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Hello everybody. After 1 month of FMM26, we all tried many tactics, discovered a lot about the engine, and the game is starting to be more and more familiar, like FMM24. Football Manager can be fun in various ways. Some like to test crazy tactics, some (me including) like to play long term careers and some like to test real life tactics. So, I want to share a idea, that many managers try to do in real life, with some success. A thing called relationism. 1 - Explaining the concept During several years, the main idea of football became the positional play. Every player need to fill a space in the field, planned by their manager. So, we saw the (re)birth of 2-3-5, 3-2-5, the comeback of 4-3-3, the rise of 4-2-3-1. Of course, the managers didn't make a "copy and pasta", they adapted the tactic to whatever their team needed the most. But, what does the concept of relationism have to do with this? Well, the relationism is most a "free football" style. The ex-manager of Brazilian national team, Fernando Diniz, describes it like futebol aposicional (non-positional football). The idea is maintain possession with movement, rather than pass the ball to death. Yes, the need of passing exists, but they aren't meant to break the defense by patient passes, but to attract pressure, since the GK distribution. (I would like to include some videos, but for some reason I can't right now). So, it can make the pressure completely futile. 2 - Real life examples As already mentioned, Diniz is the better example of relationism. With his ideas, everyone attacks, making hard to predict the movements and even harder to defend. He conquered the Libertadores in 2023 with Fluminense, and got to the Fifa Club World final. His side lose to City, with a 4-0 defeat, but was praised by Guardiola himself for his beautiful style of football. If we look to history, many others tried this style. We can say that Ferguson, Ancelotti and several managers used relationism. I personally disagree, although they used it to some degree. Pure relationism is more chaotic, players can roam from his OG positions a lot. And I see it in one manager from nowadays: Vincent Kompany. Right now, Bayern is leading the Bundesliga with 31 points. That's OK for Bayern. However, they have 51 goals in 14 matches (3,64 goals per match). If they keep the rhythm, they are going to score over 120 goals (only in Bundesliga!!!). But it's good to mention, Kompany doesn't use pure relationism, but something I would call "Positional Relationism". Players still needs to fill specific positions, but they are free to roam when attacking. We can often see a wingback playing in the midfield, Kane plays like a number 8, even a 5 sometimes, and it confuses the defensive system. When attacking, they can use even a 2-2-6 (!!!), that's not really a 2-2-6, but the constant movement of the players creates this thought. 3 - Tactics Creating a tactic of positional changes is hard in FMM 26. But we can do something simple: making many roles fill the same position. Yeah, it looks crazy, IT IS crazy, but it can work. I'll share MY vision, with my tactics. You can feel free to share your ideas, thoughts and even help with more formations. It's good to explain why I chose these roles. SK: It's really important to play from defense. Also, we will play with a high line, so, the keeper will be a key player in our system. BPD: Actually, a CD would work too. Sometimes I feel that could work better than a BPD. But, it's more a matter of choice. If you want less risk passes, and to keep more the possession, use a CD. If you want to move the ball faster, use a BPD. IWB: They will be key players too. The IWB will be the surprise element in the final third, creating chances and even finishing. It's important for them to have good movement (minimum 13-14) as this define if they make late runs in the box or no. If they have good passing (over 15) even better, because they can produce a lot of assists. DM BBM: This is a really important thing. They need to have 15 movement at least to perform really good. It's true that I had really good BBM with 13, even 11 stat, but if you want them to be offensive, you will need great movement. Also stamina and positioning. This is because they will need to be the ones that runs all the field, covering spaces, pressing opposition and, of course, scoring or assisting. DLP: Now, this a personal choice. I could use a Anchor, but in my experience, it never went really well, I can't make they be consistent. Also, they work better in DM, and this play specifically can't be in DM. Why? Because when we play 3 midfielders in DM slot and 2 IWBs, the IWBs will be in front of the BBM (this is strange) and I don't want this. So, if you keep one man in the MC slot, it' will make exactly what I want, the IWB will be wide and make runs in the midfield when possible. They won't be always in the midfield. And it's what I want. The DLP will need great creativity, passing and decisions. IF: We will play with them in the ST line. It's annoying that they still doesn't perform good in the AML/R line, and like some noted on this forum, the IF blocks the DM BBM if placed in AML/R. The function of the IF in this system will be cut inside, finish and/or assist the striker or anyone running in the box. They often will fill spaces left by the trequartista and will also create space for him. They need movement, decisions, at least 12 for creativity and at least 13 for finish, although I advice it's better more than 13. T: Well, the trequartista is the ultimate key of this tactic. They need to be your star player, the one who will score more, the one that will create more space, the one with better mental. And I could use a DLF, but a T will roam more, making him letal for counterattacking. The T will need great movement (over 16), great decision and great creativity (over 15 in both). It's good to have nice technique, dribbling and passing too. (At least 15). Teamwork it's mandatory (~13-14), because we don't want a lazy player. We want a "false 9". And finally, but not less important, good finish. Sometimes you can make him work without all this stats, but the best a player is, the best he will perform. The mentality needs to be attacking, because we want to get to the goal most of the time. The width could be balanced, and in pure relationism would be narrow, considering the players needs to be next to each other. But I want the players, specially the IFs to stretch the oponent defensive line. This means more attacks in the flanks, as well more space to the trequartista. Tempo should be normal, because I want to play fast, but also with caution. And the creative freedom is expressive, the players need to be free to think beyond the tactics.

Sto testando questa mia nuova tattica. L'obiettivo è generare una tattica che sia molto vicina al calcio reale. Gioco d'attacco ma anche equilibrato. Rapidità, passaggi corti, possesso palla ed equilibrio. EXPERIMENT COMPLETED FINAL RELEASE. After some testing, this is the optimal release.

Soo, im playing a Frankfurt save, and in the first leg of the ucl i win against Barca 2-1, so i created a 5-5-0 tactic that should end the game 0-0, but i win the match 3-2 in the 2nd leg. So im testing against a weak bundes side and i destroyed them, idk why the engine is weird. Oh yeah i sim many games after the screenshot and i win every game (I holiday every game with the tactic)

3-4-3 treble winning tactics inspired by polaris21 man utd tactics: After a disastrous season in the first year, I decided to tweak some of the roles and ended in winning a treble. Even though it's not a champions league trophy, I'd say it's a pretty good tactics for premier league football.

The Strongest formation! Use the Chinese team to win the European Championship undefeated! Players average 3.5 to 4 stars. Save this now! Applicable to version 1.1

What Is the aim ? The aim Is to keep attacking players on fire. What i mean? I mean on fire when attacking players hit the target and don't shoot into neighbor's garden. What Is my experience? I'm specialized in lower league: during the seasons i noticed a period in which Both players and tactics have dropped off in form. What Is my solution ? Initially i only changed position to attacking players but it wasn't enough because in a certain way even the tactic needs rest : do you know when you start a match a concede two goals? So every month i change tactic and i change attacking players and resting players. In the First tactic Is Easy to understand the attacking players (ap Red line in the detail) and the resting players are the cm ( RP Blue line in the details). In the second tactic the central Attacking midfielder mantains his position but i change Role i lower the wings in midfield and put the central midfielder as Shadows striker in this way the cm become attacking players. I Hope i was clear . Edit: i use direct play in second tactic, in the First i use general training. What do you think

WORK IN PROGRESS Hey guys! I'm starting this thread to share the tests I've been doing in search of a new The Black Hawk versions for FMM26. The match engine has changed a bit and offers new challenges. I started the game testing the version I developed for FMM24 and discovered that opponents now press differently and focus more on filling the inside of the pitch. Although tests with last year's version yielded good results, both with Sporting and Man Utd, I noticed two main things: the team makes many more mistakes in the first phase of build-up (opponents are more intense in their pressing), which results in errors from our goalkeeper and defenders; and since The Black Hawk's version for FMM24 focused heavily on the inside game and opponents fill the central zone more, in many games it felt like we were hitting a wall. I've tested some variations over the last few days to try and give the team more flexibility to look for other areas of the pitch and I've found a version that looks promising. Please note that I am not yet certain if this is a final version. I have only done two tests, both during half a season, so I am not yet sure. I will have to test it more to gather more data and be more certain. I am sharing this beta version, let's call it that, in case some of you guys want to play during the weekend and, if you guys want to take the opportunity to test it, I appreciate any feedback you can provide. The system is the same as always, but this time I opted to change the roles in two positions: goalkeeper (change from Sweeper to Goalkeeper) and Center Backs (they stop being Ball Playing Defenders and become just Center Backs). For those who can't see the images: Attacking Line: FL (IF) - FC (PF) - FR (IF) Midfielder Line: MC (B2B) - MC (B2B) Defensive Midfielder Line: MD (RP) Defensive Line: DL (WB) - DC (CB) - DC (CB) - DR (WB) Goalkeeper: GK (G) The shape is the same as last year tactic. Team Mentality: Control Width: Narrow Passing Tempo: Normal Creative Freedom: Expressive Defensively, this time I propose a more aggressive tackling style. When it's time to present a final version, I will explain the reasons. Defensive Line: High Closing Down: All Over Tackling: Commited Offside Trap: Yes Time Wasting: No The biggest changes come in the attack. As I said, I felt that with last year's version of The Black Hawk we were hitting a wall too often due to the Passing Focus through the Center. I also wasn't very convinced by the Through Balls option, I still haven't figured out why, I'll have to analyze that in more detail. For now, this is the game setup I'm testing. Final Third: Work Into Box + Run At Defence Passing Style: Short Passing Focus: Mixed Goalkeeper Distribution: Short So, this is my first sketch in search of a final version of The Black Hawk that I liked. I feel it's already a good plug & play version for those who don't want to bother too much with changes and just want to advance quickly in the game, but keep in mind this is NOT a cheat code! We are getting occasional upsets but the thing is, in the long run it keeps showing good results. There will be occasional games where the team struggles a bit to score goals, there will be games where randomly all the defenders are uninspired and make mistake after mistake, but that also happened with The Black Hawk in FMM24 and with all the tactics. Nevertheless, this beta version already allows you to get regular results as you can see later in this post in the two half tests I've done so far. Regarding recommendations: 1) Preference for good Kicking for the goalkeeper, as I noticed they make more mistakes and many of the opportunities conceded in the tests came from bad passes by the goalkeepers (that's why I abandoned the idea of a Sweeper Keeper). 2) The center-backs should have good Pace and Aggression, these are essential (Aggression for quick reaction times to passes behind our defense, Pace to recover in time when the ball goes through behind our defenders). Aerial, Technique and Passing are good bonuses. 3) The Wing Backs should have Pace and Movement. Bonus points if they have good Dribbling, Crossing and Aggression. 4) The Roaming Playmaker has to be good with the ball as they will be key in the build-up, more than defensive duties. Technique, Movement, Passing and Stamina are the most important stats, with bonus points for Shooting, Tackling and especially Aggression (good Aggression helps when defending close to our on box, because our Center Backs will often leave their position and it comes in handy if our RP is fast to compensate them, so it's a huge bonus). 5) Box-to-box players need Movement, Stamina, Passing and Technique. It helps if they also have Shooting, Aggression, Decisions and Tackling. 6) Inside Forwards, in my opinion, need Movement, Pace and Shooting. Those are key. In addition, it will help if they have Dribbling, Passing and Crossing. 7) Pressing Forward works best if they have Movement, Aggression and Stamina (a Pressing Forward will run a lot throughout the game; I rarely ended up not having to substitute them during the second half). Big bonus for Aerial, Shooting and Pace. Bonus for Passing and Decisions. Overall, there are some things that are transversal: 1) As this is a system designed to keep possession, the more Technique and Passing, the better. 2) As this is a system designed to quickly recover the ball when we lose it, the more Aggression, the better. 3) Since this is a system that requires a lot of movement, both with and without the ball, the more Movement and Stamina, the better. I didn't change anything on defensive set pieces. On offensive set pieces, I resorted to the usual strategy of having the Pressing Forward attack the near post, one Center Back mark the goalkeeper, and the other Center Back attack the far post. It doesn't work as well as in FMM24, but it's still worth a few goals. Also, please use the match preparation training. I'm mainly using Ball Retention when playing smaller opponents (or when it's suggested), Rest when playing really smaller teams that we should win easily and Transitions against better teams (to quickly improve the stats that help to press and recover the ball), but feel free to use others you guys may find better for your teams. And that's it, for now that's all I can remember. If I remember anything else, I'll share it. And I remind you: this is not a final version! It's a beta version that already gives good results, but it can still have a few tweaks to improve some aspects that I think deserve improvement. Save Test #01: Sporting Clube de Portugal I completed half a season with Sporting; it's the usual first test save I always do when I'm looking to develop a tactic and it's intended to test it in a top team. As you can see, it went very well. Made 17 games, won 16 and the only draw in the Portuguese League was against FC Porto (away), otherwise we won all the games. I won't hide the fact that there were three or four games that were close calls, either because the games were evenly matched, or because we only scored near the end, but overall this beta version was quite efficient. In the Champions League we won five games and lost one (against Man City at home). Among the victories are away games against Villarreal (though game!) and Napoli (this one could easily have been lost; along with the home game against Man City, these were the only two games where I felt we were outclassed). I won the Supercup and the League Cup. In the Portuguese Cup we are in the Semi-Finals of the competition, I still didn't advance beyond that. The individual statistics are what is usual in previous versions of The Black Hawk, nothing special to report in that aspect. Save Test #02: Amora Futebol Clube Amora is the team from my hometown. They were promoted back to the Portuguese 3rd tier last season and have an unbalanced squad. They have a handful of good players for their size, but otherwise the overall quality is poor (in the test save with Sporting, AI Amora finished last in their league). It's the ideal team to test the tactic, both because it's a team I love and because it's an opportunity to test this on an underdog. And as you can see, respectable results. We ended the first phase of Liga 3 top of the tablet with a team that at their very best should be midtable. Here we had some games where we behaved like a big team, dominating and even winning by a large margin. We had perhaps three or four games where we were simply outclassed, but that's to be expected when you have players who are much weaker than some opponents. In most games we were slightly superior or slightly inferior, those games ended up being evenly matched, which is normal because this Amora team is below the average of its league. I don't know if I got lucky with these results, but overall the results were good and I was satisfied with what I saw from this beta version in an underdog. When I can, I will complete these two test saves (and I will share the results here) and I will do at least a third test save with a midtable Premier League team similar to those I did for FMM23 (Wolves) and FMM24 (Brighton). If you are curious enough to test it, please give feedback and, above all, I hope you have fun because that's why I put this work into it

Hi, I developed my tactics for a long time, I tested the roles of strikers, midfielders, different clubs, different formations, finally something like this came out, you can judge for yourself, I think it is one of the best tactics in terms of Goals. I have selected set pieces, I don't know if it's the best, so I don't want to recommend it. Choose yours and let me know how it goes. I'm waiting for your tests with this tactic and your evaluations. I'm curious if it works in weaker leagues and clubs because I only tested the latest tactic in Manchester City. The tactic is to press hard which creates a lot of chances, the statistics are excellentI know it was the third season back then, but I tested 3 seasons of different types of this tactic, the 3rd season was the best final one.As I said, the results are excellent and I am impressed with this tactic.We absolutely dominated this league, 142 goals were incredible. As you can see below, this tactic works best in the most important matches, sometimes better than against weaker teams.6-1 in the Champions League final

The 2010/11 FC Barcelona side, led by Pep Guardiola, is widely considered one of the greatest club sides in football history. Their "Tiki-Taka" system reached its zenith during the iconic 5-0 victory over Real Madrid, a match that serves as the perfect blueprint for tactical emulation. By analyzing that specific performance, we can translate their revolutionary positional play into FMM26 Tactics. 1. The Formation: The False Nine While traditionally listed as a 4-3-3, the secret to Barcelona's fluidity was the positioning of the central striker. * The Setup: Use a 4-1-2-2-1 (4-3-3 with a DM and two wide forwards). * The Key Tweak: Move your striker into the AM (Central) slot. * The "Why": This replicates Lionel Messi’s "False Nine" role. In the 5-0 win, Messi rarely stayed between Madrid’s center-backs; instead, he dropped into the "hole". This forced defenders to either leave a gap behind them or allow Messi to create a 4v3 numerical overload in midfield. 2. Squad Positions & Player Roles To mirror the 2010/11 squad, your players need specific roles to facilitate their unique movements: GK (Valdes): Sweeper Keeper-REFLEXES/KICKING– Essential for a high line, acting as a "libero" to sweep up long balls. DR (Alves): Wing Back-STAMINA/PACE– Effectively a right-winger who provides the team's primary width. DL (Abidal): Defensive Full Back-POSITIONING/TACKLING– Stays deep to form a back three when Alves pushes forward, protecting against counters. DC (Pique/Puyol): Ball Playing Central Defenders-POSITIONING/PACE – Pair one "Stopper" with one "Cover". DMC (Busquets): Deep Lying Playmaker-PASSING/POSITIONING– The "pivot" who recycles possession. MC (Xavi): Advanced Playmaker-PASSING/CREATIVITY/DRIBBLING– The "metronome" of the team. MC (Iniesta): Advanced Playmaker-PASSING/CREATIVITY/DRIBBLING– Provides verticality and dribbling. AMR/L (Villa/Pedro): Inside Forward-MOVEMENT/SHOOTING – These players stay narrow and cut inside to become strikers. AMC (Messi): Trequartista-CREATIVITY/MOVEMENT/TECHNIQUE – Drops deep to link play and exploit the midfield overload. 3. Tactical Instructions: The Tiki-Taka Philosophy Success with this tactic requires extreme patience and discipline in your team settings. Team Mentality & Shape Mentality: Control – Dominate the ball to deny the opponent opportunities. Tempo: Slow – Use patient, short passes to lure the opponent out of their defensive shell. Width: Narrow – Keeps playmakers close together for short passing triangles. Passing Style: Short – The defining characteristic of the system. Passing Focus: Centre – Exploits the "Diamond" of Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi. Defensive Intensity (The 6-Second Rule) Guardiola’s side aimed to win the ball back within six seconds of losing it. Defensive Line: High – Squeezes the pitch near the halfway line. Closing Down: All Over – Intense pressing the moment possession is lost. Offside Trap: Yes – A vital necessity when playing such a high line. Tackling: Normal – Focus on interceptions and positioning. The Final Third Creative Freedom: Expressive – Gives your stars the freedom to improvise. Final Third Attack: Work Into Box & Through Balls – Avoid low-percentage long shots or early crosses. The goal is to "pass the ball into the net". 4. Stability Through Possession As Guardiola famously said, "The ball is the stability". By setting a slow tempo and short passing, you ensure players don't rush "Hollywood passes" and lose the ball. This patient approach eventually creates the space for your AMC to play clinical through balls to your narrow Inside Forwards. DISCLAIMER: This tactical setup is specifically designed for the Tiki-Taka system, which reached its pinnacle with the 2010/11 FC Barcelona squad. It is best suited for managers who want to dominate possession, squeeze the opponent with a high defensive line, and "pass the ball into the net" rather than relying on long shots or crosses. Teams That Would Fare Well This tactic requires players with elite technical attributes, specifically high ratings in Passing, Creativity, First Touch, and Positioning. Elite Possession-Based Teams Technically Gifted National Sides Teams with a "False Nine" Specialist Teams That Would Struggle Because this system relies on a high defensive line and extreme technical precision, certain squad profiles will find it difficult to execute. Low-Block/Counter-Attacking Teams Teams with Slow Defenders Physically Robust but Technically Limited Midfields Underdogs Fighting Relegation Recreating_Barcelona_s_5-0_Tactic_in_FM.mp3

TESTING TACTICS: This series will test tactic with "BRIGHTON" on FMM26 I will be testing vibes tactics to find the one closest to "plug + play" on FMM26 Using Brighton starting squad (with no transfers) - I’ll play up until December for each tactic, to see how each performs without any tactical tweaks. PS: This series will be made as a video on youtube and this is my YouTube Channel. Inspired by @DanEnglish 2023 Tactics testing thread i decided I'm going to do the same for FMM26, starting the FMMVIBE tactic testing series. It might not be as detailed an analysis as his (as he's one of the best if not the best fmm tactico on here) but I'll give my best analyzing the tactics. You can recommend me the tactics you want to see me test, make sure to forward the thread here. Q: How are they tested? Don't be shy drop the tactics below let's get testing Tested the first 3 tactics In the second video I tested 5 tactics

Good day, everyone. I have been exploring this forum for a while, especially since I had some difficulties with tactics. I tried various tactics that performed well but lacked consistency. After studying the match engine, I decided to make some adjustments, and I discovered a winning strategy. I began with Barrow after they sacked their manager. I managed to win the league and achieve back-to-back promotions while also clinching the Vertu Cup consecutively. Currently, I am dominating in the Championship. What’s fascinating is my squad. They consist of mostly average players, yet we consistently achieve good results. Defensively, the tactics are outstanding. As I mentioned, this approach is a combination of many tactics I studied here, along with my understanding of the match engine's dynamics. Try it out and see for yourself

Important: this is not a tactic built to win exploiting the game engine. This is a tactic built to play as intended, a classic-clear-symmetric 4-4-2, a very difficult way to play in FMM actually. So i decided to build it to have fun and at the end of the day, to start a career using a self made tactic trying to use 442. Anyway, its still under development. I Made a lot of tests, changing positions of the players many times, offensive and defensive approaches, and these are the results. Lets start with the tactic: As you can see, absolutely easy positions. Everyone in the right place, symmetric, balanced. I tried a lot with different roles, especially for the midfielders, but at the end this gave me the best results at all. CM are balanced, then dont shoot too much unfortunateley, but they do great helping the defense (and is fine for me since i have 4 offensive players). Im anyway still trying to use other than CM. FB are needed and important: with other options i used to take more goals than expected. CMs im trying are close to be BBM, with some shooting. Really important: the wings are, de facto, very close to be forwarders. Shooting is needed. Dribbling is a must. To give an example, Dobre is amazing as W. Fatawu was not so good as W. During the match, the wings will often cut in the middle but in accord to their preferred foot. And then.. shoot. If they are at the start of an action, they will pass the ball to the same side AF, who shots with the correct foot. This is very important for the whole tactic: Left FB, W and AF —> left foot Right FB, W and AF —> right foot Im still testing the correct foot for CM, but currently i m trying opposites. Some results in the season where i set up this tactic. Important: until January (Parma) i was trying some different positions, with good results but not so impressive. At the end of the season, i was focused on champions and coppa Italia since serie A was already won (and my B team was not so good). I won serie A, champions league, and coppa Italia with Sampdoria (3rd season. I won serie A in the second season with same tactic but different position, less performing). Not totally perfect, but my team was not so good to win everything actually. Recommended players: Harder as left AF (35 goal in the season), Dobre as right W, Eicchhorn as CM, Vina as left FB… not incredibile in general, but worked fantastic. its very important to have/find the right players: if you dont use the correct guys, probably this tactic will not work well. If you find them, as i did (still not for 11/11) then is great Hope it works also for you, since 442 is a nice and difficult tactic. Still checking other positions rather than 2CM and 2AF. Tactic is still under development, any advices are more than welcome

Hello, be good. This tactic is an improved version for fm26. I suggest you download the file and don't manually enter the tactic because there are also good tactics for the corner in this save.fm_tactic1.tac Your coaches is important! Result: I'll leave you the previous version for fm24 here with some tips about playing fm. FM 24 Version Update: Amazing Comeback!

I am posting for the first time, so I would appreciate feedback so as to make my posts better. Also, this is going to be an intensive post, so appreciate your patience ( that is if you make it to the end ☠️) A short summary about this career save: Started as my save with Crystal Palace, then got the job at Newcastle, but got Arsenal mid-season. Here are my results I have attached. I could not get ss of seasons because making a post was never in my mind, but I would really like to discuss more tactics with people here. Also, I would like to add, that I have simmed all the matches, so it is pretty much plug and play. Tactic: From a lot of tinkering around and analysing a lot of results, I have reached on these conclusions. We'll discuss each in detail. Team instructions: This year, playing narrow just doesn't get you results. In my earlier saves I have tried tactics with narrow but usually they ended in draws with much lower placed teams. Opponent Ai has been trained to block middle channel plays really well. So, I decided to play radical and wide, but it resulted in my teams getting battered, leaky defence. So I settled on balanced and it works just perfectly. In this save I have used "Balanced" from the start. I would like to add, if you have a lower league team, or a relegation struggler team, please use creative freedom on "balanced" as well to keep shape somewhat according to tactic. Never used "disciplined" it just doesn't give results. With Crystal Palace I used "Attacking" mentality, but with better players in Newcastle and Arsenal "Control" worked perfectly. Again I tried overload/attacking, but I was just conceding unnecessary goals, so control made perfect sense. If you are in top 5/6 leagues of the world, using "fast" tempo should work fine. But in lower leagues, "balanced" should work fine. Defence: I have used these defence inputs from the start. The only 2 questions here are wether to turn your offside trap "on" or not. In my experience if your cd have good pace, then it shouldn't be a problem. Usually, offside traps work best with a "High" line of defense. If you want more stability, or are facing a top tier opponent, you can turn off offside trap and keep "balanced" line, never keep "deep". Also, look at the stamina of your team before putting the closing over option. If your team tends to have players who have low stamina/injury prone, keep it at "own half" but it is best if you keep it at "all over". Do not put "sit back" even if you are defending a lead since Ai will just score, thinking you are lacking attacking intent. Final instructions: Ohhhhhh this is the most interesting section for me. I have played this game for almost 3 years now, but this year, running at defence just doesn't let you score crazy goals. Also, I would suggest if you have a mid-table/relegation struggler team, just don't put in much instructions. It would complicate in the game, and if technical aspect of your players is low, they will struggle. Ai has been very punishing this season. But the one instruction I would suggest you keep on every time is "work into the box". Personally, I had just kept "work into box" and "through balls" on with Crystal Palace. But the instructions given below have been the same with Newcastle and Arsenal. The other 3 instructions I would suggest you to keep the same as given below to maximise possesion and be threatening enough. Player roles: The only advice I'll give is keep these as simple as possible. The less the attributes required, the more the output would be in terms of results. The only exception to this rule is I think "BBM". It is just too overpowered role not to use in this game. Your first transfer should be to get in a good "BBM" if not already present in your squad. The other change I would like to suggest in this formation is that if you have a mid-table team, change the "DLP" role to "BWM" role. It would help stabilise your defence and could just convert those losses into draws and potentially wins. Otherwise, I would suggest you to stick to the other roles as currently, they perform good. Other general tips are keep morale high, if possible, upgrade all your staff to gold (especially physios) and give your youth academy players chances as they have dynamic potential, they just might be the next star and cost literally nothing. In the end, I would like to say that there is literally no "right" way to play the game as long as you have fun. All the things said in this post are my understanding and opinions about this game. Sorry for the long post. If you've reached here, I would really love to hear your thoughts on how to improve my tactics and future posts. Cheers and have a good day ahead 🧡

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I want to share with you how I want to interpret the game to have fun. In previous versions of FM, I have always admired the players who managed to score 1k, 2k, or 3k goals and I have always tried to imitate them. This time I am succeeding, but with my "own" tactic. I say this because I took inspiration from old tactics shared here and from those who comment on posts. For this reason, I felt it was right to share my test with someone else like me. I am not a super tactician like many others here, so I hope that by sharing it with you, we can improve this tactic for everyone who wants to have fun with this challenge. Tactic: I'll start with a clarification that might be obvious to some but not to others: YOU MUST HAVE THE STRONGEST PLAYERS IN THE GAME, or at least develop those who will become the strongest and optimize them for what we need. For this, I have exploited regens (those players the game creates when some star, e.g., Messi, retires "giving" them his potential). As I said before, I am not a super tactician and honestly, I am not a fan of the graphics in this game, so I have always only looked at the match commentary, analyzing the general statistics and those of my team. This tactic focuses on crosses, so I analyzed everything related to crossing. That said, I can tell you that I have 2 equally strong teams that I rotate, except for Meite, who is my striker for this challenge, and the goalkeeper. My players are the top 20 of my save, but you could optimize them even better than I did for what you need for this tactic and this challenge. I didn't start my save with this tactic; I began with a 4-3-2-1 and gradually developed this one as my players improved, making it much more extreme. In fact, I added Run at Defence only this season (I'm not sharing the results yet, but I will at the end of the season if you'd like) and it seems to be more effective than Through Balls. There are still things to improve, as the wingers, the AM, and the MCs are still scoring a lot; but this is the best I've managed to do for now. I have tried BBM, RP, IF, and AP (including mixed combinations), but they score too much. I tried PF, but I think my Meite doesn't have enough aggression for this role. AF also works well, but I've found better results with P. Results: This tactic has now been practically established for 3 seasons. Meite's attributes: I don't have effective set pieces yet; I tend to keep everyone back with Meite marking the keeper and aiming for the penalty spot. Therefore, I welcome any advice to improve this aspect as well. I hope this helps someone and that you can help me improve it to make Meite even more lethal. Feel free to comment if you have any doubts, suggestions, or anything else. Thanks and hi everyone! UPDATE 02/12: I managed to hit 1k! It was actually pretty 'easy.' I believe that by coaching the national team and sticking with it for a few more seasons, 2k is definitely doable without any issues. That being said, I’ve tried several tactics—as you can see from the results—some work better than others. My impression is that once you find the 'right tactic,' the game manages to stop you, or at least slow you down, in a short amount of time. Anyway, the tactic I shared with you is the one that gave me the most satisfaction regarding personal goals, though not necessarily in terms of team results. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll keep going because I’m getting a bit bored. We’ll see if I find another challenge that catches my interest in the future

Hi folks, Here is a 5-2-1-2 tactic I am currently using with some success in a Villa save. No transfers made. Special mention to the Libero role in this year’s game — the shackles are well and truly off. Centre - backs sprinting onto through balls. I have recently started a Palace save and Lacroix has 7 goals in 12 from OPEN play playing as Libero. Season 1

This not your usual “look at this tactic it’s brilliant”, more I’ve been quite successful but could make it better with the help of you guys who know the positions and player attributes I have been playing 2026 since it’s release, and I have realised it’s not as easy as other versions, but it can be successful if you put effort in, not simple plug and play, but more trial and test until something works. I choose Newcastle, not because of money, but because they are good in most positions, but can improve, I know Liverpool, city, and arsenal will still have the automatic best teams and the first season is always hard with these 3 getting most of the best games, so my objective was to knock them off their perch with a format that I didn’t care to much about scoring lots of goals, but can score to win, whilst defending enough to win the games. So I am happy for assistance to improve, I have changed it many times, but end back where I feel is the better formation, which I finished a whole season to see how I could get on. Tactic is: Update - changed to 2 CDs at the back and changed the 2 strikers to a AF and a DLF, did really well up front So I went with IWB to fill the midfield and try to overpower it with a single CD hold firm, whilst the other is the ball player. Key note, always use a left footed player for the left centre back and left IWB, the stats are rubbish if it’s a right footed player. Another note, now matter what I played, FB, WB or IWB the stats is terrible in this version, mostly getting 5.0 and even down to 4.0 during the game, this is both left and right, so I simply had to hope the rest of the team will get better and give a good performance. Defensively I thought pushing to far forward with a high defensive line loses to many goals, so I kept it balanced where I see a lot of formations having both defensive line high and closing down All Over. I believe in tackling hard to win the ball, yes it gets a red card or 2 throughout the season, but in my opinion you win more tackles with this set to Committed. Update - Changed the Final Third to Through Balls only, with Short passes and into the centre Instructions is the hardest decision I found in this version, I tried so many times changing this until I got half decent, and then good scores as well as getting the best out of the players I had and bought. Passing style changes throughout, I started it mixed, but at times I would change it to Short if I am not getting decent stats, if the players are low in stats I find it’s because players try to much on mixed, lower division is ok for this as players don’t have the same controls as top players, so changing it to Short can help how the team plays, cutting down the amount of wasted passes. For the Final Third, I had this to nothing selected, until I discover even though I have a left IF who is right footed, he gets more goals with Early Crosses selected, but again this worked both ways. Again I selected 2 CFs as the heart of midfield was packed with this formation, so setting a CF meant they stayed further forward trying to score the goals, but again I am all ears to see if I can improve on this. A lot of people want to know how set pieces are set up, well not that I really take any notice, I again set it up for a more defending formation in case there is a break away Goals. Woltemade did well with 26 goals, Moffi was hit and miss scoring 2 here and there, but not really being the striker to partner up front, the rest of the strikers aided with a few goals to get some of the wins I required. Assists Didn’t expect to much here with a single IF, most coming through from all over the pitch How did I get on? Won the league but close with City as expected Awards Managerial Stats Lost the Champions League final Carabao cup Quarter Final FA cup Semi Final Any comments are appreciated

Boas, depois de testar várias táticas e conseguir perceber várias coisas, optei por fazer a minha e tentar recriar uma tatica forte e resistente a tudo, vou deixar aqui a minha 1 temporada ao serviço de uma equipe pequena, com as transferências feitas, jogos e resultados tabelas e melhor marcador, testem que não se arrependerá.

I just Played 3 Matches but surprised Result: Tactics:

Hello As on FM 24 Mobile, this tactic works. Try it and say something. Thanks

This blog explores the revitalization of a legendary football management strategy: the Jambo Dave 3-5-2, modernized for the Football Manager Mobile 2026 engine. The Legend Reborn: Modernizing the "Cheat Code" 🎮 Originally conceptualized in 2006, the Jambo Dave philosophy was built on a simple but devastating premise: central numerical superiority. By abandoning traditional full-backs in favor of a saturated midfield, the tactic creates a "saturated" center that both stifles opposition play and provides overwhelming numbers in attack. In the 2026 engine, this system functions as a high-intensity Gegenpressing variant that prioritizes physical dominance and rapid central transitions. The Core Pillars of the Tactic 🏛️ The success of this modernized framework relies on three "Logical Blocks" that exploit the engine's deterministic nature: The Pressing Block: Combining the "All Over" closing down instruction with five midfielders creates a defensive wall that is difficult to bypass. The Passing Block: Utilizing "Short" passing within a "Narrow" team width creates high-completion "Pass Chains" that tire out opposition midfielders. The Finishing Block: A strike force of two forwards joined by an attacking central midfielder—the "Middle Man"—ensures the box is always occupied. The "Middle Man": The Scoring Machine ⚽ The crown jewel of the Jambo Dave tactic is the central midfielder in the attacking role (CAM). This player is tasked with extraordinary duties, often resulting in high goal tallies per season. | Middle Man (CAM) | Get Further Forward, Move Into Channels | Acts as a third striker, arriving late in the box to convert chances. | | Defensive Wingers/Wing Backs | Attack, Roam from Position | Replicate the "Free Role" of the original tactic, providing width without crossing. | | The Destroyers (BWM) | Support, Committed Tackling | Execute the high-press with physical authority and win 50/50 challenges. | Strategic Execution: Tempo and Mentality ⚡ To dominate the Al, the team must operate with an Attacking mentality and a Fast tempo. This prevents the "Short" passing from becoming aimless and capitalizes on turnovers generated by the "Committed" tackling of the midfield trio. ONLY 2 GAMES PLAYED SO FAR: Denmark 0 vs 1 Brazil - World Cup Semi-Final Based on the evidence of the World Cup Semi-Final between Brazil and Denmark, here is a detailed analysis of Brazil's performance using the Jambo Dave 3-5-2 (implemented as a 3-4-1-2). Brazil vs. Denmark: Tactical Analysis The match ended in a 1-0 victory for Brazil at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite the narrow scoreline, the tactical application of Jambo Dave's principles was evident through Brazil's central dominance and defensive stability. 1. Central Numerical Superiority & Action Zones A core tenet of the Jambo Dave tactic is "Central Overload". The match's Action Zones demonstrate Brazil’s success in funneling play through the middle: Central Midfield Dominance: Brazil controlled 35% of the play in the central attacking third, compared to Denmark's 24% in their equivalent zone. Wing Neutralization: Brazil's narrow focus limited play on the flanks to just 8% and 11%, effectively forcing the game into the "Central Corridor" where the Jambo Dave system thrives. 2. Defensive Authority and "Committed" Tackling The tactic calls for "Committed" tackling and "All Over" pressing. Brazil's defensive stats back this up: Total Tackles: The team completed 40 tackles in total. The "Destroyers" (MCL/MCR): Following the modernization of Jambo Dave’s "Hard" tackling, Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Guimarães were highly active, though Guimarães was noted as the "Worst Performer," likely due to the high risk of the "Committed" instruction leading to fouls or poor efficiency. Clean Sheet: The three-man defense, led by Natan (8 rating) and Beraldo (8 rating), successfully neutralized Denmark, supported by Alisson, who earned a 8 rating as the "Best Performer". 3. The "Middle Man" and Offensive Output The "Middle Man" (AMC) is the crown jewel of this tactic. Matheus Cunha (AMC): Occupying the pivotal "Middle Man" role, Cunha delivered the decisive moment of the match, scoring the winning goal in the 45th minute. Rating: He finished with a 7 rating, a key contribution in a low-scoring game. Shooting: Brazil utilized the "Shoot on Sight" instruction, recording 14 total shots, with 7 on target. Player Ratings & Key Facts | Alisson | GK (Sweeper) | 8 Best Performer; | Natan | DC (Defend) | 8 | | Beraldo | DC (Defend) | 8 | | Matheus Cunha | AMC (Middle Man) | 8 | Match Winner (45') | Éder Militão | DC (Cover) | 7 | Captain; anchored the back three. | Brazil's Performance Rank: 8.5/10 Brazil’s execution of the Jambo Dave tactic was highly effective, particularly in defense and central control. Pros: The team successfully "suffocated" Denmark through central numbers and maintained a robust defensive block (40 tackles). Cons: The rating is slightly lowered from a perfect 10 due to "Poor shot conversion" (1 goal from 14 shots, 3 clear cut chances) and the fact that the defense was "beaten in the air too frequently," a known risk when using a high line in this engine. Belgium 0 vs 3 Brazil - World Cup Final In the World Cup Final between Brazil and Belgium, Brazil's execution of the modernized Jambo Dave 3-5-2 (structured as a 3-4-1-2) reached its tactical zenith. Brazil secured a dominant 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium, capturing the trophy through a masterclass in central overload and high-intensity pressing.🏆🏅 Tactical Analysis: Brazil vs. Belgium The Jambo Dave philosophy focuses on "Central Density" to overwhelm the opposition's defensive logic. Brazil’s performance in this final perfectly mirrors the "firmware update" of this historical "cheat code". Central Dominance & Overload: The Action Zones demonstrate the tactic's success in forcing the game into the "Central Corridor". Brazil controlled 31% of the play in the central attacking third, while Belgium was limited to just 16% and 9%. The "Middle Man" Phenom: The crown jewel of the tactic is the CAM or "Middle Man". In this final, Matheus Cunha occupied this role. Lethal Verticality: Despite using "Short" passing, the Attacking mentality and Fast tempo ensured rapid transitions. This is evidenced by Endrick, who, acting as the primary striker, scored a magnificent hat-trick (38', 48', 84'). Defensive Aggression: Following the "Committed" tackling instruction, the midfield trio successfully "suffocated" Belgium. The defense dominated the air and maintained a clean sheet against a world-class Belgian attack. Match Facts & Player Statistics Brazil’s statistical output confirms the efficacy of the Jambo Dave "Pressing Block". | Endrick | Striker (Match Winner) | 10 | 3 Goals (Hat-trick) | Alisson | GK (Sweeper Keeper) | 8 | Clean sheet; 100% save percentage | Murillo | DC (Defend) | 8 | | Beraldo | DC (Defend) | 8 | | Matheus Cunha | AMC (Middle Man) | 6 | | Bruno Guimarães | MCL (Ball Winner) | 7 | Team-Wide Stats: Total Shots: 15 (with 9 on target, 3 clear cut chances ). Tackles Won: 23. Passes Completed: 157. Discipline: 1 Yellow/Red cards despite "Committed" tackling. Performance Rank: 10/10 Brazil's performance in the World Cup Final is a perfect 10/10 implementation of the Jambo Dave Tactic. The team achieved the "Ultimate Modernized Jambo Dave" ideal by rejecting width in favor of central dominance. They neutralized Belgium's creative threats (like Kevin De Bruyne, who was held to a 5 rating) through the "All Over" closing down system. With a hat-trick from the striker and a dominant performance from the "Middle Man," this match serves as the definitive proof that the 3-5-2 provides the "structural integrity and offensive firepower" to dominate at the highest level of world football. Screen_Recording_20260126_194803_FM26 Mobile_1.mp4

Best tactic of all time? Pressing, Scoring, High line defence, Chance creation and Trophy winning Result: Scoring 100 goal and earn 101 points in Serie A at first season 🔥Look how dominated Europe🔪 Look how dominated inter🔪 Strikers Stats:Midfielder Stats:Signing:Tactics: *Balancing Teamwork in FM24🔥 ST Low teamwork? Your inside forward should be team player (Minimum 14 teamwork) Inside Forward high teamwork? Your ST(and maybe Midfielder's) should be selfish (Maximum 13 teamwork) i recommend your ST 15 teamwork and IFs selfish like 12 teamwork and Midfielder's 17 teamwork Test and Share your results *Players⚡ in Central Defence using pacy defender (minimum 15) also one defender to comfortable with the ball (minimum 13 dribbling) in Wing Backs we need movement, crossing, pace in Midfielder using one player with hight creativity(15) like Reijnders and one Box to Box Midfielder with good Aggressive, Stamina, Shooting like Bonaventura/Gallagher/Lewis Ferguson and your Pressing Forward should be Aggressive (Creativity, Aerial as a Gift!) i like zirkzee, abraham, gakpo, darwin nunez, vlahovic Which player's role can I change?🤔 SK --> GK / BPL--> Every Roles(CB very positive, Maybe better than BPD) / BWM --> DLP(Attacking Choice) Anchor The only downside to this tactic is player injuries. Second Save:Leao is inside forward!🥶 Enjoy it🤍

Hello guys,i just make best tactics for Fm26 mobile version. Everything u have explained at pictures how the sets corners and free kick 🦶 For match preparation use all time Counters Atack When u have lead just set WASTE TIME on ur defence settings and u can change Team mentality on 80+ minutes to Defense Very important is also Pep talk before match ! I tested this tactic with small and big teams and work great for all teams! Good luck guys and posted me ur exspirian and results with my tactics 💪