FOFC - FM Tactics Discussion

[DaddyTorgo]

Okay, let's have at it tactically

[DaddyTorgo]

I've been running pretty exclusively with a tweaked 4-4-2 for a long time now.

In past versions of FM I had been known to play a 5-3-2 with two wingbacks, or a 4-1-2-1-2 depending on my squad. I recall once upon a time experimenting with a 4-5-1 also.

I have run in the past a couple "weird" formations and had mixed success.

Once upon a time playing LLM I had a team with very little in the midfield, a decent striker, and just a killer right-back. So I tried to devise a tactic whereby everything would get sent over to the right back and he would then make bombarding runs down the right wing (to be covered by the DM on the right side), and then swing in crosses. It was a beauty to see on the screen with all the arrows and instructions - in practice the results were rather mixed.

My best-performing unique tactic was in my 01/02 Rosenborg game. I had basically a 4-1-3-2, with a DMC and then three AM's all clustered around the center-circle, with LONG arrows going forward (one straight and one to either wing). Tactic required high-stamina and high-pace wingers that's for sure, but it took me to winning the champions league multiple times.

[Critch]

I'd been using a very defensive, counter-attacking 4-1-4-1 formation, it was good for taking a bad team and getting them to over-achieve but it wasn't much use for a real challenger. Lots of 1-1 and 0-0 ties is good for getting Derby Co to 8th place, but it's not going to win the league for Man Utd.

So for my new game as Real Madrid I wanted to go a far more attacking route, so here it is:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg265/critch101/4-3-3.gif

Obviously it's very narrow, it's slow with short passing so it works best with good players who can pass and have composure. When the other team has the ball it's lots of pressing to get the ball back so stamina is generally needed too.

For the defense the central defenders are good in the air and positioning and play very defensive, the fullbacks make lots of forward runs with lots of crosses into the box, so they need to be fast, high stamina, good tackling, crossing doesn't seem to be that important as they'll just be punting the ball into the box from deep most of the time.

In midfield the central midfielder is all attack, the two outside are more defensive. All three need good passing and creativity, the central guy needs long shots too, the other two should be tacklers.

Up front it's a monster centerforward, a big guy with strength, jumping and heading. Somebody to get to all the crosses from the fullbacks. On either side it's fast finishers to feed off the scraps from the big guy.

The 4-3-3 was used both home and away, though I'd occasionally switch back to the boring 4-1-4-1 formation for the last 10 minutes of a game when I was leading.

Four seasons of Real Madrid:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg265/critch101/record.jpg

Three Spanish cups and a couple of Champions Leagues too and I got bored of Real Madrid and quit for PSG (which explains why my formation example above isn't in Real Madrid colors). And it's all fake players too.

[Coffee Warlord]

My 3-4-1-2.

I've said before, I've really wanted to get a 3 man backfield at lease playable. I've tried and given up, tried and given up, tried and given up, and finally found something acceptable.

I'm actually subscribing to the 2-5-2 mentality setup for my players, where you have your defenders playing highly defensive mentality, and your strikers playing highly offensive mentality, and the rest of the team is controlled by the 'main' slider.

From front to back...

3 defenders, the 2 on the side are tight marking, and close down slightly higher than my true center back. I employ him as a quasi-sweeper, playing him a little more loose. These guys all have their closing down very, very low, meaning I want them falling back and not challenging till late.

My wingers I run to death. They are the only players set to man marking, and are assigned to cover the obvious lack of defensive coverage on the wings. Oh, they are supposed play offense a lot, too. :)

The two central midfielders are absolutely key. THey have to slow down the advance from the opposition so the wings and the defense can get into position. On offense, they are my support. While they have an annoying tendency to pass back and forth to one another a LITTLE more than I'd like, they do basically what I want: find an opening up front and pass it in.

The AMC is my free-roled target man. Basically, I want him getting the ball and either shooting or playing it through to the two forwards. If you want to even TRY this tactic, you need a creative, offensive god at this position.

Strikers are pretty straightforward. Shoot, score, win.