Help Needed!!!!

[GeorgiieBoii]

I am playing an online save with a couple of friends and I am currently playing as Curzon Ashton in the Conference North and we are in the second season. First season I came 11th and had the 2nd best defense in the league after being predicted to come bottom. I started the second season off the same way being second after playing 8, won 5, drawn 2 and lost 1 and conceded 7 goals. The next 8 games I have played i have lost 5 and drawn 3 with only one clean sheet and condeding 2 goals almost every game. I havent made any changes to my tactic but out of nowhere I cant stop conceding and cant win a game.
My tactic is:
Mentality: Counter
Team Shape: Fluid
Formation:4-4-2
Goalkeeper(D)
Full Back(S) Central Defender(D) Central Defender(D) Full Back(S)
Winger(S) Deep Lying Playmaker(D) Ball Winning Midfielder(S) Winger(S)
Defensive Forward(S) Advanced Forward(Attack)

Team Instructions: Higher Tempo, Get Stuck In, Direct Passing, Hit Early Crosses, Pump Ball Into Box and be more expressive.

Im sorry I cant provide any screen shots at the moment but could anyone please help with I am doing wrong?
Please let me know what other information I need to give

 

[WJ]

What's the idea behind the tactic? You chose a safe mentality and a conservative duty allocation, but the TIs indicate you want something completely different and maybe even the complete opposite. Explaining what you actually want (in detail!) can help us to help you translate your vision better.

 

[GeorgiieBoii]

Sorry about the lack of detail its my first time asking for help, I used get stuck in as I thought because we are dropping deeper due to the mentality that I would need my players to make a tackle as soon as they reach my defensive block to halt any progress before they can get shots off. I went for higher tempo and direct passing because to encourage my players to counter once we win the ball back. I decided to use pump ball into box and hit early crosses to encourage my players to get more crosses into the box for my strikers. So my vision is that when not in possession I have to banks of four behind the ball and being aggressive in tackling once they meet our defensive block to try and stop crosses and shots. I then want my team to play at a high tempo to get the ball forward and get in plenty of crosses.

But from what your saying it sounds like I should be a bit more conservative when in possession due to my roles, duties and mentality selection. So should I use a lower tempo and what else would you advise for me to change?

 

[WJ]

You can counter attack with any mentality, really. The 'normal'/classic way is to be deep, invite the opposition in, get the ball and break forward like ****. That's what the Counter and Defend mentalities can give you.

If you get a counter attack to trigger, the players will already rush forward and get the ball forward quickly (high tempo). This is automatic - as long as you get the counter attack to trigger.

So, with that in mind, there's no need to set anything for the counter attacks specifically. The instructions you set, is how the team behaves when a counter is not on. So when the opposition has enough players back or your players aren't in a position to counter, you will still play extremely direct (pump ball into box) and at a fast pace (higher tempo) without your players being there to do it.

I don't have an issue with your roles and duties, really, if working the ball forward safely is the intention. The TIs do not make a lot of sense and I suspected it is because you think you're setting up for counter attacks. When there isn't a counter on, your players won't be bursting forward. Your 3 support duty midfielders will make the odd run, but only when it is quite safe to do so, which will be late into a move. Probably around the final third. For the most part, they're there to support play - something that will be difficult to do if you've instructed them to be as direct as possible. They'll punt it up field toward the strikers and then be too far back (as it is too risky to just burst forward and they also don't have attack duties) so your 2 strikers then need to find a way through. It can work, but seems very one-dimensional and it will rely on there being space at the back immediately for your 2 strikers create something quickly, before support arrives. Against teams relatively cautious or parking the bus, I cannot see this working at all. Not consistently anyway.

What normally happens is that teams who set up for the counter, defending deep and drawing the opposition in, would be the weaker of the 2 teams. So when there isn't a counter attack on, the focus will be on keeping the ball (playing safe) which 1. ensures the 'better' team doesn't have it and 2. hopefully safely work the ball forward against a team quite keen to close down and win the ball back.

The way you're set up right now, is that your players will be direct even without a counter being on and (the tempo adding to this) that means you work the ball forward too quickly for players to keep up. I mentioned this before, but it's THE reason you're struggling. Every single time there isn't a counter, this happens. In fact, you may struggle to trigger counters because you're giving the ball away too quickly.

So basically, I'm saying that your TIs are ruining what might be fairly decent as a counter attacking tactic. So I'd keep everything except the in possession instructions, if I were you. Or at least the Pump Ball Into Box, as that will kill the tactic.

Also bare in mind that a Counter mentality has fairly direct passing at the back by default, to encourage the defenders to get the ball out of the pressure zone toward the front players. The front players in turn have fairly short passing as default, to encourage them keeping the ball and slowing play down slightly so that support can arrive. So this is what by default should happen if there isn't a counter attack on. If there is, they'll burst forward and get the ball forward.

 

[GeorgiieBoii]

Thanks mate, really appreciate you helping me out. One last thing, do you think that lower tempo and direct passing could work together and do you recommend me using any penetration shouts like exploiting the flank to try and increase crosses or would that not work?

 

[WJ]

Thanks mate, really appreciate you helping me out. One last thing, do you think that lower tempo and direct passing could work together and do you recommend me using any penetration shouts like exploiting the flank to try and increase crosses or would that not work?

Well, if you're looking toward attacking mainly down the flanks with crosses, then Exploit Flanks is an obvious choice.

There's no reason direct passing and lower tempo can't work together. Like I said though, remember that there are defaults. Counter has the passing setups I explained and it also has a fairly low tempo already.

 

[GeorgiieBoii]

Thank you very much mate, really appreciate it!!