2nd season help before I start

[steveshaw1983]

I thought I had finally put in place a good tactic which worked well. To some extent it did but then it all went wrong mid way through the first season. I tried to keep things quite simple in terms of team instructions etc.

I will post the tactic first and the TI's followed by the goal analysis from my league games. Anything else you need let me know an I will attach it. It was a very mixed season, eventually stumbling to eighth in the league but managing to win the Europa league. I want to play quite a patient passing game. Not so patient that it is boring and sideways passing hence the reason my passing and tempo is mixed. One of the main problems I had was scoring goals. To start with I was scoring lots of goals using Benteke but as soon as Sturridge came back the goals dried it. I plan to sell Benteke and keep Sturridge so I need to get more from him.

I started the season using 2 wing backs but I found that most of the goals I was conceding were from my right back area so I changed him to fullback support. I like to use a CM(a) as they get forward and chip in with goals. I want to dominate play in the opposition half so used an advanced playmaker(s). The idea of the inside forwards is to exploit the space created by the deep lying forward. Clearly something is not working as I hoped.

I would appreciate any help and feedback you can give. I don't think massive changes are needed, perhaps I'm wrong.

Thanks

[ozilthegunner]

So you have some good ideas of how you want to play, but I think you implement some of those ideas too specifically.

For instance, you explain your choosing of your two cms completely independently of each other. You want someone helping with attack but also want possession. What has resulted is a pair of cms totally uninterested in helping win the ball back, which will hurt your ability to have possession (you gotta win it before you can maintain it).

So I think changing one of those cms to something more helpful in defense would be good. Maybe the cm-a to a b2b. He'll help on defense but still get up. Maybe put the ap on attack then (just depending on spacing).

Also, you want possession but you say you don't want boring possession. Fair enough, but I do think you could do more to maintain possession without it being useless. Shorter passing or retain possession or lower tempo would help, maybe even 2 of the 3. All 3 would probably be too much and not what you want.

With my arsenal team I regularly use lower tempo (from control mentality. Remember it's relative) and retain possession and am lauded both for playing a possession game and an attacking game, exactly what my board wants.

Also it seems you are giving away more assists down your left flank. I would perhaps move the IF to support to help with that. Although if you change the cm on that side to be more defensive that may be enough

[steveshaw1983]

Thanks Ozil. I will try the shorter passing and the tempo slightly lower. I will leave the retain possession instruction off as this affects both of them. I have left the full back on the left side the same as I have changed the left CM to B2B and he should contribute more to defending than the AP (s) would have. As you suggested I will change the CM(a) to AP(a). This may be quite a good move anyway as during games I often found that the CM(a) was playing alongside my striker which I suppose then means he won't support him and provide for him as much.

Any suggestions on improving my goal scoring with Sturridge or do you think the above changes may help in that department?

[steveshaw1983]

I went into the 2nd season having made the above changes and I thought things were going ok beating man utd 2-0 in the opening game. Things got worse from there. Was only getting an average of 1 goal per game whilst conceding more than 1 per game on average. As you can imagine that just saw me falling down the league and as a result restarting today.

Can anyone suggest anything that will turn the above tactic into a working usable tactic? I can live with conceding a goal a game but I would like to be scoring on average 2 per game so I need to change something. What I don't want to do is make changes for the sake of it if they are not going to work. I keep looking at the tactic and really can't see where or how I can improve it.

Thinking back to what Ozil said yesterday, when I made those adjustments the possession did increase quite significantly. I'm think maybe just lowering the tempo slightly so the team are more patient in build up. Changing my WB(s) to FB(s) to try and strengthen the left side. Ozil did suggest lower the IF to support duty but I don't want to take away the IF goal scoring threat.

I don't really have many specialised positions so was thinking to go to a fluid strategy shape or if I leave it on flexible I could add the instruction 'roam from positions'.

I'm happy with the defensive line and I think if I increase that I will be at risk of even more crosses resulting in goals for the opposition.

I have considered using pass into space instruction but I read elsewhere that if teams are playing compact and quite defensive there won't be space to pass into so I will just ending giving the ball away.

Any help will really be appreciated. I have tried numerous different formations but I always end up coming back to this one as it is my favourite shape and I think it suits Liverpool quite well with the players at my disposal.