each others way at times. If it works for you however I wouldn't change it! I wouldn't be too disheartened if you lose to a top 6 side however, maybe just watch the game closely to see your formation still works against a side considered much better than yourself. That way you get an idea of when to change your tactics, you may see that against a top 6 side you need a different approach to the game, which isn't always a bad thing.

The change in formation massively helped. my team became more balanced and the cohesion between the whole squad was visible in each game. i Thought the 4-2-4 was more of a 4-2-2-4 but i know for the future that if i "want" to play that way, ill need some top quality players to make it work!

Personally i haven't noticed that the DLP & AP have gotten in each others way, maybe because I'm producing good results I'm not noticing it and will if/when things don't go my way, but i will keep a close eye on that but in the last 5 games, the 3 players I've used for the roles had what i think to be decent ratings, apart from one game where Sanchez got a 7.1 rating the rest were no less that 7.4 with Fabian Delph having two 8.4's and a 9.2 from his 5 last games. He seems to be thriving in this position. and again, i have to mention Jack Grealish playing as a Raumdeuter! his last 5 game ratings were 9.0, 7.1, 8.3, 7.6, 7.1. he is just playing incredible.

As i expected i came unstuck against an Arsenal team that is top of the league. I lost 2-1 with Giroud scoring in the 89th minute :'( GUTTED but with...

• 58% possesion
• 20 Shots to their 13
• 8 on target to their 3
• 377/500 passes to there 280/376 - So i completed more passes than they attempted. but a pass % of only 75% is not good enough!!
• 82% tackles won

So stats wise for that game, i don't know what you think but for an Arsenal team that is top of the league, i think i held my own against them!


Team Instruction

So for team instruction, i have gradually built up to 6 instruction, that i set as a 'standard' TI. Players themselves have a few individual instructions here and there, but they're just to keep it simple. But the TI's are

• Retain Possesion
• Shorter Passes
• Pass into Space
• Play out of Defence
• Exploit the middle
• Close down more

I selected the close down more instruction as my players seem to 'wait' for the attackers to come at them and they gave them that bit of space. This can't be allowed and we needed to press so i found selecting close down more had the most success. Quickly my players pressed the ball and pushed the attackers backwards or to cause mistakes.


Mentality and Shape

Mentality - I currently have this set as

• Control - I have this selected as it claims to use it when you believe you are the stronger team, but are wary of you opponents counter-attack. Ok this doesn't match the abilities of my squad but i have selected it for other reasons. Control aims to move the ball around the pitch and to patiently probe the final 1/3 to find space as and when it opens up. Reading this, i believe this is how i want to play at the moment. Patient build up and picking the right time to attack. Fullbacks may overlap and Midfielders may push forward but when control is selected, the players will only generally do this when it is relatively risk free. They will usually sit backhand help the midfield retain possession until chances open up. Again, from reading this i believe this suits my "thinking" towards the team, how i want my Aston Villa​ team to play like, at least till i have a few higher quality players where i can be a bit more 'expressive' in the play.
• I will swap over to the standard mentality, and see where that takes me, for now. I can be more controlling over how the team plays during each individual match and can make it more specific to each circumstance.

Shape - i have selected

• Fluid - I can't seem to to figure out how to word why i selected this. so i hope this makes sense. I chose this because the team splits into broad units, attacking and defending units. It makes the more creative players responsible for the attacking phase and the more defensive disciplined player responsible for the defending phase. However players from each unit can move into the transitional phase when the opportunity arrises! The team are expected to play more flowing football and players are allowed more creative freedom. ​So when looking at this when I've written it out, I'm trying to see where my team matches up with this shape, i know looking at the Flexible ​team shape, that is a more balanced option and i believe with the way my midfield is set up, Flexible would benefit my tactics more.

These are the choices I've built up to after changing my tactic to a "4-2-3-1DM Wide" I've gradually built up the TI's and the other decisions over a run of games,and if any started affecting the way i played negatively, i removed or replaced with a different option. With This final selection i picked. I'm having a good run of results! Lets see how far i can take this!!

**Sorry i cannot provide any pictures!! My print screen just won't seem to work anymore, i don't know whats up with my mac but it just won't work, not just on FM but at all!

 

[yiliang99]

did you try alt+ f9? the screenshot will then be in the fm 2015 screenshot folder

 

[WJ]

I've already provided my opinions on TIs, mentality and team shape. Control is not the 'risk-free' mentality you're looking for.

 

[trickydicky17]

did you try alt+ f9? the screenshot will then be in the fm 2015 screenshot folder

I have, nothing seems to want to work, I'll restart the whole system later and hopefully it will start working, it's odd that nothing seems to be working, frustrating actually

 

[trickydicky17]

I've already provided my opinions on TIs, mentality and team shape. Control is not the 'risk-free' mentality you're looking for.

I swapped Control for the standard option, and I've won the couple of games I used it on, I guess the real test will be when I start struggling for form, that's when I'll see how balanced my team is? And how effective it is

 

[WJ]

I swapped Control for the standard option, and I've won the couple of games I used it on, I guess the real test will be when I start struggling for form, that's when I'll see how balanced my team is? And how effective it is

Form or no form, what matters is that you have a balanced tactic. Your players need passing options. They need to be in space. They need to either sit back and be compact, push up and press or something in between. You need movement between the lines. All basic stuff. Form won't change that.

 

[trickydicky17]

Form or no form, what matters is that you have a balanced tactic. Your players need passing options. They need to be in space. They need to either sit back and be compact, push up and press or something in between. You need movement between the lines. All basic stuff. Form won't change that.

In my opinion, i feel my team is balanced now. Its not perfect. but it seems to be balanced. Some people, such as Guzan, Richards, Delph and Grealish are thriving in this system and game after game putting it performances that are above and beyond expectation. They do give each other passing options, they move for each other. Your 'worry' from previous posts, about the DLP and the AP getting in each others way, that doesn't happen. The move and create space for one another. Grealish doesn't just pull defenders out of line and create space for Benteke, he is causing trouble for the midfield too! and The trio in midfield seem to be all in sync!! they constantly move for each other, create space, provide options. They are all in sync! and i feel a little daft as its a game, but it truly looks like they are all in sync. The seem to know where each other are at all times.

Form - You say "Form won't change that". Now i think i understand what you mean by that. That it doesn't matter whether they are playing well or not, they need to do the basic things. But can form not affect that anyway? this is just an enquiry, I'm not questioning your comment. If they play well, get results. Their morale improves, then doesn't that have a positive effect on their performance. which makes them give that extra 10% in a game, moving into space, giving extra options to team mates, where if their morale was poor, their decisions won't be as good. they may rush and panic causing their performance to drop? So what I'm really saying is, shouldn't good form help to increase the balance of the team, where as bad form will cause them little extra issues, unbalancing your team that little bit more?

** ok so i don't really know what is going on with my stupid mac! I'd chuck it out the window if i wasn't so addicted to FM at the moment!! lol but here are some of my latest results and what tactic i played.

Old - Is the 4-2-4 formation that just failed miserably.

New - Is the new formation that i play with, with the build up of TI's choices and such.

Formation	Opposition	W/D/L	F	A	Comp
Old	Everton	L	0	3	BPL
Old	Sunderland	L	1	2	BPL
Old	Man Utd	L	0	4	BPL
Old	Stoke City	L	1	4	BPL
Old	Man City	L	1	3	CC
Old	WBA	L	1	3	BPL
Old	Norwich	D	0	0	BPL
Old	Tottenham	L	0	1	BPL
Old	Watford	L	0	3	BPL
Old	Brighton & H.A	W	2	1	FA C
Old	West Ham	L	1	4	BPL
New	Arsenal	D	1	1	BPL
New	Wigan	W	3	0	FA C
New	Newcastle Utd	W	3	2	BPL
New	Liverpool	W	4	3	BPL
New	Crystal Palace	W	5	1	BPL
New	Man City	D	0	0	BPL
New	QPR	L	0	1	FA
New	Chelsea	L	2	3	BPL
New	Man Utd	W	3	2	BPL
New	Southampton	W	4	1	BPL

This morning i had a bit of a bad run, but seemed to pull it back after the MUFC game and won again against southampton..i have about 8-10 games left in the seasons so ill put a little review up then if there isn't any queries people want answering.

 

[WJ]

Form - You say "Form won't change that". Now i think i understand what you mean by that. That it doesn't matter whether they are playing well or not, they need to do the basic things. But can form not affect that anyway? this is just an enquiry, I'm not questioning your comment. If they play well, get results. Their morale improves, then doesn't that have a positive effect on their performance. which makes them give that extra 10% in a game, moving into space, giving extra options to team mates, where if their morale was poor, their decisions won't be as good. they may rush and panic causing their performance to drop? So what I'm really saying is, shouldn't good form help to increase the balance of the team, where as bad form will cause them little extra issues, unbalancing your team that little bit more?

Form is difficult to quantify. Low morale players won't be very confident, so they'll make mistakes when passing or shooting etc. On the other end of the scale, complacent players can do the same.

The difference is, you'll see the odd misplaced pass or sitter being missed. That doesn't have anything to do with your tactic. Players being in the position they should be, is because of your tactic. The ball carrier having passing options, is your tactic. Creating different sorts of chances - also your tactic.

Confidence/motivational issues you can work on outside of your tactic, but the basics of movement and where players position themselves, is all tactical. At least, it is in the game. That's what I mean by balanced.