Stop getting ''Burned All Too Often'' in Football Manager

 If you are one of those managers who tend to rely on their Assistant Coach's analysis in the middle of the match, there is a high chance that you may encounter with" the player is getting burned all too often today" message on your Assistant's analysis report. What can possibly be the reason behind one or two of your players getting overwhelmed and left to dust on the pitch

It might be that one 20-year-old pacy winger of your opponent that your 33-year-old declining full-back is failing to cope up in the wings, or your box-to-box midfielder with 10 pace and acceleration, getting obliterated by the opposition counter-attack. Either way, it is very clear that a lot of it has to do with speed. But limiting the problem to only lack of speed can be a huge mistake.

Jonathan Cebolla is my Right Winger with 17 acceleration, and 15 pace and yet, he got burned on the flanks in the first half of the match. So it is very clear speed is not the only role-playing factor over here.

Here is a list of things you should try in the ongoing match to make sure your opponent is not getting the better of your players.

• Set the player instruction to "Low Pressing Intensity" for that specific player. That way, he won't get runned upon by the opponent if he fails to win the ball.
• Try playing the player in a defensive role if possible. You don't want to use a player in a box-to-box midfielder role if he lacks decent speed and will take more than ideal time in transition.
• Try playing players with a high work rate and determination. This attribute can make a lot of difference in the outcome of the situation, as a high attribute can mean that the player will work harder in such transitions.
• Only play Ball Winning Midfielders if you have the player with proper attributes and the right formation to back him up. A ball-winning midfielder can make or break your team given the circumstances. He can be capable enough to reclaim the ball and set your team into attacking transitions in a bat of ab eye. Or be completely invisible in the entire 90 if you are facing a side that is technically sound. A Ball winning midfielder's high aggression can mean that he will quite often break his formation and go for ball recovery. Keep that in mind.
• Do not use the slow players in support or attacking roles as their low speed can see them suffer in both transitions.
• Forbid the player to get forward or Run wide with the ball.
• Take off the "Mark Tighter" instruction from the player if the opposition player your player is assigned to mark is in another league when it comes to speed.
• Play a lower Defensive line and also a standard line of engagement.
• Finally, take off the player and replace him with someone with more pace if you see your player struggling to make an impact.

Now that you have had a bad experience with getting your player burned throughout the match, it's time to make some important decisions for your squad. For starters, you need to compare your team's attributes to the other teams in the league. At least try having players with average, if not more than average pace and acceleration in the squad. If you have quite a number of players lacking in the speed department, make sure they at least have a decent work rate, anticipation, bravery, and determination to back them up. Or else, you need to set your eyes on the transfer market.

Let us take a look at my Center Midfielder, Jim Buchanan. For someone playing in the Premier League, he surely has a poor acceleration to quickly get off the mark. Thankfully, he is not that aggressive, to begin with, so that is one less thing for me to worry about as very aggressive players with bad acceleration can end up causing more harm than good for your team. Jim has decent tackling skills and anticipation. So I always ended up seeing him getting beaten more often in defensive transitions as I played him regularly on a support duty as a Deep Lying Playmaker.

Changing him to a Deep Lying Playmaker in defensive duty with standard pressing intensity transformed him completely into a different player. One who is more efficient in defense, while also launching defense-splitting passes on the attack as he used to do before.

Another great example will be Miguel Azeez who is the complete opposite case than Jim Buchanan when it comes to physical attributes. Mazeed has great Pace and Acceleration as a center midfielder, even by the standards of the Premier League. His speed, associated with some very high mental and technical abilities makes him a great player for a Box-to-Box role. He can recover himself quickly in the defensive transitions, stopping chances of counter-attacks, as well as become a great threat in the attack. So I don't have to worry about him getting burned at all in the match

Be realistic, you cant have overlapping slow wing-backs and midfielders who lack the minimum required speed, join the attack every chance they get. Instead, use a defensive midfielder or two with great technical and mental stats. It is a perfect position to play as the player doesn't need much speed to duel in those positions. Use an attacking midfielder with only attacking duty, aiding the center forward. Use your full-backs wisely. no need to join in overlapping plays if your full-back finds himself being outpaced often. Try serving whipped crosses from deep if you want to make the most of their crossing attributes.

Use fluid counter-attacking play by soaking up pressure and then launching quick counter-attacks if you are the underdog.

Follow a cautious mentality by regrouping when your side loses the ball rather than going in a gegenpress frenzy. One best style of play to avoid such encounters is the Fluid Counter Attack tactic.

Also Check out my other Posts:

The Late Disaster of the  Foxes: What Went Wrong With Brendan Rodger's Promising Leicester Side?