The Idea of a Tactic - Part 2

After going through Part 1, you should have a good starting point - knowing how to set up your Team Instructions so it actually turns out to be as you imagined it. In the second part I will focus on individual Player Instructions. I won't talk about specific player needs for a certain position, because I'll presume you know what you want from your team. (Here's one if you're looking for that: What to look for in a player).

In part one, we took Man Utd as the example for our imaginary exercise, therefore, we will continue here with them here.

When setting up individual instructions, you might not need to change all the sliders and options, as you can untick them and use the team instructions - because, after all, those must have something to do with our play.

Let's say we choose the following formation:

Flat 4-5-1: (1 x DL)(2 x DC)(1 x DR)(1 x ML)(3 x MC)(1 x MR)(1 x ST)

Goalkeeper

I preffer not to play a lot with these instructions, as they seem to change a lot with every Match Engine update. I leave most things default. What shall we change though, thinking of Van der Sar? His Passing is quite long, and he usually tries to send Long Kicks to Rooney - ST.

Full backs

Let's say we have Evra on the left, and Rafael on the right. Obviously, we are much stronger on the left. Evra is much more experienced and much more capable after passing his own half. So, we will use the team setting for Mentality, but give Evra significantly more freedom than what Rafael's got assigned - the team instruction. We want them to Run From Deep sometimes, Run With Ball often for Evra, sometimes for Rafael. We don't want them to send Long Shots or Through Balls, but we want Evra to send Crosses often, from Byline. We will use the team setting for Closing Down, and tell them to Man Mark - the opponent winger(if its the case). As I said in Part 1, most players will have Tight Marking on, wich includes them.

Central Defenders

What do they have to do? Defend, and maybe one of them to run with the ball a bit to open the play; we don't need them to pass long, because our keeper is doing that atm.

Well, lets pull all sliders to the minimum. Just set Run With Ball to often for the better passer - Rio Ferdinand. We want them to Mark Zonal but Tight Mark, as their speed and agility might not help them get to the ball first. They should really Close Down just a bit under the team's setting.

Deep Lying Playmaker (MC C)

This one is Carrick. Normal Mentality, Closing Down and Passing - team. Run From Deep, Run With Ball? Rarely. How about Long shots and Trough Balls? Well, he does those things often. What else does he commonly do? Hold up the Ball? Right. Closing Down - Normal, Marking? Zonal. Tight? Yes - he tries to stop the most advanced opponent midfielder.

Box-to-Box Midfielder (MC L)

You've guessed it - It's Fletcher. Having his team's courageous Mentality, but a bit more Freedom, and shorter Passing. I guess he does a bit of everything, so we should set the next 5 sliders to sometimes. He Closes Down as the rest, Marking Zonal - whoever happens to be in possesion next to him.

Attacking Midfielder (MC R)

He's slow, he's English, he doesent do much defensive work, he's Scholes. Yet again, team's Mentality, but a lot of Creating Freedom, and quite short Passing. He runs often with or without the ball, and he sends a Trough Ball whenever he sees an opening. He even sends a few Long Shots every now and then. He Roams From Position, but Closes Down more than you would expect for this role. His Marking is Zonal and fairly loose.

Wingers

Very offensive Mentality, with a fair amount of freedom and varied Passing. They Run With the Ball and try to send Crosses. However, you won't see many Long Shots or Through Balls comming from them. Most of the time, they like to Hug the Touchline. But, because the team is playing Narrow, the Winger without the ball usually ends up as the second Striker. What else? They Close Down a bit when they can, trying to stop the opposition Full Backs.

The Striker

Hehe, if you have Rooney, you don't have to tell him how to play - I hear you saying. Thats true, because Sir Alex already teached him how to :). But, what is it like replicated in FML? He's got an attacking Mentality, not too much freedom though, as he's always there, both Van der Sar and the opposition know it. Despite that, his skills allow him to get the ball, and what happens then? He tries to Run with the Ball, and most of the times he holds it untill a teammate arrives. He's just Closing Down slightly, in a way Marking one of the opposition defenders.