Eintracht Frankfurt 2024/25 season [4-2-3-1]

[Maddux]

With Igor Matanovic coming back from his successful loan spell at Karlsruher SC and we're being linked to another Target Man style player in Alvaro Rodriguez from Real Madrid, i was thinking about how Eintracht Frankfurt could play in the upcoming season. What's the best way to accommodate the player's and squad's strengths? And what i came up with was this:

 

 

- we have Matanovic as a Target Man up front, with the freedom to move around and open gaps for his teammates

- although Hugo Ekitike is good in the Advanced Forward role, he likes to drift into spaces and often to the wing to find pockets of space and getting away from defenders. Just to then start a deadly run into the box. He has the technical abilities needed to play more in the role of an "Outside Forward", a spearhead striker that is also comfortable playing on the wing.

- on the right side we have Omar Marmoush, a player that also likes to drift around but plays more like a traditional Inside Forward when playing on the left wing. If playing on the right wing, he often does late runs into the box or is hitting crosses

- Niels Nkounkou is a very offensive minded Wingback with good pace, that likes to go forward and hit crosses or arrives in the box late to try diagonal shots

- this very offensive midset has to be covered of course. And that's why we have a holding (defensive) midfielder on the left side that can cover the center of the pitch and drift to the left if needed

- Hugo Larsson had an impressive first season at Frankfurt. Strong in buildup, good playmaking skills and he likes to go forward to support the attack, either as an option in the back of the box or in the right half space to play one-twos with the winger

- the left defensive center is unoccupied of course if Larsson goes forward and Skhiri has to cover Nkounkou's back. So we need to play Tuta as an Inverted Wingback to cover Larsson's runs and support the winger from deep if needed

- Chaibi has a free role in central attacking midfield to give him the freedom to drift around, find pockets of space and play passes to his more offensive teammates

 

The rest of the squad fits this kind of aproach too.

Ansgar Knauff and Eric Dina Ebimbe can play on the right wing if Marmoush can't play or has to replace Ekitike on the left wing. And with Jean-Matteo Bahoya there is a young and promising player that could fill the role on both wings.

The signing of Can Uzun won't be official before 01. July but he will become an Eintracht Frankfurt player and is an option to play for Chaibi or Larsson. And there is still Mario Götze, that also can play both positions.

For the left wingback positions there are new signing Nathaniel Brown and Philipp Max.

The only 2 gaps to be filled, if we sign a second Target Man, are a backup for Skhiri and a better right Wingback then Aurelio Buta.

 

And this is how it looks like in Football Manager

 

I had to add a good bunch of PIs that would be to much to list them to get the players to do what i want. But the result looks pretty good.

The IF-A starting from the left wing and immediately starting runs into the box once the CWB-S goes forward, the W-A giving width and doing late runs into the box, the MEZ-S supporting the attack from a deeper position, the TF-S creating spaces for his teammates and the AM-S just being all over the place.

I've tried the AM-S as AP-S but we already have the TF as a central player with a huge pull on the ball. Using a playmaker role in the CAM position would make the play to onedimensional and force the ball to much through the middle.

The TIs are pretty much basic and you can change them to fit your team's strengths and weaknesses. Although Frankfurt was a lower pressing side that tried to play with a compact mid block, i opted for a higher press because the players are able to pull it off.

An Anchor Man should be better than an DM-D to cover the left side. But he doesn't. He covers the left side pretty well but after we lose the ball his first intention is to fall back and wait for passes to intercept instead of closing the gap between the attack and the central defenders.

 

Try the tactics and feel free to comment.

 

 

SGE 24-25.fmf

Edited June 23 by Maddux
i've misspelled Bahoya

[TheMartello]

Gonna try it out tomorrow!

 

You got good results testing it?

[Maddux]

vor 44 Minuten schrieb TheMartello:

Gonna try it out tomorrow!

 

You got good results testing it?

I wouldn't have published it if the results were bad

The tactics works well in multiple saves but it isn't the only 4-2-3-1 tactics that i'm using. The tactics works well against defensive teams due to the player's (counter)movement. But if i'm on the counterattack myself, i'm using a similar tactics with Adcanced Forward and more support duties. So this tactics is better suited for when you're the (slightly) stronger team or equal at home.

[TheMartello]

Are you going to share the other(s) as well?

 

Can you share your results as well if you have some spare time? I love reading your stories 

[Maddux]

I can't post results because, unlike i usually do, i didn't do a "single tactics only"-test save with the tactics. Instead i've played about 2 seasons in already existing saves with different teams of different strengths (Rennes, Dresden, 2x Frankfurt) where i already played other 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 tactics. And i switched between these tactics depending on the opponent.

The other 4-2-3-1 i'm using is attached to this post. You will see that it isn't that different to the Target Man 4-2-3-1 except for a few roles and duties. The attached 4-2-3-1 is essentually just a slightly different version of my "Basic is better" tactics.

Maddux 4-2-3-1.fmf

Edited June 25 by Maddux