Alright lads, you absolutely need this 4-2-3-1 in your rotation. It's been carrying me all week, especially with the gameplay being absolutely garbage. Let's dive into it!
Tactics Breakdown: The 4-2-3-1 Flat
This is the 4-2-3-1 flat, and I absolutely love it. It's probably the most balanced formation for me this year. It's kind of like the 4-4-2, but I prefer the CAM linking everything together.
- Build Up Play: Balanced. I think it's the best out of the three, lads, because it gives you a bit of everything. Rather than being one-dimensional, like only short passes or only counter-attacks, you get a bit of everything with balanced.
- Defensive Approach: 61 depth. When I was testing this formation out, I forgot to turn the depth up from 50, and I was stuck in my six-yard box! I couldn't get out. 61 isn't overly aggressive, even though the defensive approach says high. It stops you from getting pinned in your box. The more comfortable you are with the game, the higher you can press. I'm using 70-75 in some of my other formations now, but 61 is a good starting point.
Player Roles and Instructions
Let's get into the player roles, lads.
- Goalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper. I'm not a massive fan of just a regular goalkeeper. Sweeper Keeper is the best.
- Center Backs: Defender and Defend. I do like if you're using the defender role, they need to have the Plus or plus plus because otherwise they don't really wake up and they just kind of stand there. If you don't have one that's a plus or a plus plus then using something like a stopper is also nice. Your two center backs should have the same role so they stay almost next to each other the entire time. If you use different playstyles or roles on each player, they're kind of dog-legged.
- Fullbacks: Fullback and Balanced. We want them to stay back and defend. I usually like a fullback going forward, but having them stay back is really nice as a starting point. I recommend players that are comfortable on the ball.
- CDMs:
- CDM 1 (More Progressive): Deep Line Playmaker and Balanced. This CDM floats around the central area, creating chances and popping up with the odd goal.
- CDM 2 (Defensive): Deep Line Playmaker and Defend. I like her to be on defend because she'll drop deeper, show feet, and she's got long ball plus. I recommend you have someone with long ball silver or long ball plus because finding those long passes to the wings where you got your Pacey forward is super nice in this position.
- Left and Right Midfielders: Inside Forward and Attack. These are the most important players in your team in this formation. You want pace bags of pace out wide. You want a left-footed player on the left-hand side and a right-footed player on the other side. You want them to be amazing on the ball, great passing, and then can't put the ball away because of how high they are up the pitch.
- Shadow Striker: Playmaker. You need them to be able to stick away those goals for you. Having someone that is quite agile in this position is really desirable because they're going to be needing to like Twist and Turn sometimes because they are going to be the most marked player other than the striker in your attack line.
- Striker: Advanced Forward. It depends what style you've got to be honest. I like the advanced forward she kind of drops deep sometimes but if you've got someone that's doesn't have the advanced forward plus putting them on a poacher plus if they have a poacher Plus or plus plus then that's fine Lads either or if you if you have an advanced forward or a poacher just choose whichever one has the Plus or plus plus for you. You want someone to be it depends what style you've got to be honest. I like the advanced forward she kind of drops deep sometimes but if you've got someone that's doesn't have the advanced forward plus putting them on a poacher plus if they have a poacher Plus or plus plus then that's fine Lads either or if you if you have an advanced forward or a poacher just choose whichever one has the Plus or plus plus for you.
That's the 4-2-3-1 flat, lads! I absolutely love this formation.