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FM26 | THE SALENTO STORM 4-2-3-1
Predicted 15th. Finished 1st. Lecce conquer Serie A!
This is my latest invention and my final 4-2-3-1 tweak for FM26.
After spending a lot of time observing the game, testing different approaches and following the work of various tactical creators in the FM community, I decided to bring together the ideas and details that stood out to me into one system.
This is the result: THE SALENTO STORM 4-2-3-1.
My intention was to create a tactic that could work with different teams, provided you have the right players for the important positions. Player selection matters: you need suitable wingers and the right midfield profiles. I'll share the key attributes I look for below.
Why Lecce?
I deliberately chose Lecce because I could see that the squad already had several players suited to this system. I wanted to see how far I could go without rebuilding the entire team.
As you can see from my first eleven, I changed only a few positions. The defence remained almost completely untouched, with just one change. I kept almost the entire original squad and made a few carefully selected transfers.
The media predicted Lecce to finish 15th in Serie A. Instead, we finished 1st and became Italian champions in our very first season!
First-season results
We didn't just win the league. We also finished at the top of several important statistical categories.
Serie A team statistics
- 1st – League position: 96 points.
- 1st – High-intensity sprints: 6,349.
- 1st – Dribbles made: 720.
- 1st – Shots on target: 320.
- 1st – Chances created: 176.
- 1st – Conversion rate: 15%.
- 673 total shots.
- 18.95 dribbles per game.
- 16.8 shots per game.
- 2.6 goals per game.
Final league table – top four
- 1st Lecce – 96 points (30 wins, 6 draws, 2 losses).
- 2nd Juventus – 83 points.
- 3rd Inter – 77 points.
- 4th Napoli – 77 points.
Defensive and overall statistics
- 0.9 goals conceded per game.
- 1.0 expected goals against per game.
- 13 clean sheets.
- 76% tackling success.
- 86.3% passing accuracy.
The Data Hub also rated our overall performance as much better than average.
January signing – Phil Harres: €7.5 million!
One of my best transfer decisions was signing Phil Harres in January. I managed to secure him for just €7.5 million on instalments, and what followed was incredible.
- 20 appearances.
- 19 goals.
- 7.65 average rating.
- Serie A Player of the Year.
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A €7.5 million January signing becoming the best player in the entire Italian league! He is a perfect example of how identifying the right key attributes for a particular position can make an enormous difference. You don't necessarily need expensive superstars; sometimes finding a player with the right attributes is enough to change your team.
The midfield partnership – Ilic & Pessina
Another extremely important part of this team was the midfield partnership of Ilic and Matteo Pessina. Pessina was an incredible signing and exactly the type of midfielder I was looking for.
For this tactic, the two MCs are the creative heart of the team. I prioritise their attacking qualities because I need them to create chances, unlock defences and supply our striker and wingers.
Vision, Passing, Technique, Flair and Off the Ball are particularly important. I want midfielders who can spot passing opportunities, play key passes, be unpredictable and create something special – not simply recycle possession.
At the same time, they cannot be passengers defensively. They still need decent defensive attributes so they can compete, win tackles and help recover possession.
As a rough recruitment guide, I aimed for attacking attributes around 14, 13 and 14, while still looking for defensive attributes around 12, 12 and 11 as minimum targets. The attacking qualities come first, but the defensive contribution still matters.
Ilic and Pessina were incredibly important to this team. Their partnership in the middle of the pitch was one of the key elements behind our success.
FM26 – Five key attributes by position
A friend from YouTube, Mr. Musterman FM, carried out extensive testing to identify the key attributes for each position in FM26. I used his research as a reference when building this Lecce team and recruiting players.
Below are the five key attributes he identified for each position. They are not the only attributes that matter, of course, but they are the most important ones to prioritise according to his testing. I recommend following Mr. Musterman FM on YouTube and checking out his research.
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I found this research especially useful when recruiting players, particularly when managing a club with a very limited budget. You cannot always sign the players you want, so knowing which attributes to prioritise helps you identify cheaper players who can still be excellent fits for your tactic.
It has already helped me with recruitment. I've found some really cheap, fantastic players for season two, and I believe they will fit this tactic very well. I'll show you the players I've signed in my next posts. Full credit to Mr. Musterman FM for his testing and research.
Three versions included
There will be three versions of THE SALENTO STORM:
- Basic Version – the main version and the one I recommend. This is the version responsible for the results in this save.
- Attacking Version – for matches where you are confident you are the stronger team and want to be more aggressive.
- Defensive Version – for situations where you need a more cautious approach.
One important detail: 99% of my matches were played using the Basic version. I only switched to the Attacking version in a few matches when I was confident that my team was considerably better than the opposition and wanted to push for more.
The Basic version is the key tactic. It's the one I recommend everyone starts with.
This Lecce save reminded me how much I enjoy playing this version of the game. From a predicted 15th-place finish to winning Serie A in the first season, while keeping almost the entire original squad and making a few intelligent transfers – that's what makes this experiment particularly satisfying.
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THE SALENTO STORM 4-2-3-1
Three versions. One main tactic. Serie A champions with Lecce.
Enjoy testing, and let me know how it performs in your saves!
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MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.
www.mediafire.com
MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.
www.mediafire.com
IL MARTELLO 3-5-2 | A TRIBUTE TO ANTONIO CONTE | FM27
1ST PLACE IN SERIE A AFTER 14 MATCHES!
