CKBrahMa

Which tactics ?

What about « Pass into spaces » TI’s ?

I did give a go to your tactic and it's great ! Maybe one of the best recreation so far ! I would only change Musiala to Winger and train him the PPM to cut inside. Also, I don't know if AP-s is the best way to replicate Odegaard role IRL...

Problem is : all the data show that White is higher than Zinchenko, so he can’t be on a Defense duty. It is impossible to recreate Ben White role. That’s why I used different scenario depending on the number of stricker and midfielders. The best way, overall, is a FB-s with sit narrower + overlap right TI’s

I was going to drop the Arteta style of play in FM as I was desesperate to have a great recreation that works on FM. I will give a go to your tactic (I still believe that the right FB can’t be a Wingback, especially if you have a Winger. Maybe a FB-s with overlap TI ?) I disagree with the low tempo : Arteta’s team quickly move towards goal, don’t you think ? same with hold shape : they can counter. I leave that untick. I would also untick the prevent short GK distribution : IRL, Arteta’s team press the CB, but not preventing the distribution to them

Dribble less is not a defensive TI imo. It is more of a « try to pass the ball instead of moving with it » I do think it is the best « tiki-taka » TI as you focus more on your position and space rather than « can I beat this guy 1v1 »

Update : I add the « Dribble less » TI, and the team play way much like IRL, and produced good results

Hi everyone ! What do you think about these 2 videos - Tifo IRL on how Arsenal is defending ; - FMS on the general Arsenal tactic. It pretty much proved my point that both FB are IWB-s (or, White being FB-s with sit narrower OR CWB-s). I feel like I was very close to get the recreation, but it can’t be a great tactic on FM…

I think one of the problem is the attributes of Xhaka. He can’t play well as a Mezz or a B2B as he lacks some crucial attributes (acceleration, tackles for instance). He always seems odd in FM has he has not enough defensive stats for a DM, and not enough physical to be offensive. Well, I did switch Partey and Xhaka, and the tactic works better for 5 past games.

After tons of test : the current state of the ME can't grant you a 1. proper replication 2. that works well. You can either choose to have an Arteta style, with a poor results or to have something close (like what RDF does) that works. Tbh, putting so much effort (before writing this topic : hours looking on how Arsenal plays, etc.) just to conclude that it can't be done... Very disappointed

Game 4 : first time facing a back 5. I think, in this case, i should switch Ben White to a WB-s (or, even, a WB-a) to create a 6 against 5 and not 5/5 Still manage to win tho, with ok'ish stats

Another tweak : I switched Gabriel M. from BPD to CB. In the current ME, the BPD tends to go up a bit more (like on Stopper duty), which creates a hole in our defensive line. Right now, here are my tactics : My base tactic My tactic against high press : Here are the stats from my 3 first friendlies : Game 1 : Game 2 : Game 3

So, I finish some of my tweaks : 1. First, I notice that, even if LA Galaxy wa playing a 442, only 1 of their stricker tried to press, so I was overwhelm in the midfield. When I switch to the 2 IWB, we get much more control 2. I do think that we can, at most, play fairly wide. I prefer fairly narrow, with both Saka and Martinelli holding the width with "stay wide" 3. Maybe the fact that a) LA Galaxy's players were fit (when mine are not) + not knwoing the tactic explain why they perform poorly 4. DL higher with "drop off more" 5. At the end, both of their stricker press more (very much like a true 442) : I switched back to my IW BPD CB WB-s and we manage to control the end of the game 6. I add the "Work Ball into box" and it seems to work, but i want to untick it after...

Hi ! Yesterday evening, I did try my tactic for the first friendly (againdt LA Galaxy). And... It wasa total disaster haha. I played it 3 times (the only time I save scum because I want to put my understanding in the ME) : 1 Draw (3-3), 1 L (2-1) and 1 win (1-0). LA Galaxy was playing a 442 mid block with counter : they went ball over the defense all the time. What have I learn : - We can't play wide with a short passing system, otherwise we lost the ball too easily + partey is to isolated even with Ødegaard and Zinchenko during the build up. I guess I have to play fairly wide/fairly narrow, with Saka and Martinelli stretching the ^pitch (both of them having "Stay wide") ; - Both of my FB have now "Mark Tighter" so they don't get catch up on their back so much ; - Gabriel Jesus is better as a F9 than a CF-s because, as I thought, he lacks the "Target Front" stats for FM (while, he "has them" IRL). I may try CF-a but i'm afraid he has the same problem : too much ball send to him like he's a TF... Will give a try to CF-a. Currently, I put F9 with press more ; - Even if I like Saka as a right winger, I think IF-a is better in the current ME. I may put Ødegaard as a Mezz-s (and Xhaka as a BBM). I will look again the RDF video. Maybe, he and some of you are right about White being a WB-s...

You can be a goal threat without having an attack duty. Arsenal (like City before Haaland) doesn't have a strong stricker with all the goals. IW-s is what is the closest to his style of play IRL, imo. He doesn't need to. Look at this stats : all the front 5 has 4 or 5 goals. There is not a main goal scorer. Tbf, I totally agree for IRL. But for the game, I fear he lacks of jumping reach (10) and strengh (13).

Don’t worry haha, I don’t feel antagonize ! Btw, I’m not native English speaker so sorry if my answers feel cold or mean. For Saka, we can’t totally put aside that he is a physical player before being a playmaker (both in FM and IRL). Furthermore, playing him as AP-a will create problems : - in FM, the AP-a on the wing tend to operate in the HS. In our case, he will do exactly what Ødegaard is doing (while IRL, when Saka « is the playmaker », Ødegaard will run into space). I get your point for Saka, but IRL is more fluid than FM. I think the best compromise would be playing him as an IW-a or -s (they’re pretty much the middle between AP and IF) For White, the thing is that he did not play IWB because he was used in a setup where you needed a FB. When we had 2 IWB, it was indeed Tomi playing. The future will tell us if Arteta is going to play him as a 2nd IWB. I do agree that he’s less creative than Zinchenko but I’m confident that he can be IWB For Xhaka, CM-a won’t let him be as wide as he can be

I’m not, otherwise I wouldn’t ask so many question in my post. Furthermore, I pretty much try to recreate Arsenal IRL : so Arteta is the expert haha.

Why do you say that ?

Saka is, according to FM, a physical player (even if he has great mental attributes). Futhermore, we need someone making the runs : he’s the one ! Depending on the formation, White can be an IWB-s. Tbf, it is true that it was Tomi and not White playing like this (I think he was injured). No need to have 3 man (+ Ramsdale) to manage a lone ST(c). When he’s a FB-s, he’s not getting further forward (because it is when the team has the ball, not him) as he helps the team to build-up from the back. However, he does run down the flanks and overlap time to time. I do agree Xhaka is tricky. However, he’s support without a doubt, not attack ! I do think that his role don’t really exists in FM. He’s like a Mezz that goes way wider if Martinelli comes in, or high up the pitch if Martinelli holds the ball. This is why I would like to know how to switch position between players (so he could be both a Mezz or a Winger depending on Martinelli positioning)

Thanks for your feedback ! Concerning the IF/IW and Mezz, it appears that IW-s tends to keep the width a lot more than before (on my beta save with Monaco, my WB and IW tend to be on the same spot). So it might work I guess I just tested it against the U21 as I only play one game (As I said, don’t have my computer right now). I would put results.

Oh, ****, RDF just posted a video replicating Arteta’s tactic. I will take a look at it and maybe say if I’m ok or not.

NEW THREAD AT page 3 : recreating since the winter update CLICK HERE ! Hi everyone ! First of all, I want to thank : - BTN for all his videos, especially his one on FM23 recreating the tactic (you’ll see that I differ from him on some point) ; - RDF tactic, especially for his video on Winger-A on opposite foot (which we’ll use for Saka) ; - Football Made Simple for breaking down the current Gunner’s tactic. To my understanding, the 11 players on the pitch can be separated in 2 groups : - The front 5 (Martinelli, Xhaka, Gabriel Jesus, Ødegaard and Saka) ; - the build-up 6 (Zinchenko, Gabriel M., Saliba, White, Ramsdale and Partey). The front 5 Very much like Man. City, Arsenal tries to occupy all the 5 channels, this way : - Left flank with Martinelli or Xhaka ; - Left Half-space (HS) with Martinelli, Xhaka or Gabriel Jesus ; - Center with Gabriel Jesus and Ødegaard (and, in a way T. Partey) ; - Right HS with Ødegaard and Saka ; - Right Flank with Saka (and, depending on the opponent, White can overlap). We can already see that : 1. The left side is much more fluid than the right one (e.g. in the game against Chelsea, we could see Martinelli in the Center, like where Partey should stand) and 2. The left side relies on only 2 players, maybe 2 of the top 3 of the front 5, 3. except for the occasion where White Overlap, Saka is alone to manage the right flank. For the left side, I took what BTN did : - Martinelli : IW-s with roam from position. I might add « dribble more » as it is his way to make a difference ; - Xhaka : Mezz-s. However, in FM, he may lack of pace to really run in the space. I may add roam from position, but he may drop too deep. Is there a way to « automatically » switch players from position (like Xhaka becoming the winger and Martinelli the Mezz ? I remember downloading a tactic in a previous FM where the wingers switch position time to time). If it’s possible, I may put Martinelli on W-s ; - Gabriel Jesus : a F9 of course. I may switch him to a Trequartista if he seems to drop too deep. For the right side, I differ a bit from BTN : - Ødegaard : currently a Mezz-a, I may switch him to AP-a (especially if Partey is overwhelmed in the midfield, see below). I feel that Mezz-a put Ødegaard to much as a finisher which he is not ; - Saka : a W-a, definitely, for various reason. 1. IRL, Saka very much play like a FM Winger-a, and not like a IF-a 2. Due to the ME, it occurs that the Mezz-a and If-a stand in the same area/attack the same space 3. In FM, Saka is quite a great crosser, at least a better crosser than finisher, 4. Shoutout to RDF tactic for his Winger-a on wrong foot video : it works like a charm, 5. In my « Ødegaard false 9 » topic, I did use Saka as a Winger-s, and even though his rating were not great, he was still crucial for the tactic However, I’m worried about point 2. As a wrong-foot W-a will receive the ball on the HS, like the Mezz-a. Do you think it can be a problem and/or what are your though on that ? I would say that it could be a problem but it won’t for one reason : Ødegaard has PPM « Comes deep to get the ball », which means he will be in the same HS as Saka, but lower. Am I right ? The build up 6 This is where I differ from BTN. While he’s offering a IW-s BPD-D CB-d WB-s, I choose more flexibility depending on the opponents composition. Indeed, Arsenal builds differently depending if they’re facing : - 2 ST (or 1 ST with an agressive AMC) pairing with a double pivot, like a 442, 4231 ; - 1 ST with 3 midfielders, like a 433 or a 343 - 2 ST with 3 midfielders, like a 352. - One special case : facing a front 4 Arteta’s idea during the build-up is to get the control of midfield without taking too much risks at the back. In real life, Arsenal would build up like that : - To counter the 2 ST, Ben White will stay down, like a third CB. Having only 2 midfielders, we only need Zinchenko to help Partey. To create numerical superiority, 2 options : Gabriel M. comes forward, breaking the line and creating a 3 against 2 OR Ødegaard comes deeper to collect the ball. So, option 1 : IWB-s BPD-d CB-C FB-s (with « Run on flank* » as a PI). I add « Overlap right » on TI’s as it reflects how Arsenal plays IRL ; - To counter 1 ST with 3 CM, we don’t need White to control the lone ST, so he became a IW-s. To create superiority, either Gabriel M. comes (BPD-d), Ødegaard comes deeper OR Gabriel Jesus comes deep (creating a 4 against 3). IWB-s BPD-d CB-c IWB-s - To counter 2 ST with 3 CM, we both need White staying lower and Ødegaard or Jesus to come deeper. So I mix the 2 options : White as a FB-s with PI and TI suggested, Ødegaard becoming an AP-a (as he will come deeper more often than a Mezz-a) and Gabriel Jesus coming deep too. In this case, Saka can become an IF-a ; - the case of the front 4. It was the case against Liverpool IRL. You can’t outnumber them with the same idea without getting outnumbered (4 against your back 4. Partey has 2 CM on him. If both Xhaka and Ødegaard come deeper, you’re 3 against 5 upfront, meaning you have very poor chance to score. Solution : this is where Ramsdale becomes important. 1. As a sweeper keeper, he will be a passing option for your CB and 2. Due to his passing skills, he can aim for your front 5. Thanks for reading this post ! Feel free to give your opinion or advice ! Screens and TI’s will come later, but you have the general idea as TI’s are no revolution here (classic Tiki-Taka)

Hi everyone ! First, I don’t know if it’s the right place to post this : sorry if I made a mistake. Here is my problem : I’m quite ok with scouting, creating tactic, winning and so on. however, the more the season go, the more my team looks like a « Galactic » team, with 2 main problems : 1. Having a lot of word-class players, with some of them not having great playing time and lacking of players who are not that great but vital for a team (eg : Makele during the Galactics of Real Madrid) 2. Preparing the future : I found the wonderkids, but I struggle to give them playing time as there is at least 2 better options before them. If I send them on loan, I struggle with homegrown/clubgrown for the UCL registration What are your advices ?

Hi everyone, CONTEXT I'm playing Arsenal, as usual, and I'm winning a lot (5 UCL in 6 years, 4 times in a row BPL Champion). Of course, It is hard with : - Man city having Haaland and Moukoko - Liverpool having Kane, Mbappé, Salah, Wirtz, Vlahovic But, I manage to win (and, for the first time, unbeaten this season in the PL). Here is my current squad : For the newgens : - Pinto, who's legit the new Pepe (minus the agression) - Uribe, who's the next Sergio Ramos (minus the agression) - Jarne Baert, whi I thought would be the next Makelele but appears to be quite a disappointment - Jules Van Den Keybus, who's the next Hazard - Cristiano Baixhino, who's the next O. Dembele - And Agirre, renamed Aguïré, you guessed it You may I have also seen that I lack of one thing tho : wingbacks. On the left, I only have Tierney, who's getting old, Itter who's a disappointment but had to panic buy him due to injury (and Saka, but I want to play him as a winger). On the right, I only have Aarons (mostly played as a IWB) and Uribe could helped. PROBLEM My lack of Wingbacks lead me too create a back 3 without any wingback. Here was the tactic used I won the UCL final 5-3 against Liverpool with it, so it can work. However, I noticed several problems : 1. When my CB's have the ball, they have no one to pass it to except the DLP has the Wingers are too far up the pitch 2. Of course, my midfielders kinda struggles 3. Liverpool did score 3 goals, 2 being kind of easy for them Do you have any idea of how could it work better ? I'm open to any suggestion !

Hi everyone, I post here because, even if I start to have a great understanding of the game (after THOUSAND of hours on the game) I have still not figure out the Line of Engagement (LoE) and Defensive Line (DL). i watched tons of videos or read stuff, but I’m not confident about how I understand it. Let’s take an example : if I have pacy forwards, and a tactic that like to counter and eat the space, should I play with a lower LoE ? If I have pacy defenders with poor aerial, should I play with high DL (you get the idea) ? if so, is a high DL with a lower LoE works ? What would look like this IRL ? I’m really here to understand and learn. I have a lot of « ideas » but I’m not sure they’re good. Like, for the example given, I remember a Zealand video saying that Low LoE and high DL is bad/very difficult, without knowing why ? Futhermore, when we look at the tactic created (eg, RDF), they’re all pretty much high DL, high/higher LoE. Why is that ? Thanks for your answer. And, just to be clear, I’m not here to name drop people who may have say/done errors like « look what they say, it’s wrong ». I just want to understand and I gave example in that purpose.