fmcalciomaestro
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Hi guys, this is my emulation of Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur 4-2-3-1 tacitc.
JOSÉ MOURINHO'S TOTTENHAM ON FOOTBALL MANAGER 2024
To replicate José Mourinho’s Tottenham tactics on Football Manager 2024, we obviously start with the formation: the classic 4-2-3-1, much loved by the wizard of Setúbal.
The mentality is balanced, but you can use a positive mentality against weaker opponents, while a cautious mentality is recommended when facing much stronger teams.
IN POSSESSION PHASE
The team would shape into a 2-4-4 when attacking, with the two centre-backs staying deeper while the full-backs pushed wide in line with the two holding midfielders.
The wingers, Son and Bergwijn, tended to drift inside close to the central attacking midfielder, while the striker, Kane, would often swap positions with the number 10.
The attacking width should be fairly narrow, focusing play through the middle. In that team, only the two full-backs — Reguilón on the left and especially Aurier on the right — stayed wide, allowing the team to occasionally stretch play. The main strategy was to congest the central areas, freeing up space for the full-backs who would then be found with quick switches of play. Aurier was often targeted even by the centre-backs due to his aggressive forward runs, which allowed Son (from the right wing) to cut inside.
Tottenham did not favor building from the back, partly due to the limited technical ability of their defenders, Dier and Alderweireld. Dier often attempted long balls from the back toward the right flank, but neither centre-back enjoyed building up play. They typically passed it short to the two defensive midfielders or to left-back Reguilón in support. That’s why it’s not recommended to select the "Play out of defence" instruction.
Since Tottenham focused more on the right flank, enabling the “Overlap Right” instruction is essential. The “Pass into space” instruction also helps to replicate the vertical passes into space that Spurs used during offensive transitions, especially targeting players positioned between opposition centre-backs and full-backs.
To better replicate Tottenham’s quick attacking transitions under Mourinho, passes should be slightly more direct, and the tempo slightly higher.
Regarding the final third settings, low crosses are preferred to support the runs into the box made by the wide attacking midfielders and the central playmaker (Ndombele), into spaces created by Kane’s tendency to drop deep. This instruction should be paired with “Work the ball into the box” to mirror Spurs’ more patient buildup play. To take advantage of Son and Bergwijn’s dribbling and one-on-one skills, it’s important to use the “Run at defense” instruction along with “Be More Expressive”.
TRANSITION PHASE
As is typical in Mourinho’s tactics, the "Regroup" instruction should be selected in transition, since Tottenham did not apply a high press with many players after losing possession. Usually, only two players would try to recover the ball immediately — the winger on the flank, supported by either the central attacking midfielder or the striker (who frequently swapped positions).
However, once the ball was regained, Spurs would immediately launch a quick counter-attack, so the "Counter" instruction is essential.
As for the goalkeeper's distribution settings, Lloris looked to distribute quickly with long kicks, often targeting Aurier on the right wing or aiming for the attacking midfielders and the striker.
OUT OF POSSESSION PHASE
Defensively, Tottenham sat in a compact mid-block, positioned behind the ball to minimize space between the lines. If the opposition managed to bypass the first pressing line — made up of the two central midfielders, the wingers dropping alongside them, and the attacking midfielder (or sometimes Kane) — Mourinho’s team would gradually fall back toward their own penalty area, eventually forming a 6-2-2 shape.
To replicate Tottenham’s defensive setup in Football Manager, a Mid Block combined with a Higher Defensive Line works well.
The pressing was not very intense, so you can keep it at standard, and pair it with "Get Stuck In" (which should be removed if your players are picking up too many yellow or red cards). Additionally, use "Step Up More" to encourage your players to push higher and attempt to catch opponents offside.
PLAYER ROLES AND INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTIONS
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
Role: Goalkeeper (Defend)
Instructions: None
Lloris kept things simple, often opting for long kicks to quickly launch counter-attacks.
Right Back – Serge Aurier
Role: Complete Wing-Back (Attack)
Instructions: Cross more often
Aurier was the most offensive of the two full-backs, frequently overlapping on the right side. He was often targeted by Lloris or the centre-backs with long balls or quick switches of play. His forward runs allowed Son to move inside. However, Aurier’s defensive contribution was often lacking, and Sissoko had to cover for him defensively.
Left Back – Sergio Reguilón
Role: Full-Back (Support)
Instructions: Stay wider
Reguilón was more defensive than Aurier, solidly covering the left flank and allowing Bergwijn to cut inside. In possession, he stayed deeper to offer a safe outlet for the goalkeeper and centre-backs, while in defense he stayed close to Bergwijn as the winger dropped into midfield.
Right Centre-Back – Toby Alderweireld
Role: Central Defender (Defend)
Instructions: None
Left Centre-Back – Eric Dier
Role: Central Defender (Defend)
Instructions: Mark tighter, close down more
Right Defensive Midfielder – Moussa Sissoko
Role: Deep-Lying Playmaker (Defend)
Instructions: None
Sissoko acted as a defensive shield, supporting the center-backs and also covering the right flank when Aurier pushed forward.
Left Defensive Midfielder – Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Role: Ball-Winning Midfielder (Support)
Instructions: Mark tighter Højbjerg was a tireless ball-winner, constantly intercepting passes and launching quick counters.
Right Attacking Midfielder – Heung-min Son
Role: Inside Forward (Attack)
Instructions: Shoot more often, roam from position, sit narrower
Son was given great freedom due to his dribbling and shooting skills. He often moved centrally, allowing Aurier to take the wide role. From a central position, he could shoot, thread passes, or make runs into the box, similar to the other attacking midfielders.
Central Attacking Midfielder – Tanguy Ndombele (or Lo Celso)
Role: Advanced Playmaker (Attack)
Instructions: Mark specific position, close down more, mark tighter, move into channels, roam from position
Ndombele frequently switched positions with Kane in attack, confusing opposing defenders. Off the ball, he would press the opponent’s centre-back and help defend on the left wing alongside Bergwijn.
Left Attacking Midfielder – Steven Bergwijn
Role: Inside Forward (Support)
Instructions: Sit narrower, roam from position
Less aggressive than Son, Bergwijn also tucked inside, getting closer to Ndombele and Kane. Defensively, he dropped alongside the two central midfielders.
Striker – Harry Kane
Role: Complete Forward (Support)
Instructions: Close down more, mark tighter, mark specific position
Kane was both creator and finisher, so the Complete Forward – Support role was the best to reflect his tendency to drop deep, link play, and create space for the attacking midfielders to exploit. In defense, Kane pressed the opposition’s deep-lying playmaker to limit their build-up.
RESULTS
More datas, highlights analyisis, tactic analyisis and stats in my youtube video
JOSÉ MOURINHO'S TOTTENHAM ON FOOTBALL MANAGER 2024
To replicate José Mourinho’s Tottenham tactics on Football Manager 2024, we obviously start with the formation: the classic 4-2-3-1, much loved by the wizard of Setúbal.
The mentality is balanced, but you can use a positive mentality against weaker opponents, while a cautious mentality is recommended when facing much stronger teams.
IN POSSESSION PHASE
The team would shape into a 2-4-4 when attacking, with the two centre-backs staying deeper while the full-backs pushed wide in line with the two holding midfielders.
The wingers, Son and Bergwijn, tended to drift inside close to the central attacking midfielder, while the striker, Kane, would often swap positions with the number 10.
The attacking width should be fairly narrow, focusing play through the middle. In that team, only the two full-backs — Reguilón on the left and especially Aurier on the right — stayed wide, allowing the team to occasionally stretch play. The main strategy was to congest the central areas, freeing up space for the full-backs who would then be found with quick switches of play. Aurier was often targeted even by the centre-backs due to his aggressive forward runs, which allowed Son (from the right wing) to cut inside.
Tottenham did not favor building from the back, partly due to the limited technical ability of their defenders, Dier and Alderweireld. Dier often attempted long balls from the back toward the right flank, but neither centre-back enjoyed building up play. They typically passed it short to the two defensive midfielders or to left-back Reguilón in support. That’s why it’s not recommended to select the "Play out of defence" instruction.
Since Tottenham focused more on the right flank, enabling the “Overlap Right” instruction is essential. The “Pass into space” instruction also helps to replicate the vertical passes into space that Spurs used during offensive transitions, especially targeting players positioned between opposition centre-backs and full-backs.
To better replicate Tottenham’s quick attacking transitions under Mourinho, passes should be slightly more direct, and the tempo slightly higher.
Regarding the final third settings, low crosses are preferred to support the runs into the box made by the wide attacking midfielders and the central playmaker (Ndombele), into spaces created by Kane’s tendency to drop deep. This instruction should be paired with “Work the ball into the box” to mirror Spurs’ more patient buildup play. To take advantage of Son and Bergwijn’s dribbling and one-on-one skills, it’s important to use the “Run at defense” instruction along with “Be More Expressive”.
TRANSITION PHASE
As is typical in Mourinho’s tactics, the "Regroup" instruction should be selected in transition, since Tottenham did not apply a high press with many players after losing possession. Usually, only two players would try to recover the ball immediately — the winger on the flank, supported by either the central attacking midfielder or the striker (who frequently swapped positions).
However, once the ball was regained, Spurs would immediately launch a quick counter-attack, so the "Counter" instruction is essential.
As for the goalkeeper's distribution settings, Lloris looked to distribute quickly with long kicks, often targeting Aurier on the right wing or aiming for the attacking midfielders and the striker.
OUT OF POSSESSION PHASE
Defensively, Tottenham sat in a compact mid-block, positioned behind the ball to minimize space between the lines. If the opposition managed to bypass the first pressing line — made up of the two central midfielders, the wingers dropping alongside them, and the attacking midfielder (or sometimes Kane) — Mourinho’s team would gradually fall back toward their own penalty area, eventually forming a 6-2-2 shape.
To replicate Tottenham’s defensive setup in Football Manager, a Mid Block combined with a Higher Defensive Line works well.
The pressing was not very intense, so you can keep it at standard, and pair it with "Get Stuck In" (which should be removed if your players are picking up too many yellow or red cards). Additionally, use "Step Up More" to encourage your players to push higher and attempt to catch opponents offside.
PLAYER ROLES AND INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTIONS
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
Role: Goalkeeper (Defend)
Instructions: None
Lloris kept things simple, often opting for long kicks to quickly launch counter-attacks.
Right Back – Serge Aurier
Role: Complete Wing-Back (Attack)
Instructions: Cross more often
Aurier was the most offensive of the two full-backs, frequently overlapping on the right side. He was often targeted by Lloris or the centre-backs with long balls or quick switches of play. His forward runs allowed Son to move inside. However, Aurier’s defensive contribution was often lacking, and Sissoko had to cover for him defensively.
Left Back – Sergio Reguilón
Role: Full-Back (Support)
Instructions: Stay wider
Reguilón was more defensive than Aurier, solidly covering the left flank and allowing Bergwijn to cut inside. In possession, he stayed deeper to offer a safe outlet for the goalkeeper and centre-backs, while in defense he stayed close to Bergwijn as the winger dropped into midfield.
Right Centre-Back – Toby Alderweireld
Role: Central Defender (Defend)
Instructions: None
Left Centre-Back – Eric Dier
Role: Central Defender (Defend)
Instructions: Mark tighter, close down more
Right Defensive Midfielder – Moussa Sissoko
Role: Deep-Lying Playmaker (Defend)
Instructions: None
Sissoko acted as a defensive shield, supporting the center-backs and also covering the right flank when Aurier pushed forward.
Left Defensive Midfielder – Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Role: Ball-Winning Midfielder (Support)
Instructions: Mark tighter Højbjerg was a tireless ball-winner, constantly intercepting passes and launching quick counters.
Right Attacking Midfielder – Heung-min Son
Role: Inside Forward (Attack)
Instructions: Shoot more often, roam from position, sit narrower
Son was given great freedom due to his dribbling and shooting skills. He often moved centrally, allowing Aurier to take the wide role. From a central position, he could shoot, thread passes, or make runs into the box, similar to the other attacking midfielders.
Central Attacking Midfielder – Tanguy Ndombele (or Lo Celso)
Role: Advanced Playmaker (Attack)
Instructions: Mark specific position, close down more, mark tighter, move into channels, roam from position
Ndombele frequently switched positions with Kane in attack, confusing opposing defenders. Off the ball, he would press the opponent’s centre-back and help defend on the left wing alongside Bergwijn.
Left Attacking Midfielder – Steven Bergwijn
Role: Inside Forward (Support)
Instructions: Sit narrower, roam from position
Less aggressive than Son, Bergwijn also tucked inside, getting closer to Ndombele and Kane. Defensively, he dropped alongside the two central midfielders.
Striker – Harry Kane
Role: Complete Forward (Support)
Instructions: Close down more, mark tighter, mark specific position
Kane was both creator and finisher, so the Complete Forward – Support role was the best to reflect his tendency to drop deep, link play, and create space for the attacking midfielders to exploit. In defense, Kane pressed the opposition’s deep-lying playmaker to limit their build-up.
RESULTS
- Premier League: Winner
(W: 30 | D: 8 | L: 0 | GS: 101 | GA: 20) - Carabao Cup: Winner
- FA Cup: Winner
- Europa League: Winner
More datas, highlights analyisis, tactic analyisis and stats in my youtube video
