FM18 - 4-4-2 understanding and development

[Cocxa]

Hello everyone!

To start with - I've been looking for a topic about problems in 4-4-2 tactic, but maybe there's no thread like that, neither here nor another forum. 

In fact I realise it's not the easiest tactic to use and maybe not even the best one for my team, but now it's more about stubbornness in finding not only problems, but also solutions.

To begin with, as you can see on screenshots, my team is more like an asymmetric 4-4-2 than the standard one. I've decided to drop, in this case, Ndidi to DM position beacuse of loads of goals conceding by my team, but in a long term - it didn't help. 

I've been tweaking in this tactic for so long, that possibility of changing anything sounds almost nightmarish to me now. 

To explain some TI and roles - There are many players familiar with aggresive style of play, tight marking, high pressing and etc. No natural playmaker in the squad (now I've got Wilshere, but as I said, it's about proving sth). As team report concludes, team is aggressive and have very high work rate so more pressing and TI like tighter marking and get stuck in are quite natural for me here. I wanted to add another dimension to the team by using more ball playing, pass and move style and - to be fair - we can score from this. Attacking phase looks quite good, we're creating many chances, having the best shot accuracy in the league. Unfortunately, players miss clear-cut chances very often. Oh, and normally I don't use offside trap, dont' know why it's ticked.

Slowish defenders force me to play normal or sligh deeper in defence, which is not exactly I would like, but I think there's no much choice. RB has attacing duty, so I decided to stick with suport duty for my Inverted Winger, beacuse I don't want to be too exposed in the right flank.

But to the point - main concerns are very low percantage of tackling succes and many goals conceded from crosses. After reading one of Cleon's articles I realise that ball distribution to central defenders isn't the best idea beacuse of more pressing from other teams, that my defenders can't handle in a proper way.

I almost run out of ideas, especially when can't defend the lead - My team was 2-0 up 3 times these season and we didn't get a single win, always allowing opposite team to score and draw.

I would love to use 2 roles in this formation - Deep-lying playmaker and deep-lying forward, but it's not suitable to my best players right now, unfortunately. So, as I said, I've stucked and short of answers, so I hope to find them here.

 

[JPChenet]

Look forward to seeing some ideas here.

I've been using 442 formations in FM18 from the outset, not because it's a favourite formation of mine but has given me most consistency - particularly away from home.

[herne79]

53 minutes ago, Cocxa said:

To start of - I've been looking for a topic about problems ii 4-4-2 tactic, but maybe there's no thread like that, neither here nor another forum. 

In the pinned thread at the top of this forum labelled "Please Read" is a link to this https://community.sigames.com/topic/364527-developing-my-4-4-2/.

Anyway, consider your chosen Mentality and all of those Team Instructions.  How do they all work together?  For example:

- Counter mentality is low risk, tending to instruct your defenders to clear the ball long away from the danger area.  And you've set a TI to Play out of Defence;

- Further, in attack this low risk strategy means your attackers will tend to pass the ball around slowly to patiently wait for an opening.  But you've told them to Run at the Defence and Work Ball Into Box, whilst chucking in Whipped Crosses and trying to Exploit the Middle.  If I were one of your players I'd be saying "Boss, wth do you want us to do?";

- Being low risk, the Counter mentality also reduces closing down, tells your players to stand off the opposition and play with a deep defensive line.  But then you tell them to close down more, mark tighter, get stuck in and use the offside trap;

- And finally, you've chosen to increase the tempo and play narrower even though the Counter mentality sets a low tempo and narrow width by default.

So, what's the plan here?  It all seems a bit confused to me.

 

[Cleon]

I wrote about the 442 in depth and covered some of the stuff you speak out.

 

 

[Cocxa]

Oh gosh, just need to ask myself how did I miss those topics and I will definitely make it up for.

Sorry for the new one.

But to explain my ideas, since I started it:

- As I said, in attacking movement I prefer sth called "pass and move" - faster, short, open spaces etc., so I assume that after we recover the ball, and with a 'fluid' team shape, we will play the ball faster, using triangles to caught second team in traps, then e.g. playing the ball to the other flank. It's why I want use 'higher tempo', but also 'ball into box' so as they won't shot everytime they will be 20 yards from a goal. 'Whipped crosses' beacuse Premier League defenders are rather strong and tall, but sometimes they lack of mobility, so I see chance for Vardy or Iheanacho to be faster than opponents.

- Why playing ball through the middle? Beacuse my team was losing so many goals, a just give up with idea of an offensive fullbacks. Having Mahrez as IW and Albrighton also cutting inside, I can't see the point in using width here, to be honest. Or I'm just not aware of this yet. I saw many times  perfectly placed and unmarked fullbacks at the wing, but my midfilders just ignored them, so I threw this idea away.

- My pressing idea is to recover the ball closer to half-line then attacking-third, that's what I see in counter mentallity and more pressing. In 'tighter marking' and 'get stuck in' I see an opportunity to close down opponents to force mistakes from them.

That's how I see it or maybe this is what I want to see in it.

[craiigman]

2 hours ago, Cleon said:

I wrote about the 442 in depth and covered some of the stuff you speak out.

 

 

Hey mate, do you think this could change now we have the SV role? I.e the CM’s starting at DM?

[Cleon]

1 hour ago, craiigman said:

Hey mate, do you think this could change now we have the SV role? I.e the CM’s starting at DM?

It's discussing the basics of a 442, those won't ever change. How you use it and utilise it is down to you. If you wanted DM's then fine use them and use a SV. Just understand how it functions, what's the role does and where it leaves you exposed etc.

[Cocxa]

Hey!

I've read both topics - top work! Thanks to these I've made some changes and in second season I've finished 2nd, just behind Mourinho's Man Utd. And that's what I'm asking here.

It's doesn't matter which tactic I set up - 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1, 5-3-2 - I've always saw the back of United players, losing almost everything against that "bloody" Mourinho. His 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 is nightmarish for my since FM 14 at least...

So did you find any problems against his sides? Beacuse I'm out of ideas right now...

[Park]

I'd suggest changing Vardy's role. As a defensive forward he's not going to be on the shoulder on the defence, and he won't get to use his pace and acceleration. He's your best/second best player, so you've got to utilise his strengths, IMO.

[Cocxa]

Vardy as a defensive forward is really good - his work rate and dedication doesn't make him vulnerable in offensive phase, but sometimes i change his role to AF, dependable on opponent and he's always dangerous.