3-1-3-3 tactic (combines sweeper & bielsa elements)

OK i wanted to utilise the Bielsa system, having width higher up the pitch in an all out attacking capacity occupying the opposition fullbacks and wide midfielders but also incorporaring a sweeper system enabling me to play a very very high defensive line so that posession is focused deep in the opposition half.

my setup will be:

---------------------GK---------------------

---------------------SW--------------------

-----------------CB------CB----------------

---------------------DM---------------------

RM------------------CM------------------LM

---------------------------------------------

RS-------------------ST------------------LS

The sweeper should have a forward arrow.

How should i go about setting this tactic up?

Any advice please?

I'm an avid fan of the 3-1-3-3 tactic (I use it in every football game I play; FIFA, FM, etc)

The way I set this up in FM and its just a tad bit off from yours, I modified a 4-4-2 Diamond Attacking setup....

3-1-3-3:

---------GK---------

---------------------

---RB----CB----LB---

---------------------

---------CDM--------

---------------------

---RM----------LM---

---------------------

--------CAM---------

---------------------

----ST--ST--ST-----

3-5-2 is also a fun setup:

---------GK---------

---RB----CB----LB---

-----CDM---CDM-----

---RM----------LM---

--------CAM---------

-----ST-----ST------

LX, thats a little too open, your defence looks very vulnerable to anything either side of the centrehalf! I'm currently working on a 3-3-3-1 system akin to Senol Gunes formation with Turkey in Japan/Korea. The problem lies predominantly in the 2 row or 3, do they lie on the wingback-defensive midfield line, or on the midfield L/R/C line? Have tried both motifs, the former appears to defensive, irrespective of forward runs and mentality, whilst the latter offers too little defensive coverage. Back arrows help, but do average ratings a disservice. 3 AMC's behind a lone striker, with the two outer most offeirng support down the flanks, works wonders when it does, but is too inconsistent. Would be interesting to know of your experiences with the back 3, and how you allign your midfield? Defensive mid, or centre-mid pushing back?

I'll upload my current tactics for you to have a gander at. (I think you asked me to share my tactics before, when you decided to start this new tactic, but I couldn't at the time)

Currently I play:

----------------^---------ST--------------

----------------¦---------------------------

-^----------AMC---------------------^--

-¦--------------------------------------¦---

ML---------^------------MC--------MR--

-------------¦------------------------------

-----------DM----DM----------------------

--------------CB--^--CB------------------

--------------------¦------------------------

------------------SW-----------------------

------------------GK------------------------

I have my DM on mentality 1, with a barrow, and my defensive line on 20 - this way, in defence my DM is almost just a more aggressive CB, with the libero mopping up behind him - if your DMC plays to far forward, your libero will constantly have to come up into the defensive line - turning him into just another CB. Also, when your libero surges up the pitch, the DMC can't be surging too - your CBs spread to try and defend the whole pitch and a pacy striker will be away through the middle off every other long ball if there's no one sitting in the middle (this is what put paid to my last libero variation)

If you want defensive cover, set your wingers to specific man mark their opposite man. They'll be too high up the pitch to track back on quick counters, which is fine because your DM and D-line can cope with a handful of attackers on the counter.

BUT If the oppo have sustained pressure in your half the wings become dangerous if no one is specifically sent out there. Not only will they find the space to cross, but also the winger on the far side coming late into the box will often not be picked up and will get chances.

Don't put your libero's mentality too high. If he starts thinking about reaching the next attack, his positioning will creep forward and he'll be a part of your normal d-line (I have mine on 7, with my CBs on 4). Try and guide him with PPMs (gets forward whenever possible, runs through centre). Give him free role and he can be deadly in attack - he can be a WB one minute and then arrive through the centre of the park - and the defence really struggles to pick him up. Your formation could really do with a roving extra man, because with 1 cm you'll struggle on ball retention otherwise

Also, with a free role libero and a DM, it's pretty hard for them to reach their strikers with clearances- one or the other of these two will normally intercept and, if it's your Libero, run the ball back at them.

Look for physicality in your CBs. My less physical CBs were generally successful, but when dealing with surging wingers on the counter, they were too easily skinned. Obviously a complete CB is best, but if in doubt, sacrifice mental strength - a CB who decides to go forward when he shouldn't or who loses his concentration or he doesn't see a through-ball coming, can be covered by your sweeper. But if he can't make tackles and win headers, your SW will have to many fires to fight. You want him making interceptions, not tackles.

Your Libero should be the mental strength of your defence, your CBs the brawn - they need to be able to close and tackle efficiently, and not get skinned or turned.

Your libero will be the hardest position to fill. I have the perfect sweeper (regen) now, but I had to retrain him from a DM. Before that I used Dynamo Kiev's sweeper, who is probably the best Libero proposition at the start of the game.

DMs will probably be your best bet for the attributes needed (possibly FBs could be retrained also).

Your libero must have good anticipation - if he's not going to read the game well, then he's just a useless berk that's playing everyone onside.

Great physical ability is not essential, nor is marking (that's the CBs' job) but he should have very good tackling - I have my libero's tackling set to hard, because when he gets to the ball, it's very often an all-or-nothing challenge. With a bad tackler in this positon, you will just get penalties and red cards (last man). Or he'll dive in and miss, and they'll score.

Technical ability is important.

If he's got to get rid of the ball, you want him to find the wingers with his passing.

If he has intercepted at the back, you want him to be able to run the ball forward as he joins the attack

He also turns up in the perfect positions for long shots - arriving on the edge of the box as the defence clears, or as the winger looks for the cut-back - and for good chances - surging into the box unmarked (who's supposed to mark a SW?) for through balls - so finishing and long shots are valuable, though they don't need to be spectacular.

These attributes should be pretty PA-cheap for what is notionally a defensive position, so you can get a veritable Beckenbauer if you train them right. They don't need good marking either, so if you can find someone who's tackling's already high, you can go easy on the PA-consuming defending training.

If you're having a bad day on the wings, you will get crosses into your box, since you have no FBs, so you want your CBs, DMC and SW to be good in the air.

I have D-line 20, team closing down 15, DMC closing down 12 and SW closing down 11 and it's working pretty nicely for me. To prevent the oppo getting loads of time on the ball in CM, you might have to go for something different - when I used to play with 1 cm, I had one of my wingers specifically man-marking the closer oppo CM.

Give your SW creative freedom like he's an attacker - with his low mentality he should still balk at trying to run rings around STs in his own box, and I think it might be the source of some pretty classy surges from deep that mine carries out, gambling a little on where the pass is coming, cutting it out and then running the ball out. Give him TTB's normal (with high TTB, he can be a black-hole of possession)

You might want to set your LM as your playmaker. Right-footed players love to pass right - so the left can get neglected. In my formation, I have the DM-LC as the playmaker, partly to combat this lopsidedness.

But my attack is set up completely differently to yours, so can't really comment.

That's a long and random list, but hopefully there's some useful stuff there.

My tactic: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UBW9GK8B