Need help building Conte's 3-5-2 for Inter

[FairyTailed]

Hello everyone.

As the title suggests I'm looking for a Conte-like 3-5-2 while I play with Inter. I'm aware it won't be the most exciting tactic when it comes to goals and will include a lot of crosses, but I'm fine with that.

This is what I've found so far.

I'm really unsure about how to set-up the midfield three. In real life Sensi plays on the left (or Eriksen), Brozovic in the middle and Barella on the right. Brozovic acts as a BMW irl sitting in front of the defense when the opponents have possession, but he tends to late surge into the box. Barella seems like a pure box2box to me from what I've seen, while Eriksen and Sensi are the playmaker types who care less for defensive duties, though as typical with Conte, they are not free of them.

I can't remember Conte necessarily using De Vrij as a Libero, but the change from a CD on Cover to this was to get the best out of his traits (Brings ball out of defense), while keeping the normal setup.

Concerning Lautaro and Lukaku... I originally had Lautaro on a PF(s) and Lukaku as a TM(a). The reason for the switch to CF is because often times they tend to interchange their roles in real life as well as even swap positions. Even Lautaro acts like more of a TM at times. I'm open to any suggestion though.

I'm also wondering if there's anyway to play with shorter passing - like Inter does - but still leave some chance for the BPD and Libero to hoof balls forward. I do have passing into space enabled, but Inter tend to really just hoof a ball to Lukaku at times, whether there's space or not, because he wins the duels. Other than that, in every other context their passing is quite short. If anybody knows how to combine this, please let me know.

And I guess lastly, my PI's/TI's:

- Lukaku, Lautaro and Barella are told to press harder and tackle harder - this is done to create somewhat of a splitblock and copy how they act in real life. I also don't have counter-press put on as a TI because I don't want to have the entire team run out of shape to win the ball. It would kind of ruin the point of the soaky 5-3 defensive line. I don't want my team to generally fully hold their shape = regroup though.

- My Wingbacks are told to cross more often, mark tighter, press harder and shoot less. This is a personal preference for wingbacks.

 

Again, any tips and ideas are appreciated.

Edited April 20, 2020 by FairyTailed

[Experienced Defender]

1 hour ago, FairyTailed said:

I can only tell you that a lot needs to be changed in this tactic in order for it to become balanced and sensible, regardless of which real-life team or manager you want to replicate. It pertains to both roles/duties and instructions. 

I haven't followed Inter under Conte enough to know how exactly he is playing with them. But what I definitely do know about Conte is that his tactics are always very solid defensively. Your tactic is anything but that. 

[FairyTailed]

27 minutes ago, Experienced Defender said:

I can only tell you that a lot needs to be changed in this tactic in order for it to become balanced and sensible, regardless of which real-life team or manager you want to replicate. It pertains to both roles/duties and instructions. 

I haven't followed Inter under Conte enough to know how exactly he is playing with them. But what I definitely do know about Conte is that his tactics are always very solid defensively. Your tactic is anything but that. 

I appreciate your comment, but it's hard to know what to change without any straight forward tips or ideas. If you have (m)any, please let me know.

[afailed10]

I watched a bit of Conte's Juve last night and I noticed that their CB's are very, very wide in the build up. The midfield had Pirlo in the DM strata as a Regista or a DLP. He dictated tempo, sometimes stopped play entirely and combined with Pogba or a long pass to the flanks.

Pogba as a Mez in RCM. Not sure if support or attack. He got into the area, getting into the end of crosses but surely his long legs and pace helped him with that. Marchisio as a LCM was slightly more conservative but went up and down, shot from distance so It's between a B2B and a CM-S. I'd go with B2B but need to watch more.

Upfront they had Vucinic and Tevez. The former was slightly ahead in positioning. Tevez, on the right, roamed a bit more and i'd often see Pogba get behind him while he dropped into deeper areas. So could be a PF-s but since he has freedom and takes risks he could be a f9 or a CF-S. Vucinic more direct, perhaps a PF-A or a poacher.

In any case, at least in this match against Benfica, the build up (and tempo) was quite slow so the WB's spread well and stretched the field. The CB's and Pilro would have then several options for a long or a short pass. Counter was on sometimes and then they would attack very incisively. I am interested in this system but will need to watch more than a few minutes before being sure of main mentality and playstyle. It is obvious though that this is a system that will only work with specific and very good players (relative to your division), at least his Juve and Chelsea recreation, could be useful to check his other teams such as the Italian NT who was much more limited in terms of resources.

 

[Migsyy]

I suggest watching the following videos to get an idea of how Inter operate under Conte:

 

Also check out this thread: 

 

[Experienced Defender]

15 hours ago, FairyTailed said:

I appreciate your comment, but it's hard to know what to change without any straight forward tips or ideas. If you have (m)any, please let me know.

Okay. For example:

- you do not have a single holding midfield role (instead, you have 2 roaming roles and one very aggressive quasi-defensive role)

- playing both strikers in the same type of role is not advisable, let alone playing them in a literally identical role (even if duties are different)

- prevent short GKD does not make sense in a formation with less than 3 players up front (and you have only 2)

- you told the keeper to distribute to fullbacks even though you do not have fullbacks (but wing-backs)

- your out-of-possession TIs (DL and LOE) look too aggressive relative to how Conte's teams usually play (especially when coupled with the high team mentality you are playing under)

There are potentially a couple more (specific) tips, but you first need to describe which style of football you want to play. I assume it's something defensively solid and counter-attacking, given Conte's general philosophy, but you need to confirm if I am right or not? 

[josel15]

A few changes I would do, if I was you, and then ED could say something about it:

As you said, Lukaku is a target man on support, he isn't the striker that attacks a lot the other team spaces on the back, that would be Lautaro, so I would say their roles are
CF(at) - TM (s), Lukaku, from what I've seen plays on the right and Lautaro plays on the left. I don't see Lautaro really roaming a lot and I would put him at AF but Ithink he will do well at CF.

I would say Brozo plays as a DM on support with not much of OI's. The midfielder on the right attacks more the space, so a box to box or even a mezzala on support would work, and the wing back on the right is more offensive than the one on the left, so WB(at).

I would play:
                   CF(at)            TM(s)

            RPM                              B2B

WB(s)                   DM(s)                   WB(at)

                CD           CD           BPD

                              SK(s/d)

 

The ball defender is just to not have CD's that don't make any risk pass, as you said you want them to sometimes go more direct.

Instructions:
Mentality: control
On the ball: Play out of defence, Wide. I wouldn't use shorter passing because Conte's teams don't really pass a lot on the last third and with Inter is the same, they actually shoot a bit from distance

Transitions: Counter

Off the ball: Offside, Higher LOD, standard LOE, More Urgent Pressing.

I think this is a good start. @Experienced Defender, what do you think?

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by josel15
Important information

[DimitrisLar]

37 minutes ago, josel15 said:

A few changes I would do, if I was you, and then ED could say something about it:

As you said, Lukaku is a target man on support, he isn't the striker that attacks a lot the other team spaces on the back, that would be Lautaro, so I would say their roles are
CF(at) - TM (s), Lukaku, from what I've seen plays on the right and Lautaro plays on the left. I don't see Lautaro really roaming a lot and I would put him at AF but Ithink he will do well at CF.

I would say Brozo plays as a DM on support with not much of OI's. The midfielder on the right attacks more the space, so a box to box or even a mezzala on support would work, and the wing back on the right is more offensive than the one on the left, so WB(at).

I would play:
                   CF(at)            TM(s)

            RPM                              B2B

WB(s)                   DM(s)                   WB(at)

                CD           CD           BPD

                              SK(s/d)

 

The ball defender is just to not have CD's that don't make any risk pass, as you said you want them to sometimes go more direct.

Instructions:
Mentality: control
On the ball: Play out of defence, Wide. I wouldn't use shorter passing because Conte's teams don't really pass a lot on the last third and with Inter is the same, they actually shoot a bit from distance

Transitions: Counter

Off the ball: Offside, Higher LOD, standard LOE, More Urgent Pressing.

I think this is a good start. @Experienced Defender, what do you think?

 

isn't conte's style very interesting? he builts from the back very patiently but he goes in fast transitions with a tall/short combination of strikers. watched his systems from when he was in Siena with 424. really interested where this will go  

to me it seems like slow tempo, short passing and counter. 

[josel15]

2 minutes ago, DimitrisLar said:

isn't conte's style very interesting? he builts from the back very patiently but he goes in fast transitions with a tall/short combination of strikers. watched his systems from when he was in Siena with 424. really interested where this will go  

to me it seems like slow tempo, short passing and counter. 

Yes indeed is true he does that. So perhaps standard passing with slower tempo. He still goes direct sometimes

[Experienced Defender]

41 minutes ago, josel15 said:

would play:
                   CF(at)            TM(s)

            RPM                              B2B

WB(s)                   DM(s)                   WB(at)

                CD           CD           BPD

                              SK(s/d)

 

The ball defender is just to not have CD's that don't make any risk pass, as you said you want them to sometimes go more direct.

Instructions:
Mentality: control
On the ball: Play out of defence, Wide. I wouldn't use shorter passing because Conte's teams don't really pass a lot on the last third and with Inter is the same, they actually shoot a bit from distance

Transitions: Counter

Off the ball: Offside, Higher LOD, standard LOE, More Urgent Pressing.

I think this is a good start. @Experienced Defender, what do you think?

Here is what I would definitely change in the tactic you proposed if it was my tactic (regardless of Conte or not Conte):

- BWM on support or carrilero instead of BBM (in relation to the WB on attack)

- AF or PF on attack instead of CF (in relation to the RPM)

- default width (if not even slightly narrower) instead of wide

- default pressing instead of more urgent 

But that's just me and my obsession with tactical balance 

[josel15]

Just now, Experienced Defender said:

Here is what I would definitely change in the tactic you proposed if it was my tactic (regardless of Conte or not Conte):

- BWM on support or carrilero instead of BBM (in relation to the WB on attack)

- AF or PF on attack instead of CF (in relation to the RPM)

- default width (if not even slightly narrower) instead of wide

- default pressing instead of more urgent 

But that's just me and my obsession with tactical balance 

I was just saying this because of the way Conte attacks in Inter, and he wants to mimic it

I said those roles on the right because Lukaku serves as a pivot in attack where he receives the ball and passes it whether a running and going very forward wing back or a runner from behind in the BBM

Of course what you said would be more balanced, and I would even change a few more stuff but that's me.

[DimitrisLar]

1 minute ago, Experienced Defender said:

- AF or PF on attack instead of CF (in relation to the RPM)

you say so huh? havent watched a lot of inter, i remember juventus where tevez received many times lower on the pitch and i thought about him as DLF(a) with stay wider+roam

[josel15]

1 minute ago, DimitrisLar said:

you say so huh? havent watched a lot of inter, i remember juventus where tevez received many times lower on the pitch and i thought about him as DLF(a) with stay wider+roam

Lautaro does not do that at all

[DimitrisLar]

1 minute ago, josel15 said:

Lautaro does not do that at all

conte's ideal partnership would be tevez from his juve days and adebayor from the arsenal days. he wants the tall point of reference in his squads and adebayor was both  very technical and physical compared to llorente, lukaku or costa. Also i agree with central defender with the width. wide width obligates the team to play from the flanks, not so conte style. they mostly do it if they need help for progression.

[Jean0987654321]

10 hours ago, josel15 said:

A few changes I would do, if I was you, and then ED could say something about it:

As you said, Lukaku is a target man on support, he isn't the striker that attacks a lot the other team spaces on the back, that would be Lautaro, so I would say their roles are
CF(at) - TM (s), Lukaku, from what I've seen plays on the right and Lautaro plays on the left. I don't see Lautaro really roaming a lot and I would put him at AF but Ithink he will do well at CF.

I would say Brozo plays as a DM on support with not much of OI's. The midfielder on the right attacks more the space, so a box to box or even a mezzala on support would work, and the wing back on the right is more offensive than the one on the left, so WB(at).

I would play:
                   CF(at)            TM(s)

            RPM                              B2B

WB(s)                   DM(s)                   WB(at)

                CD           CD           BPD

                              SK(s/d)

 

The ball defender is just to not have CD's that don't make any risk pass, as you said you want them to sometimes go more direct.

Instructions:
Mentality: control
On the ball: Play out of defence, Wide. I wouldn't use shorter passing because Conte's teams don't really pass a lot on the last third and with Inter is the same, they actually shoot a bit from distance

Transitions: Counter

Off the ball: Offside, Higher LOD, standard LOE, More Urgent Pressing.

I think this is a good start. @Experienced Defender, what do you think?

 

I have a lot of issues with that tactic and one of them is the use of a target man but playing out from the back...

[cheny]

I’m an Inter fan, and I would say the most difficult thing you would encounter is trying to replicate Brozovic’s role. On offense Brozovic stays back with the back three and would be constantly moving trying to receive the ball to build up attack. Moving into the channels on the defensive third, in a sense. Currently even the roaming playmaker role wouldn’t move as much as he would IRL. And then on defense, Brozovic would often push high up the pitch (higher than his midfield partners) and press the opponent defensive line along with the strikers, and would run back to protect the area if the pressing failed. An RPM in DM strata would be the best match, I’d say. 
 

And for De Vrij as a libero... In the match against Sassuolo, Brozovic was tightly marked by Opponent AM and rarely had a chance to receive the ball, so Conte pushed De Vrij up (and past Brozo) the field as the playmaker. He delivered an assist to Lukaku with a pinpoint pass from mid field line. I think that’s as close as you can get to a Libero in a modern football game. 
 

I think on a whole Conte’s tactics is quite flexible. When playing against Motta’s Genoa Inter presses so high up that I don’t think the ball ever left Genoa’s half. When playing stronger teams, like Juve for example, Inter would drop back a lot more (and usually backfires for playing too defensively). 

Edited April 22, 2020 by cheny