Playing with only one winger....

Tactics-wise, I normally employ a narrow 4-3-3 with 3MC and 3FC/ST.

I try to make sure that two of my centre forwards are also AM/F L/R (in my case as Rangers manager that means Fleck, Lafferty or Naismith) that way depending on how the match is going I can switch to a 4-5-1, with one through the middle and some extra width.

Last night, due to a combination of factors, i.e. .injuries/suspensions etc, I had to play two FC up front, which meant come half time the only option I had was to play down one wing only.

This gave my formation a very unconventional, lop-sided look with a flat back-four, 3 MC, AML and 2 FC.

But it worked really well, I scored three quick goals and my AML was MOTM. I stuck with my new formation for another few games and it’s still working, so it doesn’t appear to have been a fluke or a one-off.

Like most people on here I’ve tried various tactics in FM2009 trying to find the ‘right’ blend, but I never considered an ‘unbalanced’ formation before. I’ve just stuck to bog-standard, symmetrical 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 5-3-2 etc.

Is this a quirk in the Match engine, or is it already an accepted tactical approach discussed at length elsewhere on these forums?

Sure i've also had some success doing this, with AML, 2 MC and one MR, is that what you mean? It proved very successful for me and i've won the league for 3 seasons in a row with........Dundee United.....

I posted about it before and a few other people said the same.

By the way, are you a rangers fan? If so were you at Ibrox when we drew 3-3? what a game that was, great atmosphere from a united supporters point of view!!

!!

Sure i've also had some success doing this, with AML, 2 MC and one MR, is that what you mean? It proved very successful for me and i've won the league for 3 seasons in a row with........Dundee United.....

I posted about it before and a few other people said the same.

By the way, are you a rangers fan? If so were you at Ibrox when we drew 3-3? what a game that was, great atmosphere from a united supporters point of view!!

!!

I dont play with a M/R, AM/L and 2MC. I play with 3 MC and 3 FC, but I drop one of the FC back to either AML or AMR dependent on which position he is more natural in.

Re. 3-3 at Ibrox, are you talking about the midweek game at Ibrox earlier this season, when we equalised very late on? Dundee Utd have been a bit of a bogey team for us last few seasons, both at Ibrox and Tannadice for some reason. I find it really odd considering you lost 4-0 at home to Motherwell quite recently too. Hope your not turning into another Aberdeen who only play for 4 games a season, i.e. against us.

Ah ok well our tactics are different, but both seem to work eh?

Yeah that game, was cracking cos we were winning most of the game, so lots of banter!!

Hopefully not just playing 4 games a season, we have our eyes on 3rd! the Motherwell gmae was a bit of a freak, but never mind. Hope you beat celtic after they pinched Flood off us. haha

I have come up with several very unbalanced tactics that have worked depending on the players I had available at the time. Most of the result of not being able to find the players for one side of the pitch. For example I won the African champions league with a formation featuring a DL, DC, DC, WBR, DM, CM, AMC, AMR, ST, ST basically attacking all the time down the right and having the striker on that side running back and the quick midfielder on the left to slow them down there. Also had success with with 3 centre backs a right wing back and no one on the left except AML, its just a balance of players and knowing where you are really vulnerable to put your better players.

I've never even thought of using an unbalanced formation because I once played 70 minutes against a team that played without an AML (they played 4-2-3-1 and their AMC got sent off and they moved their AML to AMC) and I created a ******** of chances down the right wing.

In previous version a freind of mine would always play 4312, with the 1 being a winger (usually on the left). On FM09 however he hasn't had as much luck with this formation so I'm suprised its worked for you, but well done.