Counter formation logic

[Michael Unonk]

finally, here is the result.. thanks to everyone with great ideas...

Attachment 6384

[herdo]

yeh i countered 4-4-2 with narrow diamond n won 3 nil. Was only 2 quality of a difference

[reddeviljohn]

Well Today was the first day I decided not to counter anymore mainly coz of a bad start to the season and I won both matches today, yay!!

[Master Tactician]

Well Today was the first day I decided not to counter anymore mainly coz of a bad start to the season and I won both matches today, yay!!

Well done. You're a great example. Big teams just play the football they know and win. They "counter" by changing 1 player and a few orders. They don't change 8 formations in 8 matches.

[reddeviljohn]

Thanks your detailed reply to an earlier post was an inspiration!

[CIBlue]

The reason for this is because 4-4-2 normal has an alley up the middle that 4-1-2-1-2 (4-4-2 narrow diamond) takes advantage of. 4-5-1 VStyle & 3-5-2 VStyle have worked well for me in the past. You could also, use 3-1-4-2 with up arrows on the ML/MR. This adds more to your possesion but also, reduces your offensive strength.

[Sherif Kamal Ahmed]

For me there are no counter formations. What is widely touted as counter could fall flat if tactical instructions are wrong. To beat the narrow diamond by attacking the flanks, you need to first nullify their threat through the middle by using an anchorman. so, rather than 4-4-2, in which you cannot double up down the flanks as you're left short-handed in the middle, just replace one of the strikers with an anchorman(DMC) and you have a gameplan. Whether it works depends on several variables but it is a plan and for me, it's about having a plan rather than looking at the scoreline to determine what works and what doesn't. Last season, i had the perfect gameplan against 3-2(wb)-2-1-2 in the CL quarters second leg away, having drawn the first at home. Playing on the counter and attacking the flanks, i created 20+ chances, over twice as many as the opponent but got done by a goal from a free kick by his scout fk specialist. It might not always work but for me having a template is half the job and in football sometimes that is all a manager can do! Even a Mourinho cannot control everything. Set the team out and leave the result in the lap of the football gods.

i think u don,t have to play with DMC to win against the narrow diamond,.... in my opinion, if 4-4-2 plays against the narrow diamond, it will depend on the teams quality,.. if the 4-4-2 have good flank players, he will score,... and also if the narrow diamond have gd mc,s and AMC, he also will score,....so generally,... every manager must use the formation that suit his best players,... i.e....it,s not logic to play narrow diamond while ur MC and MC,s are 2 stars !!!!!!!