My take on 4-4-2 Diamond

[luka_zg]

I'm playing as Barcelona and after finishing 2nd my first season I made a statement signing of Marcus Rashford. The plan was to play him on the left wing and continue with the classic Barcelona 4-3-3, but then I decided that I want to try something else and that the diamond would be the best choice to make the best out of my three star men up front. In the link is my tactic with roles and duties.

http://lineupbuilder.com/?sk=v329b

Mentality:Positive

TI: shorter passing, more expressive; counter; GK distribute to playmaker,roll it out; higher def.line, higher LOE,urgent press,prevent gk distribution

 

Shorter passing is for keeping possesion but not limiting the players in the back with POD instruction, so if they see a great pass they can put a long ball out, hence the license to be more expressive. I don't want to press hard, I don't have the player for it so I don't use counter press, but I put counter on so if there is space to attack I want the players to jump on it. (maybe also run with the ball?)

The idea is to have width provided by our full backs. The one on the left is more attacking and goes up the pitch whenever we have possesion. On the right I have a more conservative role, I still want him to attack but also to be careful whne we lose the ball. The central midfield pair, the MCL is DLP so he stays in his position and is our main outlet for initiating attacks and is defensive cover for the left fullback who is esentially always a winger when we attack. The MCR is a mezzala who drifts to right side half space and that is why the RB is more coservative to watch the space behind the Mezzala when he roams from his position. The HB role for my DM I chose because I want to play from the back and he gives us one more passing option when we start to initiate our possesion and allows the fullbacks to move higher up the pitch immidiately. Up front, Rashford is the main golascoring option, I want to use his quickness ,his dribbling ability and to have him hanging on the shoulder of the last defender so he creates space for Messi and Griezmann with his runs also. The Griezmann and Messi roles, they work as it is but I am considering to have one of them on the attack duty maybe?

Second season with this tactic, we finished 2nd, won the cup and got knocked out by Liverpool in CL QF.

So, the problem with this which I am experiencing is that in tough away games we are not good. Real M, Liverpool, Porto, Sevilla, Valencia (the games I can remember at the top of my mind), all these games we were pretty bad. Whatever I do doesn't seem to work. Yeah, we can drag the game in a 0-0 low chance performance and maybe knick a win here and there but in general this tactic doesn't provide me with good performances in tough away matches ( I've tried cautious, attacking, balanced..try to pass to space, go more direct, put AM to MC). Nothing seems to give me solid solution.

So I would like your input, what do you think and how could I tweak this tactic?

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Experienced Defender
inappropriate word

[frukox]

When they attack you with numbers, you could try something like this:

            CF(A) PF(A)

                    T

           BBM     CAR

                DM(D)

WB(S) BPD(D) CD(D) FB(A)

                  SK(S)

Balanced Mentality

Higher Tempo, Hit Early Crosses, Pass into Space, Overlap Left

Take Short Kicks, Distribute to Full- backs

Higher DL, More Urgent Pressing

Player Instructions: FB(A) Run Wide with Ball

The idea is to win the ball in the middle third, then attack space behind defence using the forwards supplied by the full-backs and the trequartista facilitated by using high tempo and early crosses.

                   

Edited December 3, 2020 by frukox

[luka_zg]

Why overlap left, who will he overlap? Also why DM/D instead of HB/D, and the front three are super offensive, if I get under pressure how do they help, staying up the pitch I have three players who won't defend?

[frukox]

3 hours ago, luka_zg said:

Why overlap left, who will he overlap? Also why DM/D instead of HB/D, and the front three are super offensive, if I get under pressure how do they help, staying up the pitch I have three players who won't defend?

Overlap left will increase the mentality of the left back and help him close down opponents a bit further close to the halfway line. I use it when I use a mid-block.

HB(D) can be used without losing much, too.

When they apply pressure to you, you will have two players ready to get behind their defensive line enough for a quick counterattack. Add the wing-backs and now you have a perfect transition to attack while DM or HB and CAR will screen your backline. The BBM will link-up the play between your attack and defence. WBs will provide the width in this system. 

It should be noted that the TQ should be a hard-working one.

Edited December 3, 2020 by frukox

[luka_zg]

Do you think any other role other than TQ would work?

I'm playing a 35 year old Messi in this position..

[frukox]

7 minutes ago, luka_zg said:

Do you think any other role other than TQ would work?

I'm playing a 35 year old Messi in this position..

AM-A, SS with the trait of Comes Deep to Get Ball, Plays Killer Balls or a direct-ball playing AM-S with the trait of Gets into Opp Area/Gets Forward, Plays Killer Balls or an AP(A) with Gets into Opp Area, Plays Killer Balls

Edited December 3, 2020 by frukox

[luka_zg]

Ok, started my 3rd season with my diamond tactic. 6 gaes in, we are yet to concede a goal. Only problem is that out of this 6, we have two 0-0 draws(with Villareal and Valladolid). Both away games. And out of the four wins, in two games I had to switch to 4-3-3 because otherwise it was going towards 0-0 results. I don't get it why do I struggle to score, my xG is always over 1.5, and I put attacking mentality and still we have to pour our blood on the pitch to score one goal. I am out of ideas, I like the fact we are defensively solid but the inability to score goals is pissing me of because according to xG I should be scoring goals.

[frukox]

32 minutes ago, luka_zg said:

Ok, started my 3rd season with my diamond tactic. 6 gaes in, we are yet to concede a goal. Only problem is that out of this 6, we have two 0-0 draws(with Villareal and Valladolid). Both away games. And out of the four wins, in two games I had to switch to 4-3-3 because otherwise it was going towards 0-0 results. I don't get it why do I struggle to score, my xG is always over 1.5, and I put attacking mentality and still we have to pour our blood on the pitch to score one goal. I am out of ideas, I like the fact we are defensively solid but the inability to score goals is pissing me of because according to xG I should be scoring goals.

I can't say much without seeing the tactic and instructions.

[kingjericho]

I think in a 4-4-2 diamond you always need depth from the fullbacks. So even if you want Hateboer in a more conservative role you can use WB(s), otherwise the right side will not have much attacking influence. Also, if you use a HB(d) that should free up the fullbacks to attack even more.

[Lasson]

I’m not currently at my computer, but this is how I have set up my 4-4-2 Diamond.

How does it look to you?

[luka_zg]

Ok, I've made some little tweaks on my tactic. Now I have both full backs on WB/A duty, and I switched DLF/S to PF/S. Also MEZ/S is switched to BBM.

I removed shorter passing for mixed and added work ball into box with much higher LOE.

The results are much better, we can score goals and make chances, against weaker opp is a very good offensive tactic.