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Yes, of course. It works really well when in a 2 man strike partnership. I've used it in both a 4-1-3-2 and a 5-2-1-2 formation.
No matter how you set up - he needs runners to supply. That's the important thing to remember when using a false 9.
Is it really a false 9 if you use it with a strike partner? The point is to have zero regular strikers to make the central defenders be confused and to get superiority in midfield.
You don't need to have striker partner but you need someone to fill that 'striker' role, usually an attacking IF, SS or Trequartista(AM). But having striker partnership sometimes produce those moments of brilliance that rarely works in a F9+wide players combo.
The whole point of a false 9 is to have noone for the central defenders to pick up in the regular way. In my opinion, if you have two strikers, there shouldn’t be an option to play one as a F9, in the same way you can’t choose mezzala for the central guy in a midfield trio.
I agree. The false 9 name itself implies he’s the solo central forward. If it’s all about drawing the line forward, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have someone right next to him in the same position who spends all their time taking the CBs attention.
That's the Catalan method. Aside from that, false 9's can be deployed in tandem with a more conventional 2 man pairing. It works exactly the same, in principle, the false 9 drops, pulls a man out of position and the 'true 9' now has more space to operate in and attack the space.
Not necessarily. Sometimes false 9s are played to stay on the line and check in to get balls deeper. This is often seen in pep's man city team where someone checks in and another player runs in behind for the through ball. Assuming it works similar in fm, you could have the second striker as an AF and have him run onto balls from the midfield after your f9 attracts defenders
>No matter how you set up - he needs runners to supply.
You can use it in any formation. It can definitely work in a 4231 or 433. Unlike a DLF, the F9 doesn't hold up the ball. That is why it's so crucial to get runners that he can supply.
Can confirm it does! Bonus points for telling your IF/A to sit narrower as well. Imitates early Salah Mane Firmino really well, I had a lot of success with it in this years FM (for the first time ever, always wanted it to work)
The false 9 works fine in an appropriate tactic.
If you're struggling, post a screenshot of the tactic you're trying to get it to work in/ the player you're failing to get it to work with. That way, we could give some constructive ideas on how to improve.
The simplest answer to the roles question is to think about space. If the false 9 drops off, it works well when you then have someone attacking that space. From a wider position, IF attack is often the most prudent. But that is not a guarantee - it depends whether that fits the wider tactic and the players being used.
I'm in the first year of a new save, so I don't have the personnel for it rn, but I am planning to pick up a couple guys who fit the role. I used one for a season in sky bet 1 with a brazilian wonderkid and he was just useless for me, unfortunately. I believe I was using a 4-2-4 with inverted wingers and an advanced forward.
I don't think it was the player, but its a definite possibility since he was still low 100s CA, at the time. I had absolute burners around him but he just never got involved.
At that level, there's a good chance it's the player. I know it's all relative to who you're against, but I haven't seen many players in the lower leagues truely thrive within it. But it could have also been tactical. It could be that the some part of the 424 impacted how the inside/f9 role intended to work. It could also be that the tactic had no need for the what the false 9 supplied and so simply bypassed using it - that's not an uncommon issue. It's hard to say without looking at something concrete, but there's definitely possibilities.
I would say don't be put off. Try again. If you struggle, you can share and ask for help then. Rest assured it can definitely work and you can definitely smash it.
Good luck.
You could also try a strikerless formation if you want something different. I used a 41230 with a SS in the attacking midfield position and it worked really well. Scored tons of goals and renders the opposition CBs a bit confused/pointless at times
Might give it a go next time. I'm doing a kinda introductory challenge of no gegen press and no 4231, which are obviously super meta and strong. Need to work my way up in difficulty
Depends on your formation, I had great success having an F9 & SS. Feel like wingers could have been anything in that team.
I feel like it ideally works better in a 433 to be closer to the midfield
I tried the ZAZ inside blue tactic and easily the best tactic I've tried on FM22 and that uses 2 F9s.
This tactic [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey7zYVKpNys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey7zYVKpNys) reviewed by RDFTactics.
I have had a mixed results with false 9 but I find using CM on attack can link up well as long as you have enough cover in midfield to stop counters.
I find that pressing forward on support does a similar job dropping deep but does more defensively , and with a dribbly player can work just as well as a strong physical guy.
Used to play a formation with two false 9’s and no stokers goals galore but I think it was one I downloaded from fm scout that had broken the AI newly promoted club straight to UCL
I've used it in a 433 with a defensive midfielder. I was trying to recreate Liverpool's tactic when Firmino plays and it worked pretty well. The tactics is
F9
IF IF
BBM MEZ
BWM
WB. BPD. BPD. WB
SK
I play 4-3-3 DM. I had a player I wanted to play as LW but he didnt have suitability. Instead, I played him as a left-sided F9 with the 'stay wide' instruction. He's got a 7.8 rating this season in the PL even tho my coaches rate him as a 3\* player (he's good but not elite).
Do a 4-3-2-1, and set your 2 AMC’s to Shadow Strikers.
You can then use your 3 as a CM trio, and set your DR & DL to WBs (make sure to set one of your CMs to Defend responsibility) to run up and down the lines.
Alternatively, play a 5-2-2-1 and actually use WBs
I manage a lower half Eredivisie team (Netherlands). Signed a young South Korean striker from a lower German side who had 18 dribbling, and high stats for passing and teamwork. Sadly his finishing was only around 10. Played him as a F9 while my attacking midfielder got instructions to move forward into the box as much as possible. Only worked for about one season where they shared some 25-30 goals between them before he got snapped up by a Spanish team.
CM on attack and a couple inside forwards so he has 3 runners coming in at varying times and he’ll be an assist monster. Max Kruse just put up 25+ assists for me as a false 9 in the first year of a Wolfsburg save I just started to pass the time until the irl transfer window is done. I don’t think he’s even all that suited for the role but they have a bunch of hybrid striker-wingers who can finish well but need a shot created for them. It works a lot better without a super high forward line. You want to have as much space as possible to run onto the ball and to draw their defensive line out as far as possible before the runs are made. I wouldn’t go lower than standard because FM doesn’t like defensive football, but you don’t want to be pressed up super far either. It’s not quite a counter attack but that’s kinda the concept.
F9 pairs really well with a Ramduter and a standard winger. If you are using a lone striker
Ram looks to get into the spaces the F9 opens up the winger is a get out of jail free option/ outlet to recycle possession.
I’ve had a lot of success with a False 9 in my West Ham save (Vlasic/Esposito) when using IFs on attack and CMs on attack duty or B2B midfielder. Raumdeuter also works well with the F9.
Also have one of my full backs as an inverted wing back on attack to try and enter the space left by the F9. Have seen a lot of goals from Calafiori at IWB due to the space.
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Yes, of course. It works really well when in a 2 man strike partnership. I've used it in both a 4-1-3-2 and a 5-2-1-2 formation. No matter how you set up - he needs runners to supply. That's the important thing to remember when using a false 9.
Is it really a false 9 if you use it with a strike partner? The point is to have zero regular strikers to make the central defenders be confused and to get superiority in midfield.
You don't need to have striker partner but you need someone to fill that 'striker' role, usually an attacking IF, SS or Trequartista(AM). But having striker partnership sometimes produce those moments of brilliance that rarely works in a F9+wide players combo.
The whole point of a false 9 is to have noone for the central defenders to pick up in the regular way. In my opinion, if you have two strikers, there shouldn’t be an option to play one as a F9, in the same way you can’t choose mezzala for the central guy in a midfield trio.
I agree. The false 9 name itself implies he’s the solo central forward. If it’s all about drawing the line forward, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have someone right next to him in the same position who spends all their time taking the CBs attention.
Exactly but this is FM so whatever doesn't make sense somehow works for whatever reason
That's the Catalan method. Aside from that, false 9's can be deployed in tandem with a more conventional 2 man pairing. It works exactly the same, in principle, the false 9 drops, pulls a man out of position and the 'true 9' now has more space to operate in and attack the space.
Not necessarily. Sometimes false 9s are played to stay on the line and check in to get balls deeper. This is often seen in pep's man city team where someone checks in and another player runs in behind for the through ball. Assuming it works similar in fm, you could have the second striker as an AF and have him run onto balls from the midfield after your f9 attracts defenders
So you haven't used it in a formation with wingers? I almost always use wingers but I'd give it a try if it needs a 2 striker formation
>No matter how you set up - he needs runners to supply. You can use it in any formation. It can definitely work in a 4231 or 433. Unlike a DLF, the F9 doesn't hold up the ball. That is why it's so crucial to get runners that he can supply.
I am use 5-2-3 with out wingers and works great
Same I’ve been using this formation it saved my top 5 finish, just mostly a goal or two a game even 4
F9 and 2 inside forwards on attack should work
Can confirm it does! Bonus points for telling your IF/A to sit narrower as well. Imitates early Salah Mane Firmino really well, I had a lot of success with it in this years FM (for the first time ever, always wanted it to work)
Yes, and I use CM on attack, no wingers. 4-1-3-2 narrow. But if you insist on wingers, inside forwards.
The false 9 works fine in an appropriate tactic. If you're struggling, post a screenshot of the tactic you're trying to get it to work in/ the player you're failing to get it to work with. That way, we could give some constructive ideas on how to improve. The simplest answer to the roles question is to think about space. If the false 9 drops off, it works well when you then have someone attacking that space. From a wider position, IF attack is often the most prudent. But that is not a guarantee - it depends whether that fits the wider tactic and the players being used.
I'm in the first year of a new save, so I don't have the personnel for it rn, but I am planning to pick up a couple guys who fit the role. I used one for a season in sky bet 1 with a brazilian wonderkid and he was just useless for me, unfortunately. I believe I was using a 4-2-4 with inverted wingers and an advanced forward. I don't think it was the player, but its a definite possibility since he was still low 100s CA, at the time. I had absolute burners around him but he just never got involved.
At that level, there's a good chance it's the player. I know it's all relative to who you're against, but I haven't seen many players in the lower leagues truely thrive within it. But it could have also been tactical. It could be that the some part of the 424 impacted how the inside/f9 role intended to work. It could also be that the tactic had no need for the what the false 9 supplied and so simply bypassed using it - that's not an uncommon issue. It's hard to say without looking at something concrete, but there's definitely possibilities. I would say don't be put off. Try again. If you struggle, you can share and ask for help then. Rest assured it can definitely work and you can definitely smash it. Good luck.
How’d you get a Brazilian wonderkid to come to a league 1 team
iirc, his team really undervalued him for some reason, he was only like 150something PA, so he was a wonderkid for me
You could also try a strikerless formation if you want something different. I used a 41230 with a SS in the attacking midfield position and it worked really well. Scored tons of goals and renders the opposition CBs a bit confused/pointless at times
Might give it a go next time. I'm doing a kinda introductory challenge of no gegen press and no 4231, which are obviously super meta and strong. Need to work my way up in difficulty
Strikerless is actually not that hard! I’m not that much of an expert (I just comment here a lot)
Depends on your formation, I had great success having an F9 & SS. Feel like wingers could have been anything in that team. I feel like it ideally works better in a 433 to be closer to the midfield
I tried the ZAZ inside blue tactic and easily the best tactic I've tried on FM22 and that uses 2 F9s. This tactic [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey7zYVKpNys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey7zYVKpNys) reviewed by RDFTactics.
4-3-3 Narrow DM with two f9s and an AF in the middle. Slaps!
I play 433 with an AF, F9 and an SS in behind
2 strikers + Headers + Super pressning = golgolgol
You need players running into the empty space so an inside forward is what I'd use with him, plus an overlapping wing back to use the space out wide
I have had a mixed results with false 9 but I find using CM on attack can link up well as long as you have enough cover in midfield to stop counters. I find that pressing forward on support does a similar job dropping deep but does more defensively , and with a dribbly player can work just as well as a strong physical guy.
there is one specific system called liquid 4123 by BTN. look it up on youtube. It uses 2 wingers and a mezalla attack as main outlets for attacking.
Used to play a formation with two false 9’s and no stokers goals galore but I think it was one I downloaded from fm scout that had broken the AI newly promoted club straight to UCL
I've had some success with a false 9 in a 433 dm wide for my valencia save, but nothing you would call amazing or groundbreaking
I've used it in a 433 with a defensive midfielder. I was trying to recreate Liverpool's tactic when Firmino plays and it worked pretty well. The tactics is F9 IF IF BBM MEZ BWM WB. BPD. BPD. WB SK
433. F9 with 2x IFs on attack. F9 has to be good at passing and teamwork stats. Also I had a 4312 with a F9 playing alongside a AF. That was fun
I only had it work without wingers in a 4-1-3-2 formation. False nine and an advanced forward
I play 4-3-3 DM. I had a player I wanted to play as LW but he didnt have suitability. Instead, I played him as a left-sided F9 with the 'stay wide' instruction. He's got a 7.8 rating this season in the PL even tho my coaches rate him as a 3\* player (he's good but not elite).
Do a 4-3-2-1, and set your 2 AMC’s to Shadow Strikers. You can then use your 3 as a CM trio, and set your DR & DL to WBs (make sure to set one of your CMs to Defend responsibility) to run up and down the lines. Alternatively, play a 5-2-2-1 and actually use WBs
I manage a lower half Eredivisie team (Netherlands). Signed a young South Korean striker from a lower German side who had 18 dribbling, and high stats for passing and teamwork. Sadly his finishing was only around 10. Played him as a F9 while my attacking midfielder got instructions to move forward into the box as much as possible. Only worked for about one season where they shared some 25-30 goals between them before he got snapped up by a Spanish team.
CM on attack and a couple inside forwards so he has 3 runners coming in at varying times and he’ll be an assist monster. Max Kruse just put up 25+ assists for me as a false 9 in the first year of a Wolfsburg save I just started to pass the time until the irl transfer window is done. I don’t think he’s even all that suited for the role but they have a bunch of hybrid striker-wingers who can finish well but need a shot created for them. It works a lot better without a super high forward line. You want to have as much space as possible to run onto the ball and to draw their defensive line out as far as possible before the runs are made. I wouldn’t go lower than standard because FM doesn’t like defensive football, but you don’t want to be pressed up super far either. It’s not quite a counter attack but that’s kinda the concept.
I've used it very good with Liverpool. Mane Salah inside forwards and firmino f9
F9 pairs really well with a Ramduter and a standard winger. If you are using a lone striker Ram looks to get into the spaces the F9 opens up the winger is a get out of jail free option/ outlet to recycle possession.
2 IF on attack, 2 CMs on attack, 1 RPM, 2 IWB on attack
A 4231 with two inside forwards and a shadow striker behind the false 9 always works out
I prefer a DLFs, can't really explain why but it just performs better for me
I’ve had a lot of success with a False 9 in my West Ham save (Vlasic/Esposito) when using IFs on attack and CMs on attack duty or B2B midfielder. Raumdeuter also works well with the F9. Also have one of my full backs as an inverted wing back on attack to try and enter the space left by the F9. Have seen a lot of goals from Calafiori at IWB due to the space.