FM19 - Building a possession based team

[Aladdinsane]

Greetings to all members of the forum. My apologies for any spelling mistakes, my first language is not english.

I recently felt the urge to try and build a team of home-grown (or at the very least same nationality) players that would play a possession based football. 

Something like the 1995 Ajax team, but not a replication of that team itself.

I have decided to give it a try with AC-Milan. 

I intend to use two different formations but keeping the same team instructions:

 

Mentality: attacking.

In possession: much shorter passing, play out of defence.

In transition: Counter-press, distribute to centrebacks.

out of possession: Higher defensive line, higher line of engagement, more urgent pressing, prevent short goalkeeper distribution.

 

In short I want to play pro-active, pass and move football with high intensity pressing.

My first formation would be a 4231. I am going to focus on it until I get it working before even touching the second formation. This are the roles I am thinking of and the attributes I think I will need:

 

Sweeper keeper Attack: When in possession this keeper should be able to help beat high blocks (passing, technique, vision, composure) when in defence he should be able to close down the space left by the high line (rushing out, one on one, reflexes).

Ball playing defender defend: Defenders from the dutch school of football had a motto that went something like "We don't defend the box we attack the midfield line" (concentration, anticipation, positioning, bravery, pace, acceleration). I also want them to be able to spot a good pass and be "press-resistant" so I can build from the back (passing, technique, vision, composure).

Complete-Wingback left Support: I am thinking of an attack minded wingback that provides width upfront. Thinking of Marcelo, Fiachetti, Alba when he was good...etc. (pace, crossing, acceleration, vision, dribbling, technique, Agility, Stamina)

Fullback right Support: not sure what about this role, I basically want a more conservative player (crossing, positioning, vision, marking). Maybe a Wingback right Defend, not sure about the differences between the roles.

Deep lying playmaker right defend: I want a playmaker from deep that can feed passes to the men upfront (passing, technique, vision, composure, anticipation, decisions, teamwork) and also perform some defensive duties (marking, tackling, positioning)

Box to Box Midfielder left support: Not sure about this role either. Basically I want a water carrier who will sweat blood for the team (stamina, workrate, teamwork, Determination, Bravery, Agression) who can do a bit of everything both with and without the ball. Maybe, because of the Complete wing-back left support, I will need a Carrilero left support or a Central Midfielder left Defend with stay wider instruction, but I think those roles are too flat and I will end with an isolated attacking unit. Maybe I just have to choose between more solidity and more penetration based on the opposition.

Shadow Striker attack: What I want is to have a striker from deep who can get into dangerous positions (off the ball, anticipation, teamwork, decisions) who can work on small tight spaces (first touch, technique composure, dribbling, flair) and score (finishing, longshots)

Advanced playmaker left support: let us call this player the wide nº10. Like the shadow striker attack he is going to be under pressure in reduced spaces so he needs good ball control (dribbling, flair, technique, composure, first touch) but he will be a chance creator (passing, vision, teamwork, anticipation, decisions). Basically Iniesta.

Inside forward right attack: The shadow striker attack will not be can't be our only goal scorer. This player will cut inside from the wing (decisions, off the ball, teamwork, anticipation) beating defenders (pace, acceleration, dribbling, technique, flair) and bagging goals (finishing, composure, long shots). Basically David Villa.

False nine support: a team player (vision, teamwork, decisions) who will use his movement (off the ball, anticipation) to create space for the Shadow striker attack and the Inside forward right attack. on the ball he should not only deliver killer passes (passing, technique, composure) and must also be able to score himself when given the chance (finshing, long shots). Basically Benzema.

 

All things considered every single one of my players will need (technique, vision, decisions, teamwork and workrate) to a bigger or lesser extent. This will be my club DNA.

What do you think of the tactic? can it work? Regarding the two roles I am unsure of what would you do? 

I am still thinking about the Ideal traits for each player and how to use training to build my squad.

Thank you for your patience.

 

 

[Aladdinsane]

 

For this save I am going to build my own opening schedules. 

It is an area of the game that I have never touched upon and I am both excited and a little overwhelmed. The first thing will be to build up match sharpness and physical condition but after that is done I want my players to train tirelessly to be an effective unit when on the ball capable of dominating games through more and better possession than the opponent.

I have created this schedule as an intense pre season session that will work on the attributes necessary for the players to both choose and make a pass. There are three exercises in this schedule:

Ball distribution: (Driblling, passing, decision, visions, teamwork) this attributes will help the attacking unit to pass the ball around. During this schedule I am going to have no defensive unit because I want to train my defenders on the ball. Goalkeepers will also be training to be effective distributors when on the ball (first touch, kicking, passing, throwing, vision)

Ball retention: (first touch, composure, Anticipation, decisions, teamwork) This exercise focuses on making my players much more "press resistant". All the attributes listed will have the same thing in common, they will help my players control the ball and make a decision faster and better.

Attacking Patient: (finishing, first touch, passing, technique, composure, decisions, flair, off the ball, vision, teamwork) I like this exercise a lot and I think I will be using it quite a bit on other schedules. It is quite a complete spread of mental and technical attributes all of them very important for the style of play I want to achieve.

Attacking shadow play: (anticipation, composure, decisions, off the ball, teamwork) the "Move" in pass and move football. An effective possession game requires my players to find space where they can be effective so good movement is in order and that is just what this session does.

Chance creation: (crossing, passing, technique, decisions, off the ball, vision) The final of the five exercises I have chosen for this schedule. all the technical attributes have to do with getting the ball from one set of feet to the next and the mental attributes have to do with making the right call when choosing the best next set of feet.

 

All feedback, recomendations and remarks are welcome. This is my first time trying this and I would like to know how other people that build schedules do it.

i am now going to build schedules for my youth which I think should be seen as a different task alltogether since training in youth squads has different goals than training on the main squad.

[zlatanera]

Only minor criticism - that pre-season schedule doesn't look particularly intense. It tends to be if you train them harder in pre-season there'll be less injuries come the later stages of the season. Of course if its a conscious choice you do you, but when you said "as an intense pre season session" it just doesn't look that intense to me. 

The logic behind each individual session seems sound though, and I like the explanation behind the roles you chose in the tactic.

[Aladdinsane]

1 hour ago, zlatanera said:

Only minor criticism - that pre-season schedule doesn't look particularly intense. It tends to be if you train them harder in pre-season there'll be less injuries come the later stages of the season. Of course if its a conscious choice you do you, but when you said "as an intense pre season session" it just doesn't look that intense to me. 

The logic behind each individual session seems sound though, and I like the explanation behind the roles you chose in the tactic.

Originally I had given them no rest sessions safe for sunday which was to be the match day during pre-season. Then I grew afraid of injuring my players, so I took of the Possession exercises on monday, wednesday and friday. You might be right, this is not the most intense schedule. I think I will go with my original schedule and simply move to the one posted above if a massacre takes place.

 

[zlatanera]

9 hours ago, Aladdinsane said:

Originally I had given them no rest sessions safe for sunday which was to be the match day during pre-season. Then I grew afraid of injuring my players, so I took of the Possession exercises on monday, wednesday and friday. You might be right, this is not the most intense schedule. I think I will go with my original schedule and simply move to the one posted above if a massacre takes place.

 

Good luck with whatever you try. I’m thinking of messing around more with training on my next FM19 save - all I do is add Match Review sessions, remove physical sessions mid-season and add Shadow Play sessions to fill out days so players don’t complain of a lack of training - Shadow Play being possibly the least intense sessions that still count as training.

[Aladdinsane]

Let us get risky.

With the arrival of Lucas Páqueta I believe I have everything I need to think of a new tactic, a secondary riskier tactic to use when I want to rest my shadow striker.

It will be a very forward thinking 433. The team instructions will remain the same as in my 4231.

 

Sweeperkeeper attack: no changes here, refer to the 4231.

Ballplaying defender defend: no changes here, refer to the 4231

Complete wingback support left: no changes here refer to the 4231

Fullback right attack: I saw that my fullback right support was not helping all that much when attacking so I changed the duty to attack. He will need good defensive mind (positioning, anticipation, decisions) as well as the quality to help during attacks (crossing, vision, technique, passing, dribbling) naturally he will need the physique to go up and down the wing for 90 minutes (Stamina, pace, acceleration).

Halfback Defend: This player will help us build from the back and won't force my defenders to throw diagonal balls at my wingers as I have seen done every now and then with the 4231. He will need to be a strong defender  (marking, tackling, anticipation, positioning, jumping reach, strengh) as well as comfortable on the ball (composure, passing, first touch, vision, technique) and must be a good team player (decisions, teamwork, workrate).

Roaming Playmaker support right: The midfield orchestrator. He needs to know where he is need on midfield (off the ball, anticipation, decisions, teamwork) must be able to carry the ball on his feet (dribbling, technique, first touch) and must be a good passer (vision, passing, composure).

Central Midfielder attack left: Needs the same attributes as the Roaming playmaker support right. More attacking minded, because he will have the chance to shoot he needs to be comfortable when those chances show themselves (long shots, finishing).

Advanced playmaker support left: no changes here, refer to the 4231

Inside forward attack right: no changes here, refer to the 4231

false nine support: no changes here, refer to the 4231.

 

My 4231 was a great success that brought Milan to second place for the first half of the Serie A. I will use this tactic against weaker opposition that will try to park the bus against us.

 

Thank you for reading, enjoy the game.

[Kick Wilstra]

On 17/11/2019 at 12:51, Aladdinsane said:

 

For this save I am going to build my own opening schedules. 

It is an area of the game that I have never touched upon and I am both excited and a little overwhelmed. The first thing will be to build up match sharpness and physical condition but after that is done I want my players to train tirelessly to be an effective unit when on the ball capable of dominating games through more and better possession than the opponent.

I have created this schedule as an intense pre season session that will work on the attributes necessary for the players to both choose and make a pass. There are three exercises in this schedule:

Ball distribution: (Driblling, passing, decision, visions, teamwork) this attributes will help the attacking unit to pass the ball around. During this schedule I am going to have no defensive unit because I want to train my defenders on the ball. Goalkeepers will also be training to be effective distributors when on the ball (first touch, kicking, passing, throwing, vision)

Ball retention: (first touch, composure, Anticipation, decisions, teamwork) This exercise focuses on making my players much more "press resistant". All the attributes listed will have the same thing in common, they will help my players control the ball and make a decision faster and better.

Attacking Patient: (finishing, first touch, passing, technique, composure, decisions, flair, off the ball, vision, teamwork) I like this exercise a lot and I think I will be using it quite a bit on other schedules. It is quite a complete spread of mental and technical attributes all of them very important for the style of play I want to achieve.

Attacking shadow play: (anticipation, composure, decisions, off the ball, teamwork) the "Move" in pass and move football. An effective possession game requires my players to find space where they can be effective so good movement is in order and that is just what this session does.

Chance creation: (crossing, passing, technique, decisions, off the ball, vision) The final of the five exercises I have chosen for this schedule. all the technical attributes have to do with getting the ball from one set of feet to the next and the mental attributes have to do with making the right call when choosing the best next set of feet.

 

All feedback, recomendations and remarks are welcome. This is my first time trying this and I would like to know how other people that build schedules do it.

i am now going to build schedules for my youth which I think should be seen as a different task alltogether since training in youth squads has different goals than training on the main squad.

As said before, this schedule doesn't look particularly intensive. Also an important note is that General Training improves team bonding, technical training doesn't. Team bonding raises vision and anticipation during matches. General Tactical and General Possession are some of my favorite blocks personally. Also very interesting blocks for the style of football you want play are Technical - Build from the back, Defending Engaged and Defending from the front. Personally I like during the preseason to also add some physical sessions, both to raise intensity and because pace, stamina and workrate are very important attributes for this style of play. Some practices matches also raise intensity and help your team gel.