Counter with der BVB

[A_BVB_D]

Ok so basically  recently acquired the new FM 2017 (a step-up from 2016, I believe) and want to employ a new 4-2-3-1 counter attack tactic.

This is what I have so far, for starters..though I feel something's missing..or too much of something.

 

Defensive block and quick counter.

My FB(A) are FB(S) now, I figured there's nobody gonna be left if I'm caught by some counterattack.

Is there a link on this forum where I can get those instructions explained, maybe some links between them (choose this and that for better, don't choose this and that if you're playing like so, and so on)?

 

[Armistice]

I am quite positive that most teams will sit back and try to hit you on the counter so you need to draw them out.

[A_BVB_D]

This game is soooooo...confusing at times. I started with Borussia with the main players injured and after the supercup with Bayern, Aubameyang also got injured and the young ones dribble all around the field, even with dribble less selected; so i lose possession and that's that. Frustrating.

[herne79]

The basic idea of counter attacking is to have most of your team drop deep, get the opposition to over commit players forward, win the ball and hit them fast on the counter and in numbers so as to overwhelm their now fragile and undermanned defence.

If you use a top heavy formation such as the 4231, you are leaving 4 players high up the pitch.  This can therefore discourage opponents from over committing players forward in attack because they have to leave sufficient numbers back marking your players.  Thus your basic formation can heavily influence a counter attacking style of play.

Have a look in the guides sticky at the top of the forum for a detailed look at counter attacking.

[Armistice]

I think your roles & duties distribution could be subject to more tweaking, but the thing is, as Herne said, for the first step, you need another formation. Formation = defensive shape, so in other words, that's where your players will sit on the pitch when defending. I think you'd be looking to have more players in your own half than in the opponent's.

Another thing, using more attacking roles won't help that much, check Cleon's Counter Attacking thread. Keep testing and erroring and testing, that's how you can understand how the roles & duties play out.

 

As a side note, if you're Romanian you can always PM me

 

[avfcmatthew]

I'd be skeptical to play a 4-2-3-1 with a counter-attacking style because you lack support from your wingers in the defensive third. Consquently, you are asking a lot of your two central midfielders to pick up the opponents midfield (which they will usually be outnumbered by anyway) as well as their fullbacks/wingers who are bombing forward down the wing. I think this could very much work if you change it to a 4-4-1-1.

[A_BVB_D]

I've revamped the 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1and I won 5-6 games in a row after 4 defeats in 6 games. There are times when this game is so simple and times when it's actual rocket science...

 

 

Playmaker role usually goes from my AM to one of my CM, depending how good he is:

- Laimer plays well as DLP or AP in the CM line and also has some great shots from the edge of the box, but makes a lot of mistakes so I use him behind Auba

- Gotze starts to not get fitter and fitter so I use Kagawa

- Sahin is not that good, playmaker-wise but has a very high rate of successful passes (about 80-85%) and last one out, that really mattered, 2-0 with Besiktas, about 90% successful passes

- Stefano Sensi (my favourite): if he's not DLP or AP he's invisible - 93% pass accuracy with Besiktas (or someone)

And instructions:

 

Thought, small update:

Added play out of defense and Mixed passing, yet my CMs are absolutely oblivious to the fact that if you try 5 times to switch the ball to the flank, you're useless, so I may need to use Clear ball to flanks (should I if I use R/L Midfielder and not a winger? ), and close down much more.

But:

1) although I conceive goals, I score more than my opponent, but I'm conceding  too many goals!

2) Once Reus gets to full form I expect to turn this into a 3-4-3 flat (successfully) but who knows.

3) Need another striker as Aubameyang is my main front man but if he's out, Isak can't to everything on his own.

Results since using the tactic (started with Frankfurt at half-time, they were leading 2-1)

Going very well indeed but I am afraid since there were only small-ish teams up until now. The test will be with Tottenham (Barcelona will beat me either way, I shall keep you posted) and Leverkusen and then in the league with Bayern - beating them gives me hopes of reaching 1st at some point.

Conclusion: I am very excited with this, which means the fall will hurt...badly.

@herne79 I actually tried but my eyes just completely started to not read anymore. Will try again soon, for now it's working.