In this guide, I will talk about the 4-4-1-1 the second variation. I’ve played against this formation a couple of times and it seems to be working great for my opponents, so I wanted to give it a try. Prepare for enough FC 24 Coins and then let's get into this formation.

Custom Tactics

Defensive Style is balanced as always, nothing too special about that. The Width is 41 and 61 Depth. Easily bump up the depth to 71 if you're comfortable with defending. because midfield domination and pressing is where this formation shines balance.

For Offence,Chance Creation is on Direct Passing with Width of 45 and 7 Players in Box because players on this formation are lazy. I just wanted to see more movement.

Instructions

Let's down to the instructions.

Striker: Just on getting behind, no stay central because I like my Striker to make diagonal runs and not just keep making straight runs towards the goal.

CAM (Central Attacking Midfielder): Just on getting to the box for crosses. I could put free roam on him as well, but I want him to overlap from my Striker from time to time and be the person who gets through on goal. Free roam is not a perfect instruction for that.

Right Midfielder & Left Midfielder: Both come back on defense, cut inside, and get in behind. I don’t have Get in the Box for a cross on any of them because both of them lack Aerial capabilities. So, I do Trillas on one side and go for cutbacks on the other side.

Center Mids: Both of them are on stay back while attacking and cover center. If you have a very good box-to-box Center Mid in one spot, definitely feel free to leave them on balance, cover center, let them go forward, and do their magic. I don’t trust either of my CMs to do that, so I put them both on stay back and use them as a deep-lying playmaker role.

Full Backs: Both of them are on stay back while attacking and default. If you feel really solid defensively and you want to add some numbers up top, definitely feel free to leave one of them unbalanced. The goalkeeper, as always, is on come for crosses and default.

Gameplay

Let’s get to some gameplay.

The 4-4-1-1-(2) formation, I’ve seen a lot of people use it recently, and I can see why they are so interested in it because it’s about midfield domination, it’s about congestion, it’s about pressing. If you’re good at pressing, you’re going to pin your opponent in their half. It’s literally so hard to get out of the press playing against this formation.

4-4-1-1 definitely has a lot going for it, but the problem is there are other formations that do everything that this formation does even better. Formations like 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 4-2-3-1, they’re all better than this formation. The only thing that this formation has on any of the other formations is the midfield congestion. But then, when you’re talking about midfield domination, 4-5-1, the second variation, is probably the best formation in the game.

I enjoyed playe this formation. I had a lot of success with it. However, everyone has different play styles, so if you try it, it’s a very solid formation.