How does one bend their tactic for home and away, big teams and small?

[Reveryen]

I've struggled to adapt to them changing their tactical system out of 'one shoe fits all'. Every team plays different, but there isn't much advice anywhere on how to deal with that.

One week you are playing against Dortmund away. Their fast pressing and quick passes & movement around the field is extremely difficult to deal with. But since this game is coded, it is very possible to deal with it.

The next week, you are playing against Kaiserslautern at home. They've dropped their defence line deep and are relying on their wingers to race up the field and supply their strikers. This is easier to deal with, but having already been forced to set-up for Dortmund last week, how do once again I bend my tactic to be 100% ready for this?

There is the option to create two tactics for dealing with these. I could go with a deep defence against Dortmund and try and feel out their weakness. I could have a more controlling game to deal with Kaiserslautern and cut down the amount of counter-attacks they will attempt.

But then next week, I'd be playing against Mainz. Mainz being a very standard 4-4-2 team that will attempt to feel out your mistakes. And again, another tactic is required.

In short, what I am asking is how do people set themselves up for this. How are you bending your tactics each week? What changes are you making for dealing with a harder, fast team that will be relentless in their assault. And then for the next few games, having to ditch that for dealing with two teams of entirely different substance?

I don't believe this is enough advice out there. People are just telling people how to shape their team or what each role means. There is nothing more advanced.

Any help is appreciated. I feel I have enough of the understanding behind creating a tactic. But I don't have any understanding for approaching teams of VASTLY different play-styles which leads to absolute inconsistency in my results. Add in that fluidity of the tactic is that important, if I am breaking it up to deal with different teams, I am going to face further inconsistencies.

 

[vjcsmoke]

Right so you need a tactic ready for each occasion. The first thing you have to decide is - Am I going for the win or am I satisfied with playing for a tie? If you are the superior team at home, you should have an aggressive tactic that is designed to score. If you are playing away from home, you need a more defensive tactic that will survive the initial first half barrage away and keep the scoring low. A 0-0 result is OK! If you are playing away but playing an inferior opponent, you still need to take the initiative, because a draw is a bad result against a substandard team that other teams in the league will be taking 2 points from. You want to have something that is tight enough at the back but still will attack against a 'parked defense'. Have at least 3 such tactics prepared. Maybe even 4. You might have a 'formation breaker' tactic. For example the 4-3-3 is generally strong against the 4-2-3-1. The 4-2-3-1 generally wins against the 4-4-2 IF you have talented forwards and great midfielders. Oh, and you want all these tactics loaded and trained at the beginning of the season. Adding a new one midseason will give you the 'fluidity' penalties you talked about. Good luck!

 

[Micky979]

One of the beat pieces of advice Ive ever read is this: Set up three completely different tactics. Different formations, different strategy different instructions, etc. For instance, a fluid attacking short passing game with high pressing. A deep lying counter stategy with direct passing, narrower and another of your choice. It doesnt even have to be system you like because you dont even have to use it. The key point is to get all three fluid. Once they are you can go with any combination of the three and not lose any fluidity. For example. You normally play 4-2-3-1 low tempo short passing game with high pressing and a control phlosophy, and very successfully. But then Man City come to town with their 4-4-2. You want to stick with your 4231 but know your system will get ripped apart. So you switch to Counter. And drop yoir defensive line and narrow things down. Because you already have a deep, narrow counter attacking tactic you dont receive any fluidity penalties because all you're doing is mixing up different elements from the three tactics that your squad is fluid with. Its worked on several occasions for me.

 

[Reveryen]

How well does leaving your team instructions empty (provided I have two other tactics of both patient & meticulous nature, and of attacking & aggressive nature) work?

Reason I ask is, if I keep the third tactic empty, I could chop and change it between matches and adapt accordingly, while recieving the benefits of fluidity? Or does it not work that way?

 

[Micky979]

If you look at your fluidity levels its broken down into 6 or 8 (cant remember which) areas. Passing, closing down, formation etc. As long as between the two " active" tactics your team is fluid in pretty much every area you should be okay as long as the formation is fluid. For example your first tactic could be an attacking 4231 with shorter passing, high line, wide and heavy pressing. The second could be a narrow, counter attacking 433 with deeper line and direct passing etc etc. You get the idea. The key thing is to have a formation in the third slot and stick with it. You lose fluidity by constantly changing formations as well.