4-1-2-2-1 Help

[Mr_Demus]

I need some help with my tactics. I try to play a fast, direct kind of football, where I create a lot of chances, while being responsible at the back. I know it may be alot to ask for both though.

SO far I have played:

GK - GK D

DR - Recently FB S (have mostly used WB S)

DL - Recently FB S (have mostly used WB S)

DC - Both as CD D

DM - DM D

CM - BWM S

CM - CM S

AMR - W S

AML - W S

ST - P A

[Mr_Demus]

Forgot the TI's:

Clear ball to flanks

Exploit both flanks

More direct passing

Fairly wide

Whipped crosses

Was thinking of adding:

More closing down

Higher defensive line

And changing from flexible to fluid

[herne79]

You also forgot to mention your mentality .

And how has it been playing? Which team are you playing as? What issues are you seeing? You say you want to create a lot of chances and be responsible at the back - are you?

[summatsupeer]

You forgot other things like the mentality. Have a read of this regarding the information you should post: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/327822-Asking-For-Help-PLEASE-READ-THIS

"Fast" and "Direct" are easy to do, its just tempo and passing distance. Have a think about things like how you want your team to defend and what type of chances you want to create. Then what do you see wrong with your current tactic when watching games compared to what you want?

[Mr_Demus]

You also forgot to mention your mentality .

And how has it been playing? Which team are you playing as? What issues are you seeing? You say you want to create a lot of chances and be responsible at the back - are you?

At the bottom of post 2: I play lexible. Thinking of changing to fluid.

I play as Motherwell, but with a tycoon, so I should be the second or third best team in Scotland at the moment, but I am more like 6th or 7th. I don't create enough good chances. I have a lot of shots most of the time, but nothing highlight worthy.

Also, my defense is not very solid, though I have good players

[summatsupeer]

At the bottom of post 2: I play lexible. Thinking of changing to fluid.

I play as Motherwell, but with a tycoon, so I should be the second or third best team in Scotland at the moment, but I am more like 6th or 7th. I don't create enough good chances. I have a lot of shots most of the time, but nothing highlight worthy.

Also, my defense is not very solid, though I have good players

Flexible is "Team Shape". Mentality is Defensive, Counter, Standard... etc.

[herne79]

Flexible and Fluid are Team Shape, not mentality.

[Mr_Demus]

Flexible and Fluid are Team Shape, not mentality.

I know that. I was really tired, and somehow got it confused....:/

I play standard. Everytime I try to play control, my team seems to fall apart

[summatsupeer]

1. I think you've limited your team to just relying on crosses too much due to roles and instructions.

2. For a "Fast" and "Direct" style to work you need a player who can hold onto the ball until support arrives. You also need space to attack before the opponents get organized. The more you push up and close down more your reducing that space.

3. If your wingers do manage to get the ball and put a cross in who will get on the end of it besides the poacher? Will you really create lots of chances this way?

There's lots of ways to be "Fast", "Direct", but not being too risky. Mentality dictates the base level of risk for your team, this is then modified by player duty and team shape, so your attack duties will always take more risks the support, and support more risks than defend. You could setup with Defensive mentality, defenders will pass more direct on defensive mentality with forwards playing shorter passes, you can then add instructions to increase tempo and you have a low risk, fast, direct style of play without all those instructions. You then need to get the right formation, roles, duties and most importantly players to carry this out. Don't just tick things going "i want x, y and z", watch the games and see if you want "less/more of x".

This is an extreme example using defensive, but you've not really told us anything besides "fast, direct and responsible".