I need help with my 4-2-3-1 tactic

[Shotten]

Hello everyone.

Summary:
So, I'm at my 3rd season managing Cardiff, I've basically spent my entire save trying to fix my tactic as it's very inconsistent and a perfect example and the reason I've made this post is my last 2 games, so Newcastle has been struggling and is rock bottom in the league, I've had the pleasure to face them 2 times in a row in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, first game at home we've been all over them and are 3-0 up after 35 minutes, the match ends 4-0 full control from min 1-90 despite a red to one of my players after 40 minutes. The very next game, 5 days later against Newcastle again this time at their home ground, now we're struggling to penetrate their defence, while making a lot of poor passes and the game ends 1-1. Basically sums up my save with this Cardiff team, shows of brillaince and then absolute bottlejobs.

What I want from my team:
I want to play control / possession based football, and possession wise I tend to win even against the bigger teams.
Problem is how my IF's works as I've probably changed their role from Attack to Support countless times doing my save and I just don't know what I prefer, because on Attack they're always ready for the ball in depht and since I play with a high defence line they don't have that much space to work with, but they tend to get to a lot more advanced positions to make the killer ball or the strike into the back of the net.
On Support they first of all allow me to use attacking full backs, but they also help keeping possession a lot more, problem is they don't get to goal scoring chances and don't get that many assists because they usually tends to go into the middle and then open space for the back, which tactic wise is perfect and probably what I prefer over the Attack duty, but my 2 best players are on IF roles and I'd like to use their abilities more than just distractic enemy backs.

What I need help with:
Whenever I've watched my team play in "full game" I've noticed my striker (CF A) is standing 20 meteres away from IF(despite A role) and CAM, and always looking for the sent behind, which often loses possession then, I don't have anything against risky ball playing in fact I love it. But I just need it in more advanced situations than where I'm getting it.
Also I don't think I've had a game where all my IF's and CAM were having a good game (7+ rating) in the same match, Idk why this is happening, and any help would be highly apprecaited!


The tactic:
View attachment 52117 View attachment 52116
What I'm unsure about is whether or not I should use TI tight marking (don't know whether or not it's good with high defence line) and team shape is pretty dark to me, I've mostly used flexiple because I simply do not know if fluid or structed is better and I expect it depends on my players? In that case I have some very offensive creative players.


Notable PI's:
I've sat my CAM as "get further forward" as well as my IF's

My DLP which I've recently used that role as another Advanced playmaker on support and found good success has tackle harder and hold position if on AP.

My backs are both going wide, cross more often, and get furhter forward.

DLP + BWM struggle
I've found little success with these roles, both mostly just consistently 6.9-7.1 ratings, BWM is probably doing the best of the 2, I recently changed DLP to AP and it got a MOTM performances (hasn't happened since I was in the championship lol) any tip here will probably be tried haha.


Anyway thanks for reading and if you can help in anyway I'll highly appreciate it!

 

[WJ]

What's an IA?

 

[Shotten]

What's an IA?

Sorry messed up danish with english there, it's Inside Forward. Edited now.

 

[WJ]

Sorry messed up danish with english there, it's Inside Forward. Edited now.

You specifically asked your IFs on Support to sit deep and not make forward runs, instead holding up the ball for your fullbacks. It's obvious then that they won't be much of an attacking threat at all.

I don't understand "look for overlap" as you clearly already have a natural overlap anyway.

DLP + BWM struggle
I've found little success with these roles, both mostly just consistently 6.9-7.1 ratings,

Don't use the ratings to decide if they have "little success". Decide what you want them to do and look to see if they're doing it.

 

[Shotten]

You specifically asked your IFs on Support to sit deep and not make forward runs, instead holding up the ball for your fullbacks. It's obvious then that they won't be much of an attacking threat at all.

I don't understand "look for overlap" as you clearly already have a natural overlap anyway.

Don't use the ratings to decide if they have "little success". Decide what you want them to do and look to see if they're doing it.

So if I wanted my IF's to be an attacking threat here, you'd change them to attack?

I've always loved having backs running up overlapping, should I change them to support and then "look for overlap"?

 

[WJ]

I've always loved having backs running up overlapping, should I change them to support and then "look for overlap"?

As I said - even without the TI, you have a very natural overlap.

 

[Shotten]

As I said - even without the TI, you have a very natural overlap.

Well I got that already, I asked whether or not having CWB on support and then IF's on atk is too offensive

 

[WJ]

Well I got that already, I asked whether or not having CWB on support and then IF's on atk is too offensive

You asked questions which made it look like you either didn't get it or you aren't sure of what you want. I told you that the TI blunts the Support IFs (your issue) while just exaggerating the overlap you already have and according to your post - you wanted at least an overlap.

So, the solution should be very simple.

However, you want to now change the entire setup, so I can't answer your question. Is it too attacking? Who knows. Surely you would just change it without giving thought to the other positions and roles? The 3 front players all on attack and all looking toward the same space should be looked at first.

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If you want to make substantial changes - I would have a re-think of the tactic you want and how your players fit into it. Decide how you want to play and what you want. You stated you wanted overlaps, for instance, but you'll struggle to get them with an IF/A and WB/S combination, obviously.