Sir Alex 4-4-2 with Man Utd 98/99 / FM21 Tactic

The 442, synonymous with a rather boring structure; flat, predictable and to be blunt, a little out-dated. Knap, alongside Cult of FM, wanted to change that. The result was the recreation of Alex Ferguson's exciting, attacking, ground-breaking 442.

Using the players as a starting block, they created the roles within Football Manager to stay true to the authentic Manchester United team of 1998/99. Focusing an attacking pace down the left with Ryan Giggs, and utilising a creative Wide Midfielder on the right with David Beckham.

Chance creation was off the chart, couple that with an attacking presence of two Advanced Forwards that Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Ruud van Nistelrooy would fight over, the tactic created goals - very much like the 98/99 themselves.

The Team Instructions are important in this tactic, but not as much as player instructions: most players are instructed to Mark Tighter and Tackle Harder, which compliments the team instruction of Extremely Urgent pressing. The emphasis being to suffocate the opponent high up the pitch and create chances.

The tactic is set up to overload the box and put cross after cross into the area. We all know how deadly Becks was at whipping that ball in, this tactic makes the most of that asset.

For the results of a year's sim, you can find the results on our FM Scout YT channel (video below), safe to say they are incredible and the work that Knap and Cult of FM have put into it, truly pays homage to the classic, original 442.