Hello,
my first bought manager game was season 03/04 (might have been Championship manager back then, don't remember). Since then I'm buying new version every year. But the newer versions I play, the worse results.
In FM 2009 I was still dominating, by buying good players and staff and by using my old good flexible 5-3-2 strategy (very attacking WBs, when team was attacking they got in AM R/L position basically changing the tactic to 3-5-2 - similar to what Mexico national team used to play on one World Cup). With Slavia Prague, I was able to even win Champions League once.
FM 2010 was I believe the first version of the game, where I was not competitive on Europe level at all. My old 5-3-2 was also not working anymore. But at least with standard 4-4-2 (basically very little changed default version), good players and staff, I was able to get 11 league titles in row.
FM 2011 came out. I have spent 271 hours with it with no success so far and constant restarts after 2 or 3 seasons at most - won national cup, second in league are the best results I got so far. I have tried all kind of tactics from forums including Koflok's Goal Gallore. Non of them worked for me (I don't say they are bad, probably I'm just bad to tweak them etc.). Best results I got were, same like in FM 2010, with the default 4-4-2 strategy preset in the game. Each time I try to improvise, each time I try something new, it always turns against me and I run back to default again (after yet another game restart......).
Yet I believe I have best team in my league and without doubt best staff in my league. Still I tend to struggle against rivals or similar strength teams... Even after I have recently learned how to properly use pre-match talks in FM 2011. Halftime talks are still a mystery.
))
_________________
In my latest game with Slavia Prague, I ended 2nd in league and I won national cup and super cup in my first season (expectation was top half finish, I have rebuilt the team from scratch). Now I'm in my second season, winter break. After autumn I'm 2nd in league with 5 points loss to first, I'm still in for the national cup and I ended 3rd in UEFA cup group with 7 points. All of this by using default 4-4-2 with more pressing. Expectation for this season is a title though.
So I tried to invent something new during winter break (tired of using default). I came up with slightly modified 4-4-2 which got me these results:
View attachment 195631
Tactic is attached to this post - it's certainly nothing special. I'm looking for advices and recommendations. I'm afraid to actually try to use this strategy in competitive matches for now, as I have written above, bad experiences with anything else but default 4-4-2 and I don't want to ruin my season. Seems no title but at least 2nd place and UEFA Cup for next season again (hopefully)....
In short the strategy is
- 4 defenders in line with RB and LB being wing back on automatic.
- 1 anchor man before them on defense
- 1 central midfielder - deep lying playmaker on support (high passing and creativity)
- AM R & L on attack both inside forwards (but their preferred foot is AM R right, AM L left, it's not Messi style)
- Poacher and complete forward (support) in front
Basically 2 midfielders holding back, playmaker trying to send passes forward and on attack 4 players which try to put pressure on defense and score.
Team instructions:
Philosophy - Rigid
Starting strategy - standard (I play this strategy without change both home and away)
Closing-down - stand off
Marking - zonal
All else on default 4-4-2.
_________________
I have also this question. In default 4-4-2 how do you setup closing down and marking? I tend to leave marking on default (no idea what's that ;-) and closing down on press more. But I have seen some posts with 4-4-2 strategies having good results with zonal marking and stand-off.
At least I have finally learned how to counter teams whom play through middle. Narrow play is the solution. Thanks again to the poster of "how to play simple 4-4-2".
If my topic seems to be confused - that's what I'm. Despite my tries to get results in FM 2011, I fail and fail constantly. Getting anywhere close to these results is only done by playing default 4-4-2 strategy.
Maybe this topic comes bit late, seeing I have already prepaid FM 2012. But it might give me good pointers even for it.
I still have almost month of winter break, I will wait with the game and see if I can test some of your ideas in more friendlies.
Thanks!
Semris
my first bought manager game was season 03/04 (might have been Championship manager back then, don't remember). Since then I'm buying new version every year. But the newer versions I play, the worse results.
In FM 2009 I was still dominating, by buying good players and staff and by using my old good flexible 5-3-2 strategy (very attacking WBs, when team was attacking they got in AM R/L position basically changing the tactic to 3-5-2 - similar to what Mexico national team used to play on one World Cup). With Slavia Prague, I was able to even win Champions League once.
FM 2010 was I believe the first version of the game, where I was not competitive on Europe level at all. My old 5-3-2 was also not working anymore. But at least with standard 4-4-2 (basically very little changed default version), good players and staff, I was able to get 11 league titles in row.
FM 2011 came out. I have spent 271 hours with it with no success so far and constant restarts after 2 or 3 seasons at most - won national cup, second in league are the best results I got so far. I have tried all kind of tactics from forums including Koflok's Goal Gallore. Non of them worked for me (I don't say they are bad, probably I'm just bad to tweak them etc.). Best results I got were, same like in FM 2010, with the default 4-4-2 strategy preset in the game. Each time I try to improvise, each time I try something new, it always turns against me and I run back to default again (after yet another game restart......).
Yet I believe I have best team in my league and without doubt best staff in my league. Still I tend to struggle against rivals or similar strength teams... Even after I have recently learned how to properly use pre-match talks in FM 2011. Halftime talks are still a mystery.
)) _________________
In my latest game with Slavia Prague, I ended 2nd in league and I won national cup and super cup in my first season (expectation was top half finish, I have rebuilt the team from scratch). Now I'm in my second season, winter break. After autumn I'm 2nd in league with 5 points loss to first, I'm still in for the national cup and I ended 3rd in UEFA cup group with 7 points. All of this by using default 4-4-2 with more pressing. Expectation for this season is a title though.
So I tried to invent something new during winter break (tired of using default). I came up with slightly modified 4-4-2 which got me these results:
View attachment 195631
Tactic is attached to this post - it's certainly nothing special. I'm looking for advices and recommendations. I'm afraid to actually try to use this strategy in competitive matches for now, as I have written above, bad experiences with anything else but default 4-4-2 and I don't want to ruin my season. Seems no title but at least 2nd place and UEFA Cup for next season again (hopefully)....
In short the strategy is
- 4 defenders in line with RB and LB being wing back on automatic.
- 1 anchor man before them on defense
- 1 central midfielder - deep lying playmaker on support (high passing and creativity)
- AM R & L on attack both inside forwards (but their preferred foot is AM R right, AM L left, it's not Messi style)
- Poacher and complete forward (support) in front
Basically 2 midfielders holding back, playmaker trying to send passes forward and on attack 4 players which try to put pressure on defense and score.
Team instructions:
Philosophy - Rigid
Starting strategy - standard (I play this strategy without change both home and away)
Closing-down - stand off
Marking - zonal
All else on default 4-4-2.
_________________
I have also this question. In default 4-4-2 how do you setup closing down and marking? I tend to leave marking on default (no idea what's that ;-) and closing down on press more. But I have seen some posts with 4-4-2 strategies having good results with zonal marking and stand-off.
At least I have finally learned how to counter teams whom play through middle. Narrow play is the solution. Thanks again to the poster of "how to play simple 4-4-2".
If my topic seems to be confused - that's what I'm. Despite my tries to get results in FM 2011, I fail and fail constantly. Getting anywhere close to these results is only done by playing default 4-4-2 strategy.
Maybe this topic comes bit late, seeing I have already prepaid FM 2012. But it might give me good pointers even for it.
I still have almost month of winter break, I will wait with the game and see if I can test some of your ideas in more friendlies.
Thanks!
Semris
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