Alright lads, let's get into it! The 4-3-3 False 9 was one of my favorite formations last year, and I know it was probably one of yours too, which is why you're watching this video. We've made it matter again!
Tactics
This is my first short passing tactic of the year, and it's all about building up play and creating high-quality chances. The focus is on always having a passing option. In this game, you can sometimes pick up the ball, especially in defense, and have no one to pass to. This formation is amazing for finding those simple passes and building up nicely. With the False 9, it feels like you always have lots of options.
- Defensive Approach: Balanced, with a Depth of 61. This seems to be the meta at the moment, but it'll probably change as the year goes on.
Player Roles
Let's dive into the player roles, lads.
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Goalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper. In my opinion, this is the best role for a keeper. If you can have a keeper with Sweeper Keeper Plus or Plus Plus, it's really desirable because they just do a bit more on their own. They're smart pressing, they don't just run out aimlessly and get dunked on.
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Right Back: Fullback. I recommend having someone who can defend in this position. It doesn't have to be a natural center back; you could just have a more defensively minded fullback, which is really nice. It helps hold down the midfield.
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Center Backs: One on Stopper, the other on Ball Playing Defender. The reason we do this is to get your center backs a bit more mobile. On "Defender" instructions, they just sit back, like NPCs. They don't take part at all. So, we put something on them, whether Stopper or Ball Playing Defender, just to get them a bit more mobile.
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Left Back: Wing Back, Balanced. He's not going to go too far forward; he's just going to step into that midfield and provide a bit of attacking support. If you want to send him on further, you can tap RB, but otherwise, he'll just be there as a nice passing option. I recommend you have someone quick in this position because they are going to need to track back.
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CDM: Holding, Focus Defend. He's just going to be there breaking up the play for us.
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Left Center Mid: Holding, Focus Defend. I tried Box to Box on both CMs, but it was just a bit too much chaos, especially in transition. So, we put this player on Holding, and he kind of sits a touch in front of the CDM. It's nice with someone who has Long Ball Plus, because they can cannon the over-the-top through balls and create a lot of chances for that front line.
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Right Center Mid: Box to Box. He'll get up, he'll get down, he'll attack, he'll defend, he'll do a bit of everything. He just causes a bit of carnage, pushing on, getting in the box, and breaking the lines for you, but then coming back and disrupting the play.
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Left Wing and Right Wing: Inside Forward, Focus Attack. They're pretty much going to stay up the entire time. If you don't like them just being up there attacking, you can change these onto like a Winger or just go in inside forward and balance, they'll come back a little bit deeper. But I like them to be up there and really support in mainly because the way the striker works is Griezmann he's fast nine so he drops back and almost shows his feet to the to the box to box Midfield and the holding midfielders so he'll create your Striker will create a lot of chance for these Wing players so you want them to be really really in position to score you some chances and because these guys are going to get more chances than you're Center forward um they need to be goal scorers lad you need to have those clinical finishes in these positions ideally fast ideally if you're up using the speed boost they they're able to do that um but yeah you just want clinical play
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Striker (False 9): False 9. He's going to pick up the ball and score you goals and assist you lots. The best thing about the False 9 is the fact that he drops away from the center backs. So, a lot of the time, he receives the ball, and he's got it in open space, which is amazing because you've got time to turn. You've got these guys then that are pushing inside the fullbacks on the left and right, and you can find the over-the-top through balls, or if there's nothing on, you can just use the box-to-box or holding midfielders to just kind of recycle with the short passing that we've got on.