The attached formation gave me great success with Sporting CP in the second season. Completely dominated the Portuguese league (just one draw and one loss) and made it to the semifinals of the Champions League, losing only to Bayern on extra time, after winning the Champions League group stage. My team is perhaps a bit improved relatively to the initial Sporting squad, but not substantially so, as some of the new players come at the expense of having had to sell several good players (e.g., Inacio, Morita, Edwards). I do think that my tactic plays a massive role in the success of my team.
The full list of the player individual instructions is below:
GK Sweeper Keeper defend DR Wing-back attack; cross more often, stay wider, tackle harder; cross from byline, get further forward DCR Ball playing defender defend; tackle harder; take more risks, hold position DCL Ball playing defender defend; tackle harder; take more risks, hold position DL Wing-back attack; cross more often, stay wider, tackle harder; cross from byline, get further forward DMCR Defensive midfielder support; take more risks, tackle harder DMCL Defensive midfielder support; take more risks, tackle harder AMR Inverted winger support; take more risks, cross less often, sit narrower, close down more, tackle more, mark specific position; dribble more, cut inside with ball AML Inverted winger support; take more risks, cross less often, sit narrower, close down more, tackle more, mark specific position; dribble more, cut inside with ball FCR Pressing forward attack; dribble more; move into channels, close down more, tackle harder FCL Pressing forward attack; dribble more; move into channels, close down more, tackle harder
In developing my tactic, I started from the META settings you can find in most of 424 formations at the top of FM Arena list and made several changes that aim to improve my appreciation of the football I see my team playing, as well as, in some cases, improve the realism of how a team would play in the real world. Specifically: - Tempo: I play with "slightly higher tempo" rather than "higher tempo" largely because I do not like to watch my team play in "higher tempo"... Way too many rash shots. From what I understand, the guy that won the FM "world championship" plays with "slightly higher tempo," so it should be playable (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQebnrOMS9w&ab_channel=Zealand). - Width: I play with width at the middle setting because playing in narrow or fairly narrow seems quite unrealistic to me for an attacking team playing with two wingers. - Side defenders: I play my side defenders as "wing-backs" rather than as "full-backs". Given the level of attack expected, that role makes more sense to me. - Ball playing center backs: I do not use the "run with ball" setting. When you play with it, the center backs run way too much with the ball, which is quite unrealistic IMO. - Defensive midfielders: I do not like to have them in hold position, as I like to see them help create in the final third. Also, I like to have them play with take more risks like a deep lying midfielder (I do not like using the deep lying midfielder role because that implies restricting their shooting). - Side attacking midfielders: When playing with two center forwards, I like playing my side attacking midfielders as "inverted wingers" rather than "inside forwards" so as to not crowd the area more. I want them to create for forwards rather than occupy the same area. For similar reasons, I like to play them with support rather than attack mentality. Similar to defensive midfielders, I do not use the "advanced playmaker" role because it implies limiting shooting. But I do set my inverted wingers to take more risks. I do not set them with "hold up ball" because I do not want them to slow down. - Center forwards: In the previous season I was playing them as "advanced forwards." But I figured, if the META in FM 24 is to press everywhere, may as well play the center forwards as pressing forwards. I set them in attack so that they play pretty similarly to an advanced forward when in possession. I set to dribble with the ball more because I like to see forwards create for themselves. (I should say that I am a bit disappointed by the lack of assists from my center forwards, and may change them to deep lying forwards in my next season to see how it works.) - Roaming: I do not like roaming. I like to see an organized team with players showing up in their respective areas and so that all spaces are occupied (like Pep or Ruben Amorim play in real life). - "Symmetry": From a squad management perspective, I prefer to have symmetry in the settings of my central positions, so that all players for those positions can be used interchangeably with no "role familiarity" penalty.
Looking forward to see how my tactic fares in FM Arena testing!
Hi all!
The attached formation gave me great success with Sporting CP in the second season. Completely dominated the Portuguese league (just one draw and one loss) and made it to the semifinals of the Champions League, losing only to Bayern on extra time, after winning the Champions League group stage. My team is perhaps a bit improved relatively to the initial Sporting squad, but not substantially so, as some of the new players come at the expense of having had to sell several good players (e.g., Inacio, Morita, Edwards). I do think that my tactic plays a massive role in the success of my team.
The full list of the player individual instructions is below:
GK Sweeper Keeper defend
DR Wing-back attack; cross more often, stay wider, tackle harder; cross from byline, get further forward
DCR Ball playing defender defend; tackle harder; take more risks, hold position
DCL Ball playing defender defend; tackle harder; take more risks, hold position
DL Wing-back attack; cross more often, stay wider, tackle harder; cross from byline, get further forward
DMCR Defensive midfielder support; take more risks, tackle harder
DMCL Defensive midfielder support; take more risks, tackle harder
AMR Inverted winger support; take more risks, cross less often, sit narrower, close down more, tackle more, mark specific position; dribble more, cut inside with ball
AML Inverted winger support; take more risks, cross less often, sit narrower, close down more, tackle more, mark specific position; dribble more, cut inside with ball
FCR Pressing forward attack; dribble more; move into channels, close down more, tackle harder
FCL Pressing forward attack; dribble more; move into channels, close down more, tackle harder
In developing my tactic, I started from the META settings you can find in most of 424 formations at the top of FM Arena list and made several changes that aim to improve my appreciation of the football I see my team playing, as well as, in some cases, improve the realism of how a team would play in the real world. Specifically:
- Tempo: I play with "slightly higher tempo" rather than "higher tempo" largely because I do not like to watch my team play in "higher tempo"... Way too many rash shots. From what I understand, the guy that won the FM "world championship" plays with "slightly higher tempo," so it should be playable (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQebnrOMS9w&ab_channel=Zealand).
- Width: I play with width at the middle setting because playing in narrow or fairly narrow seems quite unrealistic to me for an attacking team playing with two wingers.
- Side defenders: I play my side defenders as "wing-backs" rather than as "full-backs". Given the level of attack expected, that role makes more sense to me.
- Ball playing center backs: I do not use the "run with ball" setting. When you play with it, the center backs run way too much with the ball, which is quite unrealistic IMO.
- Defensive midfielders: I do not like to have them in hold position, as I like to see them help create in the final third. Also, I like to have them play with take more risks like a deep lying midfielder (I do not like using the deep lying midfielder role because that implies restricting their shooting).
- Side attacking midfielders: When playing with two center forwards, I like playing my side attacking midfielders as "inverted wingers" rather than "inside forwards" so as to not crowd the area more. I want them to create for forwards rather than occupy the same area. For similar reasons, I like to play them with support rather than attack mentality. Similar to defensive midfielders, I do not use the "advanced playmaker" role because it implies limiting shooting. But I do set my inverted wingers to take more risks. I do not set them with "hold up ball" because I do not want them to slow down.
- Center forwards: In the previous season I was playing them as "advanced forwards." But I figured, if the META in FM 24 is to press everywhere, may as well play the center forwards as pressing forwards. I set them in attack so that they play pretty similarly to an advanced forward when in possession. I set to dribble with the ball more because I like to see forwards create for themselves. (I should say that I am a bit disappointed by the lack of assists from my center forwards, and may change them to deep lying forwards in my next season to see how it works.)
- Roaming: I do not like roaming. I like to see an organized team with players showing up in their respective areas and so that all spaces are occupied (like Pep or Ruben Amorim play in real life).
- "Symmetry": From a squad management perspective, I prefer to have symmetry in the settings of my central positions, so that all players for those positions can be used interchangeably with no "role familiarity" penalty.
Looking forward to see how my tactic fares in FM Arena testing!