[Staff reputation]

Their reputation AFAIK sort of determines what their salary expectations could be whether they'd likely join your club.

If you're starting out with Arsenal or some top 4 world club reputation will really mean nothing but if you're starting out a long term save with a bottom division club? Don't expect to sign a staff member with continental or national reputation.

Right. You as a manager shouldn't care what reputation a staff member has as long as he'll sign for you (aside from DoF if you're using him to look for players). The staff member cares a great deal about his reputation in regards to salary, where he'll sign, etc...

[Staff reputation]

Three hours isn't a very long time to become impatient. Anyway, I don't think it actually has any bearing on training. For most staff, I think it just means that they won't consider lower league jobs if their reputation is too high. For a Director of Football, it's essential if he is to bring players into the club since he'll attract more quality players with a higher reputation. There may be other uses for the attribute, but that is all that I'm aware of.

[Quickfire Questions and Answers Thread (Tactic and Training Questions Only)]

I'm not sure if this is stupid or not, but here it is: I'm playing a team in Brazil, currently late in my third season and already clinched the league title and am awaiting Santos in the cup final. So I'm doing something right, but to be honest, I don't know exactly what it is (a couple of free transfers of four-star players(!) and selling my best player and using the money to buy two more four-stars helped). Anyway, I employ a 4-2-2-2 as my main formation (over 90% of the time) because when I inherited the team, that's really all that I could field. I've stuck with it and obviously it seems to be working.

My team consists of very strong DMs and AMs (though no AML or AMR players at all), and no pure CMs, so I actually use a 4-2-0-2-2. I constantly see the message "We are getting overrun in midfield", but I don't really see that reflected in the passing analysis or the scorelines. Generally my games end up 2-1, 2-0, 1-0, etc... I see the occasional 3-3 and even had a 5-5 in a cup game, but unless Neymar just goes off against me, it's seems solid.

My question is this: Should I look to fill the CM gap? Meaning, should I develop some CMs (or maybe buy one or two)? They don't seem to be coming through my youth ranks, despite my HOYD preferring a 4-2-2-2. I see references to a 4-1-2-1-2, which seems more defensively solid, and may not lose anything in attack. If I do switch, what should I look for? A DLP and a BWM? Then use one AM as an IF or AM? I have three excellent DMs that can Anchor very well, so I'd have to sell one, but getting money is OK, too.

I obviously don't have advanced knowledge of tactics, but I'm not really looking for in-depth advice. I like to figure things out, and these forums have been invaluable as I've changed the way I train players, what to look for when buying them, and how I manage individual matches. Now I'm really just getting started on the tactical side of things, so some good general advice about this type of formation and playing with no Wingers would be most appreciated.