Tactics that work without watching the match in full

[Pendraz]

Have you managed to make one?

I am still playing FM2015 (I always wait until the last February update before buying the new one, if I get the impression that it was well received), but compared to FM 2014 (where at some point, I almost could go with autopilot), I feel like I absolutely need to watch every single match in full, no matter how strong or weak the opposition is, otherwise I'll most likely don't get away with the result.

It feels like the AI makes way more adjustments during the matches compared to before, and unless I also change my setup accordingly, I am going to get thrashed.

Now don't get me wrong, I want to clarify something: I appreciate it, I appreciate a challenge, and I actually even like to watch some matches in full now and then.

BUT. I also like to watch my young prospects grow, to squad build, to see my "career" evolving, getting called by better teams and so on.

If to get good results I have to go through every single match in full, every season is going to take me forever...

Am I missing something? How did you guys manage to get constant results without watching the matches in full? Or do you actually do that?

I seem to recall that some people watch the first minutes or so in full, make their adjustments if they need to, and then change back to commentary. I tried that, but most of the time even if things looked good, at the end is going to end badly, because the AI will make other changes.

I guess I am just not good at analyzing stats instead of watching the real stuff happening.

Any thoughts or tips?

[Dr. Hook]

Well, there is really no substitute for watching in full at the beginning. Most of us here don't do that for a full season, though. It is most critical while you are bedding it in and working out what is going on. Once the team is playing as you want, drop to lower highlights. I use comprehensive most of the time, once I've settled the tactic as I want it. You can do extended too, if you want a fast pace. Just periodically keep an eye on things and if you notice bad goings on, you can switch to full match for a bit and take a look. Otherwise, you are left to go into the download area and use someone else's.

[Pendraz]

So you mean that it is possible to make a tactic that works reliably most of the times? I don't care how long it will take to make one, if it is possible at all.

It's just that so far I am more like you said watching in full at the beginning, and then comprehensive/extended later on, and I wanted to understand if it was "my" fault for being bad at tactic building or there were more people in the same boat...

With my current tactic there's no helping it, I HAVE to change some roles/duties depending on the opponent shape/defensive line. Unlike FM2014 I have never managed to make a tactic "barcelona" like, that just imposes itself on anyone no matter what they play.

It is also true that unlike the previous FM I am not trying to make yet another offensive possession based team (the kind that always felt easier for me as long as you had good technical players).

[Dr. Hook]

Yes, it's possible. As I mentioned, I do that regularly, but sometimes it takes a little while to sort it out. It will also help when you get a feel for what opponents do against you. You mentioned you have to change some roles and duties for a match, and that's par for the course, really, when things don't work. If you notice patterns with certain formations/d-line, pressing etc. that work against your standard formation, you can always set up for them at the team selection phase.

[AndySummers]

Have you managed to make one?

I am still playing FM2015 (I always wait until the last February update before buying the new one,

I would say it is infinitely possible, Pendraz.

I am very much akin to yourself; a player who waits until the new FM is fully integrated before purchasing, still playing FM15, and who never watches a games in full due to my slow play-speed. At the current time I am playing as Arsenal and have a 24-3-3 record in the opening season. The key - for me - is to develop yourself a robust tactic, one that is logical and not too extreme, suitable to the talent you have at your disposal. That should provide a solid baseline to ensure you are competitive and mean you can micro-manage your tactic without resorting to sweeping changes in-game.

Watching games is, understandably, de rigueur on the tactical masterclasses on this board. However, you should still be able to see enough from extended highlights to give you an overview of the opposition and their alterations; how they are assembled defensively, whether they are deploying a pressing game, which of their players are causing danger and where etc.

[Pendraz]

It's just that once I decide it's time to switch from full to extended, I feel like it's when things start to get sluggish, and I often wonder if the result would have been different in the end should I have taken the time to watch it in full and properly analyzed everything. But at the same time there's this feeling of wanting things to move on a bit faster that prevents me from doing so.

Basically, in your opinion, at which point are you satisfied results wise, to the point that you expect some bad results to happen along the way? I know that it's the sort of question with a multitude of variables, it's just that I wonder if you also have this feeling sometimes, when your team is losing, and you are not watching in full, to "switch" and try to see if you can come up with something better than what you guess by just "the highlights".

[themadsheep2001]

I dont watch any games in full any more as I don't have the time. I play in comprehensive from the start and I think it's the perfect mode to view games.

[Cleon]

I think it depends on how well you know the game and understand the formation you use. I can play on commentary if I wanted but play on key highlights normally as a rule.

[RTHerringbone]

I'm another Key Highlights person, barring when setting up a new tactic. I'll tend to watch more important matches in a prolonged highlights mode, because I actually quite enjoy watching FM matches to be honest.

[RocheBag]

I'm actually bad for this. I never make changes in a match, other than substitutions and maybe changing a role here or there.

I get good success but I'm sure it could be better if I paid more attention. I just love blazing through the seasons so I lack the patience.

[Pendraz]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

For now I settled up with sacrificing my extra tactics slots with the same main tactics with the 2 sets of most common changes I make during the game, and I watch on extended. It has sped up things a lot and it's going decently enough.

The only thing annoying me is how gimmicky it is to add man marking every damn time I am against a formation deploying two offensive wingers (which is most of the times unfortunately).

I so wish they would add something like the OIs to the tactics, so you can prepare in advance on who from your team you want to mark a specific position.

[hamayumi]

match plans for FMC works for me! always manage to get the bottom of the barrel teams to the top barring legitimate debt concerns. always work with extended to see where possession is lost/gained/stagnated and in particular what part of the field, mid field, your own third, or their third.

[Neil_Roberts]

I've got a 4-2-3-1 tactic that works with key highlights:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz4dabmu7y6s23t/4-2-3-1%20Cardiff%20NEW%20v1%20%28Neil%20Roberts%29?dl=0

Let me know if you try it. :-)

[Rashidi]

I don't watch in full anymore, unless I am doing some heavy match engine testing. For my normal games in FM, I watch comprehensive for like 5 minutes and then key highlights.