Alright guys, let's dive into the custom tactics I was using in the FC Pro November Cup. I've been rocking the 4-4-1-1 for a while now, especially in competitive play, and I'm loving the control it gives you over matches. Let's get into it.
Build Up Play
The build-up style is Unbalanced. If you've watched the channel, you know I usually lean towards Balanced because it gives you the most control. There are no unexpected runs or anything crazy happening. You have full control over the runs your players make.
Defensive Approach
The defensive approach is also Unbalanced. A lot of pro players use the first-time Allen triangle, especially in a two-striker system. If you push up to that 70 depth, I feel like you get exposed way more than at 50 depth. It gives me a little bit of distance between the defender and the striker, giving me time to switch to the defender before he can trigger a first-time through ball. I'm pretty decent at offside traps myself, so I'm confident in pushing the line up when needed, but as a default, I don't want them glued to the striker.
- Goalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper and Balanced.
- Fullbacks: Fullback and Balanced. They'll be a bit more inside, which is important. I need them to help create situations on the wing where I can combine with the left mid. Fullback is key because we don't want to take too many risks, as the counters in this game are strong.
- Defensive Midfielders (CDMs): Holding and Defend. This is similar to the build-up style. It gives me more control over whether I want to send them on a run or not. If I put them on Playmaker or something else, they'll just be there already, and I lose that control.
- Wingers: Winger and Balanced. I like to keep the pitch wide. The middle is already busy, so we want to build up through the wings. You could go with one Inside Forward and one Winger, but I prefer both on Winger.
- Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM): Playmaker. This is the best role for the CAM. They're the connecting player between the midfield and the attack. You'll notice in the examples that the CAM is the most important position in this formation. They're the glue between all the lines.
- Striker: Advanced Forward and Attack. He's the last line for the counter-attack. He's there ready to cause danger if you recover the ball.
Gameplay Examples
Let's look at some examples of how these tactics work in practice.
- Example 1: Build-up from a free kick at the back. The CAM, in this case, gets a first-time through ball to Mbappe, and we score. This is a formation-related tactic because you need a CAM and a striker to do this. It's one of the strengths of the 4-4-1-1.
- Example 2: Build-up from the back. The CAM finds Son in a counter-attack. Mbappe on Advanced Forward pushes the defense back, and then we find our CAM. The CAM gets it back wide, we drag a defender out of the middle, which opens up space for Mbappe for the cross, and Son finishes with a square cross.
- Example 3: Build-up from the back. We find a build-up, the CAM is making a decoy run, and then we find our winger. Wingers will naturally come inside a bit more when we're around 20 meters from the goal. This is where we can hurt our opponent, finding Son running in behind and finishing it.
- Example 4: We press the opponent's right back, recover the ball, and this is also a good counter formation. We find our Striker, the CAM is making that run, I didn't even trigger him, he's making that run in that space between the two center backs. Then we get ourselves into a one-on-one, and it's all about making the good decisions, taking the right touches, moving to the right side, and then finishing.
Defensive Principles
Let's talk about some defensive principles.
- Recovering Shape: When your opponent has a counter opportunity, try to run your players back and force them back. Your team will come back naturally and keep it compact in the middle.
- Defensive Transitions: From a throw-in, we're being aggressive. We find a ball over the top, and this is why we want to hold him up. We cover the passing lanes, run back, and our team is back in position. The CAM is there as well, but we run back with Son, force him into making a move, and our AI is already there in front of Mbappe to get that ball. The holding and defend probably works there.
- Pressing: We cover his right mid with Son, and then everything is covered. We select our Midfield of Partey to go toward Mbappe. He has no other way to go to Mbappe, and then we close him in. If he turns forward, the center back will be there, and if he turns backward, Partey will be there to tackle him. We basically trapped him, and we get the ball off him. This is also a really good pressing formation.
So, that's the 4-4-1-1 in a nutshell.