Robson 07

Hi @Millsinho. If you're looking to achieve the above I think you have a slight disconnect in your set up if you don't mind me saying. I'm not sure why you picked fluid shape but to go with the rest of the things you're doing I would try structured.

Hi. Thanks again for the reply. I beg your pardon inferring 'no' forward runs, perhaps better described as rarely. My understanding might be outdated but in older versions I thought players had three 'forward runs' settings: rarely, mixed and often. As they game evolved into roles and duties available to us today, I thought all defend duties had forward runs rarely; support duties mixed; attack duties often. If that has changed I'll happily stand corrected. To the point we're now have under the microscope, and following the above logic, a defensive forward with a defend duty will make forward runs rarely. I find that a little odd. To my original question I'm still not sure why the role doesn't have an attack duty.

Thanks for the reply. Personally I think it makes far more sense to have Attack Duty pressing the back line + goalkeeper and Support Duty pressing back line + DMs. A defend duty forward makes no sense to me, it even suggests they make no forward runs.

Q. Why isn't the Defensive Forward role available with an attack duty?

No just forwards and players in the attacking midfield band.

I think the system asks an awful lot of him. No partner and no one playing in the attacking midfield band. Admittedly a couple of players are breaking from deep, which is good, but its still from deep as you are low block. To top it off he's chasing around like a blue arse fly as a defensive forward asked to close down the keeper. Overall its a defence first setup with a lot of demand on a lone striker. Probably got to help him more.

Above is the team (again in white) playing from left to right, moving up the pitch from image to image. The picture were meant to be in a straight line to make it clearer, no matter. What I have done is cut the pitch up into thirds, defensive-middle-attacking, and this is us in the counter/fluid strategy. Interception in our own half; ball played into Lacazette. Lacazette turn and plays in Martinet Martinet drives the team forward. You can see us in a much tighter shape in each image. Compact in that defensive block with all our players between the goal area and halfway. Then as we transition to attack you can see every player has moved up as a group keeping our distances. Then in the final third our shape begins to look a bit loose. As clear a contrast I can show you in still images between the two strategies if you revert back to the image from post#1.

Understandable and it can lead to too many shots on occasions. Simply remove it, add run at defence, or do neither. Simply trying to beat teams parking the bus and when teams are deep take a shot or draw them out. Yeah that's a great call too and a good use of that 'shout' in different circumstances. It can waste time and allow your team a few valuable seconds to reorganise when used that way. Good to hear. I'd say that I stop short of being completely reactive. Prefer to see it as pragmatic. What sort of tweaks might you make?

Hi all, I've adapted my approach to FM in recent times and I thought I'd open that up to the forum. The versatile approach is about not just sticking with Plan A regardless as this doesn't always work for me as I go from team to team, division to division or even match to match. I prefer nowadays to adapt to the situation and sometimes the opposition. The strategy can be boiled down to:- A cautious, possession base style Taking the game to the opposition Shut up shop TEAM SHAPE For the cautious strategy I go with FLUID. The team plays as a unit, compact in defence and the strikers are closer to each other and the midfield. They combine fluidly and have a slice of creative licence. For the more attacking strategy I prefer STRUCTURED. This team shape give me more vertical space i.e. depth to go with width I'll get from the mentality. It also devolves the strikers from a little bit of defensive responsibility which may encourage the opposition out a little more. When shutting up shop I'll use VERY FLUID just so that everyone is focused on defending. MENTALITY I play counter mentality for cautious possession. Players take less risk with passing, the build up is controlled (as in patient), and the team stays tight (narrow). For seeking goals I want more dynamism provided by control mentality which adds tempo, width and as I see it, intent in positioning and forward passing. Defend mentality for shutting shop. Now I know some people will prefer less creative freedom with lower mentalities, and that's completely fine. Feel free to debate the merits of either by all means. Personally I feel that these combinations work and that I achieve both my desired style(s) along with results, INSTRUCTIONS Counter / Fluid / Play out of Defence / Short Passing / Work into Box / Close Down More. The team builds from the back with a controlled tempo and the midfield probes by circulating the ball and keeping possession. The strikers play close together and fluid movement is encouraged. Defensively the team falls back into a compact unit and we press as a team. Control / Structured / Early Crosses / Direct Passing / Shoot on Sight / Close Down Less. Almost a mirror image. I want depth, width and a bit of urgency. The opposition is enticed out by our deeper line and lower pressing ploy but we'll cross and shoot if given the chance. I hope to demonstrate in the image below our 'take the game to the opposition' shape. We are in white attacking left to right. Note the depth we create to play plus the width on offer from our wingbacks. To kill a game off is quite straightforward. I take the cautious approach but go defence mentality and very fluid to get everyone defending as a team. Also have the fall backs play on defend duty and if you are feeling extra jittery change from play out of defence to clear to flanks. ROLES AND DUTIES Now I don't change these unless I go to defend mentality when I want those fall backs on a leash. In the tactic I'm using at the moment there are 3 x defend duty; 6 x support duty and 1 x attack; plus GK. That's not a hard rule for me but I sort of prefer strikers on support. They are key for me especially when breaking sides down. I do not want static forwards or to always play on the last man - move, move, move. I like them to cut inside, come to the ball, move into channels, have free roles and generally buzz about. Roles like inside forward, complete forward and false nine. just as examples. are roles that move or can have PIs added that do so. In midfield I may limit playmakers. They tend to channel the ball and play Hollywood passes whereas again I'm after circulation. A box to box is a good role but I don't really use it so much if using 4 or 5 bands in the formation (that you get with defensive or attacking midfielders or both). The box to box is a space eater. Defensively I tend to go for wingbacks if not using wide mids or if its an inside forward. Otherwise its conventional roles like central defender. The GK is asked to roll it out if playing from the back. MY TEAM For the purpose of this post the team is only really relevant for context. I'm playing as Lyon about five seasons or so into a save, A good side but not overpowered due to side philosophy I was trying out. I've built the team, both playing and non-playing staff, to be French only, which has kept our strength in check and PSG, Monaco etc are very much a challenge. There is an element of youth and being a strong academy club so I do have a number of regens now emerging but there are many familiar names too such as Lafont (GK), Pavard (DC), Tousart (DM), Bakayoko (DM), Ndombele (Mid), Maolida (Fwd) and Geubbels (Fwd). I also have Umtiti and Lacazette about to re-join on freebies. A couple of images from the season that has just concluded with me playing this way. FINAL WORD I'll add the chalkboard screens in a follow up post. Not hiding those but not intending this as a download tactic either. I suppose it just more a showcase of how I do things, probably similar to some but different to others. No rights or wrongs. And finally when to use each style? Well domestically we're pretty strong so nearly always at home I'm on control trying to score and win. Sometimes the same away from home but against better opposition I'll take the more cautious approach, and I only shut up shop in the last ten minutes of a game to protect a narrow lead. You can sometimes get a 'tell' from a scout report or a formation about what the opposition is trying to do especially when they are coming to defend at all costs. But generally I find its best to just follow your intuition.

At the risk of not crossing over into MU transfers thread I'd agree Rojo out and Mina in makes little sense to me as far as I know about the latter. The other merit about this thread is two up top and I think Sanchez/Lukaku plus Martial and Rashford could make some great pairings. But then you begin o eliminate Mata, Lingard and maybe someone like Pereira. Maybe this is part of Utd's problem, too many player styles to fit just one system?

Also not a huge fan of the 3 CBs we'd have for such a system. Southgate didn't like Smalling's distribution from the back and I'm not sure Jones or Rojo is much better. Whilst Lindelöf may be able to pass a2b I don't know yet if he's cut out to be top level in a league like the Prem. All more reasons pointing against 3 at the back for MU. Only Maguire or Adweirald might alter matters. Yerry Mina has very big question marks over him.

I've tried a complete right wing back for Florenzi at Roma. He loves it and becomes a real creative outlet on the right. The other full back exhibits completely different behaviour but its not a back three. A DLP with GK distribution set to him has a similar(ish) effect to half back but again its still not the other full back making this back three I don't quite know how you can get it. Have you tried a defensive full back with play narrower?

Nice OP @sporadicsmiles, liking your work, keep it up and good luck.

I think its a good post, and right now, a good fit. Utd have played a small amount of 352 games under Jose but I don't think its his preferred style and I doubt we'll see it that much. I reckon Fred was signed to play a 4231 with him and Matic holding for Pogba. The right side up top as likely to be Lingard as anyone else, not sure Mata is the starter in fact Jose wants someone else here e.g. Willian or Peresic. Tactically though a nice thought.

Ok wow. In my opinion that is way too open against Man City. A structured 4231 deep...huge problems for Bellerin. I think as Arsenal you can beat the lower teams with some football that creates space, has some gaps and invites them out of a shell. A Man City team is a different prospect away from home. Personally I would play them more cautiously for the most part and only expand toward the latter stages if I was losing and thought I could snatch something. You make a different approach for City than for someone like, I don't know, Brighton. I kind of apologise as I think you have too much conflicting information in your feedback from other posters and I'm conscious of only adding to that. I'm not going to challenge other posts but I would try and cover up against City (or similar) and look to win the more winnable. Pick your fights.