JD nawrat Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 From 2002-2007 AC Milan appeared in three Champions League finals, winning the competition in 2003 and 2007 and also made their third appearance in a loss in 2005. The man in charge, Carlo Ancelotti - now known across the globe as one of the greatest managers around and sought after for his nous when it comes to European competition - employed what has become an iconic but little used formation of 4321, also commonly known to many as the "Christmas Tree". Indeed, Ancelotti was not the first, nor the last, man to employ such a shape. It was commonly used by Terry Venables and Christian Gross in their terms as Tottenham manager throughout the 90s but it has since lost its popularity in Europe, sparingly used except for by Carletto himself. In many ways though, Ancelotti is the only man to master the formation (in Europe I would argue he definitely is - the popularity of such a shape outside of Europe and successes with it is unfortunately not known to me, so you'll have to excuse my ignorance if it is popular elsewhere). It sees little use in the current world of football and prior to Ancelotti's success it didn't see much use either. The 4321 works on the basis of three narrow central midfielders sitting behind two men "in the hole" with a lone striker leading the line. A flat back four is used to provide width and the numbers in central midfield are used to make up for the marauding fullbacks - a necessity in any successful 4321 otherwise there is no width which means there is a complete lack of attacking variety. The true beauty of the 4321 comes in its ability to create 'triangles' - that is, open passing options for multiple players throughout the field. Every player except for the two FBs and the striker have at least three players directly around them at almost all times. The passing and movement possible is unparalleled by any other formation in football. But with its beauty come its faults - the fullbacks are left exposed, the midfield is very cramped and against narrow opposition it can sometimes be seemingly impossible to break through and score goals. In the 2007 Champions League final, Milan beat Liverpool 2-1 to avenge their 2005 CL final defeat at the hands of the Merseyside club. The formation used was the 4321. Pirlo, Ambrosini and Gattuso provided defensive stability and midfield steel but all three men are capable on the ball, comfortably able to play in the triangle of players ahead. All three men were also capable of making late/surging runs into the box but this was not their primary objective. They were required to stay deeper and provide some necessary protection in order to allow the fullbacks Jankulovski and Oddo to bomb down the flanks and provide with and support for the attacking trio. The two men in the hole were Kaka and Seedorf. Neither needs introduction. Incredibly creative, inventive midfielders who are both capable of magnificent things with a ball at their feet. They looked to link up the midfield and attack, to exploit space and to play in the spearhead, Pippo Inzaghi. The talismanic forward played on the shoulder of the last defenders at all times and looked to score as many goals as possible. His attacking threat created space for the men behind him and he didn't get defenders one minute of peace with a constant and dangerous presence. The idea of this thread is not to recreate what Milan did, but rather just use their formation as a template for my own system, my own functioning 4321. When considering which team best suited playing the 4321, the first and most obvious shout was Arsenal. Walcott/Podolski leading the line with Ozil and Santi in the hole controlling the game. Flamini/Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere playing as the central trio who do the heavy work - defending and attacking in equal measures. A solid back four capable of bombing forwards helps too. All that considered, here's what I've come up... My previous Tactics thread - 'An Insight into the Modern 433' - was positively received for the way in which I laid out the OP and explain everything. So if you'll excuse my laziness, I'll borrow my own template and explain why I've chosen the shouts and roles I have for the personnel at Arsenal. Mentality: Standard - As I stated in my last thread, I am not fond of messing with the mentality settings. One slight tweak or two has ramifications on your team's natural style of playing and I am not fond of that. I like to form my team's style of playing through shouts and shouts alone. Fluidity: Fluid - Much like the above, I prefer not to mess around with this. However, in my 433 thread I came to realise the beauty of Fluid fluidity. It allows players more freedom, more personal decisions, more creativity. Can I do that with shouts and without touching fluidity? Most likely, definitely. But I think Fluid encourages the style of play that I want to see. Push Higher Up - With a gap between the three central midfielders and the four defenders, a higher line will make it easier to link midfield and attack and will also make it harder for opposition teams to break down and exploit the space between the lines. My hope/expectation with pushing higher up is that there's less chance of the opposition getting into a position where they can thread a ball through us or try to run at our centre-backs. Shorter Passing - I think this is quite an obvious choice. The passing capabilities of the Arsenal team plus the close-knit nature of the players in their natural positions mean that playing short passing is the best choice. It also encourages a more attractive style of play and a more possession-based style of play when necessary. This is something that the board wants (possession based anyway) so this is the right choice for me to make I think. Work Ball Into Box - It wouldn't be an Arsenal side without trying to walk it into the net. It's also natural for me to select this shout by default because I cannot stand my team taking potshots from range. Nothing worse. Play Out Of Defence - I want to encourage attractive passing and comfortable play whilst on the ball amongst my defenders so this seemed like a natural choice too. --- Goalkeeper - Sweeper Keeper/Defend With a higher line and the style of play in mind, it is important to encourage the GK to play out of the defence and be comfortable with the ball at his feet. Chesney isn't perfect for this but he can do it I'm sure so I'll opt for that at the minute. PI(s): Distribute To Defenders, Pass It Shorter Right Back - Fullback/Attack With nobody ahead of the RB on the flank, the FB must be capable of attacking and defending well. Fullbacks are naturally the most defensive of all the attacking fullback roles, with Wingbacks acting like Wingers and CWBs acting as some sort of in-between of the two roles. Bacary Sagna is the only RB at the club worth playing. However his Dribbling and Crossing leave a lot to be desired, he's already 30 and he's in the final year of his contract. Instead I've brought in two new signings - Sheamus Coleman and Jon Flanagan. Attacking players who also know how to defend, provide a solid option down the flank and suit my system more than Sagna. PI(s): Run Wide With Ball Left Back - Wingback/Support Much like the RB, the LB has to be able to do everything. However it is important that the team is not "predictable" or "symmetrical". Having a FB/A and WB/S provides a nice variety down each flank so I have opted for this. Plus with Kieran Gibbs at LB, I have a choice who is naturally better at attacking than defending anyway. Monreal is a decent back-up for Gibbs so I'm fine for this position. I posted in my 433 thread about the beauty of a Wingback/Support - it's a wonderful role that is solid defensively and arguably more dangerous going forward than any other role if you have the correct players in the position. The through balls are tasty. PI(s): Run Wide With Ball, Get Further Forward Centre Backs - Central Defender/Defend Comfortable on the ball is all I ask from these players. They need some speed to make up for playing a higher line but at the same time it's not vital because I hope that the team won't be questioned defensively all too often. Mertesacker and Koscielny are two fine choices obviously. Vermaelen is a bit of a crock though and there's nobody else at the club so I've brought in Stevan Savic of former Man City 'fame' who I managed on a Fiorentina save and found to be very good. PI(s): Pass It Shorter Midfield Centre Right - Deep Lying Playmaker/Support Able to sit back and spray passes, control the flow of the ball going forward and going back, able to defend well and get stuck in when necessary. Also helps accomodate for the very offensive nature of the RB to a certain extent. Ramsey and Arteta will rotate here with the former being first choice when fitness, form etc doesn't come into it. PI(s): None Midfield Centre - Central Midfielder/Defend The defensive stalwart of the team. Capable of breaking down any/all attacks and looking to protect the defence when possible. Mathieu Flamini and new signing Sven Bender are the choices but Arteta can do a job here is necessary. PI(s): None Midfield Centre Left - Box-to-Box Midfielder I debated this role internally quite a lot. I wanted to make it a BWM/S with the shout "Get Further Forward" but I am not sure it will make enough deep runs into the box. At the same time, will the B2B defend enough? We'll see... I also am considering moving Ramsey to MCL in order to have the DLP/S protect the left flank a bit more because of the more-offensive nature of the LB. Wilshere and Ox will rotate as the B2B. I wanted to try and replicate Milan in this area of the field - three defensive minded midfielders who didn't stray forward but this isn't real life, this is FM. I don't think it's feasible to leave the attacking to just three men, runners from deep (or at least ONE runner from deep) is absolutely essential so I have opted for a B2B here. PI(s): Dribble More Attacking Midfield Centre Right - Attacking Midfielder/Support Another tough one. Do I go with two playmakers? A Playmaker and an Enganche or Trequartista? Do I say neither? Hard to know for sure. In the end I've gone for AM/S because I like the nature of the role - they tend to drop deep and link play. It also works well with one of Ozil's PPM (Ozil is the AMCL, I'll get to this in a minute). Santi and Rosicky will rotate here. Asked to RFP in order to encourage exploitation of space which is essential in any formation but moreso in a narrow one like this. PI(s): Roam From Position Attacking Midfield Centre Left - Advanced Playmaker/Attack The AM/S isn't a true playmaker role but the role does the right stuff and with Santi/Rosicky as the AM/S they will make plays enough anyway. So I wanted a more 'natural' Playmaker too. Step up Ozil. Gnabry as the back-up. Ozil will make a wonderful AP/A because of his PPMs - he drops deep to get the ball and also looks to get late into the box (not a PPM but rather a natural reaction for an AP/A). I've asked him to Close Down More because it encourages defending from the front and that's something I'm fond of. I'm perfectly away that Ozil is unlikely to get involved in this manner but we'll see I suppose. PI(s): Close Down More, Roam From Position Striker Centre - Advanced Forward/Attack As with Inzaghi for Milan, Walcott will look to terrorise defenders threatening to run in behind the defence and stay on the shoulder of the last man as much as he possibly can. Perfect for the job. I may go for a Poacher role but it's a bit of an extreme role so at the moment I will wait and see how AF/A goes. Walcott, Podolski and Giroud will rotate here. PI(s): Roam From Position, Move Into Channels By and large I am completely happy with this provisional set-up, there's not much I would change on paper. However there's plenty of speculation as to the roles of the front three players - there's a wealth of options for the two 'in the hole' and the striker could easily be a Poacher, AF/A, CF/A or DLF/A. Maybe even a TGM/A is an option when using Giroud (who doesn't have the desired speed to terrorise defences). The Point? Why create the thread? No particular reason. I think the 4321 is a bit of a forgotten formation, one I've always liked for its undeniable ability to control midfielders and tear oppositions wide open. I want to share my experience with the users of this forum and show what I do and how I do it. Perhaps Arsenal make my task a bit easy - certainly compared to what I tried (and eventually managed) to do with Cardiff and the 433 - but I still think that with this thread I should be able to help people out in some way. At worst, maybe I'll generate a bit of discussion and we'll get some interesting ideas on the go. Not only is the Christmas Tree rarely used in real life these days, it's also rarely used in FM from my experience. Not many seem to use it and it's a crying shame because it can be wonderful. Hopefully with this thread I'll be able to encourage use of the 4321 and bring it a little bit of recognition for the beautiful football it can encourage. I'll update throughout the thread my experiences, changes and results with the shape and team. I'll also try to provide as much analysis of both attacking and defending with this shape and determine and correct the faults. Thanks for reading. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinp Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Surely the Pirlo role in the Milan side you reference was a DLPd? I'm sure from memory that he would drop behind the other 2 CM's who in turn would provide protection for him. In the 2005 final, Milan played a definite 4-1-2-1-2 with Seedorf dropping back to 1 of the CM roles alongside Gattuso, leaving Kaka in the hole supplying Crespo & Shevchenko up front. Maybe Rafa was expecting the 4-3-2-1, hence his disasterous 1st half set up, which he corrected for the 2nd half by switching to a 3-4-2-1 - from which history was made :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinp Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Why do a couple of your players have a Pass it Shorter PI when you have a Shorter Passing TI? In fact, tbh, with the players so close to each other generally and lots of short passing option available to a good passing team, do you actually need that TI at all? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinp Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Sorry if this seems a bit picky, but the basic scenario is pretty cool IMO, so you've only left some of the finer detail for comment. So, some small points... I see you need the FB's to maintain width, but would it not be better to train them with appropriate PPM's (assuming they don't have them) than using PI's (you'll see I'm not a fan of PI's as they exist as it's a bit of a pain to change them in game). The same applies for the GFF instruction - do you want him doing that ALL game. What if you're under the cosh a bit and they have a tricky winger his side? The BBM - Dribble More? Can't actually see the logic in this + you're pretty reliant on him having good dribbling skills. Maybe the BBM would be better offloading the ball to one of the AM's and heading for the box. Lastly, you gave some Roaming PI's - doesn't Fluid encourage movement anyway? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD nawrat Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Surely the Pirlo role in the Milan side you reference was a DLPd? I'm sure from memory that he would drop behind the other 2 CM's who in turn would provide protection for him.In the 2005 final, Milan played a definite 4-1-2-1-2 with Seedorf dropping back to 1 of the CM roles alongside Gattuso, leaving Kaka in the hole supplying Crespo & Shevchenko up front. Maybe Rafa was expecting the 4-3-2-1, hence his disasterous 1st half set up, which he corrected for the 2nd half by switching to a 3-4-2-1 - from which history was made :-) I'm not trying to recreate the Milan side that I reference I realise why you might think that but I was simply using the Milan side - the only successful team to ever use a 4321 - to explain the thinking/concept behind the shape and how it works (in basic theory, anyway). As for the 2005 final, I don't disagree there. Milan flirted with a 4312 and a 4321 also. They used the 4321 after they signed Kaka but prior to that they tended to play Shevchenko and Inzaghi up front with Seedorf in behind. 4312 and 41212 are almost the exact same formation. Why do a couple of your players have a Pass it Shorter PI when you have a Shorter Passing TI? In fact, tbh, with the players so close to each other generally and lots of short passing option available to a good passing team, do you actually need that TI at all? Regarding the players - only my two CBs and GK have the PI of Pass it Shorter. It's to ensure that the likelihood of those three players misplacing a pass is brought down to the lowest possible probability. A mistake/misplaced pass from any of them can be suicidal, so the shorter they have to pass the less chance there is of a mistake. As for the TI, perhaps you have a point there. Part of my thinking with adding it was to encourage a more possession-oriented style of play because the Arsenal board want possession based football. I will consider removing it but for the time being I am happy to keep it there. It could potentially be useful to remove shorter passing when in need for a goal. Sorry if this seems a bit picky, but the basic scenario is pretty cool IMO, so you've only left some of the finer detail for comment.So, some small points... I see you need the FB's to maintain width, but would it not be better to train them with appropriate PPM's (assuming they don't have them) than using PI's (you'll see I'm not a fan of PI's as they exist as it's a bit of a pain to change them in game). The same applies for the GFF instruction - do you want him doing that ALL game. What if you're under the cosh a bit and they have a tricky winger his side? The BBM - Dribble More? Can't actually see the logic in this + you're pretty reliant on him having good dribbling skills. Maybe the BBM would be better offloading the ball to one of the AM's and heading for the box. Lastly, you gave some Roaming PI's - doesn't Fluid encourage movement anyway? FBs - I'm not sure what you mean there. Regardless of the situation in game, I want my FBs bombing down the wings. I'm not the sort to "shut up shop", if you like, I will always look for another goal. Removing the width aspect of my FBs removes the attacking threat of our side and makes us predictable and easy to defend against. I could train them PPMs, yes, it's something to consider for sure. I do think PIs are able to accomplish the same thing though and a PI is easier to change than a PPM BBM - I want the BBM to make driving runs from deep and look to open space and cause confusion/panic amongst defenders. My two choices for the position are Jack Wilshere (16) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (17) (those dribbling attributes may be slight off but they're close enough) so I don't think reliance on good dribbling skills is an issue. Both are agile, pacey, flairy runners with the ball who are capable of beat their man so I'm happy to have the PI stay for now. As for the Roaming - the more roaming the better if you ask me. The 4321 can be easy to defend again if the centre of the pitch is packed. If my AMs are roaming out wide and finding space thus creating space centrally since players are being dragged around then great. If I feel the roaming is getting out of hand I will contemplate removing the PIs. Thanks for the input. I will definitely consider the Short Passing removal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinp Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 As for the TI, perhaps you have a point there. Part of my thinking with adding it was to encourage a more possession-oriented style of play because the Arsenal board want possession based football. I will consider removing it but for the time being I am happy to keep it there. It could potentially be useful to remove shorter passing when in need for a goal. This thought actually makes the PI for you GK & CD's relevant, in that when you take the team instruction off, these players will still look to pass short, leaving it for a more creative player (and hopefully better passer) to consider other options FBs - I'm not sure what you mean there. Regardless of the situation in game, I want my FBs bombing down the wings. Cool - the attack at all costs plan... love it As for the Roaming - the more roaming the better if you ask me. The 4321 can be easy to defend again if the centre of the pitch is packed. If my AMs are roaming out wide and finding space thus creating space centrally since players are being dragged around then great. If I feel the roaming is getting out of hand I will contemplate removing the PIs. How about using the Roaming TI & using Hold Position PI's on the players you definitely don't want roaming? Would be easier to turn it in/off in game that way, perhaps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leggie1973 Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hi and thanks for posting this thread up. I'm still using FM13 and a lightbulb went 'ding' above my head when I saw the words 'Christmas tree' as I have been experimenting with various setups to find a 2CD version of my Sweeper Diamond (123211) to use against single striker opponents. I use an AF(a) with TQ behind in my Diamond and reckon this approach could transfer pretty well. I agree that WB(s) is a very potent role, but I think I would swap the position of the BBM and DLP to not only provide a more secure defensive cover for the WB but also to maximise the amount of space a roaming TQ or in your case AP(a) has to operate in. As you can see by my number of posts I'm an amateur at posting here so feel free to shout this idea down as much as you like... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave9ffc Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Regarding the players - only my two CBs and GK have the PI of Pass it Shorter. It's to ensure that the likelihood of those three players misplacing a pass is brought down to the lowest possible probability. A mistake/misplaced pass from any of them can be suicidal, so the shorter they have to pass the less chance there is of a mistake. As for the TI, perhaps you have a point there. Part of my thinking with adding it was to encourage a more possession-oriented style of play because the Arsenal board want possession based football. I will consider removing it but for the time being I am happy to keep it there. It could potentially be useful to remove shorter passing when in need for a goal. I'm not sure passing shorter necessarily means there's less chance of them giving the ball away potentially. It's something I've looked at with defenders quite a bit and the problem comes if they don't have anyone to pass short to. As there's nobody in the dm area, they will be reliant on the cm and dlp to drop back or else they only have the full backs to give it to. In my experience passing shorter on cbs can lead them to either make huge errors by waiting for a short pass option and then getting robbed or ending up clearing the ball into the stands, often for a corner. Against a team that blocks up the passes to your cms, you could find they lose the ball a lot. I must admit I find difficult to know what to expect in the latest version, as possession stats don't often go as I expect them to from my tactic. If your cbs are good on the ball, why not let them pass a little bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deego619 Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 The Inzaghi role described as something other than a Poacher? Preposterous. I flirt with this formation from time to time, I remember this good thread on it a few years ago when there were discussion threads for all the different shapes on the forum (something which I think should be resurrected). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD nawrat Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 This thought actually makes the PI for you GK & CD's relevant, in that when you take the team instruction off, these players will still look to pass short, leaving it for a more creative player (and hopefully better passer) to consider other options :)How about using the Roaming TI & using Hold Position PI's on the players you definitely don't want roaming? Would be easier to turn it in/off in game that way, perhaps. 1. Indeed. I haven't played since i posted this thread (been busy this weekend unfortunately) but I do like the thinking and will definitely be considering it. Might even just take the plunge and go for it full stop. 2. Perhaps. It's a good suggestion, also. I only have three Roaming PIs though so for the moment I won't change that. Hi and thanks for posting this thread up. I'm still using FM13 and a lightbulb went 'ding' above my head when I saw the words 'Christmas tree' as I have been experimenting with various setups to find a 2CD version of my Sweeper Diamond (123211) to use against single striker opponents. I use an AF(a) with TQ behind in my Diamond and reckon this approach could transfer pretty well. I agree that WB(s) is a very potent role, but I think I would swap the position of the BBM and DLP to not only provide a more secure defensive cover for the WB but also to maximise the amount of space a roaming TQ or in your case AP(a) has to operate in. As you can see by my number of posts I'm an amateur at posting here so feel free to shout this idea down as much as you like... Hmmm, I see your point and I think it's worth considering. However, I think I'll reject the advice on the simple premise that whilst the WB is attacking, the opposite FB is an Attack duty so he is equally attacking if not more dependent upon certain situations...but generally speaking it's not worth switching the DLP/S to MCL - if anything it will just serve to make my right side more offensive (B2B is the most offensive of all central midfielder roles on a support duty). However your point about the two attacking midfielders may be correct - the B2B will get into the same/similar space as the AP/A. My thinking of having it (from left to right) as AP/A, AM/S - B2B, DLP/S was that the DLP/S obviously drops deeper to receive the ball and as/when he does this the AM/S also drops deeper (the nature of the role). My worry if I switch the attacking roles (or even just the midfield roles) is that the AM/S would drop into the B2B's space and what I'd have is a huge gap between DLP/S and AP/A and a tiny/non-existent gap between AM/S and B2B. However the flipside of it is that attacking wise, like you said, the B2B may get in the way of the AP/A... I'll have to watch out for this and see if its an issue I'm not sure passing shorter necessarily means there's less chance of them giving the ball away potentially. It's something I've looked at with defenders quite a bit and the problem comes if they don't have anyone to pass short to. As there's nobody in the dm area, they will be reliant on the cm and dlp to drop back or else they only have the full backs to give it to. In my experience passing shorter on cbs can lead them to either make huge errors by waiting for a short pass option and then getting robbed or ending up clearing the ball into the stands, often for a corner. Against a team that blocks up the passes to your cms, you could find they lose the ball a lot. I must admit I find difficult to know what to expect in the latest version, as possession stats don't often go as I expect them to from my tactic. If your cbs are good on the ball, why not let them pass a little bit. It's not some sort of rule that shorter passing means less chance of giving the ball away, it's just a theory. I've found it to be true, generally speaking. But in practice it's not always the case. There's multiple factors to be taken into account - the tempo of the game, the closing down of the opponent, the distance from the nearest passers etc. What you say is correct - if a team blocks my CBs passing route to CMs I'm a bit screwed. Then again, if they block the route to CMs and I don't have them set to shorter passing, I'm still probably screwed - they'll smash it upfield and hope to find an attacking threat. There's still a good chance we lose the ball. I'm letting my CBs pass plenty, it's the purpose behind selecting Pass Out Of Defence. However I don't want them to try any long range passes because as soon as the ball leaves the deck the odds of it reaching an opposition player instead of a team mate become much more likely... The Inzaghi role described as something other than a Poacher? Preposterous.I flirt with this formation from time to time, I remember this good thread on it a few years ago when there were discussion threads for all the different shapes on the forum (something which I think should be resurrected). I agree that Inzaghi is a poacher. There's no two ways about it. I wasn't trying to recreate the Inzaghi role exactly because I wouldn't want my lone striker refusing to pass and be creative - I've basically opted for a less selfish, less limited Poacher. The AF/A and Poacher aren't that dissimilar. Although they are of course quite different in their basic descriptions but the AF/A is more expressive and suits my system more. I just wanted the basic premise of what Inzaghi did - running into space and on the shoulder of the last man. The AF/A does this Interesting link (I've only read a few posts at time of posting). I'll have a look-see later Also the idea of a discussion thread for many different shapes is something perhaps worth considering. Maybe you could put the wheels in motion? I haven't had a chance to play over the weekend unfortunately but I'll be able to crack into the 4321 proper from tomorrow onwards so hopefully this thread can finally take off when I have some real stuff to post about Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick1408 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I've actually swapped the B2B to a BWM in my France side. Not a lot to go by due to the limited games but I feel it has more stability defensively as opposed to the B2B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyKaka22 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 the 4-3-2-1 Ancelotti started using it with the departure of Sheva in 2006, from 2003 to 2006 he used the narrow diamond formation....altough Pirlo actually was behind the 2 cm's in the 4-3-2-1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brod Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 This is actually my standard formation on FM, and has been for years. Mainly because I think you can get a smaller squad from it, and thus save money on wages and players needed. Well, in the sense that you don't have to buy wingers anyway. Wingers seem to be a specialist position, whereas you can get a central midfielder who can do 2 of you 3 central midfield jobs a lot of the time. I play it slightly different to how the Arsenal team has been set up, though I had a break from FM for a couple of years and have since come back to it. I currently play:- Gk - normal goalie, not sweeper keeper DR - Full back - automatic DRC - Central defender - defend DLC - Central defender - defend LB - Full back - automatic MRC - Box to box midfielder - support MC - Ball winning midfielder - defend MLC - Box to box midfielder - support AMRC - Attacking midfielder - attack AMLC - Enganche - Attack ST - Advanced forward - attack Though reading this, I think my MC set to ball winning midfielder and defend might mean that he wanders too much, I want him to sit. I also often find my AM's don't get back in position and 'cheat' a bit on the defensive side. However, I don't want to change it because I don't want to sacrifice their forward positions. To be fair, I'm Peterborough in season 6, and I'm in the Prem so I can't be doing too badly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick_Tamland Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Brod what mentality/fluidity do you normally play with? I like your roles... I myself played with the Christmas Tree formation. Did "ok" with it ...not great but ok. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brod Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Standard for both. And then team instructions of - retain possession, exploit the middle, highest tempo, hassle opponents and play narrower. Just finished 6th in my first season in the Prem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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