3-1-? Help finish up the tactics

[goalash]

So, while managing Rabat in the Moroccan league, I managed to figure out a very solid defensive shape for a three at the back. Stoppers on the sides engage enemy wingers if they manage to run past mu hard-working Wide Midfielders. At the same time, the Half-Back drops in the CB strata, making up for the stopper. Very hard to break down!

The problem is I never quite found the other missing piece: the offensive. I’d get tons of draws against impossible odds and barely conceded, but at the same time I found it very hard to score. Sure, the setup depends on the players at your disposal, but surely there are some ground rules I seem to be messing up.

That being said: help me with the missing pieces, please. You got 4 players left. Any role, any position.

Edited September 17, 2021 by goalash

[goalash]

Two of my ideas, one including a Secundo Volante and the other - two PF’s.

Edited September 17, 2021 by goalash

[goalash]

Finally, two more conservative ones.

[MBJ96]

Doing a Atalanta save right now with great succes using this formation. 

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Sweeper keeper - defend

Ball playing defender - defend
Central defender - defend
Ball playing defender - defend

Deep lying playmaker - support

Wide midfielder - support
Box to box midfielder - support
Central midfielder - attack
Wide midfielder - support

Pressing forward - attack
Advanced forward - attack
 

[Overmars]

Halfback with a back three looks clunky to me. It feels like the worst of both worlds -- lack of fullbacks make defending wings difficult and the halfback doesn't deliver as much offense as other DM roles. I would rather use a DLP in that spot and save the halfback role for four at the back tactics.

I like the roles @MBJ96 chose above. In real life, I would use wingbacks, but I have seen 3-1-4-2 work well in FM21. My only suggestion on top of what @MBJ96 provided is to consider the MEZ role in the middle. I think MEZ is ideal for 3 at the back scenarios, and you might get away with using two of them. I like to use a DLF(s) in the attack pair, but it isn't mandatory. I do recommend using a strike partnership, though, because I see more consistent results in FM when doing so.

[goalash]

4 hours ago, Overmars said:

Halfback with a back three looks clunky to me. It feels like the worst of both worlds -- lack of fullbacks make defending wings difficult and the halfback doesn't deliver as much offense as other DM roles. I would rather use a DLP in that spot and save the halfback role for four at the back tactics.

I like the roles @MBJ96 chose above. In real life, I would use wingbacks, but I have seen 3-1-4-2 work well in FM21. My only suggestion on top of what @MBJ96 provided is to consider the MEZ role in the middle. I think MEZ is ideal for 3 at the back scenarios, and you might get away with using two of them. I like to use a DLF(s) in the attack pair, but it isn't mandatory. I do recommend using a strike partnership, though, because I see more consistent results in FM when doing so.

Yes, I know: 3ATB + HB feels awkward. And yes, I agree it’s counterintuitive. Still… it works. The stoppers on the side take care of enemy wingers until their own wide players arrive to help defending.

What I like in this setup is that is practically shuts the own third with just 4 players - at least until the second wave of the enemy team arrives, that is. Still, I’m trying to figure out how to go forward from this.

I thought about adding a Segundo Volante to aggresively bring the ball out of the back. This leaves me with 3-2 and 5 more players to go.

I have two basic ideas:

1. The conservative one: two wide players on ML/MR spots, low enough to help defend quickly, high enough to get involved with the build up, not necessarily as Wing Backs, raining pointless crosses and losing stamina constantly bombing up and down.

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I agree with @MBJ96 ovet the striker roles: it’s either PFA/AF or PFA/TQ for me.

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In this case though I’d need two of the front three to go back when not in posession - ans I’d like to avoid using two PFs. I’m thinking: PFa/DLFs/AF.

2. The risky one: push the wide players even higher up, leave them on support and make sure they have the Work Rate to return to the own third while defending.

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