Sick and tired

I run a 4-4-2 narrow, or well that's what they say, but really its a 4-1-2-1-2. I play in a super tiny league so I kind of dominate the league. So my stats are a little out of balance though. I tried to run counter early on and got crushed giving up at least two goals a game. I tweaked it some and here are my stats through the first 101 games.

Mind you I play in Iceland so the competition overall isn't that strong, but the end might be a little surprising:

77-9-15
205 goals and only conceded 87

Granted, I am in Iceland, just a 1/3 through my 3rd season in which I just got my team to turn professionally (only third team in my league to be professionally).

I won the league both years, but in year two here were my stats for Champs league so people can see how I stack up against bigger competition and on the road:

Second Qualifying Phase:
HJK 3-1
@ HJK 3-1

Third Qualifying Phase:
@ Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1-0
Maccabi TZel-Aviv 3-1

Playoff:
@ Ludogorets 2-3
Ludogorets 2-1

Group Stage:
@ Dortmund 0-3 (was down 1-0 at half and was doing great, but picked up second yellow in 61st minute)
Anderlecht 0-1
Benfica 4-0
@ Benfica 3-0
Dormund 0-2 (my top two goal keepers were injured so I had to call up a 17 year old from my under 19 team)
@ Anderlecht 2-0 (starting keeper is back and I don't know if it had anything to do with it but I did turn professional by this time)

I thought I would get crushed at least by 4 each game. I was using a semi-professional squad and my average age of my players were 24. I think six of my starters for the Champs league was 16-17 in age. I am not saying my tactics are amazing, but I am quite happy with them as of now for what I can do. Especially since I know I can actually win a game in the group stage of Champs league. I know it's a very small sample pool so I might need to play another season or two to see how I do in Champs league.

I found that actually sticking to positions is better when facing most teams, even if I am heavy favorites, cause when I allow them to roam I am either bagging like 5 or so goals a game, but also giving up a ton.
 
Hate this game. Notering is working, you can sit for hours ttying absolutely everything but still losing. I will never play this horribel game again,
 
Love seeing people saying how they’ve dominated the league, 2 cups and champions league with a ‘tactic’ they’ve come up with. Yeah okay mate let me try this all conquering all dominating tactic with the Billingham Synthonia team I’m using in level 10 of England see how all conquering it really is! It’s easy to get a world class team with world class players to dominate but when you play LLM (like the REAL FM players do!!) then just winning 5 in a row is a massive step!!
 
callamity said:
im playing this very basic tactic just now with bournemouth it seems to do the business and is something i think with a better team will dominate regulary
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its even managed to do this
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its no super tactic as mentioned but the better the team the better you will do
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any player specific instructions? Or you leave all on default
 
bigmattb28 said:
Love seeing people saying how they’ve dominated the league, 2 cups and champions league with a ‘tactic’ they’ve come up with. Yeah okay mate let me try this all conquering all dominating tactic with the Billingham Synthonia team I’m using in level 10 of England see how all conquering it really is! It’s easy to get a world class team with world class players to dominate but when you play LLM (like the REAL FM players do!!) then just winning 5 in a row is a massive step!!
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Or the I signed this wonderkid for 90 million and he is not scoring every game.... im happy when i get a decent youngling on a free from a trial day!
 
Im playnig with Hajduk Split. Its ******* hard, cant beat anyone. I tried a lots of tactics and still struggling. Im a big fan of 442 or 4231 and i tried to apply those on Hajduk but its ******* MESS.
Have save with R. Sociedad and its going pretty well. Finished my 3th season (2times Primera winner, and one CL).
 
Dude, its fine. When you develop your tactic and start winning it will be good game. Manage your team, tactic, think,...
 
Sorry I went home for the holidays. Forgot to post it before I left.

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First picture is when I am favorite to win (or needs to be more creative with the ball) and the second one is the one I use when I mostly play in champs league or when I don't have my first team in.

Like I said I am not the greatest at tactics. However I am very good at managing a small team in a low division so maybe I have better results than most. Guess it comes with doing the San Marino Challenge. Oh how I miss you...
 
bigmattb28 said:
Love seeing people saying how they’ve dominated the league, 2 cups and champions league with a ‘tactic’ they’ve come up with. Yeah okay mate let me try this all conquering all dominating tactic with the Billingham Synthonia team I’m using in level 10 of England see how all conquering it really is! It’s easy to get a world class team with world class players to dominate but when you play LLM (like the REAL FM players do!!) then just winning 5 in a row is a massive step!!
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If you play a lot in the lower leagues you should know what works and what doesn't work. And level 10 you should win most of your games easily. It's when you get your second or third promotion that you will struggle since you are non-professional and people will poach your good players and everyone else seems to be so much better. Although I see that this year the youth system (in my short 2 years so far) you get way better players than before even when you don't have the top facilities.
 
Agree that it is more fun to start your career in the lower levels. I am currently on my third manager in the opening season with Nuneaton Town and, in case you didn't know, they are dreadfully poor.:D

But your post also makes me wonder if tactics don't mean as much as we want them to. My first manager who got the sack at Nuneaton was hired by Tranmere Rovers on account of his national reputation as a player (I guess). Results there were only so-so, but upon getting one U23 midfield player from a League One team, everything is suddenly working.

I get that Nuneaton is not going to defeat Man City no matter what the tactics are, but you'd like to think there is some potential for upward mobility there within the league via good tactical management and training and not just by bringing in new players.

I should add that I played the game A LOT for a few years in the early 200s, but haven't played for 8 or 9 years and just got the new game last week. Having a blast, but basically staggering around in the dark...drunk.
 
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IndyManager said:
Agree that it is more fun to start your career in the lower levels. I am currently on my third manager in the opening season with Nuneaton Town and, in case you didn't know, they are dreadfully poor.:D

But your post also makes me wonder if tactics don't mean as much as we want them to. My first manager who got the sack at Nuneaton was hired by Tranmere Rovers on account of his national reputation as a player (I guess). Results there were only so-so, but upon getting one U23 midfield player from a League One team, everything is suddenly working.

I get that Nuneaton is not going to defeat Man City no matter what the tactics are, but you'd like to think there is some potential for upward mobility there within the league via good tactical management and training and not just by bringing in new players.

I should add that I played the game A LOT for a few years in the early 200s, but haven't played for 8 or 9 years and just got the new game last week. Having a blast, but basically staggering around in the dark...drunk.
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You are right that good tactical management/training is the way to go. I don't know how people run there LLM clubs, but if you mostly play it as a big club you will get hammered. Bigmattb28 does have a valid point (I apologize if my post seemed like a shot at you it wasn't meant to come across that way). If you use a "Look at this unstoppable tactic" is flawed for two reasons for LLM people. 1. as matt said is that people are buying the best and youngest players to fit in and will dominate. 2. most of those tactics have certain players who need who have certain traits to play it. That's all fine and dandy but when you use the LLM it doesn't get the same results. Sure you might win games, but you won't be blowing teams out or posting shut outs in consecutive games.

What my post above was referring to is if you play in LLM, a lot, and honestly I haven't played as a big club since I got the game in 2008, you learn that LLM is a totally different, satisfying beast. Sure I will get blown out in Champs League or might not even make it there the first couple of years (I got lucky in my Iceland saved and made it to the group stage as a Semi professional team my first dive into the Champs league). You learn that you have to play a tighter, and sometimes not so expressive formation. I could post my team and I bet 90 percent of people who never played in LLM would think it's crazy how I am winning with the type of players. I even bench players who have "better" stats than others, but they are more determined, composed, or have the stats that I know I need from certain positions.

I posted my tactics, but I assume if people just plug it into their team they might not get the same results. I got lucky in signing a good GK, D, and a ST in my second year and that has been the world of difference (especially making my way to the Group Stage) because of those players. They aren't world class players, but they fit the type of players in their stats and qualities that I look for so they are amazing to me until I can get some regens to phase them out.

Also people think tactics will work on both home and away. I tweak my tactics a lot throughout the season. It's subtle changes, but changes here and there. Letting players be more expressive, width of the field, staying on feet, how I attack the opponent (from crosses to just working it inside the box). I never found a tactic to just use and never change anything at all throughout the years, but like I said my tactic has served me well as of now so there isn't really any huge changes I would make to it. Until about 8-10 years when the regens starting coming in amazing (cause my facilities should be top class then) and then I can be more fluid and let the players roam to score more.

Right now it's just limit the scoring of opponents and win games. Sure I might go in a shell and win 1-0 in a Champs playoff game and give up 20 shots, but only 6 are on target while I put up 9 shots and 5 are on target. Most of the shots I see the computer take are lots of crosses (I let them run down the flanks but everyone is tight nit in the back like real Iceland NT that most of the shots are not even on target or if they are its straight to the keeper).

If you are looking for a tactic to win in a LLM game sure you might find one that you win 4-0, or even 5-1, but those are going to be few and far in-between. I rather win 70 percent of my games with 1-0 and 2-1 scores than run a tactic I might put up 100 goals in a season but also only win like half of my games since I am leaving open lanes for easy goals to be scored against me.

Which again I don't think there is going to be an unstoppable amazing tactic that you will win every game by 3 or more goals. If that is what you are looking for good luck. Maybe someone better at doing tactics can make that. For LLM you just need a tactic that puts your team and the type of players you have in the best position to win. If that is a 1-0 score for most games I don't know why that would be a problem since you are winning. Again each team and league has different strengths. Again if you play LLM for a long time you should know what to look for and what type of players who need (buying or regens). Best of luck to all and hopefully everyone does find a tactic to use. If mine helps awesome if not then hopefully someone else's fits your scheme and players better.
 
nuzikdude said:
Firstly this is a rant about how people are posting tactics of their top teams, now lets be honest with decent coaches and top teams it doesnt take long to turn a tactic about. Winning the league, with chelsea, man utd, inter milan. **** whats the point. If you cant win the league with them you have issues.

Now for those of us that like a challenge and like to play the game in the doldrums what success are people having?

Ive tried a few different formations but to no avail.
441
352
4213
4231
4141

I can dominate games but get beat by teams or not dominate and draw games.

Who's playing what?
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Asking for LLM tactics is not going to work. The lower you go, the lesser are the chances that a tactic can be shareable or plug and play, unless using stock squad or similar players.

Look at what is at your disposal and then make your tactic work using the fundamentals and it will all be fine. Anything will work as long as it fits your players and meets the fundamentals of tactic making.
 
Glad to see that this escalted to players rather tha. Just tactics.
There are a couple of fundamentals that you need for successful tactics in lower leagues, players with a willingness to adapt or be adaptable yourself. Even if you have 100% on tactics you need to get the players playing the role that suits. I generally train every play the way i want them to play. It takes its time and sone won't ever but it's helpful when they finally can play as the role you want them to
 
Good thread, not enough focus on LLM tactics. I have found FM17 tougher, 16 I basically had a tactic and ran with it. 17 I have been constantly tweaking (media in the game calls me a tinkerman).

I have had some success taking whitehawk from vanorama south to league one, but here are a few things I have found.
- I started heavily using a 4-4-2. It's really successful against other 4-4-2s, but often gets torn apart by the various 4-2-3-1 type formations used as their inside forwards / wingers overrun me
- I have added a 5-3-1-1 formation with wing-backs. I have decided 3 at the back works better against oppositions using 2 attacking wingers or inside forwards. I tried having defensive fullbacks in a 4-4-2 but could never make it work. Biggest problem I have with LLM is I can't find wingbacks!

So for me I think a lot of it is about adapting your side, much more than i had to in prior versions.
 
Good points made dude and i feel i tend not to change formation unless i lose. How reliable are your scouts and giving you the other teams tactics?
 
nuzikdude said:
Good points made dude and i feel i tend not to change formation unless i lose. How reliable are your scouts and giving you the other teams tactics?
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Reasonably well, although generally I just adjust after seeing the line-ups in the first screen.

I try to make sure both formations leverage similar roles which means the majority of players can fit in both sides, which means it isn't too hard to adjust pre-match or in-game.


I actually sneaked into playoffs and somehow managed to get to the championship, despite major financial issues and most of my team being 2.5 star at best! I've settled on using 4-4-2 almost all of the time, and switch to the 5-3-2 when the opponent is playing with either 3 up front or 3 attacking midfielders and 1 striker.


Wing-backs are my issue, really hard to find, which means i can't always play the 5-3-2 and my facilities are so **** players won't learn new positions.
 
Please try

Morning guys.

Been trying to make a tactic that works fairly well at all levels. First tried with liverpool....won league. Next Burton....knocked out of playoff final ffs. Then Norwich.....won league ( expected ) and also FA cup!!. I'm working away at mo so not getting alot of game time so please guys try with lower league teams for me. Ps look at those cup results aginst the giants!!

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Soz about quality as from phone. Working away sucks!!

Ps. I always try to get a good assistant who 75% of the time sets up opp instructions.

Cheers guys.
 
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