4-2-3-1 vs 4-2-3-1
- Thread starter princeaa
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I'll try to answer your question by making three points, whilst also trying my best not to ramble.
1. A Formation is Merely a Framework
You might have heard phrases like this be bandied about, and it is something that is very important not only when you're playing FM, but also when you're watching/analysing any match. In your case it means that not every 4-2-3-1 is exactly the same as every other 4-2-3-1.
Your midfield 2 can play a number of different roles. Playing a non-aggressive role in this position, such as a CM(D) will see him drop naturally deeper, thus bringing him closer to the opposition 10 and by extension making him more easy to deal with. I say "non-aggressive" because roles like BWM and BBM have very high closing down, meaning they'll be out of position should the opposition find a way to play round them, leaving their 10 free to do as he pleases.
You could further increase the pressure on him by setting your "defensive midfielder" to man mark him, but be aware that this could leave your midfield very stretched and easy to play through if the 10 has good movement and willing 8s to take advantage of the space. Long story short, there are 11 players on the other team, don't get too focused on one!
2. Defence in Numbers
You could also mitigate the effectiveness of their 10 by pulling your midfield 2 back into the DM slots. This, if you choose the roles and duties accordingly, effectively sets up a barrier between their midfield and your defence, leaving minimal space for the 10 to operate in. This is most often found in defensive or reactive systems but is nonetheless very effective. Be careful that you still have some sort of a creative outlet though, as you could be at risk of having a disjointed midfield.
3. Cut off the Supply
This is currently the philosophy that I am pursuing in my save, and while it is arguably the most challenging to implement, the results can be absolutely stunning. The idea here being that if you can limit how much the opposition's attacking players (not just the 10) can receive the ball, then you have already greatly lessened the threat they pose.
As for as advice for how to set this up, I strongly recommend you Google articles on "Gegenpressing", as it would take me hours to accurately show you how it works. Basically Gegenpressing, or counter-pressing, is an idea that revolves around regaining possession as quickly as possible.
Say your team is on the attack and they lose the ball to the opposition's left-back. The default reaction would usually be to fall back and take up defensive positions. Teams like Dortmund will instead push forward and press the left-back, whilst covering all his passing options. The result, more often than not, is that the left-back will be pressured into either giving the ball away or making it difficult for a team-mate to retain possession, thus winning you the ball high up the pitch while the opposition is disorganised. Needless to say, their 10 doesn't get much of the ball!
I hope this helped, not only in a FM sense but also your greater understanding of football itself.
Note.
Take "10" to mean AMC and "8" to mean a forward-thinking central midfielder.
Thank's a lot !! I'm researching gegenpressing now, which player roles should i use for every position ?
Threads like this replicate Dortmund's tactic, so you can use that as a framework and adjust whatever roles you have to.
24 years old and already so smart? You are of course correct in every aspect of your text. I have studied Osram's Bayern in 2012-2013, and made my "Exterminators" tactic, which should incorporate both gegenpressing, and be able to get rid of it by dribbling, instead of looking for pass. Osram built a perfect machine for German football, and Pep ruined it. Although, my tactic isn't reactive, I use 4-2-3-1 deep formation and passing through defence style.
Haha thanks, I'm actually 18 - made this account a few years ago.
I'm interested to know how you set up your passing. I usually use direct for my Gegenpressing tactics but I've been experimenting with shorter passing for better ball retention. I wonder if you've tried this.
I do agree with your assessment regarding Pep. Bayern do seem to have lost the physical advantage that they used so effectively against Barcelona a couple of years ago.
Bayern used a treq, so of course they used short passing. Direct balls would bypass him. Heres the link http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/shar...terminators-tactic-igneos-eructid-theory.html I use standard strategy here, but Control was more what Osram used. And I will correct that as soon as fm downloads and installs...
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