I need some help tactic wise. My Liverpool side is doing very average at the moment, especially considering the talent we have. Over the last year, I've been constantly changing up my tactic (instructions mainly, not the formation) and trying different things, but we were still under performing, and very inconsistent as well. for example, Torres can miss 3 easy one on ones in the game, but then score a curler from 25 yards (this happens extremely often). My fullbacks rarely overlap no matter what I tell them (I have inside forwards as well), my CB's and DM's (especially Mascherano) keep constantly fouling and getting useless bookings/sending offs even though tackling is set to 'more cautious' and 'easy' in the player instructions, etc... Gerrard has also been incredibly inconsistent...

I read on here lately that the simpler the tactic is the better, which I really hope is true because that is most likely the key to my problems since I always do team and player instructions for almost everyone, spending hours trying to perfect the tactic.
It makes even more sense as my mate (playing as Chelsea in a network game) wins almost every game without trying (even though he's Chelsea), and I'm pretty sure he's too lazy to do player instructions or doesn't even know what most of them mean. Lampard has like 10 goals in 4 games, and if God forbid he's about to draw, then of course JT will score from a corner in the 90+5' minute when he's down to 10 men...


Anyways I'm not so sure whether to play Short/Direct, Expressive/Disciplined, Roaming/Stick to position, etc... , and I don't want to leave it on Default because i'm not sure what exactly it will do.. so I need some help.

Here is my team:



Torres = Advanced Forward, set as Target Man + supply = Run Onto Ball
Gerrard = Attacking Midfielder, set as Playmaker
Jovetic/Benayoun = Inside Forwards
Mascherano = Defensive Midfielder
Veloso = Deep Lying Playmaker
Carragher = Limited Defender
Reina = Sweeper Keeper

(Got Camacho and N'Gog as well, out on loan, can be recalled)

V edit: merged image into a spoiler.

This message was edited by ViNCeNZo(moderator) on Nov 16 2009.

ive had a couple of seasons with liverpool with a fair bit of success and only sighned a couple of players.

try this

reina-keeper
johnstone-wing back-automatic
aurelio-wingback-automatic
carragher-limited-defender
agger-ball playing defender
mc-mascherano-ball winning
mc-veloso-deep lying playmakes
mc-gerrard-box to box midfielder
amc-jovetic-advanced playmaker
st-torres-complete forward
st-ngog-target man

make sure they play fluid, with no roaming and creativity on disciplined and short passing,

i know you have a few wide players on there but maybe try this against certain teams in overloads the midfield and in mascherano you have one of the best ball winner around,its up to you though but i hope this gives you a bit

yea brig Gerrad in CM with attacking role. bring the 2 DM's into CM, with one CM defensive role and if the other had good passing put him as CM Support, that way you have the two wingers helping out torres , Gerrard getting up there helping to push the ball from midfield to attack and helping out with long shots and also the CM with supporting role to chip in with passes up field and maybe long shots and linking the midfield with the attack.

I play a very succsesfull 4-2-3-1 (2DM and 3CAM)for my liverpool team and went pretty much unbeaten through the season.

I played Mascherano and Camacho/Sissoko in DM positions, with Masch as a DM/Defence and Camacho/Sissoko as a DM/Support, so that they went forward more and linked the DM to the AM. I then had the middle player of the three CAMs as an advanced playmaker/support, and the other two either side of him as normal attacking midfielders/attacking.

I rarely struggle to link defence to midfield to attack unless I have sub-par players in one of the positions due to injuries.

At this point I decided to move the 2 DM's to CM and give Gerrard a Support role in AM. Theres just a couple of things i'm not sure about:

- whether to play Jovetic & Benayoun as AML/R or AMC's on either side of Gerrard. The Inside Forward role I will be giving them is available with both positions and hopefully this will encourage my fullbacks to get forward more, but might crowd up the midfield.

- How to play my fullbacks? I never managed to get my fullbacks performing. (I will be lucky if they put one good cross in a game and get like 5 assists the whole season). Automatic/Support/Attack?

- Torres as an Advanced Forward (as I always play him) or as a Poacher? After taking a closer look, I noticed he could be deadly in that role. I think it would be more useful because as an Advanced Forward, he just goes wide and rarely does anything useful.

(Planning on making a good (hopefully deadly) tactic. )

Regarding Torres, a mate of mine used to play him as an advanced/ complete forward, just because he has such good attribute stats. He didn't score too many goals though (probably because he has to focus on more than just scoring then). I advised him to play Torres as a poacher, instructing him to just focus on banging them in, and that's what Torres has been doing since. It's tempting to play Torres in another role but with Liverpool's midfield behind him, all he has to do is bang them in. =)

Thanks for that. Anyone else?

How do you all do your tactics? do you do a lot of player instructions or just leave them be and do just team instructions?

Bump. Anyone else?

I agree, I had Torres originally as an advanced/complete striker in my 4-2-3-1 and he got good ratings but struggled to score, I eventually set him as a poacher and he began to bang them in, because I had 3 CAMs behind him I didnt need so much backtracking, so he could continually be on the last man's shoulder and use his pace.

I usually use 3CAMs because I had VDV and Gerrard who both are amazing in that position, but if I got an AssMan advice that a team struggled with width, id bring two of the CAMs on to the wings instead. I always try and use individual player settings, and only use team settings (i.e. touchline tactics contain, attacking, overload etc) depending on how the game is going.

quote Hakanku

I agree, I had Torres originally as an advanced/complete striker in my 4-2-3-1 and he got good ratings but struggled to score, I eventually set him as a poacher and he began to bang them in, because I had 3 CAMs behind him I didnt need so much backtracking, so he could continually be on the last man's shoulder and use his pace.

I usually use 3CAMs because I had VDV and Gerrard who both are amazing in that position, but if I got an AssMan advice that a team struggled with width, id bring two of the CAMs on to the wings instead. I always try and use individual player settings, and only use team settings (i.e. touchline tactics contain, attacking, overload etc) depending on how the game is going.

You use both team and individual settings?
And when you pull your 2 AMC's to the wings (VDV and Riquelme?), what role do you give them? advanced playmaker? attack/support? because i'm assuming you're not going to have VDV and Riquelme as wingers...