Alright lads, let's dive into the 4213! This formation is still a beast, and for good reason. It's probably the most effective way to counterattack in the game, just because of how it sets up. But hey, it's not the only formation out there, and it's important to remember that. We're going to tweak things a bit here to focus on building up play more.
Tactics Breakdown
Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the tactics.
- Build Up Play: Short Passing. I love short passing, but I'll leave it on balanced for you guys. If you're struggling to find passes, especially out wide, definitely try short passing. It'll give you a bit more control in your build-up, rather than just relying on quick counterattacks.
- Defensive Approach: High. There was an update recently that changed defensive depth. The 95 depth isn't as effective as it used to be. You can still use it later in a game if you're losing and want to press late on, but it's more situational now. I prefer 70 depth because it strikes a good balance between triggering offside traps and not sitting too deep.
- Team Pressing: You can team press using the D-pad for a lot longer now, which is useful. Be aware that pressing high will drain your stamina, which is how it should be. Before, there weren't really any drawbacks to using 95 depth, which was a bit crazy.
Player Instructions
Let's talk about player instructions, lads.
- Goalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper and Balanced.
- Center Backs: Defender and Defend. The best in the game, lads. Touch them, come here, I will find you if you change them. Anything else, you just get punished for it, especially with the stamina drain.
- Fullbacks: Fullback Balance. A lot of people use Fullback Defend, but I don't like it in this formation because they sit too deep. The gap between your wingers and fullbacks becomes massive. With Fullback Balance, they'll step up and bridge that gap. You could also try False Back Defend, where your fullbacks step into midfield, creating a four-man midfield when attacking. It's really useful.
- CDMs: Deep Line Playmaker. You can play this however you want. If I'm losing and want to put more pressure on, they both go into Build Up. Some games I even start in Build Up, depending on how I'm feeling. It's a good tactic to switch the focus and make your team instantly more attacking.
- CAM: Playmaker and Balanced. A lot of people use Shadow Striker, but I don't personally like it in this formation. I prefer either the classic 10, which is really good if you want your CAM to stay in the middle of the pitch all the time, or Playmaker. I love Playmaker because they offer a little bit more defensively as well.
- Striker: Advance Forward and Attack.
- Wingers: Inside Forward and Balanced.
Gameplay and Player Attributes
Now, let's get into the gameplay and the types of players you need.
- Center Backs: You need them to be lengthy. With the pace of the game, lengthy center backs are going to allow you to catch up the play.
- Fullbacks: I like them to be able to pass. Having some passing play styles on your fullbacks is really, really useful.
- CDMs: I want them to be box-to-box. They need to be able to shoot, pass, score, dribble, the lot, and defend. Defensive play styles are so important. Having Anticipate and Intercept is probably my favorite, and having some form of Bruiser is really useful in this position. And then just having as many passing play styles as you can, lads, because it's going to help you break lines.
- CAM: They are going to get lots of opportunities to score, so make sure they can put the ball away for you.
- Striker: Your best player on the pitch. Make sure you're using someone insane. Give a lengthy striker like a Luis Suarez or a Thierry Henry a go. It will change your life.
- Wingers: You want them to be like forwards. You want them to be able to stick away the ball because they are going to get a lot of chances. But having passing play styles on these guys is so important because they're going to help obviously in the buildup and especially around the edge of the box. For your strikers or your forwards, having Incisive Pass is nice. Tiki Taka is probably the most important. I love Tiki Taka, it allows you to ping that ball between each of them.
That's the 4213, lads. The best formation in the game, let's be real.