What kind of football do you like to play?

Simple. What's your football philosophy? Defensive and counter-attacking or fluid, entertaining total football? Or something else entirely?

I myself always like to play beautiful football and try to score as many as possible but I often try to balance it towards the defence to try to limit goals conceded.

Share your thoughts.

Whatever is necessary at the time.

I used to be a purist, beautiful 4-4-2 with two outstanding wingers, but I'll know play any system if I think it will win.

Possession-based football. Like Barcelona but not quite as beautiful to watch, sadly.

I play to win and score as many goals in the process as possible.

Generally 'the beautiful game' but I have been known to be a counter attacker when the team can't handle the sexy football.

Always have an attacking mentality with short passing and a medium tempo and I never use counter attack. Looks nice at times, and gets good results

I usually play some sort of variation on the 4-3-3 formation so I have a fairly attack-minded approach. But the first area I always look to build on is my back five. Need to start off with a solid base, Goalkeeper, two strong CB's and the rest is delt with afterwards. As for a particular footballing style on the pitch, I tend to prefer wide play, with plenty of crosses into the box.

Rigid & Standard with Luton Town in the EPL

I like to play with an attacking mentality with balls coming in from the wings in a 4-2-3-1 with a fluid style and short passing. Just trying to figure out how my left winger has most goals this season and not my wonderkid striker.

brutal and uncompromising, the way scottish football was intended to be.

in fm10 unless you have a far greater team you have to play pretty defensive. in fm09 with a really good team I could play my type of football that I always wanted, I could put the short passing right to the shortest and slowest option with lots of free roles, extremely narrow midfield and the ball would still not be hoofed always and I could actually play the type of football I asked for! oh and I could still be successful doing it!

fm10 pretty much always have to play with not much variation off of the defensive setting

In each of my different saves i use a different formation with a different style of football. My favourite though is a 4-2-3-1 that's fluid and attacking looking to open up lots of space with two solid CB's to fall back on and well rounded fullbacks that will help out in attack and in defence.

I always try to fit my team to play controlled, possession football. Usually a 4-4-2 or some variation of it and set to control option with possesion and work ball into box shouts.

I always like to play attacking, fluid and entertaining football, based on possession.

And, somehow, i always end up playing defensive, rigid and dour football, based on long balls and corners.

My favourite scoreline is 2-0. It says, "I could have scored more... but why bother?"

Slow pace, short passing, fluid, soft tackling. Starve the other team of possession. It was originally a very dour technique but it's become more beautiful as I've tweaked it.

Honestly, I usually end up telling myself I'll play defensively, but end up having pretty much everyone else but the back four attack, (those four are usually VERY good though.) within like 2 years. Maybe a DM.

I also like playing the kind that makes still 16 year old Lukaku do fancy back heel through balls past Sakho to Chamakh who blasted it past the keeper, as has just happened in my game.

Possesion football. In one save in 2016 i played a diamond with arsenal which had Veratti, Gourcuff, Fabregas, Jovetic, Veloso so i guess got forced to

I play wide, wing backs with wingers set as Inside forwards allowing room for the wing backs to bomb down the wing. Also like playing Sweepers

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

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

-------------CM-------------

-LWB-------DM-------LWR-

-------CB--------CB--------

------------SW-------------

Thats my current one, playing as Ajax. Having fun!

Balanced is the best way I can think of describing it. Plenty of attacking players but set out to be tight in defence and break on the counter attack.

I prefer fluid to rigid. Because my team have to play quality game, and more passing game. In conclusion, goal is neccassery.

Fluid attacking football with focused passing through the middle in a 4-1-2-0-3.

The two wide forwards actually act as AML and AMR, giving me the option to cross from the line or play through the middle.

4-5-1 and usually in a control format with man marking and counter attack on

Im in favour of strong defence probably 4-1-4-1 and counter attack when possible Boring I know, but it works

I love 4-4-2 diamond attack or the standard 4-4-2.

I have three 442 formations. A counter atacking one for when I'm not favourites, a controlling tactic where I'll just keep the ball and go for some goals when it's right and a more attacking one where I'll just go down their end and try to rip holes in the nets and score.

On the old CM's it used to be 4-4-2 diamond, attacking... on the FM's up until 09 it was always variations of attacking 4-4-2.

FM09 I changed to 4-1-4-1 counter attacking and had major success. It wasn't the most thrilling tactic - in fact it was often pretty boring! - but it got results. The only issue was my strikers never scored many goals, as most goals came from midfield. As such, my strikers always got low ratings even though they were usually doing alright considering they were outnumbered by the defenders.

FM10 it's a tweaked version of Mr. Hough's 4-1-2-3 tactic, which is hugely entertaining and attacking but I tend to leak a lot of goals too.

Boring, 4-4-2 with lots of counter-attacking and soaking up pressure. Encourage them to shoot from range. Usually my teams take their 1 or 2 good chances a game, and we get a win.

I originally came up with this for Heracles in the Eredivisie, and got them 7th in the first season. I usually play with one winger (either left or right) and one normal wide player, a brusing midfield who are set to tackle and chase everyone.

It is ugly to watch, but I don't care. =}

counter attacking 5-3-2 WB as I call it. 3 DCs, WBs, 2CMs, 1AMC, 2ST - fluid, standard (to start the match, adjust to suit situation), narrow, play through the middle. I've found this a very good way of scraping wins against much bigger teams (and won me the ECL at first time of asking with Cagliari, full of 1-0 aggregate wins against top European teams)

It's not pretty, at times, but if the opposition don't get their act together, can be 4 or 5-0 before they know what hits them. Gotta love the triple-goal salvo in the first 10 minutes. SHOCK AND AWE on the counter attack!

Possession-based football. Like Barcelona but not quite as beautiful to watch, sadly.

Mostly this but I'll play defensively and on the counter if my situation demands it.

My teams are built from the back, with a quality keeper and two quality centre halves top of the priority list.

I also try to get two midfielders who will pass the ball around ahead of an 'anchor man' DMC to protect the back 4, and a big strong striker capable of playing effectively as a lone striker.

The result is that we're often near the bottom of the 'goals scored' column, but we concede so few goals that it doesn't really matter. Very rarely concede more than two goals in one game, and concede fewer than a goal a game on average.

Negative, awful to watch, but effective

I try to come up with a system that will work with the team at my disposal when I join a club and then I'll go from there. On numerous occasions I have tried to make dramatic changes from one season to the next, but that hasn't worked out all that well for me.

My current save with Liverpool sports a 4-2-3-1 using a balanced philosophy. Most games I stick with standard or attacking strategies, but every now and then I try to use counter as well. My central midfielders are on support or defense duties. Wingers and forward have attacking duties. We tend to play centered possession football as my playmaker is the AMC. Most games it looks quite nice and overall I am happy with the results. Good times!

I like to play with a lot of bruisers. I like my whole squad to be aggressive, high work rate, and determined in all positions. I like my team to out-run and out-work the other team.

I like to play with a lot of bruisers. I like my whole squad to be aggressive, high work rate, and determined in all positions. I like my team to out-run and out-work the other team.

sounds like Stoke City to me.

I always like to play attacking, fluid and entertaining football, based on possession.

And, somehow, i always end up playing defensive, rigid and dour football, based on long balls and corners.

Do you end up winning when you play defensively?

I play fluid in attack and rigid in defense. It does not mean that I won't play like big sam if I need to get a result. Because there are days that 'beautiful football' won't get you the 3 points.

Strict 'do as I say, and only what I say' football in 4-4-1-1 formation, as beauty doesn't win me anything, while discipline and efficiency do. Not necessarily defensive, but I'm not a fan of key highlights unless it shows my team scoring.

4-3-3 with a high defensive line and high closing down; very similar to the way Barcelona play in real life. In defense I have two solid centre backs and two attacking wing-backs. In midfield I have two advanced playmakers with a ball-winning midfielder in the centre to soak up attacks. In attack I have a poacher, a trequartista and a target man. I win the treble almost every year with this formation and these tactics.

4-2-2-2 Attacking football, with a team jam packed with technical exellence. Makes for very a attractive, and entertaing style.

I like to score as many goals as possible without caring about how many goals I concede.

i prefer a short-passing patient possession game, but i've been known to start throwing it fast and long if things aren't going my way.

i did pride myself on my work at Plymouth. within 2 seasons i had them playing like a mini-Barca. regularly getting 60%+ possession, dominating teams even the "better" sides - we absolutely hammered Champions League challenging Everton in the FA Cup, but lack of a decent striker cost us and we could only draw. couldn't afford a 20 goal a season striker though, so there were a lot of 0-0's and 1-1's losing silly goals that meant i was always battling away for the play-offs

i prefer a short-passing patient possession game, but i've been known to start throwing it fast and long if things aren't going my way.

i did pride myself on my work at Plymouth. within 2 seasons i had them playing like a mini-Barca. regularly getting 60%+ possession, dominating teams even the "better" sides - we absolutely hammered Champions League challenging Everton in the FA Cup, but lack of a decent striker cost us and we could only draw. couldn't afford a 20 goal a season striker though, so there were a lot of 0-0's and 1-1's losing silly goals that meant i was always battling away for the play-offs

Ive been doing a similar with xerez. I beat valencia 4-1 with 57% possession. Only difference is I dont play short and patient. I play mixed passing and a fast tempo.

High pressing, slow & patient probing game.

Sometimes not incredibly exciting to watch, but it also produces some beautiful flowing attacking plays.

Me make goal happen, less goal happen against. happy.

Disciplined defence+controlled attacking possession+counterattacking football. I think it is beautiful. Everyone on short pass, all same team mentality of attack. Four players with free roles and only one or two notches into much creativity, everyone else in normal or little. And when the situation arises, fast breaks on the counter with slick, direct passes which lead to goal. <- and all those shifts in style are not done by me but by the players. I keep one tactical setting and let the players sort themselves out.

I used to play a Mourinho-esque "win is everything" system. Half my wins used to be 1-0s and it was effective but quite dull.

I now play a very quick release attacking style with a solid defence and a playmaker who plays in the four attackers. I think my win ratio is only very slightly down but the games are certainly more entertaining.

i like defensive football but i usually get better results with a fluid and offensive game style

The only style of play that i have any sort of success with is a direct attacking or counter attacking style with either just a target man upfront or a target man and an advanced forward upfront.

4-2-3-1, reasonably balanced, front 4 attack, DMs Support and back 4 defend..simple

Varying. I don't really like wingers (or maybe I'm just crap with them ), so it's usually something like 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1. Patient play with minimising risk.

It varies with me

For example in my Sevilla save, my philosophy was balanced, but my playing style was overload, and it produced some good slick football, and consecutive 3rd place finishes for 3 and now 4 seasons.

In my current Walsall save however I have to improvise so I have 2 formations. A 4-2-2-2 at home which is more like a 4 4 2, with fluid and standard style, and away its a turgid 4-5-1, using the classic mode, with normal mentality, (parking the bus style).