The important thing is to understand each of your players'
preferred positions/roles and
Preferred Moves and get as many of them as possible playing the roles they play best. You can retrain the younger ones and obviously sign new players to fit into your system and fill any skills gaps that might exist within your squad.
Think about
breaking the lines; how players running from deep can add impetus to an attack. Central midfielders who are good at direct passes and
switching the play can change the angle of an attack in an instant and provide a way in where there are fewer defenders to stop you.
Think about
combinations between players within your team. If you use an Inside Forward coming infield, you can exploit the space created on the flank by having your full-back on attack duty so he can overlap down that side. The
Shadow Striker is designed to work with the
Deep-Lying Forward role (it says so in the descriptions of each position in the Player Instructions screen). If you're going to have an
Advanced Playmaker in central midfield then you need some muscle around him to look after the more agricultural side of the game. I've found that players who are good at dribbling with pace are at an advantage if they receive possession in a deeper positions, where they can gather momentum to run at the opposition defence to create space, play through balls to the forwards ahead of them, spread the play wide to wingers in crossing positions, draw fouls for free-kicks in dangerous areas or even go on to get to shot in themselves.
Advanced Forwards work best on whichever side corresponds to their strongest foot and a
False-9 or
Target Man in support duty alongside them provides someone for them to play off. The kind of delivery you want from your wingers (if you use them) should depend on the roles, height and aerial ability of your forwards... etc, etc.
Here's a formation that is defensively solid and enables my team to play on the break against the better teams in the league, like Chelsea and Manchester City. I haven't won every game that I've played with these tactics but my results against the top sides have improved overall. I'm not suggesting that you should adopt this tactic as is, but it demonstrates the ideas I've identified above:
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...-2dm-1-2-1-antidote-opposition-4-2-3-1-a.html