FM 2013 Tactic Review: Gaurav’s 4-2-3-1

Hey guys, and welcome to another FM 2013 tactic review. Before the review lets re-cap the testing process

The testing procedure is quite simple: I will install the tactic and use it through pre-season plus six league matches with Spurs. Then I’ll watch each match closely, see what happens and come up with the best review I am capable of. I will also keep track of various statistics in order to be able to compare the essential numbers between this and other tactics that have been or will be analysed. It will be more or less like a benchmarking tool for FM 2013 tactics.

Today’s FM 2013 tactic review is on gaurav’s 4-2-3-1 tactic, an attacking, possession dominating orientated tactic.

Formation

The formation is a 4-2-3-1, with two MC’s, two wide AM’s and one AMC. This is a very attacking formation, but the two MC’s are set to hold their position more or less. One is a deep lying playmaker, assigned the duty of spraying balls off to the more attacking minded team mates, while the other is a central midfielder with defend duty, so he will try to win back possession. Your two wide AM’s are inside forwards, so they offer width with their starting positions but will cut inside leading to a fairly narrow tactic while attacking. The AMC as an attacking midfielder so he is a focal point while moving forward and your poacher is there for one reason and one reason only, to score goals.

Team Instructions

The shape of this FM13 tactic is very attacking, but so are the team instructions. You’ll use a fluid philosophy and try to control the game. With passing set to short there’s no direct route to goal, just making your way through each position. With such a high defensive line and so many players in forward positions it does help to press more.

Your focal point for attacks is the flanks, and namely the left as that inside forward is set to playmaker.

Average Positions

I think the average positions show up all the main issues you could encounter with this system and demonstrate why I’m not a huge fan of the 4-2-3-1. Passing is set to short and yet the MC’s who are meant to be the connection from defence to attack are so far away from the AM’s. Also due to the wide AM’s been set as inside forwards their average position is much more narrow, leading to the AMC getting suffocated by too many bodies, he just doesn’t have anywhere to run.

Also due to the AMC’s attacking duty his average position is too close to the poacher, both players try and find space in the same circles, making them easy to mark out of the match. None of this is an issue should you have the better players, in fact it could lead to some very attractive football, but as the weaker team you’ll get picked off easily and then caught out.

Defending

The screenshot above illustrates how the defensive phase of play works. The AMR and AML track back just before the halfway line to cover, but no further, while the AMC and striker will have almost nothing to do with the defensive phase. Your two MC’s will just match their counterparts, marking any other central midfielders and the back four holds a fairly solid line.

While the image above shows how well the attacking players can close down as soon as possession is lost, it also shows the main hole in this tactic. Just look at all the room and time an opponent could enjoy just in front of the two MC’s and on either side, due to their role and other player positions no one will really boss that area. And with such a high line (shown above) it leaves too much time for the opposition MC’s to pick a long ball in behind your back four, or just pass their way through the middle.

Attacking

This tactic does pile bodies forward in attack and lots tend to attack the same areas. So if you have superior players then it will create some excellent short passing Football, but if you are the weaker side your attacks will just get broken down easily and then leave you caught out. I think this is shown above. As my team attacked down the left, we had Bale deciding whether to cut inside or carry on down the wing, but due to the AMC and poacher, their were already too many opposition bodies waiting. Against a poorer opponent this is no problem as the superior player will always find a way through or play some intricate passes (which is what happened above) but against better opposition, they will get picked off.

However, the video below shows just what happens with this tactic when you are favorites. The high pressure and attacking dominance almost always pays off.

Results

Some good results in there but also one disaster….after re-reading my notes from the Chelsea match, I have to repeat one of them, ‘we were RAPED at the back!’ ;) Just as mentioned above, this tactic is great against the weaker opposition, but that defensive line mixed with those attacking roles just doesn’t work against superior opponents, Chelsea found it all too easy to pass through our midfield and pick us off with long balls in behind.

Statistics

Goals scored: 13 (2.17 per game)

Goals conceded: 5 (0.8 per game)

Shots on target for: 7.17 per game

Shots on target against: 2.83 per game

Clear cut chances for: 0.83 per game

Clear cut chances against: 0.33 per game

Half chances for: 3.17 per game

Half chances against: 1 per game

Ball possession average: 57.33%

No real surprises in those statistics, you’d expect high possession of 57.33% and also a reasonable amount of goals which stood around 2.17 per game. I think we should spend more time on the pro’s and con’s so lets move on…

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Pretty good results.

Excellent high pressure display against weaker opposition.

When AML sticks too the wing, it leaves lots of space to attack between the opposition DC and full back due to AMC and poacher been marked in the middle. (as shown below.)

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High def. line leads to been caught out in behind.

Inside forwards shoot from long range too often.

Too many players attacking the same areas during attacking phase, which leads to congestion.

Suggested Tweaks

I’d start by setting the AMR and AML’s long range shooting to ‘rarely’. The gap between the AM’s and the MC’s is too big and the AMC is too close to the ST. So I’d suggest changing the AMC’s duty to support in an attempt to set his average position a bit deeper, that way he can bridge the gap from those MC’s to the AM’s. I think this tactic needs to be split in two, you should use the control strategy against weaker opposition, but I also think you should use a counter strategy against the superior sides.

FM 2013 Tactic Download

Download the 4-2-3-1 FM 2013 tactic by clicking on the image below:

After downloading the tactic follow these simple steps to install it in FM 2013:

1. Put the downloaded file into this folder: Documents>Sports Interactive>Football Manager 2013>tactics

2. Start your game and go to your team’s tactics screen.

3. Click on the little arrow located to the right of your starting tactic name, move your mouse cursor over “archived tactics” and select this tactic from the menu.

I hope you enjoyed this analysis, more importantly I hope this inspires you to continue my testing and I’m looking forward to your comments. If you want to submit your tactic for analysis please do so using the form below:

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