Advice

[RPM_01]

Can someone tell me what the issues are if you set up like the below -

                      DLF-Su

IF-At              AM-At               IF-At

          CM-De          DLP-Su

WB-Su    CD-De    CD-De    WB-su

                        SK/GK

 

I would use with a top team and would accept that the counter is obviously an issue.

My goal is to provide width with the WB's, hold the ball and retain possession through the 2 midfielders and have attacking runs behind the line with the 'attacking 3' along with having the DLF interchanging.

TI's would just be shorter passing and a higher line with the front 4 pressing more. 

 

[Tsuru]

I believe the main issue here is the front 4.

On the flanks you have a pair of IF-At, which will do exactly the same - there is no "flank variety" here - and they will also be very advanced on the field and not help the two CMs on the bulldup. On the middle you have a DLF-Su, which will retreat to offer support, and the AM-At which will not attack the box always. If another team packs their players in the middle of the defence, shielded by a DM and with a low defensive line, your team will basically hit the head on the wall trying to find some space. 

I would probably go with an Inverted Winger on Support on the left, Inside Foward on Support on the right and use a more traditional central striker (PF-At, AF-At, P-At or CF-At). This way you have a man on the box trying to push the opponents´ defensive lines back and open more space for the players behind to operate. The Inverted Winger would operate with the Wingback on the flank, the AM would help on the buildup and on shots on goal, and the IF-Su would act as the second striker with through passes and long range shots, almost like a "flank DLF".

Alternatively you can use a Shadow Striker instead of the AM-At and keep the central striker as a DLF-Su (or F9/N10 if the player is suited). From my personal experience I don´t like this "False Nine-False 10" in which the striker retreats and the AMC is the main goalscorer. I think it places a lot of burden on the AMC, it is kind of easy to defend (opponents retreat their lines and there is no penetration space) and you need very intelligent players with excellent movement to create dangerous goalscoring opportunities. But it can work, of course, if you have suited players for it.

[xavinwonderland]

In FM21 the shadowstriker /F9 partnership works extremely well so it should do OK. I think the tactic is quite offensive minded but otherwise it should work fine. For the match engine my experience is that the difference between an IW and an IF is quite minimal tbh so whatever role should work fine. Just make sure that they have as much pace/acceleration /dribbling as possible with balance as a bonus. The rest is quite irrelevant. 

[glengarry224]

I'd combine what the other two posters wrote.  The F9/DLF and SS combo can work well, but against certain defenses, as @Tsuru wrote, it is impotent.  So I'd have an alternate tactic with an attacking striker.  Maybe even an alternate where both players are in striker roles and one drops deep.  Many different ways to do it.

Also, I do think that the IW and IF do have different tendencies.  Yes, during many plays, a winger will do the same thing regardless of whether you played him as an IW, an IF or even an AP (or frankly, even as a standard W), because he will read the play and make what he (or the AI) determines is appropriate movement off the ball, etc.  But more often, the IW will stay wide and not cut inside until he receives the ball, whereas the IF will move inside without the ball.  After all, the IW is a "winger" and the IF is a "forward".

Consider having an option where you play at least one of the wingers on support, if not IW(s), then IF(s).