Introduction
I often hear and read people saying the only way to be successful in this game is to play with a gegenpress. This tactic is built with the sole purpose of showing people other styles of play are viable.
The Tactic
The shape is a 4-1-4-1 or 4-5-1 however you prefer to categorise your systems. The heartbeat of the team is the Regista he is responsible for driving the team forward being the creative force in midfield. To get the best out of the Regista he is shielded by a BBM and BWM who look to create time and space on the ball for the Regista.
When the ball has been the lost the team will look to get back into a defensively strong shape and make it difficult for the opponents to play through them, The aim is to frustrate the opponents by limiting their passing options forcing them to make high risk passes with little chance of being successful. When the ball has been won back the team will counter at pace to expose the space left behind the opponent's backline due to them being drawn out to help break down the defensive shape.
Without the ball, the team holds a high line of engagement and defensive line limiting the space in which the opponents have to play between the lines. The pressing intensity is the least you can do as the aim is to hold a shape and make it difficult for teams to play through a shape without opening gaps.
Results
![FM24 2025-26 Real Fixture & Results (Start in 2025) [18-10-2025]](https://www.fmscout.com/datas/users/realresult_artv2_257759.png)
Discussion: 4-5-1 Light Press // FM20 Tactic
17 comments have been posted so far.
A combination of high lines and no pressing with an offside trap is extremely risky as you are instructing no one to pressure the passer of the through ball.
This is high lines without the actual press taking place. Absolutely no one in real football plays this way. It's tactical suicide.
But as mentioned before on FM it may work as no matter what anyone says FM is not a tactical representation of real football in any correct form, particularly from the defensive standpoint.
To set up a counter attacking tactic where you will concede possession 'safely' but be effective on the counter I would have standard or lower than standard lines, regroup, pass in to space and high pressing activated. This is a classic 'low block' counter set up. The press is initiated only when the lower line of engagement is reached.
As we've both mentioned though on FM it is very difficult to replicate due the OP of the GG Press tactical style.
Was questioning your decision to put a RB as 'Mark Tall Player' since you know, they are usually not as good in the air as a CB but I conceded 0 goals from corners so what do I know.
Would personally like to see you put more stats, and stats that speaks what the tactic won't do. As an example, when I simmed I got 42% possession which for me low(lowest in the league). That one should be obvious but for me it is a big difference between that and the 46% which I thought I was gonna get. Also noticed that there were few fouls and cards.
Haha that’s a silver lining then and I’ve never claimed to be a tactic expert the only person who’s claimed to be an expert is yourself.
As for you helping to people to create a low block counter tactic you stated in your previous comments that it doesn’t work. I’m more than happy to engage in a discussion you however not so much as you clearly think you know better than everybody else.
For the record I'm now finished with commentating on other peoples tactics. The majority of 'tactics experts' are far from the title suggests as you've nicely illustrated here. You're also a sensitive bunch when challenged which says more than enough.
Suffice to say if anyone wants help with a low block counter tactic I'm available in pm.
I haven't even started on work ball in to box being the wrong choice, offside trap being the wrong choice, a BWM being the wrong choice & not highlighting pass in to space to help the counter being a wrong choice.
Other than those.... Nice tactic.
I'm done.
Your sitting high just not counter pressing or pressing at all which in real football would never work. On FM though maybe.
Actually reading this tactic it isn't actually sitting deep as the initial blurb suggests, it's sitting static... Which is interesting to say the least & pretty impossible in real football. I don't know of any teams that sit with high lines but don't press in real football, it's suicide. In FM though, maybe.
I would have thought lower block lines with higher pressing would be a better plan, you could build a nice counter attacking style from this.
So pressing is high but engagement is low, this means you have more space to counter as opposed to a low pressure press with higher lines.
So your DM at CM & your four midfielders as attacking midfielders?
Give it a go for a Regroup system, you can afford to lower your line of engagement for this as well.