2015 The 10 Tactic mistakes FMH players make

[Dec]

Many Football Manager Handheld players; especially newbies, make these mistakes when it comes to tactics and teams on the game. I am going to run through the 10 most common and harming and explain what to and what not to do and why. 10 simple problems with easy fixes is all it will take and it can lead to a lot of trophies! If you are struggling then please read on.

 

1) Not changing formations from default

One of the major problems is not changing player roles, this leads to imbalanced formations or formations that don't suit the team in the vision of the manager. It can also lead to issues from all over as it isn't tailored to the team and this leads us to the next part...

 

2) Having too many attacking roles

Sometimes managers think that two CMs is fine, though with no defensive anchor such as a BWM or DLM then your defence is exposed so while the team may create more chances the amount of clear cut chances will go to the opposition. Having 5 defensive minded players in a team (WB, FB, CD, BPD, BWM, DLM, LID) is a good base. It is worth noting though that WB, BPD and BWM players can all get forward and should be used with caution to the other roles they are paired with.

 

3) Having a passive midfield

In a similar vain to having too many attacking roles some new players may use a non-physical roles in midfield (APM, DLM and CM). In England especially there is a need for strength to outmatch even the toughest opponents with skill and force. A BWM or BBM is always recommended in a formation in order to give this so that there is a player who can bully the creative forces of the other teams so they don't get the time they need to weave their magic.

 

4) Giving players roles that aren't suited

Not all managers give their players suited roles though. While this isn't to say give the roles on their profile (consider their attributes and team balance first) it is worth looking at the attributes and preferred role. Harry Kane may work well as a PCR due to his lack of strength but this will mean he doesn't work well as a TM and will not perform great there vs other strikers or himself in a role more suited for the Englishman.

 

5) Stifling creativity

While it is easy to think that 3 APMs is great, this isn't the case in most formations. They will be looking to use the same spaces, not pass to each other and get in each others way. Creative roles should be used sparingly and if multiple are used then they need to be apart to give them both the time, room and perspective to do something with the ball. There's no point having 3 players who can make a pass if there are no runs apart from to one person.

 

6) Having little variety

Every manager has their own style of play but a plan B is always needed. While some favour intricate passes sometimes a bit of direct play by a Winger or Inside Forward mixes it up and gives the opposition more threat. That way tactical modifications in game aren't needed as much and players can find a way to win if they are good enough, even against the most resolute defence.

 

7) Lacking width/Crowding the Box

These two are put together as they are similar problems. Having no source to the wings will lead to congestion in the middle and therefore will be hard to break down teams that are very defensive or well organised as there will be a lack of ability to stretch the play.  It also leads to being very easy to mark and giving players less freedom to operate and therefore can be difficult to be creative.

Crowding the Box is similar too, if there are several players who are in the box (Forwards, INFs and BBMs) then they will get in each other's way and it stops having the space to make a shot. While it is good to have a few options in the box or breaking into it having too many makes it difficult for the player on the ball to craft anything special.

 

8) Playing a passing style that doesn't suit

Everyone wants to play lovely "tika taka" football but sometimes it just doesn't suit. Lower League pitches may not be suited for it while tactics with huge gaps in (e.g. a 433) will suffer from this style as players will have to come closer. Looking at what suits a formation is important and while a 41212 would suit short passing due to the closeness of the players and the potential player roles a 433 with Wingers and a TM would work much better from direct or long passing as the front 3 are all about running and making one or two key passes to score.

 

9) Buying/Playing all youth and lacking the experience

Younger players are often exceptional value and so tempting however chucking them all in a team together and making the millions off of the players on peak isn't good at all. Older players have the experience, they are less temperamental and have the knowhow to lead. While a few younger players in the team is good for the team and development having too many means the team is lacking a leader and they can blow hot and cold very quickly. If a team falls into a rut they can struggle to get back out from it and if they are playing well they can suffer from pressure and complacency and cost trophies. A nice balance is needed for development and short term results.

 

10) Rotating too much

Players may complain of fatigue or not playing yet while one or two tweaks can keep the team fresh and winning games, as well as the harmony positive, this doesn't mean rotating the whole team is the way to go. Consistency is important in football, players get used to playing with each other and unless there is a sense of stability (within reason accounting for injuries, fatigue and general dropping) then results will not be as good as they can be. Rotating only a few (less than half of the team) for most games -minor cup games against lower league opposition can be an exception, will help results stick to a similar pattern and the team ticking over.

[zacksson007]

Absolutely brilliant. 

[JustM1kePlays]

Quality Dec! This will help answer a lot of people questions about tactics.

I agree to talk with the giving people the wrong roles. As you said you have to look at the attributes more then anything. If it says they are a target man yet they only have 9 aerial ability you may want to reconsider playing them at a Target Man

[BatiGoal]

It's all about player roles and match settings more than anything as mentioned in your first 8 points. Well explained Dec.

 

Point 9 is probably the most underestimated one. Including myself I failed to see the importance of keeping experience and balance in the team until recently but I'd say it's one if not the most common mistake by FMH players.

 

Point 10 is all about the right balance indeed. Generally I want to see my key players get 40-50 games or thereabouts and my subs 10-20-ish. Keeps the team fresh..subs get games for development..remain unpredictable for opposition..and most importantly it helps avoid players lose form and keep team performance up throughout the season.

Most of them are subbed in the game tho unless key players aren't fit enough to start.

 

Top post!

[Ashez]

All great points .

[Lian Cortez]

Great! As always Dec!

[DutchTony]

Most of my players need 5 full days to recover back to 100%. As you can have a game every 3 or 4 days, if I started the same team in the next game they would start at around 90-95%. Then if they started the game after that, they would be even lower and so on.

It's because of this that my squad always has 28 players. I have an 'A' team, a 'B' team, and the same 7 subs for both teams. The only player that plays every game is my keeper. If my games are every 3 days I'll just switch teams every game. If the games are every 4 days then my 'A' team will play two games in a row then my 'B' team will play the next game.

I dont know how people manage to get a player to play 50 games in 1 season. Unless of course the player is subbed around 70 minutes every game.

Infact the only player I've had that can play a full game (except for central defenders) every 4 days is Cavani - and I genuinely don't know why this is....

I do play an attacking and pressing game so that can't help I guess.

[Dec]

Slow rotation over all games will combat this. Allowing players that aren't 100% as long as they are over 90% is fine as long as you expect them to have a rest over the next week or so. A slow rotation with upcoming fixtures in mind is a lot better for results than having two starting XIs.

[DutchTony]

Slow rotation over all games will combat this. Allowing players that aren't 100% as long as they are over 90% is fine as long as you expect them to have a rest over the next week or so. A slow rotation with upcoming fixtures in mind is a lot better for results than having two starting XIs.

A slow rotation? Is that something like only changing a few players, then change a different few for the next game etc?

[Dec]

Yes that is correct.

[DutchTony]

Yes that is correct.

Ok great. I'm going to try this. Your advice is appreciated :-)

[Footix]

Wow. Although it is a nice, well written article and all, I think you are really over-complicating things... It's only a game, and it's not even a very good one.

 

All you need, on the original engine anyway, is some decent players (the more green the better) and a tactic like Pig's Drift or the one I posted in this thread: http://fmhvibe.co.uk/community/topic/25553-footix-1-0-original-engine/. Bam. You win. You won't beat Man City in the first season if you're playing as Whitehead, but eventually when you get better players, you'll get there.

 

Back on FMH12 I stumbled over an "unbeatable" tactic. Totally non-realistic, one defender and a lot of strikers, but it worked. I e-mailed Marc Vaughan about it and he fixed it in an update. I'm sure there is some wonder tactic out there for this year's edition too..

[topline]

great article. well done mate

[Dec]

Wow. Although it is a nice, well written article and all, I think you are really over-complicating things... It's only a game, and it's not even a very good one.

All you need, on the original engine anyway, is some decent players (the more green the better) and a tactic like Pig's Drift or the one I posted in this thread: http://fmhvibe.co.uk/community/topic/25553-footix-1-0-original-engine/. Bam. You win. You won't beat Man City in the first season if you're playing as Whitehead, but eventually when you get better players, you'll get there.

Back on FMH12 I stumbled over an "unbeatable" tactic. Totally non-realistic, one defender and a lot of strikers, but it worked. I e-mailed Marc Vaughan about it and he fixed it in an update. I'm sure there is some wonder tactic out there for this year's edition too..

I totally disagree. Many people have these problems and I always end up saying the same things and it has been this way for a long time now. The enhanced engine makes it more complex too. These 100% influence the game on both engines.

Why do you play a game that isn't very good in your opinion though? That doesn't make sense.