Tactics & Lineups

Your squad screen has three tabs: the Roster (who’s on your books), Tactics (how they play), and the Schedule (your fixtures and results). Get your roster and tactics right before every match.

Picking your XI

Set your lineup by filling each position slot on the field:

• Tap a slot to open the picker and choose the player for that role.
• Pickers group players by position, putting the requested role and nearby positions first; players within each position are ordered by overall rating.
• Auto-pick fills the whole XI with your best available players in one tap — a great starting point you can then tweak.
• Injured and suspended players are skipped automatically; you can only field players who are fit and available.

Try to play players in their natural positions. A player’s card tells you where he belongs.

Each token wears the club’s kit and shows the player’s squad number in the center. The solid badge at the top right is his overall rating. Squad numbers are unique within a club for that season and stay with a player who remains at the club.

Formation

Choose your shape on the field view. The National Soccer League plays the systems of its era — 4-4-2, the 4-3-1-2 diamond, 4-1-3-2, 3-5-2, 5-3-2 and 3-6-1 — each balancing attack, midfield and defence differently.

Playing style

On the Tactics tab you shape how your team plays. Start with an identity:

• Possession — keep the ball, press high, build patiently.
• High Press — hunt the ball high and play fast.
• Direct Counter — sit off, win it back, go forward quickly.
• Park the Bus — defend deep and clear your lines.
• Balanced — no strong lean in any direction.

One tap sets all four dials at once. To go further, open Customize and set them yourself:

• Mentality — how aggressive or cautious your approach is.
• Tempo — how quickly your team looks to play.
• Pressing — how hard you chase the ball off it.
• Passing style — short and patient, or direct and forward.

Change any dial and your style is listed as Custom. Save your tactics and they carry into your matches until you change them.

Style fit

Under your style you’ll see a Style fit reading — Good, OK or Poor. It answers one question: can these players actually play this way?

A squad of quick forwards suits a Direct Counter; a technical, composed side suits Possession. Ask for something your XI can’t deliver and the fit drops — your team will be less effective in midfield and in front of goal.

Your style also decides how hard your players work. Pressing high at a fast tempo drains legs much quicker than sitting off and slowing the game down, and a squad short on stamina will visibly tire in the closing stages. Watch for it late in matches.

Match your tactics to your players

There’s no single “best” setup — the right choice depends on the players you have. A squad full of pace and energy can press high and play a quick tempo; an older, more technical side may prefer to keep the ball and control the tempo. Pick the style your XI can actually deliver, and let the Style fit reading guide you.

Some combinations argue with themselves

Pressing high wins the ball in dangerous areas — but pairing it with a slow tempo throws that advantage away. If your fit reads Poor with a strong squad, look for a contradiction like this one before you blame the players.

Substitutions

You get three substitutions per match. Use them well:

• Freshen up tired legs late in a game.
• Replace a player who picks up a knock.
• Change your shape to chase a goal or protect a lead.

Once you’ve made all three, your XI is locked for the rest of the match — so don’t burn them all too early.

The same tools on matchday

The pre-match screen gives you the same lineup and tactics controls, so you can make final changes right before kickoff — a late fitness check, a tweak to your shape, a different player in a key slot.