Possibly the most famous manager to use this style and dominate is the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson with his use of 4-4-2. Is now the time to mention Mike Bassett? No, let’s move on then. 4-4-2 is the traditional tactic of the English game, epitomised by Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning side. Consisting of the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs controlling the wings at the forefront of this article. The 4-4-2 used by Ferguson was used by himself for…
In this article, I discuss another tactical style available on Football Manager, Vertical Tika Taka, a style possibly best known as a tactical hallmark of everyone’s favourite chain-smoking Italian, Maurizio Sarri and his ‘Sarri-ball.’ How does Football Manager define Verticle Tiki Taka? “A quick passing style of possession and movement, with a narrower, more direct approach than the standard Tiki Taka.” Vertical tiki taka is a high pressing, possession-based style of play. The aim is to create vertical incisive passes, rather…
Normally at this stage of the summer, we are knee deep in an International tournament and fantasy booking who will win the whole thing. Sadly, the 2022 World Cup has been switched to the winter due to the intense summer heat in Qatar, which means a lack of summer football (for a month or so). But what if you created your own international fun in Football Manager 2022, by taking on a nation to either win trophies or even just…
North America is a continent that I think is undervalued on Football Manager in terms of management. It is a continent that can produce some of football’s top talents with countries like America, Mexico, and Canada amongst others that have seen players like Landon Donovan, Hirving Lozano, Clint Dempsey, Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and many others. Granted, in some nations the registration rules are complicated but that makes for a worthy challenge on Football Manager. Below we’ll provide a list…
A big reason for this guide is the feeling the 4-2-4 tactic is unappreciated, certainly when compared to the more popular tactics in Football Manager 2022. Yes, the 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress and 4-3-3’s will always be the people’s choice, but there are certain merits to a tactic which provides attacking overloads. As this is my first tactical guide, I wish to show you the very tactic that has brought me success so far in FM22. Let’s dive in! 4-2-4: The Preset…
Assessing the situation A wage structure is a great way to start getting a tough financial situation in order. When I first took over HSV I was aware their financial situation wasn’t great. So, when I clicked on the finances screen it wasn’t too much of a shock to read about the £42 million debt. It’s a big debt and it’s being paid back at £875k per week. However, it’s not one I’m panicking about just yet. We have one…
When it comes to tactics in Football Manager I used to take over a team (in this case Hamburg in Football Manager 22), and force the players into my favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. And why not? It’s a system I know inside-out. This approach usually ends up working eventually (after some transfer activity). However, there’s always one pretty good player that gets left out because they don’t fit in with exactly how I want to set up. That player then…
Whenever we hear about a new signing to be made in real life or when we’re looking for players to add to our team in FM, the focus of the matter is always on the transfer fee. However, the amount of money interchanged between clubs is hardly the only economic part of the deal; clubs also have to settle on a contract with the player. That’s why it’s every bit as important to secure a good deal on both negotiation…
An interesting subject in Football Manager, that can really negatively and positively affect performances is motivation and people management. You have to be able to read the personalities in your squad and figure out ways to get the best performances out of your players, beyond tactical familiarity and training methods. The ways you talk to your players are vitally important. Assessing the personalities in your squad Right off the bat, every team will be a different soup of personalities and…
Almost 30 years to this day, on May 20, 1992, Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona Dream Team won its first Champions League title (European Cup at the time). In 1990s they went on to win 4 consecutive LaLiga titles, an achievement that previously only belonged to Real Madrid. The Dream Team was one of the best collections of footballers to ever wear Barcelona’s kit. And every single one of these players was handpicked by Cruyff based on their ability to play by…
