I'm relatively new to the FM series and i've went through many different guides on how to build tactics and this video is simply unmatched. Very simply explained and very easy to understand and pick up to use in your own game. Thanks Phil, all the best!
Your welcome and happy it was a help to you. Why not join us in the livestreams on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 8pm on RUclips. Good bunch in there....helpful to people who are new to the game. Pop in and say hi to me!
Man I would sit around and listen you talk to about literally anything. Witnessing such a kind demeanor that wants to share your passion with others is always inspiring and ever so charming.
Whoa, found out about uncle Phil (may I call you uncle?) this week, and its already my favorite FM channel on youtube. Been reading guides and watching content for years. This vid alone teached me more than all of this previous stuff. Thank you, uncle. Greetings from Brasil. Lets kick some balls.
I've been playing FM since 2007 and have learned a lot about the game, especially in the way it has evolved in terms of gameplay and tactics creation. I had a very easy time designing tactics in FMs 22 and 23, but this year's game seems a little different in terms of how the players play consistently and how the AI adapts/responds to tactics. For me, the biggest issue is that I feel I made a great tactic, and it works amazingly for a while, then suddenly I have a few bad results and I end up chomping and changing it. Looking at this video, I had my reservations in terms of how Phil applied his team and player instructions. However, looking at his results, I am pleasantly surprised that this way of designing a tactic can be very handy. I'll definitely try to adjust/design my tactics using Phil's way. Thanks for this in-depth explanation, Phil!
Thank you so much for your feedback. Very much appreciated. One of the things about this game is that you spend a year learning how to play against it and then in November you have to tear it all up and start again. I guess that is the challenge and why we renew it every year. This year though as you correctly point out the game seems to demand that you change your tactic on a much more regular basis. The losing streaks for no reason have always been there but this year it seems that it's gone to another level and even changes you make in game that worked previously have no effect. It's seems that you just have to put up with it this year. What is annoying to me is that once you see your players can no longer pass, score tackle, etc changing into a tactic they are totally unfamiliar with suddenly improves things. In my opinion that would in reality make things worse. I'm hoping that this issue will be addressed for next year and that FM 25 will take us to a new level of experience without the obvious "suddenly we forgot how to play football Boss" stuff. Fingers crossed!
Great video phil, thank you! I was struggling a lot with tactics in my save, especially on defence. We beginners overuse pre-made tactics and those only work for so long, and usually all have the same high-tempo gegenpressing that does not always fit into what our teams are good at. The data (which I had never looked at before) made me realise that a posession approach was much better for my players, and identifying my best positions made me adopt a 5-2-3 that reduced the defensive burden of my full backs (weakest point) and relies on my great DM's and Wingers. 4 straight wins now!
Happy it helped....it feels good when something works. I use it myself in the livestream...Notts county...instructed to avoid relegation...top of the league and just lost last night for the first time in 14 games. Good times!
Thank you very much for this tips about tactics creations. Am watching a lot of films about tatcics in FM but anything of this is not good enough like this one. I finnly understood how create my own tactic :) Greetings from Poland. My english is probably like my gameplay in FM - is very begginer
thank you so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts...very much appreciated. The game is quite complex and can take a little time to understand. This is just one way to solve what is a very big puzzle. There are a number of videos on the channel to help beginners understand how to get around it on the channel........from defending to attacking to managing games in game. These will all be useful to you. Tips and tricks videos can be found on the channel page. Even now though after all these years, this game still leaves me totally at a loss sometimes, so I doubt we ever understand it fully. We just keep plugging away and trying to beat it! If you see others in forums who are struggling as beginners share the videos and help the channel to grow. That would be awesome! Thank you so much.
On my BAN save in Montenegro, we've finished 5th, 6th and last season 8th when we were expected to finish between 2nd and 4th. So I looked at my tactic, watched this video and made alterations to it. It's now the winter break and we're 5th BUT on xG table we should be 3rd and you can tell by watching games how much better we are with the ball and without it. I genuinely don't think I'd had lasted another season in charge without the changes so many thanks.
So much better than the RUclipsrs who shout and do that annoying fast paced splitting so there literally aren’t any gaps and have annoying music in the background and lights that trigger epileptics. Pointless. P.S As a UK man also called Phil I approve this channel 😂
This video helped me so much. Just bought fm after only ever playing fifa and instead of constantly getting fired I got promoted to the zweite Bundesliga :D
I don’t comment much on your videos but I enjoy them a lot. Very well spoken and clear, and your understanding is very good. Keep up the good work mate!
This is a tremendous guide, really clear for someone new to FM. I’d love to see a video with a couple of examples of what you do in terms of scouting the opposition prior to any tactical tweaks also what sort of things to look for during a game that might cause you to tweak something. Keep up the great guides 👍🏻
Thank you for your kind words....I think I explained pre game tweaks in part two of this series. I also regularly look at this in the Live stream if you have some time to spare in the evenings. Thank you so much for your support....I really appreciate it
I really need to comment on this tutorial. I am usually playing my way up from Vanarama south or north and started with Dartford. I kept them in the league middle table for one season and was fired the next. I then found your tutorial and applied it to Tonbridge were I got hired few months later. The tactic was basically the same. The difference was that I played to playmaker, but other then that, I kept it the same as the team was mirroring Watford, only it was worse as it is Vanarama. My first game was against my former team Dartford. I went in the locker room with 4-1 lead. The game ended 5-2 for Tonbridge. Three penalties. Two for Tonbridge and one for Dartford. This works really well and you do a very good work explaining your thoughts behind your decisions. I look forward to watch your other videos.
Thank you, exactly what I was looking for! Started a Watford save and hit the mid-season slump, my tactic was quite similar to yours apart from the midfield but this helped me tighten up defensively. I'll be using the squad planner more often now, didn't realise all that sloppy passing was due to my high tempo haha!
I tried this technique and built a tactic for Sunderland, but, in FM23. Works first time. Will need to learn how to tweak it to improve it even more. Thank you. More please.
that's fantastic and really happy it is working for so many people. as your squad improves your attributes will change and your tactic needs to change with it. There is also pre match stuff which you can do also based on the attributes of both teams. That's the next video!
Fantastic video Phil. I love these in depth, behind the scenes tatical analysis where we get to know your thinking behind the decisions. Keep up the great work and fantastic content!
Thank you so much Ben....I actually enjoy the thinking process. It's a fun part of the game. This is just a very simple way to set up what could be a very effective tactic. Cheers Mate!
This is brilliant, as someone fairly new to FM I've struggled to find anyone actually go into the reasons behind choice of tactics but this broke it all down beautifully Subbed 👍
Great informational video !! Thx .. and of course your team is doing so well with Chakvetadze in your team ... formal player of Ghent, the team I support here in Belgium ;-) :p Keep up the good work!
Phil - how long have you been doing this. I can’t believe i have never come across you. Love the channel and the great advice. Will be catching up on all ur vids and have now subscribed 🎉
@@angelobenito-aguilar503 a tactic is never enough on it's own though...in the next video I will show how I tweak it game to game. Tactically that really is the fun bit
Great work pall, do all the videos you,ve mentioned, PLEASE! I totaly agree with your philosophy of the game, and using "plug and play" tactics is just playing the game like any other game, but this is real and exciting!
Thank you so much for your kind words. We have looked at defending and now a basic tactic. There is a little more to it...and that will be to follow in 3 more videos in the series...Once again thanks for your support
Nice, I can't wait to watch them all. I am currently managing Everton (own world), using your tips. I am still in pre-season but I am hopefull for the season.@@fm-oldmanphil
here's hoping....nothing is fail safe but this seems to work very well in conjunction with the tactic management...new video covering some of that on the weekend
And a very happy new year to you too. Thank you for your support and there's a lot more to come in the series. A tactic on it's own is not enough. We need to manage it too...up next!
What an amazing guide, I really wanted to find a way to create my own built on the abilities of my players rather than copy and paste one. This is exactly what I needed, thank you! I also detect a Welsh accent there mate, where are you from? Cardiff here! Subscribed with thanks!
Thank you so much. for your kind words and. support for the channel. Yes you are correct. in noticing. a slight accent as although born in England I went to school in Llanelli. Lived most. of my life though overseas but you never totally. lose the accent. Once again thanks for your support
did a decent tactic with this video. not something that dominates the league i play in completely but i still manage to win with better teams and i have almost always better stats than my opponent
Thank you so much. There are a lot of videos already which will be useful for beginners. I remember long ago being a beginner and I needed a lot of help. Check out the tips and tricks playlists for FM23 and FM 24. There are a few videos there that might be very useful for you. Hope you will enjoy your journey into FM as Much as I am...and If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me
Big yes on the individual instructions video. Looking forward to seeing how you analyze the opposition, too. Also, do you ever use the Data Hub? I'd be curious to watch how, if you do it. Happy New Year and many thanks for all the content you've put out in 2023!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I so appreciate it. I will do a video on individual instructions as I guess it is a big part of getting the players to play the way you wan them to play as well as minimising the mistakes they make. It's all about balancing risk really. I wish I had more time to use the data hub...but I would probably get lost in there and would never be found again lol. I Sometimes use it if I am playing a "bogey team" or In times that we are really playing badly. Sometimes it can tell you why. But these days I don't really have the time to get in there much. Once again thanks for your comments and I hope that you have a wonderful NYE and a great 2024!
Well done Phil just subscribed for "all" videos. Great tactic videos for all levels, beginners essential and advanced players to refresh. Very interested in Player Instructions, you don't see many videos on this subject.
@@fm-oldmanphil you deserve it brother, please keep blessing us with this detailed information, have been playing fm for years and always struggled with my tactics but this video broke it down to me like no other RUclipsr has
I find the views on the defensive line and line of engagement are right and wrong. You say if your team is good at pressing then its best to have a High LOE, well, id argue that if you want a counter attack id set low LOE and press more to sucker teams in and hit them with sither fast short passing or direct approach. But at the same time i understand what you are saying. The beauty of the game i suppose. Great vid😊
I hear you....there are many ways to skin a cat. In this one I am just using this this to demonstrate the principle of "if you can't do it, don't do it". I will often drop the lines when facing a low block and still keep the pressure on them. Absolutely I hear you! I was reading stuff on a lot of forums and finding people, some even who had been playing the game for years...asking others to advise them on how to set up a tactic for a particular team. It is a tough thing to understand at the beginning of your FM journey. With that in mind I have kept this very simple. An attempt I guess to show those people, it's not as difficult as they think and much more fulfilling if you can do it yourself rather than download one. A tactic though is only a tactic and does not work on its own. There are other things that accompany it...and I want to cover these things in future vids. Thank you. Really appreciate your insight. There is always something to learn
Thank you so much for your kind words. I have split this into 3 parts so it wouldn't be too long. Part two already uploaded last weekend which looks at tactical tweaking. How to add Player instructions in part three this weekend hopefully. It's coming my friend
Great video Phil! Such a measured and considered approach to building a tactic.I'm going to implement these ideas in my save, and hopefully it will lessen my more gung-ho mentality. Consider yourself subscribed! Looking forward to the next video analysing the opposition, as that is an area I'm unfamiliar with. Happy New Year, Phil, and here's to lots more content.
Thank you so much for your kindness. Been doing it this way for a couple of years now. Seems to work if you remember that a tactic always develops and as your team gets better the tactic needs to go with them. Also a tactic is just a tactic if you don't tweak it for different opponents or make sensible changes in game if things are not going so well. Once again thank you so much!
Good video mate. I would just add that the team comparison charts can be misleading in the game. For example the game will base the graphs on your whole first team squad (not just your selected first 11 and subs), so if you have weaker players you hardly use in your first team, they will all be analysed to make up the averages. I will generally just keep my strongest 20 in the first team when I check comparisons. Also if you have all positions selected on the comparison page and say you select the attack chart it will show you the average finishing, pace etc of your GK, Def within the results. Which obviously lowers these stats. So instead you just want to select the strikers if you’re trying to judge your attacking strengths and so on.
you are absolutely right...and when I make the video on that it's high on the list to point out it is an average of their squad...all players. I use it really just as a rough guide but always when doing the OIs double check what I might have learned from the comparison. It's really only useful if you don't want to get into the nuts and bolts and analyse the opposition properly. Something I don't do these days due to time constraints around making videos. but you are right....It's a loose guide for sure!
Just found this channel and an instant subscribe and watch the backlog! +1 for player instructions guide. Quick question what skin is this you are using for the game?
I have been a manager in a variety of professions since I was 25 years old, and so having retired at 66 that's a total of 41 years. I spent the last 16 years of working life as a Director of Studies and finally Academic director in the teaching field specializing in teaching teens. I was tasked with training teachers and developing new methodology as well as various other tasks. I'm not sure that it's natural - it's more experience. As to being good at it I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with you, but I want to thank you very much for pausing and taking the time to feedback your thoughts. That was very kind of you. Thank you so much!
Hello mate, great video thank you. I tried following your advice on creating a tactic, but don't know where I am going wrong. No matter what I try or do None of the tactics I have tried to create i are successful.
can you send the file to me mate.....I'll take a quick look and see what i can see...use the email address on the channel page....and list what you think are the problems.
Not exactly what I meant! Above the "Edit" button when you try to set some Player Instructions there are two choices. "Position" and "Personalised". If you choose the latter the game will remember that when player A plays in this position he will have these set of instructions that I have previously selected. So, with rotation and injuries you will not have to go to every player in every game to add or remove certain PI's.
Ah ok...those.....I do sometimes. In the Sundowns save I have two strikers....each has a different way of playing and I use the personalised for that. If I know there is a difference for the style of play for two players in the same position I always do used personal.
Thank you for the very informative video! I have one question, players get tired often and the game seems to favor a rotating squad, so no two games ever use the same squad. Different players can have different stats and those averages can vary. So, creating the tactic from scratch in every next match seems a little much doesn't it?
That's a very good observation and this series of videos is not really aimed at experienced football managers. Myself I don't follow this to the letter when starting a new save. With experience you develop a style of play and you teach the team to play in that style. You bring in players then that fit the way you play. For example in the style I play I like to play a DLP with a CM. Those two players need to be able to tackle and mark. They will be trained that way. The whole squad. I will amend the roles if it's clear the players available can't do that with a view to finding players that can. This will take place over 2 -3 seasons. So anyone I bring in will play the way I want to play. If I want to play pressing football which is in my DNA and the players when I take over as a group can't do that I will not apply that until I have players that can. Other little tweaks will occur when rotating. For example I might want to play a pressing forward up front but I may also be aware that my number two forward can't do that i may change the role to suit him when he plays. If he can't be retrained as a pressing forward then he will leave and be replaced by someone who can. Eventually you build a team that plays the way you want to play and not the other way around. However, in the early days you need to adapt your style to fit the squad you have. Understanding what the squad can and cannot do helps you to do that.
@@fm-oldmanphil not quite. So one problem I face is that if there are 4-5 really good players on their team, I don't want to set team instructions to mark them as it moves your players from their positions and stops your normal game as it were. So I try and use player instructions to manage areas of the pitch better to neutrilise their good players.
@@benj1440 Interesting. That isn't an approach I have ever tried but now that you have pointed it out I need to make some time to experiment. Parts of it I already do. For example , I use the fact that my midfielders can tackle and mark neutralise creative players in midfield and often ask my FB or WBs to close down less often for really good opposition wingers. Ask my Striker to tight mark a pivot CD. Yeah perhaps need to experiment more with that
Subscribed! Great video Phil, thank you… what are your thoughts on opponents figuring out your tactics? I have heard multiple times that it is important not to stay with the same tactic for a long time, as the computer-controlled teams will eventually learn how to beat it. From your experience is this true? How often should you change the tactic and by how much? Happy NY!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. Good interesting question. Last year I ended up rotating between three different tactics during each save which was really successful. It's always helpful to have 2 -3 different styles of play to call on as normally at some point you will need to alter something in your style of play. I usually play with the 41221 which I came up with last year. Worked all last year and with a few tweaks it has begun this year with a bang! But it is always is developing and the tactic I use is never static. I do feel that if you use the same style of play constantly it will lose it's effectiveness and that may be true. However I haven't seen it of late. Probably too early to make a statement on that as yet.
Thanks Phil! And another question: you started with Luis Counter Attack because you said you didn’t like wingplay, but then seemed to remove a lot of the counter attack-related instructions. Are there some hidden instructions associated with the preset tactic that determined your choice, or does it matter what you start with if you then customise the instructions yourself?
I think for me it didn't matter what I chose. A quick look at the players ability told me we were better in attack than anywhere else. From there I just needed a formation or shape that allow me to focus on that. It went from a fluid counter attack to a controlled possession style although there are elements of other styles. It just became "the way we play" and if we keep tweaking it, that's how great tactics are born!
Hey Phil, what tab is team reports under? I love the team comparison across the entire league but can't seem to find team reports for team-to-team comparison you had at the end of the video.
do you set tactics with specific players roles 1st and then see what players fit those roles based on attributes regardless if it may not be their best role or do you set your players roles based on the players best role according the the maximum role star rating. Also when buying players do you pay attention to star rating or do you compare a targets attributes to the position you are trying to improve
That's a very good question. You have to set you player roles based on the players ability to play in your set up. Not based on the star rating but the attributes required to play the role successfully. For example if you want to play with a BWM but you don't have any midfielders with the necessary attributes for that role...then you change the role. Forget the star rating and just work out yourself "can they do what I want them to do" If no then you have to change the role and then you may have to revise the plan a little while you recruit players who can do what it is you want. Hope that answers the question.
Just found your channel, really enjoying it. I tend to play a lot of lower league saves, starting in Tier 10 or so. It seems like everything you say here would be applicable across any league level, but do you have any thoughts about that?
I think probably for tier 10 stuff you'd be looking at a more direct approach. you wouldn't want the team passing at all...tall boys up front and direct passing. Might be worth trying it though ....see how it goes
Hi Phil, just starting with Nottingham Forest, what would you say would be a decent number for each attribute? As I’m a premier league side (bottom half) the graph would like completely different in the championship…
To win the prem and be the best team...your going to need to be between 12.5 and 14 average in most attributes...this gives you squad depth...however with a good tactic...you can still do it with less
Absolutely and an excellent spot. Off the top of my head one of the things I changed was to make the AF into a PF and to have him tight mark the position of CD. I realised he was good at that stuff after a couple of games. Tactics always need to adapt. There is no one tactic fits all anymore. Even if you find a really good way of playing, eventually the changes in your squad will mean you out grow the original. I'm always adapting and tweaking little bits. Good spot though and yes it's a whole video on it's own. Three more to go in the series...changes pre game and in game/ how to add player instructions - why bother?/ and adapting a tactic over time. Really appreciate you pointing it out. Often I forget to include things....I'm old lol
it's about risk....you can ask your players to counter attack say and they will and they will score goals for you but there is a high risk if their passing vision off the ball and composure is poor you will also turn the ball over a lot when trying it. This will almost certainly leave holes in your defence. If your defenders are not really good in defensive attributes, they will also make mistakes and be caught out of shape. This is how goals are scored in football...turning the ball over and defensive errors. The idea of this is to minimise the defensive errors. This also means you attack less. you won't be winning many games 6-0. Balance of risk. When your team gets stronger....training/transfer windows etc....they can do more and you adapt the tactic accordingly. Balance between attack and defence is so important. How much risk are you prepared to take with the team you have is always the question! Hope that helps
I'm not sure....The game is always a little different each year.....and pressing and counter attacking work a little differently. Definitely worth an experiment though. However for FM23 I would recommend this one ruclips.net/video/pabkl2HCFqk/видео.html This is part one ...there is a part 2 and 3 in the playlist FM23 tips and tricks on my channel page hope that helps
I really don't know the answer to that...I've never played on mobile. I suggest perhaps starting a new save and trying it before using it in your main save!
Sometimes the biggest enemy you have is losing the ball when going forward. For bigger teams they will press you harder and you are likely to make more mistakes defending. Try defending deeper balanced mentality, and hold shape. Do not counter attack it is your worst enemy in FM 24. Opposition instructions are also important against bigger opposition. And finally, sometimes if we are much smaller teams we will lose sadly.
Thank you so much.....with Arsenal I used the 41221...with Watford as you saw the 4231...remember the shape is just a starting or defensive position....roles and duties and instructions will determine how it transitions into attack. The key is not the shape....as long as you have good pitch coverage in the defensive shape, then any shape will work.
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Happy new year to all my subscribers. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Happy new year to you Phil! 🎉
@@ryozha7663 and a great year for you too I hope!
Hi Phil, when are you doing your video on team reports and player instructions?
@@jpxnaylor81 I will get round to doing it very soon
there is no such thing as a simple or complex tactic, if that were the case then fm would be super mario

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I'm relatively new to the FM series and i've went through many different guides on how to build tactics and this video is simply unmatched. Very simply explained and very easy to understand and pick up to use in your own game. Thanks Phil, all the best!
Your welcome and happy it was a help to you. Why not join us in the livestreams on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 8pm on RUclips. Good bunch in there....helpful to people who are new to the game. Pop in and say hi to me!
This is the most educational video I have seen so far covering pure basics. Amazing stuff!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback....Much appreciated
Been playing FM for years, but I've learned loads from this video. Thanks alot! Greetings from the Netherlands.
Thank you so much for your kind words....much appreciated
Man I would sit around and listen you talk to about literally anything. Witnessing such a kind demeanor that wants to share your passion with others is always inspiring and ever so charming.
Thank you so much....just waking up and seeing this has made my day already. That is so kind!
My guy looks like Bobby Robson & coaches like him too!
The Bobby Robson thing...it has been said lol
Whoa, found out about uncle Phil (may I call you uncle?) this week, and its already my favorite FM channel on youtube.
Been reading guides and watching content for years. This vid alone teached me more than all of this previous stuff.
Thank you, uncle. Greetings from Brasil.
Lets kick some balls.
Thank you so much for your very kind words and for your support for the channel...very much appreciated
Very instructive! Much better than most of the guides Ive seen out there.
Thank you Phil!
Have a nice year 😘
Thank you so much. Means a lot to me...hope you too have a great year!
I've been playing FM since 2007 and have learned a lot about the game, especially in the way it has evolved in terms of gameplay and tactics creation. I had a very easy time designing tactics in FMs 22 and 23, but this year's game seems a little different in terms of how the players play consistently and how the AI adapts/responds to tactics. For me, the biggest issue is that I feel I made a great tactic, and it works amazingly for a while, then suddenly I have a few bad results and I end up chomping and changing it. Looking at this video, I had my reservations in terms of how Phil applied his team and player instructions. However, looking at his results, I am pleasantly surprised that this way of designing a tactic can be very handy. I'll definitely try to adjust/design my tactics using Phil's way. Thanks for this in-depth explanation, Phil!
Thank you so much for your feedback. Very much appreciated. One of the things about this game is that you spend a year learning how to play against it and then in November you have to tear it all up and start again. I guess that is the challenge and why we renew it every year. This year though as you correctly point out the game seems to demand that you change your tactic on a much more regular basis. The losing streaks for no reason have always been there but this year it seems that it's gone to another level and even changes you make in game that worked previously have no effect. It's seems that you just have to put up with it this year. What is annoying to me is that once you see your players can no longer pass, score tackle, etc changing into a tactic they are totally unfamiliar with suddenly improves things. In my opinion that would in reality make things worse. I'm hoping that this issue will be addressed for next year and that FM 25 will take us to a new level of experience without the obvious "suddenly we forgot how to play football Boss" stuff. Fingers crossed!
Oh my god, this is my new favourite channel! Ur the best :)
thank you so much for your kind feedback and for supporting the channel...much appreciated
Best guide to create a tactic in fm. This video is a must for every beginner.
Thank you so much....that is very kind of you
What a great relaxed guide you made for us Phil!! You are amazing !
Thank you so much for your kind words and for supporting the channel
you are an absolute legend, now I know how to build tactics! game became much more interesting
Thank you for your kind words. You just made my day!
Great video phil, thank you! I was struggling a lot with tactics in my save, especially on defence. We beginners overuse pre-made tactics and those only work for so long, and usually all have the same high-tempo gegenpressing that does not always fit into what our teams are good at.
The data (which I had never looked at before) made me realise that a posession approach was much better for my players, and identifying my best positions made me adopt a 5-2-3 that reduced the defensive burden of my full backs (weakest point) and relies on my great DM's and Wingers. 4 straight wins now!
Happy it helped....it feels good when something works. I use it myself in the livestream...Notts county...instructed to avoid relegation...top of the league and just lost last night for the first time in 14 games. Good times!
Thank you very much for this tips about tactics creations. Am watching a lot of films about tatcics in FM but anything of this is not good enough like this one. I finnly understood how create my own tactic :) Greetings from Poland. My english is probably like my gameplay in FM - is very begginer
thank you so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts...very much appreciated. The game is quite complex and can take a little time to understand. This is just one way to solve what is a very big puzzle. There are a number of videos on the channel to help beginners understand how to get around it on the channel........from defending to attacking to managing games in game. These will all be useful to you. Tips and tricks videos can be found on the channel page. Even now though after all these years, this game still leaves me totally at a loss sometimes, so I doubt we ever understand it fully. We just keep plugging away and trying to beat it! If you see others in forums who are struggling as beginners share the videos and help the channel to grow. That would be awesome! Thank you so much.
@@fm-oldmanphil ill do this, thank You mr Phil!
Great video and simple and logical explanation. No need for overthinking and checking all the boxes in the tactic menu.
Thank you so much for your feedback....much appreciated
On my BAN save in Montenegro, we've finished 5th, 6th and last season 8th when we were expected to finish between 2nd and 4th.
So I looked at my tactic, watched this video and made alterations to it. It's now the winter break and we're 5th BUT on xG table we should be 3rd and you can tell by watching games how much better we are with the ball and without it.
I genuinely don't think I'd had lasted another season in charge without the changes so many thanks.
Thank you.....always good to hear that it's helping...hoping it will be a great 2nd half to the season!
This is the best video at explaining how to build a tactic i have seen.
that is so kind of you ....thank you
So much better than the RUclipsrs who shout and do that annoying fast paced splitting so there literally aren’t any gaps and have annoying music in the background and lights that trigger epileptics. Pointless. P.S As a UK man also called Phil I approve this channel 😂
Thank you so much...that means a lot to me
This video helped me so much. Just bought fm after only ever playing fifa and instead of constantly getting fired I got promoted to the zweite Bundesliga :D
I am so happy for you...I'm so glad it worked
Thank you Phil you've increased my understanding of the game! Cheers from Norway
Thank you so much...I would say be careful now as the update may have changed things!
I don’t comment much on your videos but I enjoy them a lot.
Very well spoken and clear, and your understanding is very good. Keep up the good work mate!
Thank you so much my friend. Really appreciate your support
This is a tremendous guide, really clear for someone new to FM. I’d love to see a video with a couple of examples of what you do in terms of scouting the opposition prior to any tactical tweaks also what sort of things to look for during a game that might cause you to tweak something. Keep up the great guides 👍🏻
Thank you for your kind words....I think I explained pre game tweaks in part two of this series. I also regularly look at this in the Live stream if you have some time to spare in the evenings. Thank you so much for your support....I really appreciate it
I really need to comment on this tutorial. I am usually playing my way up from Vanarama south or north and started with Dartford. I kept them in the league middle table for one season and was fired the next.
I then found your tutorial and applied it to Tonbridge were I got hired few months later. The tactic was basically the same. The difference was that I played to playmaker, but other then that, I kept it the same as the team was mirroring Watford, only it was worse as it is Vanarama.
My first game was against my former team Dartford. I went in the locker room with 4-1 lead. The game ended 5-2 for Tonbridge. Three penalties. Two for Tonbridge and one for Dartford.
This works really well and you do a very good work explaining your thoughts behind your decisions. I look forward to watch your other videos.
Thank you for your kind feedback...hopefully you will get lot's of success
Thank you, exactly what I was looking for! Started a Watford save and hit the mid-season slump, my tactic was quite similar to yours apart from the midfield but this helped me tighten up defensively. I'll be using the squad planner more often now, didn't realise all that sloppy passing was due to my high tempo haha!
Thank you so much for feeding back....really appreciate all feedback and thank you for your support
This is so good Phil .Really enjoying your insights in to the game..This is the best and more informative.
Thank you so much for your kind feedback. Much appreciated
Yes please! I would love to see a video on individual instructions! Love your content and analysis of the game ❤
Thank you for your feedback....will get that one done soon
I tried this technique and built a tactic for Sunderland, but, in FM23.
Works first time. Will need to learn how to tweak it to improve it even more.
Thank you.
More please.
that's fantastic and really happy it is working for so many people. as your squad improves your attributes will change and your tactic needs to change with it. There is also pre match stuff which you can do also based on the attributes of both teams. That's the next video!
You have helped me so so much with this video. It just makes sense! Thanks Phil
happy it was helpful for you....thanks for your kind words
Fantastic video Phil. I love these in depth, behind the scenes tatical analysis where we get to know your thinking behind the decisions. Keep up the great work and fantastic content!
Thank you so much Ben....I actually enjoy the thinking process. It's a fun part of the game. This is just a very simple way to set up what could be a very effective tactic.
Cheers Mate!
@@fm-oldmanphil I enjoy letting you do the thinking for me and then implementing your ideas 😃 looking forward to the next live stream 🫡
Me too...I'm raring to go. Shame it's NYE tomorrow....but will be back for sure on Tuesday Evening!
Awesome video! Just found the channel and I'm learning sooooo much! Greetings from Brazil, Phil ;)
Thank you so much and hope all is good for you there in Brazil...happy to know you
Always love ur content phil!
Thank you so much my friend
Hope to be back very soon
By far the best fm tactics video ever 🎉
Thank you very much. That is very kind of you
Great breakdown. Thanks for the video!
thank you so much for the kind feedback
Nice video, very helpful. I have been playing FM for many years but always struggled with tactics creation, thanks very much
Thank you very much....much appreciated
This is brilliant, as someone fairly new to FM I've struggled to find anyone actually go into the reasons behind choice of tactics but this broke it all down beautifully
Subbed 👍
Thank you so much for your kind words and support for the channel....much appreciated
All the best from Poland, interested channel :)
Thank you so much...much appreciated!
Yeah Phil we definitly need the individual instructions class
will put it together for you guys.
Fantastic and educational video, Phil! Thank you!!
Very welcome....Thank you for the kind feedback!
You’re doing an amazing job my good sir
Thank you so much for you support...every message of support means the world to me
More videos phil. More. new teams, every week lol. Thanks. Great vid.
Thanks for supporting the channel mate...really appreciate it
Great informational video !! Thx
.. and of course your team is doing so well with Chakvetadze in your team ... formal player of Ghent, the team I support here in Belgium ;-) :p
Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback
Phil - how long have you been doing this. I can’t believe i have never come across you.
Love the channel and the great advice.
Will be catching up on all ur vids and have now subscribed 🎉
Thank you. so much for. your kind. words. Been doing this nearly 3 years now. Seems a long time ago I started
Thank you, Phil. This is pure gold!!! (Yes, please, make a video explaining how to set the individual instructions).
Thank you so much for your kind feedback my friend. For sure I will do the video!
@@fm-oldmanphil I was going to quit my England Level 8 save
... 🤣 And this video gave me some hope, 😁
@@angelobenito-aguilar503 a tactic is never enough on it's own though...in the next video I will show how I tweak it game to game. Tactically that really is the fun bit
Great video Phil 😊😊
Thank you so much....much appreciated!
Hi, I am watching this channel for the first time but it won't be the last time.
Thank you so much. Appreciate your support!
Great work pall, do all the videos you,ve mentioned, PLEASE! I totaly agree with your philosophy of the game, and using "plug and play" tactics is just playing the game like any other game, but this is real and exciting!
thank you so much....really appreciate it
Great videos! Thanks for all the tips, I learned a lot from you! Especially the motto: if you can't do it, don't do it :)
Thank you so much for your kind words. We have looked at defending and now a basic tactic. There is a little more to it...and that will be to follow in 3 more videos in the series...Once again thanks for your support
Nice, I can't wait to watch them all. I am currently managing Everton (own world), using your tips. I am still in pre-season but I am hopefull for the season.@@fm-oldmanphil
here's hoping....nothing is fail safe but this seems to work very well in conjunction with the tactic management...new video covering some of that on the weekend
Happy new year Phil. First time channel member here, love the video👌🏿
And a very happy new year to you too. Thank you for your support and there's a lot more to come in the series. A tactic on it's own is not enough. We need to manage it too...up next!
What an amazing guide, I really wanted to find a way to create my own built on the abilities of my players rather than copy and paste one. This is exactly what I needed, thank you!
I also detect a Welsh accent there mate, where are you from? Cardiff here! Subscribed with thanks!
Thank you so much. for your kind words and. support for the channel. Yes you are correct. in noticing. a slight accent as although born in England I went to school in Llanelli. Lived most. of my life though overseas but you never totally. lose the accent. Once again thanks for your support
@@fm-oldmanphil Ah yes, hard to lose that Llanelli accent!
Excellent video. Thanks very much for sharing such a detailed and pragmatic breakdown.
Thank you so much for your feedback. Really appreciate it
Nice work man!
Thank you so much!
great vid boss!
Thank you so much. Hope you have a very happy new year!
did a decent tactic with this video. not something that dominates the league i play in completely but i still manage to win with better teams and i have almost always better stats than my opponent
thanks for feeding back....sounds like you are doing well. Happy to hear!
Thanks for the simple explanation, even for a starter like me pretty understandable :-) Happy new year, cant wait for the new video!
Thank you so much. There are a lot of videos already which will be useful for beginners. I remember long ago being a beginner and I needed a lot of help. Check out the tips and tricks playlists for FM23 and FM 24. There are a few videos there that might be very useful for you. Hope you will enjoy your journey into FM as Much as I am...and If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me
Cheers Phil, great video! I've never been great at setting up my own tactics so this ha been really helpful 👍
Thank you so much for your feedback. Sometimes simple is best!
What a video! This was a massive help! Happy New Year!
Thank you so much and may you also have a happy and successful 2024
Big yes on the individual instructions video. Looking forward to seeing how you analyze the opposition, too.
Also, do you ever use the Data Hub? I'd be curious to watch how, if you do it.
Happy New Year and many thanks for all the content you've put out in 2023!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I so appreciate it.
I will do a video on individual instructions as I guess it is a big part of getting the players to play the way you wan them to play as well as minimising the mistakes they make. It's all about balancing risk really. I wish I had more time to use the data hub...but I would probably get lost in there and would never be found again lol. I Sometimes use it if I am playing a "bogey team" or In times that we are really playing badly. Sometimes it can tell you why.
But these days I don't really have the time to get in there much.
Once again thanks for your comments and I hope that you have a wonderful NYE and a great 2024!
@@fm-oldmanphil Thanks for answering!
Well done Phil just subscribed for "all" videos. Great tactic videos for all levels, beginners essential and advanced players to refresh. Very interested in Player Instructions, you don't see many videos on this subject.
thank you so much for your kind feedback and your support. Much appreciated. Player instructions video in the queue!
Mr Phil, this is Gods work.
Thank you so much my friend. Hardly God's work but your kindness is so much appreciated!
@@fm-oldmanphil you deserve it brother, please keep blessing us with this detailed information, have been playing fm for years and always struggled with my tactics but this video broke it down to me like no other RUclipsr has
@@FuzeBash thank you my friend....means the world to me
Thanks Phil ✌🏻💙
Very welcome and thank you for your feedback....much appreciated
great vid phil mate, really helped!
Your very welcome...really happy that it helped! Thank you so much for your kind feedback
I find the views on the defensive line and line of engagement are right and wrong.
You say if your team is good at pressing then its best to have a High LOE, well, id argue that if you want a counter attack id set low LOE and press more to sucker teams in and hit them with sither fast short passing or direct approach.
But at the same time i understand what you are saying.
The beauty of the game i suppose.
Great vid😊
I hear you....there are many ways to skin a cat. In this one I am just using this this to demonstrate the principle of "if you can't do it, don't do it". I will often drop the lines when facing a low block and still keep the pressure on them. Absolutely I hear you! I was reading stuff on a lot of forums and finding people, some even who had been playing the game for years...asking others to advise them on how to set up a tactic for a particular team. It is a tough thing to understand at the beginning of your FM journey. With that in mind I have kept this very simple. An attempt I guess to show those people, it's not as difficult as they think and much more fulfilling if you can do it yourself rather than download one.
A tactic though is only a tactic and does not work on its own. There are other things that accompany it...and I want to cover these things in future vids.
Thank you. Really appreciate your insight. There is always something to learn
You need to show each of individual instruction on every position, great vid regardles
Thank you so much for your kind words. I have split this into 3 parts so it wouldn't be too long. Part two already uploaded last weekend which looks at tactical tweaking. How to add Player instructions in part three this weekend hopefully. It's coming my friend
Really good video. So helpful and a great teacher of things. Keep it up.
Thank you so much....happy it is helpful for you
Please do a player instructions video and the stats comparison. Never used the data you showed in the video. Makes sense !!!!
I think it is already done...check the playlist for part 2
@@fm-oldmanphil thanks I will do
Great video sir.
Thank you so much
Love you sir 🙏❤️
Thank you so much. for your kindness and for your. support of the channel
Great video! Would love to see the individual one as well
Thank you so much...working on it
@@fm-oldmanphil can’t wait. Subbed and watching other videos now! Cheers!
Great video that, thank you.
Thank you so much for your feedback....much appreciated
Great video Phil! Such a measured and considered approach to building a tactic.I'm going to implement these ideas in my save, and hopefully it will lessen my more gung-ho mentality. Consider yourself subscribed! Looking forward to the next video analysing the opposition, as that is an area I'm unfamiliar with. Happy New Year, Phil, and here's to lots more content.
Thank you so much for your kindness. Been doing it this way for a couple of years now. Seems to work if you remember that a tactic always develops and as your team gets better the tactic needs to go with them. Also a tactic is just a tactic if you don't tweak it for different opponents or make sensible changes in game if things are not going so well. Once again thank you so much!
Good video mate. I would just add that the team comparison charts can be misleading in the game. For example the game will base the graphs on your whole first team squad (not just your selected first 11 and subs), so if you have weaker players you hardly use in your first team, they will all be analysed to make up the averages. I will generally just keep my strongest 20 in the first team when I check comparisons.
Also if you have all positions selected on the comparison page and say you select the attack chart it will show you the average finishing, pace etc of your GK, Def within the results. Which obviously lowers these stats.
So instead you just want to select the strikers if you’re trying to judge your attacking strengths and so on.
you are absolutely right...and when I make the video on that it's high on the list to point out it is an average of their squad...all players. I use it really just as a rough guide but always when doing the OIs double check what I might have learned from the comparison. It's really only useful if you don't want to get into the nuts and bolts and analyse the opposition properly. Something I don't do these days due to time constraints around making videos. but you are right....It's a loose guide for sure!
Great video
Thank you so much. Much appreciated!
Just found this channel and an instant subscribe and watch the backlog! +1 for player instructions guide. Quick question what skin is this you are using for the game?
this is the work the space skin...it's not bad this one!
@@fm-oldmanphil awesome thanks!
You have natural skill as teacher or trainer. I just curious about your primary job/profession in your prime time. Thanks a lot for this video
I have been a manager in a variety of professions since I was 25 years old, and so having retired at 66 that's a total of 41 years. I spent the last 16 years of working life as a Director of Studies and finally Academic director in the teaching field specializing in teaching teens. I was tasked with training teachers and developing new methodology as well as various other tasks.
I'm not sure that it's natural - it's more experience. As to being good at it I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with you, but I want to thank you very much for pausing and taking the time to feedback your thoughts. That was very kind of you. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much sirr
you are very welcome
This was a massive help, great stuff!
Thank you so much....appreciated!
Thank you sir :)
You are very welcome my friend!
Hello mate, great video thank you. I tried following your advice on creating a tactic, but don't know where I am going wrong. No matter what I try or do None of the tactics I have tried to create i are successful.
can you send the file to me mate.....I'll take a quick look and see what i can see...use the email address on the channel page....and list what you think are the problems.
@@fm-oldmanphil sure no worries mate will do that now. Thank you so much my friend
send the save to me not just the tactic
@@fm-oldmanphil I am just trying to mate
Thank you for this! Why don't you use personalized Player Instructions base on the the what "You can and can't do" logic?
I do...that is in part 3 - player instructions
Not exactly what I meant! Above the "Edit" button when you try to set some Player Instructions there are two choices. "Position" and "Personalised". If you choose the latter the game will remember that when player A plays in this position he will have these set of instructions that I have previously selected. So, with rotation and injuries you will not have to go to every player in every game to add or remove certain PI's.
Ah ok...those.....I do sometimes. In the Sundowns save I have two strikers....each has a different way of playing and I use the personalised for that. If I know there is a difference for the style of play for two players in the same position I always do used personal.
Thank you for the very informative video! I have one question, players get tired often and the game seems to favor a rotating squad, so no two games ever use the same squad. Different players can have different stats and those averages can vary. So, creating the tactic from scratch in every next match seems a little much doesn't it?
That's a very good observation and this series of videos is not really aimed at experienced football managers. Myself I don't follow this to the letter when starting a new save. With experience you develop a style of play and you teach the team to play in that style. You bring in players then that fit the way you play. For example in the style I play I like to play a DLP with a CM. Those two players need to be able to tackle and mark. They will be trained that way. The whole squad. I will amend the roles if it's clear the players available can't do that with a view to finding players that can. This will take place over 2 -3 seasons. So anyone I bring in will play the way I want to play. If I want to play pressing football which is in my DNA and the players when I take over as a group can't do that I will not apply that until I have players that can. Other little tweaks will occur when rotating. For example I might want to play a pressing forward up front but I may also be aware that my number two forward can't do that i may change the role to suit him when he plays. If he can't be retrained as a pressing forward then he will leave and be replaced by someone who can. Eventually you build a team that plays the way you want to play and not the other way around. However, in the early days you need to adapt your style to fit the squad you have. Understanding what the squad can and cannot do helps you to do that.
I would like a video on individual instructions and how to use them to stop opposition threat.
working on individual instructions in a tactic but do you mean stopping threat with opposition instructions?
@@fm-oldmanphil not quite. So one problem I face is that if there are 4-5 really good players on their team, I don't want to set team instructions to mark them as it moves your players from their positions and stops your normal game as it were. So I try and use player instructions to manage areas of the pitch better to neutrilise their good players.
@@benj1440 Interesting. That isn't an approach I have ever tried but now that you have pointed it out I need to make some time to experiment. Parts of it I already do. For example , I use the fact that my midfielders can tackle and mark neutralise creative players in midfield and often ask my FB or WBs to close down less often for really good opposition wingers. Ask my Striker to tight mark a pivot CD. Yeah perhaps need to experiment more with that
Subscribed! Great video Phil, thank you… what are your thoughts on opponents figuring out your tactics? I have heard multiple times that it is important not to stay with the same tactic for a long time, as the computer-controlled teams will eventually learn how to beat it. From your experience is this true? How often should you change the tactic and by how much? Happy NY!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. Good interesting question. Last year I ended up rotating between three different tactics during each save which was really successful. It's always helpful to have 2 -3 different styles of play to call on as normally at some point you will need to alter something in your style of play. I usually play with the 41221 which I came up with last year. Worked all last year and with a few tweaks it has begun this year with a bang! But it is always is developing and the tactic I use is never static.
I do feel that if you use the same style of play constantly it will lose it's effectiveness and that may be true. However I haven't seen it of late. Probably too early to make a statement on that as yet.
Thanks Phil! And another question: you started with Luis Counter Attack because you said you didn’t like wingplay, but then seemed to remove a lot of the counter attack-related instructions. Are there some hidden instructions associated with the preset tactic that determined your choice, or does it matter what you start with if you then customise the instructions yourself?
Fluid* counter attack
I think for me it didn't matter what I chose. A quick look at the players ability told me we were better in attack than anywhere else. From there I just needed a formation or shape that allow me to focus on that. It went from a fluid counter attack to a controlled possession style although there are elements of other styles. It just became "the way we play" and if we keep tweaking it, that's how great tactics are born!
@@fm-oldmanphil you’re the man Phil, thank you! 🐐
Hey Phil, what tab is team reports under?
I love the team comparison across the entire league but can't seem to find team reports for team-to-team comparison you had at the end of the video.
It's in the same menu as the opposition scouting report...there are about 5 options...look for "comparison"
do you set tactics with specific players roles 1st and then see what players fit those roles based on attributes regardless if it may not be their best role or do you set your players roles based on the players best role according the the maximum role star rating. Also when buying players do you pay attention to star rating or do you compare a targets attributes to the position you are trying to improve
That's a very good question. You have to set you player roles based on the players ability to play in your set up. Not based on the star rating but the attributes required to play the role successfully. For example if you want to play with a BWM but you don't have any midfielders with the necessary attributes for that role...then you change the role. Forget the star rating and just work out yourself "can they do what I want them to do" If no then you have to change the role and then you may have to revise the plan a little while you recruit players who can do what it is you want. Hope that answers the question.
Just found your channel, really enjoying it. I tend to play a lot of lower league saves, starting in Tier 10 or so. It seems like everything you say here would be applicable across any league level, but do you have any thoughts about that?
I think probably for tier 10 stuff you'd be looking at a more direct approach. you wouldn't want the team passing at all...tall boys up front and direct passing. Might be worth trying it though ....see how it goes
@@fm-oldmanphil OK, sounds good! I feel like I have a hundred more questions, but I'll leave it at that for now. :)
Hi Phil, just starting with Nottingham Forest, what would you say would be a decent number for each attribute? As I’m a premier league side (bottom half) the graph would like completely different in the championship…
To win the prem and be the best team...your going to need to be between 12.5 and 14 average in most attributes...this gives you squad depth...however with a good tactic...you can still do it with less
do you have any more tactic downloads ?
One coming soon when I am back from holiday in a week or so mate
Like before watching it easily 😅
Thank you my friend!
Hi Phil
Hi thanks for your reply
Interesting video, but I noticed that you tweaked the tactics again, before showing us the match results.
Absolutely and an excellent spot. Off the top of my head one of the things I changed was to make the AF into a PF and to have him tight mark the position of CD. I realised he was good at that stuff after a couple of games. Tactics always need to adapt. There is no one tactic fits all anymore. Even if you find a really good way of playing, eventually the changes in your squad will mean you out grow the original. I'm always adapting and tweaking little bits.
Good spot though and yes it's a whole video on it's own. Three more to go in the series...changes pre game and in game/ how to add player instructions - why bother?/ and adapting a tactic over time.
Really appreciate you pointing it out. Often I forget to include things....I'm old lol
😂... It's alright. Love how you explained how to set up tactics. Especially when you take into what the team can and cannot do.
So what I understand is that I have suit it to my team but also keep it balanced all over ?
it's about risk....you can ask your players to counter attack say and they will and they will score goals for you but there is a high risk if their passing vision off the ball and composure is poor you will also turn the ball over a lot when trying it. This will almost certainly leave holes in your defence. If your defenders are not really good in defensive attributes, they will also make mistakes and be caught out of shape. This is how goals are scored in football...turning the ball over and defensive errors. The idea of this is to minimise the defensive errors. This also means you attack less. you won't be winning many games 6-0. Balance of risk.
When your team gets stronger....training/transfer windows etc....they can do more and you adapt the tactic accordingly.
Balance between attack and defence is so important. How much risk are you prepared to take with the team you have is always the question!
Hope that helps
Can I use these tips on fm23?
I'm not sure....The game is always a little different each year.....and pressing and counter attacking work a little differently. Definitely worth an experiment though.
However for FM23 I would recommend this one
ruclips.net/video/pabkl2HCFqk/видео.html
This is part one ...there is a part 2 and 3 in the playlist FM23 tips and tricks on my channel page
hope that helps
this can work for online FM??
I presume so....it's just a way of playing. I would imagine it can....why not?
@@fm-oldmanphil thank you!
Is this applicable to mobile version
I really don't know the answer to that...I've never played on mobile. I suggest perhaps starting a new save and trying it before using it in your main save!
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That's not how it works, low tempo doesnt work in fm, not counterpressing also doesnt
works really well for me.....and a lot of others now
whats the skin called
it's the work the space skin mate!
what website can it be found on?
@@MichaelKeane-x5t i think i got it from FM scout
all of this is null and void when playing big teams away, teams goes to shit every time
Sometimes the biggest enemy you have is losing the ball when going forward. For bigger teams they will press you harder and you are likely to make more mistakes defending. Try defending deeper balanced mentality, and hold shape. Do not counter attack it is your worst enemy in FM 24. Opposition instructions are also important against bigger opposition. And finally, sometimes if we are much smaller teams we will lose sadly.
Love this! Keep up the good work.. May I know what tactics you use for Arsenal?
Thank you so much.....with Arsenal I used the 41221...with Watford as you saw the 4231...remember the shape is just a starting or defensive position....roles and duties and instructions will determine how it transitions into attack. The key is not the shape....as long as you have good pitch coverage in the defensive shape, then any shape will work.