Jogo Bonito - "Beautiful Game": Guide to Playing 4-2-3-1 Like a Brazilian (Updated on Jan 15, 2024)

crusadertsar · November 3, 2022

Prologue: Introduction to The Beautiful Game

Chapter 1. 2nd Man

Chapter 2. The Luxury Player Role

Chapter 3. False Ten = The Game of Feint and Riposte

Chapter 4. Rock You Like a Furacão!

Chapter 5. Ponta de Lança

Chapter 6. Channeling The Spirit of 1970 - Save Reveal, Playing Style and Attributes

Chapter 7. 1st Day on The Job: What I Do Before Pressing CONTINUE

Chapter 8 - Coming Soon

Introduction to The Beautiful Game: The Historical Journey From Danube to Amazon

At the beginning, there was something magical: the Wunderteam. The Austrian national team of the 1930s. Under the tutelage of Hugo Meisl, the Austrians became the pioneers of the fluid, "pass-and-move" style. A style never before seen in football. It celebrated technique and artistry over pure physical brawn and athletic running. In a break from the football of the previous era where teams would just line up their five forwards (English Pyramid) and have them dribble at the opposition in an individual show of attacking prowess, the Austrians embraced short quick passing and technical skill. The Wunderteam was born. It drew inspiration from the Scottish school of football ("Combination Game") that was all about quick passing and was introduced to Central Europe by English expatriate Jimmy Hogan.

Jimmy Hogan - football tactician whose theories changed the course of the game in several countries including Austria and Hungary. And indirectly, Brazil.

Matthias Sindelar, Josef Smistik and Walter Nausch made up the core of the team that would dominate European football during the pre-WWII era. Sindelar, known as Der Papierene (The Papery Man) because of his small, agile build, was the star and captain of the team. He was a prototypical False 9, a forward that dropped back to drag opposition defenders with him, orchestrate plays from advanced midfield strata and open up space for his teammates. The Wunderteam's forward line was also complimented by wide half-backs and an attacking centre-half who did more than just defend.

This "Danubian School" set-up is what allowed the players' passing skills to overshadow the individualistic dribbling, as was the case in the older Pyramid system. The fact that the central forward would drop deep, facilitated the formation of multiple passing triangles on the pitch. While The Wunderteam did not win any major international trophies, it did go on a historic 14 game winning streak. Furthermore, its beautiful brand of football inspired other teams to continue to evolve this highly-technical style. The idea that football could be more than just a sport emerged. Beautiful Game was born.

After the Austrians, came the Magic (or "Magnificent" or "Mighty") Magyars, Hungary's "Golden Team" of 1950s. Linked to the Austrians by their common history in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they also came to share the similar ideal for making football into a game of artistic grace. Hungarians took Wunderteam's modified 2-3-5 formation and changed it into a 3-2-1-4. On paper at least. In reality it was an early form of 4-2-4. A revolutionary formation that influenced two great footballing nations an ocean apart.

But going back to the Magic Magyars. The Hungarian national team of 1950s embraced the concept of the withdrawn centre-forward, ala Sindelar. Except Hidegkuti played even deeper, practically in the midfield! One could even say that the Hungarian side was perhaps the first Strikerless formation. And the Magyars went one step further by introducing the role of the sweeper-keeper. The Hungary's manager Gusztav Sebes encouraged his keeper Grocsis to leave his traditional penalty area and "sweep-up" aggressively behind the backline. The defenders (nominally the three fullbacks at the time) were in turn given more freedom to push forward and help the two half-backs with the build-up and possession battle. At the same time one of the two halfbacks, Zakarias, would regularly drop back to aid in the defence.

Such fluid movement between positions was unprecedented at the time. Yet, it was a natural continuation of what Meisl started with the Wunderteam in the 1930s. In fact, Meisl and Sebes shared the same respect for Jimmy Hogan. But of course Sebes evolved this concept of the fluid "pass-and-move" game to a whole new level.

"We played football as Jimmy Hogan taught us. When our football history is told, his name should be written in gold letters" - Gusztav Sebes

Sebes successfully implemented Hogan's ideal that every player should be able to play in every position. Total Football like never before. This development was critical to the success of the team. It was the exact opposite of the WM system, favoured by the English at the time. WM rigidly separated attack from defence and did not allow for the same level of movement between the strata. Each player in a team was assigned a specific position or role, usually marking a specific opposition player. In contrast, Sebes' strategy of players constantly changing roles and positions threw the WM playbook out the window. The English simply could not deal with Hungary's tactic!

Unsurprisingly, The Magnificent Magyars were quite a bit more successful than the Austrians before them. All I'm going to say on that note is that 1953 was a special year for Hungarian Football, and a dark one for the English fans of the game. Simply put, no other national side at the time could match the Hungarian juggernaut in its integrated use of attack and defence.

Although Sebes' style of football was only possible because Hungarians were a very talented group of players, long used to playing together at both a club and national level. It would be nearly 20 years before the Dutch used the same fluid approach with their own brand of Total Football.

"Though all six of us [Bozsik, Czibor, Budai, Puskás, Kocsis and himself] could attack, we never played in a line formation. If I went forward, Puskás dropped back. If Kocsis drifted wide, Bozsik moved into middle. There was always space to play the ball into… we constantly changed positions, so where we lined up at kick-off was irrelevant."

- Nandor Hidegkuti

4-2-4, the formation that became synonymous with Brazilian football, for a time, was conceived as a further development of the Hungarian WW. It combined a strong defence with an even stronger attack, and was actually the first formation to be described using numbers. The 4-2-4 formation made good use of the players' with elite-level fitness and technique (never lacking in Brazil), aiming to effectively use six defenders and six forwards (with the two midfielders performing both tasks depending on the phase of the game, as sort of prototypical box-to-box players).

Unlike the tactic systems that came before, the 4-2-4 allowed for essentially four defenders at the same time (when out of possession at least). The fourth defender increased the number of defensive players and allowed them to be closer together, thus enabling effective cooperation among them. The main point being that a stronger defence would allow an even stronger attack. This fourth defender (usually the right wingback) would also be allowed more attacking freedom, dribbling up the field to provide a deep crossing threat on opposition goal. The idea for aggressive "flying" wingbacks was very much born in Brazil.

Initially, 4-2-4 shape arrived in Brazil via Hungary. It started with the tactics devised by Marton Bukovi. Bukovi played a major role in the success of the legendary Mighty Magyars team. It was Bukovi, working as a manager of MTK in Hungary, who first developed the 4-2-4 formation in order to accommodate the club's star Nandor Hidegkuti as a revolutionary deep-lying forward. Because of MTK's and Hidegkuti's success, the tactic was soon adopted by the national coach Gusztav Sebes. Then we already know what happened after. Hungarians dominated European team, including the mighty England for quite some time. And then the tactic was exported to Brazil by another Hungarian coach, Bela Guttmann.

Bela Guttman, one of the masterminds of Brazilian 4-2-4, posing with the São Paulo championship-winning squad (*Guttman is on the far right) in 1957.

Guttman briefly managed São Paulo and won the championship with them while using the Hungarian 4-2-4 formation. This undenibly helped to cement this formation's popularity in Brazil. Although the credit should not solely go to Guttman. At the time Flavio Costa, Brazilian national coach in the early 1950s, also played an important role in "perfecting" the Magyars' tactic in South America.

Thanks to Flavio Costa, Brazilian-style 4-2-4 finally came to the international spotlight at 1958 World Cup. There the Brazilian national team, that was trained in the use of the new tactic by Costa, was crowned champions. Then they went on to be tactical revolutionaries again in 1962 World Cup in Chile where largely the same team played a slightly modified 4-2-4 to capture another Cup. Famously this formation had left winger Zagallo dropping back and going more central (due to injured Pele) to play an early version of 4-3-3, long before the Dutch made it cool. But no matter how they lined up or played, the Brazilians were always a joy to watch.

So if 4-2-4 was a natural evolution of Magnificent Magyars' WW, then in turn Brazilian 4-2-3-1 developed from that same 4-2-4. In many aspects, the more traditionally Brazilian 4-2-2-2 "Magic Box" formation (the mainstay of Brazilian football for almost 30 years between 1982 and the early 2000s) also evolved into 4-2-3-1 over time. The 4-2-4 was famously used by the Brazilian national team at 1970 World Cup. Mario Zagallo, Brazil's left winger-turned-coach, saw his team as pioneers of the 4-2-3-1 shape. Although the 1970 national team tactic was more of a false 4-2-3-1 if anything. Meaning that on paper it was 4-2-4 but in action it quickly transformed into 4-2-3-1. Zagallo had his left winger (Rivelino) play as a quasi-midfielder/defensive winger (just like Zagallo played himself in 1962) granting the formation its midfield numerical advantage.

This not only allowed for better ball progression but also a stronger defence than in a pure 4-2-4. Zagallo also set his midfield to be staggered for better vertical movement of the ball. Exactly like in a modern 4-2-3-1 with four positional strata of defence, central midfield, advanced midfield and attack. But of course, in typical Brazilian fashion there was a lot of fluidity, interchanging of roles and blurring of lines. It was the original Samba Football at its finest. Jogo Bonito! And this wondergoal by Carlos Alberto is the perfect testament to the artistry of that 1970 team.

In a modern 4-2-3-1, The two midfielders normally play closely together to protect the defence, and move laterally across the field as a coordinated unit. The formation is usually played without wide midfielders. The three attacking midfielders (AML, AMR and AMC) split across the field to spread the attack, like three prongs in an attacking trident, and may be expected to mark the opposition full-backs as opposed to doubling back to assist their own full-backs, as do the wide midfielders in a 4-4-2.

This idea is even further emphasized in a Brazilian-style 4-2-3-1, which grew out of the formation used by Zagallo in 1970 as well as the later 4-2-2-2 modification. While in Europe, the 4-2-3-1 emerged out of the attempt to make 4-4-2 into a more elegant shape for both attack and possession. In Brazil it was just a reflection of how freely formations morphed from one to another. It was a natural evolution in that original WW formation that came from Hungary with Marton Bukovi and Bela Guttman. For what is 4-2-3-1 but a wide 4-2-2-2? This evolution was seen at 2009 Confederation Cup where Brazil played in an interesting shape, that was both instantly familiar and refreshingly new.

You see, the European 4-2-3-1 derives from 4-4-2. You have your standard deep-laying central forward, the wide players that can both provide width, cut inside, and help deal with the opposition full-backs. But the Brazilian-style 4-2-3-1 draws more from the 4-2-4 (which is really a false 4-2-3-1) and its later 4-2-2-2 modification. When it was first showcased to the world in 1982, the 4-2-2-2 had Falcao and Cerezo operating as deep-lying playmaker double pivot behind the two narrow trequartistas Zico and Socrates. The four of them together made up the "Magic Square". Unfortunately that team could not win the ultimate trophy. But what they did do was to further cement the 4-2-2-2 "Magic Box" tactic as a natural stepping stone from the earlier 4-2-4 to the more modern 4-2-3-1.

The eventual evolution towards the Wide 4-2-3-1 system came about by pulling one of the two strikers back and wide into an inside forward position. At the same time one of the two AMC playmakers moved wider to the flank. While the double pivot in midfield is preserved and the wingbacks still provide much of the formation's width. This became most apparent at the 2009 World Cup where Brazil once again surprised the world with its tactics.

In the pic above, Brazil's 2009 Confederation Cup winning formation is revealed to be 4-2-2-2 that transformed into 4-2-3-1. Robinho was a striker that moved to the left flank to act like an inside forward while Ramires, usually an attacking midfielder, covered the right flank in the more creative winger role.

Can you see now how the Brazilian 4-2-3-1 is not quite the same as the European derivation of that shape? Football pundits love to throw formation labels around but in reality this collection of numbers is but an abstract simplification of the shape that the team is using. And educated guess at best. Or just an attempt to fit the much more complex collection of movements and strategies, performed by 11 players on the pitch, into a neat logical box. Well, sometimes not everything fits neatly, and round pegs don't fit into square boxes. Or round boxes into square pegs? In the end, labels and numbers don't really matter as much as visual evidence of brilliant, timeless football that is too unique to fit into any formation or style category. Brazilians always liked to play outside the box, defying European expectations and playing purely for the joy and beauty of the sport.

Now, with the historical background out of the way, it is time to get down to the nitty gritty tactical analysis. Hopefully after reading my little introduction, you might get a taste to attempt your own experiment in creating Brazilian-style tactic (whether 4-2-3-1 or other). I'm certainly excited to proceed with my own FM23 experiment. Especially after my research showed just how closely Jogo Bonito was to the legacy of Austrian Wunderteam and Hungary's Golden Team.

So that gives me more than a few ideas on what I want to see in my eventual Jogo Bonito tactic. Fluid, pass-and-move, attacking football. Progressive possession - possession with intent. I don't care about raw numbers and statistics but actually that my players do something game-changing every time they possess the ball. Not just possession for the sake of possession. In modern football, some might call such a style, Vertical Tiki-Taka. I just call it the football that the Austrians started, Magyars improved, and Brazilians perfected.

So with that out of the way, let's look at my Jogo Bonito tactic, starting with the role highlights.

Edited January 16 by crusadertsar

coach vahid · November 3, 2022

Always a pleasure to read your article.

But not always convinced by your application in FM.

crusadertsar · November 3, 2022

34 minutes ago, coach vahid said:

Always a pleasure to read your article.

But not always convinced by your application in FM.

Ahaha fair enough. I'll take the first one :lol: I'm not always convinced by my own FM application.

Edited November 3, 2022 by crusadertsar

The3points · November 3, 2022

I assume Higher Tempo and Be More Expressive have to be in there? Very hard to get the plays doing flicks, juggles and no look passes like in real life though

crusadertsar · November 3, 2022

The Second Man

To start off the role introduction, I go to the most iconic and most "Brazilian" role in any historic Brazilian formation. The role of Segundo Volante.

Unlike the other exotic roles in FM23, it has an interesting origin story. And I think it needs to be told to fully appreciate what makes this role special. Firstly, "Volante" became a word to describe a typical hard-tackling, tough-as-nails" Ball-Winning Midfielder. Simply because Carlos Volante was such a midfielder for Flamengo during the late 1930s. He was such an archetype of this role that his name stuck around as a way to define it. Sort of like if Italians decided to rename a deep-lying playmaker (regista) "Pirlo". I'm rather surprised it didn't happen actually. But anyway the name stuck in Brazil. and that is where the term Segundo Volante was mostly used, until Football Manager put it into the lime-light a few years back. And as all things FM go, it has become very mainstream with virtual managers and football hipsters everywhere. But wait, what is Segundo Volante then?

Well, in the 1970 world cup, Brazil used its famous 4-2-4 formation. Or to be a precise, a modification of 4-2-4 which played more like 4-2-3-1 than anything else. During radio broadcasts, the pundits in Rio De Janeiro would, as always, name the two deep midfielders as the Volantes. Except there emerged one important distinction. Gerson, one of the playmaking stars of the team, just refused to behave like your typical Volante. He was referred to as the Segundo Volante - Second Volante, because he behaved rather differently from his more typical Volante partner.

As the second defensive midfielder, Gerson was the key piece in Brazil's attacking machine. He was one of few similarly creative players - "The Five #10s" as football historians tend to describe the play-making talents of Pele, Tostao, Rivellino, Jairzinho and Gerson. These five players were all essentially exemplary playmakers (albeit Pele was a well-rounded one who could both score and assist) and thus became nicknamed for the traditional #10 advanced playmaker role. But even in such an elite group, assembled by Brazil's manager Zagallo, Gerson became the main creative influence. Firstly, as the main source of short passes to his DM partner Clodoaldo or towards the wingbacks. Secondly, his long passing range allowed him to link-up effectively with the four attackers. As one of the five 10s, Gerson also made late runs into dangerous areas where he could create chances for a teammate, or take a shot on goal himself.

Gerson was the glue that held the formation through its middle. And that is exactly what I am looking my Segundo Volante to do in the game. As his in-game description suggests, I need this player to act both as a defensive pivot to help put up the last defensive barrier before our centrebacks and as a ball-carrying playmaker/late runner to move forward and support our attackers in possession. It is a very demanding role, which can easily be seen just by the attributes needed. Overall, A very well-rounded Box-To-Box type is a perfect type of player for the demanding SV role.

So in a typical play, once Segundo Volante's midfield partner (more defence-focused DM or perhaps Anchorman) wins the ball back, he passes short to our Segundo. SV has a few options such as passing it to the closest teammates like the wingbacks. Or he can decide to drive forward with the ball to more dangerous area from which he can feed any of the front four attackers. With a suitable player in the Segundo Volante role it quickly becomes apparent just how important this player can be to the whole tactic. As part of the double pivot in central midfield it is the role around which the rest of the formation can rotate.

Edited November 5, 2022 by crusadertsar

04texag · November 3, 2022

47 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

The Second Man

To start off the role analysis, I go to the most iconic and most "Brazilian" role in any historic Brazilian formation. The role of Segundo Volante.

Unlike the other exotic roles in FM23, it has an interesting origin story. And I think it needs to be told to fully appreciate what makes this role special. Firstly, "Volante" became a word to describe a typical hard-tackling, tough-as-nails" Ball-Winning Midfielder. Simply because Carlos Volante was such a midfielder for Flamengo during the late 1930s. He was such an archetype of this role that his name stuck around as a way to define it. Sort of like if Italians decided to rename a deep-lying playmaker (regista) "Pirlo". I'm rather surprised it didn't happen actually. But anyway the name stuck in Brazil. and that is where the term Segundo Volante was mostly used, until Football Manager put it into the lime-light a few years back. And as all things FM go, it has become very mainstream with virtual managers and football hipsters everywhere. But wait, what is Segundo Volante then?

Well, in the 1970 world cup, Brazil used its famous 4-2-4 formation. Or to be a precise, a modification of 4-2-4 which played more like 4-2-3-1 than anything else. During radio broadcasts, the pundits in Rio De Janeiro would, as always, name the two deep midfielders as the Volantes. Except there emerged one important distinction. Gerson, one of the playmaking stars of the team, just refused to behave like your typical Volante. He was referred to as the Segundo Volante - Second Volante, because he behaved rather differently from his more typical Volante partner.

As the second defensive midfielder, Gerson was the key piece in Brazil's attacking machine. He was one of few similarly creative players - "The Five #10s" as football historians tend to describe the play-making talents of Pele, Tostao, Rivellino, Jairzinho and Gerson. These five players were all essentially exemplary playmakers (albeit Pele was a well-rounded one who could both score and assist) and thus became nicknamed for the traditional #10 advanced playmaker role. But even in such an elite group, assembled by Brazil's manager Zagallo, Gerson became the main creative influence. Firstly, as the main source of short passes to his DM partner Clodoaldo or towards the wingbacks. Secondly, his long passing range allowed him to link-up effectively with the four attackers. As one of the five 10s, Gerson also made late runs into dangerous areas where he could create chances for a teammate, or take a shot on goal himself.

Gerson was the glue that held the formation through its middle. And that is exactly what I am looking my Segundo Volante to do in the game. As his in-game description suggests, I need this player to act both as a defensive pivot to help put up the last defensive barrier before our centrebacks and as a ball-carrying playmaker/late runner to move forward and support our attackers in possession. It is a very demanding role, which can easily be seen just by the attributes needed. Overall, A very well-rounded Box-To-Box type is a perfect type of player for the demanding SV role.

So in a typical play, once Segundo Volante's midfield partner (more defence-focused DM or perhaps Anchorman) wins the ball back, he passes short to our Segundo. SV has a few options such as passing it to the closest teammates like the wingbacks. Or he can decide to drive forward with the ball to more dangerous area from which he can feed any of the front four attackers. With a suitable player in the Segundo Volante role it quickly becomes apparent just how important this player can be to the whole tactic. As part of the double pivot in central midfield it is the role around which the rest of the formation can rotate.

Super happy to see this thread. Love your approaches and glad to see this match up with a style I'd love to try emulating.

crusadertsar · November 3, 2022

The Luxury Player Role

Complete Attacking Wingback (CWB) - another uniquely Brazilian role. In truth, it was Brazilians that invented the modern wingback and it is a role that thrives in Jogo Bonito-style football. The player whom you saw scoring that wondergoal a few paragraphs back was in fact a wingback. Carlos Alberto Torres - The one and only. The star player of 1970 World Cup. He was one in the long line-up of stereotypical Brazilian wingbacks. Powerful, lethal, fast, unpredictable, exceptionally athletic and tireless. Other notable examples being Cafu and Dani Alves. All Brazilians of course.

Image: Cafu just doing what he did best. Confounding opposition defenders and keepers.

Players like Carlos Alberto possessed the pace, stamina, and the technical skill to do overlapping attacking runs, perfectly blending the roles of a fullback, midfielder, winger, and even striker at times. Much like a deep-lying winger, Brazilian wingback is expected to be an accurate crosser of the ball, an essential link-up player between defence and attack. In addition to chance creation, a CWB has to provide and effective threat on goal, to reflect the "winger" portion of his name. And Carlos Alberto was definitely known for his ability to score game-changing goals. He is another look at that amazing goal. I could watch all day. Is Italian keeper trying to swim through the grass? Or just wishing the ground opens up and swallows him up?

Brazilian wingbacks were far from the original fullback role, more wide attackers than defenders. Although, Carlos Alberto was a very well-rounded player who did not neglect his defensive duties. It was just not that much required of him because of the kinds of teams he played for. In this sense, a Complete Wingback is true "luxury player". It takes a pretty good team to be able to tactically afford to play a 3rd wide attacker in a deeper position.

However, if you decide to fit CWB role into your tactic then it usually means that your team is already set up in a way to provide the necessary cover for the wingback to get forward and do what he does best. As a result, teams with a very attacking wingback usually line up with a more defence-minded fullback (or wingback with defend duty) on the opposite flank. And perhaps one central midfielder in a deeper position or with a more cautious role on the same side as the attacking wingback.

Also, very few teams at the start of the game possess a player who is natural or accomplished in the fullback or wingback position and also fitting the attribute profile of a Complete Wingback.

Can you guess this player on FM23?

On the other hand, many teams already have a physically fit, hard-working and relatively technical winger. Even if his Tackling or Positioning is not up to par, I see no problem playing such player in the deeper position to take advantage of his more attack-oriented attributes in the fullback strata. As a wingback he can be very dangerous, even if he is only an average AMR/AML strata player. Besides when you decided to use CBW role it is not for his defensive/covering capabilities, you will already have other players doing that in your tactic.

Edited November 5, 2022 by crusadertsar

Miragepredator · November 3, 2022

9 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

Can you guess this player on FM23?

Pedro Porro?

crusadertsar · November 3, 2022

8 minutes ago, Miragepredator said:

Pedro Porro?

Wow that was fast :brock: Yup, the one and only. As good as you can get for this role at the start of game before newgens show up. And he is young too.

04texag · November 3, 2022

1 hour ago, crusadertsar said:

Wow that was fast Yup, the one and only. As good as you can get for this role at the start of game before newgens show up. And he is young too.

I used him in fm22 although maybe the is an unseen mental attribute where he always doubted he could play and he swapped teams every two seasons. Hopefully a fluke.

crusadertsar · November 4, 2022

9 hours ago, 04texag said:

I used him in fm22 although maybe the is an unseen mental attribute where he always doubted he could play and he swapped teams every two seasons. Hopefully a fluke.

I haven't used him last season but in FM21 he developed into one of the best, most loyal players on my Real Sociedad team. So hopefully it is just a fluke.

camoulton21 · November 4, 2022

Great article @crusadertsarabout an iconic team, nobody plays football better than Brazil! What I love in particular about the 1970s team is that the 5 numbers 10s are similar in their technical brilliance but all different enough to complete each other and give diversity to the Brazil attack. A lot is made about the death of the number 10 position but I feel as though the Brazilian quintet represent different roles classic number 10s can play on a football pitch. Jairzinho is like a modern inside forward, Tostao a False 9, Rivelino a wide midfielder.

I would have thought that Gerson would have been nailed on for a playmaker role considering his ball retention and passing skills. Did you ever consider making him a playmaker instead of the Segundo Volante role

crusadertsar · November 4, 2022

19 hours ago, camoulton21 said:

Great article @crusadertsarabout an iconic team, nobody plays football better than Brazil! What I love in particular about the 1970s team is that the 5 numbers 10s are similar in their technical brilliance but all different enough to complete each other and give diversity to the Brazil attack. A lot is made about the death of the number 10 position but I feel as though the Brazilian quintet represent different roles classic number 10s can play on a football pitch. Jairzinho is like a modern inside forward, Tostao a False 9, Rivelino a wide midfielder.

I would have thought that Gerson would have been nailed on for a playmaker role considering his ball retention and passing skills. Did you ever consider making him a playmaker instead of the Segundo Volante role

Totally agree. It was an amazing team. And challenge will definitely be to fit all these creative players on one tactic. Although the team that I have in mind for this is far from 1970 Brazil. But it still has a good number of quality creative attackers.

The real challenge is striking a balance between playmaker roles and runners, attackers. In my view while Gerson was definitely a playmaker type, he did not really slow down the play like a typical playmaker in the game does. That's not what I'm after with this tactic, not slow build up from the back, channelling all the plays through my deep playmaker. Not at all. That's not Jogo Bonito. Rather I'm trying to recreate the pass and move style for which SV works better as a more dynamic outlet to bring the ball forward. And he is not meant to be the only source of plays.

Edited November 4, 2022 by crusadertsar

04texag · November 4, 2022

1 hour ago, crusadertsar said:

Totally agree. It was an amazing team. And challenge will definitely be to fit all these creative players on one tactic. Although the team that I have in mind for this is far from 1970 Brazil. But it still has a good number of quality creative attackers.

The real challenge is striking a balance between playmaker roles and runners, attackers. In my view while Gerson was definitely a playmaker type, he did not really slow down the play like a typical playmaker in the game does. That's not what I'm after with this tactic, not slow build up from the back, channelling all the plays through my deep playmaker. Not at all. That's not Jogo Bonito. Rather I'm trying to recreate the pass and move style for which SV works better as a more dynamic outlet to bring the ball forward. And he is not meant to be the only source of plays.

One thing I've found that helps with this a lot is not overly relying on play from the back. With the right TI and roles you can still play from the back but with much more of a vertical game than just always recycling.

crusadertsar · November 4, 2022

20 minutes ago, 04texag said:

One thing I've found that helps with this a lot is not overly relying on play from the back. With the right TI and roles you can still play from the back but with much more of a vertical game than just always recycling.

Exactly. I've been leaving it out in my similar Total Football tactics lately. Leads to much better build up. And players still tend to build up plays from the back, especially if you have play through the middle and "pass short" (keeper), "pass to CBs and Fullbacks" checked.

Edited November 4, 2022 by crusadertsar

The3points · November 4, 2022

1 hour ago, crusadertsar said:

Exactly. I've been leaving it out in my similar Total Football tactics lately. Leads to much better build up. And players still tend to build up plays from the back, especially if you have play through the middle and "pass short" (keeper), "pass to CBs and Fullbacks" checked.

Perhaps slightly off topic, but when I tried a Wengerball (honestly quite similar to JB) tactic without Play out of Defence, the CBs and GKs pass to each other and then hoof it long: does focus play through middle make a large difference?

Edited November 4, 2022 by The3points

04texag · November 4, 2022

30 minutes ago, The3points said:

Perhaps slightly off topic, but when I tried a Wengerball (honestly quite similar to JB) tactic without Play out of Defence, the CBs and GKs pass to each other and then hoof it long: does focus play through middle make a large difference?

What was your passing length setting, and did you have someone in midfield to drop deep and help with building up play?

The3points · November 4, 2022

1 minute ago, 04texag said:

What was your passing length setting, and did you have someone in midfield to drop deep and help with building up play?

DLP-D in DM strata, to a lesser extent RPM in CM strata: Shorter Passing with Higher Tempo.

04texag · November 5, 2022

Ya, that should be fine. Maybe the quality or attributes of your defenders? I've had a lot of play from the back without that TI and not needing play through the middle. Usually just shorter passing, then tell gk to distribute to CBs

The3points · November 5, 2022

21 minutes ago, 04texag said:

Ya, that should be fine. Maybe the quality or attributes of your defenders? I've had a lot of play from the back without that TI and not needing play through the middle. Usually just shorter passing, then tell gk to distribute to CBs

Must be: I'm managing EL quality team in Portugal, probably defenders aren't to comfortable

crusadertsar · November 5, 2022

False Ten = The Game of Feint and Riposte

While in fact Carlos Alberto was a hell of a player, what made that 1970 team truly special was the work of the other 10 players on the field. And we still have a few more roles to work through in this introduction.

Upfront you had the four of the famous Zagallo's Five Number 10s. Rivellino on the left flank. He started in deep left position, as almost a central midfielder and then in possession of the ball would dribble out wide. From there he would either make diagonal runs towards goal or send long, accurate laser balls towards the right side where Jairzinho was ready to receive thrm. A hard role to nail down in FM23 or any FM. For now I'm hesitating on IW(S) with a few individual instructions like "stay wide". Then on the opposite flank we had Jairzinho who was a natural right-footer, best know for his finishing, passing, lightning fast pace and dribbling. Jairzinho was one of the players that would define the Inside Forward role in the future. Except he was much more creative then that. Of course, as was the case with that Brazilian team, Jairzinho was a star at club level (at Botafogo he was the playmaking fantasista). But in Zagallo's team he was only one of 5 such players. But more on Jairzinho role later. For now all we need to know is that he would also fall back to wide midfield position when defending or pressing the opposing full-back. And during possession would go very central into the space traditionally held by #10 AMC position. But if there was all that space there then where was the #10 in this formation? Where was Pele? Most of the time, probably not too far from opposition penalty area. Pele was Pele.

Image: Bend it like Pele

For any football fan, no explanation is needed for Pele or what made him into a world phenomenon. Today, his name alone has come to symbolize greatness, unrivaled athleticism, grace and flair. Pele is footballing as an art-form. Likewise Pele has come to embody the whole of Brazilian ginga football style. But before he became the Brazilian ginga master of the unexpected, Pele mastered the shadow arts. The Brazilian managed to score 1281 goals, more than any striker in history, while operating mostly from the attacking midfield position and not the traditional striker role. How?

Dennis Bergkamp famously labeled himself as a shadow striker in his autobiography “Stillness and Speed: My Story”. Incidentally stillness and speed are both excellent words to describe the hunter’s instincts required for this enigmatic role. However, Bergkamp was not the first or even the greatest shadow striker to grace the beautiful game. That title should probably go to the one and only, Pele.

Pele developed his unique way of playing the "supporting" role at his club Santos. Image: Artist’s representation of Santo’s formation during 1960s, courtesy of the excellent Imortais do futebol (unfortunately only in Portuguese). Note Pele’s withdrawn position on the field.

In any Brazilian formation of the time, the place of the primary striker was the revered position called Ponta de Lança (Spear-Head). At 1970 team, Pele did not hold that position on paper. That was Tostão who operated in way that was reminiscent to the modern False 9 or Deep-laying Forward role. He would drop back, hold-up play and generally disorient opposition defenders and get onto the end of passes or create space for teammates with his tricky movement and runs off the ball. But on paper Tostão was deployed as centre-forward. The player directly behind him in the positional map was the visionary Pele, greatest footballer ever. On paper Pele was deployed as the official #10 second/supporting striker and during defence lined up almost as deep as AMC strata. In reality Pele was this formation's False 10, Shadow Striker who caused havoc through his intelligent movement with and without the ball.

So even though Pele started out in the attacking midfielder position, he was very aggressive in attack. This involved moving forward to play beside and sometimes beyond the striker. He did not act like a typical supporting Number 10 but rather was what Football Manager describes as a Shadow Striker. According to the in-game description, “shadow striker operates as one of the team’s main goalscoring threats. Coupled with supporting forward, he aggressively pushes up into goalscoring positions as the ball moves into the final third.”

The origins of Pele’s unique attacking style was as much a product of the contemporary Brazilian footballing culture as well as his own personal touch. All through Pele’s reign, from his Santos debut in 1956 until his move to New York in 1975, Brazilian football has been influenced by one formation. In Brazil, for over four decades almost every team played some form of 4-2-4 both domestically and internationally. At least on paper it was 4-2-4 but in reality Brazilians ran this formation as a very modern 4-2-3-1. A formation that has become very popular in Europe in the recent decades and revolutionized English football in the early 2000s, was widely used in Brazil almost seventy years ago. And Pele was its king. He dominated the hybrid withdrawn central attacking midfield role which essentially blended the best elements of a playmaker and striker. At both Santos and 1970 Brazil team it was tailored for a player of Pele's ability, one who could both score plenty and create.

It was Pele's timely pass to Carlos Alberto that was the final key to unlocking the Italian defence. In reality Pele was the 2nd deadly hidden Ponta de Lança that would finish of the moves started by his official striker partner Tostão who in reality acted as a sort of decoy to draw the opposition defenders out and give space for the runners behind him such as Pele and Carlos Alberto (right wingback). But Tostão was perfect for this role since he also played as a classic #10 playmaker for his club. Much like Pele he was a versatile attacker capable of playing all across the final third. Their partnership involved a type of "feint and riposte" ruse, common to fencing. Use an obvious big hammer to draw your enemy out of position and then strike with a hidden blade to finish them off. As simple as it could be lethal.

In many ways the modern game of football has become a complex game of cat and mouse, of crafty deception and tactical feints. When an effective low defensive block is used, a stronger side will need to work hard to gain any open space or any kind of numerical advantage on the field that is already compressed by the opposition. Increasingly, winning matches has become more challenging for the favourite team than for the underdog. It is no different in FM virtual environment.

Top managers such as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp thrive on using strategic ruses. One such ruse is the intentional overload. These managers use highly specialized roles such as the inverted wingbacks and false wingers/mezzalas to move into spaces not traditionally occupied by those kinds of roles. Shadow Striker is not the only role striking from the shadows in modern football. So it is not surprising that the use of a false9 and false10 combination is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.

To further add, the centre-forward’s role will vary depending on the attributes. If you have a very creative, technical player then an actual False 9 role will be ideal. But for most teams a deep-lying forward will work wonders. And of course if you have an elite well-rounded forward then perhaps using him as Complete Forward (S) is not such a bad idea. Especially if he has "comes deep to get ball" trait.

Unsurprisingly, a pairing of Shadow Striker and Deeplying-Forward/False9 will make or break a tactic that relies on a shadow forward. The two need to absolutely have good chemistry together by having attributes that complement their separate tasks well. Here I will show two examples of the players I intend to use with this tactic in FM23.

The False 10:

You always have to keep in mind that the Shadow Striker will be one of your main goal threats. For this reason, his attributes like Anticipation, Finishing, Composure and Off The Ball are very important. Besides the usual physical attributes to make him quicker in taking advantage of any open space. Nevertheless, it is best to use a creative/playmaker type with some very good striking abilities in this role, rather than a pure goalscorer with low passing/vision. Mainly because he starts out in the deeper position and will invariably aid in your build-up. Also a good Work Rate attribute will further help him in this aspect. So while my chosen player does unfortunately lack exceptional work ethic, his other attributes more than make up for it. The selection of individual traits can also be very important here. Having a blend of attacking and playmaking ones like "gets forward", "runs with ball through centre" and "tries killer balls often" is ideal.

And this is my Shadow Striker's striker partner:

This player can actually be a good False 9 role in the game. But I prefer him to play as a Complete Forward to encourage him to also operate higher and pin the opposition defender back from time to time and as a result free up more space for my Shadow Striker and Right Winger. As a False 9 I am afraid he would be too one-dimensional in going deep and only playing the supporting role. And luckily, he has the attributes to make him into a decent CF(S), especially because of his well-rounded physicals. He won't be the best Complete Forward but sufficient for the needs of my tactic in its first few seasons.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

Edited November 6, 2022 by crusadertsar

Bahnzo · November 5, 2022

Absolutely loving reading all this. Thanks so much for taking the time!

crusadertsar · November 5, 2022

23 minutes ago, Bahnzo said:

Absolutely loving reading all this. Thanks so much for taking the time!

Thank you very much friend It's my great pleasure to write for you guys on this forum. So glad that you are actually enjoying it. I have gotten to the point where I don't really enjoy my FM save unless I chronicle and share my journey, tactical musings and historical rumblings. So bear with me. Much more to come!

Edited November 5, 2022 by crusadertsar

Bahnzo · November 5, 2022

26 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

Thank you very much friend It's my great pleasure to write for you guys on this forum. So glad that you are actually enjoying it. I have gotten to the point where I don't really enjoy my FM save unless I chronicle and share my journey, tactical musings and historical rumblings. So bear with me. Much more to come!

Looking forward to see how you complete this. I've already started attempting to craft a tactic using this, so I'll be paying attention to see what kind of instructions you might think are appropriate, etc.

04texag · November 5, 2022

@crusadertsar I think I missed it, tried to reskim, but did you announce what team you'll be using for this tactic?

crusadertsar · November 5, 2022

2 minutes ago, 04texag said:

@crusadertsar I think I missed it, tried to reskim, but did you announce what team you'll be using for this tactic?

:lol: Not yet. Not directly at least, but you can probably pick it up from a few clues I dropped along the way. Will probably do an official introduction once the full game drops next week and will start the save properly.

MrManagerMan · November 5, 2022

Like everyone else, I’ve loved reading this. Great thread!

04texag · November 5, 2022

40 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

Not yet. Not directly at least, but you can probably pick it up from a few clues I dropped along the way. Will probably do an official introduction once the full game drops next week and will start the save properly.

You've mentioned players but you could have done priority transfers. Excited to see how this gets on either way

crusadertsar · November 5, 2022

9 minutes ago, 04texag said:

You've mentioned players but you could have done priority transfers. Excited to see how this gets on either way

Haha true, could be. Me being a little cheeky

crusadertsar · November 5, 2022

Rock You Like a Furacão!

Now moving on to the important right wing role, inspired by the one and only Brazilian Hurricane (Furacão). Initially, I had a few roles in mind here before settling on Trequartista. Honestly it all depends on the kind of player you have. Therefore there can be quite a few combinations of roles, individual instructions and traits to recreate this unique versatile wide forward role. There are no wrong answers really, as long as it works within the system.

Jairzinho was a very versatile player capable of playing in a variety of attacking positions such as main striker, second striker, or even as an attacking midfielder. He was a veritable force of nature who could score lots of goals just as easily as set up plays for his teammates. Thus to recreate that type of behaviour one will need a hybrid role to combine the best elements of inside forward, attacking midfielder, winger and playmaker. And given a lot of freedom. So I was lucky enough to possess a left-footed player who fits the Trequartista role like a hand in glove.

As a side note, if you have someone with great Teamwork who is better suited for the Advanced Playmaker (A) or maybe Inverted Winger role then by all means go with that role. It is always better putting the player into a role that suits his attributes rather than forcing him into a role that he does not have the key attributes for. This is irrespective of whether he is natural in the position (I never look at the little green circles). You might just need to make a few individual instruction adjustments but it should still work well within the whole system. That's the beauty of Football Manager. There are so many parallel solutions and slight variations to tactics to be had. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut feeling, test out a role and see how it works. One thing could be perfect for one team but not work at all with another. And if doesn't then try something else.

But coming back to Jairzinho. It is difficult to define what role he took on in the 1970 formation. Simply because he did so much on the pitch. Known by his nickname "Hurricane" and famous, in later stages of his career, for his large afro, Jairzinho was foremost a very exceptional player. Maybe not to the same level as Pele. Who was or is really? But still a generational talent that Brazil's team was lucky to have during his prime. His bursts of lightning speed, dribbling, excellent first touch, finishing ability and shot power all defied defenders everywhere. But his most feared attribute, was his strength. Many have claimed it would take minimum 3 men to push him off the ball. And Jairzinho was a hard working team player who would constantly track back and use his body structure to hold off counter attacks and block runs. In the game this ability is not solely represented by the strength attribute. The balance (and to a lesser extent agility) attribute plays an equally important role for attackers who see alot of the ball.

As well as his effective play on the ball, Furacão possessed phenomenal off the ball and technical ability. One of his signature moves included flicking the ball up from a pass in open play inside the box and cushioning it perfectly for an open shot. In terms of technical ability he also had loads of smart creativity, which is shown in the pass that he put in for Pelé vs England (following the famous Gordon Banks save). Unsurprisingly, some say Jairzinho a his prime was one of the most complete inside forwards of all time.

So even with an elite player, it is not realistic to think that you could recreate a Jairzinho-style of play. In the game, best we can aim for is for an attacking playmaker/inside forward hybrid to cut inside into the middle from where he can act as an important attacking pivot. Much like the Shadow Striker before, you will require a versatile player who is capable of both crafting and finishing goals. The actual role in FM23 is not as important as long as it is one that is conductive to this kind of behavior. Largely it is very much player (due to traits and attributes) dependent. So using a generic role like Inverted Winger could work. As long as you add on a few individual instructions to further refine the type of movement on and off the ball that the tactic would require.

As mentioned before, I went with the Trequartista role simply because it fit my player so well. But for another player I would have used something else. For the purpose of my tactic, I just need a creative wide attacker to move into the big space liberated by the Shadow Striker who starts centrally and pushes forward. At the same time I have a wingback runner (Carlos Alberto role) on the same flank. So while my Trequartisa cuts inside he needs to be strong enough to be able to hold-up the ball and set-up plays for the two channel runners around him.

Edited November 6, 2022 by crusadertsar

mikcheck · November 6, 2022

I really like this stuff, thanks for posting.

Pedro Porro's tackling is not fantastic but it's not bad, 14 it's a reasonable attribute. Yes he's lacking positioning, but as long as you have someone to cover him, I believe he'll make up for is amazing attacking attributes and speed.

And your false 10 work rate it's not that bad either.

w_x · November 6, 2022

Following this with interest. Porro is a cracking player and the other ones you have also look really good

camoulton21 · November 6, 2022

This thread has been a joy to read and I can't wait for the last installments. Based on the player profiles I'm guessing that you are playing with Sporting, Pedro Porro, Pedro Goncalves and Marcus Edwards

crusadertsar · November 6, 2022

13 minutes ago, camoulton21 said:

This thread has been a joy to read and I can't wait for the last installments. Based on the player profiles I'm guessing that you are playing with Sporting, Pedro Porro, Pedro Goncalves and Marcus Edwards

Thanks! You are not wrong :cool: A rare team indeed to have young players that could play this style. And it's not even a megaclub like Man City or in the top 5 leagues. And their youth facilities ain't half bad either.

For those interested, I made a few little changes to my Shadow Striker post. It should flow better now. And also found an awesome little gif of magnificent Pele in action

Edited November 6, 2022 by crusadertsar

crusadertsar · November 7, 2022

Ponta de Lança - Primary Centre Striker

Classic player in the classic game. The memories!

Complete Forward. What is an ideal striker? One that is equally good in attack and support perhaps? My ideal centre-forward in a Brazilian-inspired system, would be none other than Ronaldo. Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima that is. The original one. The one and only. Will the real slim shady please stand up!

Ronaldo is regarded as one of the greatest and most complete forwards of all time. And had he managed to stay free of injuries then he had every chance to become the greatest footballer of his generation. The next Pele. Sadly history had another Ronaldo in mind. But we can always reminisce. Especially those of you, who like me, grew up in the 1990s and remember the 1998 World Cup.

Quote

I've never seen a player able to show such precise control at such high speed. Watching him was like watching a character in a video game.

- Former France defender Marcel Desailly on Ronaldo’s combination of speed and close ball control.

Quote

Ronaldo did things nobody had seen before. He, together with Romário and George Weah, reinvented the centre-forward position. They were the first to drop from the penalty box to pick up the ball in midfield, switch to the flanks, attract and disorientate the central defenders with their runs, their accelerations, their dribbling.

- Thierry Henry.

Dubbed Il Fenomeno (The Phenomenon), Ronaldo was a new breed of a complete forward. He became famous for being a lightning fast, prolific goalscorer. He was an extremely powerful, fast, and technical player, with excellent on the ball movement, as well as being a composed finisher. But he was so much more than that. More than just an individualistic attacker, he was also capable of providing assists for his teammates, because of his vision, passing and crossing ability. His low strong athletic build and truly phenomenal balance allowed him to hold off the ball from even the most determined defenders. Enough to hold up the play, dribble around and pass it to another teammate with a better shot on goal. This was rare though. Because usually Ronaldo had the best shot on goal due to his sizzling pace.

Ronaldo was also highly regarded for his technical ability. He was able to use both feet (great trait for any striker) and was considered one of the most skillful dribblers in the game. Along with Brazilian compatriot Romário and Liberian star George Weah, Ronaldo was known for operating outside the penalty area before running with the ball towards goal. Very deadly during counter-attacks. Often positioned near midfield, once in possession of the ball he would waste no time in making a beeline towards goal. In this way, Ronaldo frequently beat several players when dribbling at speed, and excelled in one on one situations, due to his exceptional ball control, acceleration, agility, balance and nimble footwork.

Ronaldo was a perfect example of a Complete Forward who could really excel in supporting his team and making them play better purely though his own boundless energy on the pitch. In contrast to the more stationary supporting forwards like Targetmen or the "one-trick pony" False 9s who only know how to drop deep to allow room for the wide attackers, Ronaldo drew defenders to him merely by confounding them with his movement and being the Energizer Bunny role.

This is the role that Mario Zagallo was more than happy to put Ronaldo into in his Brazilian team. As Brazil's manager at 1998 World Cup in France, Zagallo decided go with the classic 4-2-2-2 Box formation. And naturally the rising star Ronaldo would have a place at the top of the formation as one of the two strikers. There he showcased his ability to drop away from play and pull defenders out of position by his mere presence. This would inevitably create space for runners coming from deeper. A complete class act, Ronaldo was more than happy to aid his teammates. And the team relied on more than just Ronaldo's goals in this tournament. Ronaldo himself scored four goals, but Bebeto, Rivaldo and even deep midfielder César Sampaio all scored three goals each. Only the hosts France, who defeated the Brazilians 3-0 in the final, scored more than Brazil in the tournament.

So hopefully this gives you an idea of what kind of player you will need to spear-head your formation. Basically a very well-rounded one. A Total Package like Brazil's Ronaldo used to be in his prime. He will need to have a bit of everything: wide selection of technical skills, good mental attributes and above all very good physicals. I guess if I had to give a modern example then maybe Erling Haaland comes to mind.

Although getting such a player at the start of the game is easier said than done. Unless you are already playing as Man City and rolling over the competition. But what's the fun in that? So thank God for newgens! This is perfect position to try to fill with one.

Edited November 7, 2022 by crusadertsar

crusadertsar · November 8, 2022

Channeling The Spirit of 1970 - The Required Attributes

If you followed this series then you know that previously I set the scene with the historical background and highlighted a few roles important to the style. Thus in the following sections, now that the game is fully out of beta, I will start exploring my FM23 tactic in greater detail. A few important questions remain. How am I to create a tactic that is closely inspired by Brazilian Jogo Bonito style? What are some essential elements that I will need to convey on the pitch? The roles and the shape are important but are only two parts of this. While team instructions by themselves are important but not everything. How all three of these elements come together is the tricky part. The three combined make the whole tactical system, but cannot be examined in isolation.

The overall tactical system is closely tied to the club DNA, something that can take years to develop. Man City did not start playing Pep's brand of possession football overnight. It took years of careful transfers and training. Likewise, I am not looking to take just any club and quickly indoctrinate it from a blanc slate into Jogo Bonito powerhouse. As much fun as it would be to take control of Division 5 club and make them into masters of elegant, technical attacking football ala 1970 Brazil. That could take years in Football Manager.

No, I have more limited, realistic goals in mind. Lets take over a relatively strong team that already has a few key elements to make this kind of football work. And then use it as an example of what's possible with this style. Using the strong foundation and improving on it to make the club into the real challenger against the "big boys" in the Champions League. Hopefully, all in a matter of a couple of seasons.

The Jogo Bonito Style - Does Your Team Fit the Template?

Lets take the example of Sporting CP. A reputable club in Portugal with a rich history of bringing through some pretty great young footballers. Many from South America and Brazil. Also, being among the "Big Three" in their nation, they are not afraid to play entertaining attacking football. They already have the personnel for it. But is it enough for Brazilian style of Attacking Football to thrive on Portuguese soil?

First, I need to touch upon a few elements of this style which I want to see in the game. I think I already mentioned some of these in my introduction, but I'll reiterate because this is rather important.

To me what does Jogo Bonito mean? Much like Total Football it is hard to define. It brings on more emotions than specific words can describe. Yet, I know what it means in my heart. Football as an artform. Or as music to my ears. The sound of samba drums beating out the vibrant heartbeat of the sport.

Blend of Entertaining Attacking and Dynamic Possession. The perfect antidote to boring "Anti-Football".

Mario Zagallo was the architect of this style and his 1970 Brazilian team was one of the best to put "Beautiful Game" Football into practice. Jogo Bonito. Brazil mastered a unique style of pass-and-move, progressive possession attacking football. They played to attack and possess the ball. But only strived to possess the ball as far as it allowed them to continue attacking.

But in FM23 what kind of team, and most importantly players, would be most conductive to recreating Jogo Bonito? In Football Manager, attributes are essential when it comes to easily assessing the capabilities of your team. And the type of style that the team can play is intricately linked to the team's attribute distribution. So does Sporting have what it takes? And what attributes will you need to focus on in your Jogo Bonito tactic?

There is actually quite a bit of overlap in the attributes needed for both attacking and possession football, because both styles are highly demanding, high risk, high reward ways of playing. When playing attacking football, the focus is always on trying to smartly exploit the space in your opponent's half in order to move the ball closer to their goal. Players exploit that space through a combination of on and off the ball movement, numerical overloads in the right areas and pinpoint passing. At all times you put pressure on the opposition by controlling the tempo and the flow of the game. Unsurprisingly, to successfully pull off attacking footbal your players will need to possess a combination technical skill, footballing intelligence and most of all, physique.

Some important Technical Attributes are: Dribbling, Finishing, First Touch, Passing and Technique.

And Mental Attributes: Anticipation, Composure, Decisions, Flair, Off The Ball, and Vision.

While Physical Attributes needed for Attacking Football: Acceleration, Agility and Pace.

Now Possession Football is all about Control. Both ball control and space control. In both your own half and in the opponents half. Some high-pressing ball-hungry teams such as Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and more recently Pep's Man City had shown to be especially good at exerting control in opponent's half of the field. In a way this type of possession strategy has turned into a complete attacking/defending strategy. Defend by denying the ball to your opponent. It is not exactly what Brazilian Football was ever about. Neither is it to keep possession for the sake of possession and at the expense of everything else. Instead, Jogo Bonito is all about pass-and-move strategy. This principle was at the heart of everything. In Zagallo's team, no single player was allowed to stand still. Everyone was expected to constantly look for spaces in which they could act as passing option for another teammate with the ball. And when they would received the ball, they had to immediately look for another potential ball carrier before once again moving into a supporting position. It was a simple concept that became the central aspect of Zagallo’s 1970 Brazil team.

Although Zagallo's free-flowing attacking tactics may not have been about meticulous build-up from the back and patient sideways passes, the Brazilian manager nevertheless taught us a thing or two about how to defend through possession. Specifically, he had his team play with an extremely high defensive line so as to compress the pitch as much as possible in the defensive phase. When the Brazilians progressed into the opponents’ half, a covering back line of three (two centrebacks and usually the more defensive fullback Everaldo) would push up as high as the halfway line. DM Clodoaldo would generally sit just in front of them and help in recycling possession.

Zagallo had built a team to defend with the ball. He knew that the Mexican heat would make it almost impossible for teams to sustain high-pressing tactics against them. And so he had them play with a high line that invited opponents to try to press them. But ultimately, the effort required to win possession back against the skilled Brazilian team in such heat would cost too most opponents more than they were willing to give. Across the whole 90 minutes.

Much like Attacking Football, Possession football requires very technical players, capable of keeping hold of the ball for long periods of time. So the attributes needed are: Dribbling, First Touch, Passing and Technique.

While the mental attributes are equally important. Ones like: Anticipation, Composure, Decisions, Off The Ball, Teamwork and Vision.

Physical Attributes are not as essential to Possession Football as they were for Attacking style. But still a few key attributes are essential in helping the player stay on the ball: Agility and Balance mainly.

So as you can see there is quite a bit overlap in the kinds of Technical, Mental and Physical attributes needed to play a mix of Attacking and Possession football.

As a quick example, here are the attribute comparison of five of Sporting's most offensive-minded players. No doubt, they will have an important role to play in achieving the style of football I am after. Not quite Zaggalo's 5 #10s, but nevertheless 5 great players who can lead the team to glory.

Hopefully having players capable in both approaches will allow my Sporting team to play a type of entertaining pass-and-move football with plenty of short passes and fluid movement. Possession would not be the end goal but only a means to end to both help us defend on the ball and progress the ball with intent towards the opposition goal. Sounds familiar? Honestly I took some inspiration from the old Vertical Tiki Taka template available in the game. And that's it for now. More tactical details to follow soon

Edited November 8, 2022 by crusadertsar

Dereka · November 8, 2022

I'm really enjoying reading this thread, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

BadAss88 · November 8, 2022

I'm really inspired by this and Roger Schmidt's tactics at Benfica are very similar.. So I think I'm gonna give it a shot at Sporting CP's rivals

milenec11 · November 8, 2022

A very good tactical approach and even better tactical analysis.

you seems to be a person that either have read many soccer books or be a person that have play manyyyyyyy hours FM.

I have made a similar tactical approach using as CWB the Di Marco of Inter and as MDF are MCL vol. and the MCR is bwm, , with sup and def roles respectively my right winger is an IF with this role in sup duty but I have notice that in positive team mentality I make few chance’s with xG below 1 or around their . The games was the most of them 1-0 and on some cases 2plus if was a free kick near area cause dimarco is very good free kicker and the 90% of my goals was scored by the SS. (My SS is Antonin Barak surprisly very good on that role ) I am very curious to see your results and if this tactic approach can be applied and on others leagues as the Portugal that I guessing that you play . I am on BUDESLIGA with Gladbach…..

untill now I have notice that is safe tactic for similar or weaker teams but for sure you can’t use it against stronger teams as Bayern or dortmund . I mean that is not a tactic for underdogs .
hopes that your approach is something different and I am looking forward to see it completed.

I have Gk sk sup

RB fb def.

LB cwb att

LCD bcd def

RCD cd def

RCM bwm def

LCM vol sup

LWG tq att

RWG if sup

AMC ss att

ST pf att

Once more thank you for share of your work.

Edited November 8, 2022 by milenec11
Wrong spelling

crusadertsar · November 8, 2022

@Dereka and @BadAss88 Thank you guys! @milenec11 That actually looks very similar to what I'm planning to roll out with. Still need to iron out a few things and hoping to reveal the rest of the tactic and my rationale for the instructions soon. Thanks for following along

Edited November 8, 2022 by crusadertsar

Vico Vito Pep · November 8, 2022

Napoli rn reminds me of that Jogo Bonito setup, w/ Kvaradona playing the Furacao Treq role. Have a natural VOL in Zambo Anguissa & an "Anchor" in Lobotka. Both press resistant & progress the ball differently.

04texag · November 8, 2022

41 minutes ago, Vico Vito Pep said:

Napoli rn reminds me of that Jogo Bonito setup, w/ Kvaradona playing the Furacao Treq role. Have a natural VOL in Zambo Anguissa & an "Anchor" in Lobotka. Both press resistant & progress the ball differently.

Napoli definitely has a fun squad to play with right now. Kvicha is great. I think politano also fits well as a fun playmaking roaming 10

ramie · November 9, 2022

Looking forward to the end tactic

crusadertsar · November 9, 2022

27 minutes ago, ramie said:

Looking forward to the end tactic

Started the save properly in the game so something definitely coming very late tonight :cool:

Garrlor · November 9, 2022

Interestingly, my first FM18 save used a 4-2-3-1 with Mata playing from the right as a creative winger, Pogba as a SV (A) from deep and Matic in the midfielder strata as a BWM.

Very similar concepts to what you are talking about here and it created some fantastic football at the time. I only dropped it as the patches were released.

crusadertsar · November 10, 2022

1st Day at Sporting: My Guide to Things to Do Before Pressing CONTINUE

At this point, having chosen your club, you probably have a basic idea of how you want them to play. In general attacking/possession systems are best suited to the top few clubs in their league. And as I mentioned before, to play Brazilian-style football, you will need a team that has players with attributes suited to both attacking and possession style. Brazilian Jogo Bonito is a demanding combination of the two styles. Also, you can quickly assess the suitability of any team by using my custom attribute filter. The download link will be posted here soon.

So if your team fits the Jogo Bonito template, then the next step is deciding on the formation shape. This choice is not as important as having the right players for the style. Usually, going with any formation that grants an advantage in the midfield is a good idea. Thus both 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 are a good choice. They offer a good balance of defence and attack, wide and central attack. And they are both fit teams looking for progressive possession (due to staggered role distribution). Usually teams that have players for one formation will also be suitable for the other. Shadow striker can easily be turned into an attacking central midfielder (ala Lampard). When managing a strong team, I tend to train both formations, and mostly use 4-2-3-1 as my go-to attacking tactic against weaker opposition. Then the more defensive 4-3-3 - for tougher away games and Champions League opponents.

Even if you do not know the exact roles and instructions, you will need to decide on the formation, because that needs to be set before you can do the next step, using the Squad Planner tool. The tool won't work until you either select a tactical preset, load a downloaded tactic or create your own. On your first day, you won't need to worry about the details of the tactic like the instructions. You will have a few weeks before the start of the regular season to figure those out. For now just take the time to set the team mentality and set up the roles. Depending on how you want your tactic to play, you might have a general idea on the mentality and some of the roles. I also added a few instructions which I believe to be central to the style I'm trying to recreate.

Again, these are not finalized but they do give a general idea on how I want my team to play. Attacking, fluid, pass-and-move football. Maintaining possession as desired but not required. Not Tiki-Taka but Vertical Tiki Taka focused on possession with intent and vertical progression of the ball. And to defend we want to defend proactively, very high and compact. Again, because that's how Zagallo ran his team. I went ahead and set the roles that I want to try in my tactic. I came up with these after doing my research on 1970s Brazil tactic. You can read about some of those in my previous posts. The actual roles might still change as I continue the save so don't get to hung up that aspect this early on. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to at least figure out who you want to be your runners, supporters, defenders and scorers.

Important Note: I did not use "Attacking" team mentality despite desiring a rather offensive style of football. When testing a new tactic, I prefer to start off conservatively with my mentalities and instructions. This way we will not be too exposed to counter-attacks if there are major faults in the tactic. A more balanced approach allows me the luxury to observe how the roles are interacting with each other over the first couple of matches. If I see that we are not creating many chances (or only low quality chances) then at least there are a few areas where I can boost risk-taking. Such as by increasing team mentality by a notch or making or adding overlap/underlap instructions to accentuate some of my players' behaviors. It'd a much better platform to start tweaking a tactic, rather than starting with all the high risk options turned on.

Now that the foundation of the tactic is set, it is time to look closer at the individual players. The 2nd thing I do is to assess my First Team squad (and the more promising prospects in the reserves). The new Squad Planner tool makes this process easier than ever before. Not only does it conveniently organize all your teams (1st, reserves, youth) in a visually appealing manner but also allows you to move the players around to try to build a sort of depth chart for each position in the tactic. You can also filter certain players out, if you only want to see players from the 1st squad for instance.

My Keeper position definitely lacks depth with Adan being the only real option. He better not get injured. And this will definitely be our first scouting focus.

The tool even allows you to add future transfers from your shortlist and see where they fit on your depth chart. But I won't be doing that on the very first day.

After setting up the basic shape and roles and having used the Squad Planner, should give you a good idea of who are your key players. That's the players whom you will want to retain long-term at whatever the cost. These are mine.

Usually my key players are:

1) In positions with very thin substitute depth (as per Squad Planner). It could adversely affect your tactic if one such player gets a long-term injury or his release clause gets triggered. These positions should be among your first transfer and scouting targets. And make sure that the players are tied down with a good long-term contract because you never know how long it might take you to find an equivalent or better substitute. In my squad, my 1st choice Keeper Antonio Adan and my Segundo Volante Hidemasa Morita are such players. In both cases we do not have very good substitutes if those two get injured.

2) Are older but with very good current ability (3.5 stars and higher) and with short term contracts and/or low release clauses. They will become transfer targets for multiple clubs very soon. The longer you wait the harder it will be to resign them. And due to their high ability, without these players the tactic could be drastically affected.

3) High potential young prospects who are ready/or almost ready for 1st Team and are not tied down with a long term contract of a high release clause. It is important to never lose track of the future of the club. Make sure the wonderkids are secured at the very start of the save. You don't want PSG unsettling your best youngster in your first week on the job. Sporting's young prospects like Joelson Fernandes and Jose Marsa are on the cusp of 1st Team football but only have contracts until 2023 and 2024. My first order of business will be resigning those.

I try to sign as many of my key players as possible on long-term contracts. You do this at case by case basis. Sometimes one extra year is not worth it if it means a big jump in their salary. Also, make sure to check whether there are any contract extension clauses that you can trigger before you sign a new contract.

And of course check the release clauses on all players. Make sure they are not too low in comparison to the value of the player. Sometimes signing a longer contract might not be a good idea if the player forces you to lower the release clause value.

If you see major gaps in the quality for any of the positions in your tactic, then it is probably a good idea to set a priority to scout players to fill that role. Although it is not something I generally do on my first day. Simply, because I like to turn-off early transfers in most of my saves. I like to see what I can do with the squad at hand before trying to fix it. It also gives me more time to properly scout the required positions and avoid impulse buys.

So there are definitely a lot of things to consider before you move to the next part. And your first day on the job is not even over yet!

Next order of business, is to identify gaps in the coaching staff. To do that you'll first need to assess the current coach workload and optimize it. That means moving coaches around into training areas they excel at (have highest star rating for). Also at the same time try to reduce their workload if possible. As a rule of thumb I prefer that my trainers aren't involved in more than 4 training areas. This process of optimization and workload redistribution is bound to expose areas where training coverage is thin. This is designated by "heavy" workload label at the bottom. Some actual gaps (no coaching coverage at all) might become apparent.

I was able to redistribute Sporting staff workload so we have min 3.5 star ratings across all categories, except fitness. So that will be where I will be hiring new staff.

Don't leave any training holes before closing this screen. It's better to have "Heavy" workload rather than no workload at all. But at least now you know what kind of coaches you will need to look for. In this case you might have to ask your assistant coach (usually the most well-rounded trainer) to cover those gaps (even if their workload goes above four areas). Or you might have to cover it yourself. This is a temporary solution. Your next step should be to hire more specialized coaches to fill the deficient training areas. In some cases, it might be harder done than said. If your training staff is already maxed out then go ahead and ask your board for more coaches. This is usually granted at the beginning of save, unless your club isn't doing well financially.

On the topic of training, I also like to set up the individual training for my 1st Team players. This is rather simple. I train everyone in their role (in the tactic). I try to keep the intensity at medium, with a few exceptions. If a key attribute (for the role) is lacking then I will set the additional attribute focus. And if the player is 23-25, and almost exhausted his growth potential, I increase his training intensity to "double". To try to get as much attribute improvement as possible in the limited time. Regarding general training, I started letting my assistant handle it since FM22. And honestly, I have not seen much difference from when I taking hours to tinker with it myself. The players still improve their attributes in all the usual ways. So less busywork for me. And I can focus on more important management tasks.

So now that I organized my coaching team and hired new coaches, one last thing that I like to do is to set the responsibilities for my backroom staff. I am a type of manager that likes to delegate as much busywork as possible to my staff. So that I can focus on the things that I love in the game. Those are mainly, tinkering with tactics, dealing and wheeling with transfers and player contracts and youth development. This is how I usually delegate tasks at my clubs.

This might be different for you, depending on what gives you enjoyment in the game. No matter what, it is still important to take a quick look at this screen before you progress to the next in-game day.

So that's it! Now that you had set up your basic tactic, saw who your key players are, signed a few staff and player contracts and delegated some more menial tasks, it is finally time to press that "Continue" button. And then we can jump into all the fun stuff like tactic testing and scouting.

Edited November 10, 2022 by crusadertsar

Bahnzo · November 10, 2022

2 hours ago, crusadertsar said:

On the topic of training, I also like to set up the individual training for my 1st Team players. This is rather simple. I train everyone in their role (in the tactic).

I've been a big fan of this also. And it's something I almost never see all these so called expert You Tube folks cover. Having your players be 100% familiar with your tactic makes a big difference, IMO.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Bahnzo

Marinho · November 10, 2022

Terrific thread. Will give the basic formation and settings a go myself given i have to restructure my Squad somewhat and am not quite happy with my tactics.

DannyFM87 · November 11, 2022

It's beautiful! Good luck with Sporting Clube de Portugal 🇵🇹

PequenoGenio · November 11, 2022

Best club in the world!

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Jogo Bonito - "Beautiful Game": Guide to Playing 4-2-3-1 Like a Brazilian (Updated on Jan 15, 2024)

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