I am always struggling in January-February

[MadeMafia]

Hello.

I am managing Ipswich Town and I surprisngly promoted in my first season after winning the Play-Off. I have surprised everyone in the Premier League, and we're currently at 8th place. We have beat teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Man. United, and I am really happy with the season so far!

But I seem always to struggle in January and February, on every savegame! We played an impressive 8 games without a lose (5 wins, 3 draws). Then we lost away against Chelsea (which is okay, I didn't expect a win here). After that game, we drew against Leicester after a late goal by them, before we struggled to a point against Burnley (who are currenly 19th).
Then we lost at home against West Ham, before we got knocked out by Sunderland in the FA Cup. They're playing in the Championship and got 21 shots on goal, while we only got 4 shots!

I just can't seem to win games in late January and the whole February. I am really happy with our current place, but I just don't understand how we can't win anymore after dominating games against Chelsea and Arsenal.

I tried tweaking the roles on the tactic a bit, but we played even more badly then.

So how can I prevent the slump from happening? When you guys have a slump, what do you change? Your roles? Your instructions? Or the whole tactic?

Thank you, and have a nice day!

 

[djs1]

Hello.

I am managing Ipswich Town and I surprisngly promoted in my first season after winning the Play-Off. I have surprised everyone in the Premier League, and we're currently at 8th place. We have beat teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Man. United, and I am really happy with the season so far!

But I seem always to struggle in January and February, on every savegame! We played an impressive 8 games without a lose (5 wins, 3 draws). Then we lost away against Chelsea (which is okay, I didn't expect a win here). After that game, we drew against Leicester after a late goal by them, before we struggled to a point against Burnley (who are currenly 19th).
Then we lost at home against West Ham, before we got knocked out by Sunderland in the FA Cup. They're playing in the Championship and got 21 shots on goal, while we only got 4 shots!

I just can't seem to win games in late January and the whole February. I am really happy with our current place, but I just don't understand how we can't win anymore after dominating games against Chelsea and Arsenal.

I tried tweaking the roles on the tactic a bit, but we played even more badly then.

So how can I prevent the slump from happening? When you guys have a slump, what do you change? Your roles? Your instructions? Or the whole tactic?

Thank you, and have a nice day!

do u give monthly team talks to boost morale?

 

[Atarin]

I've had similar problems, not just in 2017 but in the last game as well. Didn't matter if I won the league by a country mile. January and February were always really horrible results wise.

 

[Rods Fanni]

As a newly promoted team you wouldn't have been the favourite for most of your games and the AI would be more open against you. You've done really well so the match odds will be more in your favour and teams will play more defensive against you.

 

[zindrinho]

New years is when the team status in the league changes, so where the opposition have been attacking you more freely previously they are now closing up shop more making it harder for you to score.
counter attacks are way easier to score on than breaking through a tight defence, that's probably why you're getting worse results now than you were previously.

 

[Szoti]

Perhaps weather conditions are worse at this stage of the year. More rain and snow can make a negative effect on your game.

 

[Atarin]

It has happened to me again. I was neck and neck with the 1st placed team, who have a far better squad than I do until January. Then we suddenly lost five out of the first six games. Our attack became toothless; missing clear cut chances and creating nothing. Defensively we are just so exposed, its so simple to score against us. My defenders just stand and watch as the opposition race through on goal. We're now 10 points off of 1st place (still in second though) and promotion is all but gone. I'm sure out form will pick up again towards March but by then any chance of mounting a come back in the league will be gone.

I give monthly team talks that go very well. My players had all been playing at 7+. My tactic is perfectly suited to my squad. I have a main goalscorer who gets 40+ goals a season & his strike partner usually gets at least 15. We'd be serious contenders if it wasn't for our regular collapse in January/February.

The pitch isn't the problem as we play really direct anyway.

I'm interested in people saying about the AI changing its approach to us mid-season. I haven't noticed teams parking the bus, if anything they seem to be really in our faces, getting overloads in our final third.

 

[djs1]

do you change tactics at all mate or just stick with one?

 

[nasturas]

Young midfielders with good finishing?

 

[Atarin]

I'm using the Loversleaper system from the SI forum which means I am rotating between three different tactics depending on whether I'm at home or away and whether I'm the favourite or not. The only part of the plan that I'm not following to the letter is that despite being 2nd I'm not using the tactics for a top challenger but instead for a middle of the table side. I'm doing this largely because I was worried at the start of the season about overreaching. The Challenger tactics are quite aggressive, which makes me nervous.

 

[zindrinho]

your team now has a better reputation since you're doing well, rep's change around new yrs so the opposition are sitting back more against you so you need to play even better to break them down, and also play better defensively to avoid their counter attacks.