eFootball PES 2021: E. Reja Manager Guide with Tips

Be it real-life football or esports, the role of managers in the team’s performance will have an indubitable effect. Some might disagree with this, but at some point or the other, PES gamers will feel that the manager they are using currently is becoming predictable for the opponents (while playing with friends). Such moments call for change in the managerial role. So, if you are trying to change your manager and are thinking about how to play with certain uncommon managers and their interesting tactics, do follow our PES Mobile Manager Series, which starts with the Italian manager Edoardo Reja. Reja’s formation and tactics are well suited for defensive-minded PES players, who love to score via counterattacks. So, let us look into this PES 2021 Manager Guide for E.Reja.

PES 2021 E.Reja Guide – Manager Introduction

• Name- E.Reja (Real Name)
• Nationality- Italian
• Team- Albania
• Adaptability- 80
• Team Management skills- 800
• Formation- 5-3-2
• Cost- 430(coins)/17200(GP)

Formation and tactical analysis of E. Reja

Reja uses a 5-3-2 formation with his Albanian National team, as it is given in the game. By default, the playing style is defensive, with 3 DMF. However, a five-man defence, with 3 more DMF would make it too much defensive, so it is better to keep only 1 DMF and 2 CMF (*you cannot have AMF in this formation).

E.Reja’s tactics

All the PES managers are given both attacking and defensive tactics to play with. Not all managers can equally play their team well in both the attacking and defensive tactics. Also, not all players are good with both defensive football or attacking football. Reja’s tactics work well in defensive mode. Now let us further analyse the tactics of Reja in PES 2021 via this manager guide, according to which, you should play with your players. Although both defensive and offensive mode of Reja has similar tactics, it’s recommended that you use defensive mode since it is a counter-attacking formation, it suits best when playing defensive football. Here are the details of Reja’s tactics and then, how you should use them in your gameplay.

Now, let’s further analyse the whereabouts of these tactics.

Attacking Style – Counter Attack

This is a feature of real-life defensive football. It implies, attacking the opponent, as soon as your team wins the ball’s possession from them. After winning the possession, you’ll see all of your teammates are running forward. From that point, either of the two things may happen, you score a goal, or give back the possession to the opponent while trying to score one. So, during counterattacks, you never pass backwards, unless you intend to lob-pass over the opponent defence line. Don’t try to hold the ball and dribble much or keep possession, it will be against Reja’s tactics. Hence, in your team, you’ll need CB and DMF with high ball-winning stats, players with high speed, acceleration and offensive awareness, who will start running towards the opponent half, as soon as the ball possession is won by your team. Also, skills like one-touch passing,

Build Up – Long Pass

This is the most crucial part of attacking, building up. Many think a building up style is complementary to a particular attacking style. Although it is true to some extent, it is not the truth every time. In this instance, the build-up is through long passes, however, note that long passes don’t necessarily mean lofted passes every time. Under Reja, the players tend to spread out themselves in their natural positions and would hardly come to support a teammate, so you have to find a teammate by long passes, either grounded or lofted. Due to such reasons, players with higher passing stats (both lofted and low passing) and with skills like one-touch passing, weighted pass, low lofted are to be preferred.

Attacking Zones – Wide

Due to these tactics, you’ll notice a tendency of your fullbacks to often move forward on overlapping runs. The tactics are pretty simple to understand. It simply means, your team will use the wings and the flanks to attack. Either cross in a ball, or cut-back and turn to shoot. Since it is a counterattacking formation, the latter would be unlikely, while counterattacking through the flanks is a possibility. Also, you’ll notice during a counterattack, one of the 2 CFs would try to go wider, and receive a through ball. So, instead of playing passes through the centre, try to give passes to the fullbacks, the widely-rushing CMFs or CF. After receiving the through ball, he’ll try to play his partner CF in that counterattack.

Positioning – Maintain Formation

This tactic denotes how your player will change their on-field positions and sometimes replace the position of any other player. Since in this case it is ‘Maintain Formation’, the players will stick to their own positions, and won’t come to cover up a void left by any of your players, if they have left their position either to attack or defend. Hence, it is advisable, NOT to press too much with your defenders, it would prove costly. Also, not to dribble too much with a single player, as it may leave a space that player was occupying, making your team vulnerable since none of your players would then come to cover the space. To follow this, no skilled players are required, just make sure your player has a similar positioning tactic.

Defensive Styles – All-out Defense

This is an important defence tactic. The all-out defence makes your players, especially the defenders fall back towards their own goal, once possession is lost, and try to guard the goal, instead of pressing the opponent players. Hence, never ever try to press with your defenders or call them to assist for a press, when you are under an attack. Instead, try to rush back towards the goal and block the passages. However, you may press with your fullbacks and try to push the opponent far towards the flanks, which brings us to our next tactic.

Containment Area – Wide

To contain an opponent is to influence them to move with the ball where you desire, with the application of body strength and defending skills. Under Reja, your players will try to push and contain the opponents towards the flanks, by pressing. Hence, it will be a job for your fullbacks to do. Also, the wider CBs or CMFs may come to your aid, but only to a limit of their playing zones. Remember that the manager follows a rigid formation, so don’t try to contain a player to your left flank with the help of your right CB. As it may leave the right CB position empty with no one to cover it.

Pressing – Aggressive

This is the favourite tactic of many modern managers. However, the mistake most gamers do is to press with their CB. Do not ever press with your CB, especially if you have ‘maintain formation’ positioning. Let your CBs stay back. If necessary, press with two players (CMF/ DMF and a fullback) and contain the opponent to the flanks. This is the reason why ‘Build-up’ CBs would be the very perfect choice under this manager.

Advantages/Reasons to use this formation

• The compactness of the defence makes it impenetrable through the ground if you stay back with your defenders and don’t press your opponents much.
• The wide range of attack. While playing many competitive games or matchday games, I’ve noticed that most of the gamers are weak at defending crosses and attacks coming in from wide.
• Since your tactic would be defensive and your defence would maintain a low backline, it will be easier to defend against long-ball spammers.
• It is almost impossible to stop the counterattacks made by this formation unless you screw up with the finishing.

Conclusion and some important points to remember

• All PES managers have their unique tactics which work best if they match with the playing style of the gamers. Hence, try to play your game according to the tactics. Playing short passes and keeping possession to build up an attack under Reja, won’t do any favour.
• To play well with a manager, team spirit needs to be high enough (99 maximum, always preferred). Also, while newly appointing a manager, team spirit may not be favourable to you. For that, you have to choose players who match the manager’s tactics and then play more matches, until the spirit is 99.
• E.Reja in PES 2021 uses a 5-3-2 formation which works best in a defensive mode in the game.
• The 3 midfielders can be altered between a CMF or DMF. There is no AMF option available. The best combination would be, 2 wider CMF and a DMF in the middle.
• The LB and RB positions can’t be changed to CB, as there are already 3 CBs and 5 CBs would make football absurd.
• Sometimes try to miss pass the ball, and then regain the possession for a quick counter-attack. Try to attack through the wings through your offensive fullbacks or wider midfielders. While attacking, try finding your teammates with long passes and don’t pass backwards. Playing through balls are effective too.
• Never ever make a player get out of his zone. Try zonal-marking. Switch your players accordingly.
• While defending, make sure you don’t press with your CBs, instead press with other players and try containing the opposition to the flanks and regain possession. If necessary, call your nearby player to support in pressing too, but NEVER call the CBs.

If you want to try E. Reja as your next manager in PES 2021, try to follow our guide, we have been practising playing like this under Reja and results have been quite fruitful in all of the Events, Campaign and Online matches. Do let us know if this article has been at all helpful for you.

Did you find this PES 2021 E.Reja Manager guide helpful? Do let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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