4-3-3 GegenTiki

This is a tactic I came up with completely from scratch without using any templates. It represents what I personally believe is the best way football should be played .

I don’t really care about the current direct passing and deep defensive-line meta, so I went all in on shortest passing, relentless pressing, positional dominance, and controlling momentum throughout the entire match. To me, this tactic combines the strongest aspects of Gegenpress and Tiki-Taka into one aggressive but controlled system.

My biggest inspiration was the way Paris Saint-Germain have been playing recently. On paper, the team lines up as a 4-3-3, but in possession it naturally transforms into more of a 3-2-5 shape. It defends with a high press in a 4-4-2 shape, where one midfielder (AM) pushes up alongside the central forward. The IFB tucks inside, the DLP helps create a stable 3-man buildup, and we consistently attack with five players occupying dangerous spaces. The IW and CHM provide creativity on one wing, while the AM and WFD provide penetration on the other.

Both wings, attacking and defensive depths are designed carefully:
- On each wing one player provides width (WB on the left and WFD on the right)
- The CHF and Wide Forward constantly provide attack depth
- The opposition backline gets pinned deep
- The press suffocates buildup and keeps momentum on our side

This tactic is basically the product of 20+ years of watching football, 2000+ hours of playing Football Manager, and countless hours of experimenting, suffering, tweaking, and managing clubs across the world .

I wanted to create something for people who love tactical domination more than just farming xG with exploit-heavy systems. If you already manage a dominant side, this tactic can completely take over leagues with overwhelming control and consistency. You’ll feel the momentum all game long.

At the same time, it also works surprisingly well with underdogs. I even won the UEFA Champions League with Brighton & Hove Albion using the default squad.

I hope you enjoy it and I’m always open to suggestions that actually make footballing sense

Please like, comment, and let’s talk football <3.

Great tactic, been really enjoying it, the 3-2-5 transformation and the constant press feel exactly like the PSG side you described.

Quick question: I don't see any player instructions when I load it up. Is that on purpose, letting the roles do the work? Or did they not come through in the upload?

If you use any, I'd be keen to hear your recommendations, especially on the IW/CHM and AM/WFD wings since that's where the asymmetry lives. Would rather play it as you intended than guess.

Cheers for sharing something built on an actual footballing idea.

milkw4ter said: Great tactic, been really enjoying it, the 3-2-5 transformation and the constant press feel exactly like the PSG side you described.

Quick question: I don't see any player instructions when I load it up. Is that on purpose, letting the roles do the work? Or did they not come through in the upload?

If you use any, I'd be keen to hear your recommendations, especially on the IW/CHM and AM/WFD wings since that's where the asymmetry lives. Would rather play it as you intended than guess.

Cheers for sharing something built on an actual footballing idea. Expand

Sorry for the late reply. I've been dealing with IRL stuff. I have some player instructions but I change them pretty often. The main idea is 1 player on both sides should provide width, therefore I often put wingers on 'Stay Wider' or Narrower depending on the roles. Let's say if back is narrow then forward winger is on wide. also I like to have a advanced winger wideon one side and the other is on a narrow role either as a IF or IW. That makes other winger find 1on1 situations and distrupt their defensive shape.