What I've learned so far... few formations/tactics work

[tinyclaw]

I've been playing this game since the old CM series... that's about 20 years, and apart from the crappy 2009 version, I've never had any problems. This time, with FM2014, however, I've found I just cannot find success. I've tried numerous teams, good and bad, and all sorts of tactics - defensive, attacking, control, different formations, different roles, optimised roles, and so on, but the inevitable sequence has been something along the lines of win, lose, lose, draw, draw, lose, win, lose, lose, lose, lose, draw, draw, lose, lose, lose, draw... SACK!

I've played with my fav team NUFC a bit, and starting unemployed then trying out various other teams. I found the same problems wherever I went. I persisted with my home team however. After the inevitable frustrations of losing and drawing match after match, even when my shots on target and possession was nearly always superior, I found I couldn't bear watching the team fail, so I 'went on holiday' and allowed the AM to pick the team and tactics. Lo and behold, even though I sold my wide players, the AM opted for a boring 4-4-2, putting players totally out of position (even using CMs as strikers) and ended up winning more games than me. This got me wondering why on earth I was bothering to optimise positions for my players.

I can't say I still know exactly why all my tactics failed, despite years of success playing this series, but here's what I've learned so far...

1. FM2014 doesn't like possession

Tiki-taka won't work. Unless you have players with vastly (and I can't stress that word enough) superior passing and technique, they will fail to win. They will fail to get the ball to the striker. Strikers seem to depend on something other than their own skill in front of goal, as if a predetermined tactical formula will decide your strikers' accuracy. So if you get a good passing sequence to your striker based on possession, he'll blast the ball over the bar or hit the post.

2. FM2014 likes width

As long as you have wide players, and by that I mean wingers or wide midfielders (not wing backs or full backs), then the strikers will magically get shots on target.

3. Passing into space doesn't work

...unless you have Usain Bolt in every possession on the pitch

4. Countering doesn't work

5. Too many AMs spoil the broth

More than one AM leads to congestion at the end of the pitch with the entire opposition covering goal once you get the ball upfield, even if you play fast and long ball tactics. Breaks into space are extremely rare, and so far I haven't scored from ANY. AMs just don't seem to be the goalscoring beasts they were in former versions.

-------------------------------------

Right now I have NUFC 4th in the league after 7 games (no, it may not be that great, but trust me, compared to what I had before it's a miracle!) and the only way I've managed it is thus...

Flat back four - 2 CBs on defensive, left WB on automatic, right WB on attack
2 CMs - one on defensive, one on automatic
1 DW on support
1 RW as inside forward
1 F9
1 AF

Rigid play and balanced

Play wide, route one, exploit flanks

------------------------------------------

So this, for me, regardless of specific players is what has brough anything like success. It seems as if I'm doomed to be stuck with wide play and wingers. I've ALWAYS played 4-1-2-1-2 so far, but I've never managed to get that to work in this version.

 

[FrankFizzle]

I'm the same as you mate. Only success I've got so far is mixing up my tactics a little just to purely confuse the opposition / AI should they have a specific gameplan when they come to play me. Seen it in here before but may be worth paying attention to pre math manager comments from the opposing manager - before the fixture with my side it said something along the lines of "He likes to play a possession game & then counter attacks" so switched tactics to a more route one game with direct passing & "shoot on sight". Win 2-0 & even kept a rare clean sheet at home.

 

[syztemlord]

Have the same problem with Nu. Finished 4th in my first season on goal difference. But results are always hit and miss and always seem to conceed late goals. Playing a similar 442 which is by far the best I found but far from perfect.

 

[JP Woody]

I've been playing this game since the old CM series... that's about 20 years, and apart from the crappy 2009 version, I've never had any problems. This time, with FM2014, however, I've found I just cannot find success. I've tried numerous teams, good and bad, and all sorts of tactics - defensive, attacking, control, different formations, different roles, optimised roles, and so on, but the inevitable sequence has been something along the lines of win, lose, lose, draw, draw, lose, win, lose, lose, lose, lose, draw, draw, lose, lose, lose, draw... SACK!

I've played with my fav team NUFC a bit, and starting unemployed then trying out various other teams. I found the same problems wherever I went. I persisted with my home team however. After the inevitable frustrations of losing and drawing match after match, even when my shots on target and possession was nearly always superior, I found I couldn't bear watching the team fail, so I 'went on holiday' and allowed the AM to pick the team and tactics. Lo and behold, even though I sold my wide players, the AM opted for a boring 4-4-2, putting players totally out of position (even using CMs as strikers) and ended up winning more games than me. This got me wondering why on earth I was bothering to optimise positions for my players.

I can't say I still know exactly why all my tactics failed, despite years of success playing this series, but here's what I've learned so far...

1. FM2014 doesn't like possession

Tiki-taka won't work. Unless you have players with vastly (and I can't stress that word enough) superior passing and technique, they will fail to win. They will fail to get the ball to the striker. Strikers seem to depend on something other than their own skill in front of goal, as if a predetermined tactical formula will decide your strikers' accuracy. So if you get a good passing sequence to your striker based on possession, he'll blast the ball over the bar or hit the post.

2. FM2014 likes width

As long as you have wide players, and by that I mean wingers or wide midfielders (not wing backs or full backs), then the strikers will magically get shots on target.

3. Passing into space doesn't work

...unless you have Usain Bolt in every possession on the pitch

4. Countering doesn't work

5. Too many AMs spoil the broth

More than one AM leads to congestion at the end of the pitch with the entire opposition covering goal once you get the ball upfield, even if you play fast and long ball tactics. Breaks into space are extremely rare, and so far I haven't scored from ANY. AMs just don't seem to be the goalscoring beasts they were in former versions.

-------------------------------------

Right now I have NUFC 4th in the league after 7 games (no, it may not be that great, but trust me, compared to what I had before it's a miracle!) and the only way I've managed it is thus...

Flat back four - 2 CBs on defensive, left WB on automatic, right WB on attack
2 CMs - one on defensive, one on automatic
1 DW on support
1 RW as inside forward
1 F9
1 AF

Rigid play and balanced

Play wide, route one, exploit flanks

------------------------------------------

So this, for me, regardless of specific players is what has brough anything like success. It seems as if I'm doomed to be stuck with wide play and wingers. I've ALWAYS played 4-1-2-1-2 so far, but I've never managed to get that to work in this version.

Don't agree with much of this at all. I play a possession based 4231 on counter strategy, narrow and very fluid and ive had **** loads of success with Scunthorpe utd, Middlesbrough, Heerenveen and Leverkusen. That pretty much contradicts all your gripes.

 

[HSVen]

Don't agree with much of this at all. I play a possession based 4231 on counter strategy, narrow and very fluid and ive had **** loads of success with Scunthorpe utd, Middlesbrough, Heerenveen and Leverkusen. That pretty much contradicts all your gripes.

Upload!

 

[tinyclaw]

Here's my 4-4-2 tactics that seem to work well for Newcastle. They are named as 4-3-3, as that's what the tactics editor saw them as, so I named them that accordingly, but it's pretty much 4-4-2 as far as I'm concerned.

View attachment 460219

 

[SharkPrince]

Match engine is a joke in many ways, but most dissapointing is a fact that playing a good game have nothing to do with winning. I just don't know how my team is doing, match stats are nothing. And those stats which represent match is clearly messed up too. As Bilbao, i had 0 shots from R. Madrid in 45mins in 2 games with 2 different tactics. In the other hand, we had 2-1 and 3-1 in some shotfest friendlies against bottom of the universe. Two games in a row. One shot is all they need.

 

[kjeffiE]

Don't agree with much of this at all. I play a possession based 4231 on counter strategy, narrow and very fluid and ive had **** loads of success with Scunthorpe utd, Middlesbrough, Heerenveen and Leverkusen. That pretty much contradicts all your gripes.

Please upload. I'd die for a 4-2-3-1 that works.

 

[TJD07]

I've used a very attacking formation which overloads the middle of the pitch, a counter based old napoli formation I used to love and I've been working on a possession one. Had great results with the first two, last needs a little tweaking but it's been performing well.
Only one of the three that uses any real width often is the possession based one.

 

[ICYUNVME]

Yeah, I'm currently using a 3412 w/ Liverpool and I am having success so far. Focus my play through the middle and attempt to use possession correctly. Not really played a good team yet but dispatching low-midtable clubs with ease so far and the tactic is only 3/4 fluid.

Completely opposite to what you describe.

 

[apvmoreira]

I
1. FM2014 doesn't like possession

2. FM2014 likes width

3. Passing into space doesn't work

4. Countering doesn't work

5. Too many AMs spoil the broth

Flat back four - 2 CBs on defensive, left WB on automatic, right WB on attack
2 CMs - one on defensive, one on automatic
1 DW on support
1 RW as inside forward
1 F9
1 AF

Rigid play and balanced

Play wide, route one, exploit flanks

1 . Not getting possession i agree, but saying that it does not work, sorry but no. Every time im winning by one, in the last 15 mins i change to hold possession, i lower the tempo and i get more aggressive tackle and it works. at least for me

2. True, and you can recreate the old kick and rush with this

3. if its done with a very high tempo, no, if its used away from the box no, but in the line of the box, works wonders.

4 . Never tried

5 . Again no. it works with number 3. very well, using number 2.

For the rest, this FM seems to work better when you go with the players best positions and roles than last years. I had to change roles during the game for subs to play better, even if they don't do what was intended. if it works (= win) it's good.

We just need to adapt to the players, not otherwise.

BUT, and its a BIG BUT, the game is new, the ME is not tuned yet, so wait and see.

 

[boelle]

Im doing quite well wih playing into free space, i got promoted and am curently sitting in second in the danish Superleague with Lyngby. So im diagreeing with part 3 ;-)

 

[bravo433]

5. Too many AMs spoil the broth

Personally I have found that one AM is too much!!!

 

[memoman]

I'm getting fed up with it to be honest. I've tried replicating my immensely successful 4132 formation on this year's game and it's just stupid - the team has around 60% possession and double the shots of the opposition every match yet we can't score.

Ridiculous.

 

[manutd7182]

The match engine is pretty tragic this year... possession, and CCCs but 1 goal to show really doesn't cut it. What really takes the peanuts is having 25-30 shots but with 5-9 shots on target. Ok... fair enough if it's a bad day but surely no one has a bad day every match. And why don't they keep the option of limiting long shots.... even players without the Shoot from Distance PPM just feel like flying a few to row Z every 10 minutes of the game when there are passing options available to the guy..

 

[fraserd123]

I agree with the OP the only success I've had is by using a 4-4-2 standard formation nothing else I've tried works all that well.

 

[bravo433]

Hmmm. Even though I am playing FMC I have found that when changing tactics I seem to get an initial couple of good wins. Followed by the usual win/draw pattern.

I do personally prefer a tight, no-winger formation. I get loads of possession & chances, but loads of hoofed shots all over the place. After reading this thread I changed to wingers again. To promote wide play I thought of using high wingers and wing backs:

-----------AF-----------
---------(att)----------
------------------------
-WG------------------WG-
(att)--------------(att)
------------------------
-------CM------DM-------
-----(att)----(def)-----
------------------------
------------------------
--WB----CB----CB----WB--
(att) (def)--(def)-(att)
------------------------
-----------SW-----------
----------(def)---------
------------------------
-----------Gk-----------

Shouts:
Get Stuck In
Pass Shorter
Play Narrower


Philosophy:
Standard


Mentality:
Balanced / Attacking (depends on scoreline)

With Man City I won 8-0, then 7-1, but then the inevitable 1-0 loss to a team in the relegation zone :/

I keep the width down to help with better passing, maybe I should switch that to play wide.

 

[Irishcrx]

Yeah I'm pulling my hair out at the minute, could bairly sleep last night trying to think of a new tactic (Why do we do this to ourselves with this game)

First year at Dortmund went ok , home results are fine in a 4-2-2-2 possesion based game , missed chances though, away I used a counter but was conceding too many goals and finished 2nd. So in the summer I signed a new keeper and CB and changed the tactics a little.

At home again is ok, But Lewandowki is not scoring and when he isn't scoring nobody else is, away from home is desperate I just can't get a win at the moment and were down in 4th loosing pace on the champions leauge place. I've tried several thing's nothing has worked so here's what I've assessed so far with away games if it helps anybody.

* Wingers do not do well away from home. At least mine, Reus is awful and not enough chances happening.
* Going wide, or playing posserion isn't creating enough chances and we are being bombarded.
* Full backs are really struggling
* Advanced playmakers in the middle are not having an impact.

Solution - Here's what I am going to do this evening. Set up a tactic based on narrow counter attacking and take my wingers out the system completely away from home, so 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 using 3 AM, one BWM and DLP both set to Defend. So I'll line up something like this.

*Ter Stegan - GK
*Scmelcer - LB
* Balanta - CB (C)
* Hummels - CB (S)
* Pizcheck RB
* Bender CM (BWM)
* Romero CM (DLP)
* Gundogan (AP)
* Reus (AM)
* De Bruyne (AM)
* Lewandowki

I'm hoping when I set this up it'll make us more compact, play through the middle , Narrow and counter. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[arbik]

Don't agree with much of this at all. I play a possession based 4231 on counter strategy, narrow and very fluid and ive had **** loads of success with Scunthorpe utd, Middlesbrough, Heerenveen and Leverkusen. That pretty much contradicts all your gripes.

JP,are you going to upload your tactic?