Help me tweak my 4-3-3

[cryptoparrot]

Hey Guys, I've been coming here a fair while, mostly to shamelessly steal already polished tactics from the downloads section .

Recently I decided to try and make my own tactic for my Arsenal team (I'm an Arsenal fan) that was both successful but also still showed some resemblance to the formation they've been using this season.

I chose a 4-3-3 as can be seen below:

With the team instructions like this:

In defence:
2 Fullbacks on Defend (Sagna and Clichy)
2 Central defenders on defend (Gallas and Vermaelen)

In midfield:
1 advanced playmaker set to attack (cesc)
1 CM set to support (Montolivo)
1 Ball winning mid set to Defend (Song)

Up front:
1 Complete Forward (attack) (RvP or Bendtner)
2 strikers out wide set as Inside Forwards (attack) (Arshavin, Eduardo, Walcott, vela)



Now, I'm doing fairly well but I concede far too many goals for my liking. It seems to mostly be from strikers running in behind or my fullbacks getting pulled out of position (That's why I changed them to defend).

Anyone got any advice on what I can change to improve myself defensively? I'm quite new to this and I just wondered if there were any fundamentals that have to be followed to create a successful defence. Are my defensive players just not good enough?

Cheers

 

[mashedPotatoes]

Change the strategy to very fluid,set the marking to man-marking and crossing to drill crosses.

 

[Ronan]

I would change montolivo to box to box and fabregas to support and the full backs to support maybe put song as a anchor man (DM)

 

[megapicks]

u could have alook at my barcelona tactic and see if it helps its a more common 4-5-1 with normal back 4 dm, deep lying playmaker and advanced playmaker 2 inside forwards and deep lying forward would sought your team perfectly

 

[undertheray]

Now, I'm doing fairly well but I concede far too many goals for my liking. It seems to mostly be from strikers running in behind or my fullbacks getting pulled out of position (That's why I changed them to defend).

Anyone got any advice on what I can change to improve myself defensively? I'm quite new to this and I just wondered if there were any fundamentals that have to be followed to create a successful defence. Are my defensive players just not good enough?

Cheers

Decrease your defensive line to normal (closer to Deep than Push Up).
This will help stop the attackers getting in behind you.

Set your full-backs to: Full Back with Automatic duty, and set their mentality to the last bar of Normal (just before defensive).

I would also put Song in his natural position in the defensive midfield and give him the Anchor Man role with Support duty.

And buy a new keeper! I would recommend Hugo Lloris, Joe Hart, Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer, Guillermo Ochoa

 

[cryptoparrot]

Decrease your defensive line to normal (closer to Deep than Push Up).
This will help stop the attackers getting in behind you.

Set your full-backs to: Full Back with Automatic duty, and set their mentality to the last bar of Normal (just before defensive).

I would also put Song in his natural position in the defensive midfield and give him the Anchor Man role with Support duty.

And buy a new keeper! I would recommend Hugo Lloris, Joe Hart, Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer, Guillermo Ochoa

Thanks for the advice, I'll try the tweaks you suggested. I thought it was best that I played a high line in combination with a pressing tactic, otherwise I wouldn't be far enough up the pitch to press effectively but I can see pushing Song back a bit means I could defend a bit deeper.

I'm planning on changing keeper at the end of the season, I couldn't afford a new one in the summer or January. Suarez and Montolivo weren't cheap lol.

Another question:

Is it best to chop and change your team according to your opponents? E.g. Am I best off playing someone better in the air against Everton, Stoke or Blackburn? Is it more important to change your players to suit the opponent or is it better to maintain a constant back 4? How important is "team understanding".

 

[khodder]

If your Fullbacks are getting pulled out of position it is likely that their closing down is set too high, if a player comes free behind the midfield and infront of the CB's then one of the fullbacks might slide over to close down the attacking player leaving a hole behind them. If they are making too many runs forward and not getting back then you can adjust the mentality (as you did) and change the number of runs they make forwards...

I have found over the course of trying to create tactics for FM2010 that Micro Management is the Key and the difference between a good-great and Tremendous tactic. Make sure you set every player to do exactly what you envision them doing. It takes time, but once you get it right the results show,

Good Luck.

 

[Max]

Well first off change those two strikers on the right and left to AML and AMR and have 1 ST, this will give you more chance of countering if you need to and also it's a ******* to defend against as the wingers, if given the correct settings, can cut in/move into the channels (gap inbetween CB and FB) and it's really hard to defend against and mark against.

If you're ST is clinical enough, you will score a lot, and will create some quality football.

Defensively, drop Alex Song from CM and put him in DM so you have 2 CM's and one DM (put the DM as Anchor Man). This gives you good defensive cover on the counter and stops your defence being overloaded by the opposition too much when the opposition attack.

 

[undertheray]

Well first off change those two strikers on the right and left to AML and AMR and have 1 ST, this will give you more chance of countering if you need to and also it's a ******* to defend against as the wingers, if given the correct settings, can cut in/move into the channels (gap inbetween CB and FB) and it's really hard to defend against and mark against.

If you're ST is clinical enough, you will score a lot, and will create some quality football.

Defensively, drop Alex Song from CM and put him in DM so you have 2 CM's and one DM (put the DM as Anchor Man). This gives you good defensive cover on the counter and stops your defence being overloaded by the opposition too much when the opposition attack.

You just described the recommended formation I posted above!

Is it best to chop and change your team according to your opponents? E.g. Am I best off playing someone better in the air against Everton, Stoke or Blackburn? Is it more important to change your players to suit the opponent or is it better to maintain a constant back 4? How important is "team understanding".

And as for chopping and changing a team, it depends. Tactical consistency is a good thing as it can only help your players, but a few little tweaks for opponents will be of benefit.
For the back four, I like to have 2 solid centre-backs who work well together and will play all the big games if they are in form and healthy, the back ups can get cup time. I never get a centre-back who cannot compete in the air, as being able to win every header is vital and will prevent a lot of scoring chances.
Full backs can be changed a bit more, but make sure you are starting someone who is fit. I play an aggressive 4-3-3 and rely on my wing backs to provide the width in the attack.

 

[Deleted member 79730]

Dont play down the middle, you have full backs worthy of playing the overlap