Alright, let's dive into the bread and butter of FIFA/EA FC: the 4-1-2-1-2 narrow! This formation is all about quick build-up, scoring goals, and getting right in your opponent's face. I'm going to break down the custom tactics I'm using to make this formation chef's kiss.
Formation and Build-Up
First things first, the tactical preset is, of course, custom. Why would you use anything else? Custom is the way to go, in my humble opinion. We're playing the 4-1-2-1-2 narrow, which is the classic 4-1-2-1-2, but with central midfielders instead of wingers. This is way better than the normal version, where you have the left and right midfielders. With the narrow version, you're much more solid in the middle of the pitch.
For the build-up play, we're going with counter. I don't know why you'd use anything else other than counter and balanced; they're your best options, no doubt. I'm fully back on the counter train now, I absolutely love it. It's what I used at the start of the year, and I've gone back to it now as the game has become more defensive.
Defensive Approach and Player Instructions
Defensively, I'm playing high on the defensive approach, which is a 70 line height. If you want to be aggressive, absolutely fine, but I'm finding 70 works well. Balanced, which is a 50 line height, is also very, very good.
Now, let's get into the player roles:
- Strikers: Both are on Advanced Forward and Attack. In a 4-1-2-1-2 narrow, that's probably the best thing to have.
- CAM: Just on Playmaker and Balanced. Simple as that.
- Center Midfielders: I personally like to have both on Box to Box, but having one on Playmaker is also a good and viable option. If you want the left-sided CM on Playmaker or the right-sided CM on Playmaker, that is absolutely fine and completely up to you. As long as you use the other side as a box to box.
- CDM: The CDM is on Deep Line Playmaker and Defend. Their job is to shield and protect the back four, sit in front of the back four, and give the ball to the more attack-minded players. Easy as you like.
- Left Back and Right Back: This is really, really, really annoying because of the 4-2-1-3 meta. You need to use both your left back and your right back on Fullback and Defend. If you don't, you will find yourself struggling a lot on the counterattack. You need them defending as a back four. If you have an overlapping wing back, your opponent, who will most of the time be playing a 4-2-1-3, will get the ball, win the ball nice and high, and your overlapping wing back will be out of position. They'll play one through ball into that winger on that side, and you will be absolutely... your opponent's winger will just be running clean through on goal. It's really, really, really annoying, I hate it, but you have to use it with the 4-2-1-3 meta.
- Center Backs: Both are just on Defender and Defend. Nice and easy.
- Goalkeeper: On Sweeper Keeper and Balanced.
In-Game Positioning
In-game, you'll see that the left-sided central midfielder, because I like to have one of them on a playmaker, is a little bit further forward than the right-sided central midfielder, which I play on box to box. Again, it doesn't matter if you want to flip that, just as long as you have one of them on playmaker and the other on box to box.
There you have it! The custom tactics for the 4-1-2-1-2 narrow. Now go out there and dominate!