How to create a successful tactic on Football Manager

Opposition instructions

Written by Pauker

When you head in to an important fixture, whether it's a lower-league derby or a Champions League Final, many new FM players will probably skip the opposition instructions, and anxiously head on into the match. However, not placing instructions on players in the opposition team who can really hurt your team might end up costing you the game.

Before you start your game, or even head on into your pre-match press conference, be sure to check your scout's team report of your upcoming opponent, which will probably tell you who their best player (or players) is at stopping a counter-attack, who can skillfully bamboozle your defenders, and who their goal threats are. If you are willing to go an extra mile to see gain further knowledge of your opponents, be sure to check what kind of attributes their midfield and forward line have.

One of the most important factors is looking for potential players who could cause damage to your team. For example, if I were to play against a player that has high acceleration and pace attributes, it would be better to have “tight marking” checked, to keep that player under pressure. Another “must” for a dangerous attacker is to “show on to weaker foot”, as the player might decide to test the goalkeeper, or whip in a cross, and you can then force them to turn on to their weaker side. Of course, this would make your defence’s and goalkeeper’s lives easier.

If you are facing a real technical player, whose Vision, First Touch and Passing stats are fairly high, it would be preferable to have him “Closed Down”, and have the “Tackling” set to hard, to make him feel that he needs to keep looking over his shoulder when he receives the ball, not knowing when the next challenge will come in. This will stop the player from being as expressive on the ball as he usually is, and force him out of his comfort zone. To add, if you were to find yourself against a tall, yet slow striker, you would also want to have him “Marked Tightly”, and “Shown on to Weaker Foot”, as he can unleash a shot if your player decides to give him the opportunity to test your goalkeeper.

Consequences

One of the many consequences of having the “Tight Marking” and “Close Down” instructions on a player, is that the defending player’s condition will be lowered at a faster rate, which will not help the player’s fitness over long-term. To add, it might get too many players focused on a single player, which would allow other players the freedom to cause your team damage.

As for the “Tackling” (Easy, Normal and Hard) consequences, it can bring various yellow cards or, in the worst case scenario, can get one of your players sent off. If you do choose to go on “Easy Tackling”, it can also open up many other opportunities for your opponent's players.

The last instruction, “Show on to Foot”, can confuse your defenders - if you choose the left or right foot, instead of the weaker foot, it can bamboozle the defender, leaving your defenders helpless for a 1v1 with the goalkeeper.