FM -- A Thread About Tactics

[path12]

I don't know that we've ever had a thread devoted to tactical tips and help. When I first started playing FM (CM00/01 I believe it was called), I had never had much of a tactical sense of watching soccer, despite playing as a teenager and following the MISL in it's heyday. So I relied on the basic formations, not really knowing a lot about how adjustments would change the game, and especially not really knowing much about how to relate my players to the strengths of my particular system. Besides, it's intimidating moving all those sliders around, especially when you get waxed right after doing so. It would have been nice to ask around somewhere......

So that's what this is about. I'll start.

It's the beginning of the season, and I'm trying to figure out what the best formation is for my players. I started last year playing a 4-3-1-2 attack strategy but just was not getting goals. I have a wonderkid at goal and a solid back line, but my best striker left two years ago and although I've got solid midfielders, they're not a strong attack type. I have one good attacking midfielder who can also play the left wing. I've got one good striker, and another that should be but is not playing to his potential. My attack depth is poor.

So after a weaker start than I wanted, I ended up switching over to a conservative 4-4-2 counter, with a slow and short/mixed tempo, playing my defense slightly back and closing down more than I usually do. I had one midfielder and one defender marking man. That worked a charm as I rallied to 6th in Ligue 1, missing Europe on a tiebreaker.

I'm planning to start with that same formation as a base, but also want to try and find a better formation for home games or games where you want to attack. Ideas?

[Atocep]

I know next to nothing about soccer on the field (a general understanding of the transfer/loan system, ect), but picked up WSM 08 earlier this week (the only other version I played was CM 4 for a couple weeks and I put it away). I'm having a blast so far and I'm amazed by the depth of the game.

I would be interested in any tactical tips that are offered. I read a tactical tips thread on the SI forums, but even that was a bit over my head because I don't even know what closing down, tight marking, and show onto foot are and my knowledge of soccer formation is limited to what I learned from playing hattrick a couple years ago.

[path12]

My understanding of those terms are:

Closing down - moving at a player with the ball instead of sitting back waiting for him to move.
Tight marking - think man to man coverage. Stays on his target.
Show onto foot -- position yourself as a defender so that the target gets the ball on one foot or the other. I use that on opposing strikers if they are weak or very weak on one foot.

[vex]

Can someone recommend a tactic to me? I'm playing in Italy C1. I just got promoted to C1 this year. However, my talent is superior to most if not all the teams, yet I struggle.

I have a great midfield and talented strikers. My defense is good for C1, but not up to par with the rest of my team.

I know this is pretty vague, if there's any other info I need to give, let me know. Grazie.

[finkenst]

4-1-2-1-2 with wide wings.

i sometimes slot into a 4-4-2, 3-4-3, and 4-3-3 on my club team.

for my international gig, i run a
1SW-2DC-2DMR/L-3MC-0-2S with up arrows on the DM R and L

[Coffee Warlord]

Ahhh, the all powered 4-1-2-1-2.

[Coffee Warlord]

I know I've stated it in other places, but here's roughly how I run the 4-1-2-1-2.

Overall plan: An offensive minded, counter attacking system. Aggressive fast break system, primarily.

Strikers: Pretty much nothing special there. Allow them some creativity to create space, and lots of forward runs. You get a lot of 1 on 1s usually with one of your strikers breaking loose.

AMC: Free roled. Creative player who winds up with the ball on the non fast break chances, thusly you need someone who can invent ways to create scoring opportunities. I set a back arrow on him, to sit in the midfield while on defense.

DMC: Defensive minded player who is basically the safety valve if the defenders can't get the ball up directly to the wingers/forwards. Needs good passing, and better defending, as he is there to break up attacks.

Wingers: Set to man mark their opposite numbers, and are thusly running all the way up and down the pitch. I play a slightly wide focus for passing, so they are often the ones receiving the ball from the defense and creating the fast break opportunities for my strikers.

Defenders: Nothing all that special here. I play them maybe 1 'tick' back on the defensive line, and instruct them to simply get the ball forward. No dribbling, no crazy shit. My wingbacks are SLIGHTLY more offensive minded, but not much. They are allowed a little bit of leniency in moving forward and backing up the wingers, where the central defenders aren't moving anywhere.

Voila.

[path12]

Wingers: Set to man mark their opposite numbers, and are thusly running all the way up and down the pitch. I play a slightly wide focus for passing, so they are often the ones receiving the ball from the defense and creating the fast break opportunities for my strikers.

Slightly wide? You mean the formation, right? Or focus passing to the flanks?

[Coffee Warlord]

Yes, the formation. I like spacing.

[st.cronin]

I haven't really messed with 08 yet, but in prior versions I used a 4-4-2 diamond formation, adjusting the tactics for personnel - sometimes you'll end up with what looks like a 4-3-3, and if you really push the attack your formation will look like a 4-2-4. I like having a star DMC with high creativity and setting him loose. I like fullbacks who were fast and can dribble - it's like having 2 wingers on each side, if you can find them.

I'll probably jump into 08 in the next couple of weeks, will report back with anything I find.

[Passacaglia]

Aren't a 4-1-2-1-2 and a 4-4-2 diamond the same thing?

[vex]

CW, can you show me a screenshot of how your tactic looks? Thanks. Or even better, could I d/l it from you?:)

[st.cronin]

Aren't a 4-1-2-1-2 and a 4-4-2 diamond the same thing?

Probably, the second is just much easier to read.

[vex]

Aren't a 4-1-2-1-2 and a 4-4-2 diamond the same thing?

Glad you asked that, I was wondering as well.

[Celeval]

Wouldn't a 4-4-2 diamond specifically have a ML/MR? A 4-1-2-1-2 can have 2 central mids, too.

[path12]

Wouldn't a 4-4-2 diamond specifically have a ML/MR? A 4-1-2-1-2 can have 2 central mids, too.

I always thought that would be very vulnerable to flank attacks. But I guess on a narrow pitch it could be more effective.

[path12]

My "Shield" tactic I used last year on my Lille team (6th Ligue 1) goes like so:

Basic 4-4-2 formation, ML and MR farrows.

Team instructions: Mentality a couple ticks below normal, passing style and tempo are just to the first click of mixed/normal. Width is a tick left of normal, and closing down and time wasting are on the first tick of whole pitch/often. Defensive line is a couple of ticks left, tackling hard and counter attack.

GK -- Defensive mentality, low creative freedom, holds up ball.

DC's -- Also defensive mentality, no forward runs or running with the ball. If one can pass they can try through balls and the more physical one has tight marking in zone and will man mark if necessary.

DL/DR -- Team mentality, forward runs and crosses from deep.

ML/MR -- Forward runs, runs with ball or crosses often depending on skill. Might try through balls. Some creative freedom if they have the necessary attributes.

MC -- One defensive, man marks, stays in place, tries through balls. The other is offensive, forward runs, runs with ball, free role or decent creative freedom again if they have the skills.

Strikers -- Forward runs, creative freedom if possible. If they can dribble and are fast they can run with the ball.

[Celeval]

I always thought that would be very vulnerable to flank attacks. But I guess on a narrow pitch it could be more effective.

I had reasonable success in LLM with it in 8.0.1, but I also had two very good fullbacks.

[Coffee Warlord]

Probably, the second is just much easier to read.

I think the actual diamond has the wingers positioned more as central midfielders than real wingers.

[st.cronin]

This actually brings up a point that I've sometimes wondered about. I often get excellent play from my fullbacks and my AMC, but very inconsistent results from my "wingers" or central mids. What sort of skills should I look for from them, given that I like attacking fullbacks?

[Ajaxab]

This actually brings up a point that I've sometimes wondered about. I often get excellent play from my fullbacks and my AMC, but very inconsistent results from my "wingers" or central mids. What sort of skills should I look for from them, given that I like attacking fullbacks?

That raises an interesting question. I wonder if ratings are somewhat skewed by the tactical system used. I like to run a 4-1-2-1-2 with wingers wide and forward arrows on both. I could never find a DMC and an AMC that would perform at as high a rating as the AMR and the AML. I bought an AMC for 30 million pounds and he did just as well as the guy I bought for 10 million pounds. My DMCs would also struggle to put up more than a bit over 7.00. However, my wingers would always put up 7.5s or above. It might be that those who get more opportunities to make plays on the ball get better ratings. Maybe your MCs aren't seeing as much as the ball and therefore don't look as though they are performing well.

That got me thinking if my system was designed to make wingers look better than they might actually be and my DMCs and AMCs look a bit worse than they might be. I wondered if I could buy wingers cheap and sell them for more than they were worth as they performed above their heads in my system. I never actually tried out that plan as it seemed a bit too risky, but in a Lower League game, it might be something to try if the right players could be found.

[MrBug708]

Here is my tactic

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/MrBug708/Formation.jpg

[finkenst]

i guess i use officially the 4-4-2 diamond.

on the field i have 1 gk, 1dr, 1dl, 2dc, 1dmc, mr/ml, 1 amc, 2sc

[Coffee Warlord]

And you don't want my tactics with 8.0.2.

I have yet to work out anything that isn't both conceding insane amounts of goals and generating almost no opportunities.

[BigDPW]

I use a variant of the 4-1-2-1-2... It is a 4-1-3-2 when the other team has the ball and a 2-2-1-5 when we have possesion.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/BigDPW/StevenageBoroughStevenage_Tactics.jpg

I just won my second straight promotion. BSP League winner last year and placed second in League 2 this year. Both years I started slow. I have only gone to this tactic in League 2. I used another one in Conference.

[BYU 14]

Here is my tactic

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/MrBug708/Formation.jpg

Interesting tactic, do you have any problems maintaining possesion in the Midfield as it seems from looking that the Defense and Attack may not always link up effectively? Also, do you use direct passing?

[Coffee Warlord]

I think I just may have FINALLY gotten a 3 man backfield working. Gasp.

[Coffee Warlord]

Neeeeevermind.