Setting up a simple/effective 4-4-2

[Jimmy_x_]

Hey, i am really struggling creating my own tactic.


Can someone please guide me in how i would set up a simple but effective 4-4-2/ 4-2-2-2 ?


Please help by suggesting team instructions, player instructions plus any effective tips and tweaks you have found ( eg. change the winger to cut inside or through balls often)


I am managing man utd. So hopefully you understand what players i have at my disposal




Thanks, if you can help me with this !

 

[lipecamara]

how you want the tactic to be?
i mean,you want a counter tactic? or a possesion tactic? rigid defensive or creative attacking?

 

[sampaman]

try this thread, it's for fm10 but should still work

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/tactics/33590-maxs-tactical-guide.html

 

[lipecamara]

jimmy,it shouldn't be THAT difficult to create a good 4-2-4.I mean,after reading your thread i tried to create on to see what would come out of it,and made a very attacking 4-2-4.Here are the screens:
View attachment 188594View attachment 188595View attachment 188593

I know that the defense doesn't seem to be great,specially because of the Benfica game,but Benfica plays a a formation with a AMC,and from my experience,all 4-4-2 struggles against formations that plays with an AMC,because the AMC steps between the Defence and the Midfield,making it difficult to marking.That's why the 3 goals happend.

So,i made a 4-3-3,especially for games with a AMC player,but i'm gonna travel now so i can't test it now.

If you wanna take a look,here's the link:
4-2-4 Overload (Porto, Jul 2010).tac - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download
4-3-3 Overload (Porto, Aug 2010).tac - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download

 

[Timzee]

4-4-2 is a pretty simple tactic. just depends on your current players and how you want to play.
I preferably like to play an attacking 4-4-2/4-2-2-2/4-2-4.

I use ManUtd as a main example of my version of this formation:

- Two strong CBs. Tall, Good Heading, Normally one Stopper (Aggressive) and the other Cover (Anticipation).
- Two Attacking Fullbacks. Good Attacking and Defending Attributes. Sometimes one more attacking (Evra) than the other (Rafael/Oshea)
-A Creative/Attacking Midfielder (Scholes/Anderson) who drifts forward to the edge of the box as a last minute space maker or for the long shot.
-A Defensive/Deep Midfielder (Carrick/Fletcher) someone who can give a decent pass but still defend well. Sometimes played as an Anchorman.
-Two Attacking wingers. Depends on their styles.
-A decent pair of Centre Forwards. Whether this be Poacher/Tall combo, Deep/Advanced combo or played with an AMC and a ST again depends on your players.

My main pointers:
-Have three back if you can at all times (watch full matches and analysis for average positions)
-Decent amount of forwards
-Play to your teams advantages
-Experiment

 

[Jimmy_x_]

Thank you to everyone for the help (especially lipcamera) it is very much appreciated.

Basicallty i want a fluid attacking tactic similar to the 4-4-2 man utd play in real life. Though i realise that in recent times fergie has adopted a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-2-1 even at times.

I would really like to make a 4-2-4 tactic but whenever i set my wingers to inside forwards they just run into a crowd of players in the middle of the pitch and my tactic screws up. Should my full backs be attacking or supporting? Should my midfield pair be attack/defend or support/defend? also for rooney should i set him as a deep lying forward support or complete forward support? Should hernandez be a poacher or advanced forward attack?

 

[lipecamara]

jimmy,take my tactic as bases,it isn't really an emulation of man utd but it's a very attacking tactic,based on stealing the ball from the defenders and defensive mids and quickly passing it into the STCR for the goal.Also,if playing against a very deep defensive line,the midfielders appears on the area and the wingers shoots from long,so there's no way the team doesn't score

I guess that for it be more man utd likely,the tactic should be less wide and slower,also not TOO pushed up.The roles i think that are correct,also the tactic should be setted up to control,not attacking.All that is for more possession,that is what i think man utd do in real life.I'm traveling now so i can't test but,give it a try and see what happens!

ps: if you're going to teste my tactic,the line-up is here:

------Rooney--Hernandez-----
-Nani------------Anderson----
-------Fletcher-Scholes-------
------------------------------
-Rafael-Vidic---Ferdinand-Evra-
------------------------------
----------Van Der Sar---------

hope you like it!

 

[boro141]

I've had a lot of success with 4-4-2. I use a ball-playing stopper and a central cover as centre backs, 2 full backs set to automatic and I make sure they both have half decent crossing attributes. Centre mid I've had success with both an advanced or deep-lying playmaker in combination with a ball-winning (usually set to defend) or box-to-box mid (long shots only kept at often if the stats are REALLY good). 2 standard wingers set to attack with zonal marking (as opposed to the team instructions on man marking). Up front I always use a poacher set to zonal marking, with either a target man, deep-lying forward or complete forward (these set to support) depending on how good they are.

Team instructions home: control, fluid, creative freedom more expressive
away: counter or attacking, fluid, creative freedom more disciplined

Consistency is the key to a successful team in my experience, and only buy players that fit into the system - changing the whole tactic to accommodate a new signing is not worth it usually! Hope this helps.

 

[Jimmy_x_]

Thanks again everyone. I am going to use lipecamara's tactic as a base to make my own tactic.

Btw if i am making a flat 442 i am obviously going to use a ball winning midfielder on defend. However for my other cm who will be an advanced playmaker, should he be set on support or attack? ( bearing in mind my wingers will be on attack and my strikers will be split attack/support)

also if i wanted my wingers to play through balls as "often" and crosses on |"sometimes" can they still hug the touchline rather than cutting inside? and in aid of this should i set my full backs to tight marking?