Well said, completely agree

Very kind words, thank you 🙏

That's very much appreciated, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. The real challenge will be if I can be insightful on any other type of tactical approach 🤣

no need! You identified the strengths as well as the weaknesses of tiki taka/ positional play, and showed how to counteract them in order to create an amazing tactic 😀

Too kind 🙏 Pressure's on to follow it up now!

Thank you 🙏 Tifo are definitely an inspiration for how they break down and visualise their analysis, so I'm glad that came across. My next video (start of a Sampdoria save, not a tactic video I'm afraid) might contain a more obvious Tifo rip off 🤣

Thank you very much, dude.

Thank you!! The big challenge is following this up on styles I'm less familiar with. Or just repackaging this in slightly different ways and hoping noone notices 🤣

Thank you! Most things are possible (in an FM context, at least) - just need to strip it back to the basics and work out what is actually required.

Much apprecated, thank you!

Thank you, very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you very much 🙏

I really appreciate it, thank you 🙏

Thank you 🙏, very kind words. Which team have you ended up with?

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and hopefully it covers something a little different.

Thank you, dude!!

Glad you enjoyed it, and hope it helps!

The beauty of FM is there are many ways to approach tactic building. As mentioned in the video, this is actually very effective for pressing, because it occupies all 5 channels in attack, meaning you have plenty of players forward to engage in a counter-press. And it showed in the results; with our ability to win the ball back effectively and high. The formation is actually secondary. We define the attacking shape first based on the players available, and then build the support structure around it. If I use the same approach for a different team, the formation and roles will be very different. (P.S. Your English was perfectly fine!)

No worries. Hope it helps!

It's okay to drop the rivalry every now and then... ...especially when we're literally leagues apart 😉

Thank you very much 🙏 I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you, and glad you enjoyed it. I will add tactic videos when they are relevant to the saves I am playing; meaning the styles will be based on what's appropriate for the team I manage at the time. It also means that there probably won't be another tactic video for many weeks. I'd recommend checking out RDF Tactics, too, if you want more frequent/dedicated tactics channel.

Bless you, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it, and hoefully there'll be more to enjoy soon.

Glad you enjoyed the video! I do have a soft spot for 3-at-the-back formations, probably due to Villa using it in real life when I started following football; so it's great to see it's resurgence in recent years. That said, you can't go wrong with a 4-3-3; a lot of flexibility and is likely to be what I use in my next save.

@@mustermannfm I have been a fan for the 433 for a long time now. I reckon the first time I used it was on FM12 and from there I never felt 'safe' with any other tactic. Btw, just watched the whole Aston Villa saga, amazing! Have you consider the next team to do the one-season shot thingy?

@@FariasBk Sorry, for some reason your comment was flagged for review and I only just noticed (you can tell I'm new to this 🤣) Yes, the next team is Sampdoria. Obviously they got relegated in real life, but also they finished bottom of Serie A in the Villa save, too - so it should be a good challenge to keep them up. I've got a very different presentation style coming up for it - I see it as a good opportunity to experiment now before FM24 comes out!

Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for your feedback. As this is supplementary to the save (FM One Shots: Aston Villa - Breaking The Top 4), there is footage of it in action within those videos.

Thank you very much!

Thank you 🙏 glad you enjoyed it

Much appreciated from a legend such as yourself!

Thank you! Got to love a 3-at-the-back system. That added bit of defensive security, and a suprising amount of flexibility.

Firstly, thank you 🙏 Secondly, sure! Probably easiest to get me on twitter: @mustermannfm. Or, actually might be better to upload your save to somewhere like mediafire and send me the link. That way I can see the squad/players, too.

@@mustermannfm ΟΚ thanks! Will do it ASAP...Now I'm going to watch the Samp video, sorry!

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video, and hope you do likewise from the skin!

Thank you 🙏 Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you very much 🙏

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

I love Bertie, but he never quite got going with us

They'd definitely be an interesting team, especially with the frail defence at the other end, too! Could be quite challenging. Unfortunately I won't be doing videos on specific teams. Tactic videos will be supplementary to the saves I do; looking at the philosophy and application, but will outline the approach so they can be used with other teams.

It's all about balance, and what is appropriate to the squad. If you have 2 wing-backs that you want involved in the attacking phase, putting them in a back 4 is very risky. Firstly, they have to cover a lot of ground, being actively involved in both the attacking and defensive phases. They will tire quickly and be more prone to mistakes. Secondly, they leave the flanks vulnerable in transition. For this reason, a 3-man back line in your rest defence structure (the defensive shape when you have possession) helps to mititgate some of those issues. There's initial cover in the wide areas as the two outside defenders are closer to the danger area, and more players in that line means they have less ground to cover laterally. This can be achieved with a Half-Back at DM, dropping deep and splitting your centrebacks. This can create problems, though. In initial transition, the half back will be in the defensive line, but eventually he will step back into midfield. This essentially creates two moments of transition with different defensive structures. To work effectively you need highly intuitive players. For those reasons, I would almost always advise a 3-at-the-back system if you insist on having both wing-backs involved in the attacking phase. This gives them freedom to concentrate on their attacking output, and gives you a much more solid rest defence. A back 4 is better suited when one of your wide-defenders is able to either stay deep or step into the midfield line. A great example of all this is Liverpool. They used to have both Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold bomb forward. With their gegenpress being less effective this season, opposition teams were able to exploit the massive gaps in wide areas, which caused the centre-backs to need to cover large areas and opening up further holes on the counter. To combat this, Liverpool eventually inverted Trent Alexander-Arnold and used him as a 6 in possession. This isn't just because he's a capable passer. It means the recovery position from in possession to out of possession is much shorter, allowing them to recover into their defensive structure quickly and reduce their vulnerability to the counter attack.

Hey man, this is incredible stuff ! I really appreciate you taking time out to explain the idea/theory behind your suggestions. It makes total sense from what you’ve said about the strengths / weaknesses of having wingbacks in a back 4, and I guess that’s what the video was partly about, mitigating the weaknesses whatever setup ! Instead of wingbacks, have fullbacks in a back 4 if that makes sense. I’m currently doing a Salernitana save, going through the initial assessment of squad, I’ve realised they’ve got good wingbacks but no real wingers / iw or width up front, so makes sense to use a back 3 with wingbacks who will provide that width. Their strength also comes from central midfield with all round players ! Man, I would have sat through an deep dive of such an analysis you’ve created in the video, however long it was, really enjoy this stuff to help get better at the game !!

@@VishalPatel-ne2iy no problem! You can definitely use a wingback in a back 4, but I wouldn't use 2. Not unless you have truly elite defenders/defensive midfielders. Sadly, I don't think Salernitana do. As simple as it sounds, the key to a possession-heavy style of play is to ensure you have the ability to build up and recycle possession. If all your players are rushing to join the attacking phase, you will struggle to progress the ball or retain it in the final third. Good luck with Salernitana. Just started my Sampdoria challenge, and haven't faced them yet. At a glance, it looks like the AI's tactics is a 3-5-2 where they just give it to Dia and let him do whatever he wants 😂

Thank you for the kind words. I'd heartily recommend having a look here (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m9lmlLGDvZPHc2Q.html) for setting up a backup; in terms of identifying the tweaks to your current setup. Always much better to have your own tactic than a downloaded one in my opinion, as you then have a far better idea of what impact each tweak will have! If not, though, the tactic is linked in the description on this video.

@@mustermannfm Thanks I’ll check the video out

Thank you! You can download it here: community.sigames.com/forums/topic/569678-fm23skin-mustermann-23-v303-updated-100623-new-skin-added/#comments In the video it is the MPGD skin, albeit with some slight changes to showcase the facepack by Lucky Luke.

Bro you’ve got a new subscriber in me

9:45 Btw how do you make sure only the right players get the opportunities? Like is it simply this tactic making it happen or something else

The initial squad assessment. We identified which players are appropriate for each corridor and how they will contribute. By having an Attacking Inverted Winger (Bailey/Traore) or Shadow Striker (Ramsey) as the secondary goalscoring threat in appropriate roles to ensure they are in central positions looking to get into the box, we ensure that the best possible players are getting the chances. Similarly we've balanced our creativity; the players in wide positions are suitable to wide positions; creative players are spaced out and involved in areas allowing them to create.

Mainly it's an in-game adjustment when we're struggling to retain possession. Very useful against teams who defend deep as it forces their defender to either step up and engage, creating space in behind for a runner, or to hold their position and allow us to overload the centre. It was also useful against other teams playing a 3-4-3.

@@mustermannfm thanks for the advice

Fantastic. Sounds like a great fit for the players at your disposal!

@@mustermannfm Yh that helps too, plus my tactics was inspired by Hansi flick & Pep

Absolutely agree about alliterative acuity. An amazing avenue allowing an astonishing account.

I will be doing tactic videos as and when they support the save I am currently playing. The next save is Sampdoria, which will likely involve counter-attacking. I don't holiday or instant result (and I have a job), so saves take time. It is likely to be 6 weeks or so until the next tactic specific video. If you can't wait that long, I heartily recommend @RDFTactics. He is a dedicated FM tactic creator, and his videos are incredible; breaking down the theory and the process, whilst also covering a wide range of approaches.

@@mustermannfm its ok man quality things take time. I also gonna need time to implement some ideas that i learn from this video to my Brentford Team 3rd season. Another question: in the video you were shortly talking about you would choose different role of the Striker based on how much you want him to be involved in the build up. Could you a bit more clear about it? In which situation you would tell him to drop more? Would you use target man or Advanced Foward in a posession tactic?

Mainly it's an in-game adjustment when we're struggling to retain possession. Very useful against teams who defend deep as it forces their defender to either step up and engage, creating space in behind for a runner, or to hold their position and allow us to overload the centre. It was also useful against other teams playing a 3-4-3. As for the specific roles, as mentioned in the video, I primarily used Watkins as an Advanced Forward. In those scenarios mentioned, he might be utilised as a Complete Forward on Attack, when I want him to show in transition but still be a threat behind, or a Deep-Lying Forward on Support, when I want him to be more of a link and I can get additional runners beyond him. I would never use Ollie Watkins as a Target Forward as he doesn't have the right profile to perform that role effectively. But another team, a different player it would be a consideration. It's always about those principles, however, of ensuring appropriate coverage of all 5 corridors and built-in vertical depth. An Advanced Forward with 2 Shadow Strikers might get you goals through overwhelming the opposition backline, but it won't help you build structured, possession-based attacks. A Deep Lying Forward with an Enganche and Supporting Advanced Forward might allow you to overload outside the box, but you've got no-one in behind to actually offer a threat.

@@mustermannfm omg the first point of yours its exactly what i thought. If i play againts low block team i should tell the foward to drop back a bit to draw defenders out and create space for an attacking midfielder or winger. The reason i mention Target Man because long time a go i heard that if you use TM, orther players will tend to straightly pass him the ball, which could be a negative thing for a possesion based team. What your thought on this?

@@quocanh176 correct, a Target Man is exactly that: a target. Players will often look to hit them early either to create chances through flick ons or to relieve defensive pressure. They can be used in possession based systems, though, if you're looking to them as an initial outlet to knock the ball back and establish yourself in the opposition half. There does become more focus on quick transitions rather than methodical build up, and so I'd always prefer a Deep-Lying Forward in that situation. That said, if you look at Man City in FA Cup final, you saw that they deployed Haaland in a number of different ways depending on the game state. In the opening phases, they were essentially using him as a target man. Moving the ball forward quickly and looking for knock-ons. Once they had the lead, and established a rhythm in the game, his role and Man City's approach changed, controlling the tempo and being more considered.

Thank you 🙏 The tactic is ultimately club agnostic. It uses Villa as that was the save the previous videos were on, but the approach is universal. I'm confident that everyone can look at their players and identify their strengths and weaknesses, and then apply the philosophy accordingly. There are no plans to do a Man Utd save time in the near future, and so there won't be a tactic video that follows specifically to address them. I will continue to focus on approach rather than specifics, though, so people can build their own tactics accordingly.

@mustermannfm okay, I understand. One question though... How would you set it up with wide players for man utd, as they have good wingers( or mostly inverted wingers)? Or would you recommend to play as narrow as possible to best achieve high possession?

@@Ze8uL0N Same as what I said in the video. Make sure you have the best players who are appropriate for each channel. If that means on one or both sides you need wing backs to provide the width as your winners will be cutting in and occupying the half space, so be it. The position and roles should make sense for the player and their strengths. For example, with Villa, Bailey played at AMR, but Ramsey played at AMCR. They both had similar functions in terms of coverage and contribution (secondary goal that) but the position and roles made use of their strengths.

@@mustermannfm Thanks for the reply. I will try to follow your instructions in the video. Using wing backs makes sense, as I would like the team to keep some width.

No. The relationship is still the same on the left - as a Supporting Inverted Winger, Coutinho still takes on the creative role that would've been performed by Buendia, and so I want to maintain that overlap on the left to encourage the vertical depth. Whether it is an Attacking Inverted Winger on the right, or a Shadow Striker, they are the secondary goal threat and as such, I don't want to encourage overlap on that side, as I don't want to add an instruction that will inhibit their attacking movement.

1) Where are you losing the possession battle? If it's because players are holding it in their defensive third, then you may need to change your pressing structure through. If it's because you're turning over the ball frequently, identify who the worst culprits are and where there options are - you may need to give an attacking player a lower duty to encourage them to be more involved in build up (like I did on occasions with the central striker). 2) Firstly, players will get caught in possession. I know it's a game, so they're not actually human, but players are human 🤣 - people make bad decisions/mistakes. Keep an eye on what's happening in the game, if a specific player is being targeted for the press you might need to adjust some of the duties around him to ensure that he has options for quick release, or consider swapping players/roles around (e.g. if it's a playmaker, maybe give him a more vanilla role, and assign someone else as the playmaker). There's also the element of ability - make sure players are capable of playing a possession style of play - not just good passing, first touch and technique; but stamina, anticipation, decisions and teamwork.

The inside forward is still a winger, so they will hold the width initially. With the ball they will look to cut diagonally with the ball. They will also look to make runs late into the box as you push forward.

@@mustermannfm thanks bro I must use the possesion tactic cause of the hard fixtures and this will be so helpful for me

@@mustermannfm please make a geggenpress video too

I would suggest starting with balanced and adjusting based on what you see. Every team is different, and the level of risk you can take and still maintain control will depend heavily on your players and the opposition. That said, I'd never go above Positive. A very high mentality encourages a directness and tempo that doesn't really work with trying to implement a possession bassed approach. (Obviously there are situations/tactical approaches where it is appropriate)

Very rarely made changes before a game, as even against better opposition I want to trust players to be able to dominate the ball. The exception being those made in the video. If I need more possession, I'll consider changing the Advanced Forward to a role that sees them more involved in the build up. If I'm up against an attacking midfielder, I'll change the Defensive Midfielder to Defend duty. The formation is based on players available, form and opposition. For example, if a team is particularly creative in deep central areas, I might start Ramsey as a Shadow Striker, so I have both my attacking midfielders in central positions. For a similar reason, I might shift both wide (IW-S on left, IW-A on right) so as to try and bypass their pivot in build up moments. It's all about seeing what happens during the game and reacting accordingly.

Thanks bro 👍

I won't be doing specific formations/tactics - these videos will be supplementary to the save I am playing. That means that I will be showcasing the tactical style and the reasons for that approach depending on the team I have. I don't holiday or instant result, so saves take some time. That said, all the tools are in this video. Use the approach outlined: Identify your best attacking players and their strengths (and weaknesses) Identify which roles are suitable to maximise their strengths Ensure you have coverage across all 5 corridors Choose a support structure that mitigates weaknesses As a result, the most effective way to implement this is to not go into it with a specific formation in mind. The formation should be a result of your above assessment.

It's the Mustermann23 skin, MPGD version. Link is in the description. Just to note, the version in this video has been adapted to use Lucky Luke's Action-Style Facepack and is not part of the public release.

There are no plans for a Chelsea save in the near future. I play regular saves and don't holiday/instant result, so each takes a while. I will be including tactic videos for each save I do, outlining different philosophies based on the need of that team. This video does however outline the principles on how to do this yourself. 1. Assess the squad, identifying your best attacking players and what are good at (are they creative, are they a goal threat, etc...) 2. Find ways to fit as many of these players into the starting lineup, whilst also making sure you have good coverage horizontally (e.g. make sure you have width) 3. Look at where this creates weaknesses 4. Set up your defensive and support structure to minimise these weaknesses. The principles stay the same regardless of team.

Mustermann23 (I'm not very original at naming things). The link is in the description.

@@mustermannfm Thx mate! Yes, It's another account and this video deserves this view lol Keep up the good job, lad.

You can download the Mustermann23 Skin: community.sigames.com/forums/topic/569678-fm23skin-mustermann-23-v303-updated-100623-new-skin-added/#comments Specifically this is "MPGD" (Dark Mode) which is currently the beta release with some of my ideas/plans for FM24.

@@mustermannfm Okay thx bro, Great skins and vids!

Apologies if I misunderstand your question. Firstly, mezzala/IF/IW are not the only roles that occupies the half space. You can get coverage from a variety of roles, including most in the AMCL or AMCR slot, or attacking roles from deeper (adding Stay Wider or Move Into Channels may help). As is the point of the video, you need to adapt based on your players. There is no MUST, other than to ensure your defensive structure mitigates the weaknesses identified from your in possession shape.

@@mustermannfm i always says fm is smart game in the world,dont exit better ..and AI is able to recognize every mistake in your tactics, which you did not notice, many people play completely in the wrong way... and cheat with the help of the editor