How to play 3-1-4-2.

[Skidz]

This is how to get the best out off playing 3-1-4-2 formation!.

I have played this formation for 8 seasons now to great success so feel I have gained enough knowlege on what works best!, Firstly let me say this there are threads and guide on this forum that other managers have compiled that say what formation plays better against other formations, well for me I am going to ignore all of them lol!, I am not trying to be disrepectfull in any way I am only going on my personal expierence and so you use which ever formation tactics you feel right for yourself...THIS IS AFTER ALL ONLY A GUIDE ASWELL, but !!! ANY FORMATION CAN BEAT ANY OTHER FORMATION FACT!!!, that is the only reason I pay no attention to other formation v formation guides.

1 If you decide to play this then biuld your team gradually or at any pace that suits you!
2 Having cover for EVERY position is essential.
3 Set your season target early! ie, are you trying to win just the league or cup, or both or even a treble(very hard indeed).
4 To win just the league!, always have two identicle teams, this means using all your squad players.
4a, Play your best team in the league only!!! A MUST.
4b, play your remaining players in the cup and champions league!
4c, Your main aim as said before is the league BUT!, you should at least try to get to the leaugue stages of the champions league so if this means playing your first team or mixing them into your second team thats fine!, all you are trying to do is earn some extra cash by getting some more games in!
4d Dont try to force winning everything in the first season!, you will have to build your squad over time unless you have unlimited funds or a token farmer!.
4e, Only train your players once a day! and only after the days game!,.
4f, Manually assign skill points to the neccessary positions!,
4g, Try to keep morale and condition to at least 90% for every match!.

Ok players required, G,DL,DC,DR,DMC,ML,MC,MC,MR,ST,ST..TIMES 2!!, try to buy players with multiple positions like this?
DL/DC. DL/DMC, DR/DC, DR,DMC, DMC/MC, MC/MR, MC/ML, these are worth there weight in gold as when suspensions and injuries occur they really are useful to slot in.

Orders..

Arrows

You are now set up but you must remember that many variables can contrubute to any outcome in a game! so watching live games can really help if you need to tweak thing due to your opponent changing things or sending offs/bookings stamina, etc!

How to change thing during live matches!

Your playing a tight game and are 1 up but starting to get over run! what should I do
Take off a MC or ST AND REPLACE WITH A DC so you are now playing either 4-1-4-1 or 4-1-3-2!.

Your losing!!! O KNOW what can I do
Time for some drastic measures!!! take off your DMC! and replace with another ST!, switch team metality to HARD ATTACKING and go for broke you have nothing to loose!. your formation now is 3-4-3.

When you come across formations that flood the attacking half you can always either switch to a 4-3-3 to counter there threat with a heavy threat of your own or start the game a little more cautious and start with 4-1-3-2! it is almost identicle but has the same devestation as a 3-1-4-2 with more defencive cover!.

I hope by now you can see why 3-1-4-2 is such a versitile formation! it has so many possibilties of switching to others if needed that in my opinion it out does any other!, you can even buy a player that is multi skilled with an AMC with him preferably a MC or ST so you then give yourself the option of playing 3-1-4-1-1 OR 4-1-3-1-1!, the choice is yours?.

Ok you have the tactics, players and ideas, now for trying to go and win a little more!.
To do this you need very good players in every position so to do this try to buy a scout or two every season but in a different position everytime!
Scout defenders ARIEL OR DEFENCIVE WALL
.........ML. DRIBBLERS, MC, PLAYMAKERS, FREEKICK SPECIALISTS,PENALY KICK!, MR, DRIBBLERS.
.........ST, ONE ON ONE/ PENALTY KICK.

When you complete a full season then gradually sell your weaker players from your 2nd squad and drop the weaker first team players into the your second squad when you have bought a better first team replacement!, gradually over time you will have built a very very good full squad capable of competing in all competitions!, DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!! unless you are a heavy token buyer or farmer you will need a few seasons to reach this highy quality needed to substain a double or treble winning team!, your main aim is to try to be the best or near the best quality team in your league at the start of the season to give yourself any chance!.
For managers that do not get videos for free tokens and rely on the 35T system then you must buy wisely!, do not attempt to buy on the first few days as you will never get any decent players!, buy players at the end of the season before and go for quality players ending with 8 or 3 DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GET PLAYERS ENDING IN 4 OR 9 or have a special ability on the normal aution as you will find yourself in a token war and probably run out off tokens and end with nothing!!!, look for HOT PROSPECTS and Yourth players around the age of 20-25 so you get value for them!!!, if you need older players as your short thats fine as needs must sometimes!

So remember.. be patient, keep to your formation, never give up if you lose a couple of games as you may be against a better team than yours!, build your team if and when you can!, think of the bigger picture not right now!, you will be rewarded for your efforts if you stick to the guidelines I have set", so good luck everyone.

Its been brought to my attention that I missed off offsides and force counter attacks oops!!!.
Any way I always use play offsides in EVERY MATCH!, force counter attacks I always use against 4-4-2, or when playing a team with better quality than me!, otherwise I leave it off!, if you find you are losing and do change to a more attacking formation during the game say at HT then put it on.

[Brian Dang]

This is how to get the best out off playing 3-1-4-2 formation!.

I have played this formation for 8 seasons now to great success so feel I have gained enough knowlege on what works best!, Firstly let me say this there are threads and guide on this forum that other managers have compiled that say what formation plays better against other formations, well for me I am going to ignore all of them lol!, I am not trying to be disrepectfull in any way I am only going on my personal expierence and so you use which ever formation tactics you feel right for yourself...THIS IS AFTER ALL ONLY A GUIDE ASWELL, but !!! ANY FORMATION CAN BEAT ANY OTHER FORMATION FACT!!!, that is the only reason I pay no attention to other formation v formation guides.

1 If you decide to play this then biuld your team gradually or at any pace that suits you!
2 Having cover for EVERY position is essential.
3 Set your season target early! ie, are you trying to win just the league or cup, or both or even a treble(very hard indeed).
4 To win just the league!, always have two identicle teams, this means using all your squad players.
4a, Play your best team in the league only!!! A MUST.
4b, play your remaining players in the cup and champions league!
4c, Your main aim as said before is the league BUT!, you should at least try to get to the leaugue stages of the champions league so if this means playing your first team or mixing them into your second team thats fine!, all you are trying to do is earn some extra cash by getting some more games in!
4d Dont try to force winning everything in the first season!, you will have to build your squad over time unless you have unlimited funds or a token farmer!.
4e, Only train your players once a day! and only after the days game!,.
4f, Manually assign skill points to the neccessary positions!,
4g, Try to keep morale and condition to at least 90% for every match!.

Ok players required, G,DL,DC,DR,DMC,ML,MC,MC,MR,ST,ST..TIMES 2!!, try to buy players with multiple positions like this?
DL/DC. DL/DMC, DR/DC, DR,DMC, DMC/MC, MC/MR, MC/ML, these are worth there weight in gold as when suspensions and injuries occur they really are useful to slot in.

Orders..

Arrows

You are now set up but you must remember that many variables can contrubute to any outcome in a game! so watching live games can really help if you need to tweak thing due to your opponent changing things or sending offs/bookings stamina, etc!

How to change thing during live matches!

Your playing a tight game and are 1 up but starting to get over run! what should I do
Take off a MC or ST AND REPLACE WITH A DC so you are now playing either 4-1-4-1 or 4-1-3-2!.

Your losing!!! O KNOW what can I do
Time for some drastic measures!!! take off your DMC! and replace with another ST!, switch team metality to HARD ATTACKING and go for broke you have nothing to loose!. your formation now is 3-4-3.

When you come across formations that flood the attacking half you can always either switch to a 4-3-3 to counter there threat with a heavy threat of your own or start the game a little more cautious and start with 4-1-3-2! it is almost identicle but has the same devestation as a 3-1-4-2 with more defencive cover!.

I hope by now you can see why 3-1-4-2 is such a versitile formation! it has so many possibilties of switching to others if needed that in my opinion it out does any other!, you can even buy a player that is multi skilled with an AMC with him preferably a MC or ST so you then give yourself the option of playing 3-1-4-1-1 OR 4-1-3-1-1!, the choice is yours?.

Ok you have the tactics, players and ideas, now for trying to go and win a little more!.
To do this you need very good players in every position so to do this try to buy a scout or two every season but in a different position everytime!
Scout defenders ARIEL OR DEFENCIVE WALL
.........ML. DRIBBLERS, MC, PLAYMAKERS, FREEKICK SPECIALISTS,PENALY KICK!, MR, DRIBBLERS.
.........ST, ONE ON ONE/ PENALTY KICK.

When you complete a full season then gradually sell your weaker players from your 2nd squad and drop the weaker first team players into the your second squad when you have bought a better first team replacement!, gradually over time you will have built a very very good full squad capable of competing in all competitions!, DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!! unless you are a heavy token buyer or farmer you will need a few seasons to reach this highy quality needed to substain a double or treble winning team!, your main aim is to try to be the best or near the best quality team in your league at the start of the season to give yourself any chance!.
For managers that do not get videos for free tokens and rely on the 35T system then you must buy wisely!, do not attempt to buy on the first few days as you will never get any decent players!, buy players at the end of the season before and go for quality players ending with 8 or 3 DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GET PLAYERS ENDING IN 4 OR 9 or have a special ability on the normal aution as you will find yourself in a token war and probably run out off tokens and end with nothing!!!, look for HOT PROSPECTS and Yourth players around the age of 20-25 so you get value for them!!!, if you need older players as your short thats fine as needs must sometimes!

So remember.. be patient, keep to your formation, never give up if you lose a couple of games as you may be against a better team than yours!, build your team if and when you can!, think of the bigger picture not right now!, you will be rewarded for your efforts if you stick to the guidelines I have set", so good luck everyone.

Nice guide.. Are U doing good in CUP?

[Emiron Josepha]

Probs Skidz for sharing this tactic! Using this formation this season (season 2) And won almost all my games and won the CL.... Probs too you mate! Take a look at my showcase on the link on my discribstion

[gazza]

Nice guide Skidz.I won the treble last season with this formation and came close the two seasons previous.The only difference between my team and yours is the use of the arrows,i don't usually use them except when i hit the panic button(hard attacking)and i always have a blue arrow on my centre back who is also my captain.

[Aleksandar Mitić]

First, tnx for the tutorial. Second, can you explain me, what do you mean by "go for quality players ending with 8 or 3"? And third, counter attack and offside?

[Christian Christiansen]

GREAT tutorial Skidz...
Even though I don't use 3-1-4-2 I still liked the tutorial.
Well done!
P.S You always say you don't like DMCs...

[Skidz]

GREAT tutorial Skidz...
Even though I don't use 3-1-4-2 I still liked the tutorial.
Well done!
P.S You always say you don't like DMCs...

Lol no bro I say I always dont like DML AND DMR! just like I dont like AML and AMRs!

[Christian Christiansen]

Right...
I reread my messages to you and you say you dont like DMLs, I understood DMCs

[dermata44munte]

Thank you for this great tutorial. I want to ask if you play counterattack or offside?
Thank you.

[soccerLover]

Hi Skidz,
Thanks for this tutorial .After read this i tried to follow ur formation and order past 8-10 days and i won most games but sometime when i faced a some better quality team with 4-3-2(aml/amr)-1 or 4-5-1 V style formation then result was draw or loosing my site. i'm now in 2nd level and quality differ 19.1(my Q)- 20.6/22.4(opponent Q). I need ur opinion in details what should i do .