How to slow a game down and control it

[damola3]

Possession
I for one have been sick of people saying that 'the game is scripted' or 'the beta is terrible' bullshit! I had problems keeping the ball under pressure in my Arsenal save, so instead of ******** and complaining, I investigated. Remember this is a BETA. In the league, Arsenal seem to have the most creative midfield with great passers. I snipped Khedira for a cheeky 17 million which is key for winning the ball back in midfield. This is because I play I high, pressing system. I noticed that we struggle when put under pressure.

I have only played up until January, so it's very hard to find I more than one example. I have tested it with other teams with similar ability and I am dead certain that it works.

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As you can see, Aaron Ramsey is better at the key passing stats (Passing, Vision, Composure, First touch and Technique), however Mikel Arteta has the ‘likes to dictate tempo’ ppm. At home to Swansea in a domestic cup, I edged possession. This was with Mikel Arteta who had a very high pass completion rate with short passing and I high tempo.


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Arteta had a very high completion rate. The next game was Swansea away where we were dominated and had a poor pass completion rate. Theoretically you would expect Swansea to have more possession at home than they did away, however I put out a full strength side.


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Ramsey was all over the place and struggled to put passes together due to heavy Swansea pressure.

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We were totally dominated and this taught me that Arteta’s ppm can control a game in the way that you want. Have that ppm and the game will be played at your tempo.

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Arteta hardly got a game, however now he will be a very important sub for when I want to slow a game down and close a game off.
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[bravo433]

I'm playing a 4-3-3 with Madrid. 3 MCs, 3 STs, no Wingers.

While I was initially playing OK & dominating games I was struggling to really kill teams off. I switched to "slow tempo" & "work ball into box". That stopped me scoring the exciting, quick counter attacking goals, but I started scoring more goals overall and stopped leaking at the back too.

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[damola3]

I'm playing a 4-3-3 with Madrid. 3 MCs, 3 STs, no Wingers.

While I was initially playing OK & dominating games I was struggling to really kill teams off. I switched to "slow tempo" & "work ball into box". That stopped me scoring the exciting, quick counter attacking goals, but I started scoring more goals overall and stopped leaking at the back too.

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Quick tempos and short passing don't work. When I tighten up, I go to short passing and work the ball into the box as well as dropping deeper, close down less as wel and putting my attacking midfielders on support and having someone dictate a tempo.

 

[LetsTalkTactics]

Maybe pass completion depends on the league? I was Arsenal and was getting pass completion of about 80%, then as Schalke with similar tactics had pass completion of 88/89%

 

[apvmoreira]

I use a regista and 2 BtB mids. I've seen that work ball into box keeps possession and keeping possession also (obvious i know).

But these 2 instructions also makes my mids loose a lot of balls for counters so i've tried to let these 2 instructions off and take out short passing and the team started immediately to kick off the pressure with long balls.

IMO, we can have the same tactic, just nothing of player roles, just changing the passing and the possession.

No?

 

[iamneallyons]

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This was my tactic in FM14, im trying and going to recreate it in 15 - it worked wonders in 14 or me, its played with a BWM ahead of a Regista who dictates the game. I also found that playing a slower game works better with work into box and also direct passing because that works with the counter style i was trying to employ! I play narrow but employ my wing backs with instructions to stick out wide which creates more space for them!