retired_kellyg198

just wondering yout thoughts on the best shape to get the best out of most teams - personally i have found most success seems to come from a 442 diamond with attacking wingers

im pretty confident the best way to go is the flat back four - but not sure of the best combination for the remaining 6 players!

retired_miamibrown99

I always play a DM, i find it help alot. As for the rest i usually match what the other team is using, if they are playing 4-4-2 i use ML,MC,MR with the DM behind. IF they play 4-5-1 i have DM then a flat 4 man midfield.

retired_e_fores

I generally agree a back four is best. I find it very hard to work with 3 (though I know people have and I envy them) and a back 5 is unnessassary most of the time.


Apart fromthat I find it is entirely dependent on your managerial philosophy, preference an the players you have.

retired_naudts

Always play with a back four, never had much success with anything else, and just find it much easier to set up and get solid.

normally play a 4-4-2 varient too, either flat or with a diamond, find both can work depending on what players i have/can bring in. Occasionaly have a 4-3-3 in reserve in case things arnt working.

retired_sterileheaven

any formation with 3 at the back has brought me success bar my villarreal game (442 diamond dere)

3 at the back 5 in the middle 2 upfront is helping livorno tear up serie a right now

just adjust settings and player insturctions accordingly

but in truth it depends on whether ur squad can fit...no point playing 442 diamond wingers if you only has 2 average wingers in ya squad

retired_sdilts

Exactly i always play a similar system, but various formations i have successfully used 442, 4231, 433, 4132.

Always a back 4 though, always.

retired_chadwella

I've just started using a 3-4-3 system i developed, similar to the ajax of old. It has a sweeper and a wide defensive diamond with a target man and 2 wide forwards up front.

It is very very attacking and you will need good wingers. I am currently West ham in the second season and my team shapes up as follows: Amelia in goal, Vidic as my sweeper, Anton Ferdinand and Arne Freidrich as my CBs with sarrows out wide, Sivok as my DMC and Mascherano as my MC. Pantsil as my MR and Konchesky as my ML with farrows all the way up. Tevez as my FR and Fiore as my FL with sarrows to the centre either side of Ashton as my target man.

It is surprisingly balanced and provides many options both in attack with the wingers overlapping each other and defensively as you can drop the MR/ML to DR/DL and have farrows to the halfway line.

retired_Myoplex

when attacking either 4-4-2 diamond with farrows on lm and rm or 4-4-2 diamond with farrows on lm cm rm, when defending 4-1-3-2 normal defence dm lm cm rm st st no farrows, works for me

retired_kellyg198

some interesting views - im quite intrigued as to how bardinho is achieving balance with his 352 -

as a general rule my tactics start with 4 at the back and a targetman who can 'head a train' lol. ive only ever had success playing with a big man up top which is a bit annoying!