Total Football: Tic-Tac Magick (FM12)

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Patch 12.1.1 244099(m.e. v993) (Latest at time of writing this)

Hi, this is my first post here on FM Base. I just wanted to share a tactic which I've created for FM12. I did a similar tactic for FM11, but I originally posted both on another forum.

It's a style of football practiced by Barcelona, where the aim of the tactic is to maintain possession in a fluid system, whilst probing for space in the opposition defence.

I've developed the tactic to create beautiful football, not to take small teams to Champions League football within a few seasons. That being said, it's designed for the bigger teams who have the players to cope with the high demands of total football.

How I build my tactics

Introduction


Firstly, I prefer to build my tactics in the Classic view. I think it’s just a habit ingrained from the earlier versions of FM, when the Tactic Creator wasn’t available. I spent a long time trying to figure out what the sliders actually did and I now feel more comfortable using the Classic view as opposed to using the Tactic Creator.

I like to keep things simple when building my tactics, which may sound ironic when I’ve told you I like to use the Classic view. My basic philosophy is that real world football teams would have global settings. i.e. Fergie would tell his team to play attacking football, keep the passing short, press the opposition, etc. However, it is also true that certain players will be more defensive or attacking based on the position they play. i.e. Ferdinand is going to be playing less attacking than Scholes, with Ferdinand’s passing and closing down being slightly less. So my ambition was to find a balance of rigidity (try pronouncing this) within a global framework.


Slider Mechanics


Individual Sliders
The following sliders can be set individually:
- Mentality
- Creative Freedom
- Passing Style
- Closing Down

I’ll first focus on the Individual sliders then I’ll talk about the Global sliders. The Individual sliders have values from 1-21, where a value of 1 equates to 0 clicks and a value of 21 equates to 20 clicks.

*() = Slider value
*[] = Slider Clicks

Each Individual slider has three primary ranges; these being:
- Low: (1-7)= [0-6]
- Mixed: (8-14)= [7-13]
- High: (15-21)= [14-20]
Therefore, the mid-point of each of these ranges can be calculated as:
- Low: (4)=[3]
- Mixed: (11)=[10]
- High: (18)=[17]
These mid-point numbers constitute the base values of each range. Hence, 3 clicks up will give the upper value of that range, whilst 3 clicks down will give the lower value of that range.

So we now have the 3 basic ranges, but we now need to calculate the transitional ranges. i.e. those which link both the Low and High ranges to the Mixed range. The ranges are as follows:
- Low-Mixed: (5-11)=[4-10]
- High-Mixed: (11-17)=[10-16]
With the mid-point of these ranges being:
- Low-Mixed: (8)=[7]
- High-Mixed: (14)=[13]

To summarise, we now have 5 slider ranges for the Individual Sliders:
- Low: (1-4-7)=[0-3-6]
- Low-Mixed: (5-8-11)=[4-7-10]**
- Mixed: (8-11-14)=[7-10-13]
- Mixed-High: (11-14-17)=[10-13-16]**
- High: (15-18-21)=[14-17-20]

Global Sliders
The following sliders are set Globally:
- Width
- Tempo
- Time Wasting
- Closing Down

For some strange reason, the Global sliders have values from 1-20, or 0-19 clicks. As such, the Global values differ slightly compared to the Individual values. I split the slider into two halves; the “Lower Half” and the “Upper Half”.

The Lower Half consists of the following values:
- Extremely Low: (1) = [0]
- Low: (4) = [3]
- Low/Mixed: (7) = [6]
- Mixed: (10) = [9]
The Upper Half consists of the following values:
- Mixed: (11) = [10]
- Mixed/High: (14) = [13]
- High: (17) = [16]
- Extremely High: (20) = [19]
I then choose which Half I wish to use. i.e. I may decide I want to play a high Defensive Line, but I may not want to leave too much space in behind the back four; I therefore choose a value of 14.

The whole process of splitting the sliders into ranges is for simplicity. Using these ranges allows me to quickly transfer my ideas into slider values with relative accuracy.


Ranges used for this tactic

Formation: 4-3-3 (Flat 3 in midfield)

Mentality (Mixed/High): (11-14-17)=[10-13-16]
Creative Freedom (High): (15-18-21)=[14-17-20]
Passing Style (Short): (1-4-7) = [0-3-6]
Closing Down (High): (15-18-21)=[14-17-20]
Width (Low-Mixed): (7) = [9]
Tempo (Low): (4) = [6]
Time Wasting (Low): (4) = [3]
Defensive Line (High): (17) = [16]

Playmaker is the MCR (The one with no Forward Runs)


Screenshots and results

Managed to finish the season unbeaten in the league:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Top goalscorers:
1) Messi: 72 goals (56 games) - 44 League
2) Villa: 33 goals (52 games) - 26 League
3) Pedro: 25 goals (59 games) - 18 League

Top assists:
1) Messi: 37 assists (56 games)
2) Villa: 25 assists (52 games)
3) Iniesta: 21 assists (36 games + 18 sub appearances)

The team averaged 461 passes per game.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Tactic Download

MAGiCK_FiNAL (Barcelona, Sep 2012).tac


Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as me! ;)
 
wow .. match preparation ? pitch size ?
 
Used both in FM11 AND FM12. Im just trying to get my wide men scoring a few more, bcos im not blessed with having a Messi up top! :( who would you recommend for that messi role?
 
I'd recommend strikers who are inclined to drop deep and play through balls or run at defences when they receive the ball to feet with their back to the goal. i.e. Rooney, Aguero, Higuain, etc. These players are high quality and difficult to get.

Alternatively you can buy a young hot prospect and mould him into this type of player. Player preferred moves are important in this tactic due to high levels of Creative Freedom. I'd look at the Barce players PPMs and copy those for training youngsters.

Or, you could retrain an AMC into a striker position, as they are more likely to have the high levels of creativity for the position.
 
work with 12.04 patch?

Is that the previous patch? If it is then I'm not sure what changes were made to the Match Engine, but I can't imagine they would be massive. There was whispers about the effects of teamtalks being modified for the latest patch, but I'm not sure if this is true.
 
@elfa: Very High in all areas until the tactic is fluid, then Low once all areas are fluid.

Maximum pitch size.
 
what other tactic do you use(secondary tactic) maybe for away games?
 
what other tactic do you use(secondary tactic) maybe for away games?

I don't use any other tactic :P

Because I'm the best team I expect to win every game. I've also used a mentality range (11-14-17value/10-13-16clicks) which is weighted in favour of attack, yet isn't too attacking.

The aim of football is to win the match and you can only win matches by scoring goals. After watching Barcelona in real life, I notice that they pressure the opposition both at home and away. If you put the opposition under enough pressure, then they'll make mistakes.

There will be times when you'll get hit on the counter attack, but the more the opposition attacks the more space is opened up for my players to exploit. I get so many goals on the counter attack (even without counter attack clicked) due to the low time wasting and the attacking nature of the tactic.
 
If they don't interchange positions all over the field then It's not total football ffs. Barcelona DON'T PLAY TOTAL FOOTBALL. Literally why can't people get it right. Why call it total football when it's nothing like it? Possession =/= Total football *FACEPALM*
 
If they don't interchange positions all over the field then It's not total football ffs. Barcelona DON'T PLAY TOTAL FOOTBALL. Literally why can't people get it right. Why call it total football when it's nothing like it? Possession =/= Total football *FACEPALM*

Lol...ok so the RB doesn't interchange with the STC which is what Ajax did before ZONAL MARKING came on the scene...before OFFSIDE became a rule of the game. But the Ajax system was designed and implemented to break down MAN MARKING, whereas the Barcelona system is designed to breakdown ZONAL MARKING.

Why can't people understand the evolution of football....FACE PALM!!!!
 
Lol...ok so the RB doesn't interchange with the STC which is what Ajax did before ZONAL MARKING came on the scene...before OFFSIDE became a rule of the game. But the Ajax system was designed and implemented to break down MAN MARKING, whereas the Barcelona system is designed to breakdown ZONAL MARKING.

Why can't people understand the evolution of football....FACE PALM!!!!

Yes, that IS total football. Have you even watched any of their games? I have all of Hollands WC matches from 74 and 58 games of Ajax between 71-73, so please....

It doesn't matter why they were invented, point is that Total football is not Barcelona's football. The main trait about Total football was the interchanging of positions ffs. Barcelona keep possession until gaps open up. Ajax used a lot of width and scored most of their goals from Crosses from the ingers and took a lot of shots from outside the box ffs. They reached the opposition goal in like 4-5 passes. Barcelona's build up takes like 15+ passes in the build up. Ajax and Holland were far more direct and plaayed at a much quicker tempo ffs. Barcelona don't play total football. Absolute rubbish.

O and there was offside when Ajax came, they were the first team yo use a high defensive line *facepalm*

Barcas system is desingned to breakdown Zonal Marking? ROFFFFFFFl

WTF am i reading. Barcelonas system is using space and off the ball movement and using the ball movement to tire opponents. Ajax were completely different from BArcelona ffs. The only principles they share is what they do without the ball. What they did on the ball was completely different.
 
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Yes, that IS total football. Have you even watched any of their games? I have all of Hollands WC matches from 74 and 58 games of Ajax between 71-73, so please....

It doesn't matter why they were invented, point is that Total football is not Barcelona's football. The main trait about Total football was the interchanging of positions ffs. Barcelona keep possession until gaps open up. Ajax used a lot of width and scored most of their goals from Crosses from the ingers and took a lot of shots from outside the box ffs. They reached the opposition goal in like 4-5 passes. Barcelona's build up takes like 15+ passes in the build up. Ajax and Holland were far more direct and plaayed at a much quicker tempo ffs. Barcelona don't play total football. Absolute rubbish.

O and there was offside when Ajax came, they were the first team yo use a high defensive line *facepalm*

Barcas system is desingned to breakdown Zonal Marking? ROFFFFFFFl

WTF am i reading. Barcelonas system is using space and off the ball movement and using the ball movement to tire opponents. Ajax were completely different from BArcelona ffs. The only principles they share is what they do without the ball. What they did on the ball was completely different.

Caaaaalm down
 
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