[FM 14.3.1] 4-6-0 Ultimate Control - No strikers? No problem!

OVERVIEW

Let me start by saying that I am no tactical genius, but I've been playing FM since 06 and after struggling all that time to make something work, I feel that I've finally come up with something that can make your team competitive. I developed this tactic with Union Berlin after a couple seasons in the Bundesliga but I have also tested it with teams of much larger stature (Arsenal, Barca, Roma, Bayern) who played it exceptionally well. Smaller, less able teams struggled a bit with it but still performed decently. That said, I wouldn't recommend it for anything below a second division team. The tactic excels against teams that are of similar or weaker ability to yours and can also do well against stronger teams if slight adjustments are made. This is not a plug and play type of tactic in the sense that any player will do. The right player in the right position will launch this tactic to a new level. Your team needs to gel and get comfortable but once they do, they'll own it. Don't look to set this up and go on vacation. Watch a fair bit of the match and use common sense when changes need to be made. I'll include some alternate set ups in the link at the bottom of the post for different match situations but those are also not be all end alls.

Alright, now on to the tactic. The base formation is a 4-6-0 or 4-1DM-2-3-0. As you might expect, the basis of this tactic is possession both in defense and midfield and while it is given priority, I didn't want the team to get stuck in the mindset of "pointless" possession and simple keep away games. Attacks are built slowly to be sure but they are often finished with glorious passes and dazzling runs both on and off the ball stemming from passing and movement. It'll work your players hard but the opposition even harder as they struggle to cope with your numbers and dynamism. Most games end in 55+% possession for my team with lots of shots on goal (and target!) To top it off, I consistently maintain the highest pass and tackle completion rate in the league. Here's the setup:

After a very disappointing start to the season, I re-introduced this tactic for the second half and results improved dramatically. I ended up climbing back up the table and finishing 4th, only missing 3rd by goal difference.

Below is a typical example of match stats using this tactic.

In the analysis, you can see the shape of the formation in practice and in the second shot, what it does to the opposition's positioning.

For all players I look for high determination and teamwork and will only settle for less if they are something truly special. So, in other words, look for those two attributes when selecting all of your players and the specialist roles outlined below.

DEFENSE

I believe that the foundation of any tactic should be defense but at the same time, I don't want my guys packing tight and hoofing it clear. In this tactic, the back line and DM see a lot of the ball but they seldom launch attacks directly. I experimented with a variety of marking and pressing combinations and found that a high line serves the overall aim best.

SK (D) - Your standard sweeper keeper, nothing special to note.

CB (D) - This guy will be your rock at the heart of defense. Don't skimp out here and look for a defender with the usual skills but also make sure he is at least decently pacey with good aerial ability to compensate for the high line.

CB © - Again, the usual skills but acceleration/pace and very good anticipation are extremely important. He will be the last line before the keeper as he drops back a bit to cover for through balls and runs. Due to the nature of the tactic, these will be fairly common so make sure you trust this defender to read the game and make the right call. In my team, Eder Alvarez Balanta is a star.

WBs (A) - Despite initial appearances, the primary job of the wingbacks is really to open up space for the midfield, especially in the final third. These aren't your typical bombing wingbacks. They are specifically instructed not to play too risky or get in crosses and only get forward as a way to draw out defenders and make space for the wingers. They will cover TONS of ground so look for excellent stamina and work rate primarily and decent defensive stats as well to help with those all-important challenges on the flanks.

HB (D) - Even though technically a midfielder, this role is vital to the workings of the defense. He frequently breaks up play right in front of the CBs and/or drops back to help them cover the flanks when the WBs are caught out. His player instructions ask him to get stuck in and provide a simple passing option when it gets real in the midfield. Look for standard halfback attributes and make sure he's a particularly good tackler.

MIDFIELD

For purposes of discussion, the midfield in this tactic consists of the MCs and AMC. These three are the vital positions that allow the rest of the team to do what they do best. They'll be making a large amount of varied passes and look for the playmakers to see a few player of the match awards.

BBM (S) - Well, what can I say, he's a box to box midfielder. He will work harder than anyone else on the pitch so stamina and work rate are paramount. He's asked to close down a great deal and tackle nice and hard to unsettle the opposition midfield. He plays a simple passing game to support the other far more creative mids and is asked not to get many shots off so those attributes are less important than the default for the role. If you do have a player that suits this role well and also is a very capable distance shooter, then head to player instructions and remove "shoot less often" to give another outlet for scoring opportunities. In my team, the endlessly aggressive Jason Lowe is omnipresent.

DLP (S) - You need a very well rounded playmaker here that will not collapse under the intense pressure he frequently faces. Besides the obvious creativity and passing, great composure and decisions will ensure this player becomes a true staple in your lineup. He's asked to work harder than usual and close down more often so he should be somewhat decent in the tackle but you don't need anything too crazy. In my Union Berlin team, Turkish playmaker Selcuk Inan has become a fan favorite in this role.

AP (A) - This is the start of the final third and where creativity and flair are an absolute must. He'll sit in the gap created by the other players moving around him and when he does get the ball, he's capable of anything. Look for excellent dribbling and technique as he will need to work out of tight spaces effectively either with a dribble or incisive pass. His ability to finish should be decent as well and you'll often see him arriving late in the box or working into a good shooting position. For me, tiny Argentinian youngster Tomas Martinez does a good job overall but his determination holds him back a bit. See if you can do better.

ATTACK

This is tricky to divide because in all reality, the attack is composed of at least five players in practice, but for discussion, they are the two inside forwards. As you may have guessed, these two players score the lion's share of goals for the team and cause problems all game long with their unpredictable movement. Both players have identical instructions and those are to simply roam from their positions.

IF (A) - These are arguably the two most important players on the team after the CBs. Get the absolute best quality you can and look for high ratings in pace/acceleration, off the ball, dribbling, finishing, and technique. Of only slightly less importance are flair and creativity which they'll use to be as unpredictable as possible. Massimo Bruno and Florian Thauvin are my two key players but higher finishing ability is desirable. In the screenshot below, notice the shots and stats for Bruno in his man of the match performance. This gives you an idea just how important the IFs are.

SUMMARY

To wrap up, I use the following OIs in every match: all wide players show onto weaker foot, close down always on CBs. You want to funnel their attack into the congested middle and by closing down their CBs you help prevent them from beating you at your own game.

For match prep, I stick with teamwork all season.

In games where I expect a tight contest, I drop one or sometimes both of the WBs to a support duty and team mentality to standard and make minor tweaks from there to cover specific opposition strength.

For more unpredictability, “allow wide players to swap” is optional and I also like to periodically upgrade my mentality to attack for a stretch or for longer if I’m clearly the better team.

To hold on to a late game lead, lower mentality to defensive, set WBs to defend, and switch HB to Anchor Man.

Lastly, I want this tactic to be improved until it's as good as it can be for the desired effect. If you make any tweaks or have any ideas to better it, please do share. I'll be following this closely and releasing tweaked versions over time. Have fun and let me know how you get on and post some screenshots!

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