Want to score lots of goals, dominate possession and have the flexibility of two formations? Then this is the Football Manager 2015 tactic for you!
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5kyMusi7Swc[/youtube]
Before reading on, please don’t expect this tactic or any Football Manager 2015 tactic to provide instant results. This is a system involving two formations that will take time to implement but has a proven track record of success in Football Manager 2015.
This tactically system has been designed around two formations that Bayern Munich use regularly. I will go into a detailed breakdown, covering both formations below.
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
A general note -- one important point to remember is the inability (in Football Manager 2015) to have separate tactics enabled for when your team are attacking and defending. This would increase the options I would have at my disposal and generally make the tactics much more fluid and even more importantly a more realistic representation of what Bayern do tactically. For example, Bayern switch between a 3 at the back system and a flat back four during games depending on a number of factors. This isn’t really possible in Football Manager 2015, unless you wanted to manually do it regularly throughout a game.
This means player instructions and team instructions are the only way to attempt to implement some of the more advanced philosophies that you’ll see at Bayern under Guardiola.
With that being said, the fundamentals of both tactics are discussed in-depth in a fantastic article that you can find here. I have tried to implement this philosophy, looking firstly at the base formation of 3-3-3-1, then moving on to the more traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. As mentioned, Football Manager 2015 has limitations but I think this system is a close representations within the framework of the game.
As I’m sure you’ll understand, creating tactics within Football Manager 2015 is an ever-changing process. This entire system has been tested over a prolonged period of time, tweaks and adjustments have been made along the way. I truly believe this as complete as the system can be at this point in time.
Feedback is always appreciated though so feel free to let me know your thoughts and ideas.
3-3-3-1 TacticWhen Bayern line up in a 3-3-3-1 formation it is often referred to as a “3x3 matrix”. With three clear levels, defence, midfield and attack. The lone striker playing ahead of an attacking midfield three. The tactic is very fluid so it was hard to pin down exactly how to recreate this in FM15 but I feel 3-3-3-1 not only provides an interesting challenge but it allowed me to create a quite unique tactical concept. As I have already mentioned, it would be fantastic to implement a tactic that allows a transition between a defensive three and a standard back four. That isn’t possible so this system provides two separate concepts that can be used when required. I offer advice on how often each tactic should be used but you can obviously switch during a game as well.
It would have been easy to use wingbacks (something Bayern deploys regularly during games) as the foundation of this system but as I've said, this provided a much more challenging and interesting creative process and meant the success that followed was even more rewarding. Additionally, we can cover wingbacks and/or fullbacks with the other formation within this system. It means if you are downloading this tactic, you have the best of both worlds.
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
A huge plus point of this tactic is the lack of prototypical central midfielders. That might seem like an odd thing to say but I've witnessed lots of issues with MC's either leaving huge gaps in central areas or (when mentality is set to defend) dropping far too deep and being a DMC and at times sitting on top of the centre back. It was entirely a coincidence that this formation doesn't use any MC's but it has very beneficial and one of the main reasons this tactic is so successful. The absence of central midfielders actually took away some of the mystery in the new match engine, you’ll notice later that the second formation also utilizes a similar midfield setup (a lack of true central midfielders).
Please note – that shouldn’t put you off using central midfielders and as further patches are released the game will evolve further.
Covering and tracking in Football Manager 2015 is much improved, it really helps to mask over an obvious flaws in this tactic. Namely the gaps it leaves in wide areas and the general weakness it has to being attacked down the flanks. At least I’m sure that is how the formation would be perceived. What I mean by that comment is that on paper the formation looks weak in wide areas when in reality it’s absolutely fine due to the enhanced covering and tracking.
The fact players are much more inclined to press wide attackers when instructed to do so is the single most important factor when analysing the defensive elements of this formation.
The 3-3-3-1 in-depth:From experience of using this system -- this is the tactic used most often out of the two available in this system, especially in home games and generally games against lesser opponents. Usually Bayern will be favourites for most games, particularly at home. So this formation should be your first choice in the majority of games. It is also a more specialist formation so I found a tendency to stick with it as the players became more familiar.
Around 60% of the time I would start games with the 3-3-3-1 formation. It's a very progressive and "free flowing" tactic that allows for fantastic ball retention and produces great attacking football that allows you to dominate weaker opposition. The players always have options when on the ball and get wide much more often that you'd assume. I’ll try to demonstrate that in more detail below.
Player Roles / InstructionsGoalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper / Attack
Distribute to flanks.
Left Central Defender: Ball Playing Defender / Defend
Pass it shorter. Close down much more.
Right Central Defender: Ball Playing Defender / Defend
Pass it shorter. Close down much more.
Central Defender: Stopper / Defend
Hold position. Fewer risky passes. Close down much less.
Left Defensive Midfielder: Defensive Midfielder / Support
Get further forward. Pass it shorter. Run wide with ball.
Right Defensive Midfielder: Defensive Midfielder / Support
Get further forward. Pass it shorter. Run wide with ball.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Roaming Playmaker / Support
More risky passes.
Left Attacking Midfielder: Attacking Midfielder / Support
Shoot less often. Roam from position. Cross more often. Move into channels.
Right Attacking Midfielder: Shadow striker / Attack
Roam from position. Run wide with ball. Close down much more.
Central Attacking Midfielder: Trequartista / Attack
Dribble more. More direct passes.
Lone Striker: Complete Forward / Support
Hold position. Close down much more.
Team Mentality: Attacking
Team Shape: Flexible
Team Instructions:Retain possession. Shorter passing. Exploit the flanks. Roam from positions.
Opponent Instructions:Always close down -- DR/DL, WBR/WBL, MR/ML, AMR/AML, SR/SL
New role breakdown: The Roaming Playmaker“The Roaming Playmaker is the heartbeat of his team, driving forward with the ball to spearhead attacks as well as tracking back to cover defensively. Always offering a passing option to teammates, the Roaming Playmaker must have the physical attributes to maintain a high intensity as well as the technical attributes to stamp his authority on the game.
He will look to pick the ball up in deep positions and work the ball forward with urgency, all the while keeping up with play. The Roaming Playmaker will often camp on the edge of the penalty area looking for room to shoot or try that killer ball which creates a goalscoring opportunity.”
My understanding of the role is this – it’s a more creative box to box midfielder who has the freedom to drift all over the field when his team are in possession. When utilised in a defensive midfield role rather than central midfield it becomes slightly less box to box and essentially a more dynamic deep-lying midfielder. You can make comparisons to the regista role, especially if you are using someone like Xabi Alonso or Xavi as they lack the athleticism of Yaya Toure or Cesc Fabregas for example. Being set as a roaming playmaker still allows slower, less athletic players to have a greater influence on the game and almost combine the roles of deep-lying playmaker and advanced playmaker (when played as a dmc rather than mc).
In this article I have already talked about my personal experiences with central midfielders, and my general disappointment with their performances. The one exception- Yaya Toure, when set as a roaming playmaker. I’m not 100% sure if this is simply because he’s so good in Football Manager 2015 but generally speaking central midfielders aren’t great right now and his performances during some simulations came as a bit of a shock due to issues I’ve seen within the game. If you disagree or can provide examples of excellent performance then I’d love to hear about it.
Current examples: Yaya Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Pirlo
I can’t stress enough how much this role can change depending on who you play. Pirlo or Xavi in the roaming playmaker role is an entirely different prospect to an top class athlete.
Anyway, let’s look at some examples from the
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System.
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
In the first image you can see Xabi Alonso (roaming playmaker) very high up the pitch in an almost perfect central role. He has an easy pass to spread the ball to the left wing but two central options to create instant goalscoring opportunities.
Some of the recommended attributes for a roaming playmaker are finishing and long shots. From my experience, neither are used often or particularly needed. It’s almost as though the game is implying the role should be used to finish off moves. From what I’ve seen over a period of time that isn’t the case. The roaming playmaker creates chances from central and wide locations. I can’t think of a single example where he is on the end of a great passing move. He’s usually starting that move which is shown above.
In the second image you’ll notice Alonso is a little deeper but still in a very central position. He has four options, two of which are very low risk. The other two options are riskier passes but will create opportunities for the trequartista and complete forward respectively. In this type of position it’s also common place to see the player spin on the ball and wait for additional openings. In the above example he has numerous passes available, there is no need to let the play develop further. He has two direct runners in front, to his left he can play the ball to provide width and the other safe option is to the right where Lahm is looking to burst forward with the option to drift wider.
Tactic in action
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
A/ Without the ball -- Great example of tactical discipline and shape. Shows two lines of three, the attacking midfield three and the defensive midfield three. Excellent pressing from all four attackers including the central striker. The left attacking midfielder is dropping into coverage to pick up the free opposition player breaking into the gap between the two midfield groups.
B/ Lahm receives the ball in a relatively central area -- His initial movement is to drift into a wider area. He has a clear direct ball to Muller who is also beginning to drift wide. This movement from both players will essentially develop into a traditional AMR/WBR combination. It is also worth noting the overload of players in central midfield. Three midfielders are only covered by one opposition player. This is the perfect example to show how such high ball retention is possible. It’s rare you’ll see a player forced into a high variance pass.
C/ The final third -- Alonso (set as a roaming playmaker) is very high up the pitch but has six attackers ahead of him He is at the base of the attacking shape with only the three central defenders and goalkeeper behind him. This allows for lots of passing options and time on the ball. The opposition typically reacts in one of two ways - either by sitting off the attackers and being patient or pressing hard and being picked apart by Alonso or Gotze. It's also worth highlighting, Lahm is about to receive the ball and (again) break wide into space, which provides width on the right flank. The same can be said for Bernat, when Alonso picks the ball up on the right side of the central area.
4-2-3-1 TacticThe first thing you will notice is that this formation is much more traditional. My expectation is that many of you will have a preference for this tactic as it's the safer choice and doesn't look particularly unusual or alarming in any way. It is how many of you would expect modern football teams to line-up. I'd encourage everyone to use both formations as detailed in this article. Of course it's entirely up to the end user.
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
Utilising a flat back four means that there is less room for the opposition to attack down the flanks, this isn't actually a weakness of the 3-3-3-1 due to opposition instructions but with the 4-2-3-1 formation, the fullbacks are already in a starting position to provide defensive stability without having to move across into a covering position when Bayern lose the ball.
I'd personally class the flat back four as a negative - because it means ball retention in the middle of the field is harder to come by, simply due to the players have fewer options and the AI managed teams seem to cope better with a traditional setup. The flip-side of this is, in theory, the fullbacks should provide an outlet for the defensive midfielders and central attackers. The general thought process would be that if you spread out wide then you can pass the ball easier as it reduces congestion in central areas. I haven’t found this to be the case in Football Manager 2015. It’s marginal but my preference is for three defenders rather than a standard back four. Certainly within a system designed for short passing and ball retention
It really is a matter of taste. Do you prefer your players to start in wider roles and give up central dominance or do you enjoy having an overload in central areas and are willing to accept players will only cover wide areas when needed? Of course you can find a compromise that fulfils both needs but I’m speaking specifically about the two formations within this system.
The 4-2-3-1 in-depth:This formation is used around 40% of the time, in games that you expect to be closer, tough away games and generally games against good opponents that you don't anticipate a victory to come quite as easily as you would with the 3-3-3-1. The build-up is even more patient and there is a reliance on structure rather than fluid interchanging play.
Realistically though, both tactics can work in both situations. This system and percentage breakdown of 60/40 is a guide as to how you can use the system. It’s a starting point. I'm sure you can experiment and figure out how and when you want to use each formation. It would be fantastic to learn how you all use this system, feel free to talk to me about it.
Player Roles / InstructionsGoalkeeper: Sweeper Keeper / Attack
Distribute to flanks.
Left Back: Wing Back / Attack
Get further forward. Pass it shorter. Stay wide. Run wide with ball.
Right Back: Wing Back / Attack
Get further forward. Pass it shorter. Stay wide. Run wide with ball.
Central Defender: Stopper / Defend
Hold position. Fewer risky passes. Close down much less.
Central Defender: Ball playing defender / Defend
Pass it shorter. Close down much more.
Defensive Midfielder: Defensive Midfielder / Defend
Pass it shorter. Fewer risky passes.
Defensive Midfielder: Defensive Midfielder / Defend
Pass it shorter. Close down much more.
Left Attacking Midfielder: Winger / Support
Hold position. Pass it shorter.
Right Attacking Midfielder: Raumdeuter / Attack
Shoot more often. Close down much more.
Central Attacking Midfielder: Trequartista / Attack
Dribble more. More direct passes.
Lone Striker: Advanced Forward / Attack
Hold position. Hold up ball. Close down much more.
Team Mentality: Standard
Team Shape: Structured
Team Instructions:Retain possession. Clear ball to flanks. Play wider. Get stuck in. Be more disciplined.
New role breakdown: The Raumdeuter“The Raumdeuter literally translated from German means "space investigator". His main role is to find pockets of space in which to operate. Essentially a wide poacher, the Raumdeuter takes up seemingly harmless positions out wide, waiting for the opportune moment to burst through the defensive line for that telling shot or cross.
He is difficult for defenders to pick up as he will often drift in from his assigned position looking for any opportunity to exploit. This can result in quiet periods during which the Raumdeuter may neglect his defensive duties, therefore adequate cover and a strong team shape are key in order to fully utilise his attacking prowess in the final third.”
Football Manager 2015 has just been released and it’s already a cliché to use Thomas Muller as the perfect example to point to when discussing this role. But to be honest, he’s the definitive example in modern football. Sure you could get creative with player instructions and get great performances out of other players but he’s tailor made for this role.
The role is simple yet brilliantly executed within the match engine. It’s by far my favourite role - it requires very little effort to get the game to recreate exactly what you have envisioned. The movement you see off the ball and the willingness to run in behind the opposition defence is joyful at times. You’ll regularly see intelligent movement and then perfectly timed acceleration to capitalise on defensive frailty. Almost lulling the opposition into a false sense of security, before coming alive and finishing off a move like a seasoned finisher.
If you really want another current example, Andre Schurrle fills the role well. I’ve experimented with him in that role at Chelsea. He’s good but he’s not Muller. I’m eager to hear from you all about player performances in this role. Have you found a player to be as effective as Muller? Let me know.
Let’s move on to some examples within The Pep Guardiola Tactical System.
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
Both of the above examples are far more basic than the previous player role breakdown. This is because the role is very simplistic by nature. It’s described as a “wide poacher” so the best examples are when the raumdeuter drifts into a more central role or dibbles with the ball from a wide position into a central one.
In the first image you can see Muller is in a AMR type position, but running diagonally towards the box. His run, if allowed to develop, would see him arrive on the penalty spot. As soon Gotze receives the ball, Muller is on the move, staying onside but as the furthest forward Bayern player.
Looking at the second image, you’ll see it is a very simple sideways pass that creates a one on one situation for Muller. The move developed from the left wing – he has drifted across from his starting position to (again) attack the penalty spot. It’s a classic raumdeuter run. The diagonal movement from the right channel means the fullback doesn’t tend to track him and the centre back is only aware of the run once he’s in behind the defence and bearing down on goal.
Tactic in action
The Pep Guardiola Tactical System for FM15
A/ Excellent example of the flat back four deployed in this formation - Great discipline when the opposition breaks on the Bayern defence. Note that the AML is in a great position to cover for the left back due to being set to support. Alonso has dropped deep just ahead of the centre backs but Lahm is rushing out to press the man in possession. This structure pays dividends defensively but also when the ball is won back, there are always three players ready to receive the ball in attacking positions.
B/ This highlights the width that the right full back offers - Boateng is in an advanced position, almost like a right winger when the team are in possession. He provides a smart ball inside to Muller but also has the option to attack the by-line. Due to Muller being set as a raumdeuter this frees up room for the fullback to push forward into wide areas if in possession. You will also notice Gotze is almost alongside Lewandowski in the box, awaiting a potential cross from Boateng or a cut back from Muller. This changes when the ball is on the left side of the field.
C/ Let’s take a look at the opposite flank - Alaba high up the pitch in possession. On the right hand side Boateng is much deeper and covering. Alaba has the option to attack the full back and provide a cross. Muller (circled) has drifted into a central position and is fulfilling his role as a raumdeuter perfectly. Any time a cross is likely from the left, both Muller and Lewandowski act almost like a front two, with Gotze being slightly withdrawn. When the ball comes in from the right, Gotze is further forward with Muller in an inside right type position. You can’t see it on the screen shot but Gotze is actually the high point of a diamond midfield, something that is a by-product of Muller coming inside and the fullbacks pushing forward. Lahm will drift to the right and Alonso will stay deep. This provides great flexibility and variety for the defence to deal with. The interchanging of positions and areas that players work in really causes lots of problems.
General notes and conclusionFirstly, you'll notice that the same group of players are used as examples in both formations. I've also had great success using players such as Robben, Ribery, Thiago, Schweinsteiger and Martinez. All of those players fit into the system well -- specifically Martinez replacing Alonso or Thiago replacing Gotze. When adding in Robben or Ribery you need to consider their strengths and weaknesses. Both are very different to Alaba or Muller so you would need to think about tweaking roles and player instructions if playing either play at AMC or AML/R in either the 3-3-3-1 or 4-2-3-1.
When you start to play Football Manager 2015 you might notice that defenders have a tendency to drop deep. I have found it impossible to completely eradicate this. Therefore deploying an offside trap is something I would advise again. Both formations in this system are designed with that in mind. It is something to be watchful of if you are considering tweaking anything in the defensive areas.
Earlier I talked about tracking runners and plugging gaps. Football Manager 2015 does a great job at this. It means starting positions are much less rigid than in previous versions of the game. For example the 3-3-3-1 formation is very narrow on paper and, of course, fundamentally it is a narrow formation. But with the right instructions you can minimise the threat from wide positions. It's truly something you need to see in action to appreciate. I have tried to demonstrate this throughout the article but it will be beneficial to hear about the experience of others when using a variety of narrow formations.
Another point I’d like to go back over is how ineffective and unpredictable central midfielders can be. If you want to adapt either formation and add a central midfielder then feel free. From numerous tests and simulations I have found it problematic and eventually decided to avoid it all together. The best case scenario I’ve found is a central midfielder not hurting the team with poor positioning. When watching full 90 minute games it’s very hard to live with some of the obvious deficiencies in the position. I’m sure this will evolve through software patches in the next few months but at present it’s a position to approach with caution.
I started this article with a warning, making it clear that you aren't going to find a tactic that offers instant success. I would like to repeat that sentiment but also add that you should expect to see players becoming more accustomed to new roles after around 2 or 3 months. If you are using this system with any team that isn't Bayern then you need to remember that the chances of the majority of the squad being able to slot straight in to either formation is quite slim. I'd suggest either altering the formations and/or roles or looking to recruit players who are best suited for the system. If you want any advice on squad additions then you can contact me on Twitter or on YouTube.
With that in mind, sometimes you have to work with what you've got. I'd suggest training all players in the roles they'll be playing. Paying particular attention to defend/support/attack. This is a new option in Football Manager 2015, take advantage of it.
As you’ve discovered, I have implemented two of the new Football Manager 2015 player roles into this system -- the Roaming Playmaker and the Raumdeuter. I would be really interested to hear how other people are utilising the roles.
As I'm sure you'll appreciate, a lot of work went into this article. The article comes in at over 4,000 words and countless hours of research. All with the aim to provide a fantastic starting point for people to learn about the new tactical options in Football Manager 2015. If you have any feedback then I'd appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment or contact me directly.
