Alright, let's dive into the most effective tactics and formation to dominate in FC25 from the get-go.
Formation and Team Tactics
First things first, if you're new to changing tactics, just hit L3/LS on your controller and head to "Team Management." From there, you can create a new tactic.
We're going with the classic 4-4-2 flat. It's the most balanced formation at the start of the game. Remember, we're still discovering the meta, so we need a formation that's solid in both defense and attack. This setup gives us four midfielders, four defenders, and two strikers.
Now, the big change this year is player roles. But before we get into those, let's talk team tactics. With the 4-4-2, we have three main options: Balanced, Counter, and Short Passing.
- Short Passing: This is your possession-based tactic, where players offer short passing options. It's viable, but not what we're using today.
- Counter: This is more of a long-ball approach, with players making runs in behind. It can work in certain situations, but not our focus.
- Balanced: This is the best option at the start of the game. It always has been, and it still is.
We're sticking with "Balanced" for our defensive approach. Now, let's adjust the defensive line. We're going with a depth of 70.
Why 70? I've experimented, and with these tactics, I've beaten some top players in friendlies and won drafts. The team applies a lot of pressure, and opponents will struggle against it. If you're not super comfortable with R-stick switching yet, you could go with 65, but 70 is the sweet spot. Passing is tough in this game, and people are used to those 99-rated cards from FC24, so they struggle to beat the press when you set it to 70.
Player Roles
Now, let's get into the key player roles.
For the strikers, we need two roles:
- Advanced Forward:
- Poacher:
The focus for both should be set to "Complete." Think of the attacking focus as straightforward instructions from previous games. The strikers will stand further away from your midfield, creating a gap. The good thing is they'll always be ready for the counterattack. But against good players who know how to high press, that distance is too much, and you'll lose the ball a lot. That's why we set them to "Complete." We want some balance.
You could use a "False Nine" next to a Poacher, but with that buildup style, you're losing out on one of the strikers, as he essentially becomes a CAM. We want a more traditional 4-4-2.
Remember, just because a player has a "False Nine Plus" role doesn't mean we have to use him there. The role isn't the priority; the priority is what we want from the position.
For our wingers (LM and RM), we want the "Winger" role, with the focus set to "Balanced." If we put them on an attacking role, they'll make runs in behind, disrupting the shape of the formation. We want the formation to be a solid 4-4-2, both with and without the ball.
For our central midfielders (CMs), we want one to be a "Box-to-Box Plus" or "Plus Plus." They'll be operating in both boxes, helping in defense and attack. Their focus is "Balanced."
The other CM will be a "Holding CM" or a "Deep-Lying Playmaker." With the Holding CM, the focus is "Defend." They'll stay back, cut passing lanes, and prevent counterattacks.
For our fullbacks, one will be a "Wing-Back Plus," with the focus set to "Balanced." Overlapping fullbacks are still very important.
The other fullback will have the "Fullback" role, with the focus set to "Defend." They'll stay close to the defensive line to prevent counterattacks.
For our center backs, we need at least one with the "Defender Plus Plus" role. If they don't have that, just use "Defender." Their focus is "Defend." They're your no-nonsense center backs who excel at the basics.
I like to manually high press, so I want one of my center backs to have the "Stopper" role. The Stopper is a bit more aggressive; they'll apply a lot of pressure on the opposition striker. In the current state of the game, passing attributes matter, and people struggle to pass when you apply pressure.
The "Ball-Playing Defender" role is great against high-pressing opponents, but for me, the best combination is "Defender" and "Stopper."