What formation to use and playing to your strengths.

Hey, before this gets moved to the tactics thread just thought id post here as im asking for 'general feedback' i dont want anyone elses tactics or any cheats just some advice.

I've played FM for around 6 years now and i seem to always use the same boring 442 formation and standard target man and poacher with two wingers, you get the point.

I've tried 443 but again seems to be interesting but can never get it how i like as i feel the game stops this.

My question is this, what formations do you use? print screens of any interesting ones and what do you do in game to adjust this?

I used to try and use 3-5-2 exclusively in older versions of the game, but as of 2009 I've been using 3-4-3 and am really enjoying it.

Just find it weird that FM doesn't have it as a standard tactic... I'm pretty sure it used to be there, in the list, but now you have to create it from scratch.

Wow! A 443!!! You have some guts going with no keeper!

Anyhow- I use what the computer refers to as a 451, but I see as a 433... flat 4 in the back, three central mids, two attacking wingers, and a lone striker. wingers set to inside forwards, striker depends on personnel, as does mids... usually two b2b's, a dlp, and a complete fw.

Wow! A 443!!! You have some guts going with no keeper!

Anyhow- I use what the computer refers to as a 451, but I see as a 433... flat 4 in the back, three central mids, two attacking wingers, and a lone striker. wingers set to inside forwards, striker depends on personnel, as does mids... usually two b2b's, a dlp, and a complete fw.

Wow, you don’t have a keeper either .

I use a standard 4-4-2, with default settings (long story short, I thought I’d tweaked them, left them alone for six months. My mate asked for my tactics, so I sent them, and apparently I had been playing with default settings the whole time, so I just stick with them now).

I use 4-4-3 with my Worcester. 2 CD, 2 WB, 3 MC (one in defensive mode), and 3 ST (one is Target man). So far so good. Currently leading the table after 16 matches.

I use 4-3-3 with great success with varying quality of team.

Pretty Standard:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj52/ndebergerac/Picture2.png

Damn a lot of people playing without keepers here

The players I have determine the formation. Currently in Sweden I'm using a standard 4-4-2 while I started in Brazil where 4-2-2-2 was the formation of choice.

In previous versions I've made good use of 4-4-1-1 in Italy, Wingbacks in Northern Ireland and a particularly good 4-5-1 as Arsenal.

I'm a traditionalist from the days of Alf Ramsey's 4-4-2. I play with 2 FB (support), 2 CH (limited), 2 Wide Midfielders (Attack), 2 Ball-winning CM (Support, Defend), and 2 Strikers on Advanced and Poacher.

I could possibly work better with a deep lying forward and a box-to-box mid, but I have every player on full closing down and minimum CF, with a very rigid man-marking philosophy so that we pressure every team we play trying to put them off their game.

I use 4-1-3-2 with flat back 4, central dm, left and right mid and right centre mid and 2 strikers. I use rcm as playmaker and a treq and poacher up front

I used to try and use 3-5-2 exclusively in older versions of the game, but as of 2009 I've been using 3-4-3 and am really enjoying it.

Just find it weird that FM doesn't have it as a standard tactic... I'm pretty sure it used to be there, in the list, but now you have to create it from scratch.

Really?

I'm sure its there. A number of AI teams use it (Genoa for one).

Anyway I am a traditionalist as well with the 442 but have also used 4231 with the 3 as AMC's to very good effect.

If you play a 433

--D--D--D--D

---M--M--M---

-----S--S----

how can you get width? i seem to be playing very narrow but when i ask them to play wider they get exposed in the midfield area!

When Jose was at cheski he had it perfect, is there a link to his tactics?

^ I usually play with a 4-4-2 but if things are going badly I switch to a 4-3-3 and usually get some success from it. I have two different ways of playing it which depend on the way the game's going and you can still get some width out of it if you do it right.

The first way is probably the more conventional where you have three central midfielders. This way is more accustomed to playing through the middle and I find if I get much width that way it'll come from the full backs with one of the strikers running out on the wing to receive a pass, though a lot seems to either go through the middle or become focused to one side of the pitch.

If you want to play with more width you can keep one central midfielder and two wingers which I've done a few times and it's worked pretty well for me. That way you can play wider, it works well if you make the central midfielder defensive as he brings the full backs into play and encourages them to advance down the wing (especially if they are on support duty). Your central midfielder won't seem to have much role in directly scoring or setting up goals but actually seems quite crucial in creating space to be able spray a pass out to the full backs on the wings. The full backs then can run with it, play it down the line or even play a cross field ball to the full back or winger on the other side. Give it a try if you want to play a 4-3-3 with more width...

^ I usually play with a 4-4-2 but if things are going badly I switch to a 4-3-3 and usually get some success from it. I have two different ways of playing it which depend on the way the game's going and you can still get some width out of it if you do it right.

The first way is probably the more conventional where you have three central midfielders. This way is more accustomed to playing through the middle and I find if I get much width that way it'll come from the full backs with one of the strikers running out on the wing to receive a pass, though a lot seems to either go through the middle or become focused to one side of the pitch.

If you want to play with more width you can keep one central midfielder and two wingers which I've done a few times and it's worked pretty well for me. That way you can play wider, it works well if you make the central midfielder defensive as he brings the full backs into play and encourages them to advance down the wing (especially if they are on support duty). Your central midfielder won't seem to have much role in directly scoring or setting up goals but actually seems quite crucial in creating space to be able spray a pass out to the full backs on the wings. The full backs then can run with it, play it down the line or even play a cross field ball to the full back or winger on the other side. Give it a try if you want to play a 4-3-3 with more width...

Good shout, i have used this before but i feel i let in too many goals this way hence why i like playing compact but then on the attack i would love to be able to play with more width.

How did Jose do it when he was at cheski does anyone know?

I don't have a preferred formation. Whenever I start i new game I look at the club's squad and choose my formation based on what they have. Then I usually stick with that for the rest of the save. Although recently I have made an exception in a save with Beroe from Bulgaria where I changed from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 because all my four full backs left the club in the same transfer window and I couldn't afford suitable replacements.

---D---D---D

----DM-DM----

AM---AM---AM

AT--AT

or

---D---D---D

----DM-DM----

AM----------AM

AM

AT-AT

I always play 4231. I like the balance of two holding midfielders and two attacking full backs.

If you play a 433

--D--D--D--D

---M--M--M---

-----S--S----

how can you get width? i seem to be playing very narrow but when i ask them to play wider they get exposed in the midfield area!

When Jose was at cheski he had it perfect, is there a link to his tactics?

stuffed it.

You’re missing a player to begin with .

-----D--D--D--D------

---------M-M----------

-----AM------AM----

----------ST-----------

I think that’s 4-3-3, or at least how I’d deploy it.

and you're missing two

IMO a true 4-3-3 is:

-----D---D---D---D-----

-----MC---MC---MC----

-----ST---ST---ST----

Other posts in this thread that have stated 4-3-3 are more of a 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2

EDIT

Sorry, just missing one.

You're missing a player too. Guessing you'd have a third centre mid there then it makes sense, it's kinds the 4-3-3/4-5-1 hybrid.

Can anyone answer what did jose mourinho play at chelsea

and you're missing two

IMO a true 4-3-3 is:

-----D---D---D---D-----

-----MC---MC---MC----

-----ST---ST---ST----

Other posts in this thread that have stated 4-3-3 are more of a 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2

EDIT

Sorry, just missing one.

Ah crap, it’s early here aha. I feel like a right twit now .

Can anyone answer what did jose mourinho play at chelsea

IIRC he played what the game calls a 4-5-1 but what is essentially a 4-3-3:

-----------------------GK----------------------

DR------------DC--------------DC------------DL

-----------------------DM----------------------

--------------MC---------------MC-------------

AMR----------------------------------------AML

-----------------------ST----------------------

hi every1 im playing football manager 2008 currently on xbox 360 coz my laptop hasnt got video or graphics card 2 play the new fm10 but im getting a mac soon so then i can play it

just a quick question if any1 cud help me out then i wud be very greatfull

in the pre-season ive tried so many times to arrange cup/league friendly competitions but the clubs always seem to reject and i cant figure out y ?

i hope sum1 can post a reply or message me and help me

thnx a lot

hi every1 im playing football manager 2008 currently on xbox 360 coz my laptop hasnt got video or graphics card 2 play the new fm10 but im getting a mac soon so then i can play it

just a quick question if any1 cud help me out then i wud be very greatfull

in the pre-season ive tried so many times to arrange cup/league friendly competitions but the clubs always seem to reject and i cant figure out y ?

i hope sum1 can post a reply or message me and help me

thnx a lot

Why on earth are you asking that on this thread?

Try the xbox forum mate

Really?

I'm sure its there. A number of AI teams use it (Genoa for one).

Anyway I am a traditionalist as well with the 442 but have also used 4231 with the 3 as AMC's to very good effect.

I forgot to refer that I'm still playing with the 2009 edition of FM... and yes, when I click the Standard Tactics list, 3-4-3 isn't there :confused:

I honestly thought they removed it, but I guess it could be a missing file in my PC too... not sure how it happened, though, since this is a fresh install.

We need an option for tactics on and off ball to be honest

If i'm managing highish up i'll adapt the formation to the players i have, at first anyway. If i'm managing low down i'll go with a formation i like or want to try because you can overhaul your squad very quickly with frees at low levels. What i like doing is trying different formations with different saves. If you just go down the same route every time i can imagine it getting a bit boring.

A formation i like is 4-3-2-1:

......................... GK ..........................

...... DR ....... DCr ....... DCl ....... DL ......

............ MCr ...... MC ....... MCl ............

................. AMCr .... AMCl ..................

......................... ST ..........................

It floods the midfield.

Con's are that teams can get at you down the flanks. Width is not really a problem since i use two attacking wing-backs, but this does have the problem that you get exposed sometimes on the break with gaps left by the advancing full backs. If you give suitable defensive/supporting roles to the three MC's you can get a good balance though.

----------GK------------

-RB----CB1---CB2----LB-

------------------------

------CM1----CM2------

RW------------------LW

-------ST1--ST2--------

GK - Goalkeeper -Defend

RB - Wing Back - Attack

LB - Wing Back - Attack

CB1 - Central Defender - Defend

CB2 - Ball Playing Defender - Stopper

CM2 - Deep Lying Playmaker - Support

CM1 - Advanced Playmaker - Support

RW - Inside Forward - Attack

LW - Inside Forward - Support

ST1 - Complete Forward - Support

ST2 - Complete Forward - Attack

Works a charm. Helps that I have an amazing team though. Scored 130 goals last season in the league, got 106 points. Conceded only 18 goals, lost no games at all in any competition that season.