Creating tactics - Simple vs advanced tactics

[thefmveteran86]

I was creating my own formations and instructions and I was thinking about creating a 4-4-2 formation with more modern roles then I see other tactics that look odd to me but not odd to the creator, so would both work in-game as it would confuse the AI for a while?.

[Lesterfan_Cambiasso]

4-4-2 is one of the best formations to use, especially for covering the pitch defensively, so this can absolutely work with the right roles.

[thefmveteran86]

2 hours ago, Lesterfan_Cambiasso said:

4-4-2 is one of the best formations to use, especially for covering the pitch defensively, so this can absolutely work with the right roles.

I mean I've seen many use either 4-3-3 or the 4-2-3-1 formation but this is what I've created

 

[Lesterfan_Cambiasso]

2 minutes ago, thefmveteran86 said:

I mean I've seen many use either 4-3-3 or the 4-2-3-1 formation but this is what I've created

 

Im afraid that has little to no chance of working, the key area of the field in that formation is the centre of the pitch and every time you lose the ball, youll have no one there at all.

One player with holding responsibility and one player with a little more box to box responsibility must surely be the way forward in a 2 man centre mid pairing.

[thefmveteran86]

So one must be a BBM?

[Lesterfan_Cambiasso]

Just now, thefmveteran86 said:

So one must be a BBM?

No one doesnt HAVE to be a BBM, but it would certainly offer you more balance if you had one player sitting, and one you give a little more responsibility to go forward to.

You cant realistically have a two man central midfield pairing BOTH set to attacking, thats just madness, you need balance across the roles.

[thefmveteran86]

Just now, Lesterfan_Cambiasso said:

No one doesnt HAVE to be a BBM, but it would certainly offer you more balance if you had one player sitting, and one you give a little more responsibility to go forward to.

You cant realistically have a two man central midfield pairing BOTH set to attacking, thats just madness, you need balance across the roles.

So changed it a bit thougths?

 

[Lesterfan_Cambiasso]

id say maybe a strike pairing of target man (s) and advanced forward (a) would be better for a 4-4-2 set up as youd be trying to exploit space in behind with the advanced forward whilst you can hang up crosses from your wide men to the target man.

You dont seem to have much variety on the wings, and theyre not supported by the full backs either. Is there any potential for overloads? 2v1s down one side? more variety in the play.

The central midfield pairing is a good one, the BBM will get forward to support attacks. It might be worth setting the right full back to an inverted wingback to cover and space in the middle of the pitch vacated by the BBM.

Id probably use a PI on the central midfield (s) just to ask him to sit in the middle of the pitch.

 

Then its about using some instructions to determine the style of play with and without the ball, youve got a good defensive shape there with the 442

[Englishhammer]

I find a good basis for playing about with 442 is roughly

GK-D

FB - S x 2 (On attack or use WB Support if you have IW in front of them)

CD x 2

W or IW x 2

2 different duties in CM (so a Defend + Support, Support + Attack or even a Defend +Attack depending on the roles. I usually have a B2B or CM on support and CM Attack/Mez Attack depending on what football I want to play and what roles I use on the wings. 
 

Up front the most common is AF with a DLF or TF. setting something like that up on balanced and watching the match usually helps you decide what needs improving/changing. Then if you have OCD like me - once you’re happy with the tactic, start a new game and implement it asap so the team gets used to it 

 

I also rarely have both wings on attack, but that’s not a hard and fast rule. For instance, and order of 
IW-A….CM-S….CM- D….IW-A worked wonders in one save, but only because of the rest of my setup. 

 

by the way…..this is my 69th post 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by Englishhammer
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[Andros]

OP it kind of feels like you are looking at players best role and trying to fit it in without perhaps looking at the team as a whole.  Consider having a look at the Pairs and Combinations guide that is stickied in this forum.

[DarJ]

This is the 442 I just used in a save, the WM are told to cut in with the ball and the FB on the left is asked to move forward. I came second in the Danish league and reached the final of the cup with no transfers. The AF scored 52 goals in 33 games and the DLF scored 21 in 38 games. the roles that changed the most were the 2 DM, I started with the RPM and VOL and while the VOL got good ratings. the ratings of the RPM wasn't that good then I finally settled with the RGA and DM.

In terms of assists. the RGA got the most followed by the DLF and the WM on the left. 

The formation I struggled the most against was the narrow 4231 and one team that played a standard 442.

I have no idea if t his will work for you or if this is similar to what you are looking for but maybe you can take elements from it that fits your needs