How To MASTER All Phases In-Possession on FM26 | FM26 Tactic (INVINCIBLE)
Football Manager 26, in my opinion, provides the toughest, most challenging tactical experience in a generation. To truly dominate games in FM26, you need more than a classic ‘overpowered’ 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress tactic. You need nuance. You need understanding. You need to master the finer margins.
In this article, I’ll be providing brief analysis of the tactic I’ve made to try and master every in-possession phase, before demonstrating the tactic and showcasing the unreal results said tactics achieved in testing on Football Manager 26.
Firstly, let’s break down the three key phases of possession, and how I tried to master each one.
Beating Build-up
The ‘build-up’ phase is the phase, in-possession, where your team are most vulnerable - however, it’s also the phase with the most opportunity. As your team begins the build-up patterns they’ve rigorously worked on in training, a blank slate is ahead; Opportunities are there, but, underneath the surface, mines are placed and ready to decimate your attempts to build-up.
If you play short and lose the ball, the opposition have an excellent opportunity to counter-attack and score immediately. However, if you play short and beat the press, you could have a small army of players bearing down on goal with space to run into.
Before trying to find an optimal, cool solution, it’s crucial that we understand the current tactical landscape in real life - and how that is imprinted on FM26.
Most teams, nowadays, have a form of high-press in their arsenal, with a large number of teams, more or less, ready to commit to a full-scale, man-oriented high-press.
The objective then, as the team in-possession, is to destabilise the opposition’s man-marking system within their high-press: Pin opposition players; Drag opposition players into uncomfortable positions; Create space; Penetrate space.
My strategy
I see the full-back vs winger battle as an opportunity; Wingers don’t want to be dragged towards their own goal. They don’t want to do the hard yards. They want to be high and in a favourable position to attack immediately upon regaining possession. This is the target.
By positioning a full-back higher from build-up, the opposition winger on that side must track back.
The full-back, in close proximity to the winger on his side, is joined by the central midfielder on that side, creating a dynamic, unpredictable, fluid, and flexible trio that can each run in-behind, drop deeper to receive, or move inside and rotate with a team-mate.
This trio of players in such close proximity also distresses the opposition’s man-oriented high-press, as it forces the opposition’s defensive shape to stretch, thus creating space for other players to exploit - such as our ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ and our ‘Target Forward’.
Additionally, our right-winger holds a higher position in build-up to pin the opposition’s defensive line deeper, creating even more space and separation in the opposition’s high-press.
Our general strategy, with the ball at our feet, in build-up is to bait the opposition’s high-press into pressing even higher, before calmly playing through and finding the spare man.
Powering Through Progression
We’ve, ideally, successfully bypassed the opposition’s high-press and have advanced into the ‘Progression’ phase of possession.
Now, most teams at the top level will still press high to some compacity, however, this is usually from the platform of a disciplined, strong high/mid-block. The idea here, then, is to manipulate that occasional high-press, continue to pin and drag opposition players, and, crucially, create and penetrate space.
We can manipulate the opposition’s occasional high-press by giving certain players licence to carry the ball forward, baiting the opposition into engaging the ball-carrier and, subsequently, create space for others to exploit.
In this system, I’ve given the left centre-back and the ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ such licence, as both players will have space to carry into as a result of their teammates’ respective positioning and/or movement.
Pinners, draggers, runners
The most crucial aspect of mastering the ‘Progression’ phase, in-possession, is creating, and penetrating, space. This idea essentially goes hand-in-hand with the idea of pinning and dragging opposition players, as these two facets will naturally create space.
Therefore, we can essentially boil our starting outfielders down to ‘pinners’, ‘draggers’, and ‘runners’.
In the above screenshot, you can see our ten outfield players - we can separate them into the three aforementioned groups, although one player can fit two of the groups in this concept:
- CB (DCR) - ‘Pinner’
- BCB (DCL) - ‘Pinner’ & ‘Dragger’
- FB (DR) - ‘Pinner’ & ‘Dragger’
- AWB (DL) - ‘Dragger’ & ‘Runner’
- DLP (DMCL) - ‘Dragger’
- BBM (DMCR) - ‘Dragger’ & ‘Runner’
- WCM (MCL) - ‘Dragger’ & ‘Runner’
- IF (AMR) - ‘Pinner’ & ‘Runner’
- WFD (AML) - ‘Pinner’ & ‘Runner’
- TF (STC) - ‘Pinner’ & ‘Dragger’
To put it simply: Our ‘Target Forward’ can drop off the front line to link play, creating space in-behind for the ‘Inside Forward’, ‘Wide Forward’, or ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ to penetrate.
Alternately, our ‘Deep-Lying Playmaker’ could drop between the centre-backs, creating space centrally for the ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ or ‘Target Forward’ to drop into - creating a chain reaction that, ultimately, could lead to the recreation of the first scenario to materialise.
‘Pass Into Space’, in our team instructions, encourages our team to try and penetrate the space in-behind as frequently as possible, whilst asking our team to look for underlapping runs on both sides encourages the likes of the ‘Advanced Wing-Back’ and ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ to make runs in-behind, potentially beyond the dropping ‘Target Forward’.
The opportunities are endless!
Flourishing in the Final Third
The low-block is a resolute, compact block that so many teams find difficult to dislodge. And that is, in truth, because there is no particular, defined ‘strategy’ to manipulate or penetrate a low-block - most teams who dominate games against teams in a low-block have immense individual quality, which can, themselves, decimate even the sternest of blocks.
I liken breaking down a low-block to Anthony Joshua breaking down the cowardly, yet somewhat defiant, Jake Paul - for me, the best strategy to breaking down low-blocks is by keeping the ball in-play… or, in boxing terms, avoiding a grappling from your opponent.
As long as the ball is live, all threat is possible and tangible.
Short, quick passes side-to-side; switches of play, as a result of overloading to create isolation; penetrating the half-spaces; loading the box. Each one of these are crucial facets to breaking down a low-block, as, done to a high pace, they constantly unsettle the opposition’s shape and ask questions of their individuals.
Additionally, creating chaos of your own accord is a useful strategy: Crossing the ball, allowing wingers to take on the opposition full-back, feeding central players with one-two opportunities, the occasional long-shot into a sea of bodies… all you need to one frantic foul, or one lucky bounce, and you’re in business.
Let’s Break Down the Tactic
In Possession
Out of Possession
When we lose possession, we want to immediately counter-press to try and regain possession as quickly as possible - in our final third exploits, if successful, this will allow us to continuously apply pressure on the opposition’s low-block.
If unsuccessful, we drop into an energetic high-block that looks to incessantly close the opposition down - our defensive line holds a higher position to supplement our high-press.
Player Roles
Ball-Playing Goalkeeper | Sweeper Keeper
In this system, I desired a ‘keeper role that was active both in-possession and out-of-possession to provide us the edge over our opponents.
In build-up, the ‘keeper is asked to move higher and carry the ball forward to entice the opposition’s high-press.
When we don’t have the ball, the ‘keeper is asked to position himself higher and in an optimal position to sweep any loose through balls in-behind.
Full-Back | Full-Back
In this system, I wanted our right-back to complement the more adventurous movement of his counterpart on the left, rather sitting deeper as a ‘recycling’ option for our right-winger to pass to in the final third.
When we have the ball, he is asked to regularly risk the direct ball in-behind for our ‘Inside Forward’ to chase in-behind.
Additionally, he is asked to be more reserved in his in-possession exploits, crossing from deep and rarely making runs beyond the right-winger.
Centre-Back | Centre-Back
The right-sided centre-back, in this system, is the most disciplined player and role in the squad, asked to safely retain and recycle possession and primarily focus on his defensive responsibilities.
Ball-Playing Centre-Back | Centre-Back
His centre-back partner, however, is the antithesis of this idea, as he is encouraged to progress the ball constantly, whether that be through line-breaking passes or marauding carries beyond the opposition’s lines of defence.
Additionally, he is asked to move wider to offer a fourth, supporting passing option to our wide triangle on the left.
Advanced Wing-Back | Full-Back
Our left-back, in this system, is used as the opposition’s man-oriented, high-press killer, as he’s asked to position himself higher throughout our possession exploits.
Additionally, he is asked to sit narrower and try to reach the byline as frequently as possible, providing an underlapping option for our left-winger.
Deep-Lying Playmaker | Defensive Midfielder
In this system, the central holding midfielder is the side’s metronome, tasked with moving to wherever the ball may be and offering an additional passing option.
As such, he’ll regularly drop deeper and/or between the centre-backs to receive the ball, before progressing play and moving higher to offer a linchpin passing option for the side.
Box-to-Box Midfielder | Defensive Midfielder
This role is absolutely imperative to our entire system, as he has a crucial, fundamental role to play in every phase:
In build-up, the box-to-box midfielder will remain deeper initially, creating a double-pivot in the defensive midfield line, dragging an opposition midfielder higher.
In the progression phase, the box-to-box midfielder positions himself slightly higher, in a key position between the lines as he readies himself for a useful burst in-behind to penetrate space, or dropping deeper to supplement our possession exploits.
In the final third, the box-to-box midfielder moves even higher to become a box-crashing option, attacking crosses and cut-backs into the penalty area.
Furthermore, he’s asked to move into the channels and make his runs in-behind from the right half-space, although, he is given licence to roam from his position.
Wide Central Midfielder | Wide Midfielder
In this system, the left-sided central midfielder is a very important tool. His wider positioning creates the dynamic, and fruitful, wide triangle - however, he isn’t tied to a wider position, as he’s also given licence to roam and, situationally, make runs in-behind from this wider positioning.
Furthermore, he’s encouraged to play the riskier, more direct passes in-behind to try and find the ‘Wide Forward’ or ‘inside Forward’ in-behind.
When we don’t have the ball, this player is instructed to move wider to help form our 4-4-2 out-of-possession shape.
Inside Forward | Tracking Wide Midfielder
From this position, the right-winger, in this system, is one of our crucial ‘pinners’, whose higher positioning will force the opposition’s backline to drop deeper.
To make his movements more unpredictable, however, he is asked to initially hold a wider position; From here, if he receives the ball, he can either cut inside, hit the byline, or even pass the ball into space for the ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ to hit the byline himself.
When we don’t have the ball, the right-winger is asked to track back and support his full-back against opposition wide threats.
Wide Forward | Centre Forward
In this system, the left-winger is asked to perform a similar role to that of the right-winger: Stay wider, before either cutting inside or hitting the byline.
However, the slight disparity between the pair is that I want the left-winger to be wider on a more consistent basis, along with making his runs in-behind from a wider position too.
When we don’t have the ball, he is instructed to move into a ‘striker’ position and form the front two, of our 4-4-2 out-of-possession shape, with our nominal striker.
Target Forward | Centre Forward
The striker’s role, in terms of movement, is definitely the most important, and complex, in our system, as he’s asked to begin higher, initially pinning the opposition centre-backs deeper, before situationally dropping into space between the lines and linking play with shorter, simple passes.
Results
I tested this tactic with only one team: RB Leipzig, from Germany’s Bundesliga.
Bundesliga
We were impeccable in the Bundesliga, as we completed a historic, glorious INVINCIBLE campaign, winning 26 of our 34 league games, whilst drawing the other 8 games!
In our 34 league games, we scored 97 goals (2.85 goals per game) and conceded just 24 goals (0.7 goals per game) - the league’s best in each respect.
In the end, we finished a massive 15 points clear of runners-up, Eintracht Frankfurt.
DFB-Pokal
We made it a dreamy domestic double, as we displayed dominance in defeating Bayern Munich 0-3 in the Final, in Berlin, to secure the DFB-Pokal!
On our way to the Final, we beat the likes of Borussia Dortmund (2-3), Eintracht Frankfurt (0-4), and Hertha Berlin (1-4).
Read Also
- FM26 Tactics Hub
- FM26 Best Youth Academies
- FM26 Wonderkids by PA, Price & Position
- FM26 Transfer Budgets
Conclusion
As many a manager and their respective sides battle it out to identify the new ‘meta’ tactic/system to dominate European football, the truth may lie in the very facets of in-possession football that we all know: Build-up, progression, and the final third.
Dominating one, like how De Zerbi mastered build-up with the likes of Sassuolo, Brighton, and Marseille, is fantastic… however, if you can dominate all three, you’ll dominate almost every game, and every opponent, that’s in your way.
If you want a taste of this dominating tactic, make sure to download the tactic using the link attached to this article and make sure to follow FM Blog (@fmbIog) and myself (@AshtonGgmu) on our respective socials.
I hope you have enjoyed this article, and I wish you much success with this tactic on your saves! Thanks for reading!
