Tactical Changes – Football Manager 2024
The following three things could change how we use tactics in Football Manager 2024 - Player movement/rotation, Inverted full back and Libero.
In this article we’ll explore each of them, to get an idea on how they may influence the tactical part of the game.
As positional play becomes more and more relevant in real life football, the game creators invested time in understanding and integrating it in the game.
Positional play it’s a playing style that sees players take up positions on the pitch that help their side to create numerical advantages with passing triangles and diamonds. If this will work as intended in Football Manager 2024, it will add a whole new dynamic to any tactic, not just Pep Guardiola’s one.
What FM 24 will deliver on this front is more player rotation. Based on their role and those you’ve included around them, the players will be able to move into another position while the team is in possession. This will happen somehow outside of their base position.
As per the example given by Sports Interactive, in a 4-2-3-1 tactic, the Advanced Playmaker will recognize the movement of the Segundo Volante. This means that the Advanced Playmaker will move across to open a channel for the Segundo Volante to move into.
This is a massive change, as it could make the tactics feel more fluid.
For example, the 3-2-4-1 tactic that Pep Guardiola employs this season.
The tactic has two attacking midfielders, two inverted wingers and one striker up front. If the player rotation works as intended, the attacking midfielders should link better with the inverted wingers and create or give them space when needed.
And in the same way, the striker should be able to move across and open a channel for the attacking midfielders.
One of the highlights on the tactical front is also the addition of the inverted full back. This could prove to be a massive change as it would mean that you could create a four defenders tactic and tell one of your full backs to tuck in when in possession.
Of course, in FM 23 this could be somewhat achieved by telling your full back to sit narrower. But the change itself lies in the player’s movement.
If you use a wing back on support or attack or a complete wing back on one side and an inverted full back on defend on the other side, when the wing back would push up the field, the inverted wing back should come in and become a third central defender.
This is how Kyle Walker usually plays for Manchester City.
Another change brought by positional play is the Libero role. Of course, this is an existing role in FM, but it has been revamped to emulate the real-world playing style.
The role will be available in a back four or a back three formation and is intended to move up into defensive midfield.
The midfield players will move also, to accommodate the Libero on their line. And the central defenders were changed in such a way in which they adapt to the Libero stepping out of their line.
The movement intended to be emulated by this change is the John Stones one for Manchester City.
The match engine was revamped as well to present more realistic player movement.
The players seem to communicate between better themselves and their movement looks to be in accordance to the moment of play.
These are subtle changes and may not be picked up right away.
I am very curious about how this would actually look and feel once the game is playable and you should too.
But until then, make sure that you have it all figured out for your first save!
