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Football Manager is a crazy game. Most games follow a simple rule: the more you play, the better you get. If you log thousands of hours in Call of Duty, your reaction times sharpen, and you steadily improve. But Football Manager? I’ve poured countless hours into it over the years, and yet, I still feel as clueless about tactics as I did when I first started.
When tactics go well for me, it often feels accidental. There are players who can expertly craft tactics, understanding precisely how roles and instructions complement one another to create a specific playing style. That’s not me. Despite my lack of tactical knowledge, however, I’ve somehow stumbled onto a winning formula during my Pentagon Challenge series. I’ve won 20 out of my last 25 games with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, dominating most teams. Here’s the tactic behind that success, broken down bit by bit through my admittedly limited tactical lens.
Why did I choose the 4-4-2? It’s tempting to go with a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, but I find those formations boring. They’ve become so reliable in Football Manager year after year that using them feels too easy. With a 4-2-3-1 gegenpress, for example, I often know I’m going to win, regardless of my players. So, I’ve set an unwritten rule for myself: no traditional formations. In my first season, I played a 4-1-2-1-2, and now I’ve settled on the 4-4-2.
The second reason is that it’s a fun formation. You get plenty of players attacking, which usually leads to a ton of goals. Already this season, I’ve scored six more than any other team.
Let’s go through my tactical instructions and the “logic” behind them.
- Focus Play Down the Left + Right, Overlap Left + Right, and Work Ball Into Box: This was inspired by Sundowns, last year’s first-place team. Statistically, they weren’t outstanding except in one area—crosses. They put in a ridiculous number of crosses and broke the league record for goals. My thinking? Get the ball wide, put crosses in, and goals will follow.
- Play Out of Defence: It’s 2024. Everybody’s playing out from the back now. Get with the times.
- Low Crosses and Get Stuck In: I don’t have a solid reason for these. It just seems like my team plays worse without them, and at this point, I’m too scared to test whether it’s superstition or fact.
- Mid Block: I avoid a high press and high defensive line because every time I try it, regardless of my defenders’ pace, the AI strikers seem to score two counterattacks per game. With an attacking mentality and my players surging forward, keeping a high line feels like overkill.
Here’s a quick rundown of my player roles and the reasoning behind each:
- Sweeper Keeper: Once again, it’s 2024—goalkeepers need to use their feet. That said, I’m not crazy enough to set them on “attack.”
- Wing Back: I need my wing-backs constantly bombing forward and delivering crosses. If I’m away to a big team, I might tone it down to a full-back.
- No-Nonsense Centre-Back (Cover): I read a comment recently about this role being overpowered, and I haven’t looked back. I need all the defensive help I can get!
- Deep-Lying Playmaker (Defend): With so many players attacking, I need someone to stay back and help defend against counterattacks. This role is a classic for that.
- Segundo Volante: I have no idea what this role does, but whatever it is, it’s working. Even if it wasn’t, I’d probably keep it just because the name sounds cool.
- Inverted Wingers: This just feels like the strongest winger role, and it works well with overlapping full-backs.
- Target Forward: A trick I sometimes use is to shortlist all the players in an overperforming team, then check their roles. I did this with Sundowns, and they were using a target forward, so that was enough reason for me.
- Advanced Forward: Do I even need to explain this one?
There you have it, my tactic. If you were hoping for detailed tactical analysis or next-level advice, I’m afraid I’ve let you down. What I do hope is that this gives you a solid tactic to steal the next time you’re on a losing run and need a last resort. I’ve got you covered. Let me know what you think, what you’d improve, and if there’s anything else you’d like me to write about in the future!