4 Team Instructions You're Using WRONG in Football Manager

This Football Manager guide is here to point out commonly misunderstood team instructions and why they might be doing you more harm than good.

Unlock the Secrets of Effective Team Instructions and Boost Your Gameplay in Football Manager

Picture the scene: you’re setting up your tactic, you’ve got your formation nailed on, all your player roles set up for success, your mentality is ready to go, and then you come to your team instructions. You know how you want your team to play, but you’ve spotted a few extra instructions that sound like a good idea. Suddenly you notice your tactic isn’t working how you meant, and you’re leaving yourself exposed or not exploiting opposition weaknesses like you wanted. Let's see what you might be doing wrong.

1. Prevent Short GK Distribution

Let’s face it, if you don’t love a good gegenpress, you haven’t been paying attention for the last four FMs. Even after SI changed the fatigue settings to try and counter the effectiveness, we’ve all seen how much success can be had from a good high pressing system. So, it makes sense to start that press from the goalkeeper, right?

Wrong.

Think about it, if the goalkeeper can’t distribute short, what’s he going to do? Punt it long to a target man - or even worse, punt it long to your centre back and press him. This is an absolute gift to opposition GKs and centre backs, as this gives them an easy way to bypass your pressing. Letting opposition CBs receive the ball to feet is the best way to trigger your press, and forcing them to play a long ball completely misses that.

To use this successfully, you also need a DM and to defend narrowly so your midfield and defence can challenge for the second ball after your CB wins the header. Be careful not to leave too big a gap between your midfield and attack though, as this space can be exploited by a DM.

READ ALSO: How to Set Up Tactical Player Instructions on Football Manager

2. Look for Overlaps

Andy Robertson, Kyle Walker, Alphonso Davies, Marcelo. Overlapping full-backs are a key part of the modern game and are such a useful weapon when used correctly.

Here’s the thing though, if you’re playing with wing-backs, you don’t have to look for overlaps. They’re already there.

Look again at the description of a wing-back:



The wing-back overlaps automatically. You don’t have to tell him to overlap. By telling your team to look for overlaps, you’re telling your midfield to wait until the wing-back makes the run before making a decision. This is fine if you’re playing a low-tempo considered possession game, but for a swashbuckling rapid counter-attacking game the last thing you want is for everyone to stop and wait for your wing-backs to get in position. Without “look for overlaps” selected, you’ll still get those runs, but the ball will move forward much quicker, which in many ways helps them because the defence doesn’t have time to prepare for it.

3. Be More Expressive

This is one of the most misused tactical instructions in the game. If your tactic requires your entire team to be on the same page, you’ll be looking for your players to stick to the plan and ensure they’re doing the jobs they’re asked to do. And yet, so many players use Be More Expressive to try and create more fluidity.

The problem is, Be More Expressive is a general permission to your players to abandon their role if they see fit, and to impact the game in their own way. This is fine if you trust your players, but you may find that they’re shirking their defensive responsibilities, or not maintaining the width you’ve asked, or dribbling more than you expect. This button literally tells your players to disobey their instruction. So if you find your players are turning in undisciplined, unorganised and unstructured performances, take this instruction off.

READ ALSO: 4 Things You Must Do When Starting a New Save on Football Manager

4. More Often Pressing

Yes, we all love pressing, I could talk about this all day. But there’s a time and a place. Your tactic plays a high line of engagement and hassles defenders? Great, press all you want. Your tactic involves a low line of engagement and a lower defensive line? You might want to reconsider pressing here.

If you’ve brought your team back into your own half, you’re defending deep, trying to nullify a better side - or trying to preserve a lead - you need solidity. You want your players to keep their shape and be difficult to break down. By leaving your pressing at more often or much more often, all that happens is the opposition brings the ball forward, and suddenly you’ve got players out of position. You’re chasing shadows while the opposition stroke the ball around like the Netherlands in the 70s, and they’re exploiting the spaces left by your players who have decided their own half is a great time to press. If you’re defending deep, keep everyone compact, and stop pressing. It’ll keep your team hard to break down and stop the opposition from waltzing into your penalty box.

LEARN MORE: Mastering Football Manager - eBook

Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering opposition instructions in Football Manager is more than just a set of commands; it's about understanding the nuances of your team's tactics and exploiting the opposition's weaknesses. By focusing on the strategic aspects discussed in this guide, such as preventing short GK distribution, optimizing overlaps, using expressive play judiciously, and timing your pressing effectively, you can enhance your gameplay experience significantly. Remember, the right instructions can transform a good tactic into a great one, leading to more consistent victories and a deeper enjoyment of the game. Armed with these insights, you're now better equipped to take your Football Manager skills to the next level. Happy managing!