Struggling in mid-table with Man City

[Janshai]

So I'm in my first season with city. No major changes to the squad other than Fernando, Clichy, Navas, and Mangala out while Saul, and Adriano come in.

Im trying to play an attacking tactic that uses the playmaking skills of Silva in the no 10 role to create chances for De Bruyne, Sterling, and Aguero.

I'm set up like this currently:

---------------------------------Hart--------------------------------
--------------------------------GK/Def-----------------------------

Zabaleta----------Kompany---------- Otamendi----------- Kolarov
WB/Attac--------- BPD/Def.------------- CD/Def. -------- WB/Attack



---------------------Toure------------------ Fernandinho/Saul---------------
-------------------DLP/Sup. --------------------CM/Sup--------------------


De Bruyne---------------------Silva-----------------------------Sterling
IF/Sup. ----------------------AP/Sup.-------------------------IF/Sup

--------------------------------Aguero---------------
---------------------------Advanced Forward/Attack--------------------

TIs: Higher Tempo, slightly higher defensive line, play out of defence, more direct passing, be more expressive, look for overlap, whipped crosses

Mentality: Standard

Team Shape: Flexible

Obviously I've been changing around a fair bit due to bad results (short passing and deep defence in most games for example), but I'm 8 games in and have only won 3. Familiarity and my reputation (Sunday league) as a manager have had some effect, I'm sure, but any advice would be appreciated

 

[WJ]

What Mentality? It's one of the most important settings, so you can't leave that out.

This is supposed to be an attacking tactic, but who's actually attacking? You only have the Wingbacks bombing forward and the AF/A. I cannot see how you're using the 2 IF/S players as attacking threats (presumably with the AP/S supposedly playing them in?) when they've been instructed not to make any forward runs.

You select Direct Passing, but who is there to receive these passes so quickly? Again, you only have Aguero, the AF/A.

Why Direct Passing, but Play Out of Defence?

Lastly, you look extremely open to counter attacks. You're leaving only 2 defenders back.

 

[woolly]

As WJ says why direct passing it would make more sense to have mixed passing if playing out of defence with Wingbacks. It is possible that your direct passing is going astray making it easier for opponents to play a successful counter-attacking game. I like to play with WBs but I never have both set up for attack as it leaves you short in defence when a counter occurs.

 

[Janshai]

Thanks for the reply!

I'm using standard mentality, I'll edit the OP.

I'm using direct passing because I read somewhere else on the forum that short passing with a high tempo would surrender possession a lot and I'm hoping to get the ball high up the pitch quickly.

Do you think I should switch my inside forwards mentality to attack and wind backs to support then? Maybe set my cm to defend and hold position? I worry then that I won't have enough width against teams that pack the middle, but should I just rely on my players quality to win the midfield battle in those scenarios.

 

[WJ]

Thanks for the reply!

I'm using standard mentality, I'll edit the OP.

I'm using direct passing because I read somewhere else on the forum that short passing with a high tempo would surrender possession a lot and I'm hoping to get the ball high up the pitch quickly.

Do you think I should switch my inside forwards mentality to attack and wind backs to support then? Maybe set my cm to defend and hold position? I worry then that I won't have enough width against teams that pack the middle, but should I just rely on my players quality to win the midfield battle in those scenarios.

If you don't select Direct Passing, you have Mixed Passing. It's not short.

And you don't have a high tempo at all.

What about the questions I asked though?

 

[Janshai]

If you don't select Direct Passing, you have Mixed Passing. It's not short.

And you don't have a high tempo at all.

What about the questions I asked though?

I combined direct passing with play out of defence as I wanted my defenders to play shorter passes into midfield rather than lumping it forward to Aguero and skipping the midfield entirely. I also set their PIs to pass shorter.

As for whose receiving the passes, yeah that's a problem. most of the passes go astray and when they do occasionally find one of the front 3, they have no passing options. Usually they end up passing to one of the wing backs who either give it away, pass backwards or cross it to the opposition centre backs.

So how do I get my team to attack aggressively while still having options on the ball?

I tried setting my IFs to attack but now they just stand on the toes of the opposition full backs while Toure and Silva try to play long balls over the top and Aguero is left even more isolated.

It feels like you're trying to nudge me in the direction but I'm lost in the fog. Are you saying that I should play with mixed passing and a lower tempo?

 

[WJ]

I combined direct passing with play out of defence as I wanted my defenders to play shorter passes into midfield rather than lumping it forward to Aguero and skipping the midfield entirely. I also set their PIs to pass shorter.

As for whose receiving the passes, yeah that's a problem. most of the passes go astray and when they do occasionally find one of the front 3, they have no passing options. Usually they end up passing to one of the wing backs who either give it away, pass backwards or cross it to the opposition centre backs.

So how do I get my team to attack aggressively while still having options on the ball?

I tried setting my IFs to attack but now they just stand on the toes of the opposition full backs while Toure and Silva try to play long balls over the top and Aguero is left even more isolated.

It feels like you're trying to nudge me in the direction but I'm lost in the fog. Are you saying that I should play with mixed passing and a lower tempo?

I'm trying to get you to think about what you're doing.

You set direct passing but have no one to receive it. Then answer then is simple, either get someone who is there or just take it off and see how you do without it?

Post#2 I underlined a key issue though. You have no forward player making any runs apart from the forward.

Overall, I can't tell you what to do exactly because you haven't said what the plan is.

 

[Stryker8]

Everytime I have an issue with not being able to create as much as i want, I move my team back. It works 50-60% of the time. With your team dropping deeper into their own half, the opposition mistakes it for being defensive, and with your frontline, should be no problem picking off passes.
Alternatively, another tactic shifting Silva's role to a shadow striker/second striker might work too, seeing as how even if he isnt trained for the position, the push higher up the pitch might force multiple defenders to be pulled out opening up space for both Toure and Fernando who both have good long range.