retired_kellyk

Been wanting to create a new tactic for a while...and I was thinking along the lines of a 4231.

You guys reckon something like this?

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> FCAML AMC AMR MC MCDL DC DC DR</pre>

Or something else...just seems to lightweight in midfield...been thinking on this for a while now...what do you guys reckon. I'm suffering from brainfreeze

firefighterhilf

I take it it's two MC and not two DM's?

This is a kind of tactic I've been thinking of trying to create for quite some time but have never taken the plunge and done it yet.

Firstly I think it will depend on where you play as to how successful it could be. Playing somewhere like Spain may benefit this tactic but in England it may not be as successful due to the different styles of play, and the different formations the opposition are likely to employ.

Might be worth either having barrows on one or both of the MC's, or just having them slightly more defensively minded so as to not let the AI get a lot of players between your midfield and your defence.

Having a big guy up front holding up the ball may get some goals from the AML, AMC and AMR. Or would you rather have a skillful striker up front with the AMC being the creator?

Good luck though, I'd be interested to see how you decide to go about it and how well it works.

retired_kellyk

Hmm done it...just tested it out with some minor changes to instructions here and there...for me this dominates possession and creates a fair number of chances with the unmarked wingers coming in late

retired_kellyk

I did make one for FM2007 which was fairly successful. I would make the 2MCs have a normal mentality with mixed forward runs..it would become fairly offensive. And there are tweaks for this formation...you could drop the AMC into an MC positon and make him do all the TTB just let the 2 MCs do the mopping up.

It is an extremely good formation for people who want to exploit using the AMC/TM/Striker combination which is very lethal in the game

The AMC and the MC in both formations cannot HUB. He has to ttb often, have forward runs on mixed. One of the strikers needs to have FWR often and the other on mixed. That way you get some "give and go" between the three in attack

retired_slayerbing

I'm running rampant with my Brazil team using that setup at the moment. Playing away I use more defensive minded mc's and barrow them (obviously with a reduced D/line).

At home one is still defensive minded - a ball winner if you will while the other is my playmaker and directs the passage of play.

retired_balls

I have never been one for a lone striker but I would be interested to see if you are able to get it to work.

I done a Spanish game with Espanyol and lots of the opposition played 4231 with great success. I tried it but it never worked for me.

In FM05 and FM06 I tried an alternative to the standard tactics i.e 442 etc and it worked really well. It was based on the two teams of 5 which people have discussed in FM07 and looked like the following:

FC FC

AMR AMC AML


DMC DMC

CB CB CB

Not quite the same as 4231 but its was something different. I can't get this to work at all in 07 so good luck with your 4231 attempts.

Only input I would have would be that your two mids would have to be good box to box players i.e defensive abilities as strong as attacking abilities. Your full backs are very exposed therefore they would have to be able to fill in the space of a traditional left and right midfielder defensively but would also have to get up into the attacking third as a clearance from the opposing defenders would fall into a big gap between your mids and attackers if your AM is supporting your striker, could be very suseptible to counters

retired_NLeniewska

I read today that Mclaren is going to use a
4-3-1-2 when Rooney is back fit, playing him behind the Big Man-Little Man combination of Heskey and Owen.

A big downside to this formation for me though would be the width, as well as the fact that many countries like to play 4-5-1 formations, so they may get overun in midfield.

What are your thoughts on this sort of formation?

Formation is ok though in most cases you need to attack through the middle. Slower tempo will allow you to use your fullbacks as well.

Millies idea could work

retired_janellewood86

I've been using a 4-1-2-3 (the same as you posted above but with a DMC instead of an AMC) and I tried to make it work with a more attacking triangle, much along the lines you stated.

Now, I know that a change in formation can take time to adapt, but the thing was a complete disaster.

The three forwards option with one lone striker and two support forwards can be lethal and gives you great defensive stability, but I've never managed to get that AMC system to work in a number of attempts.

I found having the DMC able to roam a little bit with more forward runs and more run with ball than the typical "YOU SHALL NOT PAAAAAAASSSSS!!!!" brick wall ahead of the back 4 gives the two MCs much more licence to move forward. I assume it's because they like to stay pretty close to the DMC, and if he goes forward so do they.

Anyway, I'd probably drop the AMC back, at least to MC just to give a little more stability at the back. 4-2-1-3 didn't work for me in Spain, anyway.

I'll be interested if you get it working, though, as it's a system I'd love to play if I could (though it'll probably mean having to sell Hargreaves...).