Many people believe that possession is the only right way to play football. After all, the opponent can’t harm you if they don’t have the ball. Besides, when you dominate possession, you dictate the tempo of the match, and most of the time, you’ll be considered the better player. That being said, possession isn’t just for possession’s sake; you must convert it into goals if you want to win. This Football Manager 2023 Possession Tactics guide will teach you how to set up your team to achieve a masterclass in possession football.
Tactical Style
First up is choosing the tactical style. Now here, there are three relevant playstyles to us, namely: Control Possession, Tiki-Taka, and Vertical Tiki-Taka. While all three are suited for players looking to dominate possession, I recommend going for the much simpler Control Possession tactical style. My reasoning is that Tiki Taka will most likely require higher-skilled players with impressive passing stats, which you may not have at this point. Furthermore, it’s a high-pressing system that could quickly deplete your players’ stamina. So I’d say choose the Control Possession style. It’s straightforward, will allow your team to conserve energy, and will keep the tempo of the game at a moderate pace to dictate the ball, stepping it up when necessary. We’ll tweak this setup in the following sections, of course.
Select Control Possession
Formation
Next up is selecting the proper formation. Historically, 4-3-3 has proven to provide maximum control of possession and is the go-to system for Pep Guardiola. I have found that this is also the case in Football Manager 2023. So go ahead and select 4-3-3 DM Wide as your formation. This provides ample cover at the back with four defenders and a Deep Lying Playmaker to cover the defense when out of possession and to distribute the ball forward on the attack. The two advanced midfielders will create excellent chances for the forwards up front. One winger will provide width in the attack by running at the fullbacks, while one will cut inside and look to curl shots and crosses in, creating overlapping opportunities for his fullbacks. The striker should be a proper number 9 who will gobble up any chances that may present themselves.
The 4-3-3 DM Wide is your best bet.
All in all, it’s a very balanced formation in all aspects and the system we will use to maximize the control of the football in Football Manager 2023. Of course, you can modify the individual roles of the players to your liking, but the general setup should remain the same.
Mentality
Let’s now talk about more specific changes to the setup. First up in this Football Manager 2023 Possession Tactics Guide is the team’s mentality. Most teams that adopt the possession style are better than their opposition. Hence this should reflect in your mentality. So I recommend you select Positive for now; this will ensure that your players adopt an aggressive mindset and punish any opposition weaknesses, at the same time not over-committing in attack and leaving the defense too exposed for opponent counterattacks. You can change this to Attacking or Very Attacking as well later on once you get the hang of it.
Football was always a mental game.
In-Possession Tactics
Now for the very significant instructions for your team depending on whether they are in possession, in transition, or out of possession. First up is in possession. A Fairly Narrow attacking width has done wonders for me in Football Manager 2023 as it allows my team to constantly have passing options near them, allowing quick passing options to play out of pressure and cycle the ball to the next player. It’s also great for focusing play toward the center of the pitch and overloading the opposition penalty area instead of isolating your players on the wings. Setting your passing directness to Shorter will accentuate what I have described above. The tempo should be standard so your players can adjust to different phases of the game as the situation requires them to do. I’d also recommend instructing your players to dribble less and be more disciplined, so as to encourage teamwork rather than selfish play.
Maximize your control
In-Transition Tactics
A hallmark of the possession-based team is their hunger to win back the ball and restore order. Therefore, instruct your players to engage in Counter-press to regain possession as quickly as possible when in transition. Once achieved, they should hold their shape to look for viable passing options rather than just booting the ball up the field and hoping for a fortunate counterattack. The goalkeeper should also look for short-passing opportunities so that your team can calmly build up from the back.
Winning the ball back quickly is key
Out-of-Possession Tactics
Finally, let’s look at the out-of-possession tactics in Football Manager 2023. In order to complement the press, go for a high defensive line to constrict your opponent and force them to go long, from where you can then win the ball back with your powerful center-backs. This strategy is a little risky as it exposes you to quick counterattacks, but by using the offside trap and quick wingbacks, you can neutralize this to some extent. Your players should also apply pressure on the goalkeeper to prevent the opponent from playing out from the back, a similar idea to the one I described above.
You need to be prepared for moments when you won’t have the ball
These tactics should set up your team for possession dominance, at the same time ensuring you create enough attacking opportunities. You can also modify the different positions to your liking. For example, I changed my DM to a DLM as I wanted a slightly more progressive role. I also use one Ball Playing Defender to help my team play out from the back; this is usually the player with the better passing attributes.
Conclusion
That’s about it for this Football Manager 2023 Possession Tactics Guide. While whether you stack up those wins will depend a lot on the quality of your players and your man-management, these tactics should give your team a shape and structure designed to help dominate the game’s proceedings. You’re well on your way to becoming the next Pep Guardiola!
If you want more Football Manager 2023, check out our other guides, including these:
