Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce 2024-25 4-2-3-1

Hi guys
this is my last tactic dedicated to Josè Mourinho's historical tactics.
This time I emulated for you his Fenerbahche 4-2-3-1 tacitic, of course I did not buy any players in the two player transfers session. When I create my career savegames I always block the first session (summer 2023) and I skip January 2024 winter session refusing all offers for my players too, I do this to play with the same players the real team has to see if my tactic is realistic or not.
Besides, I never touch the set pieces, corners, free-kicks, throw-in section, when the game prompt me to the set pieces creation screen after creating the tactic, I always select what my staff believes is the best option and then leave all of it and the training to my staff, this because I don't want to influence how my tactic works, I want to see how it works without any influence.
Having that said, let's first see how Mourinho plays this year.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS: JOSE MOURINHO’S FENERBACHE 2024-25[h3][/h3]

One of the most iconic figures in modern football management, Jose Mourinho now leads the ambitious project at Fenerbahçe, aiming to re-establish the club as the dominant force in Turkish football and a contender on the European stage.
But how attainable is this vision? At the center of the discussion lies Mourinho’s tactical approach — once revolutionary, but more recently questioned due to mixed results in his latest roles.
This analysis looks into how Mourinho has set up his Fenerbahçe side, and what tactical principles he's trying to instill in the squad.

Before Joining Fenerbahçe
Mourinho's legacy as a manager has been built on redefining the role itself. In the early 2000s, he wasn’t just known for winning — he became a global personality, elevating the position of coach to that of football superstar.
Coming from a footballing family — his father having played professionally — Mourinho began as a forward but soon realized his strengths lay off the pitch. With early coaching stints in Portugal, his real break came when he became an assistant and translator for Bobby Robson. This experience helped him grow into a strategist in his own right.
After brief periods with Benfica and União de Leiria, his success at FC Porto — particularly the UEFA Champions League victory — put him on the global map.

The Last Decade
Following his triumphs in Portugal, he went on to manage some of Europe’s biggest clubs — Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. His stint in Spain marked a peak, but the end of that tenure started a new pattern: short-lived spells at big clubs.
Subsequent roles at Chelsea (again), Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Roma all ended with his departure before long-term projects could fully take shape.
Now, with Fenerbahçe — one of Turkey’s most historic clubs — Mourinho has taken on a fresh challenge. His arrival was met with great fanfare, especially as the club made several high-profile signings to match its ambitions.
Currently, despite a strong winning run, the team trails behind its fierce rivals Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig standings.


Tactical Identity
Few coaches have their methods so closely tied to their name. Mourinho’s tactical style has often been labeled as defensive, pragmatic, and combative — the very opposite of possession-focused managers like Guardiola or Cruyff. Still, this portrayal doesn't tell the full story.
His philosophy emphasizes team structure over individual brilliance. Training sessions often revolve around exploiting opposition weaknesses, instilling discipline, and preparing players to adapt to various in-game scenarios.
Mourinho’s teams traditionally sit deep, waiting for moments to launch precise counter-attacks. He values work rate and organization above flair, and often opts for a four-man defense. His emphasis is clear: minimize risk, even if it means conceding possession.
At his best, Mourinho was also known for forging strong team unity — an ability that helped him succeed at clubs like Inter Milan. However, this same approach has led to high-profile clashes with players not aligned with his methods.

Formations and Adjustments
At Fenerbahçe, Mourinho’s preferred setup is the familiar 4-2-3-1, a shape he’s frequently used throughout his managerial journey. Many of the players signed have experience operating in this kind of system.
On occasion, he has experimented with other formations — such as 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1, and even 4-2-2-2 — showing that flexibility is still part of his game plan.
In certain matches, such as the recent loss to Besiktas, Mourinho organized his squad into two clear blocks: five defensive-minded players and five attacking ones, attempting to dominate central areas while exposing gaps in the opposition.

Defensive Organization
Defense remains a cornerstone of Mourinho’s approach. In Turkey, he's attempted to rebuild the defense into a solid, reliable unit — with promising results, although the transformation isn’t yet complete.
The system is designed to limit space between the lines, making it hard for creative players to operate centrally. Instead, opponents are often forced to play wide — a long-standing Mourinho tactic aimed at reducing the risk of central errors.
Forwards are instructed to drop back, supporting the full-backs who push higher to apply pressure. This coordinated shape helps limit threats while maintaining compactness.
Often, the back line resembles a trio, with two center-backs handling direct runs, while a defensive midfielder — such as Amrabat, Fred, or Yuksek — positions himself just ahead, acting as a shield and aiding in buildup play.
Statistically, Fenerbahçe boasts one of the best defensive records in the league. Their goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, has been a standout performer. Still, narrow losses to key rivals have proven costly in the title race.

Attacking Patterns
So, what kind of attacking players does Mourinho rely on? Typically, he favors strikers who combine physicality with discipline and smart movement.
To bring his ideas to life at Fenerbahçe, several experienced forwards were brought in. Though some are past their peak — like Dzeko — they still offer quality and leadership. Others, such as Saint-Maximin and Tadic, bring unpredictability and flair.
The team’s attacking approach adapts depending on the opponent. On the break, Fenerbahçe can be lethal. Midfielders like Yuksek and Szymanski contribute defensively, and once the ball is recovered, the transition is quick — with Tadic and the wingers leading the charge and Dzeko finishing the move.

In Possession: Build-Up Play
When holding the ball, the setup changes. Mourinho wants fast, clean passing through the midfield. Central defenders start the play, moving the ball to the pivot players, who attract pressure and create openings.
The shape transitions to a 4-3-3 in possession. Dzeko leads the line, with Saint-Maximin on the left. Tadic or Aydin are deployed on the right, and a playmaker connects the lines.
Though simple in design, this method has brought results. Dzeko, at 38, remains productive — averaging almost 3 shots per game and contributing key passes regularly.
Tadic, too, has contributed goals and assists, operating as both creator and finisher depending on the match scenario.



HOW TO CREATE THIS TACTIC IN FOOTBALL MANAGER 2024

To emulate this tactic in Football Manager 2024, we start from a basic 4-2-3-1 DM Wide setup with a balanced mentality, but if you are playing with a much stronger team against a weaker one you can use a positive mentality.

Tactic Overview

[img] https://fmshots.com/image/wmoU05[/img]


In Possession

In possession, as said in the analysis before, Fenerbache builds the play from the back with central defenders, the goalkeeper is rarely involved in the build-up and he does not moves forward to position himself between the two central defenders, but stays deeper and passes the ball to them. The left fulll-back Osterwolde often plays as an inverted full-back who sits narrower becoming the third central defender while on the other side the right wing-back Muldur moves forward and supports the attack, alternating underlaps and overlaps. For this reason, we can select a fairly narrow attacking width combined with shorter passes, two instructions that help our team to maintain possession because if the players are close to each other, it's easier for them to play short passes that are difficult to intercept for the opponents. Mourinho wants to play simple and to progress the ball forward fast, that's why we can select a slightly higher tempo. Other important instructions are play out of defense and underlap right to ask Muldur to underlap. In the final third, low crosses help our team to exploit cutbacks and be more expressive to give more freedom to more technical players like Tadic and Saint Maximin.

[img] https://fmshots.com/image/wmoQc4[/img]


In Transition

In transition, as said in the analysis, the formation switches to a 3-2-5 or even to a 3-1-6 when Fred is higher, Ismail (or Amrabat) will drop deepr and act as a shield.
This year Mourinho prioritizes an high and intensive pressing to win the ball back as soon as possibile, so in this tactic, we can find a great difference compared to all the other tactics emulations, the instruction counterpress instead of regroup. After winning the ball back, Fenerbahce launches fast counter-attacks from higher positions in the opponent's half where it's easier to create chances. The goalkeeper just rolls it out and distributes to center backs

[img] https://fmshots.com/image/wmoc9J [/img]

Out of Possession

In defense, the formation switches to a 4-4-2 with the two full-backs moving forward closer to the wingers who drop back alongside the two central midfielders, forming two lines of four players very compact to reduce spaces that can be exploited by the opponent. Mourinho wants to force the opponent to play far from central areas and hug the touchline, so that it's easier for Fenerbache players to stop the opponent with the ball. Compactness and reducing the spaces between the lines is also crucial for Mourinho, besides, despite defending mainly in a mid-block, when playing against teams who prioritize possession and building from the back, Fenerbache will press higher to force the opponent to commit mistakes or play long balls that are easily intercepted by Fenerbache central defenders.
For this reason, we can select mid block line of engagement (but when playing against possession teams we can change to higher), a standard defensive line . pressing much more often, prevent short gk distribution, get stuck in and trap outside.

[img] https://fmshots.com/image/wmodjT[/img]


Players roles and instructions

Goalkeeper: Livakovic: sweeper-keeper (defend) no instructions

Livakovic is not very often involved in the build-up, he passes the ball to the central defenders who start the play and he does not move forward between them, but stays a bit deeper to avoid getting caught off-guard.

Right back: Mert Muldur: wing-back (attack): take more risks, cross more often, mark tighter.
Muldur on the right side supports the attack, alternating undelaps and overlaps and exchanging position with Tadic, the right winger. He tries to create chances with crosses and vertical passes too.

Left back: Osterwolde: inverted full-back (defend): take more risks, cross more often, mark tighter
Osterwolde plays as an inverted full-back, when building up from the back he becomes the third central defender positioning himself closer to the central defenders. He tries crosses when the opportunity arises and when defending he supports Maximin (who drops back) to cover the left flank and tries to stop the opponents higher. This way, the two full-backs will keep the defensive line very compact and close to the first pressing line, the midfield line, with the two wingers Maximin and Tadic who drop back alongside the two defensive midfielders

Central defenders Soyunku and Skriniar: ball playing defender (defend): no instructions
The two central defenders have the task to start building from the back, they do not move forward with the ball but try to pass the ball to the closest defensive midfielder who acts as a shield.

Left defensive midfeidler: Ismail: balll-winning midfielder (defense): no instructions
Fenerbache defensive midfielders are staggered, this makes it difficult for the opponent to press them because when one is pressed the other is free.
Ismail often drops deeper in the build-up phase to act as a shield and offer a passing option, forming a 4-men line with the left full back and the two central defenders.

Right defensive midfielder:Fred: roaming playmaker (support): no instructions
Fred and Ismail will often make breaking-line passes to progress the ball forward towards the opponent's penalty area as soon as possible, Fred moves forward more than Ismail and has more freedom to try vertical passes and also change play from one side to the other, mainly from left to right where Muldur is much higher on the pitch.

Central attacking midfielder: Szymanski: attacking midfielder (support): roam from position, move into channels
This is a very important role because Szymansk ability in finding the best position allows Mourinho to switch from the 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 in possession (Szymanski drops deeper acting as a third central midfielder)

Right winger: Tadic: advanced playmaker (or winger) (attack): roam from position
I believe the winger role is probably the most suitable one to emulate Tadic position because he often sits narrower close to Szymanski and Dzeko and cut inside with the ball but he can be used also as an advanced playmaker who will stay on the flank and swap position with Muldur, when the latter overlaps, Tadic cuts inside, when Muldur underlaps Tadic stays wider.

Left winger: Saint-Maximin: winger (attack): cut inside with the ball, roam from position
The French winger is a danger for the opponent on the left flank, he will look for the best position for shooting or passing, exploiting spaces open by Dzeko's dropping deep movement , he will move forward into the box or exploit spaces between the opponent central defenders and right full-back.

Dzeko: complete forward (support): no instructions

Dzeko leads the line in attack and drops deeper to link the play and open spaces for the other attacking players.


Stats

[img] https://fmshots.com/image/wmoMS7 [/img]

[img] https://fmshots.com/image/wmo7GH[/img]

If you want to see highlights , stats and more details of this tactic please watch my video on my youtube channel


If you want to read my tactic analysis on my site here

FM 24 Analysis: https://sites.google.com/view/fmcalciomaestro/football-manager-hub/football-manager-2024/tactics-emulations/il-fenerbache-di-jos%C3%A9-mourinho-2024-25

Tactic Analysis: https://sites.google.com/view/fmcalciomaestro/tactic-analysis/rest-of-the-world/il-fenerbahche-2024-25-di-jos%C3%A8-mourinho
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