[4-4-2 Diamond Narrow tactical advice]

So @nick1408, I definitely ran into similar problems against high level UCL teams in my FM22 save while using the 4312. 

1. You posted scores from three games that have your side at 12 goals scored to only 2 conceded. That's a hell of a return. Context is important and the sample size is small but I would be quite happy with those results. 

2. As to defending the fullbacks from those goal kicks... I'm not sure! As I mentioned my squad had some issues against top level UCL competition. I wound up living with it as my board didn't require more than a respectable showing in the UCL and I managed that rather comfortably despite not advancing out of the group stage against PSG, Dortmund and Ajax. This is just theorycrafting, but I would consider either asking at least one of the strikers to mark the fullback on their side, or bumping the A(d) to a CM(d). The latter will have the effect of making your CMs wider and potentially get quicker pressure on the FBs, the former would tend to force the opposition to building up on a given side of the pitch where, hopefully, your midfield can shift over and snuff out their attempts to build from the midfield into the attacking third. 

 

In my experience, the weakness defending the flanks was worth it for our goalscoring output. With Sporting CP I managed around 3.5 goals/game in the Primera Liga, more than enough to dispatch most opposition with ease. Even against better opposition we still scored, but those sides in the UCL definitely had an easier time holding on to the ball and creating chances.

Your mileage may vary, but IMO it's worth sticking with unless you're under serious pressure from the board to shore up your defense. The quantity and quality of goals my squad scored was intoxicating!

[4-4-2 Diamond Narrow tactical advice]

First off, forgive any typos, I'm on mobile atm! 

I'm a big fan of narrow formations in general and the 442 diamond/4312 (my preferred nomenclature) holds a special place in my heart. It's a setup that seems out of fashion in modern football, likely owing to the inherent issues defending the flanks and the rise of Guardiola inspired "positional play" and it's emphasis on on maximum width to stretch opposing defenses. Despite that it can be a potent weapon in the hands of a manager that understands the setup and a team capable of meeting it's specific demands. 

 

Let's start with the strengths of the formation. With four central midfielders the 4312 will always have at least parity and most often superiority in the center of the pitch. When defending this can force the opponent to progress the ball on the flanks, a more circuitous route to goal. When a team utilizing the 4312 has the ball, there will almost always be a free player in the midfield to receive a pass. This superiority in the middle of the park is not merely an advantage but the 4312's entire raison d'etre. 

When in possession, the 4312 allows a manager to field both a two player strike partnership pressuring the backline and a creative #10 between the opposition's midfield and defense. This attacking trident can be very difficult to effectively shut down, particularly for teams playing a back four. 

In attacking transitions, that trident allows the team playing a 4312 the option of playing the ball forwards very quickly. One of the center forwards can drop deep to receive the ball with back to goal, the other pinning the center backs, and the #10 lurking in dangerous areas in anticipation of a flick on or wall pass. 

It's worth taking a moment to point out that, with a holding midfielder and two flankers, the #10 in a 4312 is often relieved of the defensive responsibility they would have in more modern setups, i.e. 4231 or 433. While one can certainly play a hard working, team oriented player in that role, it is not as necessary as in other setups, allowing for the use of a "luxury" creator in that role. 

On to the weaknesses. First on that count is the fragility on the flanks when defending, particularly against the opponent's attacking transitions. If one's team loses the ball in the opposition area with both fullbacks committed forward it can be all too easy for an opponent to play quick balls behind the fullbacks for their wingers to run onto. In instances where the opponent has controlled position in one's own half they can look to exploit the narrowness of the formation by utilizing wide attackers and overlapping fullbacks to create a 2v1 with one's fullbacks. Whether in transition or against settled posession, how a team utilizing the 4312 handles pressure on the flanks is often the difference between victory or defeat. 

The other weakness is much like the first, but flipped. Against teams that field an organized mid/low block, width in attack can become a problem. Even with two fullbacks bombing forward it is undeniably easier to pull a set defense apart with numerical parity. 

Finally, and this is more a team building issue as opposed to a tactical one, those fullbacks had better be up to the task, particularly if one's side will look to dominate the ball and play in the opponent's half. They have, bar none, the most physically demanding role in the side. They can, and will, tire quickly. Thus it is imperative to have at least two options for each flank, ideally with the drop off from first choice to second kept to a minimum. When playing a 4312 I find myself subbing off one of the fullbacks every game, and often both. Fixture congestion can can exacerbate the issue. 

 

With that out of the way, there is a lot of wiggle room as far as how one sets up their own 4312. Concerning the example you've given, it looks to me like you broadly want to play a somewhat direct counterattacking style with a mid block. In light of that I'd make the following observations...

 

1. On a positive mentality, both of those WB(s) are going to be quite aggressive. They're going to push high up the pitch early in posession when compared to a FB and when they get the ball look to drive at the opposition at pace. Nothing inherently wrong with that but I would consider either a FB(a)/FB(s) combo or perhaps WB(s/a, depending on the quality of player going forward)/WB(d). Don't sleep on the WB(d), they will generally push higher earlier than a FB(s) while being less likely to bust down the flanks, instead working more as a safe option for ball circulation that can drop in crosses from deeper positions. I've had good success using one of them in the 4312. 

2. You mention getting undone late in games. That strikes me as a fitness issue, particularly with the wingbacks. Watch their fitness and sub them off when they're exhausted. 

3. A vulnerability to through balls is, in my opinion, a big red flag. You shouldn't be having this problem in a formation with four midfielders. While I've not used the role in FM23, I found that in previous versions the HB was problematic, particularly in narrow setups. The role will drop between the CBs in buildup, splitting them and encouraging the FBs forward. That's all well and good, but in sustained posession the HB would step into midfield and the CBs would stay split. Not sure if that's the issue you're running into but I would suggest looking at those goals and trying to suss out if that's the problem. Personally I've used an Anchor, DM(d), DLP(d) or CM(d) to good effect. I'd avoid BWM, they're a bit too prone to ball chasing IMO. The other thing I'm thinking is that, with the close down more instruction, your midfielders are getting dragged out of position. Can't tell without seeing the goals conceded.

4. I don't see any roles that create for others. GK, CD, HB, CAR(s), AM(a), PF(a), AF... none of those are inherently creative roles. I would encourage you to look for players in the team who can move the ball and unlock defenses and use them in roles that encourage them to do so. If you look to play one attacking fullback and a more conservative one don't be afraid of a MEZ(s, maybe even a) on the side of your more reserved fullback. 

5. Speaking of creating, that attacking trident is three roles that are going to primarily attack the box. There's nobody tasked with dropping in and holding the ball, running at the opposition, or playing killer balls. It's going to depend a lot on the players available to you but there should be some diversity there. Something like AP(a), DLF(s), AF can be very effective. One forward pinning the defense, another showing for the ball and playing others in, plus an attack minded playmaker just behind looking to run at opponents and find that pass to unlock them. 

 

For reference, the most effective 4312 I've used was in FM22 and it looked like this. 

GK - SK(d)

RB - WB(d)

CB - CD(d) 

CB - BPD(d)

LB - WB(a)

DM - A

RCM - MEZ(a) *PI - Run wide with ball, cross more often*

LCM - CAR

AMC - AP(s)

STRR - AF

STRL - DLF(s) 

 

I don't have the tactic in front of me but it was broadly posession based with some counterpressing. Positive mentality, play out of defense, shorter passing, counter press, counter, higher LOE/DL. Nothing too crazy but it was effective at pinning most sides deep and dominating play, though better UCL opposition was a challenge. I would note that I did NOT use WBIB, I don't see the point of that instruction with two forwards and the counter instruction, particularly with a #10 behind them. 

 

For playing on the counter, I'd suggest keeping the same TIs as you have, add Counter, drop press more often if it's causing the through ball issue, add get stuck in, maybe hit early crosses, using the roles above but dropping the MEZ to s, LWB to s and bumping the AP to A. I'd also consider asking the GK to go direct to the DLF, perhaps even using a TF if that better suits your squad. 

 

Good luck, and I hope the 4312 serves you well in the future!

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

Loving this thread, especially the video of some Paulinho - Goncalves link up. I hope that in your save Paulinho gets a run in the first team. I had an SCP save last year and he was almost Harry Kane lite playing as a DLF alongside Goncalves as an AF and one of Edwards or Sarabia in the AMC slot. He's a fantastic support striker. 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Preseason Review/Tactics/Early Results

Going into our this preseason I had three main objectives. First and foremost I want to maximize our team's match sharpness and tactical familiarity without running into any major injuries. This was a complete success. Going into our first Champion's League qualification match, followed in four days by our first LigaNOS fixture, the squad was fit and ready to go with only a couple minor knocks to rotational players. 

Second, I needed to overhaul the staff that, as mentioned in a previous post, I found lacking. I think I've done alright on that front.

We've fired two coaches, including the assistant, and brought the staff up to the maximum the board has allowed. I'm a huge believer in the benefits of having the best backroom staff possible, especially at a place like Porto where getting the most out of younger players and bargain signings will be key. 

Finally, I wanted to establish a solid tactical identity for the team. My approach is to first evaluate the squad, starting with the forwards. 

Up top, Porto have five very good options. Soares has the build and skills of a classic target man plus some good mentals and technicals. Marega is physically imposing, lightning fast and has a real poacher's instinct for getting in on goal. Aboubaker can do a bit of everything and Luis is a good playmaker type center forward. The fifth on the depth chart, Fabio Silva, may be the best under 18 striker in the world.  

So, taking that into account my first thought is that we would do well to play with a strike partnership. These five have skillsets that compliment each other well and give us a lot of versatility in how we could chose to assign roles. Marega does have experience playing as an AMR and Silva certainly could handle playing as a left sided inside forward, but if we played exclusively lone striker systems at least two of the five striking options we have will struggle to get minutes. 

Moving into central midfield, we have a number of players with excellent work rate, teamwork and determination.

 

This is a good thing. On top of that, we have a group of midfielders who can work well together. Olivera and Vitor work best as deep lying playmakers. Danilo and Uribe are hard charging ball winners/box to box types. Baro, despite his youth, is a true all rounder who provides a dynamism that we could otherwise lack. Sousa can play all over the attacking third but could certainly be molded into a mezzala/AP type central midfielder. Loum is one I'm less keen on, hard to see him as anything but a decent half back/anchor man type. I'm confident that we could play with either a double pivot or a midfield three and have enough depth to not be forced into a tactical change by the odd injury. 

Next, I look at our options for wide defenders. If we're going to play with two strikers and have midfielders who could work as a two or three man setup, the logical question is to ask whether we can play a narrow system. Long term I don't see us being able to pull it off. Telles is, in my opinion, our best player and could certainly handle bossing a flank on his own but the dropoff from his level is very steep. I cannot overwork him, he's too valuable when coming up against our domestic rivals and European competition. Corona, Estaves and Mbemba could certainly share duties on the right flank well, but I really can't see using a narrow system as anything other than a situational option. 

As far as attacking midfielders go, I have a number of options, all of which are fast, agile and very good dribblers. They're all passable with both feet but are naturally right footed. A combination of traditional winger on the right and inverted winger on the left makes a lot of sense here. 

In central defense we generally lack for pace but compensate with experience, aerial dominance and pugnaciousness. Pepe needs no introduction, he can never be accused of backing down from a challenge. Maracano looks a good starter for Portugal and Mbemba and Leite bring different qualities to the position. Danilo Pereira can certainly slot into central defense if needed, and we may as well give Loum a try here as well. I'd lean towards a back four, but a back three is certainly not out of the question. 

All considered, I settled on playing a high pressing 4-2-4 as my primary formation. 

So, I'll just get this out of the way, yes it's aggressive. I do think, however, it's a sound base to work from. Our forwards and attacking midfielders are solid pressers, our center mids are hard working and defensively responsible. Telles is one of the best attacking left backs in Europe while Mbemba is much more a center back operating as a wide defender. Marchesin is comfortable coming off his line and Pepe is ready and willing to charge forward and break up counterattacks when needed. 

In the attacking phase, we have a clear plan to build up play down our left flank. Olivera stays deep and looks to dictacte play, and he has plenty of options. Telles bombs forward at the first opportunity to stretch defenses both vertically and horizontally. Otavio looks to work the left hand half space, whether receiving directly in the channel or starting from a wider position and dribbling infield. Soares drops off to provide a reliable option to quickly progress the ball to final third. If defenses shift this way to account for potential overloads, they're left with a real dillema on the right. Corona stays very high up the pitch, offering himself as a quick switch of play. With Marega staying on the last line of the defense and the right hand midfielder looking to make late surges to the edge of the box, such a switch can be devestating for the opposition. If that switch isn't on, Pereira and Mbemba provide safer outlets through which we can keep defenses honest. So far, our results have been quite good. 

In my next post, I'll be doing both a match analysis of our first three games and a bit of theorycrafting on my next match, a Classico against arch rivals Benfica. Thanks for reading, and Somos Porto!

 

 

 

 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Staff

 

Starting off, Porto's coaching staff is lacking for a club of this stature.

 

While that will need improvement, we have a good recruitment team in place already and our medical team is excellent. 

 

In Ferreirinha we have a solid HOYD in place. I don't forsee a change here. 

 

Bruno leaves much to be desired as an assistant. In addition to hiring more coaches, I will be replacing him as my number 2. 

 

The B team could use a couple additions in the backrooms. 

 

U19 coaching here is excellent. Other than adding a physotherapist I don't see need to change anything.

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

2 hours ago, TheJanitor said:

What's the deal with San Iker's personality?

I'm not 100% sure but I'm guessing it's some kind of bug related to the fact that he's both a player under contract at the club and a club director. It displays the same in my save, and says "scouting required" on the player info screen.

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

22 hours ago, 99 said:

As for a bit of history and club culture, in Porto reigns the spirit of being a fighter, being brave, being a dragon. In football, means to never give up till the last minute (like a 92' goal against Benfica that sealed the league title in 2013) and to overcome stronger opponents (like winning two Champions Leagues being an outsider) and regularly beating stronger teams in that competition. Every year that Porto plays in Champions League, is one of the teams with smaller budget. And after the group stage, that Porto regularly achieves, then basically every team that can be next has a bigger budget. That's the strongest asset of this team. Doesn't have as much money as the giant clubs, but is there, between them, almost every year.

It's not a coincidence that Iker Casillas choose us

I wish you and everyone that wanna try a Porto save the best fun and success. Força Porto!

Thanks for that bit of background! My knowledge of the history and traditions of Portuguese football isn't all that great, being in the US and lacking any direct connection to the league, insight from folks with that connection is always welcome. Hope you enjoy the thread.

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Strikers

 

Let's start with Soares. With 35 in 67 league appearances for Porto he is the most prolific goalscorer we have on a per game basis. Tiquinho is a physically imposing striker in the target man mold, comfortable both finishing chances and winning balls to lay off to teammates. Easily the most well rounded of our options at center forward. 

 

Marega comes in just behind Soares with 32 goals in 67 and provides a singular set of qualities. If Soares is imposing, Marega's physical gifts make him a nightmare for defenses. Strong, aerially dominant and featuring track star speed it would be easy to stereotype him as a bull in the china shop type. That, however, would be to sell him short. Marega is very smart with his positioning, always looking to work his way into situations or matchups he can capitalize on. 

 

Up next is Vincent Aboubaker. He's been as prolific as Soares and Marega over the years, knocking in 36 goals in 78 appearances for Porto. Unfortunately for him and the squad, he suffered a serious knee injury in 2018-19 that saw him miss 41 games. While sapped of the quickness he exhibited before the injury Aboubaker is still a skillful striker. As with Soares and Marega he features good strength and ability in the air, which he combines with enough technique and creativity to give the squad a different look up front. 

 

Ze Luis is the first new addition we have to the front line at FC Porto. Once again we're looking at a striker who can get the job done in the air but Luis also brings some flair to the role. His off the ball movement and work rate are lacking, but at the least he's a solid backup. 

 

Last but not least we get to the one FC Porto player every FM fan knows, Fabio Silva. A mere 16 years old he already looks a solid rotation option for us, and his potential is through the roof. He will get time with the senior squad this year, depending on the progress he makes we may well be looking at FCP's first choice center forward as soon as next season. What a talent! 

 

In my opinion center forward is about as deep and strong a position we have in the club. Soares, Marega and Aboubaker have combined for 103 goals since 2016, Luis has qualities we can use and Silva is one of the best young strikers in the world. Finding the right pairings and playing time for all five will be a good problem to have. 

 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Attacking Midfielders

 

Having been with the Dragons since 2015, Jesus Corona is one of the longest tenured members of Porto's squad. He's got a classic winger's toolbox - speed, agility, mesmeric dribbling, flair to burn - but I'm a touch worried about the mentals. He's been deployed recently as a right back and while his attacking contribution would be tremendous in the role I'm concerned about how exposed it could leave us. Looks to be my first choice on the right wing but he could easily play on the left as well. Possibly even as a right wingback in a three at the back system.

 

The departure of Yacine Brahimi to Qatari side Al-Rayyan has opened the door for Otavio to make the left wing berth his own. While lacking the explosive pace of his predecesor Otavio has many qualities. In addition to what one would expect from a creative attacking playmaker he's also a very hard working, aggressive and team oriented footballer. That well rounded skillset combined with two good feet and the versatility to play throughout the central and attacking midfield make him one of the most valuable members of the squad. 

 

Nakajima joins this season from Al-Duhail and brings with him a singular skillset in Porto's squad. He is perhaps the most creative player we have on the roster, blessed with exceptional technique along with the creativity and quickness to put it to good use. His complete lack of defensive contribution marks him as more of a supersub against strong opposition but there's no denying his ability to conjure that bit of magic that can turn a game. Should be the primary backup to Otavio on the left. 

 

Another new addition, Diaz looks a quality player. He lacks the creativity of the previous options but at 22 has plenty of time to improve. For now he looks to feature on the right as Corona's backup, but I think long term he's more a goal scoring inside forward than a traditional winger. 

 

Viera is one of three young academy prospects that will look to compete for time over the next few years. Unfortunately, he's very left footed in a squad that otherwise features players who are right or either footed. For now I'm going to keep him with the B team and plan on loaning him out in the winter window. 

 

Of said academy prospects Sousa looks the most likely candidate for a senior squad appearance this year, largely down to his versatility. 

 

Rounding out the list is Angel Torres. From the look of him I think his future is actually up top as a center forward but for now he'll get to compete for cup time on the wing. 

 

On the whole I'm pleased with this bunch of attacking mids. Otavio and Corona look the clear first choices with Nakajima and Diaz backing them up, plus some very talented academy prospects aiming for future selection. 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Central Midfielders

 

With 33 Portugal caps to his name, Danilo is one of the better midfield destroyers in the league. Whether anchoring a 3 man midfield or in the double pivot he can be counted on to break up attacks while safely getting the ball to more creative teammates. As with Telles, he's a player in his prime with qualities that we can't readibly replace. Long term I see keeping him around but moving him to back into central defense, where I believe he could be excellent for many years to come. 

 

Sergio Olivera provides an excellent compliment to Danilo's skillset. He's solid defensively but also provides a lot of technical quality and tactical intelligence. Definitely a starter for now, he's out of contract in 2021. 

 

Uribe is the other of the two Club America standouts to make the move to Porto. He has a very well rounded skillset, capable of playing as a holder, a box to box or even a defensively minded right back. That versatility should come in handy over a long campaign. 

 

Youngster Romario Baro is the most dynamic of Porto's options in the center of the park. Great motor, technically gifted and featuring a cracking shot from distance, the 19 year old has loads of potential. A critical piece for the future who's likely to contribute immediately as well, I'm hoping that we manage to hang on to him long term. 

 

Loum is a bit of a square peg in a round hole on the squad. He's a pure holding midfielder, already a bit sluggish at 22 and not gifted enough with the ball to do more than keep things simple. His positional intelligence isn't yet good enough to make up for those deficiencies. He's a no go if we use a double pivot. 

 

Rounding out the options in central midfield is Vitor Ferreira. A very gifted young deep lying playmaker, he will feature as Olivera's understudy. Along with Baro he looks to be the future of the midfield in Porto. 

 

I'm quite pleased with what we have in this part of the pitch. Realistically Loum is unlikely to see much time outside of the cups, but we have plenty of options who compliment each other well. 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Center Backs

 

Pepe needs no introduction. His list of trophies - 2 Liga NOS, 3 LaLiga, 3 Champion's League, 2 Copa del Ray, 2 Club World Cup, 1 Taca de Portugal - is testament to a fantastic career. As to be expected from a 36 year old center back he lacks pace, but his smarts, toughness and aerial dominance make him an easy 1st choice. Having a player of this stature is a huge plus in the locker room, definitely one the young guys will learn a lot from. I've yet to think too much about who I'll be making team captain but he's a strong candidate. 

 

Next up is Ivan Maracano, who returns to Porto after a year in Italy with Roma. He's a very well rounded, reliable veteran center back. An obvious choice as the left sided partner for Pepe, at least to start the season. 

 

Leite's been a regular in Porto B for a couple of years now and looks ready to step up as a rotational option. Lots of potential to develop here as a modern, ball playing center back. 

 

Chancel Mbemba stands out for his ability to play all across the backline and bring an athleticism that the other options at center back cannot. He looks a very good utility option. 

 

Ferraresi joins the team on loan from Torque in Uruguay. He's an interesting young player, but quite a bit off the level for now. Mostly an option for cup games, he could develop into a useful depth option. 

 

Brandao does not feature into my plans for the team going forward.

 

This is a solid group of players in central defense. Pepe and Maracano look likely to get the nod as first choice, but Leite and Mbemba will see plenty of game time as the season progresses. Long term we are going to have to look to strengthen this position. Pepe, at 36, is firmly in the decline phase of his career and Maracano isn't getting any younger. 

 

Fullbacks

 

Telles will  be indispensable to this team's chances. One of Europe's top attacking left backs and in the prime of his career. Fast, creative, technically gifted and a wizard dead ball situations, he's the first name on the team sheet when fit. His contract is expiring in 2021, signing him to an extension with a hefty release clause is a top priority. 

 

Manafa signed on in 2018-19 from Portimonese. Pretty much a pure winger shoehorned into a defensive role, he offers very little outside of his ability to fly past his man. Likely a utility option who will also see some time as a wide attacker. 

 

Tomas Esteves, despite only being 17, is probably the most well rounded choice at right back. I'm targeting somewhere around 15-20 games for him this year and looking forward he has the talent to be a top player at this level. 

 

Mata profiles as a fringe player. A converted wide attacker he looks like nothing more than an option for cup matches. 

 

The situation at fullback is at first glance a bit sketchy. Telles is a star, Esteves is a hot prospect, Manafa is useful for his ability to cover for multiple positions and Mata is nowhere near good enough for league play. If the four players above were our only options as wide defenders I would be very concerned about our depth, but luckily in Mbemba and two players I've yet to look at I feel that there are plenty of options depending on team composition. There will be a need to bring in another player as a backup/potential future successor at left back. 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

Goalkeepers

So let's get the squad overview started with the men between the sticks. In the first team FCP start with three goalkeepers, the veteran Marchesin, young prospect Diogo Costa and "break window in case of emergency" option Mbaye. 

 

Marchesin is one of two players aqcuired during the previous transfer window from Mexican side Club America. He's a top quality keeper for Liga NOS, the clear #1 option for the next couple of years. 

 

Diogo Costa is a fantastic young prospect. He'll be the primary backup/cup keeper for this season with an eye towards moving him into the starting 11 in 2-3 years. 

 

Mbaye, as mentioned earlier, is an emergency option/B team player. Can't see him getting any first team minutes barring a cascade of injuries. Long term he doesn't look to have the potential to be useful to us.

 

Overall, I'm quite happy with the goalkeeping situation at this club for the upcoming 2-3 years. The combo of a solid veteran and talented young understudy should help us cover over the loss of Iker Casillas. Speaking of him, he's still under contract with the team but is planning to retire at the end of this season. I'm hoping to keep him at the club in a backroom capacity, we'll have to wait and see what he wants to do after he hangs up his boots. 

 

 

 

[Return of the Dragons - A look at FC Porto]

To start, I'm not going to go too deep into the history of FCP. Whilst I admire folks with the patience to craft a solid introduction to a team's history, I feel like a cursory Google search can lead one to the club's backstory and I'm feeling a bit lazy. FCP is one of Portugal's traditional big 3 along with Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, and of course the last team from the country to win a Champion's League title. 

For me Porto is always my first thought for a save in FM. I've not been playing long, only picking up the game in 2018. I managed to guide FCP in that version to back to back to back Champion's League finals, losing to a rediculously dominant Real Madrid side each time . I avoided them in FM2019 and held out for a bit in FM20. I played a number of saves before deciding to give the Dragons another go but over the last month and a half I've returned to my old stomping ground, so to speak, and figured I'd give writing them up a go. A big shout out to all the FM bloggers/steamers who have both taught and inspired me over the years. @Rashidi, @Experienced Defender, @Cleon, @crusadertsar, @herne79 and more than a few who aren't on this forum. I'm largely a lurker but I owe all of you a debt of gratitude for increasing my knowledge and appreciation for this lovely game. 

So with that being said, I'm gonna get started. First up will be a report on the senior players currently in the squad. After that I'll be looking at a 3 year plan for making the club both competitive and profitable. Eventually we'll get past talk of what could be and get into results on the pitch, tactical setups and whatnot. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to join in with any experiences with this team, Liga NOS, or players mentioned. 

[Developing a 4-2-4 Wide]

@DiStru_ I'm glad to see a thread going about the 4-2-4, had you not fired one up I was about to. I'm currently using a somewhat similar system at the time with FC Porto and the early returns have been excellent.

I started with the formation in the Champion's League qualifer against LASK. I had gone through preseason and the early games with a simple but effective mid-block 442, but when I took a look at LASK I thought it would be an opportunity to try something new. Opposition reports indicated that they were going to be using a 3-4-3 system with two DMs on a defensive mentality. When I saw that my main concern was that if I don't press high they're just going to waste time passing the ball between the keeper, center backs and defensive midfielders without looking to progress up the pitch.

I entered the game with the tried and tested 4-4-2...

but after 35 minutes it was exactly as I had feared. LASK had no desire to move the ball out of their own half as long as I was sitting off. We had a a dangerous moment or two going forward but in general the football was flat. We needed to press them and force mistakes, so out came the new and never before used 4-2-4...

 

and it worked like a charm. Corona won the ball back quickly after a LASK interception, dribbled gracefully into the box and won a penalty. Telles converted smartly and we had our lead. Three more were added in a thirteen minute stretch of the second half, and Romario Baro came off the bench to score a screamer in stopage time to put the icing on the cake. 

 

Since that game I've largely stuck with the system, though I admit that I was not brave enough to use it in either of our fixtures against Liverpool! Against Valencia we were absolutely dominant. I was confident of a result going into the game but we surpassed my expectations, taking hold of the tie from the first whistle and keeping the pressure up for a full 90 minutes against a very good opponent. 

I'll go into a bit more detail on my version of the system in a later post. There are a few minor tweaks that I make, either to lineup selection or roles/duties, depending on player fitness, opposition setups, game states, etc. 

Best of luck with your 4-2-4! I've found it to be a very fun system to tinker with and watch on the pitch. 

[how to set up my team]

So, it's from FM19 and it's not exactly the era of Jose you're after, but I played a Mourinhoesque style with Lyon using a 4-2-3-1. Regardless of what formation you're looking to play there are some principles that are gonna be the same.

First off, his main goal is always defensive solidity. You're gonna have to start there. Assuming a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, both wingers need to track back and defend. Only one of the two fullbacks should be pushing forward into the opposition area. The space between defensive and midfield lines should be minimized. Of the midfield three, at least two of them should be holding/ball winning types. Finally, Jose is hardly averse to letting a team keep the ball in their own half and waiting for mistakes. As he so famously said, the team that has the ball has fear. 

Translating those ideas into FM, let's start with the wingers tracking back. I would not, if playing them in the AM strata, play either on an attacking duty. The part about the fullbacks is pretty self explainatory - at least one should be a FB-S, the other either a FB-A or WB-S. I think a WB-A or either CWB is probably too attack minded for this style. Keeping space between the lines will be accomplished by either a higher DL/standard LOE or standard DL/lower LOE. Regroup would be an optional TI, but counter press is a no go. 

Now with that in mind, Jose loves his counterattacks. So, with the defensive principles, how are you going to set up to hit teams on the break? In my opinion, since both your wingers are gonna be on a support duty, both your striker and AMC (assuming 4-2-3-1) should be on attack duties, along with one of your fullbacks. With one conservative fullback hanging back, the winger on that side is going to have to provide width to the squad. On the side with the fullback pushing up you can have a winger cutting inside, either and IF, IW, or an AP. Each of those roles create a nice overlap down one side. The counter TI is a pretty obvious call. 

In the end, I wound up with something like this and had good results. 

Mentality - Positive

TIs - play out of defense (if good enough to pull it off) , counter, lower LOE/standard DL OR standard LOE/higher DL, get stuck in (particularly when using the lower LOE) 

Formation - 4-2-3-1

GK - SK/S

FBL - FB/A

CD - CD/D

CD - CD/D

FBR - FB/S

CML - CM/D

CMR - BWM/S

AMC - AP/A with the roam from position PI or Trequartista

AML - IF/S

AMR - W/S

CF - Poacher, AF or PF/A

Obviously you can adjust from there but I think it's a solid baseline for the kind of style you're looking to play. 

[f9 and if combination]

So, I must say the positioning of the right sided inside forward is gonna be a bit hard to replicate, but the Messi's deep drop into midfield isn't too hard to mimic in FM. There are a couple ways to do this. If  you want to play with a striker, I'd set them as a Trequartista. Of all the striker roles, Trequartistas drop the deepest. A F9 is going to mainly drop back into the positions normally occupied by a 10, a bit deeper perhaps if they have the "comes deep to get ball" trait. Both roles have the "dribble more" instruction locked in, so they're gonna tend to receive the ball, turn and drive at defenders. 

Now, if you don't want to use a striker, a number of roles in the AMC position would work. A bit on in the video the author shows Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi's heat maps side by side. Judging by those, it's pretty clear to me that if you want to really replicate Messi's role you should be using a 4-1-2-3-0 formation with the "F9" as an AMC. I've not really tried such a formation much and the role you choose would depend a lot on player traits and the overall tactical framework, but I could see a SS, AM-A, AP-A, or a Trequartista getting you some form of what you're looking for. 
 

[How to improve the christmas tree?]

So for a 4-3-1-2, my typical setup looks something like this.

DL - WB/S

CD - CD/D

CD - BPD/D

DR - WB/A

MCL - MEZ/S

MC - CM/D

MCR - CAR/S

AMC - AM/A

STCL - DLF/S

STCL - P/A

 

Now, all of these roles are going to depend on mentality (I'm assuming balanced or positive) and your players, but I think it's a good baseline. My preference with this formation is for 2 of the front 3 to be on attack duty, IMO 2 support duties can definitely lead to what you've mentioned earlier - a stale attack. You can mess around with these, but here's the thought behind them .

On the left hand side, the WB/S, MEZ/S, and DLF/S will work well together, holding the ball and not forcing things. You would be looking to draw opposing defenders to this side before switching the play to the attacking wingback on the right. Ideally, your CM/D will have at least some playmaker type traits - likes to switch ball is critical here, tries long range passes is also a plus. You could certainly use a DLP/D in that CM role, but personally I've been going without playmakers in a number of my tactics lately and liking the unpredictability that it provides. With an attacking wing back and a poacher on the other side you've got a potent option when play switches, plus the AM/A is going to be in the box a bit further back to be available for cutbacks or to track down rebounds. 

TIs/PIs depend on how you want to play. Soak pressure and counter rapidly? Press and posess? Let me know. For now, I've had a few too many malt beverages and my bed is calling. I can elaborate tomorrow if you'd like 

[How to improve the christmas tree?]

So, I'm going to preface this by saying that the 4-3-2-1 is not a formation I have much experience using, but I have used 4-3-1-2 and the 4-4-2 diamond quite a bit and I see a few things that I would definitely change. 

First off, a look at your players. Starting up top, Joveljic is not, even for the Belgian league, a good choice as a DLF-S. Looking at his attributes, he lacks the passing, teamwork, and vision I would want in the role. He is however a predator in the box. 16 off the ball, 15 finishing, 14 anticipation, 14 composure, 14 heading... this guy is a goal scorer in your league. Asking him to drop off and link play is shoehorning him into a role that he's not cut out for. I'd play him as either a poacher or advanced forward, maybe as a DLF-A. But a supporting striker he is not. 

In the AM strata, I think again your choice of players and roles is a bit off. Vlap may not be the most clinical finisher, but his off the ball is excellent. 15 in Belgium is really good, I would definitely play him on an attacking duty. He'll at least get into good scoring positions. Chadli is a solid all rounder, a support duty makes far more sense for him in my opinion. Where is Nasri though?

In central midfield, the distribution of roles/duties doesn't seem too problematic, though I may change some things around a bit. Zulj is probably ok at this level playing as a CAR, but Trebel's got the edge on him in terms of work rate, aggression, bravery, stamina, determination and acceleration - attributes I would be looking for in a CAR. I'd personally play him in that role, with a more purely defensive midfielder in the center. You've already got a playmaker in the AM strata, probably not necessary to have one in the CM strata on top of that. I'm not too familiar with Anderlecht's squad so I'm leaning on FMDataba here, but maybe Luckassen as a CM-D in the middle of a midfield 3? You'd have to find someone to take his place at center back, though. Zulj would be solid cover for the MEZ, CAR, and supporting AM role. 

In defense, both of your fullback roles look problematic, though in different ways. On the left side, FB-S is a very conservative role for a narrow formation. You're counting on your fullbacks for width, and between a balanced mentality and the role/duty combo I think that your left back is going to be hesitant to get forward enough. WB-S would be a better choice in my opinion. On the right, CWB is a very demanding role, even for high level players. I would simplify this a bit, WB-A or perhaps WB-S with the overlap right instruction to boost their mentality a bit. Again, FMDataba searching here but I don't think you have anyone really worthy of using the CWB role, be it on support or attack. Kompany is a beastly CB for the level, and being right sided I'd probably use a WB-A on the right, perhaps even with a right footed winger retrained to the role. WB-A is already risky defensively, may as well use a true attacking threat in the role as far as I'm concerned. 

So, to bring everything together, here's what I would set up. 

 

GK - SK/S. This makes sense for a team playing from the back. 

FBL - WB/S. Both FBs need to provide width, and this is a balanced role on your current mentality

DCL - CB/D. Not sure who I'd put here, because I'm moving Luckasson into midfield. 

DCR - BPD/D. Kompany has the passing range to be a difference maker at this level. 

FBR - WB/A. Similarly attack minded to the CWB/S, with a simpler role. 

MCL - MEZ/S. Lokonga is well suited to this role and should combine well with the WB/S. Maybe consider the run wide with ball PI to overload the opposition fullbacks and take advantage of Lokonga's dribbling prowess? 

MC - CM/D. Luckasson here, a purely holding role which he should be suited to.

MCR - CAR/S. Trebel here, he's got the work ethic I would look for in a CAR, and the quality of his passing will be a boon in an otherwise workmanlike role. 

AMCL - AM/A. Vlap. He's got the off the ball movement and anticipation to get himself into good positions. 

AMCR - AP/S. Nasri. I hope his absence from your tactic is the result of injury, because he's an amazing #10 for your level. I'd tell him to move into channels and roam from position as far as PIs go. 

CF - P/A, AF/A or PF/A. This is dependent on what you're seeing from the opposition. If you're looking to really press hard, PF/A works. Poachers tend to keep things simpler, staying in the box and looking to pounce. Advanced forwards have more dynamic movement. With Joveljic I'd probably stick with the poacher role. 

As far as TIs go, I'd probably play on positive mentality. You're a good team in this league and can get away with it. Play out of defense and low crosses make sense, but I'd drop higher tempo, especially with a bump up in mentality. If you want to play a posession oriented system, drop the passing length to short. In transition, I'd drop any distribution instructions. You're playing with a sweeper keeper, let him make the choice of where he goes with it. Depending on the situation, counter and counter press have their uses. Against minnows especially I'd consider counter press to force errant touches/passes from opponent's backlines. Out of posession, a high line makes sense, prevent short distribution I'm not sure about, see how it works. Split block - CF, AMs and MEZ set to max pressing intensity/harder tackling is more my style. 

Hope this has given you some options to consider. Good luck with Anderlecht, I'm yet to manage in Belgium but I've got a feeling come FM21 I'm going to fix that! So many young talents over there, looks like a very fun place to spend a few (virtual) years.