Help with West Ham (Second Season)

[maccya]

Hi there, been playing on my West Ham Save and I'm having a bit of trouble getting good results home and away. We always seem to concede and not quite recover which has led us to a bad run of form and I'm having a bit of difficulty picking the players up even though I use Raikan's team talk guide. I think it could be down to a number of things which is why I have a few questions to ask:

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1) How can I get the best out of Andy Carroll? : Andy Carroll has been a tricky one for me. He seems to perform well sometimes and then in other games he just can't get going and becomes a donkey. He is so injury prone also which is why I had to buy Macheda to cover for him. I play them as target men/support along side a pacey advanced forward. How can I get the best out of them, crosses are coming in but the target men are never there.

2) Is my tactic okay? I'm trying to distance the team from long ball football and kinda play the attractive football of the times when Paolo Di Canio was around. Good clean football. However, I'm not getting any results and neither is the football attractive. I want to press when I'm off the ball and attack from the second I get it. (I don't use OI's or Player Instructions, I've also made a ton of transfers to strengthen the squad this season)
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3) Ravel Morrison: Do I sell him, he seems to be untutorable and he doesn't perform well when I give him game time after he complains about it?

4) How do I get the best out of my youth prospects: I've got 3 potentially world class players coming through and a decent goalie and I'm not sure how to get the best out of them. Do I leave them in the U18's this season and then bring them through towards the end of this season and the next?
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Thank you for your help

 

[Bradlad9]

Number 1 - Can't help sorry

Number 2 - Because of the amount of signing it could cause unrest. Next season should be a much better season for you, just don't buy to many players!

Number 3 - Sell him and replace with good personality!

Number 4 - Keep them in your team or loan to premier league sides who will play them.

Short but sweet!!

 

[damola3]

2 strikers isn't the greatest idea with west ham and kinda suicidal. A 4-2-3-1 Got Giroud 22 goals in 14-15 starts with him as a complete forward. If you drop Orsic and play a proper playmaker behind Caroll then he can get between defense and midfield to link with Caroll or feed the ball to the wingers who will find him in the box. Atm Caroll looks starved and isolated. Also set in team instructions to run at players so that player like Jarvis will take them on and knock balls in. I have had Ravel Morrison who is a pain and doesn't improve. Tell him to up his training level or sell him. If he doesn't improve then offer him out. Tell him to improve is form or you drop him. With very good regens, I stick em in the reserves first season and have them tutored. Season 2 loan them out then season 3 a backup for the first team.

 

[Duzzy]

I'm no expert with 'smaller' teams but I may be able to help you.

1. A good target man could get you a crazy amount of goals. I got llorente to score 50+ in a season. Try playing Carroll as a single striker so you can give him more space. This could also help you with a new tactic to aid carroll and maybe help your defending. Remove the 2nd striker and add a defender. Play 3 CB's and 2 WB's. This would help you as you'd have both your wing backs and wingers to help carroll out. An extra defender is not necessary but you seem to be having defending difficulties so it could help.

2. Already spoken about above. I would suggest 5-2-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-2-1. Remember, all these tactic recommendations are for aiding carroll. Also another thing with your defence is that it is too young and inexperienced. Your oldest 1st team defender is 24 if my guess is right. You need a solid defender in their prime, 27-30 year old to control the defence. Build for the future but make sure you have older players to help you in difficult matches.

3. Depends on how patient you are. I've seen Ravel turn out to be world class but you have to play him even if it get's frustrating. Don't sell him for cheap if you do end up selling him.

4. Send them out on loans until around when they turn 19. Don't send them out on loan if you think you can play them more than 15 league games a season.

Hope that's helped

 

[maccya]

Something like this? View attachment 355039

 

[maccya]

Would Target Man or Complete be better for Andy? What team and player instructions would you guys recommend, I have Chelsea in the league next so I need all the help I can get

EDIT: Managed a 0-0 draw, will let you know how it goes with Aston Villa

 

[Duzzy]

Something like this? View attachment 646568

That's better. Experiment with full backs and wing backs and see which works better for you.

Would Target Man or Complete be better for Andy? What team and player instructions would you guys recommend, I have Chelsea in the league next so I need all the help I can get

Target man would suit better in my opinion but you could also try both and see if one works better. Also for instructions, try counter football against chelsea with pump ball into box and also if you can, give your wing players player instructions to stay wide and cross more often to target man.

 

[maccya]

That's better. Experiment with full backs and wing backs and see which works better for you.


Target man would suit better in my opinion but you could also try both and see if one works better. Also for instructions, try counter football against chelsea with pump ball into box and also if you can, give your wing players player instructions to stay wide and cross more often to target man.

Man, thank you for this, I appreciate it. We managed to draw 0-0 against Chelsea and win 2-0 against Aston Villa which I didn't expect at all!. Although Andy didn't score he managed to bring others into play and they chipped in also. The defence was very solid throughout both games even thought they managed to get through a few times which is expected. I will keep trying the tactic, changing to counter mentality for the big teams and defensive against evenly matched or even smaller teams and see what happens.

 

[Duzzy]

Man, thank you for this, I appreciate it. We managed to draw 0-0 against Chelsea and win 2-0 against Aston Villa which I didn't expect at all!. Although Andy didn't score he managed to bring others into play and they chipped in also. The defence was very solid throughout both games even thought they managed to get through a few times which is expected. I will keep trying the tactic, changing to counter mentality for the big teams and defensive against evenly matched or even smaller teams and see what happens.

Nice to hear it's working out. A draw against Chelsea is pretty good

 

[mdmdmd123]

play carroll as a target man attack, have morrison behind him as a treq.

morrison is one of those balotelli type talents, but stick with him & he will deliver eventually, all about morale