Taking a Versatile Approach

[Robson 07]

Hi all,

I've adapted my approach to FM in recent times and I thought I'd open that up to the forum.  The versatile approach is about not just sticking with Plan A regardless as this doesn't always work for me as I go from team to team, division to division or even match to match.  I prefer nowadays to adapt to the situation and sometimes the opposition.

The strategy can be boiled down to:-

1. A cautious, possession base style
2. Taking the game to the opposition
3. Shut up shop

TEAM SHAPE

• For the cautious strategy I go with FLUID.  The team plays as a unit, compact in defence and the strikers are closer to each other and the midfield.  They combine fluidly and have a slice of creative licence.
• For the more attacking strategy I prefer STRUCTURED.  This team shape give me more vertical space i.e. depth to go with width I'll get from the mentality.  It also devolves the strikers from a little bit of defensive responsibility which may encourage the opposition out a little more.
• When shutting up shop I'll use VERY FLUID just so that everyone is focused on defending.

MENTALITY

• I play counter mentality for cautious possession.  Players take less risk with passing, the build up is controlled (as in patient), and the team stays tight (narrow).
• For seeking goals I want more dynamism provided by control mentality which adds tempo, width and as I see it, intent in positioning and forward passing.
• Defend mentality for shutting shop.

Now I know some people will prefer less creative freedom with lower mentalities, and that's completely fine.  Feel free to debate the merits of either by all means.  Personally I feel that these combinations work and that I achieve both my desired style(s) along with results,

INSTRUCTIONS

• Counter / Fluid / Play out of Defence / Short Passing / Work into Box / Close Down More.

The team builds from the back with a controlled tempo and the midfield probes by circulating the ball and keeping possession.  The strikers play close together and fluid movement is encouraged.  Defensively the team falls back into a compact unit and we press as a team.

• Control / Structured / Early Crosses / Direct Passing / Shoot on Sight / Close Down Less. 

Almost a mirror image.  I want depth, width and a bit of urgency.  The opposition is enticed out by our deeper line and lower pressing ploy but we'll cross and shoot if given the chance.  I hope to demonstrate in the image below our 'take the game to the opposition' shape.  We are in white attacking left to right.  Note the depth we create to play plus the width on offer from our wingbacks.

To kill a game off is quite straightforward.  I take the cautious approach but go defence mentality and very fluid to get everyone defending as a team.  Also have the fall backs play on defend duty and if you are feeling extra jittery change from play out of defence to clear to flanks.

ROLES AND DUTIES

Now I don't change these unless I go to defend mentality when I want those fall backs on a leash.  In the tactic I'm using at the moment there are 3 x defend duty; 6 x support duty and 1 x attack; plus GK.  That's not a hard rule for me but I sort of prefer strikers on support.  They are key for me especially when breaking sides down.  I do not want static forwards or to always play on the last man - move, move, move.  I like them to cut inside, come to the ball, move into channels, have free roles and generally buzz about.  Roles like inside forward, complete forward and false nine. just as examples. are roles that move or can have PIs added that do so.

In midfield I may limit playmakers.  They tend to channel the ball and play Hollywood passes whereas again I'm after circulation.  A box to box is a good role but I don't really use it so much if using 4 or 5 bands in the formation (that you get with defensive or attacking midfielders or both).  The box to box is a space eater.

Defensively I tend to go for wingbacks if not using wide mids or if its an inside forward.  Otherwise its conventional roles like central defender.  The GK is asked to roll it out if playing from the back.

MY TEAM

For the purpose of this post the team is only really relevant for context.  I'm playing as Lyon about five seasons or so into a save,  A good side but not overpowered due to side philosophy I was trying out.  I've built the team, both playing and non-playing staff, to be French only, which has kept our strength in check and PSG, Monaco etc are very much a challenge.  There is an element of youth and being a strong academy club so I do have a number of regens now emerging but there are many familiar names too such as Lafont (GK), Pavard (DC), Tousart (DM), Bakayoko (DM), Ndombele (Mid), Maolida (Fwd) and Geubbels (Fwd).  I also have Umtiti and Lacazette about to re-join on freebies.

A couple of images from the season that has just concluded with me playing this way.

FINAL WORD

I'll add the chalkboard screens in a follow up post.  Not hiding those but not intending this as a download tactic either.  I suppose it just more a showcase of how I do things, probably similar to some but different to others.  No rights or wrongs.

And finally when to use each style?  Well domestically we're pretty strong so nearly always at home I'm on control trying to score and win.  Sometimes the same away from home but against better opposition I'll take the more cautious approach, and I only shut up shop in the last ten minutes of a game to protect a narrow lead.  You can sometimes get a 'tell' from a scout report or a formation about what the opposition is trying to do especially when they are coming to defend at all costs.  But generally I find its best to just follow your intuition.

[wixxi]

Do you not find trouble with players taking speculative shots as a result of the "shoot on sight" TI? Always just disregarded it as being useless

[Snorks]

55 minutes ago, wixxi said:

Do you not find trouble with players taking speculative shots as a result of the "shoot on sight" TI? Always just disregarded it as being useless

To be honest, I only ever use Shoot on Sight to waste time in the last ten minutes or so.  Speculative shots into Row Z run the clock down pretty effectively.

To the OP, I ten to play the game along similar lines - while I have a couple of 'base tactics' I will tweak and adjust as I go, game  by game depending on the opposition. 

I also play a career save, so moving clubs every so often until one really sticks - I would probably start a new club and develop a five-year plan as  I wouldn't expect tp be there any longer unless I had reached the top.

[Robson 07]

16 hours ago, wixxi said:

Do you not find trouble with players taking speculative shots as a result of the "shoot on sight" TI? Always just disregarded it as being useless

Understandable and it can lead to too many shots on occasions.  Simply remove it, add run at defence, or do neither.  Simply trying to beat teams parking the bus and when teams are deep take a shot or draw them out.

15 hours ago, Snorks said:

To be honest, I only ever use Shoot on Sight to waste time in the last ten minutes or so.  Speculative shots into Row Z run the clock down pretty effectively.

Yeah that's a great call too and a good use of that 'shout' in different circumstances.  It can waste time and allow your team a few valuable seconds to reorganise when used that way.

15 hours ago, Snorks said:

To the OP, I ten to play the game along similar lines - while I have a couple of 'base tactics' I will tweak and adjust as I go, game  by game depending on the opposition. 

I also play a career save, so moving clubs every so often until one really sticks - I would probably start a new club and develop a five-year plan as  I wouldn't expect tp be there any longer unless I had reached the top.

Good to hear.  I'd say that I stop short of being completely reactive.  Prefer to see it as pragmatic.  What sort of tweaks might you make?

[Robson 07]

  

Above is the team (again in white) playing from left to right, moving up the pitch from image to image.  The picture were meant to be in a straight line to make it clearer, no matter.  What I have done is cut the pitch up into thirds, defensive-middle-attacking, and this is us in the counter/fluid strategy.

1. Interception in our own half; ball played into Lacazette.
2. Lacazette turn and plays in Martinet
3. Martinet drives the team forward.

You can see us in a much tighter shape in each image.  Compact in that defensive block with all our players between the goal area and halfway.  Then as we transition to attack you can see every player has moved up as a group keeping our distances.  Then in the final third our shape begins to look a bit loose.

As clear a contrast I can show you in still images between the two strategies if you revert back to the image from post#1.

[Snorks]

2 hours ago, Robson 07 said:

Understandable and it can lead to too many shots on occasions.  Simply remove it, add run at defence, or do neither.  Simply trying to beat teams parking the bus and when teams are deep take a shot or draw them out.

Yeah that's a great call too and a good use of that 'shout' in different circumstances.  It can waste time and allow your team a few valuable seconds to reorganise when used that way.

Good to hear.  I'd say that I stop short of being completely reactive.  Prefer to see it as pragmatic.  What sort of tweaks might you make?

Depends on the opposition reports. Some players close down, mark their key player, start the game with a 4123 instead of 4231 although not relly reactive, just a couple of things to exploit where I think the opposition weakness is, or to strengthen my defence against their strengths.