The Secret of my Success - Tactics and Formations

Stokes's TT&F Diamond Set
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Hello all, I have been using this tactic with Tottenham for a few years now and it has produced very good results for me. In 2012/13 I won the Champions League using this set. Most of these tactics are based on the TT&F thread and Matt's TT&F Tactics posted in the SI Games forum.

Important Note: This tactic uses a lot of width which means that is more suited for higher levels of football, and it will rely on long creative passes and through balls to be successful. I have not tested this with a lower league team however my assumption is that it would not work well.

There are a total of 4 tactical formations in this set, however the "Standard" tactic should be used to start almost every game. Here is a breakdown of the tactics:

Standard: 4-4-2 diamond formation that uses an attacking mentality with overlapping fullbacks that get forward to assist the wingers. I use the AMC as the playmaker and this player MUST be a very gifted and creative talent in order for this to work properly.















Attack: 4-4-2 diamond formation similar to standard with much more emphasis on attack. This tactic should be used late in games when searching for a equalizer or when the opposition has parked their entire team in front of their own goal in attempt to draw the match.
















Defensive: 4-4-2 diamond formation that instructs players to stay in between the ball and their own goal, and uses a counter attack long-ball approach when possession is gained. Use this tactic when you are extreme underdog and would like to attempt to hold the game scoreless early on. I will use this for the first 20 minutes or so and if things are going well I may switch to standard.















Shut the Door: 4-5-1 formation using a very defensive mentality to close out a close match. This tactic has proven to very successful for me when leading by a goal and AI goes to a 4-2-4 formation.

















Key Points:

- As always team talks are critical to making this tactic successful. Most often I use "for the fans" when at home and "wish luck" when the club is away. When complacency is a concern I will instruct a handful of players with Superb morale that I expect a performance from them.

- You must close down the oppositions play maker at all cost. Most of the time your ass-man will tell you the proper MC or AMC to close down, however if you are losing the possession battle you should check the opposition stats and make sure you are closing down the midfield player with the most passes and key passes.

- Try to stay away from tight marking always setting in the midfield OI instructions as it will pull your side out of shape. The AMC and DMC in your squad will either move forward or retreat to ensure the tight mark is set however it will leave a large gap in your formation.

- You can use target man if you feel the need, however it is not necessary.

- You can reduce the forwards on the AMC to "Mixed" if you feel the player is not linking play effectively or if you feel he is getting to close the marking of the opposition DC's. I have good results when this setting is set either way however I think it can be changed based on the attributes of your AMC and the opponents tactics against you.

- When using the 4-5-1 formation make sure your side as the proper personnel at DMC and DC as the tactic is highly reliant on crowding the box, winning the aerial battles, and making quick clearances.

Most positions in these formations require standard attributes for their positions. I would however recommend the following:
FCd (striker with forward runs set to rarely): Technique, Creativity, Long Shots, Strength, First Touch.
FCa (striker with forward runs set to often): Acceleration, First Touch, Off the Ball, Finishing, Composure
AMC: First Touch, Technique, Creativity, Flair, Decisions. This role has been the most important one in my experience, and you must find a forward who can produce big time results from this position.

These tactics worked on 9.1 and 9.2.
Your feedback is welcome and I would love to hear about everyone else's results when using this set.

Download Links

Full Tactic Set
Standard
Attack
Defensive
Shut the Door 4-5-1