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Football Manager 2016 tactics guide
The formations you should use to take your team to the top in Football Manager 2016.
Don’t want to get sacked in the new Football Manager game? You’ve come to the right place. Sports Interactive chief Miles Jacobson has already given us his Football Manager 2016 tips, so you should know that utilising your scouts and creating a harmonious squad is important, but it’s on match day that every manager is judged as you need to choose the right tactics and formation to outplay the opposition.
Our Football Manager 2016 tactics guide features three formations that you should use to give yourself the best chance of winning the league. We’ll also tell you how to make decisions that can turn a match in your favour, and give you advice on when to use substitutions.
More: Sign the best young players with our Football Manager world-beating wonderkid XI
How to play 4-2-3-1
Football Manager 2016: 4-2-3-1
© Sports Interactive
This is a formation that regularly gets used in the Premier League today. It is quite a balanced formation, allowing you to tweak the settings in order to become more defensive or attacking depending on how the match is going at the time. During my time with the FM16 beta, I have found this tactic to be one of the most successful ones
You want to play a 4-2-3-1 on a Counter mentality with a Fluid team shape. I strongly recommend you have the wide players set to Inside Forward rather than direct wingers. This means that the wide players will cut in and try and support the lone striker - a great way to flood the opposition’s defence with your attacking players in order to grab a goal.
You want your striker to be great in the complete forward role. This means he will link up the play as well as carve out chances for himself. A good example would be Olivier Giroud, and although you may not have the funds to buy him, you should scout for players with good finishing, composure, strength and balance stats. Heading and jumping reach would also be fantastic for when crosses are coming into the box.
This is how you should set up your team in a 3-5-2 formation.
GK: Goalkeeper - Defend
DR: Full Back - Automatic
DCR: Central Defender - Defend
DCL: Central Defender - Defend
DL: Full Back - Automatic
MCR: Ball Winning Midfielder - Defend
MCL: Central Midfielder - Support
AMR: Inside Forward - Support
AMC: Advanced Playmaker - Attack
AML: Inside Forward - Support
STC: Complete Forward - Attack
How to play 4-4-2
Football Manager 2016 tactics: 4-4-2
© Sports Interactive
A traditional flat 4-4-2 is a great, simple formation that works a treat, especially when managing a lower league team. It gives your team that balance, perfectly blending defending and attacking. You might score more goals with a 4-2-3-1, but with a 4-4-2 your team will be hard to beat if you set it up like this.
With a flat 4-4-2, you ideally want to control the game with a structured team shape. This should ideally limit the opposition's attacks. The midfield is key here, especially the two centre midfielders. The ball-winning midfielder has to be of a certain type. You want a strong, tall player who can dominate the midfield, intercepting and breaking down attacks for a good 60-70 minutes. He also has to have a decent level of marking and tackling, two stats which are critical to the success of this formation.
Your wingers are also the key to success in the 4-4-2 formation. They need to be quick, good at dribbling and have the ability to cross for your strikers to grab themselves the goals to win you football matches.
This is how you should set up your team in a 4-4-2 formation.
GK: Goalkeeper - Defend
DR: Full Back - Defend
DCR: Central Defender - Defend
DCL: Central Defender - Defend
DL: Full Back - Defend
MR: Winger - Attack
MCR: Ball Winning Midfielder - Defend
MCL: Deep Lying Playmaker - Support
ML: Winger - Attack
STCR: Complete Forward - Attack
STCL: Deep Lying Forward - Support
How to play 3-5-2
Football Manager 2016 tactics: 3-5-2
© Sports Interactive
Here is a more attacking option for you to consider when setting up your team. A good 3-5-2 will get you the goals that will help you storm up the league. To get the most out of this formation, you need to place it on an Attacking mentality, with a Fluid team shape.
This is a demanding formation, and you need to have three commanding central defenders in your team. Without them, the opposition will simply run through them, leaving you two or three down within the first half. Strength, tackling and marking are three of the main things you want to look for when choosing players for this particular formation. Wing-backs are even more crucial in this team, and as you will be looking for them to get forward whenever possible, you’ll need them to possess fantastic pace and have the ability to cross. This is why Hector Bellerin is so good in a 3-5-2.
This is how you should set up your team in a 3-5-2 formation.
GK: Goalkeeper - Defend
DCR: Central Defender - Defend
DC: Central Defender - Defend
DCL: Central Defender - Defend
WBR: Wing Back - Automatic
WBL: Wing Back - Automatic
MCR: Advanced Playmaker - Attack
MC: Ball Winning Midfielder - Defend
MCL: Advanced Playmaker - Attack
STCR: Target Man - Attack
STCL: Defensive Forward - Support
How to change a game
Use team instructions to come back from defeat
© Sports Interactive
You are 1-0 down in the 75th minute. It is the FA Cup Final. You can feel the trophy slipping from your grasp as the seconds pass by, but you can pull this back!. It is a hard task, but with careful management, you can do it. This is where the team instructions come into play.
If you are playing a shorter passing game, you should definitely think about taking a more direct passing approach, even go route one if it is past the 80th minute. If you are playing the 4-4-2, you may want to push your wingers up higher, as well as your deep lying midfielder. A higher tempo is also a good bet if you are desperate to get back into a game that you are losing.
However, if you are winning by one goal with little time left, then you'll need to slow it down, start to waste time and have your defensive line deeper than it was originally. You'll also want to change your mentality to either Defensive or Contain depending on how defensive you actually want to go.
When to make substitutions
Is there a right time to bring on a sub? It depends on the circumstances in the game and if you have been given yellow cards. If two or three players have collected yellows in the first half, I would strongly advise to take two of them off at half-time. If the referee has been lenient with your team, you should definitely start making subs around the 55 minute mark. I would then follow that up with substitutions in the 65th and 75th minute, while keeping in mind injuries and low fitness.
Still losing? Sign some new players!
There are many different formations to choose from. That’s the beauty of Football Manager - you’re free to do what you want, but if you are still losing badly with the tactics I have provided, it is probably time to start looking at your first XI. There is a in-depth scouting system available in Football Manager 2016 which allows you to look for players with specific attributes - look for players that suit the role best and go from there. It is about getting the right group of players together, and working hard as a team in order to sustain great results on the pitch.
This Football Manager 2016 tactics guide was written after playing the FM 2016 beta.
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