Adonalsium

So this is a relatively simple tactic that I cooked up during a nostalgia trip for those 05/06 Milan sides. I also wanted to utilize a low block out of possession. After observing for a few seasons, this tactic really does seem to combine devastating counter-attacks with high possession numbers. Something I also like seeing is that the fullbacks actually score quite a bit. Theo Hernandez regularly scored 10 times per season with this tactic! Something to keep in mind w/ regards to mentalities and tweaks: there are essentially two versions of this tactic that I've "optimized" through trial and error. Both have the same formation. The first is Balanced mentality combined with Higher Tempo and Shorter Passing. The second is Attacking mentality combined with Slightly Higher Tempo and Much Shorter Passing. In lower leagues, the balanced mentality version seems to work better. When I am a top team, the Attacking mentality seems to work better, but I usually start games with Balanced just to be safe anyway. Without further ado, here's the tactic. There are quite a few PIs, these are your own choice. Poacher moves into channels and passes it shorter. AM (At) passes it shorter, takes more risks, dribbles more, roams from position, moves into channels, marks tighter and tackles harder. AP (Su) plays more direct passes, moves into channels and tackles harder. CM (Su) stays wider, roams from position, marks tighter and tackles harder. BWM (Su) holds position, stays wider and marks tighter. DLP (De) can also be a Regista if you prefer, he has no PIs, but you could add More Direct Passes if you have a Pirlo type player there. Download link is attached below. 41221 DM AM Ado.fmf

This is the SAS24 skin.

This thread is about me being inspired by Xabi Alonso's achievements and wanting to see what I could come up with, tactically, to best exploit the strengths of this Bayer Leverkusen side. Let's start with the players we want to shine the most. Meet our key players: Victor Boniface Florian Wirtz Álex Grimaldo Jeremie Frimpong Granit Xhaka When I set out to create the formation, I wanted to maximize the output of these five players. Boniface can be a true monster goalscorer with his attributes, but he also has the skillset to play a more supporting role as a Complete Forward if necessary. Florian Wirtz should be the creative fulcrum of your midfield and keep everything ticking over there, and so I'm determined to try to make him work as either an Advanced Playmaker or an Attacking Midfielder. Álex Grimaldo, like in real life, is more of a winger than a wing-back - therefore we need him high up the pitch, contributing offensively. I think he'll do best as a winger. Jeremie Frimpong is the best attacking wing-back in the world on the right side of the pitch, and so he should be given the role that warrants: let him loose to wreak havoc as a Complete Wing Back on Attack duty. Finally, Granit Xhaka is the guy who will keep possession ticking from deep in the field. And because I love the Regista role, I'm going to make him work as a Regista. Therefore, this is what I came up with: The Tactic The idea of the system is to create devastating counters and to unleash Frimpong on the right flank. Palacios has the PI to Hold Position and Shoot Less Often. Additional notes - I quite often play with the Positive mentality as well. The pressing set-up is up to the user - personally, I like to take a lot of risks with it, but I think you could very well employ a mid-block with this as well, as long as you tell your strikers to mark their midfielders. I've done this a couple of times. I also like to lower the tempo to play a more possession-oriented style when warranted. In terms of stats, I've won the Bundesliga with this tactic, achieving 60+% possession on average as well as scoring 90 goals during the season. I conceded 28 goals that season. It was an overperforming season, and just one person's result, so take that with a hefty grain of salt obviously! I hope this formation will provide some food for thought!

The RMD is a nothing burger role, a fossil created just because Muller once joked about something. Should really be removed. No real team in the world has ever used a role like that.

Visualizing the tactic in possession would be easier if you could give some 2D View images of the general shape in possession (or GIFs / videos of how they play). This looks interesting, though, I've always wanted to figure out how to use that triple pivot in a system.

Great results there. I like the passing maps - players all over the pitch, looks like everyone is getting involved. The wide positions in FM23 always felt difficult for me, but in FM24 at least I think a Wingback on Support would actually work better than a Wide Midfielder on Support - weirdly despite being a more defensive position it behaves better in an attacking setup than a wide midfielder or a defensive winger.

Can you update with some pictures of what it looks like in-game? In possession (deep in the enemy zone and build-up) and out of possession defensive shape? Does it concede counters easily?

On support or defend, I haven't noticed a great difference in the inverted wing backs. But I like having at least one more defend duty there. If you're by and far the best side in the league, by all means put him on Support duty though. The overlap is just to coax the inverted wing backs to station themselves slightly higher up the pitch on average and give them a more attacking mentality.

The way I craft a 4-3-3, I like a 2-3-5 shape in possession and I love midfielders. So the way I cram as many midfielders as possible into my system while playing a 4-3-3 is with the following shape: The two defenders form a narrow base and the Regista combines very nicely with the inverted wing-backs to then form a bank of three in possession. The following passmap is very common: Build-up shape from a goal-kick below. You'll see one of the Central Midfielders has dropped deep while the other has pushed up. Inverted Wingbacks are wide options, allowing us to play out very easily. In possession, you already see the loose 2-3-5 forming: A common sequence in possession. Players overload one side of the pitch (notice the 4-on-3 in a tight space, leaving a spare man to pick out a switch of play to the other flank), and often the Central Midfielder (#8) on the other side of the pitch is left free to run into space behind. Many goals are scored this way. One final screenie. I just like how this set-up creates situations where we often outnumber a back four 5-to-4. This one's very similar to some others posted here but I like the simplicity of two central midfielders on attack. If I could have two ball-winning midfielders on attack, though, I'd replace them with those, haha. I just love a good BWM. The best middle ground is to just to tell your central midfielders to close down more often.

Your system looks interesting - I'm curious how it looks in the match engine! Would you be able to post some 2D images of how it works out on the pitch?

Much obliged with the images. It looks like a very wide 3-4-3 when building up from the back and progressing the ball, but then it narrows down a bit in the final third. I actually really like it when you had 4 players in the box and 3 players just outside the box, containing the opposition. I've found that effect is a bit difficult to achieve with something like a regular 4-3-3. Giving one of the CMs a player trait like "Arrives Late In the Box" would be interesting for those situations, if they are common. I'll try this out for myself too!

What a great season! League Two awaits... this is where the jump up in quality starts to get really noticeable, I think.

I'm honestly amazed that tactic even works this well! You essentially have no midfield and even your wingback is bombing forward - you must be conceding so many counterattacks. This is an interesting save, you don't see a lot of Swiss league saves.

Could you add some 2D images of what the formation tends to look like in possession of the ball? Maybe when countering, and when in prolonged possession?

I'm curious just what tactic you're using. Impressive how far you've already taken Kosovo! Have you noticed any general improvement in youth rating yet?