Tactical Complexity and Lower League Teams

[landskill]

I have long been an fan of tactical forums since i came accross wwfan and the rule of one system after many frustrating games trying to find solid systems myself and failing more than i got it right. Since those days the game i feel has evolved quite a lot and i enjoy reading much of the new tactical work written. My problem is that i have now also started to enjoy starting my saves in the confrence north or south with a poor team and making my way in the game the hard way. Is it possible to combine complex tactical systems that are tailored to the opposition such as those used and thought out so well by the likes of SFraser or is it more of a case of design a basic system and stick to the very limited style that a poor squad is able to play?

Has anyone experimented or played at this level enough who has been able to pull off this type of tactical approach? or will i constantly end in the feeling of banging ones head against a brick wall trying to implimant this way of managing?

[wwfan]

I keep it as simple as possible at lower levels. However, I'm doing well in the BSP playing a balanced philosophy with a shout strategy focused on good football (retain possession, play ball into space, work ball into box). i've found I've had to move away from these shouts in the winter months, but was steamrollering the league using them before the weather turned.

[landskill]

How much pre game tweaking do you giv to your tactics, changing player roles, stratagy, philosophy for example? I also read, if i understood correctly, that choosing player roles and mentality to fit in with the overall mentality structure is a good way to approach building a solid tactic. For example choosing a Deep Lying Playmaker as LCM to cover for an attacking full back and make space for a wide man on support duty, to what point would the shape you want to create have to make way for the limitations of the players asked to fill those roles? Another example could be your slow striker you want to play in the hole, if he is not technicaly good enough to pull off the deep lying forward role or strong enough to be a target man, but the latter has the settings to match is ability on the ball can he function with that role?

I think another way of asking the question is how much should the name of the role influnce ones use of it or should its use be decided more on its settings alone and not its sterio type name?

And a quick question for wwfan, do you ever tweak the finished TC tactic, eg lowering forward runs for a player to non instead of mixed or limit yourself to just the pre set?

[heathxxx]

You can use more complex tactical systems, or ones using more of a fluid and roaming approach, but attention to detail with the right player attributes is important, just as it is at higher levels really.

I've just started a new save with AFC Telford in the BSN, where I'm using a more attacking, flair based system. I did spend many hours scouring the planet for the right players to suit it though.

Depends on the overall approach you prefer really. I come up with a tactical system I fancy, then build my squad around it. At lower levels, this usually means quickly assembling a completely new squad of players, whilst at higher levels, there's usually players already at the club that will fit in well enough. I then focus on any tweaks needed during matches with shouts, based on more common situations. One core tactic, with minor tweaks now and then, but vital that I have the right player attributes for it to work consistently.

It's perhaps not entirely realistic that a team like Telford now has a squad that looks more like the United Nations, but I enjoy looking for the players and the attributes to suit my tactical preferences. As wwfan says though, beware of the winter months when using "pretty" football. That's perhaps one reason why even though I do like more default or shorter passing and slower tempo, at lower levels, I often tend to lean towards more direct passing and alternate between default and higher tempo.

[landskill]

If it is best to keep things straight forward at the lower levels, finding one core system as opposed to th eseveral different ones and formations you could get away with using at the higher levels, would you have the same theory with match preperation? just one tactic loaded in there or would their be an advantage of loading more attacking and defensive versions for senarions you might be required to use them? Started as unemployed and just landed the woking job in the blue square south, the reports from my staff tell me that i have a squad with high technique, passing, first touch and speed at this level so i may be able to try out some more adventurous ideas vbut im guessing that it could be damage limitation first on a squad with poor moral, lying in 17th after being predicted to come 3rd.