Alright lads, let's dive into my custom tactics rotation – four custom tactics that are gonna seriously help you rack up those wins in Weekend League. Let's get it!
4-5-1: The Balanced Base
This is the formation I kick off every single game with. I reckon it's one of the most balanced in the game, even more so than the 4-4-2. The extra body in midfield gives you more passing options, and the way you set up the wingers and forwards makes it attack like a 4-3-3.
- Depth: 61.
- Build Up Play: Balanced.
- Player Roles:
- CDM: Someone who just sits and holds. Think Bellingham.
- CM: A box-to-box player. Gets up, gets down, assists with goals, and helps out defensively.
- CAM: More of a playmaker. I used to have both CMs on box-to-box, which is good, but I want someone in the thick of it, creating problems and scoring goals.
- Fullbacks: Push forward.
- Defensive Line: I recommend having both center backs on the same role. If they're on different roles, they can do this weird, imbalanced "dog leg" thing. Having them on the same role keeps your defensive line solid.
- Midfielders: Don't go too heavy on the defensive midfielders.
- Wingers: Proper attackers who can score goals. They're gonna be in the box, scoring goals.
- Offensive Wing Back: Pace and good track-back speed are key.
- Substitutions: You'll need a replacement left back on the bench because your wing back will get tired around the 60th-70th minute.
4-3-3 (False 9): The Wild Card
This is a tactic we dropped on the channel the other day, and it plays with a false nine. Griezmann is the best false nine you can use in this game.
- Depth: 61.
- Build Up Play: Short Passing. This focuses on building up with a nice, easy pace, controlling the tempo of the game.
- Player Roles:
- Striker: Needs really good passing. Griezmann is ideal because of his False 9+ trait, amazing passing, dribbling, and buildup.
- Wingers: Left and right footed players are ideal for those trivelas.
- Fullback: Gets forward.
- Substitutions: Swap out your fullbacks, midfielders, and wingers to keep things fresh.
- Use Case: This is more of a wildcard. I use it when I'm not necessarily losing, but I'm trying to create different patterns. If my striker is getting marked out of the game, I'll switch to this to pull defenders deeper and rely on the wide players to create chances.
4-5-1 (Press): The Aggressive Comeback
This is my 4-5-1 press, and it's a lot more aggressive than the first 4-5-1. This is for when you're losing.
- Depth: 95.
- Player Roles:
- Center Mid: Box-to-box.
- Left and Right Center Mids: Playmaker.
- Center Back: Stopper.
- Use Case: This formation is designed for getting you back into games. It's really aggressive, so I don't recommend using it as a base starting point.
- Seamless Transition: The beauty of this is that you can flick it on the D-pad, and your players' positions don't really change; their roles change.
- Substitutions: Have replacements for the left back, two CAMs, and two wingers.
- Striker: A striker that can pass is nice in this formation, but if you like the aerial game, you can use that.
4-1-4-1: The Defensive Closer
This is my more defensive formation, what I use to see out games.
- Player Roles:
- Center Mid: CDM.
- Left and Right Mids: Inside Forward.
- Fullback: Still gets forward.
- Use Case: This is geared towards controlling the play. It's like a five-man midfield that can pass to each other at all times.
- Winning Scenario: If you're winning, the three midfielders are box-to-box. They still get forward, but you need to continue to attack, or you'll suffer.
- Defensive Adjustments: If you don't enjoy the fullback going forward, change the wing back to fullback for a rock-solid backline.
- Counterattack Defense: If someone is hitting you hard on the counterattack, I'll flip the wing back to fullback in-game to prevent those counterattacks.