AdamWilliam__

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Just a quick question/debate for all the lower league/non league players out there.

1) Which do you prefer tactics wise, Rigid or Fluid?
2) Would you class Work Rate and Team Work as important attributes, given it's hard to find good technical players at that level?

Look forward to hearing everyone's responses
 
I was managing in the Skrill South in FM13 and I'm now top of Skrill Premier by 20 points in my 2nd season, using a rigid
4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2.

Not sure what's changed in FM14 tactic wise, other than the sliders, so I don't know what it takes to get promoted in LLM, but in FM13 pace on the wings and height up front is key, I don't worry about much else. I just pump the ball into the box and hit early crosses into my 6'4 target man, and either he or my advanced forward puts the ball in the net.

I had 1* CBs keeping my 4* CBs out of the team due to their height as well, anything 6'4 and above blocks so many crosses into the box. So, for me, the most important attributes are pace and height, and both work really well if you play direct and on the counter attack, which I think is the best way to play in the lower leagues as players lack the skills to do much else.
 
You've pretty much said exactly how I set my team up as well, well how I did first season anyway. Managing Harrogate in Skrill North.

Tried to play football a bit more in second season but it's not working so more than likely going to revert to the tired and testing method that you've said.

What about your CM's how do you set them out?
 
I play a direct 4-2-3-1 approach as Torquay. I started out with a 4-4-1-1, but I found out that my wingers were more suited to playing higher up the pitch. The keyword here is "direct passing", as most lower league players lack composure, creativity and first touch. It's possible to find technical proficient players(usually unwanted, older players from leagues above you or loaned in players), but most would be slow, so this player should be the playmaker to distribute balls to your pacy players.


Also, pace is not much of a factor if the said player has <11 in dribbling. The best way to use pace is in the back four, a tall, mobile defense with okay positioning is great for the lower leagues.
 
I think I'm gonna play a flat 4-4-2 for away matches, but change to a 4-2-2-2 for home.
At the moment both my Wide Fielders are AML and AMR naturally so I am having to retrain them to play as ML/MR, so for the time being it would be easier to have them further up the pitch.

Do you use your wide AM's as Inside Forwards or Wingers? Mine both have good Pace/Acceleration and Crossing is above 11 for each, but apart from that all their attributes key for their position are poor. So I'm not sure how to set them up.

Also, do you have all your defence set with Defend duties or do you have any Cover/Stopper and Support?
 
You've pretty much said exactly how I set my team up as well, well how I did first season anyway. Managing Harrogate in Skrill North.

Tried to play football a bit more in second season but it's not working so more than likely going to revert to the tired and testing method that you've said.

What about your CM's how do you set them out?

I play with a BWM set to defend, and a CM set to support. I look for good passing for the CM so he can play the ball out to the wingers, Jari Litmanen is good at this even at age 42.
I play 4-2-2-2 home or away, and counter, unless it's much weaker opposition, then attack.
I play with wingers, so they can get plenty of crosses into the box, but every now and again i'll end up having to play a right footed player on the left side and vice versa, in which case I play them as an IF.
For the back 4, I have to CDs set to defend and my 2 fullbacks set to support.
 
I play with a BWM set to defend, and a CM set to support. I look for good passing for the CM so he can play the ball out to the wingers, Jari Litmanen is good at this even at age 42.
I play 4-2-2-2 home or away, and counter, unless it's much weaker opposition, then attack.
I play with wingers, so they can get plenty of crosses into the box, but every now and again i'll end up having to play a right footed player on the left side and vice versa, in which case I play them as an IF.
For the back 4, I have to CDs set to defend and my 2 fullbacks set to support.

Ive just signed Lee Hendrie, he may be 37 but apart from his physical stats he is a good enough signing for Skrill Premier. Think he'll be the passer of my team.

Do you have your wingers set with specific instructions, i.e Cross Aim?
 
Also, how well do your defenders play as CD's?

I've always used mine as Limited Defenders.
 
Ive just signed Lee Hendrie, he may be 37 but apart from his physical stats he is a good enough signing for Skrill Premier. Think he'll be the passer of my team.

Do you have your wingers set with specific instructions, i.e Cross Aim?

No I left the individual instructions, apart from changing long shots to rarely and changed crossing from my fullbacks and wingers to often, no specific aim has been set.

My defenders play well as CDs, I've never tried them as anything else, I just keep it simple in the lower leagues, they do leak a few goals a times but I think that's just lower league football, at one point I went 8-9 games without conceding though, and my keeper usually has the most clean sheets over the season, I think as long as you have at least 1 tall CB you'll do alright.
 
No I left the individual instructions, apart from changing long shots to rarely and changed crossing from my fullbacks and wingers to often, no specific aim has been set.

My defenders play well as CDs, I've never tried them as anything else, I just keep it simple in the lower leagues, they do leak a few goals a times but I think that's just lower league football, at one point I went 8-9 games without conceding though, and my keeper usually has the most clean sheets over the season, I think as long as you have at least 1 tall CB you'll do alright.

Think I might try them as Central Defenders then, one upside is I can set them to pass shorter which you can't with Limited Defenders. Yeah I think my GK finished second in the league last season for clean sheets, majority of goals conceded are really soft, or complete flukes, which is annoying but definitely something which will happen more often in lower/non-league
 
Here's screenshots of my tactics and players stats, as you can see there is a decent amount of assists from the wingers.

View attachment 427365View attachment 427364

I would recommend James Hanson if you can get him on loan or sign him, scored 8 goals and got 3 assists in his first 9 games for me, makes a great target man.
 
Here's screenshots of my tactics and players stats, as you can see there is a decent amount of assists from the wingers.

View attachment 483659View attachment 483660

I would recommend James Hanson if you can get him on loan or sign him, scored 8 goals and got 3 assists in his first 9 games for me, makes a great target man.

Ahh I see that's with FM13, hopefully won't be too difficult to get pretty much the same style of play with no-sliders.

I see you've got Bossman, I have considered him in the past but his attributes seem poor, obviously you've managed to get him to perform though.
 
i created a fluid control tactic using Ebbsfleet in Skrill South and tweaked it each season to get tho the Premier League. My team has the feel of Southampton this season with good young English players playing continental football.
 
i created a fluid control tactic using Ebbsfleet in Skrill South and tweaked it each season to get tho the Premier League. My team has the feel of Southampton this season with good young English players playing continental football.

Where you using Fluid straight from the start? I've tried, but I feel like the players aren't good enough to work a fluid system at a low level. If anything I'd maybe start introducing a fluid tactic into the team maybe when I get into League 2.

Obviously the players you might be able to attract with Ebbsfleet may be better than the ones I can attract with Harrogate. For me, a Rigid approach seems to get better results
 
Where you using Fluid straight from the start? I've tried, but I feel like the players aren't good enough to work a fluid system at a low level. If anything I'd maybe start introducing a fluid tactic into the team maybe when I get into League 2.

Obviously the players you might be able to attract with Ebbsfleet may be better than the ones I can attract with Harrogate. For me, a Rigid approach seems to get better results

at every level your team will be able to play fluid, you have to take in consideration the level of your team in the league not in the country :) if you are the better team in the league 2 you can play fluid against someone weaker
 
at every level your team will be able to play fluid, you have to take in consideration the level of your team in the league not in the country :) if you are the better team in the league 2 you can play fluid against someone weaker

Ahh right ok, I thought the rule was, the less technical your players are the more they would struggle to play a fluid system.

Rigid is still the way for me at the moment though, got one of the weakest sides in the league I think. Gonna be a struggle for a few years to attract a better standard of player.

I have managed to sign a regen CM who was attracting interest from 90% of teams in the Championship. Can't get to computer to upload screenshot yet but will later on.
 
Ahh I see that's with FM13, hopefully won't be too difficult to get pretty much the same style of play with no-sliders.

I see you've got Bossman, I have considered him in the past but his attributes seem poor, obviously you've managed to get him to perform though.

Yeah his attributes aren't the best but he has good pace which is what I wanted on the wings. He performed better last season in the Skrill South, in 38 apps he scored 11 goals and got 14 assists.

Ben May might be affordable for Harrogate, he was class in the Skrill South, in 47 apps scored 36 goals and got 15 assists.

Here are the shouts I use for my tactic, so might work well in FM14.
View attachment 427139
 
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