The combination of tempo and passing direction has always seemed like the great enigma of Football Manager to me. I've been playing for years and have never been sure of fully understanding it. If we also add mentality to the equation, things get even more complicated.
Up until now, I've been going with user Carrera's explanation, but it would be very interesting if a developer could share their perspective on this matter. It's a crucial issue, and it always appears to be a recurring question in the forum.
Greetings and apologies for my poor English.