Hi all,
I'm doing a challenge game, basically take a team from the bottom to the top in the English leagues. I'm trying to decide on a formation and tactic that I would stick to for the entire time. Yes, tactical inflexibility! But there's a reason for that;
I need to learn how things work, and switching around formations won't really help me in that regard. Specifically, I want to master this one formation and then use what I learn there to do other, more fancy stuff.
So, I also want to shy away from 4-4-2 because, well, I want to do something more than 'vanilla'. I want to stay away from 4-3-3's, because I've used some variant of that for years, without really learning about them funny enough.
I actually want to use something of a 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2 in FM).
The idea is:
Three centre-backs will always ensure we have a man spare. Vs a 4-4-2 we should be covered. I'm aware that against a 4-5-1 or a 4-2-3-1 we will have 'two' spares, a bit redundant but I think I can work with that because most formations that have just the one striker will usually swamp the middle anyway. So 3 at the back should be helpful. The middle CB will 'cover', I'm not sure if I'd make the outside backs a stopper role though.
Two very attacking wing-backs - I want them unleashed, so a WB/A will do the job.
And behind them, a simple GK/D. Easy enough.
This is where I've started having doubts;
Setting up the midfield:
I'm going to use a 2-1 defensive triangle, but the 2 will be in the M role and the 1 in the AM role. The AM will be an advanced playmaker on attack. I was tempted to use an enganche but the AP offers a dribbling outlet.
The question for me is what roles for the 2 CM's. One will definitely be a CM/D, the 'pivot', and I'm pretty sure I *don't* want another playmaker. In order to allow wing backs to attack, I need the middle to be locked down. Normally in a 4-whatever formation, we use a double-pivot to lock the middle down. I'm not sure if a double-pivot is overkill for a 3 at the back system?
Basically, can anyone offer insight as to the partner for the CM/D bearing in mind the above scenario of maintaining the lockdown in the middle? I'm thinking a CM/S is the most vanilla and safe option, but perhaps this is an ideal situation for the usage of a Ball-Winning Midfielder? In theory, the CM/D will be covering behind him, as would the three centrebacks. Or would this leave us far too open, what with the WB's essentially being missing?
Up front, I'm intending to have an AP/A alongside a DLF/S and an AF/A (or poacher, whichever), it's just getting the midfield set up that I'm worried I'm over-thinking.
Any advice?
I'm doing a challenge game, basically take a team from the bottom to the top in the English leagues. I'm trying to decide on a formation and tactic that I would stick to for the entire time. Yes, tactical inflexibility! But there's a reason for that;
I need to learn how things work, and switching around formations won't really help me in that regard. Specifically, I want to master this one formation and then use what I learn there to do other, more fancy stuff.
So, I also want to shy away from 4-4-2 because, well, I want to do something more than 'vanilla'. I want to stay away from 4-3-3's, because I've used some variant of that for years, without really learning about them funny enough.
I actually want to use something of a 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2 in FM).
The idea is:
Three centre-backs will always ensure we have a man spare. Vs a 4-4-2 we should be covered. I'm aware that against a 4-5-1 or a 4-2-3-1 we will have 'two' spares, a bit redundant but I think I can work with that because most formations that have just the one striker will usually swamp the middle anyway. So 3 at the back should be helpful. The middle CB will 'cover', I'm not sure if I'd make the outside backs a stopper role though.
Two very attacking wing-backs - I want them unleashed, so a WB/A will do the job.
And behind them, a simple GK/D. Easy enough.
This is where I've started having doubts;
Setting up the midfield:
I'm going to use a 2-1 defensive triangle, but the 2 will be in the M role and the 1 in the AM role. The AM will be an advanced playmaker on attack. I was tempted to use an enganche but the AP offers a dribbling outlet.
The question for me is what roles for the 2 CM's. One will definitely be a CM/D, the 'pivot', and I'm pretty sure I *don't* want another playmaker. In order to allow wing backs to attack, I need the middle to be locked down. Normally in a 4-whatever formation, we use a double-pivot to lock the middle down. I'm not sure if a double-pivot is overkill for a 3 at the back system?
Basically, can anyone offer insight as to the partner for the CM/D bearing in mind the above scenario of maintaining the lockdown in the middle? I'm thinking a CM/S is the most vanilla and safe option, but perhaps this is an ideal situation for the usage of a Ball-Winning Midfielder? In theory, the CM/D will be covering behind him, as would the three centrebacks. Or would this leave us far too open, what with the WB's essentially being missing?
Up front, I'm intending to have an AP/A alongside a DLF/S and an AF/A (or poacher, whichever), it's just getting the midfield set up that I'm worried I'm over-thinking.
Any advice?
