[FM22] Feedback request: Alternative tactics and how to set up in Europe (433 DM Wide)

[Wrap God]

Hello everyone!

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've been playing FM for over a decade and I always naturally gravitated towards 442 and its diamond variations when building my own tactics. So this year, I wanted to do something different and attempt to build a 433 DM Wide, since I never actually used this formation before. I have to admit that I have been quite successful and am very happy with my main tactical approach. However, it turns out I need to reach out and ask for some help with setting up alternative versions of my main approach.

It's 2029 and I've established myself as a CL Group Stage / EL Knockout team. The issue is, that my main tactic is quite offensive and relies on increased ball possession, long strings of passes and switches of play.

This does not work well (or rather at all) against better, and of course, much better teams than us. I've been trying to build more defensive versions of my system, but so far whenever I've been outmatched in Europe I never seemed to be able to pull off an upset. From anonymous and toothless 0:3 lossess to Juve, Napoli, Atletico to absolute discombobulations: 11-1 loss to Bayern and 7-0 to Liverpool. I know my team is not even close to those giants with regards to the quality of players, but in previous FM's I was able to set up a defensive 442 that was very capable of pulling off an upset, with 433 I have issues.

 

This is my main tactic and how I set up in league and in Europe at home:

Spoiler

 

Some info on how and why I set up like this:

• Hardworking players and fluid movement
• Overlap left & underlap right used to encourage forward movement from left wingback and mezzala (before this I've seen them moving too late/not eagerly enough, but that might have been an issue with players having poor mentals - anyway this works for me)
• Orthodox 2x CB(De) pairing - I want them to retain the ball and build up with short passes up field
• Wide - to encourage the ball being moved into wings, therefore stretching the center of the field for Mez, IW and DLF to exploit
• Positive mentality to make sure the team plays with intent and is on the front foot, I want everyone on the field to be involved in building up attacks and discourage backpassing / pointless retention
• Right wing: IWB(Su), Mez(At) and W(Su) is the trio from heaven. They work so well together, regularly overload the channel and pull defenders out of position. This is also my stronger defensively wing, I concede very few assits from that side.
• Left wing: IW(A) works as a forward, PI to Sit Narrow. WB(Su) provides overlapping runs and puts in crosses into the box. Rather standard set up.
• Central Midfield: I leave DM on a very generic role as this is specifically what I want him to do: everything. He has to shield and track runners in defence, tackle in transition and support teammates in build up phase, sometimes even score a banger. RPM(Su) is my main creator. I previously used an AP(Su) but I wanted someone with more emphasis on hard work and putting their shift in defence. Mezzala is at he moment my main goal scorer and star of the team, he assists, scores and is very effective in counter pressing, he is the one who usually knicks the ball away from opposing midfielders and intercepts passes tfrom defense to midfield.
• In Opposition Insctructions I tightly mark central midfielders and press wide (fullbacks and wingers), allowing opposition defenders some time on the ball - but leaving them with two options: pass to the wing where the receiver is immediately closed down, or to attempt to progress through the middle where opposing midfielders are tightly marked and would receive the ball under pressure.
• The only issue I have in this setup is the role of my striker. I used everything from Advanced Forwards (they were too isolated), through False 9s (we were lacking teeth), Target Men (too direct) and ended up using rather not-sexy DLF(A). He occupies the right spaces and works well with teammates during build-up, just doesn't score much - best striker in the league netting only 14 goals a season is below expectations.

 

 

Now, to the main point: the away set up against bigger teams. I have two versions, that pretty much do the same thing (and both don't really work).

What I want to achieve with those away set ups:

1. Do not divert far from roles in main tactical set up. DM(Su) becomes DM(De), not Anchor. RPM(Su) becomes DLP(Su) and so on. I have a very balanced squad built for my main tactic and want my starting eleven to be able to transition into a defensive approach almost seamlessly.
2. Be compact in defence, explode and expand in transition to attack, flood with numbers. But as soon as the counter fails - Regroup.
3. Do not press high, but press more aggressively when the lower LOE is passed.
4. Cut off passing lanes, force the opposition to attempt difficult passes to bypass my block
5. Force the opposition to resort to low xG chances and set pieces. Do not allow balls in behind and dangerous crosses into box. This is why I'm still pressing wide players here in OI's (same as in main tactic)
6. I don't want to set the mentality to higher than Balanced as this should be a defensive version of my main approach and having both of them on high mentality would break my immersion a bit

4141:

Spoiler

 

433:

Spoiler

 

 

Can you please provide some feedback and guidelines on how to set up away from home in Europe and overall against better teams?

Problems with these set ups:

• Very few chances created
• Very few (or none) highlights with counterattacks for my team
• Very high xGA
• Very high number of conceded goals
• All variety of condeded goals (long shots, crosses, dribbles)
• Assists conceded in all areas of the defensive 3rd

 

I will appreciate any input

Edited November 15, 2021 by Wrap God
Fixed title