Meet The System - A FM24 Tactical Story

[Cleon]

Direct link to the original article, https://www.viewfromthetouchline.com/2024/01/16/meet-the-system-fm24

Transcending Borders: Adapting Fernando Diniz’s Tactical Ingenuity to the Icy Plains of Akureyri is the first of many tactical articles in our new series for FM24.

Introduction FM24

The ambition brewing within the heart of Þór Akureyri is palpable—to ascend not only as a club but to uplift the footballing stature of Iceland on the global canvas. The journey, however, craves a novel tactical narrative, one that could harmonise with the robust ethos of Icelandic football while introducing a fluidic choreography on the pitch. The answer might just lie across the Atlantic, in the vibrant footballing philosophy of Fernando Diniz at Fluminense.

Diniz’s style, a blend of fluid, possession-based football with a dash of creative freedom, orchestrates a beautiful game where each player is both a maestro and a part of a larger symphony. It’s a dance of control, expression, and tactical ingenuity. Imagine this South American footballing saga resonating amidst the cold breezes and the poetic northern lights of Akureyri.

Transplanting this tactical blueprint into Þór Akureyri’s Nordic framework is an expedition of its own. It demands meticulous adaptation to resonate with the strengths, culture, and competitive spirit of Icelandic football. Yet, the essence remains untouched—a football narrative that cherishes possession, champions creative expression, and seeks to dominate not just the scoreboard but the rhythm of the game.

With each season that unfolds, this venture is an open narrative. It’s an invitation to peek into the tactical evolution and witness how Diniz’s philosophy melds with Þór Akureyri’s ambitions, creating a novel football narrative. From player recruitment to development, from the in-game notes shedding light on player evolution to the tactical tweaks echoing on the pitch, it’s a holistic footballing journey.

Each game played, each tactic adapted, and each goal scored will not just be a chapter in Þór Akureyri’s journey, but a step towards a new footballing narrative that could echo from the stadiums in Iceland to the footballing hearts across continents.

Yet, this endeavour transcends the ambitions of a single club. It’s a spark aimed at igniting a footballing renaissance across Iceland, envisioning a future where the Icelandic football saga is not merely a whisper but a dominant narrative on the global stage. Through Þór Akureyri’s adaptation of Diniz’s tactical finesse, the aspiration is to set a precedent, inspire, and elevate the game across the nation, nurturing a footballing culture that could see Iceland emerge as a formidable force in the world of football.

Join us as we delve deeper into this tactical narrative on FM24, exploring how Diniz’s fluidic football philosophy could be tailored to echo within the hearts of Þór Akureyri’s squad and fans while aspiring to etch Iceland’s name into the annals of European football.

Playing style FM24

While the specific shapes that Fernando Diniz employs with Fluminense can be elusive and challenging to pin down and recreate, the underlying foundation of their style of play remains consistent. This foundation is more defined and set in stone, transcending the various systems they deploy on the field.

The core elements of Diniz’s footballing philosophy, fluid possession-based football, permeate every formation and tactic he utilises, providing a cohesive and recognisable identity to Fluminense. These elements include:

• Anti-positional play: a fluid and dynamic style that allows players to interchange positions and move freely on the pitch rather than adhering to rigid positions or formations.
• High pressing: applying pressure on the opposition high up the pitch to win back possession quickly and disrupt the opponent’s build-up play.
• Possession-based football: A tactical approach that emphasises maintaining control of the ball, dictating the tempo of the game, and patiently building up attacks.
• Playing out from the back: building up play from the goalkeeper and defenders with the aim of maintaining possession, drawing out the opposition, and creating space for attacking opportunities.
• Overloads: Creating numerical advantages in certain areas of the pitch, often by having multiple players in close proximity, to overwhelm the opposition and break down their defensive structure.
• Verticality: A focus on direct and purposeful forward passing, aiming to progress the ball quickly up the pitch and exploit gaps in the opposition’s defence.
• Interchangeability: encouraging players to swap positions and roles during a match to confuse the opposition and create more dynamic attacking patterns.
• Ball retention: prioritising keeping possession of the ball, often through short and accurate passing, to control the game and tire out the opposition.
• Quick transitions: rapidly switching from defence to attack (or vice versa) to exploit the opposition’s unpreparedness and create goal-scoring opportunities.
• Off-the-ball movement: the movement of players without the ball to create space, drag defenders out of position, and support teammates in possession.
• Creative freedom: Diniz allows his players the freedom to express themselves on the pitch, encouraging them to take risks, improvise, and harness their individual skills to create goal-scoring opportunities.
• Fullbacks as attacking outlets: Diniz’s teams often rely on fullbacks to provide the width and attacking support, stretching the opposition’s defence and creating chances through overlapping runs and crosses. However, there is an argument to be made for them playing narrow too. 
• Versatile forward roles: Forwards are encouraged to drop deep, link up with midfielders, and create space for teammates, while also exploiting spaces and making runs behind the defence.

Building from the back on FM24

Fernando Diniz, the innovative manager of Fluminense and the Brazilian national team, is well-known for his preference to play out from the back. This approach is closely tied to his overall football philosophy, which is centred around several key principles.

First and foremost, playing out from the back allows Diniz’s team to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game. By patiently building from the back, they can establish the rhythm of play and force the opposition to adapt to their style. This method ensures that every player on the team, including the goalkeeper and defenders, is actively involved in the build-up play. As a result, technical skills, composure on the ball, and effective decision-making are promoted throughout the team.

During the build-up play, Fluminense adopts a 4-2 formation, with the goalkeeper taking on an active role. The involvement of the goalie and the two defensive midfielders is essential for gaining a numerical advantage. Two key principles in this phase are proximity and numerical superiority.

The players are constantly on the move to create ideal passing lanes, allowing the team to advance through various zones on the pitch. By having the goalkeeper and the two defensive midfielders work in close collaboration, Fluminense achieves numerical superiority through proximity. The concept of the third man is also employed during the build-up phase. Players positioned further up the pitch offer support by providing a third passing option and an outlet for moving the ball forward. It’s crucial for Fluminense to progress from the middle third to the final third while maintaining total control of possession and operating as a cohesive unit.

As the team builds from the back, they can draw the opposition forward, which in turn creates gaps and opportunities to exploit further up the pitch. This approach often leads to numerical advantages and overloads in key areas, making it easier to break down a compact defence. Additionally, playing out from the back forces the opposition to press higher up the pitch in an attempt to regain possession. Consequently, they may overcommit players and leave spaces behind, which can be exploited by Diniz’s team with quick and precise passing.

Playing out from the back is also an integral part of Diniz’s anti-positional philosophy, which emphasises fluidity and interchangeability among players. This encourages the players to adapt to different situations and move freely on the pitch, contributing to both offence and defence. This strategy enables Diniz’s team to control possession, involve all players, create space and opportunities, and promote a fluid and dynamic style of play.

The Core Team Instructions

These team instructions aim to replicate Diniz’s fluid, attacking style of play while allowing players the freedom to interchange positions and express themselves creatively. The high-pressing and counter-pressing systems help to win the ball back quickly and exploit any spaces left by the opposition.

In Possession:

• Attacking Width: Narrow – Encourage players to operate more centrally and facilitate positional interchanges.
• Approach Play: Play Out of Defence – Maintain possession and build attacks from the back.
• Passing Directness: Shorter Passing – Focus on maintaining possession through short and quick passes.
• Tempo: Higher Tempo – Keep the ball moving quickly, making it difficult for the opposition to press.
• Creative Freedom: Be More Expressive – Allow players the freedom to improvise and take risks in attack.
• Dribbling: Run at Defence – Encourage players to take on defenders and create opportunities through individual skill.

In Transition:

• When Possession is Lost: Counter-Press: Regain possession quickly through high pressing.
• When Possession is Won: Counter: Exploit the spaces left by the opposition when they lose the ball.
• Goalkeeper Distribution: Distribute to full-backs and center backs. Involve the goalkeeper in the build-up play and maintain possession.

Out of Possession:

• Defensive Shape: Much Higher Defensive Line: Compress the space and make it difficult for the opposition to play through the lines.
• Trigger Press: Much More Often: Apply constant pressure on the opposition to force errors and win the ball back quickly.
• Prevent Short Goalkeeper Distribution: Force the opposition goalkeeper to play long balls and increase the chances of regaining possession.

By focusing on these core concepts, we will begin to see us start resembling something that looks like Fluminense, regardless of what shapes we use. These instructions are the core of his tactical style and football identity.

Lots of Support Roles.

Using support duties on FM24 makes the team more fluid for several reasons. Support duties help bridge the gap between attacking and defensive duties, creating a balanced approach and promoting better teamwork. This better replicates the fundamental principles of Fernando Diniz’s systems. Here are some factors that contribute to increased fluidity when employing support duties:

• Balanced Teamwork: Support duties encourage players to participate in both the attacking and defensive phases of play. This approach creates a more balanced team, with players contributing to multiple aspects of the game. As a result, the team becomes less predictable and more adaptable to changing game situations.
• Smoother Transitions: When players have support duties, they are more likely to be involved in transitional play. This involvement ensures smoother transitions between defence and attack, as well as between different areas of the pitch. Support players help connect the team’s various units, facilitating better ball movement and overall team cohesion.
• Enhanced Adaptability: Support roles enable players to adjust their positions and responsibilities depending on the match context. This flexibility allows the team to adapt to different opponents and tactics more effectively. By filling gaps and providing cover for teammates, support players contribute to the team’s overall adaptability.
• Better Exploitation of Space: Support players are often instrumental in creating and exploiting space on the pitch. Their movement off the ball can open up passing lanes and create scoring opportunities for their teammates. This spatial awareness makes the team more fluid and challenging for opponents to defend against.
• Increased Possession: Support players tend to focus on retaining possession and circulating the ball within the team better than attacking duties. Their ability to link up with teammates and maintain possession helps create a more fluid style of play, as the team can patiently probe for openings in the opposition’s defence.

We want players to play close together on FM24, working as a unit while moving up and down the pitch as one. That’s why support duties are the absolute key to achieving something that even remotely resembles Fluminense’s style of play on FM24. We will have some restrictions on FM24 and be limited to the actual style we are building. That’s why we are taking elements of how Diniz plays and then adapting this to FM24.

Edited January 19 by Cleon

[Cleon]

Þór Akureyri Tactical Strategies

Limitations

In this section, we will discuss some of the alternative formations that we can employ and use within the framework we’ve set out at Þór Akureyri. We are also talking about their tactical implications for Football Manager 2024.

Without a doubt, this is the hardest part of this entire recreation. We will have to make compromises here. The three hardest factors to recreate will be:

• Fluidity and interchangeability: Diniz’s “anti-positional” approach emphasises fluid movement and positional interchange among players. Capturing the exact level of fluidity and adaptability in the match engine might be difficult, as some roles and movements are more rigidly defined within the game.
• Overloads and numerical superiority: Diniz’s tactics often involve creating overloads and numerical advantages in specific areas of the pitch. While Football Manager allows for some degree of tactical customisation, achieving the same level of localised superiority as seen in Diniz’s system may not always be possible.
• Off-the-ball movement: Intelligent off-the-ball movement is a crucial aspect of Diniz’s style. Although you can instruct your players to make specific runs, the match engine might not fully capture the subtle and varied movements that characterise Fluminense’s play.

Team Instructions for Þór Akureyri

In the real world, Fluminense primarily adopts specific formations that have proven to be effective. However, when trying to recreate these shapes in Football Manager, we may encounter some limitations in achieving the desired style of play. While the in-game formation may somewhat resemble the real-life tactics, using a different shape could potentially enhance both defensive and attacking aspects, allowing us to mirror Fluminense’s real-life performances more.

When creating formations in Football Manager, especially recreations, it’s often better to start with the shape that defines the defensive shape. It’s much easier to create the attacking shape you want from almost any formation on Football Manager. But it’s much harder to get the defensive shape right. That’s why it becomes trickier. Fluminense defends in a 4-4-2, usually. So this is something we want to do with Þór Akureyri.

The team instructions we spoke about in the last chapter will be used by Þór Akureyri regardless of the shape we use. Those are the real DNA of this style of play.

Þór Akureyri Player Roles

As for the player roles, we have a few different options and don’t have to be so rigid with what we use. We can change them during games based on how the game is going, which players we use, and other scenarios. So based on the above, we could do something like this with Þór Akureyri:

Goalkeeper (GK):

Sweeper Keeper (Support): goalkeeper with good passing and decision-making abilities, helping in build-up play from the back.

Right Fullback (RB) and Left Fullback (LB):

Complete Wing-Back (Support) or Wingback (Support): Fullbacks have the freedom to contribute offensively, providing width and creating chances with overlapping runs. The left-sided one would be asked to sit narrow if you used a WB role. This encourages both underlaps and overlaps to occur naturally.

Central Defenders (CBs):

Ball-Playing Defenders (Defend): Defenders with good passing abilities who can help maintain possession and start attacks from the back. Then, for the right-sided centre-back, we’d have him as a standard defender. There is also the option to have them set up as a stopper and cover too.

Defensive Midfielders (DMs):

Roaming Playmaker (Support): A midfielder who dictates the tempo, dribbles with the ball, and distributes the ball. The second player in the pivot could be a defensive midfielder (support) or ball-winning Midfielder (support)—a versatile midfielder who can adapt to different situations, providing defensive cover and contributing to the attack.

Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM):

Advanced Playmaker (Support) or Enganche: The central attacking midfielder in the middle should be the team’s chief creator, linking up play and providing key passes. They should be looking to find pockets of space and dictate the attacking moves, constantly seeking the ball and orchestrating the attack. The Advanced Playmaker role will allow the player to roam more freely than the Enganche, though.

Attacking Midfielder (AMRC):

Shadow Striker (SS) or Inside Forward: One of the wide central attacking midfielders can be assigned the Shadow Striker role by moving them inwards. This player will make forward runs from deep positions, getting into the box to score goals, and acting as a secondary striker. The Shadow Striker will also help press the opposition’s defence and contribute to winning back possession. This would mean moving him inward to the AM spots, though. But it gives us a different dimension of play if we were to do this.

Or you could assign him as an inside forward and have him make dangerous runs into the box. 

Attacking Midfielder (AML):

Winger or Inverted Winger: The IW will start wide and then drift inside, looking to exploit half-spaces and create overloads in the final third. This player will contribute both to the build-up play and finishing moves, providing a dynamic presence in the attacking midfield area. Winger is also a good choice now because you can instruct them to cut inside on Football Manager 2024.

Striker (ST):

Deep-Lying Forward (Support) or False Nine (Support): A forward who can drop deep, link up with the attacking midfielders, and create space for teammates. I do see the striker role as something I will be constantly changing, though, depending on the opposition we face. Þór Akureyri is an amateur side with no money to spend. We’ll also be expected to lose more games than we win, so this is where I will take advantage of my opponents’ weaknesses and adapt. But the main point here is that the entire front three also have to be interchangeable.

Þór Akureyri 4-2-3-1 Shapes

I think anyone using the 4-2-3-1 would likely come to a similar conclusion for the roles used, as there isn’t that much choice if we are basing it off of Diniz. Not for implementing the style we want and the behaviours of the players.

So depending on what we do at Þór Akureyri the systems could look like this:

As I mentioned above, the striker could play any role. I’d likely go with a deep-lying forward or false nine if the opponents are sitting deep to encourage them to be more creative. But if the opposition is sitting high up the pitch, then I want the player to run behind and stretch them rather than dropping off the front.

You’ll notice I went for wingbacks over complete wingbacks in this version. That’s because complete wingbacks are a lot more aggressive in their play and go to the byline. But we already have a winger on the left side going to that area. We can ask the winger to cut inside, but I still feel like complete wingbacks would be a mistake here.

4-2-2-2 Box Shape

The narrow 4-2-2-2 formation focuses on central overloads and quick combinations between the central midfielders and the two forwards. The fullbacks provide width and attacking support, while the defensive midfielders help maintain possession and control the game’s tempo. The anti-positional approach allows for fluid movement and positional interchanges, creating unpredictability in the attack.

If you wanted, you could even use this as a different take on a box formation too. This variant allows the advanced playmaker to be the central player and have everyone running off and beyond him. He becomes the centre of the orchestra.

4-3-3  Shapes

The 4-3-3 is easy to make into a 4-4-2 in defensive phases too. With the 4-3-3, if we were to apply the roles from above to the tactic, it would look something like this;

The Carrilero is responsible for providing support and balance to the midfield, ensuring that the central areas of the pitch are adequately covered. They work tirelessly to link the defensive and attacking units by winning the ball, maintaining possession, and distributing it effectively.

One of the key tasks of a Carrilero is to cover wide areas of the pitch. When the team is in possession, the Carrilero moves to the flanks, offering a passing option and supporting the fullbacks or wingbacks in the attack. In defence, the Carrilero tracks back and helps to protect the wide areas from opposition attacks.

Carrileros are often responsible for pressing and winning the ball back when possession is lost. They must be aggressive and proactive in closing down opponents, disrupting their passing lanes, and recovering possession for the team.

While not as offensively minded as a traditional box-to-box midfielder, a Carrilero is still expected to contribute to both defensive and offensive phases of play. They need a high work rate and stamina to allow them to cover large areas of the pitch, making them valuable assets in transitions.

If you wanted you could still move the inside forward and use him as a shadow striker too.

Another possible change is to make the defensive midfielder a half-back. Now the downside here is that the half-back role doesn’t allow for more dribbling, something that Andre can do. It’s also not a playmaking role either. But don’t be put off by that; the half-back role is a natural playmaker. By that, I mean, they will see lots of the ball and build from the back without it being forced. 

You can tailor the role so it takes more risks, though. which, in turn, can still replicate risky, progressive passing. Especially if you have a player for the role with all the correct player traits, you can make him even more aggressive in the role.

Remember, though, that you don’t have to make these changes; it’s just another take on how you can make the same thing work but by a different method. That’s the great thing about recreations in general: if you asked 10 people to create the same thing, they’d all approach it from different angles. And this would likely give you 10 different versions of the same thing.

That last shape I’ve just shown is what I mainly use on the save. However, the roles differ slightly based on different scenarios. In the next post, I’ll break the system down and show you how it all works with Þór Akureyri. As everything is quite complex and like a jigsaw, each role and duty used is for something specific to give us the “bigger picture”.

 

Edited January 16 by Cleon

[Cleon]

Meet The System FM24 – The Jigsaw

When discussing tactics, specifically the player roles, I always liken them to jigsaw pieces. The analogy of football tactics being like jigsaws is an interesting way to describe the strategic aspect of the game. Let’s explore this analogy:

Pieces Fit Together

In a jigsaw puzzle, each piece has a specific place and role in completing the picture. Similarly, in football, each player has a specific position and role. The success of the team depends on how well these pieces fit together and complement each other.

Formation as the Framework

The formation in football can be likened to the framework of a jigsaw puzzle. It provides the structure for the team, determining the positioning of players on the field. Coaches often choose formations based on the strengths of their players and the style of play they want to implement.

Strategy and Planning

Like solving a jigsaw puzzle, football tactics involve strategy and planning. I analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team, devise a game plan, and adjust tactics as the game progresses. Each move is strategic, aiming to outmanoeuvre the opponent.

Adaptability

Just as you may need to adjust your approach when solving a jigsaw puzzle, football teams must be adaptable. Tactical changes during a match, such as substitutions or alterations to the formation, are akin to finding the right pieces to fit unexpected challenges.

Attention to Detail

Both jigsaw puzzles and football tactics require attention to detail. Every small piece or tactical decision can impact the overall outcome. You need to know how your players are playing, the context of the match flow, and so on. If you just base it on ratings, then you need to grasp how the game is going or what the players are doing.

Patience

Jigsaw puzzles and football games both demand patience. The puzzle is solved piece by piece, and success in football often comes through a gradual buildup of plays and adherence to the game plan.

While the analogy helps understand the interconnected nature of football tactics, it’s essential to remember that the dynamic and unpredictable nature of a live match adds an extra layer of complexity compared to a static jigsaw puzzle.

To understand this tactic and how it functions, we need to break it all down into smaller chunks. This helps see what each individual does in all phases of play. Often, when watching Football Manager videos or reading blogs, this is a part of the game most people miss out on explaining. For this reason, I want this to be in-depth.

Meet The System FM24 – The Defence

The best place to start when talking about Meet The System is at the beginning, and that is the goalkeeper. At some stage, I’ll have a full article about goalkeepers. When playing Football Manager, we never really hear about how people utilise goalkeepers in the game.

The Keeper

You might see the odd person mention they’ve had their keeper score a couple of goals over the years, but for most parts, all we hear about keepers is people saying they ask theirs to distribute it to the defenders. I’d say that is about it for how people detail how to use goalkeepers; no one ever really talks about the other ways you can use the goalkeeper. I’m guessing most people see a goalkeeper and think, ‘There’s nothing much I can do with them’. But they can be a great tool. Some of the ways you can utilise them are:

• Ballplaying keepers
• Free kick-takers
• Pinpoint accurate balls into the channels
• Starting attacks
• Putting the opposition on the back foot
• Playing out of defence

People keep requesting that the game add ballplaying keepers to the game as a new role. But they already exist; you just need to unlock the ability by using the correct type of player in the role along with the team settings. This is why it needs to be a standalone topic, as it is a 4000+ word article.

 

For Meet the System FM24, we use a sweeper keeper on an attack duty.

If you think back to the previous article I wrote before this Meet the System one, you’ll remember I was quite aggressive. We use a high defensive line, a high press, and so on. So you want the keeper to reflect that and not be stuck on his line waiting for the play to come to him. We want him to be reactive to what is happening.

Using him as a sweeper keeper on attack duty allows him to come off his line to sweep up any balls down the channels or over the top of the defensive line. Allowing us to react better to situations and events around us.

Not only that, but during the build-up phases, he will also come out of his box. This gives us an extra man at the back to pass to, and it’s not unusual to see him play the ball to those attacking players making surging runs. Or he becomes another passing outlet. It can be used to beat the press.

The team instructions you use here can limit and hinder this type of play, as can the player you use. Someone with a higher eccentricity attribute will see him come out of the box more often. Using team instructions, such as playing out of defence, can impact how frequently or often he comes off his line. 

Especially if you want the player to move up into the defensive midfield areas. These limit that because you’re instructing players to do something specific, like pass the ball to the defenders instead. All of this takes away from the build-up phase of what a sweeper keeper can offer.

Another Example

In this one, I saw that the opposition liked to commit people forward, and their wingers stayed very high and quite central. So I asked the goalkeeper to slow play down and roll the ball out to my outer centre-backs.

What this did was give us a free man in defence when they pressed us. Not only that, but it allowed us to pass around the wingers into free space.  Along with this, it means that when you start the transition to attack, the opposition has to bring other players across to make up for the winger’s bad positioning.  This creates chaos centrally and lots of disorganised movement.

The Inverted Full-Back FM24

This is one of the new roles added to FM24, and one that I see confuses a lot of people as they don’t see the difference between this role and the inverted wingback. In essence, the distinction is not always easy to spot, and the specific roles can vary based on the team’s shape and team/player instructions. The in-game descriptions are more about describing the general movements and positioning of these players during matches.

It’s also worth remembering that the new role, inverted full-back, is part of the new positional rotation feature in FM24. Positional play is a new feature in the match engine and changes the way tactics work. Certain roles now rotate; this is done automatically in transitions.

Roles that trigger rotations:

Defenders

• Inverted Wing-Back ( From FB & WB to DM )
• Inverted Full-Back  ( From FB to CB )
• Libero ( From CB to DM )

Midfielders

• Half-Back ( From DM to CB )
• Segundo Volante ( From DM to AM )
• Roaming Playmaker ( From DM & CM to AM )
• Box to Box Midfielder ( From CM to AM )
• Central Midfielder Attack ( From CM to AM )
• Advanced Playmaker ( From CM to AM )
• Mezzala ( From CM to AM )

There is now space for three players in each area of the central pitch in transitional phases in FM24. So, for example, if you have two defensive midfielders, one as Segundo Volante and one as a defensive midfielder, with two inverted wingbacks in transition, the SV will move forward and the DM will shift centrally, making space for the two IWBs, and so on.

Here we can see the inverted full-back on the right side of our defence. He is a lot more central than the left wingback is. But you can also see he is quite advanced. Our team instructions include a high defensive line, which impacts how high we are up the pitch. You need to be aware of how our team instructions can impact the different behaviours of our players, especially on FM24. They won’t always play the same way in every match. The opposition’s formation will also further change the behaviours.

While attacking, the inverted full-back doesn’t compromise defensive solidity. When out of possession, they revert to a more traditional defensive role, providing an extra layer of protection in central areas. This allows the team to seamlessly transition between offensive and defensive structures while offering defensive compactness.

Additionally, their central positioning enhances the team’s chances of winning back possession in key areas. Or it allows them to offer more stability against counterattacks or cleared balls without sacrificing a midfield role to be more defensive.

In the FM24 video above, we can see how important he was here by being central and playing as the second centre-back. When the ball is cleared, it allows us to regain possession and keep the attacking players high up the pitch. Allowing us to carry on building an attack via the inverted full-back.

Their late runs into the box can catch defences off guard, adding an element of unpredictability. This goal-scoring threat forces opponents to track their movements, opening up spaces for other attacking players.

The inverted full-back’s central position facilitates rapid transitions from defence to attack. Upon winning the ball, they are already well-placed to initiate quick counter-attacks or distribute the ball efficiently to more advanced teammates. This differs slightly from the inverted wingback because the inverted full-back doesn’t sacrifice himself for being in the first line, compared to the inverted wingback, who pushes up to midfield.

Inverted wingbacks are usually in more central midfield positions, whereas the inverted full-back stays a defender. This allows us more flexibility with the roles we use in midfield too, and we can use those to create a more direct threat immediately from deep areas.

In possession-based systems on FM24, inverted full-backs move into central defensive areas, effectively becoming somewhat natural playmakers in deep areas. This strategic positioning adds an extra layer to the team’s build-up play. Their ability to receive, control, and distribute the ball in central zones helps maintain possession and initiate attacking sequences.

Left-Sided Wingback

On the left, we use a wingback on a support duty. The main responsibility of this player is to be more direct in his approach. But not so direct that he is more advanced than the other players, hence the support duty. I need the team to move as a unit.

As expected, he is one of the main sources of assists for the team, often being the most aggressive player on the team in terms of what he does with the ball. He is also the one keeping the width to stretch defences in a system that is very narrow in general. This allows him to get into great positions, often unmarked.

We have an example here in the image above. The ball-playing defender is on the ball and has all the time in the world, as we are dominating possession and forcing the opposition back due to our aggressive playing style.

When the ball is played to the wingback, the inverted winger makes a run towards the box and takes with him one of the markers about to come across.

This then creates space and time for the wingback to give us width and stretch the opposition. Meanwhile, the three-pronged attack of the IW, DLF, and SS are in really good positions to get on the end of the cross.

It’s just a simple move, but one that is part of our attacking style and is part of the jigsaw I mentioned at the start. This pattern of play is part of our DNA. But it wouldn’t be possible were it not for the inverted winger, deep-lying forward, and the shadow striker movement. 

We will talk more about those roles in the next article, as well as how they all link together and are part of a well-oiled machine.

The wingback does a lot of other stuff too, but I only want to cover the basics of the defence in this article and leave the more intricate stuff for the other articles. Especially as I want to use videos to show what actions they take, track their movements, etc.

Centrebacks

On the left side, next to the wingback, I use a ball-playing defender. Although we favour a playing style heavily focused on possession, I still want someone who can break the lines from deep and do progressive passes. This way, we then have options. The ball-playing defender can easily play a direct ball into the inverted wingback or the wingback when they are in advanced areas.

I’ve written about ball-playing defenders a fair bit in the past year on the blog, so I don’t want to go over old ground.

The other centre back is just a standard one. Someone who is more disciplined than the ball-playing midfielder and will keep things simple. Again, this gives us options, as he does different things when on the ball. He’s more likely to pass the ball to the defensive midfielder or midfield.

Our overall defensive play on FM24 is based on short passing and building from the back. But if an opportunity arises, we can mix it up and go longer or more direct. This is where the wingback and ball-playing defender come in.

In the next article, we’ll be talking about the midfield while also further linking the defence to the midfield. It’ll include analysis, videos, and a discussion.

Edited January 16 by Cleon

[Cleon]

Reserved 3

[Cleon]

Reserved 4

[Cleon]

Reserved 5

[Cleon]

Hope you enjoy what I've done so far.

[john1]

Fantastic

[ibrahim.akbyk]

2 saat önce, Cleon said:

The Carrilero is responsible for providing support and balance to the midfield, ensuring that the central areas of the pitch are adequately covered. They work tirelessly to link the defensive and attacking units by winning the ball, maintaining possession, and distributing it effectively.

Hi @Cleon mind-opening as always, thank you👌

One thing I wonder. Wouldnt be CAR more fit on the right and AP on the left side? I assume CAR could cover the space behind the IF and AP could get a little bit space with IW which could stay wide more than IF. Also,  couldnt it helps with overload left and freeing IF on 1v1 situation. What do you think when you was choosing sides with these two roles?

Edited January 16 by ibrahim.akbyk

[Cleon]

9 minutes ago, ibrahim.akbyk said:

Hi @Cleon mind-opening as always, thank you👌

One thing I wonder. Wouldnt be CAR more fit on the right and AP on the left side? I assume CAR could cover the space behind the IF and AP could get a little bit space with IW which could stay wide more than IF. Also,  couldnt it helps with overload left and freeing IF on 1v1 situation. What do you think when you was choosing sides with these two roles?

I'm doing somewhat of a recreation and wanting to cause numbers advantage in certain areas. Having the AP on the left when playing narrow, wouldn't allow the IW to come as narrow as I like. He would also attract the ball more than those two roles, which kind of goes what I want to happen down the left side. I want the IW and WR to be the natural creators on that side. I actually have more attacking options this way, as the AP can drift out left at times but doesn't do it all the time. So we have unpredictability in the team too.

We want to create as much space as we can, not cover it up. We want to encourage the opposition to come into these areas and then we can force turnovers and swarm the area with aggressive pressing. This then causes the AI to be out of shape and we can use this new space that has opened up.

[ibrahim.akbyk]

1 dakika önce, Cleon said:

I'm doing somewhat of a recreation and wanting to cause numbers advantage in certain areas. Having the AP on the left when playing narrow, wouldn't allow the IW to come as narrow as I like. He would also attract the ball more than those two roles, which kind of goes what I want to happen down the left side. I want the IW and WR to be the natural creators on that side. I actually have more attacking options this way, as the AP can drift out left at times but doesn't do it all the time. So we have unpredictability in the team too.

We want to create as much space as we can, not cover it up. We want to encourage the opposition to come into these areas and then we can force turnovers and swarm the area with aggressive pressing. This then causes the AI to be out of shape and we can use this new space that has opened up.

I see, it is more clear to me now, thanks 🙏

[llama3]

Lovely stuff @Cleon - what your views on AP(s) and how well it combines with IF(s) & IW(s) - have a preference?

[Cleon]

12 minutes ago, llama3 said:

Lovely stuff @Cleon - what your views on AP(s) and how well it combines with IF(s) & IW(s) - have a preference?

As an attacking trio? I think it's good but I prefer the dynamic of them with the IF being a SS instead. I love an AP support though when they have players running beyond them and they're behind dictating play.

[llama3]

58 minutes ago, Cleon said:

As an attacking trio? I think it's good but I prefer the dynamic of them with the IF being a SS instead. I love an AP support though when they have players running beyond them and they're behind dictating play.

I meant central AP(s) with IF(s) versus central AP(s) with IW(s). 

[Cleon]

24 minutes ago, llama3 said:

I meant central AP(s) with IF(s) versus central AP(s) with IW(s). 

I like it, but I prefer central AP, WB, and IWs on the wing. I love how the IW and WB link up; it's much better combination play compared to the WB and IF imo. Even though the AP isn't on the same side, he still is at times, as he just drifts around constantly.

[cmonreds]

Wow, very enjoyable reading both in content and form  

[crusadertsar]

@Cleon As always lovely stuff mate! Really enjoyed it. I especially like your 4-2-2-2 Brazilian Box tactic version. It's funny but it seems that we woke up on same side of bed today because I have been obsessing about 4-2-2-2 narrow all day today. And then saw your thread  What a lovely coincidence! This definitely gave me more tactical inspiration.

Edited January 16 by crusadertsar

[robot_skeleton]

Fantastic series @Cleon, as always! Two questions if I may, firstly regarding the sweeper keeper.

• Do you see him make risky line breaking passess when under pressure? Would you expect progressive passes from him like from the Ball playing CBs?
• My other question would be about the 4-3-3 variants. I can see that behind the striker you mostly have two aggressive wingers, be it IW or IF, os a SS. I am trying to set up a 4-1-4-1 but struggling because I want to implement a wide playmaker but seem to be completely nullified when pressed deep - even against inferior teams . Do you think it is necessary to always use two aggessive attackers from the wing in a 4-3-3? Seems to me like modern tactics both in real life and in FM rely on players being high and wide and having midfielders and fullbacks running beyond them which I struggle to achieve because the players end up limiting each other's space with a WP.

[Cleon]

11 hours ago, crusadertsar said:

@Cleon As always lovely stuff mate! Really enjoyed it. I especially like your 4-2-2-2 Brazilian Box tactic version. It's funny but it seems that we woke up on same side of bed today because I have been obsessing about 4-2-2-2 narrow all day today. And then saw your thread  What a lovely coincidence! This definitely gave me more tactical inspiration.

Haha glad I could help 

8 hours ago, robot_skeleton said:

Fantastic series @Cleon, as always! Two questions if I may, firstly regarding the sweeper keeper.

• Do you see him make risky line breaking passess when under pressure? Would you expect progressive passes from him like from the Ball playing CBs?
• My other question would be about the 4-3-3 variants. I can see that behind the striker you mostly have two aggressive wingers, be it IW or IF, os a SS. I am trying to set up a 4-1-4-1 but struggling because I want to implement a wide playmaker but seem to be completely nullified when pressed deep - even against inferior teams . Do you think it is necessary to always use two aggessive attackers from the wing in a 4-3-3? Seems to me like modern tactics both in real life and in FM rely on players being high and wide and having midfielders and fullbacks running beyond them which I struggle to achieve because the players end up limiting each other's space with a WP.

1) Yeah, he can do these types of passes at times. It depends on the player you use for the role, though, as to how frequently they happen. He should get some progressive passes but if it's high, it's an issue and means the team aren't playing out from the back like I should be doing. So it's all about knowing what is right and wrong for the system and settings you use.

2) I don't think the roles are that aggressive on a support duty. The Shadow Striker is really aggressive, though. But the two roles are based on the striker's role. If you have a striker who drops deep then the two other players need to go beyond and past him into the box. Or it makes it a bit pointless. You'd be a bit toothless if the other two roles didn't provide a direct goal-threat. If you want to use a wide AP, then you need to build around him and likely need a striker who stays high to make use of the through balls etc. Likely need a MC on the same side busting a gut to get into the box too, to create nice triangular passes and a moveing target for the AP to aim for too.

[llama3]

14 hours ago, robot_skeleton said:

Fantastic series @Cleon, as always! Two questions if I may, firstly regarding the sweeper keeper.

• Do you see him make risky line breaking passess when under pressure? Would you expect progressive passes from him like from the Ball playing CBs?
• My other question would be about the 4-3-3 variants. I can see that behind the striker you mostly have two aggressive wingers, be it IW or IF, os a SS. I am trying to set up a 4-1-4-1 but struggling because I want to implement a wide playmaker but seem to be completely nullified when pressed deep - even against inferior teams . Do you think it is necessary to always use two aggessive attackers from the wing in a 4-3-3? Seems to me like modern tactics both in real life and in FM rely on players being high and wide and having midfielders and fullbacks running beyond them which I struggle to achieve because the players end up limiting each other's space with a WP.

Just an example of something I’ve done before the WP was an available role - in FM17, I moved my Arsenal to a 4-3-3 to try and get the best out of Ramsey and Ozil - played Ozil as an AP(s) on the right wing with Ramsey a CM(a) at MRC and Bellerin a CWB(a) - had Ozil sat narrower too so he had Ramsey underlapping and Bellerin overlapping. 

[Cleon]

On 17/01/2024 at 12:21, llama3 said:

Just an example of something I’ve done before the WP was an available role - in FM17, I moved my Arsenal to a 4-3-3 to try and get the best out of Ramsey and Ozil - played Ozil as an AP(s) on the right wing with Ramsey a CM(a) at MRC and Bellerin a CWB(a) - had Ozil sat narrower too so he had Ramsey underlapping and Bellerin overlapping. 

That's a good way of doing it

[backpocket]

I tried the 433 you’ve set up and the movement of the midfield three was really interesting. The carrilero and RPM switched places a lot and the carrilero would a lot of times be the deepest when the RPM surges forward. I tried using a DLP thinking it would be more secure, instead him holding position made everything worse as he wasn’t supporting the right flank enough, and the carrilero was too static. I never would’ve thought to use an RPM there.

The IF-s does tend to get isolated sometimes if the ball gets to him early so I kinda get why you’d use an SS. But with an IF would you use anything besides an AP-WB  combo to support it? 

[Cleon]

5 hours ago, backpocket said:

I tried the 433 you’ve set up and the movement of the midfield three was really interesting. The carrilero and RPM switched places a lot and the carrilero would a lot of times be the deepest when the RPM surges forward. I tried using a DLP thinking it would be more secure, instead him holding position made everything worse as he wasn’t supporting the right flank enough, and the carrilero was too static. I never would’ve thought to use an RPM there.

The IF-s does tend to get isolated sometimes if the ball gets to him early so I kinda get why you’d use an SS. But with an IF would you use anything besides an AP-WB  combo to support it? 

A DLP is more static compared to the RPM, and this becomes an issue when everyone else in the side is mobile, allowing gaps to appear. That's why a RPM is needed, so the team can move as a unit and take away space from the opposition by all being in close proximity to each other.

As dor the IF being isolated, this was created for a specific thing and I didn't really like that version much hence the SS. But the whole system is set up to play, as I set out in the posts above. But if you wanted to play the IF version, you could set it up however you wanted to play. If you changed the AP or WB, then that would likely have a knock-on effect everywhere on the pitch, as the AP is really the heartbeat of the side. So you'd have to adapt and make other changes to reflect how the system would now function. But like always, any combo can work. It's how you build around them to take advanatge of it.

 

[backpocket]

16 minutes ago, Cleon said:

A DLP is more static compared to the RPM, and this becomes an issue when everyone else in the side is mobile, allowing gaps to appear. That's why a RPM is needed, so the team can move as a unit and take away space from the opposition by all being in close proximity to each other.

As dor the IF being isolated, this was created for a specific thing and I didn't really like that version much hence the SS. But the whole system is set up to play, as I set out in the posts above. But if you wanted to play the IF version, you could set it up however you wanted to play. If you changed the AP or WB, then that would likely have a knock-on effect everywhere on the pitch, as the AP is really the heartbeat of the side. So you'd have to adapt and make other changes to reflect how the system would now function. But like always, any combo can work. It's how you build around them to take advanatge of it.

 

Thanks for the reply! I never would have thought if everyone’s mobile, the guy who holds position will ruin everything. 

Enjoy seeing your tactical discussion and then trying it myself to see how it works. Things always… fit perfectly somehow. 

[s3bofficial]

excelente publicación, tengo una consulta como armarias un 41212 utilizando esta filosofía.

[Cleon]

13 hours ago, s3bofficial said:

excelente publicación, tengo una consulta como armarias un 41212 utilizando esta filosofía.

You would just move one of the AM's to the striker position. So you'd likely use a AF and a DLF combo for attack. 

[Slipky]

On 16/01/2024 at 11:50, Cleon said:

4-2-2-2 Box Shape

The narrow 4-2-2-2 formation focuses on central overloads and quick combinations between the central midfielders and the two forwards. The fullbacks provide width and attacking support, while the defensive midfielders help maintain possession and control the game’s tempo. The anti-positional approach allows for fluid movement and positional interchanges, creating unpredictability in the attack.

 

 

Isn't the AM-A and the DLF-S stepping on each other's feet when positioned like this?
Also, is there any logic behind using two playmakers?

[Cleon]

On 02/03/2024 at 10:48, Slipky said:

Isn't the AM-A and the DLF-S stepping on each other's feet when positioned like this?
Also, is there any logic behind using two playmakers?

Why would they step on each other when positioned like this? Do fullbacks and wingers step on each others toes when you're doing over/underlaps? Do attacking CM's like B2B, Mez or CMa step on the striker? It's how you create overloads/combination play football.

As for why 2 playmakers, its explained in the articles the benefits and why I did it, due to wanting to create something specific.

[Dreambuilder]

Interesting about support duties! But I miss guidance on mentality and adjusting tactics after player quality. For example if you play a really low division with bad players or have slow centerbacks with low anticipation etc they are gonna be caught out high up vs longer balls on fast attackers etc.

I think the game more than ever tells us that the best managers of this game are the ones that can adapt to anything and use as many tools of the tactics as possible. So I'm looking for guidance how to counter different tactics. For example 4231 that I'm playing has a weakness vs 4-1-2-2-1 and their DM+2 CM . But 4-1-2-2-1 also has a weakness in no Central Attacking midfielder. I started to "counter-counter" that by "force opposition inside" and it seems to work. Confirmation bias or not I dont know but I want to learn more ways to counter different tactics =)

 

[Cleon]

49 minutes ago, Dreambuilder said:

Interesting about support duties! But I miss guidance on mentality and adjusting tactics after player quality. For example if you play a really low division with bad players or have slow centerbacks with low anticipation etc they are gonna be caught out high up vs longer balls on fast attackers etc.

I think the game more than ever tells us that the best managers of this game are the ones that can adapt to anything and use as many tools of the tactics as possible. So I'm looking for guidance how to counter different tactics. For example 4231 that I'm playing has a weakness vs 4-1-2-2-1 and their DM+2 CM . But 4-1-2-2-1 also has a weakness in no Central Attacking midfielder. I started to "counter-counter" that by "force opposition inside" and it seems to work. Confirmation bias or not I dont know but I want to learn more ways to counter different tactics =)

 

I go into detail here about how to adapt etc and I started off with the worst team on the entire game.

 

[andyinc]

Hi Cleon. Great post btw. Really enjoyed reading it. Are you planning on continuing the articles on view from the touchline ? I'm interested on hiw you prepare for matches using the opposition scout reports and exploiting weakness etc

Edited March 19 by andyinc

[Cleon]

19 hours ago, andyinc said:

Hi Cleon. Great post btw. Really enjoyed reading it. Are you planning on continuing the articles on view from the touchline ? I'm interested on hiw you prepare for matches using the opposition scout reports and exploiting weakness etc

Hi, yeah when I get time as I haven't had much recently. But I discuss all those things linked in the topic above if you need something more immediate. There's a dedicated chapter in it for this.

[andyinc]

Brilliant ill take a look and looking forward to the next article 👍. Thanks