Getting a grasp on tactic and analysis

[HawkOne]

Hey fellow Football Manager enthusiasts,

I hope this post finds you well. I've been a devoted player of the series since the days of Championship Manager, or as it was known in Italy, "Scudetto."

My journey began with the 2004 edition, or Scudetto 4, developed in collaboration by Sports Interactive and Eidos Interactive. I still vividly recall my inaugural match, a thrilling encounter where Juventus secured a 2-1 victory against Dundee United, with Trezeguet finding the net, assisted by the legendary Del Piero.

This connection with the game extends beyond the digital realm, as my deep understanding is rooted in real-life experiences with football, observed on TV and studied through newspapers. Despite this longstanding connection with the game, I find myself facing challenges in building a consistent and effective tactic in the newer editions.

Even if I invested a significant amount of time (175.8 hours on FM 2018, 108.8 hours on FM 2019, and 67.3 hours on FM 2020), I still feel like I haven't grasped the intricacies of creating a coherent strategy and understanding data analysis feedback on tactics.

The Struggle with Tactic Building:

One of my main struggles lies in crafting a tactic that not only suits my team but also performs well against league opponents. Even with a deep understanding of my squad and the opposing teams, I find myself unable to create a consistently successful game plan.

For context, I've experimented with various formations and tactics, even delving into advanced roles. However, I often find myself frustrated during matches, with results that don't seem to reflect the control I believe I have over the game.

One of the main issues is that I don't get how to combine the various roles and where I should understand how they can create sinergies.

Analysis Data Section Confusion:

Another area that has left me scratching my head is the Analysis Data section. Despite spending hours watching tutorials from prominent FM YouTubers like Zealand and Bust the Net, I haven't been able to fully comprehend how to interpret the feedback the game provides in this section.

In my most recent match against Empoli, for instance, I found myself in a promising position being 11 versus 10 due to their player's expulsion. Despite taking 24 shots, with 8 on target, I ended up conceding from one of the only two shots they had on target, resulting in a frustrating 1-1 draw.

The Journey and Tactics:

Over the years, I've attempted to learn the intricacies of the game. I've experimented with different strategies, and, at times, I admit to resorting to frequent save scumming when things didn't go as planned. However, this approach became monotonous after several years.

In a particularly rewarding year, I managed to achieve the coveted treble with Juventus (Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League) without resorting to save scumming. It was a significant accomplishment for me, especially considering I used a standard formation with Morata leading the attack and without relying on tactics downloaded from the internet.

On a separate occasion, I decided to embrace tactics from the online community, leading to a remarkable run of over 10 consecutive Champions League victories. This experience was immensely enjoyable and showcased the diverse ways one can approach the game.

Stats and Context:

To provide more context, my total playtime has dwindled over the years, and I've played less than 100 hours between FM 2021 and FM 2023. This diminishing interest is, in part, due to my perceived lack of improvement in understanding the game's mechanics.

I've played other games extensively, such as Total War Warhammer 3 (612.4 hours), Total War Warhammer 2 (204.6 hours), and Total War Rome 2 (144.1 hours), all published by SEGA. It's a curious and entertaining coincidence that most of my preferred games happen to be under the SEGA umbrella.

Specifics for Your Insight:

Now, I'm turning to this fantastic community for help. I want to provide you with as much information as possible, as suggested in my previous discussions:

• I've experimented with various tactics, including roles and formations.

• My team is Juventus.

• I've achieved success in some editions, like winning the treble without save scumming, but the recent frustrations are making me question my approach.

• My playtime has decreased, and I feel like I've hit a plateau in my understanding of the game.

Request for Assistance:

So, dear gamers, I turn to you for guidance. I would appreciate any insights, tips, or advice on how to build a more effective tactic and, importantly, how to decipher the feedback provided in the Analysis Data section. If you've faced similar struggles or have successfully overcome them, your experience could be really heplful to me.

Please share your thoughts on what I might be overlooking or how I can improve my approach. Feel free to ask for additional details if needed so that the collective wisdom of this community could help me reignite my passion for Football Manager.

[2calvin]

A long post, appreciate the effort but you haven't really said much.

The preset tactics work. If you don't believe me you can watch videos on YT where people have tested them. So if you don't care about style/formation then just use one of the gegenpress presets and enjoy.

1. What's your preferred formation (virtually anything can work)

2. What's your preferred style (there's less room for error if you play gegenpress or tiki-taka)

3. What type of football do you want to see? Low block/counter? Lots of crosses or work ball into box? Quick transitions? Midfield runners? High press and camp? Defense first? 

4. Show us how you'd set these things up in game 

Edited December 30, 2023 by 2calvin

[HawkOne]

22 minuti fa, 2calvin ha scritto:

A long post, appreciate the effort but you haven't really said much.

The preset tactics work. If you don't believe me you can watch videos on YT where people have tested them. So if you don't care about style/formation then just use one of the gegenpress presets and enjoy.

1. What's your preferred formation (virtually anything can work)

2. What's your preferred style (there's less room for error if you play gegenpress or tiki-taka)

3. What type of football do you want to see? Low block/counter? Lots of crosses or work ball into box? Quick transitions? Midfield runners? High press and camp? Defense first? 

4. Show us how you'd set these things up in game 

Hey 2calvin,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read through my post and providing some insights. I appreciate your input, and it's good to know that preset tactics can be effective.

Now, regarding your questions:

1. Preferred Formation: My go-to formations are the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-3-3 with two holding midfielders and one central midfielder. I've found these formations offer a good balance between defense and attack.

2. Preferred Style: It would be either Control Possession or Ggeenpressing

3. Type of Football: Ideally, I envision a solid defensive block with two holding midfielders and defenders staying deep. On the attacking end, I'd like my wide players and attacking midfielders to press high and be quite offensive.

4. Setting Things Up in Game: Currently, I'm still in the process of fine-tuning my tactics. I haven't quite nailed down the specific parameters, so I'm playing with standard team and player instructions. I plan to attach more screenshots once I've configured everything properly.
    

Also, if you could guide me to the specific YouTube videos you mentioned regarding the effectiveness of preset tactics, that would be fantastic as I'll definitely check out those videos on YouTube to get a better understanding.

Once again, I appreciate your response and look forward to diving deeper into optimizing my tactics.

This is the formation of my last match, after Chiesa got injured (ACL) and will miss the entire season

Edited December 30, 2023 by HawkOne