Between the early beta and full release, fans have been at the controls of Football Manager 26 for nearly a month now, but that doesn’t mean that the change to a new tactical structure can’t still be cause for headaches for managers. Success in Football Manager is built on sound tactics, which allow you to get the most out of your players to achieve beyond your club’s reputation and expectations.
Whether you’re new to the game entirely or a seasoned veteran of Football Manager just looking to get used to the new in- and out-of-possession approach, these tips can help you improve your tactics and, as a result, your place in the table.
How Tactics Have Changed For Football Manager 26
The change to how tactics work in FM 26 is one of the biggest new elements in the series, as it returns from its one-year hiatus. While in the past every player received a single position assignment which included both their offensive and defensive responsibilities, now each phase of the game has its own tactical setup.
This grants you significantly more ability to tailor your team’s play and better reflects the real world diversity of tactical set-ups. A major element of this change is the ability to play different shapes in the two phases, instead of having to rely on individual instructions and general role selection to make your plans come to life.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
A lot is going on in a game of Football Manager, with a massive and diverse series of interconnected systems used to simulate the experience of managing a professional club. To assist with this, there are a variety of ways to get help from the staff you hired. On the highest level, you can fully delegate some of your responsibilities to a staff member, allowing you to focus on what you’re most interested in, then slowly add in more responsibilities if desired as you go.
You can also turn to the advice offered by your staff, and this can help tweak your tactics. Check out the tips from your assistant manager and consider whether you think they would be beneficial in your tactical setup. They may be able to see something you hadn’t considered to take your tactic to the next level.
Assess Your Team Carefully For Initial Creation
Over the course of a Football Manager cycle, it is common for certain metas to emerge as players accumulate sufficient game time, allowing them to identify systems or roles that are particularly effective in that year’s game engine. While this can be an effective way to build a squad, even with meta builds, it is important to understand the talent at your disposal. A great tactic is only effective if you have the players to carry it out effectively.
When designing your tactic for the first time first take the time to fully examine the players on your roster. A great way to build an initial tactic to then refine is to simply find the best way to get all your most talented players on the pitch in roles they are comfortable with. While this is unlikely to create a fully tactically sound set-up out of the gate, it gives you a way to assess where you’re strong and weak to then begin altering your tactics to make them more effective.
Check The Market For Key Contributors
Sometimes you will have a winning tactical design that you believe in, but it keeps falling apart over one area, or there is one notable gap in the roster construction that means you can’t even risk trying the tactic out in a match. If the tactic you want to play has plenty of players ineffective at their assigned position, you may need to rethink your tactics.
If just one or two trouble spots persist, then the transfer market may be a solution. Perform a search on your known player database for key attributes and tactical knowledge for your trouble position, and get your scouts searching for options if you don’t love what’s there. The right player can unlock the full potential of your system.
Build Synergies Into Role Assignment
Role assignments and individual instructions are critical components in designing your tactic. These dictate how players will behave and can lead to wildly different outcomes from players, even when they are nominally playing in the same position. An important consideration when designing your tactic is the balance between players near each other on the pitch.
In the best tactics, there are symbiotic relationships within the squad. If a fullback is given an offensive role that requires them to bomb down the wings repeatedly, for example, having a nearby player with a role that provides additional defensive cover can help minimize the defensive risk of the expansive play, for example.
Learn And Adjust As You Go
Sports are all about actions and reactions. You don’t need to nail your tactic on the first try as long as you pay attention to your results with it and adjust accordingly. Watch highlights, analyze data, and listen to the advice of your team. This can help you identify what is going right and what is in need of help within your tactical system.
Update your tactics as your team goes by, seeking to build upon the strengths your tactic shows on the pitch while responding to any problem areas that develop. If your team is excelling with crosses, you may change to increase focus on the flanks, for example, while a team being repeatedly beaten over the top may opt to move back its lines to protect slower defenders.
Getting your tactics just right is about trial and error and learning from experience. The best way to get better at making tactics is to get playing so go build your next tactic and take it to the pitch!
