[Are deffensive mentalities useful? I find this aspect of the game quite ridiculous...]

Thank you sporsdicsmile for the explanation. I agree with what your saying but is this not simply your interpretation of the game? 

I see all options in the tactic creator as positive. All the choices are simply the differing ways in which you can win or set you team up to succeed otherwise why would they be there?? I've play sport all my life and never have I gone into a game thinking I cant win. How I or the team approach each game is different depending on the likily hood of us winning. 

This then feeds into my next point. Without a clearer tactics creator you'll especially be playing the same game over and over again. Why buy a slow defender and a TM when a deep line and a direct passes seem to be so hard to to figure out? Why bother using an anchor man and a treq because urgent pressing is almost a given? 

 

[Are deffensive mentalities useful? I find this aspect of the game quite ridiculous...]

I'm so glad your bringing all this up. I play FM19 and will not be buying a new one until the tactic creation process is easier to understand. As you've said the descriptions are a total waste of time and the pre set tactics dont make sense or work. After it's all said and done you may very well find a decent tactic only for it to start to fail after a few good results (which is understandable as teams can scout what your doing) then you have to change things up but you dont understand what interacts with what...

[Direct-ish 442 - does it make sense?]

Hey fellow FM players. 

I'm not often commenting on here, usually just have a look for advice and tactics :)

I've literally been trying this kind of tactic for weeks and weeks in lockdown and I'll share my thoughts 

442 is actually an attacking formation and is difficult to soak up pressure for an entire game unless your a good side.

You'll more than likily need another formation/tactic when the going gets good. For example if your mid to upper end of the table and playing last place in the league you'll need to have some idea how to win the ball back and control the game. Or cup games or Europa league qualifying. 

Slightly more direct passing is a tricky slider to get right. I believe you really need the players to use it. Players like a treq, rudm, complete striker or dlp 

The target man isn't going to work like heskey.. I tried for hours on slightly more direct passing to get those balls pinged into my tm for him to flick on or chest down.. I just couldn't get it to work. I'd suggest the slider needs to be on its maximum for that to work with a poacher up front. 

If you have a listen to the youtube channel the coaches voice Mourinho is on there talking about how his inter side would press high and try to control some games. Counter attacking is situational and every team can do it but for an entire season in fm it's very difficult 

 

 

[Tempo]

Thanks every one for the input. 

I have three questions then as we have established what tempo is. 

1. What players are suitable for high or low tempo? In terms of mental attributes? 

2. Does a high tempo suit counter attacking? 

3. How much does player roles impact tempo? For example a roaming play maker as opposed to an advance play maker? 

Sorry for all the questions.

I'm half expecting that there is no straight forward answer 

[[FMT] Anything wrong with this 4-4-2?]

Thanks for the update Orikou. Really good to see it working. From your results you mentioned sounds like this is a really attacking tactic which is some thing I was interested In with this formation.

I'm going to use it in my save as i use many of the team instructions already. 

Good luck with the rest of the season. 

[Tempo]

Interesting and I think more clarity is needed. Tempo I believe does increase speed of decisions and pass directness as a result probably both correct. But the more important thing is, like the original post asks what is appropriate for your team? I'd hazard a guess that a slower tempo but counter attack selected can create quick transitions and counter attacking opportunities alternatively a higher tempo and more direct passing may also do the same thing. 

[[FMT] Anything wrong with this 4-4-2?]

Keep us updated with how this goes, this maybe against popular opinion.... I think a low loe with so many players upfield maybe counter to what you want to achieve. With those two in defense I'd play a high line and a standard line of engagement. 

If you want to encourage the opposition to attack you for more counter attacks I'd drop defensive line back to low and keep loe at standard. But those two defenders defo suit higher line. 

All the above is combined with a high or higher pressing intensity 

This is not written in stone and I maybe incorrect however this is just my own experience. I'd be interested in what works and what doesn't 

[Tactics confusion loe and def line]

I noticed some thing last night that I didn't know happens. When your loe is lowered your players pressing urgency is dropped in the familiarity bars. For example with a low or lower line of engagement your players in the attacking midfield slots of your formation maybe be using a lower urgency press than you have selected overall for your team. Which is some thing i have noticed when watching games. I have been for a while trying to replicate a mourinho 41221 or a 4141 wide. If I drop my loe to low or even lower by attacking forwards seem slow and often I get trapped in my half wheres when they are on standard or higher they track back more and pressure more in my half. Which is kind of counter to how Imagined it would work

[Tactics confusion loe and def line]

@daveb653 

 

Would be interesting to see how your tactic works out. It's ever changing for me on my save most seasons I end up with a different tactic by the end of the last game. Good luck.

[Tactics confusion loe and def line]

10 hours ago, daveb653 said:

My confusion comes with setting up defline/loe and mentality. 

I know how I want to play, i have 3 tactics using the same formation with different roles. 1 attacking, 1 balanced and 1 cautious mentality. 

Now my attacking mentality is for playing at home or against vastly inferior teams, but heres where I struggle, I want to win the ball back relatively high up the pitch so my def line is higher (not much higher) whilst my, LOE is set to lower as I have 2 strikers that I want to run into the space left, does this make sense and will it work? my team pressing intensity is left at the default setting and my team is told to regroup rather than counter press as I want my strikers ready to hit the space left, is this right? Although my 4 most attacking players are told to close down more so when the opposition hit the LOE they get closed down asap.

 

I hope this makes sense and Im on the right lines.

It makes sense in a way to me.

In my most recent save and the one that my question comes from is that I play with a 41221 wide. I started the season with the idea I'd pick my team instructions that directly related to my players. I ended up with a deep defensive line (slow defenders, good headers) and a high line of engagement ( fast strikers and a natural pressing forward) and it's worked really well. Beat man city and bayern Munich in champions league group stages. 

It works neither as an attacking tactic nor defensive. So it can work and does work but I think you need the players for it.

For me the three tactic slots should all be the same mentality. But with different loe and def line as this will alter your rhe least 

[FM20 - Is it possible to have a successful tactic that doesn't involve pressing?]

13 hours ago, vara said:

i'm using counter systems more often than not.

most recent success. only conceded 16 goals in the league, using 4141 (or 41221)

This is interesting as I play the same formation and need some pointers on how to counter attack against big teams away. What's your tactic? Does it use a low loe and deep defensive line? 

[Tactics confusion loe and def line]

Thanks for the advice every one 

 

 

[Tactics confusion loe and def line]

Thanks for the reply Gianni. 

In my mind that's how i thought and currently think too, however I've been wondering if for example you play with a flat midfield that's more suitable for a higher line, or if you play with a dm'er it's worth dropping the line back further to allow space between your midfield and defenders? Also does mentality effect it too? For example if your defensive line is high and your on attack your defenders will be more prone to risky tackles at half way? 

These are just my thoughts been playing for ages and keep getting stuck when playing champions league games against really strong opposition or the back end of the season when I need wins and teams are just parking the bus and countering with deadly attacks 

[Tactics confusion loe and def line]

I've played fm19 for a while now and tried and failed with many tactics whilst being successful with a few. 

My made question here is how much does defensive line and line of engagement relate to your formation? Does a flat 442 require a different set up to a 4141? And would a more compact loe and defline mean you should set your pressing intensity to less? 

I'm playing with parma at the moment and in 3rd season with loads of signings. I'm sitting in  1st place but my tactics are starting to get beat. Even with in game changes to tempo, width etc. I'm going to try a new formation and was wondering how it works with taking the above into consideration. I'm playing 4141 wide and the moment but wanted to try a 442.