Help me create my ideal tactic

[billydavey]

Hi guys,

Looking for all contributors to this thread to help me create my ideal tactic/style of play, if it's even possible to translate this into FM, as I'm not having much joy myself.

The idea of the tactic is to create a 4-4-2, fast, direct, high pressing tactic, with most of the play coming from my wingers, pinging crosses into the box for your forwards.

Try as I might, I've been struggling to recreate this style of play with ANY team I've managed.

I've used all team and player instructions that, I assumed, maybe wrongly, would contribute to this style of football.

Here's what I've tried so far:

Team Instructions:

More Direct Passing
Clear Ball To Flanks
Float Crosses
Exploit The Flanks
Look For overlap
Play Wider
Hassle opponents
Stay on Feet
Higher Tempo

All this results in giving the ball away to the opposition all the time and goals conceded going through the roof and barely scoring.

Can anyone offer any thoughts on where I'm going wrong and why these TI's are not conducive to providing the type of football I'm after?

 

[rocheyb]

Our footballing philosophies are very similar, so come over to my thread on my preferred - and successful - 4-4-1-1 formation. There's a lot of detail there, so might be best to skim read the whole thread first. I'm sure if you do that, you'll see enough that corresponds to what you have listed above to make it worth your while to read it properly:

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...1-real-4-4-2-how-i-learned-play-triangle.html

 

[HasonJenderson]

You're focussing *too* much down the wings imo. I'd take direct passing and clear ball to flanks off and use the player instructions instead to dictate who plays the more direct passes i.e. Your best passing CB and your DLP/AP if you have one - if not then just your best passing CM, then leave the rest of the players as it is (at least for passing). Having no passing style within your team instructions and using a high tempo will give you a very unpredictable/mixed style of play, meaning your players can mix up from quick short passes to launching a lofted ball over the top for a striker or winger when necessary/the chance arises. Goals will naturally come from the wing without focussing too much of your play down there like you currently are. You're probably losing possession fairly often as your players will look to the wing constantly with the clear ball to flanks shout instead of a more logical pass to retain possession a little bit. I'd also add 'pass into space' into team instructions.
Anyway, I hope this helps mate, I used 4-4-2 for a fair few seasons in a long term Feyenoord save due to having amazing forwards and a real lack of quality regen CAMs. And it's probably my favourite formation as well but I sometimes feel obliged to play a 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1 when you've got a boss CAM.

Also try and teach a few PPMs. Your playmaker or best passing CM to 'tries longer passes' and 'switches ball to other flank' and your wingers and strikers to 'play one twos'. Having your best dribbling/agility/acceleration winger with 'dribbles often' PPM as well.


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[rocheyb]

You asked for a critique of your team instructions:

You have the team playing a very open, direct game with full-backs encouraged to join in attacks (Look for overlap). But direct passing is typically imprecise and easier to defend against - exacerbated by your Higher tempo - which makes your team prone to losing possession and suffering counter-attacks.

High tempo - or Higher tempo - instructions work better for short passing games, if you have players with high-ranking passing and first touch attributes in your midfield and wide areas. They are designed to pull opposition players out of position to create pockets of space in-between and behind them, which their usual formations would not normally allow. Central midfielders whose descriptions list preferred moves such as Tries long range passes, Likes to switch ball to other flank, who are instructed to play More direct passes, help you to utilise the full width of the pitch, within a short passing, possession game and to exploit space quickly.

You don't need the Look for overlap option to get your full-backs involved upfield. I only use the overlap option when I'm chasing a game, setting the full-backs to Attack and instructing them to Get forward, Cross more often etc.

If you're going to Float crosses, then you need good aerial ability among your forwards. Also, instruct your wingers to Cross from byline, Aim crosses at target man. A Shadow Striker with strong aerial ability gets the advantage of running from deep when crosses come over while a Deep-Lying Forward will be on hand for rebounds - if he doesn't meet the cross himself. The SS and the DLF are designed to play together (hover over them to bring up their descriptions on the Player Instructions page for evidence of that) and in addition to offering a focal point for your crosses, they can link up through the middle to play each other or your wingers into the channels, for a multi-faceted style of attack.

All of this is explained in detail in that thread I linked you to, above.

 

[LilywhiteArmy]

Hey Rochey,

That's great advice and so is your other thread. Thanks a mill.

 

[billydavey]

Thanks guys, really appreciate your input.

I'll try a few of the suggestions and let you know how I get on.

Rocheyb - thread and tactic look good, especially the way you implement your wide men. Never given much thought/importance to individual player instructions as I thought it may influence the teamwork aspect of the tactic too much, but I kind of get now why not having every player hoofing the ball down the flanks would be beneficial!!