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

  • Thread starter Thread starter seanhrfc
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Welcome back Sean :) I wanna, again, thank you for the best tactic in this year's game. By far.
 
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seanhrfc said:
Cheers, in terms of challenge I meant in terms of a new game. Tactics wise, I can't see the need for a new development as the versions that I use have never failed me - the original tactic, the 4-4-1-1 tweak and the 4-2-3-1 tweak.

My new challenge - I am going to be taking on one of RSD Alcala, CD Leganes or San Sebastian de los Reyes from the Spanish 3rd Tier. They're all from Madrid and the idea is to build them bigger than the other bigger Madrid sides - Alcorcon, Rayo, Getafe, Atletico and of course Real! To make it more interesting, i've used the editor to create a fierce rivalry between all 8 teams. Thinking of putting this on the challenges page and creating a scoring system etc.
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That's a huge challenge but good on you mate! Should be fun. Anyway, I've just finished my first season with Wolfsburg in Germany, only added Fierro to the squad and finished 3rd. It was being decided on the last day of the season and my, the German league is hard, so many good teams. Thrilling stuff all throughout, team played decent but we struggled a lot most part of the season. I guess I didn't quite have the right players for it to work.

Also, changed from the 4-4-1-1 to the original and I guess that saved my season. Blame myself for using a declining Kahlenberg as trequarista.

Anyway, which one of the 3 tactics you mentioned seemed to be effective? Also, this one's probably for the community, when looking out for players to fit the position, do you diligently make sure they have 'all' the needed attributes or say give or take, one or two bad attribute?

Cheers!
 
@astillandsmall
For me, it is important have players with the attributes, that can fit in this tactic. For example: in my recent save, in Milan, I've sold out Balotelli due to his low workrate and teamwork. He has the potential to play in AF/CF role but doesn't have the quality to play with the group.

More important than technical it's the mental part of a player. I think that's what this tactic is based, the idea of group. Rather choose players who play for the team than for themselves. Another examples: in my Benfica save (results are a few pages back), I needed a right back and a left midfielder. With technical players at my disposal and in the market, I choose Paulo Ferreira and Benayoun, who have great tactical attributes; in Spurs, specially in tough games, I frequently left Bale on bench in order to play Simone Pepe for the same reason.

P.S: I explain my ideas with practical examples because it's easier for me. English it's not my first language.
 
Wow excellent tactic. Finished third with Southampton in first season and just two points behind the winners.

View attachment 352785View attachment 352786View attachment 352787

Team talks and OI: Assistant Manager
Pitch: Standard
Match prep: Same as in OP

Substitutions:
Half Time: I look at Assistant Manager feedback for "First Half" and substitute off players who are "getting skinned too often", "missing crucial interceptions", "misplacing several passes"

At 60 mins: I look at Assistant Manager feedback for "Last 30 minutes" and substitute off players who are "getting skinned too often", "missing crucial interceptions", "misplacing several passes"

Obviously players with fitness below 70 take priority to the above. I also substitute off players who get a knock and their fitness goes down to below 70 straight away because of the knock.

Thanks seanhrfc for the excellent tactic!
 
jukilo said:
@astillandsmall
For me, it is important have players with the attributes, that can fit in this tactic. For example: in my recent save, in Milan, I've sold out Balotelli due to his low workrate and teamwork. He has the potential to play in AF/CF role but doesn't have the quality to play with the group.

More important than technical it's the mental part of a player. I think that's what this tactic is based, the idea of group. Rather choose players who play for the team than for themselves. Another examples: in my Benfica save (results are a few pages back), I needed a right back and a left midfielder. With technical players at my disposal and in the market, I choose Paulo Ferreira and Benayoun, who have great tactical attributes; in Spurs, specially in tough games, I frequently left Bale on bench in order to play Simone Pepe for the same reason.

P.S: I explain my ideas with practical examples because it's easier for me. English it's not my first language.
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I get where you're coming from mate. It just puzzles me because in my other Monaco save, I had wingers with awful work rate, tackling with just average attacking/technical attributes to do great in most games but not in my Wolfsburg save. I think it's probably because I had Capoue and M'Vila orchestrating my midfield.

That goes to say, it will work with bare players but you'd have to have world-class players in key positions to back them up if they struggle. I'm probably gonna start on a new save with a strict 'right player for position' only rule. So far, I've been fairly reliant on having faith in players to do well only to lose key games.

I like the idea of having good defensive wingers for hard away games but it'll be a huge challenge to do that with a small club with a tight budget.
 
Yeah maybe. I have Salvio in Benfica and Lennon in Spurs who provide much of the assists while the other winger gives the defensive security and have good strikers.

But why you don't retrain a full back to midfielder to play on those difficult matches? And put a central defender as full back? Probably it is a big pragmatic move and I reckon that not everybody likes this kind of sets. Just an idea to "combat" the lack of funds.
 
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The player filter does no exit, anyone upload them??

Sorry for my English (I'm fron Spain).


Thanx!!.
 
jukilo said:
Yeah maybe. I have Salvio in Benfica and Lennon in Spurs who provide much of the assists while the other winger gives the defensive security and have good strikers.

But why you don't retrain a full back to midfielder to play on those difficult matches? And put a central defender as full back? Probably it is a big pragmatic move and I reckon that not everybody likes this kind of sets. Just an idea to "combat" the lack of funds.
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Yeah, those are good solutions. But you've gotta think about the PA that's being wasted on retraining. But great ideas, I'm gonna implement it in a new save.

Anyway, I've always wondered if you could get the "willing to die for each other" for the team within half a season. I've read somewhere that having Team Cohesion on Very Heavy helps to speed that up but I've always thought that it'll takes seasons of gelling, having that a 'core' consistent team to get that.
 
Yeah, those are good solutions. But you've gotta think about the PA that's being wasted on retraining. But great ideas, I'm gonna implement it in a new save.

Anyway, I've always wondered if you could get the "willing to die for each other" for the team within half a season. I've read somewhere that having Team Cohesion on Very Heavy helps to speed that up but I've always thought that it'll takes seasons of gelling, having that a 'core' consistent team to get that.
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I never do more than one season (I know, shame on me lol) so I don't know how to answer to the second part of your post mate. As you already know, having the general training in team cohesion provides great union and that's essential to make this tactic work. That must be awesome when it appears. But I guess it needs the same group of players in many years, without too much changes. For me that's the ideal on how a team must be. Wish that I can stay in the same save to allow that happen.

Again, sorry for any possible bad English.
 
jukilo said:
I never do more than one season (I know, shame on me lol) so I don't know how to answer to the second part of your post mate. As you already know, having the general training in team cohesion provides great union and that's essential to make this tactic work. That must be awesome when it appears. But I guess it needs the same group of players in many years, without too much changes. For me that's the ideal on how a team must be. Wish that I can stay in the same save to allow that happen.

Again, sorry for any possible bad English.
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Don't worry about it, your English is by far better than most English speaking person I know. :)

Yeah, you're right, do you do "Team Cohesion" on Very Heavy all throughout the season?
 
Cheers. No mate I don't. I put on "team cohesion" in the first day of the pre-season in normal intensity (defensive positioning in match preparation) and I don't change throughout the whole season. Of course it will take longer but its effective for me (along with some other things to help).
Having it on "very heavy" may affect your individual players training. Their individual work will be on a heavy level and maybe cause injuries on a more regular basis, specially taking in account what this tactic demands on the pitch.
 
Agree...this tactic is the best on FM 13. I mostly use tweaked version 4-4-1-1 with trequartista and inside forward.
 
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