The Blades Revolution - Wilder's 3-5-2 recreation

[Cleon]

This is a new series that we are doing on https://www.viewfromthetouchline.com/

The Blades Revolution is a series of articles discussing Sheffield United and their 3-5-2 formation, in Football Manager 2023. This first one is just a little introduction to the series and what to expect.

I don’t think I’m sensationalising things here when I say Chris Wilder is the best manager we’ve had in my lifetime. It wasn't flawless though and there were some flaws. But if it wasn’t for Chris, I’m not sure we’d be where we are now. He gave the lifeless club a new lease of life and more importantly, a real club identity.

Chris Wilder’s time at Sheffield United might have ended some years ago now, but the foundations he’s laid are still being used by the club today. Paul Heckingbottom has carried on Wilder’s legacy and put his own twist on them. And controversially (perhaps?) does some stuff better than Chris. But without Chris, there is no Paul.

Here I’ll recreate elements of both styles and implement this in my own way, in Football Manager 2023. While sticking closely to the key principles of both managers.

Contents

All of these will be separate articles that have a specific focus to them. Most of these will have several articles to them, like the Meet the players and the 3-5-2 Versus sections. Meet the players will take a look at the individuals I use for the positions and show you how I use an alternative approach to most.

While the 3-5-2 Versus section will discuss in-depth how the formation plays against different shapes we come across. Talking about our own strengths and weaknesses against them and what we can do to limit our vulnerabilities. While also focusing on how we can make the most of our strengths.

• Overlapping Centrebacks
• Playmaking Wingbacks
• Meet the players 
• 3-5-2 Versus

The Blades Revolution - Playing style and Characteristics

Overlapping Centre-Backs: Sheffield United's back three often includes overlapping centre-backs, providing extra width and support to the attack.

We mainly play a 3-5-2/3-4-1-2 formation depending on how you want to define the actual shape. But the shape we use isn’t actually important, it’s what we do during the game that is crucial and not how we line up in text format on the team sheet. 

One of the key features of Wilder's 3-5-2 formation was the overlapping runs of the centre-backs, which provide extra width and support to the attack. The wing-backs also play an important role in the team's attacking play, providing crosses into the box, cutbacks, passing options and stretching the opposition's defence.

Fans of other teams always think they’ve seen this with other sides or their own. But they haven’t seen anything like the Sheffield United centre-backs overlapping. It does not just overlap they do, but they frequently get inside the opposition's 18 and 6-yard box. You’d be mistaken for thinking they were strikers at times with the deep positions they take up regularly. It’s not just on occasions this happens, it’s a frequent occurrence. They can often be seen overlapping, providing runners, crossing from deep and finishing off team moves deep inside the box time and time again. 

It’s still one of the main staples of our play under Hecky too. Who utilises Anel Ahmedhodžić in the role.

In the 3-5-2 formation, the centre-backs often step out of the backline to provide width and support in attack. This is achieved by both wide centre-backs pushing up the field, while the other holds their positions in the back.

The overlapping centre-back provides an extra attacking option for the team, helping to create numerical advantages and stretching the opposition's defence. This can open up space for the team's wing-backs to make runs down the flanks, and for the forwards to make runs into the box.

In addition, the overlapping centre-back also provides extra defensive support when the team loses possession. By moving up the field, they can help to pressure the opposition and win the ball back higher up the pitch.

Wing-Backs as Playmakers: The team's wing-backs play a crucial role in creating opportunities going forward, providing crosses into the box and supporting the attack

Our wingbacks play like traditional wingers and are part of the reason our centre-backs overlap as often as they do. They all link together brilliantly in the opposition's final third, to create overloads. 

Strong Team Spirit: The team is known for its strong team spirit and togetherness, with players playing for each other and working hard for the collective cause.

We favoured high-working players with exceptional teamwork over creativity. We didn’t really have that much flair or creativity on the side. Instead, we worked hard and the players all have defined roles and expectations within the tactical framework.

There is more to the key characteristics of the Blades side during this era but these were the most important and the ones the tactical framework will be based on. We will explore others as the series progresses though.

3-5-2 General Overview

Let us start with a general overview of the 3-5-2 formation so we know the pros and cons.

Pros

• One of the main selling points of the 3-5-2 is the use of two strikers.
• Wingbacks provide width.
• Three central midfielders allow you to match most opponents in the centre of midfield.
• Quick transitions going forward
• Commits numbers forward with an aggressive midfielder and both wingbacks venture forward frequently.
• Good support from the central areas and wide areas.

Cons

• The centre-backs can get dragged wide if the wingbacks are out of position or don’t deal with danger.
• Wingbacks can be exposed and doubled up on at times.
• Centre Backs can be wasted against one-man striker formations.

That is the basics of the 3-5-2 in general terms. But it changes even more when you factor in the team instructions, player instructions, players, player traits, roles and duties.

I could have quite easily gone with an attacking midfielder pushed instead of one of the central midfielders. But I felt this would then have become too similar to the Ibis stuff I've done;

So we went for this instead;

As this is just an introduction, I don’t want to go tactic-heavy just yet. I want to keep it all brief, as things aren’t quite as they seem. By that, I mean the ideas behind the players playing these roles and the tasks they do, are quite complex. That’s why we have individual articles for them planned. Some roles have many individual instructions against certain types of formations. We changed things up and adapt based on the shape we are playing. That’s why it is very complex and needs context adding.

But this is the basis of what we are doing. It looks straightforward enough right?

What might be surprising is that even though we play a 3-5-2 formation and are very strong in the midfield, our play actually happened in the wide areas. We had less than 20% of the ball in central areas, while the wide areas made up 80% of our play. This is why overlapping centrebacks and creative wingbacks are crucial to our play.

While we did use an aggressive press, this wasn’t a high press, this was done in a midblock. We were happy to concede possession into our own half and then we’d press aggressively to win the ball back. 

Wilder - The Players

Goalkeeper - Dean Henderson was an excellent shot-stopper, with quick reflexes and good positioning. He wasn’t the best player with the ball at his feet though and was also prone to having a lapse in concentration. He perhaps (early on in his Blades career) didn’t come off his line as much as he should do or command his area. This is why we’ve gone for a standard keeper role.

RWB - As a wing-back, Baldock was responsible for making runs up and down the right flank, overlapping/underlapping with the right-sided centre-back and providing crosses into the box. Perhaps not the most prolific player we had. But his pace, work rate and dribbling always meant he was a danger and could make something happen. Even if his final ball wasn’t always the best.

However, Baldock's role was not just limited to attack. He was also formidable for defending the right flank and tracking back to help out his team in defence. He is a tenacious defender, who is not afraid to make tackles and interceptions and was always willing to put his body on the line for the team.

LWB - Enda Steven’s was similar to Baldock's but perhaps more attack-minded when he had the ball. But he couldn’t defend as well as George can in my opinion. But was still a threat and more than solid enough. This is why we went for a support role here. That likely sounds contradictory but let me try to explain.

By using a support duty he should be encouraged more to be involved with the build-up and allow him to be more attacking due to his initial positioning on the pitch. Most of our good play under Wilder happened on the left side. Or the majority of our scoring opportunities came from the left side of the pitch.

We seemed to overload the left side more due to how we were set up. The right side of the pitch was our more aggressive side though, due to Baldock’s pace and Basham’s overlapping.

WCB (Left side) - Jack O'Connell is an excellent ball-playing centre-back, comfortable with the ball at his feet, and was tasked with starting attacks from the back.

O'Connell's left-sided position in the back three allowed him to push forward and overlap with Enda Stevens on the left flank. This provided an additional attacking outlet for the team and helped to stretch the opposition's defence.

O'Connell was also an excellent communicator and leader on the pitch. He was constantly organizing his teammates, providing guidance and instructions to help them maintain their shape and focus throughout the game.

WCB (Right side) - Chris Basham was very much the same as Jack above. But possibly more aggressive in his directness. Opposition fans used to laugh when they’d see him launch a 40-yard run and take on several people in the process before having a shot inside the box.

Basham lacked pace and people often saw him as being limited. But any Sheffield United fan will tell you that it wasn’t unusual to see him pop up in important areas or take people on. He earned the nickname Bashambauer for a reason!

CB - John Egan’s role in the side is what allowed the other defenders to push forward. They knew he’d keep his position and clean up any balls over the top. Very rarely would he venture forward outside of set pieces.

MC (Central) - Norwood is an excellent passer of the ball and his ability to dictate the tempo of the game was a key feature of Sheffield United's style of play. He was comfortable dropping off and collecting the ball from the defence.

While dictating the pace of the game he is also capable of switching play to either flank. Not only that but he can also do pinpoint 40 + yard passes too. Norwood really is the heartbeat of the team.

MCL - I mean no disrespect when I say this but Fleck is a horrible midfielder. By that, I mean he’s like a little Yorkshire Terrier snapping at your heels constantly when pressing or breaking play up in general. But he is much more than that too.  It’s not unusual to see him drive forward with the ball at his feet or pass the ball like he’s a playmaker. He’s a proper box-to-box player.

MCR - For this role, I’ve based it on Mark Duffy rather than Lundstram. The reason for this is, Duffy was one of the attacking heartbeats of the side in our promotion season.

Through ball, quick switches of play, dribbling, darting runs, he had it all. So it probably seems a bit weird why I didn’t give this position a playmaker role in the tactic. The reason for this is I don’t think that would have done justice to what he actually did for us. He was a goal threat as well as a playmaker.

Using the Mezzala role allows the player's attributes to dictate how creative he is. This should allow the right player to get lots of assists and goals rather than just focusing on one of them.

SCR - David McGoldrick (Didzy) wow where to begin here? Unless you are a Sheffield United fan (or Derby currently) then I don’t think you’ll understand just how good he was and vital to the system. A really flashy player on his day who has amazing technical ability. If it wasn’t for injuries I suspect he’d have played at a much higher level for a longer period of time.

McGoldrick's work rate is amazing. He was often involved in the team's pressing game, closing down opposition players and helping to win the ball back in the final third of the pitch.

He was a skilful player with excellent control and dribbling skills, and his ability to beat defenders. This allowed him to create space for himself and his teammates and was vital for the team's style of play. If we scored a goal it was unusual if Didzy wasn’t in some way involved in it, at some stage.

SCL - Now a player that Blades fans love and all opposition fans absolutely hate. The legend, Billy Sharp. Give him the ball and he’ll score. It’s that simple. People think he’s a tap-in merchant but his play is a lot more than that too.

For a player who is quite small, he was brilliant in the air, often out-jumping or out-muscling his markers and leaving them behind. He has a really competitive stream to his game.

Now we have a rough idea of what I want or expect from the players I’ll be using. But there’s much more to it than that. In the next article, we’ll be focusing on the actual tactic and how it plays. We’ll be looking at the defence and talking about the wide centre-backs in great detail.

I’ll show examples of what they do and how I can adapt the behaviour to give us advantages against different types of players and formations. Along with a more general analysis too. As I think a lot of people have the wrong idea about the role or are unsure how to implement it.

Edited March 16, 2023 by Cleon

[Cleon]

The Idea Behind Wide Centre-Backs

So, back when Sheffield United was still in League One, they were having a tough time trying to score goals. They just couldn't seem to break down the opposing teams' defences when they sat deep. That's when Alan Knill, who was the assistant boss for the Blades at the time, was given the task of finding a solution to this problem.

After thinking long and hard about it, Knill came up with a clever idea: he told the team's centrebacks to overlap with the wingbacks during attacking plays. This created an advantage for Sheffield United in the final third of the pitch, making it harder for the opposing team to defend effectively. With more players in the attacking third, the team was able to stretch the defence and create gaps to exploit.

This tactic proved to be a game-changer for Sheffield United. The use of overlapping centrebacks was not a common strategy at the time, so opposing teams weren't really prepared for it. It also made the team less predictable and more dangerous in the attacking phase of play.

Thanks to this tactical adjustment, Sheffield United was able to create more scoring opportunities and eventually earned a promotion to the Championship. It just goes to show how a little creativity and outside-the-box thinking can make a big difference on the pitch.

Wide Centre-Backs in Football Manager 2023

So how does this strategy work in Football Manager 2023 and how do we implement it? The idea stays the same as above. In this tactical approach, Sheffield United focuses on identifying opportunities to advance into wide areas where there is space and a chance to create a 2v1 scenario against an opposition defender.

The Wide Centre-Back

These are the settings the role has;

 

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There are a few things here you can customise to alter the behaviour of the wide centre-back and what they offer in terms of output. I use these settings as additional tactical tools against specific formations and shapes. Or against different types of blocks. I’ll cover this in more detail later and show examples.

The Wide Centre-Backs

It might not sound like much but in the first season, my wide centrebacks managed to get 18 assists between them. All of them are from open play.

 

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After gaining promotion, our wide centre-backs achieved 15 assists between them the season after too. This is great considering we were a new team playing in the Premier League and were expected to get relegated. So we proved what we are doing works and is sustainable, even at a higher level. But what exactly is “working”?

It's Not All Overlapping Centrebacks -Wide Centre-Back Analysis

Let’s take a look at some match analysis so we can delve deeper into what makes the wide centre-backs so important for the system we use. Then we can gain a real insight into how they become overlapping centre-backs.

 

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This was straight from a kickoff but there is an awful lot going on, already. As the ball is played back, it’s picked up by the wide centreback. Who then immediately starts to drive forward with the ball.

Max Lowe, also starts to move forward too. Allowing us to keep the width and potentially cause an overload down the channel or free up space centrally, to play in the box-to-box midfielder.

 

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On this occasion, it’s neither an underlap nor an overlap in play. But I wanted to highlight this as it’s really important. Not everything the wide centre-back does will be an overlap, he also does some brilliant play outside of those. Overlapping runs are just one part of the role but not all the player does

Here we see he has run wide with the ball and Max lowe is continuing his run forward. What this has done is, occupy the opposition's wide player. As he has had to continue his run to follow Max Lowe. If he pressed the wide centreback, we’d have passed the ball to the free player in Max Lowe and taken him out of the game.

Instead, here we have the box-to-box midfielder in acres of space and able to receive the ball from a pass. This would then open up the entire pitch for us as there are now gaps and lots of space for the rest of our players. So if the pass is played, we can then look at playing in the forward players.

This example is really important because it is what wide centre-backs do. They don’t just overlap, their game is much more expansive than that. Sheffield United used them to create overloads or open up space centrally. We are also recreating this in game terms.

So the idea behind the wide centre-backs and what we expect from them becomes;

• Overlaps
• Underlaps
• 2vs1/Overloads
• Opening central space

Each time he goes forward it forces the opposition to react. When the opposition initially reacts it will determine which of the above is more likely to happen. If there is space to run into the wide centre-back will do just that. If he can overlap, he will. If he can underlap he will. If he can pass he will. Or he can even hit devastating direct balls at the attacking players. He will likely rank high in the team's progressive passes stats.

The whole idea of wide centre-backs is more than just overlapping. It’s about forcing the opposition into making a decision and that decision being wrong. No matter what option they choose, the goal is to have one of the other options available too. This is why shape is the most important thing here.

You need to surround them with roles and duties which allow them to flourish and deliver the performance you need. There is much more to the wide centre-back than just using the role and expecting them to do everything you need. You have to force the type of player you want or encourage it more by the team/player instructions and the roles around them.

The Wingback

Before we look at the analysis for the wide centre-backs and discuss how it functions. We first need to know about the wingback because they do specific things that enable the wide centre-backs to shine. I have asked the wingbacks to sit narrow in the team instructions. I’ll now show you why and what the benefits of this are.

 

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We had just attacked but there was no forward passing option for the Mezzala to use. So rather than give the ball away, he can pass it back to the right-sided wingback. By sitting narrower, he is closer to playing with the central players. This then enables the wide centre-back to overlap and go beyond him by making an intelligent run. Or allows him to become a passing option who can then drive forward with the ball at his feet.

 

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Once he gets the ball, then he has plenty of decisions to make. He can whip the ball into the box, across the face of the goal and hope someone gets on the end of it. There are three options here. Or he can play it back to the wingback who will be unmarked.

If the wingback wasn’t asked to sit narrower, then this likely doesn’t happen and they’d be closer together on the wing. Which would be an absolute waste. There is no need to have two players out this wide. But that’s not to say the wingback doesn’t stay wide and run the touchline when the timing is right. He still does as can be seen at the start of the article with Max Lowe.

 

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On this occasion, he passed the ball back to the wingback who is acres of space. But sadly lacked the vision and composure to do anything useful this time. So it’s a wasted opportunity. Although it does show you the kind of link-up play to expect from the wingback. 

I should also add that I don’t instruct the wingback to sit narrower in every game, it depends on the formation I am playing and the team. If it’s a team who uses a wide formation like a 4-4-2, or 4-3-3 for example, I will then. As it allows him to pull away from the opposition's wide players and pick up little pockets of space when we have possession of the ball.

If I was facing a narrow formation like a 4-4-2 diamond or a 3-4-2-1 then I might instruct him to stay wider. Then will then allow us to stretch the pitch and force the opposition's only wide players to become isolated and detached from the rest of the side. I’ll be going more in-depth on these types of strategies in the coming weeks with the rest of the series.

But in this game, he sat narrow allowing the wide centre-back to be the main wide player and the one stretching play on the overlap.

Breaking Sides Down With Space And Movement

One of the most significant challenges that people face while playing Football Manager is breaking down sides. This is a common topic on forums, blogs, and Twitter, with many users sharing their experiences of beating the top teams one week, only to get defeated by the bottom teams the next. 

One of the primary challenges we face when playing against these types of teams is their ability to limit space in the final third. Space is essential in football as it provides players with time to make decisions and select their passes accurately. However, when facing a compact and deep-defending team, it becomes difficult to find space for through balls, crosses, or lofted passes into the box. As a result, players may struggle to create the half-yard they need to make a successful play. Therefore, alternative strategies are required to break down these teams when conventional tactics are not effective. 

Many football players opt to adopt a more attacking strategy when faced with a team that sits deep, but I personally believe that this only exacerbates the problem. By pushing players further up the field, you are effectively compacting the limited space you have, reducing the likelihood of players making runs that can stretch or damage the opposition's defence. As I mentioned in the Football Manager Playbook, mentality is critical in football tactics, and this is especially relevant in this case. To be truly effective, you may need to create space and movement in deeper areas of the pitch, even if you're playing higher up. It's not impossible to create space and movement in the opposition's half, but it becomes much more challenging if there is no space behind the player. So, how can we effectively create space and movement? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

Say hello to the wide centre-back!

Above we can see a little bit of everything that Anel Ahmedhodžić offers when we have possession of the ball. In this clip, he’s a bit behind the play because Brewster who was higher up the pitch won the ball. That doesn’t stop him from joining in the play and trying to be pivotal in the move though. As we see Anel Ahmedhodžić making his run to support Brewster, we see he goes beyond the wingback before checking his run. Some of you might think that both of these roles are too close together but this is why space opens up. Plus they’re not always like this. But in this instance, the wingback starts to make the underlap as he knows Anel Ahmedhodžić is about to receive the ball.

Due to the wingback making a dummy run, he has now become the free man in the build-up play. He’s created space for himself meaning he can be passed to. This in turn means when he receives the ball, space will open up for the mezzala. Due to the markers chasing the ball and following the wingback. It also has a positive for Brewster too as he can continue his run into the box. 

In the clip we saw, we can see how space and movement is the key to unlocking defences. Initially, Brewster was running into a dead-end. But because the mezzala, wingback and wide centre-back were all working hard to offer support, it ended up as a really good scoring opportunity.

Now we are beginning to explore everything the wide centre-back offers during a match. The wide centre-back gets an awful lot of pre-assists due to the example we posted above. A "pre-assist" refers to the pass or play that sets up the assist for a goal. It is essentially the second-to-last pass or touch that leads to a goal-scoring opportunity. For example, if a player passes the ball to another player, who then crosses it to a teammate for a goal, the first player would be credited with a pre-assist. 

Sadly FM doesn’t track this kind of stat yet. But if you watch games it is something you should notice now and again.

We have another little example here;

 

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Due to injuries, I had to play Bogle as the left wingback for this game. We are attacking but there’s nowhere for him to really go. Sunderland are defending really strong and forcing us to backwards or side to side. But because the wide centre-back is pushed up, he is now the wide outlet.

 

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When he runs forward space opens up as Sunderland have kept a really strong defensive line. This means that Edwards who is the wide centre-back can choose the short option on the edge of the box. Or he has three players unmarked running into the box he can pick out. That’s exactly what he does here. He crosses it to the head of the mezzala who heads it home to make it 1-0.

 

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Anel Ahmedhodžić has brings the ball out of defence trait, which is a must-have if you want the player to dribble with the ball more often. I’ve used players without the trait this season and they’re more reserved in the initial build-up. So for me, this is a must.

The gets the crowd going trait I don’t particularly care for. But he already had that and isn’t able to unlearn it, after trying.

Play one-twos trait is really interesting as it encourages him to pass and move forward on a more regular basis. This trait can create some really good play down the flanks with either the wingback or midfielder on this side of the pitch. A simple one-two can change the pace of the game and take the opposition's marker out of play. Especially as we cause overloads down the flanks. I highly recommend this trait if the player has a little bit of speed too.

The gets forward whenever trait encourages him to go past the midfield rather than hanging back more often. This is why he is so good at overlapping. Someone without this trait might do more underlaps than overlaps.

Those are the traits I’ve been looking for in players or currently trying to teach them. As this adds to the style I am creating and what I want from the players. 

Ability to play out from the back: In modern football, wide centre-backs are expected to be comfortable with the ball at their feet and able to start attacks from the back. A wide centre-back should have good ratings in attributes like passing, composure, and vision to be able to contribute to the team's buildup play the best he can.

Tactical awareness: A wide centre-back should be able to read the game well and make intelligent decisions based on the situation at hand. This includes attributes like anticipation, concentration, and decision-making. If he is tactically aware, he might find himself winning the ball back further up the field and giving you a real advantage with starting attacks from turnovers.

Speed and Physicality: A wide centre-back needs to be physically strong and athletic to cope with the demands of the position, especially when facing pacy wingers. This includes high ratings in attributes like strength, acceleration, and agility.

In the next article, we’ll talk about the midfield and how they link with the defence so far. I omitted quite a bit of stuff as I didn’t really want to cover the midfield in this section, even though there are a lot of crossovers.

Edited April 20, 2023 by Cleon

[Cleon]

 

The Regista is a brilliant role in Football Manager but I think a lot of people have the wrong idea about what the role is and what it does. So in this article, we will explore all the things it is and isn’t. We’ll also look at the other defensive midfield playmaking roles and discuss how they all differ from each other.

The Differences

The three different playmaking roles we can have from the defensive midfield position are;

• Deep-Lying Playmaker
• Regista
• Roaming Playmaker

While these roles might seem similar, the main difference between the three of them is how they use the ball. While both Regista and Deep-lying Playmakers are creative midfielders who operate from deeper positions on the field, they tend to use the ball differently based on their specific roles and responsibilities:

Regista:

• A Regista is primarily focused on creating goal-scoring opportunities and dictating the tempo of the game. They use their exceptional vision and passing range to unlock defences with incisive, penetrating passes that can change the course of the match.
• Regista often attempts riskier and more ambitious passes, as their primary objective is to create chances and break down the opposition's defensive shape.
• In possession, they tend to roam more freely to find pockets of space and receive the ball, allowing them to exploit gaps in the opposition's midfield and defence.

Deep-lying Playmaker:

• Deep-lying Playmakers, while also creative and responsible for dictating the tempo, focus more on maintaining possession and recycling the ball. They use their passing ability to control the game, connecting the defence to the attack, and ensuring a smooth transition between the two.
• They are more likely to play shorter, safer passes to maintain possession and build up play gradually. While they can also deliver long-range passes and create scoring chances, their approach is generally more measured and less focused on taking risks.
• Deep-lying Playmakers tend to be more disciplined in their positioning, staying deeper and closer to the defensive line to provide an outlet for their teammates and contribute defensively when required.

Roaming Playmaker:

• A Roaming Playmaker is a versatile and dynamic midfielder who moves around the pitch to influence the game in various areas. Their primary objective is to contribute to the team's offensive play by getting involved in build-up play, creating chances, and even scoring goals.
• They have the freedom to roam laterally and vertically across the field, making them difficult for opponents to mark and track. This constant movement allows them to exploit gaps in the opposition's midfield and defence, as well as link up with teammates in different areas of the pitch.
• They also like to bring the ball forward with their dribbling ability. Something the other two roles don’t really do.
• Roaming Playmakers are usually more involved in the physical aspect of the game, pressing opponents and engaging in duels to win back possession. Their energy and work rate is key to their success in this role.

The main difference in how regista and deep-lying playmakers use the ball lies in their approach to possession and risk-taking. Regista's focus is more on creating chances with ambitious passing. While deep-lying playmakers prioritise maintaining possession and providing a link between defence and attack. The roaming playmaker utilises his dribbling more by default and likes to drive forward with the ball at his feet.

You can customise the roles further with personalised instructions but the above are the basics of each of the roles. Hopefully, that gives you enough information to see how they differ and use the ball differently.

The Regista - The Setup

We know I already use a regista in a 3-5-2 formation. If you haven’t read the other two chapters of this series yet, you can here;

[embed]https://www.viewfromthetouchline.com/2023/03/13/the-blades-revolution[/embed]

 

[embed]https://www.viewfromthetouchline.com/2023/03/22/wide-centre-backs-overlaps-underlaps-and-more[/embed]

In this setup, they are responsible for distributing the ball with accuracy and vision. Often with long-range passes, to initiate attacking moves from deep. The regista also acts as a link between the defence and attack, providing defensive cover when necessary but also pushing forward to support attacks. When he pushes forward, he doesn’t push as far as you think though.

The regista's style of play emphasises technical ability, vision, and decision-making. They must be comfortable on the ball, able to read the game, and possess excellent passing skills. Additionally, they should be tactically aware, able to make quick decisions and have good communication skills to direct their teammates.

One of the reasons this is important for us is because the regista progress the ball up the pitch by using their vision, passing range, and technical ability. They typically receive the ball from the defence, either through a short pass or a clearance. Then assess the situation on the field before deciding on the best option to move the ball forward.

One of the primary ways regista progress the ball is through progressive passing, over long distances to find a teammate in a forward position. These passes can split the opposition's defence and create scoring opportunities.

Another method is through short, quick passes to move the ball up the pitch. Registas often drop deep to receive the ball from defenders, and then use their close control and passing skills to move the ball forward to more attacking players. They may also use one-touch passing to maintain possession and quickly move the ball up the pitch.

While less likely, the registas may also dribble the ball forward themselves, using their technical ability to beat opposition players and create space for their teammates. However, this is usually a secondary option, as the primary role of a regista is to distribute the ball and create attacking opportunities for their team.

The Regista - The Data

Let’s have a look at some of the data.

 

Spoiler

 

As you can see, Tommy Doyle has had a really good season and is well above the league average for his position for all the important metrics.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

 

Here's why progressive passes are important for a regista:

1. Breaking opposition lines: Progressive passes help bypass the opposition's defensive lines, allowing the team to advance into more dangerous attacking positions. A regista with the ability to consistently execute accurate progressive passes can disrupt the opposition's defensive organisation and create space for teammates.
2. Dictating tempo: By completing progressive passes, a regista can control the pace of the game, allowing their team to dictate the tempo. This can help the team maintain possession, build momentum, and exploit weaknesses in the opposition's formation. 
3. Creativity and unpredictability: A regista who can consistently produce progressive passes is not only effective at maintaining possession but also adds an element of creativity to the team's play. This unpredictability can make it harder for the opposition to anticipate and defend against attacking moves. Allowing your team to gain positional advantages.
4. Linking defence and attack: Progressive passes from the regista help to connect the defence with the attack, ensuring a smooth transition from one phase of play to another. This can be especially important in countering high-pressing opposition teams.
5. Assists and goal-scoring opportunities: Accurate and well-timed progressive passes can lead directly to assists or goal-scoring opportunities, as they can put teammates in advantageous positions to take shots or create chances.

Progressive passes are essential for a regista as they contribute to breaking down the opposition's defence, controlling the tempo of the game, and creating goal-scoring opportunities for their team. A regista with a wide range of passing skills, including the ability to make accurate progressive passes, is highly valuable to their team's overall success.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

 

It's important to note that the chances created metrics for a regista will vary depending on their team's style of play, formation, and the specific role assigned to them by the manager. A regista's offensive contributions should be considered alongside their ability to control the game, maintain possession, and contribute defensively.

Chances created is a metric used to evaluate the offensive contributions of a player, including a regista. While the primary role of a regista is to dictate the tempo and control possession from a deep-lying position, they can still contribute to the team's attack by creating chances for their teammates.

Chances created metrics can be broken down into several key components:

1. Key Passes: A key pass is defined as the final pass or assist that leads to a shot or a goal-scoring opportunity for a teammate. A regista with a high number of key passes is effective at breaking down defences and creating opportunities for their teammates.
2. Expected Assists (xA): Expected assists is an advanced metric that quantifies the likelihood of a pass resulting in a goal, considering factors such as the location of the pass, the type of pass, and the position of the receiver. A higher xA indicates that a regista is providing high-quality chances for their teammates, even if they don't always lead to actual assists.
3. Through Balls: Through balls are passes that bypass multiple defenders and put a teammate in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper or in a clear goal-scoring opportunity. A regista skilled at executing through balls can create dangerous situations for the opposition's defence.
4. Long Balls: Long balls are passes that travel a significant distance in the air, often bypassing multiple opposition players. A regista who can accurately play long balls can help switch the point of attack or exploit open space behind the opposing defence.
5. Crosses: While regista generally operate in central areas, they can occasionally deliver crosses from deep or wide positions, providing another means of creating chances for their teammates. Accurate crosses can lead to headed attempts or volleys, resulting in goal-scoring opportunities.
6. Set-Piece Delivery: Registas who are proficient at delivering set-pieces (corners, free-kicks, etc.) can create additional chances for their team. Accurate set-piece deliveries can lead to clear goal-scoring opportunities or force errors from the opposition's defence.

The Regista - Match Analysis

People have the wrong idea about the regista and think he ventures forward most of the time. But that’s not true. If he takes set pieces or under certain circumstances, he might venture forward. Outside of that though his movement is more horizontal than vertical. Have a look at this;

 

Spoiler

 

For the sake of this example, I was on attacking mentality, aggressive pressing and a high defensive line. As I wanted to illustrate just how deep the role actually plays.90% of the time, the regista operates in the yellow box. Moving side to side to offer a deep passing outlet. As mentioned above it's not normal behaviour for him to be more advanced than his.

If you play on a lesser mentality then the role will play slightly deeper than this yellow box. A lot of people seem to have this idea that he plays high up in the final third but he doesn’t. His positioning is very similar to how a deep-lying playmaker would position himself. This is why key passes and progressive passes are vital to his play.

By him staying deep in this yellow box he can recycle possession should we lose the ball high up the pitch and the ball is cleared by picking up the loose ball. He can then do many different types of passes to keep the move going again.

 

Spoiler

 

In this example, Tommy Doyle stays deep and offers a passing outlet for the wide centreback. But the rest of the team has already made attacking runs forward. This means that when Tommy Doyle receives the ball he will have time and space on the ball and be able to pick out the pass. What the rest of the side does with their movement is vital to what the regista does next.

 

Spoiler

 

Now when he receives the ball he has three passing options, all come with different degrees of difficulty attached to them.

1. This is the safe option as his marker is behind him, so he should be able to receive the ball at his feet without too much difficulty. This could see the ball played back to Tommy Doyle though as there are not many options for this player to progress the ball himself.
2. Could this one be the safer option? I’d certainly say it would be and would put us on the front foot. If the ball is played to this player then the whole pitch would open up too when the opposition tries and deal with the threat.
3. The most difficult and risky pass would be this option. There’s a player who could potentially cut out the ball or the high ball. But if he played the ball between numbers 2 and 3, then chances are one of them would be able to get onto the end of it.

 

Spoiler

 

Tommy Doyle ended up choosing the second option, as McAtee dropped off the front creating space. Remember earlier in the series when I spoke about asking the wingback to sit narrower? Well, this also plays into that.

Once McAtee gets the ball he sees the wingback has continued his forward run. One simple pass to him and we are in on goal. It’s a really simple move. But it’s an important move because we see the stuff I’ve spoken about in the other articles in the series, all playing out and linking together.

 

Spoiler

 

In this example, we have just won the ball back and the advanced forward is already making a run for it as he has faith in Tommy Doyle to find him. This is a really risky move but if it works it puts us on the front foot and with a possible 2v2 situation. If it doesn’t work then we give possession away. I enjoy these types of passes but perhaps not all the time, which he doesn’t do. But if you use a regista then you have to be prepared for these types of things as this is what makes him and the deep-lying playmaker differ. It becomes risk vs reward.

When evaluating the risk versus reward of a regista's risky passing, it's essential to consider both the potential benefits and drawbacks of such passes. Risky passes can be defined as those with a lower probability of reaching their intended target, such as long balls, through balls, or passes that attempt to split multiple defenders. These types of passes can significantly influence a team's offensive capabilities but also come with inherent risks.

The rewards of risky passing for a regista include breaking opposition lines, as risky passes can bypass multiple opposition players and disrupt their defensive organization, creating space and opportunities for the attacking players. Successfully executed risky passes can lead to clear goal-scoring opportunities, as they often put teammates in advantageous positions to take shots or make final passes. 

A regista who consistently attempts risky passes adds an element of unpredictability to their team's play, making it harder for the opposition to anticipate and defend against attacking moves. Furthermore, risky passes can exploit gaps or mismatches in the opposition's defence, capitalising on individual errors or moments of disorganisation.

However, there are risks associated with risky passing for a regista. These include the loss of possession, as risky passes have a higher likelihood of being intercepted or misdirected, leading to potential counter-attacks by the opposition. Failed risky passes can also disrupt the team's shape, leaving the team exposed defensively, as players may have moved out of position in anticipation of receiving the pass or supporting the attack. 

Unsuccessful risky passes can squander promising attacking situations, especially if safer and more effective passing options were available. Repeatedly attempting risky passes without success can negatively impact a regista's confidence and, in turn, affect the morale and cohesion of the team.

But if it’s more risk you want, I highly recommend the regista........

Edited April 20, 2023 by Cleon

[Cleon]

Reserved three

[Cleon]

Reserved four

[Cleon]

Reserved five

[Cleon]

I'll be updating this thread over the next week or so. Hope you all enjoy

[el_manayer]

How does this perform? A tactic with a single defensive role (even if you have 3 center backs) is something I wouldn't be brave enough to do very interesting

[Cleon]

14 minutes ago, el_manayer said:

How does this perform? A tactic with a single defensive role (even if you have 3 center backs) is something I wouldn't be brave enough to do very interesting

What do you mean 1 single defensive role? I have 3 defenders, DM, 2 wingbacks and 2 midfielders who all help defend too. The duties they all have are mainly for when we are in possession of the ball. When we don't have the ball they're just ordinary players. What do you think my players are doing when they lose the ball, just staying deep in the final third 

As for success and how well it performs, you be the judge;

Edited March 16, 2023 by Cleon

[el_manayer]

1 hour ago, Cleon said:

What do you mean 1 single defensive role? I have 3 defenders, DM, 2 wingbacks and 2 midfielders who all help defend too. The duties they all have are mainly for when we are in possession of the ball. When we don't have the ball they're just ordinary players. What do you think my players are doing when they lose the ball, just staying deep in the final third 

As for success and how well it performs, you be the judge;

Sorry I am not native English speaker. I meant that the only player with a defensive duty? is your center back in the middle, all other players are either in support or attack. But I see that your performance is actually quite good defensively as well! I'll probably try to adapt this tactic to my team and see how it performs

[Cleon]

23 minutes ago, el_manayer said:

Sorry I am not native English speaker. I meant that the only player with a defensive duty? is your center back in the middle, all other players are either in support or attack. But I see that your performance is actually quite good defensively as well! I'll probably try to adapt this tactic to my team and see how it performs

Like I said above, duty means more about what they'll do when on the ball. Without it they still defend as a traditional back 5, with a DM covering them

[herne79]

7 hours ago, Cleon said:

By that, I mean the ideas behind the players playing these roles and the tasks they do, are quite complex.

Was going to ask about the type of player you use for the Regista role, especially his defensive abilities given all those attack duties around him, but I know you have a series of individual articles planned so it’ll wait 👍.

7 hours ago, Cleon said:

While we did use an aggressive press, this wasn’t a high press, this was done in a midblock. We were happy to concede possession into our own half and then we’d press aggressively to win the ball back.

So key for me and where, imo, people tend to go wrong and become either too passive or too aggressive.  You know like combinations and there’s another one.

Good stuff as usual old chap.

[Cleon]

1 hour ago, herne79 said:

Was going to ask about the type of player you use for the Regista role, especially his defensive abilities given all those attack duties around him, but I know you have a series of individual articles planned so it’ll wait 👍.

So key for me and where, imo, people tend to go wrong and become either too passive or too aggressive.  You know like combinations and there’s another one.

Good stuff as usual old chap.

Thanks mate. First season I used Ollie Norwood but didn’t renew his contract. Second season I’m using Tommy Doyle.

I posted this elsewhere on the forum earlier:

 

I really think people have the wrong idea about the regista from reading this thread. While the regista roams it's more side to side than pushing up into the oppositions half. He will only do that if you ask him to go further forward. The rest of the time he plays around the semi circle on the half way line and just roams around to either side of it. The regista is nothing like a box to box player and very rarely (unless you asked him to or its from a set piece) deviate away from the centre of the pitch. He'll roam side to side but not forward. 

I use one with a DLF/F9 in this set-up, I change the role between the two depending on what sort of defensive line I'm against.

The yellow line is the area he patrols and will roam about there. The black line is as far as he will go with the ball or make runs as a general rule in open play. Once he reaches the black line he drops off again. And in this match it was a high line, attacking mentality and aggressive as we can be.  he just doesn't go as high as people are making out. 

He's also great defensively and is much more strict with his positioning. In defensive scenarios he is no different to a DLP on defend.

He's just aggressive with the ball and how he uses it. That's the only real difference between the regista and DLP. DLP is lots more sideways, backward and safety passes. The regista is more progressive and looking to put you on the front foot. It's the only difference.

[Mst82]

Too many instructions for my liking, soz like 😜

[Cleon]

17 hours ago, Mst82 said:

Too many instructions for my liking, soz like 😜

The game has moved on from a few years back where people were overloading on instructions for no reason. Now, just changing width, the press etc adds 2 or 3 for one thing

[Mst82]

6 hours ago, Cleon said:

The game has moved on from a few years back where people were overloading on instructions for no reason. Now, just changing width, the press etc adds 2 or 3 for one thing

I just think that when things start to go wrong, when the tactic gets found out, it’s harder to tweak effectively, with that many instructions. 
 

Always love to see these tactics though and enjoy pinching certain aspects of them 😜!

[Cleon]

11 hours ago, Mst82 said:

I just think that when things start to go wrong, when the tactic gets found out, it’s harder to tweak effectively, with that many instructions. 
 

Always love to see these tactics though and enjoy pinching certain aspects of them 😜!

Not sure what your point is? Things didn't go wrong  and tactics don't get found out. I think I'll be fine, check out this thread;

And I reiterate the point, a lot of those instructions are doing the same thing. In the in possession instructions for example, 4 of them are for one specific thing. So you can't really say it has too many instructions when the game doesn't allow you do anything but have that many. 

Edited March 18, 2023 by Cleon

[mikcheck]

@CleonI wonder if player traits make you change a player duty? For example, the guy you're using as a WB(a). If he had "goes forward" trait would you use him as a WB(s) instead, or that doesn't really matter to you?

[Cleon]

5 hours ago, mikcheck said:

@CleonI wonder if player traits make you change a player duty? For example, the guy you're using as a WB(a). If he had "goes forward" trait would you use him as a WB(s) instead, or that doesn't really matter to you?

It wouldn't really matter much to me. As traits don't really replace duties.

[Mutumba]

Trying this with Spurs and its a bit underwhelming. Kane as DLF cant score or even get assists. Son scores some, but not much. I concede quite a lot of shots/chances. Curently sitting 10th after 10 games -2 goal difference. 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Mutumba

[Cleon]

2 hours ago, Mutumba said:

Trying this with Spurs and its a bit underwhelming. Kane as DLF cant score or even get assists. Son scores some, but not much. I concede quite a lot of shots/chances. Curently sitting 10th after 10 games -2 goal difference. 

Okay. There is nothing to try though. It's just a random screenshot with no context/instructions or type of players needed for the roles. The series isn't finished yet.

[Cloud9]

12 hours ago, Mutumba said:

Trying this with Spurs and its a bit underwhelming. Kane as DLF cant score or even get assists. Son scores some, but not much. I concede quite a lot of shots/chances. Curently sitting 10th after 10 games -2 goal difference. 

A front two doesn't fit Spurs.

Spurs have a wonderfully talented frontline and you'd only be featuring two of them in your starting 11.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Cloud9

[Mutumba]

8 hours ago, Cloud9 said:

A front two doesn't fit Spurs.

Spurs have a wonderfully talented frontline and you'd only be featuring two of them in your starting 11.

Of course it can. Son-Kane is a great partnership. And using Kulu as Mezz should be a great option too. Dont care much for Richarlison

[Wavelberry]

54 minutes ago, Mutumba said:

 Dont care much for Richarlison

Alright Antonio, welcome to the forums btw.

[Cleon]

6 hours ago, Mutumba said:

Of course it can. Son-Kane is a great partnership. And using Kulu as Mezz should be a great option too. Dont care much for Richarlison

You still don't know how it's supposed to function though. For example the wide centre-backs need specific traits. I've been recruiting and teaching my players these. You won't be using the wingbacks the same as me etc. That's why you're having issues.

A new post will posted tomorrow about the wide centre-backs.

[Cleon]

A little example from tomorrows post of what the wide centre-back has to offer

 

 

 

[Cleon]

POST 2 UPDATED WITH The Idea Behind Wide Centre-Backs

[KarlyMsdn]

Hi Cleon ! 
I've been trying to do something similar in my replication of Igor Tudor's Marseille. But i just can't seem to get those wide dynamics/rotations as well as you do.
In addition to not crossing as much as I would like, my wing-backs stay out-wide, which is why i guess my wide center-backs are underlapping instead of overlapping.
Ideally they should alternate between underlap and overlap depending on the situation, but if I have to choose I would like to have my two WB's attacking the channels and my two WCB's overlapping, all covered by my 2 CM's.
Having read most of your article on the 5-2-2-1 you used at Íbis Sport I would like to have your overall opinion on the roles and duties I used in my system and how to implement those wide rotations.
Great job by the way, very educational

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by KarlyMsdn

[Cleon]

Your AM's likely doesn't help with the wide rotations you want as them and the CM's will be a bit close to each other. And that's the kind of space the WCB/WB combo tend to use. You also have a playmaker high up the pitch, who attract the ball so players will be more likely to put play through him instead.

Also if your wingbacks stay wide then all play you get from the WCB will all mainly be underlaps as the space isn't there out wide for them to move into.

[hyrule_king]

Incredible how this works in fm , with how many attacking roles there are. Lovely recreation of the tactic, really enjoyed watching wilders sheffield utd in the prem.

[Cleon]

1 minute ago, hyrule_king said:

Incredible how this works in fm , with how many attacking roles there are. Lovely recreation of the tactic, really enjoyed watching wilders sheffield utd in the prem.

I think that's the thing with FM. People focus on duty and see attack, rather than what the role does, where it's starting from etc. Attacking roles on defenders etc, just impacts what they do when you have the ball. When you don't have it, they're still regular defenders. But I think most see past that point. Not saying you do btw, I just mean generally

[hyrule_king]

7 minutes ago, Cleon said:

I think that's the thing with FM. People focus on duty and see attack, rather than what the role does, where it's starting from etc. Attacking roles on defenders etc, just impacts what they do when you have the ball. When you don't have it, they're still regular defenders. But I think most see past that point. Not saying you do btw, I just mean generally

Yeah its fine , that's a really great point. For example , early on in the season I tend to watch in 2d too get an idea how my players work in the roles I have assigned to them. Found for me personally how well a DLP (de) supports the CBs but also still supports (mind it is a little deeper than on support) the counter attacks, Just getting to know what roles suit the players you have.

[Raymond85]

Really enjoying this read. It opened my mind both on the regista role (which i criminally underuse as i had some misconceptions) and on the interaction on wide centerbacks. Have been trying to nail them for quite a bit now and i was underestimating the PPM importance: they can work with more conservative type centerbacks too, but they shine in a more thoroughly thought plan like this

[lied90]

On 16/03/2023 at 15:25, el_manayer said:

How does this perform? A tactic with a single defensive role (even if you have 3 center backs) is something I wouldn't be brave enough to do very interesting

Ran it trough a tactic tester out of curiosity, it did ok. Nothing more nothing less. I just copied the roles and instructions he posted + added set piece routines. I assume changes are done during matches and small changes home/away etc so prob not meant to be plug n play anyway.

[Cleon]

22 minutes ago, lied90 said:

Ran it trough a tactic tester out of curiosity, it did ok. Nothing more nothing less. I just copied the roles and instructions he posted + added set piece routines. I assume changes are done during matches and small changes home/away etc so prob not meant to be plug n play anyway.

No need to assume, I stated in the articles changes are made and gave some examples. It's also why there will be topics covering how to beat every formation going and the changes needing. Tactic testers are the worse thing going btw 

[lied90]

6 minutes ago, Cleon said:

Tactic testers are the worse thing going btw 

Can't say I agree with that. FM is a casual game for most, tactics that do well in testers are suited for plug n play, and most FM players just want tactics that work well consistently. So it has it's purpose.

[vkastanas]

2 minutes ago, lied90 said:

and most FM players just want tactics that work well consistently

Can't say I agree with that! FM is a game where I (can't say people or most here as I can't talk for everyone) invest large amounts of time to create (squad, tactics, youth etc.) and wait for evolution over time! I don't (can't talk for everyone here either) just want to win every game with a well working tactic! The process is more important for me!

[Cleon]

1 minute ago, lied90 said:

Can't say I agree with that. FM is a casual game for most, tactics that do well in testers are suited for plug n play, and most FM players just want tactics that work well consistently. So it has it's purpose.

We'll agree to disagree here then as it's the most pointless thing in the world to me. You learn nothing at all, as the test is all done on holiday or given a random score by an algorithm that has no context to it. If people think that gives them a benchmark, then great. This isn't plug and play though. So not sure why you even brought that up. You came into a heavy discussion, that you can clearly see isn't for someone who wants to play casually and plug and play. This is teaching how and why something works and how it all comes together. And talking about the weaknesses against specific styles or shapes.

Speaking of which. It's the Easter holidays so things are a bit quiet my end for creating content atm. I had hoped to have a few more parts out. But I have been working hard the past few weeks and need to finish all of these off, which will be part of this series 

[Johnny Ace]

15 minutes ago, lied90 said:

Can't say I agree with that. FM is a casual game for most, tactics that do well in testers are suited for plug n play, and most FM players just want tactics that work well consistently. So it has it's purpose.

The T&T board isn't about P&P tactics, it's not about the FM meta or cheesing the ME, it's about talking about and asking questions about tactics and training, so leave that kind of talk out please 

Plugging in someone elses tactic into a testing league is the absolute opposite of what we're about here  

[Raymond85]

5 ore fa, Cleon ha scritto:

We'll agree to disagree here then as it's the most pointless thing in the world to me. You learn nothing at all, as the test is all done on holiday or given a random score by an algorithm that has no context to it. If people think that gives them a benchmark, then great. This isn't plug and play though. So not sure why you even brought that up. You came into a heavy discussion, that you can clearly see isn't for someone who wants to play casually and plug and play. This is teaching how and why something works and how it all comes together. And talking about the weaknesses against specific styles or shapes.

Speaking of which. It's the Easter holidays so things are a bit quiet my end for creating content atm. I had hoped to have a few more parts out. But I have been working hard the past few weeks and need to finish all of these off, which will be part of this series 

Looking forward to them all. Especially the regista, as i am trying it out more now. But all will be helpful, i have been enjoying 3 atb systems for 3 years now

[Mike J]

I've been trying out a 3CB setup with two WCBs on Attack and it's worked quite well so far. One issue, which I'm wondering if you've encountered at all, is I often get caught out in quick transitions and I'm left short-handed at the back. With the WCBs pushed high up the pitch it's often quite easy for teams to play a ball into the channel where there's lots of space. I could change the WCBs to Support, but I like the overloads they cause when they push up, so I'm wondering if this may be more of a pressing issue, with my team not being urgent enough in their pressing to close down the ball quickly enough to allow my team time to get back into shape.

[Cleon]

1 minute ago, Mike J said:

I've been trying out a 3CB setup with two WCBs on Attack and it's worked quite well so far. One issue, which I'm wondering if you've encountered at all, is I often get caught out in quick transitions and I'm left short-handed at the back. With the WCBs pushed high up the pitch it's often quite easy for teams to play a ball into the channel where there's lots of space. I could change the WCBs to Support, but I like the overloads they cause when they push up, so I'm wondering if this may be more of a pressing issue, with my team not being urgent enough in their pressing to close down the ball quickly enough to allow my team time to get back into shape.

It could be a pressing issue. It can also be part of the drawback from being aggressive with the WCB's. It kind of comes down to risk vs reward. Don't be scared to change stuff up though if something becomes really problematic. You can ask the wingbacks to man mark the oppositions wide players, look to cut passing lanes off etc

[Cleon]

This is a snippet of the Regista article next week talking about the differences between RPM, Regista and DLP.

Regista:

A Regista is primarily focused on creating goal-scoring opportunities and dictating the tempo of the game. They use their exceptional vision and passing range to unlock defences with incisive, penetrating passes that can change the course of the match.
Registas often attempt riskier and more ambitious passes, as their primary objective is to create chances and break down the opposition's defensive shape. In possession, they tend to roam more freely to find pockets of space and receive the ball (in deeper areas), allowing them to exploit gaps in the opposition's midfield and defence

Deep-lying Playmaker:

Deep-lying Playmakers, while also creative and responsible for dictating the tempo, focus more on maintaining possession and recycling the ball. They use their passing ability to control the game, connecting the defence to the attack, and ensuring a smooth transition between the two. They are more likely to play shorter, safer passes to maintain possession and build up play gradually. While they can also deliver long-range passes and create scoring chances, their approach is generally more measured and less focused on taking risks. Deep-lying Playmakers tend to be more disciplined in their positioning, staying deeper and closer to the defensive line to provide an outlet for their teammates and contribute defensively when required.

Roaming Playmaker:

A Roaming Playmaker is a versatile and dynamic midfielder who moves around the pitch to influence the game in various areas. Their primary objective is to contribute to the team's offensive play by getting involved in build-up play, creating chances, and even scoring goals. They have the freedom to roam laterally and vertically across the field, making them difficult for opponents to mark and track. This constant movement allows them to exploit gaps in the opposition's midfield and defence, as well as link up with teammates in different areas of the pitch. Roaming Playmakers are usually more involved in the physical aspect of the game, pressing

 

[Cloud9]

On 16/03/2023 at 03:33, Cleon said:

The Idea Behind Wide Centre-Backs

So, back when Sheffield United was still in League One, they were having a tough time trying to score goals. They just couldn't seem to break down the opposing teams' defences when they sat deep. That's when Alan Knill, who was the assistant boss for the Blades at the time, was given the task of finding a solution to this problem.

After thinking long and hard about it, Knill came up with a clever idea: he told the team's centrebacks to overlap with the wingbacks during attacking plays. This created an advantage for Sheffield United in the final third of the pitch, making it harder for the opposing team to defend effectively. With more players in the attacking third, the team was able to stretch the defence and create gaps to exploit.

This tactic proved to be a game-changer for Sheffield United. The use of overlapping centrebacks was not a common strategy at the time, so opposing teams weren't really prepared for it. It also made the team less predictable and more dangerous in the attacking phase of play.

Thanks to this tactical adjustment, Sheffield United was able to create more scoring opportunities and eventually earned a promotion to the Championship. It just goes to show how a little creativity and outside-the-box thinking can make a big difference on the pitch.

Wide Centre-Backs in Football Manager 2023

So how does this strategy work in Football Manager 2023 and how do we implement it? The idea stays the same as above. In this tactical approach, Sheffield United focuses on identifying opportunities to advance into wide areas where there is space and a chance to create a 2v1 scenario against an opposition defender.

The Wide Centre-Back

These are the settings the role has;

There are a few things here you can customise to alter the behaviour of the wide centre-back and what they offer in terms of output. I use these settings as additional tactical tools against specific formations and shapes. Or against different types of blocks. I’ll cover this in more detail later and show examples.

The Wide Centre-Backs

It might not sound like much but in the first season, my wide centrebacks managed to get 18 assists between them. All of them are from open play.

After gaining promotion, our wide centre-backs achieved 15 assists between them the season after too. This is great considering we were a new team playing in the Premier League and were expected to get relegated. So we proved what we are doing works and is sustainable, even at a higher level. But what exactly is “working”?

It's Not All Overlapping Centrebacks -Wide Centre-Back Analysis

Let’s take a look at some match analysis so we can delve deeper into what makes the wide centre-backs so important for the system we use. Then we can gain a real insight into how they become overlapping centre-backs.

This was straight from a kickoff but there is an awful lot going on, already. As the ball is played back, it’s picked up by the wide centreback. Who then immediately starts to drive forward with the ball.

Max Lowe, also starts to move forward too. Allowing us to keep the width and potentially cause an overload down the channel or free up space centrally, to play in the box-to-box midfielder.

On this occasion, it’s neither an underlap nor an overlap in play. But I wanted to highlight this as it’s really important. Not everything the wide centre-back does will be an overlap, he also does some brilliant play outside of those. Overlapping runs are just one part of the role but not all the player does

Here we see he has run wide with the ball and Max lowe is continuing his run forward. What this has done is, occupy the opposition's wide player. As he has had to continue his run to follow Max Lowe. If he pressed the wide centreback, we’d have passed the ball to the free player in Max Lowe and taken him out of the game.

Instead, here we have the box-to-box midfielder in acres of space and able to receive the ball from a pass. This would then open up the entire pitch for us as there are now gaps and lots of space for the rest of our players. So if the pass is played, we can then look at playing in the forward players.

This example is really important because it is what wide centre-backs do. They don’t just overlap, their game is much more expansive than that. Sheffield United used them to create overloads or open up space centrally. We are also recreating this in game terms.

So the idea behind the wide centre-backs and what we expect from them becomes;

• Overlaps
• Underlaps
• 2vs1/Overloads
• Opening central space

Each time he goes forward it forces the opposition to react. When the opposition initially reacts it will determine which of the above is more likely to happen. If there is space to run into the wide centre-back will do just that. If he can overlap, he will. If he can underlap he will. If he can pass he will. Or he can even hit devastating direct balls at the attacking players. He will likely rank high in the team's progressive passes stats.

The whole idea of wide centre-backs is more than just overlapping. It’s about forcing the opposition into making a decision and that decision being wrong. No matter what option they choose, the goal is to have one of the other options available too. This is why shape is the most important thing here.

You need to surround them with roles and duties which allow them to flourish and deliver the performance you need. There is much more to the wide centre-back than just using the role and expecting them to do everything you need. You have to force the type of player you want or encourage it more by the team/player instructions and the roles around them.

The Wingback

Before we look at the analysis for the wide centre-backs and discuss how it functions. We first need to know about the wingback because they do specific things that enable the wide centre-backs to shine. I have asked the wingbacks to sit narrow in the team instructions. I’ll now show you why and what the benefits of this are.

We had just attacked but there was no forward passing option for the Mezzala to use. So rather than give the ball away, he can pass it back to the right-sided wingback. By sitting narrower, he is closer to playing with the central players. This then enables the wide centre-back to overlap and go beyond him by making an intelligent run. Or allows him to become a passing option who can then drive forward with the ball at his feet.

Once he gets the ball, then he has plenty of decisions to make. He can whip the ball into the box, across the face of the goal and hope someone gets on the end of it. There are three options here. Or he can play it back to the wingback who will be unmarked.

If the wingback wasn’t asked to sit narrower, then this likely doesn’t happen and they’d be closer together on the wing. Which would be an absolute waste. There is no need to have two players out this wide. But that’s not to say the wingback doesn’t stay wide and run the touchline when the timing is right. He still does as can be seen at the start of the article with Max Lowe.

On this occasion, he passed the ball back to the wingback who is acres of space. But sadly lacked the vision and composure to do anything useful this time. So it’s a wasted opportunity. Although it does show you the kind of link-up play to expect from the wingback. 

I should also add that I don’t instruct the wingback to sit narrower in every game, it depends on the formation I am playing and the team. If it’s a team who uses a wide formation like a 4-4-2, or 4-3-3 for example, I will then. As it allows him to pull away from the opposition's wide players and pick up little pockets of space when we have possession of the ball.

If I was facing a narrow formation like a 4-4-2 diamond or a 3-4-2-1 then I might instruct him to stay wider. Then will then allow us to stretch the pitch and force the opposition's only wide players to become isolated and detached from the rest of the side. I’ll be going more in-depth on these types of strategies in the coming weeks with the rest of the series.

But in this game, he sat narrow allowing the wide centre-back to be the main wide player and the one stretching play on the overlap.

Breaking Sides Down With Space And Movement

One of the most significant challenges that people face while playing Football Manager is breaking down sides. This is a common topic on forums, blogs, and Twitter, with many users sharing their experiences of beating the top teams one week, only to get defeated by the bottom teams the next. 

One of the primary challenges we face when playing against these types of teams is their ability to limit space in the final third. Space is essential in football as it provides players with time to make decisions and select their passes accurately. However, when facing a compact and deep-defending team, it becomes difficult to find space for through balls, crosses, or lofted passes into the box. As a result, players may struggle to create the half-yard they need to make a successful play. Therefore, alternative strategies are required to break down these teams when conventional tactics are not effective. 

Many football players opt to adopt a more attacking strategy when faced with a team that sits deep, but I personally believe that this only exacerbates the problem. By pushing players further up the field, you are effectively compacting the limited space you have, reducing the likelihood of players making runs that can stretch or damage the opposition's defence. As I mentioned in the Football Manager Playbook, mentality is critical in football tactics, and this is especially relevant in this case. To be truly effective, you may need to create space and movement in deeper areas of the pitch, even if you're playing higher up. It's not impossible to create space and movement in the opposition's half, but it becomes much more challenging if there is no space behind the player. So, how can we effectively create space and movement? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

Say hello to the wide centre-back!

Above we can see a little bit of everything that Anel Ahmedhodžić offers when we have possession of the ball. In this clip, he’s a bit behind the play because Brewster who was higher up the pitch won the ball. That doesn’t stop him from joining in the play and trying to be pivotal in the move though. As we see Anel Ahmedhodžić making his run to support Brewster, we see he goes beyond the wingback before checking his run. Some of you might think that both of these roles are too close together but this is why space opens up. Plus they’re not always like this. But in this instance, the wingback starts to make the underlap as he knows Anel Ahmedhodžić is about to receive the ball.

Due to the wingback making a dummy run, he has now become the free man in the build-up play. He’s created space for himself meaning he can be passed to. This in turn means when he receives the ball, space will open up for the mezzala. Due to the markers chasing the ball and following the wingback. It also has a positive for Brewster too as he can continue his run into the box. 

In the clip we saw, we can see how space and movement is the key to unlocking defences. Initially, Brewster was running into a dead-end. But because the mezzala, wingback and wide centre-back were all working hard to offer support, it ended up as a really good scoring opportunity.

Now we are beginning to explore everything the wide centre-back offers during a match. The wide centre-back gets an awful lot of pre-assists due to the example we posted above. A "pre-assist" refers to the pass or play that sets up the assist for a goal. It is essentially the second-to-last pass or touch that leads to a goal-scoring opportunity. For example, if a player passes the ball to another player, who then crosses it to a teammate for a goal, the first player would be credited with a pre-assist. 

Sadly FM doesn’t track this kind of stat yet. But if you watch games it is something you should notice now and again.

We have another little example here;

Due to injuries, I had to play Bogle as the left wingback for this game. We are attacking but there’s nowhere for him to really go. Sunderland are defending really strong and forcing us to backwards or side to side. But because the wide centre-back is pushed up, he is now the wide outlet.

When he runs forward space opens up as Sunderland have kept a really strong defensive line. This means that Edwards who is the wide centre-back can choose the short option on the edge of the box. Or he has three players unmarked running into the box he can pick out. That’s exactly what he does here. He crosses it to the head of the mezzala who heads it home to make it 1-0.

Anel Ahmedhodžić has brings the ball out of defence trait, which is a must-have if you want the player to dribble with the ball more often. I’ve used players without the trait this season and they’re more reserved in the initial build-up. So for me, this is a must.

The gets the crowd going trait I don’t particularly care for. But he already had that and isn’t able to unlearn it, after trying.

Play one-twos trait is really interesting as it encourages him to pass and move forward on a more regular basis. This trait can create some really good play down the flanks with either the wingback or midfielder on this side of the pitch. A simple one-two can change the pace of the game and take the opposition's marker out of play. Especially as we cause overloads down the flanks. I highly recommend this trait if the player has a little bit of speed too.

The gets forward whenever trait encourages him to go past the midfield rather than hanging back more often. This is why he is so good at overlapping. Someone without this trait might do more underlaps than overlaps.

Those are the traits I’ve been looking for in players or currently trying to teach them. As this adds to the style I am creating and what I want from the players. 

Ability to play out from the back: In modern football, wide centre-backs are expected to be comfortable with the ball at their feet and able to start attacks from the back. A wide centre-back should have good ratings in attributes like passing, composure, and vision to be able to contribute to the team's buildup play the best he can.

Tactical awareness: A wide centre-back should be able to read the game well and make intelligent decisions based on the situation at hand. This includes attributes like anticipation, concentration, and decision-making. If he is tactically aware, he might find himself winning the ball back further up the field and giving you a real advantage with starting attacks from turnovers.

Speed and Physicality: A wide centre-back needs to be physically strong and athletic to cope with the demands of the position, especially when facing pacy wingers. This includes high ratings in attributes like strength, acceleration, and agility.

In the next article, we’ll talk about the midfield and how they link with the defence so far. I omitted quite a bit of stuff as I didn’t really want to cover the midfield in this section, even though there are a lot of crossovers.

Great read Cleon, quick side question here: why are you adverse to the "gets crowd going" trait like you mention for Ahmedhodzic?

[Cleon]

19 minutes ago, Cloud9 said:

Great read Cleon, quick side question here: why are you adverse to the "gets crowd going" trait like you mention for Ahmedhodzic?

I just don't think it adds much. Just gives a slight morale boost. It's a non tactical player trait. I'm not a fan of those. I'd rather have ones that influence our play and impacts stuff on the pitch.

[Cloud9]

14 minutes ago, Cleon said:

I just don't think it adds much. Just gives a slight morale boost. It's a non tactical player trait. I'm not a fan of those. I'd rather have ones that influence our play and impacts stuff on the pitch.

Gotcha, thanks

[Swaban]

On 16/03/2023 at 19:48, Cleon said:

I use one with a DLF/F9 in this set-up, I change the role between the two depending on what sort of defensive line I'm against.

Can you briefly explain when you would switch between them? I've tried using a F9 a few times and never seem to be able to get it to work!

[Cleon]

33 minutes ago, Swaban said:

Can you briefly explain when you would switch between them? I've tried using a F9 a few times and never seem to be able to get it to work!

If I wanted the striker to initially drop off and create movement, and then expect the striker to attack the box again, I'd go for a F9. DLF I use when you only need someone to create because the space is Infront of the defensive line not behind it.

[Cleon]

Updated Post 3 with The Regista

 

 

[mikcheck]

Thanks for the content you post here @Cleon. Even though I still play FM21, I always learn something and it's a time well spent reading it.