Second season help!

[MattoJacko]

In my first ever season I've completed on a Football Manager game, I found myself having to meet very high expectations in the next season. I finished 10th with Reading who were predicted to finish 20th and my problem is that now the board expect me to get a top-half finish and I really don't think I can do that with the team I have and the tactics I have employed.

My main tactic is good, and worked very well last season as you can tell from where we finished. Because we were a weak side, I played counter attacking football but now as the squad as improved - even slightly - I think I need to play more attacking football to compete with other top half teams.

Shall I just stay the same and play counter attacking football or shall I switch to attacking even though the squad isn't that strong and if so, how would you recommend I do it?

 

[TheBetterHalf]

In my first ever season I've completed on a Football Manager game, I found myself having to meet very high expectations in the next season. I finished 10th with Reading who were predicted to finish 20th and my problem is that now the board expect me to get a top-half finish and I really don't think I can do that with the team I have and the tactics I have employed.

My main tactic is good, and worked very well last season as you can tell from where we finished. Because we were a weak side, I played counter attacking football but now as the squad as improved - even slightly - I think I need to play more attacking football to compete with other top half teams.

Shall I just stay the same and play counter attacking football or shall I switch to attacking even though the squad isn't that strong and if so, how would you recommend I do it?

I actually dont think your reputation has grown that much but in the end, if getting good results this season to, or if again overachieving and finding yourself top 1-7 after 15 matches, teams will start playing more cautious against you.

Here, its not about playing more attakcing as such, but adding more dimensions to your approach. Its one thing sitting with men behind the ball and lauching counter attacks and another thing to trying to drag cautious teams apart

So, you do need to prepare a plan B and a plan C. One more overloading attacking and one more Patient approach. Now, these tactics might need to difrfer slightly in formation against your current one and they will need to have a slightly different strategy and approach.

If you want some suggestions on what to change, we would need to know your current approach to its full. Either provide us with a screen on the formation, roles and team settings, or if having tweaked any of the individuall settings, we would need you to upload the actual tactil file.

 

[MattoJacko]

Here is my main tactic which proved rather successful last season.
View attachment 380728
And these are my team instructions:
View attachment 380729
Since writing the first post, I've switched the full backs into wing backs to improve the attack, but now I'm worried that could affect my defence. I don't know... help would be very much appreciated

 

[TheBetterHalf]

Using a more patient build up against team sitting deep, I would probably need to Use more of the pitch. Against those teams pushing up, your front 3 had no problems exploiting the space behind their defenders but as they now sit deeper, you would need those runs to come later in attacks and from deep rather from advanced positions. It’s also important that you have a more creative player deeper in the field to open up their defense with great t-balls.

Here are there for some suggestions

- Untweaked d-line ( i.e tick the box and use the one that comes with the press more option I recomend beneath)
- Press more
- Winger on support, one on attack
- FC on Support (and not actually using him as a Target Man, he can still have the role though)
- Wingbacks as Fullbacks as you have wingers
- the DMC as playmaker/support
- The MCRight as CM/attack
- The Ballwinner on defend
- Tweak the width to first notch of wide

Now, these suggestions are for the tactic that should be called " more patient build up"

 

[MattoJacko]

I'll try this out but yeah, you addressed some real issues I was finding with the formation. Thanks

 

[TheBetterHalf]

I'll try this out but yeah, you addressed some real issues I was finding with the formation. Thanks

Just remember that these are suggestions for an approach. It might still be that your normal approach gets the most out of the players, whilst this new one is just not really suited for the squad. But, if having this new appraoch in mind, then you know the next step for your team needs to be and the need to get players for it

In real life, Stoke and Bolton are perfect examples of it, bad example as they failed in this. They had a team that where great in one thing, but as the league evolved and the newcomers had pretty strong teams to, they never able to take that next step

 

[TheBetterHalf]

Edited the post with the Bolton/Stoke example

 

[MattoJacko]

This was the first tactic I'd ever made, and I made it for Reading expecting them to struggle. Do you think it was good?

 

[TheBetterHalf]

This was the first tactic I'd ever made, and I made it for Reading expecting them to struggle. Do you think it was good?

It the perfect example of using a squad to its strengths, good work !