OSM 5-3-2 Counter Tactic Guide
In Online Soccer Manager, the 4-5-1 A formation with an aggressive, high-press playstyle is the best counter to opponents parking the bus with 5-3-2.
3 min read

In brief
AI summaryThe best counter to the OSM 5-3-2 tactic is the 4-5-1 A formation, which packs the midfield to shut down defensive opponents.
Recommended settings include an aggressive playstyle, zonal marking, the offside trap, 85% press and one-touch tempo.
OSM's counter tactic video series also covers matchups against 5-2-3 A and 4-3-3 A/B formations.
Contents3 sections
OSM 5-3-2 Counter Tactic Guide! OSM 532 Counter Tactic!
Online Soccer Manager, or OSM, is a game many of us love, and being a good manager isn't just about making transfers and sending players to training. There's a lot of technical tactical detail involved. In particular, being able to develop an antithesis against your opponents — that is, pulling off counter tactics — is one of the game's key tricks. Today we're continuing our counter tactic series with the antithesis to the tactic used by players who love to park the bus: 5-3-2. In OSM, many players start matches with 5-3-2 hoping for a draw or a lucky win. We obviously don't want that to happen, which is why you're reading this! So what are the best OSM 5-3-2 counter tactic options? Here's the OSM 5-3-2 counter tactic guide!
What Should the OSM 5-3-2 Counter Tactic Formation Look Like in 2022?
In recent years, the best-performing counter to 5-3-2 was 4-3-3. We played it until we'd squeezed every last drop out of total football. But after the latest updates, we're seeing that 4-5-1 A is the best tactic. As you may recall, we also recommended 4-5-1 as a counter to 4-4-2. That's because, to beat opponents who play defensively, the game wants you to pack the midfield. You can set up your system by playing defensively strong players in the center of your midfield and attackers out wide. By packing the midfield, you can easily shut down an opponent who wants to hold onto the ball.
What should the counter tactic and formation for 5-2-3 A look like in OSM? We've explained the points to pay attention to when building the current 2024 counter tactic for 5-2-3 and how you can adapt your team accordingly.
What Should the Playstyle and Line Tactics Be for the OSM 5-3-2 Counter Tactic in 2022?
- Playstyle: Aggressive, Shoot on sight
- Attackers: Support midfield
- Midfield: Support striker
- Defenders: Stay back
What Should the OSM 4-3-3A and 4-3-3B Counter Tactics Look Like? Counter Tactic with Argi:
You can find our most up-to-date video for OSM through this link. We hope you enjoy it :)
What Should the Detailed Tactics Be for the Online Soccer Manager 5-3-2 Counter Tactic in 2022?
- Defensive shape: Zonal marking
- Offside trap: Yes
- Mentality: Offensive
- Tempo: One-touch football
- Press: 85%
You can find our most up-to-date OSM counter tactic video here.
That wraps up our OSM 5-3-2 counter tactic guide. Our OSM counter tactic guides keep coming full speed every day. Stay on our site so you don't miss them!
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