This post will present the update for the 4-3-3 tactic set i will go through the different tactics, the idea behind the style of play and how i want to achive this. I will also give some tips on how to tweak the different tactic and other things also. And least but not last i will show some of the results that i had with the tactic
4-3-3 Tactics set – Updated version.
I have reduced the tactics from the original set to just include four standard tactics (two home and two away), plus the two special tactics for defending an lead or to push hard for that late goal. Reason for doing this is I found out that i wasnt using all of them anyway. And with just four tactics to choose from before the game you will have easier to decide what tactic to use.
The four starting tactics in the set is:
1.4-3-3 Attacking (H)
2.4-3-3 Normal (H)
3.4-3-3 Normal (A)
4.4-3-3 Defensive (A)
The first two tactics are the “home” tactics, these tactics use a attacking style of play and a playmaker. The last two tactis is the “away” tactics, these are ment to be defensive ones that use a direct counter attack style of play. The tactis are named in a decending order with the most attacking named first.
The set also includes two special tactics:
1.4-3-3 Get a goal
2.4-3-3 Defend point
The titles of these tactics explain what they do. The first is a very attacking one that should be used when you are dersperate to walk away with a result from the game. And the second is when you want to defend your lead late in the game or if the opponent is pushing all forrward to get a winning goal in a cup tie.
Below i will go more into detail about each of the tactics in the set, and give some tips on how to use them.
1. 4-3-3 Attacking (H)
This is the most attacking tactic in the set. This is ment to be used if you belive that your team has much higher quality then the opponent and the opponent will play a very defensive style against you. If that is the case you would benefit most by trying to dictate the play and have as much ball as possible, this is what this tactic aim to do.
The tactic is build around a short/slow style of play that would try to give your team as much possession as possible.The play isnt focused just down the flank or through the middle, its set to mixed to not be to static in the attacks.
In order to increase the possession the team has a high (higher then the other tactics) closing down in the midfield in order to win the ball back early in the opponents half so the attack can continue. The defence line also pushing high up to minimixe the space between the defence, midfield so that it will be easier to win the ball back and continu the attack.
Defence
As i stated the team plays with a push up back four in order to minimize the gap between defenders and midfielders and to try and win the ball back high up the pitch. The back four consists of a flat back four. The centerbacks have no other responsibility then to stay back and defending.
They are set to short passing (other tactics like to have direct or long for the defenders), the idea behind them playing a short passing also is this. If the central defenders are set to direct or long passing they will kick the ball far up the pitch more often, this increaces the chance that the opponent can win the ball back and then the team has lost possession. Since the tactic is built to support alot of possession i instead want the central defender to play the short pass to a fullback or to a midfielder that can make something creative with the ball.
The fullbacks are set to a longer passing (more closed to mixed) then the center backs. Reason for this is that sometimes i want them to play a short pass to a midfielder and sometime a longer ball to a winger in order to set him up in a good attacking position down the flank.
The centerbacks are set to a higher closing down then in the other tactics, because i want them to challange for the ball a bit higher up the pitch then normal so the team can win it back, keep the possession and start attacking right away. The fullbacks are set to a very high closing down so that they can put pressure and challange the wingers early on and win the ball back.
The fullbacks in this tactic is encuraged to go forward down their flank. Reason for this is that i want them to support the attack and get into a good crossing position. Overlapping fullbacks can be the key to unlocking a tight defence.
All the players in the back four uses zonal marking.
Midfield
The midfield is set up of three player that each got a different role. We start with the most defensive one first. The midfielder playing in the center of the three man midfilde is the defensive midfielder (DMC). The DMC will stay back helping the defence at all times and his job is to remove the gap between the defensive line and the two other midfielders. He has a lower mentality and closing down then the two other midfielders, this way he will play a bit behind them supporting the defence. The passing for the DMC are set to longer (just below mixed) then the other two midfielders, because since he says back most of the time he will need a longer passing to reach be able to reach the forward with a through ball or to switch the ball to the other flank.
The midfielder to the right in the three man midfield is a balance player, he will try to support the attack as much as he supports the defence. He as a higher mentality and creative freedom then the DMC, but lower then the playmaker midfielder (the midfielder to the left in the three man midfield). He is set to a shorter passing then the DMC, he should get the ball from the DMC or centerbacks and try to link up with the attacking midfielder, forward or a player down the flank (winger, fullback). He is set to take mixed forward runs to get into the box and support the attack and be a threat to the defence. This midfielder isnt allowed to take runs with the ball since if he loose it he most likely is in the middle of the pitch and that is a very dangerous position to loose the ball in.
Last in the three man midfield we have the midfield playmaker (the midfielder most to the left), he has a higher mentality and creative freedom since he is the playmaker. He also get a freerole so that he can move around the pitch a bit and try to get into a good position to dictate the play. He has a shorter passing then the balance player midfield since he will have a position higher up the pitch and short passes are needed to pick out the forward or the winger that has made a run behind the defensive line. This midfielder is set to take forward runs to get into the box and to run with the ball. Reason why he is allowed to run with the ball and the support midfielder isnt is the following. This midfielder plays a bit higher up the pitch then the other two so if he loose the ball it isnt as dangerous as if the support midfielder does it. And if he should loose the ball they are two more midfielders behind him (support and defensive midfielder) that can win it back.
When playing defence the two midfielders (both but the DMC) should close down harder then in a normal tactic, reason for this is to win the ball early. They should try to tighten up the middle of the pitch so the opponents dont get through there, and if they attack down the flank they are in a good position to help the winger and fullback to get the upper hand against the opponents fullback and winger.
Wingers
The wingers in this tactic is very attacking they have a very high mentality and a high creative freedom. They are encuraged to make forward runs into the box to be there to pick up the ball if it goes over the forward and to the far psot. They should also try and beat their defender to get behind him and deliver a cross into the box. The passing is set to short since they are high up the pitch and a short pass is needed to pick out the striker or a midfielder that has made a run into the box.
When playing defence the winger should close down hard to give the opponents fullback as little time with the ball as possible to be creative and pick out a pass to the midfielder, the fullback should be foreced to kick it long up the pitch. They should also track back a bit from their starting position in order to help the fullback close that flank.
Striker
The striker in this tactic is very attacking, he should try to move around in the box creating space for himself to get the ball from the winger or the midfielder. He should also try to connect on the crosses delivered by the wingers.
When playing defence the idea is the same as for the wingers, he should close down hard to reduce the space for the defenders to be creative. But instead of closing down the fullbacks (the wingers do this) he should close down the central defenders.
2. 4-3-3 Normal (H)
The idea behind the style of play is the same as in the 4-3-3 Attacking (H). The difference is that this tactic is tweaked to be more balanced then the 4-3-3 Attacking (H) tactic. This is still considered as a attacking tactic but it offers more cover for the defence then the 4-3-3 Attacking one. What has been done is that the passing have been increased more to mixed passing then the 4-3-3 Attacking (H), but it sill have shorter passing then standard mixed (10 at slider). The mentality of the team has also ben reduced on all players. Since the mentality have been reduced the closing down for the midfielders have also been brought down a bit so they dont get caugtht out of position. The defensive line has also been drawn back a bit so the defence have easier to handle quick strikers and balls behind the defence, the defensive line is still higher then normal. The with and tempo has also been increased a little, this has to do with that the passing style has been increased more to mixed.
Notes on the “home” tactics
-Since the defensive line is higher then normal, it would be better to choose fast defenders then strong ones to deal with counter attack and balls played behind the defensive line.
-I would choose technique over strength in the midfield in this tactic. Same for the fullbacks, better have offensive ones that can deliver a cross then a defensive one that cant play a 10ft pass.
-I belive that a strong striker is a little better choice then a fast one. Reson for this is that the team will put alot of pressure on the opponents and forcing them to put alot of players in their own box. A strong tall striker is then needed to win the aerial battle and take care of the crosses from wingers and fullbacks.
-Even that the target man box isnt ticked you should put your striker in the list and choose the distribution to him depending on his strengths. What else that needs to be done is to tweak the instructions for the striker to match the way of distribution . For example if you play the balls to the feet you could tick the hold up ball box, reduce the forward runs and mentality to play him deeper so the midfielders can reach him, and perhaps set try through balls to mixed or often to let him try and pick out the wingers with nice through balls behind the defence.
-The strongest header of the central defenders should be put in the left positon in the central defence to make most use of him on set pices.
-The playmaker should be in the playmaker list, and played in the position most to the left in the midfield, this player is the one with most creativity and a freerole.
-If you think that you giving up to much space on the wings, increase the arrows on the wingers all way back to the ML/MR position and you could also remove the arrows on the fullbacks. Or if you really want to be on the safe side, move the wingers from the FR and FL position to the AML/AMR position and perhaps give them back arrows to ML and MR position.
-The tactics is set to focus paly mixed. I alwas start with this in the game to give my players the option to try break down the opposition in many differnt ways. If i notice that i produce more chances lets say down the flank i change the focus play to down both flanks. But as i said i always start with mixed and then change if i cant break the team.
-If you want even more fire power upfront give one of the midfielders a forward arrow,
my choice use to be to farrow the left midfielder (playmaker)
-You could play strikers in the FR and FL positon as well, i have done it with good results when i got injuries on my wingers or when i want to give my backup strikers some time on the pitch without dropping the first choice striker. If you do this then tweak the instructions for the winger to suit the striker better. For example take of run with ball, crossing and leave forvard runs on mixed or move to often, creativity can also be lowerd if you dont have a creative and technical striker. And also consider giving him side arrows that point into the pitch to the positon to the original striker. This will make them play more into the box and be more of a threat from crosses from the fullbacks or short passing from the midfielders.
3. 4-3-3 Defending (A)
This is a very defensive tactic that uses a quick/direct counder attack style of play. The idea is to get as many players behind the ball as possible then defend deep as an unit, and as soon the ball is won the team switch from defence to attack quick using the flanks. Reason for focus play down the flanks isnt just for offence, it has some use while defending also. Focus play down the flank when you build up the attack is more safe then going through the middle, becauce if you loose the ball it will be out in a wide possission and that wont be as dangerous as loosing the ball in the middle of the pitch when the team is going forward.
The team plays with a defensive mentality and a deep defensive line, the team has lower closing down (overall) then the “home” tactic. Reason for this is that i want to lure the opponents onto me before winning the ball and launch the counder attack. This way it will be more space up front for the wingers and forward to use when counter attacking.
Defence
As a wrote above, the defence play with a deep defensive line. The central defenders have a very low mentality and closing down in order to stay in the box and win the battle against the opposition forward and wingers. The fullbacks have a low mentality bur higher closing down to put pressure on the opposition wingers and so they can cross into the box. The fullbacks are set to not go forward, they should stay back and help the defence all the time. The whole back four uses man marking to deal with the forwards and wingers that make runs into the box.
Midfield
Almost same setup as in the “home” tactic. The three man midfield consists of one defensive midfielder (DMC), but the difference is that the playmaker (left mid in home tactic) is removed and replaced with a a midfielder that has a more defensive and supporting role, the right central midfielder have the same settings as the left in this tactic. The midfieldes have much more defensive settings in this tactic, lower mentality, not as much forward runs, not as much creativity. And the passing is much more direct then in the home tactics. Reason for this is that the midfielders need to get the ball out to the wingers on the flanks quick to launch a counter attack.
When the defending the DMC will drop down behind the two other midfielders to reduce the space between midfielders and defence.
Wingers
The wingers should be the driving force behind the counter attack. This players are encuraged to make forward runs and beat the defender and deliver the ball to the striker. They have a much lower mentality then in the home tactic to help with defence much more. They also have man marking to be able to track back when the opposition fullback gets forward. They have a high closing down just as in the home tactic to put pressure on the fullbacks.
Striker
The striker is the most attacking player in this tactic, he should lay in line with the opposition defence ready to run in behind them if a long through ball is delivered. He also has high closing down to disturb the defence during the build up play.
4. 4-3-3 Normal (A)
This tactic has the same idea as the 4-3-3 Defensive (A). But is changed to be more balanced and give more attacking options, but it is still a defensive counter attack tactic. The mentality of team is increased overall, the defensive line push up a bit more, but still plays deeper then normal. The passing has moved more to mixed and the tempo has also been made slower. The fullbacks now has the option to go forward more then in the 4-3-3 Defensive Away tactic.
Notes on the “away” tactics
-This is a defensive tactic, using this you wont have more possession than the opponent and you will allow more shots at goals. But the most of the shots will be from outside the area since it is so crowded in the box.
-In this tactic i would recomend using strong center backs over fast ones. Since the defence will play deep, long balls over the defence wont be a problem. The most threat will come from crosses into the box so you will need strong defenders with good heading. Defenders with good marking and concentration is also vital since the tactic uses man marking across the back four. I would also choose strong fullbacks over technical ones in this tactic. Same is for the midfield here i choose ball winners over the techical, creative players, but one slot can be a more attacking minded player that can help deliver nice balls to the wingers for the counter attack.
- I would choose a fast striker over a strong one in this formation. He should use his pace to make runs behind the defence then the long ball is played.
- If the opponents get to much space on the flanks, barrow the wingers to the ML and MR position or move them to AML/AMR positon from the FL/FR position, to provide more cover down the flanks.
- Use the witdth to tune the defence during the game, if they have to easy getting through the middle then reduce the width. You can afford leffing them trying to get around the flang and deliver a cross since you have so much players in the box that you will most likely win the aerial battle.
5. 4-3-3 Get a goal
A attacking tactic that is ment to be used during the last 10-15 minutes to get a result from the game. Uses a fast mixed style with low time wasting and push up defence line. Almost all players except the two defenders and the defensive midfielder will join the attack.
6. 4-3-3 Defend point
A very defensive tactic that is ment to be used during the last 10-15 minutes if the opposition is pushing desperate to get a result from the game. Uses a slow tempo, high time wasting and a very deep defensive line to kill the game.
Results
Here i will show some results i had with the tactic. I have used it both in my Porto and Sudnerland save and it works well in both. Here are a picture of 10 games with Porto, and below i will present some results that can be intresting if you like.
Porto vs P.Ferreira (2-0) (Tip: Favourite to win)
Possession: 51% - 49%
Shots(on): 9(5) – 8(3)
Pass Comp. 73% - 74%
Cross comp. 14% - 40%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Normal (H)
Got a red in the 35:th min.
Marseille vs Porso (0-1) (Tip: Even game)
Possession: 50% - 50%
Shots(on): 4(1) – 12(5)
Pass Comp. 67% - 73%
Cross comp. 25% - 37%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Normal (H)
Braga vs Porto (0-2) (Tip:
Fav to win)
Possession: 46% - 54%
Shots(on): 4(1) – 13(7)
Pass Comp. 71% - 69%
Cross comp. 25% - 18%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Attacking (H)
Porto vs Gil Vicente (2-0) (Tip: Big
fav to win)
Possession: 56% - 44%
Shots(on): 13(7) – 3(1)
Pass Comp. 78% - 69%
Cross comp. 29% - 33%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Attacking (H)
Beira-Mar vs Porto (2-3) (Tip:
Fav to win)
Possession: 50% - 50%
Shots(on): 5(2) – 12(9)
Pass Comp. 70% - 72%
Cross comp. 23% - 27%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Normal (H)
Porto vs Palermo (4-0) (Tip: Close
fav to win)
Possession: 52% - 48%
Shots(on): 11(8) – 0(0)
Pass Comp. 72% - 67%
Cross comp. 4% - 0%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Normal (H)
Porto vs Leiria (1-0) (Tip:
Fav to win)
Possession: 50% - 50%
Shots(on): 13(5) – 5(1)
Pass Comp. 75% - 73%
Cross comp. 19% - 35%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Normal (H)
Chelsea vs Porto (0-0) (Tip: Underdog)
Possession: 53% - 47%
Shots(on): 18(7) – 11(7)
Pass Comp. 76% - 65%
Cross comp. 10% - 20%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Defensive (A)
Naval vs Porto (0-0) (Tip:
Fav)
Possession: 48% - 52%
Shots(on): 5(1) – 15(7)
Pass Comp. 70% - 69%
Cross comp. 27% - 37%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Normal (H)
Porto vs Chaves (2-1) (Tip: Big
Fav to win)
Possession: 58% - 42%
Shots(on): 15(5) – 2(2)
Pass Comp. 74% - 60%
Cross comp. 30% - 30%
Tactic used: 4-3-3 Attacking (H)
Summary
Games: 10
Wins: 8
Draw: 2
Lost: 0
Goals for: 17
Goals against: 3
Goals from: Strikers (7) , Wingers (5), Midfielders (5), Defenders (0)
Assists from: Strikers (1), Wingers (9), Midfielders(0), Defenders (5)
Well this is the tactic and some result i had with it.
Here is a link to the updated version of the set.
The 4-3-3 Tactics set - Updated version
If you try it out feel free to give suggestions of improvments, of if someone that tries this want to make a home attacking version using direct play for bad weather feel free to do so and post me about the results you have with it. Its what im currently working on.
Cheers Zenith.
Linear Mode
