jc577

@crusadertsar how do you find trap inside to be working?

Makes a lot of sense mate, the CM-S is such an underrated role imo, it's not too attacking nor too offensive. And what I love the most is how the role is interpreted differently depending on the player you use there, which makes it very flexible without having to change anything. The link up with the WM-A should be really nice too, with the CM-S slightly withdrawn in the half space allowing the WM-A to invade it. Straight pass, diagonal run vibes

@crusadertsar what's the thinking behind having the AP to the left rather than centrally? Is that to provide cover for the DW?

We came very close to beating Madrid & Barca to the La Liga Title in our second season... it was in our hands with 3 games to go (3 points clear of both), but a 1-1 draw away to Las Palmas and a 5-0 spanking at the Camp Nou ensured we finished third, and this season we've been way off it - wonder if the heartbreak of last season has affected the morale of the squad? Alas, I'm sure we will come back stronger next season, with a tactical revamp - actually thinking of building upon your 4222 idea for FM24

I'm just glad you're back playing FM, I remember a while ago you posted somewhere that you didn't have much time to (real life getting in the way as it tends to do!), so it's awesome to see you back on here mate, and certainly with a bang. It's definitely contagious haha, I'm also managing in Spain myself over in Valencia who start the game with a lot of quality HG talent, and I've vowed to retain all of them no matter what crazy bids come in, and make them the spine of a league-winning side.

Honestly, I've read pretty much all of your work and this post is hands down my favourite; an incredible mix of FM fantasy, tactical nuance and football romanticism. I was truly mesmerised and didn't want the piece to end! Amazing work @crusadertsar, cannot wait for more!

I did think a higher DL could be the trick here and it makes sense... if we're sitting off completely with our strikers, the defence/midfield behind them need to be compact otherwise it's easy to play through, which is exactly what I saw. I've recruited some quicker CB's now so will give the OI's another try with a higher line! Very interested to see your tactic mate. I'm currently deciding between using an IWB or IFB... the IWB's positioning is a bit too narrow for my liking, at least the way it plays out in a 442. Feel like the role is meant to provide easy access to the winger but he has to drop deeper to receive, and the connection to his flank seems off. My thinking is that an IFB creating a back three in build up will stretch the pitch, the SV on the same side will drop a bit deeper and provide a better connection to the winger. We'll see!

So the tactic below is what I've been working with at Valencia over the past two seasons, finishing 3rd in my first season, and currently sitting in 1st by 3 points, although Madrid and Barca both have two games in hand. The idea behind the tactic is simple, sit in a nice mid-block, be aggressive when they enter my half, and hit them hard & fast. The original version of the tactic had the F9/DLF (I change this dependent on the player) swapped over, but what I found was the support duty forward and the SV just didn't get on. Since the change, the SV is 10x better in terms of scoring and assisting, and actually the spread of the whole team across the pitch looks better too - often, the support forward and the SV form a two behind the PF, with the IW tucking in, the WB overlapping, and the winger holding the width. I tried experimenting with this but felt it made us a bit too passive, could be a variety of reasons for this, but I'm thinking the defensive line would need to be higher in order to pull this off, or more aggressive closing down from midfield - one to keep in mind for the future though. In terms of recruitment, I prioritise good levels of teamwork, work rate, aggression, bravery and determination across the whole squad - these are non-negotiable for me and are key to the style we're looking to implement. After further reading in this thread, very tempted to try the DW-S! The only PI's are: WB-A - run wide with ball IWB-S - shoot less often DM-S - Hold Position IW-S - take more risks, cross more often (Almeida is a very good crosser)

Amazing thread mate, 442 has been my favourite formation on FM since I started playing. I’ve recently developed a 442 built in a similar mould, attack quickly but not too quickly, and it’s working wonderfully so far. Will share tomorrow! This is a stroke of genius, will certainly be stealing that I’ve noticed that sometimes we can jump into the press too much and players get dragged out of position, I think this solves it! Looking forward to more!

Have you written about thr 433 anywhere? Would be interesting to see it!

No worries man, sorry to hear that! Hope everything's alright and you can back on the game soon, the forum needs you

Excellent thread my friend, did you continue with this/have any updates?

Hey man, any updates on this at all?

Completely agree, I think almost all back three teams are better replicated using DW's or WM's. Wingbacks just don't get into the box enough/aren't dynamic enough. The issue I've had with DW's in the past is them not tracking their man and the flanks being open to counters - any tips on having success with them?

No mate, it doesn’t work like that. Think about it like this - roles/duties determine where you build up play, and have a bigger influence on this than TI’s. So applying this to your latest tactic - a trio of FB-S, CM-S, and W-S doesn’t scream ‘we’re looking to build our attacks from here’, especially considering you have a MEZ-A on the other side. However, a trio of a FB-A, RPM/BBM, and an IW-S would likely see build up on the left flank, with the RPM able to switch the ball to your attacking duo on the right.