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Tactical Triangles and Fireworks
by Wonderkid
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Introduction



Welcome to Tactical Triangles and Fireworks. Firstly let's make sure we get this straight and that we're both on the same page. I'm on page one and you should be too. If you're not on page one, then press ctrl+alt+del now to return to page one.



So, what is this guide about? Well it's an in-depth yet simplified look at the basics and fundamental elements of football management. Football Manager may be a simulation game but it does require a good understanding of the sport. I read problems from people constantly complaining about their tactics not working or stating that their team isn't playing they style of football they'd like. This is largely due to them not understanding the dynamics of the tactics system. Another big conflict is their assessment of players and misinterpreting the statistics of a player. In this guide I'm going to cover two major aspects of the game. Firstly we'll go through scouting and team building, and secondly we'll go through the tactics and how to approach match day.



Now don't panic at this point. I've tested this guide thoroughly before I released it and immediately after he read this, Forrest Gump was getting the better of Sports Interactive's AI tactical system. Before he read it he couldn't even tie his shoes. I hear you ask, "Wonderkid, is that a miracle?" No it's not, it's just the magic of this guide, plus high doses of shock therapy.



Disclaimer: The introduction is without a doubt the best part of the guide, so be prepared for complete and utter disappointment, because beyond here it doesn't get better than this. Now you've been warned, so continue at your own peril.




Where to start?



I'd like to start by commending you on your bravery, you've continued to read. Foolish, but admirable. Well done.



You however, should probably start by going to your team page. Without a shadow of a doubt you need to assess your team fully. The major problem for all managers, new and old, is that these statistics that players have can be deceiving.



A player with a lot of high numbers can look extremely impressive but do not fall for the "Twenty Trick". The "Twenty Trick" is what I like to call the result of someone deciding a player is good because he has a lot of high digits in his profile. Alas this can be fatal to your team. You can think you've got the best man for the job when in fact he could be the big flaw in your tactic or team.



The one thing people often fail to grasp is the importance of mental statistics. The one thing that is massively underrated is composure. Composure is vital to a number of different positions. If you don't have that in a player you're likely to see a very poor outcome (for example, in a winger the delivery could fail 50% if he had a 10 rating for composure, even with a 20 for crossing). Crossing is a technical statistic – so think of David Beckham. His crossing has been perfected over the years; his technique is so good that even to this day he is in the England team for solely that reason. Now if he had a composure stat of 10 he'd have a 50% chance of getting the delivery right - even if his crossing was 20. That's because mental statistics calculate the ability to execute the technical statistics.



What you have to do is adjust the way you look at the statistics. If you see a 10/20 for something you have to convert it into a rough estimate of percentage. 10/20 is obviously 50% or half. That isn't a good statistic and I don't think anyone out there would get someone with a statistic that low in a key attribute.



Most people go hunting for players with stats between 17 and 20. Whilst that's not wrong people will buy a defender with 17 tackling, 18 heading and 17 marking, then they'll look at the players speed and if he is relatively quick it's believed that this guy is the best defender available. Not necessarily. Look at the mental stats for a moment.



Composure – the measure of how calm a player will be when an important moment comes up.

Concentration – if the measure of how focussed a player is in the match.



Those are vital to your players, especially centre-backs. You're much better off looking for players with slightly lower technical stats and much higher mental statistics. Now I'm sure you know that really but the issue is that cursed "Twenty Trick" – it conned you and now you bought a fairly unreliable player and your bank statement has a number of transactions in Nigeria. You've never been to Nigeria!! Look at this mess!



Okay, fear not. I have the idiots guide to scouting coming up. It was written by an idiot so you know it's the real deal.



Remember at this point. A 15 stat in any player isn't average. 10 is average, 15 is the same as 75% and that's the same as ¾.



Goalkeepers: The first thing we're looking for is Agility. The last thing you want in a GK is some fat, burger-eating whale in goal. A lot of people are drawn to looking at the same stats as they do when they look at outfield players but things like speed aren't massively important – look at them as a bonus. Rushing Out is a key statistic to look for. A GK who is quick off his line can cut down one-on-one opportunities extremely well and prevent a lot of goals if your defenders are a bit slow or just plain crap. A GK who is going to keep a clean sheet is going to need to be aware of his surroundings. For this reason you need to start looking at players who are high in Concentration and Decision Making. A goalkeeper who is aware of any potential danger is going to be better prepared when it inevitably comes around and obviously good decisions are vital for managers and GKs alike.



I've highlighted the less obvious statistics here but you should be aware of the more obvious stats too. One-On-Ones, Arial Ability and Reflexes are clearly important stats but as before be content to settle for slightly less impressive technical stats and get a player who is mentally sharp.



If you're the kind of manager who likes to keep possession and dominate the game then you're going to want to start at the back with the GK. Distribution, Kicking and Throwing are very important for those situations where you want the GK to get the ball to your man and not the opponent. After all, it's pointless winning the ball back and then gifting it back to the opposition.



If you want a boss in goal you're going to want a GK who excels in Communication. He will be shouting and screaming your defenders into position and making sure they get out of his way when he needs them to. Command of Area and strong mental statistics will define this man as the leader at the back – think of Gianluigi Buffon.



Don't be afraid to handle your business. In the last guide I wrote a lot of people came to FM Fanboys asking me how to line up their tactics or how to interpret a scout report. Now I'm more than willing to help but I'm just your normal, average handsome genius. I can help and advise you but it's your team, your game and your decisions. Don't be afraid to learn these ideals and adapt them to your management style. If you get It wrong don't worry, you'll get there eventually.



With that said you can find the GK you want for your specific style. Just look at the outline above and select which attributes are important to you. Then head out and see if you can find your star number one. Don't forget though, mental statistics control the success of the technical statistics. Compromise will get you everywhere when you're smart about your decisions, don't be scared to 'pick and mix'.



Defenders: We firstly need to break down our defensive outlook. In a typical formation we have four defenders in our first team. Two of them will be wing-backs and the other two will be centre-backs. Obviously these two positions hold different roles and therefore different key attributes.



Centre-backs: Now we've agreed that the defence needs variety we can take this one step further. A lot of managers like to get to CBs who are identical. I guess they figure that a good partnership at the back is reliant on the defenders being of the same nature. Wonderkid is different though, I like to get two defenders who are like opposites. The reason for this is because I figure that one man can be slower and more powerful and the other can be more athletic. The athlete can cover for the rock and clean up any mistakes. There are a couple of examples of this in real life that spring to mind – firstly last years Real Madrid combo of Pepe and Fabio Cannavaro. Cannavaro has the mental abilities and the technical abilities but lacks the physical abilities. Pepe has the physical abilities and the technical abilities but lacks the mental abilities. This makes Pepe error-prone and rather dangerous. However with Fabio at the back his inadequacies are covered. Pepe can move fast and stop any danger from pacey forwards, whilst Cannavaro has the ability to stop players cold in their tracks. You have the best of both Worlds, you have a defensive pair who are like the complete player, the perfect defender. If you opt for the same players – for example, two slow players who are exceptional technically and also mentally – you're going to be rock solid at the back, at least until you see a defender who is as fast as Lionel Messi. You could of course play deep with two slow defenders (that's my recommendation) but you have to be aware that you're inviting pressure on yourself if you opt to sit back. If you sit high with a slow defender you're going to be exploited by either the long ball or a fast forward.



So – let's quickly list what you need for a solid CB. The solid CB, the rock, will be technically gifted and also mentally gifted. You're looking for the generic stats such as Tackling, Marking and Heading. Mentally you're going to want Composure, Concentration, Bravery and Positioning. Influence is a bonus, as is Determination and Strength – which is a physical ability. The athlete will have similar statistics but you're going to trade mental or technical ability for physical ability. Obviously the athlete will be needing Pace and Acceleration, Agility and Stamina are a nice bonus.


Wide Defenders: This can be a very confusing area to judge. You have to be realistic here and you have to be very clever. If you're smart you'll remember this point. Wing-backs and Full-backs are different kinds of player. The WB is much like Daniel Alves. Alves is like a defensive winger, he gets up and down the pitch, he attacks, he defends, he is more focussed on his attacking duties. The FB is like a wide CB really. It's this guy who keeps the back four flat. The FB will go forward a little but he is more focussed on his defensive duties.



Baring that in mind you'd be very shrewd to add both kinds of player into your team, that way you've got versatility. So what's the big difference between having a WB and a FB? Simply put you need versatility in your team but you need balance in your tactic. You must play a FB if you're going to be playing through the middle or if you're playing your defence higher up the pitch. The last thing you want to do is be overly attacking and get hammered on the counter-attack. Play the WB in a more defensive formation or if you're after wing play. You should (in my opinion) play a DMC with WB's. You're leaving gaps in your defence if you opt to play attacking players in defence and should take precautions to bulk up the midfield, just in case.



Full-backs will need high Tackling, Concentration and Marking. They will need fairly average Crossing ability, unless you decide you don't want them to cross the ball. Mobility is a plus of course, Acceleration and Pace is always nice but not as vital. You're essentially looking for the same things as a CB.



Wing-backs will need to be more attackingly gifted. WBs are more demanding as they need to be both attackers and defenders. You'd want to find a WB with good physical statistics such as Pace and Acceleration. Agility will help them with their movement too. They're going to need to be good at Crossing and Dribbling and they'll want to be Composed too. Determination and Positioning would be a big bonus as it would keep them from getting out of position and not getting back. Work Rate is also a huge bonus but it's not going to be easy to find a player who is technically, mentally and physically magnificent. You shouldn't forget about his defensive attributes but with WBs you're kind of accepting that they won't be as prolific at the back as they will up the top. Not a great reason to ignore the Tackling and Marking attributes though.



Defensive Midfielders: These guys are your cover. If you were in a fight this would be your useless, drunken, best mate. He'd obviously get a hiding because your best friend is a fat Pokémon but that doesn't ignore how important this Pokémon is to your team.


Now some people don't use DMs, that's your own personal choice. However if you want a DM you're going to want the player to be very competent. Do not look at a Tackling stat of 19 and a Passing stat of 18 and think that this guy is Jesus. Your DM needs Composure, Determination, Marking, Positioning, Team Work, Work Rate and Anticipation. Mobility as always is a massive plus but not essential.



If you're clever you'll realise that there are many different kinds of DM. Javier Mascherano at Liverpool is brute. His passing is weak compared to his defensive stats. He is a rock. Then you have Essien who is a bit of an all-rounder. He is a decent passer and tackler, he is also a solid DM. Xabi Alonso on the other hand is weaker at defending but is an exquisite passer of the ball and mentally very aware.



You can get a mixture of DMs in your team for maximum benefit. You need more than one DM so why not look for a brute and a deep playmaker? You can always take control of a match if you have options.



Central Midfielders: These guys are constantly overlooked as to their purpose in the team. They're often ignored as people opt to play a DM or AM in the MC role. The MC is a player who can play the defensive and attacking game very well. You need someone who is solid all around. In this area focus solely on mental and technical statistics. These guys will be in the middle of the park and it's highly unlikely that they're going to need to be Usain Bolt. The key stats for an all-rounder MC would be Passing, Tackling, Creativity, Technique, Team Work, Work Rate, First Touch, Positioning and Off The Ball.


What you need to realise is that an uber midfield is not Lampard, Gerrard, Kaka and Diego. They're all pretty much the same player. You have four guys who can pass a ball. An uber midfield is more like Gatusso, Pirlo, Sneijder and Sissoko. One is a pitbull, the other is a deep playmaker, the third is an attacking playmaker and the latter is an athlete.



Attacking Midfielders: By now you should know that I'm about to tell you that these players are different from the MCs. What you probably don't know is that I've also decided to tell you that I'm your father too. It was a long, drunken night and well... one thing lead to another. I just want you to know, I love you son. What is a father to do? Well he is to explain the AM situation.



An Attacking Midfielder is like a cross-breed of a CM and a CF. This guy is the link between the build-up play and that all important final ball to the forward. If you want goals you need a fantastic player here to create goals for you. You're going to need good Off The Ball, Creativity, Passing, First Touch, Team Work, Technique and Long Shot attributes if possible. Finishing would be a bonus but it's not vital. You shouldn't look for the fastest player in this position, take a slower but more technically and more mentally skilled player and you'll reap the rewards. Also, flair – it's nice but it's not important. You're not going to remember that Rainbow flick after your Chelsea team's 10-0 hiding from Scunthorpe.



Wingers: Wide men stretch the play and can be the difference to your team. Like the wide defender situation you can get two types of winger. Firstly you can have the wide midfielder – think of David Beckham. He sits deep and allows the wide defender to overlap him. This type of winger is more of a passer, he is essentially a wide MC. The second type of winger would be the attacking wide man - think Lionel Messi. He takes the ball and attacks the full-back, he runs, he crosses, he dribbles and he is better than Cristiano Ronaldo too (had to get that in there ).



It's the same situation with wingers as it is with the wide defenders. You're going to need to think about how you want the team to play. I'd suggest that you play a winger with a wing-back and a wide midfielder with a full-back. It will keep more balance than having the more defensive wide midfielder and the ultra attacking wing-back, that wouldn't work well out wide at all.



So, the Wingers would need to be athletic and technical. You'd ideally want Pace, Agility, Acceleration, Dribbling, Crossing, Stamina and Work Rate. If you can get Composure too you've hit the lottery. The Wide Midfielder would be more gifted in the mental department and technical area than he would in the physical. You're looking more towards Passing, Crossing, Composure, Creativity, First Touch, Technique, Off The Ball, Work Rate and Team Work. Ideally you want a player who is a mixture of a Playmaker and a Winger.



Forwards: The biggest mistake any manager can make is to presume that a forward is simply the same as another. That is completely wrong. You have three kinds of forward in real life – think David Villa, Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba. You instantly realise that these players are different, two of them are pretty black men and you're a racist for noticing that. However they're also different in ability and what they bring to the team. Drogba is a machine. He falls over like a leaf on a breezy day but that aside he is a powerhouse. Henry is the classic Playmaker Forward. He sets goals up, he scores them and he is full of creativity and flair. David Villa on the other hand is a rocket man. He is quick, he gets the ball and before you know it he has it past the keeper.



You now know that you're going to have to look for three options for your team. You need a guy who can hold up the ball and hold off the strongest of defenders. You need a guy who is going to give you pace and the ability to exploit a slow defender and you need a guy who is going to be able to drop off the front man a play the vital pass or snatch a goal when you really need it if the other options aren't working.



The striker – think Samuel Eto'o – will need Pace, Agility, Balance, Acceleration, Dribbling and Positioning. The Playmaker Forward – think Thierry Henry – will need First Touch, Creativity, Passing, Positioning, Off The Ball and Team Work. The Target Man – think Didier Drogba – will need Strength, Passing, Heading, First Touch, Positioning and Off The Ball. Obviously all kinds of forward require Finishing, Technique, Composure, Positioning and Anticipation.



Congratulations! - believe it or not, that is us done for the attribute analysis. Well done for getting this far, it's quite the achievement. Think of this as one of the management badges you're forced to obtain before the FA allow you to manage a club other than Newcastle United or Chelsea.





The lazy man's shopping list



As always people can be totally lazy and not read my magical words. Tis foolish. Fortunately I'm a gentleman and so I've written you a formation list. What you're looking to do is build the complete team. This is paramount to success.



Goalkeeper – you're going to want three GKs in your team. As I mentioned before you're going to have different styles of player in every position on the pitch, this is no different. Make sure your team features a mentally magnificent GK, an agile GK and a technical GK. I'm not saying that you should negelect any areas in each player – you want them to be as well rounded as possible but bare in mind that different players give you different options.



Central Defenders – you're going to need at least four CBs. Two of them should be rocks and two should be athletes. This way you can juggle who can play depending on fitness and opposition. You can play a mixed pairing of a rock and athlete or either two athletes or two rocks. It will give you lot's of options on the bench.



Wide Defenders – you're going to want to pick up four players. You will want two wing-backs for each flank and two full-backs for each side. If you opt for backup wide defenders you should try and get a versatile player for each flank (ie. a player who can play both as a wing-back and as a full-back).



Defensive Midfielders – you're going to need at least two DMs or three depending on squad size. You should look to find an athletic type DM, like Mohammed Sissoko, a monster midfielder like Javier Mascherano and a more technical DM who can play from deep as a box-to-box DM, someone like Xabi Alonso or Xavi.



Centre Midfielders – as stated above, you will need a CM who is a bit of an all-rounder. You probably need no more than two CMs. They're not likely to be massively different but you could look to find one who is more athletic and one who is more technical if you wanted diversity. Remember though, the mental stats are vital.



Attacking Midfielders – again, a position that isn't going to require more than two players. You've got cover in midfield from the CM and from the Playmaker Forward if you do get short. If you wanted a third AM as backup that's fine but remember you have to keep a lot of players happy. Same as the CM really in terms of attributes. You'll want a skilled AM more than an athletic one but if you want versatility a physically impressive player will give you that option.



Wingers – just as stated with the wide defenders, you'll want four wide men in total, two of which are wingers and two who are wide midfielders – for each flank. Athletic players for wingers and mental ability for wide midfielders.



Forwards – you'll now know that there are three kinds of forward. You'll want a technical Playmaker Forward, a quick Striker and a strong Target Man. You will probably need four forwards in total to cover you for injuries and such, so I'd personally pick up a forward who was a bit of an all-rounder to be a backup player.





The story so far…



Thus far we've looked at player attributes and what they mean, we've looked at the key attributes for each position and we've reviewed the perfect formula for a diverse and adaptable squad.



Coming up we're going to look at the tactical side of the game, the formula and methods to winning a game before you get on to the pitch and then we'll cover a brief summary right at the end.



So I've walked you through the basics – which I presume you knew most of, but simplicity is the key. Over complicating everything can lead to a mental breakdown and I won't have that. The last thing I want to see is that some kid who plays Football Manager and couldn't cope with the demands ran off and bought a Michael Bolton CD. Not on my watch!



With that in mind, let's get onto the Tactical Triangles..





So... you want to win?



Tactics are very simple. People go mental with these but its basic stuff. Firstly though let's make sure we're set up for tactical chit-chat.



*Look at your team, work out who the key players of the team are and put them in the first 11. That is the spine of your team. From there you need to create a shape – 442 is the most effective tactic in terms of balance but sometimes it lacks potency up front. To combat this you can play with a varied shape if you need to. I'd personally keep 4 defenders at the back though.



* Once you've created your shape stick to it. You should be adjusting the instructions a little before each match but you do not need to radically change shape – that will have a big negative effect on the team.



* Don't be lazy - setup the training. For any tactic to work you need to work on it in training. Get your players familiar with the shape. Make sure you're working on the tactical side in training too – you don't need to dedicate lots of time to it but you need to pay attention to it.



* Spend some time looking for coaches. The better the coaching staff, the greater the impact they have on your team. Being lazy gets you absolutely nowhere.



* Pre-match you get a scout report. Look at it. It always details how to beat the opposition. You're told the width of the pitch and you're told how the opponent will come at you. You're even sometimes told exactly how to approach the game. If you ignore this point you might as well stop reading now. If you're not getting reports – assign a staffer to scout the next opposition.



* Make a mental note of the pitch dimensions you're playing on. If you make the effort pre-match you're giving yourself a 100% chance of doing better in the match than you'd do if you ignore your scouts.



Tactical Triangles

The new tactic creator makes it fairly easy to create a tactic to your specifications and to edit it for every game. At this point we should go more in depth and look at the specific settings for those who wish to use the sliders option. Below is a brief overview of each team setting.

Mentality: This dictates how the team or a player will play. More attacking will pressure the opposition. More defensive play will allow you force the opposition to play your game. Both have pros and cons. Defensive will tighten your team up but it will invite the other team on to you more, its not a way I like to play unless we are ahead and need to hold on to a lead late on. Never be too generous with this setting, it will leave you open more to the pitfalls of either being too attacking or too defensive. Remember, sometimes leaving this setting in the middle isn't a bad thing.


Creative Freedom: Not every player is Messi. "Creativity should be used sparingly" - that comes directly from Sports Interactive and SEGA. Only give a winger, or indeed any player, a creative license if he has a high creativity stat. Otherwise you're telling someone like Tom Huddlestone to go out and try a Rabona in the middle of the pitch – that's only going to lead to Thomas falling on his backside and an opponent getting the ball and doing something useful with it, like maybe beating Huddlestone to death with the football for being dumb enough to try a Rabona in the first place..


Passing Style: This is vital. You should be adjusting this before every match. Read the scout report and adjust it accordingly. Shorter, narrow pitches require direct passing, you have less space to move and to attack, you need to utilise every opportunity – whilst you don't want to waste possession you need to be quick and try to exploit gaps as they emerge. Longer pitches will force you to play short; you can go long too if you have a fast forward and a slow opponent who is playing high up the field but you're best building up play and working for openings.

Width: How wide you wish to play. Playing wide means better wing play and attacking. Playing narrow is best for defence and pressure play. If you go wide make sure that you are playing with wingers. If narrow you won't want attacking fullbacks, you will leave your defence open to attack.

Speed: Fast passing means quick attacks but more mistakes in passing. Slow passing allows the opposition to close you down more but you will keep the ball better. Look to go mid-range. Don't go too aggressive and don't forget to look at these before every game, you will need to alter them depending on the opponent and pitch.

Closing Down: If you close down a lot you pressure the defence, you however will use up a lot of energy of the player. Players with high stamina are only really capable of doing this. Closing down is essential unless you want to counter-attack. Don't go too crazy though, it can have bad effects and cost you in both attack and defence late on in the game.


Time Wasting: This isn't something you should encourage your players to do. If they are wasting time they are wasting opportunities. Keep it fairly low and only turn it on fully at the 75^th minute onwards. If you do this early you're more than likely to concede a goal.

Defensive Line: High up the pitch means less space for the opponent but you can also get caught out by quick attackers. If you play too deep you give your opponent too much space and you allow them to come on to you. It's a double-edged sword. You have to assess the opposition before the game and see if they have fast players. Also check to see the kind of pitch you are playing on, it could be bad to play high on a wide pitch, especially if your opponent is ultra attacking or to play deep on a narrow pitch as you'll be under constant pressure.

Tackling: We go in hard and we come off early, we go in soft and they will not be afraid to attack us. Best to stay at normal for this in my opinion. If you want to tackle hard – use it only on a couple of specific players.

Focus Passing: This states where you want the ball to go more often. It best to play it out wide on the wider pitches and down the middle on narrow pitches.

Marking: Man marking - obviously it's smart to set this individually on each of your players and not just general settings. You will want some of them to man mark and you will want some of them to zonal mark. Man marking will keep your player focused on an individual, this is great to make sure all players are picked up but it has its flaws such as players getting dragged out of positions - that leads to holes in your formation and its a big flaw. Zonal marking will get the player to pick up the opponent nearest to them, this has its flaws too as everyone doesn't always get marked. The best thing to do is assign Zonal to centre-backs and the DMC. The others including the wide men can man mark but ONLY if the opponent doesn't appear to be swapping wingers. (If that happens your FB/WB will be out of position constantly. You will get killed).

Target Man Supply: You should look at your target men. Set your best headers as target men. If you have good headers the put the ball to their head. If not, play it to feet. You will keep possession much better. Playing it ahead of the player will mean he will run on to the ball, this can be good if the player can find space. You will need a good passer and creator to do this though. Playing it to the head will allow for flick-ons for wingers cutting inside or a striker to get on to.

Tight Marking: I'd tick it but only if you aren't playing against people who have an excellent first touch and dribbling ability. Great players will always get past you so you don't want to make it too easy. If they are great you will need to stand off them more.

Target Man: Tick it. Select your best headers and make sure you get the ball to them.

Playmaker: Ticking this tells the team to look for specific players. You need to set them in the Playmakers list. I'd pick the best headers and get them the ball if you want to use this. Using it could make you more predictable though and selecting too many players will make it more ineffective.

Offside: Tick it if your defenders are competent. At the end of the day it secures you more at the back. You just need to make sure your defenders have good concentration, if not they will fail to step up in time and you'll make it easy for the opposition to exploit one-on-one opportunities.

Counter Attack: It invites pressure on you because you allow them to attack you before you attack them. Great if you're playing a superior opponent and your settings are quick, direct passing. If not don't use it because you're allowing the team to pressure you until you have an opening. You need to be a resilient team to pull this off, solid at the back and quick on the break.

Closing Down: It is a double sided sword. You can close down all over the pitch and that will put pressure on the opposition which will lead to mistakes but you will also tire your players and being a winger or wing-back he will need to do a lot of running throughout the match. This isn't a setting you need to frequently change or adapt. You need to decide what works best for the player and the team rather than just one or the other. You want to have him close down but not tire him so much that he will stop working half way through the second half.



That's the description of the team's tactical settings. You can set some of them as a general rule but a few of them you will need to adapt before each game. You will need to look more into what the scout says pre-game as to direct you into choosing the best style of play. Pre-match make sure you look at: mentality, width, passing style, speed, closing down, defensive line, marking, tight marking and counter attack. You will need to adapt them each game to counter your opponent's style of play. The other settings just need to be configured correctly as stated above and also below.

I'd also recommend you adjust these for every player. Every player is different so you need to assess their strengths and weaknesses and set the tactic accordingly. But beware on advanced editing settings on the tactics creator – it can turn off the touchline shouts.

Make sure that you look at the descriptions above to get the settings right for each position. Lets have a quick browse at corners, free-kicks and throw-ins before we move on..

Corners: You ideally want to get these into the penalty area. If you are marking the GK then you can put these into the six yard box. Playing them short will allow you to keep possession which is often wasted during a corner. It might be a good idea for you to take them short, lure their players out the box and then cross the ball. Ultimately, there are a lot of ways to use this to your advantage. If you play it short make sure that you're player who is going short has an excellent first touch!


Free-kicks: I think its best to select the "best header" option. If you take the time to choose the way you work corners, free-kicks and throw-ins (some directions to follow) then this will be a good advantage for you. You can of course go for the more varied choice of near, far, centre or short. It's your call though, you're the boss.


Throw-ins: You can go short and fast if you want to attack quickly and try and take advantage of a situation, this of course has potential to lead to mistakes. You can go long, which will put the ball into the box if you're in the right position or you can go short which will keep possession better.


Player Instructions wont differ from the above team settings. Here are the rest that don't feature in the team instruction panel..

Forward Runs: This will obviously dictate how often the player goes forward. Again it has its pros and cons. Going forward takes the player out of position but it will also drag his marker with him also. If the marker doesn't leave him and he cant make space for himself you can guarantee he will make space for another player to run into. It also gets the player into better attacking positions. Its best used for Wingers and Wing-backs. Full-backs shouldn't use this too much, neither should you have it on lots of midfielders. Maybe on just an AMC and a forward.

Run With Ball: Again its pretty basic stuff. You only want the better dribblers in the team to use this. Anyone else is likely to lose the ball. Look for dribbling and balance too.

Long Shots: As above, you need to assign this to someone capable of shooting from distance but beware it will gift possession to the opponent if you use this on average players or too much. I'd limit it on all players and have it mid-way on an AMC who is capable of long shots. That way you'll keep possession much better and the AMC will look for a pass first rather than a long shot.

Though Balls: Only ever want to use these on attacking players in a position to put the ball through the defence on to a man who can get behind them. Its a massive tool in your arsenal but don't overuse it, as above its likely to give possession away cheaply.

Cross From: Deep or By-line? Well Deep is really more for Wing-backs or Full-backs imo. You rarely see goals from deep crosses. I always use by-line, this way you have time to get the other players in the box when the ball comes in. Of course crossing from deep can be quicker than the by-line so it may be more useful to counter-attacks.

Cross Aim: I always go for the target man, it's ultimately your call though.

Swap Position: This is useful for wingers. If the opponent is man marking you, then you will be dragging their markers all over the pitch by moving around. You will cause mayhem. You can exploit this in two ways. You can swap with the winger on the other flank for example of a good way to pull teams about the pitch but you have to think about your settings. If your winger is right footed and crossing the ball frequently then putting him on the left isn't the best of ideas really. It's not going to lead to a lot of successful crosses. You would want to make your wingers pass the ball more and cross less, and maybe hold up the ball or shoot more if you are going to do this. It will create pressure on the opposition but your team settings will have to be playing the ball at a high speed to make use of the opposition out of place when you're attacking.

Free role: The free role isn't the same as lots of creativity. This is a common misconception. The free role is giving the player carte blanche to go anywhere he pleases. You only ever want to use this on an attacking player. Think of Kaka or Gerrard. Its really not for a winger, they wont stay in position much and you will lose your width.

Hold up Ball: Its really just a tool to help wait for backup to arrive. Not useful unless you have a slow midfield. Probably best used on wingers or strong strikers if you are going to use it.

Goalkeeper Distribution: Ask the defender to collect the ball to keep possession but a mistake could be made at some point to allow the opposition to get the ball, check the GK's distribution statistics, a quick throw is best for counter-attacks but it could result in a poor throw if the GK is a poor thrower of the ball. Long kick is obviously route one, over the top.


How do you get the best out of your set piece opportunities? Not an easy one to cover but there are a few tips.

Attacking corners/free-kicks:
* Never risk going all-out on a set piece. Think about how you can be attacked. Keep the pacey WB/FBs back at all times.
* Send the best headers up, even the defenders. The opposition will never have lots of men up the top of the pitch if you have lots of players in the box. They have to mark you remember.
* Think about how you would take a corner or FK in reality. You want to cause a distraction so mess up the wall with a player and get the keeper marked with a striker.
* Get the CB attacking the far post and the near post. They are the best headers, make sure they have a chance to head the ball. Have the best long range shooter outside the box and attacking from deep. Make the man with the best first touch come short - if you use that option, he will be able to do something quickly with the ball.

Defensive corners/free-kicks:
* Make sure you have everyone marked up, tall men by the CB's
* Only put players on each post for a corner. You want two wingers and a forward to stay up at all times, this means the opposition must stay back to mark them or you can get a quick break away.
* Close down corners with the smallest player on the pitch unless he is a fast winger who is staying up front. Use the next best thing.
* Make a decent wall on FKs. Three of the worst headers/tacklers will do.


That is that for now! You have done the framework. Now we look to the match day and see how exactly the scout helps us and what hints we can use to exploit the opposition without them getting the better of us.


Match Day

Well we need to make sure we have our battle planned out. This is a 90 minute war and prior planning prevents poor performances.

It's important to look at the pitch, like I said - if we are playing on a short pitch its a really dumb idea to play the long ball. You are immediately going to lose possession. All that will happen is the defender or the goalkeeper will fire the ball up the pitch, the opposition will intercept and they will be smart enough to keep the ball! You ideally want to be direct and try and make quick moves to unsettle the team. If the team is well organised you can switch to short passing and try to retain possession and build up play.

If we are to play on a long pitch we can use the long ball, it will be very effective – but only if the opposition are playing high up the pitch and you have a fast forward. If they're not playing high up you must play the short ball and build up play with possession.

If we are playing on a wide pitch we will need to utilise this space. The opposition will be using the flanks to attack and pull your defenders out wide, you must make sure you are covered against this. We would need to play slightly wide and make sure our defenders aren't going to play too high up the pitch. We really don't want to have players out of position at this point. We could also use our wingers to pull their defenders out of shape, while at the same time make our AMC's hit the box. This will really pressure the opposition and give you the chance to have more attackers in their box than their defenders!

A lot of what I'm saying makes sense.. I'm willing to bet you know most of this but you just don't think about it too much when it comes to it or you think that you can set your team to attack the flanks and get AMC's in the box and it will always work? Well you can, and a lot of the time it will but you will then lose some games which you think you should be winning - its happened to us all. You're top of the league, you're Man United and you just beat Chelsea 2-0 at home. You then play Stoke and lose 1-0? What happened? - well simply, you just got owned by Stoke.

Maybe at this point you need to realise that every manager in the world alters his team for the game ahead. He scouts the opposition and puts his team out to counter their threats and to exploit their weaknesses. You have to do the same. This is a game based on reality - there is no cheat tactic that will win you every game - stop looking for it, yes, you. Don't deny it, I saw you. Yes, I can see through your webcam. Fool, you should have turned that thing off. I saw what you did 20 minutes ago too – you should be ashamed of yourself.


If it's a narrow pitch you want to create space for yourself. Make sure you have direct passing and play straight down the middle.


All that's left is heading into the match itself. We have covered everything from scouting the right player for the right position, creating the right formation and a formation that's extremely versatile as well as making the team itself versatile. We've also just looked at the tactical framework and how to use scouting as our weapon. Hopefully at this point you know a lot more about the importance of being a shrewd scout and tactician. A lot of its basic material but most people forget the basics and over focus on things which leads to errors and confusion.


Remember, remember the 5^th of November.. Tactical Triangles and Fireworks through your letterbox

Like Amy Winehouse we're going back to basics as I wrap this up. I've walked through all the basics and highlighted a few things that are often overlooked. Once you know what I've pointed out, you don't look at the game the same again. Here are a couple of tips and reminders that you might find useful.


* You need to take some time to set up a tactic. Look at all the aspects. Make sure that the tactic is suitable for every player. Team settings should be used to set the team in a way that will beat the opponent based on their style of play and the pitch you are playing on. Individual settings should be customised for each player and position. Take into account what has been said and make your judgments based on that. Don't forget to look at the player and set him to play to get the best of his abilities.

*Check before the match that your instructions will work. Its not a click, click, click and win kind of game. You need to make sure you're prepared and know your opponent well. You wont win if you're a lazy asshat.

* Don't be afraid to try something new but don't act like a lunatic. Don't go all out on a setting as every setting has a flip side and something that can do you damage or expose you.

* Try not to alter the shape of the team too much. It will make it hard for the team to learn the way it plays. Every tactic takes time to learn, so be patient and let the team know how it works.

* During the game, if you are ahead but are only just holding on. Wait until you are around 75 minutes and then waste lots of time.

* Don't forget to keep an eye on the game during the match, you can pick up ideas about the way you and the opposition are playing. It can help stop them exploiting holes or it can help you to do that.

* Work on tactics in training. Make sure your players know what they're doing. Effort equals results.

* Make sure your team is versatile; you want to be able to cover any injury or move into any position with the team and the 3 substitutions you have.

* Remember that one tactic doesnt solve all problems. Create and save a few various versions. Example - one tactic for long pitches, one for wide pitches, one for short pitches and one for narrow pitches. You have seen home and away tactics before but what people don't realise is that your home tactic doesn't fail away from home because the opponent is better at their home ground, its because you're playing on different types of pitches! You can eventually get a tactic where you will perfect it at home but that's only because your home pitch wont change (unless you alter the dimensions every season).

* You can mix up the passing in your team for added effect. Having a team build up play at the back with short, mixed, slow passing then up front make it quick and direct. The opposition wont know what's hit them.

*To keep possession better get the defender to collect the ball from the GK. This is under GK distribution. Careful though, he might lose it.

*The above covers everything pre-match but its also applicable during the game. If it's going wrong, change it. Being unpredictable is a massive asset you have. It's a computer program, it can't adapt like you can.

* Enjoy the game. It's not a race to see who can get the furthest into the future, it's about testing your management skills and trying to win with your ideals.

* Don't be afraid to lose. If you're losing or about to play a tough game just go balls out. Attack them and go out with a bang.






That's it guys, it's been nothing like fun for me or you, let's face it - it's been a chore.


Peace,

Wonderkid.




NB: This is for publication only on Football Manager Fanboys and Sports Interactive