Xmas tree help

[Bane89]

Hello, long time lurker who could do with some advice, I've inherited a squad with no good wingers but alot of centre mids & AM's its not the kind of squad i usually use (im normally a 433 or 4231) and im struggling to get consistent results with my xmas tree i dont concede many but im struggling to score and keep possession, the same thing happens when I use a diamond as well. Am i missing something obvious or just need to go back to drawing board?

Thanks in advance

[Experienced Defender]

In both tactics you have possession-friendly in-possession TIs paired with a rather fast-attacking setup of roles and duties (all 3 forwards on attack duties). So either make a couple of small tweaks to make your setup more consistent with the instructions OR try with standard passing instead of shorter.

If you want to play a possession-oriented style of football, then the AP on attack duty is not an ideal choice for a playmaker role (alluding to the 2nd tactic here). Because with the attack duty, the AP tends to look for quick attacking transitions whenever possible, which obviously runs counter to possession football.

Narrow attacking width in the 1st tactic could prove an overkill, since the formation itself is already narrow. Basically, instructions like attacking width, focus play and the like are rather situational, so they should (in most cases) be used in such a way (as opposed to being a regular part of a tactic). 

All in all, both your tactics look pretty decent and need a fairly little amount of tweaking. Assuming the style of play as well as the formation(s) itself suit your players.

P.S: In case you didn't know: when you play in a narrow formation, the overlap instructions only have an effect on your fullbacks/wing-backs' individual mentalities, but do not actually create overlaps - simply because there is no other wide player to be overlapped by the FB/WB.

[Experienced Defender]

Just one more thing: from the perspective of defensive solidity, roles like mezzala and/or carrilero are better suited to your 2nd tactic (narrow diamond), simply because that formation has a (holding) DM, unlike the 1st one. 

[Bane89]

Thank you I'll try the changes you suggested & see how it goes, on the Xmas tree would you change the mez & car out for something else? Or normal cm's with so PI's? I have used a trequartista instead of sometimes to get more movement think that would be ok? I will try AP in support as well as you suggested. 

My aim is to control games but still having a counter attacking threat when I win the ball back. 

[Experienced Defender]

3 hours ago, Bane89 said:

on the Xmas tree would you change the mez & car out for something else? Or normal cm's with so PI's?

I might change only the mezzala into a standard CM on support (although that would not be my favorite option). But when it comes to the MCR position in your setup, I would rather opt for the BWM on support duty than carrilero. 

However, I would also tweak a couple of roles/duties elsewhere. 

3 hours ago, Bane89 said:

I will try AP in support as well as you suggested

I did not suggest the AP on support. I just advised against the AP on attack (in your 2nd tactic - narrow diamond). 

 

3 hours ago, Bane89 said:

I have used a trequartista instead of sometimes to get more movement think that would be ok?

You have the TQ in the first tactic (Xmas tree). The AP on attack duty is in the other tactic. 

 

3 hours ago, Bane89 said:

My aim is to control games but still having a counter attacking threat when I win the ball back

Is that the reason you use the counter TI in transition? 

[Fatkidscantjump]

I think you should put one of the three upfronts to a Support duty. For example : DLF(s) / SS / Treq. That way you have one guy that drops a create space, one guy who attacks this space, and the third guy who will attack the space but also try to get wider and be a bit more creative.