Goofiest formation used by a computer manager?

I have never really seen any really weird ones. Have you?

seen 4 defenders then 2 wing back infront of the full-backs

most negative i've seen was 5 defenders then a holding midfielder then 4 midfielders

Saw a 4-2-4 formation right from the start, usually something you do at the end of the game when you need a result, not right from the start.

Yes, I also saw a 4-2-4 from the start, it was so annoying.. I conceded an early goal and despite 85 minutes of domination I lost 0:1

I played Shakthar at home and they played 4-2-4 and I smashed them 4-0

4-2-4 is easy to counter - just hog the ball on the wings, and pull the full-backs out of position. Exploit the area between centre-back and full-back as without opposition wingers tracking back, your own wingers are free to do whatever you want. You also will dominate the midfield so use that.

Defending deep is also an option as it means that long balls over the top will fall into awkward areas (i.e. near the corner flag), giving you time to get back and defend. Play slow to avoid losing the ball.

Saw a 4-2-4 formation right from the start, usually something you do at the end of the game when you need a result, not right from the start.

Birmingham city used to line up in 4-2-4 against me every season, used to make me chuckle as I was the best team in the world and they were struggling each season to avoid relegation.

Got to admire their optimism.

SCIAG probably remembers all screenshots I post so he'll remember this one: http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/922/puyol.png

A cautious, man-marking 4-2-4! He took league champions Betis to mid-table nothingness in a single season with this tactic. I don't think he ever improved on a club's previous league position.

Played against a Puyol-powered team once, and they were terrible.

Ive seen 4 attacking midfielders before behind 2 strikers (the context was they were losing 4-0 from the first leg). The formation would be called: 3-1-4-2, and that doesnt look that daft but trust me it was crazy, i was 6-0 up (away from home against a very similar side) in 30 minutes.

Guess I'll name and shame

It was FC Twente in my game that used to line up 4-2-4, managed by Wesley Sneijder.

Brazil currently runs a 4-2-2-2. Sounds alright I suppose, until I checked the "tactics" tab...

Their starting LB is Kaka.

I often use a 4-2-4 formation from the start at home, but playing fairly cautiously. It's the only way I seem to make sure my wingers are exactly where I want them. It works very well for me, actually.

I had a championship team play 3-6-1 (2 WBS, 1 DM, 3 CMs) against me once but can't for the life of me remember who it was. It didn't work very well I have to say. I just lumped it to the corner flag and went around them all.

The AI uses 4-2-4 formation typically in the end game, but it happens they start out with it. But most of the time they will do it in the dying minutes.

Pushing the game high up will counter it most of the time though.

England seemed to have adopted 4-2-4 as standard, seen it in competitions since 2016 and i'm up into 2022/23 now!

Slightly bizarre seeing a side starting with 4-2-4, isn't it?

When do sides tend to do this? When desperate for a result or something like that?

Bordeaux played with a 5-2-1-2 against me

It went like this: LB, CB, CB, RB, CM, CM, CM, AM, ST, ST........crazy stuff.

I seen something that would never ever happen IRL.

Im Man Utd at HOME to Bolton, they play a 3-5-2. A team like Bolton or any team for that matter playing 3 at the back at Old Trafford is a joke. I hope they look into things like this.

Needless to say I won the game 6-0

Slightly bizarre seeing a side starting with 4-2-4, isn't it?

When do sides tend to do this? When desperate for a result or something like that?

Slightly bizarre but there were times last season when you could almost have defined Spurs line ups as a 4-2-4, with Lennon and Modric extremely high up the pitch and Palacios just doing all the midfield work.

I seen something that would never ever happen IRL.

Im Man Utd at HOME to Bolton, they play a 3-5-2. A team like Bolton or any team for that matter playing 3 at the back at Old Trafford is a joke. I hope they look into things like this.

Needless to say I won the game 6-0

What kind of 3-5-2? Did they have a DMC? Wingbacks?

I've seen a Rafa Benitez inspired Liverpool team line up with 4 full backs and 2 defensive midfielders..... oh wait, yeah..... that actually happened

What kind of 3-5-2? Did they have a DMC? Wingbacks?

No mate. they did the same to me

3 DCs, ML, MR, 3 MCs, 2 STs. Its madness.

No mate. they did the same to me

3 DCs, ML, MR, 3 MCs, 2 STs. Its madness.

Fair play. It is madness.

Seeing as 3-5-2 plays out like 5-3-2 in the match engine, it isn't really a big shock, is it?

What kind of 3-5-2? Did they have a DMC? Wingbacks?

no it was a straight 3-5-2.

3 centre backs

5 across midfield

2 strikers

the formation that baffles me is 4-1-2-1-2 or 4-2-1-2-1. basically all the players in midfield or up front play in the centre, so its a very narrow line up with nothing to attack with out wide.

^ I actually occasionally use that, but use wing bakc to create the width

I often use a 4-2-4 formation from the start at home, but playing fairly cautiously. It's the only way I seem to make sure my wingers are exactly where I want them. It works very well for me, actually.

I had a championship team play 3-6-1 (2 WBS, 1 DM, 3 CMs) against me once but can't for the life of me remember who it was. It didn't work very well I have to say. I just lumped it to the corner flag and went around them all.

probably Bristol with Gary Johnson. that's his favored formation in the game... like this (obviously he switched teams during this save)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was using 1 Sweeper and 2 DCs, 2 wingbacks, 3 CMs, 2 strikers. Was hilarous, he sacked by Napoli then took over West Ham. He got sacked there aswell.

It`s one of the flaws of a long term game.Regen managers become crap because they use weird formations like 4-2-4, 5-3-2, 3-5-2 wich can be countered very easily.I think we should make a thread about regen managers as well ,and see if we find a new Mourinho or Lippi.

It`s one of the flaws of a long term game.Regen managers become crap because they use weird formations like 4-2-4, 5-3-2, 3-5-2 wich can be countered very easily.I think we should make a thread about regen managers as well ,and see if we find a new Mourinho or Lippi.

Christian Chivu is a fantastic manager on my game, only 33 and he's managing Shakhtar. 16 MM, 11 Youngsters, 17 JPA, 14 JPP, 20 Motivating, 11 Tactical Knowledge

plays a defensive 4-4-2

the formation that baffles me is 4-1-2-1-2 or 4-2-1-2-1. basically all the players in midfield or up front play in the centre, so its a very narrow line up with nothing to attack with out wide.

What's more baffling is that I have seen it work

It`s one of the flaws of a long term game.Regen managers become crap because they use weird formations like 4-2-4, 5-3-2, 3-5-2 wich can be countered very easily.I think we should make a thread about regen managers as well ,and see if we find a new Mourinho or Lippi.

Bordeaux played with a 5-2-1-2 against me

It went like this: LB, CB, CB, RB, CM, CM, CM, AM, ST, ST........crazy stuff.

Thats more 4-3-1-2 isn't it?

3-2-3-2 SW CB CB WBR WBL CM CM CM ST ST

and

5-2-3 DR DL CB CB CB CM CM ST ST ST

I quite liked this one from Marseille in FM07:

Bordeaux played with a 5-2-1-2 against me

It went like this: LB, CB, CB, RB, CM, CM, CM, AM, ST, ST........crazy stuff.

Thats more 4-3-1-2 isn't it?

I think the first two CMs should have been DCMs

the formation that baffles me is 4-1-2-1-2 or 4-2-1-2-1. basically all the players in midfield or up front play in the centre, so its a very narrow line up with nothing to attack with out wide.

What's more baffling is that I have seen it work

Chelsea play quite often with 4-1-2-1-2 and they finish around 2nd-4th in the league each season. No spectacular results, but they always do very well against my 4-4-2

the formation that baffles me is 4-1-2-1-2 or 4-2-1-2-1. basically all the players in midfield or up front play in the centre, so its a very narrow line up with nothing to attack with out wide.

I play LB, CB, CB, RB, CM, CM, CM, AM, AM, ST in my current season and it works fine. It looks very 'down the middle' on paper but if you ask the two AM to cross often and from the byline they get wide quite a lot especially if you have players that have relevant pref moves. If I need more support down the flanks I ask the two full backs to make more forward runs.

I've seen Chelsea use the same formation too.

(This was in FM09)

I think the first two CMs should have been DCMs

Well they were not. Either way, their formation made no sense either way...

4-1-2-1-2. 4-2-2-2. amd 3-5-2 are all common formations so I don't know what people are complaining about.

The best version for crazy formations was FM07.

Ive been playing with a dodgy formation

CB CB CB

DM

CM

AMR AMC AML

ST ST

goals galore with this formation