Being the favorite: Breaking teams down

[Domoboy23]

The unthinkable has happened in my FM world.

I've actually been successful in lower league and now managing Hajduk Split, one of the bigger boys in the Croatian top division.

I'm used to playing either a counter attacking or pressing style, which has been fine in the past as it's rare teams will set up against me just for a point... But now it's different.

How do you go about being a favorite and breaking teams down when they set up to sit and frustrate you?

[CARRERA]

Maybe get a basic tactic and share it here so people can help you improve it.

I would start with a high press to make it hard for the opposition to play out from the back and a high tempo to unsettle their defensive block.

Using a top heavy or at least balanced formation will be beneficial.

Look for a great dispersal of your roles & duties. You want players to create space by using the principles of depth (attack & defend duties / at least move further forward & hold position), width (staying wide, dribbling down the line; your typical wingback or Winger) and attacking movement from different angles by using all 5 channels (wide players cutting inside, central players moving into channels. Make sure tho someone is still attacking the center).

Hope that was helpful.

[Jack722]

8 hours ago, Domoboy23 said:

The unthinkable has happened in my FM world.

I've actually been successful in lower league and now managing Hajduk Split, one of the bigger boys in the Croatian top division.

I'm used to playing either a counter attacking or pressing style, which has been fine in the past as it's rare teams will set up against me just for a point... But now it's different.

How do you go about being a favorite and breaking teams down when they set up to sit and frustrate you?

Attacking mentality, Play out of defence, wide, Attacking fullbacks / wingbacks, no more than three defend duties including CB's 

[zindrinho]

You could also try the opposite, lure the opposition out of their defence. If they just sit back, and you push most your players forward on an attacking mentality you just create a clusterf*ck of players being in the way. I'd say you want the opposite, more supporting roles, force them to come out of their lines and close you down, have attacking players doing opposite movements, strikers coming deep while AMC running forward etc. 

You can also try something as simple as a support-role for a lone striker and have wide men cut in on attacking duties, a lone AF trying to run in behind a low defence where 21 of 22 players is in or around the oppositions 18yrd box is an impossible task.