Need help with 3-6-1 DM/WB - Is it even viable?

Hello!

So recently I've been feeling the love towards wing-backs and I just love the idea of them bombing forth wide and either cutting in or deliver a lovely cross to my strikers. I also enjoy the idea of playing with 3 CBs and defensive midfielders and thus play out of defence a lot. So I tried to put this into a tactic but I have some issues and I would love some feedback.

(Sorry for no pictures)

Team: Liverpool

Mentality: Control

Shape: Structured

Team Instructions:

Retain Possession

Play out of defence

Exploit the flanks

Play wider

Close Down more

Higher Tempo

Positions:

GK(D)

CD(D) CD© CD(D)

WB(A) DM(Regista) DM(DLP(S)) WB(A)

AM(AP(S)) AM(SS)

DLF(A)

Problems:

So, what I find is that I have issues with both defending and attacking. I do get a lot of crosses into the box and both my SS and DLF spend a fair time in the penalty box trying to grab these chances but I generally get shots from bad angles, meaning very few goals. My forwards are not that good at heading (haven't had time/money to get the forwards I need for that).

Defensively I seem to be caught out a lot and opposition attack often runs free at the goalie, Mignolet have done wonders but I still have an average of 1 goal/game.

I'm sitting at 9th after 21 rounds in the Premier League (first season) and I do feel the tactic delivers close to the way I want to play but there seems to be something missing and I just cant put my finger on it. I was hoping that someone could lecture me on how to improve things. Is it the gap between DMs and AMs?

With that kind of shape and style I don't think you should play high tempo football. Can you provide screenshots of the formation?

With that kind of shape and style I don't think you should play high tempo football. Can you provide screenshots of the formation?

I will have to get back to you with that once I get home from work. I do want my WBs to constantly harass the flanks with speed, maybe I should go for a Counter mentality?

That depends on the kind of mentality you want to employ. If it it was me, I would take off the high tempo so that your players don't give away the ball so easily and it will make them be more patient in the build up. Do you often get outnumbered in the midfield? Do you dominate possession?

If your crosses are not going where you want them to, then try instructing the wing backs to cross to a certain area.

That depends on the kind of mentality you want to employ. If it it was me, I would take off the high tempo so that your players don't give away the ball so easily and it will make them be more patient in the build up. Do you often get outnumbered in the midfield? Do you dominate possession?

If your crosses are not going where you want them to, then try instructing the wing backs to cross to a certain area.

I've owned possession in almost all games, excepy away at City, Chelsea and home against United. Haven't recieved any reports about being outnumbered. But I will try to remove the higher tempo and see what happens.

I've tried whipped crosses but there were more blocks then, now the strikers often get chances, just not good enough. I might try other options regarding the crosses.

Thanks for your input!

Why do you use two playmakers in the DM slot? Surely one is more than enough, especially considering one is a regista. Plus, with three CBs the need for two DMs is not really there, you can move one of them to the CM strata and drop one of the AMs and you get a diamond midfield.

Remember, the formation is how your team is shaped when defending. Personally I don't like having more than two players on the AM and ST stratas because they track back less, but that's up to you.

Regarding your instructions, I question your choice to 'exploit the flanks', when your team is clearly stronger in the middle. When you attack by the flanks you never have 2-on-1 situations because you only have one wide player on each side. Also, 'higher tempo' doesn't really fit either because you're telling the players to rush the ball forward and to exploit the flanks, but the only men on the flanks are wing backs, who are not far up the pitch.

Why do you use two playmakers in the DM slot? Surely one is more than enough, especially considering one is a regista. Plus, with three CBs the need for two DMs is not really there, you can move one of them to the CM strata and drop one of the AMs and you get a diamond midfield.

Remember, the formation is how your team is shaped when defending. Personally I don't like having more than two players on the AM and ST stratas because they track back less, but that's up to you.

Regarding your instructions, I question your choice to 'exploit the flanks', when your team is clearly stronger in the middle. When you attack by the flanks you never have 2-on-1 situations because you only have one wide player on each side. Also, 'higher tempo' doesn't really fit either because you're telling the players to rush the ball forward and to exploit the flanks, but the only men on the flanks are wing backs, who are not far up the pitch.

Really interesting points. I will try to fiddle a bit with the central midfield formation and see what I can come up with. Regarding wing backs, should I change these to CWB? Since the whole point with them is to be really aggressive and go higher up more often. I will invest a lot of time and money in making sure I have top WBs to make sure they can challenge 1-on-1 and be really offensive. The idea with having lots of people in the middle is to drag focus away from the attacking WBs so that they cut in and/or cross to the SS/DLF.

I play with a 3-6-1 modelled on the current LFC set up.

Some things to mention IMO...

The strength of the tactic is the 4 man box midfield that can outnumber pretty much any midfield the AI can put up against you. Personally, I play with 2 CM's rather than DM's, but both relatively static (a CMd and DLPs can achieve this quite nicely) and I DON'T use wing-backs. To me the thing that makes the current LFC formation interesting is that the alleged wing-backs most definitely have the emphasis on WING, so I paly my wide men in the WM position. They track back enough for me and I've won the league more than once with this formation.

As for shouts, I agree with others that high tempo/wide/flanks type instructions really don't make sense with such a strong midfield. I appreciate you originally wanted to exploit the wing-backs, but in reality this isn't where this formation's strength lie.

Final thought... if you want your AM's to help out defensively, try roles that don't encourage them to bomb forward so much. The AP(S) is ok, but the SS is effectively a second striker and won't track back.

Regarding wing backs, should I change these to CWB? Since the whole point with them is to be really aggressive and go higher up more often. I will invest a lot of time and money in making sure I have top WBs to make sure they can challenge 1-on-1 and be really offensive. The idea with having lots of people in the middle is to drag focus away from the attacking WBs so that they cut in and/or cross to the SS/DLF.

Thanks for all the input, I will take it on board and re-think a few things regarding this. Hopefully I can see some improvement with the changes I finally will do.

Thanks for all the input, I will take it on board and re-think a few things regarding this. Hopefully I can see some improvement with the changes I finally will do.

Let us know how you get on.

I'm using a similar 3-6-1, influenced by Liverpool also, it's early days but it's going ridiculously well, alinp is right, have your wide players as wide midfielders, it seems to work better this way. If you're worried about conceding goals make them defensive wingers and have your dm sit.

Another difference I have is my shape is on flexible/fluid and there are no special roles in my team, everyone has a generic role and I believe the real life Liverpool are the same. Rarely do you catch anyone bar maybe Lucas just sticking to their role, it relies on constant movement and availability so maybe consider that.

I'm using a similar 3-6-1, influenced by Liverpool also, it's early days but it's going ridiculously well, alinp is right, have your wide players as wide midfielders, it seems to work better this way. If you're worried about conceding goals make them defensive wingers and have your dm sit.

Another difference I have is my shape is on flexible/fluid and there are no special roles in my team, everyone has a generic role and I believe the real life Liverpool are the same. Rarely do you catch anyone bar maybe Lucas just sticking to their role, it relies on constant movement and availability so maybe consider that.

I would agree that there's generally no out and out specialists in the current LFC team, although conversely I'd probably argue that Coutinho is an AP(S). In the recent Spurs match, it looked to me like Markovic played alongside him as an AM(A), but tbf this was probably the first time since this formation came to BR's consciousness that either AM has had an Attack duty. For FM purposes, my current formation has an AP(A) alongside an AM(S) which I feel gives the right balance in the strata.

Interesting that you say that and I would probably agree with you, but I'm not directly shaping my tactic the "Liverpool way", I'm just trying to create a tactic that I find enjoyable

Really interesting points. I will try to fiddle a bit with the central midfield formation and see what I can come up with. Regarding wing backs, should I change these to CWB? Since the whole point with them is to be really aggressive and go higher up more often. I will invest a lot of time and money in making sure I have top WBs to make sure they can challenge 1-on-1 and be really offensive. The idea with having lots of people in the middle is to drag focus away from the attacking WBs so that they cut in and/or cross to the SS/DLF.

I play this kind of formation, albeit on FM14, and use CWBs. But with my attacking players not being great in the air, my focus is attacks down the middle and on the ground. My CWBs job is to get forward in wide areas and sometimes play the ball inside, but mainly they are there to drag focus and opposition defenders away from the centre to allow more room for my central players to thrive.