Help needed with Everton 4-4-1-1 Tactic

[shoop9]

So my first attempt at FM15 with Southampton saw me sacked by January due to a 4-1-2-2-1 that leaked goals all over the place, so for my second attempt I thought I'd try and build up an Everton team with more of a solid spine (4-4-1-1).

The idea behind the tactic is to play a patient and tidy passing game without leaving too many gaps in defence, and to the use ML to create space for Baines to run into.

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The results haven't been too bad, especially compared to my Southampton career but its not looking great...

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The big prolems are that we usually don't hold possession very well and are dominated by the opp, and chance creation is also abysmal. The good results we have had have been very lucky based on how the matches have gone... this Swansea match shows what I mean:

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Assist & Goal locations:


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Any help would be much appreciated!!

 

[Zadix]

I've just finished my first season with Everton with a couple of friends using a completely different playing style using a 4-2-3-1 formation but I might have some useful pointers for you:

- You seem to have a preference for possesion but I'm not sure if you have the players for that in Everton. But if that really is your style you should stick to it.

- Change your BWM from support to defence. That offers more balance to your formation.

- Dont use whipped crosses. You have Lukaku who is a beast in the air, so use that.

- Use "look for overlap" because this means your wingers will sometimes hold the ball and wait for the fullback to overlap. This is really useful with the strength of your two backs and your formation.

- You also have to have in mind that any playmaker role you assign in your formation makes players feed the ball to these players. In your formation it means that all your players will try to get the ball into the feet of Pienaar and James McCarthy. Not sure if that's the way to go.

EDIT: I got second place with Everton in the first season, so it worked for me.

 

[dbs86]

couple of things i noticed you have no holding midfielder there, a ball winning midfielder isnt a holder as they have instructions to close down and hassle the opponents meaning they dont keep the midfield shape very well, either change him to a centre midfield defend or leave him as a ball winner but give him a support duty and give the deep lying playmaker a defend duty that way he will screen the defence and offer forward passes while the ball winner hunts down the ball in midfield when defending and then when attacking the ball winner on support will sometimes support the attack going forward.

Also your wide playmaker on the left is leaving you too exposed switch him to a support duty as in the description it says if he has an attacking duty he will leave the team exposed if the attack breaks down and wont track back very well, this is even more important if using baines as an attacking wingback the wideplaymaker needs to offer some sort of defensive structure.

lastly you have too many attacking dutys which could explain the lack of good results if your using counter and fluid you should have most people on support so they will have a slightly lower mentality but when a counter is on it will ramp up their mentalitys as well as the team mentality. I would suggest aswell as the wide playmaker on support switching either the attacking midfielder or the complete forward to support as 3 attack dutys should give you the right balance, which one you swith depends on if you want the forward to bully defenders and open space for runners (attack) or if you want him to drop back and link play a bit more (support) and have the AMC take advantage of this space with his attack duty. personally i would give the striker a support duty and the AMC attack but thats because i love a false 10 goals scorer from AMC. try each out and see what works betst for you.