Reo | Tactics | Set 1 | 4-2-3-1

[BinaryStar81]

Nice tactic reo, just trying to find the right players for it. Would you say your filters are "minimums" for a premiership side? As in for an AM would I rather want:

Player A

Pace 15

Passing 15

Acceleration 15

or Player B

Pace 20

Acceleration 20

Passing 12

Which player do you think would perform better?

[reo hustler]

Nice tactic reo,

Thank you.

Would you say your filters are "minimums" for a premiership side?

Yep. I'd say so . . .

As in for an AM would I rather want:

Player A

Pace 15

Passing 15

Acceleration 15

or Player B

Pace 20

Acceleration 20

Passing 12

Which player do you think would perform better?

In theory, I'd want player A who I'd class as Matias Fernandez but after playing with Theo Walcott, I'd take player B . . .

Now, we could nitpick about who I'm classing but I think you get my drift. Obviously, mentally is what I look for in the heart of a player but just on those two examples, assuming everything else is equal, I'd take player B.

[whitecube]

Very nice job putting this package together...

[koli99]

Reo, thanks for the tactic. I've been using it for a couple of matches with my Parma team(second season) and doing quite good(finished 9th).

I have Bojan as my main striker but been thinking of buying Victor Obinna who has great physical stats. If i train him to round the keeper, would You think that he would do great as a striker?

Link to his stats:

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=91801&highlight=obinna

Thanks!

[sarge]

I started using this tactic set at the beginning of the 2nd season in my Liverpool save.

My team is:

GK - Reina, Asenjo(?), Diego Cav(?)

DR - Santon, Carra, Diarra

DL - Insua, Dossena

DC - Carra, Sakho, Skrtel, Agger, Hypia

DMC - Masch, Lucas, Alonso

Att Mid - Gerrard, Babel, Fernandez, Reira, Balotelli, Kuyt

ST - Torres, Keirrison, Bojan, N'Gog

I am just approaching the jan transfer window of the 2nd season.

I am top of the league W14 D1 L2 GD +24

Man Utd are 2nd, Arsenal are 3rd both 2 pts behind me, some fairly close.

Chelsea are down in 7th (which was where they finished last season).

I like the fact that the goals are coming from everyone:

Torres - 14

Keirrison - 7

Fernandez - 6

Balotelli - 1

Kuyt - 2

Bojan - 3

Babel - 6

Gerrard - 5

Alonso - 2

Diarra - 1

Skrtel - 1

Agger - 2

Sakho - 3

Carra - 5

i have fully implemented the training and have 7 star coaches on everything youth and senior. Hoping that the set will continue me through the rest of the season.

Basically i am saying thanks for this set.....

[lfc7]

Reo your Att,def tactics e.t.c have they been updated or have you just added control and pyramid to the previous att,def tactics e.t.c

Also when should you use Pyramid and Counter?

[lfc7]

Try rotating your players. I always get 22 solid players. You don't need the best. Just if you're playing in Euro competitions, it's recommended to have two sets of teams. You can just one keeper but your backup will be disgruntled if he doesn't get a game or two. This will prevent your players from getting complacent and also keep them at top condition.

Read my last response.

DO you change your whole squad at once or do you just make a few changes?

[reo hustler]

Very nice job putting this package together...

Thank you.

Reo, thanks for the tactic. I've been using it for a couple of matches with my Parma team(second season) and doing quite good(finished 9th).

I have Bojan as my main striker but been thinking of buying Victor Obinna who has great physical stats. If i train him to round the keeper, would You think that he would do great as a striker?

Link to his stats:

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=91801&highlight=obinna

Thanks!

He has fantastic physical attributes, that's for sure. However, I'd probably use my transfer funds on other players. Try using the filters I provided in the set to find the players that'll get the most out of this tactic.

DO you change your whole squad at once or do you just make a few changes?

I change my whole squad. I have two selection saves. I call one main_league_squad and the other backup_league_squad. I don't rotate keepers but I'll have my backup play at least 1 or 2 cup games a year (that's it). So, say the upcoming week is as follows . . .

Sunday @ Anfield (Home) | main_league_squad

Wednesday @ Craven Cottage (Away) | backup_league_squad

Sunday @ Old Trafford (Away) | main_league_squad

That's how I'd play it out. Obviously, at Craven Cottage, you'll have to throw implied probability out the window and use a lower mentality tactic since your first team won't be out on the field. However, you can rotate players in a different way if you wish. Rotating players each game and basing those decisions on the best available conditioned players. Just make sure you keep those legs fresh for the big games. Those are the ones that'll make or break a season.

Reo your Att,def tactics e.t.c have they been updated or have you just added control and pyramid to the previous att,def tactics e.t.c

Also when should you use Pyramid and Counter?

No, I updated all tactics. I had to make these changes so that everything matched. Control probably got the most changes in terms of the previous tactics. Pyramid is to chase a goal (exact opposite of SUS) and counter is the middle ground between balanced and defensive. You want to stay tight as a unit but attack when available.

I started using this tactic set at the beginning of the 2nd season in my Liverpool save.

My team is:

GK - Reina, Asenjo(?), Diego Cav(?)

DR - Santon, Carra, Diarra

DL - Insua, Dossena

DC - Carra, Sakho, Skrtel, Agger, Hypia

DMC - Masch, Lucas, Alonso

Att Mid - Gerrard, Babel, Fernandez, Reira, Balotelli, Kuyt

ST - Torres, Keirrison, Bojan, N'Gog

I am just approaching the jan transfer window of the 2nd season.

I am top of the league W14 D1 L2 GD +24

Man Utd are 2nd, Arsenal are 3rd both 2 pts behind me, some fairly close.

Chelsea are down in 7th (which was where they finished last season).

I like the fact that the goals are coming from everyone:

Torres - 14

Keirrison - 7

Fernandez - 6

Balotelli - 1

Kuyt - 2

Bojan - 3

Babel - 6

Gerrard - 5

Alonso - 2

Diarra - 1

Skrtel - 1

Agger - 2

Sakho - 3

Carra - 5

i have fully implemented the training and have 7 star coaches on everything youth and senior. Hoping that the set will continue me through the rest of the season.

Basically i am saying thanks for this set.....

No problem. Let me know how it finishes. It's good to see Torres at the top of the list.

[Reevesy]

Massive thanks to reo for this!!! Just played 2 matches with it as Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Blackburn but then thumped Arsenal 6-1 at the emirates!

[reo hustler]

Massive thanks to reo for this!!!

No problem!

Just played 2 matches with it as Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Blackburn but then thumped Arsenal 6-1 at the emirates!

Wow. Nice!

[Reevesy]

Hi Reo,

Went on a nice run last night but didn't finish till late so didn't post up an update, ended up beating Arsenal away, Liverpool at home, Man United at home and drew with Liverpool away after dominating the game.

The one thing i have noticed is that the striker (Bojan, Keirrision or Aguero - who is normally AMC) don't seem to score many goals? Is it just beacuse they are young players or do i need to invest in a strong tall target man?

Would you recommend that we use the training schedules in conjunction with the tactic or would general training be ok?

Cheers

[Timbreach51]

has anyone used the training schedules? effective?

[reo hustler]

The one thing i have noticed is that the striker (Bojan, Keirrision or Aguero - who is normally AMC) don't seem to score many goals? Is it just beacuse they are young players or do i need to invest in a strong tall target man?

Well, how are you supplying him? Did you try semi target man? The reason I ask is that I'm getting mixed results when it comes to this topic. Some are on rampages while others are on droughts. Have you tried different team or individual team talks? I need specific information to get to the root of the cause. Those are fantastic players and I doubt creative freedom would be the issue. It's worth a look though . . .

Would you recommend that we use the training schedules in conjunction with the tactic or would general training be ok?

I'd recommend it. I'm not just employing a tactic but a system.

[Reevesy]

Well, how are you supplying him? Did you try semi target man? The reason I ask is that I'm getting mixed results when it comes to this topic. Some are on rampages while others are on droughts. Have you tried different team or individual team talks? I need specific information to get to the root of the cause. Those are fantastic players and I doubt creative freedom would be the issue. It's worth a look though . . .

I'd recommend it. I'm not just employing a tactic but a system.

Yeah I have mainly used Bojan as my main striker, he just doesn't seem to score very much though or even get into the box that much (I only watch highlights though so he might just not be in the box much then) I have tried setting him to both a an "out and out target man" and a "semi-target man" but still no joy with him.

I have the supply set to mixed, do you think it would be worth setting it "to feet" or "run onto ball"?

Will implement the training schedules this evening!

Thanks for your help.

[Hammer1000]

Reo - Couple of things.

Was this set updated for patch 9.2?

Would the following be close to how to use the set?

Pyramid = Need a goal

Attacking = When massive favourites or V very defensive formations(4-1-4-1)

Control = When slight favourites

Balanced = When odds are VERY close

Counter = When slight underdogs

Defensive = When massive underdogs

SUS = To hold on to a slender lead or draw late in a game

Cheers

[reo hustler]

Yeah I have mainly used Bojan as my main striker, he just doesn't seem to score very much though or even get into the box that much (I only watch highlights though so he might just not be in the box much then) I have tried setting him to both a an "out and out target man" and a "semi-target man" but still no joy with him.

I have the supply set to mixed, do you think it would be worth setting it "to feet" or "run onto ball"?

I'm assuming he has under 15 jumping. I'd try to feet for attacking formations and run onto ball whenever you have counter attack checked. See how that works and report back please. If these tweaks don't work, we'll try lowering creative freedom.

Thanks for your help.

No problem. Thank you for reporting back. The more feedback I get, the better I can tweak the formations for different styles of players.

Was this set updated for patch 9.2?

Yep.

Would the following be close to how to use the set?

Pyramid = Need a goal

Attacking = When massive favourites or V very defensive formations(4-1-4-1)

Control = When slight favourites

Balanced = When odds are VERY close

Counter = When slight underdogs

Defensive = When massive underdogs

SUS = To hold on to a slender lead or draw late in a game

Yeah, that's fair. Against very defensive formations, you can use control as well. Control is still an attacking formation just with a lower tempo.

[Reevesy]

Right so...

Played 25 games in the league, drawn 3 lost 1 and won the rest. I'm averaging 2.2 goals per game and conceeding 0.7. The goals are spread about the team with Aguero my CAM scoring 17, Bojan main striker still only has 9 from 19 starts and 3 sub appearances. On another note both my CB's have 4 goals a piece which is nice they chip in too!

I tried setting the supply as "to feet" and now he is having more shots at goal but keeps hitting them straight at the keeper or blasting them over, even though i have tried to teach him to place his shots. Are there any other preferred moves that would help when 1 on 1? Do people use "go round the keeper" or "lob the keeper"?

I like the sound of "lob the keeper" as that will be nice to watch but is "go round the keeper" safer?

[reo hustler]

Played 25 games in the league, drawn 3 lost 1 and won the rest. I'm averaging 2.2 goals per game and conceeding 0.7. The goals are spread about the team with Aguero my CAM scoring 17, Bojan main striker still only has 9 from 19 starts and 3 sub appearances. On another note both my CB's have 4 goals a piece which is nice they chip in too!

Nice.

I tried setting the supply as "to feet" and now he is having more shots at goal but keeps hitting them straight at the keeper or blasting them over, even though i have tried to teach him to place his shots. Are there any other preferred moves that would help when 1 on 1? Do people use "go round the keeper" or "lob the keeper"?

I like the sound of "lob the keeper" as that will be nice to watch but is "go round the keeper" safer?

I like lob the keeper and placed shots myself. I'd prefer lob the keeper over go round the keeper. I'd say lob the keeper would be safer since it can be used in a number of positions. By the way, did you try lowering his creative freedom? Maybe make it 10 instead of 15. See if that helps and I appreciate the feedback.

[BinaryStar81]

Looking forward to the new version. Hope you haven't given up yet

[Reevesy]

Nice.

I like lob the keeper and placed shots myself. I'd prefer lob the keeper over go round the keeper. I'd say lob the keeper would be safer since it can be used in a number of positions. By the way, did you try lowering his creative freedom? Maybe make it 10 instead of 15. See if that helps and I appreciate the feedback.

I think that it just took him a while to adapt to paying in that role to be honest i'm about 16 games into the league (3rd season) and he is my top scorer (second in the league to Torres who has 16 in 16) so his 14 is good so far. He also has the most assists and MOM's in my team with an average rating of 8.12 so far. All i did was reduce his creative freedom a couple of notches to 12 i think and tell him to place his shots.

Thanks for the advice!

[reo hustler]

Looking forward to the new version. Hope you haven't given up yet

Nope, haven't given up yet.

I think that it just took him a while to adapt to paying in that role to be honest i'm about 16 games into the league (3rd season) and he is my top scorer (second in the league to Torres who has 16 in 16) so his 14 is good so far. He also has the most assists and MOM's in my team with an average rating of 8.12 so far. All i did was reduce his creative freedom a couple of notches to 12 i think and tell him to place his shots.

Wow. Fantastic.

Thanks for the advice!

No problem.

[Geoff Pitcher]

First Thank you RH!

My first post ever

I was struggling with my King's Lynn site in championship,so i tried your tactics and it done wonders for me i think.

I had (i thought) by far the weakest team in the league,but i made it to the 6th place and even got promoted!

So next thing for me is trying to survive the premiership:rolleyes:

[reo hustler]

First Thank you RH!

No problem!

My first post ever

I was struggling with my King's Lynn site in championship,so i tried your tactics and it done wonders for me i think.

I had (i thought) by far the weakest team in the league,but i made it to the 6th place and even got promoted!

So next thing for me is trying to survive the premiership:rolleyes:

Fantastic! Good to hear! Good luck in the Premiership!

[shanks]

Quick question..........

don't know if it has already been answered but is there a playmaker involved in this tactic and if so who should it be?

thanks

[BinaryStar81]

No playmaker ticked

[Death.]

I'm gonna have a go with this for my Valencia side. Have found it really hard to replicate an authentic spanish 4231 in this game since i find that the wingers push up too high even with lowish mentality (i.e they're having a cup of tea and a chat with opposition fullback most of the time) and just tries to skin the fullback and whip a cross in while IRL we want the wingers to roam the pitch, use the channels, finding spaces and passing options. Will see how they function in your set!

I'm the same as you. With Las Palmas i play 4-2-3-1, but i have 3 AMC's instead of an AMC, AML and AMR, so we don't have actual wingers. Giving the outside AMC's free roles should help them roam and find space. I also have the CM's as DM's - i feel it gives the AMC's more space to work with and the DM's can concentrate on controlling the game and protecting the back four.

Personally i find your formation too attack-minded Reo Hustler, for myself, but i have to say wonderful effort put into your post and explanation.

[reo hustler]

I'm the same as you. With Las Palmas i play 4-2-3-1, but i have 3 AMC's instead of an AMC, AML and AMR, so we don't have actual wingers. Giving the outside AMC's free roles should help them roam and find space. I also have the CM's as DM's - i feel it gives the AMC's more space to work with and the DM's can concentrate on controlling the game and protecting the back four.

All my attacking midfielders play with free roles. The reason I use width is to stretch the defense to open gaps for my players to run through. I couldn't create that much space if they all played centrally. That's why I don't play through the middle unless I'm going defensive. My current setup is used by Brazil.

I'll let Wikipedia explain it . . .

This formation is also currently used by Brazil as an alternative to the 4-2-4 formation of late 50's to 1970. Implemented similarly to how original 4-2-4 was used back then, use of this formation in this manner is very offensive, creating a 6-man attack and a six-man defence tactical layout. The front 4 attackers are composed as wide forwards and playmaker forward in support of a target striker in front.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_(football)#4-2-3-1

Personally i find your formation too attack-minded Reo Hustler, for myself,

It's a tactic set. You'll be able to play more defensive if you wish. It's advised if you aren't a favorite to win the match. People may say that the defensive and counter tactics don't work but if you get points from those matches in that you weren't favorable to do so, then that is indeed success.

but i have to say wonderful effort put into your post and explanation.

Thank you.

[reo hustler]

UPDATE:

- Added formation's origin. However, I won't add this information to the readme until v2 update.

[eltjon]

UPDATE:

- Added formation's origin. However, I won't add this information to the readme until v2 update.

hi reo....why in your Training schedule there isn't the Winger training?!?! or should i put my wingers in the Advanced Midfieldere trainimg ?!?!

...sorry for mu bad english...

[reo hustler]

hi reo....why in your Training schedule there isn't the Winger training?!?! or should i put my wingers in the Advanced Midfieldere trainimg ?!?!

...sorry for mu bad english...

Yes, all attacking midfielders (AMC, AML, AMR) belong in the 'reo_att_mids' training schedule.

[eltjon]

Yes, all attacking midfielders (AMC, AML, AMR) belong in the 'reo_att_mids' training schedule.

thanks.....

...I'm playng with your tactic in 9.1 (i "can't" have the 9.2).....but, is the 1.5 ver for the 9.1 ?!?! (because i have some mixed result with my man city)....

[reo hustler]

thanks.....

...I'm playng with your tactic in 9.1 (i "can't" have the 9.2).....but, is the 1.5 ver for the 9.1 ?!?! (because i have some mixed result with my man city)....

It should work just as well.

From TTF 09 . . .

The Successful Manager: Teams and managers are generally successful due to a

combination of four things: good tactical management, good man‐management,

good transfer policy and availability of funds. Failure to manage any of the above

is likely to lead to a season of poor performances and disillusionment. We will

assume you are capable of managing transfers and can recognise good players in

relation to level, so we will not elaborate further on these aspects here. Suffice to

say, with roughly the right calibre of player for your division our tactical theory

should help you on the path to success. However, if you don’t have the right

calibre of player, you will almost certainly struggle. If you regularly make perfect

decisions you can survive with poor players, but it will be difficult. We promise

no miracles, just good tactical design.

[Orion Dean]

How effective are your opposition instructions, do they really make a difference in tight games?

Can i also use your OI for any other tactics? Would they improve other tactics or are they solely geared towards yours.

[Sergio12]

just asking what stat limits are on for te OI ie what is the lowest stat needed to be considered creative,technical, slow and so on. waht are hte lowest or highest stats for each just otmake sure im doing it right. eg. drogba is both quik and strong but his got more strength than speed so he would go into strong striker with n technique as his technique is below 15, would that be right?

[reo hustler]

How effective are your opposition instructions, do they really make a difference in tight games?

Can i also use your OI for any other tactics? Would they improve other tactics or are they solely geared towards yours.

I wouldn't recommend them if they were useless. Yeah, you can use my opposition instructions with other tactics. I think they'd help other tactics as well.

just asking what stat limits are on for te OI ie what is the lowest stat needed to be considered creative,technical, slow and so on. waht are hte lowest or highest stats for each just otmake sure im doing it right. eg. drogba is both quik and strong but his got more strength than speed so he would go into strong striker with n technique as his technique is below 15, would that be right?

A technical player has technical attributes. Crossing, dribbling, finishing, passing, and other attributes that coincide with those attributes (ex: technique). A creative player will have creativity, flair, and other attributes that coincide with those attributes (ex: decisions). Matias Fernandez is an example of someone who has both creativity and technical attributes.

What you need to understand is that some players may fall into some groups depending on your personnel. For example, within neutral conditions by the way (not worrying about defensive positioning, mentality, etc), if I have defenders who have 13 or higher pace and acceleration, I'm going to close down a player who has 13 pace and acceleration. If my defenders have 12 or lower pace and acceleration, I'm not going to close down that same player. If you want to play it safe, you could set not closing down a player unless you were +1 in pace and acceleration.

How you tackle the player will be determined by the oppositions speed and technical ability. How you approach creative players is determined by their position on the field. If they are outside, try to keep them out there. If they are inside, try to mark them out the game. I realize this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I think if you understand the reasoning, you'll eventually come to terms with the numbers.

Also, regarding Drogba or Adebayor, another example of someone who's strong and quick, I usually play them as quick strikers w/ technical ability because I rather take it safe and just keep them in front of me. Although I may not be able to retrieve the ball immediately when they are in possession (never closing down), I'll likely remove a number balls to them by interception (tight marking), and only go in for tackles when an opening occurs (easy tackling).

[Sergio12]

dont worry,it was exactly what i was looking for infact better than what i was expecting. thanks for the answer

[BinaryStar81]

This tactic just gets better and better. The more people you put in with those filter settings, the better it works. Finishing and slightly more acceleration on the AMC seems very key. Thanks again!

[timm]

Just implemented this tactic with Udinese and has earned me victories against Fiorentina, Catania, Bologna, palermo and Chievo, also found that using the defensive tactic for most of the game against Fiorentina and palermo and occasionly switching to counter attacking seemed to work a treat and got me a goal.

The shut up shop tactic seems to be excellent at closing out games in the final 10 mins when I used to conceed late goals using other tactics. Well done.

One point though is that my cm with mixed forward runs (not the one with rarely on forward runs) seems to never have a really good game unless he scores, currently playing D'Agostino there and he averages 6.22 usually it's 5.9 at half time but I give him an 'Angry' team talk and he picks up for the second half, any ideas?

Will post some screenshots at the end of first season.

[Sergio12]

im getting something similar but wit hgerrard in the amc role and alonso in the more attacking mc role. half time they are usually at 6.2 or below at around 5.9 or something. i given gerrard a mixed long shots to see weather he'll get a few more long shots at goal and get afew goals but they are both still giving match changing performances due to there ability,alonso every now and again makes a brilliant through ball/pass and gerrard the same along with a few goals from both of them so it might just be how the rating system is running but unlike alonso who picks up in the second half for a man of the match perfrmance gerrard just sticks at 6 or so. iv heard with strikers that if they dont get a goal or somthing like that they dopnt get anything close to arating of 7 or above so...

[timm]

Just noticed people talking about these filter settings but I installed FM through steam so can't see the directory to put the settings in, or the in game menu itself, has anyone else managed to apply the filter settings when running fm through steam?

[Red_Army1903]

I'm having mixed success with your tactic, which means it's 10 times as good as anything else I've tried. Thanks.

I've got a career game going atm as manager of Swindon and we're sitting in 5th after 9 games with 4 wins and 5 draws, which is reasonable, but the not getting beat comes more from luck than solid play.

Couple of points if I may:

1) The opposition instructions (albeit a real chore) do seem to have an effect on the game. It does seem to me that Tight Marking and Closing Down are often reversed. It makes more sense to me that you would always close down a quick skillfull player but never close mark, rather than the other way around. Opinions?

2) Swindon have a good defence for this level, but I still feel like I'm watching 8 year olds play. You know the faze kids go through where every player runs for the ball at the same time. The number of times I've conceeded a goal due to both centre backs and the fullback closing down the ball, and leaving half the opposition unmarked, is unreal. Admittedly more to do with the fact that this game is about as realistic as PES08.

3) Obviously we can't do anything about the ridiculous situations this game throws up (the ball slowly rolling past your defender only for him to stare at it, anyone?), but is there anything I can do to make this more effective at this level? I've already reduced creative freedom by 4 notches across the board. Would changing any global settings be worthwhile? I really haven't got the patience for tinkering and testing, but if it saves me from putting another hole in my door it'll be worthwhile.

Cheers.

[gav1979]

tried to download from both links,only downloads part of the file yet says complete,please help me

[Jor-el321]

Hey Reo,

Thanks for the tactics, really appreciated because i love playing this system.

Just a couple of points if you would be kind enough:

1. I find that when teams start playing the long ball over the top we struggle (Liverpool - agger - carragher). West brom game was a disaster. they have a quick striker. Will the control and attacking options work as well with a lower defensive line?

2. The search parameters for att-mid seems to only leave the super players who i can't really afford, can they be tweaked? Which is most important.

3. Might just be a personal thing but i CANNOT get to grips with Arsenal and its annoying the crap out of me. When we played at Anfield they played their counter game and were creating chances left right and centre. I replayed the game and went more conservative (balanced) and got convincingly beaten. I had already played them at Emirates and was well beaten (3-1) playing a mix of counter and balanced. Any tips?

Overall thanks because the set is great, i am actually top of the league. just beat Utd 5-3!!!

[reo hustler]

dont worry,it was exactly what i was looking for infact better than what i was expecting. thanks for the answer

No problem!

This tactic just gets better and better. The more people you put in with those filter settings, the better it works. Finishing and slightly more acceleration on the AMC seems very key. Thanks again!

No problem!

Just implemented this tactic with Udinese and has earned me victories against Fiorentina, Catania, Bologna, palermo and Chievo, also found that using the defensive tactic for most of the game against Fiorentina and palermo and occasionly switching to counter attacking seemed to work a treat and got me a goal.

The shut up shop tactic seems to be excellent at closing out games in the final 10 mins when I used to conceed late goals using other tactics. Well done.

Nice!

One point though is that my cm with mixed forward runs (not the one with rarely on forward runs) seems to never have a really good game unless he scores, currently playing D'Agostino there and he averages 6.22 usually it's 5.9 at half time but I give him an 'Angry' team talk and he picks up for the second half, any ideas?

Unless they score or assist someone, they'll have bad ratings. SI is looking at the issue.

im getting something similar but wit hgerrard in the amc role and alonso in the more attacking mc role. half time they are usually at 6.2 or below at around 5.9 or something. i given gerrard a mixed long shots to see weather he'll get a few more long shots at goal and get afew goals but they are both still giving match changing performances due to there ability,alonso every now and again makes a brilliant through ball/pass and gerrard the same along with a few goals from both of them so it might just be how the rating system is running but unlike alonso who picks up in the second half for a man of the match perfrmance gerrard just sticks at 6 or so. iv heard with strikers that if they dont get a goal or somthing like that they dopnt get anything close to arating of 7 or above so...

Yeah, SI is looking at the issue in regards to MC/a and AMC's. As long as you get results, don't worry . . .

Just noticed people talking about these filter settings but I installed FM through steam so can't see the directory to put the settings in, or the in game menu itself, has anyone else managed to apply the filter settings when running fm through steam?

You'll find the Sports Interactive folder under your My Documents folder. The directory should be similar to the address below.

C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\Sports Interactive

I'm having mixed success with your tactic, which means it's 10 times as good as anything else I've tried. Thanks.

I've got a career game going atm as manager of Swindon and we're sitting in 5th after 9 games with 4 wins and 5 draws, which is reasonable, but the not getting beat comes more from luck than solid play.

Couple of points if I may:

1) The opposition instructions (albeit a real chore) do seem to have an effect on the game. It does seem to me that Tight Marking and Closing Down are often reversed. It makes more sense to me that you would always close down a quick skillfull player but never close mark, rather than the other way around. Opinions?

I tight mark quick players because I want to reduce the number of balls played to them. I don't close down because they'll likely be able to blow past my defender. Now, I know what you're thinking, if you tight mark them, won't it be easier for them to retrieve balls when a through ball is played? Yes, it will be likely easier for them but if you play an offside trap, that is one way to defend it. Obviously, you will be beaten sometimes. Another way is to play a soft defense. However, I don't want to play a deep line. I don't want to play never / never because then they'll likely be able to move the ball up the pitch by playing through that man. Also, in regards to my tactic, you'll notice when I don't play an offside trap, I'm playing a deeper line to compensate.

2)Swindon have a good defence for this level, but I still feel like I'm watching 8 year olds play. You know the faze kids go through where every player runs for the ball at the same time. The number of times I've conceeded a goal due to both centre backs and the fullback closing down the ball, and leaving half the opposition unmarked, is unreal. Admittedly more to do with the fact that this game is about as realistic as PES08.

Try putting your defending role players on creative freedom 1. I'm currently testing creative freedom at the moment because sometimes I feel that it should be no more than 50%. Right now, defenders are on 25%, support on 50%, and attacking on 75%. However, if you're playing with a lower league side, I'd try dropping defenders to 1, support to 5, and attackers between 5-10. Let me know how that works for you.

3)Obviously we can't do anything about the ridiculous situations this game throws up (the ball slowly rolling past your defender only for him to stare at it, anyone?), but is there anything I can do to make this more effective at this level? I've already reduced creative freedom by 4 notches across the board. Would changing any global settings be worthwhile? I really haven't got the patience for tinkering and testing, but if it saves me from putting another hole in my door it'll be worthwhile.

Try what I mentioned above, if that doesn't cure it, then let me know and be ready to do some tweaking.

tried to download from both links,only downloads part of the file yet says complete,please help me

Try downloading it from the site below.

http://www.fm-britain.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=9179

Hey Reo,

Thanks for the tactics, really appreciated because i love playing this system.

Just a couple of points if you would be kind enough:

1. I find that when teams start playing the long ball over the top we struggle (Liverpool - agger - carragher). West brom game was a disaster. they have a quick striker. Will the control and attacking options work as well with a lower defensive line?

If you play a deep defensive line, just remove offside trap on the control and attacking options. The tactics should be fine because of the mentality settings. However, you could just try dropping the defensive line a couple notches. Don't forget about that option. Also, were you using opposition instructions?

2. The search parameters for att-mid seems to only leave the super players who i can't really afford, can they be tweaked? Which is most important.

Drop one of the top attributes by 1. You could try dropping acceleration and pace by 1, for example. I'm surprised you weren't able to find some players for 5-15M.

3. Might just be a personal thing but i CANNOT get to grips with Arsenal and its annoying the crap out of me. When we played at Anfield they played their counter game and were creating chances left right and centre. I replayed the game and went more conservative (balanced) and got convincingly beaten. I had already played them at Emirates and was well beaten (3-1) playing a mix of counter and balanced. Any tips?

If they're able to get behind your defense, drop the defensive line a couple notches. Also, dropping creative freedom will keep them playing within the framework. I likely would of played a mix of counter and balanced too. Let me know how this works for you.

Overall thanks because the set is great, i am actually top of the league. just beat Utd 5-3!!!

No problem.

[mika0909]

Can`t praise this set high enough. This is how football must be played. In the past i used a set from wwfan with great succes this idea is kind similar. Just fantastic! Keep up the good work (Y)

Anyway...I have one question though . What to do against a real counter team when you are clearly favourite. I played West Brom away from home and replayed the match about 10 times to see which tactic is the best but every time it was a draw. Tried everything... dropped the defensive line, creative freedom etc. Cause i was clearly favourite i started with control and switch to attack later on.

Do you think you can help me out mate? Cheers.

[Jor-el321]

Thanks for the help reo

I got hammered off Arsenal 4-1 at the emirates after your advice but i doubt it was down to you:)

I had to play without Torres, Babel, Gerrard, Moutinho (good as deep lying playmaker), Arbeloa and Agger - all injured in recent international break

Couldn't bloody believe it!

Anyway, thanks for the help and i will report how i get on when i have half a team fit

[Jor-el321]

Just a quick question while i'm here. If you had Babel, where would you play him (LW RW or AMC). I played him LW first season and he was pretty impressive but i'm tempted to try and train him for the RW as i cannot find a natural player for that position in my price range. Simao i think came the closest but he was still £7m and i don't want to pay that much for a 29 yr old.

That's why i thought Babel because there are a hell of alot of good LW but hardly any RW. ANy ideas mate, sorry to keep asking questions.

[reo hustler]

Can`t praise this set high enough. This is how football must be played. In the past i used a set from wwfan with great succes this idea is kind similar. Just fantastic! Keep up the good work (Y)

Anyway...I have one question though . What to do against a real counter team when you are clearly favourite. I played West Brom away from home and replayed the match about 10 times to see which tactic is the best but every time it was a draw. Tried everything... dropped the defensive line, creative freedom etc. Cause i was clearly favourite i started with control and switch to attack later on.

Do you think you can help me out mate? Cheers.

What I recommend is what I'd do in that situation. Even if I'm switching tactics and I'm worried about a player getting behind the line because of my defenders speed, I'll drop the defensive line a bit. Did you use opposition instructions as well?

Thanks for the help reo

I got hammered off Arsenal 4-1 at the emirates after your advice but i doubt it was down to you:)

I had to play without Torres, Babel, Gerrard, Moutinho (good as deep lying playmaker), Arbeloa and Agger - all injured in recent international break

Couldn't bloody believe it!

Anyway, thanks for the help and i will report how i get on when i have half a team fit

No problem. It's a shame the game went in that route. Did you go defensive or counter since you were without your starters?

Just a quick question while i'm here. If you had Babel, where would you play him (LW RW or AMC). I played him LW first season and he was pretty impressive but i'm tempted to try and train him for the RW as i cannot find a natural player for that position in my price range. Simao i think came the closest but he was still £7m and i don't want to pay that much for a 29 yr old.

That's why i thought Babel because there are a hell of alot of good LW but hardly any RW. ANy ideas mate, sorry to keep asking questions.

AML or AMC. However, I think he'd play well at AMR as well. Anyone who with a left foot, I'll try to AMR. I don't worry about if they are natural in a position or not. I realize I'm going against the grain but I look at attributes more than anything else. I'll have a left foot player who's natural at DL play DR if he has the attributes I look for in a fullback. I have all my players train in mirror positions. If they play AML, I'll have them train AMR. If they play DL, I'll have them train DR. Although I'm taking 10% of their training, being versatile is more important in my opinion. Swapping positions gives your attackers different match ups.

[Garry_85]

Started using this tactic with Sheffield United and been great so far. 5 league games 3 wins, 1 draw and lost one against Liverpool. Especially Marquinhos has been sensational as amc.

But I had one question: Do you select different kind of striker depending what kind of mentality you're using? For example, when you're using Counter, do you pick fast striker and when Attacking do you choose stronger striker?

[reo hustler]

Started using this tactic with Sheffield United and been great so far. 5 league games 3 wins, 1 draw and lost one against Liverpool. Especially Marquinhos has been sensational as amc.

But I had one question: Do you select different kind of striker depending what kind of mentality you're using? For example, when you're using Counter, do you pick fast striker and when Attacking do you choose stronger striker?

I don't simply because I build my squads with only two strikers (generally, similar molds). However, that is a strategy worth utilizing if you have the players to compensate. It's only logical based on the attack you're striving for. Also, I'm glad you're having success and thank you for the feedback.