4-1-2-1-2 (4-4-2 Narrow Diamond) Counter and Control

[ggwood]

I'm happier with the counter version, used when not favored, or away. The control version is OK but I get too many odd losses with it. Might want to use a different control tactic, such as Danilo.

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The idea is to win back the ball as high up the pitch as possible and have near complete universality - this is achieved via opposition instructions which are, basically, the most aggressive possible. Opposition Instructions are pre-set. Do not change, or allow assistant to overwrite.

Word of warning: you will pick up cards, especially at wing backs, and you will give away penalties, especially early in the season. Stick with it. Once the tactic is fully fluid, this gets better. Screenshots to come.

Brief overview of positions:
wingbacks: need pace, acceleration, and tackling. Dribbling is a definite plus, otherwise learn the PPM knocks ball past opponent. Some crossing is nice, but passing is probably more important. Since they are the only wide players, I sub both in most normal matches as they get tired. Stamina is thus a huge benefit.

Front five:
two CM on attack duty
enganche
two false-9
all need good passing, tackling, pace and acceleration are very useful. Even as false nines, your strikers will win back the ball high up the pitch and force opposition defenders to hoof the ball out - generating great chances.

Put stronger/taller players on the left of your pairs of centerbacks, central mids and strikers (false 9's) for set pieces. Currently, my right striker stays forward when we're defending corners, you might want to use your enganche.

 

[ggwood]

Dynamically Changing Based on Conditions

If you find you do not have enough possession, change one midfielder to support, possibly the opposite side wingback as well.

If a wingback gets too tired change from CWB down to WB(S) and they will run less. Useful for the occasional game which goes to extra time.

If your goalkeeper and defenders are pressed by the opposition, turn off the team instruction "play out of defense" and I often end up turning off "shorter passing" in this case. You will then exploit the gap they are leaving behind their strikers.

If you are an overwhelming favorite, it is better to remove some of the team instructions such as: shorter passing, play out of defense, work ball into box. Possibly more.

If you end up trying to use Counter against a team also sitting back, the total number of shots will be very low and the outcome highly uncertain. If this is happening, you can either: switch to control or turn off "work ball into box" and take longer shots, or do nothing if you are happy.

The middle: when to try to Exploit it? Even though you should have superiority in the center of the pitch, you will often not be as dominant there as you would like. If they are playing a flat 442, definitely exploit the middle. If they are playing a "narrow" formation, turn off exploit the middle. Otherwise, it is up to you. Generally, if you are having trouble breaking down a stubborn defense, you don't want to try forcing the ball anywhere.

When facing a narrow formation, you might want to consider pushing your wingbacks up to the wingback row from the fullback/center back row against narrow formations. I train a third tactic with this formation, currently, as I have enough players with enough positions covered to do so. This is a high barrier to entry since you'll start waning wingbacks trained at DL/DR WBL/WBR which does consume some of their "points" so they know more positions, but have less points for marking and tackling, which is not so nice.

Protecting a lead
I switch to defensive and put in the waste time team instruction for sure. I usually also turn off "play out of defense" if I feel the opponent is any threat to ****** one. Turning off "short passing" helps get the ball up field faster. I don't spend a lot of time in "defensive" mentality, but I score more often then I probably should.

Desperately try to score
When down by a goal late, there may appear little we can do. We already get 7 men forward! One thing you can do is push your wingbacks up one rank (from the fullback to wingback rank). Also, turn off "shorter passing", "work ball into box" and "play out of defense" and you will get the ball upfield faster - but at a risk of loosing possession.

Who is Shooting?
Most of your shots will come from your engache and false-nines, but the central mids and the wingbacks will get some good shots also, and thus benefit from some finishing, composure, off the ball, first touch - type stats. Centerbacks get some shots on set pieces mostly in the air, but occasionally tap ins from very close range, often at an angle. Also, the way the corner is set up, it is possible your defensive mid (anchor man) will get some long shots.

Training
I train everyone for the role they are playing. Younger players get more general role training: complete forward, ball playing defender and sweeper keeper are examples of this. A wingback with low defensive stats might get limited fullback training for a time to improve those. Strikers get some "defensive forward" time to learn some tackling.

 

[ggwood]

Match Training
Tactics only until fully fluid, then attacking movement and defensive positioning when favored/underdogs respectively. I do switch to set pieces on occasion when an opponent has a particularly good record of scoring from corners, or I feel I can score corners due to height advantage.

General Training
In preseason, two weeks of fitness training followed by as much team cohesion as you can stand (6 weeks?) then I rotate on a three week basis tactics, ball control, attacking, defending. I use fitness training during international weeks.

Down to Ten Men
Ideally, you want to remove the enganche (AMC) and go to counter, possibly defensive. Remove "shorter passing". Consider removing "play out of defense" it is likely your opponent will push higher for more goals. You can score with 10 men.

Corner Philosophy
Attacking the near post makes the odd, straight defensive line the AI uses to defend corners irrelevant. Left sided center back attacks near post, other center back near post flick on. These are the two most likely to score, or to knock the ball out against a defender for another corner. The others are to pick up the occasional deflection. Ensure all corners are in-swinging. Thus left footed to take corners from the right and so on. Too many out-swinging corners will go out of bounds directly before reaching the near post.
Occasionally, the corner taker will pass to one of your "default" players - usually your defensive mid, who may shoot from distance or pass. This happens automatically and should draw out AI defenders to the edge of the box, where they cannot help defend the near post.
The default and stay back positions are to ensure the opposition does not break on a rapid counter. You will generally recover balls headed out of the box and get a chance to keep the ball, maybe work a shot. Although you may not score directly on as many corners, you are retaining possession in a dangerous area. The players we are holding back, the two wingbacks, should be very fast, with good tackling, so they should cut down on rapid counters.
Defending corners, we keep one player forward. Often I will not see this player chase down a ball. Perhaps a player with more Work Rate would do so. I use someone with fantastic pace, so if they do get the ball, they should blast past the opponents and generate a clear cut chance.
Left center back "marks six yard box" and will get a huge number of headers. We mark both posts with high agility. I'm using a striker and the AMC. This has been a huge improvement for me. Any time these players get involved, they have very little time to react. So any ordinary player will do nothing leading to the conclusion marking the posts does not work. For me, this works. The rest simply "go back". No man-marking. If you have a tiny player, it may be worth having him mark a small player.

 

[ggwood]

Rotation
I fully rotate the squad between matches. Necessary to keep injuries down. Resist the temptation to put all the best in one squad unless you have a full week to recover. Also, I recommend at a minimum two extra (total of six) wingbacks, as I sub one or both wingbacks every game around the sixty minute mark. Further, I need a fifth striker as I get injuries. After wingback, the center mids are most likely to get subbed, so you'll need an extra man here.
Injuries
Since everyone is hard tackling, you will pick up injuries. I handle this by playing Norwich City, so I have excellent youth players who do not need to be registered - so I have many available to fill in and they benefit from the minutes. I do have many injury prone players who do well when they are rotated.
You will cause injuries. This is not the intent of the tactic, but this tactic relies on high fitness and the only way the opponent has any chance is to have players who run as much as we do. The AI does not rotate players enough, meaning they are more tired then your players. This tactic is trying to exploit that. But: the AI players will pick up knocks and injuries. Which brings us to:

Playing with a Man Advantage (or two...)
Two cases here: do you want to score, or are happy with seeing out the game?
If trying to score: use control. Examine his formation. Consider exploiting the middle. Consider exploiting one flank. If you are not generating chances, simplify by removing Team Instructions such as: shorter passing, work ball into box.
If satisfied with current scoreline, I still use control, unless I'm not keeping enough possession. This is the only case I remove "Pass Into Space". Normally, this provides the cutting edge our tactic needs to keep from becoming sterile. In this case, we remove it due to man advantage and you should see a huge increase in possession, tiring out opposition players further, suffocating the game.

 

[ggwood]

Additional In-Match Adjustments

I've been toying with two options:

1. Remove "retain possession". I see rare cases, (but too many for my liking) of back-passing, directly intercepted by an opposition striker - usually very bad. I think removing "retain possession" helps. It seems to go like this: a midfielder, or wingback, is pressed tightly and cannot find a good option. With "retain possession" they always look back first, and pass rather then try to get past their man or pass forward.

2. There are times you're totally dominating possession but cannot find a final pass. I've tried turning on the "be more expressive". They will try crazy stuff, especially when far up the pitch, but it can help break down stubborn defences.