Need pointers on my decent tactic (4-5-1)

[Karnack]

Hello!

I believe I have found a decent tactic for my new Liverpool-save but I find that it still has some serious problems and I would like your pointers.

The team

Playing Liverpool and I'm almost done with season 2. I've won PL both seasons which is very good but I also had a big bunch of luck as the other top teams have been struggling, Chelsea in second place scraping together a total of 8 losses during the second season.

The tactic

GK(D)

FB(S) CD(D) CD(D) FB(S)

DLP(D) BBM(S)

IF(A) AP(S) RMD(A)

CF(S)

Mentality: Counter

Team Shape: Structured

TI's:

Shorter passing

Work ball into box

Play wider

Drop deeper - Contradicting with close down more?

Close down more

Lower tempo

PI's: None

The first team

GK - Mignolet

FB(S) - Moreno

CD(D) - Sakho

CD(D) - Skrtel

FB(S) - Caravajal

DLP(D) - Emre Can

BBM(S) - Henderson

IF(A) - Markovic

AP(S) - Coutinho

RMD(A) - Sterling

CF(S) - Lacazette

The problem

The reason why I've won 2 straight seasons of PL is because Sterling in the RMD-position is banging in 30+ goals a season against lower rep teams. The only team worse than my team that I didn't win against was QPR in an odd 4-5 nail biter.

But I'm losing against almost all similar or better teams, I have not won a single game against City, Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea or Tottenham in either of the two seasons. I also struggle a great deal against teams in CL and only got through the group stage because I got Leverkusen, PSV and a very poorly performing PSG.

So I definitely have a serious problem against similar and better teams and they often score a lot of goals when they win against me. Some of the worst examples:

Tottenham - Liverpool 5-1

Liverpool - United 0-6

Liverpool - Juventus 2-11 (two legs)

Chelsea - Liverpool 4-0

I've tried to remove the drop deeper instruction but then I seem to play worse against the lower teams and equally bad against the good teams. I don't want to remove the close down more as I want my boys to be on the ball as often as possible.

What can I do? Is it too much space between midfield and defence? Thanks in advance!

[Christopher S]

I'm no expert, but my first thought is - as you point out yourself - 'Drop Deeper' is contradictory. If you want to be a high pressing team, you have to take into consideration where on the pitch your players are going to be when pressing. You have three players in the AM-strata, and if you drop deeper whilst pressing high up the pitch, it's gonna stretch your team and create tons of space. I'd try 'Push Higher Up', and drop the 'Close Down More' TI. To compensate, I would go into the PI's of the front 4 and ask them to close down more. If your players in the CM-strata is pressing too much, you're gonna get raped by better teams on the counter or in high paced attacks.

[Karnack]

Definitely trying that tonight, thanks!