Tactical Theorems and Frameworks '09

[Wayne\'o]

i find team instrutions dont work, ie offside, counter attack.

recently i started playing around with mentality setting's etc.

I have 1 Defensice 4-4-2 3 varients of normal and two attacking all in a shape of a 4-4-2..

after beeing relegated from the prem i used my normal tactic all season and produced my best ever season.

Table

if we talk about RoO. i done the following

GK

CB's

MC'd

FC'd

FB's

MR/L

AM'c

SC

they are how i grouped my tactic and put the players in catagories. on the tactic screen there are Defence, DMC.Midfeild, AMC and strikers..

to keep my team as close to a unit as possible, i only add 1 click extra for mentality per possition.

Example

GK 5

CB 5

FB's 6

DMC 5 or 6

Midfeilders 7

AMC and Wingers 8

FC'd 5 or 6

SC 9

there are 5 or 6 defensive clcisk depending how you count them, the biggest area is the amount of clicks we have for Normal setting's really..

i cant get fast tempo to work so i uses slow every game, i play wide and use a deep defensive line...

the players i used to gain promotion.

GK B.Lobont

RB C.Gueye

LB F.Stenman

CB Glauber

CB C.Sarghi

ML S.Rusculleda

MR J.Legear

MC R.Austin

AMC C.Cohen

SC T.Todorov

SC G.Stepanoviv Regen

[johnnydude]

i would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved with this document. I have played FM/CM since 97/98 and never really played around in tactics...back in the day i seemed to have success simply playing with standard tactics and later on just borrowed/used other peoples...figured i would give it a go this year and done appallingly but once i read through this and read through it again to understand what the sliders mean and how they work with each other i now have a 4-4-2 formation that seems to be doing the trick...a defensive, standard and attacking 'default' formations that i can tweak throughout the game. So far working with Man City i had a dismal 1st season still working out what to tweak where and i like to tell myself they were still getting used to them...this season i have been undefeated apart from a loss to arsenal which i wasnt too surprised about. Been happy understanding things and also i can see the difference while watching the match which i did not think i would see. I can actually tell that they are passing the way i have asked and flowing properly etc.

So i now have added a new dimension to the game which is brilliant and making me enjoy it even more. Now i want to try to understand training which i have never really experimented with...if anyone can point me to any good guides then please let me know. I do not want to copy anyone else anymore and so am hoping there is a guide like this.

[Aquaplex]

Are there any differences in using different formations as long as u keep the frameworks the same? For example, would a 4-3-3 Role Theory setup be as successful as 4-4-2 Role Theory setup as long as you had the right players for the formation? The reason why i ask is because i haven't played outside england in a long time and was wondering if a 4-2-2 would struggle in countries like italy.

[PhroX]

Are there any differences in using different formations as long as u keep the frameworks the same? For example, would a 4-3-3 Role Theory setup be as successful as 4-4-2 Role Theory setup as long as you had the right players for the formation? The reason why i ask is because i haven't played outside england in a long time and was wondering if a 4-2-2 would struggle in countries like italy.

I think a 4-2-2 would struggle anywhere

But anyway, my experiences have been that the theories work well with any formation. I've had luck with 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2 and 4-2-3-1 on Role Theory, plus 4-4-2 and 5-2-1-2 (or 3-4-1-2, whichever is the correct way of calling 3DCs and 2 WBs) on the Bands of Two theory.

[Zulu316]

Hi,

Thnaks for posting this thread I have been playing CM since Cm2 many years ago. Recent seasons have seen me struggle to adapt to actually mange a side rather than pick a team play 4-4-2 and win everything. These Frameworks have done me the world of good and helped to ignite my passion for the game. My only query if somebody can help is I seem to be able to start the season really well and tend to go 10 or so games undefeated. When I reach this stage however I seem to find myself losing the next few games and from there going into a downward spiral. Is anybody able to shed any light on to why this happens or offer a solution? This seems to happen with any formation I play.

[the man]

Hey,great work this year.

I'm just after starting a game with hoffenheim and I'm wondering what tactic I should use.

I was thinking about using 3 strikers ( ba-ibisevic-obasi ) but after glancing at tt&f am not so sure this would be good.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,

Cheers

[moj]

^ depends who you have on your team, and you can play with 3 strikers if you have the right players/right tactic.

[daleuk8]

Can anyone give me any advice on marking or opp instructions when playing playing againts a 442? i'm struggling againts the big 4 in the EPL?

[ObaMartins09]

Hey,great work this year.

I'm just after starting a game with hoffenheim and I'm wondering what tactic I should use.

I was thinking about using 3 strikers ( ba-ibisevic-obasi ) but after glancing at tt&f am not so sure this would be good.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,

Cheers

When I was in charge of Hoffe, I played BA at AML, and Obasi at AMR, with Ibi as the ST. Worked really well, all three chipped in with goals, and also provided cover on the wings when we lost the ball.

[supersaint]

Can anyone give me any advice on marking or opp instructions when playing playing againts a 442? i'm struggling againts the big 4 in the EPL?

Dont know about others but the way I do it (playing a 442) is to have my wingers on loose zonal marking and the FB on tight man-marking.

In opponents instructions I close down wingers always and press them to the weaker foot. This is an attempt to reduce the wingers crossing into the box.

Since my team is relatively strong in the middle, I use opponents instructions and close down fullbacks(especially against top 4 that usually push these high up the pitch) and press them to opposite foot. IE DR showed onto Left Foot, DL showed onto Right Foot.

The reason is that I want them forced into playing the ball into a packed midfield or back to the centre-backs. This mostly stops them from crossing the ball to the opposite winger, which can cause havoc if he gets the ball with a lot of room to run in (back for is moving over to the opposite side, leaving winger often all alone).

[phnompenhandy]

"In opponents instructions I close down wingers always and press them to the weaker foot. This is an attempt to reduce the wingers crossing into the box."

I've evolved into something more versatile here. Normally I do this, but if the winger is two-footed, can dribble, pass or shoot it might be unwise to get him onto his 'weaker' foot since he could come inside to devastating effect. Similarly, if the oppo front man/men are dwarfs I'll encourage the wingers to cross, knowing my DCs will cut them out!

[crouchaldinho]

Would anyone be kind enough to explain the 'Control' tactical system to me, in particular, the defensive line setting.

I understand from previous TT&Fs that 'Control' should be shorter, slower and wider to open up the pitch and patiently build attacks. I'm not sure I understand the DL setting though. :confused:

[Adrian]

I would have a question to ask:

So,this year's TTF focuses on 3 match strategies:Standard,Attack and Defensive(+Control and S.U.S).

As for me,I'm still using some theories presented in FM-Britain Tactical bible(written for FM 08,I guess) with great succes.Why there isn't a 'Counter' tactic anymore?.The reason I'm asking is because the 'Defensive approach outlined in TTF 09 it's a rather destructive approach,TBH(bacause of the very low mentality,especially)

This is from FM-Britain Tactical Bible(hope I'm allowed to post):

'Counter

A system in which players are looking to defend more often than attack and will rely on the counter to score. The full backs will predominantly stay back; the team will play a tight formation and stick to instructions, through balls will be rare, direct and into channels'

Counter

Defensive/Normal mentality

Medium/Narrow width

Medium/Deep defensive line

Easy tackling

Rarely closing down

Tight marking

Slow tempo

Medium Time Wasting

Wide Players and Forwards Make Forward Runs

One/Two Free Roles

MCs play Through Balls

Low Creative Freedom'

The reason I say this is because this offers more options for the manager to choose,especially for those hard away games in wich I think a Counter approach is more suited than choosing between Standard and Defensive.

If you ask me,here's how I would choose to play tactics depending on the situation:

Attack:Only for home games against teams I'm expected to win

Attack Deep(or Attack Away):for home games against pretty good opponents;my team still being favourite); and away games against weak teams.

Balanced:Home games against equal opponents and away games

Counter: -against equal or better opponents (a good example I could come up with is a Tottenham away game.By looking at their manager,you know they're gonna play adventurous,quite attacking.A Counter system would be very effective:playing cautious,not allowing space for their players

for Away games in wich you have a good chance of getting a good result

Defend:I generally use this form the start when playing teams from superior leagues(ex:Bristol vs Man City)

SUS:Defending a lead in the last 15 minutes of the game.(I even manage to score in some occasions on the counter,though the aim of SUS tactic os not no concede)

Control:Well,pretty much what TTF 09 suggests:'The Control Match Strategy sits between the Standard and Attacking mentality

systems and has two options for deployment. The first is to slow down a match

that should already be won, generally playing keep ball whilst still being able to

gently probe in the final third when space opens up. The second is when a more

patient approach is deemed to be necessary against a team that is sitting back

and trying to frustrate. Closing down is more cautious than in Attacking

strategies in order to entice the opposition out of their defensive comfort zone

and free up some space''

Maybe for some of you it would seem to complex having these Match strategies,but that's how I god used to play,and it's the best way for me

[wwfan]

I've only ever outlined five strategies in TT&F. 08's Counter and 09's Defend are pretty much the same thing. We just changed the name to fit in with the default tactic descriptions in the game. The extra strategies came from other interpretations and additions to TT&F, notably from The next Diaby and Millie. TT&F is only intended to be a starting point from which you can expand into greater and greater degrees of sophistication.

[Prank Emperor]

Work of an genius...

[Wayne\'o]

alot of people find the game hard yet alot of people find it very easy, as much as i would like to be better im worried beeing to good would take the fun out of it for me..

how do you really good players find enjoyment to keep playing the game?

[Hyfrydle]

Hi this is my first post and after reading through the whole fantastic document and understanding most of it I'm confused by the Mentality System section of the tactical instructions:

Standard Match Strategy - Upper Defensive - Lower Attacking (min 5 players on normal)

Attacking Match Strategy - Lower Normal - Upper Attacking (min 5 players on attack)

Defensive Match Strategy - Defensive - Mid Normal (min 5 players on defensive)

Can anyone explain how these work?

Hope this isn't a stupid question.

[supersaint]

alot of people find the game hard yet alot of people find it very easy' date=' as much as i would like to be better im worried beeing to good would take the fun out of it for me..

how do you really good players find enjoyment to keep playing the game?[/quote']

Not that Im a "really good player", but whenever I have success - like the past two seasons with Solihull - I set myself new goals.

First of those two seasons I won the PL for the first time(in 2032). This was my first goal. Next goal was to win the Champions League. But parallell with this goal, I also wanted to improve my defensive record. That meant that I needed to change my match-strategies a bit. In the end, I let in 20-something less goals the second season and won the CL.

So now , for the third season, I set new goals. I decided that my primary goal was to reduce the wage bill and give more youngsters the chance in the first team squad - and still win the league.

I also have a side-goal, and that is to get at least five players to pass the 500 club appearances mark. So far I have 3 players that might get there, which means that I need two more players to go all the way. Hopefully some of my new youngsters will make it, but that would take around 10 more seasons..

As you can see, I have some short term goals (reducing wage bill, improve defence/attack, etc) and some long-term goals. The long term goals are what gets me going, but the short term goals keeps the interest up when Im starting to get bored.

Oh, and I have decided that Im not gonna retire before my in-game age is 100 - thats 41 more years

[crouchaldinho]

Hi this is my first post and after reading through the whole fantastic document and understanding most of it I'm confused by the Mentality System section of the tactical instructions:

Standard Match Strategy - Upper Defensive - Lower Attacking (min 5 players on normal)

Attacking Match Strategy - Lower Normal - Upper Attacking (min 5 players on attack)

Defensive Match Strategy - Defensive - Mid Normal (min 5 players on defensive)

Can anyone explain how these work?

Hope this isn't a stupid question.

It means that when you set mentalities of the players they should be in the range suggested.

If you send the mentality slide back to 0 and click through, you will see the mentality change as you move up through defensive, normal and attacking. So for standard, it is suggested that you run from the upper part of defensive (left of normal) to lower attacking (right of normal). But you should have a minimum of 5 players on normal mentality.

Best way to look at mentality is to go to 'view' on the tactics page and select 'mentality'. You can then see all player mentalities. Click on the arrow next to a player and you will see his mentality on the right side.

Hope that answers your question.

[Hyfrydle]

It means that when you set mentalities of the players they should be in the range suggested.

If you send the mentality slide back to 0 and click through, you will see the mentality change as you move up through defensive, normal and attacking. So for standard, it is suggested that you run from the upper part of defensive (left of normal) to lower attacking (right of normal). But you should have a minimum of 5 players on normal mentality.

Best way to look at mentality is to go to 'view' on the tactics page and select 'mentality'. You can then see all player mentalities. Click on the arrow next to a player and you will see his mentality on the right side.

Hope that answers your question.

Hi thanks for the reply just one last thing is this a guide for the mentality of the whole team? For example in a standard match strategy can the CD's be upper defensive and the FC's be lower attacking and all other players fall between the two using the guideline of not more than 8 between the most defensive and the most attacking?

[wwfan]

alot of people find the game hard yet alot of people find it very easy' date=' as much as i would like to be better im worried beeing to good would take the fun out of it for me..

how do you really good players find enjoyment to keep playing the game?[/quote']

TT&F doesn't make your team unbeatable. It still takes a fair bit of work and concentration to succeed. The one thing TT&F isn't is a plug'n'play solution. You have to think. Personally, I think it adds to the enjoyment.

[coolydanny]

Im still learning alot. Although since reading through it i am understanding tactics for fm a whole lot better. Thanks wwfan im now enjoying FM 09!!

[coolydanny]

Spoke to soon i guess. =\

Havent won in 6. Why? I havent changed anything, brought in some new players for Forrest, just dont get this game anymore.

Does it effect that im still using 9.0.1 database?

[Adrian]

I've only ever outlined five strategies in TT&F. 08's Counter and 09's Defend are pretty much the same thing. We just changed the name to fit in with the default tactic descriptions in the game. The extra strategies came from other interpretations and additions to TT&F, notably from The next Diaby and Millie. TT&F is only intended to be a starting point from which you can expand into greater and greater degrees of sophistication.

Thanks for the reply.I began to use the TT&f methods since FM 08,designing tactic sets with different approaches for several situations.That's how I got used to play,by translating real-life football theories into FM.Combined with good player/media management,I'm having some great success with Football Manager.Of course,TTF has been very helpful to me,and always enjoy reading it;)

Whilst I consider myself to have a decent football knowledge,there are some aspects wich I fail to fully understand.

A new addition to TTF 09 has been the 'Player Roles' and their connection with FwRuns:

''Every tactic requires enough people defending and enough people

attacking to be stable, but attacking flavours require more attackers and,

conversely, defensive tactics need more bodies in defence. Hence, roles are

assigned in the following manner:

Defensive: 5 defend, 2 support, 3 attack

• Standard: 3 defend, 4 support, 3 attack

• Attacking: 3 defend, 2 support, 5 attack

Ok,so this seems perfectly logical to me.What I'm interested in how different player roles(Attack,Support,Defend) require different marking systems.

In FM 08,in Defensive systems,more players would have to be given Man/tight marking(back four),or Zonal/Tight(midfield line).

Attacking system required to have more players on loose zonal-marking

TTF 09 suggests that:Players with 'Defend' role should be on Man/tight marking,wich I perfectly agree with

Players with 'Support' role should be also on Man/tight.

My question is,won't an MCa lose his attacking effectivness if he's on Man/Tight marking?

What about a winger on Zonal/Tight marking?Or wingers,being attacking players by nature should always be on Zonal loose marking?

''Every tactic requires enough people defending and enough people

attacking to be stable, but attacking flavours require more attackers and,

conversely, defensive tactics need more bodies in defence''

All right so I def. agree on this.Player Roles are defined mostly by FwR runs and marking type,If you agree on this.

My theory is that marking type(for each player) should be determined by their position on the pitch in a certain formation.I know that this somewhat is contradictory with your theories,but what do you think?

Here's an example to clear things up:Let's take a 442 Diamond(back 4,DMC,MR/ML,AMC,FC's) a formation wich at first sight is more vulnerable than a flat 442

The key to make it effective would be having the DMC and wingers work together,because in such a system,wingers are expected to tuck in,support the defence,unlike a flat 442

In a Standard match strategy,I would have the DMC in 'Defend role'; wingers in Attack role,but Zonal/Tight Marking.The AMC and 1 FC on support role

That would be on e aspect of the game I'm pretty confused with...

[Guest pacoshoreroad]

How did you make that Tactical wizard in Excel were you click the arrow and data changes i could be doin with learning how to do that for work or what is it called when you do that so i could read and teach myself?

[123hello]

I'm in need of some help, I like TT&F, but it doesn't quite help you in when you wnat to play to your strengths, for example if all of my team were rubbish, but had a really good player, how would I be able to use him??

[Adrian]

I'm in need of some help, I like TT&F, but it doesn't quite help you in when you wnat to play to your strengths, for example if all of my team were rubbish, but had a really good player, how would I be able to use him??

Make sure he has a higher degree of Creative Freedom(possibly a Free Role). I would try make him a playmaker,or a target man

[newgeneration manager]

could you use garth abrry as a support player. to make runs in from deep. or would that be a disater

[Imperator77]

Hi

Started a new game managing Arsenal a while ago. I chose the role theory as setup for my tactics. My first season is almost over and I find my team at 3. place at the moment.

There's a few things I "struggle" with though. I can't get my central midfield to dominate games. Fabregas has 5 assists and 2 goals in 33 games, averaging at 6,80. Joao Moutinho is at almost the same numbers. I'm a bit disappointed by those numbers as I would expect at least Fabregas to boss the midfield a bit more. I've tried to employ him in the deep lying playmaker role with little difference in his performances. Most goals come from my wingers assisting the strikers. In all competitions the team has scored 1,7 goals per game. Not to bad, but could be better, especially against weaker teams.

The low scoring rate is also down to wasteful strikers. It is not unusual that the team produces 15+ chances, but only 2 or 3 hits the target. I know this could be down to high tempo, shooting from difficult angels and a heavy number of opponents in front of goal. But the same happens in games I prefer a low tempo and a more cautious approach. Again the team will produce a lot of chance, but fail to get them on target. Quite annoying at times. I've had Robert Lewandowski and Daniel Aquino scoring more goals for Middlesbrough than Robin Van Persie and Adebayor for Arsenal.

Most of all I would like my central midfield to produce more for me. Fabregas is a pain in the a*se when you play against Arsenal. I would like him to be that to the AI when I'm in charge of things. At this moment I've not been able to make him that. Anyone got any ideas what I could do to get more out of him?

[Zulu316]

Spoke to soon i guess. =\

Havent won in 6. Why? I havent changed anything, brought in some new players for Forrest, just dont get this game anymore.

Does it effect that im still using 9.0.1 database?

The problem could be that you hav enot changed anything. I used to suffer the same problem and it almost drove me away from the footy maager series however after reading through various discusssions my love is back. I got my team promoted and went on a 25 game unbeaten run! What usually happens is after winning a few on the bounce other teams adapt to your style and sit back to hit you on the counter. There is a tactic in the framework that describes how to break down a stubborn defence and this is perfect if adapted properly to suit your team.

The next problem I encountered was not creating enough proper chances to combat this I upped certain players creative freedom. The best thing to do is have about 4 different tactics saved and as yu progress throug hthe match alternate when required. The highlights and Assisatnt manager should help you do this. For example if your passes are not connecting well, according to AM, but you can see, through highlights, that you are having lots of good chances I would leave it how it is. But if you are struggling with both it is going to benefit you to change tactics. After a few games you will see what effect each tactic has on your team and will become acustomed to adapting to each situation.

[deggesim]

The two polarities of managerial type are the Authoritarian and the Libertarian manager. The Authoritarian determines every aspect of the team’s play and expects each player to follow his instructions to the letter. Mentality structure will be individually tailored to the players and creative freedom will be close to non-existent. The team will play very precise, controlled football with little flair or creativity and heavily rely on set pieces and set moves to score. On the other hand, the Libertarian manager has a rough idea of how attacking or defensive his team should be for each match and gives players their heads. The mentality structure will be very generic and creative freedom will be high. The team will play free-flowing football and goals will come from all types of open-play moves.

In this sentence it is explained well the relation between Authoritarian/Libertarian manager and mentality <-> creative freedom.

In the section that exposes Mentality Systems there are different settings for mentality, but there is no advice on creative freedom.

I know and understand that all these parameters have to be tweaked to meet the needs of the manager, but which are good, initial values for creative freedom for each mentality system?

Just to have initial settings to develop further

[Nenad.F]

Can any1 pls help and tell me exactly how to set up OI for all positions because i didnt understand that part in TT&F.

Thanx in advance.

[Wayne\'o]

Guys,

i have posted a thread in T&T forum but will ask here to.

Im doing well as an attacking unit, when ever i take the lead and need to defend or i need to go defensive from the offset my team just can't do it..

i have down loaded the help file from here but i still dont seem to be able to solve the problem..

Do you guys get a defensive formation to work?

[Wayne\'o]

Can any1 pls help and tell me exactly how to set up OI for all positions because i didnt understand that part in TT&F.

Thanx in advance.

you dont need to do it for every possition mate.

As an example, say you was playing against a team that had a MC that had made loads of passes and key passes during a game, you can use the OI to tackle him hard, close him down etc.

or say they have a 6 ft 5 striker with 20 for jumping and heading, if the wingers have good crossing showing them inside should stop them crossing to there tall striker. for fast strikers that cant head the ball, show them down the line because coming inside to make threw balls may hurt you more..

[moj]

Can any1 pls help and tell me exactly how to set up OI for all positions because i didnt understand that part in TT&F.

Thanx in advance.

always close down the goalkeeper of the opposing down, this way he cannot make those really annoying long kicks and he has no space. can also result in a cheap goal for you.

[Death.]

Could someone give me advice on how i would adapt the Libero Defence mentality set to a variation of a 3-5-2 (Sweeper) formation?

GUIDE

GK: 8

DC: 8

DCa: 13

FB: 9

MCd: 8

MR/L: 11

MCa: 13

FCs: 14

My formation (positions replaced with mentality):

------------------------ 8 ------------------------

----------------------- 13 ------------------------

--------------- 8 --------------- 8 ----------------

--- 9 ---------------------------------------- 9 ---

-------------- 11 --------------- 8 ----------------

----------------------- 13 ------------------------

-------------- 14 -------------- 14 ---------------

That's just my own guess-work. The left MC (from perspective of Goalkeeper to Attack) is the holding midfielder who should drop back when the libero/sweeper comes forward, so he's an 8, but i'm not sure about the other MC. A MCa is on 13 by the set guide, but that's what my AMC would be. And i don't use wide players or full-backs, so i'm not sure on what to choose for wing-backs. I've gone for 9 on the basis that i want a more sturdy defence and less cavalier approach, but maybe taking a middle ground (10) would make more sense?

Also, do you think the "libero" role could be applied to other mentality sets i.e. that are less authoritarian? Or would that upset the principle theory behind the other mentality set?

Thanks for any help.

[jaycar]

WWfan, in the 5x5 Benitez framework, what individual instructions do the defensive 5 get?

[John Swarbrick]

Could someone give me advice on how i would adapt the Libero Defence mentality set to a variation of a 3-5-2 (Sweeper) formation?

My formation (positions replaced with mentality):

------------------------ 8 ------------------------

----------------------- 13 ------------------------

--------------- 8 --------------- 8 ----------------

--- 9 ---------------------------------------- 9 ---

-------------- 11 --------------- 8 ----------------

----------------------- 13 ------------------------

-------------- 14 -------------- 14 ---------------

That's just my own guess-work. The left MC (from perspective of Goalkeeper to Attack) is the holding midfielder who should drop back when the libero/sweeper comes forward, so he's an 8, but i'm not sure about the other MC. A MCa is on 13 by the set guide, but that's what my AMC would be. And i don't use wide players or full-backs, so i'm not sure on what to choose for wing-backs. I've gone for 9 on the basis that i want a more sturdy defence and less cavalier approach, but maybe taking a middle ground (10) would make more sense?

Also, do you think the "libero" role could be applied to other mentality sets i.e. that are less authoritarian? Or would that upset the principle theory behind the other mentality set?

Thanks for any help.

Hi Death. I'm one of the most adequate to provide help with this mentality setup, as I created it.

You are write about one MC being set to 8, as he is the MCd, and works alongside the MCa. The reason why the MCa is set relatively high at 13, is best explained with a 4-4-2 formation, and then you adapt my reasoning and I can help you set up the mentalities for the 3-5-2 sweeper. The way I set up the mentalities in the 4-4-2 formation on 8.0.2 worked something like this:

------------8--------------

9-------13--------8-------9

11------8--------13------11

--------13--------8---------

Can you see how this setup works? The DCd (as I called him as the counterpart to the DCa libero), MCd, and FCd, all operated on the same mentality to provide a defensive link to the framework, whilst the DCa libero, MCa, and FCa all operated on another, higher mentality setting to provide the attacking link to the framework. My libero defence mentality setup is basically a rework of the RoO setup. It lowers the MCd and FCd mentality to be equal with the DCd (just regular DC in 9.2.0), and it increases the DCa and MCa mentality to be equal with the FCa. Note: wwfan and Millie adjusted the FCa mentality to be one notch greater than the DCa and MCa mentality, perhaps because they tested the 9.0.0 match engine and made the decision to have the FCa greater. Either way, it doesn't matter as I now use the 'Effective Strike Partnerships' guideline to set up the striker's mentalities.

Do not worry about the wing-backs mentalities being too low. They are supposed to be set that way, and just think, in a role theory tactic, the MCa mentality in a Support role will be lower than the fullbacks mentality in an Attack role, (just down to the nature of the mentality setup itself) and so it's basically swings and roundabouts. I set up this mentality structure so it should work just fine so don't worry about it. For the standard version of the tactic, I would set up the mentality structure like this:

------------------------ 8 ------------------------

----------------------- 13 ------------------------

--------------- 8 --------------- 8 ----------------

--- 9 ---------------------------------------- 9 ---

-------------- 13 --------------- 8 ----------------

----------------------- 13 ------------------------

-------------- 11 -------------- 15 ---------------

The striker's mentalities can be 10 and 14 respectively, but it really won't matter too much. I'm just basing them mentalities on the 'effective strike partnerships' that wwfan and Millie laid out.

For an Attacking tactic, increase all players' mentalities by 4, then drop the FCa's mentality by 1, and FCd's by 2.

For the Defend tactic, decrease all players' mentalities by 4, then increase the FCa's mentality by 1, and FCd's by 2.

I'm currently working on a role theory mentality setup that uses ~7 different tactics within the set which uses a libero working in a 4-4-2 formation. The reason why there is only 1 mentality setup which lists a DCa libero (the Capello defence), is because he uses a libero in his tactics, but also he plays an Authoritarian style which requires other players' mentalities to be more specific. But there is no reason a libero cannot be used as a specialist role in more libertarian systems.

If you need any more help on my mentality setup or other setups, don't hesitate to ask.

[vasilli07]

Jaswarbrick, can you give me a mentality setup for a 4-3-3 and milan x'mas tree(4-1-2-2-1)? Thanks.

[Finknottle]

My question is for wwfan in particular and anyone else in general. I am using a lone striker formation which has two CM's, which are both support players. The TT&F guide advises that the striker should be given FCd instructions. Also, that one of the CM's be given FCa instructions. How would this affect the formation's balance and shape, bearing in mind that both the CM's are classed as "support" within the formation? Also, does it matter which of the CM's is given the FCa orders? Kind regards.

[Death.]

Thank you very much Jaswarbrick. That's given me a better understanding of this mentality set.

[John Swarbrick]

Jaswarbrick, can you give me a mentality setup for a 4-3-3 and milan x'mas tree(4-1-2-2-1)? Thanks.

I would be glad to help, but are you looking for more authoritarian style, or a libertarian style? That is, do you want a setup that is similar to the one I helped Death. with? Or are you looking for one like the role theory one? A more Arsene Wenger approach? Where depending on the role of the player, (Defensive, Supporting, or Attacking) he is assigned a mentality according to how defensive/attacking he plays?

[vasilli07]

I would be glad to help, but are you looking for more authoritarian style, or a libertarian style? That is, do you want a setup that is similar to the one I helped Death. with? Or are you looking for one like the role theory one? A more Arsene Wenger approach? Where depending on the role of the player, (Defensive, Supporting, or Attacking) he is assigned a mentality according to how defensive/attacking he plays?

I like the Arsene Wenger approach. Thanks alot.

[Zebedee77]

WWfan, in the 5x5 Benitez framework, what individual instructions do the defensive 5 get?

Have a look at the specific position instructions given in the TT&F. These, with tweaking for the individual player, work most excellently with the Benitez framework. The framework is just the mentality system, everything else depends on the skill of your players and which formation you choose to play.

[Imperator77]

you dont need to do it for every possition mate.

As an example' date=' say you was playing against a team that had a MC that had made loads of passes and key passes during a game, you can use the OI to tackle him hard, close him down etc.

or say they have a 6 ft 5 striker with 20 for jumping and heading, if the wingers have good crossing showing them inside should stop them crossing to there tall striker. for fast strikers that cant head the ball, show them down the line because coming inside to make threw balls may hurt you more..[/quote']

How do you use oi to show a winger inside, or a fast striker outside? I understand the idea of doing it, but not sure how to use OI to achieve it.

[Zebedee77]

How do you use oi to show a winger inside, or a fast striker outside? I understand the idea of doing it, but not sure how to use OI to achieve it.

To get the left winger to go outside, show him onto his left foot, a right winger needs showing onto his right foot. To get them to go inside, it's the reverse. For strikers, I prefer just to put them on the weaker foot if they're a lone man up front but in a pair, it's the same principle as wingers. Hope that helps.

[agodin]

Hi all,

Any suggestions on how to minimize my Solo Striker being offside so often, Using a striker with 19pace, accell and was looking for him to hang on the defenders and use his pace for through balls although hes always being caught offside (avg around 7-10offsides a game for him) i have tried lowing his mentailty assuming this will lower his starting postion but this hasnt seem to help at all?

Also i use a custom formation as follows.

---------s---------

-----am----am-----

-------------------

ml---------------mr

-------------------

---------dm-------

-------------------

dl-----dc-dc-----dr

im looking at having my Attacking midfielders to hang outside the box to receive passes then take a long shot as both have 20 longshots and PPMs like shoots from distance, curls, power etc. But just cant get it set up right any ideas?

[Adrian]

Hi all,

Any suggestions on how to minimize my Solo Striker being offside so often, Using a striker with 19pace, accell and was looking for him to hang on the defenders and use his pace for through balls although hes always being caught offside (avg around 7-10offsides a game for him) i have tried lowing his mentailty assuming this will lower his starting postion but this hasnt seem to help at all?

Also i use a custom formation as follows.

---------s---------

-----am----am-----

-------------------

ml---------------mr

-------------------

---------dm-------

-------------------

dl-----dc-dc-----dr

im looking at having my Attacking midfielders to hang outside the box to receive passes then take a long shot as both have 20 longshots and PPMs like shoots from distance, curls, power etc. But just cant get it set up right any ideas?

If he has 'Tries to beat the offside trap',than lower down his C-Freedom.I noticed that a striker with that PPM will get 7,8,10 offsides a match(even with FwR Rarely)

Anyway,the best Fwr settings for a lone striker would be mixed

[Finknottle]

Could wwfan or someone of similar game knowledge assist me with my post, on this page, about eight or nine posts up, please? Kind regards.

[crouchaldinho]

Oescus - I wouldn't say that I have a similar game knowledge to WWfan, or in fact anywhere near it, but I'll offer a response of sorts.

My question is for wwfan in particular and anyone else in general. I am using a lone striker formation which has two CM's, which are both support players. The TT&F guide advises that the striker should be given FCd instructions. Also, that one of the CM's be given FCa instructions. How would this affect the formation's balance and shape, bearing in mind that both the CM's are classed as "support" within the formation?

Essentially, you've sacrificed a striker to put an extra man in midfield. You're asking your striker to drop deeper, hold his runs and act as a FCd type forward. Thus, as with any formation with a single striker, the key here is ensuring that he gets enough support from the midfield. Therefore, you have one of your CMs bombing forward at every opportunity from his midfield position to offer his services in attack.

The specific answer to your question depends on the sort of system you are playing. If you are playing DMC, MC, MC in midfield, then one MC can be support, while the other is the 'FCa' type midfielder. Alternatively, if you are playing MC, MC, AMC then the AMC will be the 'FCa' type midfielder. Perhaps you can go into a little more detail about your intentions?

As for your formations balance and shape, well, having an attack-minded midfielder who gets forward at every opportunity is exactly what you need to help out your lone striker, and he should be covered by your other midfielders.

Also, does it matter which of the CM's is given the FCa orders?

No, shouldn't matter at all. Make a choice depending upon 'footedness', I would say.

Hope that might help?

C.