My narrow 4-1-2-2-1 that made everything awesome

Hello guys,

First of all I'll apologize for any misspells etc. I'm from Denmark, so English is not my native language

Football Manager 2014... You were one tough nut to crack! Like some/many of you I've had trouble finding a tactic that worked great for me in this years game. Until now.

Before i made my version 4-1-2-2-1 I had tried pretty much anything, a flat 4-5-1 being the formation I had the most success with. However, it was defensive minded and my Nottingham Forest team was not playing as I wanted. In Football Manager 2013 I had great sucess with a 4-2-3-1 (no wingers - three AMC's) that outplayed any opposition. Trying that in 2014 was no success at all though. The AMC's were - no matter the role I gave them, not acting like in 2013. I also tried the much used 4-1-2-2-1 and 4-2-3-1 with wingers, but it was not working great for me, same with various other tactics.

In the beginning of my 5'th season with Nottingham Forest I started experimenting further, and I finally found a tactic that worked amazing for me. I went from mid table to first place and won the Premier League, Europa League and F.A. Cup titles. And it pretty much came out of nothing and with a squad of mostly 18-20 year olds (Pretty awesome ones though). The playing style is somewhat like what Arsenal is doing at the moment. Fast-paced passing game with the full backs joining the attack and a lot of off the ball runs around the box.

Here's my tactic that made everything awesome.

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/6prqpkxshxq7d1n/Mordax87's_4-1-2-2-1.tac

Mordax87's 4-1-2-2-1

This is how it looks.

Now I'll shortly go through the individual positions, instructions and roles and then how it plays (with a few youtube-links to goals).

The defense:

These are the dudes who keep the opponent from scoring and sometimes push forward to create width in an otherwise narrow formation.

Goalkeeper

- Pretty standard. His only personal instruction is "Distribute to defenders" to keep possession.

My player on the position: http://i.imgur.com/qJ00vpA.png

The two CWBs on either side

- The offensive minded back joins the attack on every occasion. They're very important for this otherwise narrow formation. His personal instructions are "Cross from deep" to avoid him having a too long run back and "Cross more often" because of the amount of people in the box and a high crossing stat.

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/dn7tvUU.png

and

http://i.imgur.com/0odF3HR.png

The two CB/LCBs

- This could be whatever suits your player best. His job is to simply... defend. The only personal instruction is "Mark tightly"

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/dKoB0KG.png

and

http://i.imgur.com/SMvkrd3.png

The midfield:

These are the dudes who supports both defense and attack.

Halfback

- Now this one is interesting and vital for this formation. Because of the very offensive minded CWBs there's a need for more defensive cover whenever the team attacks. Added to that he also - of course - contributes as almost a fifth defender when the team defends. The halfback is amazing for this formation, because he acts as a third defender as the two CWBs move forward. As the description says he's kind of an aggressive sweeper. This role has been working exceptionally well for me in this formation. Personal instruction: Pass it shorter.

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/V0qKKTu.png

BBM

- One of the two CMs. With his role he supports in both defense and attack. Often joins in with the two AMCs when attacking and takes some nice runs to confuse the defense.

My player on the position:

http://imgur.com/q6P0PCA

BWM(S)

- Another one who supports in both defense and attack. Doesn't go as much forward as the BBM, but creates a nice synergy with the other roles.

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/kWymviB.png

The offensive midfield/attack

These are the dudes that scores your goals and create chaos.

AP(A)

- The teams main creative force. Acts as a playmaker and makes runs into the box. There's potentially quite a few goals and assists here. Personal instruction: "Roam from position" - to create his own space and make the formation more fluid.

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/gvRcYzf.png

SS

- In many ways a striker, but also an assist-maker and big part of the build up play. Has "Roam from position" and "More risky passes" to create those golden opportunities for all the players joining the attack.

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/O92EvU7.png

AF/False Nine

- The teams main goalscorer, but don't expect him to score like crazy. The goals often comes from the two AMCs as well. Has "Move into channels" to easier find space for himself. With False Nine he drops back becomes a bigger part of the build-up, which is handy against opponents where he would otherwise be kinda stuck in the area.

My player on the position:

http://i.imgur.com/R68jIa7.png

Some video-highlights

So how does it all play out? I've uploaded four videos to youtube for you to check out.

4-2 vs Norwich:

3-0 vs Man Utd:

4-2 vs Hull City:

2-0 vs Arsenal:

There's a lot of movement going on in this tactic. The CWBs joins the attack and are able to both cross and score. The halfback pulls back and helps the defenders. The two CMs supports the attack and annoys the opponents when defending and the three front men create chaos with a lot of runs and fast passes.

But what about the results?

I started to use this in my fifth season after a bad start. The season before this I ended in 7'th place, best result yet, but far behind the top teams. When I began to use this tactic I went from mid table to winning the league, the Europa League and the FA Cup with entertaining, fast football.

I started using the tactic after a defeat to Aston Villa. The first match in the screenshot is the first match with my new tactic.

This continues from the SS above - rest of the games are from the match against Watford:

Here's match stats from some random matches.

This is the tactic I've had - by far - the most success with in Football Manager 2014. I hope you do as well.

Edit: It's a good idea to put it on "counter" against tougher opponents away. Also "attacking" against obviously weaker opponents. But "control" works great in general.

Edit 2: False Nine is working very well for me. Since last season my opponents are more defensive and deeper, which made it harder for me on occasions. Using a False Nine I've been able to create more chances again though. Complete forward and Advanced forward working great for me too.

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/6prqpkxshxq7d1n/Mordax87's_4-1-2-2-1.tac

Is this with the 14.2.0 patch?

Yeah, it is

Just started the 6'th season. Still working great! Just had a match against Reading with 47 shots vs. 4.

Thanks. I'll try it with my very strong Newcastle squad and my not quite as strong BK Frem team and report back.

will try this with my Gateshead save. Will report back

Getting caught quite a lot on the break, and fullbacks are prone to poor performances. Southampton 1st season by the way.

Getting caught on the break is definitely one of the dangers. Fast players recommended

My FBs are playing 7.63 and 7.32 a bit more than half way through the season.

I'm in march in the 6'th season atm. Just won the Carling Cup, number one in the Premier League, through to the semi final in the FA Cup and quarter final in Champions League. My team is playing very, very well. The change to use a false nine has been good for me.

Some matches:

Having fun with this tactic so far with Leeds Played 4 games 2 in league both 3-3 draws 1 in uefa cup 1-1 and 1 in carling cup 3-0 win all games away from home and in season 13/14.

Good attacking football for my team and computer will stick to this see how it goes

My first Champions League ended with a win! 3-2 against Barcelona in the final. Also set a new tournament record with 40 goals scored.

Training and MP?

Looks good, well done.

What are your thoughts on a couple of little tweaks...

BWM(S) to BWM(D) - Holding his position a little more, and staying clear of the same areas as the AP

AP(A) to either AP(S) or Enganche - Again, holding his position in the hole

Cheers

whats ur training match prep. pre-season & season. give it a go i think

Hello guys,

Haven't seen your replies due to christmas and new years eve, sorry

Small update: Won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup last season. My goal for/ag last season in the Premier League was 88-19 - so the tactic is solid defensively.

@ cooper74 and Wijnand fens: My training focus for the team is "balanced" with a high workload at the moment, and all my players have individual position-based training as well. My match prep is "defending set pieces" right now, but that one is quite flexible imo. I had periods where I used both "defensive positioning" and "attacking movement" when I began using the tactic. It really depends on your team. If you lack creativity in attack, pick "attacking movement", if you concede too many goals then go with "defensive positioning". I use "defending set pieces" at the moment because that's the main threat for me. My match prep is on 20%, because I have a load of young players and I want them to develop as much and fast as possible.

@ macca72: The BWM-change could be viable, definately. Especially if you're in a bit of a trouble defensively. Would be worth giving a try since the BWM(s) rarely contributes a whole lot offensively anyway.

The change to AP could probably work great for some, but the (A) setting is working brilliantly for me. Especially after I began using a false nine up front who steps back a bit. I like the dynamic movement from my front three (and in some cases the Box to box as well)

Last season this guy was in the position, and he was an absolute beast. He was a huge threat both in assists and goals He's good in the air as well, so for me it's a good thing that he get's into the box:

Someone mentioned earlier that full backs were prone to bad performances, but I've seen the exact opposite for mine. Sherif Saad and Ibrahim Fofana are my full backs. The best and fourth best average ratings in the Premier League last season.

For some it might be worth using "work ball into box" if you feel your team is trying too many hopeless long shots. I'm not using it though, cause I have some decent long range shooters and don't have a problem creating clear cut chances either. You could also try giving your weak shooters individual instructions to shoot less.

Tactic still working great. Try it out if you want

Tactic still working great. Try it out if you want

Will it work with Conference/league2/1 teams ?

Will it work with Conference/league2/1 teams ?

I haven't tested it with anything but my Nottingham Forest team, which was a mid table Premier League-team, when I began using it some seasons ago.

Give it a go, though

Mordax - Not sure why this thread isn't more popular, because this tactic has been extraordinary for me. In my 20 game sample with Real Madrid (FM Classic) I am 17-2-1. I have scored 66 and conceded 10 over that time. Really excellent going forward and stable at the back. And most importantly for me, the tactic is very consistent over time. Well done!

Tror jeg vil prøve den med spurs

jeg reportere lige tilbage hvordan det går

Jeg kører med seneste patch

Mordax - Not sure why this thread isn't more popular, because this tactic has been extraordinary for me. In my 20 game sample with Real Madrid (FM Classic) I am 17-2-1. I have scored 66 and conceded 10 over that time. Really excellent going forward and stable at the back. And most importantly for me, the tactic is very consistent over time. Well done!

Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad it's working for you too!

Excellent tactic, good work.

Just won the championship with Sheffield Wednesday, thanks!

Just out of curiosity, do you use opposition instructions? And will this work on the latest patch?

Excellent tactic, good work.

Just won the championship with Sheffield Wednesday, thanks!

That's great! Good to hear.

@darth_timon

My assistant takes care of opposition instructions which is fine most of the time. Sometimes I make adjustments myself though. Like closing down wingers.

It does indeed work with the latest patch.

That's great! Good to hear.

@darth_timon

My assistant takes care of opposition instructions which is fine most of the time. Sometimes I make adjustments myself though. Like closing down wingers.

It does indeed work with the latest patch.

Ok, played a few matches with this formation now. Six Premiership matches and two League Cup games.

In total, won 4, draw 2, lost 2.

Two of those wins were in the Cup, so league-wise, 2-2-2.

My team is creating chances but just not scoring. I drew at home to WBA and scraped past Crystal Palace. I draw 0-0 away to Newcastle, was beaten 2-0 at home by Man City and 4-2 away to Arsenal. Granted, those last two are more understandable, and the team is not 100% with the tactics yet, but it's so far proving quite frustrating.

I play as Liverpool, BTW.

I think my overall frustration is threatening to boil over with this game. I've tried a few tactics now where people have said they've won the title at a canter in their first season and it's all gone swell, but for me, it just hasn't worked. If my saved games on FM2012 can be fixed, I might ditch FM14 completely.

Right, I have now played 16 competitive matches (13 league, 3 LC).

My strikers are struggling for goals (and this is Sturridge and Suarez we're talking about here). League wise, it's 5-5-3 with a very narrow win over Stoke, throwing away a 2-0 lead against Norwich to draw, drawing 1-1 at home to Southampton and struggling past Aston Villa 1-0. I've just been thrashed 4-0 by Man Utd.

I haven't enjoyed this tactic so far. The team is getting familiar with it but results are not improving. I've been very unlucky with injuries but even so, for a tactic that promises so much, it isn't working for me. Can you suggest any tweaks/changes?

Hey man! Do you mind also uploading your 3 AMC tactic on FM 13 or send it to me in private? I'd love to test it

Going to give this a try with my Kaiserslautern side. I've won the league the last 3 seasons but only just with title deciders on the final day each season. I've been using 4-2-3-1 that I created myself but I think it's getting found out a bit.

I've kind of got the players for this although I'm a little light on more defensive mids but will give it a go.

First game I beat Hamburg 3-1 away

Ran across this thread, noticed it was the exact same formation i have been implementing over my past 2 saves. We have very similar ideas, although i have some slight tweaks.

My 2 central CMS are not "specialized" roles, i have the MCR on CM(d) and the MCL on CM(s). I tested your tactic over 5 games and found that your CMs tried to do too much, and it left the back 3 (CBs and HB) very susceptible to counters. I was implementing an AM(a) in your SS position, but found your SS role allowed me to press higher of the pitch defensively, and offensively he made more runs beyond the False 9.

Here's a little look of a new save i started incorporating my defensive ideas with your offensive ideas. i know its Man United, but its still solid considering the tactic isn't even fully fluid yet:

@ Gonzorelli Good to hear, I hope it works well for ya!

@ Matty2323 Interesting tweaks to the CMs. I'll try it out. I'm glad that the offensive ideas are working well for you too!

This tactic is really working well for me. So far this season in the league we have played 24, won 19, drew 4 and lost only 1 which was away at Dortmund when I had a few players missing.

In the CL we won our group with 5 wins and 1 draw. Also still in the German cup, at the Quarter final stage now.

Only thing I can say against it is my striker doesn't score a load but then no tactic has done this for me on FM14

Good Work Mordax

will this work on 14.2.2 ?

I`ll try With United

This tactic is really working well for me. So far this season in the league we have played 24, won 19, drew 4 and lost only 1 which was away at Dortmund when I had a few players missing.

In the CL we won our group with 5 wins and 1 draw. Also still in the German cup, at the Quarter final stage now.

Only thing I can say against it is my striker doesn't score a load but then no tactic has done this for me on FM14

Good Work Mordax

Thanks bud!

@bilbo1903 - Yep, it will

Your a genius I'm going through a tough patch with st mirren any ideas how to regain form?

Your a genius I'm going through a tough patch with st mirren any ideas how to regain form?

Sometimes it has helped me to change the match preparation focus. If you're having trouble scoring - focus on offensive movement. Conceding a lot? Focus on defensive movement and so on. It can sometimes give a needed boost.

Still working absolutely fantastic for me. The flow of play is awesome to look at. Fast paced passing game.

Still working absolutely fantastic for me. The flow of play is awesome to look at. Fast paced passing game.

Are you on the latest patch?

Are you on the latest patch?

I am, yes (Would like to update the name of this thread, but I am unsure how)

Just won another 7 games in a row since that screenshot.

85-15 gf/ga in the league.

Tried this on the Vita with Salt Lake in the third season, and so far it's absolutely stunning.

Only 4 games in, but it feels like the best tactic I've tried from here.

Good job!

To everyone looking for an awesome tactic without wide players - here it is. Have used this and got Lincoln City promoted from BSP to Premier league with four back-to-back promotions, and ended up on 5th place a mere point behind Chelsea in the debut PL season. Absolutely amazing tactic!

To everyone looking for an awesome tactic without wide players - here it is. Have used this and got Lincoln City promoted from BSP to Premier league with four back-to-back promotions, and ended up on 5th place a mere point behind Chelsea in the debut PL season. Absolutely amazing tactic!

That's impressive, good job! Glad you're having a good time with it.

This tactic has started well for me, playing as Newcastle.

The only thing is that the downloaded version is different to the positions in the OP. The CMs are CMS and not a BBM and a BWM.

Which combo is best?