Frustrated with La Liga

[engsoccerfan]

Alright, I'm in my third year with Liverpool.

Came in third, tied on points with United and lost to Arsenal by 2 points in my first year. Won the Prem the second year, but got battered by Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16. This season I was undefeated for 54 games in the Premier League before losing to Arsenal.

I was honestly looking to get the Quadruple, considering I had only lost 1 game through the season in all competitions. However, I just got whooped 4-2 at Anfield by Barca. I played good counter-attacking football, and I seemed to have far more quality chances; however, they sliced my defense open numerous times and managed to score 80% of the time. My defense has been very good, I let in ~13 goals throughout 33 games in the Prem, dunno how they made my defense look like amateurs. Now, I'm down 4-2 to Barca, going to Camp Nou. Any ideas?

My squad is as follows:
Javier Pastore
Sebastian Corchia
Steve Gerrard
Lucas Leiva
Raul Meireles
Lucas (Marcelinho)
Neymar
Danny Wilson
Daniel Agger
Emiliano Insua
Mehdi Carcela
Ryan Babel
Junior Stanislas
Khouma Babacar
Christian Benitez
Fernando Torres
Pepe Reina
Glen Johnson

I've been playing a 4-5-1, direct with semi-quick tempo and a counter attacking mentality. Lucas plays as a Ball Winning CM, Gerrard/Meireles split time as Deep Lying Playmakers. Pastore is the AMC as an attacking advanced playmaker, and two wingers. Any idea on what I could be doing differently? I really want to overturn this deficit and I don't want to continue from my old save; but I may just to tinker a little.

 

[Steve*]

Ok mate try tidy up your op a bit as it looks a mess....

If needed use paragraphs or bullet points.

My advice is change your tactic to a fluid 442 attacking tactic,direct passing with torres and neymar upfront... Its always been sucessful tactic for me.Try it out and change your player shouts

 

[engsoccerfan]

Ok mate try tidy up your op a bit as it looks a mess....

If needed use paragraphs or bullet points.

My advice is change your tactic to a fluid 442 attacking tactic,direct passing with torres and neymar upfront... Its always been sucessful tactic for me.Try it out and change your player shouts

Alright, I may give that a shot, any particulars on the Midfield roles?


Edit - and is the OP better? Marginally?

 

[Aquaplex]

Can you be just as successful with a 4-4-2 as with the 4-4-2 where you have the wingers in the AMR/L positions aka 4-2-4 as the game calls it. I'm just curious if you go 4-2-4 if you give up defensive stability.

 

[mantpro]

Either you suck as a manager or you're so unlucky, besides, im first at the EPL in the first season with Sunderland and there are like 15 matches left ..

 

[Aquaplex]

Either you suck as a manager or you're so unlucky, besides, im first at the EPL in the first season with Sunderland and there are like 15 matches left ..

Not everyone can be an FM stud.

 

[engsoccerfan]

Can you be just as successful with a 4-4-2 as with the 4-4-2 where you have the wingers in the AMR/L positions aka 4-2-4 as the game calls it. I'm just curious if you go 4-2-4 if you give up defensive stability.

I don't believe so, as long as you use CMs with decent defensive stats. For example, although Poulsen did the dirty work, Meireles was very reliable in dispossessing as well. I think it depends more on the versatility of one of the CMs to play the attack well and defend alright. You may give up a little more on Poulsen's ability to defend by having him as a CM Ball Winner and not an Anchor, but I think you gain by having a nice core of CMs that can pass to each other reliably while looking for openings for attack.

@Mantpro: Teach me your ways, master.

Edit:

I have perhaps engineered the greatest comeback at Camp Nou. Like I said, I was down 4-2 and headed to Camp Nou. I tweaked my tactics a bit, decided to play quicker and put in Babel to help with the physicality of play. Also told my boys to go in hard. Anyways, I went up 2-0 at half time. So it was 4-4 with Barca on aggregate. Babel scored in the final minute of injury time to give us the win 5-3. This is perhaps the greatest feeling I have ever felt, apart from feeling the touch of a soft tender woman.

 

[Hernanes]

I came back against Barça in the Camp Nou with my Atletico Madrid team. I was turned down in the first halftime with 3-0 at the end it was 3-3. I couldn't believe my eyes