FM21 Tactics to Trouble Big Teams as the Underdog

Adopting a balanced attacking mindset is one of the things that will help you pick up more points over a long league season. In this article we'll look at counter-attacking setups that will let you take precautions against your opponents' strengths while also being effective in front of goal.

We'll go through 3 different tactical setups you can use with a counter-attacking structure. Before copying the tactics exactly, you need to make sure you have players in your squad who can play the roles we set out. Otherwise it can cause serious problems.

FM 21 4-3-3 Counter-Attack Tactic

The 4-3-3 formation was a hallmark of Johan Cruyff's Ajax and Barcelona sides even before it became one of the most widely used formations in the world after José Mourinho won his first Premier League title with Chelsea using it.

In this setup, we placed an anchor man in front of the two centre-backs, minimizing the danger that can come through the middle. As you can tell from the roles we've given the players in the image, the team is designed to attack mainly down the left. Attacking down one flank is the setup you should use against opponents who are relatively stronger than you.

Keeping one of the two wide players in the front three attack-minded and the other more balanced will keep your connection with midfield strong while also giving you a way to find the counter-attack. The striker is set as a Poacher, but if you have forwards with different skill sets in your squad, you can change this role. In particular, a Deep-Lying Forward or a Target Forward will give you results close to ideal.

FM 21 4-4-1-1 Balanced Tactic

Managers who felt the weakness of being a man short in central midfield with a 4-4-2 spent the last decade developing the 4-4-1-1 as a solution, and it's fair to say they succeeded.

The common thread across all 3 setups we've given is having one of your centre-backs play as a distributor. That might not look important at first glance, but in counter-attack based teams, getting the first pass out of defense to the right player will let you break forward much faster.

Even though I haven't marked it in the images, playing your goalkeepers as a "Sweeper Keeper" in all 3 setups will make it easier for you to launch quick attacks. If you don't have a talented goalkeeper, don't just give him the role for the sake of it. Go out and buy yourself a fast keeper who's comfortable on the ball!

FM 21 4-2-3-1 Wide Tactic

The 4-2-3-1, one of the most popular tactics of recent years, works well with a counter-attacking approach. In particular, using your attacking midfielder as a playmaker will be key to the through-balls reaching your wide players. In a setup like this, your players not having low pace is the first requirement. It's unlikely you'll be able to exploit your opponent's weaknesses with slow players when the whole idea is to attack quickly.

You'll see the settings for the following images in the 4-2-3-1 setup. But as I said at the start, you can comfortably use the instructions I'll give for all 3 formations.

Must-Haves

• Goalkeeper - Sweeper Keeper
• Defense - One centre-back: Ball-Playing Defender
• One of your wide players: high finishing and pace, attack-minded
• A high-tempo central midfielder who can play both ways and cover the gaps in the team (the number one for this job is Kanté, you can work it out from there)
• Striker: needs to be a composed, natural goalscorer who can finish off what comes his way. (You won't be attacking every minute, so you need to make the most of the chances you do get.)
• Team mentality should be set to "Balanced" or "Cautious." If your squad isn't good enough quality-wise, you should DEFINITELY pick "Cautious"!

FM 21 In Possession Tactic

High tempo and direct long passes form the foundation of the counter-attack, since instead of controlling the ball while in possession, players try to break forward as quickly as possible.

Another point that might catch your interest is that I haven't turned on the final third selection. That's because counter-attacks don't follow a set pattern and are unpredictable, so when you break forward on the counter it's better to attack a bit more off the cuff and move according to the space available, which makes leaving that instruction off the right call.

If you have a lot of skilled passers in your squad, you can tick the "Be More Expressive" option. But you need to be careful doing this. A misplaced pass on the counter can end up with the ball in the back of your own net.

A good counter-attacking team tries to find as much open space as possible and wants to use the full width of the pitch.

• Our attacking width is set to "Wide."

FM 21 Transition Tactic

Transition play is the single most important part of a counter-attacking tactic.

The first setting you need to make is "Counter" when the ball is won, which probably won't come as a surprise.

Having the whole team "Regroup" when possession is lost will keep you from leaving gaps at the back if you misplace a pass while breaking on the counter. In other words, "Regroup" is your safety net against being hit by your own weapon. In a counter-attacking system, the faster the ball leaves your goalkeeper's hands, the faster you can create chances at the other end. That's why you should set the "Distribute Quickly" instruction. You can adjust how your keeper gets the ball into play based on his ability: if his kicking is good, go with "Take Long Kicks," and if he's not that skilled, go with "Take Short Kicks." If you're playing it long, having a very fast player up top makes life easier.

Football Manager 21 Out of Possession Tactic

These instructions I've given are ideal for counter-attacking teams. A higher defensive line will leave you exposed at the back, while sitting deeper will reduce your ability to counter-attack. High pressing intensity comes from wanting to win the ball back immediately. You can set your defensive width based on your defenders' ability; if you have defenders who dominate in the air, you can force the opponent wide, or you can try to intercept passes with faster defenders playing a wide defensive line.

Since the match engine produces a lot of headed goals from crosses, forcing the opponent out wide might not be the smartest choice.

"Standard" will serve you well.

May our standards never fail us...