Run before I can walk?

[CUFCTom]

I have just been promoted to the Premiership with Cambridge United having won promotion from the BSP in a short period of time. The issue I have is that I have a very small budget for either transfers or wages (am getting beaten to free transfers by Championship clubs). My stadium is tiny and my squad is weak compared to others in the Prem. I have just managed to get Lescott and Onuha on free's so my centre backs are sorted but the rest is not good enough.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can cling on to my place in the prem? Any downloadable tactics which work well against strong opposition? Any thoughts on how I should approach the season apart from praying?

Cheers

 

[oneunited]

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=3946

 

[Chris]

Try Mr. Hough or JP Woody's High Scoring, they should help.

Also, good luck. Cambridge are my local club. :wub:

 

[OsmosisJones]

Well aside from playing counterattacking with solid defense I think you might want to try maximizing your attacking set-pieces. They are a powerful wpn that does not require much from your players - just a good taker and a few tall players with heading and jumping. Set your match prep to attacking set-pieces, try to find the best set-pieces assignments for every player etc.

 

[loveangel]

I have just been using my own tactics, so I can't say which of the uploaded tactics would be best. However, it seems like most of the ones this year have been designed for and tested with good teams who can score a lot of goals to make the tactic look good. I'm not convinced we have seen a tactic posted that is far above and beyond what anyone can make with a simple, logical wizard tactic, so I think you should just make your own and see how it goes.

I think a 4-4-2 diamond (wide) is a great formation to start with, it works very well in this year's engine. Make it rigid or balanced, counter strategy. The default duties given when you select "4-4-2 diamond" in the formations are pretty solid.

                Poacher*         Deep Lying Forward
                      Attacking Midfielder
 Wide Midfielder                                      Wide Midfielder
                      Defensive Midfielder*
    Fullback    Limited Defender  Limited Defender   Full back
                                   (cover)
                           GK

The asterisks are where you should spend the most money to get the best player available to you. Make sure your DM has anchor man type stats, don't go for a deep lying playmaker type of player (think Angel Palombo not Andrea Poli, just as an example). If you use a different formation, this applies to one of your centremids too.

Some cheap examples off the top of my head (some may have developed better than others at your point in the game)
Anthony Annan
Lorenzo Crisetig
Fabrice Muambo
Francesco Bolzoni

For your poacher, Yannick Djalo from FM2010 is a perfect example. Somebody with high pace and accel who will come to almost any team is what you need. Perhaps one of the bigger clubs has somebody available on a free loan. I can't think of too many specific examples, especially since you must be a few years into the game, maybe Alberto Bueno or somebody like that.

For finding players try using MrHough's player filters or make your own filter with 5-6 main attributes set to 12 or 13. And don't forget to check the loan lists, since you can't afford many players you are better off loaning as much as possible (but you must know this already if you got promoted all the way from BSP).

ps. I agree with OsmosisJones who mentioned set pieces. I don't know the perfect corner play but look around the forums (it probably involves far post). Also, if you can find somebody with high free kick taking, he will score a number of goals for you during the season, and that might make a big difference.

 

[duca]

for poacher buy kris boyd if he is still good

 

[CUFCTom]

Thanks guys, really helpful insight and ideas. I managed to get Daniel Sturridge on a free when in the Championship (he was unattached for 6 months!), I think he is gonna be my poacher.

What qualities do you recommend for the deep lying forward in the formation above? Would it be a Teddy Sheringham type?

Loveangel I agree with the tactics. Everyone seems to be uploading tactics claiming that it is brilliant because they have won the champions league with Barca or Man Utd - very useful I am sure but not good for a team that has League 1 standard players in most positions but playing two leagues higher!

 

[loveangel]

I don't know what kind of money you have. Somebody like Artem Milevski would do quite well for you, good all around attributes but especially look for creativity, passing, technique, teamwork as many of the goals your poacher scores will be assisted by the deep lying forward. John Fleck, Martin Galvan?

And of course a "big man" is always a good partner for any poacher, but I think the above stats are most important if you are playing him as DLF with a poacher partner.

 

[CUFCTom]

Thanks. I've got about 12mil to spend but wages are the issue (and the fact that no one wants to play for me!), I can only offer 18k per week so have to keep offering large appearance bonuses.

I think I am happy with my GK, CB x2, Poacher.

Full backs, wingers, Att Mid, DLF/Target man are the problems!! Saying that I have Oliver Norwood and Gauthier Mahoto as CM which should be solid enough if not spectacular.

I think I will spend the season strengthening and be prepared to get relegated with a strong enough squad to bounce back immediately.

 

[Athe~]

Switch some of your transfer budget to wage budget - that should enable you to offer higher wages to players. Also, look for free transfers, and when you agree on a fee, offer his agent a substantial amount of money and set the offer to non-negotiable - if he agrees he'll join your club at once. Furthermore, try to loan regens from bigger clubs, you should be 4-5 seasons into the game, right? There should be some good regens around to be loaned.

 

[CUFCTom]

There are some good free transfers around - Hargreaves, Adebayor, Barry, Santa Cruz, Joe Cole, Pienaar, Bridge, Berbatov but they arn't interested. They are a bit older but some experience would be good in my squad I think.

As for loanees the good ones are choosing other teams over me but I will keep trying. I am 5 seasons in by the way.

Good shout on the swapping transfer budget to wages though, will definately look into that.

 

[Athe~]

Search for Cidinho, Lucas, Lucas Piazon and Felipe Anderson. They're all brazilian wonderkids that start the game being 16-17, they're still young and may be available for loan and with some luck will have decent stats and may have a european passport already. You may have already looked for them though, in that case I'm sorry, can't think of anything else right now

 

[loveangel]

Good wingers are never easy to get. You might be better off to just make some player search filters and check "have assistant filter unrealistic targets", look for guys with decent attributes (around 11-13+ for the main attributes for their position) without any glaring weaknesses. There are bound to be some solid players who will join you for less than 18k p/w, those are pretty standard wages for new premiership clubs.

Whatever you settle on, be sure to get a strong tackler just to mug the other team all match while your poacher tries to score a couple goals. Look for somebody really good defensively like Anthony Annan for example. A good, aggressive defensive midfielder and a fast striker along with your solid centrebacks can keep any team up in my opinion so don't lose hope yet.