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ISMAIL KARTAL'S FENERBACHE 4-2-3-1 BEAST TACTIC 113 GOALS SCORED WON TURKISH SUPERLIG AND CUP

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	Tester	Team	ME	Win %	PPG	AGF	AGA	GD	PL	W	D	L
Total				60%	1.96	2.43	1.38	1.05	323	193	54	76
	elmilanista84	Fenerbahçe	24.3	79%	2.53	3.0	0.7	2.26	38	30	6	2
	TN967	Glentoran	24.2.0.0	63%	2.04	2.7	1.5	1.23	120	75	20	25
	TN967	Briton Ferry	24.2.0.0	53%	1.77	2.1	1.5	0.65	165	88	28	49

ISMAIL KARTAL'S FENERBAHÇE 2023-24 TACTIC EMULATION IN FOOTBALL MANAGER

Last season marked a resurgence for Fenerbahçe, the historic Istanbul club that battled until the end with city rivals Galatasaray for the title. Unfortunately, the championship slipped away by just three points as Galatasaray had an incredible campaign, surpassing 100 points with 102, while Fenerbahçe stopped at 99. The revival of Fenerbahçe was thanks to coach İsmail Kartal, who implemented an aggressive, high-pressing style aimed at immediate ball recovery and swift transitions from defense to attack.

Fenerbahçe scored 99 goals in the Turkish Süper Lig, making them the league's top scorers (followed by Galatasaray with 92). Despite their offensive approach, they boasted the second-best defense in the league, conceding 31 goals (the best being Galatasaray with 26). However, despite these excellent results, the club's management replaced Kartal with José Mourinho over the summer. At the time of writing, Mourinho's Fenerbahçe is second in the league after 11 matches, trailing Galatasaray, and was eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers by Lille, dropping into the Europa League.

Emulating Kartal's Tactics in Football Manager 2024

Kartal’s system revolves around a flexible 4-2-3-1, leveraging the left flank's synergy between Dusan Tadić and Ferdi Kadıoğlu (replaced this year by Brazilian Lincoln) to create numerous chances. On the right, Nigerian full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel causes havoc with his overlapping runs, delivering precise crosses and passes to the forwards. However, the offensive nature of the full-backs leaves space for counterattacks.

Formation

4-2-3-1 (with two central midfielders or two defensive midfielders)
Mentality: Positive

In Possession

Width: Wide
Pass into spaces Find pockets of space between the opposition’s lines
Play out of defense
Focus play down the flanks: Full-backs provide width
Overlap left and right
Passing directness: Shorter
Tempo: Higher
Crosses: Low
Work the ball into the box
Be more expressive

In Transition

Counter-press
Counter
Goalkeeper distribution to center-backs and take short kicks

Out of Possession

Line of engagement: High
Defensive line: higher
Trigger press: much more often
Prevent short goalkeeper distribution
Get stuck in
Step up more: Apply an offside trap
Trap outside: Force opposition wide

Player Roles and Instructions

Dominik Livaković: Sweeper Keeper (Support) – No instructions.
Bright Osayi-Samuel: Complete Wing-Back (Attack) – No instructions. A dynamic player whose constant overlapping runs and pace make him an additional forward. Alternatively, set him as an attacking wing-back with "Stay wider" to emphasize width.
Lincoln: Wing-Back (Support) – Stay wider. Less aggressive than Osayi-Samuel, Lincoln combines with Tadić on the left and overlaps when Tadić cuts inside.
Rodrigo Becão: Central Defender (Defend) – Mark Tighter, tackle harder, take fewer risks.
Çağlar Söyüncü: Central Defender (Defend) – Same as Becão.
Fred: Deep-Lying Playmaker (Support) – No instructions.
Sofyan Amrabat: Box-to-Box Midfielder (Support) – Mark Tighter, move into channels, get further forward.
- In a defensive setup, Amrabat plays as a Ball-Winning Midfielder (Defend) with mark tighter.
Cengiz Ünder: Inside forward (Attack) – Shoot more often, roam from position, mark tighter, tackle harder , sit narrower.
Sebastian Szymański: Attacking Midfielder (Support) – Dribble more, get further forward, roam from position, move into channels, tackle harder , tighter marking. Szymański often drops back in defense to form a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1, enhancing defensive solidity. In attack, he interchanges positions with forwards, exploiting spaces created by Edin Džeko's movements.
Dusan Tadić: Inverted Winger (Attack) – Roam from position, mark tighter marking, tackle harder, sit narrower. Tadić thrives as an inverted winger, cutting inside and creating chances. He could also play as a Wide Playmaker (Attack) but suits Kartal's preference for quick transitions the inverted winger role is better.
Edin Džeko: Deep-Lying Forward (Attack) – Shoot less often, roam from position, tackle harder, mark tighter . Džeko drops deep to link play and create space for teammates, excelling in hold-up play and finishing.

Results

Turkish Süper Lig: Champions (96 points, 30W, 6D, 2L, 113 goals scored, 27 conceded) – Džeko scored 35 goals.
Turkish Cup: Winners.
Champions League: Eliminated in playoffs by Benfica.

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