Formations guide
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Here you can find a quick overview of the various formations available to you in Football Manager 2008, giving you hints and tips on how to develop world beating tactics with each of these formations.
Formation
Your formation is obviously the most important thing when setting out a teams tactics. Think logically when setting this tactic. Take a few things into consideration:
The players you have
Playing with wingers? Then what qualities do they have, do they have pace? Can they cross the ball?
Using wingbacks? Similar to wingers do they have pace etc
Up against fast strikers? Do you defenders have pace, will you play the offside trap?
Example tactics
4-4-2
4-4-2 Is the most used tactic in football let alone in computer games and the main reason is its strong and covers all areas well. Enough in defence, enough in midfield and two strikers. But what do you need to make this tactic work?
Well first of all you need to consider the other small options you can use when making tactics (see below) such as man marking etc.
Position wise
Goalkeeper
Straight forward for all formations, are they good enough.
Right back
With 4-4-2 you have cover in front of the Right back in your right midfielder so you need to take into account if the right winger is weak on tackling as this will create more pressure on your right back.
Are you pushing your right back up the field and if so are you leaving cover? What formation are the opposition using? It they arent using wingers are you wasting a player at right back or can you use your right back to your advantage?
Left Back
With the left back its the same as with the right back.
Central Defenders
Picking your central defenders for a 4-4-2 formation will depend a lot on how much choice you have. I would usually have two sets, one set which has pace and another that is tall and strong. You can also mix and match. Pace is a big statistic for nearly all football manager games so if the striker(s) in the opposition have a lot of pace then you need to counter this or if you leave some space you will give away chances.
The key stats for a central defender are:
Tackling
Marking
Heading
Strength
Determination
The reasons are obviously but getting center backs with a mix of all these stats isnt that easy if youre playing in a lower league team.
Wingers
In a 4-4-2 formation wingers are important, they can help create a lot of chances for your strikers if you use them correctly. Important stats for wingers would be:
Pace
Passing
Crossing
Acceleration
Dribbling
The key is pace, beat the defenders to the line and cross in for your strikers, or to go it by themselves.
Research your opposition, are their defenders slow? Then get those quick wingers in the team. Are their defenders fast? If so then counter it, use a winger with better creativity and passing to break the line with a nice pass.
Central Midfield
Since the Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira days most teams will try and have one attacking central midfielder and one defensive one, in football games its usually the same. Protect your back four with an extra defensive player with good stats in the following:
Tackling
Marking
Heading
Strength
Stamina
and then use a good attacking player with good stats in the following:
Creativity
Passing
Pace
Vision
Long shots
If you can get the right mix you will get plenty of goals from your attacking midfielder and the defensive one will help your defense.
The problem for lower league teams is finding a good pairing isnt easy and having one defensive midfielder and one attacking can actually cause you problems. In away games I would normally have two standard by slighly more defensive midfielders, especially in away games.
Strikers/Forwards
When deciding on your two strikers think of, Owen and heskey. Big and small, slow and fast. Its a good mix to have one holding striker and one pacey one as it can create problems for defenses.
For a pacing striker you should look at the following stats:
Pace
Finishing
Acceleration
Anticipation
Stamina
First touch
For your slower holding striker think of the following:
Finishing
Heading
Passing
Work rate
First touch
If you pick the right mix you will be rewarded with plently of goals.
Your other option would best be, two very pacey strikers. Sometimes you can get away with the finishing stat (as long as not too bad) and focus on pace. You will be suprised just how important pace is.
4-5-1
4-5-1 is another common tactic to use, the reason is there is enough in defence and mainly that the midfield is flooded and the point is to dominate the midfield so creating more chances.
The obviously problem with this formation is, if your midfield is matched either by better players or the same formation you could find either the game is stale or you just dont create any chances and the lone striker struggles.
The key is the midfield, try and mix it with maybe one defensive midfielder and 4 attacking, most importantly creative players. Pacey wingers to break through, but this could be countered by fast defenders so research into your opposition is key.
So key points:
What formation is your opposition playing? This is extremely important as if they play 4-5-1, then where is your advantage tactic wise? There really isnt one.
Are they playing with wingers? if not forcus down the flanks.
Are their defenders slow compaired to your midfielders? Focus down the middle as if you break their midfield they will be in trouble.
Make sure your striker has a good first touch and can pass as the midfield will be part of an attack.
3-5-2
This formation can be a very effective formation if, playing against a inferior opposition (example Arsenal vs Port Vale) and it will use your strengths. In this example Arsenal have a very strong midfield and their strikers work better in pairs. Their defence is also strong and would most likely handle Port Vales strikers with just 3 central defenders.
However if the opposition are not inferior and they play with wingers you could have a real problem.
A good example is when I played a friend, he was Liverpool and I was Arsenal. He would stick to his tried and tested formation 3-5-2 and I decided to use 4-2-4. The end result was Liverpool 0 - 7 Arsenal. ALL of my goals were created through the wingers. I had selected my right and left back to play long ball and we played with focus on the wings. The return match ended with a draw as he decided not to play this way again.
You can view your oppositions formation in real time so make sure they dont try and focus on your wingers and if so you will need to make changes, but otherwise with this formation you should be in a position to score a lot.
Your formation is obviously the most important thing when setting out a teams tactics. Think logically when setting this tactic. Take a few things into consideration:
The players you have
Playing with wingers? Then what qualities do they have, do they have pace? Can they cross the ball?
Using wingbacks? Similar to wingers do they have pace etc
Up against fast strikers? Do you defenders have pace, will you play the offside trap?
Example tactics
4-4-2
4-4-2 Is the most used tactic in football let alone in computer games and the main reason is its strong and covers all areas well. Enough in defence, enough in midfield and two strikers. But what do you need to make this tactic work?
Well first of all you need to consider the other small options you can use when making tactics (see below) such as man marking etc.
Position wise
Goalkeeper
Straight forward for all formations, are they good enough.
Right back
With 4-4-2 you have cover in front of the Right back in your right midfielder so you need to take into account if the right winger is weak on tackling as this will create more pressure on your right back.
Are you pushing your right back up the field and if so are you leaving cover? What formation are the opposition using? It they arent using wingers are you wasting a player at right back or can you use your right back to your advantage?
Left Back
With the left back its the same as with the right back.
Central Defenders
Picking your central defenders for a 4-4-2 formation will depend a lot on how much choice you have. I would usually have two sets, one set which has pace and another that is tall and strong. You can also mix and match. Pace is a big statistic for nearly all football manager games so if the striker(s) in the opposition have a lot of pace then you need to counter this or if you leave some space you will give away chances.
The key stats for a central defender are:
Tackling
Marking
Heading
Strength
Determination
The reasons are obviously but getting center backs with a mix of all these stats isnt that easy if youre playing in a lower league team.
Wingers
In a 4-4-2 formation wingers are important, they can help create a lot of chances for your strikers if you use them correctly. Important stats for wingers would be:
Pace
Passing
Crossing
Acceleration
Dribbling
The key is pace, beat the defenders to the line and cross in for your strikers, or to go it by themselves.
Research your opposition, are their defenders slow? Then get those quick wingers in the team. Are their defenders fast? If so then counter it, use a winger with better creativity and passing to break the line with a nice pass.
Central Midfield
Since the Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira days most teams will try and have one attacking central midfielder and one defensive one, in football games its usually the same. Protect your back four with an extra defensive player with good stats in the following:
Tackling
Marking
Heading
Strength
Stamina
and then use a good attacking player with good stats in the following:
Creativity
Passing
Pace
Vision
Long shots
If you can get the right mix you will get plenty of goals from your attacking midfielder and the defensive one will help your defense.
The problem for lower league teams is finding a good pairing isnt easy and having one defensive midfielder and one attacking can actually cause you problems. In away games I would normally have two standard by slighly more defensive midfielders, especially in away games.
Strikers/Forwards
When deciding on your two strikers think of, Owen and heskey. Big and small, slow and fast. Its a good mix to have one holding striker and one pacey one as it can create problems for defenses.
For a pacing striker you should look at the following stats:
Pace
Finishing
Acceleration
Anticipation
Stamina
First touch
For your slower holding striker think of the following:
Finishing
Heading
Passing
Work rate
First touch
If you pick the right mix you will be rewarded with plently of goals.
Your other option would best be, two very pacey strikers. Sometimes you can get away with the finishing stat (as long as not too bad) and focus on pace. You will be suprised just how important pace is.
4-5-1
4-5-1 is another common tactic to use, the reason is there is enough in defence and mainly that the midfield is flooded and the point is to dominate the midfield so creating more chances.
The obviously problem with this formation is, if your midfield is matched either by better players or the same formation you could find either the game is stale or you just dont create any chances and the lone striker struggles.
The key is the midfield, try and mix it with maybe one defensive midfielder and 4 attacking, most importantly creative players. Pacey wingers to break through, but this could be countered by fast defenders so research into your opposition is key.
So key points:
What formation is your opposition playing? This is extremely important as if they play 4-5-1, then where is your advantage tactic wise? There really isnt one.
Are they playing with wingers? if not forcus down the flanks.
Are their defenders slow compaired to your midfielders? Focus down the middle as if you break their midfield they will be in trouble.
Make sure your striker has a good first touch and can pass as the midfield will be part of an attack.
3-5-2
This formation can be a very effective formation if, playing against a inferior opposition (example Arsenal vs Port Vale) and it will use your strengths. In this example Arsenal have a very strong midfield and their strikers work better in pairs. Their defence is also strong and would most likely handle Port Vales strikers with just 3 central defenders.
However if the opposition are not inferior and they play with wingers you could have a real problem.
A good example is when I played a friend, he was Liverpool and I was Arsenal. He would stick to his tried and tested formation 3-5-2 and I decided to use 4-2-4. The end result was Liverpool 0 - 7 Arsenal. ALL of my goals were created through the wingers. I had selected my right and left back to play long ball and we played with focus on the wings. The return match ended with a draw as he decided not to play this way again.
You can view your oppositions formation in real time so make sure they dont try and focus on your wingers and if so you will need to make changes, but otherwise with this formation you should be in a position to score a lot.
