"How to beat" thread
 

I'm meeting the recently demoted Green City FC next sunday. They're pretty strong, but I'm not giving in prematurely. Instead of giving in, I'm asking fro help [:o)] Obviously, feel free to do the same.

Some info: the guy is playing 5-3-2 CA. My guess would be to play with two offensive wingers and two (offensive) inner-mids (I'm playing 3-4-3). The only problem is that he played 4-4-2 normal (v.s. a 3-5-2) last sunday. If he doesn't play CA it's suicide to play with only 2 IM.

Are you sure?
Only in the first cup round he played 5-3-2 CA
All league mathces were played 4-4-2 (one cup match 5-3-2 without CA, one 4-4-2 with CA)
If you both play as you have played your last league match, then I think you have a good chance to win. You should play with 3IM!

Next weak I"ll have to play the leader of my league again. But this time it is a relatively strong team. last match he played at home (no derby) and I played away also not a derby. Next weak we are playing at my place and it is a derby. Last match our ratings were: me him
mid wretched(low) wretched(very low)
right def. poor(low) poor(high)
central def. poor(very low) weak(low)
left def. poor(low) poor(very high)
right attack poor(very high)poor(high)
central attack poor(low) poor(high)
left attack poor(high) poor(high)
I had halve a star more in total. My best forward will be recovered by then, but my second best is now injured.
What I am wondering now is: is it worthwile to play attack over the wings? Although I have no experience with this. And probably my central attack will be stronger because of my stronger forward playing agian.
And may be I should MOTS this one and PIC the next one, which has a disastrous(high) midfield which I should beat easily. But than again I"ll have to play him in his stadium. Winning this one will give me a reasonably big advantage and a very high probability of promoting. In my opinion he is one of the two serious contenders for the two promotion places.
I will be training playmaking this friday so midfield should improve. Or shouldn't I worry and just play my normal formation (3-5-2) normal?

AOW is worthless unless you have very good wingers. Midfield is everything in hattrick, and you're already stronger there. Play both wingers towards middle.

Why would that help me? I do not understand. I stupid newby.[blush]

One rule is: Make your midfield as strong as possible, but I don't agree with Shabba here, but I don't know your players exactly.
If you have decent wingers than play them offensively because with Winger towards Middle you will have a bad rating on the wing attacks.

EDIT: But I agree with Shabba that in your case AOW is really worthless because it weakens your central defense.

My wingers are inadequate at wing, scoring and defense. solid passing and poor playmaking. I could of course put in one of my trainees who is passable playmaking and inadequate winging and has no other qualities what so ever. So I have been playing these guys offensively untill now and was not planning to change that. If I understand it correctly good passing is reason to set a midfielder attacking?

Midfield is important but not everything IMO. Most players that play both Wingers toward middle end up with a lot off posession and no-one to kick in the ball or defend againts enemy attacks.

Sure, but not on this level. The game is more subtle than "midfield wins", thank goodness. WTM isn't a good tactic, I don't even play it myself, despite playing 3-4-3. But I think possession wins you the game on the lowest level.

Arne, if you'd desperately want to become champion, get some midfield (or whatever your liking is) trainees, train stamina until your midfielders all have excellent condition and then two weeks of form training (general). That's the fastest gain of rating without going bankrupt.
It's a bit dependent on your players though. Every new team has some valuable players, and I'd say you need at least a decent forward.

I have one you could buy if you have a million or 3 to spend ;)

Why would anyone bother training general at this level? Training players should be the number 1 priority with the only justification for general training at high levels where training is less important.