Finding the best tactic for your team on Football Manager can be an absolute nightmare. We’ve all had those moments on FM where you go on a poor run out of nowhere and decide it’s finally time for a change in tactic.
The next step is a painstaking half an hour of tweaking every minor detail of your tactic only to lose the next game 4-0 to Hull. Sound familiar?
Well, luckily there is a website called ‘FM Arena’ that tries and tests hundreds of tactics to work out which tactics are the best for you to use. Here, we take a look at the top three ‘plug and play’ tactics or those tactics that can work with any level of team. It doesn’t matter if you are Luton Town or Manchester City, these tactics guarantee success!
4114 smile fwxm v3.2 (4-1-1-2-2)
Starting our list at number three, we have a variation of a 4-2-2-2 by Feiwuxiaomei. Instead of being a traditional 4-2-2-2, this formation has an asymmetric midfield where one player sits deep as the CDM and one plays slightly further forward as a traditional CM.
As seems commonplace amongst the best FM tactics, this tactic involves playing a high line with intense pressing. There is also an emphasis on playing down the flanks to create chances rather than through the middle.
So far, this tactic has been simulated 4,800 times and averages 58.5 points for a typical 38-game season. Now that might not sound too crazy but when Feiwuxiaomei tried it himself using Luton for the 23/24 season, he managed to take the minnows to a third place Premier League finish. Luton were also the top scorers in the league with 89 goals, 31 of which were scored by Elijah Adebayo.
One Shot V22 (4-2-3-1)
In second place, we have infxamus’ One Shot V22 tactic. This is a more straightforward-looking formation as on paper it is just a standard 4-2-3-1. It also doesn’t even include any of the more niche player roles available. That said, it does include several tweaks to the way the team plays and what is asked of each player.
Again, a high-pressing, high-tempo style is preferred with there once more being an emphasis on working the ball out wide to create chances. These wide players are set up as inside forwards though and play more narrowly than traditional wingers. Almost every player in the tactic also has the instruction ‘tackle harder’ which is common to see in the most favoured tactics of the website. Equally, it also includes ball-playing centre-backs, another favourite.
This particular formation earns an average of 61.4 points per season and when infxamus used it for a Manchester City save, he won a domestic treble, scoring 147 goals and racking up 102 points in the league.
Problem Solvin V24 (4-2-2-2)
Coming in at number one, we have another tactic by infxamus although this time the players line up in a traditional 4-2-2-2 formation. In terms of set-up, it’s very similar to the previous 4-2-3-1 but instead of an attacking midfielder, this formation has a pressing forward supporting the advanced forward.
Again, play is focused down the flanks to the two inside forwards and once again a high-pressing tactic with short passing is deployed. However, this tactic averages 0.9 points more per season at 62.3.
Incredibly, when infxamus used this tactic with Manchester City, they managed an even higher points total of 104 and even outscored the 4-2-3-1 tactic by a couple of goals. Erling Haaland even managed to notch a simply ridiculous 110 goals in 55 appearances across all competitions.
There you have it, three tried and tested tactics for you to look at. Full details of each of them can be found on the ‘FM Arena’ website along with hundreds more tactics to check out.
