Pep Guardiola possession tactic

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41221 GK CWBa CDd DMd DLPs APs IFa Treq (ST)

Nice tactic it does what it says but it needs good players, if not you will get some solud results but you will often get ripped in huge space you leave behind as it has 'much higher def line' on.

One of the good 14.2.1 tactics though
 
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41221 GK CWBa CDd DMd DLPs APs IFa Treq (ST)

Nice tactic it does what it says but it needs good players, if not you will get some solud results but you will often get ripped in huge space you leave behind as it has 'much higher def line' on.

One of the good 14.2.1 tactics though

So it doesnt work for the new 14.2.2 patch D:
 
I'm glad it's worked for you mate

You have almost the same set up that I use, although I use a Control Strategy I understand your choice for a Normal one since we understand that Barcelona's was neither attacking or defensive... it was both. The thing is that these strategies have a lot of time wasting, bad translation of time spent with (holding) the ball and moving the ball around with patience it's a different thing of holding the ball :-) This is something else that I think it's very wrong with this FM: we aren't able to tell the players "look guys, move the ball around constantly but without taking risks and don't hold it onto your feet". That's why intensity needs to be worked and not to use in the same way, I've been using More Intensity to avoid my players being caught in possession. The other thing is about width: my understanding of this is if players are already holding up the ball because of the hard-coded TW and using a low intensity, there's a danger of easing things for opponents that park the bus if using a Play Narrow TI even with a stay wider PI for the CWB's. Here I'm thinking that stretching the opponent can be more wisely, in order to open spaces, playing wider. I'm not a great fan of CWB's when using two CD's, I think it can create too much space and make us loose our defence shape, although somehow it can be compensate with a HB dropping into the CD's. And since I like assymetries, I've been using a right-WB (attack) and left-WB (support), still have doubts for the forward roles: Pedro / Villa and more recently Pedro / Neymar doesn't feel like to IF's attacking doing the same things, so I've been trying a support and an attack duties or an IF (support) and a winger (attack) (again, to give me width and stretch the opponent).
Finally, have you been finding difficulties to regain possession ? do you feel hassle is enough to rapidly doing so ?
Also like to ask you if you set your players to ppm training, I think it's an important part no matter what style we intend our team to play... just trading some ideas and hope to read your thoughts about this :D
 
You have almost the same set up that I use, although I use a Control Strategy I understand your choice for a Normal one since we understand that Barcelona's was neither attacking or defensive... it was both. The thing is that these strategies have a lot of time wasting, bad translation of time spent with (holding) the ball and moving the ball around with patience it's a different thing of holding the ball :-) This is something else that I think it's very wrong with this FM: we aren't able to tell the players "look guys, move the ball around constantly but without taking risks and don't hold it onto your feet". That's why intensity needs to be worked and not to use in the same way, I've been using More Intensity to avoid my players being caught in possession. The other thing is about width: my understanding of this is if players are already holding up the ball because of the hard-coded TW and using a low intensity, there's a danger of easing things for opponents that park the bus if using a Play Narrow TI even with a stay wider PI for the CWB's. Here I'm thinking that stretching the opponent can be more wisely, in order to open spaces, playing wider. I'm not a great fan of CWB's when using two CD's, I think it can create too much space and make us loose our defence shape, although somehow it can be compensate with a HB dropping into the CD's. And since I like assymetries, I've been using a right-WB (attack) and left-WB (support), still have doubts for the forward roles: Pedro / Villa and more recently Pedro / Neymar doesn't feel like to IF's attacking doing the same things, so I've been trying a support and an attack duties or an IF (support) and a winger (attack) (again, to give me width and stretch the opponent).
Finally, have you been finding difficulties to regain possession ? do you feel hassle is enough to rapidly doing so ?
Also like to ask you if you set your players to ppm training, I think it's an important part no matter what style we intend our team to play... just trading some ideas and hope to read your thoughts about this :D
What about the Hold Up Ball PI? you use it?
And about width I really think that is better to play wider because when we look at the title it says "penetration" it means that when we attack we play wider...but still I play narrow because it still making my defence create spaces for the opponent's
 
What about the Hold Up Ball PI? you use it?
And about width I really think that is better to play wider because when we look at the title it says "penetration" it means that when we attack we play wider...but still I play narrow because it still making my defence create spaces for the opponent's

No, I don't use the hold the ball PI: players already dwell with the ball due to the strategy (either Control or Normal), so there is always a relative danger of being caught in possession by good opponent players. We have to take in consideration the default instructions (hard-coded) of both strategy and fluidity. For instance, one common error is setting Retain Possession and Shorter Passing TI, because Retain Possession already sets by default the passing to short, so there's no need for the shorter passing TI.
That is understandable, but remember narrow doesn't affect your playing when you are just defending also affects your attacking. Playing narrow used to set passing focus through the middle and now it's not possible to know if it still works this way. So, I think the real deal here is to stretch the opponent to become easier the "penetration" into spaces, and secondly the team has to be able to regain possession the closest possible to the opponent's box because if you succeed with this there's no problem with giving space to the other team... when not possible, well, our players have to drop quickly. The secret to be discovered is how to do it :)
 
You have almost the same set up that I use, although I use a Control Strategy I understand your choice for a Normal one since we understand that Barcelona's was neither attacking or defensive... it was both. The thing is that these strategies have a lot of time wasting, bad translation of time spent with (holding) the ball and moving the ball around with patience it's a different thing of holding the ball :-) This is something else that I think it's very wrong with this FM: we aren't able to tell the players "look guys, move the ball around constantly but without taking risks and don't hold it onto your feet". That's why intensity needs to be worked and not to use in the same way, I've been using More Intensity to avoid my players being caught in possession. The other thing is about width: my understanding of this is if players are already holding up the ball because of the hard-coded TW and using a low intensity, there's a danger of easing things for opponents that park the bus if using a Play Narrow TI even with a stay wider PI for the CWB's. Here I'm thinking that stretching the opponent can be more wisely, in order to open spaces, playing wider. I'm not a great fan of CWB's when using two CD's, I think it can create too much space and make us loose our defence shape, although somehow it can be compensate with a HB dropping into the CD's. And since I like assymetries, I've been using a right-WB (attack) and left-WB (support), still have doubts for the forward roles: Pedro / Villa and more recently Pedro / Neymar doesn't feel like to IF's attacking doing the same things, so I've been trying a support and an attack duties or an IF (support) and a winger (attack) (again, to give me width and stretch the opponent).
Finally, have you been finding difficulties to regain possession ? do you feel hassle is enough to rapidly doing so ?
Also like to ask you if you set your players to ppm training, I think it's an important part no matter what style we intend our team to play... just trading some ideas and hope to read your thoughts about this :D


I think if your tactic is based on keeping possession you have to take risks, but having your full backs on CWB's helps stretch the pitch and will pull opposition full backs out of position. I've set my holding midfielder as a defensive midfielder, that's the role Busquets plays in real life, he will sit in and make a back 3 while the full backs attack but he will also support if safe. For the wingers I think from what I can remember (currently not on football manager) I've set them to come inside to sort of make a front two with messi dropping In behind which will make a diamond in the centre of the pitch, the full backs will get forward and create a 4 up front. I've also had difficulties in regaining possession, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't
 
No, I don't use the hold the ball PI: players already dwell with the ball due to the strategy (either Control or Normal), so there is always a relative danger of being caught in possession by good opponent players. We have to take in consideration the default instructions (hard-coded) of both strategy and fluidity. For instance, one common error is setting Retain Possession and Shorter Passing TI, because Retain Possession already sets by default the passing to short, so there's no need for the shorter passing TI.
That is understandable, but remember narrow doesn't affect your playing when you are just defending also affects your attacking. Playing narrow used to set passing focus through the middle and now it's not possible to know if it still works this way. So, I think the real deal here is to stretch the opponent to become easier the "penetration" into spaces, and secondly the team has to be able to regain possession the closest possible to the opponent's box because if you succeed with this there's no problem with giving space to the other team... when not possible, well, our players have to drop quickly. The secret to be discovered is how to do it :)
That's what I said....for the penetration it will be better to play wide and stretch the pitch but when your players not dropping fast enough like in FM and trying to defend quick your'e defence will leave a lot of space especially because the "play wider" instruction...do you have an idea how to make the players defend and attack together?
 
That's what I said....for the penetration it will be better to play wide and stretch the pitch but when your players not dropping fast enough like in FM and trying to defend quick your'e defence will leave a lot of space especially because the "play wider" instruction...do you have an idea how to make the players defend and attack together?

More fluidity makes the team play more as one, defenders will also attack more and attackers will also defend more. The problem here is that they will also have more CF, so the risk of deciding by themselves instead of following instructions is greater. That means that when players have a TI or PI to hassle or close down they might not do it... here is where I think ppm's have importance, because the player might not follow the instruction but in this case they will follow their ppm's and it makes all the difference if players have a ppm to mark tighter. But it might not be enough ! In my perspective although Barcelona had a style fluid, the players were very disciplined to keep the team's shape so I wouldn't use the more expressive TI but the more disciplined TI followed by some tweaks in PI to have more movement. Finally, since it's not possible to apply the 6 second rule to regain possession, it might be needed some mix mark tighter, both zonal and man-marking because it's important to make our forward players come deeper to defend. I'm thinking the IF's man-marking the opponent wingers in order to acomplish this. What do you think about it ?
 
More fluidity makes the team play more as one, defenders will also attack more and attackers will also defend more. The problem here is that they will also have more CF, so the risk of deciding by themselves instead of following instructions is greater. That means that when players have a TI or PI to hassle or close down they might not do it... here is where I think ppm's have importance, because the player might not follow the instruction but in this case they will follow their ppm's and it makes all the difference if players have a ppm to mark tighter. But it might not be enough ! In my perspective although Barcelona had a style fluid, the players were very disciplined to keep the team's shape so I wouldn't use the more expressive TI but the more disciplined TI followed by some tweaks in PI to have more movement. Finally, since it's not possible to apply the 6 second rule to regain possession, it might be needed some mix mark tighter, both zonal and man-marking because it's important to make our forward players come deeper to defend. I'm thinking the IF's man-marking the opponent wingers in order to acomplish this. What do you think about it ?
Tried it...they will mark them but too tight they won't be able to pressure the defence in order to regain the ball...
there is another way to get the team more disciplined?
I remember that in FM13 I always picked very fluid and in the PI I picked thier CF down to make them be more disciplined but it caused that the pressure and the average positions were very low...I think it's a bug of the ME, the CF don't need to harm the pressure or the average positions..
 
Yes but with some specific man-marking you are able to cut passing lines and make the opponent to either make a pass of greater risk or they will just kick the ball. The problem is these specifics can lead to the player being dragged from position or, if the marking fails then we can say "Houston, we have a problem" :D
Things are made more globally and less individual, we aren't able to customize instructions as we were used to. Personally, I can deal with this but then the game should provide me more defending options because the disparity between offensive and defensive options is huge.
I still think the best option is to bet on the mark tighter ppm: if the player chooses to stick to your instruction we will do so; if he chooses to go for his own decision, fine, he has the mark tighter ppm.
 
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Following on from this, I am now at 42 games without conceding...
 
Been giving this a go with Ajax, just seem to get hit on the counter too much so trying to figure out how to solve this. However, I have had over 60% possession and some games Duarte and Enoh have had near to 100 passes per game! I'll keep you updated! Cracking tactic!
 
Wanted to play through a season with this tactic before moving onto a new save. Last update is as follows.

wz9s.png


Also won every other competition I was in. My worst result of the season was a 0-0 draw with Leverkusen, won every other game.
 
Wanted to play through a season with this tactic before moving onto a new save. Last update is as follows.

wz9s.png


Also won every other competition I was in. My worst result of the season was a 0-0 draw with Leverkusen, won every other game.
OMG ******* impressive
 
Wanted to play through a season with this tactic before moving onto a new save. Last update is as follows.

wz9s.png


Also won every other competition I was in. My worst result of the season was a 0-0 draw with Leverkusen, won every other game.

Amazing. Who's in your team?
 
hi really like this tactic and the ideas behind it but i've got a few problems/questions.

ive used this tactic for a season now all familiar with tactic etc(manage Barcelona ATM) but when i play the bigger teams i only
have only 50% of the ball but i am still winning but was just wondering if there is something i can do to stop this or change it .

Also i noticed someone mentioned they dropped the ST(trq) to a CAM(trq) did this benefit you a lot and is it worth doing?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
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