Two Banks of Four: An Observation
4-4-2 and 4-4-1-1 might be the worst defensive shapes for defending deep in FMM. They are good for a high press but not in every phase. I'll explain.
A lot of teams defend with two banks of four. This article perfectly describes why it's the go-to defensive shape. https://breakingthelines.com/tactical-analysis/why-the-4-4-2-is-the-go-to-defensive-shape/
The Case of Deep Defending
The four midfielders and four defenders are supposed to form a big lump in front of the goalkeeper a
That’s an interesting observation. Thanks for writing it up.
As an alternative, could you move the Wide Midfielders back to Inverted Wing Backs? Then potentially also moving the two MCs into the DMC positions?
While IWBs ‘should’ move inside when your team is in possession, at least in FMM21 they tended to position themselves pretty narrow out of possession also. This may give better defensive positioning in those opposition half-spaces and also ensure they track back.
May suit a