How to counter 4-4-2

[Maranwe]

Problem with 4-4-2 is its versatility, which is also its weakness: there are many ways to set up a 4-4-2 without really messing it up, but also no real focus in the formation. Do they attack down the flanks? Mixed? Short, mixed, long passes? It also works with both a defensive and offensive tactic. That makes it difficult to find one single good counter formation. Not even counting individual strengths of weaknesses. It's why I always prepare for trouble when even a weak abandoned bot team has 4-4-2.
I prepare my squad in such a way that I can make a narrow diamond, a 4-4-2 myself and a V

[Pini Shavili]

i would say go for

4-2-2-2

St St
AmL AmR
mc - mc
dl -dc -dc - dr
gk
normal / throw flanks / own half / normal tackling / mixed pass / zone

[meis]

I have hard time dealing with this 4-4-2 flat formation. In my lv 31 league, there are about 6 or 7 teams using it. I had a decent result using 3N-3W-3N-1 aka 3-6-1 formation.

[Gullible Casper]

4 5 1 v Work well for me against 4 4 2. Won 1-3 away today

[Philip L. Willis]

Leading my league, facing the second place team, we are equal is almost all aspect, he is slightly stronger in attack I am slightly strongly in defense, he plays 4-4-2 most of the time, but he is also a weird formation manager, a good one.


I'm mostly Narrow Diamond, he knows that, I will play a 3-5-1V against him. But will decide, watching what he is up to 3/4 minutes before play time, "Know your enemy, know yourself"~ Sun Tzu, Art of War. I have home and more than likely possession advantage, my entourage is formidable. Nice to have friends, (Note; Possession will not win you a match, but it doesn't hurt!).


As he is a strange formation player, I may just change to Narrow Diamond, by half time, if I feel uncomfortable. I will waste an AMC by doing that! I do not play players out of position, I'm pretty sure you will loose possession % when you do that. When you are even with the enemy, all the little things matters. Nothing guarantees a win, except luck, not even if you have 2/3 stars over them. We will see in 2 hours!

[Philip L. Willis]

Leading my league, facing the second place team, we are equal is almost all aspect, he is slightly stronger in attack I am slightly strongly in defense, he plays 4-4-2 most of the time, but he is also a weird formation manager, a good one.


I'm mostly Narrow Diamond, he knows that, I will play a 3-5-1V against him. But will decide, watching what he is up to 3/4 minutes before play time, "Know your enemy, know yourself"~ Sun Tzu, Art of War. I have home and more than likely possession advantage, my entourage is formidable. Nice to have friends, (Note; Possession will not win you a match, but it doesn't hurt!).


As he is a strange formation player, I may just change to Narrow Diamond, by half time, if I feel uncomfortable. I will waste an AMC by doing that! I do not play players out of position, I'm pretty sure you will loose possession % when you do that. When you are even with the enemy, all the little things matters. Nothing guarantees a win, except luck, not even if you have 2/3 stars over them. We will see in 2 hours!

Well I'd push the time back twice into the next day and he still turned up! LOL... he is on to me, brought his own entourage, not bad and neutralized half of mines. Has only a 7% advantage at home, the worst I have ever had.
He started weird and ended even more weird with his formations, voodoo management, but he still lost. I went with a 4-5-1V and kept it all game. He was expecting a Diamond and the V may have thrown him off. I was lucky.

[Stefanut Stefanut]

3-4-12 or 4-5-1 V-Style , , 3-2-2-2-1 Butterfly , 4-4-1-1 , 3-1(DMC)-2N(MC)-3W(AML/AMR/AMC)-1 ,

[Irie_Ites]

looks like the Luck was on yr side, i`ve lost my last games against 442classic with 451v, so i dont believe in 451v anymore....442 is the best
or
u can try 3-5-2 with aml/amr,

[Bubba]

This worked more than 4-5-1 V-S
...anyway, i'm in love with 4-5-1 V-S, so it's about your choice!

[soccerLover]

Used 3N-2(dml/dmr)-3N-2 - The home match is in 2 days, so any suggestions are welcome
Lost 1:2 away for CL match against much better quality team ( my team Q 36.2 & his team Q 39.4 ).
Against 4-4-2 I used 3N-2(dml/dmr)-3N-2. I can't used narrow diamond because his DCs,MCs and Sts are stronger and also 4-5-1V because its never works for me. With 4-5-1V I always lost against lower quality team . With 3n-2-3n-2 my order was :
team mentality : defensive
focus passing : down both flanks
Pressing style : Own half
Tackling style : Hard
Passing style : mixed
Marking style : Zonal
Force counterattacks : ON and No offside trap.