West Brom: Second Season

[maccya]

Just done the first season with West Brom, predicted to finish just above the relegations spots but managed to defy all odds and held a good 5th position for the majority of the season before finish a good 9th, faltering in the latter stages of the season. To my bemusement, a lot of players wanted to leave and I had bids for several I couldn't refuse (up to 8.5 mil for Mulumbu who was starting to decline). However most of the core players have been kept and we have had a new influx come into the team bringing some freshness and strengthening the squad before.
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Throughout the season, we had goals come from all over the pitch, even the defence chipped in with around 9-10 goals. However, what I really like is a nice comfortable 2-0 win which we had glimpses of in the season. I play a flat 442 with a BBM and DLP/D coupled with a winger/attack and wide mid/support. The back four consists of 2 centre backs both on defend and 2 FB's, one support and one attack. We play with an attacking/fluid mentality and several player and team instructions. Here is a screenshot below of it all. Hopefully it is alright, please post any suggestions or improvements that you think I should add + a reason why

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I have a few problems.

1) How do I get my strikers scoring?:
Luckily for me, Berahino got most of the goals in an advanced forward role scoring 22 goals in all comps but he wasn't performing enough, sometimes scoring a hat trick and then not scoring in the next 2 games. However I've brought in another striker to help carry the burden: his name is Danny Ings. What I need help with his player role.
Currently I'm in pre-season and I can't get him firing. Understandably, he's come off the back of a horror season with Man United who bought him the summer before. He only played a handful of games in the cup and was left to rot on the bench/reserves while his former team were relegated who he could have saved. I think he is a advanced forward/poacher but I haven't had a good experience with poachers and with a fluid mentality I think it would disrupt the flow of play in my team as they are extremely offence-minded. So how do I play him in my tactic?
Also how do I get the rest of them scoring? They often miss five or six chances and I can't blame the match engine every single time? Must be something I'm doing wrong

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2) How do I develop my players well?
I have recently got my youth intake and I got an amazing regen (5 stars) and Martin Odegaard (LFCMarshall Update) but I have no idea how to bleed them into my team. What roles would suit them best, who should tutor them and how much game time should I give them?
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3) My first game against Man Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal...

How do you beat Man Utd and the top 4. I fluked some victories against them last season but I doubt I replicate that success. Is it good to defensive against the big teams? What's your strategy?

Thanks for the help in advance

 

[rocheyb]

I like what you have going on at the back, with Gamoba overlapping on Morrison. I'd tell Morrison to Sit Narrower and play More Risky Passes if he has decent creativity.

I'd want a more solid defensive presence in midfield, so I would pair a Ball-Winning Midfielder_Defend with a Deep-Lying Playmaker_Support. Instruct both of them to play More Direct Passes so they can ensure that your team does Exploit The Flanks by switching the play when appropriate. Generally, though, they will still play the short-passing game that you have stipulated.

If Ings can play the Deep-Lying Forward or False-9 role then you should find more opportunities for Drage/Brunt to run-in on the diagonal or for through balls to release Berahino through the middle or in the channels. I favour Advanced Forward_Attack over Poacher, with the AF playing on whichever side corresponds to his strongest foot - all the better for shooting across the keeper while on-the-run.

Choose the Work Ball Into Box option at the Team Level to avoid wasteful attempts from long-range.

 

[maccya]

I like what you have going on at the back, with Gamoba overlapping on Morrison. I'd tell Morrison to Sit Narrower and play More Risky Passes if he has decent creativity.

I'd want a more solid defensive presence in midfield, so I would pair a Ball-Winning Midfielder_Defend with a Deep-Lying Playmaker_Support. Instruct both of them to play More Direct Passes so they can ensure that your team does Exploit The Flanks by switching the play when appropriate. Generally, though, they will still play the short-passing game that you have stipulated.

If Ings can play the Deep-Lying Forward or False-9 role then you should find more opportunities for Drage/Brunt to run-in on the diagonal or for through balls to release Berahino through the middle or in the channels. I favour Advanced Forward_Attack over Poacher, with the AF playing on whichever side corresponds to his strongest foot - all the better for shooting across the keeper while on-the-run.

Choose the Work Ball Into Box option at the Team Level to avoid wasteful attempts from long-range.

I'll try your suggestions and let you know how I do

 

[Igneos79]

I don't see all of your team settings, so can't really help. rocheyb gave you good advice about midfield duo, although I wouldn't give them more direct passing...the dlps should be on mixed and bwmd on short, otherwise you should choose a different role. What I can tell you, from years of experience playing this game, is that tempo and width should be linked, possibly combined with mentality...in all previous fm's those two were always linked. So if you opt for a change in passing style, that changes your tempo and width...if you for example choose shorter passing, you have effectively lowered both tempo and width for a notch...if you opt for higher tempo with shorter passing, you should also choose play wider to keep tempo and width linked.

 

[maccya]

I don't see all of your team settings, so can't really help. rocheyb gave you good advice about midfield duo, although I wouldn't give them more direct passing...the dlps should be on mixed and bwmd on short, otherwise you should choose a different role. What I can tell you, from years of experience playing this game, is that tempo and width should be linked, possibly combined with mentality...in all previous fm's those two were always linked. So if you opt for a change in passing style, that changes your tempo and width...if you for example choose shorter passing, you have effectively lowered both tempo and width for a notch...if you opt for higher tempo with shorter passing, you should also choose play wider to keep tempo and width linked.

Well i played through the night and got sacked, think it was due to an overachievement of last season so I haven't bothered to analyse it. I've had a read of your tiki taka guide and the advice you've posted and I'm having a go at Malaga, a Spanish Side I quite liked when Isco was there. Here is the tactic and the instructions.
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One of the things I'm trying to do is play 3 attacking mids and have a solid defensive mind frame in Camacho and Sergi Darder. The wing backs will support as a second wave of attack and will drop when necessary. What I want to achieve is a quick tempo passing game so that when we receive the ball, we move the ball quickly efficiently and precisely so we give ourselves a good chance of scoring from every possession kind of like basketball hence the triumvirate in the midfield but I need help with the roles. I want us to have a threat from each of the three AM's but I'm not sure how to balance the roles out. I want one main creator and then 2 others to support, create and play off him. How would I achieve this?
We are doing well in pre-season but I am wary of the threat in the league. I'm not sure whether I should play a counter, control or attacking mentality. What do you think?

 

[Igneos79]

looks very bad, honestly...you don't have anyone connecting your defence and offense, and furthermore you orderd your DM's to be on defend duty so they will stay back. There is a huge gap and your team will be broken into two halves...

 

[maccya]

Understood, what do you suggest I do then?

 

[maccya]

looks very bad, honestly...you don't have anyone connecting your defence and offense, and furthermore you orderd your DM's to be on defend duty so they will stay back. There is a huge gap and your team will be broken into two halves...

Understood, what do you suggest I do then? I really need some constructive criticism dude, 'm doing a league with my mates in FM15 and whoever wins the Champions League first gets a big cash money prize. I really, really want to win

Are there any good reads that can help me?

 

[Igneos79]

Understood, what do you suggest I do then? I really need some constructive criticism dude, 'm doing a league with my mates in FM15 and whoever wins the Champions League first gets a big cash money prize. I really, really want to win

Are there any good reads that can help me?

If you want to play a 4231 deep, that means you dont have players in the middle of the pitch...that means you must connect your play on the wings, or on just one wing...if you set one dm to support, he should preferably be creative and be the main initiator of attacks, and preferably have licence to go forward and support attacks, so dlps role can be used....the other can be a bwmd...it is important the other one has high closing down because both of your dms will be caught in wide area, so no anchorman role for you...it also means two things: First, the bwmd sided fullback can be more agressive, and the winger on that side should drop deeper to receive the pass...winger on his flank needs to be someone who will connect with the fba, and work in harmony with him. So he should be wide target man support, defensive winger defend, winger support or inside forward support. No other roles or duties. You should also exploit that flank to make the most out of it. However, with more agressive roles such as inside forward support, he may not be willing to return deep, so you must play more fluid philosophy to lower his mentality. The other fullback must be more defensive, as his sided dm (dlps) will go forward. I opted for support duty, to make him work in harmony with his sided winger (attack). That way you have fba on one side, and winger attack on other stretching the opponent and getting crosses in. That also means the use of a forward with good heading ability, like target man attack or advanced forward. Target man attack is preferable, as he needs to be strong to fend of challenges as a lone forward. To help your forward, his amc can be your number ten, and he needs to be on support duty to enable trinagle play and to stop him from going to high up the pitch, I prefer the attacking midfielder role here, and not aps, as aps role would render your dlps useless, and he wouldn't create attacks from deep.

I'm tired of typing now, so you can just download my tactic here

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...terminators-tactic-igneos-eructid-theory.html


or make your own...as you wish...

 

[maccya]

If you want to play a 4231 deep, that means you dont have players in the middle of the pitch...that means you must connect your play on the wings, or on just one wing...if you set one dm to support, he should preferably be creative and be the main initiator of attacks, and preferably have licence to go forward and support attacks, so dlps role can be used....the other can be a bwmd...it is important the other one has high closing down because both of your dms will be caught in wide area, so no anchorman role for you...it also means two things: First, the bwmd sided fullback can be more agressive, and the winger on that side should drop deeper to receive the pass...winger on his flank needs to be someone who will connect with the fba, and work in harmony with him. So he should be wide target man support, defensive winger defend, winger support or inside forward support. No other roles or duties. You should also exploit that flank to make the most out of it. However, with more agressive roles such as inside forward support, he may not be willing to return deep, so you must play more fluid philosophy to lower his mentality. The other fullback must be more defensive, as his sided dm (dlps) will go forward. I opted for support duty, to make him work in harmony with his sided winger (attack). That way you have fba on one side, and winger attack on other stretching the opponent and getting crosses in. That also means the use of a forward with good heading ability, like target man attack or advanced forward. Target man attack is preferable, as he needs to be strong to fend of challenges as a lone forward. To help your forward, his amc can be your number ten, and he needs to be on support duty to enable trinagle play and to stop him from going to high up the pitch, I prefer the attacking midfielder role here, and not aps, as aps role would render your dlps useless, and he wouldn't create attacks from deep.

I'm tired of typing now, so you can just download my tactic here

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...terminators-tactic-igneos-eructid-theory.html


or make your own...as you wish...

Thanks man, appreciate it