After yesterday’s excitement, we head back down to earth today as we take a look at a more usual formation that you will find within this game. The 4-1-3-2 is one of the most difficult formations to get the absolute best out of since there is the potential of being out-ran within the middle of the park due to only have one player in that area of the pitch. But there are different variations that can be used in order to navigate that situation, and we’ll be discussing one of them today.
First things first, it is essential that you have a decent understanding of the pros and cons of this formation (which I’ve spoken about in depth in a different episode. I’ll leave a link to it at the end if the blog): The 4-1-3-2 is all about overwhelming your opposition by flooding their box witj as many players as possible while seeking to maintain control by having the rest of the team positioned in an aggressive manner to win the ball back soon after possession has been squandered. The downside to this is of that of course, good teams will be able to handle this high pressure, and when they do, they’ll have acres of space to operate in particularly on the sides of your sole DM(C). My job as the SMB is to ensure that you do not get caught off guard while using formations like these by giving you a game-plan on what the best strategies are to get the every formation you use within Soccermaanger.
With all that being said, let’s take a look at the player roles which are vital when using this variation of the 4-1-3-2
GOALKEEPER AND DEFENCE
Unlike the first 3 formations within this series, our GK is solely hear to be an extra protection for our goal. So, there is no need for him to look to get involved with build up or sweep anything up off his line (even if we’re playing a high press). What this means is the main role for the lad between the sticks is as a Keeper. The back 4 in front of him are also quite conservative in that they do not intend to be too expansive with their play, but you’ll still need 2 Ball-playing Defenders since they will be of huge assistance to the sole pivot when it comes to progressing the ball up the pitch. In matches where you are dominating possession and territory, one of your BPD’s will be looking to step into midfield to add an extra body and maintain possession.
The Fullbacks within this formation do not need to be expansive since they will primarily play a supporting role to the attacking players ahead of them without looking to overlap or ‘hit the byline’ which means that they will primarily be playing the Fullback role throughout the entire match.
MIDFIELD
The importance of this area within soccer is highlighted even more since there is no one more crucial than the DM(C) within this formation. He has to play as a Ball Winning Midfielder first and foremost, but he also has to be able to play high level passes which means that both short and long passing attributes must be decent if not spectacular. There are quite a few BWM’s who possess the defensive prowess in addition to being decent passers of the ball such as Partey, Tchouameni, Casemiro, Matic, Thomas Delaney, just to name a few.
While the DM(C) is the most important player within this formation, the AM(C) is the most impactful as the entire game will be going through him, and because of this, you’ll be in need of a player who can operate as a Classic No.10, and since they are so rare, the next best thing is to play a M(C) who predominantly plays as a Playmaker and put him in this position. Fortunately, I already have a Classic No.10 in my starting X1 (Odegaard) , but you can consider purchasing ballers like Pascal Gros, James Maddison, Christian Eriksen, Florian Wirtz just to name a few. Lastly, you should also consider playing someone here who has a high workrate since you want to take some of the defensive load off your BWM.
FORWARDS
The one advantage of this formation is that you may not be guaranteed keeping clean sheets, but you’ll surely score a truck load of goals! The major different between the regular 4-1-3-2 and this variation is the width that is provided in this one, and both wide players will hug the touchline in order to stretch the opposition’s defence which leaves more room for both F(C)’s and your Classic No.10 to operate in. In terms of the roles, your wide players could operate as either Wingers or Wide Midfielders based on how attacking you want to play, while your Strikers need to help in maintaining possession (with some defensive requirements also needed )so you should play them as a combination of Deep-lying Forwards or General Forwards.
Thank you again for sticking with me for another episode. You are the best! Let’s finish up this series with our final custom formation tomorrow! 🙌
Remember to check out our look at the 4-1-3-2 in more detail: https://thesoccermanageronline.sport.blog/2022/12/30/season-3-formation-matters-the-forgotten-episode-4-1-3-2/
The Soccermanager Experience 