Alright lads, if you're planning on hitting up Foot Champs this weekend, you absolutely need to have this 4-4-2 in your tactical rotation. It could save your life, or at least your weekend! Let's dive into the tactics, yeah?
Formation and Build-Up Play
We're working with a custom preset, a fairly standard 4-4-2, which is why you're here, right? For the build-up play, we're going with a balanced approach. I've been experimenting with Counterattack, but I still prefer balance. It gives you more variety, allowing you to surprise your opponents. With balance, you can counter well, do some short passing, and just mix things up. If you set out to Counterattack, they know exactly what's coming.
Defensive Approach
Defensively, we're on high pressure, set to 65. But listen, this isn't set in stone. Use whatever you're comfortable with. If you like 50, use 50. If you like 55, use 55. It's all about what works best for you.
Player Instructions
Let's get into the player instructions, starting with the goalkeeper.
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Goalkeeper: I've got Howard on "Goalkeeper" but I recommend using whatever their "Plus" or "Plus Plus" is. You tend to get some crazy animations from them, saves they shouldn't make, but they just perform better overall. So, if I'm using Howard, it's "Goalkeeper". If I'm using someone like Ter Stegen, it's "Sweeper Keeper". I swap it up, so make sure you do that too.
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Center Backs: Can't believe you can actually touch your center backs this year, lads! It's devastating! The first center back is on "Ball Playing Defender" and "Focus Defend". This guy sits a touch deeper, as you can see on the radar. He's the last line of defense. I recommend having someone with a bit of pace here, like Koundé, because they'll need that catch-up speed if someone gets in behind. The other center back is a "Stopper". He's there to put out fires in front of the back line a bit quicker. I don't recommend having two Stoppers, it's a bit too aggressive, but having one is really nice because you can engage people a little bit higher.
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Fullbacks: Both fullbacks are on "Wing Back" and "Balanced" approach. They won't push on like crazy, but they'll step up into midfield to provide passing options while the left and right mids go forward and attack. You can get caught on the counter if someone is super attacking, but everyone builds up so slow in this game, they get into position really, really quickly because of the players they are. Again, if you've got fullbacks with the "Plus" or "Plus Plus" traits, that's ideal. They're just going to step up a touch and provide passing options.
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Defensive Midfielders (CDMs): The two CDMs are super important, lads. They're on "Holding" and "Defend". It's fairly self-explanatory. You want one CDM to be a bruiser, someone who pushes people off the ball, has that real aura in midfield. Then, you want someone like a Guendouzi, who is better in the build-up. She's brilliant defensively, don't get me wrong, but you want both of these guys to be able to defend. When she goes on, I feel comfortable with her going forward, she's able to create, score, pass, shoot, do whatever. Whereas, someone like Essien, he's a bit more on the heavy side. If you're using someone like a Shiekh Manyi, you understand you're looking to get them with a ball release straight away. You don't want to be doing too much with them, you just want them doing the dirty work. But again, you don't want them to be too awful on the ball because this is a very, very key position in holding the play and dictating the speed of the game.
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Wide Midfielders (LM/RM): Both wide players are on "Inside Forward" and "Balanced". They're going to help out defensively, which you need. They'll play more like CAMs, but they'll get really close to the striker and provide lots of passing and shooting opportunities. Because of the way this acts in game, you really want these left mid and right mid players to be great finishers. Neymar is absolutely ridiculous, lads. But you can use anyone you want as long as they're decent in the build-up, like a Neymar, but you also want them to be a bit of a finisher. You need players that can stick the ball away.
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Strikers: We have Parejo as the "Advanced Forward". The reason I've got an advanced forward and a striker is because of the way she sets up. She will come a touch, like you can see from the graphic, she will drop sometimes and show feet, which is nice when you've got Neymar. So she'll drop back and show her feet for passes. Whereas, I've got Puskas who is just there. She's, as you can see from the graphic again, she's just going to be hanging in the box looking for those easy opportunities. You want one striker, lad, ideally if you got a poacher plus or a poacher plus plus, you have them there, but you want someone there is going to be there to stick the ball away and then someone there's a bit more of a creator, a bit more of a runner, like a Parejo for me. So I recommend this this Advance forward being the faster of your two forwards and then obviously the the poacher being the better finisher.
That's the 4-4-2, lads. I definitely recommend you get this in your rotation because it's going to be so good for this weekend league.