A Promotion Winning Tactic - With NO Tweaking At All - Home or Away!

[glynnbob]

Originally posted by andysafc:

After two consectutive promotions with Rochdale i've been offered the England job. I took it as it runs alongside my Rochdale game and others something new. Surely unrealistic though to be given the England job without ever managing 'stars', can't see that happening nowadays.

hi andy sorry for not posting recently. must say this tactic and fm 07 still float my boat big time!! on my blackburn game 4th season i finished 4th!! couldnt beleive it, carlos vela was out from start of season for 7 months with a broken leg,replace him with danny sturridge and what a revalation.just thinking where to improve my squad at the moment. i've managed to accumalate £43 million in the bank but god only knows how much the board will give me?? one thing i have tried mate and i want you to answer this is, when iplay a big club chelski, man u, etc. i bring tempo and passing down to 5clicks from the left and it works a treat mate give it a go as i managed to beat real madrid away 2-1 in uefa cup and then lost to ajax in semis!!!once again thanks andy

[danderby1981]

Just to confirm how good this tactic is....

1st Season

2nd Season

3rd Season

So far this season

Wicked formation, all about getting the right players in the right positions.

Jumping and Heading vital for targetman

Pace, Acceleration, Composure and Concentration for all 5 defenders

WORKS A TREAT!!

Nice one

[danderby1981]

Ooops

1st Season

Morike Sako as Target Man is nothing short of legendary. He is 6ft 7in!!!

[andysafc]

danderby1981: That is impressive work man! Missing out on the play offs in the Championship by one point when you had superior goal diiference must have been a bummer, still looks like you recovered.

Yes Morike Sako is brilliant. I was lucky enough to get him in season 1 for Rochdale and now wer're just about to kick off in the Championship after two promotions and he's still my main man.

[danderby1981]

I have used others...

Wayne Allison - League 2 - Scored 20

Currently using Rory Fallon - doing well but injury prone

Czerkas is also a decent TM

Not gonna bother with 2008 for a while, really enjoying 2007 at the min!

[hevs]

Can someone supply a link to the latest version of this tactic... going to try in on fm08

cheers

[sunny]

Hey you guys!

Sorry for not contibuting lately, but i have tried and manage FM08. But the game is NOT FUN to play.

Why do we who buy the game have to compensate and make a tactic based on SI's faults?

No, im going back to 07 where i have fun playing and wait until they fix the game.

This is disappointing, SI!!!!

[Trents]

Same here Sunny. I'm finding 07 much better than the new game. I've always incorporated closing down in my tactics and FM08 is totally messed up in that department.

Once again we have to wait for a patch to come out before getting our moneys worth. The initial release seems to one big Beta test as per the last few versions.

[andysafc]

What i still don't understand is when the demo was released EVERYONE noticed straight away that the closing down was ineffective. How did SI not notice this straight away?

Someone is going to answer that SI was aware of it when the demo was released but it was to late to change. But how did they not notice it until 'it was to late'. It's not just a demo it's actually the FULL PRICE GAME. This should have been tested and fixed prior to the game being released. I have some satisfaction in saying i haven't bought the game yet. If people buy the game without a patch then will SI ever change? The same thing is said every year but still people rush out to buy it.

ONLY FOOLS RUSH IN...

[sunny]

Originally posted by andysafc:

What i still don't understand is when the demo was released EVERYONE noticed straight away that the closing down was ineffective. How did SI not notice this straight away?

Someone is going to answer that SI was aware of it when the demo was released but it was to late to change. But how did they not notice it until 'it was to late'. It's not just a demo it's actually the FULL PRICE GAME. This should have been tested and fixed prior to the game being released. I have some satisfaction in saying i haven't bought the game yet. If people buy the game without a patch then will SI ever change? The same thing is said every year but still people rush out to buy it.

ONLY FOOLS RUSH IN...

You know andy, when you are addicted it is hard to let go...

But i can asure you that i have learned my lesson. Next release i wont buy until we have a patch.

Now im gonna play 07 until i can see on the forum that the bug is fixed.

Whats the story know with rochdale, are you satisfied with the team and what do you expect with your first season in the championship?

[Al Bundy]

Originally posted by andysafc:

What i still don't understand is when the demo was released EVERYONE noticed straight away that the closing down was ineffective. How did SI not notice this straight away?

Someone is going to answer that SI was aware of it when the demo was released but it was to late to change. But how did they not notice it until 'it was to late'. It's not just a demo it's actually the FULL PRICE GAME. This should have been tested and fixed prior to the game being released. I have some satisfaction in saying i haven't bought the game yet. If people buy the game without a patch then will SI ever change? The same thing is said every year but still people rush out to buy it.

ONLY FOOLS RUSH IN...

My story with your tactic:

Barcelona game: Won everything, had 53 game unbeaten run in Champs League.

Career game:

Started with croatian club: in 5 seasons won 5 titles, 4 cups... resigned.

Took over Sunderland who was newly promoted... in 3 seasons was, 12th, 11th, 9th... resigned.

Took over Nurnberg who was expected 2 be relagated: in 3 seasons finished 13th, 9th, 3rd....resigned to get Fiorentina job...Nurnberg finished 1st the year I resigned. (what a freakin mistake that was)

Hired as Fiorentina manager: managed to get best players in all positions, in 3 seasons finished 6th, 5th, 3rd... resigned because I was ****ed of not winning anything.

Man Utd approached me: Finished 4th, 2nd, 2nd & lost in Champs League Semi-final...****ed of so I resigned & retired because I've had it with this game.

All in all(spell?)... I had great entertainment with your tactic... even though I thought I will produce results faster!

I switched to FM08, now playing with Fiora2 tactic, it seems that it's explioting those closing down bugs so I'm having fun because I'm winning most of my games.

That's it, this was probably the coolest thread this year...it would be great if there was a new andy's improved tactic.

[andysafc]

You know andy, when you are addicted it is hard to let go...

But i can asure you that i have learned my lesson. Next release i wont buy until we have a patch.

Now im gonna play 07 until i can see on the forum that the bug is fixed.

Whats the story know with rochdale, are you satisfied with the team and what do you expect with your first season in the championship?

SI have been living off fans loyalty for far to long. I have fallen into that trap to often myself. This year i made up my mind that i wouldn't buy the game until i can get something working on the demo. But will they release another demo once it's fixed? I doubt it.

FM 07 Rochdale update...

Just played a few games, not a bad start but way off promotion although well clear of the predicted relegation also.

A few wins, or loses, could change that easily though at this stage of the season.

[andysafc]

Has anyone been able to test this tactic on 08 with the patch?

BETA PATCH

However it isn't a proper patch thus is why it's named Beta. The full patch will be out in a couple of weeks. This patch is to test for further bugs (sound familar?).

However it does fix the closing down bug.

[sunny]

Originally posted by andysafc:

Has anyone been able to test this tactic on 08 with the patch?

BETA PATCH

However it isn't a proper patch thus is why it's named Beta. The full patch will be out in a couple of weeks. This patch is to test for further bugs (sound familar?).

However it does fix the closing down bug.

im on my way, was eager to get started. But it is not easy, when you have to babysit as well.....hehehehe!!!

[Paggioram]

Well I'm back and ready for the challenge ahead with 08.

Just left 07 and still could not win everything with Derby always keep missing either the league cup or fa cup is very annoying so sorry to say I think it is impossible. I also tried a Mansfield game to see what happens and managed to turn them into a unstoppable train in League Two still on FM 07 but I am ready for 08 and here to help you guys.

My initial feeling now the patch is out is that the formation should work without much tweaking the only main tweak I really do feel is going to have to be Target Man as his abilities have been toned down because height is now a factor as well as jumping so that seems to tell me that if you are going for head you need the giant any other Target Man eg strong we are going to have to design with for feet and to hold up the ball.

OK Thoughts?

[sunny]

Originally posted by andysafc:

Has anyone been able to test this tactic on 08 with the patch?

BETA PATCH

However it isn't a proper patch thus is why it's named Beta. The full patch will be out in a couple of weeks. This patch is to test for further bugs (sound familar?).

However it does fix the closing down bug.

Not ready to post results yet, but it looks really promising at the start of the season. i have 4 wins and 1 draw in my first 5 games with Wolves.

Have to admitt though that for testing reasons i did put Eddie johnson and Hæstad in the team and gave the club 7 million £, but this is not a long term game. This is only to see if the tactic works.

Will play more to morrow, but so far so good!

[GloryHornet]

Originally posted by GloryHornet:

I am a casual reader of this thread but long time user of the tactic, which has brought me some success in the time I have used it, but it hasnt got me the success that it has for some of you.

I am currently with Man City in 2032 and struggling in mid table of the Premiership, 2 seasons prior I was at Stoke and finished 4th, last season I could only manage 14th and was sacked. I would like to get my career back on track and get nearer the elusive Premiership title.

I have read a few posts which refer to a list of attributes best suited for each position, can some one repost them or direct me to a page in this rather lengthy thread. As I think that might be where I have been going wrong.

Thank you

The above serves me right for just jumping into this thread way back in the early days, grabbing the tactic and not coming back to read what was happening with it.

The attribute list written by Sunny has changed the way I look at my team, I am an avid user of Genie scout (boo hiss etc etc) but was using it to select the players with a greater current potential rather than looking at attributes.

Refering back to the above post, I got Man City relegated and resigned in cowardice, managed to get Arsenal to 3rd the next season, missing out on 1st on the last day of the season and all is looking rosey for the new season.

So thanks go to Andy for the tactic and Sunny for attribute list way back on page 14. I would advise anyone who hasnt checked it out to do so, it has made my game more enjoyable.

[andysafc]

GloryHornet: As with most threads as they get bigger it is hard to find the vital information as you end up just 'skip reading'.

Sunny's contribution throughout the thread has been a great help to many people. The attributes noted on Page 14 is essential for anyone wanting to get the best from the tactic.

[Finknottle]

Does this tactic work with FM'08 yet?

[glynnbob]

Originally posted by oescus:

Does this tactic work with FM'08 yet?

no! just read back and you will see. oh and by the way why would any 1 want to play that s*** version any way? fm07 is the one mate im krap at the game but with this tactic and a bit of my man mangement blackburn are in the champions league come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PAGEY124]

Andy, any chance u can list all the vital information in one last post as i'm struggling big time. Cannot get no consistency at all with this tactic.

[boingboing]

Still working here , tried FM08 with patch but still not likinng it. Loaded 07 back up started game with leicester. Heres how i'm going so far with 2 signings.

[andysafc]

Ok, first of all i consider my self a novice or a slight beginner. The thing is that i know after about 11 months since the release of fm07, im beginning to understand how things should be done.

Goalkeeper:

This is straight forward: reflexes, one on one rushing.

This is because you will get strikers running towards your keeper since you are playing so high in the pitch all the time.

Fullbacks:

Here i prefer wingbacks or fullbacks who can play in the wingbacks position.

pace, accleration, crossing, stamina.

This is because these players will join up in the attack. I have often had my sidestriker and fullback joining up at the byline to make a crossing.

Central defenders:

Pace, accleration, tackling, heading.

In this tactic pace is the number one key attribute you need to look for. I prefer high accleration also to get a quick start if one of the opposition strikers get run by you.

If you are in one of the lower division, i only search for pace. If you manage to get a quick defender, than your good to go.

I would also use my quickest one in the middle of my defence.

Midfield:

In my opinion this is the most important positions. Good midfielders can make you control the game.

aggression, work rate, stamina, passing.

These are the attributes you need for the midfielders. The left one at least. If you can have two, great! But the dream is to have a midfielder in the right possition who have all of the above +:

Decision, pace, accleration.

Then more than often you will have two or three players who can attack in the box.

Targetman:

Jumping, strengh, bravery, position.

You could throw in heading and finishing too, but those four are the main attributes i look for.

Sidestrikers:

Pace, crossing, dribling, composure.

The one on the left, should use their left foot and the one on the right, the right one.

These players have one task, to run on the ball that the targetman will win.

Im not sure if this will help, but i was asked if i could do this and i have had so much help from this tactic, so i thought i could contribute a little bit. Remember that these are my thoughts, but it has brought me a lot of sucsess.

Hope this helps.

[andysafc]

I went out and bought FM08 yesterday on the back of the closing down being fixed via a patch but i still find the game frustrating.

I have tweaked my tactic and i won one game 5-1 away to Birmingham (using Sunderland as usual). I seemed to be able to get the passing and movement just right. But then the next two games (against Bolton and Wigan) i got hammered and the passing and movement was terrible. No idea why

Due to work commitments time is precious just now. I can't spend hour upon hour tweaking to find i have to start again.

And then do the same again and again...

That is what i've done with previous versions and i'm not doing it again.

Football should be about using a tactic which you think is right for the team/players you have but instead it's about trying to find faults in the game and NOT your opponents.

Just look at most tactics on here and they were designed to try and make the most of SI mistakes in the match engine.

[blade111]

I'm not even bothering with 08 for a while. I'm having great success with this tactic of yours. Just got the mighty Bulls (Hereford) into the premeirship.

The only thing that isses me off I've got no money. I've been promised 13.5 million over the season for tv rights I think. Does it go into your bank monthly does anybody know.?

I came runners up in championship league. Its a bloody crime that you dont get prize money for that, if you go up through the play offs, you could get over a million in revinue from the gates, I know there is a chance you might get knocked out but at least its extra money whatever happens.

[andysafc]

I'm not even bothering with 08 for a while. I'm having great success with this tactic of yours. Just got the mighty Bulls (Hereford) into the premeirship.

The only thing that isses me off I've got no money. I've been promised 13.5 million over the season for tv rights I think. Does it go into your bank monthly does anybody know.?

I came runners up in championship league. Its a bloody crime that you dont get prize money for that, if you go up through the play offs, you could get over a million in revinue from the gates, I know there is a chance you might get knocked out but at least its extra money whatever happens.

It was the same with Rochdale you think by getting a top team in the cup that your going to get some money to spend. Goto 'finances' and you'll see the money is there but they won't let you spend it!

Last season with Rochdale i had £100,000 in the bank so they give me £2,000 to spend. I managed to increase our balance to over £500,000 by selling players and cup runs so they increased my budget to £10,000!

It says 40% return for transfers but i never see anything like that.

[PAGEY124]

nice one andy. just more query pace and acceleration is obviously the key to this tactic, what in your opinion is the lowest pace you should look for 15 etc?

[blade111]

It was the same with Rochdale you think by getting a top team in the cup that your going to get some money to spend. Goto 'finances' and you'll see the money is there but they won't let you spend it!

Last season with Rochdale i had £100,000 in the bank so they give me £2,000 to spend. I managed to increase our balance to over £500,000 by selling players and cup runs so they increased my budget to £10,000!

It says 40% return for transfers but i never see anything like that.

The problem with with my team is we have moved to a new ground a couple of seasons ago that holds 12,500, in reality its not big enough now I'm in the premiership, the board borrowed 20million and its got to be paid off over many years, which taking all the money. And due to that they will not expand.

Sunny

You must of had issues like this when you managed Wrexham how did it pan out for you?

[andysafc]

nice one andy. just more query pace and acceleration is obviously the key to this tactic, what in your opinion is the lowest pace you should look for 15 etc?

Depends on the division in which your playing. For the EPL then i would say 15.

[sunny]

Originally posted by andysafc:

I went out and bought FM08 yesterday on the back of the closing down being fixed via a patch but i still find the game frustrating.

I have tweaked my tactic and i won one game 5-1 away to Birmingham (using Sunderland as usual). I seemed to be able to get the passing and movement just right. But then the next two games (against Bolton and Wigan) i got hammered and the passing and movement was terrible. No idea why

Due to work commitments time is precious just now. I can't spend hour upon hour tweaking to find i have to start again.

And then do the same again and again...

That is what i've done with previous versions and i'm not doing it again.

Football should be about using a tactic which you think is right for the team/players you have but instead it's about trying to find faults in the game and NOT your opponents.

Just look at most tactics on here and they were designed to try and make the most of SI mistakes in the match engine.

I guess we have to wait for the real patch before we can get som real answers. I dont think i will play anymore until they fix all the other thing along with the closing down.

[sunny]

Originally posted by blade111:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> It was the same with Rochdale you think by getting a top team in the cup that your going to get some money to spend. Goto 'finances' and you'll see the money is there but they won't let you spend it!

Last season with Rochdale i had £100,000 in the bank so they give me £2,000 to spend. I managed to increase our balance to over £500,000 by selling players and cup runs so they increased my budget to £10,000!

It says 40% return for transfers but i never see anything like that.

The problem with with my team is we have moved to a new ground a couple of seasons ago that holds 12,500, in reality its not big enough now I'm in the premiership, the board borrowed 20million and its got to be paid off over many years, which taking all the money. And due to that they will not expand.

Sunny

You must of had issues like this when you managed Wrexham how did it pan out for you? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I didnt get any real transferfunds until i came into the EPL. All i based it on was Genie Scout and trying to get good youngsters on Free Transfers. I sit on a stadium in the EPL with 25000 seater.

patience is the key.

[sunny]

By the way, gone back to FM07 again!

[GloryHornet]

Has anyone been hit hard with re-ranking?

I posted above that I finished 3rd wth Arsenal in my game and all was looking good for the new season, well it all went wrong.

After 28 games I was stuck in 15th and was sacked. This isnt the first time it has happened, a few seasons back I was stoke and pretty much the same situation, good first season shocking second.

Any tips?

[blade111]

I didnt get any real transferfunds until i came into the EPL. All i based it on was Genie Scout and trying to get good youngsters on Free Transfers. I sit on a stadium in the EPL with 25000 seater.

patience is the key.

What is Genie scout saw that somewhere else never understood it.

So far seems to be all right, just started playing friendlies at the moment and money seems to be coming in.

I think you are right with the patience, its a matter of staying up the first season. I'm quoted 2000-1 to win title, the odds are good for relegation though.

[andysafc]

I'm working on a tactic for FM 08 that has been showing some promising results. It needs more testing but i've already ironed out the tweaks and it's ready to be tested. I would be interested in getting feedback as to how it works with other teams. Or should i give it further testing myself before releasing it?

[andysafc]

Bear in mind that it was designed for use with the Beta Patch version. Testers would need to use this version also.

[Fred]

Ill be happy to test it with my Tottenham team, ive tried many tactics from this forum but either i dont score enough goals or the opposition scores to much.

[macca72]

I'll give it a test with my Leeds team...Struggling with others tactics.

[oafcmetty]

Happy to test it here too - currently in the Scottish 3rd div.

[Paggioram]

Andy man I am more than happy to test it

[andysafc]

Thanks for the support Lads.

I'll get a link in here today. I want to do a write up to explain the reasons i'm using the formation and how it works.

Anyone who knows my work will know that i try to create a tactic that needs no or very little tweaking.

[sunny]

Originally posted by andysafc:

Thanks for the support Lads.

I'll get a link in here today. I want to do a write up to explain the reasons i'm using the formation and how it works.

Anyone who knows my work will know that i try to create a tactic that needs no or very little tweaking.

Will give you some serious feedback on this, cant wait to see how it looks like.

Does it have the same shape as the previous one?

[andysafc]

***FM 08***FM08***FM 08***FM 08***FM 08***

After testing my original tactic in 08 i decided to move away from that because...

A) Even with the Beta Patch the closing down is still not as effective as in 07.

B) The offsides appear to leave gapping holes even with a 5 man defence.

C) The midfield is much more important in 08.

So with that in mind i developed my new tactic around a 4-3-3 formation.

The defence i put on zonal marking rather than man marking.

The midfield is 3 CM's (no wingers) but the middle one has a barrow and should be a DM. The other two CM's have a licence to support the attack so it's quite an attacking formation with 5 men forward 5 men back.

I have been using a left footed attacking midfielder and i would advise this. I'm not saying a left winger as he needs to play in the middle so i would advise on a AM/LC with any right footed M AM on the right.

Strikers - I wanted to keep 3 up fron as i often found in previous versions that it was hard to keep possension up front with only two.

The centre one is still a TM as before but testing so far shows that the TM no longer gets the goals instead the other two forwards score the most with my midfielders chipping in.

I've changed quite a few settings so it is less tempo in an attempt to create better chances.

As i have said before i like to create a tactic that can be used without constant tweaking that was advised in 07. But i am recommending one tweak and only when nessessary.

WIDTH -

With testing so far i have found that the width slider is the key to tweaking. I believe that i have it set right for normal games.

WIDER - After a fews wins if i become strong favourites then i would move the width up about 4 notches, maybe to the first notch of 'wide'. This worked really well in Cup Competitions when i played a team from a division below. Always remember to change the width back for normal games though.

Depending on which team you are managing i would suggest if it is a better team then try starting with the width higher and reduce it for difficult matches.

For teams at the bottom end maybe try the opposite, but this hasn't been tested yet.

NARROWER - Consider dropping the width by about 3 notches if you feel your team is not as good as the opponents which can be found using the betting odds. Use against teams like Chelsea etc.

It is not a hard tweak so long as you remember to ALWAYS change it back. I start every match by looking at the match odds then choosing my width, mostly it is at the default setting but i found after a few wins i needed to alter it.

***TESTERS PLEASE NOTE***

I welcome as many people to try it with teams from different divisions and let me know if it succeeds or fails. I need your feedback.

BUT please following these instructions...

Test it on the full game with the Beta Patch.

Start a new season with a minimum of 3 pre season games.

Use Tug's Training Schedule.

Use players in natural positions, you don't need a left footed forward as was advised in FM07 because both outside strikers play in central - watch the game!

FEEDBACK GOOD OR BAD WILL ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF YOU HAVE FOLLOWED THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS.

LENNONS 4-3-3 08

[Trents]

No luck with Lewes in the Conf South I'm afraid. The narrow midfield couldn't cope with the opposition's wide play, most goals conceded were from crosses out wide. Tweaking the width made little difference. After 8 matches:

Won 1

Drew 2

Lost 5

This was after half a season where I was sitting nicely in the playoffs. Lost the first match 5-0 at home to the 2nd bottom side. Good job I'd saved it before the change!

[andysafc]

No luck with Lewes in the Conf South I'm afraid. The narrow midfield couldn't cope with the opposition's wide play, most goals conceded were from crosses out wide. Tweaking the width made little difference. After 8 matches:

Won 1

Drew 2

Lost 5

This was after half a season where I was sitting nicely in the playoffs. Lost the first match 5-0 at home to the 2nd bottom side. Good job I'd saved it before the change!

Did you not read the instructions?

You've went from a tactic that was working for you to something that may be completely different. I've i was one of your players i would have lost confidence in you also!

[andysafc]

] [/url]

[sunny]

How about matts training from last FM, do you think that is good?

[andysafc]

The above screenshot explained...

I'm not claiming this tactic is brilliant and that it will success to every team. I've only put it here for testing.

With Histon as you can see these results are merely friendlies - not to be taken seriously. But each of those three friendlies were against higher opposition and i never tweaked (default width). I think i have something to work on.

Sunny Tug's Training is designed for FM 08 also it covers more position including the TM.

[The Might Ricoher]

Andy,

Having played a lot of FM 2007 I am finishing for a while. However I thought I wouls sedn some final comments.

1. Your original 352 att tactic has made the game enjoyable again.

2. I have taken Coventry City from the Championship to 3rd (twice)in the EPL. Didn't have quite enough quality to win.

3. In first season in champions league managed to beat Real Madrid 3 times, and lost in semi final to Milan.

4. In same season lost in FA Cup final.

5. Main observation this a brilliant tactic and at home I am unbeatable against anyone.

6. Away from home the tactic just doesn't work very well and as yet U haven't found a tweak that works.

All in all I have enjoyed the game well done.

3.

[Guest Amberay]

Yes.....Well done Andysafc. You have opened the game for many of us. Thankyou