Arsenalwbx

Hello everyone,

I'd like to share a tactic I've been working on for quite some time.

This system was developed and tested almost exclusively with smaller clubs. The goal wasn't to create an overpowered tactic for elite teams, but to build a system that allows underdogs to compete while playing proactive, attacking football.

Tactical Philosophy

The idea behind ArsenalX is to dominate matches through movement rather than possession alone.

Although the mentality is Attacking, the team remains surprisingly compact because of the player movements.

The most important feature of the tactic is the behaviour of the full-backs.

Inverted Full-Back Movement

Instead of constantly overlapping on the wings, both full-backs move inside during possession and operate almost like additional central midfielders.

This creates several advantages:

Numerical superiority in midfield.
Better protection against counter attacks.
More passing triangles.
Better ball circulation under pressure.
Central overloads that create space for the attacking players.

Rather than stretching the pitch with overlapping full-backs, width comes naturally from the movement of the attacking players while the full-backs secure and support the midfield.

Team Instructions
In Possession

The team plays with:

Higher Tempo
More Direct Passing
Fairly Narrow Width
Counter when possible
Pass Into Space
Short Goalkeeper Distribution
Distribute to Full-Backs
Encourage Dribbling
Low Crosses
Work Ball Into Box
Balanced Creative Freedom

The objective is to move the ball forward quickly without becoming overly direct.

Out of Possession

Without the ball the team becomes very aggressive.

High Press
High Press Intensity
Counter-Press immediately after losing possession
Tackle Harder
Press Opposition Goalkeeper Distribution

Interestingly, despite the aggressive press, the defensive line is intentionally much deeper than many modern Gegenpress systems.

This helps smaller clubs avoid being constantly exposed by balls over the top while still applying heavy pressure higher up the pitch.

Set Pieces

One thing worth mentioning:

There are absolutely no set-piece routines included.

No attacking corners.

No defensive corners.

No free kicks.

Everything has been left on default because I wanted the tactic to be judged purely on its open-play performance.

If you enjoy creating your own set pieces, you can probably improve the results even further.

Testing
Tested mainly with smaller clubs.
No editor used.
No save scumming.
Holiday mode was only used to speed up long-term simulations.

I haven't tested it extensively with elite clubs yet, so stronger teams may achieve even better results.

Player Profile

The system doesn't require world-class players.

The most important attributes are:

Work Rate
Stamina
Teamwork
Decisions
Off The Ball
Positioning
Anticipation

Quick centre-backs are also highly recommended.

Weaknesses

No tactic is perfect.

Very fast counter-attacking teams can still cause problems if your defenders lack pace.

Squad quality will always have an impact.

This tactic was built for people who enjoy taking smaller clubs beyond expectations.

If you decide to try it, I'd love to hear your feedback—good or bad.

Every comment helps improve the tactic.

Enjoy!