{"id":13655,"date":"2017-07-07T15:00:21","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T14:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thehighertempopress.com\/?p=13655"},"modified":"2017-07-06T18:50:25","modified_gmt":"2017-07-06T17:50:25","slug":"disciples-rafalution-cup-tie-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehighertempopress.com\/2017\/07\/disciples-rafalution-cup-tie-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Disciples of the Rafalution: A Cup Tie Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

The early rounds of the domestic cup competitions can often be an early season opportunity to build up additional fitness levels, match sharpness, or rotate a squad and allow fringe players the opportunity the stake a claim for themselves. In my current season in FM Touch 2017, I haven\u2019t had such luck with a domestic rival waiting for me in the pre-Christmas rounds. Given my league form (4 points clear at the timing of this fixture), I was clear favourites, despite us being the away team in this fixture. So, how did I approach this challenge?<\/p>\n

Pre-Match Approach<\/h4>\n

Obviously, my first port of call was the Scout Report in my News Feed. A feature of my side this season has been a focus on a 4-2-3-1 approach, granted in some games I have used a 4-4-2 approach. Watford were expected to line up in a 3 CB formation, with 2 WBs, 3 CMs & 2 STCs. Initial thoughts of this were the large gaps between the midfield and forward lines, which I would aim to control. The gaps also suggested the team was built for direct play, with support outlets in the WBs and a midfield 3 capable of all-round play.<\/p>\n

Team selection was influenced by the expected direct approach of our opponents. Initially I was intending on rotating the squad for this midweek cup tie, however I needed to be aware that the team I would like to put out would need to be defensively capable with explosiveness to counter effectively as we would draw our opponents forward. Some players played in positions with unfamiliar roles, yet had the attributes to fulfil roles I would need them to in this fixture. By tweaking the PIs of the assigned roles to roles they would more naturally play to create a hybrid-like role.<\/p>\n

Our PIs & TIs were set up to target the spaces the opposition team would leave, or create them in such a compact defensive third. Particular focus was also paid to their Player<\/em> Roles<\/em>, looking across the lines to discern if they were in a Defend, Support or Attack duty.<\/p>\n

In terms of our Team Instructions,<\/em> although the favourites in the tie, I was playing a rotated side away from home, focusing on playing with a Counter<\/em> mentality, defending slightly deeper, with mixed passing to exploit any counter attacks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

1st<\/sup> Half<\/h4>\n

In terms of our 4-4-2 setup, I started Roberto Firmino as a F9 role alongside a Poacher, Daniel Sturridge. This was as a result of my scout report as I would have preferred to line up with an AMC on Attack behind an AF. As a result, our 2 CMs were tasked with dealing with the 3 CMs of our opponents, while also in an attacking sense being asked to control the space left between our opponents Midfield & Forward lines. While they are capable of lasting 90 mins and both can fulfil BBM roles, these players were almost overworked in this half. This made us susceptible to counter attacks, especially through the middle as we were easily overloaded in 2v3 CM battles. This overload came to bite us as our 2 STCs penned our opponents 3 CBs on the halfway line, but the ball moved too easily across the midfield, creating channels and space that a near-post runner to a cross found and scored from. This would not have happened if we had had a 3rd<\/sup> midfield player.<\/p>\n\r\n