The Attacking 4-2-3-1 in Football Manager

This article and many others in this series are all about building towards having a Tactical index, in which we have every single formation we have played ourselves and the scene has available. This is not us saying these are the best tactics around, or explaining them in full depth. These are just systems we have developed ourselves that work really well and are available for you to download.



This is the attacking 4-2-3-1 the difference between this and just your normal 4-2-3-1 is that the two central midfielders are not sat in front of the back four but they are pushed up further up the field which drags the whole team formation a lot higher up. The man behind the striker is also set to attacking so will be providing less creativity and support and looking more a this own goalscoring threat, so it relies more upon the two central midfielders and wingers to create more.




So as you can see the system is set up for attacking, so clearly this is a home based tactic. It is a system that doesn't look to dominate possession but tries to make the most of it when you do have it. Something that a lot of people don't do. As fitting in with the formation the team tends to push quite high up and presses them, this means they can win the ball back in the oppositions half which has to be one of the most important points in FM, not how often you win the ball back, but where. Also the tempo is something to note.

Strengths

Takes advantange of the transitional phase.
oesn't require any specific players.
Creates a high number of chances.
Pushes the oppisition very deep.

Weaknesses

Chance conversion.
Pushing to high up.
Living space between midfielder and defence.

Teams its good for

Anyone at Home.
Teams with quick players, and less technical ability.

Teams to Manage using this Tactic

Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Shaktar Donetsk