how to beat a strange 4-3-2-1?

[cracicot]

4 - 0 - 3N - 2N - 1

----------ST----------
------AMC--AMC------
-----MC--MC--MC----
----------------------
---DL--DC--DC--DR---

3 MCs and 2 AMCs. This is not the usual Xmas tree. I can safely assume he attacks down the middle.

I was going to try 3DC, 2DMC, 2MC, AML + AMR + ST, a 3-2-2-2-1 with attack on both flanks to exploit his going down the middle.

----------ST----------
-AML-------------AMR
-------MC--MC--------
------DMC---DMC-----
-----DC--DC--DC-----

Otherwise I was going to go with 4-1-4-1 which works against the normal 4-3N-2W-1 Xmas tree.

Any thoughts? This is cup semi finals, first leg on the road, so I want to get the away goals.

[Tanot]

I think 3-1-4-2 and 4-1-3-2 can help you.

[cracicot]

do you mean:

3 (DC/DC/DC) - 1 (DMC) - 4 (ML/MC/MC/MR) - 2 ST?

and

4 (DL/DC/DC/DR) - 1 (DMC) - 3 (MC/MC/MC) - 2ST

or

4 (DL/DC/DC/DR) - 1 (DMC) - 3 (ML/MC/MR wide) - 2ST

???

I appreciate the advice, but please be a bit more specific if you can. And sorry to be picky, but can you explain your decisions a bit so I might understand why these formations will work?

Cheers!

[cracicot]

I went with a motivated 4-1-4-1 and switched my ML/MR to AML/AMR midway when i was losing 1-0 and ended up losing 1-0 away so i go home with no away goals and need a 1-0 win or win by 2 goals. cup semi. any more thoughts?

[Potemy]

How is that not the regular Christmas Tree?

I would go with a 3-5-2V.

[cracicot]

How is that not the regular Christmas Tree?

I would go with a 3-5-2V.

The regular x-mas tree is

--------ST--------
----AMC--AMC----
-ML----MC-----MR-
-------------------
-DL--DC---DC--DR-


This person's formation is exact EXCEPT for the midfielders:


--------ST---------
----AMC--AMC----
----MC-MC-MC----
-------------------
-DL--DC---DC--DR-

The tables show that 4-1-4-1 is supposed to work against the regular Xmas tree, but I went with this and was not successful and moved my AMR/MR and AML/ML up to attack and give me a 4-5-1 V instead which was not effective either.

I was thinking of the 3-2-2-2-1 butterfly: attack the flanks and own the midfield with 6, but am seriously thinking of the 3-5-2 V.

[cracicot]

went with a 3-5-2 V and lost 4-2 at home. ouch!

[Potemy]

I would've said the normal Christmas Tree was the narrow one, or else taking the formation as a whole, the bottom of the tree would be too thick, so to speak. Sorry to hear you lost, but maybe it was always going to be hard. How did the teams compare?

[cracicot]

Brothers team. I am always posting for him because he cant be bothered with forums. Brothers team was significantly better in quality(22 avg to 16 avg) and value (22M to 6M) but he just had the wrong formation it seems, or Nordeus had a bad day with the game engine.