FC 25 SBC Calculator & Meta Tactics

Alright lads, let's dive into the 4-2-2-2, probably the most popular formation in FC25 right now. People are thinking it's the cure for the 95 depth 4-2-1-3 meta, so we built some custom tactics for it. Let's see if it lives up to the hype!

Tactics Breakdown: Building Up Play

First up, the buildup play. We're going with short passing. Now, balanced is really good, I've used it with a lot of custom tactics. But when we're trying to survive this 95 depth 4-2-1-3 meta, short passing is probably the best way to get out of the press without triggering runs or doing player locks. I definitely recommend you give it a go.

Defensive Approach

For the defensive approach, we're going with 70 depth. Not 95 for me today, but you can use whatever you find most comfortable. I really like the balance that 70 gives you.

Player Instructions

Let's get into the team setup, starting with the goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper. You can use whatever your goalkeeper's got. If you enjoy using Sweeper Keeper Plus or Plus+, use that. If your keeper's got Goalkeeper Plus or Plus, use that.
Center Backs: Both are on "Defend" and "Defend". Don't touch them! It's the best mechanic for your center backs, mainly because they stay in their defensive area. You don't want to be putting them on balanced or anything like that. You don't want to be using "Stopper" or "Ball Playing Defender" because they step out of position. And not just that, on those other two settings or roles, you'll definitely affect your stamina, which will mean you'll concede more goals later on. The positioning side is just frustrating when you know when there's like this first-time through ball meta, you will get caught out if you're using anything other than defend.
Fullbacks: Both are on "Fullback Defend". This is solely to counter the 4-2-1-3. I would normally like to have my fullbacks on balanced so they can get forward and help out. I just trigger the runs of my fullbacks with the bumpers, so if I want them to make a run, I'll make them make a run. But for the most part, I have them stay in the fullback position because we need them to mark those wingers.
CDMs:
- One is on "Deep Line Playmaker" and "Defend".
- The other is on "Holding" and "Ball Winning". As you can see from the heat map, the holding and ball-winning midfielder is going to basically just not go forward at all, which isn't so bad. He's just there to solely win the ball. You want him to have good defensive play styles. We will dive into more of the profiles of the players in the second part of the video with the gameplay. And then the deep line playmaker defend, he will get a bit further forward, which is nice. But you want to have someone that can still tackle in this position. Basically, you want both these CDMs to be able to defend, but I like them both to be good on the ball.
CAMS: This is where it starts to get a little bit interesting. How you'd normally see this formation is that you'd have the left cam and the right cam would almost act like wingers, but the roles we've put on these players, it doesn't really work like that at all. We've got one player creating the space in Triayor, so you can see he'll push up all the way to that right-hand side and create the width, which is important. Width is super important when you're using a formation that has fullback on defend because otherwise, if you're not using the fullbacks to create the width, you need to be doing it with the wide players or the cams or whoever you've got there. Because width is so important this year, it'll help you break down those, especially formations that have two CDMs. And then because Triayor gets pushed out all the way to the right when you put a shadow striker on Anzu or your left cam, he'll move into the center area. The heat map lies a little bit because as you can see, not so much the heat map lies, but the positioning you see on your screen, the heat map is quite accurate. He will be more on the left-hand side than central, which isn't a problem. Again, the only pro, the only thing I don't like with the shadow strikers, they don't really help out defensively, but we'll get into the pros and cons shortly.
Strikers: We have a poacher on "Support". The reason why we've got him on support is because they do apply a lot more pressure on the opposition backline, which is great when you got two strikers because it will help you, you know, force errors and you will get a lot of goals, especially if you're playing 95 depth, you will force a lot of errors with the support focus on the strikers. And then we've just got Terry Honry that's on "Advanced Forward" and "Attack".

Gameplay Analysis: Pros and Cons

So, diving into the gameplay, lads, and as you can see this formation, well, as you're seeing on your screen right now, the formation performs really, really well in-game. However, does this formation live up to the hype? Is it the silver bullet everyone's looking for in terms of the meta? I don't think so. I think it's overhyped to an extent. I don't get me wrong, I really, really, really like the formation and the way it plays. You know, you've got the pros of the two CDMs, which you can have on, if I'm losing, I whack them both into build up on deep line playmaker, which is great, you get extra bodies forward. And then you've got, he'll defend the exact same way as a 4-2-1-3, which is nice. We got the two CDMs and the flat back line. But the CAMS, one of the biggest cons about the formation in my opinion is that the CAMS don't really offer too much in terms of defensive support. They, they do come back a touch, es, especially the half winger, he'll come back, but the, the shadow striker doesn't come back much at all, which can leave you a little bit exposed in those wide areas. The similar sort of issues you'd have with a 4-2-1-3 is that those wide areas a little bit more exposed. That's why if you're using deep line playmaker and build up on the CDMs, then you probably need to use playmaker on the two wide cams so they do a bit more for you defensively. If you are wanting to use this formation, using playmaker on the two wide cams will really help you defend in this formation. If you want to, if you want to make it super defensive, I've made a version that's really, really attacking and I almost go into this when I'm losing. Another pro of this formation though, lads, is that the fact it's got two strikers, I love two striker formations in this game. There's just not many amazing ones. I do like the 4-4-2 holding variation, which we are working on at the minute, so that video will be with you in the next few days. But I think left mid and right mid versus cam, I think you get more out of the left mids and right mids when you use like a 4-2-3-1 like the wide variation or the 4-4-2 holding. I prefer left mid, right mid just because they, they do a bit more for you defensively. But if you're looking to push someone late on and score a lot of goals, then this formation is amazing.

Player Profiles: Key Attributes

Let's dive into the profiles of the players you want in each position, lads.

Center Backs: You want them to be as lengthy as possible, just because that catcher speed is important, especially if you're looking to play them 95 depth. Having someone that's got lengthy or controls lengthy at a minimum is really going to help you out.
Fullbacks: You definitely want them to have some passing play styles because it will get you out of jams, especially with, well, that goes for any player. I recommend you, if you can get passing play styles on any player in your team, it's, it's going to help you a lot, especially incisive pass, tiki tacker, and I think from deeper positions, pinged is really, really effective. But in that final third, tiki tacker will really help give flow to your attacks. Find, like, one of the biggest negatives about my two strikers is that they don't have passing play styles, which is quite noticeable at times. They do have good passing stats, which helps a little bit, but you'll never make up for not having the play styles.
CDMs: For this, you can go with the traditional one big bruiser midfielder to help move people off the balls, like a Yaya, and then a creative midfield, like a Pedri. And to be honest, I've gone with this SBC Gabby, he's got every single defensive play style and I've put him through like one or two evos, so he is actually really good in this position. The main thing about these CDMs, lads, is that you are able to win tackles with them ultimately. They're there to defend and I prefer CDMs that can dribble as well because the gameplay at times, as we all know, can be quite heavy. So if you've not got players that can dribble, they can feel a bit unresponsive when the gameplay isn't the best.
CAMS: As you see from my cams, I've got both them with quick step and rapid plus, and I recommend you do something similar. The, the having super, super quick cams that can shoot, score, do a bit everything is better than having someone that is a bit slower and a bit more techy because you are going to have that track back speed, they are going to be able to help you out bit better defensively if they're faster and they're going to be able to just break the lines for your forward as well, especially in that the, um, the half winger, it does create a lot of space for, um, everyone else when you've got pace out wide.
Strikers: Both of mine are controlled lengthy, which I definitely recommend you give a go if you've not, because lengthy strikers are just obscene. But you just want your best finisher. If you're using like an Mbappe or the Henry or the Suarez or any one of the fun evos you've made, I'm using obviously a Barcelona on a pass and present, so I just use Luis Suarez and Terry Henry. But just use your most clinical players up top, lads. I definitely recommend you, if you don't have poacher plus on one of your players, then maybe, maybe just use advanced forward support on the other striker as well. Just that, that'll help you out. Just having as many players as you can on the plus+ roles will help you out a lot.

Final Verdict