Direct passing is less precise than short passing and high tempo passing is less precise than low tempo. So by combining direct passing with high tempo, you'll be constantly giving the ball to the opposition and kicking it out of play.
I'd recommend a 4-4-1-1 with these Team Instructions:
Shorter passing
Play out of defence
Work ball into box
Float crosses (or Drill, depending on the height and aerial ability of your forwards, relative to the opposition's centre backs)
Exploit the flanks
Look for overlap
Push high (can't remember the in-game term, but to play a high defensive line)
Roam from position
Hassle opponents
Get stuck in
High tempo
Be more expressive
Instruct your goalkeeper to
Distribute ball to defenders.
Tell the two central midfielders to hold their positions. Ideally, one should be a Ball Winning Midfielder_Defend and the other a Deep-Lying Playmaker_Support - and if they are skilled at direct passing and/or switching the play to the opposite flank, tell them to play
More direct passes. They will still take part in the team's short passing game, but when space opens up on the other wing, they'll look to take advantage of it.
If you have a skilful Advanced Playmaker or Trequartista who can run with the ball, is a good passer and highly creative, then play him in the No.10 position, giving him license to
Roam from position, with a Complete Forward_Support ahead of him detailed to
Move into channels and
Shoot more often.
Or, you could play a Shadow Striker_Attack (
Pass short;
Move into channels;
Shoot more often) behind a Deep-Lying Forward_Support (
Pass short;
Move into channels), which helps your team to morph from 4-4-1-1 to 4-2-3-1 and to 4-4-2 and even 4-2-4 as your attacking play develops. Done correctly, the Shadow Striker will become your most potent goal threat, while your 2 x Winger_Attack and DLF will also weigh in with loads of goals and assists.
This style is a little gung-ho and might leave you vulnerable to the counter-attack. So I'd encourage you to take a look at my detailed thread on the 4-4-1-1 formation that I play, that - while a bit more reserved than what you've described - gets the team playing good football in triangles, all over the pitch, with plenty of one-twos and different angles of attack. I'm not one for brevity so it's a bit of a read, but I think you'll find some useful information in there, even if you adapt the tactic to match the description in your opening post more closely:
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...1-real-4-4-2-how-i-learned-play-triangle.html