4-3-3 False 9 // DOMINATING xG, Possession & Goals

Hi guys,

Welcome to my first tactic created for Football Manager 2024.

This time it's not an emulation tactic, it's a tactic I created by myself from scratch to test the new game and also try the false 9 role which did not work well in FM 23.

My tactic is a 4-3-3 possession based tactic with a positive mentality, a wide attacking width, short passes, much lower tempo.

I choose to build the play from the back and to let my wing-backs overlap to exploit the flanks. To retain possession more, I also choose to dribble less and play for set pieces. For the transition phase, counter press paired with hold position, I don't want to risk counter-attacks leaving spaces behind.

For the defensive (out of possession phase) I choose an higher defensive and pressing line, a very intensive press paired with preventing short gk distributions, stay on feet to avoid to get too many cards and stay up more.

The player roles and instructions are:
sweeper-keeper on defend, with no instructions.

The right wing-back on attack is instructed to dribble less, mark tigther, dribble less and short passes. Since I want to retain possession as more as possible, "short passing" is an instruction I selected for nearly all players.

The left full back is an inverted wing-back on attack (this is because I want to emulate Theo Hernandez's moves to the center, I instructed him to mark tigther, pass it shorter and close down more.

The two central defenders are one ball playing defender on defend (short passing, close down more and mark tigther) and a central defender on defend (close down less, short passing, take less risks, mark tigther).

Let's now examine the midfield trio: a deep-lying playmaker on defend (mark tigther, short passing, close down more), a box to box midfielder ( short passing, close down more, mark tigther), and a mezzala on attack (dribble more, pass shorter, close down more, mark tigther) .

The three forwards are two inside forwards on attack (i want both of them to stay wider to exploit the flanks, short passing, hold up the ball because I want to retain possession more, mark tigther) and a false nine (short passing, roam from space).

With this tactic (alternated with a 4-3-3 narrow attacking tactic in some games) I managed to win the treble with AC Milan and Giroud was topscorer with 27 goals in Serie A, besides, my team was the best for defense, attack, possession and xg.



Hope this tactic works for you too.

Thank you all for reading this post.

A hug from your Tikitaka Master