4231 for 19.3.6 - Champions League wins with Vitesse, Bournemouth and more!

[Saampje17]

Long save! Great stuff mate well done

I'm still loving this save, having so much fun with different teams already. I also have a Leipzig save on the side that I start up again occassionally. My goal with Barca is to win everything and maybe stick around for like 3 seasons. After that I'll try and go for a lower rated team that I can build as a challenge.

Currently with Barca I'm 1st and I think 5 points ahead of Atletico but it was a struggle as they kept winning their games as well. Still have a home game to play against them. With the CL I've reached the Quarter Finals. Not sure who I'm playing against right now though.

 

[stuartclark16]

I'm still loving this save, having so much fun with different teams already. I also have a Leipzig save on the side that I start up again occassionally. My goal with Barca is to win everything and maybe stick around for like 3 seasons. After that I'll try and go for a lower rated team that I can build as a challenge.

Currently with Barca I'm 1st and I think 5 points ahead of Atletico but it was a struggle as they kept winning their games as well. Still have a home game to play against them. With the CL I've reached the Quarter Finals. Not sure who I'm playing against right now though.

Sounds good mate. Keep me updated... especially when you start on the lower team- in my experience the tactic works well for smaller clubs too.

 

[Saampje17]

Sounds good mate. Keep me updated... especially when you start on the lower team- in my experience the tactic works well for smaller clubs too.

I will! On my vacation I had some fun with a short save with Fortuna Sittard on my laptop. Had some great results!

With Barca I've almost won the Liga, almost through to the Semi Finals of the CL as well after beating Bayern 3-0 in the first leg.
Depending on how late I get home today I'll finish the season and post the screenshots.

 

[tksolway]

How do you guys deal with the inevitable slumps you get when trying to use a single tactic like this? I find that these super tactics work for a while but then eventually my team hits a slump where they can't win to save their lives. I've read that a large part of it is the AI adapting to your tactics.

 

[Saampje17]

How do you guys deal with the inevitable slumps you get when trying to use a single tactic like this? I find that these super tactics work for a while but then eventually my team hits a slump where they can't win to save their lives. I've read that a large part of it is the AI adapting to your tactics.

With my Leipzig save it didn't really happen as of yet. If you have the right quality of players it seems that this tactic just keeps stable with it's results and you just keep winning. With Everton though I got into a run of bad results but in hindsight it was my own fault for choosing to buy too much Wonderkids instead of actual quality players my team needed.

 

[stuartclark16]

How do you guys deal with the inevitable slumps you get when trying to use a single tactic like this? I find that these super tactics work for a while but then eventually my team hits a slump where they can't win to save their lives. I've read that a large part of it is the AI adapting to your tactics.

It is mainly for how teams play against you. If you're on good form then teams will prepare for you differently, just like in real life. I don't think the game nerfs your tactic. Sometimes a restart of the game can get you out these slumps for real.

A good tactic in a version of the game will always be good until an update rolls out. Just keep persisting with it and make sure you sort out your training and keep morale up. Squads win when they're happy!

 

[Saampje17]

Yesterday I finished my Barca season.

Results: Won the Liga BBVA, won the Champions League, won the Spanish Cup.
Almost got knocked out by Bayern in the Quarter Finals of the CL though. Won the home leg with 4-0 but they beat me with 5-1 in the away leg. I absolutely got FMed in that game. Just nothing I could do about it. Every chance they had seemed like a goal. In the end that 1 away goal saved us.

Screenshots are coming later.

 

[stuartclark16]

Yesterday I finished my Barca season.

Results: Won the Liga BBVA, won the Champions League, won the Spanish Cup.
Almost got knocked out by Bayern in the Quarter Finals of the CL though. Won the home leg with 4-0 but they beat me with 5-1 in the away leg. I absolutely got FMed in that game. Just nothing I could do about it. Every chance they had seemed like a goal. In the end that 1 away goal saved us.

Screenshots are coming later.

Nice one mate. Yeah FM will do that sometimes. I have just won back to back titles with tottenham, went invincible too!! I'll post screenshots on tuesday when I am back home.

I have left Tottenham and am going to reading now in the same save with only a 6m budget in the Prem so it'll be interesting to see who i can sign and who I can sell and how well i'll do. I reckon this tactic will comfortably get me top 6 first season even with this limited budget.

I hope more people will try this tactic because its very good

 

[Saampje17]

I have left Tottenham and am going to reading now in the same save with only a 6m budget in the Prem so it'll be interesting to see who i can sign and who I can sell and how well i'll do. I reckon this tactic will comfortably get me top 6 first season even with this limited budget.

That's my plan with the Barca save as well, I'll stay 1 more season at Barca and then I'll go to a lower rated team and try to build them up towards title winners and CL winners.

 

[stuartclark16]

That's my plan with the Barca save as well, I'll stay 1 more season at Barca and then I'll go to a lower rated team and try to build them up towards title winners and CL winners.

Yeah I won everything at Tottenham, Reading will be a fun project for me, they're also only about a 20 minute drive from me in real life haha. Will hopefully have them in champions league in 2 seasons and winning the league by 3/4 seasons- however this is in a game save with my friend online so it'll be hard because i'll be competing with him and he's just gone to west ham.

Unfortunately i'm away so I won't be able to post any results until Wednesday or so. Will be good to see your results however. Good luck

 

[Saampje17]

Here's some screenshots of my previous season where I won everything

Currently in my 2nd season, still going strong. Won the European Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup already.
Winning every game in the BBVA as well although it's still early in the season of course.

I'll keep you updated once I played more.

 

[stuartclark16]

Here's some screenshots of my previous season where I won everything
View attachment 515176View attachment 515177View attachment 515178
Currently in my 2nd season, still going strong. Won the European Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup already.
Winning every game in the BBVA as well although it's still early in the season of course.

I'll keep you updated once I played more.

Very well done. I like how this tactic is great for away games and finals (apart from that away game to Bayern!!) interested for your future results.

 

[Saampje17]

Very well done. I like how this tactic is great for away games and finals (apart from that away game to Bayern!!) interested for your future results.

Got to say that in that game against Bayern I didn't have my best defenders due to injury but still I didn't expect to get a 5-1 score against me.
This 2nd season, I've bolstered my backup players a bit so that when injuries happen I have some decent backups to take their place.

Especially now that my LW has been injured for 4-5 months ? .

 

[stuartclark16]

Got to say that in that game against Bayern I didn't have my best defenders due to injury but still I didn't expect to get a 5-1 score against me.
This 2nd season, I've bolstered my backup players a bit so that when injuries happen I have some decent backups to take their place.

Especially now that my LW has been injured for 4-5 months ? .

I find it's always good to do that and i'm not very good at that sometimes... I have my first team players that i replace with better ones and then sometimes they get unhappy which annoys me

 

[Saampje17]

I find it's always good to do that and i'm not very good at that sometimes... I have my first team players that i replace with better ones and then sometimes they get unhappy which annoys me

I wanted to improve my squad with some 4* players but didn't have the finances for that unfortunately. Only got 35% for every sale I made. So had to buy some 3* players to provide some cover.

I know what you mean with them getting unhappy, I don't like that functionality of FM although I do understand it from a certain viewpoint.

I do want to say that after using this tactic with multiple teams, that I do prefer this one above any other 442 tactics. I feel the 4231 provides the best opportunities and chances, as well as winning prizes of course. Have tried multiple 442 before switching to this tactic and some 442 were good for some seasons but didn't hold up after a while and this tactic just keeps steady for me.

 

[silky]

How do you guys deal with the inevitable slumps you get when trying to use a single tactic like this? I find that these super tactics work for a while but then eventually my team hits a slump where they can't win to save their lives. I've read that a large part of it is the AI adapting to your tactics.

I found the same thing happened to me mate with this tactic. I changed the mentality to control and 9 times out of ten its back to winning again. If Im struggling for a goal a put another Advanced Forward on for a Central Defender, and if I'm under pressure defending a small lead I sub off the AMC and put on another Centre Back. (and go 'regroup' and 'hold shape' as knap advises)

 

[stuartclark16]

I found the same thing happened to me mate with this tactic. I changed the mentality to control and 9 times out of ten its back to winning again. If Im struggling for a goal a put another Advanced Forward on for a Central Defender, and if I'm under pressure defending a small lead I sub off the AMC and put on another Centre Back. (and go 'regroup' and 'hold shape' as knap advises)

A slump can happen any time unfortunately. I have never tried setting to positive because I seem to always play bad on that mentality haha, i'm glad it works for you though. Anyone can change it as they like and then experiment with how it goes, I personally try to focus on training and squad morale and that works well for me!!

Thanks for your post

 

[stuartclark16]

I wanted to improve my squad with some 4* players but didn't have the finances for that unfortunately. Only got 35% for every sale I made. So had to buy some 3* players to provide some cover.

I know what you mean with them getting unhappy, I don't like that functionality of FM although I do understand it from a certain viewpoint.

I do want to say that after using this tactic with multiple teams, that I do prefer this one above any other 442 tactics. I feel the 4231 provides the best opportunities and chances, as well as winning prizes of course. Have tried multiple 442 before switching to this tactic and some 442 were good for some seasons but didn't hold up after a while and this tactic just keeps steady for me.

Absolutely mate.

I much prefer the 4231 shape over 442 by a long way. It's so easy to include every player in a squad in and it's a versatile formation too. Easy to sign for and easy to rotate players in. I always feel restricted and bored in a flat 442.

 

[stuartclark16]

I opened my simmed save and saw Salford struggling in the relegation zone with 5 games to go, so I put a manager in there and managed them properly, and we won the last 5 games with a clean sheet in every match!

This was with a team that was going to be relegated. Most of the teams we played ended up below us as a result, but we still won 1-0 against Brighton who were 5th at the time so we did very well. The stats in the games tell you more as well, especially when they played more games so became more familiar with it.

 

[Saampje17]

I opened my simmed save and saw Salford struggling in the relegation zone with 5 games to go, so I put a manager in there and managed them properly, and we won the last 5 games with a clean sheet in every match!

This was with a team that was going to be relegated. Most of the teams we played ended up below us as a result, but we still won 1-0 against Brighton who were 5th at the time so we did very well. The stats in the games tell you more as well, especially when they played more games so became more familiar with it.

Brilliant! Well done! These are the nice challenges, saving teams from relegation

I've seen some challenges where they join the team at the bottom of the league and then trying to avoid relegation. I might create another manager in my save and just try and help teams to get them higher up the table.
The way that I see it, I would check teams that fire their manager and help that team to improve their results, I would only be looking at teams at the lower end of the table to provide a real challenge. At the end of the season I'll then leave and wait for another club. Barca is fun but there's no real challenge with a club that size.