Cloud9

Here's the PF I picked up after promotion for 12m after transitioning to the 4-3-3 from the 4-4-2: Ideally I would have liked him to have higher teamwork but other than that he was just about a perfect fit to lead the line in a defensive counter attack. In the second season in the Premier League that I just finished (2025-2026), he led the line as we barged our way to an FA Cup final! And promptly lost to Liverpool after defending resolutely for 95 minutes to a Cody Gakpo volley. I'm not bitter. On attributes, the pace and competent aerial ability are make or break for him to lead the line in my system. Off the ball and some anticipation are important for him to be an actual threat to score goals and his ability to contribute outside of that for the team is dictated by his aggression, bravery, teamwork(lol), workrate, natural fitness, stamina. After that I'd like a half decent holy trinity of dribbling, finishing, first touch but tbh I value the ability to get into goal scoring positions more than taking them (hence 10 composure). Off the ball is vital on a spearheading striker looking to run in behind, w/out this he will really struggle to score enough to be your solo 9. Consistency is key on a solo 9, if he is having a bad game you are significantly less of a threat to the opposition. Ended the season as our top goalscorer with 19 goals all competitions, a strong return in a counter attacking system (and one who is doing the dirty work). While he performed well he needed to do that for the tactic to work and to justify running a solo 9 to lead the attack. It's why I utilized a 4-4-2 earlier for the promotion charge, as I didn't have one striker I could trust enough for a high goal output. On a DM: This guy is too good to join my side, but my scouts brought him up as an option at one point and he's the perfect archetype of a DM(s) for a 4-3-3. I was lucky (I'm playing w/scout only signings) and they brought me his teammate Rafael Luis as well who is way better than everyone else in my squad for 4.3m (hence the regista introduction to midfield). On a DM(s) I want high mentals and a decent physical profile. Anticipation, Composure, Decisions and Concentration are particularly nice on these player's but being at least competent at things like aggression, bravery, teamwork, workrate, positioning, marking etc is important. His ability pass a little (even if it's short) is something to look at, as he is the focal point of link between your midfield and defence. On the physical profile, I'd prefer a bit more strength but other than that's he's pretty much ideal, lots of running, not too slow and some good jumping reach. Of course being rapid never hurt anyone, but I'd view it as a bonus. A combo of agi/balance or strength can help exert influence on opposition, although some strength is needed for aerial challenges. I wouldn't sign a DM(s) who is inconsistent, and the good personality on him is a big plus. Really it's the high mentals that are key for me in this position. It's a tricky find since he's got to be a little bit of a lot of things. You can always retrain a CB to be a DM in the French model! That's just the bones of the idea based on my current save, but scale the attributes up/down to whatever you're playing at and it still applies.

Do you mean 8's? I would consider Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara the established partnership, with Kamara playing a conservative role as Luiz (9 goals, 5 assists in the league) goes forward to create more. I'd consider playing them as 6's actually with Luiz as a SV(s) (a defensive box to box midfielder) and Kamara as a DM(s) (w/ or w/out hold position).

I'd play on a front foot style where the space is behind you. That means quicker players in defense where it's required (in a counter the space is in front so the attacking players require pace). Also I would not play 3 slow aging players up top. Usually central player's can be less physical (the 10 in a 4-2-3-1 for example) than wide player's which you see as player's age IRL, Mane went from a wide striker to a central one in his later years at Liverpool for example. A formation that pairs up player's can work as well. Again, In a 4-2-3-1 you could have a Jorginho esque ball playing pivot member who can control the game supported by a physical, aggressive young player who can act as the enforcer. A striker pairing could support an aging player in a similar approach. In general you don't want a team that's slow and old. A couple old player's you can build around but you'll need physicality around them or you'll get overrun.

He's saying that by playing on cautious you could have an adverse reaction and lose possession by taking less risk, hence the advice to play on positive as you gain experience. By addressing your roles directly you'll have a more effective style to keep the ball. Roles like the AF for example will constantly look to run in behind and lead to turnovers. You might also consider that the 4-4-2 is not a formation that naturally lends itself to possession based approaches. IRL we've seen Atletico Madrid drop their iconic 4-4-2 for a 3-5-2 to exert more influence on matches themselves. That's not universally the case w/Unai Emery employing a progressive 4-4-2 this season at Villa, but we've also seen him move to more of a 4-2-3-1 in games where he wants more control. In general: central control dictates a match. That's less so on FM than it is IRL, but it's the thinking behind what we've seen from Peps IFB + John Stones style where he's putting 4 player's into the midfield and asking the wingers to pin defenders wide, opening up gaps inside. W/a 4-4-2 you've got 2 central midfielders and the wingers sit deeper, unable to exert influence in the same way as if they're in advanced locations. You've also got to be extra consensus about your striker pairing participating for the team out of possession, or you'll fall into more direct approaches. That's not to say you can't play possession based football w/a 4-4-2, esp on FM, but it's handy to be aware of the formations strengths and limitations as you approach your setup. Studying VIlla's approach might be a nice starting point and picking out the key player's for the style to tick. Pau Torres is one I'd look at immediately, his ability to both distribute and bring the ball out of the back 4 makes Villa a completely different side w/out him.

That sounds frustrating, changing styles can be difficult. Usually when I'm looking to control the game on FM24, I've utilized the new positional play feature which is quite powerful in controlling/breaking down opposition. There's always "go for it" front foot attempts as well.

In a nut shell:

I mostly play the F9 for the movement to drag the opposition defenders out of position, where as the DLF offers a bit more hold up play. If the DLF is firing I wouldn't change that part of the tactic, going to a 4-3-3 would resolve this issue as you wouldn't have a player in the 10. I'm actually running a DLF(a) in a midblock counter attack rn in my own save and am really enjoying his hold up play in combo w movement from the wide attackers.

I would try to chose between the 4-3-3 or the 4-2-3-1 first, having a settled style can help. If you're conceding goals on the counter I notice that Goraliski is quite short in the 6 role. Recruiting a tall player for a 4-3-3 DM will make you a lot less susceptible to long ball counters. IFB x2 + a Libero offers a really solid defensive base to control the game in front of (IWB can leave one side a bit more exposed).

Trouble is you're playing on a counter attack with a team so good that opponents don't want to bring the game to you anymore. I would look to change your approach or start a different save if you'd like to continue to counter. Move your lines up and remove Tis that will see you lose possession more frequently (counter, pass into space). The roles are also quite conservative. Letting both fullbacks go forward is an option if you're a strong side and roles like BPD can be nice as well. Alternatively, an IWB or Libero style is very effective with big teams. You can control the middle of the pitch w/ 4 players. If you're playing a SS, I like a F9 over a DLF. One of the best role combinations on FM imo. AP on the right might be a role you look to swap out as well.

The lower mentalities can work well! The reduced intensity can be a real plus if you are micro managing the match a bit more. I might consider wide BPD in your tactic with dribble more. WCB(s) can work nicely going forward but they will leave gaps that can see you caught out, a wide normal CD I find a bit ineffectual for a counter.

Yea the highlighted attributes are just a basic guide provided by the game, but a player will use all of his attributes to play the position. I'd recommend following @Dr Naysay advice on that front. You could do that! But a BPD doesn't trigger a rotation like a Libero does, so you don't need the IFB to cover for him in the same way. I do like a BPD w/dribble more on him. I'd consider reading this post on the Libero that was just posted, a Libero(d) might be a better compromise in what you're looking for.

Shoot, thanks for the info here. Good to know on the staff personality! I've been careful to keep him out of mentoring loop. I just got this notification on his training report and then saw him bumped down to "resolute" He's 21, but counts as a squad leader on the dynamics screen. Squads general personality is "professional."

I'd try playing without the AF then, he will look to continuously run in behind which will cause attempted through balls which will result in a turnover in possession no matter the outcome (goal, goal kick, or cut out pass). AF are very strong as always but it might be nice to get away from the role anyways Any spearheading forward will do the trick nicely in a midblock (you can use supporting forwards as well but it's trickier). The poacher is a great option for a more patient approach as he won't run the channels. You can play on a midblock as a more patient style as well! I would be attentive to what your opponent is doing in such a style. Yea they will recycle possession primarily even w/PI adjustments. The Regista will launch progressive passes if you want a playmaker role who can do this. DM(s) is always a solid choice as well. This can work! I would just consider dialing it back against particularly difficult opposition. That should work nicely. I'm running a 4-3-3 midblock in my own save with a off footed winger (a) w/pace (as the movement is more reflective of what you'd see from a wide attacker irl I think), a tall PF up top and a more technical (if slower) IF(s) on the other side. You're in the right place most of the recreations / guides on here are attempts to get the ME to reflect IRL football as much as possible. Watching the matches, checking your pass maps and making small adjustments is a good next step to the tactic from here. I'd think quite a bit about the profile of player you're going to recruit to do each role in terms of what you want out of them. That will make a huge difference to how your tactic plays out, esp on a mid block where the defensive aspect of the game is more nuanced.

This looks great, I think you'd want to look at your roles on your 8's in the setup though. DLP(s) comes w/hold position, so usually I would avoid such a role for an 8 who you want to link up a bit with the frontline. In a midfield 3 I generally look to have a creative element, an enforcer element, and a one that covers space via running. That's not always the case (as in a gegenpressing midfield 3 where it's mostly just an engine room), but it works well as a starting blue print. W/Tchouameni as a 6, you've got a great enforcer to hold the fort. Bellingham can do everything which is unique, so putting him in a BBM role like I mentioned will give you all three in one. If not I'd recommend an attack role for him as one of your best player's where he can be more free to go and do some damage. AP(s) for Bruno should be work fine. Both of those roles can trigger rotations.

Unfortunately because of FFP, the AI spending this high on a transfer hugely hamstrings them in the save (FFP impacts all clubs regardless of who is in charge). Since the Rodrygo transfer in 2024 Man City have only been able to spend 111.5m pounds 2 years on (that's 4 player's across those transfer windows) while moving out 141m pounds worth of player's in that time (a negative transfer spend of 29.5m pounds since 2024). From what I can presume, they're now unable to sign new player's due to using up most of their FFP on Rodrygo (although Orsolini can't have helped either). Rodrygo is sitting on a nice 425k pounds a week at City which is an additional 22m a year on top of the transfer fee. I don't believe FM uses amortization (which would be a work around on the problem by spreading the transfer fee over the length of the contract), it's on a simple 3 year rolling period instead. That makes the transfer expenditure 368M pounds at least (this excludes whatever the signing on fee/agent fee/bonuses would have been) for a 5 year contract, but almost all of that is front loaded to the first 3 years of FFP. Essentially I could start seeing Man City spend again next year at the earliest, as they appear to be bang out of any FFP. Scouted Rodrygo to see his full contract. I think appearance fees, signing on fees, and bonuses add on 30-34M pounds, making it roughly a 400m pound transfer for FFP concerns. That's a 352m pound loss from one transfer that will apply to the first 3 years of FFP after the initial transfer fee is spent. Even if he performs well, it's still a disastrous decision for the trajectory and competitiveness of a club that should be a behemoth in my save (domestically and in Europe). This is reflected in their performance on the pitch, where Spurs beat them to the Premier League title this year and they were knocked out of the Champions league all three years (first in the Group Stages, then the Semi Finals, and most recently the round of Round of 16).

Have you experimented with using the new Intermediary feature? You can see if there's interest without causing the player to throw his toys out the pram. Asking the agent about market interest first helps as well. I've quite enjoyed the increased level of realism this feature has added to my own saves, the intermediary takes a fee and you aren't able to negotiate back and forth as much to get the maximum price.

Is there a worse feeling on FM than seeing your squads general personality ruin your Model Citizen? Do personalities on scouts also impact the personalities in/around the first team? Or is that just reserved for first team coaches.

Looks good to me! A couple quick suggestions: DLP(d) annoys me as a role, DLP(s) also gives hold position w/a bit higher positioning. Downside to DLP is he can be a ball hog + get targeted and won't try to break the lines too much. I like to spread the progressive responsibility across several non playmaker roles in a tactic via PI tweaks to make your ball progression a bit more dynamic. Looks like a counter attack based on the roles? Adding "pass into space" + "Counter" can help things run smoothly. Defending on wide can leave big gaps, making defending on a midblock tricky. Unless the boys outside are proper rapid I'd dial that back in a bit. Most of your play might progress down the left side of the pitch w/the WB(a) + DLP. Angelo may find himself isolated and struggle (but check the pass maps). This is compounded by a IFB(d) on his side. That's a role I've mostly had success w/ in possession tactics, so you might consider a FB(s) + WB(s) combo for your midblock.

Hm so your tactic will smash opponents who sit back against you and try to defend. However, if another high quality team brings the game back to you, you'll be in real trouble. Almost everyone is going forward in your tactic which is a huge ask for Tchouameni. Fortunately, @Rashidi just published this article which directly addresses the issues your experiencing (in why you're so exposed at the back when the ball turns over). A quick breakdown of the defensive issues: The IF(a) are basically pure strikers (bringing you to a count of 3), they'll stay high and participate very little out of possession and struggle to link up with the rest of the team. I would recommend 2 primary goalscorers in a tactic as a good baseline, so mixing up the frontline would help. Your solo 6 Tchouameni will get pulled out of position as a solo BWM(d), try him on a DM(s)! Costa is a great distributer of the ball, I'd let him do his thing rather than tell him to pass it short to the centers every time. This can be esp useful against a committed attack like a 4-2-4 that will be vulnerable in transition. MEZ(s) is probably a little hampering on your star boy Jude, I would prefer him in a role that game him a little more license to do his thing. A true BBM is tough to find and Jude can definitely do that for you. I usually like a CM(a) with height on him, who can attack the box aggressively with the role. I might suggest giving Fernandes a role to create from, rather than adding another goal scorer. Fun fact on Bruno: Apparently all the commentators say his name wrong even though he sends them a video on how to pronounce Fernandes (Fer-Nanj) in Portuguese at the start of each season Usually once you start to play well, the pundits learn your name (Broja becoming Bro-Ha, Mitoma becoming Me-Toe-Ma etc.), but unfortunately for him he seems to be the exception to the rule. IWB(s) + IWB(a) + Libero(s) sounds like fun! But I think vs a team who can punch your weight, you're going to get a bloody nose. In these big games try dropping the IWB(a) and IWB(s) for two IFB(d). That gives you an extremely solid base for your team to go out and play in front of. I would also consider running just two of those roles at most, even against easy opponents. Leaving just one guy to hold the fort still leaves you vulnerable to a counter attack. W/ a 4-3-3 against a 4-2-4 though, you can pin them back and overwhelm the pivot. Sorting the roles as I've detailed above so you have less goal scorers will help with this. This will isolate the front 4 and you can boss the game from there. W/just the Libero that's 4 vs 2 in the midfield so playing so targeting those players in the OIs and playing through the midfield will be a field day. The IFBs will cover you if they do get out, but w/Tchouameni's height as a DM as well you'll be well covered. I'd want one of the IFB's to be proper Kyle Walker rapid if possible.

Hi again! Hope the save is going well since last time. Is he performing poorly on top of being unhappy? If so, I think my advice usually would be sell. However since you're academy only, would you really be able to use the funds? If he's tied down to a contract getting him firing would 1. generate a much higher offer for him 2. help you overachieve to get more board requests through. Usually if you haven't broken any promises and give them lots of game time they will come around on happiness. So in this case, trying to get the most out of him would likely make sense imo.

It does happen a lot but ultimately it does not impact the outcome of your match. The match engine reflects what is happening behind the scenes which is a lot of number crunching. A miss is a miss, the match engine is just representing that miss more frequently as hitting the bar than IRL.

Here you go Take a look at IWB or Libero roles.

I don't think that should be an issue in my case!

If the youngsters are academy kids I would give them extra benefit of the doubt To simplify: The ability to do one aspect of the game well is a strong indicator of a future squad player!

I think a lot of it just comes down to experience, but here are a few examples from my own save at the moment: I've been doing recruitment only via players my scouts can bring to me currently (I also allow myself free transfers and transfer listed player's from non english sides to help prevent an unrealistically young squad). The first thing I try to do is find my strongest starting 11 and a tactical shape that fits the players. I'm a defensive manager, preferring to play on the counter attack so that's factored in as well. Outside of the starting 11, I then look to bring in u23 players who I can develop to progress the team or squad player's who can do a specific job or play in multiple positions. I often run a smaller squad, I think my first team has 21 players in it, which helps me micro manage and rotate them properly. On versatile / role playing squad players: Sensi, a free transfer, is an example of a squad player who I can bring off the bench to change things up. He lacks the physicality and defensive attributes to be a starter in the squad, but if we're chasing a game in which the opponent sits back, he has the perfect skill set to help unlock them as an AP. As for developing youngsters, here's two different examples: Here's a Brazilian boy I brought in for 2.4m who has the core of what I'm looking for in a wide player and is finding his game time sparingly as a sub / occasional starter to either wide attacker. He's got attributes I won't be able to train onto other player's that suit my style of play. These guarantee that no matter how far he develops, he'll have a place in the squad (either as a starter or a rotation option off either wing). On a winger in a counter attack system I'm looking for decent pace as well as someone who contributes out of possession. That could be through high teamwork, tackling etc. but in Xavier's case, it's through aggression and anticipation. In terms of what he can do for the team now, even though the game gives him 2 stars, he can already be an effective 1v1 player in wide areas. He lacks the ability to come inside and play (mentals / passing / end product) but he has the combination of acc/pace, dribbling, and agi/balance which means I know I can put him on a Winger(a) role as pure or off footed winger and he can take on his defender and beat him. This last player is an example of one of the only 18-19 year olds that actually features in my best 11. Mikic, a 5.25m Croatian from Dinamo Zagreb, is well balanced enough to slot in straight away after the poaching of my starting right back Michał Karbownik via release clause. Ordinarily I would have liked a season or two to get some of his mentals up to snuff, but I've intentionally covered for him with the rest of my backline remaining fully grown pros. His versatility also ensures his value to the squad (as a winger or fullback option). I would always look to keep player's at the club compared to loaning them out, as you can do a much better job of it than the AI. In general if you're comparing two wonder kids for one position, I would reevaluate your recruitment style. Unless a much higher quality youngster becomes available who you can't turn down signing, that's not a situation you should be really be ending up in. The two youngsters above were signed because they can both do things for me now and have intrinsic qualities I won't be able to coach onto any player w/just high PA. If a player has super high PA according to your scouts, but he can't fit into your system now, then I would probably just not sign him. If there's a youngster who's surplus to requirements I'd probably just take the cash now and invest in someone else (5m in the current season is worth way more than 20m 2 years later). Sending player's out on loan is usually a last resort for me.