Looking to strengthen a 4-2-3-1

Editing my post from a few days ago, as I'm still looking for some input. Overall its a pretty effective tactic, 81 goals from 19 league games (18 wins, 1 loss) but there is a couple of substantial weaknesses in it still that I can't seem to get around myself. This is lifted from a network FMC game which is the main save I'm playing on at the moment.

Formation:

The TI's and mentality:

Player Instructions:

GK - Pass it shorter, distribute to full backs

Full Backs - More direct passes (Previously Wing Back - Attack)

Central Defenders - Pass it shorter

CM (defend) - Pass it shorter

CM (support) - More direct passes

Inside Forwards - More direct passes, shoot less often (was formerly IF - Attack)

AMC - Close down less, more direct passes, more risky passes

Poacher - More direct passes

League Table:

The settings on the whole do a very good job of getting the ball forward quickly, team report shows 173 goals scored in 4357 mins. Most common assist type is pass (70/155) and the left wing being the most common assist area (62/155). Averages around 450 - 500 passes per game with an accuracy around 75 - 80% and possession usually in the 50-55% range.

At home I play the tactic on defensive, if come 30-40 minutes there hasn't been a goal I will usually adjust it to control, and gradually move up to attacking and then overload in the rare cases there hasn't been a breakthrough.

The Huge Weakness:

Away games - more specifically champions league & cup away games. There have been changes for this season & the newest patch but in the past two seasons the only away game I've won in the champions league has been a narrow 4-3 win over Maribor this season that I desperately needed just to qualify from the group stages which means there has been 1 win in 8 so far over 2 seasons. The domestic cup competition in Spain also causes problems, but in both cases fortunately the home form usually carries me through to a certain point. Last season a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Leverkusen away from home knocked me out of the CL and a 5-1 defeat against Athletico Madrid in the Spanish cup knocked me out.

It's only happened once this season, but still a recurrence of an issue I had last season and on the last patch. Once I go a goal down its incredibly difficult to then get back into the game, Real Betis scored an early goal and that pretty much killed the game dead between us, despite trying a number of mentality changes and substitutions so I suspect a bit more work may be needed on player instructions or position settings.

Made further amendments to the tactic myself but still searching for some input to help resolve the weaknesses if anyone can help.

How many goals does the front quartet has?

Suarez has 28, Messi 26, Hazard 24 and then Neymar has 9. The player in AMC doesn't tend to get so many goals unfortunately.

The AM stratta is overcrowded with all those support roles flooding the space behind Suarez who by the way is your only real threat besides wonder goals from the support cast, your probably getting those being barca but it's not ideal. Not a fan of CMs role in this formation would prefer a sitter like DLPs. FB might be too far away from IFs, to reduce spaces down the wings between them I'd try Wingbacks instead.

Finally, using a talent like Suarez as a poacher is like asking Xavi to be a water carrier

Originally when starting the network game I created a duplicate for developing tactics and over a period of 15 games or so Suarez scored far more as a poacher than as a CF (support or attack) or as an AF. On principle I agree with what you're saying in regards to that aspect, but the goalscoring just didn't hold up. Unfortunately FMC doesn't allow me to go back and see heatmaps and where goals are scored from, but from memory the majority scored by the IF's tend to be from inside the box, either shooting as they beat their man or by a quick series of passes across the box from left to right or vice versa.

Originally when starting the network game I created a duplicate for developing tactics and over a period of 15 games or so Suarez scored far more as a poacher than as a CF (support or attack) or as an AF. On principal I agree with what you're saying in regards to that aspect, but the goalscoring just didn't hold up. Unfortunately FMC doesn't allow me to go back and see heatmaps and where goals are scored from, but from memory the majority scored by the IF's tend to be from inside the box, either shooting as they beat their man or by a quick series of passes across the box from left to right or vice versa.

There is no doubting those IF will get you goals, but, from a balanced exploiting using space effectively point of view it is very cramped. I would be highly suspicious of this working with a team of lesser mortals, the off the ball movement of your front players are some of the best in the game.

As mentioned your frontline being overcrowded is the issue you're having away from home. Especially if you go a goal down, opposition will be battening down the hatches against a line up like that. At home you could send that lineup out without any advice and would win all the time.

I think your team instructions aren't helping on away days. "Stick to positions" with Barca! Let them roam, you've got a frontline there of elite quality, let them pick up space and find gaps themselves. You're also rushing them, "More direct" and "Much higher tempo" means your going to be wasting a lot of the vision and passing talent in that frontline. Play a slower tempo and encourage ball retention. When you're down and trying to break down the opposition you need patience let Messi and co. do there thing.

Nothing drastic is needed with that team because it should be winning everything! But even great teams have to be tweaked to fit the opposition.

As mentioned your frontline being overcrowded is the issue you're having away from home. Especially if you go a goal down, opposition will be battening down the hatches against a line up like that. At home you could send that lineup out without any advice and would win all the time.

I think your team instructions aren't helping on away days. "Stick to positions" with Barca! Let them roam, you've got a frontline there of elite quality, let them pick up space and find gaps themselves. You're also rushing them, "More direct" and "Much higher tempo" means your going to be wasting a lot of the vision and passing talent in that frontline. Play a slower tempo and encourage ball retention. When you're down and trying to break down the opposition you need patience let Messi and co. do there thing.

Nothing drastic is needed with that team because it should be winning everything! But even great teams have to be tweaked to fit the opposition.

I do also use the tactic with Stoke in my full-game single player save. Obviously not as prolific as Barcelona but up until injury Bojan in the poacher position was averaging a goal a game (had 7 in 7 before being injured) but it still has the team quite comfortable in the upper half despite being ravaged by injuries in that save.

That said, the changes you suggested have made the tactic effective away, so I've kept the high tempo formation at home as results suggest that the Barca players can handle the movement and strains of it a lot better than any opponents can, with the slower tactic away being equally free-scoring.

Finished the season with 147 league goals scored.