Your favourite formation on FM?

Hey all,

What's your favourite formation to use when managing a team on FM?

I've always really used variants of the 4-4-2.

On FM07, it was a 4-4-2 diamond for me, with wide players and a DMC and AMC.

On FM08, I enjoyed creating a 4-4-1-1.

On the new FM09, I have been mainly using the classic flat 4-4-2.

So what about you? Which formation works best for you and which formations are you struggling to get going in the game?

C.

I like a nice 4-4-2.

But a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-1-2 are also favourites of mine.

On FM 09 i use a 442 all the time. A possession keeping tactic.

I don't use any other mainly because this one works really well for me.

Always 4-2-3-1.

Sound defensively, sound going forward.

FM 2008 - 4-1-2-1-2. Was very successful with that formation.

FM 2009 - 4-1-3-2. I don't use AMC in FM09 because of the AMC bug and I switched to this one. This tactic has been very good to me.

FM07 & 08 - 4-4-2 with advanced wingers

FM09 - 4-3-3 like Chelsea under Mourinho

I've used a 4-4-2 diamond (with DM and AMC) for just about every version of FM/CM I've played.

FM 2008 - 4-1-2-1-2. Was very successful with that formation.

FM 2009 - 4-1-3-2. I don't use AMC in FM09 because of the AMC bug and I switched to this one. This tactic has been very good to me.

Is that with one DM and one CM then?

4-2-3-1, like Rafa. Except one of my CMs is Gerrard with a farrow.

4-1-1-2-2.

Normal back four, 1 DMC, 1 MC, AMR/L, 2 ST.

I like to play 4-4-2,or the 4-1-2-1-2

It mainly depends what team what formation.I prefer to play 4-4-2 but teams now cancell out my passing game.In my 2nd season with Arsenal.

I'm thinking about changing formation to the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-3-1-2.

I might have to play someone more defensive Midfeild to try and cancell the other team.They play the 4-4-1-1 mainly now because i tend to punish them.

4-1-2-2-1 is proving pretty all conquering for me on FM08, though I do occasionally interchange with 4-2-3-1

I've used a 4-4-2 diamond (with DM and AMC) for just about every version of FM/CM I've played.

Dafuge - Is that a 4-4-2 wide diamond with wingers or a 4-4-2 narrow diamond with MCs?

If it is the former, how do you find it works for you?

Dafuge - Is that a 4-4-2 wide diamond with wingers or a 4-4-2 narrow diamond with MCs?

If it is the former, how do you find it works for you?

The wide one, like this. It has taken quite a lot of work to make it even nearly effective though.

The wide one, like this. It has taken quite a lot of work to make it even nearly effective though.

Interesting. As I've said, that was my absolute favourite on FM07.

I haven't experimented with it since then but I actually have a great AMC in my current save and I am tempted to give it another shot.

Any tips on getting it set up?

I guess it isn't totally dissimilar to a flat 4-4-2, just that you've got one totally attacking midfielder and one holding midfielder devoted to defending. I suppose the key is to make sure that the attacking midfielder tracks back and doesn't neglect his defensive duties. Must be awesome when you're attacking though. Does the AMC chip in with many goals?

Interesting. As I've said, that was my absolute favourite on FM07.

I haven't experimented with it since then but I actually have a great AMC in my current save and I am tempted to give it another shot.

Any tips on getting it set up?

I found the strikers hard to set up. Usually I go for one fast target man striker and one slightly deeper creative striker but with FM09 I'm using two strikers who take on both roles, so they both provide assists for each other.

I found playing down the wings and getting crosses in was good as well.

4-4-2 with advanced wingers, short passing high tempo. With Fiorentina, am scoring about 120 a season at the moment and conceding about 40, so lots of 3-1s.

Away to the bigger clubs I sometimes pull back the wingers a bit, for solidity in defence.

I found the strikers hard to set up. Usually I go for one fast target man striker and one slightly deeper creative striker but with FM09 I'm using two strikers who take on both roles, so they both provide assists for each other.

I found playing down the wings and getting crosses in was good as well.

That's interesting.

So you didn't find any problems in setting up the DMC and AMC to work together then?

I must say, 4-4-2 diamond with wingers takes me back. It always used to be my CM/FM formation until I started just playing flat 4-4-2 on recent versions.

32212

or better know as 352 with wingback instead of wingers.

That's interesting.

So you didn't find any problems in setting up the DMC and AMC to work together then?

They are no where near as effective as they have been in previous versions but they do their jobs well enough to let the other members of the team make the key contributions. Nearly all my assists come from my wingers and strikers now instead of my AMC.

Have used the 4-2-3-1 system for the last 2 versions.

2-5-3

GK

CB

CB

DM

LM

RM

CM

CM

AM (farrow)

ST

ST

Sound defensively and amazing going forward

They are no where near as effective as they have been in previous versions but they do their jobs well enough to let the other members of the team make the key contributions. Nearly all my assists come from my wingers and strikers now instead of my AMC.

To be honest, I don't think that this just happens to your diamond system. In my flat 4-4-2, my assists also come mainly from my wingers. It's been the same in most systems I have tried. Think this might be part of the so-called MC/AMC 'bug'.

When i'm playing the big teams I use 4-2-3-1 but when i play in the lower leagues I use 4-4-2.

352 but switching slightly depending on the circumstances so sometimes 3142 or 3421. Generally its been suprisingly solid at the back, compared to previous versions of the game where you would need side arrows on the CBs to make it work.

I think Si might be sorting out the problems with AMC's in the next patch, hopefully.

I like:

3 CBs

2 WBs

2 CMs

1 AM

2 STs...

Anyone remember the classic 4-1-3-2 with the farrow on the CM from one of the Championship Manager games? Used to get you world dominance with a half decent squad, as long as you had a good CM! The CM would end up playing in between the two strikers and scoring tons off goals.

I'm currently using a 4-1-3-2 in my Villa game that is giving me mixed results at the minute but my favourite has to be 4-1-2-2-1 with a DM, 2 MC's and 2 wingers and a lone striker!

Sorry for being a bit dumb here, but what's 'farrow'?

LUFC-a-holic - on the old CM/FM games (prior to FM09) you could assign a 'forward arrow' which people shortened to 'farrow'.

Sort of like arrows now, except they are linked to forward runs in FM09.

Hope that helps.

4-2-3-1 Benitez style

442 or 433 w/wingers.

LUFC-a-holic - on the old CM/FM games (prior to FM09) you could assign a 'forward arrow' which people shortened to 'farrow'.

Sort of like arrows now, except they are linked to forward runs in FM09.

Hope that helps.

Oh them, didn't realise thats what it was short for. cheers! why have they stopped us doing that in this one? strange:thup:

4-1-3-2 always. For years!

Flat back 4, DM to back them up a bit, 3 through the middle in the midfield and 2 forwards. The fullbacks with forward arrows so they can bomb up the wings if they feel like it.

I like this formation because it can double up as 5-3-2 or 4-4-2 whenever necessary, if the DMC has enough brains!

FM07 is the last game I had a true consistent tatic on, and I played a 3-2-3-2, with 3 center backs, two midfielders, an AMC and two wingers, and two striker.

I favour a 'build from the defense up' tactic and thus like to employ a 4-1-2-2-1, with a flat back four, a DM, two CMs, an AMR, an AML and a ST.

Having a DM that backtracks really tightens up my defense but at the same time, my offense is none-too-shabby as my two fullbacks, two CMs and two AMs all have forward runs, as well as run with ball, set to often.

To throw in some sophistication and fluency in my attacks, I also instruct both my CMs to swap positions with each other. In addition to that, all three of my AMR, AML and ST are set to swap positions with each other. These five players have their creative freedom set high and I have only played players with their flair attribute being equal to or more than 14 in these five positions thus far.

I must say that I have really enjoyed the match highlights of my team when we are on a good scoring run.

The diamond

3-5-2, with the central midfielder playing a more defensive role. Helps to have defenders with some pace.

4-4-2 usually, but in wycombe I use their version of 4-3-3 (wich is more like a 4-2-1-2-1 formation)

4 2 3 1 ~!!~~!!~!~!~

I have been playing with 4-3-3 lately.

Flat 4 in defence, 3 MC and 3 ST.

It´s not working the way I tought it would, but it´s giving me the results so I can´t complain...

4-4-2 is the formation i use the most.

--------------- g k ------------------

´

-- c b ---------- c b ---------- c b --

-------- d m ----------- d m ---------

-- m r ------------------------- m l --

--------------- a m c ---------------

-------- s t ----------- s t ----------

I used to love the Christmas Tree - 4-3-2-1. It worked wonders until 9.2 patch, when AMC ratings became broke and it was impossible to keep them happy with constant poor ratings.

Now I do a 4-1-2-2-1 with attacking wingers (instead of central attacking mids) and a lone striker. Seems to work OK so far.

4-2-2-2

That's 4 across the back, 2 CM's, 1 AML 1 AMR and 2 ST's. Works a treat

I always put the best 10 outfield players in and then work the formation around them, so I come up with many different formations. If that doesn't work I revert back to more traditional formations, mostly 4-4-2