'Justdomes' guide of being successfull Manager Part 1.

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Re: JUST DO ME'S GUIDE TO THE MANAGER

Postby justdome » 08 Oct 2011 14:39
5. Formations.

5.1 Choosing the right formation & advanced formations.

Undoubtedly the most important part of winning a match, a carefully chosen and deployed formation is what separates the wheat from the chaff. While people spending tokens will have a much easier time winning, people who understand how formations work have a very good chance of competing.

Recently I was asked if I had (bought or found) a guide with all the formations and tactics. The answer was a categorical NO. As some experienced managers (myself included) have pointed out, there aren't magical formations that allow you to win every time. In fact, it's actually the opposite, the most important skill in Top 11 is the ability to adapt to different situations. Relying on ANY given formation only leads to disaster. So instead of trying to post a guide saying what formation to use VS another, I'll post tips that aim to teach how to choose your formation for each game. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime".

While much better than the average player, I'm far from unbeatable, and with a little practice anyone can become better than me. It's all a matter of learning to use what I call "Counter and deploy". This concept, in it's purest form, means that you counter the opponent's attack and then deploy an attack that exploits his weak spots.

To understand what counter & deploy means, first we need to divide formations into 2 categories:

- Generalistic

- Specific attack

Generalistic formations: The Jacks of all trades but masters of none. They allow you to use them more often against a varied number of formations. The downside is that while they don't have major weaknesses, they don't target specific parts of the opponent's defense. When used in conjunction with zonal marking they become auto-pilot formations, ideal for those times when you won't be able to play for a few days or when you sincerely don't have the slightest idea how to beat an opponent.

4-4-2 , 4-4-1-1, 4-1-4-1, 4-1-3-2 wide, 4-1-3-2 narrow, 4-2-3-1, 5-3-2 motivated flat, 5-4-1 flat and 3-2-3-2 are some examples (but there are plenty more, specially if using total football philosophy).

..........4-4-2.................................. 4-4-1-1.............................. 4-1-4-1.............................4-1-3-2 wide...........



............ 4-2-3-1............................ 5-3-2................................5-4-1 flat..............................3-2-3-2..............



As you may notice, they are somewhat tilted towards defense, they are solid both in their flanks and in the middle, and any combination of attackers will have a relatively hard time scoring unless your opponent focuses on an all-attack formation, in which case he'll leave his formation open to a small but somewhat effective attack from your team.

On the other hand, you won't target an specific weakness and this kind of formation's attack is sub-par. You are also a little exposed to specific attacks. It's important to mention that in the long run, a well-managed team with specific attack formations will beat generalistic formations most of the time.

So, how do I set a Generalistic formation?

While it's possible to use man-on-man marking with Generalistic formations (GF), most of the time you'll be using zonal marking. The reason is simple: in order for a GF to work, your players need to be deployed in such a way that there are the least ammount of "uncovered" squares in your half of the pitch. Zonal marking allows your players to move 1 space around them to block an opposing player (A more detailed explanation about marking is explained in above in 4.6).

Use no less than 7 players between midfield and your half. Your midfield should be strong, (with and a special emphasis on flank defense) as you want to have as much possesion as possible . Most of the time this means deploying a ML and MR, but an exception can be made if you are using DML/DMR such as in 3-2-3-2. Short passing is highly recommended, also to increase possesion.

Your passing focus will generally be mixed, so attacking winger (AML/AMR) use is discouraged.

Pressing the whole pitch is the antithesis of general formations, as I said previously, this are cautious formations that grind and wear out your opponent and shouldn't be used for offensive tactics or mentality. I don't recommend using force counter, as this will lead to a loss of ball possesion, which I can't strain to say how vital this is for a GF to work.

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Re: JUST DO ME'S GUIDE TO THE MANAGER

Postby justdome » 08 Oct 2011 14:40
Specific attack formations.

Somewhat easier to understand than General attack formations, this kind thrives in a focused defense and attack. Instead of using 7-9 players to fend-off any posible attack, it uses the least ammount of defenders and marked midfielders and uses the remaining players in the attack.

This is where "counter & deploy" comes into play.

Let's start off by saying that in order to consider an opposing player "covered" he needs to be marked by at least 2 players. Sometimes this isn't possible, but your goal is to have the number opposing players that aren't double+ marked to a minimum.

Here's an example using zonal marking.



-Let's say you want to counter 4-5-1 V (Left image). The first thing to consider is the number of strikers (RED). Since he's only using 1, you can use the minimum of 3 defenders (RED on the right image).

-Next come attack midfielders. He's using AML and AMR (ORANGE) so you know his attack will come from the flanks so you need to place a DL and DR to block them. The DL and DR will also provide coverage to the lone ST if needed.

- So far you've double marked the ST and single marked the AML/AMR, you need to double mark them. Since you are using zonal marking, you can place 2 DMC's (ORANGE on the right image) that will move left or right if needed.

- The MC's follow (Yellow). You already have 2 DMC's providing single cover, so you need to use 2 MC's of your own to double mark. And you are done! all the attackers and midfielders are double marked.

- Now comes the fun part, deploy your own attack: You only have 3 players left for attack and since 4-5-1 V doesn't have wing blockers or mid wingers the best thing to do is deploying attacking wingers (CYAN on the right image). This also means that you should use flank passing.

- Last, deploy your lone ST. If you notice, he's only marked by 2 of the 4 defenders, because your opponent's defense will split by double marking your AML/AMR -or- your ST, but not both.


Now an example using man-to-man marking.



The opponent is using "floating pyramid" formation and your defenders are fast and good markers so you decide to use man-on-man marking.

The process is very similar to that of zonal marking, but actually easier to deploy. All you have to do is "mirror" your opponent's attackers and midfielders and then deploy your opwn attackers in a way they are the least covered possible.

- So you are against a ST (RED), use 3 defenders (RED). 2 AMC's(ORANGE), use 2 DMC's (ORANGE), 2 wingers and a MC (YELLOW) use 2 wingers and a MC (YELLOW). Spread your defenders into DL,DC,DR so they can provide extra coverage against the opposing wingers.

- You only have 2 players left so let's exploit the fact that the opponent isn't using a DMC (CYAN) and use an AMC (CYAN). This means that your attack should come from the middle, or possibly mixed if you motivate your wingers.

- Lastly, deploy your ST, which will only be marked by 2 of the 4 defenders.



5.1.1 Illegal formations.

While there are many possible formations in Top 11, not all of them are valid. This is what it's commonly refered as "illegal formations". The exact rules and consequences aren't publicly known, but it's generally accepted that if your formation is illegal, you'll be penalised with a heavy loss of ball possession. And while it's possible to win with one of said formations, it's not a common occurance.

In order for a formation to be legal it must have:

-At least 3 defenders.
-At least 1 striker.
-At least a player in each flank.
-A goalkeeper.

Here's 3 examples of common illegal formations:



No strikers..........................No wingers.....................Only 2 defenders.