[Can't get performances out of a player; assistant can.]

So it seems!  But why is he playing crap?  I put Raspadori in, and he tears it up in the same position, irrespective of role.  How do you get more out of a single player you want to build a team around?

[Can't get performances out of a player; assistant can.]

Title says it all.  Managing Napoli, trying to get good performances out of Khvaratkshelia; he's averaging a 6.8 or something over two seasons.  Rarely does anything in game.  Basic 4-3-3 system, he's a winger on attack, instructions to cut inside with ball, shoot more often.  Got a pressing forward on attack ahead of him, a BBM on his side of the pitch, mezzala on attack on the right side of midfield because I want him to have some space and not have the mezzala get in his way, full back behind him on support.  Regista in the DMC role.  Team instructions are on short passing, standard tempo, play out of defence, mid block without ball - pretty simple.  I've tried inverted winger, inside forward, all to no avail. Tried focus play down left.  Taken off and fiddled around with his instructions such as take more risks; but the analysis tab doesnt suggest he's losing the ball all too often because he's shooting wastefully, or taking too many risks with his passing, and his average position is kind of where I'd like him to be to influence the game.  He's just never really in the game.

Funny thing is, if I go "instant result", or if I'm losing 4-0 or something and he's done nothing all game, then using my tactics, when the instant result comes in, he's got 3 goals and a 9.9 rating. So what am I doing wrong? He's obviously a class player so I'm obviously misusing him.

[FM24 - Positional Play Explained with examples]

Wasn't going to buy this years version, thinking to wait until the new match engine next year.  But this feature is actually changing my mind.  Fantastic stuff. 

[How to diagnose my tactic?]

Assuming you're still on FM 23; go into the analytics after a match (i.e. data hub, last match, "match").  Then at the bottom, "analytical data" and then the "teams" tab.  Look at their shots, chances, goals, headers lost etc and you can click on each one on the pitch which interests you and see the associated highlight.  This will flag up loads of interesting actions which were maybe shown in extended highlights but didn't show up if you just had key highlights on etc.  You'll see repeated things - a fullback having too much space repeatedly to cross from deep for example or something like that which will get you thinking about what is going wrong with your tactics or players.

[Again about the ME: watching AI match]

I reckon everyone is playing too high a defensive line.  I'm not getting this many balls over the top until late in games when I'm pressing for a goal and trying to pin them in their own half.

[Players not improving at all]

Are you playing your youth team players in higher quality matches?  Either through loans or giving them game time in your first team?  I usually find if I just leave them they stagnate or improve very slowly, but if you give them starts in the first team their training performances just explode.

[What weird FM superstitions do you have?]

In the old days of commentary only; NEVER celebrate until goal showed up on screen or else it would be disallowed. 

Hold the mouse at all times.  When playing against another human player, the coin toss would decide which party held the mouse for which half of the game.

Never press back once you've selected your lineup and proceed to match button pressed.

[Full backs booked every game.]

Don't know if this belongs here or not.  It might well be a tactical issue; but basically my fullbacks are getting booked every game.  Between the four of them (who all play regularly due to suspensions) they've racked up 70 yellow cards this season. 

Now I think it might be tactical - my full backs are very attacking and get caught high up the pitch quite often - leading to them (I guess) having to make tactical fouls to stop counter attacks - but its simply got to the point where I'm wondering whether its a ME specific issue.  Anyone else seen similar results?

["The game is too easy"]

On 08/12/2019 at 02:31, Jamesbfc1887 said:

Well yeah, but what I mean is you don't see an tactics with stupid midfield combinations, like 3 BWMs, 3 RPMs or 3 APs. That's what I mean. Or playing long ball with a false nine upfront etc... They're usually fairly well set out.

Given up on my Barnsley save as well so disenfranchised with the club IRL and I don't like managing them long term on FM anyway, I've finished the season which I'll update. Think I need to go to an easier challenge.

Its really about just unerstanding how the tactics creator works, what all of the instructions actually mean, and building a system which is stable and effective within that and which creates a coherent style of play that works within the games ME.  Once you get it and it clicks the game is too easy.

[Attacking frustrations]

It is quite strange.  I've seemingly built my tactics around the weird ME as a result and my leading goalscorers are now ALWAYs my Inside Forwards who score either by cutting onto their strong foot and shooting from outside of the box, or by attacking the back post for crosses made by overlapping fullbacks.  They're my two ways of scoring.  NO chance of scoring one on one (maybe one in 50 in reality), despite loads of balls over the top, and loads of chances for both sides from "ball playing defenders" who find that ball over the top.  Ive actually stopped my striker in a 4-3-3- or 4-2-3-1 from making the run in behind now, training all my strikers to play with back to goal and using them as a DLF or pressing forward on support occasionally, with attacking runs made by inside forwards and SS only.