Help managing Stoke City

[morro19]

I'm managing Stoke in a network game and I have a couple of issues.

To start with, a bit of background. I'm approaching November 2012 and I'm flying in third. This is entirely down to my defensive tactic. Transfers-wise I strengthened rb and lb with defensive minded players and bought a solid anchor man, I also bought Kweuke as my lone striker in a normal 4-2-2-1. The defensive tactic consists of: back four on defend, one anchor man, two b2b, two support wingers, one complete forward attack, playing direct, defensive, deep and countering. This beat Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle, and got a draw at Old Trafford.

My defensive tactic then, is stellar. On to my issues. Firstly, moral, despite sitting in third, almost all players have 'okay moral'. Not one player has reacted badly to any team-talks, almost always get entirely happy. Team meetings always go well as I say they'll definitely stay up (my objective). However, I am rarely-to-never given press conferences to attend, whist the others in the network game are completing theirs I sit and wait. This must have something to do with it.

Secondly, Despite my performance in the league, when it comes to 50/50 games, or ones I should win, I just can't get a foothold and I cannot score. I play direct football, focused on the wings. going forward, my wingers, b2b midfields and my striker are pretty much my attack... How would you guys go about turning my defensive successes into something more productive in the easier games?

 

[David M Caine]

For games you are favourite in id switch the wingers to attack instead of support and your lone striker to poacher.

 

[morro19]

I do switch the wingers, but wouldn't a lone poacher without an amc find himself isolated?

 

[Scotty98TR]

I also bought Kweuke as my lone striker in a normal 4-2-2-1.

Well to start with, stop playing with 10 men on the field (I presume you meant to put your tactic as 4-2-3-1, not 4-2-2-1? )

 

[David M Caine]

I do switch the wingers, but wouldn't a lone poacher without an amc find himself isolated?

No it means he will stay up front and concentrate on scoring and nothing else, as he is your only striker and therefore your main source of goals its best to let your B2B midfielders and wingers feed him balls and let him concentrate on nothing but scoring.

 

[David M Caine]

Well to start with, stop playing with 10 men on the field (I presume you meant to put your tactic as 4-2-3-1, not 4-2-2-1? )

Think he meant 4-3-2-1

 

[alicwkd]

I'm guessing because you're in 3rd teams are going to play you and sitting back. You're doing the same so it ends in stalemate. That's not to say chuck out your approach completely against smaller teams, but maybe change one of the wingers to a playmaker or encourage the fullbacks on a bit more.

Also having the strategy on defensive is incredibly negative against sides towards the bottom, I would go for standard as this is usually adequate.

 

[baxter51]

Put your fullbacks on support instead if defend

 

[morro19]

Thank you all for your input, to clarify, I play a 4-1-2-2-1 with an anchorman.

At this point, I have made one b2b an attacking play-maker attack. he now supports Kweuke, my striker. I might try him as a poacher or advanced forward... How beneficial would that be? Looking at his stats, (tackling, strength, marking etc are insanely high for a striker) he would seem wasted to me, he's the best player in the league in his role 9 goals in 11 games, scoring nearly every goal we score. 7.8 or so average rating.

On the plus side, I just managed a 3-1 home victory against West Ham, they are played by another player on the network game and turned up defensively in a deep 4-2--3-1. I exploited the wings, as I could see nothing for Kweuke against two cb and two dmc as a lone striker. Etherington & Pennant looked like Ronaldo and Messi and scored the goals between them.

 

[MANUMAD]

With your normal tactics as a basis have your players learn a secondary set of tactics which is more attacking/puts more bodies in attack and use it when you play against teams outside the big 4/5.

 

[Dannyborofogg]

Have 2 different tactics set up. I recently started a save with Stoke and when playing the big teams i played a similar formation and set up to you, which worked wonders.
However when playing any team at home I try to dominate possession by using the retain possession instruction and set to fluid so that my players are a lot more free flowing in attack. This also seems to work when playing against 'lower' opposition. Obviously there are some blips through a season but I have found doing this has been more successful than not.