-10 Players

These -10 players are players who are supposed to have the most potential as a
player. The -10 PA is between 170 and 200 and varies each time. The -10 players
are as followed ;

Ever Banega - Valencia

Pato - Milan

Anderson - Man Utd

Mamadou Sakho - Paris Saint-Germain

Henri Saivet - Girondins Bordeaux

Toni Kroos - FC Bayern

Sebastian Giovinco - Juventus

Giovani dos Santos - Barcelona

Carlos Vela - Arsenal

Martín Galván - Cruz Azul

Bojan - Barcelona

Anthony Vanden Boore

-Vincent Kompany(Hamburg SV)
-Rafael Van Der Vaart(Hamburg SV)
-Franklin Salas
-Emerson(Al-Sadd)
-Felipe(Al-Saad)
-Gonzalo Higuain(Real Madrid)
-Bambang Pamungkas(Persija Jakarta)
-Maximiliaino Rodriguez(A. Madrid)
GoalKeeper:

1. Nikolay Mihaylov, 18 years old, Bulgaria, FC Twente

2. Oscar Ustari, 20 years old, Italy, Independiente
3. Igor Akinfeev, 20 years old, Russia, CSKA Moscow
4. Miguel Angel Fraga, 19 years old, Mexico, Morelia

Defender:
5. Paolo Hernan Dellafiore, 21 years old, Italy, Torino, D R/C
6. Anthony Vanden Borre, 19 years old, Belgium, Fiorentina, D R/C WBR DM
MRC
7. Micah Richards, 18 years old, England, Man City, D R/C DM
8. Domenico Criscito, 20 years old, Italy, Juventus, D L/C
9. Giorgio Chiellini, 22 years old, Italy, Juventus, D L/C WB L
10. Breno, 17 years Old, Brazil, Sao Paulo, DC
11. Gareth Bale, 18 years old, Wales, D WB ML
12. Royston Drenthe, 20 years old, Holland, Real Madrid, D WB AML
13. Lorenzo De Silvestri, 19 years old, Italy, Lazio, D WB L
14. Sergio Ramos, 21 years old, Spain, Real Madrid, WB R
15. Marcelo, 19 years old, Brazil, Real Madrid, D/WB ML
16. Matias Cahais, 20 years old, Argentina, Milan, D L/C
17. Ezeguiel Garay, 21 years old, Argentina, DC
18. Armand Traore, 18 years old, France, Arsenal, D/WB L
19. Vincent Kompany, 21 years old, Belgium, HSV, DC

Midfielder:
DM
20. Fabrice Muamba, 19 years old, England, Everton
21. Lucas, 21 years old, Brazil, Gremio
22. Ignacio Camacho, 18 years old, Spain, At. Madrid
23. Sunny, 19 years old, Spain, Valencia
24. Miguel Veloso, 21 years old, Portugal, Sporting CP
25. Fernando Gago, 21 years old, Argentina, Real Madrid
26. Ever Banega, 19 years old, Argentina, Boca Junior
27. Daniele Dessena, 20 years old, Italy, Parma

MC
28. Francesc Fabregas, 20 years old, Spain, Arsenal
29. Michael Johnson, 19 years old, England, Man. City
30. Javi Martinez, 19 years old, Spain, Valencia
31. Andrien, 18 years old, Portugal, Sporting CP
32. Denilson, 19 years old, Brazil, Mallorca
33. John Obi Mikel, 20 years old, Nigeria, Chelsea

AM
32. Lionel Messi, 20 years old, Argentina, Barcelona, AM RLC
33. Iago, 18 years old, Spain, Barcelona, AM LC
34. Juan Manuel Mata, 19 years old, Spain, AM LC
35. Francisco Merida, 17 years old, Spain, Arsenal, AM LC
36. Ismael Aissati, 19 years old, Holland, AM LC
37. Nani, 21 years old, Portugal, Man. Utd, AM RLC
38. Joao Mautinho, 21 years old, Portugal, Sporting CP, AM C
39. Lulinha, 17 years old, Brazil, Corinthias, AM C
40. Matias Fernandez, 21 years old, Chile, Villarreal, AM C
41. Ivan Rakitic, 19 years old, Croatia, Basel, AM C
42. Diego Capel, 19 years old, Spain, Sevilla, AM L
43. Renato Augusto, 20 years old, Brazil, Flamengo, AM RLC
44. Angel Di Maria, 19 years old, Argentina, Central, AM L
45. Giovani Dos Santos, 18 years old, Mexico, Barcelona, AM LC
46. Anderson, 19 years old, Brazil, Man. Utd, AM C
47. Jeremy Menez, 20 years old, France, Inter Milan, AM RLC
48. Samir Nasri, 20 years old, France, Marseille, AM C
49. Hatem Ben Arfa, 20 years old, France, Lyon, AM LC
50. Tarik Elyounoussi, 19 years old, Norway, Sampdoria, AM RL FC

Foward:
51. Theo Walcott, 18 years old, England, Arsenal
52. Anthony Stoke, 19 years old, Ireland, Sunderland
53. Oscar Trejo, 19 years old, Argentina, Mallorca
54. Alexandre Pato, 18 years old, Brazil, Milan
55. Guilherme, 19 years old, Brazil, Cruzeiro
56. Alexis Sanchez, 19 years old, Chile, Udinese
57. Kerlon, 20 year old, Brazil, Cruzeiro
58. Cristian Nazarith, 17 years old, Columbia
59. Gonzalo Higuain, 20 years old, Argentina, Real Madrid
60. Sergio Aguero, 19 years old, Argentina, At. Madrid
61. Carlos Vela, 18 years old, Mexico
62. Karim Benzema, 20 years old, France, Lyon
63. Bojan, 17 years old, Spain, Barcelona
64. Federico Laurito, 17 years old, Argentina, Hannover
65. Franco Di Santo, 18 years old, Argentina
66. Edison Cavani, 20 years old, Uruguay, Palermo
67. Okaka, 18 years old, Italy, AS Roma
68. Giuseppe Rossi, 21 years old, Italy, Villarreal
-9 Players

These -9 players are players who are supposed to have the a lot potential as a
player. The -9 PA is between 150 and 180 and varies each time. The -9 players are
as followed ;

Gabriel Rodrígues - Boca

Gabriel Pérez Tarija - Argentinos

Gamián Escudero - Vélez

Jonathan Cristaldo - Vélez

Angel Di María - Benfica

Maximiliano Oliva - River

Emiliano Insúa - Liverpool

Mareo Musacchio - River

Nicolás Mazzola - Independiente

Lucas Trecarichi - Sevilla

Yoel Goldstein - B. Jerusalem

Alejandro Gómez - Arsenal de Sarandí

Oscar Ustari - Getafe

Matías Cahais - Boca

Óscar Trejo - Mallorca

Ezequiel Lavezzi - Napoli

Mauro Zárate - Al-Sadd

Maximiliano Moralez - FC Moscow

Diego Buonaotte - River

Cristian Ansaldi - Rubin

José San Román - River

Federico Fazio - Sevilla

Christian Maidana - Spartak Moscow

Gerardo Bruna - Liverpool

Pabloe Piatti - Estudiantes (LP)

Patrico Rodríguez - Independiente

Dean Bouzanis - Liverpool

Sebastian Prodl - Syurm Graz

Ryhor Filipenko - Spartak Moscow

Anton Putsilo - Dinamo Minsk

Eden Hazard - LOSC

Miralem Pjanic - FC Metz

Neymar - Santos

Anselmo Ramon - Cruzeiro

Alan Kardec - Vasco

Paulo Henrique - Santos

Diogo - Portuguesa

Rafael Forster - Internacional

Walter - Sao José (RS)

Fábio - Man Utd

Bernardo - Cruzerio

Lulinha - Corinthians

Guilherme - Cruzerio

Sérgio Mota - Sao Paulo

Choco - Atlétco Paranaense

Tales - Internacional

Guilherme - Almería

Rafael Carioca - Gremio

Maurício - Fluminense

Douglas - Gremio

Gérson - Gremio

Thiago - Barcelona

Tiago Luís - Santos

Joao Carlos - Atlético Paranaense

Erick Flores - Flamengo

Willian - Shaktar

Celsinho - Sporting CP

Sídnei - Internacional

Carlos Eduardo - Hoffenheim

Cássio - PSV

Marcelo Grohe - Gremio

Alex Teixeira - Vasco

Ella Armand - Barcelona

Gail Etock - Barcelona

Asmir Begovic - Portsmouth

Nicolás Millán - Colo Colo

Arturo Vidal - Leverkusen

Alexis Sánchez - Udinse

Santiago Tréllez - Flamengo

Cristian Nazarith - América

Fabrice N'Guessi - Stade Rennais FC

Marvin Angulo - Herediano

Ivan Rakitic - Schalke

Marek Suchy - Slavia Prague

Lubos Kalouda - Brno

Martin Fenin - Frankfurt

Christián Benítez - Santos Laguna

Antonio Valencia - Wigan

John Bostock - Crystal Palace

Scott Sinclair - Chelsea

Febian Brandy - Man Utd

Curtis Davies - West Brom

Michael Mancienne - Chelsea

Kyle Bartley - Arsenal

Jake Thompson - Southampton

Danny Rose - Tottenham

Henri Lansbury - Arsenal

Giles Barnes - Derby

Nathan Eccleston - Liverpool

Jack Wilshere - Arsenal

Joe Mattock - Leicester

Nathan Delfouneso - Aston Villa

Danny Welbeck - Man Utd

Micheal Johnson - Man City

Jordan Spencer -West Ham

Preston Edwards - Millwall

Adel Taarabt - Tottenham

Armand Traoré - Arsenal

Benoit Costil - Stade Malherbe

Pierre Ducasse - Girondins Bordeux

Serge Gakpé - AS Monaco FC

Léo Schwechlen - AS Monaco FC

Younousse Sankharé - Paris Saint-Germain

Loic Abenzoar - Olympique Lyonnais

Gabriel Obertan - Girondins Bordeaux

Frédéric Duplus - FC Sochaux

Omar Benzerga - LOSC

Joris Delle - FC Metz

Aurélien Teaudors - FC Sochaux

Damien Le Tallec - Stade Rennais FC

Gilles Sunu - Arsenal

Kevin Monnet-Paquet - RC Lens

Garry Bocaly - Olmpique de Marseille

Vincent Acapandié - AJ Auxerre

Matthieu Saunier - Girondins Bordeaux

Rémy Riou - AJ Auxerre

Anthony Scribe - Montpellier Hérault

Distel Zola - AS Monaco FC

Dorian Dervite - Tottenham

Geoffrey Jourdren - Montpellier Hérault

Levan Kenia - Schalke

Giorgi Makaridze - Dinamo Tbilisi

Serdar Tasci - Stuttgart

Manuel Fischer - Stuttgart

Benedikt Howedes - Schalke

Maxim Choupo-Moting - HSV

Kevin-Price Boateng - Tottenham

Lukas Podolski - FC Bayern

Andreas Ottl - FC Bayern

René Adler - Leverkusen

Micheal Rensing - FC Bayern

Sami Khedira - Stuttgart

Marko Marin - Gladbach

André Ayew - Olympique de Marseille

Ransford - Kessben

Kwabena Agouda - Bnei Lod

Sadick Adams - At. Madrid

Sotiris Ninis - Panathinaikos

Género Zeefuik - PSV

Rik Schouw - Ajax

Rodney Sneijder - Ajax

Ryan Babel - Liverpool

Georginio Wijnaldum - Feyenoord

Krisztián Németh - Liverpool

Robert Brady - Man Utd

Nir Mantsur - R.Madrid

Toto Tamuz - B. Jerusalem

Lior Rafaelov - M. Haifa

Dor Malul - M. Tel-Aviv

Oded Gavish - M. Petach-Tikva

Maor Bozaglo - M. Haifa

Yuval Fogelma - M.Tel-Aviv

Gai Assulin - Barcelona

Francesco Bolzoni - Inter

Simone Esposito - Juventus

Enrico Alfonso - Inter

Fabiano Santacroce - Napoli

Andrea Russotto - Treviso

Marco Davide Faraoni - Lazio

Matteo Rubin - Torino

Alessandro Tuia - Lazio

Alessio Cerci - Roma

Davide Di Gennaro - Milan

Fernando Forestieri - Siena

Andrea Consigli - Atlanta

Abdou Razack Traoré - Rosenborg

Miguel Ángel Fraga - Morelia

José Rafael Álamo - Tapachula

Édgar Castillo - Santos Laguna

Sergip Ávila - Chivas

Éver Guzman - Morelia

Héctor Moreno - AZ

Édgar Andrade - Cruz Azul

Hobbit Bermúdez - Atlante

Antonio Salazar - Chivas

Jorge Hernández - Atlas

César Villaluz - Cruz Azul

Sergio Arias - Chivas

Ulises Dávila - Chivas

Víctor Manón - Pachuca Tuzos

Omar Esparza - Chivas

Alfonso Blanco - Pachuca Tuzos

Patrico Araujo - Chivas

Wayne Drummond - Glentoran

Rabiu Ibrahim - Sporting CP

Lukman Haruna - AS Monaco FC

Eke Uzoma - Freiburg

Per Ciljan Skjelbred - Rosenborg

Havard Nordtveit - Arsenal

Reimond Manco - Alianza Lima

Omar Andrade - Alianza Lima

Stélvio - Braga

Adrien - Sporting CP

Hélder Barbosa - Porto

Gabriel Torje - Dinamo Buc.

Bogdan Stancu - Unirea Urziceni

Dimitru Copil - Hearts

Stefan Radu - Dinamo Buc.

Alexandr Prudnikov - Spartak Moscow

John Fleck - Rangers

Nikon Jevtic - Schalke

Philani Khwela - SuperSport Utd

Kermit Erasmus - SuperSport Utd

Sunny - Valencia

David Rochela - Deportivo

Cala - Sevilla

Aarón - Valencia

Victor Díaz - Sevilla

Samuel - Rayo

Alberto Bueno - R. Madrid

Juan Manuel Mata - Valencia

Víctor Merchán - R. Madrid

David Moreno - R. Madrid

Pedro Mosquera - R. Madrid

Iago - Barcelona

Ignacio Camacho - At. Madrid

Francisco Mérida - Arsenal

Oier Olazabel - Barcelona

David De Gea - At. Madrid

Daniel Parejo - R. Madrid

Aquino - Murcia

Pichu Atenza - At. Madrid

Edu Valle - At. Madrid

Obama - Murcia

Daniel Pacheco - Liverpool

Emilio Nsue - Mallorca

Antonio Adán - R. Madrid

Javi García - Osasuna

Carlos Sáez - Rayo

Chico - Cádiz

Adrián - Deportivo
Tanquillo Barnetta - Leverkusen

Karadeniz Batuhan - Besiktas

Yildrim Sercan - Bursaspor

Parlak Ilhan - Fenerbache

Freddy Adu - Benfica

Jozy Altidore - New York

Josh Lambo - FC Dallas

Alex Nimo - Salt Lake

Eddie Johnson - Fulham

Gareth Bale - Tottenham

Counter-Attacking Football for the Small Fry

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 5

(17 votes)
Written by Vertanno

Vertanno takes an in-depth look into the workings of Counter-Attacking football.

Ever wondered how to fully utilize this feature in FM08? Then check this great
article out! It will win you the games you keep losing.

To counter attack, first the opposition must attack, otherwise, you aren't
countering an attack. If you ever read the hints and tips on football manager, you
may have heard the expression that a counter attacking style works best with a
fast tempo. I suppose that is fairly honest, but is slightly misleading.

When you tick the counter attack box (and this important that you know exactly
what it does), your team will only look to attack when they have retained the ball
and many opposition players are in your half. This is why, when you want to
counter attack, in attacking formation, it is important to play direct and fast.
Otherwise your team would be trying to play possession football way in the
opposition's half, and although attacking, they would have the mentality of trying
to catch the opposition on the break.

The best counter attacking style, in my opinion, is defensive, possession based

tactic. Any team, in any league can use it, providing they are at most a mid-table
club. You hear these morons on web saying all lower league teams should be
looking to play a more direct style. They clearly have experimented; they haven't
taken other sliders into consideration. I remember reading an article on a forum,
wrote by moron, and someone vey humbly asked why are lower league teams
unable to play short passes, he said that surely the shorter the pass the simpler.
And he's correct. Its not about passing styles, it's about simplicity, lower league
teams should keep it simple. How does your team keep it simple? Man Utd can
play a creative, ultra wide, short passing game, but you can't. The underdog must
keep it simple.

Width

You must keep it narrow. If you play wide, or even an adventurous normal, your
players will be too far apart - passes will go astray and a routine of interceptions
will follow. Your players are probably not the most technical passers, so keeping it
narrow will keep it short.

Creative freedom

Do not be too restrictive for your strikers and wingers, in order to counter; they
need some freedom to move around the channels. Do not lot any one venture over
normal, defenders = little always. The crappier team, the less CF. Do not get ultra
restrictive, not enough freedom and players get confused, I've made the mistake
before and my left winger was running at defenders and eventually decided to
hoof the ball out of play!

Defensive Line, closing down and tackling

I feel this is the backbone of counter attacking. I nearly always keep it fully deep.
You want to invite the opposition deep into your half so when you get the ball,
HOOF. Closing down should never go over the middle, remember you want the
opposition to come at you - you need men behind the ball, you need to keep your
structure. Depending on their tempo, you should increase/decrease. Fast for
example, you should be closing down less, whereas normal to slow should be
slightly more. You really can't afford to get players sent off with counter attacking
football. I've gone from 2 - 0 total control to 6-2 because a player got sent off.
But, with a low-normal closing down, and opposition who are not playing fast
football, hard tackling for every midfielder is fine. With this hopefully, you can
keep the structure of your formation whilst still making important tackles to
retain possession.

Mentality

Defensive is mandatory. The harder the team, the more defensive mentality. I
recommend a global mentality (everyone the same) - maybe your target man on a
slightly higher setting. Players with a defensive mentality are more likely to play
defensive passes that do not risk losing possession. Global mentality ensures that
all of your players are close together; remembering you do not want them to far
apart.

Tempo and passing style.

Ultra slow, short passing. Nuff said really, it's what this whole article is about,
keeping the ball.

Target Man

Pace is important for counter attacking, but your target man doesn't necessarily
need to be the fastest forward. In 4-4-2, or a flat 4-5-1, he pretty much does need
to be fast (run onto ball). However, a formation such as 4-2-3-1, with more
attacking wingers, your target man should be someone who is strong and can hold
up the ball, or someone who can knock the ball onto your wingers. Either way,
your wingers need to be fast because he should be feeding them through balls
which could either lead to a one on one, or a cross for your target man (far post
works best for slow target men).

Time wasting

I like to have this a notch before often. You will see a lot stalling, turning on the
ball from your midfield and attack which is good, because it draws players in from
opening gaps in the opposition's formation. The more defensive you play, the
more time wasting you should employ. If you see a lot of defenders randomly
kicking the ball into row z, you may want to reduce the slider!

Who?

Derby would be an excellent team in the premiership to deploy this tactic. You get
the idea, underdogs. If you are Middlesbrough say, I would not recommend using
this tactic as a constant, but for away matches or up against the big team, it could
work quite well.

If you have any more questions on counter attacking, ask in the forums, it's okay I
won't bite your head off.