OSM Pre-Match Checklist: 8 Steps Before Kick-Off
Manager Guide · 2026-09-05 · 4 min
Even experienced managers rush and skip these, and drop points they did not need to. The eight steps below are a routine you can finish in a couple of minutes before kick-off — run them in order and you catch the most common mistakes before the match has started.
The Checklist
1. Look at the opponent's tactic and formation
2. Pick the counter-tactic for home or away
3. Set the Pressure / Style / Tempo values
4. Check the line instructions (attack / midfield / defence)
5. Replace players with low condition
6. Check for injured or suspended players
7. Set aggression by the referee colour
8. Make sure your best eleven is actually on the pitch
1. Look at the opponent's tactic and formation
Everything starts here: a tactic chosen without knowing the opponent's shape is a guess. Open their squad screen and recent matches and note which formation they favour. The A and B variants of the same shape can respond differently, so "4-3-3" on its own is not enough detail. There is a separate page for every opponent formation — see the counter-tactic guides.
2. Pick the counter-tactic for home or away
The right answer against the same opponent differs at home and away. But away with a weaker squad does not automatically mean playing defensively: the engine weighs the opponent's formation, the venue and the strength gap together, and it answers most of those scenarios with an attacking 4-3-3. Sitting deep loses more matches over a long league than it saves. Establish the venue and the strength balance, then take the answer from the counter-tactic page or the Counter Engine rather than guessing it.
3. Set the Pressure / Style / Tempo values
The slider settings matter as much as the formation. Take the exact numbers for the opponent's shape and the strength balance from the formation pages and enter them as they are. Eyeballing an approximation is the most common silent mistake there is.
4. Check the line instructions
Verify the attack, midfield and defence instructions one at a time before kick-off. If you are countering, make sure the defence is set to sit deep; if you are pressing, make sure the midfield is on the right duty. Review the offside trap and marking choice in this step too.
5. Replace players with low condition
Players low on condition can perform below what you expect, so account for it when picking the eleven. Rather than persisting with someone very low, compare him against a fresher alternative. If the fixture list is congested, plan the rotation at the start of the week rather than in the minutes before a match.
6. Check for injured or suspended players
Leaving an injured or suspended player in the eleven means starting a man light in that position. Go through the warning icons on the squad screen one by one. It is the fastest step on this list and among the most expensive to skip.
7. Set aggression by the referee colour
The referee colour is one of the significant factors in choosing aggression. Against a soft referee, raising it is relatively free; against a strict one, the priority is lowering card risk. A single red card can seriously derail a match plan you built correctly.
8. Make sure your best eleven is on the pitch
One last look: are the right players in the right positions? A player used outside his natural position can see his performance suffer. Review the formation screen once more before you save, and confirm the eleven.
Why It Matters
Every item here looks small on its own, but together they are the difference between a win and a defeat. Steps 5 and 6 in particular — condition and injuries — are the most frequently skipped and the most expensive. No checklist guarantees a win; but skipping these steps is the shortest route to losing matches you could have won.
Running It Quickly
Use the Counter Engine to finish steps 1-3 in one go, then review steps 4-8 from the squad screen. Once the routine settles in, the whole thing takes a couple of minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What should I check before an OSM match?
- Eight things, in order: the opponent's formation, your counter-tactic for home or away, the Pressure/Style/Tempo values, the line instructions, players low on condition, injuries and suspensions, the referee colour, and finally that your best eleven is actually on the pitch.
- Which pre-match step do managers skip most in OSM?
- Checking condition and checking for injured or suspended players. They take seconds and are the most expensive to miss, because either one means effectively starting a man short in that position.
- Does playing a player out of position hurt in OSM?
- A player used outside his natural position can see his performance suffer, which is why the last step of the routine is a final look at whether the right players are in the right positions before you save the lineup.
- How long should the OSM pre-match routine take?
- A couple of minutes once it is habit. Steps 1 to 3 come straight out of the Counter Engine in one go, and steps 4 to 8 are a pass over the squad screen.