Arrigo Sacchi's 4-4-2: High Pressure, Attacking Tactic for Top Teams and Underdogs

Extremely happy with these results:

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A 4-1 aggregate win over a far superior Real Madrid side! The defensive performance was outstanding. We closed down at all times and didn't allow gaps in our defence, forcing them for to take shots from long. When they did get into our box we blocked many of their shots. Over both games they failed to create a CCC and mustered only 3 half chances - we managed to get 5 CCCs!

It may not be beautiful possession football (we can play good stuff also) but it goes to show what can be achieved by assembling a group of hard working, determined players!
 
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hi guys. i'm a new comer here. :)

i'd like to test out this tactic, but do you have screenshot for the slider (time-wasting,tempo,width, etc..)?
 
mayblog said:
hi guys. i'm a new comer here. :)

i'd like to test out this tactic, but do you have screenshot for the slider (time-wasting,tempo,width, etc..)?
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Welcome to the forums Mayblog. If you download the tactic (on the front page) then you will able to see it. Though I believe the screen shot you are after is in the opening post, in the tactics section.

Please feel free to feedback on the tactic, good and the bad!
 
I've just added the screen shot you are looking for onto the opening post, didn't realise it wasn't on there already!
 
I've been trying this tactic out with my beloved Juventus in a new save, and results so far are impressive. It is also worth mentioning the number of CCCs being created - the most I have seen in matches for a while (albeit not in every match).

I'm at the winter break and am miles ahead at the top of Serie A (unbeaten) and comfortably qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. The only small downside for me is not being able to use Pirlo very much, Marchisio and Vidal are my first choice picks in the two DM positions. I usually play Marchisio as a box to box midfielder and Vidal as a ball winning midfielder, so they compliment each other very nicely in the DM position.

I don't usually change my assistant manager but for this tactic I changed to Ayesteran, who has fantastic stats in tactics and defending thus helping the OIs.

One other thought, when developing this tactic, did you try having just one DM and moving the freed up player into either a central midfield or advanced midfield position? Just wondering how that may impact the defence and the link up play to the forwards.

Anyway, thumbs up from me for a good tactic :)
 
mayblog said:
hi guys. i'm a new comer here. :)

i'd like to test out this tactic, but do you have screenshot for the slider (time-wasting,tempo,width, etc..)?
Click to expand...
Some individual player instructions have also been changed, so just copying a screenshot of the team instructions won't give you the most from this tactic. Your best bet is to download it :)
 
I love this thread. Those of you who know me know I'm a devoted disciple of sacchi. What I like more here than the success of the setup, is how well the theory is explained. Sure you could play with weaker sides and players. But that wouldn't get the best because Sacchis demands were so high. But if you could meet them the results were outstanding. Used to play a Sacchi setup. I think it's the best looking football I've played in FM. I think Sacchis wide players were closer to wide mid attack than winger attack, but that's a minor gripe in what looks like an outstanding thread. I'm on my iPhone so I can't see the pictures well enough. What were the team instructions. I went with fluid because the 5 by 5 split was the very definition of Sacchis football.
 
herne79 said:
I've been trying this tactic out with my beloved Juventus in a new save, and results so far are impressive. It is also worth mentioning the number of CCCs being created - the most I have seen in matches for a while (albeit not in every match).

I'm at the winter break and am miles ahead at the top of Serie A (unbeaten) and comfortably qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. The only small downside for me is not being able to use Pirlo very much, Marchisio and Vidal are my first choice picks in the two DM positions. I usually play Marchisio as a box to box midfielder and Vidal as a ball winning midfielder, so they compliment each other very nicely in the DM position.

I don't usually change my assistant manager but for this tactic I changed to Ayesteran, who has fantastic stats in tactics and defending thus helping the OIs.

One other thought, when developing this tactic, did you try having just one DM and moving the freed up player into either a central midfield or advanced midfield position? Just wondering how that may impact the defence and the link up play to the forwards.

Anyway, thumbs up from me for a good tactic :)
Click to expand...

Glad to see you're getting results, and I think Juventus may be almost the perfect set up for this tactic. Would you be able to put some screen shots up? On the original post I'm going to add a section for User's progress and would like to add it in there.

In terms of developing the tactic, I like to make little tweaks in game, but I always start with the original. For example if I'm trying to chase a result I will put the DMs into MC and have one as a DLP (support) and the other as CM (attack) which seems to work well.
 
Mike. said:
I love this thread. Those of you who know me know I'm a devoted disciple of sacchi. What I like more here than the success of the setup, is how well the theory is explained. Sure you could play with weaker sides and players. But that wouldn't get the best because Sacchis demands were so high. But if you could meet them the results were outstanding. Used to play a Sacchi setup. I think it's the best looking football I've played in FM. I think Sacchis wide players were closer to wide mid attack than winger attack, but that's a minor gripe in what looks like an outstanding thread. I'm on my iPhone so I can't see the pictures well enough. What were the team instructions. I went with fluid because the 5 by 5 split was the very definition of Sacchis football.
Click to expand...

Cheers Mike appreciate the love :p. Yes I am a big fan of Sacchi's philosophy and I'm very happy to see a real life philosophy work on FM. As a football coach I am always developing my knowledge of the great coaches of the past and present and how their methods shape football. I have tried lots of different approaches in the past that are based on real life philosophies and they are normally okay but never had as much success as I have had with this.

There are a few alterations with this tactic to a "pure" sacchi tactic. Sacchi would have had two CM roles, with one being more attacking than the other giving the 5-5 split. However trying this tactic with CMs the opposition seemed to find gaps between the defence and midfield to exploit, despite the high line. So I moved them to DM and made it very fluid so that they are more likely to bomb forward. Generally, one will support close to the ball and the other will push on, creating the Sacchi 5-5. With the wingers, they are probably much more like wide mids in the way they play. They don't hug the line and are very involved in the defensive phase unlike traditional wingers. Also neither of the strikers move in to channels because i wanted to keep them close together to get that inter-linking play and flick ons like Gullit & Van Basten.

Team instructions, high tempo and narrow width (not completely) and everything else is pretty general, with lots of individual creativity given in the way they can score goals.
 
Just had my most exciting/frustrating/freak/relieving/ecstatic game of my FM13 gaming career!

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I'm through to the Champions League final after scoring in the 89th and 90+3rd minute! Needless to say my keeper is being dropped for the forseeable future!
 
seanhrfc said:
Glad to see you're getting results, and I think Juventus may be almost the perfect set up for this tactic. Would you be able to put some screen shots up?
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As requested :)

Juventus do seem to be a perfect fit - I haven't bought any players and I get Llorente for free at the start of season 2. There are no areas that are weak, so the only purchases I may make in future would be to replace ageing players if need be. The wingers especially are worth mentioning, due to high offensive and defensive skills.

Results so far plus screenies of who I consider to be my key players are below. Note their work rates especially.

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Two results I'll point out - my very first match in a friendly vs St Pauli (German 2nd division) was a 1-1 draw after we went behind in the very first minute. I must admit to thinking this tactic isn't up to much !

The other was a 4-1 win vs Bayern - I had Chiellini (my left back) sent off within the first 8 minutes (2 yellow cards in 8 minutes!). I took off the Advanced Forward, leaving the CF (support) up front alone, which gave me a fantastic result. I always do this now if anyone gets sent off, so perhaps a tip for others there.

I'll post more when I finish off the season.
 
seanhrfc said:
Yes Solbaaken uses a very strict 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1 high line and pressing, very similar to Sacchi's and I reckon was highly influenced by it.
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Honestly, the more I read, the more it's déjàvu upon hearing what Solbakken was stubbornly trying but ultimately failed to bring to Wolves. I really didn't want him to get the sack and wanted us to persevere as I thought his ideas were outstanding.

I am going to try to do what Solbakken couldn't!

Purely out of interest here - what is your opinion of Solbakken?
 
herne79 said:
As requested :)

Juventus do seem to be a perfect fit - I haven't bought any players and I get Llorente for free at the start of season 2. There are no areas that are weak, so the only purchases I may make in future would be to replace ageing players if need be. The wingers especially are worth mentioning, due to high offensive and defensive skills.

Results so far plus screenies of who I consider to be my key players are below. Note their work rates especially.

View attachment 323669View attachment 323670View attachment 323671View attachment 323673View attachment 323674View attachment 323675

Two results I'll point out - my very first match in a friendly vs St Pauli (German 2nd division) was a 1-1 draw after we went behind in the very first minute. I must admit to thinking this tactic isn't up to much !

The other was a 4-1 win vs Bayern - I had Chiellini (my left back) sent off within the first 8 minutes (2 yellow cards in 8 minutes!). I took off the Advanced Forward, leaving the CF (support) up front alone, which gave me a fantastic result. I always do this now if anyone gets sent off, so perhaps a tip for others there.

I'll post more when I finish off the season.
Click to expand...

Looking great! Won every game in the league bar a draw. Interestingly that is exactly what I do when I go a man down and it normally fares well. I will update my OP later on today.
 
ShaunWolf90 said:
Honestly, the more I read, the more it's déjàvu upon hearing what Solbakken was stubbornly trying but ultimately failed to bring to Wolves. I really didn't want him to get the sack and wanted us to persevere as I thought his ideas were outstanding.

I am going to try to do what Solbakken couldn't!

Purely out of interest here - what is your opinion of Solbakken?
Click to expand...

Wolves will be an interesting team to try this with. On Solbakken, it seems as though he is a good manager as he proved at Copenhagen, but failed to win the players over to his philosophy and he stuck to it rigidly without budging. I reckon some of those ex-prem players weren't used to having to work so hard and didn't like it! Will be interesting to see where he ends up next.
 
Danhimself1707 said:
Yeah I felt I need to start strengthening from the back first building a solid base for survival but so far I'm challenging for Europe so we will see lol

Getting the team talks and Opp instructions correct has been crucial.

Ill post more screens 2moro with in match stats.
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Do you just let your *** Man do the Opp Instructions or do you manually intervine?
 
Seeing all this talk of Solbakken at Wolves is making me sad lol, could have been one of the greatest managers we'd had, but Morgan bottled it, and the bunch of tossers that wear the shirt wouldn't adjust, he needed more than 6 months and 1 transfer window to shift this deadwood!
 
Hello guys, I tried a lot of tactics, most of them from this site and e never really felt that i have found the one.
After a few games with this tactic i understand how great he is.
I´m telling, without any doubt that this is the better tactic and most consistent that e have found so far.
The people always upload tactics that work good in big teams, but what about the underdog teams?
Congradulations to the creator, very very good job.
I will put some screenshots later.

Good games
 
wanderer89 said:
Seeing all this talk of Solbakken at Wolves is making me sad lol, could have been one of the greatest managers we'd had, but Morgan bottled it, and the bunch of tossers that wear the shirt wouldn't adjust, he needed more than 6 months and 1 transfer window to shift this deadwood!
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Agreed - but good to see a fellow Wolves fan!
 
Absolutely loving this tactic. Implemented it half way through my first season with Swansea, went on a 20 match unbeaten run with it. Finished 5th, only losses came to Arsenal, City and Chelsea.

Just purchased Carlos Vela and Mattia Destro for my 2nd season (with Dybala and Icardi as back up). Can't decide weather to have Vela at the CF or Destro.
 
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