Several (tactical) doubts

[Bielsista]

Im playing a save game in the Argentinian league with Newells, from Argentina. First 6 months I won the Championship, the second part of the year I struggled more, mainly because my players were tired because I was playing not just the tournament but Copa Libertadores too and my team doesnt have enouhg quality to replace all the main eleven with the same strenght. Well, I guess is because of that.

This is my formation in case it is usefull: (with this I try to have the control of the ball, being a little bit wide to move the ball around and my players to generate gaps. Not playing too fast because I guess my players will fail more passes if I try that)

But, appart from that I have some doubts, mainly tactical. These are the ones: (I guess they were already discussed here -and Ive read a lot from here-, but I cant search through that ammount of pages to look for something particular)

* My AssMan advices during the game. Should I pay real attention to them?. Example, I play short passes, I like to have ball possession, and almost in every match he says to me that we are doing very well with the short passes and I should try more direct ones...WHY???, first, if Im doing well is BECAUSE Im playing short passes, that doesnt mean that if I change to direct they will perform in the same manner. Second, direct passes mean a better way of playing?, because he telling me that make think some like that. I dont get the point of that advice. Another, when he tells me to mark some player when Im ALREADY marking him via opp instructions...all those things make me doubt about ALL his advices.

* Im always behind in Headers most of the games, I guess it is because I dont have a tall squad, so I try reducing that by pressing most rival's wide players so they send crosses without comfort but it seems thats not enough, what can I do to solve that? (I dont have a tall squad but my players are not midgets and they are not uncapable of jumping either).

* This one I have it from FM2012 more or less...whats the difference (in Opp Instructions) between MARKING a player and CLOSING him DOWN?

* I cant generate a good ammount of CCCs, do you recommend me an specific way of play to do so?, maybe playing narrower...or that doesnt exits in this FM?, I mean that there is no "recipe" of geting CCCs...and related to that is that my team strikes a lot from outside the area when my instructions about that is NOT TO do it (all the players have the long shots slider to the minimum, and just one of them have that PPM)

I dont usually ask these kind of things but since FM 2012 -more or less- my "hunger" for the game decreased, because it became harder to play according to my style, more like a "job" than an enjoyable game. But now that Im playing with the team I support in real life and I like to recover that will and try to understand the game a little bit more. But some things dont "translate" from real football to FM the way I interpretate them and I guess thats why I may try changes in my tactics, my tranings, etc. but cant correct things. SO if you can help me I will really appreciate it.

[RonnySanchez]

I recently did some experiments i run the this tactic that you are using för a whole season with two different teams.

The first team I was playing

fluid,

control (for away matches standard),

shortpassing,

zonal marking

and everything else on default

The second team I was playing,

rigid,

standard (for away matches counter),

direct passing,

less creative freedom,

zonal marking

and everything else on default.

I did not changed anything to the tactics or made any subtsitiutions or used any shouts for the whole season. I just played this tactics from beginning to the end of the season to see which will be more stable.

The control fluid short passing team finished last in the league

the standard rigid direct passing team finished fourth

I think this is beacause of how the tactic looks like, you have to little movement to be able to create chances with a short passing game.

You only have 4 offensive players, the forward, the wingers and the Advancced playmaker (and two of these are on support role) this is too little to be able to create CCC with a control short passing tactic.

This tactic is better if you let your opponent to have the initiative and then with direct passing try to score on the counter and semi-counter attacks, to let two or three of your offenive-minded players to combine against a defence on the backfoot.

On my experiment i tried even other tactics the best tactic for short passing control game on my experiment proved to be the following:

DLF(s)

AMC(a) AMC(s) AMC(a)

CM(d) CM(s)

FB(s) CD(d) CD(d) FB(s)

but i think it is difficult to play with this tactc, escpecially when playing away from home.