Recreating Pep Guardiola's "Amoeba-esque" 3-4-2-1 tactic in Football Manager 2014

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agieluma

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Recreating Pep Guardiola's "Amoeba-esque" 3-4-2-1 tactic in Football Manager 2014

So, given the massive success I had with the other tactic,
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...-3-5-2-formation-football-manager-2014-a.html, thanks to https://www.twitter.com/TacticNewspaper, I decided to embark on a massive project.
Pep Guardiola has been earning plaudits with his "AMOEBA-esque" 3-4-2-1 tactic since the new season began.., the climax being his side's 1-7 masterclass away to AS Roma in the Champions' League. I've studied FC Bayern over the past few months and I've decided to recreate this tactic using Football Manager 2014. This tactic is based on very-patient possession play to unlock the opposition. I've tried this tactic with mostly the "BIG" clubs and i've had relative success with it. I don't know how it would work with smaller teams.
View attachment 330970


Analysis:
This tactic uses an "Attack" mentality which aims to get players forward and into space and also allows them creative freedom to hurt the opposition. The "very fluid" fluidity encourages players to play free flowing football; and it also coincides with "roam from positions", which allows them to be more creative and fluid with their positional locations on the pitch. The ‘Push Higher Up’ instruction is to create a high line along with the offside trap. Short passing and ‘Play Out Of Defence’ ensures patient build-up at the back (rare long balls), and ‘Much Lower Tempo’ encourages the team to go about their business in an very patient manner to 'Retain possession' of the ball.The "play narrower" instructs the players to jam-pack themselves in one area of the pitch...as seen in the picture below
View attachment 330997
"Hassle opponents" instructs the players to give the opponents very little time on the ball and also to force an error
View attachment 330996
A "control" mentality and "very rigid" fluidity was used during matches against tougher opponents.

Player Roles:
The Sweeper-Keeper: acts as an extra defender by sweeping up balls in front of and wide of the penalty area...and also closes down players who beat the offside trap.
Ball-Playing Defenders: are encouraged to launch defence-splitting passes from deep. The stoppers will push ahead and close down players before they get to the area while the cover will drop deeper and sweep up through balls.
View attachment 330990
Deep-Lying Playmaker(Alonso): This was a lil bit tricky to decipher because Xabi acted a lil bit more as a half-back than as a Playmaker but i've decide to put him on a defensive role to offer the defence more cover.View attachment 330989View attachment 330988 Alonso's heat map and passing from the Roma game

Regista(Lahm): I went for the regista instead of a box-box midfield role because of the freedom he had in that game. He was more of a creative outlet than a mere box-box midfielder.
View attachment 330987View attachment 330986Lahm's heat-map and passing from the same game


Defensive-winger(Bernat): His main job is to win the ball higher up the pitch and either hold it up, drive to the byline or get in a quick cross or through ball for the forwards
Winger(Attack): His job is to run at the defence, shoot or get in a quick cross or through ball for the forwards. I went for this instead of an Inside-forward role so he could offer more cover for the defence.It will work best if he's a left-footed player as he is literally an Inside-Forward
Trequartista: aims to drop into space, make himself available for a pass or shot if the opportunity arises
Shadow-Striker: is a goal-scoring threat who also aggressively pushes forward into goal-scoring positions and looks to close down opposing defenders
Complete-Forward: is your main striker who is strong, technical, and has enough pace to beat most defenders. He must also be clinical in front of goal and adept in fashioning chances for others

Here's an overview:
View attachment 330972
Match preparation:
1st 3 weeks of preseason
View attachment 330982Rest of the season
View attachment 330981
Opposition instructions:
Before the match, ask your coach with best tactical knowledge(16+)

Individual Training:
Based on the player roles
Player Recommendations:
SK:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Koen Casteels, Diego Lopez, Thibaut Courtois
BPD(X):
Marc Bartra, Daniel Agger, Hector Moreno, Angelo Ogbonna, Giorgio Chiellini, Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala
BPD(C):
Jerome Boateng, Gerard Pique, John Heitinga, Eder Alvarez Balanta, Javier Mascherano
DLP(D):
Lucas Leiva, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, John Obi Mikel, Alex Song, Daley Blind, Michael Carrick, Diego Reyes
RGA(S):
Phillip Lahm, Gareth Barry, Lucas Romero, Luca Modric, Asier Illaramendi, Sami Khedira, Sandro, Koke
W(A)
Xherdan Shaqiri, Adnan Januzaj, James Rodriguez, Erik Lamela, Gareth Bale, Haten Ben Arfa
DW(S)
Leighton Baines, Alex Sandro, Guilherme Siqueira, Ricardo Rodriguez, Kwadwo Asamoah, Fabio Coentrao
SS(A)
Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Thomas Muller, Oscar, Emmanuel Emenike, Kevin Volland
T(A)
Juan Mata, Lionel Messi, Marek Hamsik, Shinji Kagawa, Isco
CF(A)
Robert Lewandowski, Fernando Llorente, Mitchy Batshuayi, Edin Dzeko, Jackson Martinez, Mario Mandzukic, Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck
​
Here are the files:
View attachment 330672
View attachment 330671


Let me know how the tactic works for you. I just started a new save with FC Bayern.
GOOD LUCK!!!!


Here are screenshots from the Bayern First season save. I went the whole season unbeaten and I'm looking forward to trying it with a smaller team
View attachment 330940View attachment 330941View attachment 330939View attachment 330942View attachment 330944
View attachment 330933View attachment 330947View attachment 330945View attachment 330946View attachment 330938
View attachment 330937
I couldn't break the points record because i dropped a lot of points in February and March due to injuries and heavy rotation. Mandzukic was Unbeilivable and so was Robben who won The Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year awards. Here's my team report
View attachment 330943
 
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Very interesting! I have a Barca game going atm for a bit of fun, so will give it a whirl with them. Will be lining up: Lloris, Balanta, Pique, Marquinhos, Busquets, Vidal, Alba, Rafinha, Messi, Neymar, Suarez.
 
Crane said:
Very interesting! I have a Barca game going atm for a bit of fun, so will give it a whirl with them. Will be lining up: Lloris, Balanta, Pique, Marquinhos, Busquets, Vidal, Alba, Rafinha, Messi, Neymar, Suarez.
Click to expand...

That's one **** of a squad. Good luck
 
Nice Tactic!
Here´s the result, i didn´t use until it was completely fluid and my players where adept to the roles and duties! First game i used it.
It was the semifinal against my bitter rival and it was a complete domination!
View attachment 330924

I play mostly with youth (4 or 5 on the pitch!)
 
Playing with Liverpool:

SK:
Victor Valdez
BPD(X):
Lovren and Skrtel
BPD(C):
Sakho
DLP(D):
Gerrard
RGA(S):
Henderson
W(A)
Iturbe
DW(S)
Alberto Moreno
SS(A)
Coutinho or Lallana
T(A)
Sterling
CF(A)
Sturridge


Works good so far on this six months
 
avaldeso said:
Nice Tactic!
Here´s the result, i didn´t use until it was completely fluid and my players where adept to the roles and duties! First game i used it.
It was the semifinal against my bitter rival and it was a complete domination!
View attachment 701252

I play mostly with youth (4 or 5 on the pitch!)
Click to expand...

Excellent
 
CataDiaz12 said:
Playing with Liverpool:

SK:
Victor Valdez
BPD(X):
Lovren and Skrtel
BPD(C):
Sakho
DLP(D):
Gerrard
RGA(S):
Henderson
W(A)
Iturbe
DW(S)
Alberto Moreno
SS(A)
Coutinho or Lallana
T(A)
Sterling
CF(A)
Sturridge


Works good so far on this six months
Click to expand...

Great...but it would be better if you play Sterling or Henderson...or even Suarez as the shadow striker, Lucas leiva as the DLP, Gerrard as the Regista and maybe Suso as the Winger. Remember the Winger is an Inside-Forward...not a natural winger
 
Great thread

People always look into what Barcelona did with Pep, and now Bayern, and we always tend to think of low or very low tempo. Then, we get confused because words like these:

Interviewer: What’s the importance to you as the coach of the tempo at which the game is played? The speed? Pep: I will like to play in a high high speed. To change the rhythm you must play at a huge speed, because It’s only when you play with a huge speed that you can change the rhythm. You have to try to stay aggressive without the ball and with the ball we try to play quickly but in the right moment to make a change in rhythm.

The full article, including the interview is here:
https://defendingwiththeball.wordpress.com/tag/pep-guardiola/
 
miguelalves said:
Great thread

People always look into what Barcelona did with Pep, and now Bayern, and we always tend to think of low or very low tempo. Then, we get confused because words like these:

Interviewer: What’s the importance to you as the coach of the tempo at which the game is played? The speed? Pep: I will like to play in a high high speed. To change the rhythm you must play at a huge speed, because It’s only when you play with a huge speed that you can change the rhythm. You have to try to stay aggressive without the ball and with the ball we try to play quickly but in the right moment to make a change in rhythm.

The full article, including the interview is here:
https://defendingwiththeball.wordpress.com/tag/pep-guardiola/
Click to expand...

RECREATING...IN 'FOOTBALL MANAGER 14. As we all know, possession-based play is best achieved in FM14 when the game is played on a slower tempo. But when combined with an Attacking mentality, the players tend to dominate possession in your opponents half. It aims to exploit space in the final third by employing a FAST TEMPO and DIRECT, ATTACKING PASSING supported by a defensive mentality aimed at recycling possession. When in possession, your team will play with a lower tempo, while waiting for space to open up in the opposition defence that can be exploited. The chances that are created are more likely to be of a higher quality.
I understand your argument, but I only created the tactic in a way that works best with FM14
 
Exactly, I agree absolutely with you. I was looking for some brainstorming, not being critic :) When trying to replicate the concepts, it simply doesn't work so either there's something wrong in the game concepts or something wrong with interpretation we give to what the guy says (the guy being Guardiola, so it's not like an argument but his own words).
 
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miguelalves said:
Exactly, I agree absolutely with you. I was looking for some brainstorming, not being critic :) When trying to replicate the concepts, it simply doesn't work so either there's something wrong in the game concepts or something wrong with interpretation we give to what the guy says (the guy being Guardiola, so it's not like an argument but his own words).
Click to expand...

This is based on the game mechanics I think. It's meant to work on a lower tempo
 
I realized that the BPD on X (Skrtel and Lovren) were performing bad, even i won a lot of matches it bothered me their rating being always lower than 6.00, I looked carefully, and realized they struggled to mark fast player, so I made a experiment, I retrained Emre Can (17 speed) and Flanagan (16 speed) to CBs after a few months, they can play naturally there, better results, also Emre Can ventures forward a lot, and it´s a very good tool in offense.


Also I did what you say
 
I realized that the BPD on X (Skrtel and Lovren) were performing bad, even i won a lot of matches it bothered me their rating being always lower than 6.00, I looked carefully, and realized they struggled to mark fast player, so I made a experiment, I retrained Emre Can (17 speed) and Flanagan (16 speed) to CBs after a few months, they can play naturally there, better results, also Emre Can ventures forward a lot, and it´s a very good tool in offense.


Also I did what you say, Henderson as SS is awesome, doesn´t scores a lot, but assists in every match
 
CataDiaz12 said:
I realized that the BPD on X (Skrtel and Lovren) were performing bad, even i won a lot of matches it bothered me their rating being always lower than 6.00, I looked carefully, and realized they struggled to mark fast player, so I made a experiment, I retrained Emre Can (17 speed) and Flanagan (16 speed) to CBs after a few months, they can play naturally there, better results, also Emre Can ventures forward a lot, and it´s a very good tool in offense.


Also I did what you say, Henderson as SS is awesome, doesn´t scores a lot, but assists in every match
Click to expand...

Yeah...I forgot to mention that you will require CBs who are fast enough. Thanks for reminding me
 
Gonna use this with Man United facing Bayern in the champion league
 
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