Promoted to prem - Advice on staying up

[Copius]

So, I'll save the major ins and outs for the stories thread! But last season I dominated the championship with Nottingham Forest and gained promotion. 1st half of the season I only lost one game and drew two and put together strings of runs easy-street, think I got to about 12 on the trot before i drew one, and was quite far ahead of Newcastle. Things started going badly in 2nd half of season when I became the leagues draw-master and began losing the games to other title chasers which left me 4th, but I beat West Brom and Bristol to gain promotion anyway.

So, new season, and pretty much a new squad as to gain Promotion I used old timers that were nice and cheap or frees - Scott Chipperfield, Angulo, Lauren, Michael Ball. + loan players - Dorian Dervite, Gael Kakuta... along with a few signings, making the most of the 'over 48 months' pament method! So loan players went back, old timers got sold. I chose to be brave and tell the board i'll get a mid-table finish, which gave me and an extra boost money wise - £21m to spend I think, and a wage cap of 150,000 a week which im now a grand under, with nothing in the bank and transfer window shut.

Here's what I've ended up with...
(Formation gives best possible player ratings, I could play another winger instead of the AMC but then a 3star turns to a 2and a half etc)

After 8 games I've won just 2 - a friendly against GH academy and a lousy 1-0 at Hartlepool in the cup. The rest defeated in, although alot of the goals have came in the last 80 minutes after we've held on. Thus making the fans even unhappier with the result as they felt there was a point in it. Trying different formations depending on who's fit and how well they done in the previous game etc

Here's a new formation I'm gonna start using as it gets the best out of each player, with them all playing somewhere they are 'natural'.

or possibly...

...as I am unsure of how well 3 at the back will fair when we are getting beat as it is! (and Milan Misun is playing out his skin at LB)

You've seen the squad I'm working with and I think I've brought someone for every area, seem to have a good keeper in Smithies, Adeleye was player of the year at the back last year and Fontanello seems solid, nothing wrong with Gunter and Misun is playing awesome so far, quick wingers in Stoch and Anderson, more technial a midfielder in Hutchinson and Thygesen, defenisve midfielders in Medel and Bodor, target men in Traore and Dady, Supporting forwards in Bojinov and Dindane... Fact is, against the big bad prem boys are they good enough?!

What can I do tactically, training wise, during a game, with set pieces...? To keep me on top

Being the lesser team in every game this season isn't gonna be easy I can see!
So here I am asking the seasoned pros - What do you do?!

Thankyou!

 

[Clarky.]

I'd suggest having your starting strategy as counter attack, try get some fast wingers and upfronters, should be able to survive

 

[Jak]

seems to me that a problem u may have is scoring goals. You don't seem to have a goal-scorer who you can rely on to score regulary. But as said above play on the counter attack and when playing in games against the big teams I would say play defensive, slow tempo and time wasting (You can grind out draws and sometimes even wins. I did this with Leeds in the FA cup once in my first season against Chelsea and I somehow won 1-0)

 

[morton fc]

scour this site for training programmes and do what has been said above and play counter attacking a few draws could boost confidence or arrange a friendly midweek against a very small team at home so you will hammer them and this will give them a confidence boost to score goals worked for me

 

[Copius]

seems to me that a problem u may have is scoring goals. You don't seem to have a goal-scorer who you can rely on to score regulary. But as said above play on the counter attack and when playing in games against the big teams I would say play defensive, slow tempo and time wasting (You can grind out draws and sometimes even wins. I did this with Leeds in the FA cup once in my first season against Chelsea and I somehow won 1-0)

I hear that, last season our top scorer was Dady with 12, weak! but Smithies was awesome so goal difference was as good as any.
This year, Lacina Traore is 6'8 with 20 rated for jumping, how hes not stuck a header yet is beyond me! As for supporting strikers Bojinov's been terrible, so had Dindane (Who I only got as he was a free agent and helped settle Ivory Coast team-mate Traore)

I've not been scoring because Ive been playing total defense against the big teams and almost getting away with it, 80 mins on the clock and goals go in without fail

---------- Post added at 08:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 PM ----------

scour this site for training programmes and do what has been said above and play counter attacking a few draws could boost confidence or arrange a friendly midweek against a very small team at home so you will hammer them and this will give them a confidence boost to score goals worked for me

Thanks man, I've began to look at tactics on here - dont suppose you know where to put them on a Mac? So annoying, struggled with facepacks and badgepacks already now tactics arent loading when ive put them in the right place!

 

[Jak]

I hear that, last season our top scorer was Dady with 12, weak! but Smithies was awesome so goal difference was as good as any.
This year, Lacina Traore is 6'8 with 20 rated for jumping, how hes not stuck a header yet is beyond me! As for supporting strikers Bojinov's been terrible, so had Dindane (Who I only got as he was a free agent and helped settle Ivory Coast team-mate Traore)

I've not been scoring because Ive been playing total defense against the big teams and almost getting away with it, 80 mins on the clock and goals go in without fail

Unfortunately Smithies won't be able to save you as much this season due to there being higher quality teams. As for Traore make sure your wingers are supplying the crosses, maybe change their training to be more based on crossing and pace. That way Traore should have better service and more likely to score from headers. If it is always 80 mins or around there maybe there is something wrong with your tactics at that point in a match. Maybe change them a bit when you get near this point.

 

[morton fc]

Thanks man, I've began to look at tactics on here - dont suppose you know where to put them on a Mac? So annoying, struggled with facepacks and badgepacks already now tactics arent loading when ive put them in the right place!

no sorry but a tactic i seen earlier was the brazilian box to box tactic which doesnt need to be downloaded

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/f72/brazilian-box-to-box-midfield-tactic-t39909.html

try it youv got nothing to lose with a new tactic

 

[Aannddyy]

As you've already bought your team and are only really looking for a tactic I'm moving this to the tactic section.

I don't know which tactic you should use but you will need one that will keep you strong at the back and play on the counter attack, or if you want exciting football try this

 

[Nixon]

If you want to use your own tactic, which I feel is more satisfactory in the long run, I'd suggest something like a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1. And then make the player instructions as you wish and set them to counter. I found this works well in the Premiership and you should be able to finish roughly mid table.

 

[Copius]

no sorry but a tactic i seen earlier was the brazilian box to box tactic which doesnt need to be downloaded

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/f72/brazilian-box-to-box-midfield-tactic-t39909.html

try it youv got nothing to lose with a new tactic

Played this for last 5 games. Seems to be working well and getting performances out of players, especially back 4 higher ratings but still only scored one in last 5... Think I've got no hope to be honest, quite embarressing!

---------- Post added at 12:17 AM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 11:08 PM ----------

After much online research I decided to go for my own tactic of 4-1-2-3, short passing game with alot of room to manouver. This helped a **** of a lot even with Forest's maximum length + width pitch, as previously I was trying to use the whole pitch playing wide, direct, diciplined football. Now the free flowing, short game, counter was gaining me much service to Lacina Traore who played out of his skin all year claiming Young Player of the month on many occasion and pipping Delfouneso to the post for YP of the year.

Good runs of away form and a few results against the major premiership opposition got me as high as 12th but finishing in 16th Up for another year at least and for how badly I struggled happy I stuck it out and grinded through!

This was rewarded with £30m+ to spend and I have put together a new squad aqcuiring some pretty decent players from free's to big money signings, chuffed to sign Gabriel Milito on a free with him asking for £44,000 a week and accepting my offer of £29,000 + a nice sign on fee - but I took that as I would have paid more for him if it was a transfer anyway. Also Brazilians Bruno in goal, Digao at the back, and Kleber upfront keeping a sturdy spine to the new squad with cover for each position. Also paid (rising to) £12m for Wilshere as he's gonna be outstanding. Verratti wasnt in assistant's suggestions ever last year but he was a key, key player and I expect as much from Wilshere

Also signed Neil Lennon in as my assistant manager (HAIL HAIL!), Andy Cole as first team coach, Clarence Seedorf and George Boeteng as coaches, with Juninho turning me down but looking to continue a dream team of coaches next year!

Wish me luck, I think this team will push the boundaries in the prem this year!

 

[morton fc]

you should do good this season ill say 10th at the end of the season

 

[Copius]

boy did I stay up, check the new progress thread

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/f81/copius-nottm-forest-5-years-to-the-top-t45394.html

Now in 5th season doing well

 

[wolvo0711]

I took over reading as an unemployed manager in my first season when they were in 19th place in the championship. I got promoted just through the play-offs. Anyway I found using your tactic of 4-5-1 worked really well with quick wingers, small quick striker and skillful, technical passing central midfield with a strong powerful defensive midfielder.

I found that the Wingers which i currently had at the club were not the best but because of Jimmy Kebe's pace and Jobi mcanuff's skill i managed to finish 12th in my first season but i had to strengthen my team drastically by signing Boruc on a free a player called Radja Naingollan who is actually rather good who was on loan at firenze from piacenza for a steal of £2 million. Also i signed Right Winger Tom De Mul from sevilla for only 750K. These three players alone managed to get me 15 points above relegation. Along with these i bought Antunes a left back and Pele a defensive midfielder from Roma and Porto quite cheaply who then i sold for about 400% of the price i paid.

In the second season in the premier league i decided to splash cash i decide i could qualify for europe so i went and signed Theofanis gekas and moussa dembele as well as abou diaby on loan. I went into the free market and signed lucas neill and danny simpson for free for some experience. Also on the off chance i scouted brazil for some decent players and came across Glauber who is a very good CB and Darren O'dea has become a fantastic aquisition who i signed for 470K in my first year and these are my first choice CB's. To my surprise I finished 4th in the league and so I was awarded with a good sum of £30million to spend in the next year.

So far i have sold some of the championship players i started with and signed Andre-Pierre gignac from tolouse and vidal both for £10million as well as regiunuessen for a cheap £1.5million as well as investing in young scottish talent from rangers and hearts. As well as Florian Fischer from hamburg.

Hope my tactics have helped in any way. But one thing i will say i have made sure to stay strong from the back I drew almost all of my games in my first premier league season and only scored about 35 goals admittedly 25 from shane long and 8 from naingollan, but the 0-0 draws slowly but surely moved me away from the bottom of the table and into the security of mid-table. Shane long for me has been my best player i would definatley(unsure about spelling) invest in him.

 

[Reggaezal]

Teams which play with AMR/AML or teams with 5 midfielders will probably rape you, so just watch out for them. You've done well to get into the prem, i dont think you will go down, i mean there are some pretty weak teams in the premiere league.

 

[wolvo0711]

The only team which plays five midfielders is Blackburn Rovers and i sometimes find Gamst catches me out so i usually just invert the v and play with WB's and an AM which usually counters the formation. Also a huge gap in the centre of the field means my AM gets most of the play and if not it draws out the CB's and then my ST has more room to manoevure