What's your current formation?

So, as we're nearing the end of FM11's cycle as most recent release, we should all be tactical masters of it by now, and know just what gets the most from our team

So, what formation are you using most often? Intricate tactical details optional but welcome.

I'm a big fan of making a formation to fit the players, and an even bigger fan of innovation. A true mash-up of various bits of technical advice and a history of changing formations provide a solid back three, a 'passing square' in the middle, and the attacking front three a la Barcelona to create what I hope is a fairly unique formation It's worked out OK too. A heap of goals from the leading striker, about 15 each from the wings, and another 20 from the constantly rotating players in the square to make us the third best team in the Premiership.

That is quite an odd formation. I usually play 4-4-2 with short passing and zonal marking. I only conced 22 league goals last year.

It might look odd but it looks like an arse of a formation to break down on a narrow pitch.

I would be reasonably confident of defending against it though so do you get many 0-0s?

Not as many as you'd think, though there are plenty of low-scoring games. The personnel in the team make sure I get the slight advantage more often than not, and I kept clean sheets in about three quarters of my games last year.

(Pay little mind to the players, I rotate heavily and that was for an easier match)

The CM plays as a Ball Winning Midfielder and one AMC plays as an Advanced Playmaker, while the STC is a Complete Forward.

I favour this alot because I like to use AMs who can both create and score goals, and the result is effectively them passing the ball into the net alot of the time. If my striker is missing the target alot that can cause problems, but usually my AMs pick up the slack. This formation does sometimes struggle against the typical 4-5-1 the AI sometimes employs, though.

(Pay little mind to the players, I rotate heavily and that was for an easier match)

The CM plays as a Ball Winning Midfielder and one AMC plays as an Advanced Playmaker, while the STC is a Complete Forward.

I favour this alot because I like to use AMs who can both create and score goals, and the result is effectively them passing the ball into the net alot of the time. If my striker is missing the target alot that can cause problems, but usually my AMs pick up the slack. This formation does sometimes struggle against the typical 4-5-1 the AI sometimes employs, though.

This formation scares the hell out of me. I wouldn't dare use this but i admire your bravery

4-2-3-1

Im 4-2-2-2

I play a quick counter attacking 4-4-2 atm. But really want to play 4-2-3-1 but cant because as always ive bought too many class strikers and cant face leaving them out the team to play 1 up front.

4-4-2 diamond. Second season with Blyth in Blue square north, won the league and Fa trophy.

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Doing well with this tactic 10 seasons with Las Palmas, 3 seasons with Schalke, 2 Seasons with Southampton, 3 seasons with Juventus, 3 seasons with Sunderland and some single seasons with various other teams.

I like how different types of players (especially the four up front) makes the team play differently but it is still working very well.

4231 my all time favourite! When playing away to the Stokes of this world I go for broke with a hell for leather 4-3-3

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

RB----------CB------CB-----------LB

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

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

RW--------------AM--------------LW

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

GK - Reina - Sweeper Keeper, Defend -

RB - Flanagan - Wing Back -Support

LB - Robinson - Wing Back - Support

RCB - Kelly - Centre Back - Stopper

LCB - Wilson - Ball Playing CB - Cover

DM - Cruiff(regen) - Def Mid - Defend

CM - Gerrard - Box to Box - Support

AM - Rodriguez(regen) - Trequartista

LW - Bale - Inside Forward - Attack

RW - Graham(Regen) - Winger - Support

ST - Chapman(regen) - Complete Forward - Support

The front 4, with a month or so left of this season, have scored nearly 100 goals. With the two most commonly used attacking subs getting 30 goals between them. We've also got the best defence in the league, conceding 7 fewer goals than any other club so far.

i use a standard 442, fluid, high pressing and everything else default, i change player instructions to suit their attributes, although i am thinking about changing to a 4312 narrow style as most of my good youth players are centre mids and i keep missing out on the good young wingers, the two i have are ok but not as good as my centre mids.

BiggusD with an only slightly less terrifying formation than SOStriker

Do they not leave you a bit light in the middle?

I'm experimenting with this at the mo:

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4-4-2 with advanced left and right mids playing as inside forwards (left footer on the right and vice-versa) full backs on defend, centre backs stopper and cover centre mids vary between either ball winner and dlp or box to box and dlp depending on how good the opposition are, strikers are set to target man and poacher. Used this system since 11.1 and have hardly changed a thing. Have got to the top of the world wide hof ahead of Fergie using it.

BiggusD with an only slightly less terrifying formation than SOStriker

Hehe, I have alot of success with it. I don't like using it if I don't have good players though, so I'll usually not use it in the first 1-2 seasons much. I used it almost exclusively in the league in 2016-17 and won the league by 18 points* with 99 For & 31 Ag. The season before I won by 12 points with 95 For & 37 Ag.

Beyond what I mentioned earlier I need a good DM and good fast defenders if I don't want to be embarrassed at the back.

*Editted points because I suck at math

Bog standard 4-4-2 with wide mids and fullbacks attacking (always run with ball). Target man up front playmakers 1 - winger 2 oppo side fullback. One slightly defensive CM and one slightly attacking with defensive mid playing free role. Have not waivered from this and over career have scored 1141 @ 2.2/mtch and conceded 295 @ 0.6/mtch. Fullbacks are easliy most important player to this system and a gun fullback who takes all your set pieces will nearly win the league off their own boot with assists and goals.

I train my wide mids to run down the line, one striker to shoot with power and one to pass ball into corners and beat offside trap (strikers also trained to move into channels). I train mids to stay on feet when tackling and one to go for runs through middle and try killer balls). I also train some wide players to get forward wherever possible (if merited with high finishing, heading etc.) and if I have good free kick taker to rifle free kicks in. Many players turn down training and some fail to learn. Never successfully trained anyone to rifle in free kicks but there are players who seem to just smash/bend em in anyway.

I certainly concede my goals from allowing teams to get too close to my penalty area with too deep a defensive line or with too much latitude given to a classy midfield. There is no formation that bothers this setup, if you are up against a quality midfield you just advance the line up (flawed match engine IMO) meaning AI teams have shots from distance. For all the corner cheater ranters out there my team gives up a lot of those goals from corners and another 1/10th at least from penalties. Every now and then you get a striker having a day out and nailing a couple but very rarely and the team will drop a game every now and then if they are all a bit tired.

Score comes mostly from strikers with wide mids scoring good numbers and of course centrebacks nodding in a few corners/free kicks. When I can get a good free kick taker they will bang in a goal every 5 games easy and my mids score reasonable numbers too.

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A bit light on DL atm but have a double sided jobby in my Youths

Pretty standard formation for Danish teams, relying on long balls forward to a large target striker up front.

In the past I've always had problems with this formation getting it to work, but I wanted to be as realistic as possible. I've managed to get it to work well domestically, keeping the 2 MC and AMC in defensive and supporting roles and attacking through the wings. 8 seasons in, I'm considering altering my attacking roles to fit in a poacher instead of the target man due to the lack of big forward regens.

It's vulnerable to conceding goals, but in the Danish league where you only have one other large competitor (F.C. Copenhagen) it works pretty well, but my target striker has had tendencies for dry spells (Nicklas Bendtner being the only exception, till I sold him). Looking to tweak it to be more suitable for Europe, as I often get slaughtered there, but don't want to have to overhaul the team.

Squad is mostly made up of cheap and young regens, as well as the odd Dane (keeping with the nationality) on a free (Wass and Conboy both came in on a free, with Kildentoft still at the club as backup).

BiggusD with an only slightly less terrifying formation than SOStriker

Do they not leave you a bit light in the middle?

Not really. The midfield is very easy to pass through anyways. Most of the attacking play is down both flanks who either go to the byline for a cross or cut inside for a shot or through ball. The dense space between my midfield and defense in the middle makes sure that it is very difficult breaking through there, as options are few. I often create great breakaways in the midfield because the two DMC's are always tackling forwards, so the ball is picked up by one of the strikers or a winger for a two-on-one or one-on-one with the keeper.

Defending with six players and attacking with four is the way to go because you are either always more numerous in defence than them, or you will be lethal on counter attacks because you are more numerous there than they are. Numerical advantage both in defence and attack, in other words.

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A breakaway through the middle. Classical ball-winning by one of my two DMC's.

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A buildup down the flank. Since this is a fast attack, the DMC's remain in the back for a while yet.

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A buildup through the middle. Being in possession for a while, the DMC's have now crawled up to "normal" midfield positions, here with a through ball.

Currently using...

Balanced, Control, Deep Defensive Line, Tempo and Width both Normal. Not necessarily those players, just tried a few out in a friendly match...

I dont think I've ever seen the ball in the air except at corners and when the defenders panic under pressure.

4-2-3-1

vds

Rafael Evans Vidic Evra

O'Shea Carrick (DLPM)

Valencia Rooney/Fleck Nani/Rooney

Hernadez/Rooney/Owen

1st season

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

RB--DC--DC--LB

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

AMR--AMC---AML

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

Has worked well for me this FM. I use full backs, not wing backs. I also use one ball playing defender, but two plain central defenders do it fine too. So long as one of the MCs is on a defend duty as either a Ball winning midfielder or Deep Lying Playmaker then the other MC can be whatever suits best in a Support or Attack role for that player. As for the wings, had success with all attacking roles, not so much with support. Though two inside forwards normally struggle. The AMC, Trequartista works best. Attaking mid better than attacking PM, Inside forward not great there. Poacher or Adv Forward upfront. Or of course a Complete forward if you have the luxury of a good one!

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

--AML----AMC------AMR--

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

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

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

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

Used this 4-1-3-2 formation with a number of teams at different levels, always successfully. I concede more goals than I probably would with a more conservative formation, but I score (often beautiful) goals almost every match, and most of the time more than my opponent does. Would like to know if more people use this formation, so far I haven't come across other players who use it.

I've been tempted, but I don't like that empty line where the oppostions MCs sit!

Hi Swirlypop69,

I look more at the advantage it brings me when attacking, and that is that my midfielders often play 'between the lines'. And I concede less goals from long shots than you would expect. It is important though that the DM is a hard-working player with a lot of stamina.

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

---------AMC---------

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

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

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

and sometimes

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

---------AMC---------

-ML----MC--MC----MR-

----DC---DC---DC----

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

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

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

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

--LB--CB--CB--RB--

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

Control and short passing. Finished 11th in Championship with Peterborough 1st seaon(edited db)

Flat 4-4-2. Simple but balanced and gets me results.

The Barca way 4-3-3

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

RB----------CB------CB-----------LB

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

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

RW--------------AM--------------LW

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

This in regards to shape. I'm very flexible when it comes to player roles depending upon the players I have but this is my base formation with the AMC the position which will become an MC or ST depending upon games/players/form. I love the staggered midfield.

An awesome 4-3-3 at Ajax

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

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

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

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

An adventurous 4-6-0 with Valencia

.....................Akinfeev

Vrsaljko......Rami..... Phil Jones........Coentrao

..............Alex Song......Veloso

Neymar......Pastore.........Aguero........Mata

Playing my own variation on Shrewnaldo's Unorthodox 4-3-3 "Pink Panther", recreated with the Tactics Creator and my own tweaks . Very narrow and slow, but able to spring some killer balls through the opposition defence.

--------Miguel Medina----Joffre Guerron--------] Attack (Both Poachers)

Ivan Gonzalez (AML)--------------Marcelo(AMR)] Attack (Both Wingers)

---------------Gabriel Pimba (MC)--------------] Support

----------------Deivid (DM)--------------------] Defend (Defensive Mid)

Heracles----Manoel----Rafael Santos----Romario] Defend

---------------Joao Carlos---------------------]

Fluid, Control (home) + Counter (away), Passing Direct, Tempo Quick,

I sometimes play Gabriel Pimba in the AMC role if I'm at home/feeling confident

I have a strong striker who I sometimes play as Target Man too. This is pretty much my first 11 though.

Standard 4-3-3 with short passing, zonal marking and a control mentality.

------------------------Andy Carroll-------------------------

Luis Suarez------------------------------Jordan Henderson

------------------Ganso----------Gerrard-------------------

---------------------------Lucas-----------------------------

Jose Enrique - Danny Wilson - Phil Jones - Glen Johnson

----------------------------Reina----------------------------

I originally had Gerrard on the right wing with Scott Parker as the box-to-box midfielder, but after two seasons of tutoring under Gerrard, Jordan Henderson has developed into my most consistent player. His technical stats aren't too great, but he's resilient and extremely determined and has booted in more than a few late winners.

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

RB--CB----CB--LB

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

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

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

Always worked really well

I settled on 4-1-2-1-2 as main formation for FM11 as I like to keep things tight at the back. May seem somewhat narrow but full backs did provide width with creative AMC providing plenty of opportunities for forwards - one often set as poacher, the other as deep lying forward. Against strong teems I used anchor man, but siwtched to DMC against weaker teams or deep lying playmaker with 3 man midfield. Looking forwatd to FM12.....

The same as roughly everyone else. 4-2-2-2 with the wingers in AMR/L. This is largely because in FM11 the majority of good wingers were AM rather than M. Otherwise it's the same as I've been playing for a few versions now.

CDs very defensive. Always close down. Never run with the ball.

Middling DR/DL who only push on a little to fill the gaps because my wingers live in the other half of the pitch.

CM 1 ball winning terrier. Sit in the midfield and scythe people down.

CM 2 is placed centrally but more likely to run forwards and create like an AM.

AML/R are both super-attacking, ultra pacey.

Both strikers are set the same and having acceleration and finishing are the keys because I keep it on the deck.

Pace in the wide positions is the key to the whole formation. Suck the other team onto you then kill them on the counter with fast tempo, direct passing. Even if their abilities at crossing are only okay we create enough chances that we win just on statistical average shots taken vs shots scored.

Having seen we all generally play advanced wingers I hope that it doesn't end up going the way of "aim corners at the penalty spot" in a future revision :\

Having seen we all generally play advanced wingers I hope that it doesn't end up going the way of "aim corners at the penalty spot" in a future revision :\

I doubt it. There are a lot of times when I'm pulling my winger back into the M slot and get an even better performance out of him. However, my ideal choice are the inside forwards putting the opposition FB/CB partnership in danger and this works better in the AM slot. From what I've heard in other threads, I think there are still plenty of players who use straight MR/L wingers.

4-2-3-1 for me.

An adventurous 4-6-0 with Valencia

.....................Akinfeev

Vrsaljko......Rami..... Phil Jones........Coentrao

..............Alex Song......Veloso

Neymar......Pastore.........Aguero........Mata

Is no-one in the most forward line then?

Is no-one in the most forward line then?

I have considered doing the same with my tactic. I want the two strikers to lie deep, connect play and be creative, finding space for each other anyways. With those four players up front it really shouldn't matter where you put them...

(Pay little mind to the players, I rotate heavily and that was for an easier match)

The CM plays as a Ball Winning Midfielder and one AMC plays as an Advanced Playmaker, while the STC is a Complete Forward.

I favour this alot because I like to use AMs who can both create and score goals, and the result is effectively them passing the ball into the net alot of the time. If my striker is missing the target alot that can cause problems, but usually my AMs pick up the slack. This formation does sometimes struggle against the typical 4-5-1 the AI sometimes employs, though.

Used this with spurs. Fantastic formation

I'm experimenting with this at the mo:

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This is how I picture Barca's current tactics interpreted in FM, you had much joy with it? Also, the wing forward positions, can you play a striker there or is he shown as being played out of position?

Lately i've been playing a simple 442 that sometimes turn into a 4411 on certain matches.

I also like to play 4231, i really couldn't get a 433 to work decently on this version though.

4-3-3

ajax style,its working pretty good for me at the moment

4-1-1-3-1 at the moment.

Was using 3-1-3-1-2 with 2 wide midfielder's but after 5 successful seasons could not buy a win so changed the whole tactics of the team.