3 at the back while attacking in a 4141?

[Mower Harvey]

Hi

I'm wondering if it's possible for a formation with a 4 man defense to become a 3 man defense while in possession. For example, can you make the right back tuck in and become almost a third CB, while the left back moves higher up the pitch when your team has the ball? 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Mower Harvey

[dannyxx20]

Well the easiest way would be to put a Half back in the DM position, although he might advance further up the pitch depending on mentality and once you're in the opponents half and attacking round their box, I use it in some of tactics and it's a really good role.

 

As for moving the RB in, you could have the left cb set to move out wide, the right cb to move inwards and the rb on no nonsense full back set to move inwards via player instructions, might be possible.

[CaptCanuck]

How/where do you want to attack and which players ideally do you want to leave back?

As my squad has gotten better, I've gone away from the HB role, but had it in the for a couple seasons, with a big 6'4" enforcer in there (useful on set pieces too) who definitely helped if we lost possession and had to face up to a counter. Also served as an outlet for recycling around the midfield circle.

Simply having an FB (D) is another way to try and maintain a back three, while the opposite side having an IWB(A) or WB(A).

Another option in a flat CM 3 is to have a CAR on one side or a different MF role on D, with a float outside PI in possession, this would help to get them covering the space an attacking WB has left.

[FMunderachiever]

On 16/08/2020 at 00:02, Mower Harvey said:

Hi

I'm wondering if it's possible for a formation with a 4 man defense to become a 3 man defense while in possession. For example, can you make the right back tuck in and become almost a third CB, while the left back moves higher up the pitch when your team has the ball? 

I think what you are suggesting would be to play with a back 4, using an IWB/D on one of your full backs, whilst you use an attacking role on the other full back.

im not sure theres a way of setting up a system so one holds and one goes, its something thats been discussed before.

Using a half back will push both of your centrebacks wider, im not sure this is what you want really.

[Jean0987654321]

A couple ways to go is probably the Half Back role in DM.

 

Putting one of your FBs as a IWB (d) or a FB (d) or a LFB (d) (w/ Sit Narrower PI) could work too

[jc577]

Personally speaking, a HB drops to make a back three during build up but advances up the pitch as any other DM role would when the ball is deep in the opposition's final third. A simple FB-d with sit narrower always does the job

[Rashidi]

I did one recently as an illustration on a stream where we were doing a session where I would try to get 3 players to stay back, and for this combination i was attempting to do it without the use of a halfback. I think  I went no nonsense fullback, two central defenders and told the Fullback to sit narrow so that he wouldn't be so close to the touchline. Naturally there are issues with this.

The problem with this setup is that you usually end up with a vulnerable flank. On the other flank where I wanted the fullback to be more attacking, i played with a focus play and overlap to emphasise the higher mentality. To be perfectly honest it wasn't very stable.