Asunto: Tactics League

Oh, wait, I just noticed you played Swamp. Their tactic can make anyone scratch their head. I'm with you on this and I understand better why you started doubting your tactics lol. I was the same after playing against them. I won the last games vs them but I couldn't explain anything after the game :))))

True but we've had a stinking start to the league and the fans are less than thrilled :)

Ok i did use a 4 man defence last year for a bit but switched to a 5 after conceeding alot and have just stuck with it.. so just last year catching up with me a bit too (had a big life change and neglected the team/tactics for a good while). The balance of being defensively solid but creating chances that dont just rely on my strikers going on a mazy run through on goal is something ive struggled with but a bit of research and maybe some investment is needed i think.
(editado)

That 5-2-1-2 that everyone seems to love is nothing but a coin-flip formation.

5 at the back is the only regularly working formation at top level because with 4 defs you will get destroyed by a high-wide winger

whether it's 5-2-3, 5-3-2, 5-2-winger-2, or a 5-4-1 variation is a personal choice depending on what people like / see as better / suits their players or opponent better

but playing with 4 at the back will usually kill you at high level, either the wing will expose you on the side, or the space between side and central defs with be exposed by strikers

at lower level yeah, you can try 4 at the back, it actually works much better than 5 at the back in the u21s, mostly because the wing quality is very low at that age compared to defenders [4 skills needed at high level vs 2 skills of defs] + it's easier to create something with more players as MID/ATT

still, well placed and decent [pace&tech especially] high/wide winger is extremely useful at ~60 rating level and IMO is the most important part of the team at that level other than striker

I think in general it's just a good idea to never have too much space between the lines (def, mid, att) because it will cause the nearest player to run out of position. That's a big problem if it's a lone defender running out because your mids are too far away.

When you're looking at the opposition, look for their weak spot, because there is always 1. If they have a 4-man defence it'll be out wide, if they have a 5-man defence they will likely leave space in the middle. If they've managed to cover both, not only will they struggle to attack but they'll be vulnerable to crosses from deep.

My own personal rule and the 1 thing I'll never change, is never give up territory. If you allow the opposition 75% of the pitch without trying to tackle them it's asking for trouble. It's why I push up and I have that 3-man midfield in pretty much everything I do, I built them to be combative, to cover the whole pitch and never give the other team a moments rest.

With defence it's just a standard back line, just move them side to side and decide what line you're playing on. There's not a lot of creativity needed. It's much the same for strikers, pick the line and hope you get it right.
It's really the midfield that shapes this entire game in terms of tactics. Wingers? How many defensive mids? Diamond? Triangle? Box? Rhombus? Do you want to rotate them? Swing them on a pivot or just have them keep their shape?

Appreciate all the conversation and advice, and i do like that its a more challenging/competitve experience than just winning by sheer numbers or player quality as it is in lower leagues. I just always feel that i dont get the most out of my squad regularly, but its all a case of learning, watching and tinkering and people will all have different ideas as to the best set up etc..
(editado)

This is true, people have different ideas. My advice is to stick to one mentor and see how it goes. Then move on to another if things don't go well. But Camus is all in one (and I'm not being at all sarcastic), he explains very well, he knows his stuff and he thinks long term.

Thankyou, I try.
It's difficult to get into the intracacies on here because there's no way of visually demonstrating what I mean. I could maybe use the Tiger Sports Template tool but it's hardly user-friendly.

Round 6:

1 Thamesmead 22.05
2 Aubergine 20.76
3 Colne 20.29
4 Timisoara 18.55
5 Eudaimonia 18.54
6 Hunstnaton 17.72
7 Avon 17.44
8 Padstow 16.86
9 RTS 16.79
10 Shakespeare 15.49
11 Swamp 14.46
12 Polish Boston 14.28
13 Linkin 13.93
14 Moroos 13.62
15 Schadenfreude 13.23
16 Bramford 13.17
17 Maidenhead 13.07
18 Fenland 12.47
19 Wooden Spoon 12.33
20 Legia 12.27
21 Northern Thistle 12.11
22 C-R-A-I-O-V-A 11.45
23 Cobra 11.10
24 Rock Bottom 11.08
25 Elmstead 11.05
26 Forest Res 10.62
27 Kowal 10.46
28 CanOnly 9.70
29 Corvin 9.27
30 Internazionlle 8.90
31 Kingsway 8.85
32 Crows 8.08
33 Squeezers 7.89
34 Colchester 6.02
35 Stiffs 5.24
36 Forest Hill 5.15
37 Beer 4.04
38 Anfield 3.25
39 Welling 2.45
40 Universitatea 2.43
41 Man United 1.05
42 Navua 0.11
43 LosTrios -0.84
44 Inter Row -0.85
45 Blitzkrieg -2.86
46 Oakley -6.94
47 Warta -8.23
48 Newport -12.06

The good: Padstow 4.79, Boston 5.18, Timisoara 5.35, Newport 5.21 (their first positive score after a small goal difference defeat with a 25 rating deficit)
The bad: Squeezers -2.06, Wooden Spoon -2.08, Warta -2.76

Quite a few newer clubs in the top half is a good sign.

I'm pleased about some teams I used to see them coming up and having really poor ratings and now getting around 60. Moroos, Welling, Avon (not this round), Oakley, Maybe, tactically not so good but there is progress, no doubt. I will end up relegated this season and it's surely going to be tough playing in Division 2 this time around.

I don't know what it is about tactics, but everytime I get to the stage of starting to update it my soul just hurts... Or I'm just a lazy ass

I think once you get into a rythym with it it becomes easier. Sort your base tactic out and work from there, use the mirror and copy functions to make it quicker. Eventually any changes you want to make can be done in 5-10 minutes.

I demand a recount I can't be top still lol.....I bet I barley scored last night given only a 2-1 win?

You definitely deserve a deduction. You don't need to win both the league and this.

Thamesmead 1.91 - Colne 2.38. You're right, Colne won the tactical game. Your points came from the win itself and the away bonus. You lost 2.58 points on the ratings. This was your lowest score so far.
(editado)