Attributes vs Formation

I am really enjoying the game so far but was just wondering what people felt were more important a players attributes or a formation? because I believe that in this version formations seem to have far more impact

I will give you an example Lucas Akins for Tranmere has ability of 82 and potential of 102, he has scored 32 in 31 starts in league one and in the Championship he has scored 22 in 24 starts so far and is top goalscorer, this includes him scoring goals from outside the box, besting players first etc, I was just wondering if people have found on this version that if you get a decent formation players who are average at best are becoming far better than they should be

I have an entirely average fullback who's attributes and star rating should be seeing him out of the door, but he just keeps on getting MotM. I'm not sure why he's doing so well as he's worse than my supposed first choice in every area. For now, I'm putting it down to the fact that I'm an unknown manager and as his reputation is probably similar to mine, he's not having motivation issues playing for me.

No from me.

I'm trying so hard to get a 442 to work and failing as always miserably.

I wish my strikers would smash in a few more goals.

Im Newcastle, some ok players there and should be doing better imo but I'm gonna get sacked soon!

Everything depends on everything else. Put a bad player in a decent formation with decent players around him and he'll be okay. Put good players in a stupid formation that's not playing to their strengths and they'll play badly. You can't isolate any one element.

A formation by itself is pretty meaningless. Who's to say whether a 4-4-2 is better than 4-5-1 or vice versa? Obviously some formations work better than others (a 2-2-2-2-2 with everybody wide is clearly not going to work), but they are entirely dependant on what tactics go with them and which players are in the formation.

Last two posts - nails on head. As Cloughie said, tactics don't win games, players do. Same in FM.

I have a personal preference for wingbacks and 4-1-3-2. However, I've inherited a squad that aren't suited to that and with experimentation I find that my best players fit 4-4-1-1 best. I've never used that formation before, but if it's the best one for the players, that's the one I'll go with now.