Anyone got a tactic to defend against a 4-2-4?

[Campbell1892]

The Ai is constantly using this tactic against me in the last 20 mins and my team keep throwing results away does anyone have an effective tactic to defend against it?

Thanks

[Lyssien]

OK, this is what works for me very well, but I am still using the first patch:

Formation: 4-1-4-1, flat back four (Forward Runs rarely), 1 DMC (FR rarely) , 2 MCs (FR mixed), MR (FR often), ML(FR Often), lone striker (FR mixed, hold up ball).

Mentality: Everyone on Ultra Defensive except for MR and ML who are on normal and ST who is on normal or attacking.

Creative Freedom: Everyone on very low except for your three attacking players (ST, MR, ML).

Passing: Direct or Long for everyone. Your attacking trio may have shorter passing if you wish.

Width: narrowest possible.

Defensive Line: to the left extreme

Marking: Zonal, loose

Tempo: Slow, last notch before mixed.

Closing down: own half, one notch to the right of "own area"

Time Wasting: maximum

Counter Attacking yes, Off sides no.

Focus Passing: Through the middle if you have a strong lone striker or Mixed if you have a fast one.

Opposition instructions: Tight mark their two central strikers and their central midfielders, close down always the right and left forwards and their fullbacks. (Do not "close down always" their central defenders and goalkeeper). In addition to this, through the instructions of YOUR players, make your right MC man mark their left MC and your left MC man mark their right MC. You don't need to do the same for your defenders. If their fullbacks still give you trouble a lot of trouble, make your side midfielders man mark them.

Good luck.

[Campbell1892]

thanks do you have an upload?

[danny aditya]

I usually check out the opposition's formation in the last 15 or 10 minutes when I'm leading by 1 goal and I certainly want to protect my lead. In the tactics screen, I usually check out the 'OI' section and do the following to their 4 strikers:

- Always Tight Mark them

- Show them onto their weaker foot (unless the two-footed strikers)

- Hard tackle them (regardless of their bravery and strength attributes)

I rarely concede against the annoying 4-2-4 formation when I do those adjustments to the OI. The point is, we have to make plans for their four men up front. Of course it would help if you also make some adjustments to your team tactic, such as lowering the tempo, narrowing width, lowering defense line, and increasing time wasting, and taking off forward runs.

[Rashidi]

All I do with my 442 formation, is

1. Remove ALL FWR from DL/DR/ML/MR

2. Tight marking on for same players

3. Defensive line set to 10

4. If need be assign specific man marking for DL/DL/ML/MR for opposite players which would be AMR/AML/FC/FC

[the_gaffa]

When I'm playing with a standard 442, I do the following (when the AI goes 424)...

1) Switch to focus passing down both flanks - this exploits the gaps in the 424.

2) I then close down and hard tackle (via the opposition instructions) their remaining two centre mids.

3) Finally, I increase the time wasting (to about two notches from full) once it gets to about the 85th minute.

I'm yet to lose against a 424 using these tweaks and more often than not, I usually end up scoring against the opposition.

[Ljuba82]

Just play on counters, direct passing and high tempo...with back arrows on DL/DR (rarely forward runs).

Mentality should be around 5-10, depends on team and your quality.