FM21 Gegenpressing Tactic Guide

Football Manager 21: Building Gegenpressing Tactics with Attacking Football

Thanks to improvements in player conditioning, Gegenpressing has seen a marked rise over the last decade. The style has been made especially popular in recent years by top-level coaches such as Jürgen Klopp, Marcelo Bielsa, and Pep Guardiola.

Because of its current popularity, a large number of players will try to implement it in the latest iteration of Football Manager. This guide covers a 4-3-3 wide style used by Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool, which focuses on attacking full-backs and superior creativity from the striker; the second is an approach used widely by Pep Guardiola, particularly during Manchester City's 100-point season, which gives creative duties to the central midfielders.

How Should You Play with the Gegenpress Tactic? FM21

It's worth noting that the styles below shouldn't simply be copied as-is — they should be used as a guide that can be changed and fine-tuned based on the players you have and the opponents you'll be facing.

FM 21 4-3-3 Wide Pressing Football Tactic

One of the most striking features of this 433 style is that the defensive players are given attacking duties, something unheard of more than a decade ago. This attacking approach, combined with the team's effective Gegenpressing ability and a high work rate in midfield, is what carried Liverpool to the title in the 2019/2020 season. An abundance of two-way players in midfield is a key part of the tactical approach outlined above, so don't attempt it unless your squad has that type of player, or you should sign players with very high work rate and tackling attributes.

The False Nine is another important detail of this tactic. This role provides more creativity in midfield while allowing the two wide forwards to push forward and create positions in the space your striker vacates.

FM 21 4-3-3 Wide In Possession Tactic

Given that the creative and positional workload of the tactic falls mostly on the full-backs, it's essential to give the team an instruction for both full-backs to join the attack. Giving the "Cross Early" instruction is also key to this style, since it gives you a much higher chance of scoring from crosses delivered before the opposing defense can get set. The "Mixed Crossing" instruction can vary depending on the style of the players on your team.

FM 21 4-3-3 Wide Transition Tactic

The "Counter-Press" and "Counter" instructions are among the most important settings for this style, and the whole tactic will collapse if they aren't selected.

To keep the team's high intensity from breaking down, "Distribute Quickly" and "Take Short Kicks" were chosen. Because of this, you shouldn't switch to this tactic unless you have a goalkeeper who is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

FM 21 4-3-3 Wide Out of Possession Tactic

The image above may look dangerous from a defensive standpoint, but it's necessary to play this way. Every instruction given here is designed to make it difficult for the opponent to bring the ball into play. Given that you can create chances from the ball you win back, you should never give up on the pressing approach.

FM 21 4-3-3 Attacking Playmaker Tactic

As I mentioned earlier, the second template is inspired by the Manchester City side that won the Premier League with 100 points in the 2017/2018 season. The team is given the "Inverted Full-Back" instruction to bridge the gap between defense and midfield and contribute more to the attack.

Like the last one, this system is built around a "Sweeper Keeper" and "ball-playing centre-backs" who contribute to the attack. This Gegenpressing style, which may look risky, needs quality passers in every area of the pitch.

FM 21 4-3-3 Attacking Playmaker In Possession Tactic

This style of play uses shorter, more intricate, and narrower passing, so it always needs a passing option nearby.

Given that your players' ability on the ball is high, giving the "Be More Expressive" instruction is essential.

FM 21 4-3-3 Attacking Playmaker Transition Tactic

As with the previous style, it's important to select "Counter" when running a Gegenpressing approach. The most obvious difference between this style and the other pressing tactics is a "Retain Possession" instruction, which Pep Guardiola has used extensively throughout his managerial career.

Instead of trying quick attacks and looking to score on the counter, teams that select Retain Possession play with more patience, keep significant amounts of the ball, move it around the pitch, and attack patiently while probing for gaps.

FM 21 4-3-3 Attacking Playmaker Out of Possession Tactic

This section is the same as the template in the other tactic, since it forms the foundation for Gegenpressing.