[Playing On The Edge: Dominating Possession with only one CB]

5 hours ago, Impacto said:

Winning on FM is not hard. This is more about doing it in a particular style that you rarely see. You can win the league with any team by just playing in a way that the ME favours. But doing in this style, where the ME is against you, you need perfect squad building decisions, great management skills to make sure you're getting the max of every player... this is a whole new thing. 

This is what makes it interesting for me. And it makes the game more realistic, because I can't storm the league like normally you would once you know what works in FM and what doesn't. It's like playing on hard mode. And if I manage to figuire this tactic out to the point where I win everything with it, it would actually be an achievemnt. Not just another FM save where you win everything just by pressing continue...

And it's fun to watch the crazy good passing and movement. 

I know and in find the 4-2-3-1 broken regardless the way you play it, that's why i dropped the game before coming back to try more complex tactics like this one in the first place. Like i said i changed it because it doesn't fit and i've been going on with it for almost 2 years in game, i don't really see improvement and im not trying to get sacked it took me 5 years to build my squad, the board has high expectations and after dropping the ball last year i had to adapt, but i would like this tactic to work i like the beautiful game. 

The tactic i made keep this philosophy of beautiful play and short passing i never made a 3cb tactic work for me and it is for now i won't say my tactic is broken thou more adapted to any squad i guess, i will try it with a mid squad team to see. 

[Playing On The Edge: Dominating Possession with only one CB]

I agree with you guys i kept this tactic for the first half of my second second with it as my main and despite the tweaks i made i was dominant but not clinical, i fixed my defensives issues, and the play is beautiful but i think it doesn't fit the ME, i was losing points on draws and i had to made a decision i switch to my second tactic end ended up winning both the PL and UCL, i would like to see this work on UCL to know it is possible but i'm sceptical.

I decided to drop it definitely as I started my own tactic and you inspired me to play with 3 cb close to each other but i gave them PI's it's a 3-4-2-1 formation that is surprisingly solid in defense and produce à beautiful play with scoring goals, i kept my philosphy of play of course so i thank you i retrived my tactical instinct and got in the lab thanks to this topic 

[3-1-6 Shape in possession]

10 minutes ago, Lordluap said:

Inverted Wingers - Sit Narrower

Full/Wing Backs - Stay Wider / Run Wide With Ball

Right Central Midfielder - Stay Wider / Run Wide With Ball

Left Ball Playing Defender - Stay Wider

Thank you i'm managing Chelsea as well 2026 currently

[3-1-6 Shape in possession]

1 hour ago, Lordluap said:

Thanks.  It's working very nicely.  So on page 1 i showed my 442.  That took me to an unbeaten season with only 3 draws all season in all competitions.  I'm on a 78 game unbeaten run since taking over Chelsea.  This season we've gone to the 451...

 

Thanks for sharing i will try this tactic do you have any PI for your players and i was thinking of using the 442 formation but this one is more appealing to me, what's your thought on this currently ? I'm on FM 21 so i don't know if there is a lot of difference for the ME but it's worth giving it a try 

 

[Playing On The Edge: Dominating Possession with only one CB]

23 minutes ago, crusadertsar said:

Sometimes it takes time to mesh with the team. Chelsea is not exactly the best team for this. Since outside of their micfy they are not very technical (don't really have creative strikers or defenders). 

We actually didn't have the best 2nd season. We finished 7th in LaLiga. But I wouldn't blame it on my defence. We pretty much conceafed as many goals as last season. But the problem was finishing from our strikers. Way too many 1-1, 0-0 games. I think unlike last season the opposition realized we are a major threat and used more uber-defensive anti-football formations. My most dreaded is the 3-5-2. When AI uses it's almost impossible to break down. At least without changing the formation to something else more top heavy. Which I never like to do.

I don't use Work Ball in box because it's more of a contextual instruction on my opinion. I will add when I see my players make too many long shots or crosses. So not that often.

Regarding, pass into space. I don't use it because it is contradictory to short passing possession style. You cannot tell your players to pass short and build up patiently and at the same time launch Hollywood passes into open space.

I took over Chelsea 4 years ago and changed the squad so i have the right players since i value technical players but i never went that deep about tactics and formation so i used to make it simple and it worked but it got boring so i'm trying more complex stuff now.

 

I thaugt pass into space was balanced and for short passing i was wrong anyway i'm looking forward to see your results nex season 

[Playing On The Edge: Dominating Possession with only one CB]

On 21/01/2021 at 22:14, crusadertsar said:

Initially I chose Balanced mentality because I did not want have my attacking players such as Shadow Striker and IF operating on too high of a mentality in order to keep compact shape with the rest of the team and to help with the build-up. But now I am experimenting with positive but then as @Impacto mentioned I am using AM(S) and dual IW(S) (with left one having more aggresive PIs as listed above to mirror IF behavior better). With Positive mentality I am little concerned with IWBs operating too aggressively however. 

This was actually my recent result using Positive mentality and Impacto's suggestions. We managed to get a rather equal-sided draw against a very powerful Real Madrid team. So I couldn't be more happy. Hopefully the Board will have a little more patience for me. 

Despite the final result and the xG, I still think we outperformed them especially where it counts most, in possession numbers, completed passes and tackles won.

And they used and attacking 4-1-2-1 formation where they were really trying to overload us on the wings with their fast inside forwards and overlapping wingbacks. So our IWDs and single CBs did rather well to shuting them out in case @yonko was wondering. This was also AWAY match by the way. 

Balanced or positive is the way to go i feel, are you feeling your team good defensively ? Because that was my main issue this season and the reason we did a bad season, i'm thinking about giving the team a more disciplined instruction, why don't you play with work the ball into box and pass into space  ?

 

I think i'm going to keep this tactic they play beautiful football but not consistently and defensively it was not good at all, we had a bad season but i think it was more a transitional one and next year who should do better, i'm going to adjust things a little and will keep you posted about the changes

[Playing On The Edge: Dominating Possession with only one CB]

So far i like the tactic but i concede to many goals i feel that the defense is not solid, 12 Pl matchs only 3 clean sheet compared to 9 last year in 12 match as well. Now i don't know if its because it's my first season using this tactic or simply that is more difficult to play with only one cb but i feel that my season is not going to be as expected if i don't figure a way yo fix this.

 

I have a top tier squad im a title contender against liverpool both in UCL and PL but so far they dominate the PL and have 7 goals conceded when my Chelsea squad has 16 and we struggle against team that we use to demolish last season. I might have to switch it up because last year Liverpool won the PL with 7 more points then me and lost the UCL final against Man City that eliminated me in semi in the additionnal time. I won't let them get away that easily this year

[Playing On The Edge: Dominating Possession with only one CB]

Thank you for this tactic and the work you put on and to anyone giving ideas to make this football possible in the game i was probably going to drop the game whitout this, I have one question it's about the mentality and the tempo i understand that you play with short passing and normal tempo and that you can adjust to the situation in the match but why not positive mentality instead of balanced ?