Tactical woes

[craiigman]

I didn't have the best of times with FM last year, but this year I wanted things to be a little different. I don't want a plug and play tactic and for my main saves I want to play legit. I am currently playing as Arsenal. Here is my first team squad:

I am playing a 4231 and I want to add a 433 (41221) as a second tactic once I have my players more comfortable with this one.


The roles and player instructions have changed slightly during pre-season. I can't seem to be able to fit either Ramsey or Wilshere in with Khedira (maybe not the best of signings). But due to 4231 there always seems to be a gap between the midfield and defence. I tried CM D and a B2B but wasn't working. I also loved Sanchez as a Raumeuter in the beta, but doesn't as effective anymore. I still have about £22m to spend.


Here is the line-up and team instructions:

And then here is the player instructions. Note the CB's have none. The swap positions up top was only just added, wanted to see what would happen since I was struggling to break teams down.




IMGUR ALBUM: Player Instructions - Imgur




I mean the results haven't been awful, but they haven't been great either:

The 4-3 at Barnet was a serious low point. They had 4 shots, 3 went in.. Should not have been so close. Twente just dealt with anything I threw at them really. Although I am setting players to shoot less I am getting lots of stupid shots as well as lots of really stupid passing going on. Things like playing the ball square when there are no players, they are chipping it to each other and then having a bad touch and causing mistakes. I can't see any settings which I have set to do that?


Anyway here are the match stats from the opening games, I can provide more if need be:




IMGUR ALBUM: FM Stats - Imgur




Any help for a tactically inept person? I'm providing as much as I can.

 

[dbs86]

you shouldnt jump to conclusions just yet as you havent started the league yet and the current roles and duties of your formation seem well balanced give it a few games into the season and then go from there as i doubt your players are fully used to the tactic yet either

 

[mersk]

Agreed, it's a little early to make any real judgments. You should let the squad adapt to it before you start mixing it up, else you risk constantly changing things and never really getting them used to the tactics.

Get an assman with high tactical knowledge (Tassotti?) and check his analysis during the games. Also check the general analysis to see where your goals for and against are coming from, who's contributing and who's struggling affecting the game. And of course, watch as much as you have patience to in the start.

As for the squad, I wouldn't buy any more players without selling first. You have a big squad and might struggle to keep them all happy, not to mention giving enough playing time to talents like Chambers, Balanta and Romero to make them develop. If you're gonna sell, I'd start with looking at the midfielders - you have a lot of them. Rosicky and Diaby stand out for me.

I would probably also look to strengthen the left back by replacing Monreal and/or Gibbs. Chambers at right back is homegrown and should be given as much playing time as possible. Your only real backup in central defence is Balanta, as Chambers doesn't really have what it take to step in for Merte or Koscielny. Might wanna consider a cheap backup player here, or even a loan deal.

Midfield, as mentioned, should be looked at. Including the AM R/Ls, you have 11 of them, and that's not counting Welbeck, Campbell, Podolski and Walcott who can all play out wide in addition to up top. I'd probably consider selling Rosicky and Diaby as mentioned, in addition to Campbell. That'd leave you with Khedira, Romero, Arteta and Ramsey rotating at central midfield, and Sanchez, Özil, Cazorla, Wilshere, Ox and Walcott the primary force at AM.

Welbeck, Giroud, Podolski and Walcott can all play ST, but I would assume that during the course of the season (barring any major injuries) you'd struggle to give Podolski enough playing time to keep him from moaning about it.

One more thing, it looks like you're only training them in one tactic. You should definitely add 2 more, maybe in one of them you could pull Khedira/Arteta back to DM and have Romero, Wilshere or Ramsey form an MC pair with the other in a 4-5-1.

 

[craiigman]

Agreed, it's a little early to make any real judgments. You should let the squad adapt to it before you start mixing it up, else you risk constantly changing things and never really getting them used to the tactics.

Get an assman with high tactical knowledge (Tassotti?) and check his analysis during the games. Also check the general analysis to see where your goals for and against are coming from, who's contributing and who's struggling affecting the game. And of course, watch as much as you have patience to in the start.

As for the squad, I wouldn't buy any more players without selling first. You have a big squad and might struggle to keep them all happy, not to mention giving enough playing time to talents like Chambers, Balanta and Romero to make them develop. If you're gonna sell, I'd start with looking at the midfielders - you have a lot of them. Rosicky and Diaby stand out for me.

I would probably also look to strengthen the left back by replacing Monreal and/or Gibbs. Chambers at right back is homegrown and should be given as much playing time as possible. Your only real backup in central defence is Balanta, as Chambers doesn't really have what it take to step in for Merte or Koscielny. Might wanna consider a cheap backup player here, or even a loan deal.

Midfield, as mentioned, should be looked at. Including the AM R/Ls, you have 11 of them, and that's not counting Welbeck, Campbell, Podolski and Walcott who can all play out wide in addition to up top. I'd probably consider selling Rosicky and Diaby as mentioned, in addition to Campbell. That'd leave you with Khedira, Romero, Arteta and Ramsey rotating at central midfield, and Sanchez, Özil, Cazorla, Wilshere, Ox and Walcott the primary force at AM.

Welbeck, Giroud, Podolski and Walcott can all play ST, but I would assume that during the course of the season (barring any major injuries) you'd struggle to give Podolski enough playing time to keep him from moaning about it.

One more thing, it looks like you're only training them in one tactic. You should definitely add 2 more, maybe in one of them you could pull Khedira/Arteta back to DM and have Romero, Wilshere or Ramsey form an MC pair with the other in a 4-5-1.

Thanks for the reply mate. Yeah Diary is on my players to sell, but due to his injury it's unlikely anyone will buy until Jan. Rosicky I was planning on keeping around due to being able to play a number of positions. But in very single pre-season game he played he got an injury of some sort. So when he is back I'll try and sell.

Monreal is on my list to replace as well. As for Podolski and Campbell, Giroud just got a 3 month injury and both can lead the line if need be and no one has been interested in either so they'll likely stay or Campbell on loan.

As for 3 tactics being trained at once, I am told not to do this from the start as it will take longer to learn the tactics and have the opposite effect to what you are trying to achieve. I have tried learning 3 tactics in pre-season before, it takes far too long.

 

[Drummondinho]

I would either stop the push up higher when Mertesacker is playing or just replace him with someone faster, Surely he would get caught out a lot but through balls?