[Problems with a simple system]

9 hours ago, bosque said:

Is very good to have people like @CARRERA and the mods explain things in so simple terms.

So true man. I remember struggling in FM 19 when I just started playing, then finding Rashidi's channel and hearing him say if you commit your fullbacks high you risk going vulnerable defensively and saying to myself "who tf cares about defence" and then regretting it later XD

[Problems with a simple system]

1 hour ago, Feddo said:

I've read a lot about fm, a lot, but I've never understood passing completely.

Same! XD

[Problems with a simple system]

Informational stuff tbh. And now it makes more sense too. In FM I always do well, win leagues and stuff with my barcelona side (I'm obsessed with barca) but winning the champions league even with the best team I've created has always been quite impossible for me because I lose to some mediocre team who has a middle press or a low block in the knockout stages lol. Then I always question myself if I've understood the game well or nah 

[Problems with a simple system]

49 minutes ago, CARRERA said:

Yes, thats correct. There is no rule to play a long ball. Which doesnt make sense anyway, because if you are in the final third, there are no far passing options to boot the ball to

Haha that's so true. So does that mean standard passing is like a mixture of both? the player has both range AND directional flexibility to choose from?

[Problems with a simple system]

30 minutes ago, bosque said:

Rashidi said a few times that lower tempo + direct passing + wider width can help to unlock a low block because It will increase switchs of play to one flank to the other making the opposition defence to move more

Yes that's what I heard too. So I used to think it means direct passing means longer passes and the lower tempo will make them take their time on the ball, but that will ALSO happen when the ball reaches the attacking player so what's the point because he's going to slow the game down anyway! I was so confused. 

 

[Problems with a simple system]

On 27/07/2022 at 06:08, CARRERA said:

That’s a typical characteristic of a heavy emphasis on possession and ball reternation.

In any case it requires movement to support the attack, runs from different angles, tempo, width and passing options to break down a defensive block. 

Before we get back to your tactic and check if everything is set up correctly, I will tell you something more about passing, passing options and a players demand to receive the ball. This is important to understand, as it helps you to understand why your attack may break down in the final third. 

The most desirable pass or run for every player, no matter of the teams playstyle, is vertical or diagonal because it’s the only and most dangerous way to progress the ball and score a goal. However, on the downside this is not always possible and may be at the risk of loosing possession. 

So it Is important to have several vertical or diagonal passing options, to remain unpredictable for the opposition. If there is no clear passing option available the player has to make a decision. Whether to recycle possession and play the ball backwards/sideways or to force the issue and take high risks in passing the ball to a better (distance to the goal) positioned player. 

That’s where Passing Directness in FM kicks in. A pass is not only about the range, but also about the direction. It may be hard to understand in the first place, but the slider does not indicate short vs long, it indicates short (restricted in range, but not in direction) vs direct (restricted in direction, but not in range).

With that said, shorter passing will offer more safe passing options as it’s not restricted in direction and players are willing to play backwards or sideways to keep the ball if there is no clear vertical or diagonal option available, as they are restricted in range.

On the other hand more direct passes offer more passing options, as it’s not restricted in range and players are willing to take more risks to progress the ball as they are instructed to focus on playing the ball forward.

So as we cleared that up, it’s important to understand the demand of players for a pass.

A player that’s instructed to play short demands available passing options around him. The distance between the players has an important role when evaluating the passing options. That’s also why players are moving towards the ball or play with the back to the goal to be available for a short pass.

A player that’s instructed to play more direct needs players to run into available space to play these dangerous vertical or diagonal balls. He generally has more passing options available, as he is relatively free in terms of range. But remember the focus primarily is on the direction, not on the range. So if you manage to have a compact attacking shape, your team will looking for a short but direct passing game instead of recycling possession.

One last thing on the passing topic. It’s not black or white, not short or direct. There is very much grey in between and you need to find right directness setting for your team. 
 

Lets get back to your tactic: 

A Positive Mentality allows your Team to move up the pitch and support the attack. Check.

You got runs from different angles (CM, right IF, both Fullbacks on the flanks and your Striker). Check. 

The tempo naturally is slightly higher on a positive mentality but due to shorter passing it got lowered a little bit. You may want to increase the tempo by one notch.

Eventhough your left Fullback is instructed to move further forward, he will (at least to my experience) not provide enough width to stretch the play. Either use a Winger or switch the Fullback role to Wingback or Complete Wingback (maybe even with an attack duty to create even more runs from deeper Positions). If you go for the WB/CWB Option you may need to make some adjustments to your midfielders to remain defensively solid. 

The 4-1-2-3 Formation is well staggered  and your striker is dropping deep to link up with the midfield. That offers close passing options vertically. Horizontally however, your players are naturally stretched wide by the positive mentality. You may want to narrow that down a bit to have more options accessible for short passes, no matter of your teams passing directness. You could further remove shorter passing (Standard passing directness on a positive mentality still tends to be slightly shorter) to increase the number of available options or if players are averse of making runs to receive a vertical or diagonal pass.

So after the basics are set up, you could further increase the pressure, if you desperately need a goal, by encouraging your players to Run at Defence and beat the opposition on a dribbling or sending more players forward by assigning more attack duties or switching the formation into a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-4

This is literally the best nugget of information I have ever seen, and not ONE PERSON has described passing quite like this. Just want one clarity. Shorter passing directness means players may play a forward OR a backward pass, BUT to someone close to them, and more direct passing means the player can play to either someone who is close to him or far, BUT will prioritize a forward pass.  Have I understood that correctly? If yes, then is tempo actually what they say? The amount of time a player takes to make a decision? Because I've heard from Zealand and from Rashidi too that tempo also means how intensely your team looks to bring the ball FORWARD. It's  really so confusing. What would more direct passing with a lower tempo do on a balanced mentality? 

[Return of The Tactics Bible......Maybe.....]

 

23 hours ago, Rashidi said:

That is probably the issue. Best bet, learn one system, understand how to pick players for that system. Then learn how to tweak that system. Continually changing systems won’t help you. And going to multiple different sources for information will confuse you. 
 

just take baby steps . And like @Cleonsaid there is no such thing as a meta. Looking for a golden goose won’t help.  Every game is slightly different.

Hm. Understood. I'll just spend a season with one system now and analyze its flaws and pros. Thanks a lot for the tip!

[Return of The Tactics Bible......Maybe.....]

Quote

12 hours ago, Hovis Dexter said:

Why not post your tactic and request assistance?

 

Because I'm never sticking with one. Changing em after every three bad results 

[Return of The Tactics Bible......Maybe.....]

It's fine. Just wanted to prepare myself mentally. But like by meta I meant is it the use of space? Because if it was that, then in some games we have to a team who's using a mid block with early runs, other times we just have to patiently probe a team that's sitting back, that requires constantly tinkering with the tactic and the tactical familiarity of players suffers then. Also I know one tactic won't cruise through the season but how do I know something needs to change by just looking at the game? Like width for example, is a subtle change but one game I need a narrower width and the other, a wider one (I still fail after changing it btw). It's honestly like I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. So I was thinking the book might have everything condensed into one place and maybe then I'll see what I'm failing to understand, if that makes sense

[Return of The Tactics Bible......Maybe.....]

Sorry for sounding desperate but when might the book be out? I've struggled in FM since FM 19. I manage Barcelona in all my saves and even when I build a dream squad, I've NEVER managed to win the champions league. I've read a lot about FM, in articles, Rashidi's videos, his books, even all of your articles, but it seems like the game does not like me at all. I try anything and it just fails and I'm frustrated playing FM now. One game my tactic looks unbeatable but the next game I play a draw with a newly promoted team. One match I beat Real Madrid the next game Real Betis whoops my ass with me having 0 shots on target. Like what is the meta for this game I really don't get it. I honestly found no alternative other than venting out I apologize. Been waiting for your book since November so just wanted to know when it would come out.

- A very frustrated FM player 

[Return of The Tactics Bible......Maybe.....]

Everything is fine but how does one actually download this new book? 😅