Help with orders please

Playing a side today who is a 73.7 quality, i´m currently a 68.5, so not really much in it, he has 2 superstar players and 3 world class players, 4 scout players, and 2 excellent players, i have 5 scout players and 6 excellent (high 60´s) quality, he´s won 17 lost 3, where i´ve struggled all sesaon really, but have drawn and beaten the top team, there only draw and defeat all season, todays opp is planning on playing a 4-1-2-1-2 formation, i´m pretty sure on what formation im planning on going to go with, but i´d like to know what orders you all think would work against him, oh and i´m home aswell, thoughts please guys, many thanks.

Go back through the match reports on his 3 losses and see what formations where used and base your formation on that. Only once you have a set formation should you look at orders.

Against 4-1-2-1-2, I usually recommend going with 3N-1-4-2, down the flanks. red arrows on ML/MR. If he has strong AMC, then I put blue arrow on my DMC.

Hey pal, funnily enough i went through his results before i posted my message, he lost in round 1 to a side that currently sit 4th, but he played a different formation to what he´s planning on playing today, but i did notice that he´s using practically the same players now as back then, the team he lost to i drew 2-2 with, then beat 4-0, then in round 12 he lost at home to the side that are currently 1st, they have only drew 1 and lost 1 all season, incedently those have been to me,"lol", then in round 19 he lost 2-0 to a team that are in 10th position, i have drew 2-2 with them, yet to play the return leg, in the earlier season i lost to the side im due to play tonight 3-2, after leading 0-1 and 1-2, i had my dmc sent off in the 2nd halve and wasnt watching so wasnt able to move another player into that position and i think his strengh came through in the end and he ended up winning 3-2, allbeit 2 were penalties, i was planning on using the formation you suggested and i always use red arrows on my wingers, but should i go with long/short or mixed passing, should i use normal/hard tackling, should i go with counter attacks, press in own/whole pitch and would ya advise i go with normal mentality to start see how it goes, or start with defensive, anyway many thanks for your advice, adiós amigo, gracias.

If this were my team, I would go attacking, down the flanks, mixed passing, normal tackle, mixed passing, zonal, no offside, no counter.

hard tackle or normal tackle, that is the question for me. I know hard tackle wastes more condition, I believe, so it depends on how you want to play it. Since he is a bit better than you, if your defense matches with his offense speedwise, then I would go with hard tackle, and prepare to sub in defensive players later, otherwise I would play it safer and go normal tackle.

I usually almost always press whole pitch. Again it logically and realistically wastes more condition but it should cause more turnovers and give more possession overall...in theory. Plus, it makes for more play out of your defensive zone...in theory.

When I am up against vastly superior opposition, I sit back with own pitch defense and long ball, with hard tackle. Just a different mindset and I hate to play that way, but it works.

Your guy is not vastly superior but you might play it more safer than I would. Of course it is up to you, but I told you are the start how I would play it.

Good luck