Long time lurker asks for advices on his 3-5-2 as an underdog

[wiper05]

Hi all,

 

I'm a long time lurker on this forum and love the discussions and feedbacks people are giving here. Always took many advices "silently" but this time around I'd like to showthe tactic I'm trying to work on.

I've chosen it for Stuttgart and it's doing quite fine in terms of results. I think most of them are expected, teams are usually pushing us in our back and I score mainly with counterattacks.
I do therefore expect to see less possession and a generally more "preserved" approach, but I'm not actually 100% sure the players are doing what I'd like them to do.
For example, I am not sure what advantages switching my wingbacks to complete wingback would bring, the Roam from position trait sorts of scares me, yet I'd like them to be more offensive.

Anyway let me please post the tactic below.

I am sometimes switching the DLF from Attack to Support, and there's usually Saša Kalajdžić playing there, although I'm not sure whether a False 9 or even a pressing forward on support would help.

Also unsure about having DM on Defend..

Moreover I tend to raise defensive and engagement line depending on situations ( e.g. easier home games )

 

I also know that from next season, if I end up this well placed in the league, I might be treated differently from my opponents.

I was then wondering how could I transform this module and structure in order to be slightly more gegenpressing oriented . Or a mix of it with vertical tiki taka, as Conte from Inter likes to call it...

 

Thanks in advance for your comments

Edited March 24, 2021 by wiper05

[Guv'nor]

There or thereabouts with Stuttgart deep into the season is a good innings. Is this a matter of change for change’s sake? A Champions League finish will bring added transfer revenue allowing for better quality additions. 

See how the season ends. 

[Jack722]

You are doing better than I would be able to do so I'm not going to comment on the tactic

I believe that the difference between wing backs and complete wingbacks isn't necessarily that they are more offensive. I think it just means that they'd be willing to show up in the box sometimes to score goals (attack) or assist the midfielders in buildup (support). Obviously they'd need good decisions to know when a good time to roam would be, but they'd also probably want to have decent all round attributes like passing and composure so that they'd actually be useful in areas away from the wing.

If you want your wingbacks to be more offensive yet still be focused on providing width and crossing over anything else, then just switch them to attack 

[wiper05]

14 minutes ago, Jack722 said:

You are doing better than I would be able to do so I'm not going to comment on the tactic

I believe that the difference between wing backs and complete wingbacks isn't necessarily that they are more offensive. I think it just means that they'd be willing to show up in the box sometimes to score goals (attack) or assist the midfielders in buildup (support). Obviously they'd need good decisions to know when a good time to roam would be, but they'd also probably want to have decent all round attributes like passing and composure so that they'd actually be useful in areas away from the wing.

If you want your wingbacks to be more offensive yet still be focused on providing width and crossing over anything else, then just switch them to attack 

I think I was lucky with the tactic, next year I'll have to change something and I might suffer a bit out of it.

I definitely considered switching the wingbacks on attack, but at that point should I then :

switch DM to Def

switch CM-A to S ( but then he doesn't run too much forward..)
switch DLF to s

To keep it balanced?

Edited March 24, 2021 by wiper05

[Jack722]

38 minutes ago, wiper05 said:

I think I was lucky with the tactic, next year I'll have to change something and I might suffer a bit out of it.

I definitely considered switching the wingbacks on attack, but at that point should I then :

switch DM to Def

switch CM-A to S ( but then he doesn't run too much forward..)
switch DLF to s

To keep it balanced?

I wouldn't focus too much on that unless you notice that no one is comming short for the ball, or that you're getting caught too much on the counter. Besides, you have 3CB anyway so the DM staying back isn't as crucial as it would be in most 433's when the wingbacks are getting forward

[CaptCanuck]

Not sure what year you are in, in regards to squad building, but what looks like a nailed on Top 6 finish with an inside line for CL spot out of Stuttgart sure shows you've sorted things to this point :-)

So if you want a front foot formation to partner your counter, a couple simple changes to see what happens against lesser opposition (or save it till the preseason):

• move the DM to the AM, change CM(a) to CM(s or d)
• change DOE and line to 'Higher', and instead of more urgent across the board, split block with that front 3, maybe drop get stuck in
• remove 'Run at defense'

PIs and traits notwithstanding, that's enough to have a more active, possessionish, higher up the pitch style vs the counter. See what movement you get and dig deeper into changes from there.

You could do loads of stuff obviously with the roles and TIs... DLF(s) instead of (a), depending on the AM and how they'd interact with the CWB change the BBM to a Mez so it doesn't bang into the AM... that's the "great" thing about FM you can fiddle to your heart's content and you've forgotten what you were trying to do in the first place.

Always interested in back 3/5 tactics, as that's what I've been messing about with here. Be keen to see how you evolve it and if there will be something neat I can nick (I mean inspiration) for my own tactic

Edited March 24, 2021 by CaptCanuck

[wiper05]

1 hour ago, CaptCanuck said:

Not sure what year you are in, in regards to squad building, but what looks like a nailed on Top 6 finish with an inside line for CL spot out of Stuttgart sure shows you've sorted things to this point :-)

So if you want a front foot formation to partner your counter, a couple simple changes to see what happens against lesser opposition (or save it till the preseason):

• move the DM to the AM, change CM(a) to CM(s or d)
• change DOE and line to 'Higher', and instead of more urgent across the board, split block with that front 3, maybe drop get stuck in
• remove 'Run at defense'

PIs and traits notwithstanding, that's enough to have a more active, possessionish, higher up the pitch style vs the counter. See what movement you get and dig deeper into changes from there.

You could do loads of stuff obviously with the roles and TIs... DLF(s) instead of (a), depending on the AM and how they'd interact with the CWB change the BBM to a Mez so it doesn't bang into the AM... that's the "great" thing about FM you can fiddle to your heart's content and you've forgotten what you were trying to do in the first place.

Always interested in back 3/5 tactics, as that's what I've been messing about with here. Be keen to see how you evolve it and if there will be something neat I can nick (I mean inspiration) for my own tactic

Thanks a lot for your reply.
I'm at my first year and I've started with the first transwer window locked, I usually prefer it over having it open as the team is supposed to be ready from a "roster" perspective.

In January I've signed Pedro Diaz to give some alternative ( he actually ended up replacing it lol ) to Castro - 

I actually wanted a midfielder which had "Run with ball" but then the board decided to "help me" and signed Diaz after my request. I'm 100% he had also the "arrives late into opposition's area" trait but just noticed he does not have it so idk lol.

 

At this point I'll really consider switching to a more aggressive module with one AMC, I'd like to explore the Enganche role in that perspective too. Therefore thanks a lot for your advices there, I will definitely remember them.

p.s - I just opened the link to your thread and fell in love with that variant with 2DMs <3