Tactical idea but how do I translate it into FM terms?

Okay, this is my umpteenth try of building a sound tactic in FM15. I started games with Arsenal and ManUtd but I couldn't enjoy them as the results were appaling while others win the league first season with West Brom. I know that it's an extreme example but still, it leaves me with a feeling of serious underachievment. At the moment, I'm trying to win back the love for my current Ajax save after I only finished 5th last season and got thrashed 0-5 by Molde in the Euro League qualifiers. I can't settle into a save and care for signing staff, tutoring youngsters etc. before I feel my tactics are working to some extend. In the last season I had some strange performances (won 4-0 against Schalke and 1-0 against Barcelona but lost or drew to many inferior sides in the Eredivisie). Since I seem to be going wrong somewhere in the process of creating a tactic, I want to start earlier this time, presenting you my ideas of how I would like to play and what I think would be suitable instructions but without showing you a finished tactic. So here we go:

As I said, I'm playing with Ajax and I somewhat want to employ the idea of total football. I am the best team in the league and I want my opponents to feel exactly that. I want to suffocate them with extreme pressure, dominate the match with a lot of possession and beautiful passes (=through balls and fast one touch football). I might need a slightly weaker interpretation of that idea for European matches and away clashes with PSV and Feyenoord.

As a formation I want to use the typical Ajax 4-3-3, so one main striker, two wingers (AML/AMR) and a three midfielders in the centre (at this time, I don't care anymore, how they are split between the DM-CM-AMC stratas, as long as it works).

So, to implement my ideas, I would think of the following instructions as mandatory for when the opposition has the ball:

* Prevent Short GK distribution (to destroy any attemp of built-up play by the opposition)

* Much Higher D-Line (to narrow the space available to the opposition and win the ball back high up the pitch)

* Use Offside Trap (to complement the High D-Line)

* Close Down Much More (as I said, I want to win the ball, as soon as they opposition gets it).

However, I'm quite undecided on how I want to play when I have the ball and what my player roles should be. From my very offensive instructions I derive that my keeper should be a sweeper keeper that sweeps up most long balls that go over the heads of my centre backs. I think I want to widen the space as soon as we win the ball, so I guess I should tick *Play Wider as well? This means, I need to have players in wide positions, so I would need wingers who hug the touchline or overlapping wingbacks. *Hug the touchline as an instruction is gone, so I assume that the normal winger role does that by default? I guess I could change mentality depending on the odds of the match, going from attacking (clear favourites) over control (slight favourites), standard (even matched) to counter (slight underdogs). Which shape do you advise? I think I should go for a fluid approach, as I will be attacking most of the time and it would be a waste to have a D-line of 4 not contributing to that part.

Since I am the best team in the league, it is natural that most teams will sit deep and wait for counters against my team. How should my built-up look like, how can I break them down and what precautionary measures should be taken against counters? What player roles do you think would prove to be useful in such a system? As for players, I think I should especially look for high work rates among new signings?

Thanks a lot for reading, any suggestions are welcome, as always!

But of a rushed response but Id go with something along the line of:

Sweeper gk - distribute to fbs - quick throw or short pass

Right fb support

2centre halfs both on defend

Left wing back attack

3 midfielders 1 defend, 1 support & 1 attack - pick whichever roles you like but I'd have the defensive one on the left to help cover your wingback bombing forward

Left inside forward

Right winger

Advanced forward

Short passing, high tempo, Play out of defence, work ball into box, Attacking mentality, fluid. I wouldn't ask them to play any wider as you'll be playing wide anyway when on attacking

That will give you a decent start but will need some more refining. I tend to ask some of the attacking players to play direct passes too

0-4 down to Fenerbahce after 21 minutes with my abovementioned system and the 5 TI's

EDIT: Lost that game 4-7. Not on aggregate, mind.

Thank you for your post Dunnyball, will try your suggestions now!

Btw, going down the mentality ladder doesn't mean you're being more defensive/less favourable for the game. It means the team will be more organized wen regaining the ball, read the Barcelona interpretation on how Barca play a possession game and high pressure with the Counter Mentality.

You have good ideas and I like the way you're thinking, but just don't overload with TIs when you're on Attacking&Fluid because your players will be aggressive and more creative already.

I'm using a very successful Ferguson-styled 442 tactic right now with Arsenal. Attacking - flexible. I use just 3 TIs; retain possession, exploit the flanks and close down more. I probably don't even need the latter 2.

Btw, going down the mentality ladder doesn't mean you're being more defensive/less favourable for the game. It means the team will be more organized wen regaining the ball, read the Barcelona interpretation on how Barca play a possession game and high pressure with the Counter Mentality.

You have good ideas and I like the way you're thinking, but just don't overload with TIs when you're on Attacking&Fluid because your players will be aggressive and more creative already.

Playing a super high defensive line and closing down much more, means you will be incredibly weak against long balls forward.

One thing is to try and press the opposition but running around like a maniac without maintaining position won't get you neither the ball nor a sound defense.

Less is always more when you are not sure what you're doing works. Start with 0-1 TI's and add one by one so you can see what effect they have.

If you set an attacking tactic, then the D-line will already be up, are you sure you want it to be even further forward?