[[FM22] [Non-Beta] Sharp Counters, Defensive 3-5-2 (using WCB). Inspired by Antonio Conte at Juve & Inter.]

How is this working after the patch?

[FM21.2 UPDATE. Counter Attacking 352. Liverpool 107 points +107 Goal Difference (135 league goals). Stockport back to back promotions.]

How is everyone finding this on FM22?

[Defensive Width]

Searched the forums and found lots about attacking width, but no discussion of defensive width.

Has anyone played around much with wide or narrow defensive width?

I've been tempted by narrow defensive width ('show outside') when I'm sitting back more, or playing a less aggressive press when my team is flagging, but because of the strength of wing-play I'm a bit reticent to do so. Has anyone had good / bad experience with it?

[3-5-2 Counter attack (U Rosler) ruined by new patch]

Can't find this tactic on the SI forums, so forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place (I downloaded it from FM inside).

I've been having amazing results with Mr U Rosler's 3-5-2 Counter Attack, but since the new patch it's totally gone off the boil. We're talking going from winning every game 4 or 5 nil, to losing every game.

Anyone had the same experience? Any ideas as to what has changed, which has caused this?

Thanks!

[The Art of Counter Attacking]

After struggling to create counter situations (except from set pieces), I've found that playing an Advanced Forward is quite effective. While the rest of the team is sat back defending (I play a 4-4-1-1), he's able to stay up high and find space, and we can hit him with quick balls over the top when the opportunity arises. Pace, movement, work rate and composure recommended. This has helped me create a few more counters than before.

[The Art of Counter Attacking]

Do you actually have very few counter attacks or are they usually unsuccessful before making a chance to shoot so the highlights system doesn't show them?

...

Yeah you need to right players to counter quickly and to not let the defence catch up.

You could try a 451 or 4411 rather than making the jump to 442. It depends if you think you can defend without someone sitting in front of your DC's ?

having continued to watch matches on comprehensive setting, i can conclude that it's a combination of

i) a producing very few countering opportunities

and

ii) the few counters my team does create quickly fizzle out

both of which are consistent across many games and strategic situations...

i'm now going to give a two-striker formation a go, to see if this helps at all

still slightly baffled as to how others are having success in creating counters with similar tactics.

(my squad is also based on discipline and pace, with a couple of great passers in the midfield, with the intention of them having the qualities to get the counter going)

[The Art of Counter Attacking]

Do you actually have very few counter attacks or are they usually unsuccessful before making a chance to shoot so the highlights system doesn't show them?

thanks for the reply

that's a good suggestion - i generally flick between 'extended' and 'comprehensive' highlight settings, but i've been watching on 'comprehensive' more now, after your comment... i did see a few counter attacks which fizzled out almost immediately. i'll analyse things more.

ironically, i'm getting decent enough results using 'counter' mentality, but i'm just not producing a lot of counters! one ad hoc explanation for this could be that the AI is 'aware' of my counter 'threat', so doesn't commit too much to the attack, meaning they are less of an attacking threat, so i'm able to control the game and probe for chances.

the frustration is that the AI is so effective at countering...

i feel like a two-striker system could be more effective than the 4-1-4-1 for me. automatically you have two players who can build the counter together, or get on the end of it.

[The Art of Counter Attacking]

i'm having massive difficulty in producing counter-attacks using a 'counter' mentality.

after a season of playing half my games with it or so, i have produced only a handful of counter attacks, and no goals from them.

is anyone else having a similar problem? or have any ideas about how to produce more counter attacks?

i am playing as margate, just promoted to league 2, and thus predicted to be relegated. therefore, i'm the underdog in the majority of games.

i have been using a 4-1-4-1 and player roles closely modelled on cleon's original suggestion / demonstration / discussion.

(i.e. two defensive CBs, two support fullbacks (sometimes a wing back), anchor man DM, box to box CM, support CM, winger support, wide midfielder support, and various kinds of strikers experimented with)

to remedy this, i've tried various things such as playing as deep a defensive line as possible, in order to cede space and possession to the opposition so that i have space to counter-attack into, as well as playing around with all sorts of variations on the striker's role. i've also tried shifting to a 4-1-2-2-1, so that i have more players in attacking positions from which to attack quickly.

any thoughts or ideas?