Is the game about buliding a good team or finding a way around the match engine

Maybe it's because i'm currently struggling (major understatement) but is the game about getting a decent formation and winning games or finding a way around floors in the match engine, i have read in the past that certain formations don't work and doing this or that confuses the match engine etc

Surely i can set up with a standard 4-4-2 with the right players win games? this formation is still used is it not? i dont have to play with inside forwards and box to box midfielders etc?

i'm managing a conference team, there aint many of them playing 4-3-3 switching to 4-5-1 when the opppostion have the ball is there? :confused:

4-4-2 without any adjustments does still work in the game. But it all depends on the quality of your players. Maybe your squad will fit in better in another formation?

I use a fairly standard 4-4-2 and am having reasonable success - have taken a team from the Championship and turned them in to a top 6 Premier League team over the course of 4 seasons, and won a couple of FA Cups and a League cup along the way. I fully expect to be able to win league titles etc while continuing to play 4-4-2 over coming seasons.

So 4-4-2 does work, it's maybe not as easy or quick as using other tactics that exploit weaknesses in the match engine, it perhaps relies on the having good players more than other formations to be successful, but this is fine with me as it suits the way I play the game.

I've always thought that it is a mix of the two. You can overcome a most flaws in your tactic if you have the best players. But you can easily over achieve with poorer players if you can get the tactic side of things right. If you get neither you will struggle! If you get them both right it is too easy!

I'm still convinced the game is random!