Building Nice in a 4-2-2-2 towards 104pts(!) in League1

[palmamiguel92]

Context:

It started as a save to replicate Jorge Jesus's 4-4-2/4-2-2-2 in Flamengo, but ended up giving it my own nuances. Now, Jesus was always a huge influence in my philosophy and still went for the same verticallity mainly by completely dominating the central area, to launch quick attacks and get to the opponents half in a few touches. Off the ball, always looking to press high and flood the area where the ball is at.

These are the two setups I ended settling with. In FM22 I'm really enjoying the ability that Attacking Mids are giving to attack and control the half spaces, they go wide, the go narrow, always seeking space and looking to create numerical superiority wide and middle.

On the ball:

This is one of the ways the team starts the build up, in a 3-5-2 shape, with one my midfielders tucking in between the CDs. The Full backs pushing up and the 2 attacking mids forming a trio with the central midfielder, creating superiority in the middle, always giving passing options.

Against 4-4-2s I always make the team build with 3 on the back, with the Second Volante pushing a bit up or a bit wide, the ideia is always to have a 3vs2 building up, the LCB is driving the ball forward, leaving his position in defense, so my 2 midfielders create alongside him a 3 man line with my 2 attacking midfielders already waiting in those half spaces.

This is another way to build up play, in a clear 4-2-2-2 shape. Normally i intend to box my opposition's midfield of 3 with 4 players and find a way to be able to dominate the central area so i can move the ball quick and vertically.

This is one of many examples I could give on how complete the attacking midfielders are looking this year. In this build up, my right full back is really high up on the pitch, so my right attacking midfielder does something that seems meaningless but yet, a great touch, going wide closer to the defensive line clearly offering a passing lane for the CB, allowing the team to maintain someone wide during the build up.

And of course those 4 attacking units and how they are setup, promote positional switches. In this example, Delort, who usually comes deeper to collect the ball, creating a triangle in the midfield with my volante and tight attacking midfielder while my striker and left attacking midfielder are already looking for through balls.

Off the Ball

The ideia here is simple. Push up on the press, have individual references while pressing, and live with the risks we might take.

A pressing trigger is activated with a back pass to the opposition defender then to the GK, sending my team up to press and really tight mark that defensive line.

Again, a pressing trigger with opponent on his back to the goal, sending my team up to squeeze that build up and force them to a long ball or a mistake.

When the ball is wide, the team presses as a block towards that side of the pitch, putting a lot of players around that ball, creating numerical superiority, to win the ball and have a lot of options right there to counter. Counter pressing yay...

Sometimes teams who play in a 4-3-3 rely a lot on the defensive midfielder to start their build up, so I instruct my pressing forward to stay with that midfielder, instead of pressing high, we take a different approach here, more focused on closing down passing lanes in a normal pressing block.

 

Results

 

 

 

[stuartlaw11]

Love the Brazilian box. Do you use any player instructions or opposition instructions?

[davidbarros2]

Nice analysis!
I would never go to AM-A to replicate Jorge Jesus wide players, but it can surely works and the positions your players are taking on the pitch seems about right so great job.
What stats are yours AM-A getting?

Edited February 14, 2022 by davidbarros2

[palmamiguel92]

7 horas atrás, stuartlaw11 disse:

Love the Brazilian box. Do you use any player instructions or opposition instructions?

PIs yes, not many though, opposition instructions no, but sometimes I instruct my AMs to mark the opp. full backs

[palmamiguel92]

6 horas atrás, davidbarros2 disse:

Nice analysis!
I would never go to AM-A to replicate Jorge Jesus wide players, but it can surely works and the positions your players are taking on the pitch seems about right so great job.
What stats are yours AM-A getting?

Yeah, in reality they would be more like IWs or a trio of CMs in front of the DM, like he did at Sporting with Ruiz, Adrien, Joao Mario and William. In Flamengo I checked the Sofascore app to see the average position map and in some matches he did use the box

My starting AMs have both 17 assists

Edited February 14, 2022 by palmamiguel92

[Mutumba]

Could you share TI and PI?

[kingjericho]

I don't think JJ ever used a box 4-2-2-2 but if the tactic works well good for you  I'd say Éverton Ribeiro and Bruno Henrique were more AP and IF cutting inside from the wings. I do agree that in JJ's systems the wingers primarily cut inside and the only players providing any width are the full backs and some occasional movements by the striker.

[palmamiguel92]

Em 15/02/2022 em 14:31, Mutumba disse:

Could you share TI and PI?

I'll be posting the download soon, just finishing up some highlight clips