Developing devastating throw-ins in FM23
Tactics 27.01.23 - Guido Merry
Set pieces in football, and therefore in Football Manager, are the subject of attention and study. That attention is usually reserved for Free-Kicks and Corners but what about the innocuous throw-in? Apart from when a team develops a long throw-in programme (think Stoke City), they’re largely ignored.
This doesn’t do the humble throw-in justice, as they are an essential component of any Football Manager career.
Just throwing the ball somewhere willy-nilly not only robs you of a potential goalscoring opportunity (depending on your location, of course), but it also increases your risk of losing the ball and ending up on the wrong side of a devastating counter-attack. So again, throw-ins are far more important than you might think. Guido Merry explains how he’s developed devastating throw-in routines in Football Manager 2023.
Dominate with a 4-4-2 Narrow Diamond in FM23
Tactics 11.01.23 - Ihor Crusadertsar
For Football Manager 2021, Ihor Crusadertsar wrote about how to build a simple, winning tactic using the classic 4-4-2.
Now, he’s returned to The Byline to provide another explainer, this time inspired by a certain Portuguese coach and focused on the Narrow Diamond variant of the same formation.
How to use Target Forwards in FM22
Player Roles 19.07.22 - Ihor Crusadertsar
The Target Forward is one of FM22’s most specific roles. Almost like no other role in the game, a player’s suitability for it is largely determined by their Physical Attributes. This can make building tactics around the role a bit hit and miss but if you find a well-suited player and a system that gets the most out of their unique skillset, playing with a good Target Forward feels almost like using a cheat code. Ihor Crusadertsar explains how you can create a tactic to maximise Target Forwards in FM22.
Developing More Effective Counter-Attacks
Tactics 27.04.22 - Ihor Crusadertsar
Attacking transitions are a core element of most styles of play but particularly counter-attacking football. Arguably, any successful tactic needs to have potent, well-thought-out attacking transitions. Ihor Crusadertsar explains how you can create more effective transitions in FM22.
Midseason Tactical Adjustments: Overhauling
Tactics 06.04.22 - Rock's End FM
Imagine the following scenario. You’ve started a new FM22 career. During pre-season things went well, and now you’re looking to build on that for the season ahead. You’ve got to know the players, you know who you can count on and who needs a bit of help, you made your new signings, you’ve worked to get them settled and… it all starts going terribly wrong. Results are bad, but that’s not the worst part. The problem is you’re playing horribly; you can hardly keep goals out and your players seem to have lost all their footballing ability. At this rate, you’re going to get the sack rather than any Manager of the Month awards.
Sound familiar? I’m sure it does because we’ve all been there. Worry not, for help is at hand. You’re probably in need of a tactical overhaul and Rock’s End FM is on hand to show you how it’s done.
Midseason Tactical Adjustments: Tinkering
Tactics 31.03.22 - Rock's End FM
We’ve all faced that moment in a Football Manager career when it seems that everything is against you. If you’ve tried all you can think of and there still seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, you might need to make some tactical adjustments. It’s never too late to salvage the remainder of your season and Rock’s End FM explores some of the tools at your disposal.
Building around a position: Using the CM-A in FM22
Player Roles 25.01.22 -
The Central Midfielder (Attack) has been getting a lot of love from our community this year and that’s no surprise. It’s an industrious, versatile midfield role that adds another strong goalscoring threat to your starting lineup. Here we’ll show you how to build a successful team around that specific role in FM22.
Choosing the right roles when using a Double Pivot in FM22
Player Roles 13.01.22 - On The Break FM
There's arguably no position more important in football than central midfield. It's extremely tough to win matches without controlling the middle of the pitch; therefore, it's imperative that your midfielders perform the correct duties to suit your tactic and dominate the opposition.
A common way to do that is with the 'double pivot', a term used to describe two central players who sit at the base of the midfield to offer protection for the defence. Choosing the right roles to use in your double pivot will depend on what you want them to achieve, but there are several ways to use them successfully. On The Break FM explains how to get the most from a double pivot in FM22.
Building-up Possession and Playing Out From The Back in FM22
Tactics 29.11.21 - Ihor Crusadertsar
In an ideal world, we’d all love our teams to play a dynamic, possession-heavy style driven by a patient build-up from the back. That idealised image of Total Football, of attacking with maximum width and then making the pitch as narrow as possible when transitioning to defensive actions, captivates most Football Manager players.
Ihor Crusadertsar explains his concept of the ‘Mentality Ladder’ and how understanding and mastering it is one of the first steps in creating a successful possession football tactic in FM22.
Using Wide Centre-Backs in FM22
Player Roles 10.11.21 - FM Grasshopper
Football formations are cyclical. When one system seems to be more effective than others it’s widely adopted, before another system comes in to take its place. Sooner or later the historical systems of old return to the surface again, albeit with some modern tweaks.
Until recently, the back four was proving dominant but now it’s three-at-the-back systems (or back-five if you count the marauding wing-backs) that are becoming increasingly prevalent. It doesn’t take a brave Byline writer to predict that this trend will continue in Football Manager 2022. After all, the addition of the Wide Centre-Back role in FM22 makes a back-three system even more enticing and FM Grasshopper explains why that’s the case.
Using Opposition Instructions for marginal gains
Tactics 11.08.21 - FM Stag
Do you find that the same tricky winger always gets the better of your full-back every time you come up against them? Does a specific playmaker carve open your defence time and time again with lovely through balls? What about that striker who always seems to evade his marker and nod in a frustrating equaliser at the back post?
Sure, you could tweak your player roles and duties to be less attacking. You could lower the defensive line to try and prevent those pesky forwards getting in behind. You could even change your shape entirely and go with five at the back for extra protection.
But what if there was a more subtle way to minimise these issues? That’s where Opposition Instructions can come in handy. FM Stag explains how Opposition Instructions can give you the crucial tiny margins needed to get results.
Match Plans in FM21 - The Art of Game Management
Tactics 29.07.21 - On The Break FM
Game management has become more and more vital as the tactical side of football has taken on growing importance. Once a manager develops a revolutionary style, there will be a host of others adapting their own approaches to try and get results against them.
One of the most under-utilised, but hugely valuable features in Football Manager 2021 replicates this process - Match Plans. On The Break FM explains how to make the most of them.
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