Counterattacking football relies on electric transitions, quick give and go’s, the ability to make runs in behind and the quality of the passer to find that runner in space. Thus, executing this playstyle to perfection may require a certain set of attributes from your players. Nonetheless, you can still expect flashes of brilliance regardless of how technically adept your players are. This Football manager 2024 Counterattacking Tactics guide will give you the general outline of how you should setup your team to execute the counterattack to perfection.
If you want more Football Manager 2024, check out the following articles:
- Football Manager 2024: Best Tactics for Possession
- Best Free Agents to Sign in Football Manager 2024
- 4 Best Save Ideas on Football Manager 2024
- Best Free Agents to Sign in Football Manager 2024
Tactical Style
The first thing you need to decide in FM24 is the tactical playstyle you want to implement. I recommend you going for one of either fluid counterattack or direct counterattack. These are similar in the sense that both invite the opposition into your defensive half, leaving space in behind which can then be quickly exploited by your pacey forwards once the possession turns over.
The difference occurs in the way the counterattack is executed once the ball is won back. The fluid counterattack is more suitable when you have flairy and skillful players in your team who like to express themselves and are more creative in the way they take the ball forward. On the other hand, the direct alternative is a more disciplined approach which focuses more on efficiency rather than flair. It comes down to your personal preference and what kind players you have in your squad.
One of Fluid Counterattack or Direct Counterattack should do the trick.
Formation
Next up in this Football Manager 2024 Counterattacking Tactics guide, let’s talk about the right formation. You want something that will allow you to stay solid defensively, but at the same time turn defense into attack in a flash once you win back the ball from the opposition.
I have found the 5-2-3 to be perfect for this purpose. The three Central Defenders provide sufficient cover at the back by covering the width of the pitch. The two wingbacks provide additional cover for defense in the wide areas, but their real benefit is their ability to join the attack and stretch the opposition, creating overlapping runs and open up space in the center for the forwards to exploit. The Deep Lying Playmaker will distribute the ball from deep, while the Ball Winning Midfielder will look to press the opposition and win back the ball to turn defense into deadly attacks.
The 5-2-3 helps your team transition in an instant.
In-Possession Tactics
This is where things get interesting in FM24. What tactics should you employ when your team has the ball? I recommend you to set your attacking width to fairly wide. This will help you stretch the opposition on the counter, which will in turn create more gaps for your midfielders to exploit and split the defense in half. Pass into space must be activated so that your forwards recieve the ball in their stride rather than having to stop and turn first, this will give them the headstart they need to leave the defender in the dust.
Furthermore, your wingbacks must create overlapping runs on both sides of the field to overload the wings and allow the wingers to cut inside and get a clearer shot or pass in. Keep passing directness at slightly more direct and tempo slightly higher, ensuring that the speed of the counter remains high and giving the opposition minimal time to catch their breath once possession overturns. Additionally, instruct your players to get a mix of different crosses into the box, and ask them to play for set pieces in the latter phases of the game when you are looking to defend a slim lead.
Look to stretch the opposition on the counter at a high tempo.
In-Transition Tactics
Up next in this Football Manager 2024 Counterattacking Guide let’s consider the tactics to implement as soon as your team loses or wins the ball. You will want your players to regroup and withdraw in order to minimize the chances of an opposition counterattack once possession is lost. On the other hand, once the ball is won, ask your players to charge forward on the counter to exploit the space in behind the opposition backline before they have a chance to regroup and get back into position. Your players should look to distribute the ball quickly to maintain tempo, and the goalkeeper should distribute the ball into the wide areas through long throws to speed up the movement of attack.
It’s vital to maintain speed in transitions.
Out-of-Possession Tactics
How should you react to not having the ball for large periods of the game, especially considering the counterattacking setup? Well, firstly, you would want to maintain a mid block line of engagement. This will prevent your forwards from overcommitting and leaving large gaps for the opposition midfield to pass through. Instead, they will look to stay near the middle and leave space to run in behind once their teamates win back the ball. A standard defensive line ensures that your players don’t completely park the bus but also don’t expose themselves to the threat of quick counterattacks by being too far up. All in all, a balanced line that gives you ample protection while not losing impetus on the counter.
You should ask your players to trigger the press more often, this will be beneficial especially in the central areas as you can quickly form a deadly attack by winning the ball back. Look to trap the opposition players inside, this should constrict them for space and make life difficult for them.
A standard defensive line is sufficient for this system to work.
Mentality
Finally in this Football Manager 2024 Counterattacking Tactics guide, let’s consider what mentality you should assign to your team. It’s a general perception that teams that play on the counter have less quality than the opposition, hence their tendency to concede possession to the opposition and let them dictate the tempo of the game. Therefore, in a scenario such as this in FM24 where you believe the opposition to be more skilled than you, you can go ahead and select the cautious mentality. Your players will look to break when provided the chance, but they will not overcommit on the counter in the fear of leaving the goal exposed.
You can go for either the cautious or positive approach depending on your squad’s quality.
However, this may not always be the case. Sometimes, even if you have the better squad in FM24, you will still be happy to let the opposition pass the ball around in possession as long as it isn’t endangering your goal. A great example is Real Madrid in the clasicos. They will allow Barcelona to have most of the possession but will actively look for chinks in their defense and exploit these at lightning speed to score on the counter. In this case, you should assign the positive mentality to your team. This gives a very clear message to the opposition: “you are only dominating possession because we want you to.”
Conclusion
That’s about it for this Football Manager 2024 Counterattacking Tactics Guide. You can add your personal tweaks to this setup to get it to your liking, and your team should now play beautiful counterattacking football. Go get those victories coach!
