What should I do next?

[MikeVic]

Hi, I know I haven't been posting on the Hattrick foum in awhile... but I hope you all can still help me decide what to do next... :) I've just realized I will have $1.7M (Canadian) after the exonomic updates. I am currently first in my series, going undefeated, scoring 32 goals and only letting in 2. The second place team has significantly upgraded their team since I beat them early in the season, and I want to make sure I can beat them.

I have 1185 supporters, and an arena size of 17000. I don't think I should upgrade my arena yet.

My coach's stats are:

Ramón Olguín (7562348)
43 years, weak form, healthy
A passable trainer who is fond of attacking
A sympathetic guy who is tranquil and honest.
Has weak experience and wretched leadership abilities.

Should I be upgrading him sometime soon?

I train defenders, run a 4-5-1 in league play, and here is my starting lineup:

Keeper:

Dhirendra Prakash
TSI = 2 340 , 22 years, passable form
Has disastrous experience and wretched leadership abilities
Stamina: weak Keeper: passable
Playmaking: disastrous Passing: disastrous
Winger: wretched Defending: wretched
Scoring: disastrous Set Pieces: poor

Wingbacks (both Offensive):

Franz Schmidtke
TSI = 1 810 , 19 years, solid form
Has disastrous experience and poor leadership abilities
Stamina: excellent Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: wretched Passing: wretched
Winger: passable Defending: excellent
Scoring: weak Set Pieces: poor

Peter Björklund
TSI = 1 440 , 19 years, passable form
Has wretched experience and weak leadership abilities
Stamina: inadequate Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: poor Passing: wretched
Winger: passable Defending: excellent
Scoring: weak Set Pieces: poor

Central Defenders (Ola plays towards the wing, and Nils plays normal):

Ola Gustavsson
TSI = 1 630 , 19 years, passable form
Has disastrous experience and wretched leadership abilities
Stamina: passable Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: poor Passing: poor
Winger: inadequate Defending: excellent
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: weak

Nils Celentano
TSI = 1 010 , 20 years, passable form
Has wretched experience and weak leadership abilities [Head]
Stamina: solid Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: wretched Passing: poor
Winger: wretched Defending: excellent
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: inadequate

Wingers (Allan plays Offensive, Beau plays Normal):

Allan Forbes
TSI = 1 420 , 22 years, inadequate form
Has wretched experience and poor leadership abilities [Powerful]
Stamina: excellent Keeper: wretched
Playmaking: passable Passing: poor
Winger: solid Defending: weak
Scoring: inadequate Set Pieces: passable

Beau McNeish
TSI = 560 , 30 years, excellent form
Has weak experience and poor leadership abilities
Stamina: excellent Keeper: wretched
Playmaking: weak Passing: passable
Winger: inadequate Defending: weak
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: wretched

I have a passable winger on my bench, but his form is usually worse than Beau's.

Midfielders (Dejan plays Defensive, and Maximillian plays Offensive):

Dejan Celeketic
TSI = 1 090 , 25 years, passable form
Has weak experience and wretched leadership abilities [Technical]
Stamina: excellent Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: passable Passing: poor
Winger: poor Defending: passable
Scoring: inadequate Set Pieces: poor

Maximillian Karasev
TSI = 1 440 , 27 years, passable form
Has weak experience and poor leadership abilities [Technical]
Stamina: solid Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: excellent Passing: inadequate
Winger: wretched Defending: poor
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: inadequate

Anders Cederander
TSI = 540 , 21 years, passable form
Has wretched experience and wretched leadership abilities
Stamina: solid Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: solid Passing: poor
Winger: weak Defending: poor
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: weak

Forward:

Bob Bonilla
TSI = 740 , 25 years, inadequate form
Has poor experience and poor leadership abilities [Quick]
Stamina: excellent Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: weak Passing: inadequate
Winger: inadequate Defending: poor
Scoring: passable Set Pieces: passable

I have a solid scoring guy on my bench, but his form is usually worse than Bob's.


Now, what should I do next with my team? :D

[portnoise]

If winning is your priority, I'm thinkin' the place that needs the biggest upgrade is up front. Particularly if you're sticking with 4-5-1 (which I did, training defense, for the first couple years), you'll need a stronger striker. I'd sell the low-form solid guy and pick up an excellent-or-better forward.

Since your defense is probably good enough to promote out of V by itself, you might also think about not playing your defensive central midfielder and putting two forwards out there instead, in a 4-4-2. Or you could sit Beau's low-ish ratings, play his slot as "extra CD" and play a CD as "extra IM", thereby keeping the 3 IMs and still having space for 2 forwards.

If you're looking more to the future, (or if you think you can MOTS this other team and beat them anyway), you might look into investing in a coach with higher leadership to hold onto some TS from all those PICs you've probably been piling up. Maybe even buying a guy with solid experience who can become that coach in a year.

[MikeVic]

I haven't been PIC... :( The two forward/1 winger idea sounds good... I should go out and buy an excellent forward soon. Thanks!

[tucker rocky]

I haven't been PIC... :( The two forward/1 winger idea sounds good... I should go out and buy an excellent forward soon. Thanks!

An excellent forward is no better than a solid one. Finding an experienced one is probably best, you'll save a little bit more to upgrade your coach.
Since you haven't been PIC, a solid/poor would do you the most good.

[tucker rocky]

Maximillian Karasev
TSI = 1 440 , 27 years, passable form
Has weak experience and poor leadership abilities [Technical]
Stamina: solid Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: excellent Passing: inadequate
Winger: wretched Defending: poor
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: inadequate

Maximillian plays Offensive

Probably best to play normal, to utilize his playmaking more, not enough passing to be offensive.

[tucker rocky]

Wingbacks (both Offensive):

Franz Schmidtke
TSI = 1 810 , 19 years, solid form
Has disastrous experience and poor leadership abilities
Stamina: excellent Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: wretched Passing: wretched
Winger: passable Defending: excellent
Scoring: weak Set Pieces: poor

Peter Björklund
TSI = 1 440 , 19 years, passable form
Has wretched experience and weak leadership abilities
Stamina: inadequate Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: poor Passing: wretched
Winger: passable Defending: excellent
Scoring: weak Set Pieces: poor

Central Defenders (Ola plays towards the wing, and Nils plays normal):

Ola Gustavsson
TSI = 1 630 , 19 years, passable form
Has disastrous experience and wretched leadership abilities
Stamina: passable Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: poor Passing: poor
Winger: inadequate Defending: excellent
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: weak

Nils Celentano
TSI = 1 010 , 20 years, passable form
Has wretched experience and weak leadership abilities [Head]
Stamina: solid Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: wretched Passing: poor
Winger: wretched Defending: excellent
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: inadequate

Best to play your 2 WB's defensive and 2 CD's normal, utilize their defensive skill.

[tucker rocky]

from hattrix-files

reordering position order effect important skills

Central Defenders
offensive
strengthens midfield
weakens central defence
+playmaking
+stamina
-defending

towards wing
puts weight on wing defence and attack
weakens central defence
+defending
+winger
-defending

Wingbacks
defensive
strengthens wing defence
weakens wing attacks
+defending
-winger

offensive strengthens wing attacks
strengthens midfield a little bit
weakens wing defence
+winger
+playmaking
+stamina
-defending

towards middle puts weight on central defence
weakens wing defence and attacks
+defending
-winger
-defending

Wingers defensive
strengthens wing defence
weakens wing attacks
+defending
-winger

offensive
strengthens wing attacks
weakens wing defence
+winger
-defending

towards middle
strengthens midfield
weakens wing
+playmaking
+stamina
-winger
-defending

Inner Midfielders
defensive
strengthens central defending
weakens central offense
+defending
-passing

offensive
strengthens central offense
weakens central defence
+passing
-defending

towards wing
strengthens wing attacks
weakens midfield
+winger
-playmaking

Forwards defensive
strengthens midfield
weakens attack
+playmaking
+stamina
-scoring

[MikeVic]

Thank you for the advice. I'm playing the guys as you suggested, and will try to get a better forward and coach soon.

[Mr. Wednesday]

A quick observation -- since you're a defense trainer and playing a defense-heavy formation, never play a winger normal. That's standard advice for anyone, but it goes double for you -- you desperately need the extra attack anyway, and you shouldn't really need more defense.

[Alf]

And I would also suggest trying a 4-4-2 to boost your offense. 1 forward really dosen't help. You don't lose any training spot. Might want to play it with 3IMs though in order to boost midfield.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Maximillian Karasev
TSI = 1 440 , 27 years, passable form
Has weak experience and poor leadership abilities [Technical]
Stamina: solid Keeper: disastrous
Playmaking: excellent Passing: inadequate
Winger: wretched Defending: poor
Scoring: poor Set Pieces: inadequate

Maximillian plays Offensive

Probably best to play normal, to utilize his playmaking more, not enough passing to be offensive.Playing a middie offensive does not sacrifice playmaking. As a defense trainer, unless his middies are really bad at passing, it's much better to play them offensive, particularly a player like Karasev who has better passing than defending.

[MikeVic]

Well, I just got my forward for $1M CDN:

Jorge Fontana (20596415)
25 years, passable form, healthy
A controversial person who is temperamental and honest.
Has weak experience and poor leadership abilities.

Nationality: España
Total Skill Index (TSI): 1 990
Wage: 2 033 C$/week including 20% Bonus
Owner: Wildcats FC
Warnings: 2


Stamina: excellent Goaltending: disastrous
Playmaking: weak Passing: inadequate
Winger: weak Defending: wretched
Scoring: excellent Set Pieces: inadequate

I play #2 this Sunday, so I got him just in time. I think he fits what I needed, and I will be trying the 4-4-2 with 1 winger and 3 IMs for that game.

Thanks for the help.

[MikeVic]

Err actually... my defensive midfielder is out with an injury. But my passable winger (Jos) has the same form as that inadequate winger now (Beau), and Beau is injured anyway. So looks like it'll be 2 midfielders... unless I play the inadequate midfielder (Brett Walter) in the place of Dejan (injured defensive midfielder)?