Trying to set up Alternative Tactics, players won't stay in desired position.

[Jpouls]

I have just downloaded FM 2014 and am trying to set up alternative tactics however I am experiencing an annoyance that I have not experienced in previous versions that I hope someone knows how to solve and I am sure many of you have also experienced this!

As you all know, it is normal for alternative tactics to be similar to the normal tactics employed with central midfielders shifted up and down the pitch, so the central midfielder would be shifted up the pitch and the defensive midfielder also to be more attacking, and visa versa if you want to be more defensive. HOWEVER, in this version of football manager the alternative tactics won't let me do this.

For example, playing as Derby County, I want to play the following formation for my main tactic, Eustace is DMF, Bryson BBM and Hughes AP.
View attachment 384573

And I also want an alternative tactic pushing them all forward to give me this
View attachment 384568

So as you would expect I would like Bryson to be AM, Hughes AP and Eustace DMF. HOWEVER, when I select the alternative tactic, it puts Eustace at AM and Bryson at BWM which I clearly dont want. Like this.

View attachment 384557


Now previously in FM you used to just move both players out of position and then move them into the desired position, which would move their positions in that tactic but not in other tactics, but it appears that this is not the case anymore, as when I move the players it gives me this in my other tactic, which I do not want.

View attachment 384556

It appears that the three tactics are no longer independent of each other, which is extremely annoying.

So, does anyone know how I can move players in a tactic INDEPENDENTLY of other tactics? So that they stay in the position that I want them to be in throughout all three tactics instead of what appears to be rotating players stupidly around centre midfielders, which dont move, so that when I am changing tactics I dont have to faff with swapping their positions every time I want to change tactic.

Its quite hard to explain what is going on but I can imagine many of you have experienced this annoyance already, so I hope you could help me.

If you need further explanation then please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Igneos79]

I don't really understand what's the issue here...You changed formation, and AI assigned them to new positions? So? You can go to tactics screen and move them about as you like. If I understood correctly?

 

[Jpouls]

The problem is that if I change tactics to alternative tactics in game, John Eustace would move to play as AMF unless I changed tactics and then changed manually the position he was in, which was really annoying. In previous versions of FM you could essentially state that you want a certain CMF to move to AMF if you changed to an alternative tactic because the positions of the players were dependent on their order on the start list, which meant you could move round the positions on the start list so it conformed to all tactics.

However in this version it appears to just assume you want the CMF's to stay the same and you want the DMF to go to AMF, which is idiotic.

If you have to move players when you select a new tactic, what is the point in having fast tactics?

 

[rocheyb]

The problem is that if I change tactics to alternative tactics in game, John Eustace would move to play as AMF unless I changed tactics and then changed manually the position he was in, which was really annoying. In previous versions of FM you could essentially state that you want a certain CMF to move to AMF if you changed to an alternative tactic because the positions of the players were dependent on their order on the start list, which meant you could move round the positions on the start list so it conformed to all tactics.

However in this version it appears to just assume you want the CMF's to stay the same and you want the DMF to go to AMF, which is idiotic.

If you have to move players when you select a new tactic, what is the point in having fast tactics?

During down time (between matches), go to your tactics screen, put everyone where you want them, with the relevant instructions etc and save that tactic. Then, put them where they need to be for the second tactic and save that as something else. As long as both versions have distinctive file names, that should do the trick.

It will only start acting up again if at some point you drag players into new positions, prior to a match. At least, I think that's true.

You may also encounter a problem when you use squad players. For example, in my team, Jonjo Shelvey and Sercan Calik both play AM_R, but Calik is a better M_R than Shelvey; Shelvey is better at M_C and AM_C than Calik. So a tactical switch that moved Shelvey from AM_R to AM_C by default would not be so hot if Calik was on the pitch at that moment.

 

[Igneos79]

I think your assistants man managment skills are the issue here...

 

[alexdesouza]

Are you talking about how the shouts reset when you concede? That's the only time I noticed something I do changes... otherwise tactics adopt accordingly.

Also when you change the tactics at the start you need the "same order". So go back to your tactics menu (not on match day) and make sure the "position markings" are in order. Or otherwise every time you swap tactics during a game you'll have to move your players. If you're downloading tactics and don't know how to do this yourself it will be harder. But if you've created the tactic just physically move the spots that are changing during game. Jot them down in note pad or take a screen shot and go back and move them yourself so that when you do swap tactics the positions are matching.