gm-4231-f9k-19.3.4 / 4231 Possession Football
Tactic Download [V2-SK(Att] - View attachment 12251
View attachment 12770
View attachment 12769View attachment 12768View attachment 12767
Possession Football
Sticking to my principals of playing high possession and intricate football, I’ve tried to get a more popular top-heavy formation working being the 4231.
A quick back-line, technical players comfy on the ball, high work-rate and players of high quality that are always needed in an intricate possession based game.
The Idea – False 9 Key
This 4231 implements a False 9 up top. With playing a high possession based game someone needs to try and open up space for his team-mates to exploit.
And this leads to playing with full width and the choice of midfielders whilst utilising attacking wingbacks. Inside forwards will cause a direct threat coming inside whilst wing-backs always give the wide touchline option to create space for the inside forwards or themselves to directly attack the byline.
In the middle I have the Advanced Playmaker attack and a B2B Midfielder to support. Given a role of the False 9 is to provide room and balls to onrushing players from midfield, he now effectively has attacking passing options in all directions.
Seven in Attack
You have onrushing IF’s and the central AP and the B2B midfielder. The wing-backs will also always be available for the safe option. So the False 9 must have good passing, vision and decision making in his skill-set. Having a good off-the ball attribute is imperative to help create the space for his teammates.
The idea with these roles selected is that there will be enough variety to cause teams problems that park the bus, whilst still being able to play a patient and possession based game. The system can at times have up to 7 players on the attack, leaving only the Deep-Lying Playmaker and two Centre-backs defending.
Triangulation Created
Additionally, the movement of the F9 will promote the formation of triangles in the top third of the pitch and has been instructed to move into the channels whilst also dropping deep. On the contrary, the AP will roam but will have the tendency to stay more central to keep a triangular structure for ball retention.
So given we’re playing an extremely high line and aggressive pressing, aiming to play the game in this area of the pitch we should have players in and moving into the positions to promote a fluid passing game and maximise our possession in the process.
Set Pieces / Training
The set-pieces are made for the AP as taker, along with the wing-backs for the throw-ins.
I’ve also made sure to set the corners to short to promote the short intricate passing game we have in play. So no exploits here.
Playing on FM Touch Only, the option of training is selected as “Possession” based training, as all of our players need to be comfortable with the ball.
Results
The tactic is never going to be as free-scoring and as successful as the overpowered attacking tactic mentality in this year’s game. But if you have quality personnel and players that fit the bill of a controlled based game then you should be in store for a successful season whilst watching nice football, with the tactics set up in an attempt to win each and every football match.
Liverpool
With Liverpool in the league we only lost 1 game, surprisingly away to West Brom but every shot of theirs went in, losing 3-2 on the day. I’m still not sure how we lost that game!
We drew a lot of games with 9, but if you don’t lose to your rivals you’re always going to be in a good position to challenge for the league title and all the cup competitions, and we comfortably won the league by twelve points this year having the best defence and goal difference.
Of note I invested in Arthur from the January window who took over from Fabiano as starter in our First XI and also Tah as our third choice centre-back.
View attachment 12765View attachment 12764View attachment 12760
Treble Accomplished
We didn’t win the Carabao Cup getting knocked out away to Man United with a team consisting of De Gea, Mbappe, Dybala, Pogba, Veratti so they were very strong this year.
However we took home the FA Cup with a dominant win against Spurs winning 2-0. And in the Champions League we comfortably dispatched of Man City 3-1 which brought us the treble.
The system plays with a moderate intensity, and I believe this helps to be more competitive in numerous competitions.
View attachment 12763View attachment 12762
Two Defeats all Year / F9 Stats don’t tell the Story
Firmino playing as the False 9 but happened to average the lowest and didn’t score many goals – but that’s not his job, and the fact we brought home 3 trophies and lost only 2 games all season (no losses in the ECL), shows his movement is what was key to us maintaining possession and creating the space necessary for his team-mates to benefit, mainly being Salah.
Weaknesses
The system will have its pitfalls:
-Long ball over the top of a very high defensive line
-Teams that Park the Bus will effectively neutralise the False 9’s movement objective to create space
-Reliance on high quality and technically gifted players in all positions to play the system effectively
With playing a positive mentality I believe you’ll always need very high quality players to implement this style. But if you have the players, it’s great to watch with the ability to be successful.
The 4141 is probably the most popular of the formations to successfully implement a False 9, but this is an attempt to bring this in a 4231 system which also isn’t the easiest formation to setup.
The first tweak one may want to do is exploit set pieces – but this is deliberately setup to implement a possession styled short-passing game, so I don’t think there is really a need.
So if you want a plug and play tactic, watching a highly skilled squad play possession based football and control the game in a 4231 system employing inside forwards as your star men then give this a try hoping you’ll get success from it as I have.
View attachment 12761
Tactic Download [V2-SK(Att] - View attachment 12251
View attachment 12770
View attachment 12769View attachment 12768View attachment 12767
Possession Football
Sticking to my principals of playing high possession and intricate football, I’ve tried to get a more popular top-heavy formation working being the 4231.
A quick back-line, technical players comfy on the ball, high work-rate and players of high quality that are always needed in an intricate possession based game.
The Idea – False 9 Key
This 4231 implements a False 9 up top. With playing a high possession based game someone needs to try and open up space for his team-mates to exploit.
And this leads to playing with full width and the choice of midfielders whilst utilising attacking wingbacks. Inside forwards will cause a direct threat coming inside whilst wing-backs always give the wide touchline option to create space for the inside forwards or themselves to directly attack the byline.
In the middle I have the Advanced Playmaker attack and a B2B Midfielder to support. Given a role of the False 9 is to provide room and balls to onrushing players from midfield, he now effectively has attacking passing options in all directions.
Seven in Attack
You have onrushing IF’s and the central AP and the B2B midfielder. The wing-backs will also always be available for the safe option. So the False 9 must have good passing, vision and decision making in his skill-set. Having a good off-the ball attribute is imperative to help create the space for his teammates.
The idea with these roles selected is that there will be enough variety to cause teams problems that park the bus, whilst still being able to play a patient and possession based game. The system can at times have up to 7 players on the attack, leaving only the Deep-Lying Playmaker and two Centre-backs defending.
Triangulation Created
Additionally, the movement of the F9 will promote the formation of triangles in the top third of the pitch and has been instructed to move into the channels whilst also dropping deep. On the contrary, the AP will roam but will have the tendency to stay more central to keep a triangular structure for ball retention.
So given we’re playing an extremely high line and aggressive pressing, aiming to play the game in this area of the pitch we should have players in and moving into the positions to promote a fluid passing game and maximise our possession in the process.
Set Pieces / Training
The set-pieces are made for the AP as taker, along with the wing-backs for the throw-ins.
I’ve also made sure to set the corners to short to promote the short intricate passing game we have in play. So no exploits here.
Playing on FM Touch Only, the option of training is selected as “Possession” based training, as all of our players need to be comfortable with the ball.
Results
The tactic is never going to be as free-scoring and as successful as the overpowered attacking tactic mentality in this year’s game. But if you have quality personnel and players that fit the bill of a controlled based game then you should be in store for a successful season whilst watching nice football, with the tactics set up in an attempt to win each and every football match.
Liverpool
With Liverpool in the league we only lost 1 game, surprisingly away to West Brom but every shot of theirs went in, losing 3-2 on the day. I’m still not sure how we lost that game!
We drew a lot of games with 9, but if you don’t lose to your rivals you’re always going to be in a good position to challenge for the league title and all the cup competitions, and we comfortably won the league by twelve points this year having the best defence and goal difference.
Of note I invested in Arthur from the January window who took over from Fabiano as starter in our First XI and also Tah as our third choice centre-back.
View attachment 12765View attachment 12764View attachment 12760
Treble Accomplished
We didn’t win the Carabao Cup getting knocked out away to Man United with a team consisting of De Gea, Mbappe, Dybala, Pogba, Veratti so they were very strong this year.
However we took home the FA Cup with a dominant win against Spurs winning 2-0. And in the Champions League we comfortably dispatched of Man City 3-1 which brought us the treble.
The system plays with a moderate intensity, and I believe this helps to be more competitive in numerous competitions.
View attachment 12763View attachment 12762
Two Defeats all Year / F9 Stats don’t tell the Story
Firmino playing as the False 9 but happened to average the lowest and didn’t score many goals – but that’s not his job, and the fact we brought home 3 trophies and lost only 2 games all season (no losses in the ECL), shows his movement is what was key to us maintaining possession and creating the space necessary for his team-mates to benefit, mainly being Salah.
Weaknesses
The system will have its pitfalls:
-Long ball over the top of a very high defensive line
-Teams that Park the Bus will effectively neutralise the False 9’s movement objective to create space
-Reliance on high quality and technically gifted players in all positions to play the system effectively
With playing a positive mentality I believe you’ll always need very high quality players to implement this style. But if you have the players, it’s great to watch with the ability to be successful.
The 4141 is probably the most popular of the formations to successfully implement a False 9, but this is an attempt to bring this in a 4231 system which also isn’t the easiest formation to setup.
The first tweak one may want to do is exploit set pieces – but this is deliberately setup to implement a possession styled short-passing game, so I don’t think there is really a need.
So if you want a plug and play tactic, watching a highly skilled squad play possession based football and control the game in a 4231 system employing inside forwards as your star men then give this a try hoping you’ll get success from it as I have.
View attachment 12761
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