Thoughts on a Man United 442

[DamianJMcGrath]

I've just started my first ever FM19 game, and I'm trying to learn how this game works. My inspiration for my first game is the old Man United 442 wingplay, using their current day squad. I've tried to apply some logic, but I'm sure I've made a lot of mistakes, so it'd be great to get people's thoughts.

 

My overall aims are:

1. Start as simple as possible. There's a few roles I don't understand, so I'll avoid them.
2. Try and replicate the types of players Ferguson had in '99.
3. I'm not as knowledgeable of football as a lot of people, so I'll instinctively pick what sounds right.

 

 

• In goal, my Schmeichel is De Gea, which is a pretty good modern day replacement. Not much to say here - one of the world's best goalkeepers, obvious first choice, and I've kept it simple with a normal GK on Defend.
• My two central defenders are simple, normal, CD-Def. I personally actually quite like Jones and Smalling as a partnership in real life, and both seem to have good positioning, tackling and heading abilities. Nice and simple.
• On the right-side, I've gone for a FB-Support and W-Support. My logic is that Beckham wasn't particularly fast, but he stayed wide and delivered great crosses, so a Winger on Support seems right. Supporting him, in the Gary Neville role, is a full-back. I don't really want him bombing forward like Cafu, I want a mix of attack and defence, so a fullback seems right.
• On the left-side, I was confused by the Giggs role. I read the description for an attacking winger, and it didn't sound right. I want that role to be a dribbler, cutting inside, beating people, and crossing sometimes but not every time. The description for Inverted Winger on Attack sounded right. In my current team, Martial or Rashford seem perfect for that too. When he cuts inside, it will likely create space on the left wing, so I've put my left back as an attacking left wing-back to run into that space, and provide the overlap.
• My midfield duo was really tough. I'm trying to find the Scholes/Keane combination. In my simple head, I saw Keane as a destroyer, someone to tackle and lay it off simply. The best descriptive match I could find for that was a Central Midfield-Defend. As far as Scholes goes, I saw him as someone who passed from a central area and also arrived late in the box. The Box to Box Midfielder seemed to fit, and Pogba seems to have the right athleticism, pace, finishing and movement to fulfill this role.
• I've put the defensive central midfielder on the same side as the attacking left-winger to plug the gaps he, and the left-back, might leave.
• Up front, I've got a more creative striker dropping a bit deeper, and then a powerful target-man type up front, to get on the end of the crosses from the right. The DLF is on the opposite side to the BBM so they've not filling the same space. In real life, Sheringham/Yorke was the guy that seemed to drop deeper, and Solskjaer/Cole were the out and out striker. I think Sanchez and Lukaku are a decent fit together, and Lukaku should enjoy the crosses from the RW, and the LW/LB. 

 

My immediate thoughts are that we can score through a variety of ways:

• Crosses from the right.
• Incisive runs from the left, ending with either a cross or through ball if he cuts inside.
• Cross from the overlapping left back.
• Centrally - through the BBM and DLF linking up, and potentially feeding balls through to the striker, or maybe even the LW cutting in.
• Knock-downs from the striker to the DLF.

 

Defensively, we seem OK as a result of:

• If the LW/LB are forward, we should still have 3 defenders back, and the CM-D back as well.
• If the two full-backs go forward together, and the BBM has gone forward, we should still have 2 CB's and the CM-D holding their position back.
• The two CB's are strong in the air, and good positionally and tough in the tackle, so should be OK at 1v1's if we are left short.

 

My concerns are:

• If the BBM goes forward, and the CM-D holds back, near the CB's, that might empty the midfield.
• We might easily get overrun by 3-man midfields. I've tried to counteract that slightly that keeping the RW on Support so he stays in the midfield strata, and the LW will hopefully cut in naturally and might be able to help us out centrally.
• If the RW/LW get the ball in the midfield strata, and the DLF has dropped deep, maybe the striker will be isolated?

 

So far, I've played 2 friendlies, with less than ideal players, and won both, but had about 15 shots with only 2 or 3 on target. My opposition, who were fairly poor, had 4 or 5 shots but 3 on target, indicating that we gave them pretty good chances.

The problems I found was:

• The DLF dropped incredibly deep, all the way back to central midfield for some reason. This left the striker isolated, and the wingers were crossing from deep but it was easily being cleared.
• Our midfield was definitely being overrun, and I think it was only due to my higher quality of player that I managed to get out of trouble.

 

I'm going to play a few league games and see what happens, but does anyone have any immediate thoughts. I'd definitely appreciate any advice.

[Gareh]

My go to tactic is based loosely around Ferguson's 99 side. This is a slight variation that I've adapted to suit my Watford side. 

• Goalkeeper is a SK because I play a high line. This just works better for me. 
• I like to have BPD and one CD in all of my tactics. No reason for this it just works in my head.
• The two fullbacks are roles that I tweak the whole time. I generally would have a FB (D) on the left hand side and a FB (A) on the right. Tierney gets a lot of assists.
• This variation is the first time that I have used an IW. Worked extremely well in the first season with Pereyra. The WP is arguably the most important position in the tactic. Hughes is incredible for me. The likes of Ward-Prowse has done it beautifully in previous saves too.
• I try to make my center mids replicate Scholes and Keane. The BBM scores and assists for fun and the DLP does his bit too.
• The roles of the forwards are always chopping and changing. Deeney did well as CF (S) before I sold him. Think someone with good hold up play is necessary, but I haven't tested this fully yet. The AF sometimes switches between a PF but I'm still not sure what works better.

I took over Watford when they were 19th in November of the first year and got them to 7th with this tactic. I've also won everything I could have with Man Utd with a very similar variation.I know it's not an exact replica of what you're looking for, but hopefully it will help with a few things.

[DamianJMcGrath]

Hmm that's interesting. Maybe the Mata right wing role is more of a wide playmaker. I might give that a try. 

In midfield, I did think about a DLP/BBM combo, but I'm not sure if either Scholes or Keane were a DLP. Scholes definitely feels like a box to box, but to be honest, so does Keane? 

I wonder if two BBMs would work? 

[Experienced Defender]

43 minutes ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

 

43 minutes ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

My inspiration for my first game is the old Man United 442 wingplay, using their current day squad

As someone who is currently managing Man Utd in FM19, I guess I can help. Even though my tactic - as well as formation - is different from yours, I know the players perfectly.

First, you want to implement a wing-play style, which is perfectly okay. But you need to know that pre-set tactics - including the wing-play one - are usually full of overkills, so they need tweaking (some more, some less). Specifically in the WP preset, the most obvious overkill is using focus play down the flanks and overlaps at the same time. Both these instructions increase the mentalities of your fullbacks, so my suggestion is not to use both. For a wing-play style, I would personally preserve the "Focus play" and remove "Overlap" (and you already removed overlap on one side, which is good 

Extremely wide width is also not necessary. Just (one notch) wider would be quite sufficient.

Now on player and role selection. Sanchez and Lukaku are a good combo in attack, but not sure if AF is the right role for Lukaku. Sanchez can play as a DLF, but my preference would be F9. I play him in that role most of the time, and he is fantastic (of course, it's important to set up the system as a whole in the right way, not just individual roles). Anyway, to cut the long story short. If you played Sanchez with Rashford or Martial up front, a combo of F9 and AF  would be a "perfect" choice. But with Lukaku, I would rather go with F9 and TM on attack (or CF on support and TM on attack).

In the midfield... Why Mata as the right winger (role, not position). If you want a winger on the right flank, then the most logical choice would be Lingard. On the other flank, Martial is a good choice for an IW on attack 

While Matic can play as a CM on defend - though I would rather use him as a DLP on defend in a 442 - Pogba is not quite suited for a BBM. I mean he can play as a BBM if there is no better option, but he is simply not that type of player. He is more suitable for roles such as mezzala, or RPM or AP (depending on the rest of the setup).

Shaw can generally play as a WB on attack, but in this system (442) it might be a bit too much adventurous (and needlessly so), especially as the IW in front of him is also on attack duty. I do use him as a WB on attack sometimes, but not in a 442. 

Finally, I am curious to learn what's your reasoning behind the selection of CBs? Why Smalling and Jones as the first-choice CB pair? 

Now I'll give you just an example of how a wing-play 442 could be adapted to a team like Man Utd, just to give you some ideas you may find worth considering:

F9     TMat

 

IWat      DLPde     MEZat      Wsu

 

WBsu     CDde    CDde      IWBde

GKde

Player selection would be same as yours, the only exception being Lingard instead of Mata on the right wing.

Possible team instructions:

Balanced mentality

- play out of defence, (one notch) wider width, focus play down left, focus play down right, higher tempo, hit early crosses (optional instruction - be more expressive)

- counter, distribute quickly to flanks (or FBs)

- higher d-line, standard LOE, use tighter marking, use offside trap

Possible player instructions:

F9 (Sanchez) - roam from position, close down more

TMat (Lukaku) - close down more, shoot more often

MEZat (Pogba) - mark tighter, close down more

Wsu (Lingard) - mark tighter, cross from byline

IWat (Martial) - mark tighter, sit narrower

DLPde (Matic) - mark tighter

Smalling - stay wider, take fewer risks

Now, if you have any questions, feel free to ask 

 

[Experienced Defender]

48 minutes ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

'm not sure if either Scholes or Keane were a DLP. Scholes definitely feels like a box to box

Scholes definitely was a playmaker, though not necessarily a DLP (or at least not always, as Sir Alex did not use the same tactic all the time, he was too good a manager to do that). 

Keane was a classic BWM, but I fear the current Man Utd squad does not have the right player for the role (except Fellaini, but not sure if you are going to play him instead of Pogba).

[FMunderachiever]

I think the beckham role would possibly be that of "wide midfielder" but with the PIs added in of "cross more often" and "more risky passes" to utilise the sweet right foot he had.

 

That of course depends if you have a player that can replace the quality of beckham.

 

For me giggs was more of an out and out attacking winger. On champions league nights he would roast defenders down the outside on his left foot.

 

Then the central midfield id say keane played as a central midfielder but with "hold position" and "tackle harder" as his PIs and Scholes id probably play as a central midfielder with no PIs and let him do his thing.

 

Of course im saying this as if i had those 4 players.... you might not be able to exactly replicate the ferguson 442 with your players and their attributes

[Experienced Defender]

55 minutes ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

I wonder if two BBMs would work?

Not a good idea if you ask me, You should generally look to avoid double roles, especially in the midfield and attack.

[DamianJMcGrath]

18 hours ago, Experienced Defender said:

 

As someone who is currently managing Man Utd in FM19, I guess I can help. Even though my tactic - as well as formation - is different from yours, I know the players perfectly.

First, you want to implement a wing-play style, which is perfectly okay. But you need to know that pre-set tactics - including the wing-play one - are usually full of overkills, so they need tweaking (some more, some less). Specifically in the WP preset, the most obvious overkill is using focus play down the flanks and overlaps at the same time. Both these instructions increase the mentalities of your fullbacks, so my suggestion is not to use both. For a wing-play style, I would personally preserve the "Focus play" and remove "Overlap" (and you already removed overlap on one side, which is good 

Extremely wide width is also not necessary. Just (one notch) wider would be quite sufficient.

Now on player and role selection. Sanchez and Lukaku are a good combo in attack, but not sure if AF is the right role for Lukaku. Sanchez can play as a DLF, but my preference would be F9. I play him in that role most of the time, and he is fantastic (of course, it's important to set up the system as a whole in the right way, not just individual roles). Anyway, to cut the long story short. If you played Sanchez with Rashford or Martial up front, a combo of F9 and AF  would be a "perfect" choice. But with Lukaku, I would rather go with F9 and TM on attack (or CF on support and TM on attack).

In the midfield... Why Mata as the right winger (role, not position). If you want a winger on the right flank, then the most logical choice would be Lingard. On the other flank, Martial is a good choice for an IW on attack 

While Matic can play as a CM on defend - though I would rather use him as a DLP on defend in a 442 - Pogba is not quite suited for a BBM. I mean he can play as a BBM if there is no better option, but he is simply not that type of player. He is more suitable for roles such as mezzala, or RPM or AP (depending on the rest of the setup).

Shaw can generally play as a WB on attack, but in this system (442) it might be a bit too much adventurous (and needlessly so), especially as the IW in front of him is also on attack duty. I do use him as a WB on attack sometimes, but not in a 442. 

Finally, I am curious to learn what's your reasoning behind the selection of CBs? Why Smalling and Jones as the first-choice CB pair? 

Now I'll give you just an example of how a wing-play 442 could be adapted to a team like Man Utd, just to give you some ideas you may find worth considering:

F9     TMat

 

IWat      DLPde     MEZat      Wsu

 

WBsu     CDde    CDde      IWBde

GKde

Player selection would be same as yours, the only exception being Lingard instead of Mata on the right wing.

Possible team instructions:

Balanced mentality

- play out of defence, (one notch) wider width, focus play down left, focus play down right, higher tempo, hit early crosses (optional instruction - be more expressive)

- counter, distribute quickly to flanks (or FBs)

- higher d-line, standard LOE, use tighter marking, use offside trap

Possible player instructions:

F9 (Sanchez) - roam from position, close down more

TMat (Lukaku) - close down more, shoot more often

MEZat (Pogba) - mark tighter, close down more

Wsu (Lingard) - mark tighter, cross from byline

IWat (Martial) - mark tighter, sit narrower

DLPde (Matic) - mark tighter

Smalling - stay wider, take fewer risks

Now, if you have any questions, feel free to ask 

 

That was really useful and made sense to me. 

In answer to some of your questions:

- I went with Mata on the right wing because he felt more of a Beckham type than Lingard. Mata felt like he had the passing range, whereas Lingard had more pace. Especially if I changed that role to a wide playmaker, as previously suggested. 

- I went with Pogba as a BBM because a) I've never heard of mezzala so I was avoiding it and b) in my head, I can see Pogba tackling back and also rampaging forward which felt like box to box. 

- I did leave most of the preset options on because, well, I assumed the game knew best. 

- I went with Jones and Smalling because a) I like them in real life and b) I assumed it didn't overly matter as the two rules were bog standard CD Def. If I was going to have a BPD, I might have looked at someone else, but Jones and Smalling feel decent enough as normal defenders to me. 

 

I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just explaining my logic! 

 

So, my questions :

1. I've never used a F9. I assume that drops deeper but doesn't a DLF do that too? 

2. I understand your point about Lukaku being a TM which makes sense, but what's the difference? A TM would spearhead the attack but doesn't a AF also do that? Is it just about the target of crosses? 

3. Why have you got a IWB at right back? Is it to create the symmetry with the other side and to fill the midfield gap when Pogba wanders forward? 

4. With the left IW, which I'm guessing as a role, is someone who cuts inside, do I need the sits narrower instruction as well? Is this not two things saying the same thing? 

5. I'm guessing the MEZ is a role that let's Pogba wander around? If so, would mark tighter stop him from wandering? 

6. In your example, which side is Smalling on and why have you asked him to stay wider? I'd have thought splitting the centre backs is normally a bad thing? 

7. If you had the player to fit, would you prefer a BWM to a DLP in midfield? 

 

Thanks for your help @Experienced Defender, I appreciate learning more about this game

[FMunderachiever]

 

5 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

That was really useful and made sense to me. 

In answer to some of your questions:

- I went with Mata on the right wing because he felt more of a Beckham type than Lingard. Mata felt like he had the passing range, whereas Lingard had more pace. Especially if I changed that role to a wide playmaker, as previously suggested. 

- I went with Pogba as a BBM because a) I've never heard of mezzala so I was avoiding it and b) in my head, I can see Pogba tackling back and also rampaging forward which felt like box to box. 

- I did leave most of the preset options on because, well, I assumed the game knew best. 

- I went with Jones and Smalling because a) I like them in real life and b) I assumed it didn't overly matter as the two rules were bog standard CD Def. If I was going to have a BPD, I might have looked at someone else, but Jones and Smalling feel decent enough as normal defenders to me. 

 

I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just explaining my logic! 

 

So, my questions :

1. I've never used a F9. I assume that drops deeper but doesn't a DLF do that too? 

2. I understand your point about Lukaku being a TM which makes sense, but what's the difference? A TM would spearhead the attack but doesn't a AF also do that? Is it just about the target of crosses? 

3. Why have you got a IWB at right back? Is it to create the symmetry with the other side and to fill the midfield gap when Pogba wanders forward? 

4. With the left IW, which I'm guessing as a role, is someone who cuts inside, do I need the sits narrower instruction as well? Is this not two things saying the same thing? 

5. I'm guessing the MEZ is a role that let's Pogba wander around? If so, would mark tighter stop him from wandering? 

6. In your example, which side is Smalling on and why have you asked him to stay wider? I'd have thought splitting the centre backs is normally a bad thing? 

7. If you had the player to fit, would you prefer a BWM to a DLP in midfield? 

 

Thanks for your help, I appreciate learning more about this game

1) in my experience, DLF's don't tend to drop quite deep enough, but F9's tend to shoot from distance a little more.

2) Advanced forwards run in behind more, whereas target men attract the ball to be played into them

3) I don't tend to use IWB but he would underlap your wide player if you selected him as an IWB

4) You don't have to use sit narrower, an IW will start wide and make an out to in run. If he sits narrower, he will be more in the middle of the pitch than perhaps you want him to be

5) Mezzala is similar to an attacking midfielder but has more tendency to run wide too. Mark tighter will make him stay close to whoever you want him to stay close to when they have the ball

6) Not too sure, is it to cover for someone else?

7) BWM and DLP are different. You might just be better off using a "central midfielder" and designing him to do what you want

 

Also I think personally you can have twin roles but design them differently.......you could have two central midfielders together but with different PI's and different elements to bring to your tactic, you could pair to CB's together.

 

It wouldn't work to have two players next to each other doing exactly the same thing, but if they had slightly different roles it can work

[Experienced Defender]

10 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

In answer to some of your questions:

- I went with Mata on the right wing because he felt more of a Beckham type than Lingard. Mata felt like he had the passing range, whereas Lingard had more pace. Especially if I changed that role to a wide playmaker, as previously suggested. 

If you want to literally replicate the 442 from Sir Alex era - rather than just using it as an inspiration - I fear it might prove impossible, simply due to differences between the current Utd team and that one from the past. I mean, you may be able to replicate it in part, but hardly as a whole. Because a lot of present Utd players are different from their "counterparts" in terms of their style of play. For example, you don't have a single player in today's Man Utd team that even closely resembles Scholes. While Pogba does have good playmaking abilities, he is a pretty much different type of player than Scholes.

Okay, Mata can be a "substitute" for Beckham. Likewise, Lingard might to some extent "emulate" Giggs, but on the opposite (right) wing. Btw, Giggs was a classic winger, not an IW (and in later stages of his career he sometimes also played in central midfield). Shaw could be an attacking left back though.

Valencia as a "new Neville"? Maybe could work, but again - they are very different types of players.

20 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

Up front, I've got a more creative striker dropping a bit deeper, and then a powerful target-man type up front, to get on the end of the crosses from the right. The DLF is on the opposite side to the BBM so they've not filling the same space. In real life, Sheringham/Yorke was the guy that seemed to drop deeper, and Solskjaer/Cole were the out and out striker. I think Sanchez and Lukaku are a decent fit together

While Sanchez can be the more creative striker that drops deeper (F9 if you ask me), not sure if Lukaku is exactly the type of striker to replicate the other one. Maybe Rashford would be a more logical option. But whonever you eventually pick, a poacher (with the "move into channels" player instruction) seems to me as a more logical choice for the role than AF.

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

- I went with Pogba as a BBM because a) I've never heard of mezzala so I was avoiding it and b) in my head, I can see Pogba tackling back and also rampaging forward which felt like box to box.

If you want to replicate the old Utd, then I agree that Pogba should not be played as a mezzala, simply because that role was not used in Utd back then. So if you want Pogba to replace Scholes, you could play him either as a RPM or AP on support with the "roam from position" player instruction added.

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

- I did leave most of the preset options on because, well, I assumed the game knew best

Unfortunately not. As I already explained in my previous reply.

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

- I went with Jones and Smalling because a) I like them in real life and b) I assumed it didn't overly matter as the two rules were bog standard CD Def. If I was going to have a BPD, I might have looked at someone else, but Jones and Smalling feel decent enough as normal defenders to me. 

Okay. The only potential problem could be Smalling's poor technical ability. Therefore, maybe Jones and Bailly would be a better option. If you possibly want to use a cover/stopper combo (like Ferdinand and Vidic), I would go with Bailly (cover) and Jones (stopper).

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

So, my questions :

1. I've never used a F9. I assume that drops deeper but doesn't a DLF do that too?

Yes, both drop deeper - like any striker role on support duty - but F9 is more mobile and progressive in terms of both movement and overall style of play than DLF. Especially if you use Sanchez. He is absolutely fantastic as an F9 in my system. He scores, assists, brings others into play... he is simply everywhere 

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

2. I understand your point about Lukaku being a TM which makes sense, but what's the difference? A TM would spearhead the attack but doesn't a AF also do that? Is it just about the target of crosses? 

I initially didn't understand that you intended to literally replicate the old Utd under SAF. But now that I see what you want, I agree that a TM would not be a good choice. As I already said, my preference in that case would be a poacher (for Lukaku), or AF (for Rashford / Martial). 

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

3. Why have you got a IWB at right back? Is it to create the symmetry with the other side and to fill the midfield gap when Pogba wanders forward?

Again, I didn't know you want to make a literal replication, so my idea was to have an IWB on defend as a cover for the attacking mezzala (Pogba). But since you want to replicate Neville's role, then standard FB on support is the right choice  

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

5. I'm guessing the MEZ is a role that let's Pogba wander around? If so, would mark tighter stop him from wandering? 

No. Tight marking is defensive instruction, so it applies only when you are not in possession. The purpose of the "Mark tighter" instruction for the midfielders (not only Pogba) is to put additional pressure on the opposition and thus help your defense in a safer way than by more urgent pressing. 

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

6. In your example, which side is Smalling on and why have you asked him to stay wider? I'd have thought splitting the centre backs is normally a bad thing? 

On the left, as in yours. The reason for telling him to stay wider is to cover the left WB who would be pretty much attack-minded due to the Focus play down the left flank instruction (the same would be the case if Overlap left was used instead). But the "stay wider" is not a necessary instruction anyway, so you don't have to use it if you don't feel comfortable.

 

11 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

7. If you had the player to fit, would you prefer a BWM to a DLP in midfield? 

I personally would always look to avoid a BWM in a flat 442. But given that you want to replicate the system in which Keane played, then a BWM on defend duty would be a logical choice for him. But as I said, the only player in the current Man Utd squad that could act as a "new Keane" is Fellaini. Matic is a different type of player (could play as a DLP or carrilero, but not ideal for a BWM role).

So, to summarize. The biggest problem in replicating the old Utd is that you don't have a left-footed left winger that would substitute Giggs. I mean, you could try with Mata as a left winger (role), but then who would be the new Beckham? However, you can instead make a little swap and play Lingard as the right winger and Mata as a quasi-WP on the left (by playing him as a WM but customizing his player instructions - take more risks, roam from position).

An example:

F9     AF/PO

 

WMsu       BWMde       APsu        Wat

 

FBat       CDde/co     CDde/st      FBsu

GK

Positive / play out of defence, default passing, higher tempo, (one notch) wider width, overlap right (occasionally pass into space) / counter, regroup, distribute to flanks / standard DL, lower LOE, less urgent pressing, use tighter marking

Now, as far as I remember, Sir Alex style of defending was not aggressive. He tended to rely on his players' tactical intelligence in terms of positioning, anticipation and decisions in the first place. That's why I here opted to use less urgent pressing coupled with tighter marking as a way of replicating his defensive style. But in FM it might turn out to be too passive, so it may not work as desired. 

As for player instructions:

DR/FBsu - sit narrower, hold position

ML/WMsu - roam from position, take more risks, mark tighter

MCL/BWMde - pass shorter, mark tighter

MCR/APsu - roam from position, mark tighter

STCL/F9 - roam from position

STCR/PO - move into channels

 

 

[Experienced Defender]

13 hours ago, DamianJMcGrath said:

4. With the left IW, which I'm guessing as a role, is someone who cuts inside, do I need the sits narrower instruction as well? Is this not two things saying the same thing? 

No. IW role cuts inside (with the ball) by its default setting, whereas sit narrower is an optional PI you can select if you want. The reason I here opted for the "sit narrower" was fourfold: 1. to create more space for the fullback on the flank; 2. to sort of "compensate" for the absence of an AMC (position) in the system; 3. to be more involved in the build-up phase of play by being closer to central midfield; 4. to act as a latent goal threat from more central areas.

 

[summatsupeer]

If looking to specifically recreate how man utd 99 played i'd say it was:

GK: SK-D/S; Schmeichel - Not a Neuer / Ederson / Allison possession / passing keeper but his throwing was amazing and started so many of the counter attacks plus great at rushing out in 1v1 situations due to his handball days.

DR: FB-A; G Neville - Overlapped Beckham often who rarely dribbled

DCR: CB-D; Johnsen

DCL: CB-D; Stam 

DL: FB-S; Irwin - He supported Giggs, he wasn't an overlapper like Neville was for Beckham but wasn't just defensive holder.

MR: WM-S (Cross More Often, Dribble Less, More Risky Passes, More Direct Passes); Beckham - He was a passer not a dribbler / runner.  Trait of switches play to opposite flank and tries through balls.  In CL final Giggs played more as a IW due to injuries/suspensions (Keane+Scholes) in CM so Beckham started there.

MCR: BBM-S; Scholes - Gradually he get forward less as his legs faded, I cannot remember at what point he was at in 99.  Shoots from Distance and Tries Through Balls.  Early in career Gets Forward Often and/or Arrives Late In Box.  Beckham also played in this role (like in CL final).

MCL: BWM-S; Keane - I think he was more than just a destructive holding player, he had good balls skills, passing ability, scored a few goals a season and he had more freedom than people remember. A player with lesser ability to know when he has to cover might of been given less freedom (like Butt) as a CM-D or just been a game by game decision depending on the threat of the opponents.

ML; W-S; I don't remember Giggs being on the shoulder winger, I remember him collecting it then running with it.  Maybe again my memory is confusing his later career in a central role?  I'd guess his off the ball forward runs behind defences were sometimes rather than often, especially when there was no counter attack.

STCR: DLF-S/A; Yorke - Linked play more often than Cole but not sure if support or attack duty as once play was linked he tended to attack the box.

STCL: P-A; Cole - Pure finisher, good interplay but didn't really take people on or try to be a creator.

 

Mentality i'd say was Counter / Balanced / Control changing on a game by game basis.

Width was quite wide so changes depending on mentality (might not need to add to higher mentalities) 

Tempo was more on the quick side again changing depending on mentality but maybe thats more me remember all the counter attacks rather than how they attacked when there wasn't a counter. 

Maybe Look For Overlap Right.

Counter Attacking (DUH).  

GK Distribution should be Quick Distribution, To Flanks and Throwing.

Defensively they didn't press lots, if anything they sat a bit then got stuck in to enable there counter attacks, maybe just leave as default, don't have to add instructions .

 

----------------------------

 

Now, getting current team to fit this is.... hard.  It does fit better if you flip it:

GK: SK-D/S; De Gea - Lacks the distribution of Schmeichel to start counter attacks.

DR: FB-S; Valencia / Dalot - both get forward a bit too often due traits IMO. Herrera has good attributes for a FB-S FYI, I think his crossing is best in the starting squad besides maybe Young.

DCR: CB-D; Bailly / Jones / Smalling

DCL: CB-D; Lindelof / Jones / Rojo

DL: FB-A; Shaw / Young

MR: W-S; Lingard / Sanchez

MCR: CM-D; Matic / Herrera - switched to the more conservative role+duty by default since 3 man midfield more common

MCL: BBM-S; Pogba / Fred - Might even go MEZ-S or even CM/MEZ-A as partner sits more and gives more of the young rampaging scholes.

ML; IW-S; Sanchez / Martial? - Switched to IW from WM since there's no real left sided Beckham.  Maybe Mata / Pereira can do a kind of Beckham role on that side and frees Sanchez+Martial for other positions.

STCR: P-A; Rashford / Martial - They're both more wide forwards in FM due to traits and attributes (anticipation, likes to beat offside trap etc), get ready to see lots of offsides from Rashford.

STCL: DLF-S/A; Lukaku / ? - Nothing like the creator that Yorke was and will breakup the play and not create as much.  He is physical though so maybe TM-S and if he lays it off someone else can create a chance but really changing what I think was a key part of the system and really its the type of player as much the role/duty.  Sanchez could maybe play here?  If buying one player i'd say this is the position, i'm struggling to think of a player who's could be available though