How to get around top heavy formations?

[isignedupfornorealreason]

Just looking for some ideas/discussion, if anyone else has had this problem;

A team lines up with a top heavy formation, say a 4-2-3-1 for example. Maybe it's an away game, or a cup final, so rather than them sitting back, they're going for the jugular. They're a well rounded, aggressive team. Perhaps they have lots of pace, excellent dribblers, excellent passers, a bully of a forward. Think Spurs, perhaps. Or Arsenal.

 

So you set up as usual (assume a sensible 4-4-2, or 4-3-3 or whatever), and boom within minutes, you're pinned back in your own half, it's impossible to get out because the transitioning is getting killed. The defenders hoof it because it is too 'top heavy' to play out of defence with any safety, so the ball gets recycled back into unleashing a world of pain against you. If you drop deep, you're asking for trouble inviting too much pressure. If you push up, you're leaving gaps for the pacey players to go through, but as it is (assume we're on a standard mentality) you're getting battered, there's not enough men left forward to realistically counter, but sacrificing a player extra for the counter will leave you hilariously exposed, perhaps on the wings, where the defenders tuck in too much and can't cope with an overload.

 

In that situation, what do you do? How do you grasp control of the game again and relieve yourself of the pressure, without thus opening yourself up to a world of hurt? Or is it one of those scenarios where fortune favours the bold, and you just have to accept some overruns in order to get some attacks going? 

 

(FWIW: Inspired by a game I just played, I won 1-0 (4 shots, 1 on target) vs the opposition (27 shots, 4 on target), they were very dangerous early on with some nice interplay, but we got a lucky goal and the rest of the game was parking the bus vs long shots, something I can deal with all day. But had it remained 0-0, I imagine I would have been wibbly wobbly over how to get out of that deadlock.)

[Cougar2010]

There isn't a right answer as such but there are options.

In terms of your example 442 lines up kinda ok but as you say will easily get pressed back leaving the two STs isolated.  433 depending on how its setup in terms of DMs/MCs/AMs & STs could be better or worse.

My plan is generally to either try to keep possession, keep it tight at the back and ride it out (They can't play like that the whole match) waiting for your chance to come into the match or as you say you fight fire with fire, play direct, get men forward & try to turn them round.

Really depends on the opposition & how the match is going.  If they press early I tend to take the defensive route, later in the match, especially if behind I'll go for it more.

The ability to read the flow of the match is an important skill in FM and helps you decide how much to risk at different stages.

[summatsupeer]

If your setup to play out from the back but are unable to do so i'd suggest your players don't have the attributes required.  In my Man Utd i've played Arsenal in the league, FA cup and champions league with there 4231 Wide that uses Support duty AML + AMR.  If they're on form they cause my 4231 Wide real issues, too deep for my FB's to push up to and to high for my advanced wide players with attack duty to drop to.  Then they drive at my FB or inside behind my central midfielders causing all sorts of problems. 

My first action is usually to drop my AML + AMR back to make a 4411 to try and block the easy passes to there advanced players.

If there AMC is still causing issues in the hole then i'll drop to a 4141.

Final step is mentality and maybe team shape change.

I keep my style the same whatever I do, I play a forward thinking way but not overly attacking/rushed and not focused on possession.  I find the flat 4 midfield makes it easier to exploit the 4231 Wide as your players are deeper and with attack duty drive into the space with the two central midfielders (and the AMC if still have one) attacking the space behind there central midfielders.  Now if you played a style that wants to move the ball around the deeper areas of the field with maybe a DLP I can see how your style might be playing itself into trouble.