Form has gone off a cliff...

[KingCanary]

After a fantastic start to the season with Middlesborough in the championship I'm experiencing an extended slump in form that I'm really struggling to get out of. I've not had back to back wins since the turn of the year (in March now) and I've taken 11 points from a possible 36. I've tried various formations and player changes and I've got picked up the odd win here or there but can't get any form of consistency. Team morale is actually not too bad (most first teamers are at least 'fairly happy') and I'm actually slightly overachieving (target was top half, currently in play-offs). I've tried tea meetings and while the reactions usually positive it hasn't led to better form.

I'm not writing this post to complain, nor expecting a failsafe 'how to turn it around' sort of answer but more to understand what it is I'm missing, what else I need to be looking at and what others have done to turn around poor form.

Any advice much appreciated!

[Guest]

How many changes are you making from match to match? Must be difficult to get any sort of consistent performances or results if your decision making is inconsistent.

Another consideration is that as you've said you're overachieving this is just a case of form balancing, could be that you were racking up points before teams adjusted their approach to playing you & now they are treating you as more of a threat so are making life tougher for you players who themselves are unable to perform any better.

I'd hope for the best for the remainder of the season while also starting to plan for next season, identify your weaker players & start looking for possible replacements.

[KingCanary]

How many changes are you making from match to match? Must be difficult to get any sort of consistent performances or results if your decision making is inconsistent.

Another consideration is that as you've said you're overachieving this is just a case of form balancing, could be that you were racking up points before teams adjusted their approach to playing you & now they are treating you as more of a threat so are making life tougher for you players who themselves are unable to perform any better.

I'd hope for the best for the remainder of the season while also starting to plan for next season, identify your weaker players & start looking for possible replacements.

I've tried to keep it to one or two changes at the most. Recently though I've started playing a whole new formation (3-5-2) which has given me WLW in it's first three games although my second win was 0-0 until I changed back to 4-2-3-1.

My main issue is scoring goals- I've conceded the 5th least goals but I'm 15th for goals scored and none of my players are in double figures for goals this season. You may be right that teams are just taking me more seriously and so have got a bit more defensive in their approach.

[WizbaII]

I believe FM Touch lets you avoid all the morale issues?

[Guest]

Not all but it has less impact on the game, not that I believe the OP's issue has much to do with morale or happiness.

[KingCanary]

I believe FM Touch lets you avoid all the morale issues?

I've not played on touch tbh- I played classic last year and found it too stripped down.

[HUNT3R]

Surely post in the tactics forum? What normally happens is that team become more defensive the second time round.

[Ross Ingersoll]

my issue with the Wolves in EPL was the opposite. Form was god awful for the first 10 matches but i stuck with what i had and then around the 10 match they turned it around

[KingCanary]

Surely post in the tactics forum? What normally happens is that team become more defensive the second time round.

I wasn't looking for specific tactical advice- more just a general question around whether there is more I could be looking at apart from tactics/morale issue.

[Ross Ingersoll]

but in my Palermo save the same exact thing happened. i think in my case my squad got complacent because i had won 12 games in a row to start the season. went on a bad run for about 7 games and then it sorted itself out.

[Guest]

Personally I do not believe it's always a tactical issue in the strict sense of the term, the problem can just as likely stem from poor squad building or personality management that create the circumstances for player performance levels to drop off.

[HUNT3R]

The OP said that it happened at the beginning of the year. The same time when you're about to meet teams for the second time. It's a tactical issue as teams are now more defensive the second time round and difficult to break down. Now it would need quite possibly a different approach and it may also depend on the player quality to be able to execute.

I suppose another factor could be team cohesion, if there were a lot of new players brought in, in January. Did you?

[KingCanary]

The OP said that it happened at the beginning of the year. The same time when you're about to meet teams for the second time. It's a tactical issue as teams are now more defensive the second time round and difficult to break down. Now it would need quite possibly a different approach and it may also depend on the player quality to be able to execute.

I suppose another factor could be team cohesion, if there were a lot of new players brought in, in January. Did you?

No- I sold a couple (I've had a major clear out as I took over a bloated squad and had some promising youngsters coming through) but most of those went in the summer. I only signed one player in January.

[Jakirola86]

Having the same issue as myself in my Tranmere save. We were newly promoted and flew out of the traps in our bid to get back to the Championship. But during Dec + Jan we have lost our consistency. I believe it is down to teams not being as surprised and having a plan for you. Stick with it and maybe a minor tweak here or there and you'll come through the otherside. Quality will always show through!