Alright, what's going on everyone? My name is O, and welcome to a new FC25 best formations and custom tactics tutorial! Today, we've got a pro formation. I've seen them use it, I've tested it, and it is superb. Come on, boys, let's do this!
The 4-4-1-1 Formation: A Game Changer
Today, we're diving into the 4-4-1-1. Because of the player roles, this might be a fabulous, fabulous formation to have, a game changer. It has two CMs, left mid, right mid – it's a 4-4-2, but you've got one striker transformed into a CAM. Now, that CAM with Shadow Striker will play almost as a striker, just a bit behind. He will move left and right, cover that area of the pitch, and in certain moments of the game, he will help you incredibly in building your attacks. Because at times, the 4-4-2 might get into certain patterns that are easy to recognize. We've got the 4-4-1-1, and in terms of buildup, you've got the classic option: short passing, balanced, counter.
Custom Tactics: Building Your Game
In terms of buildup, I go balanced here. For the defensive approach, the answer is pretty basic. If you have the options from EA Sports with high, aggressive, balanced, and deep, I advise you to manually change that by pressing triangle. The answer here is: if you have a fast center-back duo, players like Rudy, G, and Del Milita, I'd go as high as 65. Otherwise, I would go 50-55. I go 55. Now, my RTG ain't that strong, this is not my RTG, by the way, this is the Barca squad I chose to do it right here.
Player Roles: The Heart of the Formation
Now let's move into the bread and butter: the player roles, which are monumental this year.
- Right Back: Jules Kounde with two pluses at fullback. That is absolutely incredible, and that's how we're going to use him. The fullback is conservative. A conservative player on your lateral side, he doesn't really go that much in front, just a bit, not too much. If it would go further, Wing back, look at that, that's absolutely crazy. Falls back, goes too much in the center. Attacking Wing back, this is for more offensive formations later on in the game. The back is perfect like that. You got Focus balanced or defend. Problem is, yeah, I want him to be defend, but look how he looks while we have the ball in defend, that's just crazy. You don't want to do that, by the way. If you're new to FC25, move the right hand left and right, and you can see with the ball how the team looks and without the ball. Without the ball like that, with the ball like it's not good. We're just going to keep it on balanced so he keeps his position right there. He looks absolutely still like that.
- Center Backs: Christensen has Defender plus stopper plus ball-playing Defender. I don't like ball-playing Defender, to be honest. I think it's good for offensive formations. I wouldn't play it here. I would just go with either Defender No Nonsense. I advise everyone to go Defender at this moment. Po has also Defender. Focus is on Def. You can have Balan also on him, and yeah, he could go in attack, interesting, but defend for him, nothing more.
- Left Back: You got Bal, right? You got a 4-4-1-1. In case you're attacking more on the left side, you could have him with wing back plus, that is risky though, extremely risky. So I still start here with my fullback on fullback there, and then Focus balanced. Defender line has been set up.
- Central Midfielders: It's pretty basic, comparing also with the previous 4-4-2. We've got them actually, not because of Pedri, you're going to see. You got holding on one of them, it's mandatory, mandatory to have one with holding. Would be a disaster if you go with both of them forward. You got R holding, he's going to just stay there. Box to box is risky as hell, man, look at that, tends to go forward. We do not want that. It doesn't have the playmaker in him, let's be honest, Cado, that's why the holding is the best for him, just to protect over there. Focus is on defend only.
- Pedri: This one is an important choice here. Liquid playmaker, how he looks, he doesn't go that much in front, he doesn't go that much to the left like with this one with half Winger. You could have deep lineing playmaker or playmaker for him, depending what how your players are here. So for example, if you got two players like Cado that like Cado like defensive CM, don't play him with playmaker plus. If you got a player like Pedri in your squad in 4-4-1-1 that can also create, you either play him deep Ling playmaker or you play him as a playmaker. Otherwise, if you just want to stay back with two of the two of them, have him with holding. Otherwise, I'm going to risk it a bit here. We're going to have, where is it, a playmaker, beautiful.
- Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM): Shadow striker. Daniel Mo has it, an attack-minded midfielder who plays in the hole behind the strikers. Their well-timed runs into the box will result in plenty of goal-scoring chances. This is very important. Other options here are playmaker, he moves left right, half Wier, no thank you. Shadow Striker is what we want here. He will play as a second Striker, and he will come back just a bit sometimes to receive the ball. He will be the surprise in your attack. Look how he goes forward, close to L.
- Left Midfielder: We're going to have Anati there as a left mid. Focus will be on balanced. Other options right there, white playmaker, white midfielder, inside forward, but I do like to have one of my players, for example, I got Winger, and then you have Yamal on the right side as a wide playmaker because he also goes inside a pitch a bit. He's more creative with the ball, he's better with the ball. Remember this in white formations like this. If you have players that have only pace and nothing else, you play them, where is it, as a Winger. If you have players that also can create inside a pitch, can do a finesse or a tria, I would advise white playmaker. This is how he stays with the ball, he goes inside. There's also the another option, where is it, inside forward, similar, but he goes a bit too much in front, a bit too much, I would say. This is why white playmaker for me, that's the best option.
- Striker: It's kind of obvious. You got Advance forward, Target forward, false nine. You're never going to use the false nine in 4-4-1-1, it would mean playing with no Striker, even though Rob leandi has two pluses there, poacher, but you're going to go with Advanced forward. Versatile attacker who usually stays close to the opposition defensive line but opens them up for passes, absolutely lovely like that.
Conclusion: A Versatile Formation
This will be, in my opinion, a go-to formation for a lot of people this season. It's versatile, makes the connection right from Midfield to attack. You're able to defend properly, you can have a line of eight players, nine players that defend, and you can have a lot of players also going up the pitch. The discussion here is regarding here the fullback, if to have him one of those, where is it, to have him win Wing back, it's risky, but you might try it, it might pay, it might pay back. So let's have him exactly full, but this is a safe option. This is the 4-4-1-1.