MANUMAD'S BOX OF TREATS
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UNCLE MAD ON TACTICS
The simplest way to tactics (either downloaded ones and tweaked to suit your squad etc or ones you make yourself) is:
1. Have a basic idea of how you want to play (be realistic - no tiki taka with Crew Alexandra in the first season for example). We all love footy and have watched it all our lives. Think about what you like to see and what works in real life and try to implement it - eg having a slow cb like J Terry man mark C Ronaldo in real life is a recepe for disaster. Same in FM - so dont have slow defenders on man mark - or if you re Chelski on FM and your other 3 defs are ok pace wise and you want to use man mark you could try giving only terry zonal (but if so dont play with off side trap as he'll always play people on, etc).
2. Time and again I see people coming on this site frustrated with FM / asking for tactical help/ wondering what they do wrong, and when they post their tactics they are allover the place.
There are loads of good blogs etc on tactics so read around at least for the basics - high defence line goes with offside trap and sweeper keeper etc. But I said the "simplest" way so here goes: Balance. You should have people doing different stuff per "line" ie: dont have all defenders defend (eg have at least one fb/wb on automatic or even attack), in a 4 man mf you should have at least one player defending. Balance means that in such a 4 man midfield the other 3 are: one attacking one defending one supporting (plus the other on defending/attacking/supporting/auto).
Also try to have your forwards doing different things. Its ok having both on attack (as long as the def and esp mf set up has enuff support potential to them) but dont give them the same roles! For example in a 3 man attack with a Treq/Target man up top and two IFs, having all three on attack is not balanced. A nice idea is the TM on attack the left IF on attack with a fb on auto behind him and the right IF on support with a wb on attack behind him.
3. Defence is not just for your defenders. Its about occupying and controlling space especially the middle of the park (literally). That is why the most effective (and nicest to look at in action) tactics are the strikerless ones - losing the attacker(s) means that you have extra players where it really counts (in the middle of the park).
4. FM Blogs I say above. There's loads - google around and note that even blogs on past versions of the game are a treasure trove.
5. The ME is NOT broken. The game is not fixed against you or predetermined. If stuff is not working then its surely something you are (not) doing. With this in mind and with patience you will deffo have a better time with FM.
The simplest way to tactics (either downloaded ones and tweaked to suit your squad etc or ones you make yourself) is:
1. Have a basic idea of how you want to play (be realistic - no tiki taka with Crew Alexandra in the first season for example). We all love footy and have watched it all our lives. Think about what you like to see and what works in real life and try to implement it - eg having a slow cb like J Terry man mark C Ronaldo in real life is a recepe for disaster. Same in FM - so dont have slow defenders on man mark - or if you re Chelski on FM and your other 3 defs are ok pace wise and you want to use man mark you could try giving only terry zonal (but if so dont play with off side trap as he'll always play people on, etc).
2. Time and again I see people coming on this site frustrated with FM / asking for tactical help/ wondering what they do wrong, and when they post their tactics they are allover the place.
There are loads of good blogs etc on tactics so read around at least for the basics - high defence line goes with offside trap and sweeper keeper etc. But I said the "simplest" way so here goes: Balance. You should have people doing different stuff per "line" ie: dont have all defenders defend (eg have at least one fb/wb on automatic or even attack), in a 4 man mf you should have at least one player defending. Balance means that in such a 4 man midfield the other 3 are: one attacking one defending one supporting (plus the other on defending/attacking/supporting/auto).
Also try to have your forwards doing different things. Its ok having both on attack (as long as the def and esp mf set up has enuff support potential to them) but dont give them the same roles! For example in a 3 man attack with a Treq/Target man up top and two IFs, having all three on attack is not balanced. A nice idea is the TM on attack the left IF on attack with a fb on auto behind him and the right IF on support with a wb on attack behind him.
3. Defence is not just for your defenders. Its about occupying and controlling space especially the middle of the park (literally). That is why the most effective (and nicest to look at in action) tactics are the strikerless ones - losing the attacker(s) means that you have extra players where it really counts (in the middle of the park).
4. FM Blogs I say above. There's loads - google around and note that even blogs on past versions of the game are a treasure trove.
5. The ME is NOT broken. The game is not fixed against you or predetermined. If stuff is not working then its surely something you are (not) doing. With this in mind and with patience you will deffo have a better time with FM.
Some players
Melegoni - cheapish young cm. Develops to world class.
Gino Peruzzi - still great after all these years. And despite his age he improves. Has also Italian nationality which makes him even lovelier. And all for around 3m including instalments.
Aissa Mandi- also still great. But a bit more expensive than Peruzzi. Also plays both rb and lb (better at lb than Peruzzi)
Duelund CM - Very cheap brill youngster. Can feature in starting XI from get go
Ion Nedelceanu - DMC - Young, combative and cheap.
Ivan - Good young CF. Not as good as in FM16 but still a wonderkid.
Iver Fossum cm/am (even better this version but also even more expensive)
Sondre Rossbach GK - Good option for initial back up. Cheap.
David Pavelka - very cheap utility mf (still much better than you d think looking at his stats. Good for the Sunderlands of this world)
Wahlqvist - Initially great at rb and adequate at cb but if you train as cb he can quickly become a great cb. Bearing in mind that there seems to be a real paucity of cheap young cbs in FM17 that would be the best option.
Willi Orban - cb . This guy is at RBL and only 23 at the start. Stats are pretty decent but not great (eg his 13 pace and 12 acceleration are too low imho even for cbs). He is also not very cheap. However give him matches and you will be amazed. He consistently plays at a higher standard than his stats would seem to indicate.
Melegoni - cheapish young cm. Develops to world class.
Gino Peruzzi - still great after all these years. And despite his age he improves. Has also Italian nationality which makes him even lovelier. And all for around 3m including instalments.
Aissa Mandi- also still great. But a bit more expensive than Peruzzi. Also plays both rb and lb (better at lb than Peruzzi)
Duelund CM - Very cheap brill youngster. Can feature in starting XI from get go
Ion Nedelceanu - DMC - Young, combative and cheap.
Ivan - Good young CF. Not as good as in FM16 but still a wonderkid.
Iver Fossum cm/am (even better this version but also even more expensive)
Sondre Rossbach GK - Good option for initial back up. Cheap.
David Pavelka - very cheap utility mf (still much better than you d think looking at his stats. Good for the Sunderlands of this world)
Wahlqvist - Initially great at rb and adequate at cb but if you train as cb he can quickly become a great cb. Bearing in mind that there seems to be a real paucity of cheap young cbs in FM17 that would be the best option.
Willi Orban - cb . This guy is at RBL and only 23 at the start. Stats are pretty decent but not great (eg his 13 pace and 12 acceleration are too low imho even for cbs). He is also not very cheap. However give him matches and you will be amazed. He consistently plays at a higher standard than his stats would seem to indicate.
WHAT TO DO IN PRE-SEASON. PART 1
INTRODUCTION
The first day at your new club is perhaps the most important day of your career (and every first day of a new pre-season is the most important day of that season).
There are a number of things that you absolutely MUST do if you don't want to have various problems later on. Most people find them boring as it delays the "real" action (ie buying and selling players and playing matches) for quite some time (it takes me between half an hour and 1.5 hours), but if you dont do them or if you dont do them properly ON THE FIRST DAY you will suffer the consequences (delayed learning of tactics/no cohesion, bad performances etc). But dont worry, if you do them once they become second nature and, I dare say, enjoyable.
It would be helpful if you arm yourself with a couple of A4 size pieces of paper and a pen at the start of every pre-season ...
GAME START DATE
Aim to have as long a pre- season as possible. When choosing playable leagues bear in mind their start dates. To show you what I mean by an example say I start a save with GENK and Belgium game start date is July; I would then choose game to start in a different country with an earlier season start (eg Germany) so as to have it start in June and have an extra month of preparation.
Before the start of every new season you will get a message asking when you want pre-season to start. Choose early but also look for balance (give your players a reasonable holiday!).
NEW MANAGER? THEN GET TO KNOW YOUR CLUB!
1. Look at your squads, and decide
(a) who are your best players for every position,
(b) who are the up and coming youngsters, and
(c) who are the players you dont need.
Look in your reserve and other squads carefully as there usually are good players hidden there who for whatever reason are (wrongly) transfer -listed or just left there by the previous regime.
A good tip to make your life easier in a club you know little about in relation to who is useful and who is not, is to categorise players by value (press the relevant button in the squad screen) as value is a good starting indicator as to ability.
Take one of the A4 papers and carefully space out every position of your tactic (using dots on it for every position). Then put the players you will be keeping in the position you will be playing them hierarchically - eg in a club where Sviatchenko/Andia/Milosevic/Okore are your cbs decide the two pairs (Sviatchenko/Milosevic and Okore/Andia) and put them there. Thats your rotated cb pairs there for you and thats your cbs there for you. This should also tell you that you need another one cb (maybe promote one from youth ranks/loan one in) for when matches will be coming thick and fast.
2. Look to have two players per position plus an extra player apart from GKs where two are enough. This is especially true if you are a top team in a major league as you should be going after all possible trophies so you ll have to play more matches. But check squad rules very carefully so as not to end up with more players than you can register.
3. If you list the players you will be using from the existing squad on the A4 paper as above you will have a very concrete indication of what you need to buy- this will avoid mindless adrenaline rushes of buying for the sake of buying which will ultimately hurt your team cohesion and team spirit (cos people will start complaining about game time).
4. Team cohesion is important and very difficult to establish. If you bring in more than 3/4 players every summer and more than 1/2 in January then prepare for performances not to reflect squad strength for a pretty long time.
As a new manager you need to use pre season to get acquainted with your new club, in addition to building up your players fitness levels.
When managing a new club you need to analyse the squads strengths and weaknesses (as above), set up your three formations, and schedule training to aid player development.
ARRANGE FRIENDLIES
Dont let the assistant do it! Do it yourself. If you are a poor team try to arrange friendlies away against better opponents but don't overdo it as another target during pre season is to build up morale and you cant really do that if you get your *** whupped repeatedly. Start with "easy" teams to build up morale and have the better teams in the middle of your schedule. Always arrange the last friendly against a team you know you ll whup the *** off, again for morale. Arrange as many friendlies aspossible (max 4 days between each).
By playing matches the players will both improve their knowledge of your tactics and their individual match fitness. The individual players match fitness will also be improved by assigning players to heavy physical training.
By arranging multiple friendly matches, you increase your players"comfort" with your tactics quicker AND give them match fitness which affects their performances. Rotate your players. But rotate cleverly - dont rotate both first choice cbs at the same time and instead rotate only one, dont put a newbie gk behind two cbs that are new to club/young/not first choice etc ... (this is also my advice about rotating in season btw; and remember that its better to give a youngster league time with a risk of a draw/loss than put loads of youngsters -not heeding my above advice in your starting lineup in Cup matches- with the potential certainty of failing to progress).
LOOK AT FINANCES
Look at your team's balance and sources of income. If the income sources are limited but you have a "big" transfer kitty (eg for Argentinian teams something in the region of 3m) so that your income can barely sustain that this means that if you spend it all you will be given (next to) nothing the next season. Spend wisely and put in wages what is left for two reasons: the board will be happy with your control over wages and apparently you will be getting interest on the (bigger) difference.
LOOK AT THE CONTRACTS OF EACH PLAYER!: Look for any (low) release clauses. Try to take them out in new contracts. Losing good players because you "forgot" to check their contracts is STOOOOOPID!
INTRODUCTION
The first day at your new club is perhaps the most important day of your career (and every first day of a new pre-season is the most important day of that season).
There are a number of things that you absolutely MUST do if you don't want to have various problems later on. Most people find them boring as it delays the "real" action (ie buying and selling players and playing matches) for quite some time (it takes me between half an hour and 1.5 hours), but if you dont do them or if you dont do them properly ON THE FIRST DAY you will suffer the consequences (delayed learning of tactics/no cohesion, bad performances etc). But dont worry, if you do them once they become second nature and, I dare say, enjoyable.
It would be helpful if you arm yourself with a couple of A4 size pieces of paper and a pen at the start of every pre-season ...
GAME START DATE
Aim to have as long a pre- season as possible. When choosing playable leagues bear in mind their start dates. To show you what I mean by an example say I start a save with GENK and Belgium game start date is July; I would then choose game to start in a different country with an earlier season start (eg Germany) so as to have it start in June and have an extra month of preparation.
Before the start of every new season you will get a message asking when you want pre-season to start. Choose early but also look for balance (give your players a reasonable holiday!).
NEW MANAGER? THEN GET TO KNOW YOUR CLUB!
1. Look at your squads, and decide
(a) who are your best players for every position,
(b) who are the up and coming youngsters, and
(c) who are the players you dont need.
Look in your reserve and other squads carefully as there usually are good players hidden there who for whatever reason are (wrongly) transfer -listed or just left there by the previous regime.
A good tip to make your life easier in a club you know little about in relation to who is useful and who is not, is to categorise players by value (press the relevant button in the squad screen) as value is a good starting indicator as to ability.
Take one of the A4 papers and carefully space out every position of your tactic (using dots on it for every position). Then put the players you will be keeping in the position you will be playing them hierarchically - eg in a club where Sviatchenko/Andia/Milosevic/Okore are your cbs decide the two pairs (Sviatchenko/Milosevic and Okore/Andia) and put them there. Thats your rotated cb pairs there for you and thats your cbs there for you. This should also tell you that you need another one cb (maybe promote one from youth ranks/loan one in) for when matches will be coming thick and fast.
2. Look to have two players per position plus an extra player apart from GKs where two are enough. This is especially true if you are a top team in a major league as you should be going after all possible trophies so you ll have to play more matches. But check squad rules very carefully so as not to end up with more players than you can register.
3. If you list the players you will be using from the existing squad on the A4 paper as above you will have a very concrete indication of what you need to buy- this will avoid mindless adrenaline rushes of buying for the sake of buying which will ultimately hurt your team cohesion and team spirit (cos people will start complaining about game time).
4. Team cohesion is important and very difficult to establish. If you bring in more than 3/4 players every summer and more than 1/2 in January then prepare for performances not to reflect squad strength for a pretty long time.
As a new manager you need to use pre season to get acquainted with your new club, in addition to building up your players fitness levels.
When managing a new club you need to analyse the squads strengths and weaknesses (as above), set up your three formations, and schedule training to aid player development.
ARRANGE FRIENDLIES
Dont let the assistant do it! Do it yourself. If you are a poor team try to arrange friendlies away against better opponents but don't overdo it as another target during pre season is to build up morale and you cant really do that if you get your *** whupped repeatedly. Start with "easy" teams to build up morale and have the better teams in the middle of your schedule. Always arrange the last friendly against a team you know you ll whup the *** off, again for morale. Arrange as many friendlies aspossible (max 4 days between each).
By playing matches the players will both improve their knowledge of your tactics and their individual match fitness. The individual players match fitness will also be improved by assigning players to heavy physical training.
By arranging multiple friendly matches, you increase your players"comfort" with your tactics quicker AND give them match fitness which affects their performances. Rotate your players. But rotate cleverly - dont rotate both first choice cbs at the same time and instead rotate only one, dont put a newbie gk behind two cbs that are new to club/young/not first choice etc ... (this is also my advice about rotating in season btw; and remember that its better to give a youngster league time with a risk of a draw/loss than put loads of youngsters -not heeding my above advice in your starting lineup in Cup matches- with the potential certainty of failing to progress).
LOOK AT FINANCES
Look at your team's balance and sources of income. If the income sources are limited but you have a "big" transfer kitty (eg for Argentinian teams something in the region of 3m) so that your income can barely sustain that this means that if you spend it all you will be given (next to) nothing the next season. Spend wisely and put in wages what is left for two reasons: the board will be happy with your control over wages and apparently you will be getting interest on the (bigger) difference.
LOOK AT THE CONTRACTS OF EACH PLAYER!: Look for any (low) release clauses. Try to take them out in new contracts. Losing good players because you "forgot" to check their contracts is STOOOOOPID!
PRE-SEASON PART 2
General Training and Match Training
Dont forget to schedule training on the first day on a new save and if its an ongoing one do so right after your last match!
Staff
Look at them from the training page ("coaches") and see who is below par. Give them mutual termination (doing it first day means they' ll leave for less). Then go to staff screen and clear the deadwood looking at that.
Make a note on your other piece of A4 paper what training categories you need staff for and how many coaches. Go to staff transfer centre and start looking. Make a note of who you offer jobs to in order to avoid getting more experts for a category than you need. Aim to have coaches with as many stars as you can and the indication of light workload. Look also at their personalities as this will be a big factor influencing your regens. Once I get the best I can, if I have a free coaching position I search for somebody with 20 or near it for motivating, I bring him in and have him train EVERY category. Dunno if it works but it seems reasonable (note: passion4fm and keysie rensie blogs have helpful downloadable filters to find the best staff).
Once you complete your squad (and WHEN YOU FINISH PRE SEASON FOR NEW SAVE/IN THE FIRST SEASON) you then assign individual training. Do NOT do individual training in preseason. Have all players individually training positions which train most of the attributes you want improved for the season (if somebody has a very low attribute for his position which sticks out then also assign that particular attribute). In the following seasons you must look at individual attributes of developing playrs. Every 3/4 months go back to this and monitor player improvement. Look also at what PPMs you want to teach/unteach and schedule them as well. Tutor pairings should also be addressed at this stage and monitored through the season.
Another piece of advice is to train your younger players esp to be comfortable in more than one position as this gives you flexibility and saves money in the long term.
Once the season starts you should aim to gradually set the intensity to low and once you are done with tactics/cohesion you should assign something else as GT. Most people have it on Balanced. That is one option I use. I alternatively train ball control and attacking interchangeably (cos I like the attributes they deal with eg possession) and only train balanced one week per month. I also look at opponents and how Im doing (I will occasionally train attack or defence for example).
MT (during the season proper) should be opponent - orientated. An example that brings the two together: Im Bologna and scheduled to play Bayern in the second round (knock out) CL who are much stronger. If I have first match away Ill train MT Attacking set pieces cos I want to grab an away goal. If I then win or get a score draw for the return leg I match train Defend.
The slider should be less match training - 1 day match training. With rest after match only.
Set the Tactics
The orthodox way to do it is to look at your players and use a tactic to suit them (eg no wingers in the team? dont set a 442). Thats all fine and dandy but thats not what I do. I have a couple of tactics that I know work peachily and always set them and have a third to experiment with/play reactively with).
Be varied - I often see people who have eg 442 defend 442 attack and 442 counter to use depending on opponent. That to my mind is wrong. You should have a similar tactical/team instruction basis running through all three tactics as much as possible but the formations should be different. For example a wider one (eg a 451), a narrower one (eg a 41212) and eg one with 3 cbs. You could achieve this by having wingbacks instead of fbs in the first two. This will come in handy when you read the scout reports of opponents and particularly the tactics faced part and you notice that a particular opponent doesnt like a narrow formation. It may be a different narrow formation from the one your players know but believe me your narrow formation will usually work almost equally well.
Note: have the board set expectations of attacking /possession football? Use at least one tactic aimed at that. Also note that while mentality of tactic may be one thing the actual team instructions may be doing something different. Ive had whole seasons with a defensive mentality but team/player instructions being more aggressive and got repeatedly commended for my attacking football!
Setting up a scouting network/looking for Transfer targets
1. Import any shortlists into the game.
2. Have a look at the transfer/loan market.
3. If you are in an alien league to you eg Uruguay look at each team of similar/lowerlevel from the league table page. Press the value tab as its a good startingindicator and if you like what you see scout player and take it from there. Do the same with analogous reputation leagues (eg Chile).
4. Assign scouts to find transfer targets - but always relative to where you are and what you need. Eg it would be pointless at Penarol to scout European leagues as nobody of note would deign to join you.
5. Dont suffer from the obsession that all FMers apparently suffer from! ie dont always look only for youth! Look for players who will win you money/trophies/reputation asap (and these are not necessarily youngsters). As always balance is the name of the game.
General Training and Match Training
Dont forget to schedule training on the first day on a new save and if its an ongoing one do so right after your last match!
Staff
Look at them from the training page ("coaches") and see who is below par. Give them mutual termination (doing it first day means they' ll leave for less). Then go to staff screen and clear the deadwood looking at that.
Make a note on your other piece of A4 paper what training categories you need staff for and how many coaches. Go to staff transfer centre and start looking. Make a note of who you offer jobs to in order to avoid getting more experts for a category than you need. Aim to have coaches with as many stars as you can and the indication of light workload. Look also at their personalities as this will be a big factor influencing your regens. Once I get the best I can, if I have a free coaching position I search for somebody with 20 or near it for motivating, I bring him in and have him train EVERY category. Dunno if it works but it seems reasonable (note: passion4fm and keysie rensie blogs have helpful downloadable filters to find the best staff).
Once you complete your squad (and WHEN YOU FINISH PRE SEASON FOR NEW SAVE/IN THE FIRST SEASON) you then assign individual training. Do NOT do individual training in preseason. Have all players individually training positions which train most of the attributes you want improved for the season (if somebody has a very low attribute for his position which sticks out then also assign that particular attribute). In the following seasons you must look at individual attributes of developing playrs. Every 3/4 months go back to this and monitor player improvement. Look also at what PPMs you want to teach/unteach and schedule them as well. Tutor pairings should also be addressed at this stage and monitored through the season.
Another piece of advice is to train your younger players esp to be comfortable in more than one position as this gives you flexibility and saves money in the long term.
Once the season starts you should aim to gradually set the intensity to low and once you are done with tactics/cohesion you should assign something else as GT. Most people have it on Balanced. That is one option I use. I alternatively train ball control and attacking interchangeably (cos I like the attributes they deal with eg possession) and only train balanced one week per month. I also look at opponents and how Im doing (I will occasionally train attack or defence for example).
MT (during the season proper) should be opponent - orientated. An example that brings the two together: Im Bologna and scheduled to play Bayern in the second round (knock out) CL who are much stronger. If I have first match away Ill train MT Attacking set pieces cos I want to grab an away goal. If I then win or get a score draw for the return leg I match train Defend.
The slider should be less match training - 1 day match training. With rest after match only.
Set the Tactics
The orthodox way to do it is to look at your players and use a tactic to suit them (eg no wingers in the team? dont set a 442). Thats all fine and dandy but thats not what I do. I have a couple of tactics that I know work peachily and always set them and have a third to experiment with/play reactively with).
Be varied - I often see people who have eg 442 defend 442 attack and 442 counter to use depending on opponent. That to my mind is wrong. You should have a similar tactical/team instruction basis running through all three tactics as much as possible but the formations should be different. For example a wider one (eg a 451), a narrower one (eg a 41212) and eg one with 3 cbs. You could achieve this by having wingbacks instead of fbs in the first two. This will come in handy when you read the scout reports of opponents and particularly the tactics faced part and you notice that a particular opponent doesnt like a narrow formation. It may be a different narrow formation from the one your players know but believe me your narrow formation will usually work almost equally well.
Note: have the board set expectations of attacking /possession football? Use at least one tactic aimed at that. Also note that while mentality of tactic may be one thing the actual team instructions may be doing something different. Ive had whole seasons with a defensive mentality but team/player instructions being more aggressive and got repeatedly commended for my attacking football!
Setting up a scouting network/looking for Transfer targets
1. Import any shortlists into the game.
2. Have a look at the transfer/loan market.
3. If you are in an alien league to you eg Uruguay look at each team of similar/lowerlevel from the league table page. Press the value tab as its a good startingindicator and if you like what you see scout player and take it from there. Do the same with analogous reputation leagues (eg Chile).
4. Assign scouts to find transfer targets - but always relative to where you are and what you need. Eg it would be pointless at Penarol to scout European leagues as nobody of note would deign to join you.
5. Dont suffer from the obsession that all FMers apparently suffer from! ie dont always look only for youth! Look for players who will win you money/trophies/reputation asap (and these are not necessarily youngsters). As always balance is the name of the game.
UNCLE MAD ON TACTICS
In order to ensure that goals will be scored in FM, as in real life, what is necessary is variation in attacking threats.
Width is crucial. This is not to say that narrow formations/settings are not effective, but the ability to stretch the width of opponents means that space will be found in the middle. So try to combine width with exploit the middle maybe (or do it with roles and instructions: eg am + run from deep/shoot often). By stretching teams wide, especially with overlaps, it becomes much easier to separate centre backs from full backs, as the wider defenders spread out; this means that there is space in the channels and in the box for midfield runners and strikers to exploit. If the opposition defence choose not to spread, they then sacrifice the wings and give you the chance to cross the ball.
Try to have vertical depth in your attacks. Players with "inbuilt instructions" to eg Run From Deep Often, such as Poachers and Attacking Wingers push the opposition defensive line back whereas playmakers tend to engage opposition midfielders and pull them out; a good combination can really open up the space in midfield and mean that you only have one line of the opposition to beat rather than two solid banks.
A nice way to put it all together is by using a high pressing aggressive set up that keeps pushing the opposition players back and doesnt leave them time on the ball. But see the value of having pace all through your team as indicated in previous posts.
I often see people on this site and elsewhere greatly limiting themselves by setting up tactics only having one line/outlet of attack that they rely on. The problem with this is that it relies on that one line performing to its full potential; thus if the opposition block it off or your player does not perform well, any attacking potential is completely wiped out. Therefore, it is essential that you add lots of little lines of attack that can add variation. Also try having a number of options on the bench that are completely different to the players who are already on the pitch, and ensure that you can attack through a number of different players and styles.
Suggestions:
1. Use a poacher up front and a deep lying playmaker in midfield with your best player in attacking midfield - he will find lots of space.
2. Use a winger on one wing, and an inside forward on the other - this gives you two different attacking threats even if the winger has support duty.
3. Where you use an inside forward, use a wing back or attacking full back on the same side - they will overlap and add width, especially if the IF is told to stay narrow and the wb to hug the line (or whatever exactly the equivalent PI is).
4. Situate your best creative players near your fastest players and best finishers - they will have good passing lines.
5. Use a creative striker when you are only using one forward, and surround them with runners from midfield - they will receive passes and get in behind as they are tough to mark.
6. When attacking players have Run From Deep Rarely, allow a midfielder nearby to attack from deep and penetrate the line.
7. If you have a creative winger set him up to be your playmaker (on the wing).
8. Use combinations ensuring ball retention - eg: dlp (defend) in front of defence + ap (support) in mf + an am with the proper instructions for ball holding.
9. Try set up with one cf (dlf support) with two oncoming ams behind him (eg one a shadow striker the other an am) on attack
10. Use asymmetrical formations even if its by only moving one player: eg in 442 move left mf up a bit and make him a winger support/if attack. This stretches/confuses the opposition.
And a word on defending:
Use defensive triangles: three players forming a narrow triangle, the tip of which is closest to the ball, and looks to force the ball-carrier opposing player to pass the ball away from the triangle, seeing as he can't run through it, and then quickly adjust shape to force them wide until they're forced onto the touchline where they're closed down, or they try to dribble through and are dispossessed.
Easiest way to make a triangle is by two cbs and a dm. Or in the AMC role with two midfielders in a 4-2-3-1, allowing teams to funnel counter-attacks wide earlier and close down high up the pitch this way against players who don't have a chance at playing a pass or dribbling through them. Or in the non flat 451 with the dm and the two cms. The latter two are very difficult to work in fm ...
Watch matches. Good tactics will be obvious as every time a player of yours has the ball there will be more than one passing options!
In order to ensure that goals will be scored in FM, as in real life, what is necessary is variation in attacking threats.
Width is crucial. This is not to say that narrow formations/settings are not effective, but the ability to stretch the width of opponents means that space will be found in the middle. So try to combine width with exploit the middle maybe (or do it with roles and instructions: eg am + run from deep/shoot often). By stretching teams wide, especially with overlaps, it becomes much easier to separate centre backs from full backs, as the wider defenders spread out; this means that there is space in the channels and in the box for midfield runners and strikers to exploit. If the opposition defence choose not to spread, they then sacrifice the wings and give you the chance to cross the ball.
Try to have vertical depth in your attacks. Players with "inbuilt instructions" to eg Run From Deep Often, such as Poachers and Attacking Wingers push the opposition defensive line back whereas playmakers tend to engage opposition midfielders and pull them out; a good combination can really open up the space in midfield and mean that you only have one line of the opposition to beat rather than two solid banks.
A nice way to put it all together is by using a high pressing aggressive set up that keeps pushing the opposition players back and doesnt leave them time on the ball. But see the value of having pace all through your team as indicated in previous posts.
I often see people on this site and elsewhere greatly limiting themselves by setting up tactics only having one line/outlet of attack that they rely on. The problem with this is that it relies on that one line performing to its full potential; thus if the opposition block it off or your player does not perform well, any attacking potential is completely wiped out. Therefore, it is essential that you add lots of little lines of attack that can add variation. Also try having a number of options on the bench that are completely different to the players who are already on the pitch, and ensure that you can attack through a number of different players and styles.
Suggestions:
1. Use a poacher up front and a deep lying playmaker in midfield with your best player in attacking midfield - he will find lots of space.
2. Use a winger on one wing, and an inside forward on the other - this gives you two different attacking threats even if the winger has support duty.
3. Where you use an inside forward, use a wing back or attacking full back on the same side - they will overlap and add width, especially if the IF is told to stay narrow and the wb to hug the line (or whatever exactly the equivalent PI is).
4. Situate your best creative players near your fastest players and best finishers - they will have good passing lines.
5. Use a creative striker when you are only using one forward, and surround them with runners from midfield - they will receive passes and get in behind as they are tough to mark.
6. When attacking players have Run From Deep Rarely, allow a midfielder nearby to attack from deep and penetrate the line.
7. If you have a creative winger set him up to be your playmaker (on the wing).
8. Use combinations ensuring ball retention - eg: dlp (defend) in front of defence + ap (support) in mf + an am with the proper instructions for ball holding.
9. Try set up with one cf (dlf support) with two oncoming ams behind him (eg one a shadow striker the other an am) on attack
10. Use asymmetrical formations even if its by only moving one player: eg in 442 move left mf up a bit and make him a winger support/if attack. This stretches/confuses the opposition.
And a word on defending:
Use defensive triangles: three players forming a narrow triangle, the tip of which is closest to the ball, and looks to force the ball-carrier opposing player to pass the ball away from the triangle, seeing as he can't run through it, and then quickly adjust shape to force them wide until they're forced onto the touchline where they're closed down, or they try to dribble through and are dispossessed.
Easiest way to make a triangle is by two cbs and a dm. Or in the AMC role with two midfielders in a 4-2-3-1, allowing teams to funnel counter-attacks wide earlier and close down high up the pitch this way against players who don't have a chance at playing a pass or dribbling through them. Or in the non flat 451 with the dm and the two cms. The latter two are very difficult to work in fm ...
Watch matches. Good tactics will be obvious as every time a player of yours has the ball there will be more than one passing options!
Smells like team spirit!
An team which isn't cohesive is not a team, its a group of individuals.
If you watch the game on Full or Comprehensive, as you ought to, you will see passes that don't go straight to feet, or first touches that are slightly delayed or wayward. At its worst, a lack of team cohesion will see your pass completion ratio plummet, runs go unnoticed and movement be completely senseless, all of which will undermine the success of your tactic (and MAKE YOU THINK THE ME IS BROKEN WHEN ITS NOT!!!).
The most obvious form of team spirit is how well the team is blended, and this depends on a combination of things:
1. Time spent together
This is the most obvious one and it is probably one of the reasons that in real life Barcelona have dominated football for the last few years. Most of their squad has come from La Masia. If players spend so many years with one another, they' re much more likely to know their role in the team and how to complement each other, and this is paramount to playing good football.
2. Languages spoken
If a player speaks a different language to the rest of the team, it severely damages his ability to play well and link up well; the impact is lessened if he is a less creative role where synchronisation is less important, but it is there nonetheless. It takes over a year for a player to fully learn a language, but less if you have a player of the same nationality who can speak both languages. Remember that South American and African countries tend to be former colonies and players from these countries will speak one of the major European languages, which is one less thing to worry about (Brazilians speak Portuguese, Argentinians Spanish, Ivory Coast French etc).
3. Personalities
Again all of the Barcelona squad have a broadly similar personality. There's no-one really in their squad, or in any successful team, who has a personality out of kilter with the team ethos (see also Man Utd till Moyes came in and did his best to destroy us or the **** under Wenger).
If you are patient you can change personalities and breed this ethos into players from your youth team by using stuff like tutoring etc.
4. Favoured personnel
The highest level of blending a team can achieve on FM is willing to die for each other and this should be the ultimate team building aim for managers. You want your players like one another as this will prevent disagreements and help them to link up more often and with better quality. There are obvious team cohesion/blending/spirit advantages to having players who like and appreciate one another as friends.
How to encourage team cohesion/blending:
1. Watch matches closely, look at player stats etc and see who is not blended.
2. Only play one or two unblended/new players at a time to slowly blend them into the squad and allow them to feel their way around your style. This will reduce their negative impact and allow you to grind out some results in the early stages of a season. This is slow but means you' ll be able to keep the board's and fans' confidence and get some decent form going. See previous post about avoiding second season syndrome for more on this.
3. Expect unblended/ new players to suffer in form till they blend. Dont be quickly disappointed or lose faith. Talk to them and utilise the option "I know you havent been scoring recently but I have faith you ll get through it" or similar. Throw them straight in the deep end and let them fight through for form. But not more than 1/2 per starting XI. This will be the quickest way of blending them into the squad, as they will get used to playing with one another, your existing players, and your tactics, but you will most probably get some badresults unless you try to do as per my post on second season syndrome. In my career as an FMer I very rarely if ever experience second season syndrome following exactly the advice Im giving you.
At the same time be the boss!
1. Dont let upset players call the shots.
2. Dont allow players to leave for any other reason than because you dont need/want them any more.
3. Do not give in to transfer requests.
Remember that in a team with most players on excellent morale you can afford to have 1/2 with bad morale because they ve fallen out with you. This is still applicable in FM17 but less than in previous versions. Keep playing the rebels and dont budge. Sooner or later they will kiss and make up (and while upset they'll keep playing for the team despite themselves - I lost count of the times players on red morale played well for me/scored crucial goals etc).
An team which isn't cohesive is not a team, its a group of individuals.
If you watch the game on Full or Comprehensive, as you ought to, you will see passes that don't go straight to feet, or first touches that are slightly delayed or wayward. At its worst, a lack of team cohesion will see your pass completion ratio plummet, runs go unnoticed and movement be completely senseless, all of which will undermine the success of your tactic (and MAKE YOU THINK THE ME IS BROKEN WHEN ITS NOT!!!).
The most obvious form of team spirit is how well the team is blended, and this depends on a combination of things:
1. Time spent together
This is the most obvious one and it is probably one of the reasons that in real life Barcelona have dominated football for the last few years. Most of their squad has come from La Masia. If players spend so many years with one another, they' re much more likely to know their role in the team and how to complement each other, and this is paramount to playing good football.
2. Languages spoken
If a player speaks a different language to the rest of the team, it severely damages his ability to play well and link up well; the impact is lessened if he is a less creative role where synchronisation is less important, but it is there nonetheless. It takes over a year for a player to fully learn a language, but less if you have a player of the same nationality who can speak both languages. Remember that South American and African countries tend to be former colonies and players from these countries will speak one of the major European languages, which is one less thing to worry about (Brazilians speak Portuguese, Argentinians Spanish, Ivory Coast French etc).
3. Personalities
Again all of the Barcelona squad have a broadly similar personality. There's no-one really in their squad, or in any successful team, who has a personality out of kilter with the team ethos (see also Man Utd till Moyes came in and did his best to destroy us or the **** under Wenger).
If you are patient you can change personalities and breed this ethos into players from your youth team by using stuff like tutoring etc.
4. Favoured personnel
The highest level of blending a team can achieve on FM is willing to die for each other and this should be the ultimate team building aim for managers. You want your players like one another as this will prevent disagreements and help them to link up more often and with better quality. There are obvious team cohesion/blending/spirit advantages to having players who like and appreciate one another as friends.
How to encourage team cohesion/blending:
1. Watch matches closely, look at player stats etc and see who is not blended.
2. Only play one or two unblended/new players at a time to slowly blend them into the squad and allow them to feel their way around your style. This will reduce their negative impact and allow you to grind out some results in the early stages of a season. This is slow but means you' ll be able to keep the board's and fans' confidence and get some decent form going. See previous post about avoiding second season syndrome for more on this.
3. Expect unblended/ new players to suffer in form till they blend. Dont be quickly disappointed or lose faith. Talk to them and utilise the option "I know you havent been scoring recently but I have faith you ll get through it" or similar. Throw them straight in the deep end and let them fight through for form. But not more than 1/2 per starting XI. This will be the quickest way of blending them into the squad, as they will get used to playing with one another, your existing players, and your tactics, but you will most probably get some badresults unless you try to do as per my post on second season syndrome. In my career as an FMer I very rarely if ever experience second season syndrome following exactly the advice Im giving you.
At the same time be the boss!
1. Dont let upset players call the shots.
2. Dont allow players to leave for any other reason than because you dont need/want them any more.
3. Do not give in to transfer requests.
Remember that in a team with most players on excellent morale you can afford to have 1/2 with bad morale because they ve fallen out with you. This is still applicable in FM17 but less than in previous versions. Keep playing the rebels and dont budge. Sooner or later they will kiss and make up (and while upset they'll keep playing for the team despite themselves - I lost count of the times players on red morale played well for me/scored crucial goals etc).
Transformer - LOU REED
This post should be read in the light of what I say above about avoiding second season syndrome.
Your targets in pre season should be:
-To get your FITNESS levels up.
-To get TACTIC familiarity to acceptable levels (if not to full)
-TEAM COHESION (absolutely crucial if you have more than two new players or in the first season)
Concurrently to the above you need to increase MORALE.
Morale
Having players with high morale is crucial for success and its a really good idea to get it as high as possible straight away. To achieve this as soon as possible make sure you play friendlies mostly against extremely weaker opposition. You want the team to score a lot of goals. You can set up a couple of friendlies against more difficult teams but do it in the "middle" of your schedules and ensure you have at least 2 friendlies against much weaker opponents till the season starts.
Google "The Raumdeuter FM. Look at his video of how to improve player morale. Do the same before a match with players on yellow morale or less. You cannot imagine how much you increase your chances!
Fitness
Every player at the club must be match fit before the season starts. If not then the risk of picking up injuries or little niggles from games is increased. Also by getting everyone match fit it means you can throw them into the first team should you suffer injuries/suspensions early on in the season and don't have to worry that they aren't fit. It also becomes easier to maintain throughout the season.
Tactic Familiarity
This is the most important thing to concentrate on. The sooner it is fluid the better because it means your tactic will play better and the players are used to every aspect of it. You can get tactic familiarity fluid before the start of the first game of the season (or near it) if you plan properly. Set up around 12 friendlies (mostly as above vs weaker teams). Dont forget that against weaker teams you can play some of your youths without any fear. But you should always put out a side to win and win emphatically. So a match every 3/4 days.
Set match training to tactics and general training to cohesion. If you go to training camps then while these are on you gain tactic familiarity/fitness a lot quicker.
Therefore:
Team Cohesion
Have all your squads training the same tactics always. That way if you ve promoted players from your youth/reserves team into the first team they will already have tactical awareness.
If you bought more than two/three players especially who speak various languages then you should focus on this heavily as the general focus from the third week onwards (so from third week onwards training should be general team cohesion, match tactics - but see previous posts). It helps them settle into the team quickly and get an understanding.
Friendlies
As above (and see previous posts)
This post should be read in the light of what I say above about avoiding second season syndrome.
Your targets in pre season should be:
-To get your FITNESS levels up.
-To get TACTIC familiarity to acceptable levels (if not to full)
-TEAM COHESION (absolutely crucial if you have more than two new players or in the first season)
Concurrently to the above you need to increase MORALE.
Morale
Having players with high morale is crucial for success and its a really good idea to get it as high as possible straight away. To achieve this as soon as possible make sure you play friendlies mostly against extremely weaker opposition. You want the team to score a lot of goals. You can set up a couple of friendlies against more difficult teams but do it in the "middle" of your schedules and ensure you have at least 2 friendlies against much weaker opponents till the season starts.
Google "The Raumdeuter FM. Look at his video of how to improve player morale. Do the same before a match with players on yellow morale or less. You cannot imagine how much you increase your chances!
Fitness
Every player at the club must be match fit before the season starts. If not then the risk of picking up injuries or little niggles from games is increased. Also by getting everyone match fit it means you can throw them into the first team should you suffer injuries/suspensions early on in the season and don't have to worry that they aren't fit. It also becomes easier to maintain throughout the season.
Tactic Familiarity
This is the most important thing to concentrate on. The sooner it is fluid the better because it means your tactic will play better and the players are used to every aspect of it. You can get tactic familiarity fluid before the start of the first game of the season (or near it) if you plan properly. Set up around 12 friendlies (mostly as above vs weaker teams). Dont forget that against weaker teams you can play some of your youths without any fear. But you should always put out a side to win and win emphatically. So a match every 3/4 days.
Set match training to tactics and general training to cohesion. If you go to training camps then while these are on you gain tactic familiarity/fitness a lot quicker.
Therefore:
- Set up around 10/12 friendlies.
- Signing new players will reduce tactic familiarity, so the more signings you make the longer time you need to become fluid.
- You must set the scheduling bar in the training section all the way to the left so its set on 50%. That is where its 50% and not at the end of the bar.
- When you've set up the friendlies check on the training calendar to make sure you have at least two training days before each match.
- V IMPORTANT: Choose as early as possible pre season starting date (see previous posts on this)
Team Cohesion
Have all your squads training the same tactics always. That way if you ve promoted players from your youth/reserves team into the first team they will already have tactical awareness.
If you bought more than two/three players especially who speak various languages then you should focus on this heavily as the general focus from the third week onwards (so from third week onwards training should be general team cohesion, match tactics - but see previous posts). It helps them settle into the team quickly and get an understanding.
Friendlies
As above (and see previous posts)
Two questions, if you don't mind... I posted about this in the Compliant thread. I started a Bournemouth save and Liverpool offered me a ton of money for Gradel, so I sold. Suddenly I had 25m Euros to play with as Bournemouth and I spent a bit stupidly, so I will start over (if I don't try a save with somewhere else instead lol).
1. Would you sell Max Gradel at the start of a new save with Bournemouth? One of their best attacking players, versatile, and 28 years old. Great speed. Liverpool will pay stupid money - over 40m Euros total, 20m up front. Given that survival is the goal in the first season and the club don't have tons of money, it seemed like a gimme decision. But finding an adequate replacement wasn't that easy as lots of promising players weren't interested (according to my scouts), and the Serbian from Partizan I wanted couldn't get a work permit.
2. Any suggestions on how to deal with work permits? I don't manage in England that often. I tried to sign 2 Serbian players and my scouts both suggested they would get WP on appeal. They didn't. Would it make a difference if I gave them a higher squad status in the contract?
1. Would you sell Max Gradel at the start of a new save with Bournemouth? One of their best attacking players, versatile, and 28 years old. Great speed. Liverpool will pay stupid money - over 40m Euros total, 20m up front. Given that survival is the goal in the first season and the club don't have tons of money, it seemed like a gimme decision. But finding an adequate replacement wasn't that easy as lots of promising players weren't interested (according to my scouts), and the Serbian from Partizan I wanted couldn't get a work permit.
2. Any suggestions on how to deal with work permits? I don't manage in England that often. I tried to sign 2 Serbian players and my scouts both suggested they would get WP on appeal. They didn't. Would it make a difference if I gave them a higher squad status in the contract?
1. At 28 I would sell for 40 million. Dont listen to scouts. Offer for all players you identify.
Look at the following players: Oyarzabal, Coric, Sansone (eventually in first tranny window I think he gets listed), Boschilia and Guedes on loan, Hirving Lozano, Sebastian Driussi, Angel Correa (on loan maybe), Diafra Sakho.
2. You cannot "manage" work permits. To get them player must have played in 75% of last international matches of his national team lower ages included.
Look at the following players: Oyarzabal, Coric, Sansone (eventually in first tranny window I think he gets listed), Boschilia and Guedes on loan, Hirving Lozano, Sebastian Driussi, Angel Correa (on loan maybe), Diafra Sakho.
2. You cannot "manage" work permits. To get them player must have played in 75% of last international matches of his national team lower ages included.
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Kinda hard to justify NOT selling for that money.
I'll check out those suggestions. I did make an offer for Lozano but ran away quickly when they countered with 40m lol. I did buy Rodrigo Bentacur, who is basically a prototype of the type of wide player I like, but he's a ride sided player, same as Ibe. But that might be a workable combo as I think Ibe can play on the left pretty well.
Pretty much what I figured on work permits. The winger is a youth international but not sure on the DC.
I'll check out those suggestions. I did make an offer for Lozano but ran away quickly when they countered with 40m lol. I did buy Rodrigo Bentacur, who is basically a prototype of the type of wide player I like, but he's a ride sided player, same as Ibe. But that might be a workable combo as I think Ibe can play on the left pretty well.
Pretty much what I figured on work permits. The winger is a youth international but not sure on the DC.
Thank your for the mention! (I'm an admin of MrLTactics)Death Ball
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If I may: Injuries and red cards.
I see many frustrated with that saying they do all they have to to minimize them yet they have many injured players and long term injuries. I don't mean to doubt them, but thing is, several of youtubers I follow I've seen complaining of that (past versions more than this) and there's something to say about that. Perhaps, those posters do the same.
They say "no high intensity training". Not seeing their training schedules (none who I follow does, I think one would but I don't follow yet) I have nothing more to say.
The first place I have something to say is when they say "I don't tackle hard". Ok, some showed his tactics and indeed, neither team nor players have tackling hard checked. But then you see them going into the match. Soon they get to the OI instruction, they click the apply assistant's advice and move on. And there, his advisor has set players, often a lot, sometimes every outfield player and the goalkeeper's granny to tackling hard. So that part that they don't instruct tackling hard? False. They do the moment they are taking the advice in OI to tackle hard enemies. Players will use their team and tactical instructions; but when facing the opposition players, if it has an OI set, they will follow that over what the tactic tells them, so if you set tackling hard to a rival, all players will tackle hard when meeting that rival. If you take advice to tackle hard a lof of players it won't be different than giving your players the tackling hard instruction and hence raising the risk of injury. And of red cards.
The second is only related to injury. And this is what I've observed some of those complaining of the gravity of injuries: they get a player with a non red cross who's dropped more than 10% condition and... they do nothing. They keep playing him. I've ever seen them keep on the field someone whose condition dropped from 89% to 49%. Sometimes they eventually sub them when in mid of second half, but I've seen players injured like that in min 5 that have played the rest of the match. How is that doing everything to minimize injuries? If you get one such knock in a match, the longer he plays the more chances the injury will be worse. As a rule of thumb: if condition drops more than 10% the player must be subbed immediately or the injury will almost sure be serious, immediate sub may leave it at something short. If the condition drops less than 10% then you have a good chance that keeping him playing won't make it too bad. I think the longer injury I've had from a player dropping less than 10% and kept on the field was 4 weeks but most don't go beyond 2 weeks; and by subbing immediately I've had knocks that dropped up to 35% last just 5 days. That's how I rarely have injury crises and more or less an average of one 2+ month injuries per season and some seasons with none like that. Keep your eyes open for injuries that don't force players out, watch how much condition dropped, if it did more than 10% or you're not sure: sub him immediately unless you don't mind losing that player for months. If condition dropped less than 10% then you may consider not subbing; but be careful, there's the odd injury that drops less than 10% and still lasts beyond two weeks.
I see many frustrated with that saying they do all they have to to minimize them yet they have many injured players and long term injuries. I don't mean to doubt them, but thing is, several of youtubers I follow I've seen complaining of that (past versions more than this) and there's something to say about that. Perhaps, those posters do the same.
They say "no high intensity training". Not seeing their training schedules (none who I follow does, I think one would but I don't follow yet) I have nothing more to say.
The first place I have something to say is when they say "I don't tackle hard". Ok, some showed his tactics and indeed, neither team nor players have tackling hard checked. But then you see them going into the match. Soon they get to the OI instruction, they click the apply assistant's advice and move on. And there, his advisor has set players, often a lot, sometimes every outfield player and the goalkeeper's granny to tackling hard. So that part that they don't instruct tackling hard? False. They do the moment they are taking the advice in OI to tackle hard enemies. Players will use their team and tactical instructions; but when facing the opposition players, if it has an OI set, they will follow that over what the tactic tells them, so if you set tackling hard to a rival, all players will tackle hard when meeting that rival. If you take advice to tackle hard a lof of players it won't be different than giving your players the tackling hard instruction and hence raising the risk of injury. And of red cards.
The second is only related to injury. And this is what I've observed some of those complaining of the gravity of injuries: they get a player with a non red cross who's dropped more than 10% condition and... they do nothing. They keep playing him. I've ever seen them keep on the field someone whose condition dropped from 89% to 49%. Sometimes they eventually sub them when in mid of second half, but I've seen players injured like that in min 5 that have played the rest of the match. How is that doing everything to minimize injuries? If you get one such knock in a match, the longer he plays the more chances the injury will be worse. As a rule of thumb: if condition drops more than 10% the player must be subbed immediately or the injury will almost sure be serious, immediate sub may leave it at something short. If the condition drops less than 10% then you have a good chance that keeping him playing won't make it too bad. I think the longer injury I've had from a player dropping less than 10% and kept on the field was 4 weeks but most don't go beyond 2 weeks; and by subbing immediately I've had knocks that dropped up to 35% last just 5 days. That's how I rarely have injury crises and more or less an average of one 2+ month injuries per season and some seasons with none like that. Keep your eyes open for injuries that don't force players out, watch how much condition dropped, if it did more than 10% or you're not sure: sub him immediately unless you don't mind losing that player for months. If condition dropped less than 10% then you may consider not subbing; but be careful, there's the odd injury that drops less than 10% and still lasts beyond two weeks.
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PatrickLFC
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Totally agree with you here. I never set any tackling to hard, including opposition instructions because whilst it can be an improvement, it's just not worth the risk of red cards imo. And as soon as a player picks up a knock I will sub him if it's an orange cross. I'd even rather play a man short in the last 20-30 minutes of the game than aggravate the injury
Yes! This.
In FM 17 so far I have found that if you make the mistake to train very high it rains injuries. Also the game is more complicated than what people think. Attributes like stamina, bravery etc do play a part as does the hidden stat of injury prone-ness. Most people don't bother to read player reports let alone read them properly and they miss such crucial info.
Utilising substitutions and ensuring you dont concede late
This should be read together with what I say in previous posts on how to ensure you dont concede late in matches and on how to avoid second season syndrome.
Generally, the average FM player substitutes tired players. But is that really wise?
What we are usually guilty of is forgetting the mentality of players. Determination, composure, concentration and even flair are very important attributes, especially late in matches. Players with high stats in these (esp the first two) will be better able to aid you in your cause the later in a match you are.
Other considerations would be:
(a) Players on yellow cards (esp defensive ones - ones who have been yellow carded very early in matches). Check their aggression stat - if high they re in danger of a red. Alternatively consider instructing them to tackle easy and/or shouting at them to calm down.
(b) Players who are very nervous, complacent etc. Try shouting at them to show passion/demand more etc but if no change then sub. Look at personality - players with no ambition etc tend to feel nervous no matter what.
(c) Players who you will be starting next match. But calculate the threat posed by the opposition before you take them off. In my experience, in FM you should always do your best to win the match that comes first/which you re currently involved in, than to rotate thinking of the next one.
(d) Obviously players who are slightly injured should be taken off to avoid aggravating their injuries.
(e) Players on low morale. Morale is extremely important in FM1. Players with low morale, especially late in matches in key positions (cb esp) is a recipe for disaster.
So, who to bring on and when?
When it looks like the fate of the match is decided, bring on:
This should be read together with what I say in previous posts on how to ensure you dont concede late in matches and on how to avoid second season syndrome.
Generally, the average FM player substitutes tired players. But is that really wise?
What we are usually guilty of is forgetting the mentality of players. Determination, composure, concentration and even flair are very important attributes, especially late in matches. Players with high stats in these (esp the first two) will be better able to aid you in your cause the later in a match you are.
Other considerations would be:
(a) Players on yellow cards (esp defensive ones - ones who have been yellow carded very early in matches). Check their aggression stat - if high they re in danger of a red. Alternatively consider instructing them to tackle easy and/or shouting at them to calm down.
(b) Players who are very nervous, complacent etc. Try shouting at them to show passion/demand more etc but if no change then sub. Look at personality - players with no ambition etc tend to feel nervous no matter what.
(c) Players who you will be starting next match. But calculate the threat posed by the opposition before you take them off. In my experience, in FM you should always do your best to win the match that comes first/which you re currently involved in, than to rotate thinking of the next one.
(d) Obviously players who are slightly injured should be taken off to avoid aggravating their injuries.
(e) Players on low morale. Morale is extremely important in FM1. Players with low morale, especially late in matches in key positions (cb esp) is a recipe for disaster.
So, who to bring on and when?
- players with better morale than the ones brought off; condition is nowhere near as important as morale is. Though if your tactics are spot on you CAN carry up to a couple low morale players as indicated elsewhere in this thread.
- defenders with better mental attributes.
- more experienced players, if you can see someone underpeforming and being very nervous, after your attempts of taking pressure off him failed.
When it looks like the fate of the match is decided, bring on:
- young players; senior match experience is one of the most important factors in player development;
- newly transfered in players, in order to help them get integrated without risking team cohesion.
- those who are complaining about lack of first team football, even if their morale is not very good, as they might start getting over their slight concern;
- match unfit players.
epic terrorist
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Your thread is always a good read my man, finally buckled and bought FM after being adamant I wouldn't, after being out of FM for nearly a year I will be giving this thread the once over later!