WJ
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- Apr 3, 2014
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Okay, so after a rather heated discussion, I thought I’d put my money where my mouth is.
THE ISSUE
I encountered one user, who insisted on only 1 way of playing the game. That that was the only “right” way and that you’d get punished by the coding/ME otherwise by (for example) having injuries and cards dealt to the players in “wrong” roles.
I’m in the opposite camp. You can make almost anything work and work well. My current tactic in my only save goes against a lot of what the guide recommends. Still, I’m 52 games unbeaten. My team has conceded the 2nd fewest cards in the league and I only have 2 injuries at the moment. It usually ranges between 0 and 2 or 3. The ME forgot to punish me OR maybe I wasn’t going against the coding enough? It was also suggested that a pressing game won’t work unless I have Very Fluid selected.
----
SETTING UP
I started a new game. It’s on FMC, so I don’t have issues with tactical familiarity. I haven’t used a current Premier League team in a while, but I selected Chelsea.
Now, I went the opposite of the advice I kept being given (to select Very Fluid) and I went Highly Structured. I selected a 4-1-4-1 formation, because that’s what I want/prefer to use to press the opposition.
I tried to do the opposite (or at least different) to what was suggested in the guide.
Position / Recommendation / My choice
GK / Defend / SWK/A
DR / Defend / FB/A
DC / Defend / CD/D
DC / Defend / CD/D
DL / Defend / WB/S
DM / Defend / RGA/S
MR / Support / WM/A
MCR / Support / CM/D
MCL / Support / CM/A
ML / Support / WP/A (I would have gone support, but needed to be different)
ST / Attack / CF/S
Now, firstly, with a back 5 on defend, not much will happen on an attacking front. With a midfield 4 on support, nobody will be providing any penetration. It’s just up to the striker on his on against the backline.
I didn’t give the roles too much thought and I’d need to tweak and add TIs to really perfect it, but it’ll do for the experiment.
TIs: Close Down Much More / Push Higher Up / Stay on Feet / Offside Trap / Prevent Short GK Distribution.
Basically, just chosen to prove that I can press with a Highly Structured tactic.
View attachment 263836
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WHAT HAPPENED?
I had an easy opening to the season. I just used Instant Result for the opening matches. It got me:
W 5-0 [H] QPR
W 2-0 [A] Leicester City
W 3-0 [H] Hull City
W 2-1 [A] Stoke
L 1-2 [A] Sparta Prague
Then, the big one. Man Utd and Stamford Bridge. I thought I’d watch this one to see the tactic in action.
View attachment 263842
Chelsea v Man Utd (Highly Structured v1)
At 13:00, with the score still 0-0, I changed my DR to WB/A and my DL to WB/A as the double pivot in the middle was quite cautious already. It afforded me to be more attacking down the wings, especially considering United’s shape.
I’d love to take credit for the opening goal, but it was from a set-piece. From here I switched to Key Highlights.
United changed after the goal and aggressively pushed Mata (AMC) up and Rafael at DR. I didn’t change a thing and it cost me a goal. A cross from Rafael to Mata at the near post. After this, I went back to WB/S for my DL.
At 60:00, Oscar was tired and on a yellow, so I brought Hazard into CM/A and brought Willian on at ML (WP/S). I also subbed a tired Costa (CF/S) for Drogba (TM/S).
No luck as the match finished 1-1. United had 60% possession which surprised me. They outnumbered me in midfield, so that’s probably why. We had 19 shots, 12 on target (IIRC) compared to their 12 shots, 3 on target. We had 2 CCCs compared to their 1.
Chelsea v Man Utd (Very Fluid v1)
I reloaded the Autosave and used instant Result again on the Sparta Prague game. This time I won 3-0. On to United.
I decided to switch to Very Fluid. The match played out much the same. Our pressing looked the same. Shape when attacking, pretty much the same although the regista (DM) got forward slightly more. We scored first and in open play. They switched again to an attacking AM and DR. 1-1. This time though, we scored from a long throw, to win the match 2-1.
The match stats look worse though. We had 41% possession (1% more) but only managed 11 shots with only 5 on target, compared to United’s 17 shots and 11 on target. We managed to create 2 CCCs, but also conced 2.
Chelsea v Man Utd (Highly Structured v2)
I decided to go back to my Highly Structured tactic and match vs United. In a Highly Structured setup, Creative Freedom is at a minimum. It asks players to stick to their role, pretty much all the time. I needed more creativity as I’ve selected too many generic roles.
I went for 2x WP/A players on the wing and a CWB/A (instead of FB/A) at DR. I also changed the DM to a RPM/S to be more attacking from deep. All still very much against the guide.
View attachment 263841
This time we won 3-0. We had 49% possession and 26 shots with a poor 11 on target compared to United’s 11 and 5 SoT. We created 2 CCCs and United 0. The pressing still looked the same, but the increased possession was as a result of better support play because of my role changes. The RPM at DM did much better and was so much more aggressive with his movement. The WP/As on the wing also help as they started from deeper and made later runs forward. The playmaker focus also helped pick them out, although a TI could do that for me as well, but the increased creativity helped too.
Chelsea v Man Utd (Very Fluid v2)
Changing to Very Fluid proved little. It ended 4-1 with us 24 (11 SoT) shots vs 6 (3 SoT) shots. We had 47% possession. I don’t even think the fluidity played any part in it as a whole. My role changes were the key thing here.
WHAT DID I LEARN?
There wasn't much, if any, difference in pressing here. United outnumbered my midfield, so always had a man open. I was able to win it on occasions when the ball hadn't reached the midfield yet, but this happened using both fluidities.
Fluidity didn't make much of an impact at all. Not nearly as much as my role and duty selections. Looking at the bigger picture, I'm sure there will be marginal differences though.
WHAT IF?
That brings me to the final point. What if I’d stuck to the guide?
I changed all the duties to those recommended:
View attachment 263843
I saw the striker being completely un-involved in build-up play. He did score though.
I saw the midfield utterly static, standing in a row of 4 with the DM just behind. No pulling defenders/midfielders out of position. No triangles for passing.
I saw the defence contribute absolutely nothing offensively and them being deep and flat-footed.
Hazard was the only one looking dangerous and that’s only because of his PPMs. It finished a pathetic 0-0. 14 shots, 2 SoT vs 16 shots, 2 SoT. 45% possession, but it was mostly crappy short passes between our back 5.
I’d created a horrible tactic. Thanks guide.
THE ISSUE
I encountered one user, who insisted on only 1 way of playing the game. That that was the only “right” way and that you’d get punished by the coding/ME otherwise by (for example) having injuries and cards dealt to the players in “wrong” roles.
I’m in the opposite camp. You can make almost anything work and work well. My current tactic in my only save goes against a lot of what the guide recommends. Still, I’m 52 games unbeaten. My team has conceded the 2nd fewest cards in the league and I only have 2 injuries at the moment. It usually ranges between 0 and 2 or 3. The ME forgot to punish me OR maybe I wasn’t going against the coding enough? It was also suggested that a pressing game won’t work unless I have Very Fluid selected.
----
SETTING UP
I started a new game. It’s on FMC, so I don’t have issues with tactical familiarity. I haven’t used a current Premier League team in a while, but I selected Chelsea.
Now, I went the opposite of the advice I kept being given (to select Very Fluid) and I went Highly Structured. I selected a 4-1-4-1 formation, because that’s what I want/prefer to use to press the opposition.
I tried to do the opposite (or at least different) to what was suggested in the guide.
Position / Recommendation / My choice
GK / Defend / SWK/A
DR / Defend / FB/A
DC / Defend / CD/D
DC / Defend / CD/D
DL / Defend / WB/S
DM / Defend / RGA/S
MR / Support / WM/A
MCR / Support / CM/D
MCL / Support / CM/A
ML / Support / WP/A (I would have gone support, but needed to be different)
ST / Attack / CF/S
Now, firstly, with a back 5 on defend, not much will happen on an attacking front. With a midfield 4 on support, nobody will be providing any penetration. It’s just up to the striker on his on against the backline.
I didn’t give the roles too much thought and I’d need to tweak and add TIs to really perfect it, but it’ll do for the experiment.
TIs: Close Down Much More / Push Higher Up / Stay on Feet / Offside Trap / Prevent Short GK Distribution.
Basically, just chosen to prove that I can press with a Highly Structured tactic.
View attachment 263836
------
WHAT HAPPENED?
I had an easy opening to the season. I just used Instant Result for the opening matches. It got me:
W 5-0 [H] QPR
W 2-0 [A] Leicester City
W 3-0 [H] Hull City
W 2-1 [A] Stoke
L 1-2 [A] Sparta Prague
Then, the big one. Man Utd and Stamford Bridge. I thought I’d watch this one to see the tactic in action.
View attachment 263842
Chelsea v Man Utd (Highly Structured v1)
At 13:00, with the score still 0-0, I changed my DR to WB/A and my DL to WB/A as the double pivot in the middle was quite cautious already. It afforded me to be more attacking down the wings, especially considering United’s shape.
I’d love to take credit for the opening goal, but it was from a set-piece. From here I switched to Key Highlights.
United changed after the goal and aggressively pushed Mata (AMC) up and Rafael at DR. I didn’t change a thing and it cost me a goal. A cross from Rafael to Mata at the near post. After this, I went back to WB/S for my DL.
At 60:00, Oscar was tired and on a yellow, so I brought Hazard into CM/A and brought Willian on at ML (WP/S). I also subbed a tired Costa (CF/S) for Drogba (TM/S).
No luck as the match finished 1-1. United had 60% possession which surprised me. They outnumbered me in midfield, so that’s probably why. We had 19 shots, 12 on target (IIRC) compared to their 12 shots, 3 on target. We had 2 CCCs compared to their 1.
Chelsea v Man Utd (Very Fluid v1)
I reloaded the Autosave and used instant Result again on the Sparta Prague game. This time I won 3-0. On to United.
I decided to switch to Very Fluid. The match played out much the same. Our pressing looked the same. Shape when attacking, pretty much the same although the regista (DM) got forward slightly more. We scored first and in open play. They switched again to an attacking AM and DR. 1-1. This time though, we scored from a long throw, to win the match 2-1.
The match stats look worse though. We had 41% possession (1% more) but only managed 11 shots with only 5 on target, compared to United’s 17 shots and 11 on target. We managed to create 2 CCCs, but also conced 2.
Chelsea v Man Utd (Highly Structured v2)
I decided to go back to my Highly Structured tactic and match vs United. In a Highly Structured setup, Creative Freedom is at a minimum. It asks players to stick to their role, pretty much all the time. I needed more creativity as I’ve selected too many generic roles.
I went for 2x WP/A players on the wing and a CWB/A (instead of FB/A) at DR. I also changed the DM to a RPM/S to be more attacking from deep. All still very much against the guide.
View attachment 263841
This time we won 3-0. We had 49% possession and 26 shots with a poor 11 on target compared to United’s 11 and 5 SoT. We created 2 CCCs and United 0. The pressing still looked the same, but the increased possession was as a result of better support play because of my role changes. The RPM at DM did much better and was so much more aggressive with his movement. The WP/As on the wing also help as they started from deeper and made later runs forward. The playmaker focus also helped pick them out, although a TI could do that for me as well, but the increased creativity helped too.
Chelsea v Man Utd (Very Fluid v2)
Changing to Very Fluid proved little. It ended 4-1 with us 24 (11 SoT) shots vs 6 (3 SoT) shots. We had 47% possession. I don’t even think the fluidity played any part in it as a whole. My role changes were the key thing here.
WHAT DID I LEARN?
There wasn't much, if any, difference in pressing here. United outnumbered my midfield, so always had a man open. I was able to win it on occasions when the ball hadn't reached the midfield yet, but this happened using both fluidities.
Fluidity didn't make much of an impact at all. Not nearly as much as my role and duty selections. Looking at the bigger picture, I'm sure there will be marginal differences though.
WHAT IF?
That brings me to the final point. What if I’d stuck to the guide?
I changed all the duties to those recommended:
View attachment 263843
I saw the striker being completely un-involved in build-up play. He did score though.
I saw the midfield utterly static, standing in a row of 4 with the DM just behind. No pulling defenders/midfielders out of position. No triangles for passing.
I saw the defence contribute absolutely nothing offensively and them being deep and flat-footed.
Hazard was the only one looking dangerous and that’s only because of his PPMs. It finished a pathetic 0-0. 14 shots, 2 SoT vs 16 shots, 2 SoT. 45% possession, but it was mostly crappy short passes between our back 5.
I’d created a horrible tactic. Thanks guide.
