Justified

You'll probably get more response if you post what you think a tactic like this would look like.

It's unbalanced because you're trying to play the match in the opponents half but with 3 attackers flooding the opposition box. Having three attackers on attack suits more defensive counter tactics as there is space to run into. In your tactic, there is none. Even just having the striker on a support role would make a difference as you then start to create space.

Could not be further from the truth. The fact is pre-sets are guides of roles and instructions which you can use and should not be taken as gospel. Surely you're not naïve to think they'd include tactics in the game that make you win all your matches? Tbh you say you've taken onboard some of the advice given, which you did initially, but now you've gone to a completely unbalanced tactic.

I'm exactly the same. Most of the time they're on contract anyways so I might as well use the tools I was given. However blunt and rusty they are Most of the time you'll have 1 or 2 gems that'll actually make the cut. At Hitchin I had a right winger and striker who stayed with me to the National League. After one season there they were eventually let go. None of them were actually going to manage League Two in my eyes. In FM20 in my Gloucester save I actually had a left winger who stayed with me to League One Bernard Mensah. All he had was pace and a decent cross really.

I don't know why but I'm feeling something strikerless with that squad If it's working then I'd say only make some minor changes. I can kinda see what you're going for here and the only comments I'd make is about the Narrow width and about some of the roles chosen. Personally, if I was playing a 3 at the back variant I wouldn't go narrow. The formation allows you to go a bit wider to stretch play. Maybe play around with the default width? With roles I'd question the attacking striker role when playing short passing. Despite it being at a high tempo, he's going to be crowded ou

It also depends a little on country. A lot of European countries actually play 433 in LL as well, which isn't impossible but can easily be countered by playing a 3 at the back formation due to the lower quality in the LL's. But yeah overall I go with 442 due to the compact 2 line nature of the formation. I do like finding a midfield maestro as well who I can either play as a DLPde with a BBM next to him or a DLPsu with a defensive partner. Having someone creative a technically better in midfield is a priority of mine alongside pace on the flanks and someone who can hold up the ball upfiel

Tbh, and this is just my opinion, in the LL I really don't pay that much attention to the opposition pre-game. In game if there is something fundamentally wrong I'll react but in the LL you get punished less for mistakes then what you would do higher up the pyramid. In LL the playing field is quite level. As for tactics, I just usually keep it really simple with a 442. I've actually got a save with Hitchin Town which I made a tactic with Cautious mentality which was based on fast counter transitions and being tight and narrow in defence. It never actually stopped working as I was expectin

Have a go but a WBsu shouldn't act any different with your instructions set to a WBau, apart from the fact that he'll ignore the Hold Position instruction. Maybe when you tried this it was with a FBau? That'd make sense as the instructions would be transferable.

According to SI a WBau is a WB on a duty depending on your mentality. I haven't seen anything contrary to this. A WBau on Balanced mentality is a WBsu, regardless of your individual instructions. You sure your eyes are not playing tricks on you?

It's worth noting that if you play an Automatic role that it will mirror what mentality you go for. So if the role ends up being Automatic Support then your Hold Position instruction will be ignored. So actually adding the instruction doesn't really matter because if he is Automatic Defend he'll have that instruction anyways. If it ends up as Automatic Attack your Cross Less will be ignored etc etc.

You've created space for the AMC but you're pushing him forward instead of letting him operate in that space. Play him on support and immediately he has 2 runners he can look for. If you have a winger on the right, that'd create a bit of variety and width. If you do then the RB has to play more of a support role otherwise you'll get countered to death. Possibly play Overlap Left. Bare in mind as well that in Italy they play a lot of bottom heavy defensive formations, meaning an AMC will find it difficult to find space.

Ok, but did you actually read what a BPDde does? Tries Risker Passing and Hold's Position. So basically the opposite of what you wanted to do. You do realize that if Maguire plays a a bog standard CD but has the trait that he'll bring out the ball out of defence, he'll do it anyways? You're thinking of DLFsu. A DLF on Attack is going to push up against the opposition backline, mostly with his back to goal. You're not playing direct enough for that type of role tbh. I actually don't think you need a MEZ in this system specifically. A simple CMat will do as the width is there from the

Aha, my MEZ was on attack in my 352 Albeit the only difference in this formation and the one I used was that I had a player in the DMC position.

I was advocating the fact that you don't need specific positions to distribute too if you've given your GK the SKsu role.