Classic Milan XMAS TREE feedback needed

[lukeeggy]

Hi All

Planning my next save after my German domination with Kaiserslautern 

Looking for some inspiration and ideas to help develop an ac Milan tactic for use with a lower league Serie A team

Any help out there?

Initial thoughts are 4-3-2-1 (SEE PIC)

Thought about Carrilero for CM (D) but I don't think they can cover as well as CM (D), will give these some Carrilero instructions though? Feedback welcome

 

TI probably be

 

IN POSSESION                                                                IN TRANSITION                                                              OUT OF POSSESSION

Control                                                                             Counter                                                                             Get stuck in

Play narrow                                                                    Counter Press                                                                   Urgent pressing

Focus through middle                                                   Distribute to Playmaker                                                 Narrow def width

Overlap Left/Righ                                                           Short Kicks                                                                        Slightly lower def line

Hit early crosses                                                                                                                                                         Normal line of engagement

More Disciplined                                                                                                                                                        Tight Marking

Normal tempo

Slightly direct passing

Whipped crosses

 

 

 

 

 

[Experienced Defender]

3 hours ago, lukeeggy said:

Thought about Carrilero for CM (D) but I don't think they can cover as well as CM (D)

Carrilero is very good at covering the flank, but you need the right player for the role (just as you do for any role btw). 

 

3 hours ago, lukeeggy said:

IN POSSESION                                                               

Control

Control? I suppose you meant Positive mentality. Control is gone in FM19.

As for roles and duties, I would recommend you to be less one-dimensional. For example, you can play one WB on support and the other on attack duty. The CM covering the attacking WB could be CAR (or CMd, if you prefer that role), while the other can be a BtBM or even MEZ on support.

You might struggle with the isolation of the lone striker in the poacher role, as many people do. If you want him to be on attack duty, then IMO a PFatt or DLFatt would be a better option. Trequartista can also do a good job, but you really need a very good player with proper attributes.

Regarding your team instructions, why have you opted to play narrow when you are already using a narrow formation?

Focus play down the middle can be risky because it increases the mentalities of your centre-backs, central midfielders and DM (assuming that your DLPd is in DM position?), thus making you defensively vulnerable to counter-attacks. Of course, you can use it if you are clearly aware of its pros and cons and know exactly why you are playing that way. 

Overlap left/right further increases the already high mentality of your attacking wing-backs (as the only wide players), leaving your flanks very vulnerable to counter-attacks, which only compounds the above-mentioned risk caused by the Focus play down the middle TI.

These were just a couple of first-blush observations. For more advice, you need to explain and describe in more detail what kind of football you want to play and how you expect to achieve it with this particular tactic.

 

[lukeeggy]

Hi,

Thanks for the tips

I am looking at playing a positive possession game, but slightly more direct.

I put down the middle as that where we will have most of the ball

 

Thanks

[summatsupeer]

Back off the instructions a little bit, I think you've just assumed you need them when you might not do, so going overly specific with how you want them to play.  Its a narrow formation, do you need to tell them to focus play through middle when you've got 2 playmakers? Who are the WBs overlapping?  They're already WB-A, there's no wide players to hold up the ball, your just making them even more attacking.  I'd start simple, focus on the roles+duties and the base mentality your using, only then add other instructions to refine the play.

If this is later on when Jan' was at LB and Ambrosini was in MCL with Seedorf further forward then I would say Pirlo had more freedom whilst both Gattuso and Ambrosini covered, probably DLP-S or AP-s.  Kaka was more attacking than a AP-S.  SS-A / TQ-A / AM-A (with PIs) with Seedorf maybe a AM-S (with PIs). Oh and Gattuso was pretty much the prototype BWM-D.

[Experienced Defender]

1 hour ago, lukeeggy said:

I put down the middle as that where we will have most of the ball

Well, exactly because of that - you don't need the additional team instruction. It's simply an overkill. 

Btw, an overlap/underlap instruction would make more sense if your FBs/WBs were on a lower duty (support and/or defend), so that they would be encouraged to get higher up the pitch to provide more support during build-ups and in the final third. But when they are already on attack duty, it's an overkill again, especially as they are not going to make any actual overlaps in your wingerless formation (as summatsupeer already pointed out)

[lukeeggy]

I’ve decided to try a 4-3-1-2 to begin with 

 

I’ve gone 

GK FB (A) CD (D) CD (D) FB (A)

 Carrilero DLP (D) Carrilero

                    AP (A)

         DLF (S)            AF (A)

[sparkyunited]

I had success on my first FM19 save with Sparta Rotterdam inspired by the Milan Xmas Tree.  Note: I moved to a Poacher up top rather than the DLF/A in the image below and dropped the "play thru middle" instruction as ED correctly noted,  it was redundant.  I also went with FB's rather than WB's as they tracked back better on turnover of possession and mine are reversed compared to the Cafu/Jankulovski version based on my team's personnel.   Having a good shadow striker was crucial, but it was a lot of fun. 

I love that version of Ancelotti's Milan and spent a lot of time in November/December watching footage from that era.  

[lukeeggy]

On 09/01/2019 at 00:36, sparkyunited said:

I had success on my first FM19 save with Sparta Rotterdam inspired by the Milan Xmas Tree.  Note: I moved to a Poacher up top rather than the DLF/A in the image below and dropped the "play thru middle" instruction as ED correctly noted,  it was redundant.  I also went with FB's rather than WB's as they tracked back better on turnover of possession and mine are reversed compared to the Cafu/Jankulovski version based on my team's personnel.   Having a good shadow striker was crucial, but it was a lot of fun. 

I love that version of Ancelotti's Milan and spent a lot of time in November/December watching footage from that era.  

Thanks, I have gone with a 4-3-1-2 to begin with, more of one where they had shevchenko/inzaghi etc, but may introduce this as a second one. 

Did you use any specific PI?

Also I would thought CAFU was more attacking?

[sparkyunited]

Yeah...I switched the Full Back duties to suit my players at Sparta.  I don't think I used any PI's. Cafu was very attacking. Jankulovski would get forward as well, but not with the same zest.  Cafu is my favourite full back of all time. He would fly forward but also track back even though he had Gattuso to cover for him. 

Cafu was as much of a catalyst for that team as Pirlo. His work rate was breathtaking. 

 

[ceefax the cat]

You'll struggle with tactics that build up slowly and look to create chances through the middle using AM's because the current ME won't let you do it. Prepare to watch the ball spread out to your wingbacks for a blocked cross over and over and over again.

[Jean0987654321]

I emulated this with marginal success in the previous FMs. You could take a look here.

 

https://community.sigames.com/topic/367592-emulating-carlo-ancelottis-ac-milan-christmas-in-may/