Master PES 2008 – An Ultimate soccer game. Changing formations during a match.

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The Need

Imagine you have started the game with a conventional 4-4-2 approach, but your opposition has soon figured out a way to break the code and cope with all your attacking ideas. Continuing to play with the same formation is a sure shot recipe for losing the game. The only option is to change the formation – which is best if done without letting the opposition know you have done something.

Changing Formation

The first step for you here is of course to get the default formation all right BEFORE the game. Once you get this done, you need to ensure you have played out formations A and B, after which you could go in for a change in formation. Here is how you do it:

In the STRATEGY section, you would see the following

MANUAL

SEMIAUTO

FORMATION A

FORMATION B

COPY TO A

COPY TO B

Select the MANUAL option, and after assigning a Triangle to FORMATION A, go ahead and assign a Square to FORMATION B. Assign X to the option marked “COUNTER ATTACK”. Select COPY A+B, which will give you a template formation to work around with.

Player Positions

After you are done with all the above, it is time to change the positions of players. One small note before you get changing – do not try to shuffle around too many players from their default positions, though some would do the trick for you. Go to FORMATION A and alter the positions of some players to get the best out of them. Change the defense and attack arrows as you wish. Do the same with FORMATION B and you have a changed formation at your disposal, ready to confuse the opposing team. It is advisable to have one attacking formation and one more defensive one at your disposal quickly altering the style of your game.

Practice!

Now is the time for you to test and see if the new formation is working. After all, this is something new you are trying on your team, and though the opposition would be caught unawares by these subtle changes, you’ve got to ensure your team is comfortable with the changes, too. So be sure to practice both A and B formations before you employ them in a competitive game.

Summary

Changing the formations is fun at most times, as in doing so you would be perplexing the opposition. Of course, the end objective is to score points, and that you could do by scoring goals. But what if the opposition has the firepower to outwit you even after you have tried those tricks? In our next series, we will include a read on surprise moves that can surprise the opposition during the course of the game.

This post is part of the series: PES 2008 - Tactical tips

If you are a fan of Pro Evolution Soccer - or just a beginner in the PES 2008 version - you have to take advantage of this tactical advises, hints and tips to improve your game. Read and enjoy!

  1. PES 2008 Tactical Tips – An Overview of Formations
  2. PES 2008 Tactical Tips – Formations - Part I: The 4-3-3 Formation
  3. PES 2008 Tactical Tips – Formations - Part II: 4-4-2 and 4-5-1
  4. PES 2008 Tactical Tips – Changing Formations Throughout the Game
  5. PES 2008 Tactical Tips – Defensive Tactics
  6. PES 2008 Tactical Tips – Playing with Barcelona