Insecure and underwhelming??

[Nemon]

I've set out, in the summer of 2013, to bring the brightest and best to White Hart Lane.

The summer plans revolved around getting 2 or 3 key players to fill important roles rather than bring in the hordes. My first step was to plug the gaping hole at left-back by signing Marcel Schmelzer from Dortmund for £7.75m. Looking at my wage list led to me thinking that, in comparison to his talent, Adebayor was on an awful lot of money and that he could be replaced by a player on less wages to do the same job. He was shipped out for £4.5m and Antonio Di Natale arrived for £7.5m. Finally, Arran was brought in loan to bolster my midfield options and, in a moment of sentimentality, unemployed Simon Davies was brought back to the Lane as a squad backup!

Confident in my players abilities, the season began ... badly. A 0-0 draw with Arsenal hid the fact that they battered me and this duly followed up by defeats to Southampton, Cardiff and Fulham, leaving my season on the grid while the rest had cleared the first bend! A switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2, combined with dropping the largely ineffectual Erikson, Di Natale and Paulinho has led to a 6 match unbeaten run leaving me 12th in the league. However, I feel that, unless I really get things going, the chop is coming my way. Aware that my choices have left me rather thin up front, and losing faith in Di Natale, I've just signed Danny Ings (good potential and I could afford him) to bolster the frontline so I'm looking forward to his arrival in January. What tips can anyone give me to light the spark at WHL???

I've attached my current line-up; the fluid and control are changed game-by-game depending upon who I'm facing. I'm playing in the classic mode if that helps.

 

[rocheyb]

I like the fact that your graphic lists your players’ Best Positions and Preferred Roles - because it shows that with the exception of Dembele, none of your midfielders are operating as round pegs in round holes. So this is what I’d do in your position, as a starting point to get the team functioning with a view to developing other tactics in future…

Reign your full-backs in a bit, get Lennon on the front foot and reorganise your midfield to get your players into their preferred positions. Short passing, Retain Possession, Exploit the Flanks and Play Wider at the Team Level - you should be able to incorporate the Higher Tempo/More Expressive options, too, with these players - but individual instructions for specific players as noted below:

4-5-1 Assymetric

Hugo Lloris Goalkeeper: Distribute to Defenders; Pass Shorter
Kyle Walker Complete Wing-Back_Support: Close Down More Often; Pass Shorter; Cross More Often
Jounes Kaboul Central Defender_Defend: Close Down More Often; Pass Shorter
Jan Vertonghen (left-footed, isn’t he? Put him in the left CD) Central Defender_Defend: Close Down More Often; Pass Shorter
Marcel Schmeltzer Complete Wing-Back_Support: Close Down More Often; Pass Shorter; Cross More Often
Sandro Anchor Man_Defend: Mark Tighter; More Direct Passes
Paulinho Deep-Lying Playmaker_Support: Close Down More Often; More Direct Passes
Nacer Chadli Winger_Attack (from Wide Midfielder_Left position): Get to Byline; Cross More Often
Christian Eriksen Trequartista_Attack: More Dribbling; More Direct Passes; Get Further Forward
Aaron Lennon Winger_Attack (from Attacking Midfielder_Right position): Get to Byline; Cross More Often
Roberto Soldado Complete Forward_Support: Pass Shorter; Move Into Channels; Shoot More Often

The rest of your players can be rotated into this system and you can tweak individual positions to see whose preferred roles work best. Also, go through your players’ Preferred Moves and modify tactics and individual instructions to exploit as many strengths as possible. Manage team morale by congratulating good performances, both for the team and individuals. Lennon will get injured, so get cover.

You want Paulinho to have a Preferred Move like Switches Ball to Opposite Flank an Tries Long Range Passes. I don't know if he has that - he's long-since retired in my game. Putting Eriksen in his chosen role and freeing him from all defensive responsibility should get the best out of him. Choosing your lone frontman will be more of an issue, so give them all a go and see who does best.

 

[GFRay]

Dembele seems to have good stats but if you look closely he isn't suitable for any role! He lacks marking to be an effective defensive player and he lacks creativity to be an effective playmaker! I always sell him at the beginning of season 1 for € 23 mi to PSG or Monaco.

Kaboul has an injury proneness of 20, which is the highest so he'll be injured a lot. Also he only has 13 marking which will not improve soon. I always extend his contract and then sell him for € 10 mil.

Paulinho also have good stats, but he is not consistent. Get Lucas Romero (his best invisble stat is Consistency) and sell him in january!

Lennon has very low mental stats and is highly inconsistent. Sell him for a low amount and get Florenzi, Insigne, Rotariu..