pollackattack
Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2012
- Messages
- 490
- Reaction score
- 15
- Points
- 18
Hello. Daniel here from Passion for Football Manager . Welcome to our new tactic. Download links will be in the bottom of the text. You can also visit the original article if you like: Manuel Pellegrini 4-4-2 Football Manager 2014 Tactic | Passion for Football Manager
FM14 Manuel Pellegrini's 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2 Tactic with Interiores by Passion4FM
From the creator of Football Manager Attacking tactic Cobra 3-6-1 influenced by Antonio Conte comes a new world beater!
Hello and welcome to Passion4FMs Manuel Pellegrini Football Manager 2014 Tactic. This tactical system represents the preferred approach used with his Manchester City side this season, but also has it's roots in his earlier managed clubs like Malaga, Real Madrid and most notably Villarreal.
Download the recreated tactical system of Manuel Pellegrinis 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2 football philosophy below.
NOTE! This tactic comes in two parts - a regular version, and a mirrorred reversed version of the same tactic. The reason for this is simply to be able to acommodate your players. If you play as Man City for instance, you might want to use the regular version with Jesus Navas as a winger on the right, but in my save with Real Madrid I reversed it so that Gareth Bale could play a winger on the left. In essence, it's the exact same tactic.
Manuel Pellegrini - A Short Background
While controversially fired from Real Madrid (long debate here on wether it was fair or correct), he enjoyed considerable success at the two other Spanish sides he managed. In fact, the Chilean Manager did become the most successful manager when managing Los Blancos with an all time high 75% win percentage record! This was done in a season when FC Barcelona's tiki taka was at its best - winning 4 out of 6 possible trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini, who continues the tradition of entertaining South American football, first became famous after leading Villarreal, a club from a small town to domestic and European success - third place in 2004-05 behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. He also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2004 and lost against Arsenal in a remarkable UEFA Champions League season of 2005/2006 going undefeated through the group stages. His spell at Villarreal could be divided into two periods, the Riquelme-Forlan era, and the years after the duo left the club. While his system differed somewhat while Riquelme was at the club from his other systems, his philosophy remained unchanged.
Manuel Pellegrini's Introduction of the Interiores in European football
In terms of tactics and shape, Manuel Pellegrini prefers fluid systems with players heavily relying on their tactical awareness to drift in and out of each others positions. This encourages a varied approach in attacks, and helps unsettle the opposition as well as allowing the players to express themselves. Pellegrini usually preferred having a deep line, not overly focused on winning the ball back as quickly as possible, rather waiting for the right opportunity to ****** it back. He rarely used set wide players, instead relying on reactive width, meaning the players should create it when necessary. While usually width would be provided by aggressive fullbacks, the midfielders and strikers were required to drift out wide if no overlapping runs were made.
In this picture, you can see how Manuel Pellegrini would set up his team without the ball. It is a very standard 4-4-2, two tight banks of four. Notice the highlighted wide players - 'interiores'.
While often setting up a 4-3-1-2 when Riquelme was at the club, to accommodate his considerable skill (Riquelme deemed to be one of the last, or the last classic no 10 in football), this often meant he could easily be taken out of the game by opposing defensive midfielders. This led to Pellegrini utilising his fluid 4-4-2, a perfect combination of the European/English organised 'two banks of four' and the South American fluidity, flair and finesse with the use of 'interiores' (where Riquelme thrived because he had much more space) on the wings.
This picture shows the transition phase of Pellegrini's system. When the ball is won, the fullbacks push forward, in order to get more men to support the attack, as well as providing width. Notice the two 'interiores' now drifting inside and behind the strikers, to flood the middle of the park.
While largely unused in Europe before (why Cazorla was thought of as a winger when joining Arsenal), the non-existing Football Manager player role 'interiore' was widely spread and in use in South American football. In basic terms, an 'interiore' was a wide player tucking inside while the team was in possession and dropping out wide again when without it, thus creating 'two banks of four' when defending and a system somewhat resembling the more famous Brazilian 4-2-2-2, when in possession of the ball. The tactical idea of this was to create as many passing triangles as possible, most notably between the 'interiore', the striker and the fullback on either flank. The two central midfielders would usually just support the attacks, providing cover on the exposed flanks.
In this picture, you can see the system in its attacking phase of play. The fullbacks are now acting as wingers, with the central midfielders offering safety and support in case of losing the ball. The 'interiores' are now playing behind the strikers. Loads of passing options are open, and natural triangles are created all over, not far from the opposing goal. This gives the players many options to find space, and open up the opposition.
This brought Pellegrini large success with Villarreal and Malaga in form of Champions League semi and quarter-finals, in both of them being knocked out in bizarre circumstances by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund respectively. With both clubs, he never had large finances to back him up, or overly strong teams. Yet, through his tactical prowess and eye for the right player he managed to pull off some magnificent results, where arguably he should've reached the next round both times. Only a missed penalty in the final minute of the game against Arsenal, and an offside goal in the final minute of the game aganst Dortmund buried his chances of progressing.
Football Manager 2014 Manuel Pellegrini 4-4-2 / 4-2-4 Tactic
I have set up my Football Manager tactic as a fluid / control 4-4-2 (some would perhaps call it 4-2-4 or even a 4-2-2-2 formation). This represents Pellegrini's idea about players shifting in and out of positions while willing to control the flow of the game. Unfortunately, there is no 'interiore' role in Football Manager 2014, and I'm not old enough to remember Pellegrini's Villarreal in a strictly tactical term, so I chose to recreate his approach from Malaga, and now Manchester City.
I've already mentioned that there are two versions of the tactic. This is simply to acommodate the players you have at your disposal. In addition, you can switch between the two to expose your opponents players. If the team you play against has weak fullbacks, you could utilise your winger on the right or left, in order to wreak havoc.
As you can see, we have a regular winger on one flank, and a player somewhat resembling an 'interiore' on the other. Both flanks will have their width supplemented by aggressive fullbacks running up and down the line. The tucked in playmaker also provides another body in midfield, compensating for the lack of a 3rd CM. In addition, both strikers are happy to drop into space and help to maintain possession and create goals, thus negating our opposition overloading the midfield areas. We have a striker partnership complementing each other, with the ''small technical player (Aguero)'', and the more physical, yet technically accomplished Target Man (Negredo). This gives more flexibility in attack and gives more options when creating goals.
A Brief Analysis of 4-4-2 Pellegrini Tactic - Defensive and Attacking Situations
A) One of the striker drops deep, while the other creates depth by staying forward. You will notice it will often be one or the other striker doing this.
B) The ball winning midfielder is controlling the midfield zone, ready to close the opposing player if he receives a pass, thus trying to win the ball back
C) The advanced playmaker, is wide without the ball, closing off the support of the opposing fullback, and making interceptions of misplaced backpasses
The mobility that a duo of a ball winning midfielder and a box-to-box midfielder provides is also enough to compensate for lack of a 3rd CM. In defence the team will not run around like crazy chasing the ball, instead waiting for the right opportunity to win it back, and catching the opposition offside. We play compact and deep, with 'two banks of four' close to each other, making it very tough for the opposition to play through us. While we generally want to keep hold of the ball and exchange short, possession passes, players are happy to play it long when the right opportunities present themselves.
Several passing triangles available. The advanced playmaker now sits centrally, supporting the attack in the midfield zone, he has loads of space and time to pick his options. The striker making opposite movements to unsettle and stretch the defence.
The fullback is effectively making his run to stretch the play. Because you have loads of players in the central area of the pitch, he has loads of space and time to effectively cross the ball. Alternatively the advanced playmaker can continue inside, and look for through balls there.
FM14 Pellegrini Tactics Player Roles - What do we want from them?
In every tactical system, you will need the right kind of players to make the tactic work, otherwise you will only find frustration in your life. This is particularly important in this year's Football Manager, as some tactics will fail completely if the wrong kind of players are used. I will now let you know what to look for in players, and also the player example you should look at when finding the right players for your team.
Goalkeeper - Nothing fancy, just as good as you can get. He will distribute the ball close, so concentration and decisions might be a good thing. Read more about what a good Football Manager goalkeeper requires in order to succeed with the different match scenarios here.
Ball Playing Defenders - Pellegrini always liked his central defenders to be solid, tough tackling players and you want just that. They will orchestrate your defence, and are the wall opposition attacks crash against. One of them will also sweep up any balls played in behind the defence, so some pace for him might be beneficial. Your right centre-back will notch up loads of goals from set pieces as well, so a dominant header would be a good idea there. Look for your regular good centre backs with high attributes in concentration, tackling, marking, heading, anticiaption, positioning etc. They are set up as ball playing defenders, so good passing skills are a nice bonus.
Recommended player types can be Inigo Martinez, Matija Nastasic.
Wing Backs - They are set up respectively as a support and attack duty. This gives better balance and encourages better movement between the lines. They will run alot, as they move up and down the line all game. They are quite important to the tactic, as they are the ones who balance it. They offer support in every phase of the game, and are required to stretch the play, in order for our central players to have space to create those beautiful passing moves. This is the modern player that football requires nowadats. You want your players to be good in defence, running up and down the line all day, while being able to cross and pass the ball as well.
Recommended player types can be David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Alex Sandro.
Ball Winning Midfielder - An important player in your system, the terrier. He will run alot, winning the ball back and dominating the midfield with his presence. When he wins the ball back from a cowering opposition player he will quickly distribute it to other players, while himself offering support to the attacking move. He will often sit a little deeper when in possession of the ball, acting as an anchor point if forward passing options are unavailable. He'll position himself, so that the ball can be quickly moved from flank to flank when around the opposition area. You want a typical tough tackling midfielder, who will benefit from good passing and even creativity. You want strength, determination, passing, tackling, marking, stamina, anticipation, work rate, teamwork
Recommended player types can be Sami Khedira, Nigel De Jong.
Box-to-Box Midfielder - The second of our midfield pairing, offering equal amounts of movement and dynamism, though in a different manner. He will be responsible for all the phases of the game, while organising and steering our teams game. In attack, he will spray passes aroud him, looking for opportunities for through balls, sometimes long shots given the right chance. You will also notice aggressive runs into the penalty area from him, running directly from deep. Look for complete players, able to run alot, create and defend. You should look for good ratings in work rate, teamwork, stamina, passing, marking, tackling, anticipation to name a few.
Recommended player types can be Yaya Toure, Leon Goretzka, Pierre-Emile H?ybjerg, Ilkay Gundogan.
Winger - Your typical english winger. This player will make direct runs with the ball, positioning himself high up the pitch. He'll take on opposing fullbacks and cross the ball into the area. On occasion he will receive a long ball for a counter-attacking move. He should get a good load of assists and goals. Look for good ratings in pace/acceleration, stamina, crossing, passing, off the ball, work rate, teamwork and dribbling.
Recommended player types can be Antonio Valencia, Jesus Navas, Kwadwo Asamoah.
Advanced Playmaker - This is an important player, as he will do a lot in order to maintain possession and create chances. In defence, he will stay wide, protecting the flank, either from an aggressive fullback or an onrushing winger. He will often intercept passes, and initiate counter-attacking passes. In attack he will usually stay centrally, looking to help maintain possession and looking for intelligent through balls, as well as finishing crosses or getting on the end of passing moves himself. Look for players with good ratings for passing, creativity, decisions but also stamina, teamwork and work rate in order to cover the flank. Good bonuses would be dribbling and pace/acceleration.
Recommended player types can be Isco, Marek Hamsik, Marco Reus.
Trequartista - One part of the striker pairing that complements each other. This one is the more creative one, looking for space, dropping deep in order to maintain possession and receive the ball. He will be responsible for scoring and creating goals, while being a mobile threat with his technique. Look for composure, passing, creativity, finishing, dribbling and pace. This is the 'small, creative striker'
Recommended player types can be Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Barbosa.
Complete Forward - The target man who could pass the ball. The second part of the striker duo. He will also drop deep into space, often creating assymetric/opposite movement with his striker partner. This is the more physical player, who can bully defenders, and hold up the ball with his strength, in order for his teammates to advance into more dangerous positions. This player will be responsible for both creating and scoring goals. He's a big strong guy, but he should have some pace/acceleration as well as skills to dribble a bit.
Recommended player types can be Lacina Traore, Romelu Lukaku.
Football Manager Guide to Player Preferred Moves - How do they affect player performance in FM14?
The Player Preferred Moves You Want to Utilize to take this Tactic Further
Like any tactical system, this one will benefit from players having the correct preferred moves. I will list them here, in order from most to least important for each role. You should attempt to learn all of them, and unlearn any that aren't listed. Be sensible though, sometimes you won't have to unlearn certain obvious ones like unlearning shooting with power to teach someone to place their shots. In general, don't unlearn them unless they contradict the tactic.
Ball Playing Defender
Runs Rarely With Ball
Wing Back (support)
Knocks Ball Past Opponent
Gets Forward Whenever Possible
Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank
Tries Killer Balls Often
Wing Back (attack)
Knocks Ball Past Opponent
Gets Forward Whenever Possible
Runs With Ball Often
Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank
Ball Winning Midfielder
Marks Opponents Tightly
Plays Short Simple Passes
Dives Into Tackles
Runs With Ball Rarely
Shoots With Power
Box-to-Box Midfielder
Tries Killer Balls Often
Dictates Tempo
Plays One-Twos
Shoots With Power
Advanced Playmaker
Tries Killer Balls Often
Cuts Inside
Comes Deep To Get The Ball
Plays One-Twos
Shoots With Power
Winger
Knocks Ball Past Opponent
Runs With Ball Often
Gets Forward Whenever Possible
Plays One-Twos
Looks To Beat The Offside Trap
Trequartisa
Tries Killer Balls Often
Runs With Ball Through Centre
Comes Deep To Get The Ball
Plays One-Twos
Places Shots (unless poor composure)
Complete Forward
Plays With Back To Goal
Comes Deep To Get The Ball
Plays One-Twos
Runs With Ball Through Centre
Places Shots (unless poor composure)
Training Setup for Improved Performances
I like having my players on individual role training to suit their roles, it always seems to give me best results. So you should just apply all individual training according to the roles the players will have in your team, with the exceptions that you want your goalkeepers on sweeper keeper training and all your strikers on complete forward training.
When it comes to team training I set it up like this:
In Pre-Season: Fitness (Very High) - Match Preparation: 50% Teamwork (Tactics until fully fluid)
In Season: Balanced (High) - Match Preparation: 30% Attacking Movement (Tactics on 50% until fully fluid)
Opposition Instructions I don't set it up myself. I make one of my backroom staff do it, usually the one with the best combination of defending and tactical knowledge attributes.
Conclusion
This tactic has brought me a lot of success. I dominate my opposition and my teams play stunning football, while being very solid at the back. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Results
UPDATED 29.03 - should be more solid defensivelyDownload link: FM14-Taktikk-Manuel-Pellegrini-4-4-2-by-passion4fm
Download link from FM-Base:
FM14 Manuel Pellegrini's 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2 Tactic with Interiores by Passion4FM
From the creator of Football Manager Attacking tactic Cobra 3-6-1 influenced by Antonio Conte comes a new world beater!
Hello and welcome to Passion4FMs Manuel Pellegrini Football Manager 2014 Tactic. This tactical system represents the preferred approach used with his Manchester City side this season, but also has it's roots in his earlier managed clubs like Malaga, Real Madrid and most notably Villarreal.
Download the recreated tactical system of Manuel Pellegrinis 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2 football philosophy below.
NOTE! This tactic comes in two parts - a regular version, and a mirrorred reversed version of the same tactic. The reason for this is simply to be able to acommodate your players. If you play as Man City for instance, you might want to use the regular version with Jesus Navas as a winger on the right, but in my save with Real Madrid I reversed it so that Gareth Bale could play a winger on the left. In essence, it's the exact same tactic.
Manuel Pellegrini - A Short Background
While controversially fired from Real Madrid (long debate here on wether it was fair or correct), he enjoyed considerable success at the two other Spanish sides he managed. In fact, the Chilean Manager did become the most successful manager when managing Los Blancos with an all time high 75% win percentage record! This was done in a season when FC Barcelona's tiki taka was at its best - winning 4 out of 6 possible trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini, who continues the tradition of entertaining South American football, first became famous after leading Villarreal, a club from a small town to domestic and European success - third place in 2004-05 behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. He also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2004 and lost against Arsenal in a remarkable UEFA Champions League season of 2005/2006 going undefeated through the group stages. His spell at Villarreal could be divided into two periods, the Riquelme-Forlan era, and the years after the duo left the club. While his system differed somewhat while Riquelme was at the club from his other systems, his philosophy remained unchanged.
Manuel Pellegrini's Introduction of the Interiores in European football
In terms of tactics and shape, Manuel Pellegrini prefers fluid systems with players heavily relying on their tactical awareness to drift in and out of each others positions. This encourages a varied approach in attacks, and helps unsettle the opposition as well as allowing the players to express themselves. Pellegrini usually preferred having a deep line, not overly focused on winning the ball back as quickly as possible, rather waiting for the right opportunity to ****** it back. He rarely used set wide players, instead relying on reactive width, meaning the players should create it when necessary. While usually width would be provided by aggressive fullbacks, the midfielders and strikers were required to drift out wide if no overlapping runs were made.
In this picture, you can see how Manuel Pellegrini would set up his team without the ball. It is a very standard 4-4-2, two tight banks of four. Notice the highlighted wide players - 'interiores'.
This picture shows the transition phase of Pellegrini's system. When the ball is won, the fullbacks push forward, in order to get more men to support the attack, as well as providing width. Notice the two 'interiores' now drifting inside and behind the strikers, to flood the middle of the park.
In this picture, you can see the system in its attacking phase of play. The fullbacks are now acting as wingers, with the central midfielders offering safety and support in case of losing the ball. The 'interiores' are now playing behind the strikers. Loads of passing options are open, and natural triangles are created all over, not far from the opposing goal. This gives the players many options to find space, and open up the opposition.
This brought Pellegrini large success with Villarreal and Malaga in form of Champions League semi and quarter-finals, in both of them being knocked out in bizarre circumstances by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund respectively. With both clubs, he never had large finances to back him up, or overly strong teams. Yet, through his tactical prowess and eye for the right player he managed to pull off some magnificent results, where arguably he should've reached the next round both times. Only a missed penalty in the final minute of the game against Arsenal, and an offside goal in the final minute of the game aganst Dortmund buried his chances of progressing.
Football Manager 2014 Manuel Pellegrini 4-4-2 / 4-2-4 Tactic
I have set up my Football Manager tactic as a fluid / control 4-4-2 (some would perhaps call it 4-2-4 or even a 4-2-2-2 formation). This represents Pellegrini's idea about players shifting in and out of positions while willing to control the flow of the game. Unfortunately, there is no 'interiore' role in Football Manager 2014, and I'm not old enough to remember Pellegrini's Villarreal in a strictly tactical term, so I chose to recreate his approach from Malaga, and now Manchester City.
I've already mentioned that there are two versions of the tactic. This is simply to acommodate the players you have at your disposal. In addition, you can switch between the two to expose your opponents players. If the team you play against has weak fullbacks, you could utilise your winger on the right or left, in order to wreak havoc.
A Brief Analysis of 4-4-2 Pellegrini Tactic - Defensive and Attacking Situations
A) One of the striker drops deep, while the other creates depth by staying forward. You will notice it will often be one or the other striker doing this.
B) The ball winning midfielder is controlling the midfield zone, ready to close the opposing player if he receives a pass, thus trying to win the ball back
C) The advanced playmaker, is wide without the ball, closing off the support of the opposing fullback, and making interceptions of misplaced backpasses
The mobility that a duo of a ball winning midfielder and a box-to-box midfielder provides is also enough to compensate for lack of a 3rd CM. In defence the team will not run around like crazy chasing the ball, instead waiting for the right opportunity to win it back, and catching the opposition offside. We play compact and deep, with 'two banks of four' close to each other, making it very tough for the opposition to play through us. While we generally want to keep hold of the ball and exchange short, possession passes, players are happy to play it long when the right opportunities present themselves.
FM14 Pellegrini Tactics Player Roles - What do we want from them?
In every tactical system, you will need the right kind of players to make the tactic work, otherwise you will only find frustration in your life. This is particularly important in this year's Football Manager, as some tactics will fail completely if the wrong kind of players are used. I will now let you know what to look for in players, and also the player example you should look at when finding the right players for your team.
Goalkeeper - Nothing fancy, just as good as you can get. He will distribute the ball close, so concentration and decisions might be a good thing. Read more about what a good Football Manager goalkeeper requires in order to succeed with the different match scenarios here.
Ball Playing Defenders - Pellegrini always liked his central defenders to be solid, tough tackling players and you want just that. They will orchestrate your defence, and are the wall opposition attacks crash against. One of them will also sweep up any balls played in behind the defence, so some pace for him might be beneficial. Your right centre-back will notch up loads of goals from set pieces as well, so a dominant header would be a good idea there. Look for your regular good centre backs with high attributes in concentration, tackling, marking, heading, anticiaption, positioning etc. They are set up as ball playing defenders, so good passing skills are a nice bonus.
Recommended player types can be Inigo Martinez, Matija Nastasic.
Wing Backs - They are set up respectively as a support and attack duty. This gives better balance and encourages better movement between the lines. They will run alot, as they move up and down the line all game. They are quite important to the tactic, as they are the ones who balance it. They offer support in every phase of the game, and are required to stretch the play, in order for our central players to have space to create those beautiful passing moves. This is the modern player that football requires nowadats. You want your players to be good in defence, running up and down the line all day, while being able to cross and pass the ball as well.
Recommended player types can be David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Alex Sandro.
Ball Winning Midfielder - An important player in your system, the terrier. He will run alot, winning the ball back and dominating the midfield with his presence. When he wins the ball back from a cowering opposition player he will quickly distribute it to other players, while himself offering support to the attacking move. He will often sit a little deeper when in possession of the ball, acting as an anchor point if forward passing options are unavailable. He'll position himself, so that the ball can be quickly moved from flank to flank when around the opposition area. You want a typical tough tackling midfielder, who will benefit from good passing and even creativity. You want strength, determination, passing, tackling, marking, stamina, anticipation, work rate, teamwork
Recommended player types can be Sami Khedira, Nigel De Jong.
Box-to-Box Midfielder - The second of our midfield pairing, offering equal amounts of movement and dynamism, though in a different manner. He will be responsible for all the phases of the game, while organising and steering our teams game. In attack, he will spray passes aroud him, looking for opportunities for through balls, sometimes long shots given the right chance. You will also notice aggressive runs into the penalty area from him, running directly from deep. Look for complete players, able to run alot, create and defend. You should look for good ratings in work rate, teamwork, stamina, passing, marking, tackling, anticipation to name a few.
Recommended player types can be Yaya Toure, Leon Goretzka, Pierre-Emile H?ybjerg, Ilkay Gundogan.
Winger - Your typical english winger. This player will make direct runs with the ball, positioning himself high up the pitch. He'll take on opposing fullbacks and cross the ball into the area. On occasion he will receive a long ball for a counter-attacking move. He should get a good load of assists and goals. Look for good ratings in pace/acceleration, stamina, crossing, passing, off the ball, work rate, teamwork and dribbling.
Recommended player types can be Antonio Valencia, Jesus Navas, Kwadwo Asamoah.
Advanced Playmaker - This is an important player, as he will do a lot in order to maintain possession and create chances. In defence, he will stay wide, protecting the flank, either from an aggressive fullback or an onrushing winger. He will often intercept passes, and initiate counter-attacking passes. In attack he will usually stay centrally, looking to help maintain possession and looking for intelligent through balls, as well as finishing crosses or getting on the end of passing moves himself. Look for players with good ratings for passing, creativity, decisions but also stamina, teamwork and work rate in order to cover the flank. Good bonuses would be dribbling and pace/acceleration.
Recommended player types can be Isco, Marek Hamsik, Marco Reus.
Trequartista - One part of the striker pairing that complements each other. This one is the more creative one, looking for space, dropping deep in order to maintain possession and receive the ball. He will be responsible for scoring and creating goals, while being a mobile threat with his technique. Look for composure, passing, creativity, finishing, dribbling and pace. This is the 'small, creative striker'
Recommended player types can be Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Barbosa.
Complete Forward - The target man who could pass the ball. The second part of the striker duo. He will also drop deep into space, often creating assymetric/opposite movement with his striker partner. This is the more physical player, who can bully defenders, and hold up the ball with his strength, in order for his teammates to advance into more dangerous positions. This player will be responsible for both creating and scoring goals. He's a big strong guy, but he should have some pace/acceleration as well as skills to dribble a bit.
Recommended player types can be Lacina Traore, Romelu Lukaku.
Football Manager Guide to Player Preferred Moves - How do they affect player performance in FM14?
The Player Preferred Moves You Want to Utilize to take this Tactic Further
Like any tactical system, this one will benefit from players having the correct preferred moves. I will list them here, in order from most to least important for each role. You should attempt to learn all of them, and unlearn any that aren't listed. Be sensible though, sometimes you won't have to unlearn certain obvious ones like unlearning shooting with power to teach someone to place their shots. In general, don't unlearn them unless they contradict the tactic.
Ball Playing Defender
Runs Rarely With Ball
Wing Back (support)
Knocks Ball Past Opponent
Gets Forward Whenever Possible
Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank
Tries Killer Balls Often
Wing Back (attack)
Knocks Ball Past Opponent
Gets Forward Whenever Possible
Runs With Ball Often
Likes To Switch Ball To Other Flank
Ball Winning Midfielder
Marks Opponents Tightly
Plays Short Simple Passes
Dives Into Tackles
Runs With Ball Rarely
Shoots With Power
Box-to-Box Midfielder
Tries Killer Balls Often
Dictates Tempo
Plays One-Twos
Shoots With Power
Advanced Playmaker
Tries Killer Balls Often
Cuts Inside
Comes Deep To Get The Ball
Plays One-Twos
Shoots With Power
Winger
Knocks Ball Past Opponent
Runs With Ball Often
Gets Forward Whenever Possible
Plays One-Twos
Looks To Beat The Offside Trap
Trequartisa
Tries Killer Balls Often
Runs With Ball Through Centre
Comes Deep To Get The Ball
Plays One-Twos
Places Shots (unless poor composure)
Complete Forward
Plays With Back To Goal
Comes Deep To Get The Ball
Plays One-Twos
Runs With Ball Through Centre
Places Shots (unless poor composure)
Training Setup for Improved Performances
I like having my players on individual role training to suit their roles, it always seems to give me best results. So you should just apply all individual training according to the roles the players will have in your team, with the exceptions that you want your goalkeepers on sweeper keeper training and all your strikers on complete forward training.
When it comes to team training I set it up like this:
In Pre-Season: Fitness (Very High) - Match Preparation: 50% Teamwork (Tactics until fully fluid)
In Season: Balanced (High) - Match Preparation: 30% Attacking Movement (Tactics on 50% until fully fluid)
Opposition Instructions I don't set it up myself. I make one of my backroom staff do it, usually the one with the best combination of defending and tactical knowledge attributes.
Conclusion
This tactic has brought me a lot of success. I dominate my opposition and my teams play stunning football, while being very solid at the back. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Results
UPDATED 29.03 - should be more solid defensively
Download link from FM-Base:
Last edited:
