High Pressing 4-1-4-1

I started my first save on FM15 at Twente and managed them for two seasons, after a trophyless first season I won the domestic double in my 2nd season (Eredivisie and Dutch Cup). At the end of my 2nd season I got offered the Ajax job and I won the domestic double with them in my first season plus the Dutch Super Cup at the beginning of that season. After 3 seasons in Holland with 4 titles (5 if you count the Super Cup) I was offered the United job.

At Twente I used a counter attacking 4141 specifically designed to beat Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV who all beat me in that first season. At Ajax I used a possession based 433 with a false 9, the football was fantastic and we dominated the league and lost in the CL quarters to Real Madrid (2-1 on agg). In my first season at United I used the possession based 433 and struggled, I only finished 4th on GD ahead of Liverpool. This is where I created the structured, high pressing, narrow 4141.

Mentality: Attacking

Team Shape: Structured

Player roles and instructions:

Both CB's: Central defender (defend), (close down less, pass it shorter)
LB and RB: Full back (attack), (close down less, pass it shorter, cross from byline, sit narrower, run wide with ball)
DM: Deep lying playmaker (defend), (close down less, more direct passes)
RM and LM: Wide playmaker (attack), (get further forward, close down much more, more direct passes)
RCM: Box to box (support), (close down more, more direct passes)
LCM: Roaming playmaker (support), (close down much more, more direct passes)
False nine (support¬), (close down much more, roam from position, pass it shorter)

The main thing I love about this tactic is that your players (especially the midfielders) will hunt in packs to retrieve the ball, this leads to them leaving their positions sometimes but that's fine because my back four and DM will be there to cover if the other team beats the press. This tactic also allows you to hugely outnumber your opponents in midfield, you have the midfield 3 + the wide playmakers sitting narrow and the false 9 dropping deep, you sometimes have 6 against 2 or 3 in the middle and if you count the full backs who always overlap the wide playmakers you have 8 against 3 in the middle, the opposition will struggle to take the ball off you and this will lead to high possession numbers without trying for high possession.

The wide playmakers are very versatile, often operating as a CM, sometimes as no 10s and sometimes as wide strikers, let me know what you guys think of the tactic and let me know if I missed anything out that you think is useful!

I introduced this tactic in my 2nd season and won the league, lost in the final of the Capital One Cup, lost in the 6th round of the FA Cup and lost in the quarters of the CL on away goals. However, despite what sounds like an average season I won the league with 93 points, the highest goals scored and least goals conceded. I got bored of the save after my 2nd season at United but with a couple of signings I could've won a lot more in the 3rd season.

Results

Download it, use it and let me know how you get on.