Hit The Runner

Hit The Runner - An Introduction

When it comes to formations and tactics, there will - nearly - always be an element of square pegs and round holes. Even if you are fortunate to manage a top club, with resources that would make Croesus jealous, you are always going to have to change things occasionally - injuries, suspensions and even substitutions all come into play. You might be top of La Liga, and have the perfect starting eleven players for your fancy 4-2-3-1 with roaming playmakers and inverted wingbacks, but you can still only have seven subs. However it plays out - at some point, you are going to have to be prepared to adapt. Here we are not concerned with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City - and when you are managing in the lower leagues, you are going to have to learn to adapt more often.

So far, so routine. 

Now - Say you've never managed as a semi professional club before. When you look around for advice, you will inevitably come across something along the lines of; "Keep it simple, 4-4-2, on the counter, target man and poacher up front, one attack, two support and one defensive role in midfield. Whilst there is certainly logic behind the 'keep it simple' approach, it doesn't have to be the be all and end all of being a semi professional Football Manager. 

Going back to the square pegs and round holes I mentioned earlier - the reason for playing players out of position is, unless you have a grand plan in mind to change their position, you don't have any other choice. It's all very well saying you should play a 4-4-2 - but what if you take over a side to find that there is nothing in the transfer budget, you are already over your wage budget, nobody wants to sign any of your reserves and there's a week to go until the deadline - and you only have one striker. Yes, you could push a winger or midfielder up there and hope they do the job temporarily - or you could think again. 

Every manager, at whatever level, wants to use their players in the role that they will be able to operate most effectively. As mentioned, there will, inevitably, be times when you have to change things - but why start off in the wrong place to begin with? One of my favourite football books is Garry Nelson's 'One Foot In The Grave', chronicling his year as Player/Assistant Manager at Torquay United in the 1996/97 season. Fairly early on, there comes something along the lines of; 'If you have Alan Shearer and Fabrizio Ravanelli up front, why ask Robbie Fowler to play centre half?'.

It is this that is my main problem with the - almost default - advice issued to newcomers to the lower league/part time game in FM. You shouldn't feel that you have to play in a certain style, in a certain way - if you want to try something different, then go for it - there is no reason that it will not work just because of the level you are at. Note that this doesn't mean you can fill the screen with every exotic role out there - it may still not work - but whatever, it won't be because you are playing away at Slum Street rather than the San Siro. 

To give an example - if I take over a club, and find they have three good centre backs, I would be foolish to leave one on the bench or make him play right back because I want to get him in the team. In that situation, I would be thinking; 'OK, three good centre backs, let's start from there. 3 at the back'. If you, say, take over a club without any wingers and you are wedded to the 4-4-2, you are going to have two square pegs before you start - or, to look at it another way, you are going into a game with a maximum of nine players out of your starting eleven in their most effective role - probably two behind the opposition before the ref has even done the coin toss.

Next time you take over a club and before you plug in that tactic which you usually use and build around it - why not try developing something based on the assets at your disposal?