$show=home

WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA

Step into the dugout and discover even more reasons to love the beautiful game in FM25. Out from March 2025.

$show=home

TRENDING NOW

$show=home

$show=home

PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP

$show=home

Join our Premium Program

Joining our Premium Membership program is the best way to make sure you have the best Football Manager experience with all the best custom-made add-ons every year.


As a premium member, you get access to super-fast direct downloads of all the graphics including our FM facepack, FM logopack, trophies pack, backgrounds and much, much more, a total of 10GB in various graphic packs to download from one place.



MEMBERS AREA

$show=home$type=three$va=0$t=oot$m=0$s=0$rm=0$l=0

$show=home

$show=home

NEW EBOOK

"Mastering Football Manager" is your ultimate guide to conquering the world's most popular football management game. This comprehensive eBook delves deep into the strategies, tactics, and secrets that can turn your team into champions.


With 233 pages covering everything from team building and tactics to mental toughness and leadership, this ebook is a must-read for any serious Football Manager player.



OUT NOW

$show=home

$type=three$count=96$t=oot$m=0$rm=0$l=0$spa=1$p=1$va=0$show=/p/blog.html

Guide to Opposition Instructions on Football Manager

Opposition instructions are a powerful tool to counter the threat of your opposition in Football Manager, and this guide will show you how to do this.
Guide to Opposition Instructions on Football Manager | FM22

Opposition instructions are a powerful tool to counter the threat of your opposition in Football Manager, and this guide will show you how to do this.


The instructions you give before a game will act as an extension to the player instructions you have set in your own tactics.

There are different ways to set the opposition instructions and in this Football Manager guide, we will explain what they do and different ways to set them.

Although setting opposition instructions could be a good way to take out any of your opponent’s star players, it could also create flaws and openings in your own tactics.

Before you think about setting opposition instructions, make sure your players are able to follow the instructions you would like to set. For example, before you go in hard on an opposition player, make sure that you have players with good defensive abilities in that position otherwise it will result in needless cards and giving unwanted set-piece opportunities to the opposition.

There are 2 types of opposition instructions in Football Manager,


  1. Player Specific Opposition Instructions
  2. Positional Opposition Instructions

As the names suggest, player-specific instructions are designed to specifically mark opposition players (generally star players) regardless of which position they play.

Positional opposition instructions are used to mark or cover a specific position regardless of which player plays in that place.

Note, player-specific instructions will always override positional instructions in the game.

Let us take a look at the different opposition instructions in Football Manager


Tight Marking


This will instruct your players to mark even closer while marking a player.

1. Always

Use this opposition instruction against players who love to work with open space.

For example, midfielders who play in a Playmaker role or Attackers that are proven goal scorers. You don’t want to give these players too much space, so it is advisable to mark them closely at all times.

2. Never

It is advisable to set tight marking to never if you encounter a player that has much more speed than the player you have defending him. Marking him too closely will result in the faster player having more space to run into. It’s better to leave these players some space in front of your defender, so the defender has a bit of a head-start if the attacker decides to run.

Also, it could be useful for an opposition that has poor creativity, technique or ball control. Not marking a specific player could force your opponent to give him the ball, as he is the only one with enough free space. That way you can force your opponent into making poor decisions.

  • [message]
    • PRO TIP:
      • Never closely mark players with relative speed compared to the players that would mark them. Closely mark players who have high pass completion percentages (most often CMs) so they receive the ball less.

Closing down


This will instruct your players to close down opponents as they receive the ball.

1. Always

Closing down a player who is nervous can be very effective. You will put him under pressure, forcing him to make a choice. The immediate pressure will force the nervous player to make a panicked decision, which will often be a poor one. Look for players with player traits like ‘Dwells on Ball’ or ‘Stops Play’. By putting these players under pressure you could force them to make a bad choice.

It is also advisable to look to close down players with poor technical attributes like Creativity, Passing, Decisions, First Touch and Composure. Putting them under pressure can force them into mistakes.

Lastly, this tactic can also be used to pressure opponents who are just back from injury and will lack match sharpness.

  • [message]
    • PRO TIP
      • Close down on players with relatively poor pass completion percentages or who get a lot of assists.

2. Never

It is advisable to never mark an opposition player closely if he is a Speedy Dribbler. The player may freeze up with the space you give him, not knowing what to do with such a lack of pressure. (also partially due to the fact that he will be able to beat his marker with relative ease).

It is also good to avoid closing down opponents with high agility or traits such as “does the unexpected with the ball” or has a high flair rating.

It may also be useful to never close down a poor player if they are surrounded by more dangerous players in other positions. That way you can instruct your players to concentrate more on the higher quality players instead of the poor player. This may force the poor player to be the only passing option for the higher quality players. Once he receives the ball, he will have a higher chance of making a mistake which may gift you possession of the ball.

Tackling


This will determine how aggressively you want an opponent to be tackled when in possession.

1. Hard

Could be useful to ‘scare’ an opponent. Look for players with low Aggression, Bravery, Composure, Determination and Work Rate.

It may also work against a player that is a good passer or crosser but lacks mobility. By going in hard on him, you can neutralize him by exploiting his flaws.

Tired players or players that have picked up a knock are also good choices. It’s a bit mean and definitely underhanded, but tired players have an increased likelihood to get injured, whilst a player that has a knock could be forced out of the game by a hard tackle.

2. Easy

Could be effective against a player that has better mobility or Dribbling ability than the player you have covering him. Going in too hard could result in fouls and cards, so it is better to be a bit more careful when tackling these sorts of players.

3. Normal

If you want to alter the tackling instructions for your entire team for a specific player. For example, when using the Get Stuck In team instruction, your players will tackle harder in general. By adding the Normal (or Easy) instruction you will alter that for a specific player or position.

  • [message]
    • PRO TIP
      • Hard tackle those with low bravery and secondarily aggression and anticipation. Ease of tackles against high bravery and secondarily aggression and anticipation

Show onto foot


This will instruct your players to force their opponent onto a specific side. Ideally, you would like the player to be forced onto his weaker foot.

1. Left foot/ right foot

This can be useful if an opponent’s Strong Foot is Left Only or Right Only. That way you can force a player to move onto his weaker foot, making him less effective. But you can also use this to force a player to the outside or inside of the pitch.

2. Weaker foot

Essentially the same as previous, this can be useful for players who are in the centre of the pitch (a midfielder or striker). But be careful of players who can shoot/pass with both feet.

Take for instance an inverted left winger/inside forward who plays on the left side of the pitch but is predominantly right-footed. If you force him onto his weaker foot (his left in this example) you are taking away the ability for the player to cut in and shoot and forcing him to cross using his weaker foot which may not be as threatening.

  • [message]
    • PRO TIP
      • Show to weaker foot on players who are "right only" or "left only" as well as players who have an incredible goal or assist record. Ensure you check prior that the opposition player is not learning/has not learnt to 'develop weaker foot'.

Final thoughts


Instead of going through all this hassle, some managers just let one of their coaches take care of the ‘opponent instructions’.

However, do note that a high “tactical knowledge” combined with a high “judging player ability” is vital so that the coach’s instructions can be effective. Otherwise, it is just like shooting in the dark and can backfire miserably in crucial matches.

$show=mobile

Become a Premium Member

Unlock exclusive access to the best graphics, facepacks, tactics, and addons. Enjoy fast downloads with no torrents, and experience the game like never before.

Join Now
Name

23,909,24,278,AMAZON PRIME,2,BACKROOM STAFF,57,BARGAINS,32,BEST PLAYERS,87,CAREER STORY,56,CHALLENGES,126,CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER,1,CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2001/2002,1,CUSTOM DATABASE,23,E,8,EDIT,7,ESSENTIALS,3,FACEPACK,1,FM 24 FACEPACK,1,FM BLOG,2031,FM BOOKS,4,FM COMMUNITY,1,FM EXPERIMENT,12,FM MEMES,1,FM MOBILE,1,FM NEWS,90,FM VIDEOS,23,FM WONDERKIDS,108,FM14,100,FM15,64,FM16,108,FM17,78,FM18,60,FM18 INFO,7,FM18 NEW FEATURES,7,FM18 PLAYERS,4,FM18 STAFF,4,FM19,65,FM19 NEW FEATURES,6,FM20,260,FM20 BARGAINS,7,FM20 CHALLENGES,38,FM20 DATABASE,4,FM20 LIST,47,FM20 NEW FEATURES,9,FM20 PLAYER SHORTLIST,9,FM20 SKINS,10,FM20 STAFF,10,FM20 TACTICS,40,FM20 TEAM GUIDES,34,FM20 TOP WONDERKIDS,18,FM20 VIDEOS,1,FM20 WONDERKID REVIEW,79,FM20 WONDERKIDS,96,FM21,354,FM21 ASSISTANT MANAGER,2,FM21 BARGAINS,8,FM21 CHALLENGES,35,FM21 COACHES,3,FM21 FREE AGENTS,7,FM21 HIDDEN GEMS,1,FM21 NEW FEATURES,11,FM21 SCOUTING,196,FM21 SHORTLIST,4,FM21 SKINS,4,FM21 STAFF,6,FM21 TACTICS,59,FM21 TEAM GUIDES,57,FM21 TRANSFER BUDGETS,3,FM21 VIDEOS,50,FM21 WONDERKIDS,108,FM21 WONDERKIDS SHORTLIST,1,FM22,282,FM22 ASSISTANT MANAGERS,1,FM22 BARGAINS,8,FM22 BEST PLAYERS,21,FM22 BEST PLAYERS SHORTLIST,1,FM22 CHALLENGE,16,FM22 CHALLENGES,3,FM22 COACHES,1,FM22 DATABASE,3,FM22 FREE AGENTS,7,FM22 FREE AGENTS SHORTLIST,1,FM22 HIDDEN GEMS,1,FM22 MOBILE,1,FM22 NEW FEAURES,2,FM22 SCOUTING,134,FM22 SKINS,9,FM22 TACTICS,50,FM22 TEAM GUIDES,33,FM22 TOP 100 WONDERKIDS,10,FM22 TRANSFER BUDGETS,2,FM22 WONDERKIDS,106,FM22 WONDERKIDS SHORTLIST,1,FM23,189,FM23 ASSISTANT MANAGERS,1,FM23 BARGAINS,3,FM23 BEST PLAYERS,2,FM23 CHALLENGE,5,FM23 CHALLENGES,7,FM23 COACHES,1,FM23 DATABASE,1,FM23 FREE AGENTS,3,FM23 FREE AGENTS SHORTLIST,1,FM23 HIDDEN GEMS,1,FM23 NEW FEATURES,5,FM23 SCOUTING,66,FM23 SHORTLIST,3,FM23 SKINS,10,FM23 TACTICS,21,FM23 TEAM GUIDES,6,FM23 TRANSFER BUDGETS,4,FM23 WONDERKIDS,51,FM23 WONDERKIDS SHORTLIST,1,FM24,179,FM24 BACKROOM STAFF,5,FM24 BARGAINS,5,FM24 BEST PLAYERS,3,FM24 CHALLENGES,3,FM24 DATABASE,1,FM24 FREE AGENTS,3,FM24 GRAPHICS,2,FM24 HIDDEN GEMS,1,FM24 NEW FEATURES,12,FM24 PLAYER SHORTLISTS,4,FM24 SAVE IDEA,39,FM24 SCOUTING,47,FM24 SHORTLIST,8,FM24 SKINS,18,FM24 STAFF SHORTLIST,4,FM24 SUGAR DADDY,1,FM24 TACTICS,20,FM24 TEAM GUIDES,2,FM24 TRANSFER BUDGETS,3,FM24 WONDERKIDS,30,FM24 WONDERKIDS SHORTLIST,1,FM25,21,FM25 SAVE IDEA,2,FM25 SCOUTING,1,FM25 WONDERKIDS,1,FOOTBALL MANAGER,72,FOOTBALL TALK,96,FREE AGENTS,45,GAME GUIDES,166,GAMING EQUIPMENT,7,GIVEAWAY,2,GRAPHICS,21,GUIDES,2,LIST ARTICLES,102,LOGOPACK,1,OFFICIAL FM HINTS & TIPS,7,OMEGA LUKE,6,PLAYER ATTRIBUTES,9,PLAYER GUIDE,108,PREMIER LEAGUE,2,RHYS,2,SAVE IDEAS,246,SCOUTING,430,SKINS,65,SUGAR DADDY,4,SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS,13,TACTICAL ANALYSIS,29,TACTICS,214,TEAM GUIDES,148,TEAMS TO MANAGE,179,TECHNICAL DIRECTOR,1,THE MAD SCIENTIST,3,TRANSFER BUDGETS,35,UPDATES,16,WONDERKIDS,654,
ltr
item
FM Blog - Football Manager 2024 Community: Guide to Opposition Instructions on Football Manager
Guide to Opposition Instructions on Football Manager
Opposition instructions are a powerful tool to counter the threat of your opposition in Football Manager, and this guide will show you how to do this.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaP9qF924jBgudItSphqTILmvLCaNnAlxnXEXrT2Ipiqp27Egrg6DGtYa8IKS54RGV76amgLG3LnbMRz5Hl30pFkTo_PxGb-naHsWDUUc9rsRehegACAwGuzUsn92UYf4YOnbTKwBVUYvNLW90enHi1RrpDT8yz8H6ZalrAUZ1sZmkaOwURb253gyP/s16000/Guide-to-Opposition-Instructions-Football-Manager-FM22.png
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaP9qF924jBgudItSphqTILmvLCaNnAlxnXEXrT2Ipiqp27Egrg6DGtYa8IKS54RGV76amgLG3LnbMRz5Hl30pFkTo_PxGb-naHsWDUUc9rsRehegACAwGuzUsn92UYf4YOnbTKwBVUYvNLW90enHi1RrpDT8yz8H6ZalrAUZ1sZmkaOwURb253gyP/s72-c/Guide-to-Opposition-Instructions-Football-Manager-FM22.png
FM Blog - Football Manager 2024 Community
https://www.footballmanagerblog.org/2022/04/football-manager-opposition-instructions-guide.html
https://www.footballmanagerblog.org/
https://www.footballmanagerblog.org/
https://www.footballmanagerblog.org/2022/04/football-manager-opposition-instructions-guide.html
true
3612031012790362698
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Read More Reply Cancel reply Delete By HOME PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU CATEGORY ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow SHARE TO UNLOCK THE DISCOUNT CODE STEP 1: Share to a social network STEP 2: Click the link on your social network Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy Table of Content