FM 09 help

[JJ 0]

I'm Bristol City in my second season. First season I finished 7th and generally did ok.

 

Second season is driving me bonkers.

 

So far I've played 10 games and I'm sitting 18th. It wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't dominating almost every game I play. First three games of the season I played the opposition off the park for the entire game and finished with two 2-0 defeats and a 1-1 draw. Out of my 10 games I've been outplayed 2 times and deservedly beaten, but dominating loads of games and losing is infuriating. If I'm behind and I equalise the opposition tend to take the lead almost immediately and if I go in front I can't hold it no matter what I do.

 

I've built a pretty good team and don't have any real weaknesses. I just can't score and when I do, they reply almost instantly.

 

Help!!!!!!! Any decent tactics and training would be appreciated.

[Besty 4]

Usually when it's like that it's just because your strikers are off form, either try a different tactic or try a different striker. Try and say something to build up your main strikers confidence as well, especially in the team talks.

[Sir Bob Almighty! 0]

I dont play FM anymore, i find that the whole game is simulated and doesnt really go on the changes you make or the tactics you use.

 

Pisses me off.

[The Fish 10962]

I'm Bristol City in my second season. First season I finished 7th and generally did ok.

 

Second season is driving me bonkers.

 

So far I've played 10 games and I'm sitting 18th. It wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't dominating almost every game I play. First three games of the season I played the opposition off the park for the entire game and finished with two 2-0 defeats and a 1-1 draw. Out of my 10 games I've been outplayed 2 times and deservedly beaten, but dominating loads of games and losing is infuriating. If I'm behind and I equalise the opposition tend to take the lead almost immediately and if I go in front I can't hold it no matter what I do.

 

I've built a pretty good team and don't have any real weaknesses. I just can't score and when I do, they reply almost instantly.

 

Help!!!!!!! Any decent tactics and training would be appreciated.

What're you using at the minute, then we could tell you maybe what to change?

 

how many dribbles per game are your attacking midfielders making. If you've got shit loads of dribbles, check their pass completion, maybe change the length of their passing, or the speed of build up.

 

see if you're using a target-man, if you're not, try it, this'll bring a lot more attacking potency but it'll slow down your play.

 

If you're playing against teams that're expected to lose/do badly, they'll be stifling your attack, try to draw them out with counter-attack play or a more defensive formation. In other words, try playing like Arsenal or Chelsea. Rapier or bludgeon.

[The Mighty Hog 526]

After your first season the game re-asses it's tactics against you. Even crap teams would think they have a shot against your and play relatively open against you. You might want to knock your attacking up a couple of notches against the weaker sides, especially at home. Might help to play with a little more width too. Oppostion instructions are key in your second season this little article helped me no end:

 

Strikers:

- They play with 2 strikers, you set marking 'always' on both, you let closing down and tackling to 'no specific' as you don't want your DC to close them down to 'often' or to let them see to much of the ball ('rarely'), and you certainly don't want'em to tackle to hard and give away spotkicks or to easy and have them look the other way. Then, you study their strikers' foot abilities and you put "show onto foot" to their weaker one for each one. (Ex: the striker has a 'very strong' right foot and a 'weak' left one, you set "show onto left foot, and vice-versa, this way the chances to have a shot stopped by your DC grow considerably higher. If he has a 'very strong/strong/fairly strong' foot and a 'reasonable' other, than just leave it unspecified).

- They play with 1 striker, you set only one DC to mark him tight and 'always', 'never' close down and of course 'show onto' his weaker foot, meanwhile have the other DC have considerably more freedom on the pitch, with zonal marking and closing down further up the field so he can stop possible creative midfilders from passing to this already annihilated striker.

- They play with 3 strikers you leave marking, closing down and tackling unspecified and 'show onto foot' as described above. Meanwhile you keep one of your full backs down with your DCs, most likely the one who has better positioning and tackling, also good concentration.

- 4 strikers. When you're 1-0 up and away the opposition will get their wingers in FL/FR positions. That's when you must play your full-backs very defensive and tight marking. Examine all of the four 'strikers' they have now and set to mark them 'always' and show on each one' weaker foot. Also set your DMC very defensive to create some superiority at the back.

 

Central/Defensive/Attacking midfielders:

- Set tackling 'hard' on all of them, no matter their value or their skill.

- The same with 'show onto weaker foot', you need to stop their creativity and decision making

- Closing down. Now this is tricky...because if you set it on 'often', your DC's might be over-daring and come out of their position to stop the MCs and leave completely free the STs, especially if they have high bravery. But then again, if your opponent is, lets say, Gerrard who can both fire a missile in your net or give a masterful pass, you need to close him down really ****in' effective. They got great long shots, passing, creativity, decisions and flair, that is above 15, then you definetely close them down. If not, then you leave it unspecified and no big problems will occur to you unless you forget to:

- Tight mark them 'always', as there are literally thousands of MCs out there who are mediocre but like to drop into space and receive any deflected pass/shot from their own ST.

The same with AMC, if they have somenone like Diego/Anderson/Deco, than you need to tight mark, hard tackle/ close down and show onto weaker foot. And you leave all these responsabilities to, well, one man, your most powerful and trusting DMC.

 

Wingers/MRL/Full backs

- Most important: leave closing down unspecified. If you set it on 'always' they will overrun you even if you have Evra and Sergio Ramos covering your ass. Also make your full-backs to only close down in their own half, but very close to own area.

- Always hard tackle them and...

- Show on their weaker foot to stop them for crossing, this is much more effective than closing them down.

- Tight marking is unnecessary, not unless they play the Diablo formation (that 4-1-2-2-1 wacky Mourinho-like formation) you really need to mark their AML and AMR.

 

Central defenders

- ALWAYS close them down, because every now and then they will make a mistake, they will succumb under the pressure, they will give an imbecile-like pass back to their Gk and guess who will be there ready to take advantage of their slumpy play

- Always hard tackle, just fight fire with fire!

- Unspecified instructions for tight marking and "show onto foot" as they mostly lack in creativity so there's nothing "un-expectful" from them

 

GK

- ALWAYS close them down they will also make mistakes when under presure (remember Barthez in the Man Utd era ?)

- Always hard tackle them, this will be more effective during set-pieces when a well placed high aggression bloke will get the job done and minimize his aerial ability.

- Tight marking is useless really, so just leave that unspecified.

- 'Show onto foot', is effective only when used with high closing down and by highly paced very determined strikers.

[JJ 0]

Cheers for the feedback. Been pissing around with my formations and tend to sit on 4-4-2 at home and 4-5-1 away. Completely forgot that FM figures out your tactics so I tend to tinker with it a little bit at the start of a new season. Always try to vary up my passing and the like too when I feel it's neccessary and with it having much more consistency.

[The Fish 10962]

After your first season the game re-asses it's tactics against you. Even crap teams would think they have a shot against your and play relatively open against you. You might want to knock your attacking up a couple of notches against the weaker sides, especially at home. Might help to play with a little more width too. Oppostion instructions are key in your second season this little article helped me no end:

 

Tried this tactic and lost the next three games.

 

 

I always close down, tackle hard and weaker foot the strikers, AMC and wingers

 

I weaker foot everybody

 

Close down the CB's

 

other than that I leave em be and I win.