Newbie - how to tweak?

[Brede H]

Hello there!

I want to know - how do I tweak my tactics? For example my attacking tactic. What are the things I should look for during matches? I have many troubles finding out how to tweak. I'm not completely dumb, so I know how to "read" the Match Stats Screen and the Player Stats Screen - but in the long run I don't know what to change - and WHY!

And I'm talking about everything - from pass accurancy to creating more CCC's and lack of goalscoring strikers!

I can give an example. I just played a match where I lost 0-1. In the first half I deserved a 1-0 lead imo, but in the second half I got totally dominated - and I don't know why! My opponent just seemed to play much better in the second half and I don't know whether it was because of THEIR or MY tactics!

Thanks in advance!

[Rashidi]

This can turn out to a really long post so bear with me.

In-Game Tweaking

The objective in tweaking is to make small changes to your tactic that can either make it more attacking or more defensive. There are various ways of doing this, there are Team Tweaks[/b] and there are Player Tweaks. Perhaps its easier to describe them in terms of becoming more attacking or more defensive, as a team. And for players to make minor adjustments to increase their effectiveness.

• Attacking Team Tweaks
  

If you find that you are faced with a team that is proving hard to break down and you have most of the possession, you know you are the better side then you could elect to make these tweaks:

1. Increase width - this has the effect of spreading around play more, furthermore if YOU HAVE PLAYERS ON FWR OFTEN then you will see them breaking behind the defensive line. To play this kind of style effectively you need to look at your passing, if you are set on passing of 1 then naturally you will end up isolating your wingers, so make sure that the wingers and the attacking midfielders are on direct passing.

2. Tempo - This is a great tweak in my honest opinion. If you are a team playing short passing, increasing tempo has the effect of creating rapid triangular passing patterns. If you are on mixed passing, then your team could go from making rapid short passes and killer balls if the right players have TTB.

3. Timewasting - Use this to wear down the clock and use it in conjunction with width and tempo. So if you end up wanting to defend a lead you could increase timewasting, slow down tempo and reduce width. There is a balance on how narrow you should go, I have rarely gone to anywhere below the last notch of narrow.(5th notch I think)

4. Forward Runs(FWR) and TTB(Try Through Ball) - These are often overlooked as tweaks, but they can be invaluable in a game where you want to take possession away. How can you do this? If you are faced with a better opponent, I usually have my dline around 8-12, and I vary this depending on how much pressure I'm facing and where the opp is winning the ball, if they are having a free run in midfield, I up the dline and remove FWR on ALL players and make sure TTB is either none or mixed for the critical ball passes, this does not include the fullbacks and wingers. Usually only 1 striker and 1 midfielder have TTB often, the rest are mixed ( wingers) and the defensive players are none. This has the effect of cramping up play. Reducing width and increasing tempo could give you a slight edge.

5. Formation Shape Tweaking - Why make tactical changes when its so easy to make a formation change, simply by moving players around. Take a basic 4231 for example

                FW 

   AM        AMC       AMR

           MC     MC
            |

   DL     DC     DC     DR

This is one of my favorite dformations cos it gives me plenty of options. I could make it into a 451 simply by dropping the two AMs into ML and MR positions, or I could make it a possession centric formation with a high dline by giving only the DL and DL FWR often.

You could also find that you are faced with a dominant wing attacking formation that requires you to switch to a 4312 formation that emphasizes going through the middle. These are all formation changes you can make with a BASE tactic. You could develop a style where you start off playing a conservative 451, decide with 15 mins left in the first half to take the game to the opposition by moving the AMC into the FC slot and make it a 424 or drop in and create mayhem on the wings by playing a 4231. These are all examples of ingame tweaks on a team level. Understanding the game by watching it on full highlights is the only way one is ever going to learn. There is simply no shortcut.

• Player Tweaks
  

Poor Passing

These are done on individual levels. If you find that your player is misplacing a lot of passes, LOOK at the match and stats. Identify the opposing player, check his stats out. It could be possible that your own player is not having time to pass the ball cos he's being closed down a lot, you could elect to swap positions, play a different style as a team. If he is your playmaker you could elect to change. If you have him SET ON TTB often, then take that off and set it to none or mixed and set someone else up with TTB Often.

Poor Tackling

There are a few reasons why this could happen. If a fullback is being skinned. Look at the screen, is he coming towards the opposing winger who then skins him? Then his closing down is too high. Is always having to chase after the ball by it being hoofed behind him, then either adjust mentality or defensive line or BOTH.

If a centrally placed player is not tackling, then check out his opposing number. If he is too free, then chances are you have a roaming headless chicken. So reduce closing down. What is the BEST WAY of handling this? Deny the other team a chance of finding easy marks...so use OI to tightmark or close down the player who is stringing the MOST number of passes in midfield

Poor finishing -

Usually this is down to poor CCCs, in order for you to increase the chances of scoring goals raise the variety of attacking patterns. Try and make sure you have chances coming from the flanks and through the middle. If you have a dual striker combo then have one who has the ability to hold up the ball. If you are playing with a solo striker then reduce his mentality and get him to HUB and tell him to make mixed FWR and cross ball often. What this creates is a player who drifts around all over the place which is very dangerous, and if you have great finishers in a 433 then you are bound to pull away defenders.

Hope that helps...there is more, I think there are already threads on the subject in the forums, albeit old ones but they still help.

[lam]

Hi Brede,

Rashidi1 has made some key points there and you should listen as he knows what he is talking about!

I think one thing that is key for me and its been this way since I started buying these games (a long long time ago - rememeber the winger Galloway!)

If things are not going your way, you must watch some full games things become appartent very quickly when you do this. If you are unable to recognise errors whilst watching.... one peice of advice, its at the point when you throw your hands up in the air and then make a throwing motioned towards the screen, using all sorts of expletives that your mother woudl surely frown upon.

Its unlikely that you will know how to resolve these issues if you are new to the game, however, you are far far more likely to get an informative response to a question such as 'How do I stop my DR being skinned every time?' rather than (and not saying your question is of this style) 'Its not working - what do I do?'.

If you don't watch the games, you will be seeing the results of what's wrong, but you will have no background or understanding of the play that went on around the problem, which is sometimes more key than the problems itself; example:

You DR is getting skinned everytime... well, its because when your MCA got possession of the ball, your DR moved up (FWR often) and each and every time your MCA makes a poor through ball to him (TTB often), which only lands with the opposition winger who then is already on the shoulder of your DR and has an almost clear run in to the edge of the box.

See my point? If you dont watch the game, you just think your DR is rubbish, when infact its the MCA making all the errors or its your error giving a DR (not a WBR) FWR often.

All that aside, tweak small when you see something happening. Also... it doesnt have to be a mirrored tweak. If your DR is getting skinned by their winger and its not the fault of your MCa then only adjust the DR, dont adjust the DL as he is having a fine game!

Was going to say I hoped that help, but I dont think I have really answered anything.... just that tip. Watch the games (apologies if you already are)

Lee

[Rashidi]

What's going to be more confusing is that there are different ingame tweaks for different sides you are managing...if its a nonleague side...there is a different style of play, if you Newcastle you will be limited and chances are..your defensive posture could be a lower mentality range and defensive line and if you playing as Chelsea, then of course your options are limitless. Learn by watching on fullgame and managing a top level side before embarking on any other team.

No matter how comfortable I think I am, I always begin my first season on any FM with a top level side, only when I comfortably romp past everyone do I take on the challenge of weaker sides. By then I have a firm understanding of what I can do with whom.

[Brede H]

Thanks for the answers.

I have now watched two full matches. It has helped me a very little bit There are still some questions I can't answer my self. I hope you can:

- Should I be using the CF as a target man? And how should the "Target man supply" be?

- Should he Hold up ball? E.g. if the ball is distributed to him by "run onto ball" or whatever?

- Should my wingers use Rarely/Mixed/Often in Through Balls?

- Any other tips on making a great lone striker formation?

Here is my formation and team info:

- http://xs537.xs.to/xs537/09126/formation470.jpg

- http://xs537.xs.to/xs537/09126/teaminfo491.jpg

What do you say guys

[lam]

- Should I be using the CF as a target man? And how should the "Target man supply" be?

Using a Target man does limit your overall style of play as the your player tend to get the ball to him fairly quickly. However, in a lot of cases, this is a very good thing to.

Supply will depend entirely upon player and match circumstances. If he is good at heading and jumping then 'to head' is good. If he is fast and has good anticipation AND the oppo are playing a High Dline then 'run onto ball' is good. If he has a good first touch then 'to feet' is good. If he has all of the above then do what damages the oppo most (or try mixed).

- Should he Hold up ball? E.g. if the ball is distributed to him by "run onto ball" or whatever?

Hold up ball (HUB)..... depends. I would suggest that if you have him running onto the ball as supply or he is doing that regardless (ie breaking the offside trap) then, No, I would add HUB. However, if you are playing to feet or he is playing deep (lower than team average mentality or NO FWR) then you might want him to HUB whilst the remainder of the team catch up with the play. This is very benficial if you are playing a quick direct game and you have slow players. You can imagine, if you are getting the ball to the front man really quick and then he has no one to pass to or can not make it to goal, then he will end up giving up the ball. In this case HUB would be perfect. However, in the same scenario, if you are playing the offside trap with him, then really you want him simply making runs on goal, so then HUB would spoil that.

One thing to remember is Creative Freedom (CF). If its low he will following instructions to the letter, which is great if they are good instructions, however, if they are bad then he is going to be going wrong all day. If you raise CF then you are giving him the chance to do what he thinks is right for the moment. Warning - he must have good creativity and decisions for CF to work well.

- Should my wingers use Rarely/Mixed/Often in Through Balls?

In the formation you are playing I would probably have then on FWR often.

One thing you have not asked here about your wingers is crossing. So I am going to assume you have them on often, which could be a mistake. But really, look how they play. If they are great at dribbling then leaving them a little deep means that they are either dragging their marker out of position to pick him up or if the marker has stayed put, they will get a good run at him.

If you have two similar wings, then you can try one on mixed and one on often. Obviously, there will be differences in the players abilities and the man they are up against, but its a good way to see how they take the field.

*EDIT* realised that the above comments do not relate to the question. However, I have left them in as they are worth noting too.

Through balls (TTB's) are a tough one for wingers. If they are playing deep (ML/MR) and have great passing (not all wingers do) then it might be worth giving them mixed, however, if they are playing up top and/or have low passing, then I would advise No. Wingers jobs are to get the ball into the box by running it in or crossing it in. If they are good enough to TTB then the chances are they are ML/MR and then its a different formation.

- Any other tips on making a great lone striker formation?

lol.... if only it was that simple. Look for a poster called 'The Game'. I am going through his stuff now and it really is very good. Though its worth noting, he does not break down the whole of his tactics. But his post is really thought provoking!

Here is my formation and team info:

- http://xs537.xs.to/xs537/09126/formation470.jpg

- http://xs537.xs.to/xs537/09126/teaminfo491.jpg

What do you say guys

Personaly, I think playing the LB and RB with FRW often is not advised here. Your wingers are so far forward, they can not cover for your LB/RB if and when they go forward.

I am guessing you get caught on the break often with this formation?

If you want to keep your LB/RB going forward or even with a normal/high mentality, then I would advise you drop the CM back to the DM position. At least this way he can cover for your rampaging backs.

One other thing worth looking at is your link between your wings and striker. If you have a striker that can not jump or head, then playing with wings that are crossing all day long is a waste. Try getting them into the box with the ball at their feet (crossing - rare/mixed).

I know he is getting better now, but think Aaron Lennon. Can't really cross, but playing so well when he gets into the box with ball at feet.

try some of these combo's:

Bad heading striker = wings on cross - rare/mixed from byline. This means that they will run to the byline and then attempt to run into the box.

Pacey striker = wings on cross - rare/mixed from mixed with TTB mixed. This means that they will run into the box a little earlier and maybe release a decent pass into the path of your striker.

Great header = wings on cross often from byline. If he is that good you want crosses raining down on him all day long.

So...... as you can see, its not a simply case of do this and try this. Just tinker around a little each game and see what works.

And remember..... play to your players strengths. Regardless of my last few comments. If you have a winger that is fast and great at dribbling then do NOT ask him to cross the ball. He wont be able to do it and you are likely asking him to cross just because 'he is a winger and thats what wingers do.....'

hope some of that helps.

Lee

[he_man2003]

this is a quality short discussion..thanks!!